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	faith_n	infallible_a	4,512	5	9.4343	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95414	The scriptures sufficiency to determine all matters of faith, made good against the Papist: or, That a Christian may be infallibly certain of his faith and religion by the Holy Scriptures. By that great and famous light of Gods Church, William Twisse D.D. and prolocutor of the late assembly of divines.	Twisse, William, 1578?-1646.	1656 (1656)	Wing T3424; Thomason E1698_2; ESTC R209446	47,921	167

mercy at Gods hands are all one Rom. 11.30 Now if it be granted that faith may be had in what degree of certainty soever what sober Christian can make doubt but that if question be made about the means whereby we may have it it may be had by holy Scripture as well as by any other means yea and far better considering that faith is in the proper notion thereof the assent to somewhat from the authority of the speaker and if the speaker is but a man it is no better than faith human if the speaker be God that and that alone makes it to be faith divine Now we all confess that the holy Scripture is the Word of God and therefore if by any word faith may be had in what degree of certainty soever sure it may be had by the Word of God yea and that no other way can Divine Faith be had but by the Word of God not by the word of the creature whether man or Angell And if faith may be wrought by the power of Gods Spirit in the heart of any man he that makes question whether this may be done by the holy Scriptures had need of some good measure of Ellebore to purge his brain for he seems to me to be in the next degree to a mad-man for seeing faith is no faith unless it depend upon some word that God should work his faith by another word than his own is as uncouth and contradictious assertion I should think as ever was heard among the learned But it may be this Author through the confusion of his wits hath not hitherto been so happy as to deliver himself fairly of his own meaning Therefore let us take notice of the Discourse it self whether it may bear any better state of the Question than yet we have been acquainted with For I guess that in the issue the state of the Question will come to this Whether it be possible for us by the holy Scripture to have any certain assurance of the meaning of it Disc The reason of our doubting is this Both Papists and Calvinists holding contrary opinions do maintain prove by the holy Scriptures as they suppose the contrary to that which the Lutherans hold seriously affirming that in the Scriptures the Lutheran Religion is condemned and theirs confirmed Which thing no man will deny to be an evident Argument of the obseurity of theholy Scriptures If there be two Physicians of equall learning and of the same intent in curing the sick that is alike desirous to cure the disease and if these Physicians should out of one and the same Book gather the one that a Fever is cured with wine and the other that wine is as bad as poyson to them that have the Fever how I pray shall we know which of these two to take part withall A man can gather nothing but that the remedy for that disease is obscurely expressed in that Book Consid The sum of all this is that the Scripture is obscure and that which the Author would infer from hence is this therefore it is impossible to be sure of the meaning of it whereby now I perceive the Perplexed Question and Doubtfull case of Conscience comes but to this in plain terms Whether it be possible for a man to be sure of the meaning of Scripture the Author maintains the Negative proves it because the Scripture is obscure and the obscurity of Scripture he proves by this that men differ in the exposition of it Now this I will examine in order and first observe the dodging disposition of this Author and manifest evidence of his corrupt affection and that he comes to this work with an intention not to seek the truth but to circumvent it rather For whereas the force of his Argument to prove that the Scripture is obscure is but this that Divines differ in the interpretation of Scripture yet it served his turn rather to instance in Papists and Calvinists joyning together in the interpretation of Scripture contrary to the Lutherans Might he not as well give instance in Papists and Lutherans holding together in interpretation of Scripture contrary to the Calvinists Might he not as well have instanced in Lutherans and Calvinists joyning together in the interpretation of Scripture contrary to the Papists undoubtedly he might for it is but an indefinite proposition and the matter is clearly contingent Now an indesinite proposition in a contingent matter is confessed in Schools to have no greater force than of a particular proposition As much as to say they differ one from another in the interpretation of some Scriptures Now this may very well be true not onely of Papists differing from Protestants but of Papists differing from Papists as Maldonate from Jansemus and Protestants from Protestants not onely Lutherans from Calvinists but one Lutheran from another and one Calvinist from another in the interpretation of some places of Scripture Nay doth not one Father differ from another after this very manner And do not Modern Divines even Papists as well as Protestants take liberty of dissenting from all the Antients in the interpretation of some places of Scripture Witness Maldonate in the interpretation of that Mat. 5. Blessed are the poor in spirit who takes a way of interpretation different from all the Antients by his own confession And Cardinall Cajetan when he was put upon the studying of Scripture by occasion of his conference with Martin Luther who would hear nothing but Scripture see what a profession he makes in his entrance upon writing Commentaries on the Scriptures Si quando occurrerit novus sensus Textui consonus nec à sacra Scriptura nec ab Ecclesiae Doctrina dissonus quamvis à Torrente Doctorum sacrorum alienum aequos se praebeant censores And when Austin takes notice of the multiplicity of translations of the Scripture he