CHAP. I.
SECT. I.
IF we may collect the Judgment of Mankind from their Practice, we may believe, that in the Conveyance of Matters of Mo∣ment to Posterity, they judge the Precedence due to Writings about Oral Tradition; because they so com∣monly Page 158commit things of that na∣ture to Books, tho' they know the Books themselves must be trusted with Tradition and Providence. How much more should this Practice take place in Religion, which concerns Men as highly, as their Blessedness does! And besides common Practice, there's great reason, why the wri∣ting things (especially Religious Do∣ctrines, and Practices) should be preferr'd to the hazarding them un∣der the Custody of Oral Tradition; That rather than This being the surest means of their preservation. For,
1. It is much less difficult, because there is much less requir'd, to keep a Book safe, and to hand it from one Generation to another, than to preserve a great many of Opinions and Senses of that Book, and to transmit them from Age to Age unalter'd. To the former, meer plain honesty, and an easie care are suf∣ficient. Here's no need of much Apprehension, and Memory, and of a constant Care and Diligence to teach Posterity; here's no necessity of Posterities scrupulous attention to Page 159teaching Fathers, and of an happy docility, or promptness to learn, and all this through a long series of Ages. But these Punctilios (as has been shew'd before) are necessa∣ry to a faithful and unerring com∣municating of Truths to after-A∣ges in the way of Oral Tradition; therefore there is the more of dif∣ficulty, and consequently the more likelihood of miscarriage.
2ly. Books, if kept safe, do faith∣fully preserve what is deposited with them. Their Memory (if I may so speak) never fails them; there's no need of an operous care to teach them, or rather to remember them, what their Authors once told them, committed to them. They warp not with the Times, in which they are extant, tho' through several Generations. They are not subject to levity and wantonness of Judgment; nor to rebound from one extremi∣ty to another; not to a sequaci∣ousness after Men, whose Parts ren∣der them remarkable. They are not temptable by Hopes, or Fears. To be read, and to be accepted of, is Page 160their worst Avarice or Ambition: Nor does the Paper or Parchment look the paler at a Rack or a Gib∣bet; or the Characters fly thence upon Persecution. A Prison can't scare them, they are us'd to con∣finement, to a Chain (it may be) in a Library. Thus it is with Books. But Oral Traditioners are expos'd to all those inconveniences (as has been before manifested,) whence their Traditions are infected with an an∣swerable craziness. Therefore for this second, together with the first reason, Writings, Books, are the far less obnoxious; the more safe Con∣veyance. And what has been said of Writings in general, is much more true particularly of the Sacred Scriptures.
Object. Against what has been de∣livered there may lye some seem∣ing prejudice. It may be objected, that Writings have their fates, as well as their Authors. They are not exempt from either a total pe∣rishing by the oscitancy and careles∣ness of the Owners, or by violence from Enemies. Or at least they Page 161are liable to corruption; and that either wilful, and out of design (as, speaking of Holy Scriptures, by Hereticks); or through the igno∣rance, or negligence of Transcribers. Whence it will follow, that not∣withstanding the comparative easi∣ness of transmitting Writings, and the Fidelity of them, if preserv'd; yet they may be ravish'd by vio∣lence from their Possessors, how ho∣nest soever they be; or they may be lost by them, if they should prove careless; or they may be adultera∣ted upon one account, or another. And so Writings may not be pre∣serv'd, or not preserv'd sincere and entire.
Answ. That losses and decays, alterations and suppositiousness, have been incident to Writings, is con∣fess'd. Yet how many have escap'd injury, through long tracts of time have arrived safe with us, some plenty of them in Libraries does manifest; for there have been (more or less) Lovers of Learning and Antiquity, who have been Guar∣dians to these Orphans. And Lear∣ned Page 162Men have Methods (as Trial by Chronology, and the Customs and Modes of each Age; insight into the Style and Genius of an Au∣thor; Collation of Copies, with o∣thers) by which to distinguish the Spurious from the Genuine Works; and to right the Genuine by requi∣site Emendations. And of such kind of reliefs Scriptures are capable, as well as other Writings. But we shall see, that they have a much greater advantage, and are secur'd, above all Writings else, by peculiar Protections, and have been blessed with a special safety.
SECT. II.
Sacred Scriptures may be sup∣pos'd to have been in danger from 1. Malice and Design. 2ly. From Ca∣sualty and Neglect. And to have been in danger,
1. From Malice and Design of profest and publick Enemies. 2ly. Of pretended Friends, I mean, He∣ticks.
Page 1631. The open and profess'd Ene∣mies of the Holy Scripture design'd, and labour'd for, their extinction. As no Professors of any Religion were ever so persecuted by the oppositi∣on and fury of the World, as Jews first, and then the Christians; so the Scriptures, in Sympathy with them, have been expos'd to great hazards, but yet have survived them.
