The Principle of Protestant Truth and Peace, Catechism · Chapter 8
CAP. VIII. Of Tradition and Antiquity.
Queſt. BY what hath been ſaid, Scripture and its Interpretation appear guarded by their own Divineneſs, againſt all Private and Counterfeit, as by Cherubims, and a Flaming Sword turning every way. But hath there been no Stratagem of the Adverſary to undermine Divine Catholick Religion, and the Authority of Scripture, the Publick Record of Religion, with its Publick Interpretation; and yet that all theſe ſhould ſeem ſtill to reſt firm upon their own Baſe?
Anſw. The great Enemy of God and Truth hath been wanting in no Artifice, and therefore hath fallen upon that very Method inquired of; that what could not be atchieved by denying Scripture, by bringing in Falſe Scripture, or Private Interpretation, monſtrous to the Text, (all ſuch groſs Frauds being in ſome Times and Places expoſed and exploded) might be more ſucceſsfully attempted and effected, by yoaking Tradition with Scripture, a Private Incertain Oracle with a Publick and Certain one, and ſo avowed to be by the Traditioniſts themſelves.
Queſt. What is Tradition?
Anſw. Theſe four things concur to the making up Tradition.
1. That from the Divine Authority of Scriptures, and the True Religion of them, which (as hath been ſaid) it acknowledges, it borrows not only Countenance, but Occaſion, and more than that, a ſhew of Reaſon and Neceſſity for it ſelf.
2. That it therefore endeavours to tack and joyn it ſelf to Scripture, and the Religion of it, as neceſſary to compleat and fill it up▪ or to provide ſomething more requiſite to that Religion, that Scripture hath not provided for.
3. That it having grown up from no true Root, nor riſen upon any juſt Foundation, it hath ſtollen into its Authority and Reverence, by being paſſed from Hand to Hand ſo long, that its Elderlineſs looks like a Patent for that Authority and Reverence: And its Original (ſome Injudicious Devotion, at the beſt) not being eaſie to be trac'd, it comes to be ſuppoſed, or rather ſuperſtitiouſly to be ſuſpected to be Divine; and at length, like a long-told Lie, aſſuming to be Truth, it takes upon it ſelf to be Divine, and to curſe all thoſe that derogate from it.
4. That having thus rivetted it ſelf, it by degrees, like Pharaoh's Lean Kine, eats out the generous and rich Senſe of Scripture, and devours the Authority of it, and yet it ſelf remains a jejune and ſtarv'd Superſtition.
Queſt. Who are the great Maſters of Tradition?
Anſw. They that have, under the True Religion, ſet up ſome private Diana of Profit, Honour, or Worldly Advantage, and cannot maintain it by that True Religion, they eke out therefore with Private Tradition what may ſupport it.
Queſt. What Antidote is there againſt the Miſchief of Tradition?
Anſw. To cleave with full purpoſe and reſolution of Heart and Soul to the Word of God, and to that only; to have no Religion, nor any thing in Religion, but what is enjoyned and recommended by Divine Authority, in that Bleſſed Word of God; and this is indeed to be of the truly Catholick, Apoſtolick, and Publick Religion.
Queſt. But is the Senſe that hath now been given of Tradition, the beſt Senſe of it in Scripture-uſe?
Anſw. No, it is not; and the Conſideration of a better Senſe will much clear to us the Nature of Tradition. When therefore our Saviour diſcourſed of the Commandments of Men, delivered down from Hand to Hand, ſubſiſting only upon the Private Authority of the Elders, not founded on the written Canon of the Old Teſtament, at that time the only Rule of Faith, Worſhip, and Practice, he always names Tradition in the ill Senſe already given: But when the Doctrine and Rules of the New Teſtament, in thoſe grand Points, were juſt breathing from the Holy Spirit, and not yet fixed in that abiding Canon, Tradition is ſo long accepted in a good Senſe. The Hiſtory of the Things done by our Saviour, though moſt ſurely believed, Luc. 1. 1. was firſt but delivered or tradition'd by Word of Mouth, but afterwards written, that the certainty of them might be more fully known to thoſe that had been before Catechiz'd in them by Oral Tradition. All the Ordinances of the Chriſtian Worſhip were firſt Traditions, 1 Cor. 11. 2. and the very Rules of Life were in Tradition, 2 Theſſ 3. 6.
