Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	article_n	church_n	tradition_n	2,712	5	8.9857	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03883	A treatise concerning the ground of faith. VVritten in Latin, by the reuerend Father Iames Gordon Huntley of Scotland, Doctour of Diuinity, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English, by I.L. of the same Society. The second part of the second controuersy; Controversiarum epitomes. English. Selections	Gordon, James, 1541-1620.; Wright, William, 1563-1639.	1614 (1614)	STC 13997A; ESTC S118149	27,760	72

vncertaynty is ingendred in vs if the thing be ambiguously and obscurely proposed how certayne soeuer it be in it selfe 4. The fourth property is the strength immutability therof so that this ground can by no meanes be depraued changed or corrupted For otherwise truth will sometyme perish there will arise some error against fayth 5. The fifth property is the fullnesse sufficiency of those things which are to be belieued that is to say it must conteine all things appertayning to the Catholike fayth seeing that nothing can consist without his ground or foundation 6 The sixt property is the necessity therof that is to say it must necessarily be receiued of all who haue the true fayth and because without it true fayth cannot consist euen as the building cannot continue without the foundation 7. The seauenth property is that it is a manifest signe and token wherby Christians are distinguished from Infidells For he which wanteth the ground and rule of fayth is an infidell but he who retayneth it is a true beleeuer 8. The eight property is that in euery article and conclusion of fayth this principle and ground is virtually conteyned seeing that out of it all things are to be deduced they receiue the certaynty from it 9. The ninth property is that it not only moue Christians to belieue but that it also conuince the infidells For otherwise the way to faith and eternall saluation should not be knowne or open to Infidells 10. The tenth property is that it be conteined expresly in the Apostles Creed wherein all the first groundes of our fayth are conteined for the Apostles after they had receiued the holy Ghost were not so forgetfull that in the Creed or Summary of fayth which they set downe to be belieued of all they would let passe the first and chiefest ground of fayth And thus much of the properties of the ground of fayth CHAP. III. That the Scripture alone is not the ground or rule of fayth THAT the Scripture alone is not the groūd of our fayth we haue already declared by the properties of the ground of fayth before alledged For of those ten properties the Scripture hath ōly one to wit Truth but al the other properties are wāting vnto it The which we clearly demōstrate in this sort First of all a perpetuall duration and continuance is wanting For the holy Scripture begun first vnder the old law in Moyses tyme wheras two thousand yeares before there were both true beleeuers and a Church In like manner in the new law the Apostles began to write some yeares after they had receiued the holy Ghost 2. Secondly the certaynty on our part is wanting seeing that we know not which is the Canonicall Scripture by the Scripture it selfe but by the authority of the Church as we haue proued before and will also more at large declare heereafter 3. Thirdly the foresaid strength immutability is wanting for euery parte of the holy Scripture considered in it owne nature is subiect to many alterations and falsifications For it may be destroied it may be corrupted it may be wrested to contrary senses wherof we haue spoken before 4. Fourthly that fulnesse and sufficiency is wanting because all thinges necessary to saluation are not expresly cōtained in holy Scriptures as we haue also declared before 5. Fiftly the foresaid necessity is wanting For without the holy Scripture there were in the law of Nature for the space of two thousand yeares many true belieuers And also long after Christ yea euen till the tyme of S. Irenaeus that is to say almost two hundred yeares there were many Nations who sincerely belieued in Christ without any holy Scripture as S. Irenaeus himselfe testifieth Lastly albeit Infidels should burne all the Bibles yet the faith of Christians should not therfore perish or be wholy ouerthrowne Therfore our faith doth not necessarily depend of the Scripture 6. Sixtly the seauenth property is also wanting for by the holy Scriptures the true Christians are not distinguished from Infidels because almost all Heretickes do both now receyue the holy Scriptures and in tymes past also receyued them 7. Seauenthly the eight propertie is wanting for there are many pointes of faith which rely vpon the Traditions of the Church only without any expresse Scripture at all as we haue declared before 8. Eightly the ninth property is wanting For Turkes and other Gentills who are only lead by naturall reason are very seldome or neuer conuerted by Scriptures only but we add also some other naturall reasons and perswasions that they may be conuerted For there are many things in holy Scriptures which s●…me opposite to naturall reason as the mysteryes