When the Chaldeans had over-run Judea, wasted and plunder'd the Towns; ransack'd and destroy'd the Metropolis, Jerusalem; had rifled, and ruined the Temple; when they, who had escap'd Slaughter, were carried away Captive into a strange Land, and the Captivity there last∣ed 70 years. Whenas amidst all these hurries, Ʋrim and Thummim, the Ark, the Pot of Manna, the Rod of Aaron; whenas these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, holy and choice Rarities of that People, and all their Glory sunk in the Deluge of an universal devasta∣tion: Yet the Holy Scriptures, which then were, triumph'd over all these Calamities, (tho' the Copies were Page 164then but few, in comparison of what they were afterwards.) For soon after the return from Captivity, and reedification of the Temple, (a) Ezra, —also Joshua and Bani,—caus'd the People to understand the Law; and the People stood in their place. So they read in the Book of the Law of God distinctly, and.—
Some time after this, under the Tyranny of Antiochus, The (b) Books of the Law which were found, were rent in pieces, and burnt with fire. And wheresoever was found with any the Book of the Testament; or if any con∣sented to the Law, the King's Com∣mandement was, that they should put him to Death. Notwithstanding this Persecution, the Holy Book out-liv'd this Scrutiny and Cruel∣ty.
In the Times of Christianity, in the Reign of (c) Dioclesian, there was an Imperial Edict, that the Churches should be demolish'd, and the Holy Scripture should be burn'd; and tho' some were so base, as to betray the Divine Books to the E∣nemy (who thence were call'd Tra∣ditores;) Page 165yet they weathered out this Storm also.
Next to an invisible Divine Hand defending them, so many were the Copies of the Sacred Books (especi∣ally after the Jews return from Baby∣lon; and more after the Gospel had been Preached and entertain'd in the World;) and likewise so zea∣lously did both Jews and Christians concern themselves in them, that the Enemies might as soon have rooted out of the World the whole Generations of Jews and Christians, as the Bibles.
2ly. For the same reasons, that there should be a Depravation of of Holy Scripture, by Additions, Substractions, or Alterations in any thing material, as to Faith and Life; that there should be any design'd, and successful Adulteration of them by Hereticks, is not well conceivable. For so ma∣ny were the Scriptures in their Originals; so very numerous were their (a) Translations, diffus'd throughout the World, Page 166where there were Christians; that if Hereticks did raze out some passages, or foist in others, in any way corrupt the Text, they could do so but in some Copies, and in the Places where they came. But that they should succeed in a cor∣ruption of all the Books, or of the greater part of them, is not imagi∣nable. Especially, whenas the Scriptures were so continually, and diligently read by all Christians. So that such Impostures must needs have been soon discover'd, and warn∣ing been giuen to Christians to be∣ware of the Cozenage. For this purpose we have the Suffrages of Card. Bellarmine, and of Sixtus Se∣nensis.
Although (says the (a) Cardinal) the Hereticks have endea∣voured to deprave many things, (he means in the Scriptures) yet there were never wanting Catholicks, who detected those Adulterations, and permitted not the Sacred Books to be Page 167corrupted. (b) And Six∣tus Senensis, quo∣ting St. August. tells us, that, though all Fathers had conspir'd to deprive themselves and others of the Truth of the Scrip∣tures; (which none can imagine) yet they could not have corrupted all the Books every where.
How hard it was to corrupt the Holy Scripture without detection, and an Alarm to the Christian world, perhaps some guess may be made by the unsuccessfulness of such an At∣tempt on Books much inferior to them. For when the Papists had set a design on foot (and proceed∣ed some way in it) of Purging the Writings of the antient Fathers, and of some moderate Authors, the Dishonesty soon appeared, and was complain'd of.
SECT. III.
It can't be thought, that through Casualty, or supine negligence the Page 168Scriptures should expire, should be suffered to be a Prey to Moths, Mould, and Worms; to linger away in a Consumption, or to be embezeled in Vulgar, and Sordid uses, such as (a) Martial warns his Book against. For that which doth most envigor. Mens Care and Industry for the preservation of a thing, is their high value, especially Religious Ve∣neration for it; and such, Jews and Christians have had for the Scriptures, because known by them to be Sa∣cred, to be the Divine Oracles, and the Contents of them to be of E∣ternal Consequence to them.
