Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	doctrine_n	tradition_n	4,188	5	9.0800	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93799	A holy life here, the only way to eternal life hereafter. Or, A discourse grounded on these words, The weapons of our warfare, &c. 2. Cor. 10. 4. Wherein among other things set down in a following index this truth is especially asserted; namely, that a holy life, or the habitual observing of the laws of Christ, is indispensably necessary to salvation. Whereunto is added an Appendix, laying open the common neglect of the said laws among Christians, and vindicating such necessity of observing them from those general exceptions that are wont to be made against it. By R.S. B.D.	Stanwix, Richard, 1608-1656.	1652 (1652)	Wing S5252; Thomason E1276_1; ESTC R210586	123,869	304

it ever I grant in his purpose and decree to reward his faithful servants even those before Christs time as well as those after with eternal life and so the former shal assuredly be admitted thereunto for God hath prepared for them a city but this decree God did not think fit to make known to them God dealing with them in this respect as with Servants to whom masters use not to make known all their mindes and contrarily dealing with us in this kinde as with Sons by communicating to us the full knowledge of his will and by particularly and plainly acquainting us with his gracious intention of bestowing his heavenly inheritance upon us 2. I do not deny neither but that the servant of God under the Law might notwithstanding they had no such promise as we have spoke of made them have some hopes and expectation of a future blessednesse or eternal life and that not only excited in them by their earnest desires of it but also because they could not but know that there was truly such a thing it being not unknown to them that God himself did live such a life and that Enoch and Eliah were rapt up into a possession of it and for that they could not but also apprehend such a blessednesse most suitable with Gods goodnesse to bestow especially when they saw many of Gods servants fall short of those temporal blessings that were literally and plainly promised to them But yet all this being granted it remains firm which I have before asserted that there was no other but only temporal things plainly and expreflely promised to the Jews under the law and so that their promises then had that imperfection in them which those made to us in the Gospel are free from 2. A great part of the Precepts which made up the other part of that Religion namely the ceremonial part of it seem so light superstitious and outwardly foolish ridiculous in themselves and consequently so unbeseeming the Wisdom and Majesty of God that it could not but be necessary for making men truly believe God to be the Author of them and of that form of worship wherein they were commanded that he should by this outward testimony be ever and anon declaring himself so to own and approve them But it may be here as it is by some objected that though the Doctrine of Christ be truly divine above that of Moses and so have the testimony as it were in its self of its coming from God yet seeing it was alwayes so even when it was first publisht to the world there cannot but be now considering the great and general corruption that hath been made in it through the defection under Antichrist and also the many different and repugnant opinions that are held by the several Professours of it a like necessity of having the Authority and truth thereof declared and ratified by miracles as there was formerly when it came first new into the world In answer whereunto I say that these things being granted touching the corruption and contrary opinions in Christian Religion yet the case is much different in respect of the necessity of miracles betwixt this and that first time when this Religion was first preacht for then when this Religion was first attempted to be planted as there were several other Religions in the world and that of a long continuance with the profession and practise of which this could not possibly consist so there were no certain principles common to this and them out of which the authority of this and falshood or abrogation of those might be manifestly demonstrated yea this religion or doctrine of Christ did plainly grant the principles of the Jewish Religion under which Christ was born and which was yet in part to be abolisht by him and in a manner totally changed to have proceeded from God so that it could not but be fully necessary that the doctrine of Christ should be then confirmed in some admirable manner and that God by evident and infallible arguguments should be demonstrated to be the Author of it but now after the defection and corruption wrought by Antichrist in Christian Religion not only the principles of this doctrine of Christ but also the whole and entire doctrine it self according to their opinion who acknowledg the foresaid defection hath remained unviolated in the written Records of holy Scriptures being so preserved by the admirable providence and goodnesse of God during that defection and to these Scriptures all that professe themselves Christians even those who are guilty of that defection and acknowledge assent to be due as to the infallible oracles of God Now these Scriptures we say are so clear in those things which are simply necessarily to be known that the meaning of them cannot but be apprehended by any who truly desire to know it and have not their understandings blunted by their own voluntary fault and this may appear from hence that the greatest part of them were either from the beginning common to the vulgar people or sent to such persons to be read and understood by them who were in a manner rude or novices in Christian Religion and partly involved in many great errours such as diverse of those were to whom some Epistles of Paul were directed Epistles to the Corinth and Galat. and yet in which we finde the greatest mysteries of this Religion communicated by him to the said persons Indeed the Holy Scriptures had been written and publisht in vain if so be that every one by reading of them and using that prayer and diligence which is possible for him could not of himself attain the sense thereof so far as may be necessary for him to know it but that it were necessary as is ordinarily by many pretended for maintaining idlenesse in some and pride in others to seek and receive the menaing thereof from a certain sort of men as Bishops and Ecclesiastical Pastours either severed or conveened in Synods for it had been much better the case being so that there were no such Scriptures vulgarly extant but only that it were commanded that universal credit should be given to that sort of men in the knowledge of divine matters who also themselves by this means should have had no need of these sacred volumes but it had been enough for them to have had the knowledge of divine things begot and preserved in them by the immediate power of the Holy Ghost and so we might suppose that to have been done in all the doctrines of Religion which the Papists contend to have been done in many of them namely that from the Apostles times they should be without writing preserved pure and delivered by perpetual tradition from one age to another But to return as all generally so far acknowledge the authority of the Books of Scripture as to hold that there is nothing contained in them which is not certainly most true when as there is not nor can be any such certainty

