Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	rule_n	tradition_n	unwritten_a	2,845	5	12.5918	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15824	A modell of divinitie, catechistically composed Wherein is delivered the matter and method of religion, according to the creed, ten Commandements, Lords Prayer, and the Sacraments. By Iohn Yates, Bachelour in Diuinitie, and minister of Gods word in St Andrewes in Norvvich.	Yates, John, d. ca. 1660.; Yates, John, d. ca. 1660. Short and briefe summe of saving knowledge. aut; Richardson, Alexander, of Queen's College, Cambridge.	1622 (1622)	STC 26085; ESTC S103644	253,897	373

liue in ignorance and blindnesse If such weake Governours had charge of instruction Masters must not thinke that they are exempted by the translation of the Ministery to others We indeed haue the charge of the Soules of diverse families but euery Master hath still the charge of his owne Gen. 18.19 2 Tim. 3.15 There is nationall domesticall and personall mourning enioyned Zach. 2.10.13.14 So teaching c. Q. How was the Church in a People A. As it did consist of many families and had the bounds thereof exceedingly inlarged from the dayes of Moses Vntill his time God had but a familie or two to worship him At the great Deluge but eight persons saued in the Arke Gen. 7. The world was growne so foule with sinne that God saw it was time to wash it with an vniversall flood and saw it meete to let it soke long vnder the waters so close did wickednesse cleaue to the authors of evill Q. What is here to be considered A. The writing of the rule of Religion which was done by such extraordinary Governours as God had fitted and inspired by his holy Spirit thereunto for the edification of his Church For even then God had both extraordinary and ordinary teachers now wee haue the rule completely delivered in writing and therefore need not any extraordinary Governours in the Church 2 Tim. 3.16 2 Pet. 1.20.21 And this is that that makes vs receiue a more sure word of Prophecie c. 2 Pet. 1.19 Q. How was it written A. According to the necessitie of the Church diversely and at sundry times Heb. 1.1 God increased the dyet of his Church as he saw it was fit to beare it Q. What are the Bookes called A. For the matter contained The word of God for the manner of Record The Scriptures by an excellencie of phrase as the most worthy writings that ever saw the light and being compiled into one volume are called Bibles or many little Bookes vnited in one body so that both worke and writing carry away the names of all other Scriptures and Bookes as most admirable for vse Ioh. 1.8 2 Tim. 3.15.16.17 Oh the shame of Christians that these workes should be counted as a strange thing vnto them Hos 8.12 whiles other bookes as baites for fooles shall be followed and applauded Q. How are these to be considered A. As they are either in the originall tongues or in the Translations in the purest fountaines or the derived streames and conduits In the Originalls not onely the matter which is the Divinitie Dogmaticall Historicall c. but also the meanes of inferring which is the Logicke the manner of expressing and enforcing which is the Grammar and Rhetorique are all immediately inspired 2 Tim. 3.16 All scripture is inspired from God 2. Pet. 1.21 The holy mon of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost In the translations the subiect matter or substance of Theologie is equally inspired though mediately The Logicall coherence also and consequence of argument retaineth the same necessitie of illation because it dependeth not vpon diversitie of Languages but communitie of notions But as for the proprietie of Grammar and vigor of Rhetorique there must needs be some abatement and embatement First and principally because the skill and diligence herein vsed by Translators is not divine or inspired but meerely humane at the best and in tryall prooueth to be lyable to much latitude sometime more sometime lesse Secondly for that many emphaticall words and rigorous figures both of Grammar and Rhetorique proper to the originall Tongues such as are especially deriuatiues agnominations proverbes c. cannot to the life be expressed in other Languages Thirdly and lastly because in vulgar Languages there is such mutabilitie and change of fashions almost as much as in apparell that after a few yeares we scarce vnderstand what our fore-fathers meant in some passages of the Scripture in our mother-tongue much lesse in the Latine which in the Vulgar is so pestered with Barbarismes in stile beside defects in notion that not onely S. Hierome would write invectiues if he should see such a brat layd at his dore but Priscian himselfe would call for the ferula It was therefore a very pious and laudable intention in our learned and judicious Soueraigne to appoint all our English Translations of the Scripture to be receiued and the best of them corrected by neerest reduction to the originals and to the proprieties of our Language Q. How in the originall Tongues A. As they are in the tongue wherein the Spirit did indite them and they are of themselues to be receiued without all exception as being Canonicall and hauing their authority primarily from the spirit and by themselues secundarily from the Church 1 Tim. 3.15 and 2 Ephist 3. chap. ver 16. The Church is the pillar on which the truth must hang to be shewed to others or the ground on which it resteth it selfe finding little stay else-where