Sure Footing in Christianity, Discourse 6
THE Sixth Discourse EXAMINED.
THe Title of this Discourse tells us, it is an Endeavour to demonstrate a Priori the Indefectibleness of Tradition. Wherein we have.
1. His Preface, Ss. 1, 2, 3.—2. His Demonstration, S. 5.—3. His answer to some Objections, Ss. 6, 7, 8. All are to be considered orderly.
1. In his preface he brings in some, commending his former discourses: but withall questioning; Was this Tradition held to? Who beg…n to desert that Rule? Whoever held to it? or Was it ever held to by any? Ss. 1.
2. He chargeth the Protestants to make this labour of his further demonstration needless, being cast in their Cause, &c. S. 2.
3. He makes a needless digression, about an Exaction upon his Rule. S. 3.
4. He promiseth a double demonstration of his Conclusion. S. 4.
All this might have been better spared and the Discourser might have fallen closely to his Demonstration; which would have advantaged him more, and lesse burdened his Readers with a multitude of needless words. We will not follow him at his Range, but shortly animadvert upon the special Heads. Commend his Discourses they who can: We shall onelyonly reply to the Queres. Supposing Tradition twofold. 1. General of all things.
2. Special of Faith. And these two under the notions, either of the manner of delivery, or Matter delivered by it. And then we return to them thus.
1. None did ever question, or doubt, but that alwaies by speech all things have been derived from the Fathers to the Children; neither could this ever be deserted; by the law nature.
2. Considering this Mode of Tradition carrying in it matters of Faith, which here the Discourser owns as delivered by the Apostles, we say many did desert their Doctrine of Faith, while they survived; and all the continued deserters of the same Truth in all Ages since, are of the same stock.
3. They only held to the Apostles Tradition of Faith by preaching, who kept close to the same doctrine written by them and to none besides it: and by such it was and is held unto at this day. S. 1.
4. The Discourser hath not prov'd evidently that Romish Tradition is a certain Rule of Faith, and Scripture not. His fallacious treating upon Tradition in general, and Scriptures letter, are but senseless gingles; for neither is the one denied its due place, nor the other at all affirmed by the Protestants: Therefore are they not cast in their Cause, as he vainly cryeth out.
5. They assert true Tradition oral of Christs Doctrine in its true use; and prove that Papists have fallen from that Rule, by the undeniable effects of that Apostasie in Doctrines expresly contrary to that of Christs and his Apostles, maintained by them to this day; which is enough to make them blush and be ashamed; but that a Roman face is steeled against such modest reflexions. The matter delivered if evil, spoileth the method of delivering, be it never so good.
6. The Discourser forgets himself to be an Adversary to, while he takes upon himself to be a Judge over Protestants; but to his Censure they reply.
1. They do not in the least tacitely yeeld the Doctrine held by the Romish Church, to be of Faith, uninterruptedly come down from the Apostles, or that it was ever and is Christs Doctrine. They do openly and lowdly deny it; neither were ever any of their Jesuitical Champions able to disprove them. If so, let the Author produce them: We grant the derivat…on of Christs Doctrine downwards by Tradition Oral and Scriptural, in all things concurring; but Pop…sh Oral-Tradition we abhorre as much as that abhors the Scripture of God. This is a foolish Censure then by the Disputer.
2. They appeal to God against the blinding of their Consciences with glances of Fancy from private Interpretations of Gods word, or deafning their ears with false Ecchoes from those sacred Oracles, who is their righteous Judge, and will determine the Cause between Protestants and Papists: who they be that lye against God, and who that maintain his Truth, in his appointed time. In the interim, the Discourser had need to remember that he must appear himself at the judgment seat of Christ, and be certainly judged, for all those hard and ungodly reproaches cast upon the Scriptures of God under pretence of honouring them. Woe be to them at that day who shall then be found guilty of drawing away souls from the faith of God manifested in the flesh unto other Daemon-Mediators by the hypocrisie of them who give down lying Traditions. Their Consciences will be found to have been seared with an hot iron. Let him and his be afraid of this judgment, S. 2.
7. In S. 3. It is hard to say what the Discourser aimeth at; for it may well be put in a Parenthesis as not necessary to this Discourse. Yet we shall say something to it.
1. It is no unreasonable expectation that the Rule of Faith should both order its Followers, and oblige them not to desert it: So God hath established his Rule in the Holy Scriptures.
2. The goodness of our Saviour is not to found his Rule of Faith upon mans nature, but upon God himself, that it may be able to rule Souls unto life, and oblige them firmly unto Faith.
3. It is no less the justice of the Lord to suffer an Efficacy of Delusion to go along with Popish Tradition, to spread that Religion under the name of Christian. And having thus replyed to these things in his Preface, we shall expect his promise of a double demonstration, which he giveth, S. 4.
