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	interpretation_n	4,397	5	10.0901	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18250	The firme foundation of Catholike religion, against the bottomles pitt of heresies wherin is shewed that only Catholiks shalbe saued, & that all heretikes of what sect so euer are excluded from the kingdome of heauen. Compyled by Iohn Caumont of Champany: and translated out of French into English, by Iohn Pauncefote the elder Esquyre, in the tyme of his banishement.; Du firmament des catholiques, contre l'abisme des heretiques. English.	Caumont, Jean de.; Pauncefote, John.	1591 (1591)	STC 4868; ESTC S104922	55,372	122

spirit and not seing but of his light and who so euer kepeth not this vnitie he kepeth not the law of God he hath no faith and he can neyther haue the life nor the saluation of Iesus Christ It is S. Paul him Ephes 4. self that teacheth this Sacramēt of the vnitie of faith in the vniuersalitie of the Church as there is not saith he but one sole God lord father of all so there is but one faith one hope one trust one bodie one spirit the head of which bodie is the sonne of God Iesus Christ who being him self the spring of lyfe euerlasting doth inspire lyfe to all the bodie doth furnish it dayly with strength by his holy spirit Whosoeuer is not a member of that bodie can not take lyfe of the spirit of Iesus Christ he is a straunger he is prophaned he is an enemie he is dead drye and wythered without moysture of all diuine grace and that no part of the promises and rewards of Iesus Christ he is the braunche Iohan. 11. cut from the true stocke appointed to the fyer to be burned If any of those which were out of the Arcke of Noe vvere saued those also shal be saued which are founde out of the Arke of the Church If the riuer cut from his spring dryeth not vp if the braunche diuided from the tree can bear fruit if the member cut from the bodie can take lyfe of the same bodie then also the man that is diuided and cut from the Church shal liue of Iesus Christ He can not haue God for his father which wil not haue the Church for his mother and he can not be vnited with God which is not vnited with the Church At the same instant that man doth separat him self frō the Church he dyeth from Iesus Christe and leeseth the grace of the holy Ghost For euen as the vniuersal sensible light is tyed to the bodie of the sunne which doth spread and distribute it to all the world in the absence wherof there is nothing but darknes euen so al grace of reconciliation to God was annexed to the bodie of Iesus Christ yea to this bodie of his which dayly groweth by increase of the chosen preordinate to lyfe euerlasting which is the bodie of the Church which he doth gather together taking out from the heape of mankynd al men of good wyl which haue bene are and shal be to the end of the world out of which bodie there is but the wrath and malediction of God Search where you wil out of this Church you shall fynde nothing but death To be short he which is not in the Church hath no God he hath his owne proper iudgement his phantasie and his owne presumption for his God he maketh him selfe an Idol doth worship only his owne imagination in place of God If such a man calleth him self a Christian that is as the deuil often sayth he is Christ and if he be kylled for his heresie that is no martirdom bur the reward of his heresie which is not yet al purged by his owne death Dying he goeth to yeld and ioyne him self eternally to the darkenes which he hath worshiped and to his head which is the deuil There is no martirdom nor death pretious before God but in the catholique Church in the which only is the grace of the Gospel of Iesus Christ the which only she doth preach in sinceritie and truth and without any hazard or possibilitie to erre because she taketh her direction of the holy Ghost of the tradition of the Apostles and of the holy scriptures together which be the three grounds set downe by the holy scripture it self the which doth shew that not shee only buyldeth vp the Churche but is also holpen of the traditions of the liuely voyce of the Apostles to the which she often tymes referreth men Kepe sayeth S. Paul the traditions 2. Thess 2. Tenete traditiones quas didicistis siue per sermonē siue per epistolā nostrā Act. 15. 