Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostolical_a	church_n	tradition_n	4,989	5	9.5918	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00664	An ansvvere to VVilliam Alablaster [sic] his motiues. By Roger Fenton preacher of Grayes Inne	Fenton, Roger, 1565-1616.; Alabaster, William, 1567-1640.	1599 (1599)	STC 10799; ESTC S101956	37,337	52

waigh together the spouse of Christ with Luther Caluin Melancthon aecumenicall counsels with priuate opinions the reuerend and learned fathers with Arius Aetius Vigilantius men alwaies in their time burned for heretikes the harmony of Churches with the iarring of conuenticles of them that are in as great brawle with themselues as with the catholikes The vniforme practise of 1500. yeares with the often change of others The tradition of the Apostles with the dregs of heretikes Now let any man though ouerbalanced by affection consider with himselfe whether of these should be beleeued in expounding the scriptures and consequently in the truth of the controuersies which relyeth vpon the sence ANSVVERE THis is right the wise man of Athens who thought all the shippes his owne which came to hauen Church councels Fathers Apostolicall traditions all yours And we poore soules turned ouer to a few single spirits Luther Caluin Melancthon c. If I might be so bold with you as Sir Thomas More was in like case with a protestant it were time to put you in minde of one Caius who encountring with a scholler would needs haue his first demaunde graunted to wit whatsoeuer had two eares was a foolish beast For els he could not so gallantly haue come vpon him as otherwaies he had ment Your demand is alike reasonable For you assume no more as graunted but the iudgment of the Church the definition of councells the consent of Fathers the harmonie of Churches the practise of all ages the rule of Apostolicall tradition Which if we giue you and leaue our selues a few particular mens expositions indeede I confesse you may conclude at your pleasure But it is wel knowen we doe no further relie vpon those learned mens assertions then they be authorized by the forenamed witnesses Which testimonies so confidently alledged for your parte I hope you are not ignorant how that all along in our apologies defences and answeres they be brought against you by our defenders especially those witnesses of more ancient times vnto whom we are content to appeale as most indifferent iudges and more sincere then any of later times being neerer to Christ and further from these factions To put you out of doubt I will set downe our owne words Quam ea die Iuellus vocem verissimam ac constantissimam emisit quando ad sexcentorum annorum antiquitatem prouocanit vobisque obtulit vt si vel vnicam ex aliquo patre aut consilio claram dilucidam sententiam afferretis non recusaret quin vobis palmam concederet ea est nostrûm omnium professio idem omnes pollicemur fidem non fallemus THE SECOND MOTIVE THe mysteries of religion do so far exceede the narrow straites of our vnderstanding that because they cannot be comprehended by reason God hath therefore appointed faith to entertaine them which faith is built vpon diuine and vnfallible authoritie the minde yeelding obedience in stead of discourse receiuing indifferently the truth of doctrine vpon the credit and affiance of the teacher Therefore that religion which doth not stay the assent of the scholler and hath not irrefragable authoritie in all matters of faith hath neither merit of beliefe in it selfe nor others But such is the discipline of the protestants that they affoord their schollers no other but humane and mutable authoritie whereby to beleeue the number and dignitie of the scriptures with the sense and interpretation of them in which consisteth the summe of all religion ANSVVERE THe mysteries of religion doe far exceede the narrow straites of our vnderstanding for without controuersie great are those mysteries to wit God is manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit seene of Angels beleeued on in the world and receiued vp into glorie Amongst which the schollers assent to those misteries is accounted one beleeued on in the world which you haue well expressed appointing faith not reason to entertaine them The mind yeelding obedience in steed of discourse receiuing indifferently the truth of doctrine vpon the credit and affiance of the teacher This teacher you haue determined to be the inflexible testimonie of the catholike Church of whome we receiued the forenamed principles of religion yea the scriptures themselues And surely that minde which would not yeeld obedience to the testimonie of this generall voice were in all sound iudgments most vnreasonable For doth not reason her selfe tell vs That which most men and wisest agree vpon is most true doth she not adde further Those men be wisest next God that are most deare vnto him Then that religion which is professed and taught by the most holy and catholike Church which is venerable for antiquitie certaine for succession comely for order admirable for vnitie approued by experience allowed by prouidence confirmed by miracles rooted in so many kingdomes neuer doubted of but by heretikes is in the very eye of reason to be imbraced How thinke you Is not this reasons discourse And a sound discourse You must not deny it for it is your owne If reason then build vpon Church authoritie how place you faith in reasons roome If this be reasons discourse what is that yeelding obedience in stead of discourse Where is that great mysterie of godlines beleeued on in the world which captiuates the vnderstanding to the obedience of faith Let me helpe you out with a schoole distinction that wee may cleere the way before vs. The schollers assent to the Church testimonie is called faith I confesse but such a faith as the schoole termeth Acquisita fides faith gotten by discourse testimonie of the holy men of God a faith caried along by reason grounding vpon sufficient witnes and conuincing the vnderstanding by euidence of demonstration a faith incident not to wicked men only but the diuels themselues But the schoole diuines haue taught a more diuine faith which they call Infusa fides immediatly inspired by the holy Ghost from heauen informing the minde inclining the will to entertaine the principles of christianitie with all perfect obedience in stead of discourse For the begetting of which faith in the hearts of men that former testimonie of the Church and discourse of argument doth wonderfully dispose and prepare the minde but y t which giues the stroke and addeth life vnto it is the celestiall motion of Gods spirit which Saint Iohn calls the witnes within vs opposing it to the Church testimonie without vs. This is that true faith which Aquin affirmes neuer to bee found in diuels which Scotus aueres neuer to be void of christian charitie which Bellarmin proues and Trent defines neuer to be obtained without diuine reuelation and inspiration of Gods spirit vpon which it is built as vpon diuine and vnfallible authoritie the minde yeelding obedience in steede of discourse and receiuing indifferently the truth of doctrine vpon the credit and affiance of this teacher Hereupon doth our religion stay the assent of the scholler and hath irrefragable authoritie in the

