Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	authority_n	believe_v	scripture_n	2,665	5	6.9327	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45831	Rome is no rule, or, An answer to an epistle published by a Roman Catholic who stiles himself Cap. Robert Everard and may serve for an answer to two Popish treatises, the one entituled The question of questions, and the other Fiat lux, out of which books the arguments urged in the said epistle against the authority of the Scriptures and the infallibility of the Roman Church are collected : in which answer, the authority of the Scriptures is vindicated and the arguments for the Roman infallibility refuted / by J.I.	Ives, Jeremiah, fl. 1653-1674.	1664 (1664)	Wing I1103B; ESTC R41015	38,546	134

our guide but it was because you did not make a deep diligent search into them which is the reason as your Rhemists say Hereticks never find the Truth But why do you beguile your unwary Reader with this word viz. That the Scriptures are not a SOLE Guide thereby to let him think that you allow them in some sense to be a guide when indeed your following Arguments do manifestly declare that you would not have them to be any guide at all Your first Reason why the Scriptures are not a Guide is because they do not answer the end viz. the reconciling differences for those who pretend most to consult the Scriptures do most of all disagree in matters of faith and interpreting the Scriptures To this I answer First May not a Heathen or a Jew alledge the same Argument against Christianity it self and say that the Christian Religion is no safe way to happiness because of the differences that are among the Professors of it 2 May it not be said that the Apostles themselves were no certain Guides because they had divisions and contentions among them and that they had appears by the testimony of St. Paul himself Rom 16.17 Mark them that cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine c. And the same Apostle tells the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3.3 and 1 Cor. 11.19 That there was among them envyings strife and contention some holding of Paul and some of Apollo some of Cephas Nay he further tells them there must be Heresies among you that they that are approved might be made manifest 3 May it not as well be said of the Church of the Jews which you say were infallible that they were no Guide or at least no certain Guide because there were differences and contentions among them as there was between the Pharisees Sadduces and Essavaus it is said that the Sadduces denied the Resurrection Angels and Spirit as you say the Scriptures are no Guide to true faith because men differ and and disagree in matters of Faith But 4 May you not as well say that Christ is not the Saviour of the World and that he came not into the World to the end that the World might be saved because it doth not appear that all shall be saved as say the Scriptures are no Guide to end Controversies because all Controversies are not ended 5 May you not as well infer that the grace of God doth not teach men to deny ungodliness because some turn the grace of God into wantonness as say the Scriptures are no sure Guide to faith and salvation because many wrest them to their own destruction 6 May you not as well say that the Primitive Church were no infallible Guide to true faith because they had disagreements and contentions among them as the strife between the Eastern and Western Churches about the keeping of Easter and they excommunicating one another And the Question of Re-baptizing bred the like differences between the Bishops of Rome and the Western Bishops of one Party and Cyprian Dionysius and Firmilianus with most of the Eastern Bishops of the other Party Euseb Hist lib. 5. c. 21. lib. 7. c. 3. Cyp. Ep. 74 75. Soc. lib. 6. c. 17. Soc. lib. 6. c. 21. I say may not one more truly infer these were no Guides because they had dissentions and divisions among them as you may say the Scriptures are not a Guide because of the differences that are amongst Protestants 7 And lastly May I not infer as well from the like Premises because there is and hath been differences among the now-pretended Catholicks as I have already shewn that therefore their Church is no infallible Guide as you may say the men that consult Scriptures do not agree among themselves therefore the Scriptures are not the Guide Your second Reason followeth in the 17 pag. which is but the same in effect with the first therefore the former Answer may suffice onely you tell us a story of an Arian or as the Question of Questions hath it an Arian Cobler how that if you were to dispute with him about the Deity of Christ from Job 10.30 I and my Father are one by this Text you say you should think you had proved the Question But then you say your Arian would compare this Text with john 17.21 where Christ prayeth to his Father that his Disciples might be all one thing as thou Father are in me and I in thee But if you should urge the Arian further and tell him the Council of Nice gave the same Interpretation which you do you say the Arian would answer as the Protestants generally do that they have a worthy esteem of Councils as far as they agree with the Word of God but where they disagree in that he must contradict them all To which I Answer setting aside the contraversie between the Arians and Athanasians as not coming within the verge of our present question that if the Arian Cobler had been as Orthodox in all his other Opinions as he is in his opinion about the Holy Scriptures and Councels viz. to think reverently of Councels and agree with them as far as they agree with the World of Truth I say if this had been all this Arian Coblers Errour I should have judged him a better Christian then a Roman Shoo-maker or the Catholick Collier who could say no more for himself being tempted by the Devil at the point of death what his faith was Answered I believe and dye in the faith of Christs Church Being again demanded what the Faith of Christs Church was Answered The faith that I believe in See Apology Translated by Staplet p. 53. But you say That you can urge against an Arian the Authority of the Councel of Nice and their Interpretation of the Scripture by which they Infallibly decide the controversie And here you think you have a more certaine guide and ground of your Faith then others because they adhere to private spirits and private judgements up on the Scriptures whereas you adhere to general Councel To which I Answer First Doe you think that General Councels did speak and teach in more plainness of Speech and that they uttered words less subject to be wrested by wrong interpretations then the words of the Prophets and Apostles were who spake as they were inspired by the spirit of God Secondly How do you know that you have the true sense and meaning of the Councels determinations since their Decrees are as lyable if not more lyable to mis-interpretations then the Holy Scriptures The reason of this question is because you did not hear them your self and if you had heard them you might have mis-understood them but if you say you have read the Councels and so came to be informed I do further demand how you do believe by a Divine Faith that you do not mis-understand the Councels in what you read and so collect a false sense Thirdly If you shall say you have a Priest to teach you

