ESSAY I.

THE RULE OF FAITH.

LIBRARY

THE recent publication in England of so many works on Tradition indicates a new and extended interest in the subject; and their republication in America shows that the interest is as great here as it is in England. It is not difficult to account for this. The rapid increase of Romanism in some parts of the world, the revival of zeal and confidence among the Papists, and the advocacy of the leading principles of the church of Rome by the Oxford Tracts, have rendered this and kindred points the prominent subjects of religious discussion in Great Britain, and consequently, to a great extent in this country. We question whether at any period since the Reformation, or, at least, since the days of Archbishop Laud and the non-jurors, the public mind has been as much turned to these subjects as it is at present. This is no doubt principally owing to the publication of the Oxford Tracts. It is enough to arouse a Protestant community, to hear the Reformation denounced as a schism, Protestantism decried as anti-christian, and all the most dangerous errors of Romanism espoused and defended by members of the leading Protestant university of Europe. It is no wonder that this movement excites the joy of Papists, and the indignation of Protestants. It is no wonder that the press teems with answers to the artful and subtle effusions of men, who, though sustained by a Protestant church, direct all their energies to obliterate her distinctive character and to undermine her doctrines. The wonder rather is that men, professing godliness, can pursue a course so obviously unfair; or that they are allowed to retain the stations which give them support and influence.

Originally published in 1842, in review of the following works:

1. The Divine Rule of Faith and Practice. By William Goode, M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge.

2. A Treatise concerning the Right Use of the Fathers in the Decision of Controversies in Religion. By John Daillé, Minister of the Gospel in the Reformed Church at Paris.

3. Not Tradition, but Scripture. By Philip N. Shuttleworth, D.D., Warden of New College, Oxford (late Bishop of Chichester).

4. The Authority of Tradition in Matters of Religion. By George Holden, M.A.

5. Tradition Unveiled. By Baden Powell, of Oriel College, Oxford

It is certainly time, when not only the Romanists are redoubling their efforts for the extension of their errors, but when they find their most efficient allies in our own camp, that Protestants should rouse themselves to a sense of their danger, and renew their protest against the false doctrines of Rome, and their testimony in behalf of the truth of God. It is conceded that the turning point in these controversies is the Rule of Faith. Are the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments the only infallible rule of faith and practice? if so, Romanism and Puseyism are confessedly without any adequate foundation. We say confessedly, first because their advocates admit that the whole controversy turns upon the authority due to tradition; and secondly, because, in enumerating the doctrines which tradition is necessary to prove, they include the very doctrines by which they are distinguished from Protestants. "The complete rule of faith," says a distinguished Romanist, "is scripture joined with tradition, which if Protestants would admit all the other controversies between us and them would soon cease."* "It may be proved," says Mr. Keble, " to the satisfaction of any reasonable mind, that not a few fragments yet remain, very precious and sacred fragments of the unwritten teaching of the first age of the church. The paramount authority, for example, of the successors of the apostles in church government; the three-fold order established from the beginning; the virtue of the blessed eucharist as a commemorative sacrifice; infant baptism; and above all, the Catholic doctrine of the most Holy Trinity, as contained in the Nicene creed. All these, however surely confirmed from scripture, are yet ascertainable parts of the primitive unwritten system of which we enjoy the benefit."† "Without its aid [i. e. of primitive tradition] humanly speaking, I do not see how we could now retain either real inward communion with our Lord through his apostles, or the very outward face of God's church and kingdom among us. Not to dwell on disputable cases, how but by the tradition and the practice of the early church can we demonstrate the observance of Sunday as the holiest day, or the permanent separation of the clergy from the people as a distinct order? Or where, except in the primitive liturgies, a main branch of that tradition, can we find assurance, that in the holy eucharist, we consecrate as the apostles did, and consequently that the cup of blessing which we bless is the communion of the blood of Christ, and the bread which we break is the communion of the body of Christ ?" This, in the language of the sect, means, How but by tradition can we establish the doctrine of the real presence? Again the same writer says, "The points of Catholic consent, known by tradition, constitute the knots and ties of the whole system; being such as these: the canon of scripture, the full doctrines of the Trinity and Incarnation, the oblation and consecra

* See Goode, vol. i., p. 90.