But yet all theſe, though they were Trad…ons delivered by thoſe that were Commiſſioned immediately by the Holy Ghoſt, and were themſelves Eye witn…ſ…, and Earwitneſſes of moſt Things they gave in T…dition, were yet not ſealed ſo ſure as the more ſure Word of Propheſie, becauſe they were not yet written by Divine Inſpiration, though given out by it, nor generally received and aſſured, as ſo written, till the due time of Trial by former Scripture had paſſed upon them. The firſt Chriſtians did therefore well to take heed to that former Scripture, till they had the full Day of the Goſpel, as hath been before ſpoken.
If Tradition then was not ſo ſure in the firſt and truly pure Times of it, how much leſs would it have been ſure afterwards, if it had continued in Tradition? All therefore of Doctrine in the New Teſtament was firſt prepared by Tradition, laid in and proved by the Scriptures of the Old Teſtament, either by direct Conſequence, or by Interpretation from immediate Revelation, demonſtrated, as the Firſt giving of Scripture always was, by Miracles; and ſo all at once, and once for all, conſigned over to the Poſterity of Chriſtians by Divinely Inſpired Writings, ſo aſſured, ſo confirmed, as to leave no place for Tradition o… the Beſt ſenſe: There remains therefore nothing for Tradition now, but its Ill ſenſe.
Queſt. Why might not True Religion continue in Tradition, committed all along to Faithful Men, even as it did in …e Cuſtody of the Apoſtles, and ſuch Faithful Perſons as they committed it to?
Anſw. Even in the time of the Apoſtles it was truſted no longer to Tradition, than it muſt needs; for the Apoſtle John, the Survivor of them, cloſed the Canon of the New Teſtament, that was drawn apace into Writing all along: But at that time there was ſuch a continual immediate Energy or Efficacy of the Holy Spirit, that Truth mov'd every way, like Lightning, and both by its direct and ſtraight forward Motion in Doctrine, and its reverſe ſtrokes in the Conviction of all Falſhood, Errour was blaſted every way: But when this Extraordinary Appearance ceaſed, there was then no ſafety for Truth, but in an unchangeable Written Word, that was in ſuch an extraordinary Seaſon of Miracles and immediate Revelation, ſetled and eſtabliſhed, under ſo great a Superviſal, in the midſt of ſo many Witneſſes of all things, by their Eyes and Ears; and it being once written, and always ſo ſecured by Divine Providence, as hath been repreſented, it always ſpeaks the ſame Things, in the ſame Words it firſt did.
Queſt. Why might not Divine Truth be committed, ſome more Fundamental Parts to Writing, and ſome, according to variety of Occaſion, to Tradition?
Anſw. God, to whom all Futurity is preſent, who foreſaw all that was neceſſary to be written, before he had done writing cannot be ſuppoſed to commit his Will in part to Writing, and that upon great Reaſons; and the ſame Reaſons notwithſtanding, to leave a conſiderable part, or ſo much as any one Branch obligatory upon the Conſcience, to Parol-Tradition: For, if he that offends in one Point is guilty of all, there needs the ſame Authority, and as well aſſured, for one Point of Faith and Obedience, as for all the reſt.
2. It is unconceivable, what End Tradition, unconſign'd by Scripture, can ſerve, that Scripture does not more fully and effectually take care for. Publick Religion reſerves nothing to be a Cabal for Private Intereſt, within a cloſe Cabinet or Conclave.
