A Learned Treatise of Traditions, Treatise · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. An anſwere to our Adverſaries affirming, that wee receive many Traditions contained in the Scripture.
OVr Adverſaries upbraid us, in that we who reject traditions, are nevertheleſſe conſtrained to admit of many. Ye beleeve (ſay they) that theſe bookes are canonicall: ye allow of baptizing ſuch as are Heretikes, and the baptiſme of little infants: yee beleeve the proceſſion of the holy Spirit from the Father and the Sonne, and the tranſlation of the Sabbath to the Dominicall day, and the perpetuall virginity of Mary the mother of Chriſt: yee beleeve that women ought to ſing in the Church: yee grant the words of Conſubſtantiation, of Trinity, of Perſon, and of Sacrament, which are not found in the holy Scripture.
I have already ſaid, that we reject not all unwritten Traditions; but only thoſe which adde ſomething to the doctrine of ſalvation, contained in holy Scriptures. For anſwere to their objection, that wee receive this unwritten Tradition, to wit, Theſe bookes are canonicall; to ſay ſo much of the bookes, is not to adde to the canonicall bookes. And ſpeaking in that manner, we are ſo farre from adding to Scripture, that on the contrary, it is a declaration that nothing is to be added thereunto, and that it is the perfect rule of our faith. Yet to have a complete certainety of the ſacredneſſe of theſe bookes, there muſt be a ſtronger teſtimony then this Tradition. An illiterate man not inſtructed in the knowledge of God, receiveth the teſtimony of the Church of his owne countrey, which telleth him that theſe books are canonicall, as a probable teſtimony, and which hee ſhould not willingly contradict: but then hee beginneth to have of it a divine teſtimony, and of ſoveraigne efficacie, when the Spirit of God by the Doctrine contained in this Scripture, hath enlightened his ſpirit, and inflamed his heart with a ſecret vertue, whereof it is in vaine to diſpute with thoſe that feele it not: the which cannot ſerve for a Law to another but ſerveth to every one of the faithfull in particular, to aſſure his conſcience. It is alſo to bee conſidered, that the teſtimony of ſhewing ſuch and ſuch bookes to bee canonicall, might proceed as well from an hereticall as from an orthodox Church. The Apoſtles received the holy Scripture from the Phariſes and Sacrificers, who were enemies to Ieſus Chriſt. Whence it appeareth, that the teſtimony which the Church affordeth to the Scriptures, is not of ſupreme authority and indubitable, but invalid. It is by faith that we beleeve, that the contents of the Scripture are the word of God; which faith is not given by the Church, for it is an effect of the Spirit of God.
Touching the other points, I ſpeake of them in generall, that if they bee Doctrines and Rules of the Chriſtian faith, not contained in the Scripture, we are not bound to beleeve them. But when every one of theſe points ſhall be examined aſunder, ſome will bee found contained in the Scripture, others are not Doctrines, nor Lawes or Rules of the Chriſtian faith, nor things requiſite or neceſſary to ſalvation.
I am aſtoniſhed to behold how our Adverſaries dare to inſert the Baptiſme of little infants, amongſt the unwritten traditions, ſeeing that their ſelves diſputing againſt the Anabaptiſts, prove it by many paſſages of Scripture. Bellarmine in his eighth Chapter of the firſt Booke of Baptiſme, bringeth theſe proofes of Scripture, that Baptiſme ſucceeded Circumciſion, which was applied to little infants. That Ieſus Chriſt at the ninth of Saint Matthew, ſaith, Suffer the little ones t… come to me &c. That in the ſixteenth of the Acts, Lydia is baptized by Saint Paul with all her houſe. And that in the ſame Chapter, the ſame Apoſtle baptizeth all the family of the Goaler. That Saint Paul baptized the family of Stephanus, 1 Cor. 1. 16. If theſe proofes are bad, Why doe they make uſe of them? If they be good in their mouthes, Why ſhould they not be good in ours?
As for holding Baptiſme of Heretikes to bee good, wee account not this article as neceſſary to ſalvation. Agrippine a man of holy life and Doctrine, and Saint Cyprian, Saint Firmilian, Saint Denis, Alexandrine, and Saint Baſil have diſſented in this point, from the Church of Rome; yet nevertheleſſe they are held for Saints by our Adverſaries. Yea more, many Councels approved by the Church of Rome ordaine, that ſome Heretikes ſhould be re-baptized, by name the Paulianiſts, the Samoſetanians, the Montaniſts, the Eunomians, the Sabellians, the Eucratites, &c. as is to be ſeene at the nineteenth Can… of the firſt Councell of Nice. At the eighth Canon of the Councell of Laodicea. At the ſeventh Canon of the firſt Councell of Conſtantinople. And in the Epiſtle of Saint Baſil to Amphilochius at the 47. Canon.
Yet this queſtion ſhall be found decided in the Scripture by all probability. For Circumciſion did ſtill continue among the Iſraelites, of the ten idolatrous races, who were no more circumciſed, when they were converted to the true Religion. The cuſtome of circumciſing the Samaritans againe that were ranged into Iudaiſme, (wherof Epiphanius ſpeaketh in his boo… of meaſures and weights) practize… upon Symm…chus a Traducer of th… Scriptures, was invented afterwards. The ſame reaſon is for Baptiſme.
