Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	know_v	scripture_n	tradition_n	4,218	5	9.5610	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79473	Chillingworthi novissima. Or, The sicknesse, heresy, death and buriall of William Chillingworth. (In his own phrase) Clerk of Oxford, and in the conceit of his fellow souldiers, the Queens arch-engineer, and grand-intelligencer. Set forth in a letter to his eminent and learned friends, a relation of his apprehension at Arundell, a discovery of his errours in a briefe catechism, and a shorr [sic] oration at the buriall of his hereticall book. By Francis Cheynell, late fellow of Merton Colledge. Published by authority.	Cheynell, Francis, 1608-1665.	1644 (1644)	Wing C3810; Thomason E36_7; ESTC R13256	46,148	66

Reason in the chaire in stead of Antichrist is dead and gone publish it not in the streets of Askelon that he who did at once batter Rome and undermine England the Reforming Church of England that he might prevent a Reformation is dead lest if you publish it you puzzle all the Conclave and put them to consider whether they should mourne or triumph If any man enquire whether he hath a Tombe-stone as well as an Elegy let him know that we plundered an old Friar of his Tombe-stone and there is roome enough for an Epitaph if they please to send one from Oxford if not give us leave to say we have provided a Sepulchre and it is your fault if you doe not provide a Monument for as Laurentius Valla the master of Elegances observes a Monument is nothing else but a speaking Sepulchre Vixque Monumentum dixerim nisi literae aut alii tituli appareant quae si desint magis sepulchrum quàm monumentum erit Laur. Vall. Elegant lib. 4. cap. 75. If there be any man yet unsatisfied that this great Philosopher Mathematician Oratour and any thing but what he pretended to be a Divine hath had no more honour at his death then a plaine Tombe-stone and such a song of lamentation as was taken up for Saul let him read this following Catechisme and if he be either Papist or Protestant he will be satisfied if he be true to his owne principles A Prophane Catechisme collected out of Mr Chillingworths Works Question HOw shall I be able to prove to an Atheist that there is a God and that the Books of the Old and New Testament are the word of God Answ. When Protestants affirme against Papists that Scripture is a perfect rule of Faith their meaning is not that by Scripture all things Absolutely may be proved which are to be beléeved for it can never bée proved by Scripture to a gain sayer that there is a God or that the Book called Scripture is the word of God for as he saith a little before nothing is proved true by being said or written in a Book but only by Tradition which is a Thing credible of it selfe chap. 1. p. 55. Sect. 8. the first Edition approved at Oxford Doubtlesse the Atheists and Papists will give him hearty thanks for this answer which doth preferre Tradition which the Atheist vilifies before Scripture which the Papists vilifie he hath pleased them both The Papists will bee well pleased to see this doctrine licensed by the Protestants of the University of Oxford that Tradition is more credible then Scripture for Tradition is credible for it selfe but the Scripture when it is to be proved a perfect Rule to us is credible only by Tradition in Mr Chillingworths conceit pag. 96. and where shall we meet with this universall Tradition 2. But I finde another answer pag. 53. Tradition may be helped out by naturall Reason Controversies wherein the Scripture it selfe is the subject of the question cannot be determined saith Mr Chillingworth but by Naturall Reason the only principle beside Scripture which is common to Christians cap. 2. sect. 3. And in his marginall observations on a passage of Mr Hookers he layes downe this as a Rule Naturall Reason then built on principles common to all men is the last Resolution pag. 65. Nay Reason is in some sort Gods word see his answer to the Preface pag. 21. How then will the Atheist say is Reason credible for it selfe since Mr Chillingworth saith that Gods word is not credible for it selfe Surely these answers will never bring a man to divine faith for to rely upon Tradition is but to rely upon Humane testimony and such as the testimony is such is the faith if the testimony which is the ground of faith be humane then the faith cannot be divine Againe naturall Reason is not infallible nor is it able to judge of truths which are above Reason now it is cleare that supernaturall truths are above naturall Reason Finally faith is not grounded upon Reason but upon Authority He gives a third answer chap. 1. pag. 36. God hath confirmed the doctrine of the Scripture by