Ch.4.5. of the mite of Beleevers. 421 fame Jefuite ) it proved from John 3: 5. but the fenfe'. Whereby to prove it is niantfefl by tradition, Becan. Manual. lib: I. cap. fetl. 24.. Mailer 7ornbes well knowes that thefe Jefuites will fay as much of any point of Faith , and leave the whole meaning of all Scripture to reft on the Churches inter- pretation, continued by tradition. For Mailer Tombes his quo - tation o Proteflant Authors ( fo many of them as have kept up the honour of Scripture, and made no defehion from that way ) it fpeaks his boldnefí'e to affirm that any of them ever difho- noured Infant - Baptifm in that way as to fettle it upon un- written tradition, or to fixe it on fuch a bottome. He very well knowes, that as they defend the Scriptures full perfetlion, and make it their bufineffe to oppofe all that would have it ek't out by any thing that is unwritten, fo they afTert Infant- Baptifm on Scripture- foundation.:. Can Mailer 7ómbes thinke that he bath to deal with fuch weak adverfaries, that whiles againft his party they contend with Scripture- arguments,thatInfants ought to be baptized, they will yeeld up the caufe on the other hand to Pa- pifts, and confefle the infufficiency of Scriptures. But the ho- monymic or various acceptation of the word Tradition, may deceive the unwary Reader ; I do not thinke it deceived Mailer Tombes, but he is very well pleafed to make advantage of it to cafldufl in the eyes of others. Sometimes tradition is taken in the proper fenfe, for that which is delivered,or hand .d over from one to another, in this fenfe every point of faith is a tradition ; fo is Baptifm it felf, in which fenfe Paul takes it, z 7hef. z. 15 . Stand fafl,andhoddthe traclitions,which ye have been taught, Whe- ther by word,or our Epiflle. Sometimes tradition is taken for that which is delivered in word, without writing, as there is diflin- guifhed a tradition by word, and a tradition by Epiflle,;, what rains Epiflles taught isa tradition, and what Paul delivered by word of mouth is a tradition and both muff be held. Here fomewhat feemingly is fpoken for unwritten traditions by the Apoflle. For folution of which our Proteftant Divines have taught us to a diflinguilh between the doElrine it Pelf that is deliver- ed to ua, and the way and manner of delivery. So Charnier de ca- none fidei,lib. 8, cap. r.Se£i. 16. The former of thofe might admit of many fub- divifions. The way of delivery is either by wri- ting in the Scriptures, or by lively voyce by Godslvlinifters; as H h h 3 Charnier The varions ac- ceptauon of the word Tra. - ditiozo a Dißinguen-, dura inter res qua vraluntur in EctiefGf' &'_ rationem carum tradendarum: ;>'
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