Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	book_n	church_n	faith_n	2,919	5	5.3557	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20766	The summe of sacred diuinitie briefly & methodically propounded : more largly & cleerely handled and explaned / published by John Downame ...	Downame, John, d. 1652.	1625 (1625)	STC 7148.3; ESTC S5154	448,527	580

God hath vsed that haue not spared to lay open their owne nakednesse and shame the nakednesse and shame of their Wiues Children Families Tribes of whom they came Seuenthly The end and drift of all which is to giue glorie vnto God and to beat downe and abase the pride of man A second sort of argument is from the authoritie of the Church which may moue and well perswade vs of them The third and last without which all the rest whether humane testimonies or other arguments are nothing is the testimony of the Spirit it selfe bearing witnesse of them Esay 59. 21. My Spirit that is in thee and my Word that I haue put in thy mouth Therefore Esay 54. 13. the faithfull are said to be such as are taught of God And PAVL saith The spirituall man discerneth all things 1. Cor. 2. 15. Therefore it is not the iudgement of the Church which maketh vs beleeue the Scriptures but the Church is the same to the testimony of the Spirit that the c Ioh. 4. 39 40 41 42. woman of Samaria was to the preaching of our Sauiour Christ because of whose words many of the Samaritans were brought to beleeue in Christ but when hee himselfe came and preached amongst them they tell her plainely Now wee beleeue no more because of thy speech for wee our selues haue heard and know that this is of a truth That Sauiour of the World That Christ So the iudgement of the Church may well bee a motiue at the first and also bring great stay and confirmation to a mind that is once inlightned but the maine strength of all dependeth vpon the testimonie of the Spirit Thirdly In the ministery of the Prophets Apostles so as they could not erre I obserue the qualitie of their doctrine thus deliuered by diuine inspiration First It was not subiect to error for howsoeuer they were men subiect to sinfull infirmitie and in part onely regenerate whose seruice it pleased God to vse for this purpose yet in the deliuery of the Doctrine they were so extraordinarily gouerned and inspired with his Spirit that they d Ioh. 16. 13. could by no meanes erre Secondly It is holy both the whole and euery part whereupon grow these speeches e 2. Pet. 1. 21. The holy men of God f 2. Pet. 3. 2. The holy Prophets g Eph. 3. 5. Reu. 18. 20. The holy Apostles h 2. Pet. 2. 22. The holy Commandements i Rom. 1. 2. The holy Scriptures whereas all other bookes and speeches of men are prophane further then they fetch some holinesse from hence Thirdly That both their Sermons and these Bookes written by the Spirit of Christ are of soueraigne authoritie in the Church of God and haue the sole pre-eminence for the deciding of all controuersies the iudging and discerning of all sayings and writings of men for vnto them the holy Ghost doth alwaies call vs k Esay 8. 20. To the Law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them And this is it which Christ vsed as the weapon to foile Satan Math. 4. So the Apostle Paul 1. Corin. 15. 3 4. maketh the Scriptures to giue credit to his doctrine I haue deliuered vnto you that which I haue receyued that Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures and that he was buried and that he was raysed the third day according to the Scriptures c. The men likewise of Berhea Acts 17. 11. are commended for examining by the Scriptures the things which Paul taught Therefore our Sauiour l Iohn 5. 39. Christ referreth vs to the Scriptures as to the Touchstone of all truth Search the Scriptures and in m Matth. 22. 25 another place Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures For the authority of these Bookes is greater than the authoritie of the Church as the authoritie of God who cannot erre must needes be greater than the authority The Popish Doctrine which hangeth the authoritie of the Scriptures vpon the Church of men that may and doe erre Againe the Church hath her life and being from the Word inasmuch as faith which maketh a Church cannot bee without the Word So hath not the Word from the Church Thirdly It is aboue the authoritie of the Angels of heauen n Gal. 1. 