Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	holy_a	person_n	trinity_n	2,662	5	9.6888	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79473	Chillingworthi novissima. Or, The sicknesse, heresy, death and buriall of William Chillingworth. (In his own phrase) Clerk of Oxford, and in the conceit of his fellow souldiers, the Queens arch-engineer, and grand-intelligencer. Set forth in a letter to his eminent and learned friends, a relation of his apprehension at Arundell, a discovery of his errours in a briefe catechism, and a shorr [sic] oration at the buriall of his hereticall book. By Francis Cheynell, late fellow of Merton Colledge. Published by authority.	Cheynell, Francis, 1608-1665.	1644 (1644)	Wing C3810; Thomason E36_7; ESTC R13256	46,148	66

Reason in the chaire in stead of Antichrist is dead and gone publish it not in the streets of Askelon that he who did at once batter Rome and undermine England the Reforming Church of England that he might prevent a Reformation is dead lest if you publish it you puzzle all the Conclave and put them to consider whether they should mourne or triumph If any man enquire whether he hath a Tombe-stone as well as an Elegy let him know that we plundered an old Friar of his Tombe-stone and there is roome enough for an Epitaph if they please to send one from Oxford if not give us leave to say we have provided a Sepulchre and it is your fault if you doe not provide a Monument for as Laurentius Valla the master of Elegances observes a Monument is nothing else but a speaking Sepulchre Vixque Monumentum dixerim nisi literae aut alii tituli appareant quae si desint magis sepulchrum quàm monumentum erit Laur. Vall. Elegant lib. 4. cap. 75. If there be any man yet unsatisfied that this great Philosopher Mathematician Oratour and any thing but what he pretended to be a Divine hath had no more honour at his death then a plaine Tombe-stone and such a song of lamentation as was taken up for Saul let him read this following Catechisme and if he be either Papist or Protestant he will be satisfied if he be true to his owne principles A Prophane Catechisme collected out of Mr Chillingworths Works Question HOw shall I be able to prove to an Atheist that there is a God and that the Books of the Old and New Testament are the word of God Answ. When Protestants affirme against Papists that Scripture is a perfect rule of Faith their meaning is not that by Scripture all things Absolutely may be proved which are to be beléeved for it can never bée proved by Scripture to a gain sayer that there is a God or that the Book called Scripture is the word of God for as he saith a little before nothing is proved true by being said or written in a Book but only by Tradition which is a Thing credible of it selfe chap. 1. p. 55. Sect. 8. the first Edition approved at Oxford Doubtlesse the Atheists and Papists will give him hearty thanks for this answer which doth preferre Tradition which the Atheist vilifies before Scripture which the Papists vilifie he hath pleased them both The Papists will bee well pleased to see this doctrine licensed by the Protestants of the University of Oxford that Tradition is more credible then Scripture for Tradition is credible for it selfe but the Scripture when it is to be proved a perfect Rule to us is credible only by Tradition in Mr Chillingworths conceit pag. 96. and where shall we meet with this universall Tradition 2. But I finde another answer pag. 53. Tradition may be helped out by naturall Reason Controversies wherein the Scripture it selfe is the subject of the question cannot be determined saith Mr Chillingworth but by Naturall Reason the only principle beside Scripture which is common to Christians cap. 2. sect. 3. And in his marginall observations on a passage of Mr Hookers he layes downe this as a Rule Naturall Reason then built on principles common to all men is the last Resolution pag. 65. Nay Reason is in some sort Gods word see his answer to the Preface pag. 21. How then will the Atheist say is Reason credible for it selfe since Mr Chillingworth saith that Gods word is not credible for it selfe Surely these answers will never bring a man to divine faith for to rely upon Tradition is but to rely upon Humane testimony and such as the testimony is such is the faith if the testimony which is the ground of faith be humane then the faith cannot be divine Againe naturall Reason is not infallible nor is it able to judge of truths which are above Reason now it is cleare that supernaturall truths are above naturall Reason Finally faith is not grounded upon Reason but upon Authority He gives a third answer chap. 1. pag. 36. God hath confirmed the doctrine of the