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	know_v	tradition_n	2,265	5	9.2963	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96361	Pantheologia or the summe of practical divinity practiz'd in the wilderness, and delivered by our Saviour in his Sermon on the Mount. Being observations upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of St Matthew. To which is prefixed a prolegomena or preface by way of dialogue, wherein the perfection and perspicuity of the Scripture is vindicated from the calumnies of Anabaptists and Papists. By Tho. White B.L. minister of Gods word at Anne Aldersgate, London.	White, Thomas, minister of St. Anne's, Aldersgate.	1653 (1653)	Wing W1806; Thomason E1466_1; ESTC R208673	167,277	207

for since the Scripture only is able to make them wise to salvation the Psalmist also plainly saies that the Law of God maketh wise the simple Psa 19.7 119.130 Papist The Scripture with traditions and the Churches Exposition of them are necessary for how can you know the Scriptures to be the Word of God but by the Traditions of the Church if that had not preserved and delivered it unto you how could you ever have had the Scriptures Authour 1. I would desire you to consider what intricate Meanders you would have them walk in whom you deny to have understanding enough to go in the plain and pleasant paths of the Word of God if they say We must beleeve the Scriptures accerding to the Exposition of the present Roman Church then how shall one know whether that Church be the true Church If you say By such notes universality succession c. then what an endlesse work do you put these men whom you call simple people upon viz. reading over all Ecclesiasticall Histories of the Fathers to see whether that succession you pretend be so or no besides how doth it appear whether those notes Vniversality and Succession c. that you give of the Church be true Notes or no If you say By the Scripture then you make the Church to be known by the Scripture and not the Scripture by the Church as you pretend 't is as if you should desire to know whether your Gold were weight or no If you should say when he brought his weight how do I know whether the weight be a right weight If it should be answered If the weight weighs just as much as your gold 't is right may he not justly answer If I bring my Gold to be tried by your weight I can receive no satisfaction at all if your weight must be tried by my gold Besides those places of Scripture set down the notes of the true Church and Gods promises of preserving of it in the Truth c. which you quote for the proving that we must be ruled by the Church and that yours is that Church Those I say your very quoting proves that you will have them read and judged of by Lay-men and why then not other places of Scripture also are not other places as easie to be understood as they nay far more easie especially in Fundamentalls both for Doctrines and practice 2. As for Traditions they are wonderfull uncertain 1. Because there are divers Traditions that are very ancient and very false Clemens Alexandrinus reports that it was a constant Tradition in his time lib. 1. Stro. Clemens I say who lived about 14. hundred years ago reports That it was an Apostolicall Tradition that Christ preached but one year Irenaeus that condemns this as hereticall sets down another as a constant Tradition as false viz. That it was delivered by Saint John That Christ was very near 50. yeers old when he died Nay there was a Tradition that was as old as the time betwixt our Saviours Resurrection and Ascention It was generally reported by godly precious Saints and from the mouth of Christ as they pretended that John should not die and the mistake arose by the leaving out or misinterpreting but of one syllable Our Saviour said If I will and the Report went I will that thou come Abundance of other instances which are to be found almost in every one of the Fathers that lived near Christs time 3. There is abundance of disagreement on the Traditions of the Fathers for that which one Father accounts Apostolicall another accounts hereticall 4. This is no new practice for 't was in all ages the custom of false Prophets and Hereticks to pleade Traditions nay by their Traditions to make the Word of God of none effect as Mat. 13. and if you shall say so Hereticks make use of Scriptures but as for Scriptures we are on all sides agreed that it is a true rule and nothing ought to be taught contrary to it and we have the example of our Saviour and the Apostles for proving doctrines by Scripture 5. You Papists do not give us a Catalogue of Traditions and indeed those that you call Apostolicall Traditions wherein you differ from us 'T is a very easie thing to prove you the very yeer or at least the Century when they first sprang up but you use to amuse and silence poor simple people by putting upon your error the glorious titles of Apostolical Traditions and practice of the Primitive Church which you know they are not able to contradict in saying of our Religion that it began in Luther in K. Henry the 8. daies as if one should say Moses his Law was no ancienter then in Josias times because it had lain hid many years before and was then newly revived 6. The wickednesse of your forgery appears in this that though you