Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	doctrine_n	tradition_n	unwritten_a	3,444	5	12.5860	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70924	Romes destruction, or, Expresse texts and necessary consequences drawn out of the word of God, for the condemning of the doctrine of the Roman church, and justifying of that of the reformed churches first written in French, by C.D.R., a French noble-man ; and now published in English, at the solicitation of divers religious men of this nation by Jam. Mountaine.	C. D. R.; Mountaine, James.	1641 (1641)	Wing R11; ESTC R10609	52,610	234

containe all things necessary to Salvation That ●t is but a piece of a rule a nose of wax a two-handed sword But for to supply the Scriptures want there is a Tradition and unwritten Word which they cause to be received with like credit and certainty as the very Word of God And with this artifice and cunning the Pope hath set up himselfe in the Temple of God and hath changed the Christian Religion into Idolatry superstition and false Doctrine causing the people to receive whatsoever he saith and decrees as the very Word and ordinance of God though they be things directly contrary to the same which things by the grace of God I shall make plainly appeare by many places of the Word of God and necessary consequences drawne out of the same First as touching the darknesse of the Scripture which they suppose for to hinder the simple people from reading the same I say that in this very thing they truely shew themselves to be those blinde and incredulous ones of whom S. Paul speakes when he saith If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this World hath blinded the mindes of them that beleeve not Lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them 2. Cor. 4. ver. 3. 4. If the Word of God be dark it is not in regard of it selfe but of men that are blinde by nature in things that are of God The natural man saith S. Paul receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1. Cor. 2. 14. And our Lord teacheth us that they which are not of God cannot heare the Word of God Joh. 8. 47. The Word of God is not dark to them that have received the Spirit of God that they may know the things which are freely given to them of God 1. Cor. 2. 12. I prove it by these arguments Whatsoever is a lampe unto the feet of the Faithfull and a light unto their paths the same is not dark unto them But the Word of God is a lampe unto the feet of the Faithfull and a light unto their paths Psal. 119. 105. Therefore the Word of God is not dark unto them Item Whatsoever illuminateth and makes the simple to have understanding the same is plain unto them But the Word of God enlightneth and maketh the simple to have understanding Psal. 119. 130. Therefore the Word of God is plain unto the simple Secondly The Pope and his Adherents teaching that the Word of God containeth not all things necessary to Salvation shew themselves wholly and absolutely adverse to Saint Paul these words are plain toTimothy The holy Scriptures saith he are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction and for instruction in righteousnesse That the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2. Tim. 3. 15. 16. 17. The written Word of God hath the vertue and power to save soules S. James teacheth the same when he saith Receive with meeknesse the engrafted Word which is able to save your soules Jam. 1. 21. If you continue in my Word saith Christ You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free Joh. 8. 31. 32. These things are written saith S. John that you may beleeve that Jesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and in beleeving you may have life through his name Joh. 20. 31. The written Word of God therefore containeth all things necessary to Salvation and it is a needlesse thing to have recourse to mens Traditions Againe Christ saith That they worship him in vain teaching for doctrines the commandements of men Mark 7. 7. He would not therefore have men to take upon them to make laws commandements in his Church But rather that al should submit themselves to his doctrine and Commandements contained in his Word without either adding unto it or diminishing from it Deut. 4. 2. Apoc. 22. 18. 19. The fear of this people saith he is towards me through the commandements of men Esay 29. 13. In a word Christ and his Apostles in many places doe send us to the written Word of God but never to an unwritten word or humane Traditions But rather on the contrary S. Paul exhorteth the faithfull to take heed least they be surprised by the Traditions and vain deceits of men If any man saith he yea even an Angel from Heaven preach unto you any other Gospel than that which you have received let him be accursed Galat. 1. 8. The written Word of God therefore containeth all that which is necessary to salvation and consequently we need not seek after any other unwritten Word for that purpose Moreover We doe not reject all kind of Traditions but onely such as are contrary unto the Word of God or invented by men for to impose a yoake upon the consciences of men which God hath not imposed The true Church groundeth no Articles of faith upon the Traditions of men but upon the Word of God But our Adversaries build their Articles of faith upon the Tradition and the unwritten Word onely which they preferre before the holy Scriptures and set it up far above the same Gabriel de S. Maria in his treatise of the Authority of Scripture chap. 7. pag. 162. saith that If we doe compare the Tradition with the written Word of God we shall finde that the Tradition excels it infinitely for that it hath more necessity more light more firmenesse and more authority than the written Word of God The Church of God useth some Traditions but such as are not contrary unto the Word of God and which doe not impose a yoake upon the consciences of men But the Traditions of the Roman Church which as our Adversaries say excel the Word of God infinitely are directly contrary unto the same and impose a yoake upon the consciences of men which God hath not imposed which is clearly verified in these examples following 1 In the first place The Tradition and unwritten Word of the Roman Church teacheth That all the Faithfull ought not to reade and meditate upon the Word of God This doctrin is contrary to these places of the written word of God Blessed is he that readeth the Words of this Prophesie c. Apoc. 1. 3. Seek unto the Book of the Law and reade c. Esay 34. 39. 2 The Tradition and unwritten Word of the Roman Church teacheth That Saints departed are our advocates and mediators towards God This Doctrine is contrary to these expresse places of the written Word of God God is one and the Mediator one between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 1. Tim. 2. 5. If any man sinne we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous John

