Hold Fast To The Traditional Gospel And Avoid Novelties In Doctrine

Beveridge, William (1637-1708)

WE must be sure to observe this apostolical rule, to hold fast the form of sound words: which his Apostle judged so necessary, that he minds Timothy of it, not only here, but likewise in his former Epistle to him, saying, 1 Tim. vi. 20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy charge; that is, the fides depositum, as St. Jerome expounds it, that sound faith which is committed to thee: and then he adds, avoiding τας βεβήλους κενοφωνίας, profane and vain babblings, as contrary to the sound words before spoken of: or, as the Latin Fathers generally render it, devitaris profanas vocum novitates; reading, I suppose, καινωφωνία instead of κενοφωνία; but the sense is much the same.

For all new ways of speaking in divinity, especially in our age, is at the best but vain babbling, and commonly profane, possessing men's minds with such notions and conceptions of things, as will infallibly lead them into error and heresy.

Read but the wild extravagant opinions of the first heretics and schismatics, that disturbed the Church; and afterwards take a view of those which after-ages have produced, together with such as have been either revived or invented in our days; and you will find them all made up of new words, strange phrases, and odd expressions, which please the ears, and then debauch the minds of them which hearken to them.

We need not go far for instances; every sect amongst us will supply us with too many, insomuch that they may be all known from one another merely by their words, and new modes of speaking; whereby they would seem to interpret, when indeed they pervert the Scriptures, and wrest them to their own destruction.  Hence therefore it will be our interest and wisdom, as it is our duty, to avoid those new words and phrases, which have been lately started in the Church, as well as the opinions which are couched under them; and to look upon them at the best but superfluous and unnecessary, upon that very account, because they are new. For nothing certainly can be necessary to be believed or spoken in our days, which hath not been so all along.

Especially it concerns us, who are to instruct others in the way to bliss, to use none but sound words, such as are consonant to the Scriptures, as interpreted by the catholic Church in all ages. I speak not this of myself; it is the express command of our Church, in the Canons she put forth in the year 1571, where she hath these words; Imprimis vero videbunt concionatores, ne quid unquam doceant pro concione, quod a populo religiose teneri et credi velint, nisi quod consentaneum sit doctrina Veteris aut Novi Testamenti, quodque ex ilia ipsa doctrina catholici patres et veteres episcopi collegerint.  [The official English translation reads: "The Preachers chiefly shall take heed that they teach nothing in their preaching, which they would have the people religiously to observe and believe, but that which is agreeable to the Doctrine of the Old Testament and the New, and that which the Catholick Fathers and Ancient Bishops have gathered out of that Doctrine."]