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

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42480	A discourse of artificial beauty, in point of conscience between two ladies with some satyrical censures on the vulgar errors of these times.	Gauden, John, 1605-1662.; Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667.	1662 (1662)	Wing G353; ESTC R8975	93,452	274

Clergy who by the Canons of the Church and customes of ancient times were denied to wear any silk or softer garments not because they were sinful in themselves but less sutable to the strictness of that discipline which in those times holy men saw fit to exact especially of Ecclesiasticks as most exemplary for the restraining of those prodigalities and luxuries which in both Clergy and Laicks would soon exhaust that charity which was then most what expended in relieving the poor in building and adorning Churches in redeeming captives and the like I do not less willingly own my weakness then my Sex being farre from any such Amazonian boldness as affects to contend with so many learned and godly men who have and daily do express in this a contrary sense to mine yet I think it very venial for me to assert if I can both the ornaments and liberties of my Sex as to their persons and consciences by answering specious fallacies and producing stronger arguments to which I doubt not but all serious and impartial Christians not captives to custome prejudice and popularity will at last subscribe not as to the sense of a weak woman but of omnipotent verity and victorious truth which though late yet may at last be redeemed by the help of a woman from that long captivity wherein both it self and many worthy persons consciences were unjustly detained God oft discovers as female softnesses in some mens hearts heads and hands so masculine and heroick strength in some womens We read of two women famous the one for her conduct of the warre the other for her consummating it by destroying Sisera the chief leader of a great army Another woman dashes out the brains of King Abimelech another saves by her loyal prudence the city Abel from the miseries of a long siege and those punishments which justly prosecute as the heads so the abettors of Sedition against Lawful Sovereigns I know God hath given both Reason and Scripture to women as well as men nor have we less liberty granted to traffick in all truths both humane and divine though our talents and treasure may be farre less then the mass of many mens readings yet they may be as refined and digested our two mites may not be despised which we offer to God's Temple if they have God's Image and superscription on them coined and stamped in the mint of all religious Reason the word of God whence all things that concern Faith or Manners as to Salvation and Damnation receive their authoritative stamp and value It is time for us at length to get beyond that servility and sequaciousness of Conscience which is but the Pupillage Minority and Wardship of Religion inquiring and heeding not what saith the Lord but what saith such a Father such a godly man such a Preacher or Writer It is the priviledge and honour of Christian Religion for which the Bereans are commended to search the Scriptures and examine by them even the Apostolical doctrines Nor doth our Reformed Religion where it most merits that name unjustly glory in that freedome by which as to matters of truth or error of sin or no sin it is redeemed from the slavery of mans private Traditions and confined to the oracles of God to whose general rule sense and Analogy all Catholick and unwritten Traditions as to the practice discipline and order of Religion do agree without any enterfearing with the holy Scriptures to which in matters of internal holiness we are confined though in things of extern decency the wisdome custome of the Church is a safe and wholesome rule to which as we are by Scripture commanded obediently and unanimously to conform in things honest and by general precepts allowed so in matters of saving faith and holy life we must neither believe nor act by an implicite faith and twilight credulity but from a well-informed and rightly-convinced conscience that forbids us to be either profane or superstitious either over-righteous or over-wicked Solomon tells us that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep his Commandements Christ tells us it is but a Pharisaick pride and vanity to teach or urge humane traditions or opinions for God's Commands And truly after all that your Ladiship hath smartly urged in this case I cannot but wonder that neither Solomon in his various sentences of the Proverbs nor in his holy Satyr against humane Vanities in Ecclesiastes no nor yet he that was greater then Solomon either by himself or his Disciples should ever particularly instance against all or any painting or complexioning of the face no nor God by Moses where so many lesser precepts are expresly given surely they would not all have omitted this so wholly if it had been what some pretend such a flat and downright sin considering how obvious in all eyes and nations the use of it was and is Sure learned and godly men ought not in wisdome justice and charity to extend the cords or curtains of duty and conscience beyond the stakes and pillars of Religion which are fixed by the word of God whose service and glory needs not the fancies fallacies or flatteries of mans inventions more then a royal robe needs a beggers patch It is not for sober men to enlarge the Phylacteries of their own Opinions beyond God's precepts nor to comment by false and specious glosses either against or beside his holy will in the Word which must needs be a farre greater sin then any light applying of some quickning wash or colour to the face inasmuch as it is more dangerous to injure the Conscience then to alter the skin Ministers ought not to be as hard-hearted and rude-handed Surgeons who make their Probe a Poniard and will rather make a wound where they search for one then lose their labour or seem to want either skill or Patients As to that practical faith or assurance of the lawfulness and liberty granted by God both as to the thing done and the doer I presume my grounds are safe and good since I find that God hath given us as men and Christians all things richly to enjoy that no creature is forbidden under the Gospel to the pure of heart that there is neither moral light nor Scriptural precept against the ingenuous and modest use of this more then of otherhelps of any bodily infirmity or deformity since it may as well as any thing be used soberly thankfully and harmlesly without any impediment to grace and well-doing also without any advantage or intentional occasion to sin So that I cannot but vehemently suspect I leave it to wiser persons peremptorily to conclude that the dreadful rigors of some Ministers and others have in this case of Artificial handsomeness been too magisterial Their Divinity relishes too much of inhumanity and their Piety carries with it too little Charity while they state a case of Conscience more by the wils fancies and passions of men then by the word of God