Page images
PDF
EPUB

tum propter alias conscientia- as well as for other uses to the rum utilitates apud nos retine- conscience, Confession is retained

[blocks in formation]

ART. V.-Of the Distinction of Meats, and of Traditions.

It hath been a general opinion,

Publica persuasio fuit non tantum vulgi, sed etiam docen- not of the people alone, but also of tium in ecclesiis, quod discrimi- such as are teachers in the churchna ciborum et similes traditio- es, that the differences of meats, nes humanæ sint opera utilia and such like human traditions, ad promerendam gratiam et sa- are works available to merit grace, tisfactoria pro peccatis. Et and are satisfactions for sins. And quod sic senserit mundus, ap- that the world thus thought is apparet ex eo, quia quotidie insti-parent by this-that daily new ceretuebantur novæ ceremonia, novi monies, new orders, new holidays, ordines, novæ feria, nova jeju- new fasts, were appointed; and the nia, et Doctores in templis exi- teachers in the churches did exact gebant hæc opera tanquam neces- these works as a service necessary sarium cultum ad promerendam to deserve grace; and they did gratiam, et vehementer terrebant greatly terrify men's consciences, conscientias, si quid omitterent. if aught were omitted.

Of this persuasion concerning tra

For first

Ex hac persuasione de traditionibus multa incommoda in ditions many disadvantages have Ecclesia secuta Primo, followed in the Church. obscurata est doctrina de gratia the doctrine of grace is obscured et justitia fidei, quæ est præci- by it, and also the righteousness of pua pars Evangelii, et quam faith, which is the principal part of maxime oportet, extare et emi- the Gospel, and which it behooveth nere in Ecclesia, ut meritum most of all to stand forth and to have Christi bene cognoscatur, et fides, the pre-eminence in the Church, quæ credit remitti peccata pro- that the merit of Christ may be well pter Christum, longe supra ope- known, and faith, which believeth ra collocetur. Quare et Paulus that sins are remitted for Christ's in hunc locum maxime incum- sake, may be exalted far above bit, legem et traditiones humanas works. For which cause also Paul

removet, ut ostendat justitiam lays much stress on this point: he Christianam aliud quiddam esse, removeth the law and human traquam hujusmodi opera, videlicet ditions, that he may show that the fidem, quæ credit peccata gratis righteousness of Christ is a far othremitti propter Christum. At er thing than such works as these hac doctrina Pauli pene tota be, namely, a faith, which believeth oppressa est per traditiones, quæ that sins are freely remitted for pepererunt opinionem, quod per Christ's sake. But this doctrine of discrimina ciborum et similes Paul is almost wholly smothered by cultus oporteat mereri gratiam traditions, which have bred an opinet justitiam. In pænitentia nul- ion, that, by making difference in la mentio fiebat de fide, tantum meats, and such like services, a man hæc opera satisfactoria propone-should merit grace and justification. bantur, in his videbatur pæniten- In their doctrine of repentance there tia tota consistere.

was no mention of faith; only these works of satisfaction were spoken of: repentance seemed to consist wholly in these.

Secundo, ha traditiones obscu- Secondly, these traditions obraverunt præcepta Dei, quia scured the commandments of God, traditiones longe præferebantur because traditions were preferred præceptis Dei. Christianismus far above the commandments of totus putabatur esse observatio God. All Christianity was thought certarum feriarum, rituum, je to be an observation of certain holijuniorum, vestitus. Hoe obser- days, rites, fasts, and attire. These vationes erant in possessione observations were in possession of a honestissimi tituli, quod essent most goodly title, that they were the vita spiritualis et vita perfecta. spiritual life and the perfect life. Interim mandata Dei juxta vo- In the mean time God's commandcationem nullam laudem habe- ments, touching every man's callbant, quod paterfamilias educa- ing, were of small estimation: that bat sobolem, quod mater parie- the father brought up his children, bat, quod princeps regebat rem that the mother nurtured them, that publicam, hæc putabantur esse the prince governed the commonopera mundana et imperfecta et wealth. These were reputed worldlonge deteriora illis splendidis ly affairs, and imperfect, and far

observationibus. Et hic error inferior to those glittering observvalde cruciavit pias conscientias, ances. And this error did greatly guc dolebant se teneri imper- torment pious consciences, which fecto vitæ genere, in conjugio, in were grieved that they were held magistratibus, aut aliis functio- by an imperfect kind of life, in marnibus civilibus, mirabantur mo- riage, in magistracy, or in other civnachos et similes, et falso puta- il functions. They had the monks, bant illorum observationes Deo and such like, in admiration, and gratiores esse. falsely imagined that the observances of these men were more grateful to God than their own.

