Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A39769
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The truth and certainty of the Protestant faith with a short and plain account of the doctrine of the Romish Church in its visible opposition to Scripture and the very being of Christianity : to which is adjoined some serious considerations anent popery & the state of that controversy.
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Fleming, Robert, 1630-1694.
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1678
(1678)
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Wing F1277B; ESTC R37829
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39,817
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62
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terms that it stood in the Covenant of works certainly we must either quite the Scriptures or acknowledge that nothing can be more destructive to the Christian Faith revealed there than such Doctrine Qu. Is there no infallible Rule and Judge to determine herein on whose decisive sentence we may securely rest in the greatest controversies Ans If we own ourselves Christians this can be no debate that the Scriptures contained in the Old and New-testament are the supreme Judge The Oracles of God committed to the Church Rom. 3 2. to give Answers in every dark case The Type and forme of sound Doctrine Rom. 6 17. Unto whose sentence we are in all matters both of Faith and Practice expresly referred by the Lord Isaiah 8 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them SECT II. Qu. SInce the Rule of Faith must be plain and intelligible can the Scripture be such which according to the Popish Doctrine is a Masse of dead and dark Characters untill their Church put a sense thereon Ans It s own witnesse is clear 1. That it Is such as maketh the simple wise Psal 19 7. And a Light shining in a dark place to which we are called to take heed 2 Pet 1 v. 19. A Lamp to our feet Psal 119 105. 2. We see what is written there was for our learning Rom. 15 4. and given us for that end that it might be understood 3. It is clear the promise of the Spirit to lead us into all Truth Joh. 16 13. doth belong to every Believer as well as to the greatest Doctors of the Church who can pretend no extraordinary Revelation for leading of them 4. We know the Fathers and Ancient Church did still prove their Doctrine from the Scripture as not only of more authority but more clear than their Comments 5. Though some Scriptures be not so plain as others and several Prophecies sealed up until their taking place in the event yet nothing can be more plain than the fundamentals of Christianity and those Scripture Truths necessary to Salvation But the World may see it is not obscurity against which their true quarrel is but a too clear evidence before which their interest cannot stand Qu. Yet is this a sufficient ground for the Scriptures being translated into our own Language so as every Man may read and have access thereto which the Romish Church so expresly forbids as the cause of Error and Heresie Ans We know 1. The command is express for all to read and teach their children Deut. 6 11. 2. That under the Law the Jewish Church had no restraint and should the Church now be in a worse case and live in more darknesse 3. Upon this account were the Bereans so highly commended for examining the Apostles Doctrine by the written Word which they could never have done if any such restraint to read the same had been upon them 4. It is a strange cure to keep from the Light for fear of going wrong and when Christ saith You erre not knowing the Scriptures Maâ—t 22 22. That ignorance thereof should be the way to keep us right Qu. Is it not evident 2 Pet. 3 v 16. How there are things hard to be understood in Paul's Epistles which the unlearned and unstable wrest to their own destruction Ans It is there shewed 1. Some things are more dark in the Scripture which none do deny 2. We see those who thus stumble are such as wrest the Word and not of a humble sober and serious Spirit by whom none will judge the Apostle here means the whole of Believers within the Church except the Doctors thereof Nor hath it more weight to forbid Christians use of the Scriptures and to read the same than the necessary use of meat because some unsober abuse the same to their hurt Qu. Whâ—t inducement should the Romish Church have to restrain Christians in this if it be so visibly cross to the Rule Ans They have I confess this plea for necessity since their case so stands they must either ruine their interest and be discovered in the greatest imposture that ever was known in the World or have the Bible shut up though to ruine the Souls of many Millions of the poor People nor is it strange such hate the light whose deeds are evil lest they be reproved SECT III. Qu. IS it not to the Church and to no private person That the supreme Authority and power of interpreting the Scripture and to be judge of the true sense thereof doth belong Ans The Scriptures is the alone infallible Rule for interpreting it self And to none but to the Holy Ghost speaking to us there can such Authority be ascribed 1. Because Scripture is the supreme standard by which we are called to prove all things 1 Thes 5 21. and to know the Spirits whether they be of God or not 1 Joh. 4 1. Yea thus must the Doctrine of the Church be known 2. The sense of the Scripture is the Scripture it self which thence only can be sought and understood by the same Spirit that indited it 3. We see by innumerable instances that where in one place it speaks more darkly it doth explain it self in another and thus refers us to its own interpretation yea how with a greater light and plainnesse Truths are opened up in the New Testament which more darkly and as under a Vail were held forth in the Old Qu. But the Scripture is of no private interpretation therefore to the Church only it must belong Ans This only shews the Scriptures Interpretation can be subjected to no humane Comments nor hath its Authority of men and from their private judgements whatever place they bear in the Church but must be sought from the Scripture it self and according to the Analogie of Faith but no ground in the least to deny accesse to private persons to know and seek after the true sense of the Scripture Qu. What assurance can any have that such is the true sense of the Scripture without some authoritative decision of the Church Ans We know 1. That the promise Joh. 7 17. stands good to every one of the Saints If any man do my will he shall know my Doctrine whether it be of God or not And such who object this dare not I am sure restrict the giving of the Spirit for that end to their Church-Doctors onlie 2. If the sense of any thing written can be understood then it is sure the most weighty and necessarie truths of the Scripture are so obviouslie plain as they can bear no other sense and meaning except men quit the very use of Reason and Judgement 3. Where the Scripturâ— is more dark there want not peculiar helps and means for a Christians attaining the true sense thereof such as serious prayer the knowledg of the original languages and repairing to these fountains themselves advertency to the scope and intent of
