Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	authority_n	church_n	depend_v	6,335	5	9.7549	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67622	The reasoning apostate, or, Modern latitude-man consider'd, as he opposeth the authority of the King and Church occasioned by several late treatises / by John Warly ...	Warly, John, d. 1679.	1677 (1677)	Wing W877; ESTC R11108	25,929	127

from what is said is only this All Doctrines if they are not immediately received by the whole Church not rashly to be rejected This also I could infer that seeing it is not certain the Apostles wrote it themselves but in several Ages it had its Ratification at least the compellation of Apostolical from the Church its plain that the authority of the Church which makes it above other Creeds and to be the sum total of all that is to be believed makes it depend on that authority of the Church which gave it its compellation which I hope though borrowed from the authority of the Church which since the Apostles time hath been abused will be no greater a prejudice to discerning minds than the title of the King though first derived from the Pope can minorize the honour due to him This which is said perhaps may be retorted by an instance in Books of canonical Scripture by saying we may as well conclude that the Gospel owes its name of Gospel to the Church and the Law its name of the Law as conclude that the Creed as to its denomination or being Apostolical depends only upon the Church which calls it so This Objection may find an Answer from this consideration that although the Church is Ministerial in both holding out a Light to declare unto us that the Gospel is the Gospel and the Law the Law as much as it doth evidence that the Creed is the Creed yet there is this difference the Books of the Law and Gospel its probable had their compellation or name written by the same Authors that wrote them but the Creed owes its title to the restimony of the Church so far as it is call'd the Apostles Creed By this limitation I hope I have prevented another cavil which might conclude I make the Doctrine of the Creed to depend on the Church when I only speak of the compellation as being borrowed from the Church which compellation is the only hinge on which the present Controversie turns for take away the name the Apostles Creed and it can be no more said to be the sum of all Religion than other Doctrines or Theses generally received by the Church If it is further urged that all Titles of the canonical Books bear not without doubt the Authors names as several Psalms and the Epistle to the Hebrews because it is not certainly known who were their Authors This may be granted yet the case is not the same with the Creed and some parts of the canonical Scripture for the latter it may be safely said that the Church gave no new Titles to those Books but delivered them as they found them waitten or were assured of their Titles by infallible Traditions but the same cannot so certainly be said of the Apostles Creed From all that is said it is easie to observe how some men are ready to own the Authority of the Church when serviceable to their designs and disowns it when it thwarts private Opinions It may be granted that the Apostles Creed is Regula fidei Tutissima as a Rule though but a foot in length may discover the crookedness of the greatest quantity and is useful in thousands of cases so the Creed may measure and discover though not so accurately the many Volumious errors in Religion but not in direct terms but by consequence To illustrate it by Instances Christ sums up all the Commandments in one word Love which modo implicito concludes against all Vice otherwise it could not be an abridgment of the whole Law this must be granted but it is rashness to say that this Command alone is able to check all Vices and conclude against each particular Sin It is also said of Manna a fit Emblem of the Creed always to be kept in the Ark of the Church that eminently contains all savours to gratifie the Tast and Smelling and the Opall and Iris have a lovely commixture of all colours Now as a man who would pass an accurate Judgment of a sweet body would not appeal to Manna which hath it mixt with others but to some particular object of the same kind and he who would pass judgment on Colours Yellow or Blue c. will not compare them with that in the Rainbow but some other Object of the same complexion or tincture the same may be said of the Articles of Faith which are severally comprehended in the Creed yet are not to be an exact measure of their numerous Errors implicitly condemned by it It hath been doubted by some whether the principles of Chymists Salt Sulphur c. are really in the Bodies or whether they were as matter fitly prepared and by Extraction made such I shall not presume to determine any thing in this but only apply it to the present case by saying there are the Semina or Principia in the Creed but particular Articles which confute particular Errors though they have their Foundation from it yet their whole Superstruction cannot be said to be taken from it It is impossible it should be done therefore weakness to attempt it for it argues as much weakness in those men who undertake to assert the Creed the sum of all to be believed and to confute all Errors as some when urged by some of the Roman Church to shew how the Sacraments were contained in the Creed have answered out of Aquinas 2.2 q. 1. a. 8. Eos Articulos continueri includi in Articulo fidei quo Credimus unam sanctam Ecclesiam Sanctorum Communionem Remissionem peccatorum that they are contained in the Articles where we profess a Belief in the Catholick Church Communion of Saints remission of Sins And being urged particularly to shew how Baptism was included there run for Sanctuary to the Athanasian Creed This seems to be a far fetcht and an unnatural deduction for though it may be concluded that the Sacraments are necessarily implyed in the Remission of Sins as he gives his reason Ibidem nam per Sacramenta peccata remittuntur it will conclude the necessity but says nothing of the nature wherefore that great Doctor with all the subtilties of his School-companions could never extract any thing thence of the nature of them so if Transubstantiation could not find any other confutation than from those Articles it would be to little purpose to dispute against it Thus one of our Church who being urged by a Papist how he shewed in the Creed that Doctrine of the Devils forbidding Marriage was exprest in the Creed answers that neither meats nor marrying of any persons could be unlawful because a Christian believes in God in his Creed to be maker of all thinks good so not to be forborn and all his Institutions holy therefore not to be abstained from by any persons This seems to me as vain an Attempt and as far fetcht a way of Arguing as those men use who will undertake to shew there is nothing New but demonstrate all new Philosophy to be taken out of Aristotle I