and therefore it cannot be but the more probable in this respect that he will thus reward his faithful servants wise and liberall Princes being wont magnificently to reward their diligent and trusty ministers by giving those things to them which are rather proportionable to their own greatness then to the deserts or low condition of these 2. The precepts rightly understood require such singular divine expressions of holiness and righteousness to be constantly in a manner exhibited by us as imply not onely a full consonancy to that wisdom and rectitude and purity that are in God but also that no other but hee could be the original Authour and requirer of them so that there cannot be need that the belief of both or either of these to come from him should be still wrought or supported by miracles And hence we may conceive the reason of that difference of Gods dispensation in this kind betwixt the time of the law and this of the Gospel then while that worship or religion of the law was standing and was of right to be in force there were in successions of time frequent and iterated apparitions of Angels as divine messengers from God and also now and then in several ages downwards from Moses some miracles were wrought for upholding the credit and authority of that worship the reason whereof we are to conceive this that there were in neither of the integral parts of that religion any such impresses of divinity as could of themselves prove God to be the originall Authour of them and therefore there was but need that this defect should bee supplied by the continuance of these extrinsick evidences of miracles and apparitions of Angels 1. The things expressely promised in that religion were onely temporal things and such as in the apprehension of many have still seemed to depend on and be administred to men by chance so that when God did really confer according to his promise those profits on them as rewards and encouragements of their obedience there could not but be danger of their not acknowledging or taking notice of them as such especially when they could not but know many not onely that were ignorant of God but also who were notoriously refractory to him to abound in the same things And 2. The very temporary and vanishing nature of these things all which in respect of any solid happinesse are but as a smoak or shadow especially being joyned with the former consideration might make them doubt whether God did indeed order and appoint them as rewards of his servants as being neither suitable to his own spirituall nature nor to that unlimited goodnesse which they could not but know to be in him and so in both these respects such as might seem after a manner unworthy of him and for both these reasons we may conceive that that supply by the continuance of miracles was then needfull to convince them in this matter so as to make them look upon these things promised them when they enjoyed them as gifts and rewards proceeding from God Now because in these two reasons taken from the promises of the law there is one thing taken for granted which many I doubt will confidently deny namely that the blessings expressely promised under the law were only temporal things and consequently that eternal life was not then revealed or in that manner promised to men I shall adde something briefly by way of confirmation hereof The truth of this then I conceive may sufficiently appear hence 1. That the Old Testament especially the five books of Moses wherein the body of the Jewish religion is contained affords us no expresse promise of eternal life or of any other blessings then what belonged to this life In these places Ex. 23. Lev. 26. Deut. 7.28 the promises which God thought fit to make to that people are purposely and most fully and particularly recited and yet there is not in any of them the least mention of eternall life which sure if it had been a thing then promised ought more expressely to have been there insisted on and inculcated then all the things there named as infinitely exceeding them all and consequently that which would have been of more force then all the rest to have contained that people then in obedience to God 2. Because in the New Testament the revelation of eternal life is appropriated unto Christ as where it is said 2 Sam. 1.10 that hee hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel and 1 Joh. 1.22.25 that life which was with the Father that is hid in his purpose and decree he is said to have manifested to us and again this is the promise that he hath promised us even eternal life and many other sayings to the like effect Besides there was among the Jewes a Sect of the Sadduces and that somewhat ancient in Christs time which Sect though it was not perhaps very numerous yet it had the most of the chief persons or rulers adhering to it lib. 15. to 2. as Josephus testifies and in the time of Christ and of the Apostles the chief of the priests were of this Sect as may be collected from Act. 5.17 Now this Sect as it is well known did deny the resurrection of the dead and the immortality of the soul which sure being such persons as they were they would never have done if eternall life had been expresly promised in those books which were of divine authority with them As for that which may be objected to the contrary touching the opinion of the Pharisees in our Saviours and the Apostles time about this matter we may conceive that this acknowledgement of the resurrection of the dead and the immortality of the soul did proceed hence either 1. the desire of immortality wherewith we are all naturally possessed made them fancy such a future condition and so apply some places of scripture though not truly so fign●ficant to this sense or else 2. being excited into a hope of this immortality by the ingrafted appetite and desire of it they did thus far give credit unto Christ as upon his publike preaching of it firmly to believe it For that they did not before Christs preaching believe such a resurrection of of the righteous or of the dead as Christ published the same Josephus fully testifies in the forecited place where he tells us that they did believe the souls of wicked men to be shut up under the earth in a perpetual prison and the souls of the righteous after some time to remove thence and go into other bodies he not adding any thing more touching their faith in this point Now notwithstanding all this I do not deny but that 1. Eternal Life was in some kinde represented yea and promised under the Old Testament but this was figuratively and mystically that is in such a dark and involved way that none ordinarily could see such promise or build any firm hopes of the thing so promised thereupon God had