An Antidote Against Popery, Appendix · Chapter 1
CHAPTER I. Of Scripture.
SECT. I. Whether those Books, which are called Apocrypha, be Canonik Scripture; as the Romanists affirme; pretending for thē these places following.
THE Apostles, PETER and IAMES, cite in their EPISTLES,1. Pee 1.24. Iames 1.10. (in the places mentioned in the margine) the Booke of ECCLESIASTICVS, CHAP. 14.17: where it is sayde, All flesh waxeth olde, as a garment: E…go, ECCLESIASTICVS, which is cited by them, is Canonicke Scripture. This reason is vsed by Sixtus Senensis.
Answere. The wordes vsed by both these Apostles, are, All flesh is grasse; or, as the flowre of the grasse; and are borrowed out of ISAI, 40.6. where the Prophet sayeth, All flesh is grasse, and the glorie there-of, as the flowre of the fielde. And this both the Iesuites, LORINVS and SALMERON, on the first of PETER, testifie. And therefore also the Rhemistes hauehave quoted ISAI on the margine of 1. PETER 1.24.
ROM. 11.34. The Apostle (say they) borroweth those wordes which hee hath in that place out of the Booke of WISDOME, 9.13. where it is sayde, For what man is hee that can know the counsell of GOD? or who can thinke what the will of GOD is? ERGO, The Booke of WISDOME, from whence they hauehave borrowed, is Canonicke Scripture.
Answere. Thomas Aquinas, Cardinall Cajetane, and Dominicus à Soto, all three famous Romanistes, wryting on that place to the ROMANES, doe all in one voyce agree, That the wordes which the Apostle borroweth, are out of ISAI. In lyke manner, Chap. 40. verse 13. where the words of ISAI come nearer the Apostle's words, than those of the Booke of WISDOME; and the sense is the same.
SECT. II. Whether all doctrines of faith are contained in Scripture, without vnwritten Traditions? which the Romanists denye, vsing these Argumentes.
JOHN 16.12. I hauehave yet manie things to say vntounto you, (sayeth CHRIST) but now yee can not beare them. These (say they) were higher mysteries, which Hee would onelie entrust to them there-after, by verball tradition.
Aug. Tract. 96. in IohanAnswere. S. Augustine sayeth, That it is presumption, to determine what those thinges were. And Cyrill telleth vsus clearlie, That they were not mysteries, or doctrines, of Fayth;Cyril. Alex. in Iohan. l. 10. c. 41. but relations of thinges to come, such as S. Iohn got in Pathmos, and are written. Therefore, (sayeth hee) CHRIST seeing His Disciples desirous to knowe thinges to come, reproveth them not; but promiseth, That they should get knowledge thereof, in a fitter tyme.
Augustine also showeth, that this same Text was abused of olde by those Heretickes, Aug. Tract. 97. in Iohanwho for mayntayning their Erroures, pretended vnwritten tradition, saying, Those seeke to colour their devyces, by the pretext of this GOSPELL, I hauehave yet manie thinges to saye vntounto you, but yee can not beare them.
IOHN 21.25. If all were written which IESUS did, the world could not contayne the Bookes there-of. Heere, (saye they) beside Scripture, wee see manie thinges that are knowne onelie by vnwritten tradition.
Answere. Cyril in Iohan. l. 12. c. 68. Aug. in Iohan. Tract. 49.S. Cyrill (and with him Augustine) showeth, That the Evangelist speaketh onelie of CHRIST'S miraculous actions, and not of doctrines of Fayth, (whereof onelie is the question:) And heerein hee witnesseth clearlie, with vsus, the perfection of Scripture, saying, All which our LORD did, are not written, indeede; but what the Wryters thought sufficient (sayeth hee) both for Fayth and Manners.
1. COR. 2.6. Wee speake wisdome amongst those who are perfect, (sayeth S. PAVLL:) That is, Some mysteries of Fayth, (say they) which are meete onelie to bee taught the more learned, by verball tradition.
Chrysost. in 1. Cor 2.6.Answere. S. Chrysostome sayth, (and with him Ambrose and Ierome) that by the speaking of Wisdome, is meant generallie the preaching of the Gospell; and that by the perfect, not a fewe more learned, but all believers are vnderstoode, who ayme and tende to perfection. And if we will heare two famous late Romanistes, Estius in 1. Cor. 2.6.Estius (publicke Professor of Divinitie, and Chancellar of DOWAY) hee sayeth, and with him a Iesuit, Cornelius à Lapide, That by Wisdome, is vnderstoode, the high mysteries of Religion, that are contayned in PAVLL's Epistles; (and consequentlie, are written:) and that by Perfect, those are meant, who are able for stronger meate, opposed to others that are Babes in CHRIST, and hauehave yet neede of Milke, according to Hebr. 5.12.
Ireneus lykewyse testifieth,Iren. contr. heres. lib. 3. cap. 2. That this Text was wrested so of olde, by some Heretickes, who taught, (sayeth he) that the Trueth could not be found out of the Scripture, by those to whome Tradition was vnknowne; for as much as it was not delivered by wryting, but by word of mouth: for which cause S. PAVLL sayeth, Wee speake wisdome amongst them who are perfect.
