The By-Way, Treatise · Section 4
SECT. IIII. Our aduerſaries, howſoeuer they pretend by taking an oath to make the Fathers Interpreters of the Scriptures, yet indeed they make themſelues ſole Interpreters of Scriptures and Fathers.
Bulla Pij quarti Art. 2.IT is an Article of the Romame Creed, publiſhed by Pope Pius the fourth, and by the oath their Foreman hath taken, all Prieſtes and I ſuites are ſworne, Not to receiue or interpret the Scriptures, but according to the vnifo…me conſent of Fathers. It is a large and faire promiſe, and deliuered vponupon oath: and for my part, if the church of Rome can make good the vniforme conſent of Fathers, for all their twelue newe Articles of Faith, (which hath been often promiſed, but neuer as yet by any one performed,) I ſhall willingly liſten to their interpretation, and preferre it before any priuate, or latter Expoſition.
It was the profeſſion of our late King of famous memory,Apolog. for the oath of Alleag. pa. 36. What euer the Fathers of the first foure hundred yeeres did with one vnanime conſent agree vponupon, to be beleeued as a neceſſary poynt of ſaluation, I will beleeue it alſo, or at leastwiſe will bee humblie ſilent, not taking vponupon mee to condemne the ſame.
I ſpeake not this, as if we ſhould decline the practiſe of the ancient Church in expounding Scripture by Scripture,Concil. Trid. Seſſ. 1. but to demonſtrate to the world, that our aduerſaries in this poynt of their faith, hauehave neither followed the ancient Church, nor the Decree of their Trent Councell; whereby it ſhall appeare, that either this Article was newly created, or the former Popes and Councels hauehave diſagreed from the latter.
Cardinall Caietan was ſo farre from ſubſcribing to the Popes Creed in this poynt, that on the contrary hee giues this Praemonition to the Reader of the Scriptures; Not to loathe the new ſenſe of the holy Scriptures for this, Nullus ita que deteſtetur nouū ſacra ſcripturae ſē ſum, ex hoc qd diſſonat à priſcis Doctoribus, ſed fcrutetur perſpicacius textū ac cótextū Scripturae, & ſi quadrare inuenerit, laudet Deū, qui nō alligauit expoſitionem Scripturarū ſacrarum priſcorū Doctorum ſenſibus Caiet. in Geneſ 1.that it diſſenteth from the ancient Doctors, but to ſearch more exactly the Text and coherence of the Scriptures; and if hee finde it agree, to praiſe God, that hath not tyed the expoſition of the Scriptures, to the ſenſe of the ancient Doctors. This Proteſtant doctrine is farre different from the Tenet of the Roman Church, inſomuch that Biſhop Canus his fellow Romaniſt was much troubled, that a prime Cardinall ſhould oppoſe an Article of the Romane Creed: one while he chargeth him, that acutiùs multò quam foelicius: hee expounded the Scriptures in ſome places more wittily then happily: an other while he would ſo ſeeme to excuſe him, that hee might be convinced by this or the like argument, To follow the Fathers in all, Canus ibid.were to condemne our owne witts, and depriue our ſelues of the meanes to finde out the trueth. What arguments might preuaile with the Cardinall, I cannot tell, but ſure I am, his doctrine diſagreed from the Article of the Roman faith. And Doctor Payna Andradius, a principall Pillar of the Trent Councell, rebuketh Canus for his raſh reproouing of Caictan, and defendeth his Tenet with the ſame doctrine.Andra. def. fid Tricen lib 2. Hee teacheth, that when the Fathers ſeeke the literall ſenſe of the Scriptures, they doe not alwayes find them, but giuegive diuers ſenſes, one vnlike to an other. Hee profeſſeth; Wee may forſake their ſenſes all, and bring a new vnlike to theirs. He addeth further; that experience forceth vsus to confeſſe, vnleſſe wee will bee vnthankefull to moſt excellent wits, that very many things in Moſes and the Prophets, are in this our age expounded more exactly, through the diligence of learned men, then euer they were before: And thereupon he concludeth, that the holy Ghost (the onelyonly and faithfull Interpreter of the Scriptures) would hauehave many things to bee knowne to vsus, which our Ancestors knewe not, and hath wrought by meanes vnknowne to vsus, knowne to him, that the Fathers noted good and godly myſteries out of very many places of the Scriptures, whereof the right and naturall ſenſe hath been found out by posteritie. And thus Canus againſt Cajetan, and Andradius againſt Canus, and Cajetan and Andradius both againſt the Trent Article, allowe