The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 53
CHAP. 53. Teſtimonies of Fathers of the ſufficiency of Scripture againſt unwritten Traditions.
THE Antients abound in teſtimonies for the perfection of Scripture. Thus Tertullian againſt Hermogenes, (a)Cap. 22. Adoro Scripturae plenitudinem.I adore the perfection of the Scriptures. And in the ſame book,(b)Scriptum eſſe doceat Hermogenis officina. Si non eſt ſcriptum, time at Vae illud adjicientibus aut detrahentibus deſtinatum. Let the ſhop of Hermogenes ſhew that it is written, otherwiſe let him fear the wo denounced to them that add or diminiſh. It would be impertinent to object here that Tertullian writ this book being a Montaniſt; for the Orthodox never accuſed the Montaniſts of too much adhering to Scripture, or rejecting the unwritten Traditions.
The whole Antiquity commends the words of Conſtantine in the Council of Nice. (c)Theodoret. Hiſt. Eccleſ. 1. cap. 7.That the books of the Goſpels, and Oracles of the Apoſtles and of the ancient Prophets, do clearly inſtruct us of the opinion we ought to have of divine things. Wherefore all perverſe contention being laid aſide, let us fetch the ſolution of doubts from the words divinely inſpired. To which(d)Bellar. l. de verbo Dei non ſcripto. cap. 11. Bellarmin anſwers, that Conſtantine was a great Emperour, but not a great Doctor.
Athanaſius in the beginning of the book againſt the Grecians, ſpeaks thus,(e)foreign. The holy and divinely inſpired Scriptures are ſufficient to make the truth to be underſtood. And in the Treatiſe of the Lords incarnation,(f)foreign; If you will bring other things beſides, that which is written, why do you fight againſt us who are perſwaded neither to hear nor to ſay any thing beſides that which is written? And in the ſame place, You are ſo exceedingly idle (g)foreign.as to ſay things that are not written, and to have tenets remote from piety.
Gregorius Nazianzenus in his oration upon Athanaſius praiſeth him becauſe he preſented to the Emperour foreign, written piety againſt unwritten novelty.
Cyrillus of Alexandria in the two books of his Treatiſes upon Geneſis, (h)foreign, &c.How could we receive that which holy Scripture hath not ſaid, or put it in the rank of true things? And in the ſeventh book againſt Julian, The holy Scriptures are ſufficient to make wiſe and moſt approved and ſufficiently underſtanding, thoſe that are bred and inſtructed in it.
Theodoret in the firſt Dialogue, entituled The immutable; Bring me not humane reaſons, (i)foreign.for I believe none but holy Writ. And in the ſecond Dialogue,(k)foreign. I am not ſo raſh as to affirm a thing of which the holy Scripture is ſilent.
Chryſoſtom upon the ſecond chapter of the ſecond Epiſtle to the Theſſalonians, (l)foreign.All things that are in the divine Scriptures are clear and ſtraight. All that is neceſſary is clear. And upon Pſal. 95.(m)foreign. When one ſaith ſomething that is not written, the hearers mind is halting.
Baſil towards the end of his Ethicks, which are among his Aſceticks,(n)foreign. If (ſaith he) all that is not of faith is ſin, as the Apoſtle ſaith, and faith is of hearing, and hearing of the word of God; all that is without the divinely inſpired Scripture, being not of the faith, is ſin. Note that he ſaith without, not againſt Scripture. One cannot doubt but that theſe Aſceticks are of Baſil; for Gennadius Archbiſhop of Conſtantinople hath compiled common places, or ſhort Homilies drawn out of Baſil: where there is a great number of paſſages out of the Aſceticks. And the ſtyle of Baſil is evident in them where the florid fluidity is inimitable. And Photius in his Library puts that book among Baſils works.
Hierom upon the firſt chapter of Haggai. (o)Sed & alia quae abſ que authoritate & teſtimoniis Scripturarum quaſi traditione Apoſtolica ſponte reperiunt at que confingunt, percutit gladius Dei.All things that men invent of themſelves, pretending Apoſtolical tradition, without authority and teſtimony of Scripture, are ſmitten by Gods ſword. And upon the Prophet Micah, book 1. chap. 1.(p)Eccleſia Chriſti non eſt egreſſa de finibus ſuis, id eſt, de Scripturis ſanctis. The Church of Chriſt is not come out of her limits, that is, the holy Scriptures. And writing againſt Helvidius, (q)Quae non ſunt ſcripta, rejicimus.We reject that which is not written.
