A replie to Iesuit Fishers answere to certain questions propou[n]ded by his most gratious Matie: King Iames By Francis White D: of Div· deane of Carlile, chaplaine to his Matie. Hereunto is annexed, a conference of the right: R:B: of St Dauids wth the same Iesuit*

ANSVVER. [ C]

You haue played the Paralogist, and weaued a spiders web, which is fitter to catch flyes, than to persuade so religious, lear∣ned, iudicious, and resolute a king, who is like an Angell of God, know∣ing good and euill. Your obiections being weighed in the bal∣lance of the Sanctuarie, are found light, they are Funiculus va∣nitatis, a coard and bundle of vanitie, a potsheard couered ouer with the drosse of siluer. His most learned Maiestie (as you truly stile him) honoureth genuine and Orthodox all Tradition, as no re∣ligious king, or good Christian can doe more, and hereupon, to [ D] wit, vpon the testimony of Tradition (besides other Argu∣ments) he beleeueth that you and your consorts are deceiued, a when you hold that a Christian is originally and fundamen∣tally built vpon the word of God, not as written in Scripture, but as deliuered by Tradition, &c. For if the Scripture, accor∣ding to the doctrine and Tradition of the Primatiue Church, is eminentissimae authoritatis b of most eminent authoritie: If it be the seed, of which faith is first of all conceiued: if it is the Rocke, whereupon the Church is built: if the authoritie of vn∣written Tradition dependeth vpon it, and must bee examined [ E]

by it. If the Churches authoritie is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from it, then a [ A] Christian is originally and fundamentally built vpon it.

First, That which is most excellent in euery kind, is the mo∣dell and paterne of all the rest a but I trow you will grant the Scripture to be the most excellent part of Gods word b, 2. Pet. 1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. S. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Manich. li. 11 cap. 5. & d. Ciuit. Dei, lib. 11. cap. 3. & Ibid. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 14. cap. 7. & d. Vnit. Eccles. c 16. Chris. d. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Hom. 4. Oecumen. sup. 2. Tim. 3. Ansel. sup. 2. Tim. 3.

Secondly, A Christian is fundamentally built vpon the rock, but the Scripture is a rocke. Cardinalis Camaracensis 〈◊〉〈◊〉. vespert. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. sacrae Scripturae d, In euery building orderly framed, the foun∣dation [ B] hath precedence, then followeth superedification, and lastly con∣summation. According to this order, Christ the most exact Architect did build his Church vpon the rocke of holy Scripture.

Thirdly, The seed of Faith is the root and foundation of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Christian, the Scripture is the seed of Faith e (Iohn 20. 41.) for it is the word of God, Luc. 8.11. Iam. 1.18. 1. Cor. 4, 15. And were the Popish Tenet true, that the Scripture is not the whole word of God, but only a part thereof, yet a Chri∣stian must be originally and fundamentally built vpon it, toge∣ther with Tradition f And Tradition according to the Tenet of [ C] our Aduersarie in this place, cannot be the sole foundation of Christianitie, but only a part of the foundation.

Fourthly, All Scripture giuen by diuine Inspiration is sim∣ply and without exception to be receiued: and all Tradition repugnant to Scripture is to be refused g. From hence it fol∣loweth, that Scripture is a rule of Tradition, and not Tradition of Scripture; and Scripture is the highest rule (as both the Fathers h and many Papists i themselues affirme) and thus it is

certaine, that a Christian is orignally and fundamentally built [ A] vpon the holy Scripture.

Notes

• a

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Tom. 1. an. 53. n. 11. Greg. Val. To. 3. p. 347. Posseu. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1. 2. c. 25. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. loc. 3.
• b

  Anton. Perez. Pentateuch. Fid. vol. 3. disp. 15. c. 12. Respondeo vere ac jure authoritatem Scripturae, praelatā omninò efse autho∣ritati Ecclesiae, tanquam verbum Dei, omni alio verbo creato, etiam irrefragabili, quia longe majus est Deum per seipsum loqui, quam 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ecclesiae infallibiter loquenti, 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 dirigere ne aberret. p. 101. col. 2. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 praef. prol. sup. 1. sent. Scientia sacrae Scripturae habet prae caeteris dignitatem eminentiae, quasi 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Sicut enim principium dignius est alijs propositionibus in scientia, vnde & dignitas 〈◊〉〈◊〉: sic recte 〈◊〉〈◊〉 scien∣tia 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉 est, & inter ipsas 〈◊〉〈◊〉 principatum.
• a