Next to the testimony of the Spirit and word it selfe wee are to admit the Churches testimony Q. Doth the Scripture containe the whole body of Religion A. It doth most fully and plainely and therefore there is no need of vnwritten verities or Popish Traditions It is the rule of all faith and controversies of faith It is the standard or the Kings beame by which wee are to try all doctrine that is tendred to vs. Wee are not to goe by the common beame of custome and opinion but by these ballances of Gods sanctuary not suffering a drams waight to be iniected that may incline these golden scoales as we please Isa 8.20 When the law was written Moses recalls both himselfe and the people to it for tryall when he had written his fiue bookes the Prophets that followed were content to haue their sayings brought to Moses law for tryall Christ himselfe never refused any tryall by the law and Prophets yea ever and anone is hee appealing vnto them for proofe of his owne doctrine and so all the A postles did tread in their masters steps onely the man of sinne will not indure any such tribunall he will iudge all and be iudged by none Q. But they seeme not to be so plaine and perspicuous A. Yes in themselues they are evident enough concerning things necessary to salvation and if at any time they seeme hard it is by reason of the weakenesse of our vnderstandings Pro. 14.6 Psal 25.14 2 Pet. 3.16 We must therefore in the obscure passages pray to God and conferre one place with another and consider duely the cirumstances of the places and wee shall find the true meaning if not God will pardon our ignorance and require no more of vs then himselfe giueth wee vsing his meanes aright Iam. 1.5 Q. What sense is to be giuen of Scriptures and whence must it be taken A. The Scriptures haue euer one literall sense and meaning and that which must be fetched from themselues 2 Pet. 1.20 It is of no private interpretation or as man

set over seuerall Diocesses euery of which had a Bishop ouer it and these vnder the Emperour might call councels If the errour or schisme fell out within the Diocesse then might the Diocessan call a councell and if the error could be there ended and healed it went no further if not then the Province was assembled by the Arch-bishop If yet the error had so spred it selfe that the Province was too weak to conclude the greater number being infected then did the Patriarch call diverse Provinces and if there it could not be ended then came it to an vniversall Councell c. And by these meanes was the Church wonderfully eased of hard long travels This was holy and good But this excellent order was disturbed by the Patriarke in the West whose invasions and tyranny long haue and still doe tend to the destruction both of the Church and State Wee are free from this Westerne Patriarke not onely by reason of his intolerable tyranny but also because the dissolution of the Empire is the dissolution of the Patriarkes And euery Christian Prince is absolute in himselfe to call by his owne Arch-bishops or Bishops councels as he pleaseth And it is rebellion to the Prince not to come when he summons the guiltie to appeare A gaine if this authoritie were dissolued then would the power reside in the order of the spirituall Governours as they were left by the Apostles And so councels could not be called vniversall nationall provinciall Diocessan for as tyrants prohibite the publicke exercises of Religion so the publicke congregating of Councels And here let me sling this stone into the brasen foreheads of our adversaries which in their shamelesse challenges dare tell the world wee are an Antichristian Church What one iot of authoritie doe we borrow from the Pope Is not all jurisdiction and power in the Prince and for exercise in the Bishops Q. What further distinction is there of the Church A. Besides the visibilitie or invisibilitie Puritie or impuritie of Congregations and Churches It is distinguished by the times thereof as it was yet in a familie or people The Church was an Embryo in the hatching till Abrahams time In swathing bands till Moses In child-hood till Christ a man in Christ and shall be a man full growne in glory It did long sticke betweene the knees and want power to come into the light but at length by succession of times comes to perfection of parts and degrees As man is an epitome of the world so is euery Christian an abridgement of the Church best at his last Like the feast of Cana where the best wine was reserved to the end Wee must ever be growing from strength to strength for it is a fearefull condition to goe backward how can he be rich that growes euery day poorer Can he ever reach the goale that goes euery day a step backe from it Alas then how shall he ever reach the goale of glory that runnes euery day a step backward in grace He that is worse euery day can never be at his best True grace is contrary to nature for it will bee strongest at last Sure I am in regard of time that the Catholicke Church increaseth in number and grace yet visible Congregations are soyled with age and grow worse by the tracts of time Families a nation now the world growes decrepit in respect of their liuely beginnings Primitiue times were not pestered with those diseases that are now growne vpon the Church and vnder which it groaneth Like Ezekias Sunne wee are gone backe many degrees in the diall of perfection and yet the Catholicke Church like the Sunne till noone will ever be