46 OfConflancy in the ProfePionof the True Religion. Vol. I. God) I fay to thefe they have added feveral Apocryphal Books, not warranted by Divine Infpiration , becaufe they were written after Prophecy and Divine Infiltration was ceafed , in the Jewifh Church ; Malachi being the laft , of their Prophets, according to the general Tradition of that Church. But be- caufe the Addition of thefe Books did not make a Rule of Faith and Practice large enough for their Purpofe ; in imitation of the 7ews, in the time of the greateft Confufion and Degeneracy of that Church, theyadded in the Second Place to their Books of Scripture, which they call the written Word, an unwrittenWord, which they al Oral Tradition fromChrift and his Apoftles which they declare to be of equal Authority with the HolyScriptures themfelves; and that it ought to be received with the fame Pious Veneration and Affection : Of which Traditions, They being the . Keepers and Judges, they may extend them to what they pleafe, and having them in their own Breafts, they may de- clare whatever they have a mind to, to have been a confiant and unìverfal Tra- dition of their Church ; tho' it is evident to Common Senfe, that nothing can be more uncertain, and more liable to Alteration and Miftake, than Tradition, at the diflance of fo many Ages, brought down by Word of Mouth, without writing, and paffing through fo many Hands. He that can think thefe to be of equal Certainty and Authority with what is delivered by Writing, and brought down by Books, uftdertakes the Defence of a firange Paradox, viz. That gene- ' ral Rumour andReport of things faid and done 15óo Tears ago, is of equal Authority and Credit with a Record, and a written Hloy. By which proceeding of the Council of Trent, concerning the Rule of Faith , and Practice, it is very evident that they had no mind to bring their Faith to the Ancient Rule, the HolyScriptures. That they knew could not be done ; and therefore they were refolved to fit their Rule to their Faith. And this Foun- dation being laid in their firft Decree, all the Reft would afterwards go on very fmoothly. For do but give Men the making of their Rule, and they can make good any thing by it. And accordingly the Council of Trent having thus fixt and fitted a Rule to their own purpofe ; in the Conclufion of that Decree, they give the World fair warning, upon what Grounds, and in what Ways they intend to proceed in their following Decrees of Practice, and Defini- tions of Faith. Omnes itaque intelligant, quo ordine & via ipfa Synodus poll jatium fidei confdionis fundamentum fit progre sra, &c. Be it known therefore to all Men, in what Order and Way the Synod, after having laid this Foundation of the Confeon of Faith, will proceed ; and what Tellimonies and Proof flit chiefly intends to make ufe of for the Confirmation of Dotrines, and Refor- mation ofManners in the Church. And no doubt all Men do fee very plainly to what purpofe this Foundation is laid of fo large a Rule of Faith. And this be- ing admitted, how ¿arse is it for them to confirm and prove whatever Doctrines and Practices they have a mind to eflablifh ? But if this be a new, and another Foundation, than That which the Great Author and Founder ofour Religion, bath laid and built his Church upon, (viz.) the Foundation of the Prophets and Ape/lles; it is no matter what they build upon it. And if they go about to prove any, thing by the new parts of this Rule; by the Apocryphal Books which they have,added to the Ancient Canon of the Scriptures, brought down to us by the general Tradition of the Chriftian Church ; and by their pretended unwritten Traditions : We do with Reafon reject this kind of Proof, and delire them firft to prove their Rule, before they pretend to prove any thing by it : For we proteft againft this Rule as never declared and owned by the Chriftian Church, nor proceeded upon by the Ancient Fathers of the Church, nor by any Council whatfoever, before the Council of Trent. In vain then doth the Church of Rome vaunt it felt of the Antiquity of their Faith and Religion, when the very Foundation and Rule ofit is but ofYefterday ; a new thing never before known or heardof in the Chriftian World : Whereas the Foundation and Rule of Our Religion is the Word of God, contained in the Holy
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