pretend the current of antiquity for th innovations yet you being conscious to your selves of the falseness of this pretence have appointed an Index Expurgatorius and in your new Editions of the Fathers have left out all things that make against you and then no marvell that Antiquity seems to be folly when you make it speak what you please and hinder it from speaking whatsoever is contrary unto you Papists But though you speak so much against Traditions is it not evident that you have the Word of God by Tradition for as you cannot know but by Tradition that one whose Name was Seneca wrote those Books that go under his Name so you cannot know that this was the Word of God had not you received it from the Church Authour As a Carrier that brings a Leteer from a friend 't is not his saying that it comes from such a friend that is my main argument to make me beleeve it but I know his hand and know the matter that he writes to be such that none could write of but he because none else in the world knew that businesse but only he Insomuch that though he should bring me a Leteer to which my Friends Name was set and he should write of the same business yet I should know that it came not from my Friend by the hand and stile and if he knew not the secrets between my friend and I he would have divers mistakes concerning the businesse he wrote of by which I should discover that the Letter came not from my friend notwithstanding his Name was subscribed so for the Scriptures though the Church delivers them to us as from God yet that matter is of that nature and other intrinsecall arguments viz. holiness consent depths of mysteries and discovering all the secret corruptions of ones heart c. I know it to be the Word of God by these Arguments discover the Alcoran not to be the Word of God though the Mahumetan that delivers it to me say 't is and as for Seneca this is clear In case I were sure that there was such a one as Seneca lived

other faithfull Ministers any longer then while the Word last or that Timothy need preach no more after once Paul had been with him and indeed in common sense if I bid a man stay in a place untill I come I do not then bid him go away but rather stay longer that I may speak with him or do something else when I come So Saint Peter bidding the dispersed Hebrews attend to the Word till the Day dawn doth not bid them then cast away the Word or leave it off but however he would have them attend to it till that time and then afterward they will of themselves attend it without his exhortation nay 't is observable that in that very place he preferres the Word before the sight if the transfiguratioin of Christ so that the Word hath the precedence ev'n of Revelation hnd Visions But because that this point will be shortly so exactly cleared I will omit further pursuing of it Papists You speak concerning the reading of Scriptures as if that were the way to keep people from errour Whereas indeed that hath been the cause of all the errors of these times that every one hath been suffred to reade and expound the Scripture People should stand to the determination and traditions of the Church Authour 1. That every one ought to reade the Scripture and not only Clergy-men as you call them but all others is so evident that there is no way for you to keep men from beleeving this truth but by keeping of them from reading the Scripture Deut. 6.7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up and thou shalt binde them for a sign upon thine hand and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes 'T is evident that the King is commanded to have as much of the Scripture by him as then was written and he shall reade therein all the daies of his life that he may learn the fear of the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them and Ps 1.3 Joh. 5.39 1 Thes 5.27 Eph. 3.3 4. Neh. 8.2 3 4 5. Act. 15.21 Rev. 1.2 2 Ki. 23.3 Deu. 31.11 Rom. 1.7 Act. 8.28 But if you would not have us to reade the Scriptures how would you have us know the Truths of God Papists The Priests lips are to preserve knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth Authour The words are The Priests lips should preserve knowledge it shews their duty what they should do but 't is apparent in the next verse that they did not do so Ye have departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble and how frequently doth the Apostle say Judge what I say Try all things 2 Tim. 2.7 1 Thes 5.21 We having spoken just before that we should not despise Prophecy he subjoyns That we should not idolize Prophecy neither by taking every thing upon trust that is preached Papists But it shows a great deal of arrogance and pride for poor common ignorant people to question the doctrine of the learned and pious Ministers especially when 't is not only the judgement of one but of more Ministers especially of such as have been approved it is fit for them to judge of the exposition of Scriptures Authour It is very convenient and necessary they should so do and certainly such shall have praise of God for 't is plain the Scripture praiseth the Bereans for doing so Act. 17.11 Paul an Apostle and Sylas an Evangelist preached among them But they took not their Doctrine upon trust but preached the Scriptures to see whether those things were so and though they found that to be true which they preached according to the Word of God this day yet they examined their preaching this day also and so toties quoties and these Bereans clearly are commended for thus doing nor doth this argue any unwillingness in us to receive what is preached nor dislike of the doctrine for the Bereans did receive it with all readinesse of minde though they like the doctrines never so well as t is plain they did for they heard it with all readinesse of minde yet they durst not receive it before they had examined whether 't was according to the word of God or no and suppose our Trachers should misguide us 't is evident that not only they but we should perish with them Matth. 