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the uniform consent of the fathers, he could not therefore have the forehead to say, "I do not deny, that I have no author of this interpretation: yet do I so much the rather approve it, than that other of Augustine's, though the most probable of all the rest, because it is more contrary to the sense of the Calvinists; which to me is a great argument of probability:" or as if lastly a man might not dissent from the ancient doctors, so much as in an exposition of a text of Scripture, but he must presently make himself more learned, more pious and more holy, than they

were.

Yet their great Tostatus might have taught them, that this argument holdeth not: " Such a one knoweth some conclusion, that Augustine did not know; therefore he is wiser than Augustine, because, as a certain skilful physician said, the men of our time, being compared with the ancient, are like unto a little man set upon a giant's neck, compared with the giant himself. For as that little man placed there seeth whatsoever the giant seeth, and somewhat more; and yet, if he be taken down from the giant's neck, would see little or nothing in comparison of the giant: even so we being settled upon the wits and works of the ancient, it were not to be wondered, nay it should be very agreeable unto reason, that we should see whatsoever they saw, and somewhat more. Though yet (saith he) we do not profess so much." And even to the same effect speaketh friar Stella: that, though it be far from him to condemn the common exposition given by the an

d Non nego me hujus interpretationis authorem neminem habere: sed hanc eo magis probo quam illam alteram Augustini, cæterarum alioqui probabilissimam; quod hæc cum Calvinistarum sensu magis pugnet: quod mihi magnum est probabilitatis argumentum. Maldonat. in Johan. cap. 6. ver. 63.

e Sed nec ista argumentatio valet, sc. Iste homo scit aliquam conclusionem, quam nescivit Augustinus ; ergo est sapientior Augustino.—Et, sicut quidam peritus medicus dixit, homines nostri temporis ad antiquos comparantur, sicut pusillus homo positus collo gigantis ad ipsum gigantem. Nam pusillus ibi positus videt quicquid videt gigas, et insuper plus; et tamen, si deponatur de collo gigantis, parum aut nihil videbit ad gigantem collatus. Ita et nos firmati super ingenia antiquorum et opera eorum, non esset admirandum, immo foret valde rationabile, si videremus quidquid illi viderunt, et insuper plus: licet hoc adhuc non profiAbulens. 2. part. defensor. cap. 18.

temur.

cient holy doctors, "yet he knoweth full well, that pygmies, being put upon giants' shoulders, do see further than the giants themselves." Salmeron addeth, that "by the increase of time divine mysteries have been made known, which before were hid from many: so that to know them now is to be attributed unto the benefit of the time; not that we are better than our fathers were." Bishop Fisher: that "it" cannot be obscure unto any, that many things, as well in the Gospels as in the rest of the Scriptures, are now more exquisitely discussed by latter wits, and more clearly understood, than they have been heretofore, either by reason that the ice was not as yet broken unto the ancient, neither did their age suffice to weigh exactly that whole sea of the Scriptures; or because in this most large field of the Scriptures, even after the most diligent reapers, some ears will remain to be gathered, as yet untouched." Hereupon cardinal Cajetan, in the beginning of his commentaries upon Moses, adviseth his reader, "not to loath the new sense of the holy Scripture for this, that it dissenteth from the ancient doctors: but to search more exactly the text and context of the Scripture; and, if he find it agree, to praise God, that hath not tied the exposition of the Scriptures to the senses of the ancient doctors."

But, leaving comparisons, which you know are odious,

f Bene tamen scimus, pygmæos, gigantum humeris impositos, plusquam ipsos gigantes videre. Stella, enarrat. in Luc. cap. 10.

* Per incrementa temporum nota facta sunt divina mysteria, quæ tamen antea multos latuerunt: ita ut hoc loco nosse beneficium sit temporis, non quod nos meliores simus quam patres nostri. Salmeron, in epist. ad Rom. lib. 2. disput. 51.

Neque cuiquam obscurum est, quin posterioribus ingeniis multa sint, tam ex evangeliis quam ex Scripturis cæteris, nunc excussa luculentius, et intellecta perspicacius, quam fuerant olim. Nimirum, aut quia veteribus adhuc non erat perfracta glacies, neque sufficiebat illorum ætas totum illud Scripturarum pelagus ad amussim expendere: aut quia semper in amplissimo Scripturarum campo, post messores quantumvis exquisitissimos, spicas adhuc intactas licebit colligere. Roffens. confut. assert. Luther. artic. 18.

