The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 19
CHAP. 19. Reaſons of our Adverſaries to the contrary.
NOw let us ſee what reaſons our Adverſaries can have to ſet man above God, and make the authority of the Word of God to depend from the authority of men.
1. They ſay that without the authority of the Church, one ſhould not know that this is the Scripture, and that ſuch and ſuch Books are Canonical; Whence they conclude that the Church hath more authority then Scripture.
I could make an argument like that, and with better reaſon, ſaying, that without the authority of holy Scripture, one ſhould not know that there is a Church in the world, and that by the Scripture one diſcerneth which Church is the beſt, and therefore that Scripture hath more authority. But to anſwer directly, I maintain that it is not by the authority of the Church, that one knows that this is Scripture, but by the teſtimony of the Church. The Church neither ordaineth nor commandeth, nor maketh that theſe Books be the holy Scripture, but only teſtifieth and declareth that theſe Books are the holy Scripture. The Churches authority doth not make us become bound to receive Scripture, ſince her ſelf is bound to receive it. It doth not belong to ſubjects to ordain what Laws they muſt obey. And all that the Councils declare upon that, is but a profeſſion, and a declaration of their obedience, and an acknowledgement of the perfection of the Word of God contained in the holy Scriptures.
That by this declaration the Church cannot pretend any authority above Scripture, it appeareth, becauſe heretical Churches make the ſame Declaration, and bear the like teſtimony unto Scripture: Yea it may happen that he who hath received the holy Scripture from the Church, will by that Scripture juſtly reprove the Errors of that very Church. As if one hath ſhewed me the Kings Edicts, it doth not follow that he is above thoſe Edicts. Likewiſe if the Church teſtifie unto me that this is Scripture, it doth not follow that the Church is above the Scripture; elſe the Stationers ſhould be above all the Laws of the Kingdom.
Beſides, the teſtimony of the Church is not to be received, unleſs ſhe be pure in the faith. Now whether ſhe be pure in the Faith, one cannot know but by the holy Scripture, which in that queſtion is not only a Witneſs, but a Judge and ſpeaks with authority.
I ſay more, That the teſtimony which a Church pure in the faith delivereth to an ignorant perſon, that ſuch Books are Divine and Canonical, is in regard of that ignorant perſon a doubtful and weak teſtimony, becauſe he knows not whether that Church be Orthodox and worthy to be credited. He ſhall never have a certain belief that theſe Books are Divine, until by the hearing or reading of the Doctrine contained in them, God illuminate his underſtanding, and touch his heart. For the truſt which we ought to have in the Word of God contained in the holy Scriptures, is an effect of Gods Spirit, and cannot be grounded upon the only teſtimony of men. It is by Faith that we believe Scripture: Now the Church doth not give that Faith, but it is an effect of God Spirit.
As the Samaritans, Joh. 4. having beleived with a light belief to a womans teſtimony, who had told them that Jeſus was the Chriſt, having ſince heard Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, ſaid to the woman, It is no more for thy word that we believe, but our ſelves have heard and known that this is truly the Chriſt the Saviour of the world; So it happens that an ignorant man who hath received Scripture by the probable teſtimony of the Church where he liveth, when afterwards he hath got inſtruction by Scripture, doth not ground himſelf upon the teſtimony of men, but is himſelf toucht with the effectual power of that Word, and is inſtructed by experience.
It is an Error to ſay, that one cannot prove by Scripture, that Scripture is holy and divine: For as the Sun is ſeen by his own light, and needs no other witneſs; Likewiſe the Word of God, more piercing then any two-edged ſword, makes the faithful that have received it, ſufficiently to feel that it is a divine Word; neither is there any need of any other proof, or to have it authorized by men. Beſides, one part of Scripture is confirmed by the other. The New Teſtament alleadgeth the Old, and the Old foretels the New. Moſes and Elias appear to Jeſus Chriſt in the Mountain. Peter bears teſtimony to the Epiſtles of Paul.
