Selected quad for the lemma: tradition_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
tradition_n	holy_a	know_v	scripture_n	1,758	5	5.8907	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01624	The course of Christianitie: or, As touching the dayly reading and meditation of the holy Scriptures very requisite and necessary for all Christians of what estate or condition soeuer: tvvo bookes. Translated out of Latine into English, by Iohn Ludham vicar of Wethersfeld. 1579.; De sacrae Scripturae lectione as meditatione quotidiana. English	Hyperius, Andreas, 1511-1564.; Ludham, John, d. 1613.	1579 (1579)	STC 11755; ESTC S120317	159,740	250

the sonnes of men reioyceth to be named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye the Word and the same preaching without intermission or ceasing hath declared the wil of his heauēly father Prouerb 8. Ioan. 1. Heb. 1. And moreouer amongst the things that are exercised in the Church the Word holdeth the chiefe place yea and euen the very force and dignitie of the mysticall actions or Sacramentes dependeth vppon the worde of god Wherevppon it pleased some of the learned fathers and especiallye Augustine vppon Iohn in his Sermon 80. and against Faustus booke 19. Cap. 16. to tearme the same very Sacramentes visible wordes What néede anye long circumstaunce GOD by his worde openeth bothe himselfe and all his benefites and graces vnto man and by faith in the worde man is ioyned vnto GOD and made partaker of eternall blessednesse Wherefore we maye moste truely auouch that to reade the holy Scripture with a godly affection is euen all one to talke and conferre with GOD and to heare God talking and conferring with vs Certes as often as thou readest of precepts exhortations promises threatnings iudgements rewardes punishmentes and other things of like sorte so ofte doest thou heare God himselfe of a truth speaking vnto thée Againe as ofte as thou readest of any confession of sinnes crauing of pardon prayer giuing of thanks or anye suche like so ofte dost thou thy selfe speake vnto god For in these pointes chiefly do consist the naturall commonings betwixte God and men and in these things resteth the substaunce of all sacred sayings and sentences Wherefore then to goe aboute to forbidde or withholde anye man from the reading hearing and vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures is euen as much in effecte as to commande him to dissemble or deny himselfe to be a man that so he mighte be depriued of the power of speaking and of the fruite and benefite of reason Hierome maruelleth and stomacketh the matter and counteth it intollerable if anye man shoulde so presume Forsomuch saith he in the proheme of his exposition of the Epistle of Saint Paule to the Ephesians as we differ from all other creatures in this point chieflg that we are endued with reason and haue the vse of speaking and al reason and holy speach is contayned in the bookes of God by which we both learne to know God and also to what ende wee be created I maruaile greatly at some who either giuing themselues to slouthfulnesse and slepe wil not learne the things that are excellent or else seeke to reproue others that bend themselues that waye Which men whereas I might more straightly stop their mouths shortly send thē packing either eased or pleased in vouching that it is much better to reade the Scriptures than to gape so greedily after the encreasing and hourding vp of riches I will content my selfe onelye in saying this whiche I maye obtaine euen before a moste incompetent Iudge namely that my vocation from labor and quiet solitarinesse of mind is more pleasant vnto me than al other solemnities whatsoeuer Hitherto Hierome Where if so be nowe it belongeth to mans duetie to loue and learne the words of God declared at large in the holy Scriptures forasmuche as we haue giuen vnto vs of God the power and vse of speaking howe muche more ought we wholly to be addicted vnto them which professe our selues to be Christiās For truly how honorable the name of Christian is and what thinges it putteth vs in minde of it shoulde be good for vs oftentimes and déepely in minde to consider He that nameth a Christian comprehendeth in one worde whatsoeuer maye be added to the dignity of a man He that nameth a Christian vnderstandeth a man to be of the number of those whome God himselfe hath pronounced to be a chosen generation a kingly Priesthoode a holy Nation a people freely purchased Exod 19.1 Pet. 2. He that nameth a Christian signifieth a man to be chosē of God the father before the foundations of the worlde were layed to bée deliuered by the son of God Iesus Christ out of most miserable captiuitie and out of the bondage of most cruell Tirants the Diuel Sinne and Death to be regenerate by the holy