of the Blessed Trinity Incarnation Resurrection of the dead c. 9. Ninthly there wanteth last of all the tenth property for there is nothing extant of the Scripture in the Apostles Creed 10. The holy Scripture indeed is the ground and reason why we belieue many points of faith but not the ground why we belieue all Moreouer neyther is it the first ground of all that we belieue by it For the Scripture it self is proued by some other more generall ground to wit by the authority of the Church VVherfore the Scripture is only a particuler ground and not a generall a mediate and not immediate a secondary and not the first and chiefest rule of faith CHAP. IIII. That the priuate or particuler spirit of euery one is not the ground or rule of faith THAT no priuate spirit of any can be the ground of our Faith is farre more euident by the same properties now alledged For none of these ten properties doth agree with the priuate spirit of euery one that belieueth the which we declare in these arguments 1. First there wanteth the foresaid continuance For there is no priuate or particuler person who hath continued from the beginning of the world or shall endure till the end therof as faith hath continued 2 Secondly there wanteth truth because there is no priuate man to be found which cannot erre and be deceiued for as witnesseth the Apostle Euery man is a lyar 3. Thirdly there wanteth certainty in proposing matters of faith vnto vs because none can be certaine that any priuate person can haue such a spirit yea euē in our Aduersaries iudgmēts For the predestinate only in their opinion haue this spirit euen as they only in their judgments haue the true fayth but the predestinate are knowen to none but only to God according to that of the Apostle God knoweth who are his The which Caluin expressely teacheth 4. Fourthly the foresaid strength and immutability is wanting for that a priuate man hath not that strength and immutability of his doctrine Our Aduersaries themselues confesse and experience teacheth vs that they often tymes change their interpretations of Scriptures and at diuers tymes they teach plaine contraries yea they confesse that this their priuate spirit is not permanēt with them

the Ghospells of S. Marke and S. Luke who were not Apostles but only their disciples stood in need of this approbation of the Church Here upon saith Tertullian If he from whom S. Luke receyued his light desired to haue his faith and preaching authorized by his predecessors how much more reason haue I to desire the like for the Ghospell of S. Luke seeing the same was so necessary for the Ghospell of his Mayster Thus farre Tertullian 8. And hence it is that the reuelations of S. Brigit and S. Catherine of Siena albeit they were truly reuealed vnto them by God yet they do not appertayne to the Catholike faith because they are not approued by the Church as the vndoubted and certayne word of God 9. Euen as also in the Apostles tyme many before S. Luke wrote the acts of Christ as S. Luke himself testifyeth and yet notwithstanding the Ghospells only of two of them to wit S. Matthew and S. Marks are authenticall for it is well knowne that S. Iohn wrote his Ghospell long after S. Luke but the Ghospells of the rest who wrote before S. Luke do not appertayne vnto faith because they were neuer approued by the Church Wherby it sufficiētly appeareth how necessary the approbatiō authority of the Church is 10. The Church hath the seauenth property of the ground of faith for by the Church and her coniunction communiō a true belieuer may be distinguished from an Infidel for he who belieueth the Church and heareth her is a true belieuer but he who doth not heare her is an Infidell if he will not heare the Church saith our Lord let him be vnto thee as an heathē or publicā And S. Iohn saith he which knoweth God heareth vs he which is not of God doth not heare vs. 11. The Church hath the eight property For whatsoeuer we belieue with our Catholike faith we belieue it because it is reuealed vnto vs from God by the Church But God now reuealeth nothing to euery member of the Church immediatly by himselfe Yea euen our Aduersaries do well admonish vs to labour most of all that no way or leaue be graunted to such fantasticall reuelations 12. The Church hath the ninth property For the Church conuinceth also Turkes and Infidels by naturall reasons of which sort there are many extant in S. Thom. We proue also the Church by the very signes and markes of the Church which are manifest vnto all euen Turkes and Infidels wherof we will spake more hereafter 13. The Church hath also the tenth property because in the Apostles Creed there is expressed an article of the Church For presently after the faith of the true God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost first of al is set downe this article I belieue the holy Catholike Church 14. Moreouer that the Church and her preaching is the ground of faith euidently appeareth by the wordes of holy Scripture For when S. Paul disputeth of that faith wherby all are to be saued he reduceth this whole faith to the preaching of the Church vnto her sending calling of others to her Ecclesiasticall offices 