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
A44805	The rock of ages exalted above Rome's imagined rock on which her church is builded she proved not to be the onely Church of Christ, her corrupt doctrines reproved not to be apostolick, but contrary to the true Church of Christ in the apostles dayes : also divers arguments answered which may convince the papists that they are not the true church wherein a book is also answered called A catechism against all sectaries, newly published by C.M. in the year 1661 / by Francis Howgil.	Howgill, Francis, 1618-1669.	1662 (1662)	Wing H3178; ESTC R30346	44,740	118

whether seven times five times or three times and with understanding and that which they prayed in was not various but one and it 's by that one spirit which is not various by which the sons of God cry Abba Father and the variety of your formed charms bablings upon your Beads God hath no regard unto but is a smoke in his nostrils all the day And they that have exercised themselves in these things have not the witness of God in their own consciences that they are accepted of God and so I shal proceed to another Doctrine called Apostolical and holy and that is about Meats whether they may be lawfully eaten at all times The Author confesseth they forbid certain kinds of meats but it is but at certain times and they are forbidden not as they are evil and the Creatures of God but because they are forbidden by the Church and his proof is the Apple which Eve and Adam eat was not evil in it self but being prohibited so to eat that which is good of it self is not ill but to eat contary to the Superiors mind and order this is evil The Bible and Scriptures ought not to be read but leave is to be asked of the Superior because there are many hard passages which they which have little or no learning as Peter testifies in his second Epistle Chap. 3. some understands it one way and some another and therefore it is the fittest for Learned men to judge of them and they must judge whether people be in a capacity to read them Answ. And why are Meats forbidden at certain times Is this like the Apostolick Doctrine Are not all times and seasons in the hand of the Lord and are all good to them that believe and to the pure all things are pure all times and seasons all meats and drinks being sanctified by the Word which made them all holy unto all that do believe And if you forbid them not as they are Creatures of God but because they are forbidden I say who did forbid them or when were they forbidden by Christ his Apostles or the true Church of Christ in their day but on the contrary Christ taught That which goeth in at the mouth and in at the belly doth not defile the man but that which proceedeth out of the heart which is corrupted And Paul said What is sold at the shambles may be eaten and no question made for conscience sake for to the clean all things are clean and to the believing all things are pure and who limited such meats for such dayes and such times the true Church No but the Church of Rome who are going on in that Doctrine the Apostle spoke of the 1. of Tim. and the 4. which he reckoned a doctrine of Devils but here is your Argument that must bring you off because you forbid it not at all times I say if it be a Doctrine of Devils to forbid at all times then it is some part of the Doctrine of Devils to forbid at any time seeing time and things are all good in the hand of the Lord but if this Doctrine should hold what would become of your Dogg-days and of your Lent which has been patched up Week by Week by diverse Popes and of your Wednesday Friday and Saturday Fasts so by this account of yours half of the year is either unholy or else some meat is unholy for half of the year but there is few but sees your blindness that in this much need not be said but onely thus That which may be lawful in it self when it is prohibited by the Lord unto any particular then it becomes evil for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin But Christ alone unto whom all power is committed hath the sole power over the Heart and Conscience and for any to make Injunctions and Prohibitions contrary to him the same is Antichrist and so the practice which your Church commands is not Apostolical but you bring yoaks upon the true Disciples necks which they that are made free by the Son cannot stoop unto neither join with for whosoever doth goes into bondage And Christ is the Supreme Power unto whom all power is committed and when He justifies what Superior can condemn And there is no need of asking leave of them that are Superiors which reckons themselves as so seeing every man stands clear in the sight of God when he transgresses not against the Supreme Law of Christ in his Conscience and to offend any Superiors who lays any Injunction contrary to the Command of God is not to offend God neither to break his Command 2ly It seems all parts of Religion is monopolized by Mysterie Babylon in which Rome is comprised not onely Patents and Pardons sold for eating of meat but authority and licence must be given to every one that reads Scripture a thing which the Apostolick Church before the Pope had a being knew nothing of but on the contrary some were exhorted to read the Scriptures and some were commended for reading of the Scriptures and for searching whether the things were so as Paul testified and in this they were counted more Noble then they at Th●ssalonica but now it is become an ignoble thing and not at all to be suffered to read the Scriptures without Patent or Licence in the Church of Romes account who have laid down Ignorance to be the Mother of their Devotion But the danger is because there are hard passages which are not understood when people have little or no Learning as the Author saith What was it for want of natural Learning that Peter complained they wrested the Scriptures and therefore is it for want of natural Learning that the Scriptures are not understood and for want of this they must not be read as the Author saith Ignorant man what was Peter such a great Learned man a poor Boat-man or Fisherman whom the Scripture saith was illiterate in the Acts when they beheld Peter and John and that they were illiterate men and saw their boldness and took notice they had been with Jesus What was it want of natural Learning that Peter spoke of then he spoke against himself for he was illiterate but it was such a Learning that they wanted as this Author wants who is untaught by the Spirit and unlearned in the Doctrine of Christ and such wrest the Scriptures and do not understand hard sayings because the deep things of God are revealed through the Spirit of God and not by natural Learning as this Author who would sell Licences and Pardons for reading the Scriptures as they have done for eating Flesh in Lent but a story of Robin Hood a Comedy or a Play is more frequently read by the Members of the Church of Rome which begets into loosness and prophaneness a thing which this Generation is in love with rather then the Scriptures and though the Scriptures be applauded in words as for the rule of Life by many and a Judge of Controversies yet how should