8 9. who if they preach any other doctrine are to be held accursed How much more aboue the authoritie of the Church Fourthly Our Sauiour Christ attributeth this excellencie to his Word which men or Angels cannot challenge that in the latter Day it is That which shall iudge him that doth not receiue it Iohn 12. 48. But why then is the Church called the Pillar of Truth 1. Tim. 3. 15 Surely because the Truth of God dwelleth no where else and there is alwaies Truth sufficient to saluation Not that the Church eyther beareth and bringeth forth the Truth of God or is the chiefe and fundamentall ground to hold it vp for she her selfe hath another foundation to sticke vnto from whence shee fetcheth all her Truth which is the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles o Eph. 2. 20. 1. Cor. 3. 11. Esay 28. 16. Christ himselfe beeing the head Corner-stone and is not the Mother but the Nurse of the Truth of God that cherisheth and preserueth the same and giueth testimonie thereof vnto the World To the true meaning of the Scriptures we are to reach by the Scriptures themselues the same Spirit that indited them suggesting and opening the sence vnto vs. So did the Leuites that taught the people Nehem. 8. 9. render the sense and giue the vnderstanding of it by the Scripture it selfe Our Sauiour also Matth. 4. beeing set vpon by Satan that clipped and wrested the Scriptures to serue his owne turne confuted his false glosses and expositions of it by the conference of other Scriptures The meanes we must vse for this purpose are these First we must come with a mind to profit and to bee made the better by them not to read them for knowledge onely or vaine ostentation much lesse to cauill at them Secondly Prayer is to bee vsed to God to open and enlighten our hearts that wee may see the wonderfull things that lye hid therein Thirdly We are to frequent the House of God and to giue diligent attendance vpon the Ministery and Preaching of the Word whereby the Doctrines deliuered in the Scriptures are beaten out and made familiar and plaine vnto vs the same being also the ordinarie meanes by which the holy Ghost doth vse to worke in our hearts all true and spirituall wisdome Fourthly the true sense and nature of the words euery one apart and the construction of them all together must be waighed Fiftly We must alwaies take the proper and naturall sense if the matter it selfe will beare it Sixtly The summe of the matter the scope and drift of the place the Arguments and their coherence the method

to open more largely the parts of this description there bee eight mayne points lye obuious before our eyes First The nature of Faith Secondly The persons to whom it is appropriate Thirdly The causes efficient both primarie and secondarie principall and instrumentall the begetting and the preseruing causes Fourthly The prerogatiue of the faithfull Fiftly The qualities or adioynts of Faith Sixtly Of sight the full perfection of it Seuenthly Of Hope the sister and companion And eightly the fruits or effects The nature of Faith is to know Christ to lay hold vpon him and with confidence and assurance to apply him to ones selfe Wherein we are to consider both the Obiect of Faith and the Actions The Obiect of Faith is Christ for albeit Faith sometimes take hold of a particular promise as the q Mat. 15. 29. blind men did for the opening of their eyes yet it resteth not in that particular good but thorow it looketh at the generall good which is Christ But Christ is the Obiect of Faith not as he is in himselfe and present but absent in his Word Whereupon it is called r 2. Thess 2. 13. The Faith of Truth or that which imbraceth and layeth hold vpon the Word and Truth of God that is to say the Doctrine of Iesus Christ and Christ himselfe in and by the same And this Word is the Word of the Couenant the Word of Reconciliation published and preached and sealed vp by the Sacraments in regard whereof it is also called Å¿ Phil. 1. 27. The Faith of the Gospell So that to speake properly Faith seeth not so much Christ himselfe as a certaine Image and Picture of Christ in his Word and Sacraments wherein wee behold him but as it were in a Looking-glasse So Paul telleth the Galatians Gal. 3. 1. that by the Gospell which hee preached vnto them Iesus Christ was pictured out before their eyes and among them crucified And hereof are the speeches 1. Cor. 13. 22. We see now as it were in a Glasse in a Riddle 2. Cor. 3. 