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
A96858	Gnōston tou Theou, k[a]i gnōston tou Christou, or, That which may be knovvn of God by the book of nature; and the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ by the Book of Scripture. Delivered at St Mary's in Oxford, by Edward Wood M.A. late proctor of the University and fellow of Merton Coll. Oxon. Published since his death by his brother A.W. M.A.	Wood, Edward, 1626 or 7-1655.; Wood, Anthony à, 1632-1695.	1656 (1656)	Wing W3387; Thomason E1648_1; ESTC R204118	76,854	234

other mysteries they were darkely and emblematically as I may so speake hinted only in the Old Testament God thus ordering it that his people might more eagerly desire and pray for their fuller revelation But now to us under the New Testament these things are more cleerly layd open unto us so that we ought not to exspect farther revelation of them then what we have in the Word already for saith the Apostle All the Promises of God in him are yea and Amen that is they are throughly accomplish't and perfected in him and therefore they must needs be more plain and evident unto us now then they were unto the Fathers of old time the Old Testament then and the matter therein contained was not altogether so perspicuous unto the faithfull before Christ as now it is unto us after him and this shall suffice for the second point and so much also shall suffice briefely for the perspicuity of the Scriptures We shall now speake something concerning the perfection of them as the Scriptures are perspicuous so also they are most perfect that is necessary to be known of us in relation both to our faith manners this is plain from the end of them here set down Namely that the man of God may be made perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes from whence we may conclude that if the Minister of the Gospell for he is the man of God may out of the Scriptures furnish himselfe with all things necessary both for his Salvation his office it will follow that they are fully perfect for instruction of all men both in Doctrine and manners this will farther appeare from Ps 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule and Ps 119. 96. I have seen an end of all perfections but thy commandement is exceeding large and so Luk. 16. 29. Abraham there sheweth in the Parable that Moses and the Prophets were sufficient to keepe men from damnation even the doctrine of the Old Testament contains in it al things necessary for mans Salvation whoever denyeth the truth of this point must of necessity say that either first God did not perfectly and fully reveale his will to the Prophets and Apostles which how absurd it is the Scriptures teach for Joh. 14. 26. 't is said there that the spirit should teach them all things and Joh. 16. 13. the Spirit will guid you into all truth or else they must say that the Prophets and Apostles did not set down the full and perfect substance of what was revealed unto them which Saint Paul doth plainely seeem to contradict for Act. 20. 27. I have not shunned saith he to declare unto you all the counsell of God Or else thirdlly he must be forced to say that it seemed not good to the Spirit fully and perfectly to reveale the will of God and so in writing to transmit it unto posterity for thus the Papists say in defence of their traditions that God indeed did reveale to the Prophets and Apostles his whole will concerning our Salvation but yet all was not written but some things were communicated say they viva voce unto the rest of the Church which never were written but still were derived unto posterity but doth not this opinion plainely accuse the Scriptures of falsehood when it is said Deut. 12. 32. Whatsoever things I command you observe to do it thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it Gal. 1. 9. If any man Preach any other Gospell unto you then that ye have received let him be accursed which two texts being compared with that of Exod. 24. 4. Where 't is said that Moses wrote all the words of the Lord and with that forementioned place of the Acts where Paul saith that he did not shun to declare unto them all the Counsell of God these places I say compared with one another do evidently shew that all things necessary for Salvation were written that this written word alone ought to be the rule canon of our faith for since by them we attaine unto Eternall Life we are made wise unto Salvation since by them also the man of God is made perfect and throughly furnished Without controversy they containe in them all things necessary to be knowne of us either in regard of our faith or manners all things necessary I say for otherwise many other things there might be traditionally conveyed unto the Church such as are the perpetuall virginity of Mary the names of Jannes and Jambres mentioned by Paul only the Prophesy of Enoch Jude 14. part of the Gencology of Christ Luk. 3 Sathan striving for Moses body Jude 9. and other the like which things they may be known or not known without any prejudice to our Salvation and being not doctrinall may very well be received from hand to hand and not mentioned in Scriptures but how say the Papists can ye know Canonicall bookes from Apocriphall but by the tradition of the Church We answer that these may be distinguish't from the other by that innate light majesty and truth that is in them besides though a new convert and beginner may first learne it from the Church yet afterwards they know it upon grounds of Scripture thus an ignorant man may be told of the Kings coine but it is not that telling but the Kings stampe that maketh it currant good coyn Again for the maintenance of their unwritten traditions they urge that of the 2 Thes 2. 15. Therefore brethren stand fast hold the traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle then which saith Whitaker Nullum probabiliorem Papistae locum inveniunt but unto this we answer that they were the same things which Paul spoke and writ so that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signify a diverse doctrine from that which afterwards was written and so also the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not alwayes a note of disjunction but sometimes also of conjunction as may appeare by comparing the Originall of the 1 Cor. 13. 8. Besides this it appeares that the Canon of the new Testament was not yet established Yea saith the same Whitaker I affirme that there was no book unlesse it were the Gospell of Mathew before the Epistles to the Thessalonians wherefore though the Apostle did bid the Thessalonians hold fast that Doctrine or those Traditions which he delivered unto them yet they might very well be indeed according to substance were set down in writing afterwards by the same Apostle wherefore briefely to conclude this point since these Scriptures are purposely written for our learning and to be are witnesse of Christ and to teach the way unto everlasting life doubtlesse God will have no Doctrine received of us but what is in them or consonant unto them Traditions then however in point of ceremony discipline or other lesse substantiall matters may be received yet in points of faith and Doctrine they are in no wise to be obtruded upon

