they being his ministers, sent by him, as he was by God the Father, and endued with a Divine power, which attested unto them. In like manner, whatsoever is delivered by the church hath the same authority which the church hath: which though it be not equal to the foregoing, (the church having no such Divine power nor infallible judgment as the apostles had,) yet is of such weight and moment, that it ought to be reverenced next to theirs. I mean the sense of the whole church, which must be acknowledged also to be of greater or lesser authority, as it was nearer or further off from the times of the apostles. What was delivered by their immediate followers ought to weigh so much with us, as to have the greatest human authority; and to be looked upon as little less than Divine. The universal consent of the next generation is an authority approaching as near to the former as the ages do one to another. But what is delivered in latter times hath less human authority, though pretending to come, but without proof, from more early days; and hath no authority at all, if it contradict the sense of the church, when it was capable to be better acquainted with the mind of Christ and of his apostles.

As for particular churches, their authority ought to be reverenced by every member of them, when they profess to deliver sincerely the sense of the church universal; and when they determine, as they have power to do, controversies of faith, or decree rites and ceremonies (not contrary to God's word) in which every one ought to acquiesce.

But we cannot say the same of that which comes from any private doctor in the church, modern or ancient, which can have no greater authority than he himself was of; but is more or less credible, according as he was more or less diligent, knowing, and strictly religious.

4. But to all this it is necessary that it do sufficiently appear, that such doctrines do really come from those authors whose traditions they pretend to be. This is the great and the only thing about which there is any question among sober and judicious persons: how to be sufficiently assured that any thing which is not delivered unto us in the scriptures doth certainly come; for instance, from Christ or his holy apostles. For in this all Christians are agreed, that whatsoever was delivered by Christ from God the Father, or by the apostles

from Christ, is to be embraced and firmly retained, whether it be written or not written; that makes no difference at all, if we can be certain it came from him or them. For what is contained in the holy scripture hath not its authority because it is written, but because it came from God. If Christ said a thing, it is enough, we ought to submit unto it; but we must first know that he said it; and let the means of knowing it be what they will, if we can certainly know he said it, we yield to it.

But how we can be certain (at this distance of time from his being in the world) that any thing, now pretending to it, was said by Christ, which is not recorded in the holy scriptures, there is the business. And it is a matter of such importance, that it cannot be expected any man should be satisfied without very good evidence of it; but he may very reasonably question, whether many things be not falsely ascribed unto him, and unto his apostles, which never came from them. Nay, whether those things which are affirmed to be the doctrines of the primitive church, and of the whole church, be not of some later original; and of some particular church, or private doctors in the church; unto whose authority that reverence is not due, which ought to be paid, and which we willingly give, unto the former.

Now according to this state of the matter, any good Christian among us (who is desirous to know the truth, and to preserve himself from error) may easily discern what traditions ought to be received and held fast, and what we are not bound unto without any alteration; and what are not to be received at all, but to be rejected; and how far those things are from being credible, which the Roman church now would obtrude upon us, under the name of apostolical, or ancient traditions; without any authority from the holy scriptures, or (in truth) any authority but their own, and some private doctors, whose opinions cannot challenge an absolute submission to them.

But to give every one that would be rightly informed fuller satisfaction in this business, I shall not content myself with this general discourse, but shall particularly and distinctly shew what traditions we own and heartily receive; and then, what traditions we cannot own, but with good reason refuse.

These shall be the two parts of this short treatise; wherein I shall endeavour that our people may be instructed not merely to reject errors, but also to affirm the truth.

PART I.

What traditions we receive.

I. And in the first place we acknowledge, that what is now holy scripture was once only tradition, properly so called; that is, doctrine by word of mouth. In this we all agree, I say, that the whole gospel or doctrine of Christ, which is now upon record in those books we call the scriptures, was once unwritten, when it was first preached by our blessed Saviour and his apostles.

Which must be noted, to remove that small objection with which they of the Roman church are wont to trouble some people's minds, merely from the name of traditions; which St. Paul, in his Epistles, requires those to whom he writes carefully to observe: particularly in that famous place, 2 Thess. ii. 15, where we find this exhortation, Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Behold, say they, here are things not written, but delivered by word of mouth, which the Thessalonians are commanded to hold. Very true, (should the people of our church say to those that insist upon this,) but, behold also, we beseech you, what the traditions are of which the apostle here writes; and mark also when it was that they were partly unwritten.

