The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 27
CHAP. 27. Teſtimonies of the Fathers. Confutation of the Cardinals anſwer.
AƲſtin in the book of the Unity of the Church, chap. 16. ſpeaks thus,(a)Eccleſiam ſuam demonſtrent, ſi poſſunt, non in ſermonibus & rumoribus Afrorum, &c. ſed in praeſcripto Legis, in Prophetarum paerdictis, in Pſalmorum cantibus, &c. in ipſius Paſtoris vocibus, &c. hoc eſt, in omnibus canonicis ſanctorum librorum authoritatibus. Let them ſhew us their Church if they can, not by the words and rumors of the Africans, nor by the Councils of their Biſhops, nor by the writings of diſputers whoſoever they be, nor by falſe ſigns and miracles, for the Word of the Lord hath warned us, and made us circumspect againſt that: But by the Law, by the predictions of the Prophets, by the ſongs of the Pſalms, by the ſermons of the Gospels, that is, by the Canonical books. And in his Epiſtle to Bonifacius, In the holy books wherein the Lord is manifeſted, there alſo the Church is manifeſted. And a little after, The Church is not counterfeited by contentious opinions, but is proved by divine teſtimonies. And in the 166. Epiſtle, We have learned Chriſt in the Scriptures, there we have learned the Church. And chap. 2. of the Unity of the Church, Between us and the Donatiſts, the queſtion is, Where the Church is? What ſhall we do then? Shall we ſeek her in our words, or in the words of our head the Lord Jeſus Chriſt? I think that we ought rather to ſeek her in his words. And a little after, I will not have any to ſhew me the Church by humane documents, but by divine oracles. And chap. 3. Let us then ſeek the Church in Canonical books. Again, There are books of the Lord, about whoſe authority we both conſent; we believe them, we ſerve them. There let us ſeek the Church, there let us decide our cauſe. But above all, theſe words of the 16. chap. are expreſs:(b)Ʋtrum ipſi Eccleſiam teneant nonniſi divinarum Scripturarum canonicis libris oſtendant. Let them ſhew us whether they have the Church, Only by the Canonical books of the divine Scriptures. He receiveth no other proof of the Church but by the Scriptures. Hierom upon the 133. Pſalm ſaith all in two words, Eccleſia ibi eſt, ubi ſides vera eſt. The Church is there where true faith is.
To theſe M. du Perron, in the 71. chap. of his firſt book againſt his Majeſty, anſwereth, that Auſtin means not that we muſt judge of the doctrine of the Church by the Scriptures, but only that we muſt ſeek the marks of the Church in the Scriptures. This is already a great point granted; for thereby he confeſseth, that in the queſtion concerning the marks of the Church, Scripture muſt be Judge. If then Scripture be Judge in that queſtion, why not in other queſtions? But whoſoever ſhall converſe a little with Auſtin's writings, ſhall find, that in all points of Religion he taketh Scripture for his Judge, and that there is hardly one leaf in all his works, where he doth not alledge ſome text of Scripture for that end. For indeed that means of judging of the Doctrine of the Church being removed, what doth remain, but that the Church be judge in her own cauſe, and that about the doctrine of the Church the only verdict of the Church be credited. Whereupon the Cardinals words are very notable; That in the queſtion about the body of the Church, Auſtin will have the matter decided by Scripture, becauſe that in the controverſie where the debate was, which of the two ſocieties was the Church, the voice of the true Church could not be diſcerned. The like, or rather ſtronger reaſon will be found in all the points of controverſie, where is queſtion of the duty of the Church, or of her authority; For there the Church cannot be Judge; elſe ſhe ſhould be Judge in her own cauſe. If in the contention between two contrary Churches, to know which of them is the true Church, Scripture muſt be Judge, as the Cardinal doth acknowledge; In the diſpute between us and the Church of Rome upon that point, why ſhall not Scripture be Judge of our difference? And what will become of that fine maxime of the Cardinal in the 7. chap. of the 4 part of his firſt book, where he affirmeth, that to cleanſe the Church from her pretended corruptions, one muſt not have recourſe to the time of the Apoſtles; that is, Scripture muſt not be received for Judge, neither muſt we in our controverſies look upon the primitive pure time, or that doctrine of the Apoſtles, which themſelves have ſet down in writing.
The ſame words of the Cardinal, overthrow that thredbare objection of our Adverſaries, that one cannot know that ſuch a book is Scripture but by the Church. For behold one of the moſt eminent Cardinals of the Roman Church, who confeſſeth with Auſtin, that one cannot know the Church but by the Scripture.
Now that not only in the queſtion of the marks of the Church, but in other queſtions Auſtin will have the Scripture to be judge, it is eaſie to prove it. In the book of grace and free-will, chap. 18. he chooſeth the Apoſtle Saint John for Judge in that matter, Sedeat internos judex Apoſtolus Johannes, &c. Let the Apoſtle John ſit Judge betwixt us. Upon which he alledgeth a Text of that Apoſtle. And in the ſecond book of marriage and concupiſcence, before he alledges the words of the Apoſtle, he uſeth this preface,(c)Judicet cum Chriſto Apoſtolus, quia & in Apoſtolo ipſe loquitur Chriſtus. Let the Apoſtle judge with Chriſt, for Chriſt himſelf alſo ſpeaks by the Apoſtle. And in the ſecond book againſt Fauſtus the Manichean, chap. 5. he ſaith, that(d)Excellentiae Canonicae authoritas tanquam in ſede quadam ſublimitèr conſtituta, cui ſerviat omnis fidelis & quivis intellectus. the authority of the Canonical excellency, is ſet on high, as on a certain throne, to which every faithful perſon, and every underſtanding muſt ſubject himſelf. Chryſoſtom in the thirty third Homily upon the Acts, asketh, how a Pagan that ſeeth Chriſtians quarrelling among themſelves about Religion, may know to what Church he muſt aggregate himſelf? Then he anſwereth, If we ſay that we believe the Scriptures, they are both ſimple and true: If any conform himſelf to theſe, he is a Chriſtian.
The ſame Fathers words are moſt expreſs in his forty ninth Homily of the imperfect work upon Saint Matthew, (e)Antea multis modis oſtendebant quae eſſet Eccleſia Chriſti, & quae Gentilitas; nunc autem nullo modo cogn…ſcitur niſi tantummodo per Scripturam.Heretofore they ſhewed many ways what the Church of Chriſt was, and what the ſociety of Pagans: But now this is known no other way, but by the Scriptures only. And ſoon after, He then that will know which is the true Church of Chriſt, how ſhall he know it but by the Scriptures?