rising Fie on those Apostates whose beginnings like Neroes first fiue yeares are full of hope and peace and then decline into villany Hypocrites like the first moneth of a new servant out-goe all but like Horse-coursers Iades soone giue in and tyre Whose age is like vnto the foure ages of the world first gold at last iron Pictures of zeale like Nebuchadnezzars image from a precious head they fall to base feete These be the true hot-spurs that will soone runne themselues out of breath But we may well say such were never right bred for Gods Church gaines perfection with time Therefore all such as proue falling Starres never were ought but Meteors True Saints never loose light or motion Spirituall motion may be violent in respect of nature and perpetuall in respect of grace Psal 110.3 Isa 60.8 Zech. 14.20 Q. How long was the Church in families A. Vntill the time of Moses so long God had the first borne for his Priests and euery head of the familie was not onely Master but Minister c. Num. 3.12 Dainty mothers send their daughters a frosting betimes in a cold morning who seeking beautie indanger health but our heauenly Father kept his Church within doores till he saw it was safe to suffer it to goe abroad Q. Who were the Governours A. The extraordinary were the Patriarches Which were Prophets for the rule of Religion was alwayes to bee the same in the Church though God did diversely administer it Wee denie not but that the word of God may be devided into Tradition and Scriptures but our difference is about the kind of the distinction and distribution whether the word be so devided into his essentiall parts or into two distinct manners of deliverance Wee say the word is essentially the same whether it be spoken or written and that writing speaking are but two accidents of the same substance Furthermore wee say that the word delivered by tradition was as well inspired as when afterward it pleased God to reveale his will by Scriptures Tradition was fitter for a family then a Bible because dead letters had beene of no validitie to a weake Church Wee feed the childe with the spoone and dare not trust him with the knife Spoone-meat was fit for families though afterwards God would haue all his people vse the knife and learne to cut their owne meate and therefore he gaue the nation of the Iewes some Scriptures to feed on And here appeares the wrong Papists offer to the Churches of the Gospell who restraine them from Bibles as if they were still in the infancie c. To conclude God never taught by tradition but the deliverers were extraordinarily inspired otherwise the rest were no further to be trusted or beleeued then they had receiued their doctrines from the Patriarkes and extraordinary Prophets And if the Pope could make vs beleeue he had these inspirations wee should no more doubt of his Oracles then we doe of the Scriptures themselues The ordinary Governours were the heads and eldest sonnes of the families c. Gen. 4.26 and 18.19 Q. What were the Governed A. The residue of the familie And here wee may learne what was the most auncient kind of teaching to wit Catechizing or familie teaching and it is a shame to the master when he suffers his familie to

part of thy life is the least part wherein thou hast liued for all is spent in vaine that helpes not to obtaine thy last end From hence forward recouer and recollect thy selfe before thou goe hence and be no more And if the excellencie of humane Arts exclude all meane and mediocritie thinke no extasie high enough for the obtaining of Diuinitie We must not like sullen lades lie vnder our burdens but reviue our spirits and with a maine and manly courage encounter all doubts and difficulties Q. But how shall we know it A. Psal 34.11 Come children hearken vntome and I will teach you the feare of the Lord. Knowledge is easie to him that hath a desire to vnderstand plaine and right if wee seeke after it as worldlings doe gold Pro. 14.6 and 8.9 and 2.4.5 The Mine and Mint of true happinesse is plainely and plentifully chalked out vnto vs in the holy Scriptures Nothing remaineth but that I call vpon you as Chrysostome did of old Heare O ye worldlings get you Bibles Hom. 9. in Epist ad Colof Here lie those glorious heapes which may eternally enrich vs so that if wee goe away with our hands and skirts emptie how worthy shall we be of a miserable want And who shall pitty them that will not pitty themselues Gods whip is the best alones for so lazie and wilfull a need Oh that in these our dayes wee might see those times spoken of in auncient Story wherein the secrets of the Scriptures were knowne familiarly to Taylors Smiths weavers Seamsters Delvers Near-heards c. Theod. de corrig Gracorum affect lib. 5. What a shame is it for vs in England to see daily so many heauenly showers fall beside vs whiles we still like a Gedeons fleece want moysture Where are our worthy Matrones that may be compared with S. Hieromes women Hieron in Psal 133. who contended in good earnest who should learne most Scripture without booke Alas alas most of our schollers like boyes slubber out their Bookes before they learne their lesson Old Origen in num Hom 27. sayd that of all torments to read the Scriptures was the greatest to the damned spirits against that blasphemous Papist that said it was the invention of the Deuill Mart. Pares de trad l. 44. But alas that which they cannot reade without soruple we read too often with neglect and contempt With whom