Ca?v. III.] T?.?mO?. 107 controversy between them ancl us. For how can any man rationally determine this, without consulting the first and most authentic piece of tradition ? And this being so, we are fallen back into the difficulties and perplexities which they pretend are in the way of Scripture. Nor can the Church of Rome boast that her traditions have preserved her from controversy, since her very tra4itions have been the subject matter of sharp and protracted controversies. The supremacy of the pope, the sacrifice of the mass, images, the time of keeping Easter, the immaculate conception, infant communion, &c., have long agitated the Church of Rome. Furthermore, Romanists are not agreed about the competency of the testimony, or what is sufficient to prove tradition to be apostolical. Some think the testimony of the present Catholic Church is sufficient, others deny it. Thus confusion and uncertainty surround their tradition; we will give one considerable instance of this. The patrons of the imma- culate conception allege that they have the consent of nearly the uni.. versal church, and of all universities, especially of Paris, where no man was admitted to be master of theology unless he bound himself by oath to maintain that doctrine. On the other hand, Cajetan brings the irrefragable testimony of fifteen fathers against it; others bring no less than two hundred, and Eandellus brings in almost three hundred. To this array of witnesses, the friends of the immaculate conception reply, that some of these authors are brought in falsely, and that the multitude of witness is of little avail, seeing their opinions may all be traced to some one doctor. Thus they contend and decide nothing.* 8. Unwritten traditions have been attended and followed by the most pernicious effects to those who have been guided by them. Had not Christianity been committed to writing i.n its commencement, in all probability by this time there would sca/?ely have been one doctrine left which we would be certain was genuine. And although tradition hath been doubtlessly preserved, by having some regard to Scripture, from degenerating as much as it otherwise would; yet for want of suf- ficiently regarding it, first. needless, then uncertain, then false and per- nicious articles of faith have crept in among Christians, the very steps of whose entry, for the most part, we can trace. The faith of the firsi ages changed by litde and little every age after, and still for the worse; till at length the Church of Rome, nearly three hundred years ago, at the Council of Trent, when they were called upon to reform these abuses, chose to establish them under the name of primitive tradition, and condemn all who will not receive them with the same regard as they do Scripture itself. Just as in our Sayloafs ,time it was among the Jews, who asked, "Why walk not thy disciples sa%r the tradition of the elders ? And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the com- mandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition,"Mark vii, 5, 9. And just as St. Paul had foretold it would happen among Christians: "Beware lest any man spoil you through vain deceit, after the tradition of men, and not after Christ," Col. ii, 8. ' 9. The discordant opinions of Roman Catholics themselves respect- lag traditions form an overwhelming argument agains? them. Some believe tradition to be equa/to the written word; others believe it to be ss?ser/or; and others still inferior to Scripture. �8? T,�or's Pres?rv., book i, ?. 'fit, vol. it, p.
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