Scripture by miracles but then he saith we have nothing to assure us of the truth of those miracles but Tradition and therefore we are not got one steppe nearer faith or Heaven by that shift and if he flie back to Reason then consider what he saith pag. 117. God hath no where commanded men to beleeve all that Reason induceth them to beleeve Qu. But if this great point must be tried by Reason what Reason can you produce to prove the Scripture to be the word of God An. There is as good reason for it as there is to beléeve other stories or matters of Tradition He requires men to yeeld just such a kinde or degree of assent to the Gospel of Christ as they yeeld to other stories or matters of Tradition chap. 1. pag. 37. for God desires us only to beleeve the conclusion as much as the premises deserve ib. sect. 8. p. 36. And the Chronicle of England joyned with the generall tradition of our acquaintance deserves as much credit in Mr Chillingworths conceit as the Gospel of Christ for his words are these chap. 2. sect. 159. p. 116. 117. Wee have I beleeve as great reason to beleeve there was such a man as Henry the eighth King of England as the Jesus Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate The Lord rebuke that spirit of errour which moved the great men of Oxford to license this blasphemy What have I no more reason to beleeve the three persons in the holy Trinity speaking in their glorious Gospel to my heart and conscience then I have to beleeve Stowes Chronicle or the generall tradition of my owne acquaintance or some such other fallible testimony Qu. But what if I cannot be assured that any part of the Scripture is the word of God may I be saved without beleeving this weighty point An. Yes saith Mr. Chillingworth chap. 2. sect. 159. if a man should beléeve Christian Religion wholly and entirely and live according to it such a man though he should not know or not beléeve the Scripture to be a Rule of faith no nor to be the word of God my opinion is he may be saved Excellent Divinity indeed what is not this a principle of Christianity that Scripture is the word of God and rule of faith and if it be how then is it possible for a man to beleeve the Christian Religion wholly and entirely and yet not beleeve this principle Yes I may beléeve the Scripture as I doe Augustins works pag. 114. Qu. But if I am assured that some Scripture is the word of God how shall I know what books are Canonicall and what not An. By universall Tradition I must receive those books for Canonicall of whose Authority there was never any doubt or question in the Church pag. 148. I may then it seems doubt of the Epistle of James the second of Peter

owne obedience in stead of relying upon Gods authority and Christs obedience can be saved by the Covenant of Grace let all true Christians judge Qu. What other condition is required of us Answ. A true sincere and cordiall love of God Answer to the Preface p. 20. Qu. How may a man be raised to this love Answ. By the consideration of Gods most infinite goodnesse to us and our own almost infinite wickednesse against him Gods Spirit cooperating with us may raise us to a true sincere and a cordiall love of God in the same page Qu. Wherein doth this infinite goodnesse of God manifest it selfe Answ. 1. In creating us of nothing 2. In creating us after his own image 3. In creating all things for our use and benefit 4. In streaming downe his favours on us every moment of our lives 5. In designing us if we serve him to infinite and eternall happinesse 6. In redéeming us with the pretious bloud of his beloved Sonne 7. By his patience towards us in expecting our conversion 8. In wooing alluring leading and by all meanes which his wisdome can suggest unto him and mans nature is capable of drawing them to repentance and salvation I have picked out the marrow of his notions the best Divinity his works afford but observe 1. We are saith he designed to eternall happinesse if we serve God which is perfect Popery shall I say or Socinianisme here is a conditionall decree and the condition is works 2. God expects our conversion I thought he had effected our conversion if God stay till we will turne off our selves or cooperate with his Spirit in the first act of our conversion we shall never be converted Sure I am this Implicite faith grounded on unsanctified reason and fallible tradition will rather resist then cooperate with the holy Spirit The Scripture tels us that we do never love God in good earnest till we doe beleeve Gods love to us compare the 16. and 19. verses of the 1 Iohn 4. And faith is not wrought in us by our cooperation with the Spirit but by the Almighty power of God who quickens us whom he finds