The True Way of Concord of All the Christian Churches, Part 3 · Chapter 15 – Chapter 16
CHAP. XV.
The Catholick Church will never unite in a Reception and Subſcription to every Word, Verſe, or Book of the Holy Scripture, as it is in any one Tranſlation, or any one Copy in the Original now known.
§ I. THis needeth no other proof than the reaſon of the thing, and common experience.
1. All Tranſlations are the work of imperfect fallible men; we have none made by the Spirit as working infallibly in the Apoſtles, (unleſs, as ſome think, the Greek of St. Matthews Goſpel be a Tranſlation.) The pretences of Inſpiration of the Seventy two that are ſaid to be the Authors of that Greek Tranſlation of the Old Teſtament, is not yet agreed on in the Church; nor whether it was more than the Pentateuch which they Tranſlated. The Authority and Reaſons of Hierome ſtill much prevail.
Sect. II. And the Vulgar Latine, moſt valued by the Papiſts, is yet ſo much matter of Controverſie between them, that when Sixtus Quintus had ſtabliſhed a corrected Edition, Clement the 8th altered it in many hundred places after.
Sect. III. And all Proteſtants acknowledge the imperfection of all their own Tranſlations, Engliſh, Dutch, French, &c.
And in the ſame Church of England, we have the publick preſcribed Uſe of two different Tranſlations of the Pſalms, one ſometime directly contrary to the other, as Yea and Nay, and one leaving a whole Verſe which the other hath.
Sect. IV. And we know of no man that pretendeth to be ſure that he hath a Copy of the Hebrew and Greek Text, which he is certain is perfectly agreeable to the autography or firſt draught: And the multitude of various Readings put us out of all hope of ever having certainly ſo perfect a Copy: All therefore have the marks of humane frailty, which cannot be denied.
Sect. V. And no wiſe and good man ſhould deliberately deny this, and ſo juſtifie falſly every humane ſlip. But yet there is no ſuch difference among Copies or Tranſlations, as ſhould any way ſhake our foundations, or any point neceſſary to ſalvation doth depend upon: For in all ſuch points they all agree.
Sect. VI. Object. But if Copies and Tranſlations differ and err, how can we make them our rule of judgment?
Anſw. I ſay again, They agree in as many things as we need them for, as a Rule of Judgment: And where they differ, it being in words of no ſuch uſe, and moment, that hindereth not our being Ruled by them where they agree. The Kings Laws may be written in divers Languages for divers Countries of his Subjects: And verbal differences may be no hinderance to their regulating uſe; no more than the King himſelf doth loſe his authority, if his hair turn white.
Sect. VIII. Object. 2. But what then, muſt all ſubſcribe to, if not to all the Bible? Have you any other meaſure or teſt?
Anſw. We muſt ſubſcribe, That we believe all Gods Word to be true, and all the true Canon of Scripture to be his Word, and that we will faithfully endeavor to diſcern all the Canon: And we muſt expreſly ſubſcribe to the Eſſentials of Chriſtianity, of which before and after.
Sect. VIII. It was a conſiderable time before many Churches received the Epiſtle of James, the 2d of Peter, that to the Hebrews, the Revelation, &c. And no doubt they were nevertheleſs true Chriſtians: And if now any believe all the Eſſentials of Religion, and ſhould doubt only whether the Canticles, or the Epiſtle to …i…mon, or the two laſt of John, or that of Jude, were Canonical, he might for all that be a true Chriſtian, and more meet to be a Biſhop, than Syneſius was before he believed the Reſurrection, or Neclar…us before he was baptized, &c.
Sect. IX. The Churches are not fully agreed to this day about the Canonical Books of Scripture; more than the Papiſts call ſome Books Canonical, which we call Apocryphal. And it is ſaid that the Abaſſines, and Syrians have divers not only as Eccleſiaſtical, but as Canonical, which we have not, nor know not of: Though we have good cauſe to judge beſt of our own received number, (by the proof well produced by Biſhop Conſins, and many others) yet have we no cauſe to unchurch all Churches that differ from us.
Sect. X. No Church therefore ought to caſt out all Miniſters that doubt of ſome words in any Tranſlation, or Copy, or of ſome Verſe, Chapter, or Book, who hold the main, and all the neceſſary Doctrines. No ſuch Teſt was impoſed on the primitive Chriſtians: And it's ſad to hear the report that even the ſound and humble Churches of Helvetia, ſhould lately make it neceſſary to the Miniſtery, to ſubſcribe to the antiquity of the Hebrew points; though it may be a true and uſeful Aſſertion.
CHAP. XVI.
The Catholick Church will never unite in the ſubſcribing to any mens whole Commentaries on the Bible.
§. I. THis is yet more evident than the former. 1. They do not at this day, nor ever did agree in any mens Commentary: They have great reſpect to the Commentaries of ſome of the Ancients, and others, but ſubſcribe them not as infallible: Though the Trent Oath of Pope Pius, ſwear men not to expound the Scriptures otherwiſe than according to the agreeing Expoſition of the Fathers; it is well known,
1. That they never told and proved to us, who are to be taken for Fathers, and who not.
2. It's known that few of them have written large Commentaries, and fewer on all the Bible, if any.
3. That they oft differ among themſelves.
4. And the beſt have confeſſed their own Errors.
5. And more have been found erroneous by others, and are by us at this day.
6. Yea, they have caſt out, and condemned one another; as the Caſe of Nazianzene, Epiphanius, Chryſoſtom, Theophilus Alexand. Cyril, and Theodoret, and many more beſides Origen ſheweth.
6. The Papiſts ordinarily take liberty to differ from the Commentaries of divers of the moſt Renowned of the Fathers.
7. And the learnedſt men of the Papiſts themſelves do differ from one another.
8. And no General Council that pretend to be the Judge of theſenſe of the Scripture, durſt ever yet venture to write a Commentary on it.
9. No nor any Pope; nor any by his appointment, or a Councils, is written by any other, and by them approved as infallible. By all which, and much more, it is evident, That ſubſcribing wholly to any Commentary, will never unite the Churches of Chriſt.
Sect. II. And no wonder, when that, 1. God hath compoſed the Scripture of ſuch various parts, as that all are not of the ſame nece…ſity or intelligibility; but ſome are harder than the reſt to be underſtood, and many hundred Texts are ſuch, that a man that underſtands them not, may be ſaved. 2. And Paſtors as well as People, are of various degrees of underſtanding, and all imperfect, and know but in part.
Sect. III. Yet are good Commentaries of great uſe, as other teaching is; but not to be ſubſcribed as the terms of the Unity or Liberty of the Churches.
Sect. IV. Nay, thoſe particular Expoſitions which General Councils (the Pretenders to deciding judgment) have made, are not to be ſubſcribed as infallible, as I have before proved by the quality of the men, and by their many Errors, and contradicting and condemning one another.