2. He enters upon his first a Priori. S. 5. Here he would have us pick out his demonstration from four Grounds laid down by him.
1. That Christian Doctrine was at first unanimously settled by the Apostles in the hearts of the Faithful in great multitude… over several parts of the world.
2. That this Doctrine was firmly beleeved by them to be the way to Heaven, and the contradictory to it the way unto Damnation.
3. That hopes of goods (as Heavenly) and Fears of harms, (as Damnation) strongly applyed, are the Causes of Actual Will.
4. That the thing was feesible, that whatever they were bred to, was knowable by them. All this put as his Medium, his Conclusion is. That it followeth as certainly, a great Body of the first Believers, and After-faithful in each Age, that is, from Age to Age, would continue to hold themselves and teach their Children, as themselves had been taught, that is that they should follow and stick to Tradition; as it doth, that a Cause put actually causing, produceth its Effect.
1. This is somewhat an obscure way of Demonstration; It had been plainer and shorter to have given it in three propositions, so more easily might we have seen the strength of his conclusion: We shall to help the Readers more clearly to judge in this matter, contract it, and put it under view together. His conclusion pretended by him to be inferred is, The Indefectibleness or Actual indefectiveness of Tradition from Christ and his Apostles. (Suppose of the Romish Faith or Religion, as it is gathered into a systeme by his Trent-Fathers, and is now received and practic'd by Papists) For this is the only thing contended for by him in all his Discourses: Otherwise that Oral-Tradition of humane concernments is from the beginning indefective actually and indefectible so long as mankind is in being on earth, must be yielded by all. His Medium to conclude this must be gathered out of his 4 grounds, or at least the proof of it: The whole together must be thus formed. That Doctrine of Faith, which was at first delivered by Christ and his Apostles, and firmly beleeved by all the Faithful in that Age, and willed and known by all the Faithful in all succeeding Generations to this very Age, is actually Indefective from the time of Christ. But,
The Traditional Doctrine of Faith compiled in the Trent-Canons, and as now beleeved and practised in the bulk of it by Papists at this day, is that which at first Christ delivered, &c. Therefore
This Traditionall Doctrine of Faith received and practised by Papists at this day, is actually indefective from the time of Christ.
In th…s demonstrative Syllogism according to the Discoursers platform laid, we peremptorily deny the Assumption: which if he can prove, we yield his Conclusion; but as soon may he prove darkness to be light, and Hell to be Heaven. And untill he perform this Task, we judge his Demonstration, but a Quibble, not worthy of a farther answer. No actual Indefectiveness, then much lesse indefectibility from Christ, is made good to Popish Tradition, which is this Disputers Rule of Faith.
1. As to what he may conceive of proof lying in his grounds, we shall grant what is to be granted, which will avail him nothing; and except against the rest.
1. We grant that the sound of the Apostles Doctrine went into all the earth,Rom, 10.18. and their words to the end of the world. So also was the same delivered in their writings and Epistles; Each Tradition was of equal account with them.
2. We except that however they delivered this Doctrine to their ears and to their eies; yet they could not settle it in their hearts;2 Cor. 3.3 for then no Apostates had been in those daies: This was a work for Gods spirit only. Neither indeed was this Gods way to propagate truth to others; for it was a secret work which none could know but such as had it. The means of conveying Gospel Doctrine must be visible, as preaching and writing, such as work upon senses, which the Author contends for under the notion of a Rule. It may be therefore perhaps his meaning, that those multitudes did learn the Apostles Doctrine by heart, that is, without book, which best suiteth with his Tradit…on to teach their Children by heart: but this is poor Heart-work unto salvat…on. This makes no more for his Indefectiveness, than to note the Term only from whence it must begin; Take it all in the soundest Sence.
2. As to his second ground.
1. We grant it fully as concerning them, who were truly faithful, that they did beleeve Christs Doctrine to be the way to Heaven, and the deser…ing of it the way to damnation; and that the hopes of Heaven, and fears of Hell impressed upon their minds by divine Authority, d…d make not only the first Believers, but all truly faithful in all Ages following to adhere to that Doctrine of Christ, and d d deterr them from the relinquishing of it.
2. Yet we deny all them to be truly faithful, who professedly in the first and following times received this Doctrine; neither did hopes of Heaven nor fears of Hell ke…p many from forsaking the Truth of Christ in the times of the Apostles; for there were multitudes of Apost…tes from it under the Mystery of Iniquity in those daies; And no lesse were in Ages following, when the Apostasie grew stronger, notwithstanding therefore these hopes and fears many might and did fall from the Faith. This step then in the Discoursers Climax for h…s Demonstration is but feeble: And it doth concern him to study more seriously whether the Romish Apostasie took not rise from the worse and failing party then, which hath been charged and proved against them. His Indefective Tradition must then fail him, unless it be from Apostate Professors in that Age
3. As to his next ground. 1. We grant that Hopes of Goods, and Fears of Harms, are objective Causes of actual will, and no more; for they move the will to chuse and to refuse.