15.14 Papists But I must return again to that which is so apparent that it cannot be denied but that in these times wherein every one hath been suffered to reade and expound the Scriptures as they please errours heresies and blasphemies have more abounded then ever they did Authour I grant that for every one to be suffered to divulge and preach the Expositions must needs be a certain means of propagating and multiplying errors But the fault is not in their reading and knowing but it proceeds from their ignorance of the Scriptures for our Saviour plainly sets down that to be the reason of our erring and the taking things upon the credit of our Teachers only our Saviour sets down to be the reason of so many errors among the Jews How many times doth our Saviour say in Mat. 5. You have heard that 't was said whereas indeed there was no such thing spoken in the Word of God Papists But how is it possible that simple ignorant people should understand wherein there are such depths that the learnedest man in the world cannot fully understand Authour Can any one imagine that the Scripture was writ only for learned men and great Scholars many things there are hard to be understood there is no question of it but those things that are necessary to salvation are plain Certainly the Scripture it self saith so Pro. 1.4 that 't was written for that purpose to give the young and ignorant understanding and the Scripture commands to buy the Truth and the ignorant man hath a price in his hand the fault is not in his head but heart and he that hath any understanding wisedom is easie to him Prov. 17.16 even very children might learn it Deut. 6.7 and the Apostle saith If the Gospel be hid 't is hid to them that perish whether they be learned or unlearned And if for that reason men should not reade the Scriptures because they savingly understand them not and abuse the Scriptures to the maintaining of heresies then the reading of Scripture should be also prohibited to learned men for the poor receive the Gospel or are Gospelliz'd as the word signifies and God doth reveal the Mysteries of salvation to those that are simple and hides them to the wise Mat. 11.25 and the greatest hereticks that ever were were not simple but learned men 3. If those that are simple and unlearned must not reade the Scripture this as if those that were sick should not use Physick

ΠΑΝΘΕΟΛΟΓΙΑ Or the Summe of PRACTICAL DIVINITY Practiz'd in the Wilderness and delivered by our Saviour in his Sermon on the MOUNT BEING OBSERVATIONS Upon the Fourth Fifth Sixth and Seventh Chapters of St MATTHEW To which is Prefixed A PROLEGOMENA or Preface by way of DIALOGUE Wherein the Perfection and Perspicuity of the Scripture is vindicated from the Calumnies of ANABAPTISTS and PAPISTS By THO. WHITE B. L. Minister of Gods Word at Anne Aldersgate London LONDON Printed by A. M. for Jos Cranford and are to be sold at the Sign of the Phoenix in St Pauls Church-yard MDCLIV WHITES OBSERVATIONS Upon the 4. 5. 6. and 7. Chapters of St MATTHEW The Authours TO THE READER AUTHOUR THe Times wherein we live are so full of Errors Heresies and Blasphemies that except our Antidotes and Preparatives are very strong and we continually taking of them 't is impossible to be kept from being infected Christian Reader But what are those Antidotes and Preparatives which may keep one from infection 1. Take heed of Doctrines that rob God of his Honour and give it unto man Such are the Doctrine of Merits Free-will Election out of foresight of Faith and Perseverance 2. Be established upon the plain Texts of Scripture in the Truths you professe and take them not upon trust custome or education for such sandy Foundations will never be able to bear up what you build upon them in times of Persecution or Temptation 3. Love the Truths that you know else God may justly send you strong Delusions to beleeve lies though you receive the Truth if you receive it not in the love theroof 2 Thes 2.10 11. Love and rejoyce in them not upon carnall ground for if thou lovest spirituall truths upon carnal grounds when those grounds cease as all carnal grounds will thy love of the Truth will cease and though thy evidence be never so great if there be no adherence if thy soul cleaves not to the Truths thou knowest they will be like the dust that lies loose upon the ground every winde of Doctrine will scatter them Eph. 4.11 12 13 14. 