3. Whatever is ſuppoſed to be entruſted to Tradition, muſt either be the very ſame we have in Scripture, and then Tradition is needleſs and ſuperfluous; for we have it in Scripture, if we duly exerciſe our ſelves in it: or it is more than Scripture hath declared, and yet ſuppoſed to be of equal Authority with Scripture; and then it muſt be a Motionary and Itinerant Word of God: But where are the daily and continual Seals and Credentials Divine Tradition had, and in a conſtant freſh Motion with it, as it moves; for ſo it had need be, in ſo fluid a Thing as Tradition, if it would pretend to be Sacred; and ſo Divinely Inſpired Tradition had, while it continued in Tradition: But what Reaſon can be given, Tradition, as we now ſpeak of it, was not incorporated into Scripture, as was argued before? Or that in ſo long a Courſe of Time it hath not been enroll'd into Scripture, as the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apoſtles ſtill was? Seeing, if it had all things elſe, it cannot but want the Benefit of the Divine Contexture and Conveyance that Scripture hath, in Words choſen, and put together by Inſpiration, and the ready, eaſie, and certain Acceſs to it by all: For all are equally concerned in it. Now ſeeing Tradition wants all theſe, how can we accept it? How can we look off from Scripture, to pore upon Tradition? or what hold can we have of it?
Queſt. But how can it be, but there muſt be Tradition, ſeeing there were ſo many Things ſpoken and done, more than the Scripture contains, or the World it ſelf could contain, if they were all written? Theſe then being known in the firſt Times, have been conſerv'd by Tradition, Tradition made valuable by thoſe of Honourable Name among Chriſtians, and their Diſcourſes of Chriſtianity?
Anſw. Granting ſuch things ſo preſerv'd, ſuppoſe them the Actions and Words of our Saviour himſelf, yet if not written by Inſpired Penmen, they are not recommended as obligatory upon After-ages: For whatever was neceſſary, that we might believe, and have Eternal Life, was ſo written; and that not only juſt ſo much as might ſerve Neceſſity (for that the One Goſpel of St. Jo… might ſerve to That, it ſelf witneſſes) but alſo be matter of Bounty and Abundance; ſo that out of that greater World of Truth, than our World could receive, there was ſo much ſelected as was bountifully ſufficient, and abundant to all Intents and Purpoſes of Clearneſs, Certainty, Enforcement upon the Affections, Variety, continual Exerciſe and Delight, that ſo every Chriſtian might be throughly furniſhed to every good Work, to all things that pertain to Life and Godlineſs.
As for all that Chriſt did and ſpake, or that the Apoſtles ſpake or did by Infallible Guidance, and Immediate Aſſiſtance, if it be not written, a Veil is drawn over it, and a Cloud hath received it out of our ſight: It is a ſecret thing, that belongs not to us, but is ſealed up from us, like the things which the Thunders uttered in the Revelation.
And indeed the Wiſdom of Providence ſeems to have dealt with all ſuch Sayings or Actions, as with the Body of Moſes; all Monuments of Worth and Certainty, after Scripture, in relation to them, are concealed from us: There is a great Darkneſs upon the Hiſtory of that Time, leſt we ſhould ſuperſtitiouſly venerate, in place of that which is divinely written and preſerved to us, the things that were not prepared for our Learning, and ſo, to us, but as a Body not divinely inſpired, that is, a Body without a Soul. All too fierce Diſputes about them are therefore raiſed only by Sathan, the Enemy of Light and Truth, to no other purpoſe than that about the Body of Moſes, that is, to found an occaſion of Superſtition, and ſilently to whiſper, Scripture is not ſufficient. And yet we ſee with what an eager Zeal Men are ſet upon ſuch Reſearches, not ſatisfied with the Proportion of Manna allowed by God; but even as the Iſraelites, that gathered much, had nothing over; ſo may it be truly ſaid of thoſe that would abound beyond Scripture, in that which pertains to the true guidance of Conſcience, That they have nothing over, and what they will needs keep, as ſuch, corrupts.
Queſt. Is there Reaſon ſufficient to ſupport this Sentiment?
