Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	authority_n	church_n	scripture_n	9,317	5	6.6427	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47331	The judgment of private discretion in matters of religion defended in a sermon on I Thessal. v. 21, preached at St. Pauls Covent-Garden, Feb. xxiii, 1686 [ie. 1687] / by Richard Kidder.	Kidder, Richard, 1633-1703.	1687 (1687)	Wing K406; ESTC R16673	16,256	40

The Judgment of Private Discretion IN Matters of Religion DEFENDED IN A SERMON On 1 Thessal V. 21. Preached at St. Pauls Covent-Garden Feb. XXIII 1686. By RICHARD KIDDER IMPRIMATUR March 19 1686. Guil. Needham LONDON Printed for Brabazon Aylmer at the Three Pigeons against the Royal-Exchange in Cornhill MDCLXXXVII TO THE READER NOthing concerns us so much as the Salvation of our Souls and in order to that the choice of our Religion Here it well becomes us to use great care and strictly to examine things This we doe in matters of less moment when we purchase and when we trade when we are concerned for our Health our Estates and Properties The H. Scriptures frequently put us upon this care and the man who is diligent herein will be able to give the best account of himself hereafter and find the greatest satisfaction here Such a man will have steady Principles and have this comfort that 't is not by mere chance but choice that he is what he is This is the way to be certain that we are in the right which no man can be without understanding We may be confident indeed but can never be certain without knowledge and diligent examination of things The Church of England does not require a blind Obedience She is content Her Doctrines should be examined by the clearest light Simplicity and Truth seek not corners The H. Scriptures are allowed to the people and no means of instruction wanting among us She does not indeed vaunt of what she hath not She pretends not to any absolute Infallibility She is modest and contains Herself within due bounds and with-holds not from Her Children either the liberty or means of examining Her Doctrines But so it is that She suffers very greatly in the mean time Because She claims not Infallibility there are those who would infer that there is no certainty where the other is not But this is a wild and extravagant conclusion for the certaint● of a Thing does not depend upon the infallibility of a Person but ariseth from the evidence or clear grounds which evict its truth It does not follow that because I am fallible that I can be certain of nothing or that because I am liable to err I can never be sure I am in the right or that because I am ignorant of some things therefore I know nothing at all And yet we find it frequently pretended that Protestants want certainty and that they build upon an unsure foundation and that because they claim not that infallibility which others pretend to The best way to shew the uncertainty of our Faith would be to prove that we build on false grounds but those men who are most forward to traduce us have no great inclination to consider with due application the merits of our cause Instead of this they would have us rest upon the Authority of their Church as if the way to be more certain than we are were for us to see with other mens eyes and not with our own A man might justly expect from these men who thus declaim against Protestants that when they attempt to shew the uncertainty of their Faith they should at least prove the certainty of their own 'T will be worth our while to see if they have any better grounds for their Faith or safer way to Salvation than we have who examine our Doctrines by the H. Scriptures The best way to know this 〈…〉 Examen du livre qui porte pour ●●tre ●●●ngez ●●●●tunes 〈…〉 will be to compare them one with another They say that the desinition of the Church is our Rule where before we can be certain we must be sure of two things 1. That there is an infallible Church 2. That their Church is that infallible Church We on the other hand make the H. Scriptures our Rule and believe what they teach and here are two things also of which we must be sure 1. That what God says is true 2. That what the Scriptures reveal is from God. This is the true state of the question between us And now let any man consider impartially who builds upon the surest grounds They who build upon the Veracity of God and upon the H. Scriptures which are by all Christians owned to be the declaration of his will or they who build upon a pretence that there is an infallible Church and that their own is it The Principles on which they build are neither so evident in themselves nor yet so generally owned as ours for theirs are not so much as owned by the generality of Christians whereas ours cannot be denied by themselves And 't will appear that our way is as Easie and more Safe than theirs 'T is as easie to know what the Scripture teaches as what their Church does God intended it for the use of the people and surely then he fitted it for their use And we have great reason to believe that God can deliver his mind as plainly as a Council that he did it in all things necessary to the guidance salvation of the people for whom he wrot it This is so very evident that some of the Church of Rome have owned it Pref. part 1. pag 7. Celuy qui ne cherche dans l'Ecriture que son salut l'y trouvera The Authors of the Preface to the Testament printed at Mons declare That he who in the Scripture seeks nothing but his own Salvation shall find it there And presently afterwards speaking of some obscurity in the Scripture they add these words But that which may comfort us in this obscurity is this that according to St. Augustin the H. Scripture does propose to us after an easie and intelligible manner all that is necessary for the conduct of our life That it does explain and clear it self in expressing clearly in some places that which in others it expressed obscurely For the Doctrine of the Church 't is not very easie to know it We find at this day several representations of it from those who are all of the Communion of the Roman Church How shall the simple and unlearned man know what this Doctrine is His Curate may not be rely'd upon nor can he be secure from the judgment of any private Doctor What must he doe How shall he distinguish between the Doctrine of private Doctors and that of the Church Must he read the ancient Canons and Councils and Fathers He 'll find this an harder task than the searching of the Scriptures As our way is as easie so ' t is More safe than theirs There is danger indeed lest our lasts and worldly interests should put a byass upon us and turn us aside from the Truth but this lies on both sides But then on our side the great danger is this lest we mistake the sense of the H. Scripture here 's the great fear But then on the other side they who govern themselves by the authority of the Church are under a double danger