Nullus itaque detestetur novum sacræ scripturæ sensum, ex hoc quod dissonat a priscis doctoribus; sed scrutetur perspicacius textum ac contextum Scripturæ et, si quadrare invenerit, laudet Deum, qui non alligavit expositionem scripturarum sacrarum priscorum doctorum sensibus. Cajet. in Genes. cap. 1.

the envy whereof notwithstanding your own doctors and masters, you see, help us to bear off, and teach us how to decline; I now come to the examination of the particular points by you propounded. It should indeed be your part by right to be the assailant, who first did make the challenge and I, who sustain the person of the defendant, might here well stay, accepting only your challenge, and expecting your encounter. Yet do not I mean at this time to answer your bill of challenge, as bills are usually answered in the chancery, with saving all advantages to the defendant: I am content in this also to abridge myself of the liberty which I might lawfully take, and make a further demonstration of my forwardness in undertaking the maintenance of so good a cause, by giving the first onset myself.

OF TRADITIONS.

To begin therefore with Traditions, which is your forlorn hope that in the first place we are to set upon this must I needs tell you before we begin, that you much mistake the matter, if you think that traditions of all sorts promiscuously are struck at by our religion. We willingly acknowledge that the word of God, which by some of the apostles was set down in writing, was both by themselves and others of their fellow-labourers delivered by word of mouth: and that the Church in succeeding ages was bound, not only to preserve those sacred writings committed to her trust, but also to deliver unto her children, viva voce, the form of wholesome words contained therein. Traditions therefore, of this nature, come not within the compass of our controversy: the question being betwixt us de ipsa doctrina tradita, not de tradendi modo; touching the substance of the doctrine delivered, not of the manner of delivering it. Again, it must be remembered, that here we speak of the doctrine delivered as the word of God, that is, of points of religion revealed unto the prophets and apostles, for the perpetual information of God's people: not of rites and ceremonies, and other ordinances which are left to the disposition of the Church, and consequently be not of divine but of positive and human right. Traditions therefore, of this kind likewise, are not properly brought within the circuit of this question.

But that traditions of men should be obtruded unto us for articles of religion, and admitted for parts of God's worship; or that any traditions should be accepted for parcels of God's word, beside the holy Scriptures, and such doctrines as are either expressly therein contained,

or by sound inference may be deduced from thence, I think we have reason to gainsay: as long as for the first we have this direct sentence from God himself, "In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men ;" and for the second, the express warrant of the apostle, in the third chapter of the second to Timothy, testifying of the holy Scriptures, not only that they "are able to make us wise unto salvation" (which they should not be able to do, if they did not contain all things necessary to salvation); but also that by them" the man" of God," that is, the minister of God's word, unto whom it appertaineth" to declare all the counsel of God," may be "perfectly instructed to every good work:" which could not be, if the Scriptures did not contain all the counsel of God which was fit for him to learn, or if there were any other word of God which he were bound to teach, that should not be contained within the limits of the book of God.

Now whether herein we disagree from the doctrine generally received by the fathers, we refer ourselves to their own sayings. For ritual traditions unwritten, and for doctrinal traditions, written indeed, but preserved also by the continual preaching of the pastors of the Church successively, we find no man a more earnest advocate than Tertullian. Yet he having to deal with Hermogenes the heretic in a question concerning the faith, Whether all things at the beginning were made of nothing, presseth him in this manner with the argument ab authoritate negative; for avoiding whereof, the papists are driven to fly for succour to their unwritten verities, "whetherd all things were made of any subject matter, I have as yet read no where. Let those of Hermogenes his shop shew that it is written. If it be not written, let them fear that Wo, which is allotted to such as add or take away."

a Matt. chap. 15. ver. 9. Acts, chap. 20. ver. 27.

b 1 Tim. chap. 6. ver. 11.

d An autem de aliqua subjacenti materia facta sint omnia, nusquam adhuc legi. Scriptum esse doceat Hermogenis officina. Si non est scriptum, timeat Væ illud adjicientibus aut detrahentibus destinatum. Tertul. advers. Hermog. cap. 22.

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