The Jews, to whom pertaineth the giving of the Law, were most accu∣rately diligent in keeping the Re∣velations, given to them, most en∣tire. (b) Card. Bellarmine quotes Philo, affirming;
The Jews had not a greater, and more Sacred Estimation of the Law, than the Christians had for both Law and Gospel, particularly the Fa∣thers.
1. Their great laboriousness in the Study and Explication of the Sacred Writings, in their many Comments, and Homilies, is an indication of their incomparable Honour for them. In which work they did so abound, that suppose the Bibles should be lost Page 170(which is suppos'd only, not grant∣ed) far the greater part (rather the whole) might be recovered out of their Comments, Homilies, and occasional Citations in their other Writings. As this is an Argument of their singular Honour for the Scrip∣tures, so it is a providential relief, and supernumerary way of retrieve of them, supposing the loss of them.
2ly. The Fathers high estimation and reverence for the Scriptures, are legible in Expressions concerning them, and Deferences to them.
Irenaeus thus begins his third Book: We have not known the disposition of our Salvation by others, than those by whom the Gospel came unto us; which indeed they then preach'd, but after∣wards by the Will of God delivered it to us in the Scriptures, as the future Foundation and Pillar of our Faith. Afterwards, in the end of the 66th. Chap. of his 4th. Book; He bids all Hereticks, (and principally the Marcionit••, and those who were like them, saying, That the Prophecies came from another God) read dili∣gently the Gospel which was delivered Page 171by the Apostles to us, and read diligent∣ly the Prophets, and you will find every Action, every Doctrine, and every Suf∣fering of our Lord delivered in them.
Tertullian against Hermogenes, C. 23. I adore the fulness of the Scrip∣ture.—Let Hermogenes, and his, shew that it is written. If it be not written. let him dread the Woe, which pertains to them, who add, or detract.
Athanasius, in his Oration against the Gentiles, says: That the Scrip∣tures are enough for manifestation of the Truth.
St. Jerom. on Ps. 98. Every thing that we assert, we must shew from the Holy Scripture.
All things which concern Faith and Manners, are found in the plain places of Scripture; according to St. Augustine, in the 9th. Chap. of his 2d. Book of Christian Doctrine.
These are some (amongst others) of the Father's reverential acknow∣ledgments; their full and clear de∣positions for Holy Scriptures sufficiency for, and Prerogative of, being the sole Rule of Faith; and in this Point they speak like as very Protestants, Page 172as those who form'd the (a) 6th. Article of the Church of England. And these passages, so plainly proving their so su∣perlative esteem of the Holy Scriptures, do infer their most exact diligence and watchfulness for their conservation and safety. And this is sufficient for my purpose in this Section. But withal too I have gain'd an Argument for my main design (viz. The Testimony of the Fathers;) forasmuch as between Ho∣ly Scriptures being the safest Con∣veyance of Divine Truths through∣out all Ages, and Scriptures being the sole Rule of Faith, there is so necessary a Connexion.
And because the Romanists like∣wise allege the Fathers to give Countenance to Oral Tradition, there∣fore the Testimony of the Fathers in our case shall be farther considered of. And,
Page 1731. I will appeal to any ingenious Reader of them, whether the pas∣sages which the Romanists cite out of the Fathers on the behalf of Tra∣dition, and seemingly the most di∣minutive of Scripture, do in any measure come near to such a course Character of it; as that it is a Black Gospel; an Ink Theology, (a) dead Characters, Waxen-natur'd, and plia∣ble to the Daedalean Fancies of the in∣genious Moulders of new Opinions. If Mens thoughts may be judg'd of by their words, sure the Fathers and Ro∣manists Sentiments of the Scriptures were very divers.
2ly. Seeing there is a seeming con∣tradiction of the Fathers to them∣selves (because they are urg'd by both the disagreeing Parties,) it will be fitting to enquire, whether there may not be a reconciliation of them to each other, and of some of them to themselves. For this end I sup∣pose a good means would be: 1. See∣ing the Fathers sometimes speak of Scripture without mention of Tradi∣on, at other times speak of Tradition, not mentioning Scripture; to exa∣mine Page 174how they deliver their Sense, when they express themselves of Scripture and Tradition jointly, and comparatively of one with the o∣ther. 2ly. To see, whether their appearingly most favourable expressions of Tradition may not be very well construed in a subordination of Tra∣dition to Scripture, very consistent∣ly with Scriptures Precedence to it.