was so far from being offended thereat that he professed there was more profit than damage redounding thereby to the Church and why may it not be so by different interpretations also it being more easie to judge which of them is the right or by refuting them all to find out the true interpretation than at the first dash to find out the true meaning 2. Observe the absurd and malicious carriage of this Author 1. In shaping different Religions according to different interpretations of Scriptures whereas I have shewed that the force of the proposition is onely a particular namely that they differ in the interpretation of some places of Scripture which difference I have shewed may be found and ever hath been found more or less even amongst them that are of the same Religion as amongst none have been more different interpretations of Scripture found than amongst the Antients yet what Christian is found to be so impudent and immodest as to lay to their charge that they differed in Religion and look how many different interpretations of Scripture were found amongst them so many different

the extraction of roots and the number 25. found to be the root of 666. so far as it comes to be said in the usuall way of Arithmetick to have a root discovering strange mysteries concerning the delineating of that Beast the body of Antichrist in a wonderfull manner No marvell if these mysteries were hidden from the Prophets themselves who wrote those Prophecies for first the knowledge of them was nothing necessary to their salvation 2. God had appointed a certain time when the light of them should break forth to irradiate his Church with unspeakable consolation when they stood most in need thereof the accomplishment of those Prophecies drawing neer Christ spake in parables to some not to all yet some of his parables were understood by them even against whom they were spoken in particular Those that were not understood by the multitude our Saviour revealed to his Disciples as often as they sought it yea and other mysteries too namely the signs fore-going the destruction of Jerusalem his own coming and the end of the world Mat. 24. It is true the Scriptures contain the mysteries of godliness which are not apprehended according to their condition but by the Regenerate but as for the meaning of the Scripture it is quite of another nature which this Author considers not and is incident to a reprobate yea in such a measure as to make him an able Doctor in the Church and Orthodox throughout which may tend to the edification of others when in the mean time such a one shall fall short of the salvation of his own soul The secrets of the Lord which he reveals to them that fear him is the secret of his Covenant Psal 25. There is a secret also in Faith-Catholike and in all the mysteries of godliness which is peculiar to the Regenerate only and it is to discern the wisdom of God and the power of God in them which have true Faith A reprobate may believe the same things by a naturall faith onely yea believe it and carry themselves like good scholars too while they instruct others therein Still we say that the Scripture is plain and clear enough as touching all things necessary to salvation and all this discourse is plausible onely through distinction and to deny the Scripture to be fairly intelligible to one that is desirous to know the meaning of it is a great disparagement to the Word of God and dishonor to God himself disparaging either his goodness that would not or his wisdom that he knew not how to order it so that by searching the Scriptures they might have eternall life If before the Law men had a light whereby they might finde the truth more clearly than we then the former times were times of greater light and grace than the later but this is contrary both to the generall judgment of the Christian world and to universall experience For as light naturally increaseth more and more untill it be perfect day so it hath been with light spirituall yet the Sun the fountain of light naturall hath sometimes gone backward ten degrees not so the sun of rigteousness men have gone backward I confess in the course of their obedience but God hath gone forward rather than backward in the course of administration of his grace We doe not say there was a meer blindness or blindness at all in Gods children although in present discourse not of mans blindness but of Gods progress in causing the irradiation of his light but this we say that the word of the Prophets was a most sure word to which our fore-fathers did well to take heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place but now a long time day hath dawned and the Gospell is the day-star that ariseth in our hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 For that God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness is he which hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 And in these dayes of grace we all behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 To say that though all things be not necessary to be known yet nevertheless there may be had a certain and infallible way of interpreting whereby the most and most necessary Controversies may be decided is to represent a shew of Antithesis where there is none But that is little materiall but here is a declination to the contrary extreme hitherto the clearness of Scripture hath been opposed here an infallibility of interpreting is introduced but Medio tutissimus ibis and vertue usually consists in a mediocrity which Horace calls auream Mediocritatem Since the Apostles days the true Church of Christ challengeth to her self no infallible authority of interpreting Scripture 't is enough that in things necessary to salvation the Lord assures us by his Spirit that we are not deceived that is sufficicient for the state of grace and as for infallibility let us be content to have that condition reserved for the state of glory I nothing doubt but by study and care and pains most Controversies may be so clearly decided as shall be sufficient either for the converting of a capable Hearer to the imbracing of