Ghost into the Churche of CHRISTE to bée adorned wyth newe Righteousnesse wyth Fayth Loue and other vertues and spirituall graces vnto whome lastely is appointetd prayse and immortall glorie and also eternall felicitie bothe of bodye and soule bringing with it more bountifull and large benefites than the eie of anye man can sée the eare heare or the hart be able to conceiue Ephes 1. Rom. 8. Esay 64.1 Corinth 2. Suche and so greate is the excellencie of a Christian man But whence I praye you taketh a Christian this name Thou wilt say I am sure of CHRIST Act. 11. But howe then commeth a Christian man by those incomparable benefites and by euerlasting blessednesse Forsooth euen by the knowlege of GOD the father and of his sonne oure sauiour IESVS CHRIST This is eternall life saith our sauiour Christe Ioan. 17. To knowe thee the onely true GOD and Iesus Christe whome thou haste sente And Peter Act. 4. saith There is no other name giuen vnto men vnder Heauen wherein wee can bee saued but onely the name of Iesus Christe Paule in like maner 1. Corinth 1. saith CHRIST became vnto vs the wisedome of GOD and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption But there is no mā that can distinctly and without ambiguitie know GOD the father or his sonne Iesus Christe the authour and beginner of Christianitie oute of that former booke Concerning the nature of things or out of anye inuentions of mans wisedome whatsoeuer but onely and alone by the reading of the holy Scripture reuealed from aboue Whiche thing to be true oure Sauioure Christe himselfe testifyeth Ioan. 5 saying Search the Scriptures for they are they that testifye of mee And to the intents the sonne oure Sauioure might be the better knowen of his Disciples he interpreteth many places of the Scriptures as touching his owne person The like did the Apostles also and Euangelistes with greate diligence Therefore whosoeuer he be that desireth to be saluted by the name of a Christian and to be accounted among those that knowe Christe and that looke for saluation promised in Christe him truely it standeth vppon to acquainte himselfe with the holy Scriptures and to make them as familiar vnto him as is possible As no manne can make the Iewes beléeue that he is of the Iewish secte which holdeth none of the traditions of their Thalmud and as the Turkes will receiue none for a worshipper of Mahomet that cannot alleage at the leaste some of his decrées oute of their Alcoran ●o is it not likely that he in good earnest and from his hearte shoulde be a Christian that cannot in some measure oute of the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles declare who Christe is and what inestimable benefites he hathe purchased to mankinde For in verie

euē to those that were ouercome than if we shoulde perpetuallye striue with them by the doubtefull dint of sword It falleth not out alwayes well on our sides when wée indeauor to driue away force perforce craft with craft and as it is sayde in the prouerbe one nayle with another It behoueth a wise man first to trye all things before hée fall to they hazard of battel But especially when the case concerneth the affayres of religion or the saluation of soules then of necessitie must swordes giue place to doctrine rage to reason crueltie to humanity warres to peace In the Counsell holden at Vienna a Citie of Gallia Narbonensis in the yeare 1310. it was ordeyned that in al the noblest vniuersities of Europe th●re should be maintained professors of the Arabicke tong whyche tongue it is certaine that the Turkes doe vse in their Ceremonies and this cannot I construe to be done for anye other cause or consideration than that our Countreymen mighte be prouided and enstructed aforehande to common and treate at one time or other with the Turkes especially in the cause of religion But it belongeth not to this place to search ouer busily how the Turkes being the sworne enimies of our religion maye be reduced to a better minde and conioyned with vs in rites and doctrine It shal be good rather to speake vnto those that do proudely challendge to themselues the surname of Christians and yet in the meane time of nothing are lesse carefull all theyr life long than of the knowledge of CHRIST out of the holy Scriptures Gladly therefore woulde I learne of you what mindes ye would be off what aduice ye woulde take if at anye time being helde Captiue vnder the yoke of the Turkes yée should be driuen to such a straight as that ye should be suffred neyther to haue any bookes nor yet to heare any Christian preachers Truely I praye vnto GOD that hée woulde vouchsafe to withholde so great a mischiefe frō the neckes of all Christians neuerthelesse séeing there is none of vs all that oughte to stande in feare of the same or not muche vnlike