Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	authority_n	church_n	infallible_a	2,008	5	9.8493	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20950	A learned treatise of traditions, lately set forth in French by Peter Du Moulin, and faithfully done into English by G.C.; Des traditions et de la perfection et suffisance de l'Escriture Saincte. English	Du Moulin, Pierre, 1568-1658.; G. C.	1631 (1631)	STC 7329; ESTC S111075	138,687	440

in ipsius pastoris vocibus in Euangelistarum praedictionibus loboribus hoc est in 〈◊〉 Caenoni● is sanctorum librerum authoritatibus their Bishops and the beleefe of the people saith Such like matters being layd aside let them demonstrate and proue their Church if they be able not in discourses and rumors of Africans not by the Councells of their Bishops nor by the writings of such and such disputants nor by cheating signes and miracles for against those devices we are armed and prepared with the word of God but by the ordinances of the Law by the predictions of the Prophets by the Canticles of the Psalmes by the words of the Sheepheard himselfe by the preachings and paines taking of the Evangelists that is to say by all the Canonicall authorities of the holy Bookes But as concerning another difficulty proposed to wit that there was obscurity in the Scripture and that there was difference and disagreement touching the sense of the passages which were alledged hee doth not in manner of our adversaries who striue to make the Church infallible interpreter for in so doing one of the parties should be judge and the Church should not bee subject to any judgment but he averreth that leaving the obscure passages every one may make use of those that are plaine presupposing that what is said obscurely in one passage is cleerly manifested in others Assuring withall that there is no other way to avoyd doubtfulnesse and Cap. 4. Hoc etiam praedico atque propono vt quaeque aperta manifesta deliga mus quae si in S. Scripturis non inuentrētur nullo modo essent vnde aperirētur clauso illustraerētur obscura Lib. 2. de doct Chri. cap. 9. In his quae aperté posita sunt in Scriptura inveniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidē moresque vivendi difficulty I propose this saith he to the end we may chuse the passages that are most cleere and manifest the which being not found in the holy Scriptures there should be no further meanes to open things that are shut up and explaine the obscure For as he speaketh in another place In matters that are plainely set downe in the holy Scriptures are found all things that concerne the faith and good manners As Basil hath it in his Breviores Regulae at the 267. Answere The matter that seemeth to bee obscurely mentioned in some passages of the Scripture divinely inspired are interpreted by that which is more cleerly set downe in other places Hee in his third booke against Maximine Chap. 14. disputeth thus Sed nunc ●nec ego Nicanum nec tu debes Ariminensa tanquā p●aiudicaturus proferre Concilium Nec ego huius authoritatate nec tu illius detineris Scripturarū authoritatibus non quorūcimquo propijs sed vtrique communibus testibus res cū re causa cum causa ratio cū ratione concertet against an Hereticke Now I ought not alledge the Nicene Councell nor thou the Ariminensian by way of prejudging I am not bound to the authority of that nor thou to the authority of this Let one thing be opposed to another one cause to another and one reason to another reason and this by authorities of the Scriptures which are not particular to such and such but are common witnesses to one and the other party Origen in his Homily upon Ieremie It is necessary that we bring the Necesse nobis est sanctas Scripturas in testimonium vocare Sēsus quippe nostri enarrationes sine his testibus non habent fidē Bell. lib. de verbo Dei nō scripto cap. 11. sect 2. holy Scriptures to witnesse for without them our opinions and reports are not worthy to be beleeved Bellarmine answereth that Origen speaketh only of obscure questions concerning which he thinketh it behoovefull that they be taught by the Scripture But besides that the whole proceeding of Origen in this passage maketh the contrary to appeare the Cardinall deceiveth himselfe if hee thinke that the things easie to bee understood as that God hath created the world and that Iesus Christ is dead for us have not as much need of the authority of the Scripture as those that are obscure but on the contrary it is not necessary to penetrate into the knowledge of many obscure things and God hath not deemed it requisite to satisfie curiosity therein Moreover Bellarmine speaking in that manner condemneth a great number of Traditions in the Romish Church which are most obscure as the Tradition of Limbus for the Fathers and that for little infants The Tradition that the Saints know our thoughts and behold all things in Gods face The Tradition of accidents without subject in the Eucharist The Tradition that the Virgine Mary is crowned Queene of heaven which are things wherein mans understanding is benummed all being full of uncertaine presumptions And it were most needfull to have the Scripture testifying for them if it bee so that in obscure things wee ought to bee taught by the holy Scripture Theod. lib. 1. Histor ca. