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
A43256	The touch-stone of the reformed gospel wherein the principal heads and tenents of the Protestant doctrine (objected against Catholicks) are briefly refuted. By the express texts of the Protestants own Bible, set forth and approved by the Church of England. With the ancient fathers judgements thereon, in confirmation of the Catholick doctrine.	Heigham, John, fl. 1639.; Kellison, Matthew, attributed name.	1676 (1676)	Wing H1370E; ESTC R216621	50,365	158

astray that it is not in the power of any one no not of all our Adversaries that are in England to find in their own Bible one onely expresse Text I say one onely in their own Bible by which they can possibly prove one onely point of their false Doctrine● without their usual art of adding diminishing chopping or changing it by some interpretation or other which yet should be to alter the Text it self and to employ mans fancy instead of the pure word a thing by their own confession flatly forbidden them protesting that the Word of God doth in such sort contain all that which is necessary to salvation that it is not lawful neither for men nor Angels to add diminish or alter any part thereof and commanding their followers and adherents utterly to renounce all Antiquity Custom Multitude humane wisdom Judgment Decrees Edicts Counsels Visions yea and Miracles themselves to the contrary THE TOUCH-STONE Of the REFORMED GOSPEL The Protestants affirm I. That there is not in the Church one and that an infallible Rule for understanding the Holy Scriptures and conserving of Vnity in matters of Faith COntrary to the express words of their own Bible Rom. 12.6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us whether Prophecy that is interpretation according to the proportion or Rule of faith Whence we gather that Prophecy according to the Rule of faith is one of the gifts which God bestoweth on his Church Therefore there is in the Church one and that an infallible Rule to understand the holy Scriptures by Philip 3.16 Nevertheless whereto we have already attained Let us walk by the same rule let us mind the same thing Lo how plainly the Apostle speaks in this second place of a certain Rule to walk by clearly presupposing that in matters of faith we can never be of the same minde unlesse we walk by the same Rule Gal. 6.16 And as many as walk according to this Rule peace be on them and mercy And 2. Cor. 10.15 Having hope when your faith is increased that we shall be enlarged by you according to our Rule abundantly to preach the Gosple in the Regions beyond you and not to boast in another mans line Here again because every man is to direct and order his belief according to the doctrine of the Church therefore it is called by S. Paul both the Rule Line of our holy faith Again 1 Cor. 11.16 But if any man seem to be contentious we have no such Custome nor the Churches of God Lo how S. Paul still pleads the Rule and Custom of the Church against the contentious which if it could then by the sole prescription of twenty or thirty years and by the authority of so few Pastors stop the mouthes of new Sect-masters what ought not the Custome of sixteen hundred years and the decrees of so many hundred Pastors gain of reasonable modest and humble men And here I would have it to be noted that this Analogy or Rule of faith besides the titles already recited the holy Scripture in other places calls by the name of Form of Doctrine Rom. 6.17 A thing made ready to our hand 2. Cor. 10.16 The Depositum or Treasure committed to the Churches trust and ever most carefully to be kept by her 1. Tim. 6.20 And withall in the very self same places always stileth that which is contrary to this Rule by the name of Disunion Discord Disobedience forsaking of our first Vocation Division Contention Prophane and vain babling Opposition of sciences c. Whence plainly appear how great the necessity is for every Christian to keep this Rule the least breach whereof doth presently crack his Christian credit with the Church of God and with all good Christians See more Rom. 6.17 Gal. 1.6 Rom. 16.17 Acts 15 2. 1. Tim. 6.10 Rom. 12.16 ¶ According to this very Rule the Ancient Fathers affirm the same S. Irenaus l. 4. Cap. 45. Tert. de praesor And Vincent Lyr. in suo Commonitorio saith It is very needfull in regard of so many errors proceeding from the mis-interpretation of Scriptures that the Line of Propheticall and Apostolical exposition should be directed according to the Rule of the Ecclesiastical and Catholick sense Thus writeth this most worthy witnesse Tertul● Praescrip Adv. Haeres Cap. 15 Cap. 19. Saith We do not admit our Adversaries to dispute out of Scripture till they can shew who their Ancestors were and from whom they received the Scriptures For the orderly course of doctrine requires that the first Question be whose the Scriptures are by right from whom and by whom and to whom the Form of Christian Religion was delivered Otherwise prescribing against him as a