1. Of the Fathers speaking of Scripture, and Tradition conjointly. I will begin with St. Cyprian, in his Epistle to Pompey. Being prest with Tradition, he answers, Whence is this Tradition? Descends it from our Lord's and his Gospel's Autho∣rity; or comes it from the Commands of the Apostles, and their Epistles? God declares, that those things should be done, which are written; saying to Joshua, The Book of the Law shall not depart from thy Mou•h, but thou shalt meditate in it day and night; that thou mayest observe to do all things written in it. Likewise our Lord sending his Apostles, Commands all Nations to be Baptized, and to be taught, that they observe all things, whatsoever Page 175he had Commanded.—What obsti∣nacy, what presumption is it, to prefer humane Tradition to the Divine Dispose or Command; and not to consider, that God is angry and in wrath, when hu∣mane Tradition disregards and dissolves Divine Commands? As God warns and speaks by the Prophet Isaiah, &c. And toward the end of the Epistle, —And this it behoves God's Priests to do at this time, keeping the Divine Commands, that if Truth have declin'd and fail'd in any respect, we go back to the source of the Evangelical and Apostolical Tradition, and let the man∣ner of our Actings take their rise thence, whence their Order and Origin rose.
The preference of Scripture to Tradition by this antient Father, is so plain and undeniable, that it is reply'd, St. Cyprian's Testimony was writ by him to defend an Error;—and therefore no wonder, if (as Bellar∣mine says) more errantium ratio∣cinetur, he discours'd after the rate of those that err; that is, assumes false grounds to build his Error on. Letter of Thanks, p. 124.
Page 176But this is a mean Evasion. For tho' Cyprian was indeed in an Er∣ror, and did mistake in his discourse; yet it can't be affirm'd with proba∣bility, or Charity to such a Saint, and Martyr; that to gratifie a private Opinion he would affront so Sacred and Catholick a Principle, as the Rule of Christian Faith, and degrade Tradition from being such, if he had indeed believed it to be so.
Yet if this should be granted to our Adversaries, the consequence would be their inconvenience. For why might not more do the same, which St. Cyprian did? and if some Fathers might desert Tradition, and flye to Scripture, meerly to serve a Turn, for defence of an Opinion, which they could not maintain other∣wise; why may it not be as well said, that other Fathers might baulk Scripture, and advance Tradition; and for the same end, viz. to sup∣port some Doctrine, or Doctrines, which else must have fallen? And upon this it would follow, (beside the imputation of inconstancy, and Page 177shifting to the Fathers) that we must be at much uncertainty, what truly was the Judgment of the Fathers concerning the Rule of Faith; and that therefore the quotations out of them must in a great part be insignificant for this purpose.
St. Basil, in his Tract, call'd; Questions compendiously unfolded, or answered; says, It is necessary and consonant to Reason, that every Man learn that which is needful out of the Holy Scripture, both for the ful∣ness of godliness, and lest they ac∣custom themselves to humane Tradi∣tions.
'Tis acknowledged by (a) Bellar∣mine, that this Author admits not Traditions unwritten; but then he says, it is not certainly manifest, whether these Questions were the great Basil's, or rather Eustathius's of Sebastia. Yet the same (b) Bel∣larmine confidently quotes them as St. Basils for Auricular Confession. So that it may seem, that the Que∣stions were before scrupled at, only because they spoke in behalf of Scrip∣ture against Tradition, and against Page 178venial sins; which is manifest Par∣tiality.
But I shall bring a Testimony of St. Basil, which Bellarmine himself would own to be St. Basils; who in his Book of the true Faith thus Discourses: If God be faithful in all his sayings, his Words, and Works, they remaining for ever, and being done in Truth and Equity; it must be an evident signe of Infidelity and Pride, if any one shall reject what is written, and introduce what is not written. This is a manifest Prelation of what is written, i. e. Holy Scriptures to what is unwritten, i. e. Tradition, which Bellarm. calls the unwritten word of God, in the Title to his 4th Book, De verbo Dei.
When St. (a) Au∣gust. was willing to wave the Council of Nice to Maximinus, and to retire to a Decision of the Catholick Cause by Scripture; certainly that great Person judg'd Scripture without Tradi∣on to be sufficient to Page 179prove an Article of Faith; or else he betrayed the Cause by appealing to a Medium, which could not evince it. For either the Nicene Coun∣cil decreed the Consubstantiality of the Son with the Father by Scrip∣ture without Tradition, (and then we have above three hundred ve∣nerable Fathers on our side) or if they defin'd it in the strength of Tradition without Scripture, or by Tra∣dition sensing Scripture; then St. Au∣gust. parting with the Council of Nice, proceeding upon Tradition on∣ly, or upon Tradition sensing Scrip∣ture, left himself nothing, or but the Letter of Scripture (which ac∣cording to our Adversaries, wants all the properties of a Rule of Faith; Sure Footing. p. 29) to manage his Cause with.