2 Tim. 3.15 5. Turn the Truths of God into nourishment We must desire the sincere milk of the Word of God that we may grow thereby while meat is in thy hand it may be taken from thee if it be in thy stomack thou maist cast it up again but if once it be turned into nourishment into thy substance then thou canst never loose it 5. Desire to know the Truths of God that thou maist do them Do what thou knowest thou shalt know more Joh. 7.17 We use to take away the Candle from those Servants that have no work or will do none by it 6. If Persecution arises for the Truth suffer it with joy for if once thou hast suffered for the Truth thou wilt never part with it the way not to sell Truth is to buy it and the mother loves the childe most because she hath suffered most for it If once we have paid for Land if the Title of it be questioned we shall endeavour to vindicate it but if we only be in bargain if the title be questioned we leave of our bargaining and leave it to others take little care our selves to vindicate it but it may be thou dost not live in such times of persecution that thou must loose thy estate life or liberty for the Truth but alwaies thou livest in such times that thou must leave thy lusts or corruption for it what corruption what sin what lust hath thou left for such a truth if thou hast not parted with thy lusts and corruptions for the truth thou wilt part with the truth for thy lusts c. 7. Pray for 't is God only that teacheth wisedom secretly thou canst not come unto the Son unlesse thou come and learn of the Father Joh. 6.44 thou canst not know the Father except the Son reveal him Mat. 11.27 Thou canst not say that Jesus is the Christ but by the holy Ghost thou canst not know the deep things of God except the holy Ghost seacheth them out and reveal them unto you thou shalt learn more of God upon thy knees then by all thy reading or studying without prayer If any man lack wisedom let him ask it of God The Schoolmasters that Luther learnt most of was Prayer Temptation and Meditation 8. Be constant in hearing and reading the Word of God for those are two speciall means that God hath sanctified for the keeping of us from errour Be sure you keep close to that Heb. 4.11 12 13 14. 2 Tim. 3.13 take heed of making Traditions Revelations or Providences as thy Rule to walk by for the Scripture is plain and sufficient to teach you all things which are necessary either to be beleeved or practised and the clearing of this Point I conceive to be the most prope● Preface to Annotations upon the Scriptures more proper to that part of Scriptures here spoke to then to many others because that our Saviour evidently shews by his practise that the Scriptures nay one Book nay very few Chapters of that Book is able to answer all Satans temptations and as for the times wherein we live I wish that Discourses of the perfection perspicuity c. of the Scriptures were less pertinent Anabaptists You speak much of the Ministery and of the Written Word but these are needless in our daies or at least the written Word is not the only Rule whereby we should walk Is it not plainly prophesied of the time of the Gospel Jer. 31.34 They shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord and Isa 54.13 and thy children shall be taught of the Lord and if so what need Scriptures or Mi●istry Authour We will first take the words in your sense viz. that all shall be taught immediatly of God without the Scriptures or Ministry of the Word so that from the greatest to the least every one shall know the Lord that is so much of God as is needfull to salvation Then thus I argue That as far as can be proved by these words the Scriptures and Ministery of the Word is needfull until this Prophesie be fulfilled in this sense for there are abundance of ignorant persons amongst us who are not taught of God and that do not know the Lord Many there are that do not beleeve in Christ which they should certainly do if God did inwardly teach them Joh. 6.45 Now 't is so evident that few there are that beleeve and by consequence are taught of God that it ought rather to be bewailed then proved 2. Can any one imagine that none of Gods People before in Christs time or in the Apostles time were taught of God and yet what is more evident then that the Ministery of the Word and reading of Scriptures was in use and commanded in those

times Therefore to be taught of God doth not exclude the Ministery of the Word but rather include it Therefore I answer 3. That to be taught of God is to be taught of God in his Word which I prove by severall places of Scripture 1. as our Saviour saies He that hears you hears me and he that hears me hears him that sent me Matth. 10 40. Luk. 10.16 Joh. 13.20 and it is evident that the People of God have thought so that they have been taught of God in the Ministery of the Word Act. 10.33 and therefore you must not oppose those things that are coordinate and our Saviour explains this very place that it is to be taught of God in his Word for Christ makes to hear and learn of the Father to be the meaning of those words for hearing signified the outward and learning the inward teaching of God for if by hearing an inward hearing should be meant then it were all one with learning 4. If these words are to be taken in your sence it doth more clearly argue that private instruction and conference are needlesse then that the Ministry of the Word is so for in private conference and instruction every one is more properly said to teach his