Anſw. This great Reaſon: If we had undoubted, but not inſpired Hiſtory of that Time, it could not be like the Evangeliſtick Hiſtory, or the Actes of the Apoſtles to us; we ſhould in ſome things want the Application and Direction to our uſe, dictated by Divine Wiſdom; in others, the unerring Cenſure of even Apoſtolick Actions, as in that of the Apoſtle Peter, Galat. 2. 11. Now becauſe our Conſciences would be apt to be drawn into ſubjection to things of ſo great Reputation, and yet there would be no Divine Authority to draw them, nor Infallible Authority to ſupport them, in which Caſes it is the Abſolute Will of God they ſhould not be in ſubjection, God hath therefore in his Providence left that time ſo much in the dark, that we may truſt in his written Word only.
For ſeparate Immediate Divine Preſence from the Prophets and Apoſtles themſelves, and there remains nothing at the higheſt, but the Wiſdom and Prudence of Underſtanding, and Good Men, applying General Rules to particular Caſes, Times, Places, and Events as they for that time could beſt judge, and yet beſides the variation of Circumſtances in every Age, they themſelves were as Men, ſubject to miſtakes, as Nathan about David's building the Temple, as Paul aſſaying to go into Bithynia; to like Paſſions with other Men, as in the Contention betwixt Paul and Barnabas; to like Temptations, as in the Miſcarriage of Peter before referred to: All they did and ſaid, not ſhining with immediate Light from Heaven, muſt be tried in the Light of what themſelves, together with all the other Penmen of Scripture, had written. They themſelves therefore acting or ſpeaking by way of Prudence or general Aſſiſtance, muſt be tried by themſelves, acting or ſpeaking according to Revelation, and ſpecial Aſſiſtance, in which only they are and ought to be Authoritative.
Queſt. But it ſtill remains, There might be ſome things that were not ſo ſit for vulgar Knowledge, and ſo were Secreted into Tradition apart from Scripture, and that Tradition depoſited with Truſty Men, who ſhould ſucceſſively ſo depoſite it, that it might at convenient Seaſons be brought forth, as Goliah's Sword from behind the Ephod.
Anſw. None like it indeed, to ſerve a purpoſe: But to ſatisfie Reaſon and Conſcience, nothing ſo improper. For, firſt, let theſe Traditionaries give clear Expoſitions, and ſuch as are worthy to be acquieſced in, of the Prophetick, or otherwiſe Dark Places of Scripture. If they cannot do that, where is the Wiſdom above the Vulgar? and why did not Tradition, without Scripture, incloſe thoſe myſterious Viſions of the Revelation from Popular Inſpection? But the things Tradition is imploy'd indeed in, are quite of another Nature; either the Prelation of Men in Church-Office and Dignity, or ſome Rites of Worſhip, that ſhould change Devotion into Superſtition, or lull it into Ignorance; or ſome Canons, that turn Religion into Trade, or Doctrines ſuited to that End; or, which ſerves to all ſuch purpoſes, a Tradition to call back all Scripture out of the Written Word into Oral Tradition, by locking it up in a Tongue unknown to the generality of Chriſtians. And yet if there were any ſeemingly Purer, or more Contemplational Traditions, ſeeing they are not inrolled into Scripture, they muſt, as hath been ſaid, give ſuch Evidences of themſelves, as Divine Revelation hath, or be, at their higheſt, but Enthuſiaſm and Fanaticiſm.
Queſt. But what Eſteem is to be had of the Writings and Iranſactions of the Ancients, whom we call Fathers, Doctors of the Church, Men of eminent Holineſs, great Abilities, Confeſſors, and Martyrs of Chriſtianity?
Anſw. It may be eaſily judg'd, by what hath been ſaid already, that they muſt be brought to Scripture, laid at its Feet, and ſubmitted to its Acceptance, whether according to its true Senſe, or not: For, if the Apoſtles, when the Holy Spirit was not upon them, could not exceed Humane, how much leſs can any of a lower Claſs pretend? The Fathers therefore had ſo great an Awe of Scripture, that they did not aſſume any thing to themſelves or their Writings, or yield any thing to the Perſons or Writings of thoſe of the ſame Time with them, but according to the undeniable Senſe of Scripture.
