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church_n council_n general_n infallibility_n 4,531 5 11.6807 5 false
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A30916 A letter to a lady furnishing her with Scripture testimonies against the principal points and doctrines of popery Barecroft, Charles. 1688 (1688) Wing B757; ESTC R20623 57,234 84

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the_o most_o effectual_a they_o say_v he_o who_o be_v sensible_a of_o their_o own_o blindness_n since_o there_o be_v no_o other_o way_n to_o be_v rid_v of_o it_o but_o by_o the_o word_n of_o god_n they_o shall_v apply_v themselves_o to_o that_o and_o they_o can_v miss_v of_o a_o cure._n which_o be_v enough_o to_o prove_v the_o insufficiency_n of_o the_o church_n custom_n or_o authority_n as_o to_o matter_n of_o faith_n at_o least_o second_o neither_o will_v the_o testimony_n of_o the_o father_n be_v of_o any_o force_n in_o this_o particular_a for_o a_o rule_n of_o faith_n must_v be_v full_a of_o knowledge_n and_o sufficient_o able_a to_o instruct_v we_o but_o what_o say_v s._n austin_n of_o himself_o i_o be_o 119._o aug._n ep_v 119._o not_o only_o ignorant_a say_v he_o in_o many_o other_o thing_n but_o even_o in_o the_o holy_a scripture_n themselves_o i_o be_o yet_o to_o learn_v more_o than_o i_o know_v already_o and_o thus_o he_o elsewhere_o hi●●_n ep._n ad_fw-la hi●●_n express_v himself_o to_o the_o book_n of_o the_o scripture_n only_o which_o be_v call_v canonical_a do_v i_o owe_v this_o honour_n that_o i_o firm_o believe_v that_o none_o of_o their_o penman_n have_v err_v in_o any_o thing_n they_o have_v write_v but_o i_o esteem_v other_o writer_n according_a to_o their_o sanctity_n and_o learning_n i_o do_v not_o think_v any_o thing_n true_a mere_o because_o it_o be_v their_o opinion_n which_o very_o well_o agree_v with_o that_o axiom_n of_o tertullian_n if_o say_v he_o a_o bishop_n haeret_fw-la tertul._n de_fw-fr praescr_n haeret_fw-la or_o deacon_n if_o a_o widow_n or_o maid_n if_o a_o doctor_n or_o even_o a_o martyr_n shall_v err_v from_o the_o rule_n will_v the_o error_n be_v ever_o the_o true_a or_o better_a for_o their_o sake_n we_o do_v not_o prove_v the_o faith_n by_o the_o person_n but_o the_o person_n by_o the_o faith._n and_o the_o acknowledgement_n of_o biel_n be_v to_o the_o 41._o bie●_n sup_v can._n miss_n l._n 41._o same_o purpose_n that_o the_o authority_n of_o the_o father_n compel_v no_o man_n to_o assent_v to_o their_o say_n unless_o they_o build_v on_o the_o holy_a scripture_n or_o divine_a revelation_n on_o this_o account_n therefore_o s._n austin_n may_v well_o cry_v out_o 57_o aug._n in_o psal_n 57_o let_v our_o write_n be_v withdraw_v that_o the_o book_n of_o god_n may_v be_v introduce_v and_o as_o for_o apostolical_a tradition_n let_v the_o testimony_n 1._o iren._n l._n 3._o c._n 1._o of_o irenaeus_n serve_v for_o all_o by_o the_o apostle_n say_v he_o the_o gospel_n come_v down_o to_o we_o which_o they_o then_o preach_v and_o afterward_o by_o the_o will_n of_o god_n they_o deliver_v to_o we_o in_o the_o scripture_n what_o be_v to_o be_v the_o future_a foundation_n and_o pillar_n of_o our_o faith._n now_o if_o neither_o the_o custom_n of_o the_o church_n nor_o the_o judgement_n of_o the_o father_n nor_o tradition_n can_v be_v a_o perfect_a rule_n of_o faith_n no_o more_o can_v all_o these_o unite_a in_o a_o general_n council_n be_v so_o for_o a_o rule_n must_v be_v in_o every_o respect_n perfect_a but_o we_o have_v see_v that_o the_o church_n be_v in_o many_o respect_v defective_a and_o the_o father_n subject_n to_o ignorance_n and_o error_n and_o if_o irenaeus_n may_v be_v credit_v the_o apostle_n preach_v nothing_o contrary_a to_o what_o they_o have_v leave_v we_o in_o write_v and_o therefore_o there_o can_v be_v no_o place_n for_o apostolical_a tradition_n so_o that_o a_o rule_n which_o be_v imperfect_a and_o defective_a in_o every_o part_n must_v needs_o be_v so_o in_o the_o whole_a and_o bellarmin_n himself_o have_v prove_v 12._o bellarm._n de_fw-fr council_n l._n 2._o c._n 12._o that_o the_o decree_n of_o general_a council_n can_v be_v a_o perfect_a rule_n because_o they_o can_v pretend_v to_o immediate_a divine_a revelation_n that_o they_o may_v err_v in_o some_o thing_n and_o in_o many_o of_o their_o definition_n they_o conclude_v only_a probably_n but_o a_o rule_n of_o faith_n ought_v to_o be_v every_o way_n perfect_a and_o to_o conclude_v necessary_o and_o such_o a_o absolute_a perfect_a rule_n the_o scripture_n appear_v to_o be_v not_o only_o from_o their_o own_o