The Protestant religion truely stated and justified by the late Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter ; prepared for the press some time before his death ; whereunto is added, by way of preface, some account of the learned author, by Mr. Danel Williams and Mr. Matthew Sylvester.

The Fourth accused Point.

That Apostolical Traditions, and ancient Customs of the Church, (not Founded in the written word,) are not to be received, nor do oblige us.

Ans. This is but more Deceit, by con∣fusion and false report.

The Reformed Catholicks hold,

1. That Memory is not so sure a way to deliver any Laws and Doctrines to Po∣sterity, through many hundred years, as writing is. For it must lie on the Memo∣ries of so many Thousands, in so many Ages, and so many parts of the World; Of so many Languages, Kingdoms, and cross Interests and Opinions in their

quarrels; and the things to be remem∣bred are so many, that this needs no proof, with any but Fools or Mad-men: What a Religion should we have had, if instead of the Bible, it must have all been brought us down by the Memories of all the Rabble of ignorant and wicked Popes? yea, or of the best? and by the Memories of all the Prelates and Priests that have pretended to be the Church? Why do they themselves write their pre∣tended Traditions, if writing them were not needful? And why have we all our Statutes, Records, and Law-Books, if the Lawyers and Peoples Memories would keep and deliver them without these? When Men's Memories, Wits, and Ho∣nesty are so weak, that we can scarce get one Story carried without falsifying through many Hands.

2. We hold, that God in mercy hath therefore considered Man's Weakness, and Necessity, and before the Apostles died, inspired them to Record so much of his Law, and Gospel, and Will, as was universally necessary for all his Sub∣jects to know, in order to Divine belief; Obedience, and Salvation: And hath left nothing of this importance and ne∣cessity unrecorded in the Law of Nature,

(God's Visible works,) and Scripture, knowing that after Ages were not to have new universal Legislators, to make such Laws for all the World; nor to have Men miraculously enabled to do it, and give proof that it is Divine.

3. We hold that God's written Word and Law, is perfect in its kind, Psal. 19. and sufficient to its proper use and end: Which Bellarmine, Cassinus, and the Council of Basil, and many School-men, in their Prologues on the Sentences, con∣fess extendeth to all things commonly necessary to Salvation, yea, and to be the Divine Rule of Faith.

4. Yet we deny not, that if God had seen meet to deliver any necessary part of Law or Gospel, Faith or Practice, as his will, by bare word and Memory of Man; we had been bound to believe and obey it, when we had sound proof that it was indeed from God.

5. We hold, that for fullest certainty, we have possession of the Bible it self, and of the Essentials of Christianity brought us by two Means Conjunct, that is, The Scripture, and practical Custom of the Church. As the Scripture or written Word shineth to us by its own Light, so Tra∣dition tells us which be the Canonical

Books, and how the Church received them as Divine, and that there are no other such: And the practice, of Baptismal Profession and Covenanting, and of the Church Assemblies, and reading Scrip∣ture, and Catechizing, and of Euchari∣stical Communion, and Prayer, &c. tell us what in all Ages hath been taken for true Christianity. As we hold a hu∣mane Belief, needful in Subserviency, as a means to Divine Belief, so we hold hu∣mane Tradition needful to the conveyance of God's Word to us. But, by your leave, we will distinguish the Messenger from the Authour: If the King send me a Law or Mandate by a Messenger, or by the Pen∣ny-Post, I will receive and obey it, and yet not take the Post or Messenger for King, or Legislator, or Infallible.

6. And the Reformed Catholicks do own all true Tradition, but are for a far surer Tradition than the Roman Sect. Our Tradition of Scripture, and the great points of Christianity, cometh to us by Evidence Infallible, that may be called Natural, with the greatest advan∣tage of Moral Evidence also; and not on the boast and bare word of one proud Sect, that pretendeth to Fanatick Inspiration and Authority above all others.

I call that Natural Evidence, which a∣riseth from such necessary Causes that can∣not be otherwise, nor can deceive: And I call that the best Moral Evidence, which cometh from Mens testimony of greatest credit for skill and honesty, and we have both these.

Mans Soul hath some necessary acts that cannot but be, and cannot be otherwise: Such is sensation of sensible objects duely presented; Intellectual perception of things presented according to the evidence in which they appear: The Love of our selves and our own known welfare, and any thing that is known to be an only and necessary means thereto, and hath Omni∣modam ratiomem boni: The Love of Truth as Truth, and Good as Good: The hatred of misery, &c. These all Men have as men, and that which dependeth on these dependeth not only on mens honesty. And our evidence of Tradition is such as this. It is from the Common Consent of all capable Witnesses, of various Opi∣nions, Passions and Interests, Friends and Foes; whereas the Tradition of Sectari∣an Papists, dependeth on the Credit of one Sect, that falsly pretend a peculiar trust with both Scripture and Traditi∣on, tho' against the greater part of Chri∣stians:

And pretend Fanatically that even ignorant Popes and Prelates in Coun∣cil, have a gift of infallible knowledge.

