A Learned Treatise of Traditions, Treatise · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. A Proofe of the ſame by the practiſe of the Primitiue Church.
WEe hauehave proved by many paſſages of our Adverſaries, that in the Church of Rome, Traditions are much more eſteemed, and of greater authority then the Scripture, which they ſo much under-value, and charge with a thouſand reproaches; and that by injuſtice and moſt fraudulently the Councell of Trent ſeemes to make them equall. Now are we to proue the ſame by the practiſe and maximes of the Church of Rome.
I. In the firſt place, when our adverſaries ground the authority of the Scripture upon tradition of the Church, and would hauehave the Scripture received and beleeved, becauſe the Church doth ſo ordaine it; It is evident that they preferre Tradition before Scripture: for they make Scripture to depend upon Tradition, & eſteeme Tradition of the Church more worthy of belife then Scripture, and beleeue not the Scripture, but becauſe the Church of Rome hath ſo commanded it.
II. Let vsus looke vponupon experience, and wee ſhall informe our ſelues, that in the Church of Rome the people is a thouſand fold more carefully inſtructed in Tradition, then in the doctrine of ſalvation contained in holy Scriptures. The moſt ignorant know the meaning of Lent, and the foure Seaſons: they are inſtructed in the difference of meats; they are skilled in Feſtivall dayes and Eues; they goe in Pilgrimage, viſite the Reliques, gaine Pardons; purchaſe Maſſes, Obits, and Suffrages for the dead; ſpeake of Purgatory, mumble over their Chaplet or Beads, and their Roſary, or our Ladies Pſalter; and diſcourſe of the Popes ſucceſſion in Saint Peters Chaire, but they are ignorant in the holy Scripture, accounting it modeſtie and humility not to enquire much after it. Aske them upon the doctrine of our Redemption in Ieſus Chriſt, upon Iuſtification by faith, vponupon our free Adoption, upon the correſpondencie betweene the Law and the Goſpell, upon the difference between the old and new Teſtament, upon the cauſes wherefore it was neceſſary that our Redeemer ſhould bee God and man in the vnitie of perſon, vponupon the ends of their Reſurrection and Aſcenſion, upon the Doctrine of faith and good works (which are the poynts wherein conſiſteth the eſſence of Chriſtian Religion) and you ſhall finde them as mute as fiſhes, and altogether uninſtructed.
III. Baptiſme is a divine Inſtitution; but Confirmation (ſuch as is practiſed in the Church of Rome) and confection of the Criſome, are humane Inventions. Yet are they much more honoured then Baptiſme: for in the Church of Rome a woman, yea a Pagan and Iew may baptize, and giuegive that which they hauehave not: and Confirmation is not adminiſtred, nor Criſome conſecrated but by the Biſhop, with great ſolemnitie.
IV. God hath commanded St. Peter, and the other Apo…les to preach the Goſpell, but gaue them no command to giuegive Indulgences, nor to canonize Saints, nor to releaſe ſoules out of Purgatory, nor to conſecrate their Agnus Dei, and their bleſſed Beads. The firſt poynt is a commandement of God, the other things are humane Traditions, which the Pope doth performe with preparation and ſolemnitie: but hee preacheth not the Goſpell, eſteeming the labour of preaching as a thing vnworthy of his greatneſſe. Inſomuch as the Popes are induſtrious obſervers of their owne Traditions, and adore their owne proper Inventions, but diſpenſe with the Lords commandements.
V. Hence commeth it to paſſe, that the ſinnes committed againſt Gods Law, are held to be light, in compariſon of thoſe committed againſt the Traditions, Decrees, and Canons of the Pontifies. The inferiour Prieſts giuegive abſolution of theſt, of lying, and of whoredome, which are ſinnes againſt the Law of God; but there are caſes reſerved, wherein no man in France can giuegive abſolution but at the poynt of death; and they are ſpecified in the Bull De Coena Domini, which the Pope thundereth eueryevery yeere on Maunday Thurſday before the Paſchall. The ſinnes that are moſt enormous, and whereof no man but the Pope maketh abſolution, are not murther, parricide, inceſt, ſodomy, and perjury: but to appeale from the Pope to a future Councell, to withdraw Tythes from the Clergy, to take up Armes with heretikes, to impeach thoſe that goe to Rome to obtaine the great Pardons, to play the Pyrate upon the coaſts of the Papall territory from the hill Argentara to Terracina; of theſe hainous ſinnes none but the Pope can giuegive abſolution; for theſe are tranſgreſſions againſt the Lawes and Traditions, broached by the Popes for their profit, and to infringe them is rated a matter more grievous and capitall, then ſinnes againſt the Law of God contained in holy Scriptures.