it is ineffectual and so you must die without absolution or else you must grant that others beside a lawful Priest may remit sins But if none can do it but a lawful Priest Then Thirdly How shall you be infallible of those things that are necessary to make a true Priest as first that he was lawfully baptized with due matter and due form of words and that the Bishop which Ordained him a Priest did Ordain him compleatly with due matter form and intention You must know that the Bishop that made him a Priest was a Priest himself But suppose these doubts were assayled which cannot be and that you are certain he that is to absolve you were a true Priest yet still the doubt will remain whether he will do you that good he can and whether he will pronounce the words of absolution with an intent to absolve you For perhaps he may bear you some secret grudge and project your damnation for a revenge He may for ought you know be a secret Jew or Anti-Trinitarian and so far from intending your forgiveness of sins and salvation by this Sacrament that in his heart he laughs at all these things and thinks sin nothing and salvation but a word All these doubts must be clearly resolved before you can upon your Roman Catholick grounds assure your self that this man that absolveth you is a true Priest and that he giveth you true and effectual absolution or else when you have done all this for your salvation you may have the ill luck to be damned which makes salvation a matter of chance and not of choice and if so what are you the nearer for being a member of a pretended infallible Church Much more to this purpose might be urged and yet you cry out that the Salvation of Protestants relies upon fallible and uncertain grounds Whoever would be further satisfied in this matter I shall desire him to read that learned Treatise of Mr. Chillingworth Intituled The Religion of Protestants a safe way to Salvation Your next instance is The Contradiction that seems to appear in Scriptures which you say argues them to seem untrue and for this you instance 2 King 8.26 compared with 2 Chron. 22.5 and Mat. 1.17 compared with Luke 3.35 36. which places you say seem to contradict each other I Answer First If they are but seeming contradictions then they do not weaken the reputation of Scriptures Secondly The resolving those seeming contradictions are not necessary to salvation because it is not necessary to salvation to know when Ahazia began to Reign not whether there were 41 or 42 Generations between David and Christ and therefore those Objections weaken not the guidance of the Scriptures in all things necessary to salvation which is the thing in question But lastly why doth your Church put her candle under a Bushel why doth not she set forth an infallible translation of the Bible For it may be those seeming contradictions in those fore-cited places was occasioned by the errour of the Scribe or the errour of the Translatour But hath not greater inconveniences attended the keeping the Canons of your Church If they have not how comes it to pass that there is contradictions in Scripture and none in Councils It seems your Church hath faithfully preserved all things uncorrupted for the benefit of posterity but the word of God You proceed pag. 25. to a seventh Reason Why the Scriptures are not a sole guide because then they would have been so in the Apostles dayes and if they had then the Authority of the Apostles you say must have ceased so soon as they had made an end of writing I Answer That it doth not follow that the opinion of the Scriptures being the sole guide should exclude the Apostles from being guides when they were living May not a Man as well say that Peters being the sole head of the Church as you pretend did exclude Christ that gave him his Authority from being head while he was yet living on the Earth and that a man that directs and solely guides you by Epistles how to negotiate your affairs should thereby cease to be a guide if he were present with you or that he should thereby be rendred unable to resolve any doubtfull word in that direction No more doth it follow that the Scriptures being held to be the sole guide should exclude the Pen-men from either being guides or giving an infallible interpretation of their own words while they were yet alive But what is all this to the Romane Church being an infallible guide The Apostles might be guides to the Churches while they lived both by their words and writings But since they are deceased we know no furer guide then their words to which to do well to take heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place And for those other things that you say follow in probability upon the Scriptures being our guide I shall say nothing to them because they are but probable conjectures of your own brain Your last reason which you urge why the Scripture is not a sole Judge is Because you say in effect it is to make it no judge at all but to make every man and woman to be their own judge to take upon them to read and understand them May you not as well say that your Church is not the judge because every man and woman must judge for themselves whether she be so or no before they joyne in Communion with her As say the Scriptures are not so because a man must judge for himself whether he rightly understand it or no Is there not as great a controversie in the World which is the true Church among all the pretenders to it as there is which is the right sense of Scriptures among the various readings and interpretations thereof Now how doth a mans judging for himself after he hath weighed Arguments and compared Text with Text render the Scripture to be no guide any more then your hearing and examining all the Arguments and Reasons which are alledged for the True Church among all pretenders to it and afterward according to your understanding judge which is true renders your self and not your Church the true guide And yet this is your Argument Every man judgeth for himself which is the true sense therefore the Scriptures are in themselves no judge at all In the close of this Argument p. 26. You conclude That if God loved the souls of Men he would have provided some sure means by which they might have been assured of the true faith c. without leaving them to the Scriptures to be interpreted by each one as he thinks best May not I reply as before That if God loved the souls of men he would have left them some sure means to finde the True Church among the many false pretenders to it and not have left it to themselves to choose which Church in their private Judgement they shall think is the true one Having done with