Concerning the Right Use of the Fathers in Controversies, Summary
The Deſign of the whole WORK.
THE Fathers cannot be the Judges of the Controverſies in Religion at this day betwixt the Papiſt and the Proteſtant. 1. Becauſe it is, if not an impoſſible, yet at leaſt a very difficult thing to find out, what their ſenſe hath been touching the ſame. 2. Becauſe that their Senſe and Judgment of theſe things, (ſuppoſing it to be certainly, and clearly underſtood.) not being Infallible, and without all danger of Errour, cannot carry with it a ſufficient Authority for the ſatisfying the Ʋnderſtanding; which neither can, nor indeed ought to believe any thing, in point of Religion, but what it knows to be certainly True.
The firſt of theſe Reaſons is proved by theſe Mediums following.
I. We have very little of the Writings of the Fathers, eſpecially of the Firſt, Second, and Third Centuries, pag. 1.
II. Thoſe Writings which we have of the Fathers of thoſe times, treat of matters very far different from the Controverſies now in hand. p. 8.
III. The Writings, which go under the names of the Fathers, are not all truly ſuch, but are, a great part of them, Suppoſititious and Forged, either long ſince, or of later times. p. 11.
IV. Thoſe of the Writings of the Fathers, which are Legitimate, have been in many places corrupted, by Time, Ignorance, and Fraud, both Pious and Malitious, both in the Former, and Later Ages. p. 34.
V. The Writings of the Fathers are hard to be underſtood, by reaſon of the Languages, and Idioms they wrote in; the Manner of their Writing, which is for the moſt part incumbred with Figures, and Rhetorical Flouriſhes, and nice Logical Subtilties, and the like; and alſo by reaſon of the Termes which they for the moſt part uſed-in a far different ſenſe, from what they now bear. p. 69.
VI. When we meet with an Opinion clearly delivered, in the Writings of any of the Fathers, we muſt not from hence conclude, that the ſaid Father held that Opinion: ſeeing that we often find them ſpeaking thoſe things, which themſelves have not believed; whether it be, when they report the opinion of ſome other, without naming the perſons; (as they frequently do in their Commentaries:) or in diſputing againſt an Adverſary; in which kind of Writing they take liberty to ſay one thing, and believe another: or whether it be that they concealed their own private Opinion purpoſely, as they have done in their Homilies, meerly in compliance to ſuch a part of their Auditory. p. 100.
VII. Suppoſing that we are well aſſured, that a Father hath clearly delivered his Opinion in any Point, we ought notwithſtanding to enquire into the time wherein he wrote that Opinion of his, whether it were before, or after he arrived to Ripeneſs of Judgment. For we ſee, that they have ſometimes retracted in their old age, what they had written when they were young. p. 117.
VIII. But ſuppoſe that a Father hath conſtantly held one Opinion; it will nevertheleſs concern us to inquire, How he held it, and in what degree of Belief, whether as Neceſſary, or Probable only: and then again, in what degree of Neceſſity, or of Probability he placed it: Beliefs being not all equally either Neceſſary, or Probable. p. 123.
IX. After all this we are to examine, whether or no he deliver this, as his own particular Opinion only, (for this cannot neceſſarily bind our faith;) or whether he deliver it, as the Opinion of the Church in his time. p. 136.
X. In the next place it will concern us to enquire, whether he deliver it for the Judgment of the Church Ʋniverſal, or of ſome particular Church only: thoſe things which have been received by the Major Part, having not always notwithſtanding been received by ſome particular parts of the Church. p. …4….
XI. And after all this, whether you take the Church for the Collective Body of Chriſtians, or only for the body of the Clergy, or Paſtors; it is notwithſtanding impoſſible to know, what the Belief of the whole Church in any Age hath been; for as much as it frequently ſo falls out that the Opinions of theſe Men, who have appeared to the World, have not only not been received, but on the contrary have alſo been Oppoſed, and Contradicted by th…ſe Members of the ſame Church, who have not at all appeared to the World; who notwithſtanding, both for their Learning, and Piety, deſerved perhaps to have had as much, or more Eſteem, and Authority than the other. p. 151.
The Second Book.
THE ſecond Reaſon, namely, that neither the Teſtimony nor the Preaching of the Fathers is altogether Infallible, is proved by theſe following Conſiderations. p. 1.
II. The Fathers themſelves witneſs againſt themſelves, that they are not to be believed Abſolutely, and upon their own bare word. p. 11.
III. It appeareth plainly, by their Manner of Writing, that they never intended that their Writings ſhould be our Judges. p. 40.
IV. They have erred in divers Points, not only Singly, but alſo many of them together. p. 60.
V. They have very much contradicted one the other, and have maintained different Opinions, in Matters of great Importance. p. 112.
VI. Laſtly, to ſay the truth, neither Party alloweth them for Judges; but reject them boldly, and without any ſcruple, both the one and the other; maintaining divers things which the Fathers were ignorant of, and rejecting others, which were maintained by them: the Proteſtants, in thoſe things, where the Fathers have gone either againſt, or beſides the Scripture; the Church of Rome, where they oppoſe againſt them the Reſolutions of their Popes, or of Councils. Seeing therefore that both Parties attribute the Supream Authority to ſome other Judges, the Fathers, though perhaps their Reſolutions ſhould be grounded on Divine Authority, could never be able notwithſtanding to clear their Differences, and to reconcile the two Parties. p. 126.
So that it followeth from hence, that our Controverſies are to be decided by ſome other means, than that of their Writings; and that we are to obſerve the ſame Method in Religion, that we do in all other Sciences, making uſe of thoſe things wherein we all agree, for the clearing of thoſe wherein we differ; comparing exactly the Concluſions of both Parties with their Principles, which are to be acknowledged and granted by both ſides; whether it be in Reaſon, or Divine Revelation. And as for the Fathers we ought to read them carefully and heedfully; and eſpecially without any prejudication on either ſide, ſearching their Writings for their Opinions, and not for our own: arguing Negatively, concerning thoſe things which we find not in them, rather then Affirmatively; that is to ſay, holding all thoſe Articles for ſuſpected, which are not found in them, it being a thing altogether Improbable, that thoſe Worthies of the Church were Ignorant of any of the Neceſſary and Principal Points of Faith: but yet not preſently receiving for an Infallible Truth, whatſoever is found in them, for as much as, being but Men, though Saints, they may ſometimes have erred, either out of pure Ignorance, or elſe perhaps out of Paſſion, which they have not been always wholly free from; as appeareth clearly by thoſe Books of theirs which are left Ʋs.