the Expoſition of Scripture by Scripture, and ſomtimes againſt the ſtreme of Fathers. I proceed to the examination of more witneſſes, and I call Cardinall Bellarmine to teſtifie the ſame doctrine, that neither hee, nor his aſſociates, doe holde themſelues tyed by their new Article of faith, to the Expoſition of the Fathers; It is one thing (ſaith hee) to interpret the Law as a Doctor, Aliud eſt interpretari legem more Doctoris, a liud more Iudicis &c. Bell. de verbo Dei. lib. 3. cap. 10.an other thing as a Iudge: of the one is required Learning, of the other Authoritie: the opinion of the Doctors is to be followed according to reaſon; but the Iudges opinion is to bee followed of neceſsitie. Saint Austen, and the Fathers in their Expoſitions, ſupplyed the places of Doctors, Scripta Patrū nō ſunt Regulae, nec habent authoritatem obligandi. Idem ibid.which we may follow as wee ſee cauſe, the Pope and Councell ſupply the places of Iudges, with a Commiſsion from God, and therefore they muſt be obſerued and followed of neceſsitie.
Thus we hauehave ſeene three ſeuerall Iudges and Expoſitors of the Scriptures. Firſt the ancient Fathers made the Scriptures the onelyonly Iudges, and true Interpreters of themſelues, next the Trent Doctors, decreed the ancient Fathers for Interpreters: and now at length, the later Schoolemen hauehave proclaimed their Popes and Councels, for their chiefeſt Iudges, and beſt Interpreters of the Scriptures: and Theſe (ſay they) must bee followed of neceſsitie. Durum telum Neceſſitas.Pardon them, Neceſsitie is a deadly dart; there is no neceſſitie by their doctrine to obey the expoſitions of Fathers, which is the ſecond Article of their Faith) but there is a neceſſitie to obey the authoritie of their late Popes and Councels, in their Expoſition, which is but matter of opinion; and from hence it will follow, that either the Articles of the R…man Creed were newly created by Pope Pius the fourth, and that creation was not in his power; or that thoſe Doctors, and Cardinals had not the oath adminiſtred vntounto them; or we may iuſtly ſuſpect they hauehave forſworne themſelues. Neither was this the opinion of theſe particular men onelyonly, but the Roman Church, (notwithſtanding their ſolemne proteſtation, by which they are enioyned to interprete the Scriptures) doth in many things, by her owne confeſſion, waue the Interpretation of the Fathers.Sanctiſsimos Patres quos Doctores Eccleſiae ob illorū ſublimem eruditionem meritò nominamus, quantūlibet ſpiritus ſancti gratia prae aliis imbutos liqueat, in interpretatione ſcripturarū non ſemper ac in omnibus Catholica Eccleſia ſequitur. Baron. Ann. Tom▪ 1 ad ann. 34 nu. mar. 213 It is the teſtimony of Cardinall Baronius, Although the most holy Fathers, whome for their great learning wee rightly terme the Doctors of the Church, were indued aboue others with the grace of Gods holy Spirit, yet the Catholique Roman Church doth not follow them alwayes, and in all things expounding of the Scriptures. Here is an other confeſſion of a great Cardinall, (who was not ignorant of the Articles of his faith, that (notwithſtanding the Trent Decree, and the Popes Bull, the Church did not alwayes follow the expoſition of the Fathers. Now if any ſhall require a reaſon why the Pope and Cardinalls of former ages diſſent from others of theſe later times, in expounding of the Scriptures, Frier Stella, who doth not condemne the Expoſition giuen by the ancient Doctors,Benè tamē ſcimus Pygmaeos gygā tum humeris impoſitos pluſquā ipſos gygantes videre. Stel. enarrat in Luc. ca. 10. proteſteth, Hee knoweth full well, that Pygmeis being put vponupon Gyants ſhoulders, doe ſee further then the Gyants themſelues. But Biſhop Fiſher doth more warily excuſe it, and with plauſible reaſons aſſure vsus, that Many things, Nec cuiquā obſcurū eſt quin poſterioribꝰ inge niis multa ſint, tam ex Euangeliis quā ex ſcripturis &c. Roffeaſ Conſur. Aſſert. Luther Art. 18.as well in Goſpells, as in the reſt of the Scriptures, are now more exquiſitely diſcuſſed by later wits, and more clearely vnderſtood, then they hauehave been heretofore; eyther by reaſon that the yee was not as then broken vntounto the Ancients, neither did their age ſuffice to weigh exactly that whole ſea of Scriptures, or becauſe in this moſt large field of Scriptures, euen after the moſt diligent reapers, ſome eares will remaine to bee gathered, as yet vntouched.
