Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	tradition_n	word_n	write_a	3,323	5	10.7817	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00664	An ansvvere to VVilliam Alablaster [sic] his motiues. By Roger Fenton preacher of Grayes Inne	Fenton, Roger, 1565-1616.; Alabaster, William, 1567-1640.	1599 (1599)	STC 10799; ESTC S101956	37,337	52

be all sufficient for that ende and purpose to which it is referred and for which it was written denying all other doctrine to be in power and certaintie equiualent with the same For if we should account those reportes which we haue receiued by tradition from our forefathers to be of equall credit with the canon of Scripture I cannot easily conceaue how we should haue due and thankfull regard of that inestimable benefit of committing diuine truth to writing which almightie God did himselfe first ordaine and by diuine prouidence continually hath preserued in his Church euer since the first age of the world that the daies of man were shortned and his memorie waxed fraile For miserable no doubt by this time had the state of the Church been if the meanes of our saluation published by Christ and his Apostles had been deliuered to vs onely by way of tradition from so many reporters We may in some sorte gesse at the daungers by those remnants of diuine storie which the heathen receiuing by tradition haue deliuered to vs in their writings but so broken and intermingled with cloudie phansies and fabulous inuentions as they doe no more resemble the truth then the rainbowe doth the sunne Which though it be the image of the sunne yet are the beames thereof so broken by reflection and refraction in some watrie cloud that it doth alike resemble the sunne as those ancient poeticall fables doe expresse the true scripture storie from whence they borrowed their first light Therefore inualuable is the benefit of the written word aboue relations The ende of the writing whereof was the perfecting of the two premised parts of a Christian mans soule to wit the vnderstanding with diuine truth and the desire with life both ioyntly set downe by Saint Iohn 10. 31. These things are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Sonne of God And secondly that in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name For the effecting whereof albeit the scripture be alsufficient in it selfe yet least by our ignorance we should peruert the more obscure places to our owne destruction we doe with all diligence embrace those meanes which God hath prouided for the interpretation thereof not onely the rules of reason and humane arts sanctified by Gods grace in his faithfull seruants but adding thereto also the record of antiquitie consent of fathers testimony of learned men conferring places waighing circumstances examining translations with such like not singling any one meanes from the rest as you fondly imagine but ioyning them together doe alwaies acknowledge most meanes to make the strongest confirmation Amongst these manifold meanes it liketh you to cull out the conference of places as seeming most of all to be ouerruled by priuat opinion Which rule of interpretation we are so farre from being ashamed of as in earnest I meruaile you will take any exception vnto it since Saint Austin a witnes by your confession without all exception hath bestowed such cost vpon it preferring it before all other rules whatsoeuer In his booke de Doct. Christia laying this ground vndoubtedly that all things concerning beliefe and life are plainly written in the word his first rule is that those things be chiefly noted which are set downe plainly both precepts of life and rules offaith Secondly that obscure and darke sentences be enlightned and opened by the plaine and manifest Thirdly that doubtfull textes bee determined by the cleere and certaine Al this in one chapter After if we cannot finde the true meaning yet let such a sence be giuen as agreeth with the right faith approued by some other place of scripture If that cannot be discussed by sure testimonie of Scripture it might be proued by reason but the safer way farre is to walke by Scripture In that whole worke made for this purpose we finde no mention of your last Remoue from the text to the interpreter from the Scripture to the men But still hath he recourse to the scripture making it the onely Center whereupon we must stay our selues in all discourse and interpretation His generall conclusion is that all places of scripture be expounded by the scriptures which are canonicall as being the rule of godlinesse and faith Yea from the testimonie of the greatest number of ancient fathers alledged by Saint Hierome he still makes his appeale vnto Scripture Hitherto haue I said nothing but Saint Austin whom you acknowledge to assure you not of his owne onely but of the common and constant faith and confession of ancient fathers and Apostolike Church Yet this was Saint Austin his rule of interpretation his golden rule whereupon he so much relied practised at this day in our Church and make you this a motiue to separate your selfe from our Church To put you out of doubt that this rule shal not at last resolue into priuate opinion after all diligence hath been giuen in this kinde we confirme the same by consent of our faithfull and learned brethren and if neede be by the assembly of the Bishoppes and clergie of our Church vnto which our greatest clerkes doe most willingly submit their expositions Their wordes be The sence will I proue by scripture according to the rule of faith the proofe of the sence I submit to the priuat and publike iudgment of the Church Notwithstanding in these quarelsome dayes since each part by likelihood will draw scriptures to their seuerall assertions it is a rule most indifferent euen in your owne iudgments that for pointes of controuersie neither your Church nor ours be iudge but that of olde neerer to Christ and further from these factions which you know to be our owne chalenge and defence aswell as yours So that if you would lay al these together being al held and professed by our Church you should finde our expositions to be neither vncertaine nor priuate Vpon this misconceit you conclude vs to be in a miserable case for that of an infallible proposition and arbitrarie assumption must needes follow a dangerous conclusion It is true indeede but this holdeth onely against protestantes and priuate spirits But wot you not that a counsell and the Pope of arbitrarie premisses can inferre infallible conclusions Cuius Doctrina in medijs discursiua in conclusione prophetica sine preiudicio fidei errare in argumentis potest salua conclusione See now yet are you so peremptorie must needesensue allwaies follow that whilest you lash out these rules of reason you entangle your self in high treason against his holinesse But what meane I still to rubbe this gall Sic tendimus in vetitum Had not your Doctor forbid it I had not so harped vpon it MOTIVE IN like manner they promise security of saluation without respect of repentance and workes which are ineuitable consequences if all be true that they teach So that he which hath faith needeth no more to care for good workes then they that haue drunken a sound purgation for going