stranger c. Thus he Behold how these two last ancient Fathers lay hold of and urge these two very terms Rule and Form of Faith and Religion even as before the Holy Scripture did from whence doubtlesse they took the phrase And with very great reason for the knowledge of Tradition which is the Form or Rule goes before the knowledge of the Scripture for the Rule must be first known before the thing ruled can be assuredly known as the Carpenter cannot know certainly that he hath ●●easured his timber nor the Taylor ●hat he hath measured his cloth aright except he first assuredly know that is measure be both true and right but ●he Rule of Faith to wit the Summe ●f those points that every Christian is bound expresly to know as delivered to him from hand to hand is the knowledge of Tradition The Protestants affirm II. That in matters of Faith we must not rely upon the Judgement of the Church and of her Pastors but onely upon the written Word COntrary to the expresse words o● their own Bible Mat. 23.2 Th● Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Mose● seat all therefore whatsoever they bi● you observe that observe and do I● which words Christ not only commands us in matters of Faith to have recourse to somewhat else besides th● onely written words to wit to the Pastors of the Church but bids more over to obey them and that not onely in some principal matters but in al● whatsoever without distinction o●●● limitation Therefore in matters o●●● faith we are not tied to rely onel● upon the written word Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that dispiseth me dispiseth him that sent me Here again Christ our Lord honoureth and giveth as much authority to the Preachers of the Word as he can possibly do to the word it self saying He that heareth you c. Matth 16.19 Whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose in earth shall be loosed in heaven Where it is to be noted that he doth not say whosoever but whatsoever giving us thereby to understand that not onely the bonds of sins but as ●ell all other knots and difficulties in ●atters of faith

are to be loosed by 〈◊〉 Peter and by the Pastors that suc●eed him in the Church See more Deut. 17.8 Aggeus 2.1 2. Cron. 19.8 Vnto the end 2. ●hes 2.15 ¶ The holy Fathers that affirm the ●●me are S. Gregory NaZ In orat ●●cus●t Tertul. lib. de praescrip adversus har S Cyprian lib. 1. epist 3. S. Aug. lib. 1. cont Crosc cap. 33. and lib. cont Fund cap. 5. Vincent Lyr. in suo commonit And S. Anselm lib. de incar cap. 1. writing to Pope Urban saith thus unto him Vnto n● other is more rightly referred to be corrected whatsoever ariseth in the Church against the Catholick faith c. They affirm III. That the Scriptures are easie to be understood and that therefore non● ought to be restrained from readin● of them COntrary to the express words otheir own Bible 2. Pet. 3 1● Where S. Peter speaking of S. Pau● Epistles saith In which are som● things hard to be understood whi●● they that are unlearned and unstabl●● wrest as they do also the other Scri●tures unto their own destruction B● all unlearned Reformers both rea● and are allowed to read those hard things yea the Book of Apocalyps also yet harder without any restraint to man or woman which yet they understand not therefore they wrest them as also other Scriptures to their own destruction Acts 8.30 And Philip said understandest thou what thou readest And he said How can I except some man should guide me Where first may be noted that this Noble Eunuch freely confessed he could not understand the Scriptures without an interpreter to expound them albeit he was a great and serious student in them and withal a holy and humble man as S. Hierom noteth of him Epist ad Paulin. de stud Script And next that he saith Except some man guide me So as he fled not to his private spirit nor yet to conferring of place with place as our Adversaries do Therefore the Scriptures ●re not easie Luke 24.25 and 27. Christ called ●wo of his Disciples fools and slow of ●eart c. And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself How then are the Scriptures so easily to be understood of the unlearned when Christs Disciples themselves could not understand them till first they were expounded to them Rev. 5.1 c The Angel speaking of the Book sealed with seven seals wept much because no man in heaven nor in earth was able to open the Book neither to look thereon A strange case to read in Scripture it self that the book of Scripture should be shut with so many seals but much more strange that even in S. John and the Apostles time none could be found neither in heaven nor earth able to open the same nor to look thereon which every Apprentice now adayes without 〈◊〉 difficulty will undertake to do See more 2 Pet. 1.20 Mat. 13.11 and 36. Luke 24..45 1 Cor. 12.10 Luke 8.10 54. Luke 2.50 2 Tim. 3 7. 