Apostolicall, which on the contrary gives adoration to Images? Lastly, if an Angel from heaven forbids the worshipping of Angels by a particular instance in himselfe: Worship not mee, for I am thy fellow servant: How can it be reputed a Tradition Apostolicall and an Article of Faith, that the Saints reigning with Christ, are to bee worshipped and prayed unto*? These Papal Traditions unwritten, are different, if not flatly opposite to the Word written; and therefore I will say with Tertullian, who answered the heretiques in his dayes: Their very doctrine itselfe being compared with the Apostolike, by the diversity and contrarietie thereof, will pronounce, that it had neither any Apostle for an Authour, nor any man Apostolique†. Now if any Romanist shall take that poore exception, and say their Tenets are not flat contrary to the Scriptures; let him take his answere from Saint Chrysostome: Saint Paul teacheth not (saith hee) if any man preach contrary to the Gospell, or overthrow the whole Gospell: but if they preach any little thing besides the Gospell hee hath received, if hee overthrow any thing, whatsoever it be, let him be accursed. I say therefore, if this or the like unwritten Traditions bee found præter

* Art. 8.

Tert. presc. advers. hæres. c. 32.

Non dixit si contraria annuntiaverint, aut si totum Evangelium subverterint, sed si vel Paulum Evangelizaverint præter Evangelium quod accepistis etiamsi quidvis labefactaverint, Anathema sint. Chrys. in Galat. c. 1. et Aug. in Joh. quàm

Tra. 98.

quàm, or contraquàm, either besides or contrary to the Scriptures (as certainly most of their Traditions are) I say, it is impossible to reconcile them for Apostolike Traditions, and consequently more absurd to equall them with the Scriptures, and make them a partiall rule of faith; for Although (saith Tertullian,) the Apostles did deliver some things unto their domesticall friends (as I may call them) yet wee must not beleeve, that they delivered any such things as should bring in another rule of Faith, different and repugnant to that, which they generally propounded in publique, as though they had preached one Lord in the Church, another in their lodging.

To leave therefore a certainty for an uncertaintie, to forsake the written Word, which is the safest and surest rule of beliefe, for unwritten Traditions, which have neither Antiquitie for their leader, nor Universality for their assurance, nor Succession for their evidence; this I say, is Via Dubia, a doubtfull and uncertaine way, this is Via Devia, a wandring and By-way,

Tertul. de præscr. c. 26.

SECT.

SECT. IX.

THE SCRIPTURES ARE A CERTAINE, SAFE, AND EVIDENT DIRECTION TO THE RIGHT WAY OF SALVATION; AND CONSEQUENTLY, TO GROUND FAITH UPON UNWRITTEN TRADITIONS, IS AN OBSCURE, UNCERTAINE, AND DANGEROUS BYWAY.

I CONFESSE it for a trueth, that in the first ages of the world, the Ancients had the knowledge of God without writing, and their memories, by reason of their long lives, were Registers, instead of Bookes: but afterwards, when God had taken the posteritie of Jacob to bee his peculiar people, the lives of men were shortned; and therefore hee gave them their lawes in writing, which writing was so true and perfect, that some Romanists confesse, the Jewes had nothing pertaining to the knowledge and service of God, that was not written*. "And as in the crea"tion of the world, before the Sun was made, the light was sustained and spread abroad by the incomprehensible power of God; yet after the "Sun was created, God conveyed the whole light "of the world into the body of the Sun: so that

* Non desunt aliqui Catholicorum' qui negant nullum fuisse Traditionem non scriptam apud Judæos. Bell. de verbo Dei non script. 1. 4. c. 8.

"though

66

though the Moone and Starres should give light yet they should shine with no other light, but "what they received from the Sun; even so in "the constitution of the Church, howsoever God "at first preserved and continued the knowledge "of his truth, by immediate revelation from him"selfe to some chosen men, by whose ministrie thee would have the same communicated to the rest, yet when hee gave his word in writing, he conveyed into the bodie of the Scriptures, the whole light of his Church, so that, albeit there should be Pastors and Teachers therein, to shine "as starres, to give light to others, yet they should give no other light, but what by the beames of the written Law was cast upon them.” And that wee might have, good warranty for the written Word, God himselfe shewed the first way by his owne example, who with his owne finger wrote the Decalogue in tables of stone; and (saith Moses) The Tables was the worke of God, and the writing was the writing of God upon the Tables. (Exod. xxxii. 16.) And as God was the first Author of writing in the old Law; so our Saviour Christ, God and Man, taught the same lesson by his own example and direction in the New: For when the Disciples wrote (saith Austen) what Christ shewed and said unto them, it is not to be said that he did not write, because the members wrought that which they learned by the inditing of the Head. For whatsoever he would have us to reade of the things which he did and said, he gave in charge to

them,

them, as his hands to write the same. And thus one and the same Spirit, that prescribed the old Law to Moses, gave also expresse charge to the Evangelist Saint John: Scribe, write these things. (Revel. i. 11. 19.) And lastly, the reason of this writing, Saint Luke renders to Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certaintie of those things wherein thou hast beene instructed. (Luke i. 4.) Now as things written are of longer continuance, and better assurance, whereby we have the certaintie of our faith and doctrine; so likewise by that certainty we enjoy the more safetie: and for that cause the Apostle Saint Paul tells the Philippians, that which hee delivered by word of mouth being present: To write the same things (saith he) to me it is not grievous, but for you it is safe. (Phil. iii. 1.) And this may be a good comfort for all beleeving Protestants, that wee have these two benefits of the written Word, (by the doctrine of two Apostles) Certaintie and Safetie

This doctrine was rightly observed, and earnestly pursued by the true beleévers in the Primitive Church, in so much, as it is observed by Eusebius, that the faithfull who had heard the preahing of Saint Peter, not thinking that sufficient, nor contented with the doctrine of that divine preaching unwritten, most earnestly intreated Marke, that

* Cum illi scripserunt, quæ ille ostendit et dixit, nequaquam dicendum est, quod ipse non scripserit, &c. Aug. de consens. Evangel. lib. 1. c. 35.

hee