waigh together the spouse of Christ with Luther Caluin Melancthon aecumenicall counsels with priuate opinions the reuerend and learned fathers with Arius Aetius Vigilantius men alwaies in their time burned for heretikes the harmony of Churches with the iarring of conuenticles of them that are in as great brawle with themselues as with the catholikes The vniforme practise of 1500. yeares with the often change of others The tradition of the Apostles with the dregs of heretikes Now let any man though ouerbalanced by affection consider with himselfe whether of these should be beleeued in expounding the scriptures and consequently in the truth of the controuersies which relyeth vpon the sence ANSVVERE THis is right the wise man of Athens who thought all the shippes his owne which came to hauen Church councels Fathers Apostolicall traditions all yours And we poore soules turned ouer to a few single spirits Luther Caluin Melancthon c. If I might be so bold with you as Sir Thomas More was in like case with a protestant it were time to put you in minde of one Caius who encountring with a scholler would needs haue his first demaunde graunted to wit whatsoeuer had two eares was a foolish beast For els he could not so gallantly haue come vpon him as otherwaies he had ment Your demand is alike reasonable For you assume no more as graunted but the iudgment of the Church the definition of councells the consent of Fathers the harmonie of Churches the practise of all ages the rule of Apostolicall tradition Which if we giue you and leaue our selues a few particular mens expositions indeede I confesse you may conclude at your pleasure But it is wel knowen we doe no further relie vpon those learned mens assertions then they be authorized by the forenamed witnesses Which testimonies so confidently alledged for your parte I hope you are not ignorant how that all along in our apologies defences and answeres they be brought against you by our defenders especially those witnesses of more ancient times vnto whom we are content to appeale as most indifferent iudges and more sincere then any of later times being neerer to Christ and further from these factions To put you out of doubt I will set downe our owne words Quam ea die Iuellus vocem verissimam ac constantissimam emisit quando ad sexcentorum annorum antiquitatem prouocanit vobisque obtulit vt si vel vnicam ex aliquo patre aut consilio claram dilucidam sententiam afferretis non recusaret quin vobis palmam concederet ea est nostrûm omnium professio idem omnes pollicemur fidem non fallemus THE SECOND MOTIVE THe mysteries of religion do so far exceede the narrow straites of our vnderstanding that because they cannot be comprehended by reason God hath therefore appointed faith to entertaine them which faith is built vpon diuine and vnfallible authoritie the minde yeelding obedience in stead of discourse receiuing indifferently the truth of doctrine vpon the credit and affiance of the teacher Therefore that religion which doth not stay the assent of the scholler and hath not irrefragable authoritie in all matters of faith hath neither merit of beliefe in it selfe nor others But such is the discipline of the protestants that they affoord their schollers no other but humane and mutable authoritie whereby to beleeue the number and dignitie of the scriptures with the sense and interpretation of them in which consisteth the summe of all religion ANSVVERE THe mysteries of religion doe far exceede the narrow straites of our vnderstanding for without controuersie great are those mysteries to wit God is manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit seene of Angels beleeued on in the world and receiued vp into glorie Amongst which the schollers assent to those misteries is accounted one beleeued on in the world which you haue well expressed appointing faith not reason to entertaine them The mind yeelding obedience in steed of discourse receiuing indifferently the truth of doctrine vpon the credit and affiance of the teacher This teacher you haue determined to be the inflexible testimonie of the catholike Church of whome we receiued the forenamed principles of religion yea the scriptures themselues And surely that minde which would not yeeld obedience to the testimonie of this generall voice were in all sound iudgments most vnreasonable For doth not reason her selfe tell vs That which most men and wisest agree vpon is most true doth she not adde further Those men be wisest next God that are most deare vnto him Then that religion which is professed and taught by the most holy and catholike Church which is venerable for antiquitie certaine for succession comely for order admirable for vnitie approued by experience allowed by prouidence confirmed by miracles rooted in so many kingdomes neuer doubted of but by heretikes is in the very eye of reason to be imbraced How thinke you Is not this reasons discourse And a sound discourse You must not deny it for it is your owne If reason then build vpon Church authoritie how place you faith in reasons roome If this be reasons discourse what is that yeelding obedience in stead of discourse Where is that great mysterie of godlines beleeued on in the world which captiuates the vnderstanding to the obedience of faith Let me helpe you out with a schoole distinction that wee may cleere the way before vs. The schollers assent to the Church testimonie is called faith I confesse but such a faith as the schoole termeth Acquisita fides faith gotten by discourse testimonie of the holy men of God a faith caried along by reason grounding vpon sufficient witnes and conuincing the vnderstanding by euidence of demonstration a faith incident not to wicked men only but the diuels themselues But the schoole diuines haue taught a more diuine faith which they call Infusa fides immediatly inspired by the holy Ghost from heauen informing the minde inclining the will to entertaine the principles of christianitie with all perfect obedience in stead of discourse For the begetting of which faith in the hearts of men that former testimonie of the Church and discourse of argument doth wonderfully dispose and prepare the minde but y t which giues the stroke and addeth life vnto it is the celestiall motion of Gods spirit which Saint Iohn calls the witnes within vs opposing it to the Church testimonie without vs. This is that true faith which Aquin affirmes neuer to bee found in diuels which Scotus aueres neuer to be void of christian charitie which Bellarmin proues and Trent defines neuer to be obtained without diuine reuelation and inspiration of Gods spirit vpon which it is built as vpon diuine and vnfallible authoritie the minde yeelding obedience in steede of discourse and receiuing indifferently the truth of doctrine vpon the credit and affiance of this teacher Hereupon doth our religion stay the assent of the scholler and hath irrefragable authoritie in the