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	prove_v	17,147	5	6.9495	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51142	The trve Protestant sovldier fighting valiantly under truths banner, and by the glorious light of Gods word overthrowing the strongest bulwarkes, and subtle stratagems of the Church of Rome. By Hamnet Warde.	Monginot, François, 1569-1637.; Ward, Hamnet.	1642 (1642)	Wing M2418; ESTC R27120	26,961	42

not betake themselves to the universall Church In this then there appeares a very great abuse that the Church of Rome being indeed but a particular Church stiles her selfe the universall Church and in that she being full of errours vaunts her selfe neverthelesse to be without any errour nay more that it is impossible for her to erre and least her errours should be discovered by the glorious light of Gods holy Word the writings of the Prophets and Apostles she doth not only hinder the people from reading the word and reade it in the Church in a language which the people understandeth not but endeavours also to take away all its force and authority for they make the people beleeve that the Church of Rome is soveraigne Judge in all matters of difference in Religion by this meanes he that will accuse the Church of Rome of any errour may be sure to loose his processe seeing she alone is soveraigne Judge in her owne cause The Church of Rome doth likewise affirme that it is impossible for her to erre in the interpretations of the holy Scripture and that it is in her power to make constructions of the like authority with the word of God which is indeed no lesse then to place her selfe in Gods seat For as there is none but the King that can give an interpretation to his edict that may be of equall force with the edict it selfe So there is none but God alone that may give such a construction unto the Word of God as may be of the like power and authority with the Word of God And there is nothing more certaine then that such an interpreter is greater then the Law-giver sithence he giveth unto the Law such a sense as he pleaseth and the people taught to rely more on that then on the Law it self And to be sure that the Church of Rome be not any way subject unto the holy Scripture they maintaine that it is the Church that doth authorize the Scripture and which gives it all its power and authority as if the Subject could give authority unto Lawes or as if the Word of God did receive its authority from men To this end the Doctours of the Church of Rome say that the Church is more ancient then the holy Scripture but doth it therefore follow that the Church must be above the Scripture the people are they not many of them older then the King yet are they neverthelesse subject both to the King and to his Lawes however there be many Doctrines in the holy Scripture more ancient then the Church But say they we should not know that it were the Scripture if the Church did not tell us so but doth it follow thence I pray you that the Church must be above the Scripture If I should say I doe not know which is the King and if my friend should shew me doth it therefore follow that my friend must be above the King Many serve for witnesses unto persons unto whom they are farre inferiour Likewise to undervalue the authority of the Scripture and to strengthen that of the Church they say that the holy Scripture is a dead thing and cannot speake and consequently may not be Judge for say they a Judge must be able to speake as the Church is This is most false and deceitfull for the holy Scripture speaketh enough and if it speaks not enough it is that it guides us But the Church of Rome forsooth will be the rule it selfe and not subject to any Law but will be Judge both of the Law and of the Word of God Thus are men become Gods Judges and guilty persons shall be infallible and soveraigne Judges of the sence and authority of the Law which concernes their owne crime by this meanes they need not feare to be condemned but will they nill they at the day of Judgement they shall be judged by this very word over which they now thus usurpe authority then shall that pratling Judge be constrained to keep silence So then these Gentlemen in sending the people to the Church for the deciding of doubts in faith distract their minds with an innumerable company of doubts and difficulties for how shall an ignorant man know that there must be a Church in the world If they say he may know it by the Scripture it is then necessary that he be acquainted with the Scripture and thus the authority of the Church should be founded on the Scripture and when the Church teacheth this or that how shall the people know whether it be conformable to the Word of God sithence the reading of Gods Word is absolutely forbidden them and there being many Churches disagreeing one with the other how can the poore people discerne that which teacheth lyes from that which teacheth the truth seeing the very rule of truth which is the holy Scripture is a book utterly forbidden them Shall they follow the multitude Jesus Christ saith Mat. 7. That the gate is wide which leadeth to perdition and there are ten times as many Turks and Pagans as there are Christians shall they believe miracles our Saviour faith Marke 13. There shall come false teachers working miracles whereby to seduce if it were possible the very elect shall they have regard to seats and successions The Churches of Greece have also had their seats since the Apostles and the Churches of Syria theirs and brag of S. Peters chair and yet all these are quite contrary to the Church of Rome and indeed more ancient Jesus Christ himself and his Apostles having preached there and beeing the first Institutours of them We doe not here dispute of S. Peters superiority over the rest of the Apostles he might be the first in order authority or virtue and yet not have any superiority of jurisdiction But that matters not the question is whether the Pope of Rome be S. Peters successour as the head of the universall Church which is the principall point of the Papists Religion wherof neverthelesse there is not one word spoken in all the Scripture The Bishops of Corinth and Thessalonica were Saint Pauls Successours not as Apostles but as particular Bishops of those cities So the question is not whither the afore-said Bishop of Rome be Saint Peters Successour in the Bishoprick of Rome but whether he succeeds him in the Apostleship as the head of the whole Church This is that which we slatly deny and which they can never proove or if they could so prove it yet the Pope having corrupted Saint Peters Doctrine and changed his Bishoprick into an abs●lute temporall Monarchy had long since that lost his succession To conclude there being but one holy Scripture and there being many contrary Churches and the Doctors of these Churches being apt to seeke their owne profit and subject to be carried away with diverse evill affections but the holy Scripture being an incorruptible Judge let us have recourse to this holy Word of God in the which if there be any obscurity there is

