A Learned Treatise of Traditions, Treatise · Chapter 9
CAP. IX. Three reaſons wherefore Tradition is preferred before the Scripture in the Church of Rome.
THe reaſons that hauehave moued the Pope to exalt Tradition aboue the Scripture are three. The one is, becauſe the ſucceſſion of the Pope in the primacie of Saint Peter is a Tradition, which is the only prop of his dominion. And therefore it neerely concernes him to exalt Tradition, vponupon which his Empire is founded.
The ſecond is, becauſe Traditions depend vponupon the Pope, and as hee contriued them, ſo can he alter them. But hee hath not the Scripture in his power; he cannot make another holy Scripture; nor change the Hebrew originall which the Iewes (who are not obedient to him) doe carefully preſerue; nor the Greeke Teſtament, which the Greeke Churches hauehave ſaued for vsus. It concernes him therefore that the Traditions (whereof hee is both Maker and Maſter) be had in great eſtimation.
The third is, becauſe all Traditions are gainefull to the Pope and Clergy, and ſerue to extoll the Papall Empire, and dignity of the Eccleſiaſticks: hee and his Clergy rake vp infinite profit by Indulgences, priuate Maſſes, Suffrages and Maſſes for the deceaſed, Diſpenſations, Annates, &c. By confeſſions the Prieſts know the ſecrets of families, & make themſelues formidable, in reſeruing the participation of the chalice to themſelues and Kings, they make themſelues companions of Kings, and worſhipfull to the people: by Tranſubſtantiation they attribute to themſelue the Gabriel Biel in Can. Miſs. Lect 15 Nē volut. Dominus aliqu…m habere poteſtatē ligandi vel ſolvenis ſuper corpus Chriſti myſticū, niſi haberet poteſtatē ſuper corpus Chriſti ver….power of making God with words, to create their Creatour, and to hauehave Ieſus Chriſt within their juriſdiction, locked up in a Pix. By the ſacrifice of Maſſe, they make themſelues ſacrificing Prieſts, ſacrificing Ieſus Chriſt to his Father. By the inſtitution of feſtiuall dayes, the Pope vſurpeth power in commanding al ſhops to be ſhut vp, and cauſeth all Seſſions of iuſtice and Councell to be interrupted at his pleaſure. By the difference of meats, he governeth the Markets, Kitchens, and Tables of Kings. By the canonization of Saints, hee makes his meaneſt groomes to bee worſhipped by the people, and lifteth up to heauen thoſe that hauehave moſt faithfully ſerved him; and commandeth the people to invoke ſuch Saints as hee pleaſeth. By the Sacrament of Penance, he impoſeth corporall and pecuniary penalties & mulcts, yea upon Kings and Princes to the very whipping of them, uſurpeth ſway over bodies and goods, and changeth corporall puniſhments into pecuniary. By the Abſolution of ſinnes, the Prieſts make themſelues Iudges betweene God and the ſinner, and will hauehave God obliged to pardon a ſinner, becauſe the Prieſt hath pardoned him; yea in a cauſe where God is the partie offended, the Prieſt maketh himſelfe judge. Whereas God in the holy Scripture giveth to Paſtors power to diſpenſe with the puniſhment of ſinnes as far as Eccleſiaſticall cenſure, theſe gallants make bold as far as the Conſcience, and to the very judiciall Seat of God. By Service in Latine, the Pope retaineth the people in ignorance, and planeth among all Nations a marke of his Empire, giving them the Romane language to ſubdue them to the Romiſh Religion. The Diſpenſations which the Pope giveth to Princes, to marry in degrees forbidden by the word of God, doe oblige the children that ſpring from them to maintaine the Papall authority; for if that were ſhaken, it would bee doubted whether they bee legitimate or no. The power of diſ-enthroning Kings, diſpoſing of Empires, cauſing their feet to bee kiſſed by Monarks, canonizing Saints, and of releaſing ſoules out of Purgatory, are Traditions which magnifie the papall dignity, aboue all power ſpirituall or temporall that ever was on earth. Wherefore let vsus not maruell that the Pope laboureth to countenance theſe Traditions, and to cruſh the Scripture, which doth but moleſt him, diſaccommodate him in his traffique, and ſtaggereth his whole Empire.
Hereupon the Reader that hath heard the compariſon, which our aduerſaries make of Tradition of the Romiſh Church, with the holy Scriptures (ſaying, that Tradition of the Church is more ancient, more ample, more cleare, more certaine, and of more authority over vsus then the holy Scripture) will call to remembrance the example of the Aegyptians, who paſſing by long rankes of columns and pillars and by magnificall Temples, did lead the Worſhipers to a place more ſolitary and retired, where ſtood the God of the Temple; there did they ſhew them an Ape, or an Oxe, or a Cat, in honour of whom the Temple was erected, even thus doe our aduerſaries in this queſtion. After ſuch high titles and magnifications of Traditions (to the extolling of them aboue the word of God, contained in holy Scriptures) when wee come to vnmaske their vglineſſe, and offer them to ſight, they preſent vsus with abſurd inuentions, and ſuch as expoſe Chriſtian religion to laughter. They tell vsus of Images of the Trinity in wood or ſtone. Of ſoules that broile in a fire for ſinnes pardoned. Of Indulgences for one hundred yeares. Of priuileged Altars, vponupon which whoſoeuer cauſeth a Maſſe to bee ſaid, maketh choiſe of a ſoule to be releaſed out of Purgatory. Of Adoration of Images, bones, and rags. Of ſolitary Maſſes without communicants, which chant after the intention of him that payes them. Of publicke prayers and particular in an vnknowne tongue. Of maſſes for horſes. Of Ieſus Chriſt caried away by mice. Of bleſſed beads, and Agnus Dei. Of pilgrimages. Of the difference of meats. Of borowed ſatisfactions. Of faſting and being whipt one for another. Behold their Traditions, ſee what is preferred before the Scripture, obſerue the Lawes and documents which they balance with the Law that God himſelfe hath pronounced, and with the doctrine of our redemption, which the eternall Sonne of God hath brought from Heauen, and yet is found light in compariſon of theſe venerable Traditions; for why? becauſe they caſt into the ſcale a maſſy ſtone, to weet, the names of Pope and Church of Rome, which in the hearts of men growne brutiſh, weigh downe againſt God and the Scriptures.