Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	reason_n	scripture_n	word_n	2,445	5	4.1142	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42816	Logou thrēskeia, or, A seasonable recommendation and defence of reason in the affairs of religion against infidelity, scepticism, and fanaticisms of all sorts.	Glanvill, Joseph, 1636-1680.	1670 (1670)	Wing G812; ESTC R23387	21,978	41

infer That Reason is in a sense the Word of God viz. that which he hath written upon our minds and hearts as Scripture is that which is written in a Book The former is the Word whereby he hath spoken to all Mankind the latter is that whereby he hath declared his will to the Church and his peculiar people Reason is that Candle of the Lord of which Solomon speaks Prov. 20.27 That light whereby Christ hath enlightned every one that cometh into the world John 1.9 And that Law whereby the Consciences of the Heathen either accuse or excuse one another Rom. 2.15 So that Hierocles spoke well when he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be perswaded by God and right reason is one and the same thing And Luther called Philosophy within its own bounds The truth of God 3. The belief of our reasons is an exercise of Faith and Faith is an act of Reason The former part is clear from the last particular and we believe our Reasons because we have them from God who cannot mistake and will not deceive So that relying on them in things clearly perceived is trust in Gods veracity and goodness and that is an exercise of Faith Thus Luke 12. The not belief of Reason that suggests from Gods cloathing the Lillies that He will provide for us is made by our Saviour a defect of Faith ver 28. O ye of little Faith And for the other part that Faith is an act of Reason that is evident also For 'T is the highest reason to believe in God revealing 4. No Principle of Reason contradicts any Articles of Faith This follows upon the whole Faith befriends Reason and Reason serves Religion and therefore They cannot clash They are both certain both the truths of God and one truth doth not interfere with another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle Truth agrees with all things that are Whatsoever contradicts Faith is opposite to Reason for 't is a fundamental Principle of that That God is to be believed Indeed sometimes there is a seeming contradiction between them But then either something is taken for Faith that is but Phancy or something for Reason that is but Sophistry or the supposed contradiction is an error and mistake 5. When any thing is pretended from Reason against any Article of Faith we ought not to cut the knot by denying reason but indeavour to unty it by answering the Argument and 't is certain it may be fairly answered For all Hereticks argue either from false Principles or fallaciously conclude from true ones So that our Faith is to be defended not by declaiming against Reason in such a case which strengthens the enemy and to the great prejudice of Religion allows reason on his side But we must indeavour to defend it either by discovering the falshood of the Principles he useth in the name of Reason or the ill consequence which he calls proof 6. When any thing is offered us for an Article of Faith that seems to contradict Reason we ought to see that there be good cause to believe that this is divinely revealed and in the sense propounded If it be we may be assured from the former Aphorisms that the contradiction is but an appearance and it may be discovered to be so But if the contradiction be real This can be no Article of Revelation or the Revelation hath not this sense For God cannot be the Author of Contradictions and we have seen that Reason as well as Faith is his I mean the Principles of Natural Truth as well as those of Revelation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle Truth is throughout contrary to falshood and what is true in Divinity cannot be false in Reason 'T is said indeed in the Talmud If two Rabbins differ in Contradictories yet both have their Opinions from Moses and from God But we are not obliged to such a non-sensical kind of Faith And ought not to receive any thing as an Article in a sense that palpably contradicts Reason no more than we may receive any in a sense that contradicts other Scriptures Faith and Reason accord as well as the Old Testament and the New and the Analogy of Reason is to be heeded also because even that is Divine and Sacred 7. There is nothing that God hath revealed to oblige our Faith but he hath given us reason to believe that he hath revealed it For though the thing be never so clearly told me If I have not reason to think that God is the Revealer of what is so declared I am not bound to believe except there be evidence in the thing it self For 't is not faith but vain credulity to believe every thing that pretends to be from God So that we ought to ask our selves a Reason why we believe the Scripture to be the Revelation of Gods will and ought not to assent to any sense put upon it 'till we have ground to think that that sense is his mind I say we must have ground either from our particular Reasons or the Authority of the Church otherwise our Faith is vain credulity and not faith in God 8. A man may hold an erroneous opinion from a mistaken sense of Scripture and deny what is the truth of the proposition and what is the right meaning of the Text and yet not err in Faith For Faith is belief of God revealing And if God have not so revealed this or that as to give us certain ground to believe this to be his sense he hath not sufficiently revealed it to oblige our Faith So that though I deny such or such a sense while I believe it is not from God his veracity and Authority is not concerned since I am ready however to give a chearful assent to whatever is clearly and sufficiently revealed This Proposition follows from the former and must be understood only of those Doctrines that are difficult and obscurely delivered And that many things are so delivered in Scripture is certain For some are only hinted and spoken occasionally some figuratively and by way of Parable and Allegory some according to mens conceptions and some in ambiguous and Aenigmatical Phrases which obscurities may occasion mistake in those who are very ready to believe what ever God saith and when they do I should be loath to say that such err in Faith Though those that wrest plain Texts to a compliance with their interests and their Lusts Though their affections may bring their judgments to vote with them yet theirs is error in Faith with a witness and capable of no benefit from this Proposition 9. In searching after the sense of Scripture we ought to consult the Principles of Reason as we do other Scriptures For we have shewn That Reason is another part of Gods Word And though the Scripture be sufficient to Its end yet reason must be presupposed unto It for without this Scripture cannot be used nor compared nor applied nor understood 10. The essentials of Religion are so plainly

