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	truth_n	2,214	5	6.2511	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32852	Mr. Chillingworth's judgment of the religion of Protestants of Scripture the only rule, of differences among Protestants, of using force in matters of religion &c. : with a preface to the reader giving the reason of publishing these passages.; Religion of Protestants a safe way to salvation. Selections	Chillingworth, William, 1602-1644.	1680 (1680)	Wing C3886; ESTC R29216	10,359	12

BIBLE only is the Religion of Protestants Whatsoever else they believe besides it and the plain irrefragable indubitable consequences of it well may they hold it as a matter of Opinion but not as a matter of Faith and Religion neither can they with coherence to their own grounds believe it themselves nor require the belief of it of others without most high and most schismatical Presumption I for my part after a long and as I utterly believe and hope impartial search of the true way to eternal happiness do profess plainly that I cannot find any rest for the sole of my foot but upon this Rock only I see plainly and with mine own eyes that there are Popes against Popes Councils against Councils some Fathers against others the same Fathers against themselves a Consent of Fathers of one Age against the Church of another Age Traditive Interpretations of Scripture are pretended but there are few or none to be found No Tradition but only of Scripture can drive it self from the Fountain but may be plainly proved either to have been brought in in such an Age after Christ or that in such an Age it was not in In a word there is no sufficient certainty but of the Scripture only for any considering man to build upon This therefore and this only I have reason to believe this I will profess according to this I will live and for this if there be occasion I will not only willingly but even gladly lose my life though I should be sorry that Christians should take it from me Propose me any thing out of this book and require whether I believe it or no and seem it never so incomprehensible to humane reason I will subscribe it with hand and heart as knowing no demonstration can be stronger than this God hath said so therefore it is true In other things I will take no mans liberty of Judgment from him neither shall any man take mine from me I will think no man the worse man or the worse Christian I will love no man the less for differing in opinion from me and what measure I mete to others I expect from them again I am fully assured that God does not and therefore that men ought not to require any more of any man than this To believe the Scriptures to be God's Word to endeavour to find the true sence of it and to live according to it N. 57. This is the Religion which I have chosen after a long deliberation and I am verily perswaded that I have chosen wisely much more wisely than if I had guided my self according to your Churches Authority for the Scripture being all true I am secured by believing nothing else that I shall believe no falshood as matter of Faith And if I mistake the senee of Scripture and so fall into error yet I am secure from any danger thereby if but your grounds be true because endeavouring to find the true sence of Scripture I cannot but hold my error without pertinacy and be ready to forsake it when a more true and a more probable sence shall appear unto me And then all necessary truth being as I have proved plainly set down in Scripture I am certain by believing Scripture to believe all necessary truth and he that does so if his Life be answerable to his Faith how is it possible he should fail of Salvation Scripture the only Rule whereby to judge of Controversies Chap. 2. N. 11. To speak properly as men should speak when they write of Controversies in Religion the Scripture is not a Judge of Controversies but a Rule only and the only Rule for Christians to judg them by Every man is to judge for himself with the judgment of Discretion and to chuse either his Religion first and then his Church as we say or as you his Church first and then his Religion But by the consent of both sides every man is to judg and chuse and the Rule whereby he is to direct his choice if he be a natural man is Reason if he be already a Christian Scripture which we say is the Rule to judge all Controversies by yet not all simply but all the Controversies of Christians of those that are already agreed upon this first Principle that the Scripture is the Word of God But that there is any man or any company of men appointed to be Judg for all men that we deny and that I believe you will never prove Every man to Judg for himself in matters of Religion Chap. 2. N. 16. In Civil and Criminal Causes the Parties have for the most part so much interest and very often so little honesty that they will not submit to a Law though never so plain if it be against them or will not see it to be against them though it be so never so plainly Whereas if men were honest and the Law were plain and extended to all cases there would be little need of Judges Now in matters of Religion when the Question is Whether every man be a fit Judg and Chuser for himself we suppose men honest and such as understand the difference between a Moment and Eternity and such men we conceive will think it highly concerns them to be of the true Religion but nothing at all that this or that Religion should be the true And then we suppose that all the necessary points of Religion are plain and easie and consequently every man in his Cause to be a competent Judg for himself because it concerns himself to judg right as much as Eternal Happiness is worth and if through his own default he judg amiss he alone shall suffer for it Ch. 3. N. 81. If they Men would be themselves and be content that others should be in the choice of their Religion the Servants of God and not of men if they would allow that the way to Heaven is no narrower now than Christ left it this Yoak no heavier than he made it that the belief of no more difficulties is required now to Salvation than was in the Primitive Church that no Error is in it self destructive and exclusive from Salvation now which was not then if instead of being zealous Papists earnest Calvinists rigid Lutherans they would become themselves and be content that others should be plain and honest Christians if all men would believe the Scripture and freeing themselves from prejudice and passion would sincerely endeavour to find the true sence of it and live according to it and require no more of others but to do so not denying their Communion to any that do so would so order their publick service of God that all which do so may without scruple or hypocrisie or protestation against any part of it joyn with them in it who does not see that seeing as we suppose here and shall prove hereafter all necessary Truths are plainly and evidently set down in Scripture there would of necessity be among all men in all things necessary unity