By these Testimo∣nies it is plain, it cannot be; that the Fathers should ex∣press themselves (a) so highly of Scripture, only so far as help'd and sens'd by Tradi∣dition; Page 180because, as to the Being a Rule of Faith, the Fathers separate Tradition from Scripture, and set Scripture by it self.
Much more it is far from being (a) impossible, that the Fathers should hold Scripture, not inter∣preted by Tradition, to be the Rule of Faith, which yet is affirm'd. And the Reason gi∣ven is as weak as the Affirmation is untrue. For if the Scripture, not inter∣preted by Tradition, could not be held to be the Rule of Faith, because He∣reticks adhering stifly to it, as the Rule or Root of Faith, could not be held as Hereticks; then, nor could Tradition be held to be the Rule of Faith, because Hereticks (as the (b) Gnosticks, and others) sticking to Tradition, as their Rule, could not be held as Hereticks. There's a manifest parity of these Discourses, and the latter is as concluding as the former.
Page 181But it is to accumulate injuries upon Scripture; because the mistakes and perversness of Men abuse it by false glosses, and compell'd de∣ductions, therefore to judge it fit, it should forfeit its Authority. Our blessed Lord, who so condemn'd the Jewish Traditions, held the Scrip∣ture of the Old Testament to be the Jew's Rule of Faith; and the Sadduces, who denied the Resur∣rection, sure were held by him to be Hereticks; and yet they disclam'd Tradition, and adher'd stifly to Scrip∣ture only, as the Root or Rule of Faith.
Certainly, it is the impress and appointment from God, which consti∣tute a Rule of Faith, make it to be such; and Men prove Hereticks, when they wilfully wrong, pervert, and wrest it; but 'tis wonderful, that Hereticks acknowledging it to be the Rule of Faith (i. e. paying to it what is due to it), or a pre∣tence that it favours their Errors, (which is a slander of it) should un∣make it a Rule of Faith, render it impossible to be held to be such.
Page 1822ly. In enquiry about the second thing propos'd, it must be consider'd, that the word [Tradition] has more acceptions than one: And that Tra∣dition may be used to different Persons, at different times, in a di∣vers manner, and to several ends.
1. Tradition is taken sometimes (both in Scripture and Ecclesiasti∣cal Writers) not for Oral delive∣ry of Opinions and Practices to Po∣sterity; but for what is deliver'd by Writing, and even in the Sacred Scriptures. The Jew's Law and Rites are said to be such, (a) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which Moses Tradition'd; and yet they were a part of the Old Testament. St. Paul (b) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, delivered to the Christians, (which he had also received) that Christ dyed for our Sins, which was but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, according to the Scriptures (c) St. Basil says, that our Baptisme in the Name of the Fa∣ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is according to the very Tradition of our Lord; and yet this Page 183is (a) written, with St. (b) Cyprian, that is an holy Tradition, which is either com∣manded in the Gos∣pel, or is contained in the Epistles, and Acts of the Apostles.
2ly. It is observed, that some of the Fathers had to do with such Hereticks, as denied the Scriptures, some part of them at the least, and set up other writings in stead of them. In dealing with such, those Fathers were forc'd to have recourse to Tradition, that so they might dis∣pute with their Ad∣vesaries on such a Principle, as they would allow, and this in way of conde∣scention. 'T was thus with (c) Ire∣naeus in his Contest with the Gnosticks.
3. We must distinguish of Times. The Gospel was Preached, before it was Written: It was written too, Page 185one part after another. And when the whole was written, the Copies could not presently be many, and dispersed to all Christians, especial∣ly the more new and remoto Con∣verts. Nay, and had the Gospel never been written, then the Church must have been satisfied (if such the pleasure of God had been) with an Oral Tradition. Hence (a) Irenaeus might say: what if the Apostles had not indeed left the Scrip∣tures to us, would it not have behoov'd us to follow the Order of Tradition, which they had delivered to them, to whom they committed the Churches; to which Ordination do assent many Nations of Barbarians, which believe in Christ, having Salvation written in their hearts, without Characters or Ink, by the Spi∣rit, and diligently keeping antient Tra∣dition. This (I say) Irenaeus might with reason write, especially against those, (b) who consented neither to Scriptures, nor Tradi∣tion (i. e. such as de∣scended Page 186from the Apostles.) But when as the whole Scriptures were long since written, and plentifully Communicated to the Christian world, the Case is quite alter'd.