Concerning the proceſſion of of the holy Spirit from the Father and the Sonne, it is to be ſeene in the Councell of Florence, that the Latines defending themſelves againſt the Greekes upon this queſtion, doe alledge Scripture: but this controverſei was deviſed, and is ſuſtained with animoſity, to ſtrengthen the Schiſme, and it is an eaſie matter to accord them therein. For thoſe who ſay that the holy Spirit proceedeth from the Father by the Sonne, doe ſay alſo that it proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne. In a matter that paſſeth our capacities, it is better to ſay little then too much, and rather to be ignorant then to conteſt.
The change of the Sabbath, and obſervation of the Lords day, are plainely enough collected out of the Scripture. The Apoſtle to the Coloſ. 2. 16. ſaying, Let no man judge you in meat or in drinke, or in reſpect of an holy day, or of the new Moone, or of the Sabbath dayes, forbiddeth to condemne any man that doth not obſerve a diſtinction of meats, and keepeth not the new Moones, not Sabbaths. And by the placing of new Moones and the Sabbaths in the ſame ranke, he ſheweth cleerely, that as Chriſtians were not obliged to keepe the new Moones, ſo were they no more ſtrictly bound to keepe the Sabbaths. At the firſt Chapter of the Apoc. 10. is mention made of our Lords day. VponUpon which paſſage the Ieſuite Ribera Ribera in cap. 1. Apocal. Videmus hîe etiam tempore Apoſtolorum S…bbaths ſolemaitatens mu…a…am eſſe in Dominicam diem.ſpeaketh thus, Wee ſee here that in the time of the Apoſtles, the ſolemnity of the Sabbath was changed to the Lords day. This is the firſt day of the weeke whereon the Chriſtians made their ſolemne aſſemblies, to celebrate the holy Supper, and to contribute their almes: as is to be ſeene at the 20. of the Acts 7. and in 1 Cor. 16. 2. as Thomas and Lombard have declared in their Commentaries upon this Epiſtle: andEſtius Comment in 1. ad Corin. cap. 16. Eccleſia iam ab illo tempore caepit vacare diem Dominicam, quod in ea reſurrexiſſet Dominus a morte. Sic enim appellatur a lohanne Apoſtole Adocal. 1. vt proinde diet Dominica nomen & inſtitutionē ad Apoſtoles referendam eſſe non ſit dubium. after them one Eſtius, ſpeaking thus; The Church from that time began to call it the Lords day, becauſe on that day the Lord was raiſed from the dead. For it is ſo called by Saint Iohn at the firſt of the Apocalypſe Where fore it is not to be doubted but that the name and inſtitution of the Lords day ought to be fathered upon the Apoſtles. Nevertheleſſe, let us grant that no mention is made of this in the Scripture, what availeth it againſt us, who affirme that all the Doctrines of the Chriſtian faith are contained in the Scripture? For the obſervation of our Lords day is not a Doctrine, but a Law of Eccleſiaſticall government.
The perpetuall Virginity of the bleſſed Virgine, is beleeved in our Churches by way of decencie: though it bee not a Doctrine of faith, nor a point neceſſary to ſalvation. Baſil in his Homily of theforeign Nativity of Chriſt, ſaith, That if it were otherwiſe, yet would it bee nothing prejudiciall to our ſalvation. Howſoever, Helvidius had not his perfect ſenſes about him, to move ſo impertinent a queſtion, and call into doubt a matter, which were better ſuppoſed to be true, then argued on either ſide.
As for ſinging of Pſalmes in our Churches, as well by men as by women, it is no Article of the Chriſtian faith, but an Eccleſiaſticall policie and cuſtome, which neither addeth to, nor ſubſtracteth from the Doctrine of faith. And this cuſtome is not practiſed in all our Churches; for there are Churches which doe aſſemble ſecretly, to avoid perſecurion, as heretofore did Chriſtians under the Pagan Emperours. Theſe poore Churches have not the liberty of ſinging, yet are they not the leſſe amiable in the ſight of God. The Apoſtle to the Coloſ 3. 16. commandeth us to exhort one the other by Pſalmes, Hymnes, and Spirituall Songs. Hee wrote this to the Coloſsians without diſtinction of Sex. The ſame Apoſtle in 1 Cor. 14. 14. and at 1 Tim. 2. 12. forbiddeth women to teach in the Church, but not to ſing. For ſeeing they partake of the prayers and preaching, why not of the praiſes and actions of thankſgiving? If it be a ſeemely thing and religious in them, to chant forth the glorious commendations of God in their houſe at home, why not alſo in the houſe of God?
The termes of Conſubſtantion and Trinity, are words, but no Rules nor Doctrines: and theſe words as they adde nothing to the Scripture, ſo they import nothing that is not contained in the Scripture in othertermes. The terme of Perſon is found in Heb. 1. … for this word hypoſtaſis in Greeke ſignifieth perſon.
They have but little modeſtie who bluſh not to demand a paſſage of Scripture, where the word Sacrament may be found. The Apoſtles writing in Greeke, regarded not to provide themſelves of a Latine word. Surely theſe men ſpeak as properly as if they enquired whether this very word horſe is found in Virgil. In the Latine vulgar tranſlation the word Sacramentum is rehearſed ſome dozen of times, and ſignifieth a myſtery or ſecret. Whence it commeth, that the myſtery of the great Whore, the ſignification of the ſeuen ſtars, and the Senſe or expoſition of the dreames are called Sacraments. Apoc. 3. 1. and 17. 7. Dan. 2. 18.
Touching the Holy Supper, which wee call Sacrament, herein wee follow the cuſtome, and by the word we vnderſtand no other thing, but that which Ieſus Chriſt calleth a memoriall or commemoration, ſaying. Doe this in remembrance of me.