it or for the convicting him of obstinacy in withstanding it but I little looked that the beginning of this discourse would have so unsutable an end Mr. Dury as I remember is occupied about some such methode as this I wish heartily it may succeed well but take heed we do not cry down all performances that have gone before us as if they were palpable insufficiencies in comparison to our own new inventions whether in clearing truths controversial or obscure places of Scripture Well we shall rest contented with that measure we are arrived unto untill a greater measure of light arise above the Horizon of our Sphere and whensoever it comes I trust we shall give it that respect which it deserves and right thankfully entertain it whether in the way of illustration which best pleaseth the sense or in the way of demonstration which most justifieth the judgment Disc Nor am I moved with that Objection that it is enough for the Lutherans that they are assured of the truth of Lutheranism though others cannot see and believe it for this is not that which I would have I enquire how a man may be sure not of his own opinion but of the truth Now if I believe and determine that such a thing is true this is my opinion yet is not therefore the truth seeing truth and opinion have nothing in them alike and stedfast perswasion changeth not the essence of the thing whereof a man is perswaded for then should melancholick persons whose opinion is unmoveable work miracles and make all their conceits essentiall The nature of true knowledge is this so be demonstrable not to

the cause of this mans perplexity was it not his own extreme superstition most abominable If the Author of this Discourse had proposed any thing on the other side to the Scripture and pretended ambiguity and perplexity which of them he preferred according whereunto to order his faith that Martialists resolution of the doubt might have been congruous enough But onely concerning the Scripture-doubts are here proposed how a man should ground his faith thereupon what he is I know not and whether this be res gesta or ficta I am to seek for the present world is full of jugling But when wee make such doubts unto our selves do we well consider the goodness and wisdom of God in giving us his holy Word to direct us in the wayes of everlasting life if still there were just cause to complain of a perplexed condition whereinto we were cast not knowing whether we shall take hold of it or run away from it as Moses did from his rod when it was turned into a Serpent But do we finde any the like Metamorphosis here yet when the Lord bid Moses take the Serpent by the tail he was bold to do it surely Gods Word is no Serpent but we rather and his Word alone hath power to charm us and make us vomit all our poyson of erroneous and unholy ways and the Lord Christ hath bid us to take hold of them saying Search the Scriptures yet if any thing in this my Answer seem amiss and not answerable to the Authors expectation but savouring as hee thinks of partiality prejudice or passion I confess prejudice against such discourses as these accompting them most vile and nothing becomming an understanding and godly Christian but as for the rest let him impute it to my ignorance that know not so much as what is the way of his passion for he seems to me to be neither Lutheran nor Calvinist and would not seem to bee a Papist though I am most prone to conceive it to be the trick of some Papist least of all doe I know his person or Countrey But let every sober Christian consider well and inquire whether that since the beginning that Gods Word was committed to writing there were at any time any such questions moved untill this last and worst Age of the world when Cajetan the Cardinall a great School-Divine first encountred with Martin Luther and found that no Authority prevailed with him but Scripturall hereupon hee was moved to study Scripture and wrote Commentaries upon it in his old age But Silvester Prierius of Rome he thought that way too far about and therefore took a shorter course and maintained that the Scriptures contained not all things necessary to salvation and therefore the rule of faith to be made compleat must be pieced up with the unwritten Word added to the written Word which unwritten Word they called Traditions Since that the Papists have strengthned themselves with the Authority of the Church yet confess the true Church cannot bee known to be a true Church nor the Authority thereof known but by the Scriptures and the issue of the resolution of the Church must bee the resolution of the Pope concerning the true interpretation of Scripture shamefully obtruding upon us that we make the resolution of our faith into our own private spirit whereas we to the contrary extend the testimony of the spirit onely to each private mans best satisfaction and teach no other herein than the Papists themselves acknowledge to be most true as touching the resolution physicall of our faith as I am able to prove by variety of pregnant evidences ready at hand without any more adoe than the bare transcribing of them Now this light being not of a nature communicable unto others we meddle not with it in disputing upon any other point of Divinity with Papists or any other But therein walk in all our disputations by way of Resolution Logicall either into some confessed principles as concerning the Attributes Divine or into express passages of holy Scripture the meaning whereof if it be excepted against we are ready to justify it by rationall discourse against any adversary nothing doubting but we shall either convict him of obstinacy in shutting his eyes against the clear evidence of truth and make him condemned in his own conscience or at least in the conscience of all sober Christians being well assured that whosoever resisteth the evidence of Gods Word upon pretence of inevidence that Word shall be found of evidence enough to judge him at the last day ¶ This Jesuiticall Question was sent out of Germany when the Assembly of Divines were sitting at Westminster and was translated out of High-Dutch FINIS