For the first of these, it is manifest that he means by traditions the doctrines which we now read in the holy scriptures. For the very first word, therefore, is an indication that this verse is an inference from what he had said in the foregoing. Now the things he before treated of are the grand doctrines of the gospel, or the way of salvation revealed unto us by Christ Jesus, from God the Father, who hath from the beginning (saith he, ver. 13, 14.) chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he hath called you, &c. This is the sum of the gospel, and whatsoever he hath delivered unto them about these matters, of their sanctification, or of their faith, or of their salvation, by

obtaining the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, (to which they were chosen and called through their sanctification and faith,) this he exhorts them to hold fast; whether it was contained in this Epistle, or in his former preaching; for he had not occasion now to write all that he had formerly delivered by word of mouth.

Which afterward was put into writing: for mark (which is the second thing) the time when some things remained unwritten; which was, when this Epistle was sent to the Thessalonians. Then some things concerning their salvation were not contained in this letter; but, as yet, delivered only by word of mouth unto this church. I say, to this church; for it doth not follow that all churches whatsoever were at the time of the writing of this Epistle without the doctrine of the gospel completely written, because among the Thessalonians some traditions or doctrines were as yet unwritten. Which can in reason be extended no further than to themselves, and to this Epistle; which did not contain all the evangelical doctrine, though other writings, which it is possible were then extant in some other churches, did.

And, I say, as yet unwritten in that church; because the Thessalonians, no doubt, had afterward more communicated to them in writing besides this Epistle, or the former either, viz. all the Gospels, and the Acts of the Apostles, and other apostolical epistles, which we now enjoy. Which writings, we may be confident, contain the traditions which the apostle had delivered to the Thessalonians by word; concerning the incarnation, birth, life, miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension of our blessed Saviour; and concerning the coming of the Holy Ghost, and the mission of the apostles; and all the rest which is there recorded for our everlasting instruction.

And therefore it is in vain to argue from this place, that there are still, at this day, some unwritten traditions which we are to follow; unless the apostle had said, Hold the traditions which ye have been taught by word, which shall never be written. And it And it is in vain for us to inquire after any such traditions, or to rely upon them when they are offered unto us; unless we were sure that there was something necessary to our salvation delivered in their sermons which was never

to be delivered in writing; and unless we knew where to find it, as certainly as we do that which they have committed to writing.

And it is to no more purpose to shew us the word tradition, in other places of St. Paul's writings, particularly in the third chapter of the same Epistle, ver. 6, where by tradition St. Chrysostom understands the apostle's example, which he had given them; and so it follows, ver. 7, for yourselves know how you ought to follow us, &c. ; or it may refer to the commandment he had given them in his former Epistle, iv. 11. (which the reader may be pleased to compare with this,) but cannot with any colour be expounded to signify any doctrine of faith about which the Roman church now contends with us. For it is plain, it hath respect to their good manners and orderly living; for the information of which we need go no whither but to the holy scriptures, wherein we are taught fully enough how we ought to walk and please God in all things.

The same may be said of that place, 1 Cor. xi. 2, Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things, and keep the traditions, (or ordinances, as we render it, or precepts, as the vulgar Latin itself hath it,) as I delivered them to you. For we are so observant of what he hath delivered, that we are confident if St. Paul were now alive, and in this church, he would praise us (as he doth the Corinthians) for keeping the traditions as he delivered them; and on the contrary, reprove and condemn the Roman church for not keeping them, as they were first delivered. And we have good ground for this confidence, there being an instance in that very chapter which demonstrates our fidelity in preserving the very first traditions, and their unfaithfulness in letting them go. For he tells us, ver. 23, that he had delivered to them what he had received of the Lord; and that which he received and delivered was about the whole communion (as you may read there and in the following verses, 24, 25.) in both kinds; the cup as well as the bread. Thus, he saith, the Lord appointed it, and thus he delivered it; and this tradition we keep entire, as he received it of the Lord, and delivered it to his church in this Epistle, which is a part of the holy scripture; whereas they do not keep it, but have broken this Divine tradition, and