miracles but then he saith we have nothing to assure us of the truth of those miracles but Tradition and therefore we are not got one steppe nearer faith or Heaven by that shift and if he flie back to Reason then consider what he saith pag. 117. God hath no where commanded men to beleeve all that Reason induceth them to beleeve Qu. But if this great point must be tried by Reason what Reason can you produce to prove the Scripture to be the word of God An. There is as good reason for it as there is to beléeve other stories or matters of Tradition He requires men to yeeld just such a kinde or degree of assent to the Gospel of Christ as they yeeld to other stories or matters of Tradition chap. 1. pag. 37. for God desires us only to beleeve the conclusion as much as the premises deserve ib. sect. 8. p. 36. And the Chronicle of England joyned with the generall tradition of our acquaintance deserves as much credit in Mr Chillingworths conceit as the Gospel of Christ for his words are these chap. 2. sect. 159. p. 116. 117. Wee have I beleeve as great reason to beleeve there was such a man as Henry the eighth King of England as the Jesus Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate The Lord rebuke that spirit of errour which moved the great men of Oxford to license this blasphemy What have I no more reason to beleeve the three persons in the holy Trinity speaking in their glorious Gospel to my heart and conscience then I have to beleeve Stowes Chronicle or the generall tradition of my owne acquaintance or some such other fallible testimony Qu. But what if I cannot be assured that any part of the Scripture is the word of God may I be saved without beleeving this weighty point An. Yes saith Mr. Chillingworth chap. 2. sect. 159. if a man should beléeve Christian Religion wholly and entirely and live according to it such a man though he should not know or not beléeve the Scripture to be a Rule of faith no nor to be the word of God my opinion is he may be saved Excellent Divinity indeed what is not this a principle of Christianity that Scripture is the word of God and rule of faith and if it be how then is it possible for a man to beleeve the Christian Religion wholly and entirely and yet not beleeve this principle Yes I may beléeve the Scripture as I doe Augustins works pag. 114. Qu. But if I am assured that some Scripture is the word of God how shall I know what books are Canonicall and what not An. By universall Tradition I must receive those books for Canonicall of whose Authority there was never any doubt or question in the Church pag. 148. I may then it seems doubt of the Epistle of James the second of Peter

out of the circumstances of the Text cannot convince me unlesse I judge of them by my Reason and for every man or woman to rely on that in the interpreting of Scripture you say is an horrible absurdity And p. 99. Reason will shew this to be the meaning yes if we may use our Reason and rely upon it Protestants use their reason but Socinians rely upon their reason And he teaches implicit faith all along his book Protestants saith he do agree with an Implicit faith in that sense of the whole Scripture which God intended whatsoever it was p 129. 130 cap. 5. sect. 3. a ready way to tempt men to beleeve very little concerning the sense of Scripture for men will be apt to say that the sense of this and the other place of Scripture is not plainly and fully revealed and Mr Chillingworth doth not require any thing to be beleeved with an explicit faith which is not plainly and undoubtedly delivered in Scripture My reason saith he is convincing and demonstrative because nothing is necessary to be beleeved but what is plainly revealed p. 92. But nothing in his judgement is plainly revealed about any point which is called in question if there be a seeming conflict of Scripture with Scripture Reason with Reason Authority with Authority in such a case he cannot well understand how it can be truly sayd that God hath manifestly revealed the truth on either side chap. 3. sect. 9. p. 136. 