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A85804 A prudent and secure choice. Worthy of due consideration being a sure land-mark to all those who have been tossed to and fro in these wavering times. / Written by H.G. Gent. G. H., Gent. 1650 (1650) Wing G24B; ESTC R177290 17,462 57

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so private that it is not knowne wherein they agree for to one it teacheth one point of Beliefe and denyeth the rest To another it teacheth another Point and denyeth the rest to a third it teacheth another and likewise denyeth the rest c. So that by some Spirit or other every point of Beliefe is taught and every Point denyed How then is it a Rule Scripture also is unsufficient to declare its owne sence as appeareth by the great difference amongst Interpreters left to their owne judgements and contradictory Religions framed thereby when some must needs bee deceived of their so assured Sense and who they are who can sufficiently prove by Scripture alone It is evident that the presumptuous confidence of the sufficiency and cleernesse of Scriptures alone hath caused these experienced Confusions and will maintaine them if It bee not layd aside And prodigious is the blindnesse which seeth it not For one may truly say there is nothing in the World that more divideth Schollers and Common-wealths into monstrous differences then the sense of Scriptures left to private Judgements when every mans judgement is left free to guesse what hee pleaseth that looking this way onely no man can find any assurance of what we are to Believe What wonder then if wee have so many contradictory Doctors Every one the sole true understander of Gods word Sole true impugner of Beliefe Every one disproving one Article and proving another Whence all Beliefe is proved and every Article disproved by their unfallible Rule an evident argument of the insufficiency of this course and that the Scripture doth not declare it selfe therefore it can bee no Rule to determine contradictory Opinions of the sense of the same consequently of it selfe not sufficient what is Gods word 25. J declare it evidently for there is scarce any point of Beliefe but some disbeliever or other finds it in Scripture then by their rule they eyther prove all points of Faith or that Scripture is no Rule For amongst them they find out almost all wee believe in their undoubted Rule yet looking upon one anothers disagreements they must say It is no Rule The same Scripture regulating to them every point of Beliefe and the same regulating their disbeliefe in all Which of these shall the World follow Finally It is as cleare that resting upon private Interpretations of holy Scripture no high mysterie can oblige to Beliefe because being subject to Controversies Probability must bee supposed upon all sides and why not in one as well as in another Then they doe not appeare Divine revelations consequently they oblige not to Beliefe if then probable arguments against Beliefe be sufficient to excuse the Disbeliefe all disbeliefe is excusable consequently no Faith obligeth another Rule then is necessary The texts inducing to this confidence are weake You shall not adde a Word Deut. 4. Search the Scriptures Joh. 5. These things are written that you may Believe Joh. 20. All Scripture divinely inspired is profitable They prove as much against the Primitive Church which doubtlesse was an infallible Rule and could not cease by the accesse of Scriptures Neyther doe these Places say that all is written which CHRIST taught or that what is written is divine Scripture or that it needeth no Interpreter especially not a Church but a private Spirit onely But now wee seeme to deny with the same danger Wee deny not any sufficiency on the part of holy Scripture for it is the undoubted Word of GOD left to the interpretation of his Church But only we deny the sufficiency of our unmannerly Judgements that presume too high A Rule then is necessary to fulfill Gods Command since hee doth not command a saving Beliefe and leave us so unassured of his Word CHAP. 11. The onely unfallible Rule to know Gods word 26. IS the Church holy Apostolicall not hindered in her Continuance nor disproved in her Doctrine which remaineth incorrupt Though the gates of Hell as was fore-told breath forth malice at all times against it Of this the holy Scripture giveth cleare testimony Math. ult Teach all Nations behold J am with you every day even to the end of the World Math. 18. 17. If hee shall not heare the Church let him bee to thee as a Heathen and Publican Luk. 10. 16. Hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that contemneth you contemneth mee Besides the Church is called Math. 5. The light of the World Tim. 3. 