How forcible motiues, theſe reaſons may ſeeme to other men, I will not heere diſpute: ſure I am, they are vaine excuſes for Romane Biſhops and Cardinals, who are bound by their generall Councell, and the Popes Bull, to obey the Expoſition of Fathers, as an Article of their faith.
But admit theſe opinions ſhould bee excuſed for the particular Tenets of ſome priuate men, let vsus ſee how faithfully the Popes & Paſtors of theſe latter times hauehave interpreted the Scriptures, with the vniforme conſent of Fathers.
Moſes ſaith,Whit. & Durae …s in Camp 9. Reaſon pag. 269. God made man after his Image: Pope Adrian interpreteth; therefore Images must bee ſet vp in Churches.
Saint Peter ſaith, Behold, De obed. & maior vnā ſanctā &c.here are two ſwo…ds; Pope Boniface concludes: Therefore the Pope hath power ouer the ſpirituall, and the temporall.
Saint Matthew ſaith, GiueGive not that which is holy vntounto dogs. Iewels Defence, p …2.Mr. Harding expounds it:Fiet vnum ouile et vnꝰ Paſtor quod quidem de Chriſto intelligi non poteſt ſ…d d… …liquo alio Miniſtroq… breſ…t loco eius. Ioh de Par ſ…de pot. Reg & Papati c. 30. therfore it is not lawfull for the vulgar people to reade the Scriptures.
Saint Iohn ſaith, There ſhall bee one Fold, and one Sheepherd. Iohannes de Pariſijs tels vsus: This place cannot bee expounded of Chriſt, but muſt bee taken for ſome Miniſter ruling in his ſtead.
The Prophet Dauid ſaith, Thou haſt put all things vnderunder his feet: Antoninus expounds it:Anton. in ſum. part. 3. tit. 22. c. 5. Haebr. 2. Thou haſt made all things ſubiect to the Pope, the cattle of the field, that is to ſay, men liuing in the earth: the fiſhes of the ſea, that is to ſay, the ſoules in Purgatory: the fowles of the ayre, that is to ſay, the ſoules of the bleſſed in heauen. And laſtly, whereas our Sauiour Chriſt witneſſeth of himſelfe:In Concil. Later. ſub Leo 10. p. 671. All power is giuen to me both in heauen and earth. Stephen Archbiſhop of Patraca, applyed it to Pope Leo the tenth in the Councell of Lateran, in the audience of the Pope himſelfe, who thankfully accepted it, and ſuffered it to bee publiſhed and printed: and as it is rightly obſerued by learned Du Moulin, Pope Innocent the third, in his Booke of the Myſteries of the Maſſe;Buckler of faith. pa. 30. the booke of ſacred Ceremonies, Durants Rationalls, Tolet, and Titleman, and others do moſt ridiculouſly wreſt the Scriptures, altogether different from their right meaning, and the Expoſitions of the Fathers: as for inſtance: The Scripture ſaith, The Rocke was Chriſt: therefore ſay they, the Altar muſt bee of ſtone. It is written, I am the light of the world: therfore Tapers muſt be ſet vponupon the Altar: It is written: Let him kiſſe me with the kiſſes of his mouth: therefore the Prieſt muſt kiſſe the Altar. It is written: Thou ſhalt ſee my back parts: Exod. 33.23therefore the Prieſt muſt turne his backe to the people. It is written:Laua me ampliús. Pſal. 51. Waſh mee againe, therefore the Prieſt muſt waſh his hands twiſe. It is written,Exod. 3.5. Put off thy ſhooes, for this place is holy: therefore the Biſhop at Maſſe changeth his hoſe and ſhooes. And laſtly, the Pope himſelfe, at the time of his coronation, caſteth certain copper money amongſt the people, vſing the words of Peter: Siluer and gold hauehave I none, but that which I hauehave, I giuegive thee.