of that Profession know very well and therefore Perronius Gonterius Arnoldus Veronius and other Jesuites have loudly declaimed against Reason and the last mentioned Veronius presented the World with a Method to overthrow Hereticks meaning those of the Protestant Faith which promised more than ordinary And that was to deny and renounce all Principles of Reason in affairs of Faith absolutely and roundly and not to vouchsafe an Answer to any Argument against Transubstantiation or any other Article of their new Faith but point-blank to deny whatever Reason saith in such matters And he affirms that even these Principles of Reason viz. Non entis non sunt Attributa at omne quod est quando est necesse est esse and such like which are the foundations of all reasoning are dangerous to the Catholick Faith and therefore not to be heeded This man speaks out and affirms directly and boldly what the other enemies of Reason imply but will not own This is a Method to destroy Hereticks in earnest but the mischief is all Christians and all other Religions and all other reasonings are cut off by the same Sword This Book and Method of Veronius was kindly received by the Pope priviledged by the King of Spain approved by Cardinals Archbishops Bishops and all the Gallick Clergy as solid and for the advantage of Souls and the Sorbone Doctors gave it their approbation and recommended it as the only way to confute Hereticks Did these know what they recommended And did they think we understand the Interest of the Roman Church If so we kindly serve their ends and promote their Designs in the way which they account best while we vilifie and disparage Reason If This be renounced in matters of Religion with what face can we use it against the Doctrine of Transubstantiation or any other Points of the Roman Creed Would it not be blameless and irreprovable for us to give up our understandings implicitly to the Dictates and Declarations of that Church May we not follow blindly whatever the Infallible Man at Rome and his Councils say And would it not be vain self-contradiction to use Arguments against their Decrees though they are never so unreasonable Or to alledge Consequences from Scripture against any of their Articles though never so contrary to the Holy Oracles How easily may They rejoyn when we dispute against them You argue from Reason and by Consequences But Reason is dull and carnal and an enemy to the things of the Spirit and not to be heard in the high matters of Religion And what can we say next if we consent to the Accusation I say by this way we perfectly disable or grosly contradict our selves in most of our disputes against the Romanists And we are very disingenious in our dealings while we use Reason against them and deny It when 't is urged against our selves by another sort of Adversaries which implies that when we say Reason is not to be heard we mean 'T is not to be heard against us But It must against the Church of Rome or any others we can oppugn by It. Thus I say our denying Reason in Religion is either very humoursome and partial or 't is a direct yielding up our selves to our enemies and doing that our selves which is the only thing They desire to undo us and to promote their own interests upon our Ruines And thus My Brethen I have represented some of the mischiefs that arise from the disparagement of Reason and they are great ones and big of many others and such as are destructive to all Government and all the Interests of the sober part of mankind And I hope I need not intreat You not to contribute to the promoting and continuance of so false and dangerous a conceit The assertion of this is properly Fanaticism and all that we call so grows upon it Here the enemies of our Church and Government began upon this They insisted still and filled their Books and Pulpits and private corners with these Cantings This was the Engine to overthrow all sober Principles and Establishments with This the people were infatuated and credit was reconciled to Gibberish and Folly Enthusiasms and vain Impulses This is the food of Conventicles to this day the root of their matter and the burden of their Preachments Let Reason be heard and tye them to sense and most of their Holders-forth have no more to say Their spirituality for which they are admired is besides Reason and against It rather than above it And while this Principle of the enmity between Reason and Religion stands the people will think Them the more Spiritual Preachers because they are the less reasonable And while they are abused by such a belief 't will be impossible for sober men to have any success in their indeavours to convince them These things I doubt not but you discern and know and therefore I add no more for I am sensible to whom I speak But there are another sort and those Conformists too who are made Divines by the Notes they formerly took from those Canters against Reason To such I should not tell what to say They will whine on and vent their Iargon to perswade them to speak better sense is to desire them to hold their peace which of all things they hate most But I hope there are none of Those here and I could wish the Government would take special care of them where they are For they are the most dangerous enemies the Church of England hath They keep alive the Principles of Phancy and Faction which otherwise would go out of themselves But I let them pass and conclude with a short Advice to the People I HAVE in the foregoing Discourse shewn with all the plainness and perspicuity that I could the fair agreement between Reason and Religion and the mischiefs that arise from the opinion that sets them at odds If what I have said be not clear to your minds 't is because I could not help it All Subjects are not capable of being made alike plain to all Capacities I have all along designed distinct speaking and have as much as I could avoided mixture of Languages and Terms of Art that so you might apprehend that in which I take you to be much concerned though I chiefly intended the Discourse for my Reverend Brethren the Clergy who I doubt not apprehend it fully What I have more to say to YOU is That you would beware of those Teachers that rail against Reason For either they know not what they say or have a design to abuse you Instead of hearkening to such Indeavour to be informed of the Reason of your Faith and Hope For we are fallen into times in which you will have frequent occasion to use it And That faith which is reasonable will not make you ashamed and that hope which is well grounded will not disappoint you But the end of such an hope will be the satisfaction of your desires in the day of your expectations And the end of such a faith the Salvation of your souls in the day of the Lord Iesus To whom with God the Father and God the Holy Ghost be ascribed all Glory and Adoration henceforth and for ever FINIS