they be ruled that may not read them without a Licence or a Toleration from the Superior If it be lawful to read with Toleration it 's lawful to read without Toleration for the toleration of men neither addeth to nor diminisheth from any spiritual exercise and Timothy read the Scriptures of a youth and who gave him his Toleration And Apollos was a mighty man and a knowing man in the Scriptures from whence had he his License 3. Because thou judgest according to the judgement of this present evil world that they are onely fit to read the Scripture and give interpretations upon it who are naturally learned and have the wisdom of this world I say Nay the world by wisdom knew not God neither know him now and them that had natural learning rejected the Foundation them that had the Hebrew Language set Christ at nought they that had the Greek tongue withstood Paul and called him a babler them that had the Latine Tongue the Tongue of the Whore your Mother persecuted the Christians in the first three hundred years after Christ as your own Histories do relate So according to all these who had onely the knowledg in the natural Languages they did not understand the things of God and it was the wise builders which builded by art skill in the Earthly Wisdom that rejected the true Foundation and Corner-stone but on the contrary we say according to the Apostolick Doctrine that the Scriptures may be read and ought to be read for they are profitable for instruction and correction and information to make the man of God perfect and thorowly furnisht to every good work through faith in Christ Jesus And I would have the Author know that we do not look upon Cardinals Fryers Monks and Bishops to be the alone men of God so that they alone have the sole power to tolerate the reading of Scriptures for he is a man of God who is born of the spirit which sanctifieth and leadeth into the clear pathes of Equity and Righteousness who walks not after the flesh neither fulfils the lusts thereof and such there are and have been which have been unlearned in natural Tongues but this is the way to keep your Church in reputation to believe as you believe and every man to put out his own eyes and live by another's sight and hang his faith upon another's shoulders this is not like Apostolick Doctrine for the Apostle said Let every one be perswaded in his own mind not by other mens minds and he that believeth hath the witness in himself and hath it not to seek among the litteral Rabbies who darken Counsel through words and it is not for want of natural learning that one understandeth the Scriptures this way and another that way but because they want the understanding of that Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures which Spirit universally is given to all men and women a measure of it to lead into truth and through which the deep things of God are revealed And it 's not your Traditions Inventions natural Learning Schools Colledges Fryeries and Covents in which the Spirit of God is onely limited but every one that seeks finds whether learned or unlearned for of a truth God is no respector of persons And so the mind of Christ is manifest unto them that believe and the one Spirit into which the Saints were baptized is that which opens the Scriptures truly as they are and discerneth the times and the seasons and fulfilleth it in the hearts of them that believe and manifests the state unto which they were spoken And if the Scriptures be so hard to be understood by reason of the hard sayings or because of the Translations what have you been doing these fourteen hundred years with all your learning with all your Councils Popes Bishops and Clergy that you have not translated them aright or so plain that they may be understood by all that reads But then your Doctrine Worship and Practice would be soon manifest not to be Apostolical nor consonant and agreeing to the practice of the true Church of Christ. And now I come to the effectual Arguments and pregnant wayes which the Author tells of which will work upon the Sectaries to make them return to the Catholick Church which he saith they have groundlesly forsaken and now I shall come to try his arguments and search the force of them which he layeth down as the most efficacious way to convince all Sectaries as he is pleased to stile them to come to the Church of Rome but the hope of this man will be like a Spider's Web for unto all whose Eyes God hath illuminated in any measure will come to see the weakness of this Philosophy and vain deceit which he hath laid down as a chief instrument to convince all that the Roman Church is the true Church and that salvation is onely concluded in her 1. The first argument he takes from Matth. 18. 17. Christ sends us to the Church saith he if any neglect to hear her they must be counted as Heathens and Publicans From hence this is the Argument That that Church is to be heard in which there is most assurance to be had that one is in the way to salvation but in the Roman Church there is most assurance therefore the Roman Church is to be heard Ans. The Minor is false and also the Conclusion That Church which hath the foundation of its assurance without it is not the true Church of Christ neither is to be heard but the Roman Church hath onely their assurance of salvation without them therefore are not to be heard it is manifest their assurance stands onely in outward things as Antiquity and Visibility which are not the alone Marks of the true Church Cain was ancient enough and there were them that were in Cain's way before Rome was so highly elevated and that for Universality and Visibility there is no assurance in that for all the World hath wondered after the Beast and the Whore hath sitten upon Nations Kindreds and People and so the first argument is denied and proved to be false I shall lay down another 1. That Church which hath always been so visible and Universal since the Apostles dayes as hath had its seat over Nations Kindreds and Tongues is not the true Church of Christ but the Harlot but the Church of Rome hath been universal over Nations Kindreds Tongues and People therefore the Church of Rome is the Harlot and not the true Church of Christ. But I shall not traduce thee in thy vain deceit but return thy arguments upon thy self which thon chargest upon others 1. As first That Church is not to be heard whose Authors and Doctors are Cozeners and Impostors 2. But all are Cozeners and Impostors but the Church of Rome Again That the Church of Rome hath the Marks of the true Church and no other as Antiquity Miracles holiness of life Universality Again That the Church of Rome takes the