Theſe and the like Expoſitions doe much reſemble the ſtrict order of Monkes, who reading the words in Matthew, Diſtrictiſsimi Monachorū—ſimplicitèr intelligentes fecerunt ſibi cruces ligneas eaſque ſibi iugiter humeru circūferentes, &c Ioh. de Polemar. orat in Cō cil. Baſil. pag. 385.(Hee that taketh not vp his croſſe and followeth me, is not worthy of mee) made themſelues woodden croſſes, and ſo carried them on their backes continually, cauſing all the world to laugh at them: for howſoeuer they may ſeeme to bee the expoſitions of ſome priuate ſpirits, yet hee that makes oath in verbo Sacerdotis, to receiue & expound the Scriptures, with the vniforme conſent of Fathers, and ſhall render ſuch Expoſitions of the Text, can bee no true Catholique:Hieron. 24. q 3. cap. Haereſis. For whoſoeuer doeth otherwiſe vnderſtand the Scripture (ſaith Hierome) then the ſenſe of the holy Ghost (who is the Penman of the Scripture) requires, although hee hath not departed from the Church, yet hee may bee tearmed an heretique. But (as the Fryar ſaid wittily in his Sermon) the trueth which hee preached, was like holy water, which eueryevery one called for apace, yet when the Sexton caſt it on them, they let it fall on their backs: in like manner the Romaniſts ſeemingly call for the Scriptures, they commonly vaunt that they expound and receiue them according to the vniforme conſent of Fathers; but (as Vincentius Lyrinenſis ſaid of the heretiques of his time,) When they ſhall begin not onelyonly to vtter thoſe ſayings, Vbi caeperūt illas voces nō iam proferre ſedetiam exponere non ad &c. Vincēt. Lyrin. c. 36.but alſo to expound them, then the bitterneſſe, then the ſowerneſſe and madneſſe is perceiued; then a new deuiſed poyſon will be breathed out, then are prophane Nouelties diſcloſed, then may you ſee the bounds of the ancient Fathers to bee remooued, the Catholique Faith to bee then butchered, and the doctrine of the Church torne in pieces.
Pope Pius the fourth who firſt publiſhed the Articles of the Creed, was not ignorant, that the Scriptures muſt be farre fetched, and hardly ſtrayned, to make them ſpeake for the Trent doctrine: hee well vnderſtood, that it was too generall and ſtrict a tye vponupon eueryevery Maſſe Prieſt, to receiue and interpret the Scriptures with the vniforme conſent of Fathers, (knowing well, that many Maſſe Prieſtes were vtterly ignorant of the Fathers,) and therefore to qualifie the rigour of that oath, adioyned theſe words to the aforeſaid Article;Artic. 2. Alſo that ſacred Scripture, according to that ſenſe which the Mother Church hath holden, (whoſe right is to iudge of the true ſenſe and interpretation of holy Scripture) I doe admit: ſo that by the latter part of the Article, they allow the Fathers to bee interpreters of the Scriptures; and by the firſt part, they make themſelues ſole interpreters of the Fathers; to which addition an ignorant Prieſt will ſweare, with a mentall reſeruation, that he doeth not receiue nor expound the Scripture, but with the vniforme conſent of Fathers, that is, according to the ſenſe and iudgment of the Roman church: for it is not to bee doubted, but the Church will allow of that ſenſe which is moſt agreeable to that doctrine, and of that interpretation, (although it bee farre different from the Ancients,) which is moſt conſonant to their Religion, and the rather I incline to this opinion; for that Cardinall Hoſius doth proteſt it for a vniverſall and Catholike doctrine of his Church.Si quis habet interpretationē Eccleſia Romana de loco aliquo Scriptura, etiamſi nec ſciat nec intelligat an & quomodo cū Scriptura verbis conueniat, tamen habet ipſiſsimum verbū Dei. Hoſ. de expreſſo verb. Dei. If a man hauehave the Interpretation of the Church of Rome, of any place of Scripture, hee hath the very words of God, though he neither know nor vnderſtand, whether and how it agreeth with the words of Scripture. Now if it happen that thoſe which are better inſtructed, by comparing of Scriptures and Fathers, doe make a doubt of ſome place of Scripture, which the Church teacheth different from the Fathers, Cardinall Cuſanus, by way of preuention, giues him to vnderſtand,Non eſt mirū ſi praxis Eccleſiae vno tempore interpretetur Scripturam vno modo et alio tēpore alio modo, nā intellectꝰ currit cum praxi, intellectus enim qui cū praxi cōcurrit eſt ſpiritus vinificans, ſequuntur ergo ſcripturae eccleſiam et non è conuerſo. Nich. Cuſan. ad Bohem. Epiſt. 