A Learned Treatise of Traditions, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. The opinion of the Romiſh Church. That our Adverſaries with one conſent accuſe the Scripture of inſufficiency, and of not containing all the doctrines neceſſary to ſalvation.
WHen our Adverſaries diſpute againſt Pagans, and compare the holy Scripture with humane wiſedome, they exalr the ſanctitie, perfection, authoritie, perſpicuity, and divine efficacy of the holy Scripture; yea, you would imagine they accorded with vsus, and borrowed our termes. But when the queſtion is of comparing the Scripture with the church of Rome, then alter they their language, debaſing the dignitie of the Scripture, to the end to magnifie the authoritie of the Pope. They vphold, that the Scripture is not Iudge, & that this title appertaines unto the Pope, and to the Prelates which he authoriſeth; then (I ſay) they make all authoritie of the Scripture to depend upon the power and teſtimonie of the Romiſh Church. They accuſe the Scripture of incertitude, of being depraved, of obſcuritie, of inſufſiciencie, and imperfection.
But if one repreſent vntounto them their owne proper words, wherein they commend the perfection of the Scripture, and acknowledge that it containeth all that is neceſſary to ſalvation, they hauehave an evaſion ready at hand: for they ſay that the Scripture may bee called …erfect, becauſe ſhe referreth to the …hurch, which ſupplyeth all her …efects. Wherein they apparantly …putradict themſelues. For if the Scriptures ſend back to the church to learne of her wherein they are de fectiue, by the ſame meſſage and …nding backe they confeſle their …wne imperfection. The Merchant that ſendeth away his Chapman to another ſhop, to finde that which hee hath not in his owne, by this diſmiſſion hee confeſſeth that his owne ſhop is ill furniſhed. And if it be ſufficient for the Scripture to be called perfect, when as ſhe ſends is to the Church, it is moſt cer…aine, that inſtead of all the Scrip…ure, one ſole line might ſuffice, ſpcaking thus; Goe but to the Church of Rome, and ſhee will teach you all things infallibly.
Now to vnderſtand what is the imperfection where of our adverſaries accuſe the Scripture, let v… obſerue what they diſcourſe vponupon the ſame.
The Councell of Trent in the fourth Seſſion pronounceth that the Church ſhall rece…ue and honour the vnwritten Traditions with equall affection of piety and reverence as the holy Scripture. The hallowed Synod (ſay theſe Fathers)Omnes libros tam veterus quam novi Teſtamenta nec non Traditiones ipſas tum ad fiaem tum ad mores pertinentes, tanguam vel ore tenus à Chriſto, vel à Chriſto, vel à ſpiritu ſancto dictatas pari pietatis affectu, ac reve rētia ſuſcipit ac veneratur. receaues and honoureth with like affection of godlineſſe and reverence all Bookes as well of the Old as the New Teſtament, and the Traditions appertaining to faith and manners, as dictated onelyonly by the mouth of Christ, or by his holy ſpirit. Yea by this decree the commandements of the Church of Rome are equall to the Law of God, and the doctrine of the Goſpell contained in the New Teſtament. By this rule the Invocation of Saints commanded by Tradition, ought to bee done with like pietie and reverence, as the Invocation of God commaunded in the holy Scripture.
By the authoritie of this CouncellCatechiſmus ad pa ochos ex Decrete Con…tly arid. Py 4. Pont. Max. iuſſis editus. Omnis aoctrinae ratio quae fidelibus tr…aeda ſit, quod in Scripturam traditionéſ que diſtributum eſt. a Catechiſme was framed, which in the very entry and be ginning placeth this Maxime that all doctrine which ought to be given to the faithfull, is contained in the Word of God, which is divided into Scripture and Traditions; whence grew vp the diſtinction of the word written and unwritten.
Gregory de Valentia the Ieſuite in the fift Booke of his Analyſis, andScripturans non eſſe ſufficientem fides regulā, quta non continet omnia. Title of the third Chap. The Scripture is not a ſufficient rule of faith, for it containeth not all things.
