The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 22 – Chapter 23
CHAP. XXII. Seven differences between our Interpretations of Scripture, and thoſe of the Roman Church.
COmparing our way of interpreting the Scripture with that of the Roman Church, I find ſeven differences between them.
I. The firſt is, that our interpretations are taken from Scripture it ſelf; but the interpretations of the Roman Church, are not fetcht from Scripture, but from the unwritten word. The Council of Trent interprets theſe words of the Lord, Do this in remembrance of me; as if thereby he inſtituted an unbloody ſacrifice of his body in the Euchariſt: But of that unbloody ſacrifice of the Lords body, Scripture makes no mention.
Scripture ſaith, Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, Mark 4.10.and him only ſhalt thou ſerve. The interpretation of our Adverſaries, is, that the Lord will have the cult of latria deferred unto God alone; for (ſay they) the cult of dulia is for the Saints: But that diſtinction is not found in Scripture, which will have the cult of dulia deferred unto God; as Rom. 12.11. foreign, yielding dulia unto God: And Mat. 6.24. You cannot foreign, yield dulia unto God and to Mammon.
Jeſus Chriſt ſaid to Peter, I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. Luke 22.31.They interpret it as a promiſe made to Peter and to the Popes his ſucceſſors, that they cannot err in the faith: But of Popes and of a ſucceſſion in the Apoſtleſhip of Saint Peter, there is not one ſingle word in the whole Scripture.
Auſtin in his book of the unity of the Church, chap. 5. acknowledgeth no other way to interpret Scripture but by Scripture it ſelf.(a)Quae ſi in Scripturis non invenirentur, nullo modo eſſet unde aperirentur clauſa, & illuſtrarentur obſcura. If (ſaith he) thoſe things were not found in the Scriptures, there would be no way to lay open thoſe things that are hid, and to clear thoſe that are dark. And in the ſecond book of Chriſtian Doctrine, chap. 6. None almoſt of thoſe obſcurities are brought forth, but are found very clearly delivered in other places. And in the ninth chapter,(b)Ad obſcuriores locutiones illuſtrandas de manifeſtioribus ſumantur exempla. To clear the darker expreſſions, let examples be taken from the clearer places. And Baſil in his Aſceticks, in the Anſwer to the two hundred ſixty ſeventh interrogation: The things which ſeem obſcurely ſaid in ſome places of Scripture, are expounded in other places, and clearly ſet down.
II. The ſecond difference is, that when we have expounded Scripture out of Scripture, we exhort the people to read and conſult the places; But the Roman Church removes Scripture from the eyes of the people: Their Preachers alledge Scripture in Sermons; but they will not ſuffer the people to go and ſee whether they have faithfully alledged it. The interpreters of the Imperial Laws,Note. put the Text of the Laws before their interpretation; But the Pope and the Roman Church give an interpretation without a Text; and while they interpret the Text of Scripture unto the people, they forbid the people to ſee the Text of Scripture, thereby giving to themſelves licence of deceiving, and inſinuating their contradictions unto Scripture under colour of interpretation.
III. We ſay that Scripture needs no interpreter in things neceſſary to ſalvation, and that it is clear enough of it ſelf: But our Adverſaries find it obſcure; And they have ſome reaſon for it: Fot one with Argus eyes cannot find in Scripture the invocation of Saints, nor the ſacrifice of the Maſs, nor the ſucceſſion of the Pope in the place of Saint Peter. We ſay then with Saint Auſtin in the ſecond book of the Chriſtian Doctrine, in the ninth chapter, That(c)In his quae apertè poſita ſunt in Scripturis, inveniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem moreſque vivendi. in the things that are clearly ſet down in Scripture, all things are found which concern faith and manners to live well: And that ſo much as is clear in Scripture, is ſufficient unto ſalvation.
IV. We give not our interpretations for Laws; but the Roman Church attributes that perfection to her ſelf, to judge infallibly of the ſenſe of Scripture.