Besides, the nearer things are to their Origin, they are the more genuine and sincere; but, at the far∣ther remove they are from it, the more they are in danger of changes and decays. Tradition must be con∣ceiv'd to have been much more pure at the distance of an hundred, or an hundred and fifty, or two or three hundred years, from the A∣postles (and therefore then might be more rationally argued from, in some cases,) than after 7, 8, or 9 hundred years; in which revo∣lution of so many more Ages, and after intercurrencies of many more accidents, Tradition may be more suspected of that consumptiveness, and of those changes, which Time brings upon all things; and there∣fore an Argument from it would be much more infirm.
Farther yet, besides Oral, the Fa∣thers of the more Primitive Times, Page 187might have written Traditions; such Records to prove, that such a Do∣ctrine, or Doctrines, were profess'd by Apostolical Men, by Holy Mar∣tyrs, and Confessors, successively to that present Age, as were then ex∣tant, but are pe∣rish'd since. (a) Ter∣tullian speaks of the very Authentick Let∣ters of the Apo∣stles, which were even then preser∣ved in the Churches. So that the Fathers might with the more safety trust, and allege Tradition's suffrage, than we can, who live so incomparably farther off from the Apostles Days, than they did; it being very like∣ly, that in such a far longer space of time, the more contingencies have interpos'd to disturb the clearness of Commerce between them and us.
4ly. Proofs may be brought in a divers manner, and for different uses. St. Paul quoted Heathenish Poets, as well as the Law, and the Page 188Prophets. 'Tis usual, where the Subject is properly manageable upon the stock of Reason, yet to argue likewise from Testimony, to call in the concurring Judgment of others. In Religion, Protestants do not be∣lieve the Fathers to be infallible, and yet it has been usual with them to cite them, both in Homi∣letique Discourses, and in Pole∣mique Writings. Testimony, tho' it be not apodictical, yet it is plausible. Example in point of Opinion, as well as of Practice is much gaining upon many; is not alone commonly bet∣ter understood, but more prevalent too, than Reason, with many Capa∣cities. And when 'tis the Testimo∣ny of many (as Tradition is) it causes those of an opposite Opini∣on to appear the more singular in their Persuasion; and singularity is not of the best Credit. So then the Fathers might (on some occa∣sions) use Tradition's Authority (the general consent of Christians in some Truth, for one or more A∣ges) yet not demonstratively, but to∣pically; somewhat the more to re∣press Page 189or to disparage in other's Opinion, the importunity of a petu∣lant Adversary; to shame a contu∣macious Heretick (not, as is said, Sure Footing, p. 140, to declare that the rejecting Tradition, and ad∣hering to Scripture, made him an Heretick); or they might urge it to the more tractable, as a probable motive to assent; tho' not as a Rule of Faith, yet as such a persuasive, as might be an occasion of Belief, and the better dispose the Soul toward Faith and Assurance: Yet still sup∣posing Holy Scriptures to be the pro∣per and ultimate basis of Christian Faith; and that such Traditions were consonant to them, and not over-ru∣ling of them.
I believe, that these considerations may be useful for the construction of the Fathers in such passages, wherein they make the most ho∣nourable mention of Tradition; and to shew, that notwithstanding such a mention of Tradition, yet they might yield to Scripture the Supre∣macy in the regulation of Christian Faith, especially whenas they speak Page 190so reverently of Scripture in other places of their Works; nay, and give them the Precedence, when they compare the one with the other.
And thus (if after a digression, yet I think not an impertinent one) I have proved the Father's unque∣stionable Care and Diligence in pre∣servation of the Holy Scriptures, by their Religious and unparallell'd esteem and veneration for them.
SECT. IV.
3ly. The Holy Scriptures are se∣cur'd by God's especial Protection of them. Reason suggests; that as there is a God, a Supreme, and first Cause, who made the world, and also pro∣vides for the welfare of his great Workmanship; so that the Divine Providence does mainly watch over those Creatures, on which God has imprinted the fairest Characters of his Power, Wisdom, and Good∣ness: Such a Creature is Man. And this Divine Providence is the Ca∣tholick Sanctuary of Mankind. Af∣ter all Mens own projectings and Page 191labours, here is their last and surest repose. They can't with a rational comfort Trade, Travel, Eat, Sleep, but with a sober hope of the Di∣vine help and benediction. For if Divine Providence smile not, all Mens wisest Counsels, and stoutest Endeavours will be successless: They may go forth, and never return home; their Table may be a Snare, and their Sleep Death, more than in a Metaphor.