The life of St. Antony attributed to Athanaſius, ſaith, foreign, that the Scriptures are ſufficient for inſtruction.
Cyrillus of Jeruſalem in his fourth Catecheſis(r)foreign. Concerning the divine and holy myſteries of faith, the leaſt thing muſt not be taught without the holy Scriptures. Believe me not ſaying theſe things to thee, unleſs I ſhew thee what I ſay by Scripture. Salvation and the preſervation of our faith conſiſteth not in invention of words, but in demonſtration by the divine Scriptures.
Auſtin Epiſt. 14. chap. 9. By the (ſ)Per ſolas Scripturas potes plenam Dei intelligere voluntatem.Scriptures only thou canſt fully know the will of God. And in the book De bono viduitatis, chap. 1. Let my teaching be nothing elſe but propounding the words of the Doctor. And in the third chapter of the book de unitate Eccleſiae, Auferantur illa de medio quae adverſus nos invicem non ex divinis Canonicis libris, ſed aliunde recitamus. Let us take away all that we bring the one againſt the other, out of other places then the divine Canonical books. This Father receiveth no proof but out of Scripture. Himſelf in the ſecond book de doctrina Chriſtiana, chap. 9.(t)In his quae aperto poſita ſunt in Scriptura, inveniuntar illa omnia quae continent fidem moreſque vivendi. In the things which are clearly ſet down in the Scriptures, all things are found that concern faith and manners. And againſt the letters of Petilianus, book 3. chap. 6. Read us this out of the Law, out of the Prophets, out of the Pſalms, out of the Goſpel it ſelf, out of the writings of the Apoſtles, and we will believe it. And in the ſecond book of the merits of ſins, and of pardon, chap. 36. When the diſpute is about a very obſcure things, without help of clear and certain inſtructions out of the divine Scriptures, preſumption muſt ſtay. Moſt pregnant of all are this Fathers words in the fifth chapter of his book of the unity of the Church(u)Quaeque aperta & manifeſta deligamus, quae ſi in ſanctis Scripturis non invenirentur, nullo modo eſſet unde aperirentur clauſa & illuſtrarentur obſcura. Let us pick the clear and manifeſt texts, which if they were not found in the holy Scriptures, no way ſhould be left to open the things that are ſhut up, and to clear thoſe that are dark: That holy man finds no other way of clearing doubts and difficulties in religion, then by clear texts of the holy Scriptures. A thouſand the like paſſages might be produced.
This ſo great a conſent of the antients, hath extorted from the moſt violent enemies of the perfection and authority of Scripture, notable confeſſions.
The Jeſuit Salmeron told us befores that the Scripture was ſubject unto the Church, and that Scripture is a noſe of wax, and a Judge uncapable to decide any difference, and that Tradition goeth beyond Scripture in excellency; Nevertheleſs in the firſt Prolegomen he ſpeaks thus of Scripture,(x)§. nunc jam. Scriptura tradit omnem veritatem, arcet ab omni vitio, ſtimulat ad omne opus bonum, &c. Scripture teacheth all truth, diſſwadeth from all vices, encourageth to all good works, exhorteth to all vertue. And a little after(y)Scriptura ſic eſt à Spiritu Sancto concinnata at que contexta, ut omnibus locis, temporibus, perſonis, difficultatibus, periculis, morbis, malis pellendis, bonis accerſendis, erroribus jugulandis, dogmatibus ſtatuendis, ſit accommodata. Scripture is ſo formed and woven by the Spirit of God, that it is fitted for all places, times, perſons difficulties, to expell all dangers, ſickneſſes, and ſorrows; to bring in all good, to cut the throat of errors, to eſtabliſh doctrines, to plant vertues, and drive vices away. And he alledgeth Baſil, who compareth it unto a compleat Apothecaries ſhop, affording remedies for healing all ſickneſſes.
Bellarmine, who in the firſt book of the unwritten word, chap. 3. & 4. denieth the Scripture to be ſufficient without the traditions, and calls Scripture a a part or a piece of a rule, not a whole rule; yet maintains the contrary in the ſixth book de amiſſione gratiae & ſtatu peccati, chap. 3.(z)§ Reſpondeo. Non eſt de rebus quae pendent à divina voluntate aliquid aſſerendum, niſi Deus ipſe in Scripturis ſanctis tale aliquid revelaverit. We muſt not (ſaith he) affirm any thing concerning the things which depend of the will of God, if God himſelf hath revealed no ſuch thing in the holy Scriptures. So grew is the ſtrength of truth.