2. We add further, that the strength of Application of these objects, whether in matters natural, or spiritual unto the will, must be to victory over all repulses, to actuate the will unto its office of chusing, or refusing.
3. That in spiritual matters the Application must be made to mans will by the Arm of God, or else Heaven will never keep them close to the way of Truth, nor Hell, ever deterr them from relinquishing it; nor actuate will to a regular choice or refusal. Now the Event in those first times plainly shews, that hopes of Heaven and fears of Hell, did not actuate the wills of beleevers to adhere to Christs saving Doctrine, nor terrifie them from relinquishing it; for many fell away, notwithstanding the strength of those Motives, because they were not applyed by the Power of God. Which being so, the Discourser had need mind this role of his Ladder also, or else it will crack and not bear his Traditional Fore-fathers in bringing down his Traditionary faith to this Age: For he can never prove that their wills were acted by God upon thoughts of Heaven or Hell to bring down the Truth of Christ unto their Posterity, seeing his Trent-Canons contain so many falshoods contrary to the same.
4. To his last ground. 1. It may be yeelded, that it was in their power (God vouchsafing them natural understandings) to know literally the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles, and yet not in their power to stand to it.
2. We deny neverthelesse that it was in the power of all those multitudes pretended savingly to know the Doctrine of Christ, unless those onelyonly who were taught of God, and upon whose wills his own Arm had made impression of his motives to keep them fixed to the truth of the Gospel. Now seeing there were so many deficient in saving knowledge both of former and latter times; It will be a very hard matter for the Discourser to draw out from these premised grounds, a certain conclusion of his Traditions Indefectiveness or Indefectibility, from the Truth of Christ, to the false Religion of Rome at this day: Idem jungat vulpes & mulgeat hircos. The same wild Foxes then may coat, And milk the Romish Goat. Yet let us look forward and see what way he will make in clearing up the objections proposed by himself.
3. He now cometh to satisfie objectors out of his foresight, and so he hopes to clear his Demonstration.
1. He saith, The indisposition of the wills of beleeving Parents, by reason of Original Corruption, may be objected as a cause hindering them from a faithful delivery of Christs Truth down unto their Children. Unto which he attempts to give satisfaction. S. 6. To avoid transcribing of words we shall animadvert upon his answer and reply.
1. That we grant freely Christs Doctrine was intended to be an Antidote against that original malice, and an help to preserve mens minds and wills right and pure: For he was manifested to destroy the works of the Devil; of which that was the first and worst.
2. We doubt not,1 Joh. 3.8. but that the Gospel of the Son of God did heal the corrupt natures of many to whom God applyed it by his special Grace: Therefore Christs wisdome is not questioned as if the means appointed by him were not fit to do the Effect. But when this Discourser minds us of many thousands of Martyrs and holy Confessors, who by the Power of this Doctrine overcame this inbred declivity of their wills; we may as justly remind him of so many millions, to whom the sound of it came, whose natures were never healed, nor w…lls rectified by it. And besides we deny that his Traditionary fore-fathers, as to his Trent-Doctrine, were such Martyrs and Confessors whose wills were so cured: And we leave it upon him to prove it,
3. We deny that this Doctrine of Christ was delivered by the best willed souls only by Oral, but also by Scriptural Tradition, against both which neither the stratagems of the Devil, nor the gates of Hell did or could prevail.
4. We add that however weak the Disputer may think Original sin to be, yet it inclineth to all malignity against God, and Apostasie from the Truth of Christ: but much more when Parents are to be supposed to have improved that root of bitterness by bringing forth many bitter fruits in Actual sins, habituating themselves unto backslidings from God; and then it will not be so hard for him to grant they might be so vicious as to seduce their Children.
5. Although we are willing to think, no Parents should be so unnatural, to teach their children, what they think will damn them; Yet we shall offer to him some Experiments which are undeniable.
1. There have been Parents who have offered their children to the Devil; such therefore may be at this day. 2. Parents bewitched themselves, are most apt to fascinate their Children to idol-worship, &c. A Father-theef usually teacheth his Son to be a Theef, though he knows the end will be the Gallows. When the blind do lead the blind, they will both fall into the ditch. Nay nothing is more evident, than that Parents bred up in superstitious and idolatrous waies, will force their Children to be of the same Religion, that if themselves be damned, they shall be damned with them. And to this efficacious delusion God hath given up them, who loved not his Scripture-Truth. No greater Example of it than in Rome.