Queſt. But the nearneſs of theſe Fathers to the Days of Chriſt and the Apoſtles, muſt needs enable them, either from what they themſelves received warm from their Lips, or from what they had from others, not quite cold, to know the Apoſtles Doctrine, Diſcipline, Manner of Life, Purpoſe, their Senſe of the Scope and Meaning of thoſe Things wherein they were Divinely Inſpired, and ſo to deliver it to After-ages.
Anſw. Whatever they have ſpoken, or written, giving us more light and advantage to underſtand, and behold Scripture in its own Light, ought from them, or from any other, to be accepted with great regard; but if it do not thus, it cannot be accepted, even from the Writers of Scriptures themſelves upon a ſingle, or divided Authority: They were ſo bounded by the very Things, and Words, they themſelves had once ſpoken and written by the Holy-Ghoſt, that all the deference to their knowledge in Divine Things above others, was to be made reaſonable in the cleareſt Expounding what themſelves and others had written by Divine Inſpiration, and to be diſcerned in the very Writings themſelves, and not to be drawn oracularly out of their Breaſts, when the Evidences of Divine Inſpiration were not upon them: For he that is Spiritual, i. e. that God vouchſafes Inſpiration to, or pretends to it, muſt acknowledge all that is either truly written, or ſpoken by the ſame Inſpiration, to be the Commandments of the Lord, 1 Cor. 14. 37.
And as for the newneſs, freſhneſs, and life of Truth given by Divine Revelation, God graciouſly providing it ſhould remain, as Revelation left it, and the Evidences it hath done ſo, appearing with it; it is the ſame in all Ages; Divine never loſes of its life, nor abates of its vigor; what it was ſo many Ages ago, that it abides now; what the Holy-Ghoſt ſpoke ſo many Ages ago, that it ſpeaks now as warmly as then: All Divine Truth given, is after the power of an endleſs life, the Eternal Increated Spirit lives in it, and gives Divine Quickneſs to it. It is yeſterday, to day, the ſame for ever; and ſo breathes its own ſenſe in Scripture, by the ordinary Aſſiſtances it vouchſafes to Holy, Humble, and diligent Waiters upon him in this, even as it did in the firſt Ages, though the extraordinary Motions are withdrawn.
Queſt. But ſtill the Gifts and Endowments of thoſe Eminent Men, with all the Light, Truth, Grace, Learning and Reaſon, they ſhine to us with, ought to be eſteemed and improved?
Anſw. Yes doubtleſs: For whatſoever Things are true, whatſoever things are pure, are of Virtue, and deſerved praiſe, they are Publick, and of God, wherever they are found: And whatever there is in theſe Elders, in their nearneſs to the Firſt Times, their Holineſs, their Sufferings, their great Learning, their Encounters of Paganiſm, their Apologies for Chriſtianity, their Heavenlineſs, their Contempt of this World, all is a Donation, and a Grace of God by them to his Church, and Mankind in general.
Queſt. And does not there ariſe great Evidence to Chriſtianity, and the Doctrines and Practices of it, from ſuch eminent Witneſſes?
