The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 17
CHAP. 17. Of the authority of the Church, And whether ſhe muſt have more authority with us then the holy Scripture. Opinion of the parties.
THis diſpute is an eſpecial ſpot of theſe laſt times, in which the ſpirit of blaſphemy, which before did but whiſper in corners, hath made bold to get into the pulpit, and ſet forth his impiety in publick. For who ſo ſhall look neerhand into the nature of that queſtion, whether the Church muſt have more authority with us then Scripture, ſhall acknowledge, that the plain iſſue of the queſtion is, Whether of the two is the greateſt and moſt to be beleeved, God or men?
Indeed the Roman Church acknowledgeth that the writings of the Prophets and Apoſtles are divine, and that they are the Word of God. But in that ſhe ſaith that(a)Bellar. lib. 5. de verbo Dei, c. 9. initio capitis. Judex difficultatum non poteſt eſſe Scriptura. Scripture cannot be Judge of the doubts about faith, that the Church giveth authority to Scripture, and that Scripture hath neither ſtrength nor authority, but ſo far as the Church declareth it: In that (I ſay) ſhe overthrows the authority of Scripture, whilſt ſhe feigneth to eſtabliſh it. For the way to ſhake a certain truth, is to ground it upon uncertain proofs. The way to bring in Atheiſm without noiſe, is to ground the divine Oracles upon humane teſtimonies, and to command that credit be given to the Word of God; becauſe the Pope and the Roman Church have commanded it. He that proveth clear things by obſcure proofs, doth like him that ſheweth the full Moon with his finger, or that believeth that the Sun is bright, becauſe his neighbour told him ſo. By this means men are eſteemed more credible then God, and if God will have ſervants and ſome perſons that believe his Word, he muſt be obliged for it to the Pope.
To bring down the Authority of Scripture and raiſe that of the Church (that is their own) they charge Scripture with imperfection, ſaying, that all that is neceſſary to ſalvation is not contained therein; and thereupon ſetting up another [but unwritten] Word of God, which is found in the mouth of the Church, that is, in their own mouth.
They call the Church a ſpeaking Judge, but the Scripture a(b)The Jeſuit Arnova, that writ againſt this Author about the French Confeſſion of Faith, ſaith §. 19. That the Proteſtants will abuſe a dumb rule, ſhaking off the yoak of Interpreters. dumb rule; and yet not a whole rule, but a piece and a part of one. They accuſe Scripture of obſcurity, and wiſh that it were more obſcure yet, that it might have leſs ſtrength to condemn them. Whereupon they bear themſelves as infallible Interpreters of Scripture, thereby making themſelves Law-givers under the title of Interpreters.
The Cardinal in the ſeventh Chapter of the ſecond obſervation of the ſecond Book, maintains, that one muſt not have recourſe to the age of the Apoſtles, that is, to the example and doctrine of the Apoſtles to repurge the Church. Bellarmin (c)Bellar. lib. 4. de Verbo Dei Scripto. c. 12. §. Dico ſecundo, Scripturam etſi non eſt facta praecipue ut ſit regula fidei, eſſe tamen regulam non totalem, ſed partialem.ſaith that Scripture is a piece of a rule, and that it was not written to rule our faith, but only for a wholeſome counſel, equalizing the authority of Scripture, bearing witneſs to her ſelf, to the authority of the Alcoran of Mahomet.
The Jeſuite Bayle in the firſt Treatiſe of the Catechiſm, ſaith, that without the authority of the Church he would believe the Goſpel of St. Matthew no more then Titus Livius. Charron in his third Verity, ſaith, that he that is inſtructed by Scripture is no Chriſtian; and many times over-pronounceth this maxime, that the Church and the Scripture are Judges, but the Church principally, and with great preheminence. The Jeſuit Salmeron, in the 13. Tome, 8. Diſput. upon St. Pauls Epiſtles, giveth to the Scripture a noſe of wax. Gregorius de Valentia in the 4. Book of the Analyſis, 3. Chap. calls the Scripture a rock of offence. And alwayes theſe Doctors by the Church underſtand the Roman, not the Greek, more antient then the Roman, nor the Syrian, more antient then the Greek; And by the Roman Church they underſtand the Pope, in whom alone all that authority reſideth. For (if we ſtand to their judgement) that man ſhould be very wide of the truth, that would take the word Church in this queſtion, in the ſame ſence as in the Symbole. They have given to that word a new ſignification.
After they have ſo vilified Scripture, it was eaſie for them to forbid the reading of it. Yet becauſe it would be a thing of ill ſavour, if in the publick ſervice the Scripture ſhould have no place, they read a few texts of it, but in a tongue which the people underſtand not. By theſe means they ſhelter themſelves againſt Scripture, and take an order that their doctrine may not be Judged by the Word of God, for they have made themſelves Judges of the Word of God.
For our part, we reverence the authority of the Church which teacheth us according to the Word of God, and receive with reſpect thoſe that ſpeak in Gods name; Of whom the Lord Jeſus ſaith,(d)Matth. 10.40. He that receiveth you, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that ſent me. We know alſo that though they have no power to add or change any thing in the doctrine, yet the Paſtors of the Church being aſſembled, can make Laws concerning Eccleſiaſtical policy, uſe reprehenſions, cenſures, and excommunications againſt vices, and declare the doctrines, which Scripture hath condemned, erroneous.
But five things ought to be obſerved, about the limitation of that authority.
I. That this authority belongs to none but the Orthodox Church, which retains the true ground of the faith, and by conſequent that one hath need to know well which is the Orthodox Church, that teacheth the true doctrine, before he attributes any authority to her.
II. That this authority is ſubject unto the Word of God, and that no man ought to preſume beyond that which is written, 1 Cor. 4.