16 which you haue learned of me be it by woord or by our epistle and it is written in the Actes of the Apostles that in al places whear S. Paule passed by he recommended to the Churches to kepe the ordinances of the Apostles and of the elders which were things not written When the Apostles had planted the Gospel they did not say al things at one time nor in one howre nor wrote al that they sayed but according as occasion was giuen they planted their doctrine so that the holy scripture which we haue of the Apostles and of the Euangelists is not so muche a full doctrine of faith as a witnes of the faith that they preached Now if wee will goe higher the law of Moyses cōsisted no lesse in tradition than in writting and not only the sense but the letter and text thereof was to be learned by tradition For they had the scriptures in maner but by half the pointing beeing not yet put to the hebrew text But the holy Ghost alwayes hath in formed the Church of the true traditions and the true sense of the scripture in such sorte as the Church and the holy scripture are so linked together that they both be as an indissoluble cheyne of golde The Church is not aboue the scripture but the authoritie of the Church doth shew the true scripture And when the Church hath need of wholsome information she doth goe to the scriprure and if there be any darknes in the scripture the holy Ghoste is giuen to the Church for to interpret the same Euen so in the olde law in al difficulties that rose the law of Moyses ordained that they should goe to the hygh priest for the tyme being and that they Deut. 17. Malach. 2. should folow his verdit not turnyng either to the right syde or the left vpon paine of death The Prophets also sent them thether and in the Gospel it self our sauiour commaundeth that if any obey not the Church Matt. 18. he be degraded from the name of Christian and holden for an Eathnike let no man now seeke excuses in a corner God hath appointed at al tymes the priests of the Church present to iudge the present controuersies and willeth that men should repayre vnto them his holy spirit assisteth them to that end He hath not promised vs in them more then in other men example of holynes but he hath promised vs by them the Oracles of his truthe Oh that al those that do erre in faith did know the vertue of the name Catholique and the horror of the name heretike how the Catholique in his faith doeth renounce his own reason his own iudgemēt his vnderstanding his wil and all his senses for to hearken simplie and absolutely vnto that that the Church doth teache how on the cōtrarie side the heretike doth groūde builde his fayth vpon his owne iudgement They should knowe that the name Catholique is a name of

fight against it The Arrians would not agree to any one point if it were not expresly in the scripture The Mahometanes pretend the gospel to make for them and alleage the same for their soueraigne aucthoritie The deuil him self hath cyted the scripture against our sauiour and thereof it is that he prepareth snares and cordes to strangle such as harken to him making that which should bring them life to be deadly vnto them and conuerting bread in to poyson It is certain that the scripture is giuen vs of God for our saluation this principle can not be shaken When the holy scripture speaketh it is the maiesty of God which doth shew his truth and his wil vnto men vnto the which euery man must beare inuiolable reuerence and yeld vnto it as to the assured and infallible verditt of God his truth submitting all his vnderstanding to the yoke and obedience of faith in suche sorte that it is treason to God his maiesty and damnable sacrilege for the boldnes of humaine vnderstanding to gaynsay the same yea or only to be so bolde as to thinke it for if any one gainsay the same he cutteth him self from God and maketh him self a companion of the deuil he is an heretike accursed and reprobate neuer shall haue parte with God For the holy scripture is the key which doth open vs Paradise it is the way which doth guyde vs the rule which doth teache vs the lampe which doth ligten vs in the middest oft he darknes of this world it is the looking glasse where in we behold the face of God the royall sceptre by the which he doth Gouerne his people the witnes of his good wil towards vs and the instrument of his aliance to the vvhich vvho so doth not bowe downe his vnderstanding he doth oppose him self against God with an ingratitude deuelish presumption Now al the heretikes of the vvorld haue made shew to agree to this principle haue whyted their ruinouse walles with no other colours than those nor haue no other thing in their mouthes but the texts of the scriptures What shal the simple man then doe hearing the word of the maiesty of God in the mouth of Catholikes and of heretikes This is it whereof I wold informe such as haue care of their saluation and teach them how they shal neuer be deceyued S. Gregor Nazianzene sayth that In Orat. ad Athanas the scripture is like vnto certaine paynted Images which what way so euer you turne you you thinke their eye foloweth you yet notwithstanding the right looke doth consist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some one point to the workman intended those that are cunnyng in that arte know it very well Likewise the holy scripture is to be taken in many senses and farre more then the scriptures of men for so much as the scriptures do participate of the nature of the author But so it is that God him self is the author of the holy scriptures whose vnderstanding being infinite the sense of his scriptures may be also infinite Notwithstanding there is one proper sense certaine assured in the scriptures whiche the holie Ghost hath vouchsafed to reueale vnto men which is