Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	church_n	scripture_n	true_a	13,977	5	5.9688	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20820	Abjuration of poperie, by Thomas Abernethie: sometime Iesuite, but now penitent sinner, and an unworthie member of the true reformed Church of God in Scotland, at Edinburgh, in the Gray-frier church, the 24. of August, 1638	Abernethie, Thomas, fl. 1638-1641.	1638 (1638)	STC 72; ESTC S100404	27,560	50

and controversies of religion to be grounded upon the principles of humane philosophie O base and sandie ground for articles of faith and matters of salvation O wise philosophers or rather foolish ignorants Know yee not that other foundation can no man lay then that is laide which is Jesus Christ And that the wisdome of the world is foolishnesse with GOD for it is written He taketh the wise in their owne craftinesse And againe the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vaine Now if any man ask me wherefore I left Papistrie I answere before my GOD as the Lord shall save me in that great day when all secret thoughts shall be revealed that no carnall thought or worldly rentation did move me to take this resolution but only that after serious examination and reading of Gods word by conference with Jesuits in Pole and Ministers in diverse countries although neither of them knew me to have beene a Jesuite I found that Papistrie was built upon this sandie foundation of Philosophie sophistrie traditions and the rudiments of the world and not upon that invincible rock Christ Jesus And therefore I resolved to come out of Babylon that I should not be partaker of her sins and that I should not receave of her plagues And hid my self in the clift of this rocke that is in the wounds of my deare and only Saviour Christ Jesus denying all other meane of salvation but that which is written in his holy word adjoining my self to the true reformed Church of God in Scotland Whereof if any man aske the reason of adjoining my selfe to the Church of God in Scotland rather then to another church as England or Germanie I answere them that I minde to use a part of the Physitians counsell who give for a singular antidote against the pest of the body three things to observe that is citò longè tardè which is somuch as whosoever will bee free of the bodily pest let him go soone away from the place infected next go far away and thirdly to stay long away that the place be well cleansed before he returne so say I whosoever will be free of that spirituall pest of Antichrist let him use three things citò longè nunquam that is let him go soone away from it next far away and thirdly never to return back againe to it And because the Church of God in Scotland observeth best this infallible rule of any of them all being farrest from all popish superstition and neerest to apostolicall puritie therefore I have adhered thereto and not to any of the rest And because reading of the Scripture was the occasion and instrumentall cause of this my recovered health I exhort by the tender mercies of Christ that every man take some paines every day to read a portion of Scripture especially yee blinded papists to whom it is a mortall sin to read it more than the Alcoran except yee have a dispensation for both are alike forbidden read the Scriptures often and yee shall surely finde comfort to your souls so that yee read them with prayer and humilitie and not for contention as wee used to read them For all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect througly furnished unto all good works An other reason which did confirme me in this my godly resolution was I could finde no warrand in Scripture for poperie and yet I preased to strain the Scripture and throw it to my purpose but could never satisfie mine owne conscience As for example that fundamentall point of their tyrannous hierarchie of Peters being at Rome by what right the popes serve themselves heire to Peter more than the Churches of Antioch and Alexandria which are more ancient Churches then that of Rome that Peters succession is tyed to the towne of Rome jure divino as I was taught by them that of the popes infallibilitie notwithstanding their contradictions one to another in fundamentall things his usurped authoritie upon Gods Scriptures and mens consciences and all their traditionall trash have no true warrand in Gods word Yea I wonder that learned men who know this silence of their opinions in Gods word should remaine in Babylon any longer for we are commanded to search the Scriptures as they which testifie of Christ. The Apostle Peter sayeth That we have a more sure word of prophecie whereunto yee do well that yee take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place untill the day dawne and the Day-star arise in your hearts O poore soules that ly caught in these snares and you conformists who run post to them know yee not that praestat obedire Deo quàm hominibus Wee ought to obey GOD rather then man And Peter and John answered and said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you then unto God judge yee That is as much to say as when the obedience towards God and that towards man not altogether conforme to that of Gods are put in ballance against other that there is no question which of them we should make choice of God commands thee to search the Scriptures and the pope commands thee not to read them under the paine of mortall sin God ordaineth thee to take the cup at the Communion the pope commands the contrarie GOD commands thee that thou shalt not make any graven images c. the pope commands thee to have use and worship them GOD sets thee at Christian libertie from the ceremoniall law and rudiments of the world the pope binds thee with that infinite number of his tyrannous lawes For they the pope and his councel binde heavie burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on mens shoulders but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers Look about thee and consider the miserable estate thou art in be not terrified with boasting to declare thee an heretick or a rebell resolve thy self constantly and say with the Apostle I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth And in another place But this I confesse unto thee that after the way which they call heresie so worship I the GOD of my Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets And heerein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards GOD and towards men I speak nothing of their brutish and Sodomitish life worse then that of the Pagans described by the Apostle which although it be not universall thorow all the popes dominions yet it is common and notorious in the privie chamber that is Italie of that Babylonish whoore as is known to the world by relation and to me by auricular confession Neither touch I that superstitious and hypocriticall