15. So this Apostle in another place declareth that God alwaies appointed some Pastors and Doctors in his Church that we be not children wauering in faith and carried about with euery wynd of doctrine but that we may be stable and constant alwayes in one and the same faith and confession of the Sonne of God 16. Lastly those words of S. Paul are most euident wherein he affirmeth that the Church is the pillar and ground of truth Where we are to consider that euery foundation of any building hath two offices that is to say to vphould the house to strengthen it The Apostle heere attributeth thē both to the Church the one when he calleth her the pillar of truth the other when he calleth her the ground of the same truth For the pillar also of the earth according to the Hebrew phrase doth signify the lowest foūdations of the earth So God is sayd to shake the pillars of the earth elswhere to strengthen the pillars of the earth that is to say the very foundations thereof 17. These so manifest and perspicuous words of the Apostle do compell Caluin at the last to be of our opinion albeit after his accustomed māner at the first he wrongfully slaundereth vs affirming that Catholiks hold or to vse his owne words do blab out this horible blsaphemy that is to say that the truth of God is not strong inough vnlesse it be vphoulden by the shoulders of men and that the worde of God is vncertayne till by humble prayers as it were it borroweth some certaynety from men And afterward he affirmeth that the Apostle in this place would nothing els but that the truth of God is supported by the pure preaching of the Ghospell But that which he sayd first is a meere slaunder for we do not say that the truth or the word of God absolutly and considered precisely in it selfe receiueth it certainty and strength from the Church for in this sense it receiueth a most perfect strength and large authority from God himselfe but in regard of men and in consideration of our knowledge it receiueth it certainty frō the Church as afterward we will declare more at large the which also Caluin in the words immediatly following acknowledgeth to be most true when he writeth in this sorte S. Paul simply vnderstandeth sayth Caluin that which in other words he sayth in the tenth Chapter to the Romans because fayth is by hearing there wil be no sayth vnlesse there be some that preach Therefore in regard of men the Church supporteth the truth because it maketh it famous by her prayse and commendation because the retayneth it in sincerity and purity and because she deliuereth and sendeth it to her posterity Thus Caluin 18. But that which secondly he addeth that the truth of God is supported and vpholden by the pure preaching of the Church is indeed most true but he should haue considered that this pure preaching of the Ghospell cannot be foūd but only in the Church and that no others but men can preach the pure Ghospell Wherefore if the truth of God be susteyned by the pure preaching of the Ghospell it necessarily followeth also that the Church must be sustained by men and consequently that the Church of Christ is the gound of truth albeit not absolutly yet in regard of vs and our knowledge So as Beza also is forced to cōfesse the same explicating those words of the Apostle the pillar and ground of truth Vnderstand this sayth Beza not simply in it selfe but in regard of vs. Thus he 19. It is therfore manifest as well out of Caluin as Beza that the Church in regard of vs is the ground of truth or of the word of God and consequently of our fayth which relyeth thereon But that which in regard of men is

faith we do not vnderstand by the Church the shoulders or bodyes of them who are in her but their authority doctrine and preaching for by these thinges faith is ingendred and as the Apostle witnesseth faith is by hearing 15. But whensoeuer we treate of the true Church of Christ we do not speake of that which wanteth true faith which is deafe dumme or foolish and which also eyther neglecteth or not vnderstandeth the Word of God or Scriptures for such a Church is not the true Church of Christ. But we speake of that which belieueth which speaketh which preached the pure word of God which kepeth and expoundeth the Scriptures most faithfully and which fittly applyeth them in Sermons Exhortations Amōg vs therfore all these wordes haue one and the same signification the Church the faith of the Church the preaching and doctrine of the Church the word of God preached by the Church and the truth of God proposed vnto vs by the Church And we vnderstand all these thinges by the name of the Church when we say that she is the groūd of our fayth For all these thinges are eyther properties actions or offices of the Church which cannot be separated from her 16. Wherefore our Aduersaries doe erre exceedingly whē they separate euery one of these from the Church and oppose or obiect it against her as though it were a quite distinct thing from her nay of the true Church of Christ they make her the Sinagogue of Sathan Therfore the Apostolicall Propheticall doctrine must not be separated and made opposite vnto the Church as Caluin doth seeing that it is an