15. A pillar and firmament of Truth These texts sufficiently prove a living and infallible Rule Then you will say The Scripture is the Rule whereby to know the Church consequently the onely rule of all Beliefe True it is The Church and Scripture give mutuall evidence of one another yet the first Rule by which wee know both Scripture and the sense thereof is onely the Church How then doe wee know the Church As the Apostles and Disciples knew CHRIST by the Testimonies from God of his Mission and as succeeding Ages knew their Predecessors even till this time by the providence of God without interruption never disproved otherwise there can be no true sense made of CHRISTS Promises of teaching all Nations of being with it every day to the consummation of the World of all being obliged to heare it of being a firmament of Truth and light of the world That were there no Scripture as CHRIST was and his Primitive Church was so likewise in their Successours the same Church even till the Worlds end is an infallible Rule to know what is to bee Believed untill it be evidently proved what Age first began to conspire against their Teachers by devising damnable Errours hard even to reason and sense without encountering any publique Opposers even till these last Hundred yeares or thereabout and without this Church wee could not be assured of holy Scriptures Certainly there is not any greater proofe of Gods word nor shew of his Providence nor clearer meanes to discide Controversies than the believing Church wee speake of What Authority can compare with it the Disbelievers only because it confounded their hardnesse of Belief were forced to that poore shift of adhering to a Church invisible If this bee not evident yet it is manifest that there is no motive of disbeliefe comparable to it See Numb 3. 26. Hence J prove the Church to bee the onely unfallible Rule whereby to know what is to be believed GOD commanding Belief under paine of damnation must bee supposed to declare sufficiently what is to be believed But if the Church bee not a sufficient rule GOD doth not sufficiently declare to the world what is to bee believed Therefore we must confesse the Church to be the sufficient Rule consequently infallible The first Proposition is undoubted The second evident J have shewed Chapter 10. That the Scripture is no sufficient Rule to determine the sense thereof private Spirit is also uncertaine and not knowne as J shewed Numb 24. It followeth then that eyther the Church must bee
the Rule or that we have no rule Moreover who will have the Scripture the rule meane as it is interpreted by themselves not as it is interpreted by themselves not as it is Interpreted by the Church J aske them Doth their wit lead them to the true Sense Or the bare Word Or both If the first then their Wit is the rule If the second why doth not the bare Word regulate all sincere understandings or how could the whole auntient Church be so blind as not to see it if it erred as Disbelievers suppose If both J aske againe Whether the Authority of some in this last Age disagreeing in their pretended Rule and granting it to teach almost every particular Doctrine they deny can bee prudently esteemed comparable to the consent of an Antient Church interpreting Scriptures uniformly never yet evidently disproved nor questioned for dissenting from the Primitive till of late 27. Hence againe J prove the Church the onely Rule whereby wee know what is to be Believed THat must be supposed to be the Rule which is the most probable Proposall but the Church is the more probable proposall Therefore it is the Rule The first Proposition is manifest for where GOD commands Belief hee cannot permit the contrary Errour to be proposed with greater Probabilitie That the Church is the more probable Proposall hath all proofes except only its Adversaries denyall what Authority Sanctity Antiquity extent and Unity is comparable to it If you aske here whether the Wit of men bee the rule in the Church J answer That the Church guided by the Spirit of GOD is the rule How doe J know this By the Church it selfe indued with such marks and tokens of Gods presence in it that prudently J cannot doubt it See Numb 3. The Jewes Law was to continue but untill the Comming of the MESSIAS yet in respect of the great Authority thereof CHRIST held them excusable adhering to their Law and denying himselfe to bee the Messias had hee not wrought such Miracles as no man ever wrought No wonder then if the Church be a rule to Christian beliefe untill God worke Miracles to disprove it And of what nature had they need to bee Disbelievers will tell you They are the Church The new Church of Disbeliefe not the auntient believing Church They cannot bee of the Church and by Disbelieving fight against the Church which consisteth of Believers Their first and onely contention with the Church was because it Believed and they could not understand how Yet they could never prove when the Church first devised that Beliefe wherefore leaving it they left also the Primitive Church though in words onely they pretend to follow it Securely and prudently such a Rule is believed with danger denyed maugre all shew of Reason to the contrary since it can bee but in shew Probable CHAP. 12. Hee that leaveth this Rule is in evident danger 28. IT cannot bee denyed but that it is Prudence to rely on such a Church believing it rather then any private Wits or reason denying therefore Secure It is evident also that there is no other Rule as J shewed Chapter 10. Then to forsake this Rule is to runne into danger of errours in Beliefe this also is proved Numb 24. You say the Church hath erred therefore is not to bee looked upon as a Rule What then Are you sure none will say that the Scriptures have been corrupted Grant they have not yet who can bee assured that hee only understandeth them In the Church protected by CHRIST you will suppose Errours without proofe because you will have no Rule to containe your