137. Well but admit that the appearances on my side are answerable and grant that Scripture Reason Authority are all against me because on the other side yet consider the strange power of Education and Prejudices instilled by it and what Passions I am subject to and then my errour is unavoydable and therfore excusable for though the truth is in it selfe revealed plainly enough yet to such a one as I am prepossest with contrary opinions the truth in that point is not plainly revealed read page 137. Sure the corruption of our Nature is as unavoydable as prejudices and passions and therefore he must according to his principles conclude that God who knowes whereof we are made will not enter into judgement with us for those things which all things considered were unavoydable they are his own words page 137. Nay besides education prejudices and passions inadvertence may in the fourth place excuse us if we dis-beleeve a plain Revelation Finally in the fift place multitude of buisinesse distractions hinderances will excuse us and hinder God from imputing our errours to us as sinnes In his answer to the preface p 19. I am verily perswaded that God will not impute errours to them as sinnes who use such a measure of industry in finding truth as humane prudence and ordinary discretion their abilities and opportunities their distractions and hinderances and all other things considered he will be sure to give liberty enough shall advise them unto in a matter of such consequence But certainly humane prudence and ordinary discretion will teach men to plead these excuses which he hath framed for them when any point of faith shall be pressed upon them they will say our opportunities are few our distractions and hinderances many our education meane our abilities weake our prejudices strong our passions violent our inadvertence pardonable and therefore we will content our selves with a modest humble implicite faith we beleeve the whole Scripture to be true in that sense which God intended whatsoever it was but we have not time to search or ability to judge what it was if we beleeve nothing explicitely or to disbeleeve a clear revelation that revelation though cleare in it selfe is not cleare to us our errour the corruption of our nature our prejudices contrary opinions with which we are already prepossest and all other things considered is unavoidable and therefore God will never impute it to us as a sinne Whither these Principles tend let the pretended Parliament at Oxford judge Qu. But are we not bound to heare what the Church will say to us for our direction in weighty points Ans. I must beléeve the Church in every thing she proves either by Scripture Reason or universall Tradition be it Fundamentall or bée it not Fundamentall pag 149. These disjunctives seem to imply that something fundamentall may be proved by reason or universall Tradition which cannot be proved by Scripture The Licencers may do well to declare what that Fundamentall point is or how many there are if there be more then one I may go to Heathens I need not go to the Church for any thing which Reason teaches the Philosophers can sufficiently instruct me and if what the Church teaches be finally resolved into my owne reason as he affirmes p. 96. then I do not beléeve either God or the Church but my own reason By you saith Master Chillingworth to Knot as well as by Protestants all is finally resolved into your owne reason Sect. 115. cap. 2. Sure I am then that such Protestants and Jesuites are in their high-way to pure Socinianisme and therefore it is no marvell if some Jesuites have been such Anti-Trinitarians as Master Chillingworth pleads in his owne defence Preface and Answer to the directions to N. N. Sect. 16 17 18 c. the Church hath lost the interpretation of obscure places pag. 56 and plaine places need no exposition at all Qu. But what if the Church erre Ans. Then a man may learne of that self same Church which taught him to confute the errours of that Church that is I may learne to confute the erroneous conclusions of that Church by those very rules and principles which that Church teaches Chap 3. sect. 40. p. 150. First then a private man is presumed to have more Logicke then that teaching Church Secondly the Prelates who call themselves the Church may give my brethren of the Assembly leave to confute their erroneous conclusions by some rules and principles which they themselves have delivered Thirdly a man may learne of the Church how to teach the Church Principles which lead to these harsh truths being licenced at Oxford are an argument to me that they approved this booke before they read it Qu. But how shall we doe then to finde out the true Church and the true Religion Ans. For commands to séek the Church I have not yet met with any and I beleeve saith he to Knot you if you were to shew them would be your self to seek Cap. 3. Sect. 41. p. 150. And for Religion how little paines or care we are to take about it hath been already shewed Q. But which must a man chuse first his Religion or his Church Ans. Every man is to iudge for himself with the iudgment of discretion which he calls humane prudence and ordinary discretion in the place of his Answer to the preface fore-cited p. 19. and to chase either his religion first then his Church as Master Chillingworth saith or as Knot his Church first and then his Religion pag.

