Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n
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A04847
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The spirituall architecture. Or, the balance of Gods sanctuary to discerne the weigh and solidity of a true and sincere, from the leuitie, and vanitie of a false and counterfeit profession of Christianity. Wherein also the sandy foundations of the papisticall faith are briefely discouered. A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse the 16. of Nouember, 1623. by Robert Barrell, Master of Arts, and minister of Gods word at Maidstone in Kent
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Barrell, Robert.
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1624
(1624)
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STC 1498; ESTC S120643
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59,486
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84
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totalis that is a peece of a rule but not the whole entire rule of faith And b Enbhir c. 1. descript Costerius affirmes that they were not writteÌ„ to that end that they should prescribe vnto vs an absolute and exact rule of faith and administration of Sacraments and other things necessary in the Christian Common-weale but occasionally to confute Iewes and Haeretikes and to take away cerâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 which then arose in the Church and to comfort some that were weake and vnstable in the faith c. as if the Christian Church then vpon those occasions had some neede of the Scriptures but now no need at all Thus basely if I may not say blasphemously doe they thinke speake and write of the Sacred Scriptures And when we confute their errors out of the Scriptures then with the Valentinians of old they fall to accuse the Scriptures themselues c Iren. li. 3. contra bar c. 2. Quasi non recte habeant nec sint ex authoritate c. as if they were ill translated or obscure or imperfect without Traditions or of no authority in themselues without the authoritie of the Church 2 Authoritas Eccles Therefore they make the Churches authority another maine foundation of their faith as if it were greater than the authority of scripture yea as if without that scripture were no scripture because the Church gaue testimony to the scriptures that they were diuinely inspired made them Canonicall therefore say they both the diuine and Canonicall authority of the scriptures relyes vpon the Churches authority But let me aske them that so say was Iohn Baptists authority greater than Christs because he gaue testimony vnto him d 1 Ioh 29. Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world oâ— doth the Herald that proclaimes the Kings title and authority giue him his title and authority or is the gold which the goldsmith toucheth therefore good because he vpon trial therof by his touchstone declares it to be so was it not so before his tryall would it not haue been so if he had neuer tryed it yes vndoubtedly Dilemma When the Church did first declare the scriptures to bee the word of God either they were so before this declaration of the Church or not if not then the Church erred in declaring them to be so which were blasphemy and flat Atheisme to auerre if they were so then they receiued no diuine authority from the Churches testimony I know a Iesuit would thinke to winde himselfe out of this dilemma with a Bellarm. li. 2. de author Conc. c. 12. Bellarmins distinction of in se quoad nos saying that the scriptures are of diuine authority in themselues but could not be so acknowledged of vs without the Churches testimony but this distinction will not serue the turne for if they bee so in themselues they would be so if we neuer acknowledged or receiued them for such as the Scriptures of the new Testament are diuine euen among the Iewes and Turks though they would neuer acknowledge them to be so and if they bee so in themselues why should they not be so vnto vs why should we not receiue the sacred Scriptures as diuine for the diuine authority which they haue in themselues without the Churches authoritie Indeed the Churches authority or testimony may bring Infidells or Haeretikes to heare the word that they may be conuerted b Ioh. 1.41.45 as Andrew brought Peter or Philip Nathaniel vnto Christ or as the woman of Samaria brought the citizens of Samaria to heare Christ with her testimony of him c c. 4 39. Come see a man which hath told me all that euer J did Is not he the Christ And in this sense is that S. Aug. saith d Aug. cont epist fundamenti c. 5 I should not haue beleeued the Gospell if the