judgement within the bonds of Humility but you can produce no evident proofe as you must confesse Your calling some Scriptures in question your Interpretations of others your questions how Your moderne disagreeing Doctors your obscurities out of Antiquity which is all you can bring are but the fruits of Wit and argue even in your owne Judgements but a Probability against the former received Articles invincibly credible First Because the auntient and onely knowne Church hath constantly proved them by an Vniforme interpretation of holy Scriptures more prevalent than any new Authoritie can bee to the contrary 2. Secondly If they were devised since the Primitive Church it is not possible but it would have beene Recorded by many or some antient Writers They being Articles hard and of highest concernment 3. Thirdly Why shall the judgement of a few Denyers condemne a Beliefe delivered by the same Scripture interpreted by the same Church as all other Articles were 29. BY these Proofes well pondered those supposed Errours will appeare objects of a Christian beliefe invincibly Prudent and they evidently credible First declared not by a Parliament but by Generall Councels not in one Kingdome but in many not by a few dis-agreeing but by a Consonant voyce throughout all Parts and times of the Christian world what more Credible Then no Errours then no markes of an apostating Church The Church then remaines a Rule this is at least Probable then dangerous to forsake it Least hee that hateth it hateth CHRIST 30. BEcause all that will not Believe what most prudently appeareth to bee CHRISTS word are in danger of denying CHRIST'S word But such are the forsakers of this Rule therefore they are in danger c. The major is proved because CHRIST cannot bee supposed to command Beliefe and permit the most prudent motives to Errour The minor is certaine because the forsakers of this Rule have no other nor Church antienter then themselves to warrant their Inventions The Church then remaineth not manifestly blemished then not convinced to differ from the Primitive Then the onely Catholique then the deliverer of GOD's Word then a Secure rule dangerous then to forsake it If all this bee not evident it is at least Probably proved and free from harme Securely then believed dangerously denyed Since the authority of the Church must appeare more prevalent to justifie those Articles pretended Errours then Wit of man to blemish it by them The Conclusion 31. THus have I shewed the Securitie of Believers probably at least conformable to CHRISTS word The danger also of Disbelievers contemning the Authority of an antient Church and as yet not convicted of Corruption in Faith nor so much as charged by any authority greater than it selfe but such as regenerate by her in CHRIST did forsake her for liberty of life and Belief Hee that dispiseth it dispiseth CHRIST Who will not heare the Church let him bee reputed as a Heathen and a Publican And choosing the disbelieving part out of seeming Reasons exposing themselves to needlesse danger of that Sentence who will not believe shall bee condemned For if the contrary Beliefe must bee supposed at the least Probable then the Disbeliefe may bee a faulty denyall of CHRISTS word consequently it may deserve damnation This is evident to reason Moreover since GOD hath commanded a beliefe of his Gospell I have shewed by Reason and evident Experience of the infinite contradiction of Interpreters left to their owne private judgements or Spirits an absolute necessity of some living Rule and that no other can bee imagined than the Antient believing undisproved Church against which all Arguments that wit can produce if they be not cleerly evident and beyond the degree of Probability to which purpose it will bee necessary to disprove evidently all the proofes the said Church hath they are unsufficient to overthrow an antient received Church declaring and proving the contrary ever since the first Institution thereof Who then seeth not how much it concerneth a Christian not rashly to deny what is delivered by an antient Church Vpon true beliefe Gods favour dependeth on this Eternall welfare wee expect but one Death one irrevocable Iudgement one eternity of Happinesse or Misery This is the effect of Disbelief That is promised to Believers Shall a Christian adventure upon such extremities with seeming Probabilities and leave Security Beliefe is secure voyd of harme But to Disbelievers it is said Who will not believe shall bee damned Graviter p●ccat saith St. August cap. de Baptis qui in rebus ad Salutem animae pertinentibus certis incerta praeponit Heavie is his sinne who in matters concerning the safety of his Soule preferreth uncertaine meanes before certaine Read and consider Farewell FINIS Errata COurteous reader besides many slippes I desire you in the 2 Epistle line 15. to reade for the these pag. 3. l. 9 for the these ● the 11 leave out them line 21. put in Secondly p 4 for fourthly thirdly c p 7 for religious religions p. 11 l 8 for duly daily p 12 l 2 for heattly hearty p. 14 l. 15. read permanent l 10 for 8. put 18. p. 15 l. 20 insert two before Creeds p. 17. l 18 for the read hee p. 19. l. 11 for is it p. 20. l. 18. for 28 24 p. 26. l. 8. for 12 21 pa. 25 l 4 insert to shew pa. 36 l 22 insert true p. 39 for see number 3 and the 26 see num 3 pag. 45 l 15 put out first