Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	authority_n	church_n	infallible_a	2,260	5	9.5871	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42787	A sermon against corrupting the word of God preached at Christ Church in Manchester upon a publick occasion on the 11th day of July, 1696 / by Thomas Gipps.	Gipps, Thomas, d. 1709.	1697 (1697)	Wing G781; ESTC R26767	15,690	33

which were to be fulfilled in Christ and ever to remain in force Yet however he suits his Expression unto the Jews Curiosity in keeping the Word from being diminisht in the least Point But yet Interest has a Byas Instance M. has charg'd the Jews home with this Practice instancing in several Passages out of Ez. Neh. the Psal Isa Jer. and Ezek. that were expung'd because they seem'd too plainly to point at Jesus Christ And all the World knows the Papists in their Catechism at least have assum'd and exercis'd a like expurgatory Power upon the second Commandment Much more 2. Then we diminish from the Word when we reject whole Books as the Sadducees and Samaritans of Old did all but the 5. Books of Moses and as many over Subtil and Wickedly Critical Wits among the Christians have done calling into Question many intire Books of the New Testament and some there are who have endeavour'd to cashiere 'em all But 3. We diminish from the Word when we lay it aside as not a Necessary or not the Supreme Rule of Faith This is to diminish from it's Authority Some either Weak or Hypocritical Christians in Times of Old deliver'd up their Bibles to their Persecuters and for so doing were Branded with that disgraceful Name of Traditors Traitors And yet questionless they had or might have had the usual Excuses at hand which are currant now a days That they had the Light within 'em to guide 'em into all Truth That they had other Lights without 'em The Writings of Holy and Learned Men The assistance of Bishops and Priests and the infallible Popes The daily Conversation of the Faithful and the Decrees of Councils to direct and instruct 'em Moreover that the Truths and Mysteries of the Gospel whatever became of of the written Word might be transmitted by Oral Tradition unto Posterity and upon the whole matter that there was no necessity of the written Word of God But these new Pretexts notwithstanding the Church condemn'd their Treachery All which shews that in the Judgment both of the Church and of the Persecuters too neither the Light within nor the Writings of Holy Men nor the Decrees of Councils nor the Infallibility of the Popes nor Oral Tradition nor all of 'em were sufficient to uphold the Doctrine of Christianity and this demonstrates the necessity of the written Word of God that 't is the only Necessary and Supreme Rule of Faith There is a pernicions Law among the Romanists forbidding the People to Read the Scripture which is a great Diminution of at least the Honour the Sufficiency and Perspicuity of the Word 'T is pretended that it was found certissimo Experimento that ignorant and malicious Men did improve it unto Errours and Heresies by mistaking or depraving its meaning But this is a meer shift to palliate the Injury done to the Word of God contrary to the sense and practice of all Antiquity For our Predecessors in the Faith I mean the Ancient Fathers this Obj. notwithstanding were wont constantly to call upon all the Faithful without distinction to read the Word telling 'em It was not like Plato's Philosophy or Pythagoras's Cryptical Discipline calculated for the Meridian of a few of the Wiser Sort but fitted and design'd for all to read and to understand for the Wise and for the Unwise for Kings of the Earth for all People for Souldiers and for Lawyers for Monks and for Citizens of the World for Priests and Laymen for Husbandmen and Mariners Artificers and Labourers for Young Men and Maidens Old Men and Children and in a word for all Qualities Ages Sexes Fortunes and Degrees of Men whatever to be read in Publick and in Private and at all times as well at Home as Abroad in the Church and in the Fields and in the Desarts and in Journeys in a word in every place Shall I by the way crave leave to offer you a Demonstration of my own for any thing that I know against our Adversaries certissimum Experimentum and that out of the Scripture it self too because I am now pleading in its behalf See then the second Epistle of Peter 1 chap. 19. v. We have also a more sure word of Prophesy whereunto ye do well to take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place compar'd with the 16. v. of the 3 d chap. of the same Epistle As also in all his Epistles our beloved Brother Paul has written speaking in 'em of these things in which are some things hard to be understood which they that are unstable and unlearned wrest as they do all the other Scriptures unto their own Destruction Out of which Passages I argue thus That which Peter the first Pope or Bishop of Rome and Paul too commended and encourag'd the People to sc to take heed or to give attendance unto the reading of the Word although it was known by most certain Experience that some wrested it to Errour and Heresy and to their own Destruction that ought not now be deny'd the People because forsooth there be at this day also some among us that wrest it to their own Destruction That which was not a competent Reason unto Peter cannot be a sufficient Warrant unto his Successors to deprive the People of the Holy Scriptures What Peter could not would not do the Popes at this time of day cannot should not presume to do But above all to advance a Supreme Infallible and Independent Authority in the Church not Subordinate yea Superiour to the Scripture with liberty even to contradict it is certainly a diminishing of the Word that is its Soveraignty The Power of the Word is like God himself nec parem fert nec superiorem The Scripture is the intire body of the Divine Law who then shall dare to Diminish ought from it or thwart its Definitions He that touches the apple of Gods Eye He claims as I may say a share in the Legislative yea and makes himself Superior even to God himself It was then an impudent Presumption crimen laesae Majestatis in the Council of Constance to take upon 'em to decree with a non-obstante that tho' the Scripture says Drink ye all of this yet the Laity to whom also they confess it was spoken shall not drink thereof Thus they made the Word of God of none Effect by their Traditions teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men and declared ' emselves above Jesus Christ that Canon being set above his Word by their own acknowledgment And thus the Will and the Wisdom of Men took place of the Wisdom and Will of God What shall we then think of those who equal nay prefer the private Spirit of the Pope and others the Light within ' emselves before the Word of God St. Peter and the Believers he wrote to certainly had the Light within and the Spirit in as great abundance as any at this time of day can pretend And yet he tells his Flock