1 John 4.6 John 5.35 Psal 119 18. and 34. Rev. 5.1 c. ¶ The holy Fathers that affirm the same are S. Iraenus l. 2. Cap. 27. Origen l. cont Cels S. Amb. Epist 44. ad Constant Where he calleth it A sea and depth of prophetical riddles S. Jer. in praefat comment in Ephes 5. And S. Aug. epist 119. cap. 21. saith The things of Scripture that I knew not are many more then those that I know So S. Greg. hom 6. in Ezech. and many other Fathers confess the same of themselves S. Denis Bishop of Corinth cited by Euscbius lib. 7. hist Eccl. 20. saith Of this Book of Scripture this is my opinion that the matter thereof is far more profound then my wit can reach unto They affirm IV. That Apostolical Traditions and ancient Customs of the Church not found in the written word are not to be received nor to oblige us Contrary to the express word of their own Bible 2 Thes 2.15 Therefore Brethren stand fast and hold the Traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or by Epistle Hence it is clear that some Traditions were delivered to the Thessalonians by word of mouth and those of equal authority with what was written if not of more for the holy Ghost doth name them first as they were indeed the first in being yea it is certain that before the new Testament was written the Apostles delivered all by Tradition and word of mouth Therefore Apostolical Traditions are to be received and do oblige us 2 Thes 3.6 N●w I command you brethen in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye with draw your selves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the Tradition which he received of us He saith not I councel you but I command you But these men rejecting all Traditions walk disordered therefore they break the Apostles commandment Yea they stand not but are fallen they let go what the word it self doth will them to hold and therefore in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ let all good men withdraw from them 1. Cor. 11.2 Now I praise you bre●hren that you remember me in all ●hings and keep the Traditions as I ●ave delivered them unto you But these ●eject all Traditions therefore needs must S. Paul speak thus unto them Now none of my brethren I dispraise you for that you forget me in all ●hings and keep not the Traditions as 〈◊〉 have delivered them unto you Lastly if nothing at all be to be be●ieved but onely that which is left us written wherein should the Church ●ave exercised herself from Adam to Moses the space of two thousand six ●undred years See more 1 Tim. 6.3.20 2 Tim. ● 13 2 Tim. 2.2 John 20.30 and ●1 25 and 16.12 1 Cor. 11.16.34 〈◊〉 ep John 12.3 ep of S. John 13. Acts 16.4 and 15.28 ¶ The Fathers that affirm the same ●re S. Iraeneus l. 3. c. 4. Origen in cap. ● ad Rom. S. Damas l. 4. c. 17. S. Chrysost in 2 Thes 2. And S. Basil de Spiritu sancto saith some things 〈◊〉 have from Scripture other things fr●● the Apostles both which have 〈◊〉 force unto Godliness S. Chrysostom 4. in 2. Thes faith It is a Traditi●● seek thou no further They affirm V. That a man by his own understandi●● or private spirit may rightly jud●● and interpret Scripture COntrary to the express words their own Bible 1. Cor 12.8 a●● 10. To one is given by the spirit 〈◊〉 word of wisedome to another the wo●●● of knowledge by the same spirit to ●nother the working of miracles to ●nother Prophesie to another discerni●● of spirits to another kinds of tongue● to another the interpretation of tongu●● but all these worketh that one 〈◊〉 the self same spirit dividing to ev●●● man severally as he will Where 〈◊〉 Apostle in express words opposeth 〈◊〉 refelleth this unsavory doctrine tea●●ing that the gift of prophesying or truly to interpret the holy Scripture

witnesseth in his Epistle ad Marcellam Philip. 2.20 That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in Heaven things in earth and things under the earth Now that is the Name of Jesus which either is pronounced by anothers mouth printed in a book or painted and engraven in an image but at any of these we are commanded to bow the knee Again if images ought not to be worshipped we may not whatsoever the Apostle saith bow our knee at the Name of Jesus seeing words as Aristoile saith and as the truth is are signs representative of the things they signifie and are the images of the ears as the others are of the eyes Num. 21.8 And the Lord said unto Moses Make thee a fiery Serpent and set it up upon a pole and it shall come to passe that every one that is bit when he looketh upon it shall live Hence are evidently proved divers things against our Reformers 1. That God commanded the making of this image 2. The setting of it up for a sign 3. He promised that the lookers thereon should assuredly receive succour and help 4. He warranted the making the setting up the beholding and the reverencing thereof to be exempted from breach of the first Commandment by working so many and so manifest miracles at and before the presence thereof Therefore an image may be made may be set up may be looked on and reverenced as Doctour Saunders most learnedly concludeth in his Treatise of Images ¶ See Fathers that affirm the same S. Amb. serm 1. in Psal ● 18. S. Aug. lib. 3. de Trinit S. Greg. lib. 7. epist 5 ad Joan. Finally S. Basil saith in Julian citat in 7. Sinod I honour the Histories of Images and do publickly worship them for this being delivered us from the holy Apostles is not to be forbidden S. Chrysostom in his Mass turned into Latin by Erasmus saith The Priest boweth his head to the Image of Christ S. Damascen lib. 4. cap. 17. saith The worshipping of the Cross and of Images is a Tradition of the Apostles But before I conclude this point I desire to solve a few objections which usually our Reformers bring against the Honour of holy Images The 1. Objection Is taken out of 2 Kings we 4. 