doth the Apostles exhortation take place Coloss 3.16 Let the word of God dwell plenteously in you Let vs then to auoyd further shame like diligent Schollers which repeat their parts to each other to be made more perfect mutually recall ouer the rules of our well-liuing Giue me but one sayth Augustine that loueth and he shall feele what I say but if I speake to a cold Christian he vnderstandeth me not O then to prepare you for this art doe but as you vse to doe in the morning when the Sunne riseth in his strength open the dores and windowes of your hearts to partake of this comfortable brightnesse Let the beames of the glorious truth of Gods word shine cleerely open your eyes and endeuour to be illustrated by it It is not credible how much good Art and precepts may auaile vs. Wee cannot but speed well if wee begin well and proceed orderly A false methode is the bane of all hopefull indeuours We shall finde it in spirituall matters as in our estates small helpes with good thrift enrich vs when great patrimonies loose themselues in the neglect It is wonderfull to see what some can doe with the helpe of a little engine in lifting vp that weight alone which many helping hands by their cleare strength might endeuour in vaine I know grace is not tyed either to number or meanes yet vsually worketh by a common course of Art and precepts Onely this must be our care that wee mint not Gods worship in our owne deceitfull braines Q. What is Religion A. Religion is an Art or rather a doctrine to liue well Art is in the frame of the creature and may be learned by observation And so was Diuinitie by creation the very imprese of God but now by corruption both the Art and the frame are spoyled and as he that comes from a bright candle into a darke roome is so much more blinded as his light was greater and as the purest yvory turneth with the fire into the deepest black so man being fallen from God is so much the worse by how much hee was made more worthy in himselfe Teknee from Teknaomai because Art is euer to be seene in his owne fabricke facture or fashioning Man therefore hauing blurred blemished and blotted out his Art and excellencie is left to the teaching of Gods spirit to learne that by diuine instruction which he cannot by humane observation 1 Tim. 6.3 Paul calls the lesson a doctrine and Dauid prayes often in his Psalmes that the Lord would open his eyes teach him his statutes and bring him into the way he knowes not by nature Psal 119.18.33 The manifolde wisedome of God distinguished by proper subiects and broken as it were vpon them by creation gouernment and obedience from hence by irradiation or shining is acted and dispersed vpon the glasse of the vnderstanding as light vpon the eye and there receiued and vnderstood is againe from the mind reflected vpon others by word and then it is doctrine or discipline or writing and then we call it a booke or Bible and from hence may be obserued our teaching by Scripture doctrine discipline Art science and inspiration Hos 8.12 Heb. 1.1 Prov. 8.10 2. Tim. 3.16 c. God hath written spoken and inspired men to doe both and yet in all this a meere stranger to the iudgements thoughts affections speeches and actions of the most So that beside all this God must inlighten and inliuen our hearts or else there will neither be Art nor heart nor part to thinke vpon him It is safe no where to complaine of nature but where grace is and where that is once had and affected It will readily ascribe both inward and outward teaching to God Our rule may be called Scripture as it is written doctrine as it is taught discipline as it is learned Art as it is framed in vs againe science as it is knowne of vs and because none of these are now to be had by the irradiation of nature it pleaseth God of his infinite loue that wee should haue them by the inspiration of grace There are three things saith Bernard which God properly challengeth vnto himselfe from all co-workers men and Angels viz. pradestination creation and inspiration The husbandman may plant prune digge and dresse his Vine but raine vpon it he cannot if hee would water it yet must it be with Gods water Hee may draw from the fountaine but God must drowne it he may ducere rivum but it is God that must implore fontem Yea when he hath planted and watered he cannot giue clusters to the branches forme

neither any to heare it but such as are taught of him There must be a putting in of the rule before there will be any putting forth of man to obey it Ier. 31.33 and 32.40 the noyse of the word Ephes 5.4 shaking of afflictions Ob 33.16 or day light of the Gospell Rom. 13.11.12 are but secundary helping causes and doe nothing without the principall He that is asleepe awakes not till his naturall heat returne hauing digested all those foggie mists and vapours that did bind vp the senses no more is there any awaking of the sinner till there be a returne of that supernaturall heat of grace whereby the vapours of fleshly lustes may bee dissolved within vs which darken the cogitation and oppresse the heart 1. Pet. 2.11 Ephes 4.18 Luk. 21.24 onely here is the difference that this is a dead sleepe whereby the hear of creation is vtterly extinguished so that a new spirit must be put within vs or else wee never crucifie the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof which would keepe vs in a perpetuall sleepe far surpassing the seuen sleepers in the time of Decius the Emperour or Epimenides