Concerning the Right Use of the Fathers in Controversies, Book 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
REASON I. Touching the Difficulty of knowing the Senſe of the Fathers, in reference to the preſent Controverſies in Religion; drawn from hence: Namely, Becauſe there is very little extant of Their Writings, for the Three Firſt Centuries.
IF we ſhould in this particular take the ſame courſe, which ſome Writers of the Church of Rome make uſe of againſt the Holy Scriptures, it would be a very eaſie matter to bring in queſtion, and render very doubtful, and ſuſpected, all the Writings of the Fathers. For, when any one alledgeth the Old or New Teſtament, theſe Gentlemen preſently demand, How, or by what means they know, that any ſuch Books were truly written by thoſe Prophets, and Apoſtles, under whoſe Names they go. If therefore, in like manner, when theſe Men urge Juſtin, Irenaeus, Ambroſe, Auguſtine, and the like, one ſhould take them ſhort, and demand of them, How, and by what means they are aſſured, that theſe Fathers were the Authors of thoſe Writings, which at this day go under their Names, it is very much to be doubted but that they would find a harder Task of it, than their Adverſaries, in juſtifying the Inſcriptions of the Books of Holy Writ; the Truth whereof is much more eaſie to be demonſtrated, than of any Humane Writings whatſoever. But I paſs by this too-artificial way of Proceeding, and onelyonly ſay, That it is no very eaſie matter to find out, by the Writings of the Fathers, what hath really beeen their Opinion, in any of thoſe Controverſies which are now in debate, betwixt the Proteſtant and the Church of Rome. The Conſiderations which render the knowledge of this ſo difficult, are many: I ſhall therefore in this Firſt Part handle ſome of them onelyonly, referring the reſt to the Later, examining them one after another.
The firſt Reaſon, therefore, which I ſhall lay down for the proving of this Difficulty, is, The little we have extant of the Writings of the Ancient Fathers, eſpecially of the Firſt, Second, and Third Centuries; which are thoſe we are moſt eſpecially to regard. For, ſeeing that one of the principal Reaſons that moveth the Church of Rome to alledge the Writings of the Fathers, is to ſhew the Truth of their Tenets, by the Antiquity, which they reckon as a Mark of it; it is moſt evident, that the moſt Ancient ought to be the moſt taken notice of. And indeed, there is no queſtion to be made, but that the Chriſtian Religion was more pure, and without mixture, in its beginnings and Infancy, than it was afterwards, in its Growth and Progreſs: it being the ordinary courſe of Things, to contract Corruptions, more or leſs, according as they are more or leſs removed from their firſt Inſtitution: As we ſee by experience in States, Laws, Arts, and Languages; the Natural Propriety of all which is continually declining, after they have once paſſed the Point of their Vigour, and, as it were, the Flower and Prime of their Strength and Perfection. Now I cannot believe, that any faithful Chriſtian will deny, but that Chriſtianity was in its Height and Perfection in the time of the Bleſſed Apoſtles: And indeed it would be the greateſt injury that could be offered them, to ſay, that any of their Succeſſors have either had a greater deſire, or more Abilities, to advance Chriſtianity, than they had. It will hence follow then, That thoſe Times which were neareſt to the Apoſtles, were neceſſarily the pureſt, and leſs ſubject to ſuſpicion of Corruptions, either in Doctrine, or in Manners, and Chriſtian Diſcipline: it being but reaſonable to believe, that if there be any Corruptions crept into the Church, they came in by little and little, and by degrees; as it happens in all other things. If any one ſhall here object, That even the very next Age immediately after the times of the Apoſtles was not without its Errours, if we may believe Hegeſippus; who, as he is cited by Euſebius, Euſeb. Hiſt. Eccleſ lib. 3. cap. 29. foreign.witneſſeth, that the Church continued a Virgin till the Emperour Trajan's time; but, that after the death of the Apoſtles, the Conſpiracy of Errour began to diſcover it ſelf with open fce. I ſhall not oppoſe any thing againſt this teſtimony; but ſhall only ſay, that if the Enemy, immediately upon the ſetting of theſe Stars of the Church, their Preſence and Light being ſcarcely ſhut in, had yet the boldneſs preſently to fall to ſowing his evil ſeed; how much more had he