Keble, Sermon on Tradition, p. 32.

Ib., p. 38.

tion of the eucharist, the apostolical succession.' To these he afterwards adds, "baptismal regeneration," and the doctrine" that consecration by apostolical authority is essential to the participation of the eucharist."

After quoting these and many other passages from Mr. Keble's sermon, and from other writings of the Tractarians, Mr. Goode thus enumerates and classifies the doctrines, which according to their system depend on tradition alone, or upon scripture as explained by tradition. "Relating to points disused, i. The nonliteral acceptation of our Lord's words respecting washing one another's feet. 2. The non-observance of the seventh day as a day of religious rest.

"Relating to ordinances in use among us, 1. Infant baptism. 2. The sanctification of the first day of the week. 3. The perpetual obligation of the eucharist. 4. The identity of our mode of consecration in the eucharist with the apostolical. 5. That consecration by apostolical authority is essential to the participation of the eucharist. 6. The separation of the clergy from the people as a distinct order. 7. The three-fold order of the priesthood. 8. The government of the church by bishops. 9. The apostolical succession.

"Of points purely doctrinal, 1. Baptismal regeneration. 2. The virtue of the eucharist as a commemorative sacrifice. 3. That there is an intermediate state, in which the souls of the faithful are purified, and grow in grace; that they pray for us, and that our prayers benefit them.

"Of points concerning matters of fact, and things that do not immediately belong either to the doctrines or the rites of Christian-ity, 1. The canon of the Scripture. 2. That Melchisedec's feast is a type of the eucharist. 3. That the book of Canticles represents the union between Christ and his church. 4. That wisdom, in the book of Proverbs, refers to the Second Person of the Trinity.. 5. The alleged perpetual virginity of the mother of our Lord."

"It is impossible," says Mr. Goode, "not to see that, among all these points, the stress is laid upon those which concern the government and sacraments of the church; and our opponents being persuaded that patristical tradition delivers their system on these points. . . . are very anxious that this tradition should be recognised as a divine informant; and in the zealous prosecution of this enterprise, are desirous further of impressing it upon our minds, that almost all the other points relating either to doctrine or practice, yea even the fundamentals of the faith, must stand or fall according as this recognition takes place or not."* This is true. The writers of the Tracts, knowing and admitting that their peculiar doctrines, that is, doctrines which they hold in common with the Romanists, and which distinguish both from Protestants, cannot be proved except by tradition, are led to assert, not only that

* Goode, vol. ii., p. 18.

the doctrines peculiar to Episcopalians, but even some of the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel, rest on the same unstable foundation. If we understand the fundamental principles of Romanism and of the Oxford Tracts they are the following. That sacraments are the only ordinary channels of communicating the grace of the Holy Spirit and the benefits of Christ's merits; that participation of these sacraments is therefore the great means of salvation: that the sacraments have this efficacy only when administered by duly ordained ministers (except that the Papists admit the validity of lay baptism in cases of necessity); that ordination confers the Holy Spirit, and imparts the power and authority to consecrate the bread and wine in the eucharist so that they become the body and blood of Christ, and when offered, are a propitiatory sacrifice effectual for the remission of the sins of the living and the dead; and that the right to ordain and the power to confer the Holy Spirit belong exclusively to prelatical bishops as the successors of the apostles. These, as it seems to us, are the bones, or, as Mr. Keble would say, the knots and ties of the whole system. This is the foundation of the whole fabric of papal and priestly domination and delusion. Bishops are the successors of the apostles "in all the plenitude of their power;""what Christ was in his own house, such now are they. The authority which he possessed in his human nature, he transfers to them;"* they alone have the right to confer the authority and power to administer the sacraments which are the appointed channels of grace: hence they are the dispensers of salvation; those whom they excommunicate, justly or unjustly, perish; those whom they receive and retain in communion of the church are saved. Everything depends on them. They are in the place of Christ. That such a system should find favour with the clergy, human nature would lead us to expect; and that it should be adopted by the people, experience teaches us not to be surprised at. It is the easiest of all methods of salvation; the least self-denying, the most agreeable to the indolent and depraved heart. But as it is contrary to the word of God, men adopt it at their peril; and its very attractiveness is a reason why its falsehood and its dangerous tendency should be exposed.

