PROTESTANT DOCTRINE ON UNITY OF FAITH. 269
testimonies of the Scripture. Would you know where to begin and where to end? But you are, indeed, in a circle which hath neither be- ginning nor ending. I know not when we shall be enabled to say, —
" Inventus, Chrj-sippe, tui finitor acervi." — Pers. vi. 80. Now, do you think it reasonable that we should leave our stable and immovable firm foundations to run round with you in this endless circle, until, through giddiness, we fall into unbelief or atheism ? This is that which I told you before, — you must either acknowledge our principle in this matter to be firm and certain, or open a door to atheism and the contempt of Christian religion, seeing you are not able to substitute any thing in the room thereof that is able to bear the weight that must be laid upon it, if we believe. For how should you do so? Shall man be like unto God, or equal unto him? The testimony we rest in is divine, fortified from all objections by the strongest human testimony possible, — namely, catholic tradition. That which you would supply us with is merely human, and no more. And, 4. Your importunity in opposing this principle is so much the more marvellous unto us, because therein you openly oppose yourselves to express testimonies of Scripture and the full suffrage of the ancient church. I wish you would a little weigh what is affirmed, 2 Pet. i. 19, 20 ; Ps. cxix. 152 ; John v. 34-36, 39 ; 1 Thess. ii. 13 ; Acts xvii. 11 ; 1 John V. 6, 10, ii. 20; Heb. xi.; 1 Tim. i. 15; Acts xxvi. 22. And will you take with you the consent of the ancients ? Clemens Alexand. Strom, vii., speaks fully to our purpose ; as he doth also, lib. iv., where he plainly affirms that the church proved the Scripture hy itself; and otlier things, as the unity of the Deity, hy the Scinpture. But his own words in the former place are worth the recital : — "R-xjafnv, saith he, tyjv apyriv rrjg Tidrsug,^ rhv Kvpiov, did rs ruv "r/Jopjjrwi', hid n roy iXjayyeXiou, xa/ did rSiv [Laxapiuv diroeroXitiv 'TToXvrpO'Trojg xai 'ffbkvfispojg 1^ dpyjii sig rsXog riyov^asvov rrig yvCiCio^g. 'Yr\v dp'^rjv d' s7 rig irspou hiTsDai vto~ XdZoi, ohx'iT oiv ovTug dp^n (pvXa^&iin' — " For the beginning of faith, or principle of what we teach, we have the Lord ; who in sundry man- ners, and by divers parts, by the prophets, gospel, and holy apostles, leads us to knowledge. And if any one suppose that a principle stands in need of another" (to prove it), "he destroys the nature of a principle," or " it is no longer preserved a principle." This is that we say, — the Scripture, the Old and New Testament, is the principle of our faith. This is proved hy itself to be of the Lord, who is its author ; and if we cause it to depend on any thing else, it is no longer the principle of our faith and profession. And a little after, where he hath showed that a principle ought not to be disputed, nor to be the TO %pi\i6[x,ivov of any debate, he adds, 'E/x&Vwg roimv -Tricrsi 'npiXaQovTsg dva'TTodir/.-ov rrjv dpyriv, ix. inpiovGiag xai rag dirobii^ng vap' aurrjg rrig 1 Ai'iacmaXtas, ex ecUtione Oxoniensi, a.d. 1715. — Ed.
270 A VINDICATION OF THE ANIMADVERSIONS ON FIAT LUX.
"P%^S Xa£oi/r£5, (puvfj Kvplov TaidsuofMsda <7rphi ttiv s-irlyvustv Trig dy^'/jihiag' — " It is meet, then, that receiving by faith the most absolute prin- ciple without other demonstration, and taking demonstrations of the principle from the principle itseK, we be instructed by the voice of the Lord unto the knowledge of the truth;" that is, Ave believe the Scripture for its own sake, and the testimony that God gives unto it, in it and by it, and do prove every thing else by it; and so are confirmed in the faith or knowledge of the truth. So he farther ex- plains himself, Ov yap airXug d'7ro<paivo/j,svoig avSpojiroig 'rrpba'iyoix.iv, o/'j xat avTWTTocpahie&ai W 'lerig 'it,t(Srir — " For we do not simply or absolutely attend or give heed unto men determining or defining ; against wdiom it is equal that we may define or declare our judgments." So it is; whilst the authority of man, or men, any society of men in the world, is pleaded, the authority of others may by as good reason be objected against it; as, whilst you plead your church and its definitions, others may on as good grounds oppose theirs unto you therein. And there- fore Clemens proceeds: E/' 5' oux dpxe?' /mjvov ccxXojg iiirin/ rh dfj^av. dXXd ':ri(fru)Sa<fdai dcT to X;^dsv, ou rriv s^ dvdpuTruv dvaiJ.svo;jjSV /Maprupiav, d.Xkd ri] Tou Kvpiou (pojvrl 'Trisrou/x^ida, rh ^7]rou//ySvov, i] "iraaa/v d'TTodsl^iMV iyiyy\)(^ripa.j fjjaXXov S" tI [liiVYi d'TTodei^ig ovffa Txjyydvii' xaS" r\v s'7n(>rri/!ji,riv o'l d'Zoyived/Msvoi Ijjivov ruv Tpa(po!/v, TiffToi' — " For if it be not sufficient merely to declare or assert that which appears to be truth, but also to make that credi- ble or fit to be believed which is spoken, we seek not after the testi- mony that is given by men, but we confirm that which is pro]5osed or inquired about with the voice of the Lord; which is more full than any demonstration, or rather is itself the only demonstration ; accord- ing to the knowledge whereof they that have tasted of the Scriptures are believers." Into the voice, the word of God alone, the church then resolved their faith; this only they built upon, acknowledging all human testimony to be too weak and infirm to be made a foun- dation for it ; and this voice of God, in the Scripture evidencing itself so to be, is the only demonstration of faith which they rested in: whereupon, a little after, he adds, OuVws ouv xai T,ijjiig d-r aurojv ruv Tpa(pS)v rsXs/w; d-TrodnxvuvTig^ sx TigTiug TiiDo/MiOa d'XodaxTixug' — " So we, having perfect demonstrations out of the Scriptures, are by faith demonstratively assured or persuaded of the truth of the things pro- posed." This was the profession of the church of old ; this the reso- lution of their faith ; this is that which Protestants in this case adhere unto. They proved the Sciipture to be from God, — as he elsewhere speaks, 1^ avOivniag vavToxparopixr^g, — as we also do; Sti'om. iv. To this purpose speaks Salvianus de Gub., lib. iii., " Alia omnia (id est, humana dicta) argumentis et testibus egent; Dei autem sermo ipse silji testis est, quia necesse est ut quicquid incorrupta Veritas loquitur, incorruptum sit testimonum veritatis;" — " All other sayings stand in