the sense of the Gospel that is to say the right trew and natural sense of the voyce of the Prophets and the Apostles which is in effect the gospel For properly the Gospel doth not consist in figures of letters and dead characters of the writing of the Euāgelists Those thinges be but as an Image of the sense of the Gospel But wil you know what is properly the gospel It is the solemne publication of the sonne of God descended from the bosom of his father and shewed in fleash for to delyuer mankynd from the state of perdition in which he was and to reconcile him to God geuing power to the children of Adam which beleeue in his name to be made children of God renewing them in him self and regenerating them to God by diuine Sacraments by the which he hath made them partakers of his iustice of his life and of his glory and hath lifted them vp with him from changeable time to the eternitye of his father S. Paul doth define the Gospel to be the mighty povver Rom. 1. of God to saluation to al those that beleue that is to say a vertu supernatural diuinely infused ennobling mans nature aboue it self and eleuating it to a diuine estate the which of his owne force and faculty he could neuer attayne vnto no not only conceiue the same Lab. de prapa Euang. it is sayeth Eusebius that Gospel which doth shew the reuelatiō of goods not these earthly perishable which do decay but of the true soueraigne diuine euerlasting and incorruptible goods promised from the beginnyng of the world and foretold of all the Prophetes that which doth giue the meanes to get them To be short the Gospel is a nevv resurrection of the worlde and as it is sayd in the Godspel it selfe it is the seed of eternitie All the matter is to knovve vvho be the true sovvers and dispensators of the misteries of the Gospel that be sent and auouched of God For God doth not auouche all those vvhich thrust them selues into this diuine embassage he hath sayd to the vvicked vvho gaue the charge to rehearse my iustices take my testament in thy mouth And he complayneth him selfe in Ezechiel of false Prophetes vvhich runne vvithout Psal. 49. Ezech. 13. sendinge They runne sayth he and I sent them not they say the lorde hath sayd it and I sayd no such worde Our sauiour him selfe by his Matth. 7. holy mouth doth aduertise vs saying Take heede of false Prophets which come to you in sheeps clothing but within they are rauening wolues Now if in the traficke of this world we feare to medle with a false marchant how much more owght vve to feare in the traficke of euerlasting saluation If then vve vvil not be deceaued Sainct Paule therein doth geue vs a true meane vvhen he sayth How shal they beleue in him whom Rom. 10. they haue not hearde And how shal they heare without preaching And how shal they preach yf they be not sent There neede not so much disputing nor so much making of bookes to confound the heretikes Men do in a maner defile them selues vvhen they examine their doctrine there is no doute but that God is greatly offended with the ouermuch regarde that is geuen vnto them and those which wolde that men shulde heare them reason haue not the spirit of the feare of God An heretike before all other thinges should be asked not what he sayth but of whom he is sent and the marke of his sending And so without any more disputing he shal be confounded and put to silence For neuer heretike was sent of God they are al of the spirit of the deuil and al condemned of God what allegation so euer they make of the

soule and defiled the body the reliques of the one being harder to be healed then of the other but if the one and the other die in their sinne the heretike shal carie a more rigorous iudgement than the fornicator This point then is without contradiction that in all the vniuersal vvorld there is but one only Church vvhich doth administer eternal lyfe vvhich hath the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen in vvhich good deeds be revvarded vvith lyfe euerlasting vvhich dravving out of the holy Scriptures the right line of interpretation both prophetical and Apostolical according to the sense that hath bene preached and taught geueth her children assured certentie of the good pasture knowledge of the euil whō who so obeyeth not shal neuer see God For this cause S. Paul according to the care vvhich he had more then fatherly of the saluation of men doth exhorte very earnestly to be carefull to kepe the vnitie of spirit which is to hold them selues ioint firme and locked in the bosome of the Churche knowing that euerie where out of the same dwelleth death and that euerie particular assemblie out of the same is the Synagog of Sathan All diuinitie out of the Church is vaine false basterdly cōfuse ful of deceit impietie When the heretike alleageth woordes of the Gospel that is now no more saieth S. Hierom the Gospel of God The Gospel in their mouth becometh the woord of man and the woord of the deuil the trueth is poysoned by their leauen in suche sorte that it is altogether vnlike to it selfe wherin they fare as the