drink of that cup 1. Cor. 11. 28. 12 The Tradition and unwritten Word of the Roman Church teacheth also That Christ Jesus sacrificeth himselfe every day really by the hands of the Priests both for the quicke and for the dead This Doctrine is directly contrary to the written Word of God that saith Christ is entred into Heaven it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for us Yet not that he should offer himselfe often as the high Priest entred into the holy place every yeare with blood of others c. Heb. 9. 24. 25. By the which Will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sinne Heb. chap. 10. 10. 14. 18. 13 The Tradition and unwritten Word of the Roman Church teacheth That Saint Peter was appointed by Christ to be head of the Universal Church and Prince of the Apostles This doctrin is directly contrary unto the written word of God as appeareth by these expresse texts God hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church which is his Body Ephes. 1. ver. 22. 23. Yee know that the Princes of the Gentils exercise Dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority upon them But it shall not be so among you c. Mat. 20. 25. 26. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers ephess. 4. 11. It appeareth therefore plainly that this Tradition and unwritten word of the Roman Church is altogether contrary unto the written Word of God and that it imposeth a yoake upon the consciences of men that God hath not imposed Seeing it forbids marriage to certain persons which God for avoyding of fornication commandeth to every one Seeing it forbids the use of certain meats which God doth not forbid but rather commandeth to be used with thanksgiving Seeing it forbids all men to work upon a great number of Holy-daies thereby depriving them of the means to earne their bread which oftentimes is wanting on such daies to poore men charged with wives and small children the which thing is directly contrary to the Commandement of God Six daies shalt thou labour and doe all thy work Exod. 20. 9. Againe by bringing in such an infinite number of ceremonies in part taken from the Pagans and in part from the Jewes with a numberlesse number of Pilgrimages and other such like things as is almost impossible to declare and represent by particulars It is not then without cause and reason that we reject these Traditions and inventions of men seeing they were broached onely to bring in into Christian Religion Error and Idolatry as I shall prove hereafter more at large aswell by expresse texts and necessary consequences drawn out of the Word of God as by invincible reasons CHAP. II. That it is necessary that all the Faithfull should reade the holy Scripture and that they are even bound thereunto by the Commandement of our Lord Jesus Christ FRom the very same Spring floweth the prohibition which the Pope and his Associates make to the Lay people to reade the Word of God without special leave wherein their manifest hypocrisie appeareth plainly and the feare they have that by reading of the same men should come to know that the Doctrine which they have invented is false and wholly contrary unto the Word of God Our Lord Jesus Christ teacheth us far otherwise Search saith he the Scriptures for in them yee think yee have eternall life and they are they which testifie of me John 5. 39. And under the Parable of the rich Glutton he sends them still to the Scripture saying They have Moses and the Prophets Let them heare them Luk 16. 29. The Jesuits and other the Popes Disciples answer that there is Let them heare them but not Let them reade them But what will they answer to these expresse places Seek yee out of the Book of the Lord and reade Esay 34. vers. 16. Blessed is hee that readeth and they that heare the words of this Prophesie and keep those things which are written therein Revel. 1. 3. If sobriety must be kept in any Book of the holy Scripture it is in that of the Revelation Neverthelesse Saint John exhorteth all the Faithfull to practise the reading thereof saying Blessed is he that readeth the words of this Prophesie Let the word of Christ saith Saint Paul dwell in you richly in all wisedome teaching and admonishing one another c. Col. 3. 16. Saint Peter tels us That we shall doe well to hearken unto the words of the Prophets 2. Pet. 1. 19. The Jews of Berea did dayly search the Scriptures to know whether those things were so as Saint Paul taught Act. 17. 11. And are commended for it in the Scriptures being called more Noble than them of Thessalonica It is therefore lawfull for every Faithfull Christian to reade the Word of God that by it they may know the Doctrine and judge whether it be of God or no In a word as I have said already the principall means we have to know God and his Will is his word by which he declareth unto us his mercy in Christ Jesus and assureth us of his love Now the Pope and his Disciples take away and hide as much as in them lies this VVord from the people and so deprive them of the chiefe meanes to know God which is to cast them headlong into darknesse and ignorance of their salvation and finally into damnation For what can that man doe that is deprived of the knowledg of God and of his wil but run into damnation CHAP. III. That a man can doe no good Worke without the Grace of God And that our Workes therefore are not dispositive for the obtaining of that grace as our Adversaries say THe Pope and his Associates teach also That our works ought to bee considered three manner of wayes First as dispositive Secondly as satisfactory and Thirdly as meritorious Before we be in the state of Grace they will have our Works to bee dispositive to purchase Grace and after grace received to be satisfactory for the temporall punishment that remaineth for sin And after satisfaction finished then they will have their workes to deserve the Kingdome of Heaven A doctrine which is directly contrarie unto the word of God as I shall prove it hereafter out of expresse texts which I shall produce out of the VVord of God and necessary consequences drawn out of the same In the first place they teach that our Works doe dispose and prepare us to obtain the grace of God But now I aske of them whether we doe good Works before we be in grace or whether we doe them after yea or no If they say that we doe them before they know that men naturally are dead in sinne I