Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	point_n	scripture_n	tradition_n	4,854	5	9.5473	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65753	A vvay to the tree of life discovered in sundry directions for the profitable reading of the Scriptvres : wherein is described occasionally the nature of a spirituall man, and, in A digression, the morality and perpetuity of the Fourth Commandment in every circumstance thereof, is discovered and cleared / by Iohn White ...	White, John, 1575-1648.	1647 (1647)	Wing W1785; ESTC R40696	215,387	374

was dictated by God himselfe unto those that wrote it from his mouth or the suggesting of his Spirit Again the work of the holy Ghost in the delivery of the Scriptures is set down affirmatively when the Pen-men of those sacred writings are described to speak as they were moved or carried by the holy Ghost a phrase which must be warily understood For we may not conceive that they were moved in writing these Scriptures as the pen is moved by the hand that guides it without understanding what they did For they not onely understood but willingly consented to what they wrote and were not like those that pronounced the Devils Oracles rapt and carried out of themselves by a kinde of extasie wherein the Devill made use of their tongues and mouths to pronounce that which themselves understood not But the Apostles meaning is that the Spirit of God moved them in this work of writing the Scriptures not according to nature Yet understandingly willingly but above nature shining into their understandings clearly and fully by an heavenly and supernaturall light and carrying and moving their wils thereby with a delight and holy embracing of that truth revealed and with a like desire to publish and make known the secrets and counsels of God revealed unto them unto his Church Yea beyond all this the holy Ghost not only suggested unto them the substance of that doctrine which they were to deliver and leave upon record unto the Church for so far he usually assists faithfull Ministers in dispensing of the Word in the course of their Ministery but besides hee supplyed unto them the very phrases method The holy Ghost made choice both of the expressions and methods and whole order of those things that are written in the Scriptures whereas he leaves Ministers in preaching the Word to the choice of their own phrases and expressions wherein as also in some particulars which they deliver they may be mistaken although in the main fundamentals which they lay before their hearers and in the generall course of the work of their Ministery they do not grosly erre Thus then the holy Ghost not only assisted holy men in penning the Scriptures but in a sort took the work out of their hand making use of nothing in the men but of their understandings to receive and comprehend their wils to consent unto and their hands to write downe that which they delivered When we say that the holy Ghost framed the very phrase and style wherein the Scriptures were written we mean not that he altered the phrase and manner of speaking wherewith custome and education had acquainted those that wrote the Scriptures Yet uttering his own expressions as it were in the sound of their voice but rather speaks his own words as it were in the sound of their voice or chooseth out of their words and phrases such as were fit for his own purpose Thus upon instruments men play what lesson they please but the instrument renders the sound of it more harsh or pleasant according to the nature of it self Thus amongst the Pen-men of Scriptures we finde that some write in a rude and more impolished style as Amos some in a more elegant phrase as Isay Some discover art and learning in their writings as S. Paul others write in a more vulgar way as S. James And yet withall the Spirit of God drew their naturall style to an higher pirch in divine expressions fitted to the subject in hand How needfull it was that the Spirit of God should solely manage and accomplish this work of penning the Scriptures hath been shewed already in the former point wherein we proved that the Scriptures must necessarily be the Word of God seeing faith can stay it self on no other foundation then a divine testimony and our services cannot be accompted a duty of obedience unlesse it be done in obedience to Gods will which can be made known no other way then by his own Word Now the inferences hold strongly thus The Scriptures are Gods own Word therefore they must be delivered by his owne Spirit seeing none else could know Gods minde as none knows the minde of man but the spirit which is in man 1 Cor. 2.11 CAP. V. Of the Subject or Matters handled in the Scriptures that the Scriptures containe all things necessary to salvation IT much concerns such as addresse themselves to the reading of the Scriptures The subject matters revealed in Scriptures are to know what subject they handle of what nature it is whom and what it concerns as being an effectual means to awaken the heart and quicken the affections of men unto that holy exercise For all experience makes it evident that men usually attend carefully to such things as most neerly concern themselves 1. Such as concern men 2. And in the highest degree and are not much moved usually with things in which they have no speciall interest And are serious in matters of importance on which their own safety or their estate depend but sleight things that are of small worth and of no great moment to their gain or losse Wherefore to move men to be serious in reading the Word it is needfull to make it evident that the subject thereof is high and heavenly exceeding mans wisdome and therefore worthy to bee throughly searched into And besides of such importance to us that upon it depends our everlasting happinesse the way whereunto and means whereof are set down therein Seeing therfore it appears that the Position proposed and the consideration thereof are so pertinent to our present purpose and therefore fit to be handled in this place it will be needfull to open it more fully and to that purpose to expresse First what is meant by things necessary to salvation Secondly how the Scriptures doe containe them Concerning the former of these two Necessary imports not 1. A naturall necessity 2. Nor meritorious by necessary we understand not a naturall necessity by which the beeing of one thing depends upon another as the effect doth upon the cause no nor a meritorious necessity by which salvation might be earned as one earns his wages by his labor in either of which senses it is impossible that any thing should be necessary to salvation which can have no cause in nature nor be earned by desert seeing it is a free gift But a necessity imposed by the will of God Rom. 6.23 Eph. 2.8 But by necessary we mean a necessity imposed by the will of God who bestowing eternall life freely had power to bestow it on what conditions he pleased and hath promised it onely under the Covenant of faith and obedience the rules whereof being contained onely in the Scriptures and therein fully they are for that cause said to contain all things necessary to salvation When we say it is onely the will of God that makes faith and obedience necessary to salvation we deny not but this will of his hath in this as