  Aristot. Me∣taph. li. 2. cap. 2. A∣quin. p. 3. q. 56. ad. 3. Sempèr id quod est 〈◊〉〈◊〉, est exemplat 〈◊〉〈◊〉 quod est minus 〈◊〉〈◊〉, secundum eius mo∣dum.
• b

  Card. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. In Vesper. Re∣com. Script. In cu∣ius montis vertice, Christus suum ha∣bitaculum praedis∣ponens ibi Eccle∣siae suae fundamen∣tum posuit & in al∣tissimo veritatis 〈◊〉〈◊〉, sacrae scrip∣turae veritate, fun∣dauit ipsam.
• c

  Aug. d. vnit. Eccles. ca. 16. Haec sunt causae nostrae 〈◊〉〈◊〉, hec sun∣damenta, haec fir∣mamenta. Legimus in Actibus Aposto∣lorum dictum de quibusdā credenti∣bus quod quotidiè scrutarentur Scrip∣turas, an haec ita se haberent. Quas ita∣què Scripturas nisi Canonicas legis & Prophetarum? Huc accesserunt 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Apostolicae 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Actus Apostolorū, Apocal Iohannis, scrutami∣ni haec omnia & eruite aliquid manifestum quo demonstretis Ecclesiam.
• d

  Card. Camerac. Sacra Scriptura [ D] Christi testimonijs in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fundata spiritualitèr intelligi potest, illa firma petra supra quam aedificata est Ec∣clesia. Idem. In quolibet aedificio rationabilitèr ordinato, primò praecedit fundatio, secundò procedit aedificatio, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 succedit consummatio, hoc igitur modo 〈◊〉〈◊〉 omnium 〈◊〉〈◊〉, super Scripturae sacrae petram 〈◊〉〈◊〉 suam aedificauit. Idem. Christus Dei virtus & Dei sapientia Ecclesiae suae domum quam interna mente concepit, super sacrae Scripturae fundamentum temporali aedificatione compleuit. Chrys. Math. Hom. 46. Hieru∣salem hic semper Ecclefiam intellige, quae dicitur ciuitas pacis cujus sundamenta posita sunt super montes Scrip∣turarum.
• e

  Aug. d. Ciuit. Dei, lib. 19. ca. 18. Credit Scripturis Sanctis veteribus & nouis, quas Canonicas appellamus, vnde fides ipsa concepta est, qua 〈◊〉〈◊〉 viuit.
• f

  Vinc. Lir. c. Haer. ca. 1. Duplici modo munire fidem, primo scilicet Diuinae legis authoritate deindè Catholicae Ecclesiae Traditione. Ib. c. 41.
• g

  Basselis. Praef. prol. sup. 1. sent. Scriptura est veritas aliarum exemplaris, &c.
• h

  Athan. d. Synod. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Et Se∣leuc. pa. 673. Hieron. sup. Galath. ca. 1.
• i

  Aug. Triumph. d. Pot. Ecclef. q. 100. ar. 1. Primum locum autho∣ritatis tenet Scriptura veteris & noui Testamenti. Andrad. Def. li. 2. pa. 171. Neminem inficiare diuinorum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cognitionem ex 〈◊〉〈◊〉 literis 〈◊〉〈◊〉 petendam 〈◊〉〈◊〉, illasquè imprimis consulendas, cum res 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 questionemquè vocatur &c. Anton. Perez. Pentateuch. Fid. vol. 3. Dub. 18. ca. 14. Vndè com∣paratione [ E] hujus (Scripturae) testimonium Ecclesiae, dici quodammodò potest testimonium hominum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 quod in rigore Sermonis non obtinet proprietates & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ad rationem verbi Dei, & proindè respectu etiàm illius intelligi potest id quod a beato Iohanne scriptum est 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 hominum accipitis, testimonium Deimajus est. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 c. 15. Testimonium Scripturae in seipso 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 est quam testimonium 〈◊〉〈◊〉 quià illud ab intrinseco est verbum Dei, hoc vero ab 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Caiet. d. Author. Pap. & Concil. p. 2. ca. 4. & Apolog. c. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ca. 23. ad. 5.