Selected quad for the lemma: tradition_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
tradition_n	authority_n	doctrine_n	scripture_n	2,840	5	5.9217	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56253	An introduction to the history of the principal kingdoms and states of Europe by Samuel Puffendorf ... ; made English from the original.; Einleitung zur Geschichte der vornehmsten Staaten Europas. English	Pufendorf, Samuel, Freiherr von, 1632-1694.; Crull, J. (Jodocus), d. 1713?	1695 (1695)	Wing P4177; ESTC R20986	441,075	594

him Infallible which point is stretched to the utmost by the Jesuits because if that stands fast all the rest is soon proved Wherefore what has been taught formerly and if I am not mistaken is taught even to this Day by the Doctors of the Sorbon viz. that the Councils are equal to or rather above the Pope is destructive to the very fundamental Constitution of the Popish Monarchy since this Doctrine smells strongly of a Democracy which is directly contrary to a Monarchy And it is not easily to be reconciled how the Pope who pretends to have such great Prerogatives above all others should be subject to the Censure of his Cretures and Vassals For as they will have it whatsoever either the Holy Scripture or the antient Fathers have attributed to the Church ought altogether to be applied to the Pope in like manner as what is spoken of a whole Kingdom is commonly to be understood of the King The Laiety has been debarred from reading the Holy Scripture by which means not only the Authority of the Clergy is maintained among the People as if the Priests were the only Men that have a privilege to approach to the Divine Oracles but also the Laiety is thereby prevented from finding out those points in the Scripture which are repugnant to the Interest of the Clergy For if the People should once get a true Understanding of the Scripture they would not be so forward to follow so blindly the Instructions of the Priests They also by this means prevent the Laiety from diving too deeply into Divinity which they pretend belongs only to the Clergy and for this reason it is that they attribute the Power of explaining the Scripture to the Pope only that nothing may be brought to light which may in any ways be prejudicial to the spiritual Monarchy For the same reason the Pope pretends to have the sole Authority of deciding all Controversies whatsoever It is also given out among the People that the Holy Scripture is imperfect which must be explained by antient Traditions whereby they gain this point that if they invent any Doctrine for the Interest of the spiritual State whereof there is not the least footsteps to be found in the Holy Scripture they without any other proof may only have recourse to the antient Traditions The distinction betwixt Venial and Mortal Sins as also what is alledged de casibus reservatis is barely invented for the benefit of the Clergy That infinite number of Books of Confession enough to fraight whole Fleets withal is not published with an intention to correct Vices but that by laying a Tax upon the same the Clergy may the better be able to maintain their Grandeur and satisfie their Avarice The most comfortable Doctrine of remission of Sins has wholly been accommodated to the Interest of the Clergy For because it would not have turned to the profit of the Clergy if every one who truly repented should obtain remission of his Sins only by Faith in the Merits of Christ it has been the Doctrine of the Church of Rome that it was an essential piece of penitence and the means to obtain forgiveness of Sins if a most exact and precise account of every individual Sin committed was given to the Priest By which means they not only keep the People under their Devotion and make such impressions upon them as are fitting for their purpose but they also come thereby to the knowledge of all Secrets Counsels Designs and Inclinations of the People which they make good use of for their benefit notwithstanding that they are under an obligation not to reveal any thing that is told them by way of Confession for else it would be impossible for them to persuade the People to act against the natural Inclination of all Mankind The Priest has also a Power to command works of satisfaction to be done whereby he commonly has his good share For tho' certain Prayers Pilgrimages Fasts Flagellations and the like are often imposed upon them for Penances yet they also very often condemn some and especially the richer sort in a good sum of Money to be given instead of a Penance to a certain Monastery Church or the Poor among whom are the Mendicant-Fryars These honest Fellows call themselves minimos fratrum according to the 25. Chap. of St. Matthew that they may have a fair shining pretence to fill their Purses For by this Interpretation the Christains have got this benefit that they are obliged to feed and maintain 100000 lazy idle Fellows Besides this the first sort of Penance may be redeemed with Money if you think it too hard to be performed And who that is wealthy would not be civil and liberal towards his Father-Confessour to oblige him to a mitigation of the Penance or because he has already shewed himself favourable before Why good Works have been made meritorious and the means of obtaining Salvation from God Almighty is easily to be guessed For when they were to give a definition of good Works they were sure to put in the first place that the Pople ought to be liberal towards the Clergy Churches and Monasteries and to perform every thing which is commanded them by the Pope and his adherents tho' never so full of Superstition and Hypocrisy Neither must this be forgot that they also have taught that the Monks are not only able to perform good Works sufficient for themselves but that also they have an overplus of Merits which they can fell to the Laiety And out of this overplus they have laid up an inexhaustible store very profitable to the Clergy which costs them nothing which does not grow musty nor ever decays and which cannot be returned upon their hands when the Buyer finds out the Cheat. Their Religious Exercises are so full of Ceremonies so many superfluous Feasts and Processions are instituted so many Chapels are Altars erected only to employ so great a number of Clergymen who else would appear like so many idle Fellows whereas now it turns all to their profit which is also the reason why they have encreased the number of Sacraments of seven since they know that none of them can be administred but the Priest gets by it The Mass without Communicants has been introduced and proclaimed a Sacrifice both for the dead and the living that they might have an opportunity to put both the dead and the living under Contribution For no body undertakes any thing of moment but he has a Mass sung first for the good success of the thing in hand No body of wealth dyes but he orders a good store of Masses to be sung for his Soul all which brings grist to the Priest's Mill. On the other hand after it once was become an abuse that the Laiety did receive the Sacrament without partaking of the Cup it was made into a Law And tho' the contrary was very evident both by the Institution of Christ and