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	church_n	reason_n	1,707	5	5.2951	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96858	Gnōston tou Theou, k[a]i gnōston tou Christou, or, That which may be knovvn of God by the book of nature; and the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ by the Book of Scripture. Delivered at St Mary's in Oxford, by Edward Wood M.A. late proctor of the University and fellow of Merton Coll. Oxon. Published since his death by his brother A.W. M.A.	Wood, Edward, 1626 or 7-1655.; Wood, Anthony à, 1632-1695.	1656 (1656)	Wing W3387; Thomason E1648_1; ESTC R204118	76,854	234

price or value then really it is in it selfe and this is all the true power that the Church can challenge in relation unto the holy Scriptures wherefore the true Church we honour in respect of these things but we doe not adore it and make it of greater Authority then the Scriptures themselves Wherefore 3. We say that the Authority of them doth not so much depend on the Church as on their own innate light and testimony of the Holy Spirit within us their own innate light I say for saith Chamier there is in the Scriptures a peculiaris genius and strein whereby they may upon examination be easily discovered to be the Word of God as a Critick will know by the phrase and stile and the like that such a book is Lyvies such an one Juvenalls so also will a Christian upon the due search triall of the holy Scriptures by their matter Heavenly by their stile deep and by their divine phrase mysticall presently conclude that they are the Word of God and that they can have no other Author then the King of Heaven and then farther I say there is required a Testimony of the holy Spirit within us which Spirit is as I may so speake the seale unto all the rest and peculiar only to Gods Children a man may by the hearsay of the Church historically know the Scriptures but this will no more comfort his heart then the discourses concerning honey and sweet-meates will the stomacke a man may also be convicted of the truth of the Word from those arguments I pressed even now and yet he may be no more converted by them then the Jewes were at the Miracles of Christ which they knew were wrought by a divine power well then what is it that must ultimately perswade us and assure a child of God certitudine fidei with an assurance of faith that the Scriptures are the Word of God the Church that cannot for how can that infuse faith which the Scriptures every where set forth to be the Gift of God what then is it that assures us doubtlesse the Spirit of God co-working with us and upon our prayers and diligent reading and examining of the Word assuring us that this Word which was thus confirmed by miracles thus verifyed by the truth of the Prophesyes contained in it this Word that hath so perfect a consent within its self that hath so admirable efficacy upon the hearers and readers thereof that hath been so wonderfully preserved in all ages that this Word and this Word only is the Word of God and of divine authority so then the Church that can only report unto us the Spirit that doth firmely perswade us the Church that can ministerially only ingenerate an opinion in us the Spirit a Faith and certainty of the Scriptures as then men may heare a very great report of anothers worth learning and counsell and yet be never fully satisfied concerning it till they find it so to be by their own experience or as those Samaritans who did believe in part on Christ for the saying of the woman were yet notwithstanding further confirmed established in the faith of him when they heard his own words John 4. 24. in like manner though we may historically believe that the Scriptures are the Word of God because the Church saith so yet this testimony of the Church doth minister little assurance or satisfaction unto a child of God untill it be farther back't on and established by a farther testimony of the Spirit which undoubtedly must be the firmest assurance a man can have because it is that alone which doth open the eyes to behold the wondrous things of the Law Psal 119. 18. 't is that alone which leadeth into all truth Joh. 16. 13. 't is that alone which inseparably accompanys the faithfull in the Scriptures My Spirit which is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth Isa 59. 21. and therefore 't is that alone which gives strongest evidence unto its selfe speaking in the Scriptures if yee receive the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater saith S. Paul the witnesse of the Church is but the witnesse of men therefore the witnesse of the Spirit is greater but say they the Spirit speaketh by the Church and therefore we must believe the Church only when it testifyes of the Scriptures Whitaker answers for me that if so be the Spirit doth thus speak by the Church from whence then hath the Church this assurance but from the Spirit and so our beliefe of the Scriptures must ultimately resolve of necessity into the Testimony of the Spirit againe they say that the Church was before the Scriptures we answer no by no meanes for then how can the Word be called the everlasting wisedome of God and the immortall seed of which the Church is borne the Church was before the written Word but not before the unwritten Aske a Papist how they know that the Church is of such authority and they will prove it by the Scriptures and therefore the authority proving must needs be of greater esteem and before the authority proved but is not the Church called the pillar and ground of truth yes but what doth a candle receive any light from the candlesticke because it stickes in it what though the Church is the seat and mansion place of the Scriptures yet were it possible that there were no Church in the World yet is not the Scripture of lesse authority then now it is the Church then is only a ministeriall pillar to preserve keep and set forth the word not a fundamentall one to uphold and give being unto it and here I might wade farther into a Discourse concerning the authority of the Church and the Scriptures but it having been so fully handled already and answered by multitudes of eminent men I shall goe no farther it remaines that I should practically apply what hath been already spoken but this together with the other propertyes of Scriptures their perspicuity and perfection I shall leave to the next part This is the AVTHOVRS last Sermon that ever He preacht which was at S. Maries in Oxon. March 20. 1655. Phil. c. 3. v. 8. first part Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. IN this Chapter the Apostle armes his Philippians against their false teachers by opposing his own judgement and example to their erroneous and lying suggestions There were a company of prophane persons started up in the Church of Philippi whom Paul counts no better then doggs evill workers and of the concision verse 2. who instead of circumcising their hearts went about rather to cut and rend asunder the Church these men now being left to be brought from their old fleshly confidences the workes of the Law did vaunt much of their outward priviledges and would fain slink into circumcision and other ceremoniall performances and joyne