V. We do not wreſt Scripture by violent interpretations, and put it not upon the wrack to make it ſerve ambition or covetouſneſs. Pope Nicolas the I. in the Epiſtle to the Greek Emperor Michael, proveth the Papal power,(d)Porro ſpecialiter oſt…nſum eſt ut ea mactaret & manducaret. Illi ſoli juſſum eſt ut rete plenum piſcibus-ad littus traheret. 1 Cor. 2. becauſe it was ſaid to Saint Peter, Kill and eat; and becauſe that priviledge was granted to Peter alone to draw a net full of fiſhes to Land. And Pope Boniface the VIII. Extravagante Ʋnam ſanctam, proveth his ſoveraignty and primacy, becauſe it is written, In principio creavit Deus coelum & terram. In the beginning God created heaven and earth. And becauſe Saint Paul ſaith, Spiritualis homo judicat omnia; The Spiritual man diſcerneth all things: Whence he inferreth in the ſame place, that the Pope muſt judge of all things. And becauſe Saint Peter having ſaid, Here is two Swords, Jeſus Chriſt anſwered, It is enough, he gathereth that the two ſwords, the ſpiritual and the temporal, belong unto the Pope: With ſuch interpretations brought by the Popes and their Councils, one might fill many pages. The laſt Council of Lateran, in the IX Seſſion, alledgeth theſe words of Pſalm 72. All the Kings of the earth ſhall worſhip him; and will have that underſtood of the Pope. Bellarmin in the fifth book de Pontifice, chap. 8. and in his book againſt Barchlay, chap. 25. proveth, that the Pope may diſpoſe of the life and crown of Kings;(e)§. Praetere… & §. Item. becauſe the Lord ſaid unto Peter, Feed my Lambs: And in the firſt book de Clericis, chap. 19. he proveth that Prieſts muſt abſtain from women, becauſe the Prieſts were commanded to have their loins girt about, and to wear drawers. The ſame thing is proved by Pope Innocent the I.(f)Diſt. 82. Can. Propoſuiſti. becauſe it is written, They that are in the fleſh, cannot pleaſe God.
VI. Alſo that reproach cannot be objected unto us, that we bring interpretations which are rather evident contradictions and corruptions of Scripture, as the Roman Church doth. As when Jeſus Chriſt ſaid to the thief, This day thou ſhalt be with me in Paradiſe; the interpretation of the Roman Church, by Paradiſe, underſtands Hell: And when the Law ſaith, Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy ſtrength; they underſtand that God contents himſelf with part of our ſtrength; for if he would have all our ſtrength, it ſhould be impoſſible to make works of overplus. And when Chriſt ſaith, Drink ye all of this; they expound it, that this Commandment obligeth none but Clergy-men; ſo that the word all muſt ſignifie not all. And when Saint Paul ſaith, Let the Biſhop be the Husband of one Wife; by the word be, they underſtand have been, but be no more. And when Saint Paul 1 Cor. 10.16. ſaith, The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Chriſt? by the bread, they underſtand not bread but fleſh; and by breaking, they underſtand not breaking; for the body of the Lord can no more be broken; and by the communion of the body of Chriſt, they underſtand not the communion with that body, but the very body of Chriſt.
VII. Finally, our interpretations of Scripture are not ridiculous, and done purpoſely to bring the word of God into contempt, ſuch as many interpretations uſed by the Roman Church; thoſe eſpecially which the ſecond Council of Nice brings for the adoration of images. There theſe Texts are alledged, Shew me thy face, and make me hear thy voice, Cant. 2. God created man after his image and likeneſs. And None having lighted the candle, layeth it under a buſhel. Whence the Council inferreth that images muſt be worſhipped. And theſe goodly proofs are praiſed and defended by Pope Adrian, That book of Adrian is found in the third Tome of the Councils.who hath written a book purpoſely for the defence of that Council.