18. where King Ezechias broke down the brasen Serpent whereof we last made mention seeing it to be the cause of Idolatry Answer This indeed is a common place from whence our Adversaries collect sundry false and sophistical arguments to wit from the abuse of any good thing to destroy it utterly together with the right use thereof But by the same Argument they may as well collect that the Sun and the Moon should be taken out of the Firmament because they were worshipped by the Gentiles for Gods Likewise that the holy Bible should be burnt because many a one draweth damnable Heresies forth of the same to his own perdition Yea this silly Argument borrowed from the abuse of things serves very fitly to prove the quite contrary thus Images have been sometimes abused therefore they were good in themselves for those things which are evil by abuse onely must needs be good being well used Their 2. Objection You give that honour to Images which is due to God alone worshipping adoring and creeping to them as to God Answer We say the contrary which thus we prove The difference of honour proceedeth principally from the minde and not from the exterior bowing or demeanour of the body For if I prostrate my selfe before an Image or kiss the same well knowing the while that it is no God nor reasonable Creature but onely a remembrance of God towards whom I desire to shew mine affection God knoweth how far off mine honour is from that honour which is due to him alone As contrariwise If I lay prostrate at Christs feet indeed kissed them knocked my breast held up my hands unto him called him the Son of God yet all this while think him not to be so in my heart mine honour truly should be no honour at all but a very contumely and affront unto Christ Adde hereto that the words which betoken honour adoration worship and the like are in a manner confounded in all languages but the heart from whence the honour proceedeth knoweth well the difference of every thing D. Saunders de Imag. pag. 10. Their 3. Objection It is expresly forbidden by God himself to fall down before any Image or to worship it Answer Some of our Reformers themselves do honour the Sacrament of Christs Supper which they teach to be an Image or representation of Christs body and bloud And seeing they believe no other substance to be in the Sacrament besides bread and wine nor will give the honour of latria as we call it thereunto it follows invincibly that they do worship or honour some Image Now as they would not for all this have us to judge or call them Idolaters even so let it please them for their own sakes to spare us For as they do not place or stay this honour in the bread and wine but from thence refer it to Christ himself so do we transfer all our honour from all Images unto the first form or pattern nor suffering the same to rest or end in the Image which we honour Sander ibid. pag. 52. Their 4. Objection An Image is a Creature and no God and to set up a Creature to be worshipped or adored is flat Idolatry Images are set up in Churches not specially to the intent that the people should worship or adore them but partly to stir up our minds to follow the example of those holy men whose Images we do there behold So that the worship and reverence which is there given to Images is given as it were by a consequence rather because it may be lawfully given than because it is principally sought to be given As for the Idolatry which is objected we are to understand that the word is compounded of Latria and Idolum and is as much to say as the giving of Latria or of Gods honour unto an Idol But our Images are no Idols nor the honour we give unto them that of Latria how then can it be said that Images are set up to be used to Idolatry Besides for further eviction of a Reformer that should charge me with Idolatry for reverencing a Picture or Image I would before his face break a Crucifix or tear a Picture of any Saint in pieces and throw the pieces into the fire and this not out of any contempt or scorn of what the Crucifix or Picture represents but to satisfie him that I gave them onely an inferiour relative kind of honour and used them as helps to my memory And then would shew him the Councel of Trent Session 25. in these words Images are not to be venerated for any virtue or Divinity is believed to be in them or for any thing that is to be Petitioned of them or