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	primitive_a	2,508	5	9.0550	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57956	A discourse of the use of reason in matters of religion shewing that Christianity contains nothing repugnant to right reason, against enthusiasts and deists / written in Latin by the Reverend Dr. Rust ; and translated into English, with annotations upon it by Hen. Hallywell.	Rust, George, d. 1670.; Hallywell, Henry, d. 1703?	1683 (1683)	Wing R2361; ESTC R25530	47,282	92

A DISCOURSE OF THE Use of Reason IN Matters of Religion Shewing That CHRISTIANITY Contains nothing Repugnant to RIGHT REASON Against ENTHUSIASTS and DEISTS Written in Latin by the Reverend Dr. RVST late Lord Bishop of Dromore in Ireland AND Translated into English with Annotations upon it By HEN. HALLYWELL LONDON Printed by Hen. Hills Jun for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's-Head in St. Paul's Church-yard 1683. TO THE Reverend and profoundly Learned Dr. Henry More Fellow of Christ's-Colledge in Cambridge Honoured Sir THat I presume to intitle this Discourse with it s affixed Annotations to your Great Name proceeds from a real sense that it is but your just due who have merited so much of the Learned World and whose Labours and Pains to advance all useful Knowledge have been so indefatigable more especially in rendring the Christian Doctrine in all its Parts such as it ought to be that is Rational and Unexceptionable bringing the Glories both of Greek and Barbarick and whatever other piece of Ancient Wisdom was ever esteemed to adorn and beautifie the new Jerusalem and partly because you were an intimate Friend of the Reverend Author whose Great Soul could not take up with little and dwindling Conceipts but strove to enlarge his own Mind with noble and important Truths and became a Happy Instrument in promoting the same generous Temper in others And now Sir give me leave among the other Motives which persuaded me to this Address to add this as none of the least that I may testifie to the World to be what I really am An humble Honourer of your Virtues HEN. HALLYWELL The PREFACE to the READER READER THat I may do right to that Great and Excellent Person the Author of this Discourse I have adventured to publish and likewise obviate all Cavils and Mistakes which freakish Wits may make upon the Account of giving a Reason of our Faith it will be needful to suggest somthing by way of Preface as 1. That this Discourse is principally level'd as is intimated by the Reverend Author himself against Enthusiasts and Deists The one pretending to immediate Inspiration and so taking the various Impulses of their own Private Spirits as the sole Criterium to know and discern the Will of God though they be never so extravagant and Contrary to the common Reason of Mankind And the other pleading only for a Natural Religion in opposition to any Particular Mode or Way of Divine Revelation And hence though they profess to acknowledge a God and Providence yet have withal a mean and low esteem of the Scriptures and Christianity as if the Christian Religion were a thing that could not well be Apologized for nor any fair and rational Account given of it Wherefore Theism being so opposite to Christian Religion as Christian and the Natural Current of Enthusiasm falling at last into down-right Atheism it became necessary to Assert a Modest and Discrcet use of Reason in Things of Religion and to shew that the Christian Religion will bear the strictest and severest Tryal of Right and unprejudic'd Reason 2 ly That our Learned Author had no Intent or Design to abet or countenance Capricio's of such pert persons as think themselves obliged to believe and profess nothing more then they can maintain by their own solitary Reason applying it self to the Scriptures Which Presumption what strange work it hath made in the World is evident from the Socinians and other Sectarists who upon this very Ground are really bewildred in their Speculations of Things and under Pretence of Reason have obtruded their own Fancies upon the World and vented such crude and indigested Notions as are not only inconsistent with the clear Current of Scripture but contrary to the sense of the best and purest Antiquity Wherefore 3 ly according to the intention and meaning of the Author in this Discourse the Authority of the Primitive Church before the Times of Apostasie and of Reformed Churches in such Things wherein they generally agree with the Primitive times wherein the Church was Symmetral is to be taken in as one solid Reason of our Faith and Belief For the Spirit of Prophesie which is the Testimony of Jesus having so clearly predicted the Times of the Apostasie of the Church it is manifest that the Authority and Profession of the Ancient Church while it was Symmetral and Apostolical ought to be had in the greatest Esteem and Veneration and stand as a light whereby to steer ●…afe from those dangerous Rocks of Errors upon which they that have neglected this and ventured wholly to their own Reason have split themselves Nor is the Authority of our own Church to be less regarded for the being with the rest of Reformed Christendom so plainly indigitated and pointed at by the Rising of the Witnesses in that Divine Book of the Apocalypse immediately upon which follows that joyful Acclamation in Heaven The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ it cannot be but a mighty Confirmation and strengthning to any Man's Faith to see so clear a Testimony and Approbation of that Church whereof he is a Member given by the Spirit of Prophesie that it is really emerged and risen into the state and condition of the Church when it was Symmetral and Apostolical And this will further appear to be of huge Consequence to private men and of but mean Capacity in the dicussing of Things For they being neither Philosophers nor guiding themselves by that Synosura of the Unapostatized Church nor of our own Church reformed into the Condition of the Church while it continu'd Symmetral if they be pert and confident or follow such pert confident Guides into what Errors may they not run Wherefore here such of the Populacy will find a solid and sure Rule for their safe conduct and guidance in rendring an Account or Reason of their Faith These things I have hinted as well to prevent all sinister Interpretations of the Sense of that Pious and Learned Prelate now with God as to free my self from all Suspicion in my Annotations of setting up Private Reason against the Authority of the Ancient and Unapostatized Church or our own Church so excellently well temper'd and reformed according to the Primitive Pattern H. H. 1 PET. 3. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 NOn me pudet Evangelii Christi dixit ille magnus Apostolus Gamaliele Praeceptore gaudens omni tum Judaicâ tum Graecâ Doctrinâ instructissimus Adeóque Religione Christianâ undique oppressâ despicatui habitâ Judaeis scandalo Graecis ludibrio nihilominus spretâ ignominiâ cruce contemptâ Paratus sum inquit Vobis qui Romae estis apud egregios Urbis istius non Armorum magis quam Artium Magistrae Philosophos Oratores Evangelium praedicare Quippe etiamsi non defuere sibimet de suâ sapientiâ magnificè plaudentes ●…aecitatis interea Ignorantiae tenebris obducti qui Doctrinam Evangelicam stultitiae insimulant deridendam exhibent Veruntamen