Cardinall Bellarmine a Ieſuite, in his Booke of the Vnwritten wordScripturas ſine Traditioni…us nec fuiſse fimpliciter neceſſarias, nec ſ…fficientes. Chap. 4. The Scriptures without Traditions are not ſimply neceſſary nor ſufficient. And there againe he calleth the Scripture regulam non totalem, ſed partialem, a rule not entire, but a piece or parcell of a rule.
The Ieſuite Baile in the 9 queſtion of his Catechiſme: I will make you poynt it with your finger, that the Scripture is not ſufficient.
Peter Charren in the fourth Chap. of his third Verity, ſaith, that to require all to bee proued by Scripture, is an vniuſt demand. And not much after: The Scripture is nothing but a little par cell of truth revealed.Part. 3. diſp. 8 § … Stultum eſt omnia ab Apoſtolus ſcripta putare vol omnia ab…is tradita … Etin iniurtam vergerat agentis & r…velantis Spiritus: Et inſuave eſſet natura noſtre, quae omnia ſimul non capit.
Salm ron the Ieſuite in his 13. Tome of the firſt Booke of his Commentaries vponupon the Epiſtles of Saint Paul: It is a ſottiſhneſſe to thinke that the Apoſtle hauehave written all things, or hauehave given all by Tradition, that would turne to an injury againſt the holy Ghoſt operating and revealing: and it would bee a thing repugnant to our nature, that comprehenaeth not all things at a clap.
Of which vn written Traditions that hauehave been ſtarted ſince the Apoſtles time, he fercheth ſome examples: to wit, the Eccleſiaſticall§ Quint. opus. Hierarchy, that is to ay, the Papall Monarchy, with the ſubordinate degrees; the ſervice of Images, and§. Poſtremo. the ſuffrages of the dead, the Maſſe and manner of ſacrificing, and the§. Porro. Tradition that Ieſus Chriſt hath made a ſacrifice in bread and wine: & that he then made the Chriſme, &c. Hee rendreth the reaſon why theſe things ſhould not be written: to the end that the Commandement §. Quint. opus. Haec literis cōſignari minimè debuerisnt, … ſoruaretu praecepiū Chriſti; Nolite dare ſanctum canibus.of Ieſus Chriſt bee kept, who chargeth in this manner: GiueGive not to dogs that which is holy. VponUpon this Ieſuites reckoning, the doctrine of the birth and death of our Saviour was given to dogs, when it was digeſted in writing. And God gaue his Law to dogs, when he wrote it in two Tables. But as for the Papall Hierarchy, Image-ſervice, Romiſh Indulgences, Invocation of Saints, &c. God would not hauehave ſuch holy things to be caſt to dogs, nor hath he permitted them to be written.
And there againe: Waxing inſolent § Tertio. Protervire voientes ſcriptu… refelli non poſſunt, idea una tradi…one lugulandi ſunt.and froward, they cannot bee vanquiſhed by the Scriptures, therfore muſt their throats be cut with one Tradition alone.
Coster a Ieſuite in the Preface ofP…aefat Enchi…d. Noſtri toporis haretici ad ſolas S…ipturas tanquam ad laxum adhareſcunt. Idem cap de ſacra ſcript. In membranis tam n…vi guae veteris Teſt ā. multa deſiderantur. In ea tamen o… nta non contineri valde impudēter affirmare non verentur. A Chriſte videtur cautum ne omni… fider dogmata ſcriptu cōmendarmtur dum ait, Nolite dare ſanctum canibus. his Manuell: The Heretiques of our time doe ſticke to the Scriptures as to a rock. That diſpleaſeth the Doctor, for (ſaith hee) In the Parchments as well of the Old as New teſtament many things are wanting. And further: they feare not to affirme with great impudence, that all things are contained in the Scripture. And a little after: It ſeemes that Ieſus Christ forbad all the doctrines of Faith to be couched in writing, when hee ſayd: GiueGive not to …ggs that which is holy. As if the Scripture were made for the dogs. And who may theſe dogs bee but the Chriſtian people? Now ſeeing that Ieſus Chriſt hath given the Scripture to theſe dogs, that is to ſay, to the people, wherefore doth the Pope take from them that which Ieſus Chriſt hath given unto them, in debarring them of the reading?