Tertio, traditiones attulerunt Thirdly, traditions brought great magna pericula conscientiis, quia danger to men's consciences, beimpossibile erat omnes traditio- cause it was impossible to keep all

servare, et tamen homines traditions, and yet men thought the arbitrabantur has observationes observation of them to be necesnecessarios esse cultus. Gerson sary services. Gerson writeth that scribit, multos incidisse in de- 'many fell into despair, and some sperationem, quosdam etiam sibi murdered themselves, because they mortem conscivisse, quia sense- perceived that they could not keep rant, se non posse satisfacere the traditions;' and all this while traditionibus, et interim consola- they never heard the comfort of the tionem nullam de justitia fidei righteousness of faith, or of grace. et de gratia audierant. Vide- We see the Summists and Divines mus Summistas et Theologos gather together the traditions, and colligere traditiones, et quærere seek qualifications of them, to unETTLEIKEίaç, ut levent conscientias, burden men's consciences; and yet non satis tamen expediunt, sed all will not serve, but meantime they interdum magis injiciunt la- bring more snares upon the conqueos conscientiis. Et in colli- science. The schools and pulpits gendis traditionibus ita fuerunt have been so busied in gathering occupatæ scholæ et conciones, ut together the traditions, that they non vacaverit attingere Scripturam, et quærere utiliorem doctrinam de fide, de cruce, de spe, de dignitate civilium rerum, de

had not leisure to touch the Scripture, and to seek out a more profitable doctrine-of faith, of the cross, of hope, of the dignity of civil af

consolatione conscientiarum in ar- fairs, of the comfort of conscience duis tentationibus. Itaque Gerson in arduous trials. Wherefore Geret alii quidam Theologi graviter son and some other Divines have questi sunt, se his rixis traditio- made grievous complaints, that they num impediri, quo minus ver- were hindered by these strifes about sari possent in meliore genere traditions, so that they could not be doctrinæ. Et Augustinus vetat occupied in some better kind of doconerare conscientias hujusmodi trine. And Augustine forbiddeth observationibus, et prudenter ad- that men's consciences should be monet Januarium, ut sciat eas burdened with observations of this indifferenter observandas esse; sic enim loquitur.

kind, and doth very prudently warn Januarius to know that they are to be observed as things indifferent; for he so speaketh.

Wherefore our ministers must

Quare nostri non debent videri hanc causam temere atti- not be thought to have touched gisse, aut odio episcoporum, this matter rashly, or from hatred ut quidam falso suspicantur. of the bishops, as some do falsely Magna necessitas fuit, de illis surmise There was great need erroribus, qui nati erant ex tra- to admonish the churches of those ditionibus male intellectis, ad- errors, which did arise from mismonere ecclesias. Nam Evange- taking of traditions; for the Goslium cogit urgere doctrinam in pel compelleth men to urge the docecclesiis de gratia et justitia trine of grace and of the righteousfidei, quæ tamen intelligi non ness of faith in the Church; which potest, si putent homines se me- yet can never be understood if men reri gratiam per observationes ab suppose that they can merit remisipsis electas. Sic igitur docue- sion of sins and justification by obrunt, quod per observationem servances of their own choice. Thus, traditionum humanarum non therefore, they teach us that we can possimus gratiam mereri, aut not merit grace or justification by justificari, quare non est sen- the observation of man's traditions; tiendum, quod hujusmodi obser- and therefore we must not think vationes sint necessarius cultus. that such observations are necessary service.

Addunt testimonia ex Scriptu

Hereunto they add testimonies

ra.

Christus (Matt. xv. 3) excu- out of the Scriptures. Christ exsat Apostolos, qui non servaverant cuseth his Apostles who kept not usitatam traditionem, quæ tamen the received tradition (which yet videbatur de re non illicita, seemed to be about a matter not sed media esse, et habere cogna- unlawful, but indifferent, and to tionem cum baptismatibus legis; have some affinity with the bapet dicit (ver. 9): Frustra colunt tisms of the law), and saith, 'They me mandatis hominum? Igitur worship me in vain with the comnon exigit cultum inutilem. Et mandments of men' (Matt. xv. 9). paulo post addit (ver. 11): 'Om- Christ, therefore, exacteth no unne quod intrat in os, non inqui- profitable service. And a little nat hominem? Item (Rom. xiv. after, he addeth: 'Whatsoever en17): Regnum Dei non est esca tereth in at the mouth defileth not aut potus.' Col.ii. 16: 'Nemo ju- the man' (ver. 11). So also (Paul): dicet vos in cibo, potu, sabbato 'The kingdom of God is not meat aut die festo? Item (ver. 20 sq.): and drink' (Rom. xv. 17). 'Let no 'Si mortui estis cum Christo ab man judge you in meat or drink, elementis mundi, quare tanquam or in respect of the Sabbath-days, viventes in mundo decreta faci- or of a holiday' (Col. ii. 16). Again: tis: Ne attingas, ne gustes, ne 'If ye be dead with Christ from contrectes?' the rudiments of the world, why, as though ye lived in the world, are ye subject to traditions: Touch not, taste not, handle not?' (ver. 20, 21).

Ait Petrus (Acts xv. 10, 11): Peter saith, Why tempt ye God, 'Quare tentatis Deum, impo- laying a yoke upon the necks of nentes jugum super cervices di- the disciples, which neither we nor scipulorum, quod neque nos ne- our fathers were able to bear? But que patres nostri portare potui- we believe that through the grace mus, sed per gratiam Domini of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall nostri Jesu Christi credimus sal be saved, even as they' (Acts xv. vari, quemadmodum et illi: Hic 10, 11). Here Peter forbiddeth to vetat Petrus onerare conscien- burden the consciences with many tias pluribus ritibus sive Mosi, rites, whether they be of Moses' or sive aliis. Et (1 Tim. iv. 1–3) vo- of any others' appointing. And he cat prohibitionem ciborum doc-1 (Paul) calleth the forbidding of

« PreviousContinue »