principally we appeale to scripture as to the certaine rule and ground of all the rest yet for the true sense and interpretation of scripture we confirme our selues by the consent of the learned in the Church by the analogie of faith and common grounds of beliefe deliuered by the Church and collected by the ancient fathers out of the most plaine vndoubted scriptures by the generall consent of antiquitie by prouinciall and generall counsels which at this day we wish and heartily pray might be called without partialitie but our complaint is the same with Saint Basil and Gregorie Nazianzene in their time that a generall counsell cannot be called with indifferencie in the throng of so many quarrels especially since the head of the strongest faction must needs be possessed with a preiudice in his owne cause These meanes of finding and maintaining the truth of God though taken seuerally they may seeme the weaker yet all or most of them ioyned together are sufficient to rest the consciences of true Catholikes To the perfection where of we labour to attaine forgetting that which is behind and endeuouring to that which is before THE SEVENTH MOTIVE THe diuine prouidence which as a center indifferently extendeth it selfe to the vniuersalitie of things hath allowed euerie creature common strength to preserue his being such is in liuelesse bodies their place or motion or qualities in vegetable their instinct of distinguishing their proper aliment in beastes the iudgement of sense and priuiledge of nature and in man an apprehension censure and proiect from the intelligence of sensible occurrents both in naturall and ciuill bodies The same wisedome and bountie which hath been so enlarged to his seruants cannot be straightned to his children and therefore it is aboue all doubt that he hath set some plaine and certaine direction in his Church both of discerning of heresies when they arise and of auoiding the infection of them neither hath the holy Ghost failed herein for because all the dangers of the Church were chiefly to come from heretikes hee hath drawne in the scripture as in a table the picture of heretikes their apparrell fashion speech and cariage whereby they might be noted vpon the first apparance But among all other Items none is oftener giuen for a marke to discerne them then their difference of doctrine from the former tradition and custome There shall be false teachers which shall bring in heresies 2. Peter 2. 1. If any man come to you and bring not this doctrine Iohn 2. 10. And the contradiction of Corah 1. Tim. 8. If any man teach other wise then that which you haue heard from the beginning Let it abide in you fight for the faith once deliuered keepe the traditions you are taught And if any man would fashion in his wishes a plaine and sensible rule whereby the thickest conceits that are not able to goe betweene truth and errour in the loosest controuersies might determine any question there cannot bee a better fancied then this difference of teaching and innouation of doctrine which he that vnderstandeth not the sense may perceiue by the words the soundes and contradiction of former opinion as men that are skilfull in musicall proportions and being acquainted through vse of song can easily iudge if any chaunge be made therein By this were all heresies apprehended at the first and also arraigned So that Stephanus Bishop of Rome ouerthrew the decree of the councell of Carthage for rebaptising wherein Saint Cyprian was president with his owne rule Ecclesia Dei non habet talem consuetudinem So Luther and Zwinglius and the rest of that crewe were at the first appearing branded by this note for heretikes ANSVVERE THis is the same fallacie with the former applyed another way for as in the last motiue you haue assured the Church of an infallible meanes to define all truth so in this you secure her members likewise of a power with facilitie to discerne heretikes by argument drawen from the generall prouidence of God extending it selfe to all creatures but most of all to his children In which ground there is some truth but entwined with some errours For as in other creatures the diuine prouidence is verie bountifull for the preseruation of their seuerall beings against iniurie and daungers yet for all the power of nature in senceles things or the iudgment of sense in the vnreasonable or the benefit of reason in men they be notwithstanding oftentimes subiect aswell to the pray and violence as to the crafte and deceit of others so is it in the professours of christian faith vnto whom God hath reuealed a meanes to preserue their spirituall being in this state militant more certaine and far more sufficient for them then he hath giuen to any other yet not with such ease facilitie to be enioyed as in this motiue you indeuour to perswade For albeit the Scripture hath not been wanting in describing heretikes so plainly as by way of prophecie could possibly be expressed yet are they not thereby presently knowne vpon the first appearance nor can the thickest conceites so easily iudge of them If you take your markes as you say from their apparell fashion or outward carriage then a sheeps skin drawen ouer a woolfe will easily deceaue you their outward apparance will in euery respect seeme holy and innocent as the sheepe of Christ. Therefore is there neede of a serpents wisedome to discerne them and not that onely but also of diligence and watchfulnesse to espie them For as they come in sheeps skins so come they priuily as Saint Peter noteth in the place by you first mencioned There shalbe false teachers who priuilie shall bring in damnable heresies Which word though it carie the emphasis of the sentence yet is it by you wisely omitted happily because you thought it a note of an heretike not so well beseeming Martin Luther who came not so priuily I wis but open inough and in his owne liknes contrarie to the common fashion of heretikes who first put on a sheepes skin and then creepe into the flock the easier to deceiue Wherefore when that prophecie is fufilled which you haue so fitted vnto these times concerning the doctrine of many false Christs where the bodie is thither will the Eagles resort not owles or bussards but such as haue a quicke eye of faith to discerne the Lord and the swift wing of deuotiō to fly vnto him Nay y e delusions of heresies shal thē grow so strong as nothing shall be able to withstand them but only the eternall election of God For if it were possible the verie elect should be deceiued A small number God knowes in compare of that glorious multitude you so boast of in your fifth motiue yet it seemes these fewe must stand when many great troupes are caried with the doctrine of false Christs Ecce hic ecce illic But these difficulties seeme nothing vnto you who can imagine a direction so plaine against