5. These things being thus stated, how hath the Discourser quitted himself of the first objection? The Tradition of Romish Faith is notwithstanding descended from minds and wills, not only not healed by the Gospel, but more perniciously infected with wilfull and obstinate falshood against the written Truth of Christ.
2. The next objection is, That the fickle nature of the will, may exempt her from the Law of Causes. Whereupon he makes some Queries, to which we shall answer.
1. We grant that good is the object of the will, and doth affect it when it is sufficiently applied: Natural good to natural will, and spiritual good to spiritual will.
2. We assert Temporal goods and harms, do more affect natural wills than all Spiritual: Experience sheweth it, men usually prefer temporal rewards before heaven, and fear bodily punishments more than hell; such wills are fickle.
3. His world of Beleevers we take for the multitude of his Popish Fore-fathers, and their wills were carried under blind, superstitious minds, to forsake the Truth of Christ, and so to seduce Posterity; notwithstanding the loss of infinite goods, and gain of infinite Harms. Such wills are no Causes of conveying down the Truth of Christ. In all this nothing strengthens his demonstration.
3. The last knot which he would untie, is That the Objector doth fault the Application of these motives to the wills of his Traditionary Fore-fathers; and then their wills may fail in doing th…ir office. What his reply is, we shall weigh and answer.
The Discourser may put his Teeth and nails to untye this knot, and all to no purpose; For that which is a sufficient application of these spiritual motives to mens wills, so as to make them faithful in giving down Truth, must needs convert them, and make them of flesh, spirit. Now all applications from humane strength are not able to change mans will; It must be Gods arm alone, that can so effectually apply the foresaid motives. Leaving therefore his Reflection upon pursuit of ends proposed by undoubted Authority, and his needless illustrations of it by a King preparing for Expedition, or a Gentleman travelling to Rome, we fall upon his proof of a sufficient application of these motives, which we find to be mostly humane, and only his last instance any whit ingaging God; To all he urgeth we thus reply.
1. VVe observe, he gathers his sufficiency of application from humane means, which we deny to be sufficient to actuate mans will into regular working; and this in 5 particulars.
1. The proposal of Gods supremely-fallible veracity from man to man, is not sufficient to turn the will truly to close with Truth; for then it would have been done upon all that heard Christ and his Apostles preach it.
2. The representation of these infinite goods by most familiar Metaphors, venerable Sacraments or the spectable Majesty of Ceremonies (nay of Romish themselves) is no sufficient application to move the will to close with the Truth of Christ. These are weak operatives from men when they are true; but pernicious when adulterate as in Rome.
3. The Applications of these goods in the Visibility of the words being made flesh, was not sufficient to change mens wills unto the choice of Truth; for then all among whom he Tabernacled, would have chosen him and cleaved to him. Unless the Discourser think the setting of him forth by Crucifixes or Popish Pageantry may do more; which is some of the spawn of his Tradition. These turn hearts to Satan.
4. The Application of these goods by Examples in course of life and actions and outward shews, is not sufficient to turn wills unto the truth of Christ. Long experience makes this good. Indeed if the misteries of God were mechanical and maniable (as he makes them) he might have hope to make many of that Trade. It may be so with Papists.
5. All the frequent and efficacious application of these eternal goods and harms by Education under Parents and by the Discipline and oeconomy of the Church is not sufficient to change wills to God: It was not so to all under the Apostles government, it was less in after ages; but not at all in that Romish Church, for which the Discourser contends; nay they harden wills against God. In all these he hath not cured the faulting of his Application. The knot is made faster.
6. In the last place he offers something worth consideration indeed, if he could prove it to his purpose, Christianity urg'd to execution, gives its Followers a new life, and a new nature; than which a neerer application cannot be imagin'd. This is application sufficient indeed of these motives to the regeneration of men; for this must change the will: but none can so urge Doctrine, but God himself. Yet if this be made serv…ceable to the mans turn, he must prove.
1. That this Doctrine preacht by the Apostles with urgency, did give a new life to all their professed followers.
2. That the multitudes thus regenerated by the Apostles, did give this new nature to the…r followers.
3. That these also did give a new life by their Doctrine to the Generation Following, and so successively to all the fore-fathers of him and Papists unto this day. But all yours is false; and impossible to be made good. For the huge gulf made between the Apostles doctrine and Application, and Popish doctrine with their application, will never suffer this to arise from that, or consist with it. The Testimony of several Centuries concerning the wicked doctrins and beastly lives both of Popes and Papists, will sufficiently demonstrate, that Christian Doctrine was never so applyed to them, as to make them new creatures. If this Tradition hath, it must needs send forth sad swarms or multitudes of such Christians among them to the worlds end. Thus we have the strength of his first Demonstration. A further clearing we are promised in the next discourse.