opportunity to do this in thoſe. Ages which were further removed from their Times; when as the Sanctity and Simplicity of theſe great Teachers of the World having now by little and little vaniſhed out of the memories of Men, Humane Inventions, and new Fancies began to take place. So that we may however conclude, That ſuppoſing that Chriſtianity, even in the Firſt Ages, hath not been altogether exempt from alteration in Doctrine; yet are they much more free from it, than the ſucceeding Ages can pretend to be; and are therefore conſequently to be preferred before them in all reſpects: it being here ſomething like what the Poets have fancied of the Four Ages of the World, where the ſucceeding Age always came ſhort of the former.Caſſand. Conſult. Ferdinan. p 894. Perron. Epiſt. to Caſaub. For, as for the Opinion of thoſe Men, who think the beſt way to find out the true Senſe of the Ancient Church, will be, to ſearch the Writings of thoſe of the Fathers chiefly who lived betwixt the time of Conſtantine the Great, till Pope Leo, or till Pope Gregory's time; that is to ſay, from the end of the Third Century, till the beginning of the Seventh: I take this as a Confeſſion onelyonly of the ſmall number of Books that are left us of thoſe Ages before Conſtantine; and not that theſe Men allow, that the Authority of theſe Three later Ages, ought to be preferred to that of the Three former. If we had but as much Light, and as clear Evidences of the Belief of the one, as we have of the other, I make no queſtion but they would prefer the Former. But if they mean otherwiſe, and are indeed of a perſwaſion, that the Church was really more pure after Conſtantine's time, than before; they muſt excuſe me, if I think that they by this means confeſs the diſtruſt they have of their own Cauſe, ſeeing they endeavour to get off as far as they can from the Light of the Primitive times; retreating back to thoſe Ages wherein it is moſt evident there was both leſs Perfection, and Light, than before: running clean contrary to that excellent Rule which S.Cypr. ep. 74. p. 195. Cyprian hath given us; That we ſhould have recourſe to the Fountain, whenever the Channel and Stream of Doctrine, and Eccleſiaſtical Tradition is found to be any whit corrupted. But however, let their meaning be what it will, their Words, in my judgment, do not a little advantage the Proteſtants Cauſe; it being a very clear confeſſion, That thoſe Opinions about which they conteſt with them, do not at all appear clearly in any of the Books that were written during the Three Firſt Centuries. For, if they were found clearly in the ſame, what Policy were it then in them to appeal to the Writers of the Three following Centuries, to which they very well know, that their Adverſaries attribute leſs, than to the Former? But beſides this tacite Confeſſion of theirs, the thing is evident; namely, That there is left us at this day very little of the Writings of the Fathers of the Three Firſt Centuries of Chriſtianity, for the deciding of our Differences. The bleſſed Chriſtians of thoſe times contented themſelves, for the greateſt part of them, with writing the Chriſtian Faith in the hearts of Men, by the beams of their Sanctity, and holy Life, and by their Blood ſhed in Martyrdom, without much troubling themſelves with the writing of Books: Whether it were,Orig▪ Praef Operis contra Celſ. p. 1, 2. becauſe, as Learned Origen elegantly gives the Reaſon, they were of opinion that the Chriſtian Religion was to be defended by the Innocency of Life, and honeſty of Converſation, rather than by Sophiſtry, and the Artifice of Words: or whether, becauſe their continual Sufferings gave them not leiſure to take Pen in hand, and to write Books; or elſe, whether it were for ſome other Reaſon perhaps, which we know not. But this we are very well aſſured of, that except the Writings of the Apoſtles, there was very little written by others in theſe Primitive times: which was the cauſe of ſo much trouble to Euſebius in the beginning of his Hiſtory,Euſeb. Hiſt Eccleſ. l. 1. c. 1. foreign. having little or no light to guide him in his Undertaking, and treading, as himſelf ſaith, in a new path, unbeaten by any that had gone before him. Beſides, the greateſt part of thoſe few Books which were written by the Chriſtians of thoſe Times, have not come down to our hands, but were loſt, either through the injury of Time, that conſumeth all things, or elſe have been made away by the malice of Men, who have made bold