Then the ſame reaſon may be retorted againſt our Adverſaries; and we may ſay that the Church cannot bear teſtimony to her ſelf that ſhe is the true Church; and that another witneſs, and that infallible, muſt be had, and ſome other then her ſelf muſt give her authority. Now that other, without doubt, is God ſpeaking in his Word.
Our Adverſaries inſiſt, and ſay, that ſuch and ſuch Books are not Canonical, but by the authority of the Church. But we have ſaid already, that the Churches declaration that ſuch and ſuch Books muſt be held for the Rule and Canon of the Faith, doth not make thoſe Books to be ſacred and divine, and to be the Rule of Faith. And that by ſuch a Declaration the Church giveth no authority to Scripture, but profeſſeth her ſubjection to Scripture.
By the way, we muſt know that the knowledge that ſuch and ſuch Books are Canonical, is not a Propoſition of Divinity, but of Hiſtory: For to be Canonical, ſignifies not to be holy or divine, but to have been received in the Church as Divine, and as a Canon or rule of Faith. Wherefore ſome Books have been Canonical at one time, and not at another; ſome are received as Canonical in ſome Churches, not in another. But before any Council had made a Canon or Catalogue of the holy Scriptures, theſe Books were divine, and of Soveraign authority.
But let us hear their further Objections. That which is more antient (ſay they) hath more authority. Now the Church is more antient then Scripture; Ergo, It hath more authority then Scripture. Of this argument both the Propoſitions are falſe: It is falſe, that whatſoever is more antient, hath more authority: The people is more antient then either the Laws, or the Kings that govern the People; and yet the People is ſubject to the Law and the King. Now Scripture is the Law of the Church. Likewiſe that the Church is more antient then Scripture, is a Propoſition lyable to exceptions: For that which Scripture ſaith of the Nature of God, of his Counſels, of the works of Creation, and of the Election of the faithful, is more antient then the Church.
This Objection they preſs very much. That which ſpeaks not, cannot be a Judge: Now Scripture ſpeaks not; It is a dumb Rule ſaith the Jeſuite(a)In his Book againſt the Confeſſion of Faith of the French Churches upon the 5. Article. Arnoux. Then there is need of a ſpeaking Judge, and that Judge is the Church, that is, the Pope and his Prelates. The Jeſuite(b)Salmeron 2. Prolegom. §. Altera. Adde myſticorum & spiritualium ſenſuum varietates quod eſt nutibus & ſignis obſcurius loqui, perinde atque muti faciunt & hiſtriones. Salmeron goes ſo far, as to ſay that Scripture is like dumb men, or like Jack-Puddings and Players who make themſelves to be underſtood with ſigns; ſo horrible a hatred have theſe men conceived againſt the holy Scripture.
Indeed Paper and Ink ſpeak not; but it is enough that God hath ſpoken, and pronounced the things contained in that Book, and inſpired thoſe that have written it. It is enough, that it is a rule according to which they that are called Judges muſt ſpeak: Thus Iſai. 8.20. ſends the Church to the Law, and to the Teſtimony, and if they ſpeak not according to this Word, it is becauſe there is no light in them. It would be a Capital crime, if the authority of the Kings Edicts ſhould be deſpiſed, becauſe the Paper upon which the Edicts are written doth not ſpeak. By ſpeaking thus, they perceive not that by the ſame reaſon they reject the Councils, the Fathers, and the Decrees of the Popes, who are dead long ſince, and declare that they will not have them for Judges: For the Tomes of the Councils, and the Fathers, and the Roman Decree ſpeak no more then the Paper and Ink of Scripture. And if the Word Judge diſpleaſeth our Adverſaries, at leaſt they ſhould not take from Scripture the title of a perfect Rule to rule our Faith, which is the title that Chryſoſtom giveth to Scripture in the 13. Homily upon the 2. Epiſtle to the Corinthians, where he calls it,(c)foreign. an exact ballance, a ſquare and a rule of all things. But that doth not ſuit with our Adverſaries humor; for(d)Bellar. lib. 4. de Verbo Dei. cap. 12. Scripturae finem proprium & praecipuum non fuiſſe ut eſſet regula fidei. Bellarmine ſaith, that the proper and principal end of Scripture was not to be the Rule of Faith. And Stapleton; (e)Stapl. lib. 2. de Authoritate Scripturae Dixi & dico non tam ipſius ſidei regulam in ſe eſſe Scripturam quàm ipſarum Scripturarum regulam eſſe fidem Eccleſiae.Scripture is not ſo much the Rule of Faith, as the Faith of the Church is the rule of Scripture. And Charron in the 3. verity, The Scripture is not, and cannot be the laſt Rule and the Soveraign Judge of the Doctrine.