open their eyes in a very few words For not to take Notice of that absurd saying Original Copies which he would or should have said Copies of the Original what are we to think of the Greek That certainly is to be accounted One of the Originals if there be more than One as himself seems to intimate And there I read just as I read in the Liturgy Translation and as I read in St. Paul Again I might say with the learned Vossius that the Greek Copy for ought I know is of as good Authority as the Hebrew at this day is and for my Reasons I send you to his History of the 70 Translation Only take this along with you that as has been already noted St. Paul which also the other holy Writers of the New Testament generally do in other places follows the Greek and not the Hebrew Copy in citing this 14th Psalm which is no contemptible Argument for the Authority of the 70. Translation Briefly we have this further Advantage on our side that 't is more Probable the three controverted Verses might be left out of the Hebrew Copies by the carelesness of the Transcribers than thrust into the Greek by the Translators 'T is easier supposing 'em both honest and sincere for Transcribers to omit than Translators to add so much together of their own head 5. 'T is not adding to nor diminishing from nor corrupting the Word when we Translate it into Vulgar Tongues All Christians have done so Yea the Romanists ' emselves in former Ages did so tho' of late they have been contrary minded for fear forsooth of mistaking the Word or corrupting it O Fools and slow of heart One of the Ancients has affirm'd that the version of the Scriptures into many Languages is the best way to preserve 'em uncorrupt Besides why do they suffer the Word to be Transcribed or Printed at all or in any Language Doubtless the Word of God may be corrupted by Transcribing or Printing it as well as by Translating it Transcribing we know was Printing now a days is the Work often of ignorant mechanical Men who are more liable to mistakes but Translating is the business of the Learned Ay but St. Jerom confest himself subject to mistakes in Translating the Scripture Very good and yet he Translated it for the use of the Latine Christians and his Translation is for the most part read unto this day Why then may not a Learned Priest or Bishop now a days render it into the Italian as well as Jerom formerly did into the Latine and Dalmatick As St. Chrysostom into the Armenian As Ulphilas into the Gothick Or as the Ancients did every one into his own Tongue For it was anciently done into many different Tongues says Hesychius of Jerusalem Into 72. says Anastasius of Antioch Into innumerable Tongues says St. Chrysostom Into the Languages of all Nations of the Earth that had receiv'd the Faith says Theodoret Yea into every Tongue under the Sun says Eusebius In short even at this day we have a Noble Monument of the Judgment and Practice of Antiquity I mean the Polyglot Bibles So that the Catholick Church in the Primitive Times might have said as the Jews did 2d Acts That they heard and read every one in his own Tongue the wonderful Works and WORDS of God But setting aside this that it should be lawful and safe to have the Scripture Translated into Latin only is to me a strange Paradox For what Priviledge has God bestow'd on the Latin more than on other Tongues All certainly one as well as the other are capable of Mistakes and Corruptions The Hebrew indeed had once the Honour of being the Holy Language and as I may say the immediate Vehicle of the Divine Will The Greek succeeded next into it's Room The reason of both is obvious The Word of God was first directly intended for the Israelites only therefore first wrote in their Tongue Afterwards for the whole World therefore wrote in the most Vulgar and Common Language the Greek Yet so as that by degrees it was Translated into every Language to the end that the Knowledge of the Lord might cover the Earth as the Waters cover the Sea The Inscription on the Cross was wrote in Latin True But 't was by the command of Pontius Pilate that accursed Crucifier of our Lord in honour of his own Language and for the better information of the Romans Yet who can say that the Evangelists in their Greek and inspired Histories continu'd it afterwards in the same Latine Tongue I never yet somuch as heard of any M. S. or Printed Greek Testament with the Latin Inscription retain'd in it Moreover we know that as no Hebrew nor Greek so no Latin Bible is an Original nor indeed is there any such thing as an Original at this day All our Bibles in whatever Language are either Translations or Transcripts which is the same thing to our present purpose both as I said being liable to mistakes Finally then the Word of God is his Word be it in what Language it will and as much the Word of God in one as in another there being as I have said no Original at this day Briefly one may add or diminish in Transcribing and Printing as well as in Translating Therefore either both or neither are to be laid aside 6. It is not adding to the Word when a new Prophet arising delivers some further Messages to the Churches which are affixt to the Canon of Scripture For the Rule in the Text runs thus Thou shalt not add speaking unto us Men. Nevertheless God may add to it when ever he pleases and whatever he thinks fit So that all the following Books of Scripture were notwithstanding my Text added to the Canon unto the end of the Revelations where for ought we yet know the Book is shut up in these Words For I certifie unto every Man that heareth the Words of the Prophesie of this Book if any Man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book And if any Man shall take away from the Words of the Book of this Prophesie God shall take away his Part out of the Book of Life and out of the Holy City and from the things which are written in this Book Which brings me to the 2. Head sc To shew positively when we add or diminish ought from the Word of God And first of Diminishing 1. Then we diminish from the Word when we cast away any never so little Part of it Wonderful was the Care of the Jews herein and Religious they were to Superstition as may be thought counting the very Letters of the Bible to preserve it intire Hereunto our Lord alludes Till Heaven and Earth pass away not one jott or tittle shall pass from the Law Where tho' he is not speaking of the outward Letter as I now am but of the Intrinsick and Mystical Truths