yet there is a light within you and there are creatures without you that will easily confute your fond opinion it is not for Gentiles to plead ignorance because that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them for the invisible things of him c. So then you may have here the Gentiles plea refuted they secretly seem to plead not guilty to the Apostles charge of their with-holding the truth in unrighteousnesse their plea seemes to be taken from their ignorance of God and could they have maintained this they might easily have eluded that wherefore Saint Paul to take away all shifts and evasions from them and the better to confirme his charge brings in two bills of reply against them the first is grounded upon that naturall light which God hath manifested unto them concerning himselfe the second upon the creatures which with a dumbe kind of eloquence did every where proclaime the power of their Maker and which were as a conduct and guidance unto them into the knowledge of the Godhead which they vainly pretended to be ignorant of To the first of these grounds I shall speake at present and onely more distincly handle what I have heretofore in a private Congregation represented in grosse Take the words as they lye in themselves and you shall find in them aliquid allegatum aliquid probatum an allegation and a proofe or reason of this allegation The Gentile seems to plead ignorance the Apostle alleageth the contrary because saith he that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them and lest he should seem to stick here he brings in further evidence and proofe for what he had said in these words for God hath shewne it unto them In both you may be pleased to take notice of First the matter alleaged their knowledge of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which may be knowne of God or that which is knowable of God namely by natures discovery not by extraordinary revelations and Evangelicall dispensations as Vorstius and others without reason conceive For this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the preceding verse which according unto Beza and the best expositors is nothing but a naturall knowledge of God and of good and evill the knowledge of God necessarily Implying or at least upon inevitable consequence bringing in the knowledge of good and evill 2. Secondly you may observe the qualification or manner of this their knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is manifest as the light which shineth in them and is so cleare that do what they can they can never shut their eyes against it or wholly blot it out 3. Thirdly here are the subjects in whom this knowledge resides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in them viz. in the Gentiles which some translate amongst them and so referre this knowledge to their learned ones and Philosophers who have left every where in their writings evident testimonies thereof but our owne translation as I conceive is most proper neerer the originall and so in them will be as much as in their minds and consciences as you will further heare anon Fourthly here is the Author of this knowledge in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God ushered in with the rational particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for God hath shewne it unto them God that is partly by the light of nature in their consciences and partly by the conduct of the creatures hath so plainly declared and shewed himselfe unto the Gentiles that they cannot pretend their ignorance of him or of their duty towards their neighbour From the words thus opened you may gather this Observation That there is ever hath been in all men even in the Gentiles a Naturall light whereby they have been directed unto God and naturall goodnesse In the prosecution of which I shall shew you First what is meant more fully by this Naturall light Secondly I shall indeavour to demonstrate that it is and ever hath bin in all men even in the Gentiles Thirdly I shall enquire whether or no this naturall light were sufficient unto the salvation of the Gentiles And Lastly I shall deduce some practicall inferences from what shall be said for our owne use For the understanding of the first point namely what is meant by this Naturall light or light of nature we must note that man may be considered either in his primitive creation or in his corrupted sinfull estate if we consider man first in his created integrity so without doubt this light was a clear distinct penetrative and unerring light for God framing all things according to that exact plat-forme and Idea which was eternally in himselfe did accordingly bestow upon his creatures all things requisite unto their severall species and conditions and therefore man being the Master-peece as I may so speake of all his works was by him primitively Invested with more noble endowments then any other creature whatsoever for whereas other things were either by instinct or immediate direction of God ordered unto their severall ends and his glory man alone amongst the rest did cleerely and rationally apprehend the will and greatnesse of his maker other creatures did blindly serve him in their severall Ranckes and orders but man being farther enlightned with an understanding and reasonable soule did freely and with choice cleave unto him as his cheifest good so that Adam by vertue of that excellent light which God had infused unto him did know God and his will savingly and with such a perfection as was most proper for his condition For though it may bee true what the School-men say that this concreated light and knowledge in our first parents might have been further increased by rationall discourse and supervenient grace yet doubtlesse in it selfe without any further addition it was sufficient to lead them into a saving knowledge of the will and true worship of God these divine rayes soe enlightning the whole man that the great Mysteries of God and salvation were as distinctly impressed upon his soule as the Image of the Sunne ever was upon the most pure and Crystalline glasse But now Secondly as the most beautifull picture being sullyed and dawbed over doth loose much of its forme and grace soe likewise that excellent image of God in man being once besmeared over with sinne did loose very much of its pristine glory and goodnesse and therefore no wonder if the same light and knowledge of God in man which before was so cleere and distinct in us is now through sin become dull confused and faint for it is the nature of sin alwaies to overcast and unite the soule with ignorance as you may every where read in the Scriptures of the blindnesse darknesse and ignorance of men in the state of Nature Sinne then interposing betweene God and us this glorious light suffered a very fearefull Eclips and as the faint glimmerings of a Lamp or Candle in the socket was mingled with very much darknesse and confusion for though through sin it was not quite