7. that there is Fides Temporum, a faith that followeth the time: Neither is it any maruell (ſaith hee) though the practiſe of the Church expound the Scripture at one time one way, and at an other time another way, for the vnderstanding or ſenſe of the Scripture runneth with the practiſe, and that ſenſe ſo agreeing with the practiſe, is the quickening Spirit; and therefore the Scriptures follow the Church, but contrariwiſe the Church followeth not the Scriptures. This learned Romaniſt tells vsus, it is no wonder that the Scripture is at diuers times diuerſly expounded: hee tells vsus, the Scripture attends the Churches pleaſure: and laſtly, which is moſt true, hee profeſſeth the Romiſh Church followeth not the Scripture, but the times.
That this Cardinall ſpeaketh truth, I think no Proteſtant doth make a queſtion: but that you may be witnes alſo of the practiſe of theſe times, you ſhall obſerue how fitly theſe men hauehave applyed the Scripture to their Church: whereas it is ſaid to Peter in a viſion, Ariſe, In voto Baronij contrà Venetos.kill and eate: Cardinall Baronius being Interpreter, will tell you: The Pope is Peter, and the Venetians are the meate which must bee killed and deuoured. In like manner, whereas Saint Paul ſaith, Haereticum deuitâ, Auoyd an heretique: the ſillie Fryar applies it to times and perſons with this Expoſition:Eraſm. Encom. Moriae Haereticum de-vitâ tolle: kill the heretique, meaning the Proteſtant: and in this manner according to the times, the ſenſe runneth with the practiſe; or at leaſtwiſe I am ſure, this practiſe runneth with theſe times.
Thus then you hauehave Fides Eccleſia, an Expoſition of Scriptures according to the Article of the Romiſh Creed, and Fides temp…rum, an Expoſition ſutable to the times, and their owne doctrine. If therefore we appeale to Scriptures, they account them dumbe Iudges, without the Expoſition of their Church: if we require an Expoſition with the conſent of Fathers, they tell vsus we muſt admit that ſenſe which the Church holdeth, whoſe right is to iudge of the true ſenſe of Scriptures: If wee ſhew them, that their Expoſitions are ſenſeleſſe, and diſagreeing from the Ancients; they tell vsus the Scriptures may receiue different Expoſitions according to the times. And thus they make the Scriptures ſound like Bells, according to their fancies, and violate their oath with a Saluo Iure, ſauing a right to the ſenſe and meaning of their owne Church. This way therefore is Via Deuia, a Wandring and By-way.
It reſteth in the laſt and chiefeſt place, to obſerue the difference bewixt the Church of Rome and vsus, touching the intire Canon of Scriptures (for without doubt this is the onelyonly and infallible rule of faith,) and there is a curſe denounced by God himſelfe againſt all thoſe that adde to his word, Deut. 4.2. Reu. 22.18.or diminiſh ought from it. It ſhall appeare therefore by many pregnant and infallible teſtimonies of our aduerſaries themſelues, that the Canon of Scripture which we profeſſe and beleeue, was the ſame which was taught and declared by Chriſt and his Apoſtles in the firſt age; the ſame which was publiſhed, & generally receiued by the ancient Fathers in ſucceeding ages; the ſame which continued in the boſome of the Romane Church in all ages, till the dayes of Luther.