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will adde the opinion of the Emperour Constantine the great for a close who was the man in this world after the Apostles that did most good to the Christian Church Of him Theodoret reporteth that at the overture of the great Nicene Councell exhorting the 318. Bishops assembled to determine controversies hee speaketh in this manner The Evangelicall and Apostolicke bookes and the Oracles of the ancient Prophets instruct us plainely in our Beleefe concerning divine matters Wherefore all unfriendly contention being throwne to the ground let us draw the solving of doubts from the words divinely inspired This holy discourse displeaseth Bell lib. de verb. Dei n● scripto cap. 11. §. tertio E●at Constātinus magnus Imperator sed non magnus Ecclesi● Doctor And rad lib. 2. Defens Fidei Trid. initio Non advertūt imprudentes ho●ines tantū Arianis qui S●leuci● convenerunt ist ā Constan●ini ●ration●● arris●ss● Bellarmine for he saith That Constantine was a great Emperour but no great Doctor of the Church and that he understood not the secrets of religion And Andradius affirmeth that these words of Constantine pleased none but the hereticall Arians But who was he among the Ancients that ever blamed this Emperour for speaking so Yea doe not all the Historians magnifie his prudence and sage management of affaires in this Councell And verily this Councell hath followed his counsell and refuted not the Arians by other strength of Argument then by the holy Scripture It is evident by this passage that Constantine untill then had allowed no other instruction but by the holy Scriptures and that no man taught after the fashion of the Romish Church at this time wherein men begin with Tradition in saying that the authority of the Scripture is founded vpon the Tardition of the Church If then in matters necessary to salvation these Doctors for three or foure ages

house cannot see the Scriptures that are divinely inspired to bee so injuriously despighted without extreme horrour and griefe and though it bee a very prodigie or wonder of men that call themselues Christians but so powre out their hearts in invectiues against the Scripture whereof neither Porphyry nor Lucian nor the most capitall enemies of the Christian name were ever advised yet to us is it a subject of joy and no little consolation in the midst of reproaches cast upon us to be imployed to speake in Gods behalfe and to defend the honour of his word against men perversly ingenious to defame it For it is better to suffer for him then to triumph without him There is not a more honourable blemish nor more honest disgrace then to bee defamed and oppressed for his name True it is that the staine and disreputation exceed our strength and it is no easie matter to speake worthily of the condigne honour belonging to holy Scripture and with imperfect mindes to defend her perfection it were in some sort to light the day with a candle and to demonstrate the Sanne with the finger as to endeavour to arriue at the bright evidence of the Scripture for at all times all that wee can performe is lesse cleare then her perfection I hold it therefore expedient to publish to the light the scandalls and accusations which our adversaries doe raise against the Scripture and to shew how God hath strucken them with the spirit of amazement as also to compare the wickednes and vanitie of the Romish Traditions with the perfection and sanctitie of the holy Scripture And wee hope that in this so holy and just quarrell God will assist vs and that he will vouchsafe vs the grace to maintaine the honour of his Word by such meanes as are most agreeable to his Word and that he who hath confounded the tongues of the builders of Babel will confound the thoughts and spirits of those that labor daily to rebuild it In my three former Treatises entituled The Iudge of Controversies I haue defended the authoritie of the Scripture and shewen that our adversaries in this cause haue not onely the Scripture contradicting them but also themselues common sense antiquitie and experience and that they are not onely at