VI. The Canon Violatores, in the 25. Cauſe, and 1. Queſtion, pronounceth, In Spiritum ſanctum blaſphemant qui ſacros Canones violant.that thoſe blaſpheme againſt the holy Ghoſt who violate the ſacred Canons. Whence it followeth that this ſin is unpardonable. The ſinns then againſt the Law of God are remi…table, and the Prieſts forgiue them; but to violate the Canons of the Church of Rome, is a ſinne unabſolvable. This is that which is ſpoken by Pope Nicholas Can. Si Romanorū. Diſs. 19. Vt ſi quis in illa cōmiſerit, noverit ſibi veniam denegari.the firſt: If any one ſinne againſt the Decretalls of the Apoſtolique Seat, let him know that it ſhall not bee forgiven him, at the Canon Si Romanorum, in the 19. Diſtinction. And there againe he declareth, that the Old and Capitulum S Innocc̄ty Papae, cuius authoritate deecatur, à nobis vtrum que teſtamentum eſſe recipiendū, quāvis in ipſis paternis Canonibus nullū eorum ex toto contineatur inſertum, &c.New Teſtament ought to bee receiued, although they bee not inſerted in the Canons, for the holy Pope Innocent hath expreſſed his opinion touching the ſame. If the Old and New Teſtament muſt be receiued, becauſe Pope Innocent hath ſo appointed it, we muſt conclude that the Decree of Pope Innocent, is of more authority then the Old and New Teſtament. For that which giueth authority, is greater then that which receiueth it. Yet the Old and New Teſtament had their plenary authority before Pope Innocent was in the world.
VII. Pope Gregory the firſt, before Nicholas had beate the path to this pride, in his Epiſtle to Antonine Subdeacon, complaineth of one Honorat, who (ſaith hee) hath not onelyonly Lib. 2. Epiſt. 16. Non ſolum mandata Dei neglsgens, …ed & ſcripta noſtra contemnens.neglected the commandements of God, but alſo miſpriſed our writings: as if his writings were of more authority then the commandements of God.
VIII. The ſingle life of Prieſts is a Them. 2. ſeeundae. quaſt. 88. art. 11.meere humane inſtitution, as Thomas acknowledgeth; as alſo Bellarmine in his booke concerning the Clergie, Chap. 18. And in very deed the Scripture ſpeaketh nothing thereupon. But whoredome is forbidden by the Law of God; nevertheleſſe if a Prieſt doth play the Fornicatour or Adulterer, it is but a laughing matter: But if a Prieſt doe marry to obey the Apoſtle, ſpeaking: If they cannot containe let them marry, 1. Cor. 7. 9. And let a Biſhop bee a husband but of one wife, 1. Tim. 2. 2. this mariage is called a ſacriledge, & pointed at as a prodigious thing. In luſt and whoring hee tranſgreſſeth the Law of God, and the vow that hee hath made to obey his word. In marrying hee tranſgreſſeth the Tradition of the Church of Rome, and the vow invented by humane Tradition, which is accounted the g…eater offence. For it hath pleaſed the Pope to allow of obſcene whoredome, and to forbid mariage, which are two Traditions that hauehave caried him away againſt the rules of holy Scripture.
IX Marke yet ſomething worſe.Innoc. 3. Extra de Big… nou, cap Q carea. Poſt laſts per ſe Apoſtolica edoceri ſi presbyteri plures Con… binas hab… bigame ce… antur. A… qd duicin r…ſpondendū, quod cum irregularitatē non incurrerint, cum eu tanquā ſimplici fornicatione notatu, poleru diſpenſure. Navar. Tom. 2 cap. Ad inferendam. 23. quaſt. 3. De defēſione pro…mi cap. 37. ſect. 15. Reſpondendū eſt crimon Sodomiae non comprehendi [in criminibus quae irregularitatem inducunt] &c. Quia parum rejert illud crimen eſſe graviſsimū et ſpurciſsimū, cū matus ſit crimē haereſis mentalis, & edium Dei, quorū tamen nullū irregularitatem in…ucit. Pope Innocent the third declare h, that a Prieſt hauing many Concubines, is not therefore lapſed into irregularity, that is to ſay, doth not for this become incapable to exerciſe the Prieſthood. Yea for Sodomy a Prieſt is not degraded, as is taught by Nauarras the Popes Penancer. But a Prieſt that marieth, is foorthwith degraded, is made a publicke execration, and chaſed with more maledictions then the Azazel or Scapegoat, although hee hauehave the Apoſtle on his ſide, to protect him againſt the Tradition.
It is certaine that in the Church of Rome, to eat fleſh on Goodfriday, is accounted an hundred degrees more horrible then to haunt brothell houſes: and to breake the arme of an Image, is more then to breake the heads of ten liuing men. For Tradition is more religiouſly obſerued then the Law of God.