the Cretian which slept fourescore yeeres in a Caue so sayes the Author of fables and take his word alone I am not his suretie but this is no forgery that many a man out-sleepes his naturall life It is reported of Dionysius the Herocleote that he felt not when men thrust needles into his fat belly so sinners whose hearts are as fat as grease Psal 119.70 feele not their misery Nay like the Fencer that laughed to see his wounds lanched by the Surgeon The beares spoken of in Plinie that could not be stirred with the sharpest prickles come short of a thicke skinned sinner Alas how many shutt all their senses that they may not be troubled with the terrible threats of the Almightie Euen as the old Italians in the time of thunder shot off their greatest Ordinance and did ring their deepest bells to drowne the noyse of the heauens so wretched offenders know how to out-cry and out-roare the highest But they that thus harden and hearten themselues against Gods word shall one day be taught to cry to the hills and mountaines to cover them from the presence of him whom so often they haue despised The Lord teach vs to listen to him here least neglecting the light of his word wee feele the heat of his wrath in hell and be made to finde that to our cost which neuer had our care and to sinart with paine for what we neuer heard with patience But if I should insist vpon euery head as I might well and with profit I should write a Salmeron-like Commentary vpon Petrarches remedies yet doubt whether so this worke would be perfect sure I am a life would bee too little to write it and but enough to read it I will hereafter goe on with the heads as shortly as I may and giue as much good counsell in a narrow roome as I shal be able Brevitie where it is neither obscure nor defectiue is very pleasing even to the daintiest iudgements I will as neere as I may in so large an Art imitate those that draw great personages in little tablets and describe worlds of Countries in the compasse of small Maps I hope if wee haue speciall care of matter and methode wee shall make this Doctrine more portable for memory and readier for vse If our precepts as nailes driue out one another you may iustly impute it to want of Art I shall follow him that is now with God and which I confesse hath broken the Ice before me The forme of the Art is to liue well There is a naturall life which we liue by the vnion of body and soule and there is a spirituall life which we haue by the knot spoken of to wit our vnion with God by Religion Now all men in that they will haue some Religion may be said to liue spiritually but they cannot liue well because they want a true rule of life The follies of the Heathen are baits for babes no bookes for Christians which onely depend vpon God and his word to teach them truely how to liue but let vs cleare our definition by Scripture 1. Tim. 6.3 A doctrine according to godlinesse Tit. 1.1 The acknowledgement of the truth which is after godlinesse First this Art is in God Secondly wee receiue it from him as the paterne and patent of his will Thirdly our examples are to accord with it Hence godlinesse in the example must answere godlinesse in the rule and godlinesse in the rule must bee according to that which is in God God plots the rule then he publisheth it as his will and command and lastly lookes for obedience at our hands A king first plots his government in himselfe then by Proclamation makes it knowne vnto his subiects and lastly vnder penaltie enioynes the keeping of it A Scrivener first makes letters in his head then pens them downe with his hand and guides the Scholler accordingly So God is the Author of Religion then he publisheth it and wee are to liue after it To liue well in practise is to liue well by precept and precept that brings vs to the Prince of our happinesse Pro. 2.5 it is called the feare and knowledge of God Iam. 3.15 It is sayd to be wisedome from aboue 2. Pet. 1.3 through this knowledge wee receiue of God all things that pertaine vnto life and godlinesse To conclude giue thy selfe wholy to learne this Art and deferre it not to thy last wilt thou charge this greatest burden vpon the weakest beast If thou canst not passe over the foord when the waters are low how wilt thou doe when they are risen Twigges at the first will bend to euery hand which afterwards will not be bowed with all thy might Sparkes are sooner quenched then flames and greene wounds sooner cured then festred sores he that driueth a naile first striketh easily and afterwards redoubleth in strength in so much as the more blowes he striketh the more it is fastened and the harder it will be to draw it forth againe so betimes breake the bands shake off the shakles of sinnes and be daily labouring to saue thy poore soule CHAPTER II. Of Faith in God Question VVHat are the parts Answere Faith in God and obedience towards God In the old Testement is devided into feare and seruice Deut. 6.13 Iosh 24.14.1 Sam. 12.24 Ob 28.28 Psal 2.11 Eccl. 12.13 Feare is the head or beginning of this wisedome Psal 111.20 Pro. 9.10 and therefore to serue God without it is a head-lesse Religion Yet on the other side what comfort can we haue in such an head or Masculine disposition if with the Israelites brood it should be smoothered in the birth or recoile like Zarah in Thamars wombe So perfect is this Art that wee must haue cleane fingers as well as cleane hearts It is the plea of Ignorants in doing euill to sy they