They add, that the Church is ſooner known then Scripture; and that which is more known, muſt have more authority. By that reaſon we ſhould honour men more then God, becauſe we know them ſooner, and more clearly then God. Beſides, it is falſe, that the Church is ſooner known with a diſtinct knowledge then Scripture, with ſuch a knowledge as makes one truly know which is the true Church. Without knowing the doctrine contained in the holy Scriptures, one may ſee the Church as a ſociety of men. But thereby one cannot know whether it be the true and Orthodox Church: For ſo much cannot be known, but after one hath been inſtituted in the Doctrine contained in the holy Scriptures.
But, ſay they, the Church hath changed ſome Laws contained in the Scripture, as the prohibition of eating blood and ſtrangled things, Act. 15. I anſwer, that this Law ought to be kept, but that Scripture teacheth us that it was altered. That alteration is found 1 Cor. 10.27. which was written ſince that order made Act. 15. for the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaks thus, If any of them that believe not, bid you to a feaſt, and ye be diſpoſed to go, whatſoever is ſet before you, eat, asking no queſtion for conſcience ſake. Now it might eaſily happen that on the tables of the Infidels ſome blood was ſerved, or ſome ſtrangled thing. Should the Church which is ſubject unto God, and to his Laws, have authority to aboliſh Gods Laws? Muſt the Laws depend from the authority of Subjects? By this means the Church ſhall have no other laws but ſuch as ſhe will like and authorize.
One of the ordinarieſt reaſons which our Adverſaries uſe, to depreſs the dignity of holy Scripture, and bring it under unwritten Tradition, is to ſay, that God hath commanded the Prophets and Apoſtles to ſpeak and preach, not to write. If the Prieſts had as carefully peruſed Scripture as they do their Miſſal, they would not ſpeak ſo; for they ſhould have found Exod. 17.14. that God ſaid to Moſes, Write this for a memorial in a Book. And Deut. 17.18. God will have the King of Iſrael to keep a copy of the Book of the Law. God himſelf writ his ten Commandments with his finger in the ſtone. And Iſai. 30.8. God ſaith to his Prophet, Now go, write it before them in a Table, and note it in a Book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever. And Jer. 36.2. Take thee a Roll of a Book, and write therein all the words that I have ſpoken unto thee. The ſame Commandment is given to Hab. 2.2. Write the Viſion. And to St. John, Rev. 1.11. What thou ſeeſt write in a Book. The Apoſtle 2 Tim. 3.16. ſaith, that All Scripture is given by inſpiration of God. Now the Inſpiration of God is ſtronger then a Commandment; for Commandments ſtrike the cars, but Inſpiration changeth the heart: Many diſobey the Commandment of God; but one cannot have a will to reſiſt his Inſpiration when it is once come. When God inſpires one to ſpeak and to write, not only he commands him to ſpeak or to write, but alſo he ſpeaks and writes by him: His Inſpirations are not only imperative, but operative. Wherefore Auſtin in the firſt Book of the conſent of Evangeliſts in the 7. chap. ſaith, that(f)Quicquid ille de ſuis ſactis & dictis nos legere voluit, hoc ſcribendum illis tanquam ſuis manibus imperavit. Whatſoever God would have us to read of his deeds and ſayings, he commanded them to write it, as if they had been his own hands.
Finally, they go about to prove the authority of the Church above Scripture, becauſe the Church can add to Scripture, and give Laws not contained in Scripture. This they call Traditions, and the unwritten word. Of which Traditions (with Gods help) we will treate hereafter.