dead in trespasses and sinnes unto a lively faith as is evident in the two first chapters of the Epistle to the Ephesians Qu Is it possible for a man that lives and dies a Papist to be saved Ans. Yes very possible in the iudgement of Master Chillingworth 1 Because the Papists do not erre in Fundamentals chap. 3. Sect. 56. pag. 164. For the only and main reason saith he why we beleeve you not to erre in Fundamentals is your holding the Doctrine of Faith in Christ and Repentance The worst sort of Papists who have means to find the Truth but will not use them may be saved if they die with a generall repentance for all their sinnes knowne and unknowne because the Truths which they hold of Faith in Christ and repentance are as it were an Antidote against their errours and their negligence in seeking the truth Especially seeing by confession of both sides we agree in much more then is simply and indispensably necessary to salvation Chap. 3. Sect. 12. pag. 133. And truly I doe beleeve if the worst of Papists and the worst of Protestants did agree in fewer things then they doe there would be more hope of the salvation of Papists Qu. What is the best way to bring Papists and Protestants into one communion Ans. The framing and proposing of a Liturgy which both sides hold lawfull p. 132. This was perchance the great stratagem aimed at in the framing of that Liturgy which was sent into Scotland and this is a point which deserves the consideration of the pretended Parliament or Assembly at Oxford Qu. Is the Spirit absolutely promised to the succession of Bishops Answ No for many of them have beene notoriously and confessedly wicked men men of the world whereas this Spirit is the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because he seeth him not neither knowes him p. 146 147. Whether this be not as true of some Popish Prelats in England as of the Bishops of Rome let the learned determine Qu. What if a Church maintaine an errour contrary to Gods Revelation knowne by that Church to be a divine Revelation Ans. The Church that doth so is no longer a Church p. 137. Qu. Doth not Master Chillingworth sometimes contradict himselfe and call the Roman Church the Catholique Church Answ. He seemes to do so p. 132. His words are these We beléeve the Catholique Church cannot perish yet that she may and did erre in points not Fundamentall and that Protestan● were obliged to forsake these errors of her Church as they did though not the Church for the errours for that they did not but continued still members of the Church Observe that the question is about forsaking the Church of Rome and he talkes of the Catholique Church 1. The Catholique Church did not erre with the Roman the Greek Church did forsake the errours of the Roman 2. Those Protestants who did protest against the Church of Rome were a considerable part of the Catholique Church 3. Those Protestants did not continue members of the Roman Church but did renounce her communion because of her errours 4. His distinction which followes betweene the Catholique and Roman Church makes his former observations non-sence at least 5. He saith they separated from the Roman Church only in things which they conceived superstitious or impious and he saith they were obliged to doe this under paine of damnation Not saith he as if it were damnable to hold an errour not damnable p. 132. Did those Protestants rightly conceive the practises of Rome to be superstitious and impious or did they not if they did conceive aright then superstion and impiety are in Master Chillingworths judgement not damnable if they did conceive amisse why doth Master Chillingworth justifie our separation from the Church of Rome Sure Master Chillingworth was no fit man to maintaine the common cause of Protestants against Papists Qu. May not a man bee damned by maintaining errours which are not in themselves damnable Ans. Yes because it is damnable outwardly to professe and maintaine and ioyne with others in the practise of that which inwardly we do not hold for this is as he confesses damnable dissimulation and hypocrisie p. 132. Men may do well to take notice that Mr Chillingworth doth account something damnable and I note this the rather at this time because men are so apt to professe one thing in one place and another thing in another in these dayes of liberty and to joyne with others in the practise of that which they inwardly dislike Yet Mr Chillingworth saith that if in him alone there should have met a confluence of all the errours which all the Protestants in the world have fell into out of humane frailty he would not be so much afraid of them all as to ask pardon for them because to ask pardon for them were