Anſw. No doubt there does, both to Chriſtianity in particular, and to all Religion, Virtue and Goodneſs in general: But yet neither their Writings, nor Practices can in any wiſe become Scripture to us; they all lead to Scripture, and ought to do ſo; they are all to be ſeen, and reflected in Scripture Light, and from thence they receive their luſtre: For though they are a Subordinate Teſtimony, as hath been ſaid, yet Chriſtian Religion hath greater Teſtimony, and firſt enabled them to give a valuable Teſtimony to it ſelf, by Communicating ſo great knowledge and worth to them: And beſides all that hath been ſpoken, the Writings of the Fathers are ſo Voluminous, as not to be read over by the moſt; ſo doubtful in their Genuineſs, that they cannot be Examined, but with great Labour, and well prepared Judgment; ſo diſputable in their ſenſe, that to attain a certainty in it, would cut off Time from the greater Imployment of Meditation in the Word of God, day and night, where Men's Callings lie otherwiſe; ſo that to receive our Religion from hence were of too remote an aſſurance to any one, much more to thoſe who have not Books, and ſtudie for their Profeſſion: But every Man, whether learned or unlearned, is concerned deeply to try his Religion with his own Eyes, and not anothers for him; and God hath therefore provided a Word nigh him, even in his Mouth, and in his Heart; and hath alſo taken care by ſtirring up ſo many both of the Ancient and Modern Chriſtians, to ſeparate themſelves to intermeddle with all ſacred knowledge, that there is a worthy exerciſe of the learned World herein, and great advantages ariſe thereby for univerſal knowledge even to the leſs learned, and the very unlearned.
Queſt. But did the Fathers themſelves diſtinguiſh thus their own and one anothers Writings from Scripture?
Anſw. It is moſt evident, as hath been already affirmed, they put a greateſt difference betwixt the moſt excellent Monuments of Chriſtianity, that were but Humane▪ whether their own, or others, and inſpired Pages; elſe Clement, Ignatius, and others, might as well have been Canoniz'd by them, as what is from them come down to us for Sacred Canon it ſelf; and even as they did, we may ſee the great odds betwixt the one and the other; and as we adore God the ſupreme Author, ſo the Sovereign Preſerver of Scripture, who by Divine Evidences, and by ſuperintending Providence, hath divided the bound of Scripture at ſo great a remove from all the Writings in the World, whether Chriſtian or Prophane, the Apocryphal Books not excepted, which though too adventurouſly joyn'd ſo generally in a Volume with Scripture, yet are evidently diſproportioned in the Majeſty of Senſe, and Divine Eloquence.
Queſt. Is there no greater Authority of the Firſt Councils?
Anſw. How many Humanes ſoever meet, they cannot make up Divine, where it was not before; nor can a multitude of Privates conſtitute a Publick: Divine and Publick may be declared, but cannot be made ſo by ſuch Contribution. All Determinations of Councils are infinitely outweighed in Value, and over-ruled in Authority by Scripture indeed Publick and Divine.
Queſt. But in ſuch a number of his Servants, may we not conclude, God is certainly among them, and does guide them?
Anſw. Give them all the advantages that can be given, and either we muſt ſay, they are Infallibly guided, and then we muſt receive their Decrees, as Scripture, and they muſt be atteſted to us, as Scripture is atteſted; or they are not Infallibly guided, and then their Decrees muſt be tryed, as all Fallibles ought to be, by a Rule ſurer than themſelves: If even Divine Revelation it ſelf was at firſt tryed, and found perfect; nay, if even all that God propoſes to us, as from himſelf, comes laden with its own proper Evidences, how much more muſt that which is confeſſedly humane, be tryed by that which is confeſſedly Divine? The great uſe of Councils is therefore ſo to debate, and bring things to a Reſult, by a confluence of Wiſdom and Learning, that we may ſee Divine Truths in their own Light, in Scripturelight, to hold out which they are but miniſterially imploy'd, and not to impoſe upon any under the name of Publick; for that alone is Publick, that is Divine: All Compariſon of Privates among themſelves, muſt needs be loſt in this Publick, before which the greateſt name of Publick, is but as the drop of the Bucket, and the ſmall duſt of the Ballance: And the union with that true Publick makes the moſt Private a Publick; and Separation from it, the moſt ſeemingly Publick, a moſt Idiottal Private.
And it were very happy, if the Experiment hereof were not too evident in the Councils that have been, how little Number of it ſelf can Contribute to truly Publick, or Divine; yet the fitneſs of the Means is withall to be acknowledged, as ordain'd by God.