The Christian and Catholike veritie; or, The reasons and manner of the conversion of Francis de Neville;: formerly a Capuchin, preacher, the Popes missionary, and superiour in sundry covents of the same order. A treatise very usefull for all Christians, and especially for such as are popishly affected, or not fully setled in their beliefe; and for the further confirmation of the faithfull. Wherein many secrets of the Romish clergy, heretofore unrevealed, are discovered. Dedicated by the author to the high court of Parliament now assembled, 1642. See the contents at the next page.

CHAP. VI.

Traditions condemned by the holy Scriptures.

VVE have seen the testimonies of the holy Scripture, and the reasons they of the Romish Church bring to establish the doctrine of Traditions. Now let us see the testimonies of the same Scripture, which the Orthodox and reformed Church alledge to condemne those Traditions, and consider which of them are of greatest strength. As for mee having maturely considered the pas∣sages, I cannot see how their force can be eluded, or rather that men yeeld not to their cleernesse.

The Prophet Moses saith to the people of God, Deut. 12.13.* 1.1 Yee shall doe that which I command you before the Lord, neither ad∣ding nor diminishing there from: and more cleerly in Chap. 12. Yee shall adde nothing to the word which I command you, nor take nothing from it: and Salomon in his Proverbs saith,* 1.2 Adde thou nothing unto his word, least he reprove thee, and thou be found a lyar. Which being not deniable, but that it is said of the Church, what doth the Scripture thereby, but condemne most cleerly the Traditions which are questionlesse new inventions added to the holy Scrip∣ture?

For my part, after I began to consider attentively the words of the Apostle S^t Paul on this subject, I could never see how those of the Romish Church, can maintaine the doctrine of their Traditi∣ons, as pertaining to faith, and equall in authoritie to the holy

Scriptures.* 1.3 Mark I pray you with me those words, Gal. 1.8. If we our selves, or any Angel from heaven, preach to you any other Gospel than that which hath been preached unto you, let him be accur∣sed. Note these words, Let him be accursed, which are of no small importance, and observe the word besides, Praeterquam quod, (is in the vulgar translation of S^t Jerome,) which is more fully expressed by the word besides, than by the word otherwise, as it is in some cor∣rupted impressions; and above all, note, that he saith not against, but besides, Praeterquam quod. Now what I pray you are all the tra∣ditions of the Romish Church, but doctrine and things besides the Word of God? Besides that which S^t Paul, and Christ Jesus, and the other Apostles did preach; yea, even contrary; for all doctrine taught as necessary to faith out of the Scripture, is also contrary unto the Scripture, seeing it is against the prohibition, to adde to the Word of God;* 1.4 and God condemneth them who teach for do∣ctrine of faith, the doctrine and commandements of men.

And mark that Christ Jesus in this chap. of S^t Matthew, did specially condemne the Pharisees, because they transgressed the commandements of God by their traditions: and what I pray you were those traditions? they were not things expresly forbidden in the law of God, but simple additions and willing devotions, with∣out the word of God, and which outwardly smelled of nothing but devotion, puritie, and holinesse; as to fast three times a week; to wash the cups & the platters, to tithe Mint and Annise, to make conscience to heal any sick man on the Sabbath day, to make long prayers, to abstaine from certaine meats, and that not through a conceit that those things were polluted, but through a willing de∣votion and humilitie of spirit, or through a desire to mortifie the flesh; but because those things were taught as being of equall au∣thoritie with the doctrine of faith, that is the cause wherefore they are condemned by the Son of God, as contrary to his holy Word.

There is no doubt, but by this passage of the Apostle S^t Paul we cited before, are also condemned all the Traditions of the Romish Church, which are taught and preached to be of equall authoritie with the holy Scriptures, which truely are besides the Word of God, and the Gospel that was preached by our Saviour and his Disciples; for how cometh it to passe, that they should have prea∣ched so many things pertaining to faith and salvation? and never speak any thing of them in any of their Books, nor in the acts of

the Apostles, which is the History of the most remarkable actions and Sermons of the Apostles, for more than twenty yeares; see if there be any thing spoken there of the invocation of Saints, of In∣dulgencies, Purgatory, prayer for the dead, of the Communion under one kinde, or of the rest: and if those and the like things be not in the holy Scriptures, they are besides the Word of God, and consequently, he that preacheth them is accursed and Anathema, and they are not to be received as pertaining to faith.

And to shew that the Traditions which the Church of Rome teacheth as Articles of faith, doe not come from Christ Jesus, and his Apostles, nor cannot be said to be Apostolique nor divine, but papall and humane, (to say no worse) there is almost none of them the history of that Church sheweth not by what Pope or Bishop they were invented, and at what time they had their beginning:* 1.5 see the Authors who handle the same, least I should be too prolix in this matter, being desirous to lay open another of not much lesse importance.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Deut. 12.13.
• * 1.2

  Pro. 30.6.
• * 1.3

  Gal. 1.8.
• * 1.4

  Mat. 15.9.
• * 1.5

  Baro. An∣nal. Eccle. Gualter. Chronol. Durant: de ritib.