variance among themselues but every one particularly thwarteth himselfe It remaines now to speak of the perfection of the Scripture and to shew that our Adversaries wrongfully find fault therein and most injuriously accuse it of insufficiencie These two Questions the one touching the authority of the Scripture the other as concerning her perfection are linked together inseparably These two properties of Scripture reciprocally embrace one the other and afford to themselues mutuall succour For the Scripture it selfe by her authoritie maintaineth her sufficiencie and her sufficiencie giveth her authoritie And whosoeuer withstandeth the authoritie of the Scripture fighteth also against her perfection for if the Scripture be soveraigne Iudge it is deficient in nothing to judge well And it is certaine that shee cannot bee Iudge of poynts whereof shee speaketh not If shee bee wanting in any thing some superiour authoritie must supply her default And if our Adversaries haue reason to say that the Church of Rome is the rule of Scripture for a certaine it is of that Church wherein we ought to learne whether there bee any imperfection in the Scripture but the decision of the question touching the Scriptures authoritie levelleth the way for us to the question concerning her perfection which shall bee if God permit this last Treatise wherein wee defend the absolute perfection of the Scripture against the Appendixes and Additions of the Romish Church which men call Traditions yea against men that with a depraved subtiltie search and hunt after defects in Scripture like vnto Holland spectacles that discover spots and staines in the shining sunne When we compare the Romish Traditions with the doctrine of holy Scripture they will be found not onely infinitely beneath the sanctitie and excellencie of the Scriptures and as coales mingled amongst Diamonds but also contrary to them and meere insurrections against Gods commandements vnder colour of addition It will bee found that these Traditions which they deriue and make to descend from the Apostles are forged de novo and resemble the Gibeonites who being very neere spake as if they were come from farre It will appeare that these Traditions which men exalt in generall when they come to a particular scanning they are but a frivolous bundle of human Inventions contrived for gaine and of malicious deceits to subdue the people under the Ecclesiastiques and to retaine them in blind ignorance CHAP. II. Of the word Tradition IT will be necessary to expound the word before wee speake of the matter This word Tradition signifieth a doctrine giuen by succession from hand to hand From whence we conclude that the holy Scripture the Law of God and the Gospell are Traditions The Apostle St. Paul in his first chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Galat. v. 14. affirmeth himselfe to be exceedingly zealous of the Traditions of his Fathers calling so the Law of Moses whereof he had been very zealous or at least comprehending it in these Traditions The same Apostle in the second to the Thessal chap 2. v. 15. exhorteth them to preserue the Traditions which they had learned either from his mouth or by his Epistle calling the doctrine which he had written unto them a Traditon And in the 15 chap. to the Corinth the I. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Siergo aut Evangelio praecipitur aut in Apostolorum epistolis aut actibus continetur c. observetur divina haec sancta traditio I have given you by tradition for so is the Greeke word that Iesus Christ is dead for our sinnes according to the Scriptures He then calleth Tradition that which is in the Scripture Iust in the same manner speaketh hee in the same Epistle at the 23. vers of the 11. chapter Thus speake the Fathers Cyprian in his 74. Epist to Pomp. If it bee commanded in the Gospell or contayned * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. in the Epistles of the Apostles or in the Actes let this divine and holy Tradition bee obserued And Basil in the third Booke against Eunomius The Lord himselfe in the tradition of saving Baptisme gaue this order saying As you goe along baptize in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost But Custome hath prevayled that by this word Tradition some Document Rule Recitall or Ceremonie in matter of Gods Service not contained in the holy Scriptures bee observed And so shall the word bee taken in all this Treatise CHAP. III. The beleefe of our Churches The calumny of Regourd a Iesuite THe fift article of our confession expresseth that the holy Scripture is the rule of all veritie containing all that is necessary for the service of God and our owne salvation whereunto it is not