authority of the Church had not mooued me thereunto but when they haue heard it they are conuerted and beleeue not for the Churches testimony but by the diuine authority and coelestiall efficacy of the word it selfe which is e Rom. 1.16 The power of God vnto saluation to eueryone that beleeueth as the Samaritans said to the woman f Ioh. 4.2 Now we beleeue not because of thy words for wee haue heard him our selues and know that this is indeed the Christ the Sauiour of the world 3. Jnfallibilitas Papae The third sandy foundation of the Romish faith is the Popes infallibility which I doe not falsely impose vpon them as a generall ground of their faith though some of their owne learned men hold the contrary because their grand champion Bellarmine auerres and prooues that it is g Bellarm. de Rom. Pom. li. 4. c. 2. Communissima opinio fere omnium Catholicorum that is the most common and generall tenet of all those of the Church of Rome whom he calls Catholikes For although the Papists brag much of their Catholike Church that it can teach nothing but Catholike truth and is not subiect vnto error because Christ said of his true Church built vpon him and the rocke of his diuine truth a Mat. 16.11 That the gates of hell should not preuaile against it which they falsely apply to the Church of Rome b Rom. â— 8 whose faith was indeed once famous through the world though now the c Esa 21 22. faithfull city be become an harlot her gold mixed with drosse and her wine with water yet aske them what they meane by that Church that cannot erre they will tell you they meane thereby the Pope the head of the Church and Saint Peters successor d Luc. 22.32 for whose faith Christ prayed that it should not faile So Bellarmine affirmeth That the common opinion of Romish Catholikes is e Bellar. ibid. Ipsam infallibilitatem non esse in coetu Conciliorum vt in concilio Episcoporum sed in solo Pontifice that the infallibilitie rests not in the assembly of Counsailes nor in the counsell of Bishops but in the Pope alone for they hold that any member or Pastor of their Church is subiect vnto error yea all the Bishops and Pastors of the Church assembled in a generall Counsaile if the Pope confirme not their Canons onely the Pope cannot erre when he defines a matter of faith Ex Cathedra that is by his Papall authority as if the Popes chayre were made of Irish wood to which no cobweb of errour could possibly cleaue And therefore all must be Haeretikes that be not within his pale scripture must be no scripture without his allowance and Kings no Kings if he please to kick their crowns of their heads with his holinesse foot or to bellow out excommunications and depositions against them with his Papall Bull. Yea hee may make new articles of faith as Pius quartus did adde twelue articles to the Nicene Creed in a Bull of his sent out about the time of her Tridentine conuenticle entitled
Act. 9 39. the poore Widowes who stood weeping for the death of charitable Dorcas 2. 2. Conscien paâ— Peace ioy and solace in your owne soules which is the continuall feast that God himselfe makes for them that feede the hungry c. 3. 3. Honâ—r A good name which while yee liue shall be c Pro. 3.8 health to your nauells and marrow to your bones and when ye dye it shall be a pretious oyntment to embaulme your bodies in the graue d 15.1 as e Ioh. 12.3.7 Maries spikenard embaulmed Christs body at his funerall 4. 4 Gloria aeterna An f 1 Pet. 1.4 c. 5. v 4. inheritance immortall and vndefiled reserued in heauen for you and an immarciscible crowne of glory g Gal. 6 9. Be not weary therefore of well doing for if yee faint not ye shall reape without wearinesse namely loue honour ioy peace and glory both in earth and heauen h Chrys in loc Qui deficit in semine non gaudebit in messe sed si homo non imponat finem operi deus non imponet finem remunerationi Hee that faints in seed time shall faile in haruest but if a man put no period to his perseuerance in well doing God will put no end to the reward of his well doing The 2. generall part The second difference betweene these wise and foolish builders is in the choise of their foundation the first building on a rocke the other on the sand The principall care of a wise builder is to make choise of a firme foundation to build vpon for if the foundation be immooueable the whole building will stand fast and firme but if the foundation faile all the building though neuer so laboriously framed and artificially composed will fall to the ground and come to ruine Now no foundation is so firme and immooueable as a Rocke and therefore no building so strong as that which is raysed on a rocky foundation which will not faile