As the advocates of this system urge its acceptance on the ground of tradition, it is not surprising that so large a portion of the works written against the system, are directed against tradition as a rule of faith. All the books mentioned at the head of this article, with one exception, are the productions of clergymen of the Church of England, and were written in answer to the Oxford Tracts. The work of Daillé on the Use of the Fathers, is an old book, which has retained its place as a standard for nearly two centuries, and is the store-house whence modern writers draw not a few of their arguments and illustrations. Its publication by our Board in an improved form, thus rendering it easily accessible at a

* Mason's Tract on Catholic Unity, p. 10.

cheap rate, is an important service to the church, and we heartily recommend it to the careful study of our fellow ministers. The works of the Bishop of Chichester, of Professor Powell, and of Mr. Holden, have been already noticed in our pages, and are here mentioned again only with a view of renewing our recommendation to our readers to sustain the publisher in his laudable enterprise to disseminate such reasonable books.

Mr. Goode's book, which is dedicated to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London, is devoted to the refutation of the Oxford Tracts. It gives at length the doctrine on tradition taught in those writings; proves that it is identical with the Popish doctrine on the same subject; demonstrates that patristical tradition is not "a practically infallible witness of the oral teaching of the apostles, nor receivable as a divine informant ;" and vindicates the claim of holy scripture as the sole divinely-revealed rule of faith and practice, and sole infallible judge of controversies, and consequently, in the credenda of religion, the sole authority which binds the conscience to belief in what it delivers. He vindicates the fulness and sufficiency of the divine revelation as contained in the scriptures, and in doing this examines at length the doctrines which, as Tractarians affirm, tradition is necessary to establish. He then shows that his doctrine on this whole subject is the doctrine of the fathers themselves, as well as that of the Church of England. He pronounces the appeal made by the Tractators in their Catena Patrum, to the opinions of the English divines in support of their doctrines, "one of the most unaccountable, and painful, and culpable (however unintentional) misrepresentations with which history supplies us." He convicts them of the grossest unfairness in quoting in support of their views distorted fragments of works written in direct and avowed opposition to them. He accuses them of borrowing not merely their arguments, but in a great degree their learning, at second hand from the Romanists; and brings forward cases of egregious blunders in their quotations from the fathers. He shows that the famous tract No. 90, designed to show that the thirty-nine articles are consistent with the Tridentine decrees, is little else than the reproduction of a work written by a Jesuit more than two centuries ago.*

The theory of the traditionists is, that the holy scriptures are both defective and obscure. They contain, indeed, all the essential doctrines of the Gospel, but they give, in many cases, mere hints or notices of them, which could not be understood unless explain

* The title of this work is, "Deus, natura, gratia, sive, Tractatus de Predestinatione, de meritis, et peccatorum remissione, seu de justificatione et denique de sanctorum invocatione. Ubi ad trutinam fidei Catholicae examinatur confessio Anglicana, &c. Accessit paraphrastica expositio reliquorum articulorum confessionis Anglicanae." It was written by an English convert to Popery, named Christopher Davenport, and after his conversion called Francis a Sancta Clara, and designed to prove the English articles to be conformable to the Tridentine doctrines. "And for learning and ingenuity our modern reconciler," says Mr. Goode, "is not to be compared to him. But in all the most important points, the similarity between the two is remarkable.”