essentiall part of the visible Church Caluin therefore disputeth as if one should make this argument A man without his soule neyther seeth speaketh nor vnderstandeth therefore a man neyther seeth speaketh nor vnderstandeth 17. But peraduenture some will say We haue said a little before that faith is the ground of the Church and now we say that the Church is the ground of faith wherof the one seemeth to be contrary vnto the other I answere that heere there is no contrariety For there are two kindes of faith the one is the particuler faith of euery Christian wherby togeather with hope and charity euery one is iustified the other is the generall and common faith of the whole Church The particuler faith of ech one relyeth vpon the Church to wit vpon the faith preaching and authority of the whole Church But she her selfe relyeth vpon the generall faith and profession and preaching thereof in the whole Church which is an essentiall part of the visible Church When therfore we say that the Church is the ground of faith we speak of the particuler faith of euery Christian. But when we say that faith is the ground of the Church we speake of the generall faith of the whole Church 18. There are other arguments of our Aduersaries but we may easily answere therunto by that which hath byn already said the which Melchior Canus and Bellarmine doth prosecute and handle more at large vnto whom we referre the Reader For they are borrowed of the Anabaptists Libertines wherby the authority of the holy Scriptures themselues is no lesse diminished and infringed then that of the Church CHAP. VII That the Church doth not only giue a bare testimony but also authority to the Scripture THIS matter is heere briefly to be examined that it may more clearly be vnderstood how necessary the Churches approbation is to the establishing of the authority of the holy Scriptures But to the end that it may more clearely appeare wherof we dispute in this place it is to be considered that seing that our Aduersaries cannot deny but that the Church affoardeth some testimony to the holy Scriptures they affirme that this testimony of the Church is only a bare testimony and not a testimony of authority 2. For there are two kindes of testimonyes The one is called a testimony of authority because vpon it the truth of the things testified dependeth Yt is called also a necessary testimony because without it the thing in question is not sufficiently testified The other is called a bare testimony and not necessary that is to say when such a testimony is not so necessary because the matter is otherwise sufficiently testified Such a testimony was that which S. Iohn Baptist gaue of Christ. For Christ had sufficient testimonies besides 3. Of the former testimony of authority Christ saith But I do not receyue my testimony from men to wit the testimony of authority necessary For of the bare testimony he had spoken a little before You sent vnto Iohn and he hath giuen testimony to truth But this was a bare testimony wherfore Christ a little after said I haue a greater testimony then Iohn for the workes which the Father hath giuen me to profit them the very works which I do giue testimony of me that the Father hath sent me And the Father that sent me himselfe hath guien testimony of me All which saith Christ of the testimony of authority Our Aduersaries therefore say that the Church giueth only a bare testimony to the Scriptures as S. Iohn gaue to Christ but she giueth not a necessary testimony or that of authority 4. But that the testimony of the Church is altogeather necessary as that wherof the authority of the Scriptures dependeth is very manifest by that which is said in the former Chapter And by that also which we alleadged in the first disputation where we shew that there is now no firme testimony wherby we may know certainly which booke is canonicall and which not besides the testimonie of the Catholike Church For now neyther are the miracles wrought which God did in tymes past neyther doth God speake immediatly by himselfe as he spake in the baptisme and transfiguration of Christ. VVherefore there remayneth only the third ordinary manner wherby God speaketh by the mouth of the Church The Church therfore doth not giue a bare testimony only to the holy Scripturs but the testimony of authority to wit that wherof the authority of the Scriptures dependeth as concerning vs and our knowledge 5. Moreouer if the doctine of S. Paul stood need of the Churches approbation as we haue already proued out of the Scriptures much more S. Lukes Ghospell who was only S. Pauls scholler stood need therof as Tertullian witnesseth especially because S. Luke receyued not those things which he wrot by reuelation from God as S. Paul did but by tradition from others as he himselfe writeth And the same also may be said of S. Marke whose Ghospell as S. Hierome writeth the Apostle S. Peter approued and by his authority he commaunded it should be read in the Church 6. But neyther is it true that some say that the authority of approuing the Canonicall bookes was only resident in the Apostles and the primitiue Church but the ensuing Church hath is not For the Apostles did not