1. TIM. 6.20. O Timothie, keepe that which is committed to thy trust. Which (saye they) were vnwritten traditions.
Answere. Vin…. Lyr. adv. heres. c. 27. & 35Vincentius Lyrinensis expoundeth this, to bee the whole talent of the Orthodoxe Fayth, (or, as S. Ierome and Primasius call it, The preaching and revealing of the whole counsell of God) VntoUnto the instruction whereof,Hier. & Prim. in 1. Tim. 6. hee affirmeth clearlie, That the Canon of Scripture, is perfectlie sufficient.
Lykewyse, (sayeth the Iesuit à Lapide) it is certayne, that by this Depositum, A Lapide, in 1. Tim. 6.(generallie) sound doctrine is vnderstoode. Therefore the Apostle inculcateth, (sayth hee) That he avoyde new and false doctrines, and defende the ancient true Fayth: or, (as Estius sayeth) that hee admit no newe Articles of faith, but those which CHRIST delivered to His Apostles. Nowe, all such which were necessarie for all men,Bell. l. 4. de Verbo c. 11. (sayeth Bellarmine) were written; and, consequentlie, by the former Text, vnwritten traditions are not vnderstood.
Tertullian also showeth, That this Text was wrested of olde,Tertull. de praescript. adv. heret. c. 25. by Heretickes, for defence of vnwritten traditions, saying, The Heretickes confesse, indeede, that the Apostles were ignorant of nothing, and differed not amongst themselues in preaching. But they say, (sayeth Tertullian) that they revealed not all thinges vntounto all men: but some they delivered openlie, and to all; and some thinges secretlie, and to a fewe. For thus sayth S. PAVLL to TIMOTHIE, O Timothie, keepe that which is concredited to thy trust.
2. THESS. 2.15. Stand fast, therefore, Brethren, and holde the traditions which yee hauehave beene taught, whether by word, or by our Epistle. Ergo, Beside Scripture, (say they) wee see vnwritten traditions.
Answere. Nicephorus and Theodoret, showe, That the Apostle speaketh not of diverse doctrines, some written, and some not at all: but of the same doctrines diverslie delivered; to wit, by word, hee beeing present with them; and the same by Epistle, hee beeing absent from them: or first spoken, and then written: but not some written, and some to remayne onlie and ever, as vnwritten Traditions. Therefore, sayeth Nicephorus, Niceph. lib. 2. hist. c. 34.Those thinges which being present, hee onlie taught by word; beeing absent, hee delivered vntounto them by Epistle, eadem, the same thinges; recalling them so by an abridgement, to their memories.
So lykewyse sayeth Theodoret, in the person of the Apostle,Theod in 2. Sess. 2 15 speaking thus, Yee hauehave for a rule of your fayth, (sayeth hee) our Sermones, which both wee preached to you by word, and wrote the SAME to you in our Epistles.
In lyke manner, (sayeth Aquinas, Aquin. in Philip. 3.1,wryting on PAVLL's wordes to the PHILIPPIANS,) To wryte those same things vntounto you in my absence, which before I spake vntounto you beeing present, is not grievous vntounto mee: For wordes soone passe away, but wryting doeth abyde.
Or suppose that some doctrines had beene taught to this people of Thessalonica, by word, which had not beene written vntounto them by Epistle, it followeth not, that they were not written to others, or else-where in Scripture. Yea, in the contrarie,Bell. lib. 44 de Verba c. 11. Bellarmine prooveth, that that which was preached by word to this people, was written else-where in Scripture: because hee sayeth playnlie, That all thinges were written by the Apostles, which they publicklie preached to anie people, or was necessarie to salvation.
1. COR. 11.34. The rest I will dispose when I come, (sayeth S. PAVLL.) Which hee was to doe by word onelie, or vnwritten tradition, (say they.)
Answere. Hee speaketh not of doctrines of Fayth, (whereof onlie is the question) but as Chrysostome, Oecumenius, and Haymo, doe testifie, such thinges as belong onlie to externall order in the Sacrament.
This also doeth Lombard, Cajetane, and Aquinas, witnesse.
Estius in 2. Thess. 2.15.As also, (sayeth their late Estius, and with him à Lapide) by THE REST, hee vnderstandeth those thinges which belong to a worthie, honest, and orderlie celebration of those mysteries. And agayne else-where; Hee speaketh of those thinges, (sayeth hee) which belong to externall worship, and are ceremonies.
SECT. 3. Whether Scripture bee obscure? And that therefore people should bee debarred from reading the same? Which the Romanists wold proue, by these places following.
PSAL. CXIX. 18. and 34. Open myne eyes (sayeth DAVID) that I may see the wonders of thy Lawe: and giuegive mee vnderstanding, that I may search thy Lawe. If, then, the Scripture was so obscure to such a one as David, (say they) howe much more is it so to others?