in particulars and a good mean to preserve the true Faith Though Christ did not immediately draw up his Doctrine in such Articles it is past doubt he directed the Church to do it and that perhaps that he might create reverence to the Pastors of the Church that they should not be only as Library-keepers but Authors too in that sense that a Publisher of an Epitome may be call'd so whilst they compose the contents of Scripture in a short abridgment by Divine Direction It is observ'd that Christ did some things to create a Reverence to his Evangelists and Apostles by committing the charge of the publishing of the Gospel in writing when he himself could as easily have done it as wrote on the ground with his finger and shall not his Apostles Successors be esteemed worthy to interpret these holy Writings To deny them this Authority and only allow them such a mere Ministerial office and that to be only understood as if they were only Mercuries with a hand stretcht out with a Scrol for the People to read it seems rash And to confine them only to be judg of Circumstantials is to minorize their Authority and makes them but Registers to keep the Divine Books 'T is true this is honour enough to be but Door-keepers and Saint Paul said the Jews might glory because the Oracles of God were committed unto them which may not be restrained to the bare letter of the Law according to each mans apprehension but in doubtful cases Appeals were to be made to the Sanedrim which hath no small affinity with the proceedings of Councils though some disputes set them at further distance besides I do not remember that Christ taxes in general the Jewish Doctors for Exposition of the Law but when they either clearly perverted the sense and meaning of the Law or plainly altered it by sinister Interpretations making the word of God of none effect For if all Illustrations of the Law by Jewish Doctors must be laid aside though we know and avoid the fabulous Interpretation of the Thalmudist many parts of the Old Testament would not be so plainly understood even those which relate to the coming of Christ and the manner of his Kingdom If it is said that the Jewish Doctors often err'd so their Authority suspicious if not invalid the same will be granted I presume of Councils and Church when their Assertions if it may be supposed are manifest contradictions to plain Scripture This Bellarmine confesseth when he says Councils may not be opposed Nisi manifestissime constet intollerabilem errorem Committi lib. 2. de Concil But more of this in its proper place In this only I shall take notice that the authority of the Church hath been rendered odious to weak minds whilst some part of it I do not mean the Catholick run into extreams in Creeds as some men in habits or cloaths sometimes the humour of the Age is such that men affect to appear in the large size of Primitive Ages others desirous to appear as small as Nature will admit one time as Gyants another time as Pygmies This vanity hath crept into the Church some will only own the Apostls Creed others not content with those which the Church hath received but must make it larger by Phylacteries of Decretals The Roman Church will have each Article of the Creed as Astronomers say of the Planets each must have its Assecla or Page attend it They will scarce believe that they ca satisfie the first Article of believing in case it is not represented by Images neither will they believe the Communion of the Catholick Church except Rome may pass for it and the Resurrection and day of Judgment not to be explained without Purgatory some run in another extream tream they will admire nothing so much as the Eunuchs Creed to be imposed on as matters of Christian belief However they magnisie the Creed of the Apostles at the same time decrying others allowed by the Church of England which gives just occasion of suspicion that those very persons who own the Apostles Creed in words if prest by the general interpretation of the whole Church would boggle at that as much as at the Athanasian Creed for though they commend it as it justly deserves it for its plainness of matter and the phrase so esteemed by the Fathers yet it is certain there are doubts in some Articles which are not agreed on so as to be past dispute for instance the Communion of Saints the belief on the Catholick Church and the manner of Christ's descending into Hell not yet agreed on by all parts of the Catholick Church besides those who will have nothing in other accompts of Religion but in Scripture phrase must be content with other Language in this That word Catholick hath lately been as much controverted as the threadbear word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word was so hard to Luther that he went about to translate it into the German Language and alter the phrase for which boldness he was justly charged by Tanner the Jesuite for I am of nazianzens mind not to have a word changed for as he says One drop of Poyson may corrupt a great mass I would not have this which is said of the Creed as to be said in derogation from its reverence due to it above other Creeds which are but Comments on it yet there are two questions I hope may be started without violence done to it How it appears to be a sum of Fundamentals This is well Answered by some late Authors That the Apostles wrote the whole sum of what is to be believed for if they had omitted any part of it they might have as well omitted all Then it must be inquired how far this Creed as Apostlical depends on the Churches testimony or authority on this latter question the present Controversie depends therefore it must be considered what it is to be called Apostolical Apostolical is that which is agreeable to the Apostles practice and doctrine So the title Apostolical is fastned to some Churches and several persons whose piety had hath alliance to that of the Apostles but when it is given to any Doctrine as the rule of Faith Ubique semper ab omnibus obtains in this sense the Apostles Creed cannot be called Apostolical as to all its parts for all were not received at the same time as it is observed that St. Austin Origen and Tertullian commenting on the Creed make no mention of the Articles of the descent into Hell though 't is confest Saint Austin owns it as Catholick in other places 'T is true Rufsinus an ancient Doctor makes mention of that Article but says the Roman Church did not receive it at that time but since generally received I speak not this out of any irreverence or light esteem to the Creed as an Author I heard of who wrote a scurrilous and malicious piece against the Creed meerly in opposition to another opinion That which I infer