the Scripture yea a dexterous comparing of one place with another with a prudent use of the judgement and commentaries of such as have written thereon though not implicitely to rest upon them Qu. Buâ— hath not the Scripture so various senses as necessarily requires a living and visible Judge to decide when to take it in a literal or in a figurative sense Ans It concerns the Romish Church to impose divers senses on the Scripture that it may have none at all though we deny not some figurative expressions the true sense whereof must be understood from what is the obvious intent as the scope of such a Scripture not the very words themselves Such as Mat. 5 29. If thine eye offend thee pluck it out Psal 91 13. Thou shalâ— tread upon the lion and the dragon But it is most clear 1. That one true and genuine sense the Scripture only hath from the words rightly understood which is the literal sense and thence only Arguments can be taken to prove any truth 2. That in truths necessary to Salvation is no thing figuratively expressed but what is with greatest plainnesse to the discerning of all held forth 3. What the Romish Church pleads for of an Allegorick Moral and Typical sense they are no different senses of the Scripture but a different application and accommodation of one and the same Scripture divers ways in the use whereof much caution and sobriety is needful and though a necessarie respect is to be had always to the Type and the thing Typified yet even there is the sense still one and the same SECT IV. Qu. HOw know you the Scripture is of God or can be infallibly sure of its Divinity but by the Church and its Testimony Ans We deny not this to be a peculiar motive and inducement for a high and reverent esteem thereof and a ministerial help to our Faith though with no authoritative Dominion over the same But 1. The Scripture is known by its own light and these expresse Characters and marks of Divinity it bears which convincingly shew whose it is so as the meanest Christian may know this without any humane Testimony 2. There needs also the inward work of the Spirit to beget a firm and through perswasion thereof upon the Soul Qu. But how do you know you perceive such a light in the Scriptures as you speak of Or can make it appear to others that you are not deceived therein Ans None will distrust their own eves though by no Arguments they can perswade those who are blind that they really behold so excellent a light as the Sun But it is strange and absurd to demand a reason of Sense or for a blind man to require him who seeth to prove unto him by Argument that he certainly sees and beholds such things Qu. Is not this torun in a round and circle from the Scripture to the Spirit from the Spirit again to the Scripture when thâ—s you know by the Spirits revealing the Scripture to be the Word of GOD and that revelation to be true by the Scripture Ans No ground is here for any such challenge 1. Because we admit no private or particular Revelation of the Spirit to assure us of the Truth different from what is revealed in the Scripture it self 2. It can be no circle when it is so clear the Scripture and Spirit mutually prove one another by different wayes and not in the same manner for it is by way of Argument that the Scripture proves the certainty of the Spirit holding out such truths whence we know how to discern the Spirit but effectively and as an instrument doth the Spirit prove the Scripture by enabling us to see that marvelous light which is therin 3. As hath been already cleared there are Arguments of another nature and independent on the Testimony of the Spirit by which the Divinity of the Scripture can be solidly known and demonstrated Qu. Can you know the Scripture is Canonical or that these Apocrypha Books which Protestants reject are no part thereof without the Churches decision Ans We know 1. That these were never acknowledged in the Canon of the Scripture by the Jewish Church before Christ to which the Oracles of God were committed nor read and expounded in their Synagogues as their most Ancient Writers and of the greatest credit amongst them witnesse 2. They were not written in Hebrew the language of the Church before the coming of Christ in which all the Books of the Old Testament were generally written 3. Though with that severe caution was the Ancient Church careful to keep the Scripture so as the number of the verses letters thereof was most exactly reâ—koned and lookt to yet none of these Apocryphal Books was ever received or admitted by them 4. By the Primitive Church after the Apostles such were not owned in the Canon of the Scripture though by some allowed to be read for instruction of manners 5. They are convict of notorious falshood in many places both of Doctrine and History which all may see repugnant to Truth and the Analogy of Faith Qu. Bus what certainty can be on the credit of a Translation that all know to be fallible Ans Nothing can be more for moral assurance when it is so clear 1. That the truth of our translations though in divers times and different Languages yet all agree in the maine and substance 2. That solide relief is at hand to go unto the fountains themselves the original Languages and see with their own eyes if the Translations thereof be not faithful and true which by a little pains and diligent use of helps for such an end is in our power to attain 3. It is not on naked words but on the clear and genuine sense thereof in whatever Language held forth that we found our Faith nor can any deny the Scripture truely rendered in English to be the Word of God though not in the very same Characters in which the Prophets wrote the same 4. These evidences of the Scriptures Divinity that it enlighteneth the eyes and converts the Soul with its Authority over the Conscience we know to be no less discernably and convincingly witnessed in mens vulgar Language through all ages than in the Greek and Hebrew SECT V. Qu. IS the Scripture of a sufficient foundation of Faith for a private Christian which according to the Romish Doctrine must have its Aâ—thority from the Church without which it can be no Scripture nor Canonical Ans They are indeed concerned to put down all Divine Record that they may be alone Judges in their own cause But we know 1. That the Apostolick Church had no such claim 2 Cor. 1 24. Not that we have dominion over your Faith 2. That they did bound their Authority within the limits of the Scripture Gal. 1 8. Though we or an Angel from Heaven preach another Doctrine than that we have preached to you let him be accursed 3. Thus should the