ANSWERE.Chrysost. in 2 Cor. 3.15. Hierō ep. ad Paulinum Psal. 119.105.130. Psal. 19.7 8. Non legis ista criminatio, (sayth Chrysostome) that is not the fault of the Lawe it selfe, that David sawe not the wonders thereof. And therefore Ierome notablie showeth, That hee humblie confesseth, his owne naturall blindnesse, to bee the cause; whereas the Lawe it selfe was a Lampe, and a Lanterne, enlightening the eyes, and making wyse the simple.
Neyther ceasseth hee, therefore, to search GOD'S Lawe, because hee wanteth vnderstanding: but rather because he was to reade and search it, therefore hee desireth vnderstanding. And so this Text maketh rather for reading of the Scripture, than anie wayes agaynst it.
ACTS 8.30.31. Ʋnderstandest thou these thinges which thou readest? (sayeth PHILIP to the Eunuch.) who sayde, How can I, without a guyde?
Answere. This maketh no wayes agaynst vsus; the question beeing not, Whether some places of Scripture bee obscure, needing interpretation? But, Whether people should not, therefore, reade the same at all? Whereas the laudable practise of this Eunuch, not beeing rebuked for reading, but getting thereby the place expounded vntounto him, giveth evidence in the contrarie, That it was lawfull, and hee got good by reading. Whence their owne Carthusiane collecteth, saying,Carthus. in Act. 8 Great was the care of this heathen man; and his diligence, (sayeth hee) condemneth our negligence, of learning holie Scripture.
Wherefore also S. Chrysostome, Chrysost. hom, 3. de Lazaro, & hom. 10. in Iohanexhorting the people, to reade the holie Scriptures, giveth them this direction, saying, That which is easie to bee vnderstood, get it by heart; and those thinges that are obscure, reade them over often. And if by doing so, thou canst not finde out the meaning, then goe to him that is thy Teacher, (sayeth hee.)
2. PET. 3.16. In which, (to wit, PAVLL's Epistles) are some thinges hard to bee vnderstood.
Answere. This no wayes militateth agaynst vsus, who grant, with the Apostle, that some thinges are obscure: but hee sayeth not, that all places are so, and, therefore, not to bee read by people; Paul's owne direction, to such as hee wrote, and his ende of wryting, beeing in the contrarie.
Therefore, Augustine sayeth well,Aug. lib. 2. de doctr. Christ cap. 9. & 6. That GOD hath so graciouslie and wholsomlie tempered the Scripture, that by the playne places Hee might satisfie our hunger; and by the obscure places, wype awaye our loathsomnesse. And in those places, (sayeth hee) which are clearlie set downe in Scripture, all those thinges are set downe, which concerne both Fayth and Manners.Chrysoct. hom. 3. in 2. ad Thess. Greg. ep. ad Leandrum cap. 4 Super mor…l Which thing Chrysostome lyke-wyse affirmeth: and with him, a famous Pope, Gregorie the first.
Next: PETER speaketh heere of the mysteries, or thinges themselues, whereof S. PAVLL wryteth: but not of his manner of wryting; which both Lorinus the Iesuit, and Estius, acknowledge, wryting on this place.
4. REV. 5.1. And I saw in the right hand of him that sate on the Throne, a Booke written within, and on the backe-side sealed with seaven seales. Which (say they) was to signifie the obscuritie of Scripture.
Answere. Beda, Ambrose, and Haymo, with other Fathers, who comment on this place, expound this Booke, to bee the obscure prophesies in the Olde Testament of the Messias to come; and the opening thereof by the Lambe, to bee their fullfilling, and clearing, by the comming of CHRIST.
But the Iesuit Ribera showeth,Ribera, in Apoc. 5. That thereby is meant, the prophesie of those thinges which shall fall foorth in the last tymes; according as Andrew, Arch-Bishop of Caesarea, expoundeth: and by most pithie reasons hee proveth, That by this Booke, the Scripture can not bee meant; whereof this is one: That Iohn sawe this Booke then sealed, even when this Revelation was made vntounto him: before which tyme, manie of the Apostles were dead. If by this Booke, then, the Scripture were vnderstoode; then it would followe, (sayeth hee) that the verie Apostles, vponupon whom the holie Ghost descended, in their tyme vnderstoode not the Scripture: but that it was sealed to PETER & PAVL, and the rest who died before this Revelation was made vntounto Saynct IOHN.
IOHN 7.49. But as for this people, they knowe not the Lawe. Loe heere, (saye they) an evidence, that the people in Christ's dayes read not the Scripture.
Answere. Their owne Cardinall TOLET showeth,Tolet, in Iohan. 7 That this was the pryde of those Pharisees, beeing blind guydes them-selues, (as our Saviour called them) and yet imputing ignorance of the Lawe, and of the true meaning thereof, to the people who believed; whyle as they did knowe the Lawe, and Word of GOD, better than themselues, who believed not.
Also the Iesuit Maldonat showeth, That as Rupertus holdeth, according to DEVT. 27.26. not to knowe the Law, is as much as not to obscrue the Lawe. And therefore, that the Pharisees did not maliciouslie so much impute ignorance of the Lawe, to such as believed in CHRIST, as impietie, to make them there-by more odious.