us or entertained by us And thus much briefely for the Authority Perspicuity and Perfection of the Scriptures concerning which I might have spoken far more largely out of the Fathers Common-places Catechists and Polemicall Divines but intending brevity upon this point I thought it more usefull for you and my selfe wholy to examine the aforesaid points by Scripture yet so that I have given you a short glance and view of what they have said too I shall only now shut up all with a use or two of what hath been now and heretofore spoken Hence then 1. We may learne the excellency Vse 1 of holy Scriptures above all other bookes and writings whatsover we usually esteem of writings according to the eminency and worth of their Authors why now all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and therefore we should have them in so much account by how much the nobler the contriver of them is for as David said of Goliah his sword there is none to that 1 Sam. 21. 9. So may we say of the Scriptures there is none to them the word of God is as a two edged sword dividing between the Joynts and the Marrow so that what Aristotle said of the knowledge of the soul that a little of it was better then a great deal of another science We may also say of the knowledge of the holy Scriptures a little knowledge of them will stand us in more steed then all the vaine and perishing knowledge of prophane Writers Could the time and shortnesse of our lives suffer us to swallow up and devoure whole Libraries as bigge as that of Alexandria or this of our own were it possible for us critically to go over and examine all those elaborated pieces of humane invention could we perfectly Anatomize and trace nature in all her secret windings and operations yet all this knowledge in it selfe however it may place us above the clouds in mens opinions may for all that be an occasion for God to hurle us deeper into Hell But behold here a Book that is able to make us wise unto Salvation that directs and points us out a way unto eternall Life yea which raiseth our minds up unto the contemplation of those mysteries which the Angels themselves did desire to peep into a Book that unlocks unto us the very Cabinetand secret Counsells of God himselfe that revealeth and layeth open those mysteries of Godlinesse those hidden things of God which were before from all eternity clasped up in the hosome of the Almighty that gives a landskip as 't were and map of Heavenly Joy that out of darkenesse brings us into marvellous light that maketh us from Children of wrath to become heires of Heaven from slaves freeborne from Divells to become Saints All other bookes either by the teeth of time are worne out of memory or in the ruines of Kingdomes receive their graves but not one jot or tittle of this shall passe away 'till all things be fulfilled It hath been hitherto for some thousand yeares preserved amid'st the hatred of all the world against it the persecutions of Tyrants the malice and fury of Divells and shall so unto the end of the world continue though wicked men Tyrants and Divels should all combine their joynt forces to extinguish it they may with more successe and easinesse goe about to blot the Sunne out of the Firmament then to take this glorious Light from the Church people of God so that it was not without much reason that a holy Man once said That he had rather all the books beside in the world should be burnt than that one leafe of Gods Word should be destroyed for doubtlesse the least sentence therein comprised is more worth then all the voluminous Ofsprings and workes of mans braine Wherefore 2. This should exhort every one Vse 2 of us to a diligent reading and studying these holy Scriptures search the Scriptures saith our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word implyes a kind of a ●●nting after them or a narrow and painfull seeking into them as men doe for Gold and Silver and let the word of God dwell in you that is let it be as familiar unto you as he that dwells under the same roofe with you and not only so but dwell in you richly let your minds be as throughly adorned with them as a great mans house is with rich utensills hangings and now let us examine our selves whether we do thus earnestly search after them whether our hearts be thus furnished with them are we not rather like those Canonists of the Church of Rome who some say will confirm their Law text this too taken upon trust from others or like that Bishop mentioned in the booke of Martyrs who thanked God he never knew what was meant by the Old or New Testament doubtlesse there is no greater folly or madnesse in the world if we rightly consider it then to hanker after humane knowledge and to be carelesse of divine understanding greedily to devoure huskes and yet to loath Manna and like those Indians to preferre toyes and baubles before Gold pretious treasure But I need not I hope accuse any here of any such ignorance or neglect all that I desire is a more diligent studying of the word and more conscionable practice of it for reading knowing without practice will but aggravate our damnation however we ought to be stirred up to so necessary a duty as this is especially in such times wherein the meanest sort of people will upbraide our neglect of it amongst many of whom to our shame be it spoken the Bible according to the letter is better known then ever Aristotle was amongst us and will it not then much redound unto our disgrace if the Apron shoud pose the Gown in those things which most concerne them if poore illiterate Mechanicks should in the Doctrine of the Scripture confound a Learned Rabbi My Brethren you cannot be ignorant what prejudices some of the meaner sort of people have against us in this respect and therefore besides the Salvation of our soules which should be the main end of all even politick respects should engage us to double our diligence in studying of the Holy Scriptures for believe me however easy they may seem to some yet the full and clear understanding of them may very well take up our whole care and studyes there are Originalls to be known consulted withall antiquity to be searcht into and discussed severall places to be reconciled various acceptations of words and phrases to be weighed and compared together there are besides these many things without the Scriptures very needfull Grammer to know the propriety of words Rhetorick to understand the severall Tropes and figures contained therein Logick to deduce consequences and artificially to open places of Scripture and all three together properly and distinctly to analyse resolve and open the particular chapters and Bookes thereof which I conceive to be the nearest and most