to ſuppreſs and ſmother whatſoever they met with, that was not wholly to their guſt. Of this ſort were thoſe five Books of Papias Biſhop of Hierapolis, the Apology of Quadratus Athenienſis, and that other of Ariſtides, the Writings of Caſtor Agrippa, againſt the XXIV Books of the Heretick Baſilides, the five Books of Hegeſippus, the Works of Melito Biſhop of Sardis, Dionyſius Biſhop of Corinth, Apollinaris Biſhop of Hierapolis, the Epiſtle of Pinytus Cretenſis, the Writings of Philippus, Muſanus, Modeſtus, Bardeſanes, Pantaenus, Rhodon, Miltiades, Apollonius, Serapion, Bacchylus, Polycrates Biſhop of Epheſus, Heraclius, Maximus, Hammonius, Tryphon, Hippolytus, Julius, Africanus, Dionyſius Alexandrinus, and others of whom we have no more left, ſave onelyonly their Names, and the Titles of their Books, which are preſerved in Euſebius, Hieron l. de Scriptor. &c. Euſeb. in hiſt. paſſim. Tertul. aliquorum meminit.S. Hierome, and others. All that we have left us of theſe Times, which is certainly known to be theirs, and that no Man doubts of, is, ſome certain Diſcourſes of S. Juſtin the Philoſopher and Martyr, who wrote his ſecond Apology a hundred and fifty years after the Nativity of our Saviour Chriſt; the Five Books of S. Irenaeus, who wrote not long after him; Three excellent and learned Pieces of Clemens Alexandrinus, who lived toward the end of the ſecond Century; divers Books of Tertullian, who was famous about the ſame time: the Epiſtles and other Treatiſes of S. Cyprian Biſhop of Carthage, who ſuffered Martyrdom about the year of our Saviour CCLXI, the Writings of Arnobius, and of Lactantius his Scholar, and ſome few others. For, as for Origen, S. Cyprian's Contemporary, who alone, had we but all his Writings entire, would be able perhaps to give us more light and ſatisfaction in the Buſineſs we are now upon, than all the reſt; we have but very little of him left us, and the greateſt part of that too moſt miſerably abuſed, and corrupted; the moſt learned, and almoſt innumerable Writings of this great and incomparable Perſon, not being able to withſtand the violence of Time, nor the envy and malice of Men, who have dealt much worſe with him, than ſo many Ages, and Centuries of Years that have paſſed, from his time down to us. And thus have I given you an account of well-nigh all that we have left us, which is certainly known to have been written by the Fathers of the Three Firſt Centuries. For, as for thoſe other Pieces which are pretended to have been written in the ſame times, but are indeed either confeſſed to be ſuppoſititious by the Romaniſts themſelves, or are rejected by their Adverſaries, and that upon very good and probable grounds; theſe are not to have any place at all, or account here, in clearing the Controverſie we have now in hand.
The Writings of the Fourth and Fifth Centuries have, I confeſs, out-gone the Former for number, and good fortune too; the greateſt part of them having come down ſafe to our Hands: but they come much ſhort of the other in Weight and Authority; eſpecially in the Judgment of the Proteſtants, who maintain, and that upon very probable Grounds too, That the Chriſtian Religion hath from the beginning had its declinings by little and little, loſing in every Age ſome certain degree of its Primitive and Native Purity. And beſides, we have good cauſe perhaps to fear, leſt the multitude of Writers of theſe two Ages trouble us as much, as the paucity of them in the three preceding; and that, as before we ſuffered under ſcarcity, we now be overwhelmed with their multitude. For, the multitude of Words, and of Books, ſerves as much ſometimes to the ſuppreſſing of the Senſe and Opinion of any Publick Body, as Silence it ſelf; our Minds being then extremely confounded, and perplexed, while it labours to apprehend what is the True and Common Opinion of the Whole, amidſt ſo many differently-biaſſed Particulars, whereof each endeavours to expreſs the ſame: it being moſt certain, that amongſt ſo great and almoſt infinite variety of Spirits, and Tongues, you ſhall very hardly meet with two Perſons, that ſhall deliver to you one and the ſame Opinion, (eſpecially in Matters of ſo high a nature, as the Controverſies in Religion are) after the ſame form and way of repreſentation, how unanimous ſoever their Conſent may otherwiſe be in the ſame Opinion. And this Variety, although it be but in the Circumſtances of the thing, makes notwithſtanding the Foundation it ſelf to appear different alſo.