I will add one Text more, which alone for all, may ſhew the horrible profanation, and intolerable licence of the Adverſaries, to corrupt Scripture under colour of interpretation. Chriſt, Mat. 16. ſaid to Peter, Whatſoever thou ſhalt bind on earth, ſhall be bound in heaven; and whatſoever thou ſhalt looſe on earth, ſhall be looſed in heaven. 1. Firſt, our Adverſaries will have theſe words to be ſpoken not only to Saint Peter, but alſo to the Popes which bear themſelves as Succeſſors of the Primacy and Apoſtleſhip of Saint Peter; although Scripture give no ſucceſſor to Saint Peter in his Apoſtleſhip, nor in the conduct of the Univerſal Church, no more then to the other Apoſtles. 2. Secondly, by vertue of theſe words, Whatſoever thou ſhalt looſe on earth, the Pope looſeth alſo under the earth, and draws ſouls out of Purgatory. 3. Thirdly, The power of looſing the pains of ſins, being given to the Apoſtles, the Pope extends that power ſo far as to diſſolve contracts, and ſeparate lawful marriages, contracted and bleſſed in the Church: Alſo by vertue of theſe words, Whatſoever thou ſhalt looſe, &c. the Pope looſeth oaths and vows, and looſeth Subjects from the bonds of ſubjection and fealty to their ſoveraign Prince, and gives licence to Chriſtians to break their faith; and violate their Oath. 4. Fourthly, the Pope hath reſerved ſome caſes unto himſelf, and certain ſins in great number, which are called reſerved caſes, of whom, none but he can give the abſolution but at the point of death: And yet Chriſt, Mat. 18. ſaid to all the Apoſtles, and by conſequence to all their ſucceſſors, Whatſoever you ſhall bind on earth, ſhall be bound in heaven, and whatſoever you ſhall looſe, &c. And Joh. 20.23. Whoſeſoever ſins ye remit, they ſhall be remitted; without reſerving any caſe to Saint Peter. 5. Fifthly, by that Text, the power of binding, and that of looſing, are equally given to Peter; and one of thoſe two powers reacheth no further then the other: Yet by vertue of that Text, the Pope pretends to looſe in Purgatory; but there he never binds, and never made uſe of that power towards the ſouls in Purgatory. 6. Finally, the judicial power of binding and looſing, given unto Peter and the Apoſtles, reaching but to Eccleſiaſtical pains, the Pope extends that power even to the judicial ſeat of God, as if thoſe that are abſolved by men, were no more accountable before God. Thus upon one only Text, they commit ſix notable depravations mingled with impiety, under colour of interpretation.
CHAP. XXIII. Examination of the Reaſons which Cardinal du Perron brings in the fifth chapter, for the authority of the Church, to interpret Scripture infallibly.
THe Cardinal in the fifth chapter of his firſt book againſt his Majeſty of Great Britain, alledgeth Hierom, ſaying, that(a)Hier. contra Lucifer. the Scriptures conſiſt not in the reading, but in the intelligence. That is true; but is it of any force to attribute that perfection to the Church to interpret Scripture infallibly? Eſpecially, of what force is that to authorize the interpretations of the Roman Church, rather then thoſe of the Greek or the Ethiopian Church? And after all, where ſhall we find the interpretations of the Roman Church? For they are nowhere extant; for none of the interpretations that go about, are generally approved by publike authority.
He adds that it is neceſſary to be firſt certain of the interpretation of Scripture,Pag. 21. and that by an infallible way: But it is an error to think, that in matters neceſſary to ſalvation, Scripture ſtands in need of interpretation. Chryſoſtom upon 2 Theſ. 2. ſpeaks thus,(b)foreign. All things that are in the divine Scriptures, are clear and right; All that is neceſſary, is clear in them. Auſtin in the ſecond book of Chriſtian Doctrine, chap. 9.(c)In his quae apertè in Scriptura poſita ſunt, inveniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem moreſque vivendi. In the things that are openly ſet down in the Scripture, all things are found that concern faith and manners to live well: And in the ſixteenth chapter of the book of the unity of the Church, he brings many Texts of Scripture which he ſaith have need of no interpretation.
Another reaſon of M. du Perron, is, that all the concluſions of Faith, which are not found in expreſs terms, and incapable of ambiguity in Scripture, that they may be concluſions of faith; and infallible deciſions muſt be inferred one of theſe three wayes; by humane reaſoning, or by private inſpiration, or by the authority of an outward mean interpoſed by God, between the Scripture and us, &c. Now that mean he ſaith to be the Church, to which he giveth infallible authority to interpret Scripture. But ſtill he ſtumbleth at that ſtone, preſuppoſing againſt truth, that in points neceſſary to ſalvation, Scripture hath need of an interprter.
It will not be found in expreſs terms in Scripture, that God governeth the world by his providence: Yet that we believe, not by humane reaſoning, nor by revelation, nor by the authority of any Interpreters, but by Scripture, which ſaith the ſame thing in equivalent terms,Eph. 1. Matth. 10. when it teacheth us, that God doth all things according to the pleaſure of his will: That a Sparrow falls not without his will, and that the hairs of our head are numbred. Then the Cardinals argument halteth, becauſe his enumeration is imperfect; For beſides theſe three means there is a fourth, ſufficient to eſtabliſh a doctrine, when a propoſition which is not foud in expreſſe terms, and in ſo many ſyllables in Scripture, is found there in equivalent terms, which comes all to one.