in all things else respect to his own glory For the advancing of his own glory 1. Our faith bearing witnesse to his Al-sufficiency Truth 2. Our obedience to his Authority Righteousnesse Yet are not all things in Scripture alike necessary which is testified at least by our faith and obedience For our relying on him by faith bears witnesse to his sufficiency faithfulnesse truth as our obedience in submitting chearfully to his will in all that he commands acknowledgeth his Authority Wisdome and Holinesse So then this will of God in requiring of us these conditions is every way just as well as free Now when wee say the grounds and rules of faith and obedience contained in Scripture are necessary to salvation we mean not that all are of like necessity Ignorance or unbeleef in God or Christ excludes absolutely from salvation John 3.18 so doth not ignorance or unbeleef in some temporall promise although it cannot be excused from sinne In brief then when we say all things necessary to salvation are contained in Scripture we mean both that the things written therein are necessary to that end although not alike necessary and that there is nothing necessary to that end that is not to be found there We are next to shew what we understand by this tearm containing Scriptures containe things 1. In expresse tearms 2. By necessary consequence Now things may be contained in Scripture either expresly and in plain tearms or by consequence drawn from some grounds that are delivered in Scripture and one of these two ways all grounds of faith or rules of practise are to be found in these holy writings It is no where affirmed in Scripture in expresse tearms that the holy Ghost is God but we read 1 John 5.7 that the Father the Word and the holy Ghost are one and from thence infer by necessary consequence that the holy Ghost is God because he is one with the Father who is God We are no where in precise words commanded to baptize infants but from the precept given to the Fathers to circumcise them we take our selves to be warranted to baptize them because Baptisme and Circumcision are in substance one Sacrament Wee are no where expresly commanded to discover the fault of what we sell or to give a just value for that which we buy But we have generall rules commanding us to speak the truth from the heart Ps 15.2 To doe as we desire to be done unto Mat. 7.12 and forbidden to defraud our brother in any matter or goe beyond him in bargaining which imports as much Thus where all things needfull to be beleeved or done are not clearly expressed in Scripture yet they are implied and drawn out from thence by necessary consequence This truth that the Scriptures contain whatsoever is necessary to salvation is sufficiently ratified by evident testimony of the Word it self which sends us to the Law and to the Testimony Isa 8.20 tels us that in them we have eternall life John 5.39 that they alone are able to make the man of God perfect to every good work 2 Tim. 2.17 and wise to salvation ver 15. that the Law of God is perfect Psal 19.7 and though there be an end of all other perfections yet the commandement is exceeding broad Psal 119.96 that is comprehends all needfull things so that nothing is wanting in it Whence proceeds that curse upon every one that addes as well as upon them that take away from that Book Rev. 22.18 Yea besides this truth is consonant to all grounds of reason whatsoever our adversaries alledge to the contrary For first we have reason to presume It was fit that God should deliver his will in writing 1. As the most easie way to make it publike that God would take the easiest way for the instruction of his Church now it is evident that it is more easie to leave things upon record in writing then to charge them upon mens memories especially when they are many and consequently must burthen the memory whereas lying before mens eyes in writing they may easily be overlooked at all times without trouble If it be replied that traditions are few and may therefore be easily remembred VVe answer first they may bee infinite for ought we know seeing no man ever took upon him to tell us how many they are And secondly be they more or fewer yet they are more easily preserved by writing then by tradition as all men know Again it was fit that in teaching his Church 2. As the safest way to prevent corruption God should take the safest way and freest from errour as well for his own honour as for his peoples good both which must needs be extreamly hazarded and hindered by corrupting the truth with errours which lead men into perdition and can hardly be prevented by delivering the word by tradition partly because many mens memories are weak and a great part are negligent especially in things of this nature and lastly because many are maliciously bent against the law which the wisdome of the flesh cannot admit Rom. 8.7 whereas the word written being an unerring record easily helps the weak and convinceth the refractary by setting the undoubted truth before mens eyes Farther 3. As the best way to win credit to his Word seeing the word is the ground of faith it is fit that it should be so delivered as might win most credit and estimation amongst men Now we know that written records are most authenticall and of most accompt with men and therefore are fittest to work men to assent unto the truth of God It is true I grant that mens faith depends neither upon wirting nor tradition but upon the testimony of the Spirit that dwels within the godlies hearts manifesting that the truth proposed is the word of God Notwithstanding the outward credit which the Scriptures carry amongst men by which such as are won afterwards to beleeve beginne at first to think reverently of them and others that beleeved not are restrained from scorning or opposing them seems to be much furthered by the Authority that the writing brings unto those records which are received and submitted unto by the Church and commanded and countenanced by the testimony thereof Lastly 4. And as most honourable whereas there is so much honour done to all humane laws by which States are governed that they are composed into one body and preserved in books written or printed for that purpose it seems absurd that God should deliver his law thus by patches part by writing and part by tradition resembling the feet of Nebuchadnezzars image Dan. 2.33 part of iron and part of clay and unworthy both of the Majesty of him that gives the law and of the law it self that is given And if we may take precedent from former times we may say with our Saviour from the beginning it was not so For when God left the law to be delivered by tradition he delivered it