III. That the authority of the Church in the Apoſtles time, is far greater then that of other ages. For theſe holy lights had the continual aſſiſtance of Gods Spirit, and are ſtill ſitting upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve Tribes of Iſrael.
IV. That we have no law, and no order eſtabliſhed by the Univerſal Church, but the laws and rules that were eſtabliſhed by the Apoſtles, who governed the Univerſal Church, and did repreſent it. But all the Eccleſiaſtical laws made ſince [that are worth keeping] were made by Councils aſſembled, not out of the Univerſal Church, but out of the univerſal Roman Empire.
V. That although the Church of the whole world were met together, yet it can never have ſo much authority as the holy Scripture, ſince it is ſubject unto Scripture, that is, unto God, ſpeaking by his Prophets and Apoſtles, as St. Paul ſaith, Rom. 3. that the oracles of God were committed unto the Jews. The Orthodox Church is a witneſs unto Scripture; and ſubjecting her ſelf to the authority of Scripture, doth not preſume to give her authority; For by Scripture we underſtand not the paper and the characters, but the divine doctrine contained in it.
That none may think that we impoſe upon our Adverſaries that which they believe not, or that others among them ſpeake with more reſpect of Scripture then Cardinal du Perron doth, it is expedient to hear what their other Doctors ſay of it.
Bellarmin in the 3. Book of the unwritten word, Chap. 9.(e)§. Probatur. Debuit D…us judicem aliquem Eccleſiae providere, at iſte judex non poteſt eſſe Scriptura. ſaith, God ought to have provided a Judge for the Church; Now that Judge cannot be Scripture. And ſoon after, It appeareth that Scripture is not a Judge.
Lindanus in his Panoplia, In the Index of the Chapters of the 5. Book.(f)Eccleſiam non eſſe ex Chriſti voluntate Scripturis alligatam, ſed vivo ac perpetuo Spiritus Sancti teſtimonio. The Church hath not been limited to the Scriptures by the will of God, but to the living and perpetual teſtimony of the Holy Ghoſt.
The Jeſuit Coſterus, in the firſt Chapter of his Manual(g)Chriſtus Eccleſiam ſuam à chartaceis ſcriptis pendere noluit. Chriſt would not have his Church to depend upon writings in paper.
In the ſame place ſpeaking of the Traditions of the Roman Church, and calling them a more excellent kind of Scripture, he ſaith, The excellency of that Scripture exceeds much the holy Scriptures which the Apoſtles have left us in parchment.
Salmeron in the firſt Prolegomen,(i)§. Nunc de Etſi Eccleſiae ac Scripturae authoritas à Deo ſit, illa tamen Eccleſiae antiquior eſt atque adeo dignior, ſiquidem Scriptura propter Eccleſiam contexta eſt. Although the authority of the Church and of Scripture be from God, yet the authority of the Church is more antient and of more worth, ſeeing that Scripture was made for the Church. If that reaſon hold, the authority of the people ſhall be above the laws and edicts of Kings, for thoſe laws were made for the people.
And in the ſecond Prolegomen,(k)§. Septimo. Non mirum ſi Scriptura Eccleſiae Dei quae Spiritum habet ſubjiciatur. It is no wonder if Scripture be ſubject to the Church of God, which hath the Spirit. By that means the Law of God is ſubject unto men.
The Jeſuit Serarius in the tenth Prolegomen. qu. 2.(h)Huius Scripturae praeſtantia, multis partibus ſuperat ſcripturas quas nobis in membranis Apoſtoli reliquerunt. (l)Scriptura ad cauſarum auditionem ſurda, ad examen ſtupida, ad proprie dictae ſententiae dictionem vicaria Dei judicis perinepta eſt.Scripture is deaf to hear cauſes, and ſtupid to examine them, and is a moſt unfit Vicar of God (the Judge) to pronounce a ſentence properly ſo called.
Gregorius de Valentia Jeſuit, in the 4. Book of the Analyſis, Chap. 4. Scripture by a ſecret judgement of God is as a rock of offence and a temptation to the feet of the unwiſe, that thoſe that will ground themſelves upon it alone, may moſt eaſily ſtumble at it, & go out of the way.
Stapleton in the 2. book of the authority of Scripture, Chap. 11.(n)Dixi & dico, non tam ipſius fidei regulam in ſe eſſe Scripturam, quam ipſarum Scripturarum regulam eſſe fidem Eccleſiae. I have ſaid and ſay, that Scripture in it ſelf is not ſo much the rule of faith, as the faith of the Church is the rule of Scripture.(m)Scripturam arcano Dei judicio eſſe velut lapidem offenſionis & in tentationem pedibus inſipientium; ut qui velint ea ſolae niti, facillime impingant & errent.
So a courſe is taken that Gods ſubjects ſhall rule his Law, and that God ſhall become ſubject unto men. It is Charron's doctrine in his 3. Verity, 2. chap. We acknowledge the Church to have, in our regard, more authority then Scripture. Yea Scripture cannot be the laſt rule and the ſoveraign Judge of doctrine.
Truly the Roman Church muſt needs be acknowledged to have more authority then Scripture, that is, then God ſpeaking by his Prophets and Apoſtles, if it be ſo that ſhe have power to change that which God hath commanded in the Scripture, as M. du Perron will tell us hereafter.
By the way obſerve how little theſe men underſtand what they ſay. For Bellarmin in the fore-alledged place, ſaith that God ought to have provided a Judge for his Church; And yet our Adverſaries will have the Church to be Judge. And the ſame men that ground the authotity of Scripture upon that of the Church, will alledge Scripture, when they are asked upon what ground the authority of the Church is founded.