57. Every man then is Judge the Scripture for fashions sake he calls the rule but he makes every mans naturall reason the rule to judge whether such a Text be the Word of God and then what is the sense of that Text and so all is still finally resolved into our owne reason into humane prudence and ordinary discretion for Tradition is a principle not in Christianity but in Reason nor proper to Christians but common to all men p. 72. cap. 2. sect. 51. Come away then to the Schoole of Socrates for this is just sit anima mea cum Philosophis Read from the 9● to the 100 page I will advise with God and that Reason he hath given me page 158. he adored God and Reason Qu. But is it not possible for men to become faithfull without either Church or Scripture Ans. Yes by the works of God without us and the Law of God written in us by Nature Either of these wayes might make some faithfull men without either necessity of Scripture or Church ch. 2. sect. 124. p. 100 Qu. What is Faith Ans. It is the Assent of our Vnderstandings Qu. Are not the Essentiall Doctrines of Christianity to bee embraced with our will An. The assent of our understandings is required to them but no obedience from our wills chap. 4. sect. 2. p. 193. Qu. What are these Essentiall doctrines of Christianity Ans. I do not know Qu. Do you not know what ye are to beleeve Or cannot the church tell what these necessary Truths called the Essentiall and Fundamentall parts of Christianity are Answ No there 's no such Church that Mr. Chillingworth was ever acquainted with We are not to learn of the Church what is fundamentall cap. 3. sect. 39 Qu. What doth Mr Chillingworth think Fundamentall Ans. All points which are intrinsecall to the Covenant betwéen God and man page 193. cap. 4. sect. 3. Qu. What are these points Ans. Repentance from dead works and faith in Christ Iesus the forme of God oh that he would have confessed him to be God and Saviour of the world this is all that is simply necessary pag. 159. Qu. What is it to beleeve in Christ Answ It is to expect remission of sinnes and salvation from him upon the performance of the conditions he requires p. 134. Observe more conditions beside faith required to Iustification 2. No mention made of Christs performance but ours 3. No mention of free grace it runs like a Covenant of works Qu. What are these conditions Answ. One is that we beléeve what God hath revealed when it is sufficiently declared to have béene revealed by him You have had the English of that already read pag. 134. Qu. Is it simply necessary to salvation to beleeve in Christ Ans. It is simply necessary for them to whom faith in Christ is sufficiently propounded as necessary to salvation p. 134. He will wrangle with you if you say faith in Christ is sufficiently propounded to Iewes Turks Heathens for observe that he presently addes in the selfe same page That may be sufficiently declared to one all things considered which all things considered to another is not sufficiently declared and consequently that may be Fundamentall and necessary to one which to another is not so In his conceit then it is not necessary for some mens salvation that they should beleeve in Christ And it hath beene formerly observed that some men as he conceived might be made faithfull men without necessity of Church or Scripture Finally in the 133 page he saith expresly that Cornelius was but a meete Gentile one that beleeved not in Christ and knew not but men might be worshipped and yet we are assured that his prayers and almes even whilst he was in that estate were accepted Ergo in his judgement a meere Heathen and an Idolater may have accesse to God in prayer and be accepted without the mediation of our only Mediator the Lord Iesus God blessed for ever But the truth is Cornelius was a Proselyte instructed in the Iewish Religion who beleeved in the Messiah and that faith was sufficient for his acceptance before the Gospel of Christ was preached unto him The prayers and almes of idolatrous Heathens who know not but they may worship men cannot be accepted without faith in Christ nor do their prayers and almes please God so well as that for them or by them they should be promoted to a higher degree of knowledge the knowledge of Christ that so they may be saved by Christ for what is this but to deserve a Saviour which is meritum de congruo at least nay let the Licensers consider whether to deserve Christ be not more then to deserve Heaven Moreover he is much mistaken when he saith that they who never heard of Christ may seek God as to please him and that they shall be rewarded for their seeking of him with the knowledge of the Gospell or saith in Christ for he who doth not seek God in and by Christ our only Mediatour doth not come to God but runs quite beside him to such a carnall seeking God never yet promised such a spirituall reward Consider that of the Apostle Rom. 9. 30 31 32 33. and the next chapter the second and third verses That text Hebr. 11. 6. should be compared with and expounded by Iohn 14. 6. and then it will be evident that no man can seek so as to finde him or come to him after an acceptable manner unlesse he seek God in and come to him by Iesus Christ who is the way the truth and the life the true way to eternall life I hasten to the next question Qu. What other Condition is there of the Covenant besides beleeving Answ. Repentance of sinne and obedience to Christ for God is a punisher of them that obstinately offend him therefore repentance of sinne is necessary and Iesus Christ is the sonne of God and Saviour of the world by obedience to whom men must look to be saved p. 101. Mark he doth not say by whose obedience men must be justified and yet this is the fairest confession that I can meet with I read often of our obedience to Christ but I never read any thing yet in Mr Chillingworths book of Christs obedience imputed to us now it is the imputation of Christs obedience to us and Gods free pardon of our disobedience which make the covenant appeare to be a covenant of grace Qu. What is repentance Answ An universall sorrow for all those sinnes which we know we have committed and which we feare we may have committed Answer to the Preface p. 20. If we have beene betrayed into or kept in errour by any sin of our will if that errour be discovered there must be a particular and explicite repentance of that errour if it be not discovered then a generall and implicite repentance for all sinnes knowne and unknown doth suffice Ib. p. 21. Observe that he saith nothing of the hatred of sinne or the forsaking of