false and leud counseilors of a prince or state whoe in giuing counceil redounding to ther owne particular profit and not of the Prince or common welth doo betray the Prince and the comon welthe euen so the heretiks be traitors to God and to the holy scriptures And let no man be deceiued if somtimes they seeme to teach the same doctrine that the catholikes do betwene the true and the false there is but a hears difference But now suppose they preached in all throughout the self same doctrine of faith and Sacraments as the catholiques doe that they be also otherwise irreprehensible of their life in external honestie yea finallie though they spend their bloud for the name of Iesus Christ all this notvvithstāding fith S. Aug. lib. de fide ad petro they make a bodye apart and hold not the vnitie of the catholike Church they be in state of perdition The vse of the Sacraments the woorks of mercie and the gloriouse confession of the name of Iesus Christe can not profit but vnto him which is in the vnitie of the catholique Church Which vnitie who holdeth not he diuideth the body of Iesus Christ which is one and indiuisible and his Church hath not two bodyes Iesus Christ is not diuided sayth S. Paul and that point is of so great importance as the creed of the faith which is dayly songe in the Church doth expressely shew that there is but one Church to the end that all men might know that out of the same there is no saluation Such as come near the brinke of a deep pit or of any dovvneright pitche conceiuing the horrour of tēporal death all trembling they retier far of for fear to fall therin but there is not any deep pit or dovvneright pitche or peril vvhat so euer in this vvorld vvherein a man should conceiue so much feare to fall as into heresie For in all heresie dvvelleth the horrour of eternall death And to fall from the assured firmament of the Churche in to heresie is to fall from cleaning to God to the bottomles pit of him self vvhich is as the fall of Satan vvhen he vvas headlonge throvven dovvne from heauen to hell Let vs then take heed God Christian people of separating of our selues hovv litle so euer it be from the catholike Church no not in one only litle thought let vs yeeld vniuersallie to all that the Church doth teach vvithout reseruing any thing vvhat soeuer it be to our particular iudgement against the iudgement of the Church Looke hovv much any man reserueth to his ovvn resolution vpon his ovvn proper sense in matters of faith so nigh he is to the losse of his lyfe so farre is he in darknes of errour so near is he to death so much diuided from God so fast cleaueth he to the deuil Farre from all those vvhich haue care of their ovvn euerlasting saluation be that deadlie presumption vvhich would share his faith vvith the Church that is vvould make a choise and particular separation of the points vvhich it pleaseth him to beleeue or not to beleeue vvith the Church as if that syde vvhereunto by our ovvn direction vve resolue to leane vvere to vs a better euidence and cleeret testimonie than the vniuersal Churche This is in verie deed to censure the Church and to make our selues iudges of the Church and of the holy Ghost also vvhich teacheth her This is to be too too much ignorant of our own ignorance vveaknes and mesure of our ovvn state and condition The iudgement of one particular mā hovv vvise so euer he may be is but as a litle candle in the darknes of the night the which giueth light scant fovver or fiue pases in circumference but is incōtinent obscured inuironed with the exceding force of vniuersal darknes Wher the Church vvhich as S. Iohn sayeth is clothed with the sunne hauing the moon Apoc. 12. vnder her feet dothe cast her beames vpon the face of the vvhole earth taking her brightnes from aboue and drawing her light out of the sea of the Intelligence diuine Avvay say I vvith this presumption farre be it from all our friends farre from the chosen and elect of God farre from al those vvho haue an earnest desire of their ovvn saluation wolde vvillinglie forsake this worlde to see God eternallie and to attain vnto the glori of eternal felicitie Avvay vvith this rashenes of particularities in opinions seuered from the Church This is the verie cockle of wicked spirits This is the vvay to fall in to the hands of the deuil vvho being not able to wound a man to death by making him to forsake the Church absolutelie dothe yet vvound and disfigure the integritie and sincere purenes of a Christian in this point at least that novv he is not sound and sincere nor such a one as the beautie and state of a christian requireth Deformed is that member sayth S. Augustin which is not conformable to the whole Raither suffer the soule to be diuided August Turpis est omnis pars vniuerso suo non congruens from the bodie with all the torments in the worlde than to be diuided from the Church or to dissent from the Church in any one iote only or in any one sole litle point He that would agree with the Church in all except one only point is not a catholike Faith is more