misfortune distresse there is good cause why euery man should at the least in thoughte consider and deuise with himselfe what he woulde doe if at any time he were in that estate Thou therefore being driuen into miserable bondage and perchāce fast fettered in yrons if thou shouldest heare dayly villanous opprobries vomited out against the sacred name of CHRIST if thou shouldest heare al the parts of our religion to be shamefullye intreated and misused wyth tauntes and mockes if sundry arguments should dayly be obiected to carry thée away from godly sinceritie if thou shouldest continually be commpelled to sée heare and doe those things that are altogither vnméete for Christians that is to say for Godly vertuous minds tell me I pray thée how and by what meanes wouldst thou then confirme and establishe thy hearte in Faith how any by what meanes wouldest thou be comforted in the middest of so many temptations that from thy childhode neuer learnedst anye thing at all out of the Bookes of the Prophets and Apostles that mighte help thée therevnto I am sure and certayne whosoeuer will weigh and consider these things vprightely as is méete he shall be enforced to confesse that in very déede there is nothing more miserable than a Christian man oppressed and consumed in a manner wyth suche anguishes both of body and mind and all bycause he is vtterly destitute of all solace and cōfort of GODS word For as muche therefore as it is very playne and euident that the diligence of Laie men in learning the holye Scriptures is verye requisite and necessarie as well to the conseruation of the succession of ministers in Churches as also most profitable and commodious to the adorning of Common Weales and to the amplifying or rather pacifying of Kingdomes and Empires Let all both Kings and Prelates not withoute good cause in a common Councell determine and declare that all Christians withoute exception of what estate or condition soeuer they be ought so long time to be instructed in the holy Scriptures as they maye atteyne at the least some indifferent knowledge of the articles of our Religion and become able after a sorte to declare the same vnto others And would to God that all good men and especially those that are in authoritie aboue the rest would sufficiently consider how necessarie it were for them oftentimes to consult and deliberate about this matter No man is ignorant how in certaine ages past Churches were possessed of vnlearned ideotes and of mē without all religion such for the most parte as haue lepped out of Kings and Bishops Courtes Pantries Buttries wrastling places banquetting houses nourceries by whose meanes the pure doctrine of the Gospell yea all the whole order of preaching hath bin vtterly banished out of holy assemblies neyther did they busie themselues about any thing else saue the stincking traditiōs of men and a number of colde ceremonies whereof in some there was a great deale more superstition I had almost said sacrilege than was in times past in the fond obseruatiōs of the Heathen And as for the Scholes thēselues what should a mā haue found in them but vgly rudenesse holding the highest roome togither with vnsauery and yet subtill sophistrie Againe the Romaine Empire hath with shame ynough for the space of these 4. C. yeares bin thrust out of ioynt shakē torne in sunder and the partly by the Turkes who taking occasiō by our sinnes haue purloined frō vs now these prouinces nowe those partly by Christian Princes themselues through whose vnquenchable discordes the sinewes of the Christian cōmon weale haue bin cut asunder and the whole strength therof vtterly wasted and consumed to speake nothing in the meane time of a million of mischiefes broughte into Europe by the ambition pride of certain Bishops To be short such hath of lōg time bin the state of things amōg Christians as we reade to haue bin amōg the Iewes when they were oppressed with the hard yoke of Ieroboam Achab Manasses the Kings of Babylon and such like for why ouer besides most cruell warres innumerable slaughters common calamities not to be named the sincere worship of the true GOD hath bin quite and cleane abolished superstitiōs haue borne the greatest sway faithfull teachers haue bin flayne or thrust out of their places finally the very Bookes of holy Scripture themselues haue bin vtterly lost and rare in very déede was that man to be founde that thoughte anye better of Religion than did godlesse Diagoras For soothly so it is when it pleaseth GOD to punishe barbarous and faithlesse men he strippeth them starke naked as a man would saye and depriueth them of all power But when he determineth to punish his own those people whether they be of the Iewes or Gentiles he bereaueth them of the noble and pretious treasure of his worde whyche