Reaſon would require, that our Adverſaries ſpecifie vntounto vsus, what are the Doctrines that are wanting in the Scripture, and that they make us a catalogue of their Traditions. But they hauehave not dared to doe it hitherto, fearing to affright the people with the multitude of doctrines, which they hauehave patched to the word of God.
We learne by the Hiſtory of theHiſt. del Concilio Trident. lib. 2. Ann. 1546. Councell of Trent, that beſides the publike Seſſions of the Councell, they cauſed Congregations to be made of Prelates and Doctors to make draughts of the Decree which ſhould bee propoſed to the Councell: and when theſe were afterwards to be read in full Councell, the Fathers gaue their ſuffrage by the word Placet, without ſcruple or difficultie therein, receiving the ſaid Decree as a Law already ratified by the Popes Legats. Before the fourth Seſſion was held, where in was eſtabliſhed the Decree touching Traditions, ſome ſelected Doctors were aſſembled to frame this Dectee, which was for a long ſpace debated. Some interpoſing that it was neceſſary a Decree ſhould be made, wherein it ſhould be declared that all the Catholike doctrine is founded upon Tradition, in regard that the Scripture it ſelfe is not to bee beleeved, but by the leaue and meanes of Tradition that miniſtreth authoritie unto it.
Vincent Lunel, a Cordelier was of opinion to make a Decree of the authoritie of the Church, before Traditions ſhould bee mentioned, becauſe theſe are grounded upon the authoritie of the Church, and the Church is that which affor…eth all authoritie to the Scriptures. To which opinion the Legats would not condiſcend, fearing that heereby the memory of the Councels of Conſtance and Baſill ſhould be revived, which hauehave adjudged, and definitiuely determined, that the ſoveraigne authoritie of the Church abideth in the Councell, and not in the Pope, and that the Pope is ſubject to the Councell, and that to enter into diſpute hereon, were to ſignifie that it is not yet knowne who ſhould be Iudge.
But Anthony Mariner the Carmelite, a ſage and learned man, was of opinion, that nothing at all ſhould be ſpoken of Traditions, alleaging, that without all doubt God under the old Teſtament had commanded Moyſes to write his Booke of the Law, charging the Kings to reade it carefully, and to put a copy of it into the Arke of the Covenant; but ſaith, that under the new Teſtament the Scripture is not neceſſary, in reſpect that Ieſus Chriſt hath written his doctrine in mens hearts, without need either of Tables, Arke, or Booke. Hee further ſaith, that if there were no Scripture at all, yet the Church ſhould looſe nothing of her perfection: It is true, that God hath not forbidden his Apoſtles to write, but ſo alſo is it certaine that they hauehave not written by his commaundement, and it is an abuſe to ſay, that God hath commaunded them to write one part of the doctrine, and forbidden them to write the other. Againe he preſſeth, that if any man he of a contrary opinion, he ſhould hauehave too maine difficulties to vnfold, the one to declare the things forbidden to be written; the other to tell us who hath made thoſe men that came after the Apoſtles ſo adventurous and bold, to commit to writing that which God had forbidden his Apoſtles to write. Laſtly he ſayth, that if any man avowed it to bee chance and without expreſſe commandement from God, that ſome things hauehave been written, and others not, hee ſhould accuſe the providence of God, in taking no care of ſo important a matter, and ſhould call into doubt the aſſiſtance of the holy Spirit, that hath inſtructed the Apoſtles to write. For theſe reaſons was he of opinion to make no compariſon of Traditions with the Scripture, ſince by this meane alſo they might paſſe over the Scripture.
But Cardinall Poole an Engliſh man, and third Legat, did utterly renounce this opinion. Yet for al… that there was a decree framed wherein (without mentioning the authoritie of the Church, or that Traditions are aboue the Scripture) it is averred, that ſimply the Scripture and Traditions ought to be received with equall pietie and reverence. Which is a perpetuall rule that the Councell hath obſerved, to deviſe emptie Decrees, not expreſſing the moity of the church of Romes opinion, and that in ambiguous words, to the end, that upon all occaſions they may make Interpretations fit for their owne turnes.