Next, Religion tells us, that God has designed, and prepar'd for Man an everlasting Blessedness, and de∣termin'd of the due Qualifications of Man for that Blessedness; and it is agreed, that in the Sacred Scriptures God has revealed Himself concerning both. These Scriptures are the lively Image of God, the faire Copy of his Will, a bright Express of his Truth and Holiness, a Perspective into his Mind, and into many of his secret Counsels; authentick Records of the many and glorious manifestations of the Divine Wisdom, Power, Good∣ness, Mercy, and Justice, in ma∣king, Page 192governing all things, and in the Salvation of Sinners.
From the dictates of Reason then, and much more of Religion, it is consequent, that God has an espe∣cial Care, that the Scriptures be safe, on which he has impressed so much of himself; which were (a) written, that we might believe, and believing have life; and which were (b) writ∣ten for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope; but how could they attain those ends, if they should pe∣rish? if this light were extinguish'd, how much in the dark, and forlorne would Man be!
This peculiar watchfulness of God over the Scriptures is acknowledged by the Romanists. (c) Sixtus Senensis at∣tributes the pre∣served incorruptness of the sacred Text, to the Will of God. And Bellarmine (d) argues from the Page 193Divine Providence for the preserva∣tion of the Old Testament from any injury by the Jews. Indeed, he entitles Tradition likewise to Gods special care, as the (a) principal cause of its pretended safety. And this is a Confession, that God is in a particular man∣ner the Guardian of that, by which he communicates his Mind and Pleasure to Man; (for such a thing, i. e. The unwrit∣ten word of God, he held Tradition to be.) But certainly Tradition can't lay a just claim to such an interest in Divine Providence, as the Scrip∣ture.
1. For first, besides what I have before prov'd, to the just diminu∣tion of Oral Tradition; there was a providential dismission of it, and choice of Scripture, to be the Convey∣ance of Gods revealed Will to his Church through successive Ages. For whenas Oral Tradition had been in use for that purpose before the Flood, and some while after it, and great had been the untrustiness of Page 194it; at the length, God writ his Law Himself, and commanded what was written to be kept with a great religious care. Afterwards, as Mo∣ses, the Prophets, and Hagiogra∣phers were inspir'd, their Revela∣tions were written, so far as was necessary to the Church's Edifica∣tion. And when the People were in danger of seduction, and it be∣hoved them to seek to their God for instruction; they were sent (not Children to their Traditioning Fa∣thers; * but) to the Law, and to the Testimony; and they were told, that those who spoke not according to that word, it was, because there was no light in them. Yes, and when the Church was generally corrupted, and therefore Tradition had not done its Duty, the Churches relief was (not from the living voice of testi∣fying Fathers, but) from the Scrip∣ture, according to whose Canon a∣buses were reformed. And for this Reformation, and because in it he perform'd the words of the Law, which were written in the Book, that Hilkiah the Priest found in the Page 195house of the Lord; Josiah stands renowned in Sacred Story with this Character; Like unto him there was no King before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, * accor∣ding to all the Law of Moses, &c.
This way of securing Revelati∣ons by writing was continued under the Gospel; as we have them in the Evangelists, the Epistles, the Acts, and the Revelation. And this course was as needful under the Gospel, as under the legal Oeconomy, if not more. For it being intended by God, that the Gospel should be propagated be∣yond the narrow Confines of Judaea (where the Scriptures of the Old Testament had lodg'd for hundreds of years) through∣out the World, and among so many Nations of such different Com∣plexions, Customs, and Interests; there was the more danger it should be disguis'd, if it had been com∣mitted to the frailty of an Oral Tra∣dition; as we know, that the more Mouths Relations pass through, the more subject they are to alterations Page 196from their primitive truth; through the ignorance, mistakes, prejudices, prepossessions, or wilfulness of the Relators. Whereas a Writing, being preserved, is a perpetual standard, by which to correct any such chan∣ges; for in these, Truth would be most likely still to appear in its first Integrity.