18. But we all with open face beholding as in a Glasse the Glorie of the Lord c. The Actions are three to know to apprehend to apply First Faith hath her seat in the mind and vnderstanding of man for without knowing of Christ how can one embrace and lay hold vpon him since no t Ignoti nulla Cupido man longeth for that he knoweth not This is apparant by those titles which are giuen to Faith euery-where in the Scripture as where it is called Knowledge Vnderstanding Sight Iohn 6. 40. Euerie one that seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him shall haue euerlasting life Wherefore 1. Iohn 4. 16. these two are ioyned together Wee know and beleeue Faith and other Knowledges differ thus Knowledge is by Reason or from the Testimonie of the Sences Faith grounding vpon the authority and truth of him that promiseth giueth a u Heb. 11. 1. being to things that are not or bee inuisible Secondly In Faith there is an assent of the mind and certaintie or assurance that the promises of the Gospell are true and good not onely in generall but especially to and of ones selfe for there is a double knowledge of Christ one a generall knowledge which the x Iam. 2. 19. Deuils haue and tremble the other proper to the faithfull which is an apprehending Knowledge or knowing apprehension When y Iohn 6. 40. 12. 44 45. men see and beleeue in him And this assurance euery one that beleeueth hath for seeing Faith whereby we enioy Christ is nothing else but to lay hold vpon him and to receiue him as our owne how weake soeuer ones hold bee for that maketh not a difference of Faith from other things but onely of the measure and degree of Faith it followeth that euery mans conscience may assure him whether hee beleeue and so haue Christ or no as his sences can tell him whether hee reach forth his hand or no. Therefore the Apostle saith z 1. Iohn 5. 10. Hee that beleeueth hath this testimony in himselfe Howbeit wee cannot say that assurance is an inseparable companion of Faith alwayes and at all times for as a hand that is benummed may hold a thing though it doth not feele nor discerne the hold it hath so may it be in Faith That though indeed and truely it apprehend Christ yet sometime by the rage and violence of sinne that lulleth vs asleepe and sometimes by other meanes it may fall out that wee shall haue no sence nor feeling that we haue him Thirdly The peculiar and speciall propertie wherein the verie point of Faith doth lye is in the heart and will particularly applying to one selfe that which he iudged to bee so true and good for Faith is the hand of the soule to apprehend Christ and lay hold vpon him as the hand of the bodie apprehendeth outward things and layeth hold vpon them And therefore hereby wee apply Christ vnto our selues and receiue him for our owne And this to be the nature of Faith the Euangelist expresly teacheth when hee saith a Iohn 1. 12. As many as receiued him or laid hold vpon him he gaue them this dignitie to bee the sonnes of God euen to those that beleeue in his Name And againe b Iohn 6. 35. He that commeth vnto me shall neuer hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Where comming vnto Christ is expounded by the words following of beleeuing in him and that this carryeth with it a particular application as the word it selfe doth shew So the Apostle c 1. Pe. 1. 2. Peter The Papists teach that Faith layeth hold onely vpon a general mercie propounded generally to the Church and not offered particularly to the seuerall members thereof doth more expresly declare when he calleth it The sprinkling of the bloud of Christ particucularly and specially applyed to our soules for the washing and scowring of them for albeit the promises of the Gospel are generall d Ioh. 3 16. Whosoeuer beleeueth in the Son shall not perish but haue life euerlasting yet the same are to be vnderstood singularly and particularly as if they were spoken to thee and mee and to euery one by himselfe in seuerall Otherwise what should our faith differ from the faith of the e Luk. 4. 41. Deuils who knew him and proclaymed him to be that Christ that Holy one of God Hence are these speeches so common in the Scripture f Psal 17. 15. I in righteousnesse shall see thy face I shall bee satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse g Iob 19. 25 26. I know my Redeemer lineth whom I my selfe shall see and mine eyes shall behold and not any other for mee h Gal. 2. 20. Who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for mee i 2. Cor. 5. 1. Wee know that if this our earthly Tabernacle be dissolued we haue a Building from God a House not made