For Example: If there were a doubt raised, Whether there be any such City in the World as Rome, Paris, Vienna? or whether there was ever such persons as K. James, K. Charles, Ludovicus 14▪ of France, &c.? Or whether the Statutes in our Books were really made by the Kings and Parliaments named in them, and be the same unchanged, &c. There is Natural evidence of all this, because it ariseth from necessary acts: All sorts of men of contrary interests could never a∣gree to lie and deceive men in such ca∣ses, no more than they could all agree to kill themselves: And if some would be falsifyers, the rest would presently detect and shame them: If any Lawyers would falsyfie or change the Statutes, o∣thers would presently manifest the de∣ceit, they being commonly known, and the cross interests of so many depending on them; yea, I say not only that this is Natural Infallible Evidence, but that it is more than very much other Physical Evidence of many other things; because we have better means to know Mans Na∣tural necessary acts, than we have to

know most other Creatures of God.

And then for Moral Evidence, we have all the Godly's attestation of all Ages, and Nations, and Sects of Christians, and a∣mong the rest the Papists also, agreeing that This Bible, and This Creed, and these Essentials of Christianity, were all cer∣tainly transmitted to us from Christ and his Spirit, in his Apostles.

And what's the Tradition of the Papal Sect to all this, who tell us falsely, you cannot know the Scripture to be God's Word, but by taking it on the belief of the Pope and Church of Rome, as Endowed with the Pow∣er of Judgment, and the gift of Infallibi∣lity. Alas! what abundance of Impossi∣bilities must be proved true, before any Man can by this method believe God's word!

1. Before they can believe the Gospel, and that Jesus is the true Christ, they must believe that he hath a Vicar.

2. And a Church.

3. And the Pope is this Vicar, and his Sect this Church. And

4. That he hath the Office, Power and Gift, of infallible Judging, which the Major number of Christians or Chur∣ches have not.

5. And that Christ (not yet believed in,) gave him power and Infallibility.

6. And that he that now Reigneth, is the true Pope by due Election, Consecra∣tion, Qualification, &c. With many more such Impossibilities: And what is it to give up the Cause to the Infidels, if this be not?

7. But we judge that God's Law in Scripture, secured from the charge of pre∣tended Rememberers and Ʋsurpers, is so sufficient to its proper use, that there need∣eth no Supplemental Tradition, as if it were but half God's Law; but only sub∣servient historical Tradition. And we chal∣lenge the Papists to prove de facto,

1. That any such supplemental Tradi∣tion is Existent.

2. That they possess any other, but what the other Churches know.

3. That they are more than other Chur∣ches, authorized to be the Keepers and Judges of that Tradition. And

4. We fully prove them Innovators, and that Popery is a meer Novelty: It is copiously proved by Peter Moulin, de no∣vitate Papismi, David Blondel de Ecclesia, Andrew Rivet Defence of Morney against Coffetean, and against Silvester, and many others. Can they without the most pro∣fligate

Impudence pretend Apostolical Tra∣dition, for denying the Laity the Cup in the Eucharist, and for their praying in an unknown Tongue, and forbidding the Scrip∣ture, and deposing Princes, and dissolving Oaths of Allegiance, and for tormenting and killing all baptized persons that obey not the Pope, with many such?

8. If Tradition tell us of any Customs used in the Apostles, or Primitive times, that be not in Scripture, and so be not made matters of Necessity to all; yea, or of any occasion all mutable Customs that are mentioned in Scripture, (as washing the Saints Feet, the Holy Kiss, the Womans Vail, long or short Hair, Collections each Lords Day, Preachers Travelling on Foot, &c.) we quarrel not with the then use of such Traditions, when they were sea∣sonable, no more than with forbearing things strangled and blood: Nor quarrel we with the Churches after, that setled Easter Day, and made the 20th. Canon of the Nicene Council, and used divers Ce∣remonies at Baptism. But Traditions of things Indifferent and Mutable, we receive but as such, to be laid aside when the oc∣casion ceaseth: And if any will turn them into a necessary common Law, we disclaim such Usurpers; for they cross that very

Tradition. It was delivered as Indifferent, and you feign and make it a necessary Law, and so destroy it.

9. We maintain openly, that Tradition is against the Papacy and its Corruptions. They are but a third or fourth part of Christians: The other two or three parts of the Christian World, profess that the Tradition of their Churches is against the Popes universal Sovereignty, and against all the Corruptions of which they accuse him. None but the shameless will deny that the Abassians, Armenians, Greeks, and others, plead that this is their Tradition. And Reader, tell us, why the Tradition of two or three parts of the Church should not rather be believed against a third part, than that which the third part boast of against all the rest.

10. Ask them which way they know and keep their Traditions? Whether they have any History, Records, or any other way which we may not know as well as they? If they pretend that it is a Secret, kept by their Church, it's a strange Secret that so many Thousands know: But if it be a thing proveable, let them prove it.

11. Is it not unmercifulness, to tell all the Christian World, that as big and hard as the Bible is, if they knew and obeyed it

all, they cannot be saved, unless they be∣lieve and do more, kept by the Pope, and called Tradition? When yet these De∣ceivers can dispense with the knowledge and practice of God's own word, and think the Bible a Book too big and hard, (and the Prophane say, too strict,) to be commonly understood and kept; And yet all the Bible is not Enough, but we must be bound to as much more as they will call Tradition, yea, Volumes also of Papal Canon Laws.

12. Did not Christ for this thing Con∣demn the Old Pharisees, Mat. 15?

Prove your Traditions to be Apostoli∣cal, and about things necessary, and not your Forgeries, or about things mutable and indifferent, and we will obey all such Apostolical Traditions. But your Novel∣ties and Usupations shall not pass with us for Divine Laws, because you can call them such.