Thus I have shew'd, how that af∣ter an experienc'd unsuccessfulness of Oral Conveyance, God appoint∣ed another way, and so ordered it, that Law and Gospel should be written. Now, if after, and not∣withstanding such a Provision, yet it should be God's intent, that Oral Tradition only should have the pre∣rogative to sense Scripture, and that Faith should be lastly resolved into Oral Tradition; and therefore that This, not Scripture, should be the only Rule of Faith; it must needs seem strange, and unaccountable to a∣any rational Christian, how it should come to pass, that in the Sacred Scriptures there should be so many, Page 197and such high (a) Enco∣miums of them; that our Saviour should bid the Jews, (b) search the Scriptures; should tell them, they (c) err'd, not knowing the Scriptures, (d) should dispute with, and baffle them out of the Scriptures; and by them (e) confirm his Disciples in the Truth; that his Apostles should proceed in the same manner with the Jews: That the (f) Beraeans should be commended for searching the Scrip∣tures daily, whereupon many of them believed; that St. Paul should mention it to Timothy, (g) as an encouragement or engagement of him to continue in the things he had learned; that he from a Child had known the holy Scriptures; and that he should pre∣sently add a description of Scripture, than which a more full one sure can't be us'd of the Rule of Faith, viz. That it is able to make wise un∣to Salvation, through the Faith which is in Christ Jesus; that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for Page 198correction, for instruction in righte∣ousness; that the Man of God may be perfect, throughly furnish'd unto all good works: I say, it is mighty strange, that Scripture should be thus magnified, and yet none of all this should be said there of Tradi∣tion: Nay, that either Tradition should be mentioned with disgrace, as when our Saviour (a) condemns the Jew's Traditions of their Elders; and St. Paul (b) warns the Colossians to beware, lest any Man spoile them, —after the Tradition of Men;— or where the word is found, yet that the sense of it should not be useful to our Adversaries purpose; which that it might be, it must be sufficient to prove, that there was more delivered by the Apostles, than was written; and that what was so delivered was a necessary Point of Faith. But when St. Paul praises the Corinthians, that they (c) kept the Ordinances, or Traditions, as he delivered them; when he tells them, he had received that, which also he de∣livered to them; when he exhorts the Thessalonians (d) to hold the Tra∣ditions, Page 199which they had been taught, whether by word, or (says he) our Epistle; when he commands them (a) to withdraw themselves from every Brother that walks disorderly, and not after the Tradition which he received from the Apostle; there is nothing (I say) in these places, which will necessarily infer, that more was de∣livered by the Apostles, than was, or is written, and that what was so delivered was a necessary Point of Faith, through all Ages.
Why now, it is a wonder, that if God (tho' he provided his Church with the Holy Scriptures, yet) pleas'd to enstate Oral humane Tra∣dition in the great Office of sensing Scripture, and of being the only Rule of Faith; He did not so order it, that Scripture should modestly ac∣knowledge its Superior, but rather let Scripture carry away all the ho∣nour from it.
2ly. A second reason, why O∣ral Tradition can't plead so strong a Title to a protection by the Di∣vine Providence, as Scripture, is this. God's Providence does ordinarily Page 200co-operate with, and prosper means answerably to their comportment with, and likelihood to reach the end intended. Now it has been be∣fore demonstrated, how weak and uncertain Tradition is; how fix'd and able Writings are, to conserve Truths once delivered; and therefore 'tis rational to believe, that the Divine Aid does much rather assist to the preservation of Divine Truths by the Holy Scriptures, than by Oral Tra∣dition; the former being much more servicable to the promoting such an end, than the latter.
Hitherto I have prov'd the con∣tinued preservation of Holy Scrip∣ture from proper Causes of such an Effect; causes ministerial, and su∣preme; humane care and vigilancy, and Divine special Providence.
SECT. V.
4ly. Scripture's Preservation is manifest from the Event. Such have been the happy success of Divine Providence's watchfulness, and of humane Care and Diligence, that Chri∣stians Page 201do generally consent in this; that the Holy Scriptures are de facto continued safe, and pure to us in all things, which are necessary to be believed, and to be practised, for the obtainment of Everlasting Hap∣piness.
The Church of Rome professes to have the Scriptures, and the Trent Council has defin'd the Vulgar La∣tin to be those Genuine, Authentick Scriptures. How true that Deter∣mination was for the Authentickness of the Vulgar Latin Bibles, is not necessary for me to enquire; 'tis enough for me, that they acknow∣ledge a preserved Integrity of the present Scriptures.
So that there is not a Tenent, which we have more strong induce∣ment to believe, upon the account even of Tradition, than that the Divine Books (the Scriptures, which we have) are indeed the Word of God, and have been faithfully deri∣ved to us from the beginning; there being no Tradition more universal for any Point than for this great important Truth; tho' Christians Page 202may run wide from each other in other matters, yet they close in this Center.
I conclude then, seeing that the Holy Scriptures are much more fit to keep the Truths committed to them safe, than Oral Tradition, if they be preserved; (as has been prov'd) and likewise that the Holy Scriptures are preserv'd (as is gene∣rally confess'd, and even by our Ad∣versaries); it must follow, that not Oral Tradition, but the sacred Scrip∣tures are the surest and safest way of Conveyance of Divine Truths down from their Original delivery unto us; which to demonstrate was the scope of this Undertaking.