Neighbour then in the Publike Ministery Then 5. You of all people should least speak against the necessity of preaching since by your practice you are so far from judging it unfit for any one to preach that you judge it fit for every one that will to preach If preaching be fit why do you condemn it if not why do you use it 6. This place is a Prophecy of abundance of Preaching for the times wherein his Prophet lived were such that as in Rome and Spain if any one comes to know the Truths of God it must be by private conference and instruction as it were one Neighbour teaching of another as the publique Preaching of the Word there are none but false Prophets that are Teachers amongst them 7. It is not unworthy considering whether this may be the meaning of the place viz. That in these sad times the People were so generally addicted to Idolatry and misled by the false Prophets that few there were that knew whether Baal or Jehovah was the true God but the Prophet tels them that concerning that Point to know that Jehovah is the Lord the time shall come that they shall not need instruction as if one should say that the time should come in Turky that no one shall need to teach them whether Christ or Mahomet be the true Prophet Anabap. But is it not plainly said that ye have an Vnction from the Holy One and ye know all things and ye need not that any man teach you Authour If the meaning of the place should be that none need to teach them the Apostle would seem to contradict himself for why does the Apostle write this Epistle to them if they knew all things and need not that any man should teach them 2. 'T is against the whole current of the New Testament to interpret these words of the immediate teaching exclusively to the Ministry of the Word is evidently contrary to the current of the Gospel What need we pray that God would send Labourers into his Vineyard What need Paul leave Timothy at Creete to ordain Ministers in every City if in Gospel-times the Ministery were needless And that it is not only needfull for conversion but edification is evident Act. 20.32 2 Tim. 3.17 1 Pet. 2.2 3. And that the Ministry is to continue to the end of the world is as evident Our Saviour promiseth to be with his Apostles to the end of the world with them as to their persons he could not be to the end of the world because they died but with their Successors he was is and will be Eph. 4.11 12 13 3. The meaning of the words are as if the Apostle should say Do not you imagine the truth you have learned you have learned of man only for 't is the Vnction of the Spirit of God that hath anointed you that hath taught you whose teachings are so true and so full that you need not that any man should teach you upon this account as if there were some defect As if you had not been taught all things necessary to salvation So there are three things that the Apostle would prove to them in those words 1. That what they had learned was not properly from man though by man but from the Spirit of God 2. That the Spirit of God had not been defective as to Necessaries in his teachings of them 3. Much less that the spirits teachings were false as the seducers pretended and the words are set down clearly in reference to their seducers The words immediatly going before the 28. and 27. ver the Apostle clearly speaks concerning their seducers who told them that they were all this while misled and so the Apostle saies that these things I have written unto you concerning them that seduce you for that 't is plain those passages are to be expounded not concerning their Teachers but Seducers Anabapt But Saint Peter saies expresly 2 Pet. 1.19 That we are to take heed unto the word of Prophecy until and no longer the day dawn and the Day-Star arise that is while we have the Spirit of God to teach us we are to use the light of the Scriptures but afterward the light of the Spirit is to guide us which is more and certain then that of the Scriptures Authour By the Day-dawning and Day-Star rise in our hearts cannot be meant that light and those teachings of the Spirit which every Saint hath as soon as he is regenerated for 't is evident that those to whom the Apostle writ this Epistle were illuminated and sanctisied by the holy Ghost as appears by the first Verse yet the Day-Star in the Apostles sense was not risen in their hearts 2. 'T is as evident that as great Revelations as any that you Anabaptists can boast of are less certain then the Scriptures not only to others but even to them who have those Revelations for the Apostle saies that we have a more sure word of Prophesie as if he should say the word is not only more sure to you that have not those visions which we have had but even for us also 3. Suppose the Dawning of the Day c. were to be taken for the illumination of the Spirit yet it follows not that after we are so illuminated by the Spirit we need not reade the Scriptures for the word until doth not alwaies refer to the time past as to exclude the time to come as Mat. 5.18 Mat. 12.20 Mat. 28. last 1 Tim. 4 13. Can you argue and say that when the heavens shall pass away then the Word of God shall fail or Christ will break the bruised reed and quench the smoaking flax when judgement is brought forth to victory or that Christ will not be with his Disciples and