how great a weight soeuer be laid vpon it nor be mooued much lesse be remooued with any gusts of wind force of stormes or violence of torrents whatsoeuer A true Christian therefore that heares Gods word and doth it is fitly compared to such a wise builder that builds his house vpon a rocke Verse 24. I will liken him c. Expos 1. By this rocke a Aug. Hier. Basil c. in loc some interpreters vnderstand Christ himselfe because by the power of his might the righteous that cleaue vnto him by faith and obedience are protected and strengthened against the violence of all temptations afflictions and persecutions In which sence Dauid saith b Psal 18.2 The Lord is my rocke and my fortresse c. 2. Others by this rocke vnderstand the inuiolable and immooueable diuine truth of his Sacred word So Chrys vpon this text c Chrys in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He calls the firme securitie of his owne doctrine a Rocke because vpon a rocke a man may build securely and hereby hee mooues all his Disciples to imbrace his diuine doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jbid. shewing the firme soliditie and immutability therof by the solidity and immobility of a rocke which who so builds his faith vpon shall stand fast d Psa 125.1 like Mount Sion that cannot be remooued but standeth fast for euer But I thinke both these expositions may bee conioyned and by this rocke we may vnderstand both Christ and his Sacred truth for e Ioh. 14.16 c 17.17 as hee is the truth so his word is truth as he is the life and thâ—t aeternall so his words are f c. 6.68 the words of aeternall life And the whole word of truth is nothing els but the reuelation and manifestation of that aeternall word that increated truth Christ Iesus For hee is the pith and kernell of the whole Bible g Apoc. 1.8 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the law and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Gospell h Aug. Q. in Ex. 73. 15. de ciu dei c. 18. Velatus in veteri Testamento reuelatus in nouo in illo praedictus in isto praedicatus veiled and clasped vp in the old Testament vnder obscure Prophesies promises types and figures and opened or reueiled in the new for i Exod 73.9 as the two Cherubins had their faces each to other and both to the Propitiatory or mercy-seat so the two Testaments haue relation each to other and are mutually confirmed one by the other and haue both an eye to one and the same Christ k 1 Ioh. 2.2 who is the Propitiation for our sinnes As Christ onely is that foundation whereon the spirituall building of the Church is raysed in some respects 1 Christus Petra namely first because hee alone is the beginning and fountaine whence all spirituall good originally flowes a Iac. 1 17. Euery good and perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights c. and the foundation whereon our confidence hope and expectation of any good which wee expect from God groundeth it selfe b 2 Cor 1.20 for in him all the promises of God are yea and Amen to the glory of God the Father Secondly because all our persuasion of the most Sacred and irrefragable authority of diuine truth stayeth it selfe on him alone as being the onely c Mal. 2.5 Angell of that great couenant of life and peace which God hath made with his Church in him reuealed it to his Church by him d Eph. 2.14.16 17. who is our peace-maker and peace-preacher and our peace and the onely inditer of the Sacred Scripture e Luc. 1.70 who spake by the mouths of all his holy Prophets which were but f Pâ—al 45.1 the pens of this ready Writer in which respects the Apostle saith truely g 1 Cor. 3.11 Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid namely Christ Jesus and on this rocke or foundation the Apostles themselues and their doctrine were founded or els h Act 5.37 as Gamaliel saith both they and it would quickly haue come to nought and fallen to ruine 2. Doctr. Apost So in some other respects i Eph. 2.19 20. the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles is called the Churches foundation Christ Iesus being the chiefe corner stone First because they were the first that by their doctrine laid the Churches foundation and conuerted Infidells to the Christian faith Secondly because their doctrine receiued immediately from God by most vndoubted reuelation without mixture of errour and now left recorded vnto vs in the Sacred Scripture is the infallible rule of faith to all succeeding generations and that most sure immooueable and rocky foundation vpon which the faith of all Christians may and doth most sâ—curely stay it selfe Therefore Saint Iohn saith k Apoc. 21. â—4 The wall of the city of God hath twelue foundation