testimony_n but_o from_o testimony_n of_o the_o great_a pillar_n of_o the_o church_n in_o the_o second_o third_z four_o and_o five_o century_n and_o therefore_o if_o any_o man_n interest_n have_v lead_v he_o to_o a_o contrary_a judgement_n in_o the_o late_a age_n of_o the_o church_n his_o opinion_n ought_v not_o to_o be_v set_v up_o as_o a_o standard_n against_o antiquity_n join_v with_o truth_n from_o hence_o then_o we_o may_v infer_v what_o have_v be_v already_o assert_v that_o the_o scripture_n be_v of_o themselves_o a_o perfect_a and_o un-erring_a rule_n nothing_o must_v be_v put_v to_o or_o take_v from_o they_o to_o which_o purpose_n beside_o what_o have_v be_v produce_v already_o the_o reader_n may_v give_v himself_o the_o trouble_n of_o peruse_v the_o follow_a text_n deut._n 12._o 32._o josh_n 1._o 7._o prov._n 30._o 6._o gal._n 1._o 8._o and_o 3._o 15._o rev._n 22._o 18_o 19_o and_o let_v he_o learn_v the_o danger_n of_o add_v or_o take_v away_o that_o be_v do_v any_o thing_n contrary_a to_o the_o scripture_n from_o these_o leu._n 10._o 2._o isai_n 1._o 12_o 13_o 14_o and_o 66._o 3._o hos_fw-la 9_o 15._o matth._n 15._o 6_o 9_o mark_v 7._o 9_o gal._n 4._o 10._o from_o all_o which_o text_n will_v evident_o appear_v the_o invalidity_n of_o any_o thing_n that_o be_v not_o build_v upon_o the_o true_a foundation_n and_o the_o danger_n of_o be_v lead_v away_o by_o such_o vanity_n and_o so_o i_o hope_v i_o have_v sufficient_o vindicate_v my_o reliance_n on_o the_o testimony_n of_o the_o scripture_n in_o the_o business_n of_o the_o follow_a undertake_n i_o shall_v only_o trouble_v the_o reader_n with_o two_o or_o three_o necessary_a caution_n concern_v the_o right_a use_n and_o understanding_n of_o those_o sacred_a write_n and_o then_o give_v he_o his_o liberty_n to_o proceed_v i._o if_o any_o man_n will_v make_v choice_n of_o the_o scripture_n for_o his_o guide_n in_o matter_n that_o concern_v his_o wellbeing_a here_o and_o hereafter_o he_o must_v have_v a_o care_n of_o believe_v every_o spirit_n we_o must_v not_o take_v thing_n of_o such_o moment_n on_o trust_n mere_o because_o they_o be_v assert_v by_o one_o that_o pretend_v to_o great_a learning_n or_o inspiration_n for_o we_o be_v to_o look_v on_o the_o gentleman_n of_o these_o time_n as_o such_o as_o will_v make_v the_o best_a they_o can_v of_o every_o word_n when_o they_o meet_v with_o one_o of_o a_o ordinary_a capacity_n therefore_o ii_o it_o behove_v every_o man_n that_o have_v any_o regard_n to_o his_o own_o safety_n to_o search_v into_o these_o thing_n himself_o to_o read_v the_o holy_a scripture_n diligent_o that_o so_o he_o may_v learn_v from_o they_o whether_o such_o thing_n be_v true_a or_o no._n but_o as_o i_o be_o now_o write_v to_o those_o of_o the_o mean_a rank_n in_o learning_n lat_fw-ge east_n it_o be_v necessary_a that_o i_o caution_n such_o reader_n of_o the_o scripture_n against_o lay_v too_o much_o stress_n on_o the_o literal_a interpretation_n of_o a_o text_n for_o the_o holy_a ghost_n very_o often_o make_v use_n of_o metaphor_n and_o other_o obscurity_n wherein_o the_o sense_n be_v not_o obvious_a to_o every_o eye_n and_o though_o as_o s._n austin_n say_v there_o be_v nothing_o so_o obscure_a in_o one_o place_v which_o in_o another_o be_v not_o make_v plain_a yet_o it_o be_v not_o suppose_v that_o a_o ordinary_a reader_n know_v how_o to_o find_v that_o place_n out_o or_o if_o he_o do_v that_o he_o have_v judgement_n enough_o to_o satisfy_v himself_o for_o the_o scripture_n consist_v of_o a_o soul_n and_o a_o body_n the_o body_n be_v the_o letter_n and_o the_o soul_n be_v the_o true_a interpretation_n every_o man_n therefore_o say_v origen_n that_o 4._o de_fw-fr princip_n lib._n 4._o desire_v to_o come_v to_o the_o knowledge_n of_o the_o truth_n must_v have_v his_o eye_n on_o every_o word_n for_o every_o nation_n have_v a_o different_a way_n of_o speak_v let_v he_o therefore_o mind_n rather_o what_o be_v signify_v than_o with_o what_o word_n it_o be_v express_v for_o there_o be_v some_o thing_n which_o no_o human_a word_n can_v explain_v but_o they_o be_v only_o conceivable_a in_o a_o honest_a understanding_n by_o which_o rule_n also_o we_o come_v to_o the_o knowledge_n and_o understanding_n of_o the_o holy_a scripture_n that_o what_o we_o read_v be_v not_o to_o be_v understand_v according_a to_o the_o letter_n but_o according_a to_o the_o divinity_n of_o that_o holy_a spirit_n which_o inspire_v it_o wherefore_o the_o honest_a reader_n will_v do_v well_o to_o take_v care_n that_o he_o be_v not_o draw_v by_o the_o letter_n out_o of_o the_o right_a