ruling their children and their owne houses well So likewise in the 11. verse commandeth that their wives be grave not standerous sober faithfull in all things and in the seventh Chapter of the 1 to the Corinthians to avoid fornication let every man have his owne wife and let every woman have her owne husband Note here the word every to the end that neither Priests nor any other may be excepted Likewise to avoid fornication this commandement is made unto all such as are subject to fall into fornication so that Priests are no way exempted from it for they also being but flesh and bloud are subject to the like infirmities as others are We reade also that the Prophets and chiefe sacrificers were married Likewise we reade that the Apostle Saint Peter was married for in the 1. Chapter of Saint Marke there is mention made of Peters wives mother Now in the Church of Rome Marriage is forbidden Clarkes and Priests If a Priest doth wantonly dally with a wench in the open streets no man regards that for at Rome the Prelates goe publikely into the bawdy houses but to see a Priest or Capuchin or such like married it were a thing very prodigious They object that the Priests have made a solemne vow to abstaine from Marriage but have they not also made a vow to keep Gods commandements that forbid fornication and that commandeth us to marry rather then to burne Vowes indeed are good when they promise good things and such as are in our power to performe but it is not alwayes in mans power to abstaine from fornication A single life is without question very good and commendable but in those only which have the gift of continency the which either none at all or very few have attained unto Moreover where is the least Commandement in all Gods Word whereby honest Marriage is forbidden either to those of the Clergy or others No no this certainly was invented for the better maintenance of the Popes dignity for the Pope having been at great charges in erecting of bawdy-houses in Rome and elsewhere it was necessary for him to find out some devise to get resort thereunto by the forbidding those of the Clergy to marry who now are far better customers then any other CHAP. VIII Of Purgatory THe Purgatory of the Church of Rome hath this maxime for its foundation That by the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ we are discharged and delivered from the guilt and punishment of our sinnes committed before Baptisme but as for sinnes committed after Baptisme it is left to us to satisfie Gods justice in this life by such penances as the Church shall thinke fit to enjoyne us and afterwards in afire which they call Purgatory which torment is mitigated and shortened by the prayers and offerings of the Living and by the Popes Indulgences Surely the proofe of this doctrine they have out of their unwritten word for there is not so much as mention made of any such matter in Gods Word However hereby they have amassed infinite riches unto the Popes Treasury because these Masses and Indulgences by the which they say this torment is mitigated and shortened are sold at a very high rate for they never say any Masse for any person deceased except he or his friends doe give somewhat to the maintenance of the Church No no such speciall graces as these are not for such poore people as are not able to purchase them Concerning this Purgatory we reade nothing neither in the old nor new Testament but on the contrary we reade of divers persons who by death have immediately entred into Paradise and there rested in peace Witnesse the good old Simeon in the 2d. of Saint Luke who had a promise after having seen the Messias to depart in peace Likewise Saint Paul in the 2● of Timothy 4. witnesseth that after having fought a good fight he was to receive a crowne of righteousnesse The soule of poore Lazarus in the 16. Luke is carried immediately after its departure out of the body into Abrahams bosome where it is comforted whilest wicked Dives is grievously tormented in hell-fire Our Saviour said to the penitent theefe that was crucified with him this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise It is manifest then that he went not into Purgatory The Angell of God in the 14. Chapter of the Revelation pronounceth Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works doe follow them Doe they rest from their labours how are they then tormented in a terrible blasting fire Againe the Apostle Saint Paul 2 Cor. 5. saith That if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be dissolved we have a building of God a house not made with hands eternall in the heavens Now I doe much admire how the Apostle should be so far overseen as to forget Purgatory which they imagine to be between these two Moreover we reade in the first Chapter of Saint Johns first Epistle that the bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne and in the 2d. Chapter to the Colossians we reade that God hath forgiven us all our trespasses How is it then that these blasphemers dare to accuse God of so high an injustice as to exact the payment of those debts which are already paid and to scorch his poore children in a hot burning fire for the punishment of those sins which he hath already freely forgiven us in Jesus Christ Thus to deale with our very enemies were inhumanity how then can we imagine that the God of heaven who is goodnesse it selfe should doe thus with his servants I confesse that God after having pardoned our sinnes ceaseth not to chastise us in this life to amend us and to keep us alwayes in awe of his Majesty These punishments are none other then fatherly chastisements and corrections If God did not thus correct us he would punish us more in not correcting us for the sinner that is not thus recalled from his evill wayes snorts in his wickednesse and luls himselfe asleep in his sinnes but I shall never beleeve that the most just and onely wise God after having freely forgiven us all our sinnes in Jesus Christ should afterwards take pleasure to torment us thousands of yeares in a terrible hot burning fire Besides if there be a Furgatory why may not the death and passion of our Saviour Christ Jesus be sufficient to deliver soules from thence as well as the Popes Indulgences and if the Pope can draw soules out of Purgatory at his pleasure I must needs judge him a very uncharitable person to let so many thousands lye there in such grievous torments for want of money to buy Indulgences As for those passages which they alleadge out of the Scripture to prove this their imaginary Purgatory they are all spoken allegorically and figuratively As that same passage which they have out of the 12●● Chapter of Saint Mathew that the