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A75723 Fides Apostolica or a discourse asserting the received authors and authority of the Apostles Creed. Together with the grounds and ends of the composing thereof by the Apostles, the sufficiency thereof for the rule of faith, the reasons of the name symbolon in the originall Greeke, and the division or parts of it. Hereunto is added a double appendix, the first touching the Athanasian, the second touching the Nicene Creed. By Geo. Ashwell B.D. Ashwell, George, 1612-1695. 1653 (1653) Wing A3997; Thomason E1433_2; ESTC R208502 178,413 343

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set downe the Articles but Catechetically explaine them also together with the rest which precede and there hath been no reason ever yet assigned to make us doubt of the composing of these Catecheses by the same man and at the same Time when he was Catechist which was in his youthfull Age seeing they all alike relish of the same juvenile extemporary stile the consideration whereof hath made some to doubt whether any of them were Cyril's or no because they seemed not elaborate enough for so grave a Patriarch though they seeme indeed to have beene set forth by his Successor Iohn and thence became entitled unto him by some latter unwary Transcriber which may serve to satisfy that objection taken out of Simlerus who in his Index of those Bookes which the City of Auspurgh bought of Antony Eparch of Coreyra reckoneth Joannis Jerosol Catech. Illuminat du●deviginti Mystagogicus quinque If any yet desire to have this more fully and clearly demonstrated viz. That the Easterne Churches had an Ancient Forme of Beliefe derived to them from the Apostles and whereto they profest to adde nothing in their following confessions because as it is more obscure so it is more oppugned they may please to consult these following Testimonies 1. Epiphanius in his Booke called Anchoratus having set downe the Nicene Creed as we now have it at large adjoynes these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Faith saith he was delivered by the holy Apostles and in the Church the Holy City by all the holy Bishops together above 310 in number The same Creed then was delivered by both by the Apostles as the Primitive Authors by the Nicene Fathers as the Expositors The Nicene Creed thus at full set downe by Epiphanius was written seaven years before the first Councell of Constantinople which first added all after the Article of the Holy Ghost unto that forme which the Nicene Fathers had delivered although they were not the first framers of those additionall Articles and having thus compleated the Creed by borrowing the remaining Articles from that of the Apostles confirmed the entire forme by their Synodicall Authority and so commended yea prescribed the whole to the Catholick Church 2. The succeeding Councells in the Easterne Church expressely tell us that they and their Predecessors were neither Authors of any new Faith nor Adders to it but only Establishers and Exposirors of the old The first Councell of Constantinople which was the second Generall calls the Nicene Creed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most ancient although that Synod was celebrated but 56 years before the reason therefore of this Title is that they looked upon that Creed not as first composed by the Bishops of the Nicene Synod but as derived and declared out of a Creed ab ultima antiquitate in Ecclesiâ recepto received in the Church from all Antiquity as the Reverend and Learned Primate of Armagh hath rightly exprest it They also decreed to retaine it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as most agreeable to the Sacrament of Baptisme Theod. lib. 5. hist cap. 9. The Bishops Assembled at Tyre Anno 518. professe to embrace the Nicene Creed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expounded not made by that Synod Act. Concil 5. Constant sub Mennâ And againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is That holy Creed whereinto we were all Baptized the Nicene Synod with the assistance of the Holy Ghost hath publickly declared that of Constantinople hath ratified that of Ephesus hath confirmed and in like manner the Great holy Synod of Chalcedon hath sealed The Councell of Chalcedon which was the fourth Generall styles the Creed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Doctrine unshaken or unmoved from the first Preaching of the Gospell and withall tells us that the Councells of Nice and Constantinople expounded the Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not adding ought as if the faith of their Predecessors had been deficient but declaring their sense by Scripture Testimonies Evagr. lib. 2. cap. 4. To this agrees also that of the Emperour Iustinian writing to Epiphanius Patriarch of Constantinople we keepe saith he that decree of faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Symbole which was explained by the 118 Fathers in the Councell of Nice which also the 150 Fathers in the first Councell of Constantinople farther declared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as though the ancient faith were defective but because the enemies of the Truth partly rejected the Divinity of the Holy Ghost partly denied the Incarnation of God the Word therefore the said Fathers by Testimonies out of Scripture explained this Doctrine more at large Thus he 7. leg Cord. De Summâ Trinitate Fide Catholicâ 3. To give you the Testimony of the Westerne Church for confirmation of the same Truth The Liturgy called Ordo Romanus a Book of known Authority and Antiquity in the Preface to the Nicene Creed hath these words directed to the Persons who were to pronounce it before their Baptisme Audite suscipientes Evangelici Symboli Sacramentum à Domino inspiratum ab Apostolis institutum cujus pauca quidem verba sunt sed magna mysteria In which words the Nicene Creed is called The Evangelicall Symbole inspired by Christ and ordained by his Apostles And another old Latine Liturgy in use about the yeare 700 hath these words of the same Creed Finito Symbolo Apostolorum dicat Sacerdos Dominus vobiscum Where it is also expressely called The Creed of the Apostles that is the same explained and enlarged For these Testimonies I am indebted to the said R. and Learned Bishop Now for a close to these Authorities and Arguments I shall subjoyne the testimony of Franc. Quaresimus of the Order of Minors a Person of good note in the Romish Church as who was made by the Pope his President and Apostolick Commissary in the Holy Land during which office of his he took incredible paines in searching out the Antiquities of Palestine now this Author in his Book called Elucidatio Terrae Sanctae Tom. 2. lib. 4. Perear 9. cap. 1. Brings two opinions concerning the Place wherein the Apostles composed the Creed The first that of Adrichomius who thinkes it probable that the place was Caenaculum Sion a Place famous for many other sacred Actions as wherein our Blessed Saviour celebrated his last Supper and instituted the most holy Eucharist wherein the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles at Pentecost and wherein they held that famous Councell about the abrogating of the Ceremoniall Law Act. 15. consonantly to which Tradition he brings that saying of the Evangelicall Prophet Out of Syon shall goe forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Isa 2. 3. The second that of Frier Anselme and others that the place where the Apostles framed the Creed was on Mount Olivet three Bow-shootes from the place where Christ is said to have wept over Jerusalem for which he gives this reason Quia est communis in partibus istis Traditio perpetuis
whom the objectour cites I shall returne a more particular Answer First Cyril indeed in that place tels us that the mysteries of the Faith ought not to be delivered unto the Catechumeni simply nakedly but as clothed with scripture and that they should not simply believe him unlesse he brought proofes from thence for what he delivered because the safety of our Faith saith he depends not on the pleasingnes of Rhetorick but on the demonstration of Gods Word written The reason whereof he assignes in the begining of the same Homily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Disciples of the Hereticks by their elegancy of speech and fair soothing tongues under the name of Christians deceive the hearts of the simple they hide the poysoōusdartes of their ungodly Doctrines with sugred expressions of all whom joyntly our Lord saith beware least any man deceive you then he goes on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this cause the doctrine of Faith is delivered with expositions thereon So that he would not have the Creed or himselfe believed without Scripture not that the Creed but the Times required such proofe for the Heretickes of those Dayes partly framed new Creeds of their own partly added to altered and perverted the old withall indeavouring to make their doctrine good by seeming probabillities of Reason and flourishes of Rhetorick It was necessary therefore in this case to discover these false Creeds and Interpretations by bringing all unto the Text of Scripture Secondly The other Father Paschasius in the begining of his Booke De Spiritu Sancto written against Macedonius taxeth a false reading of the Creed crept into it through the ignorance of some Transcribers who wrote I believe in the holy Church for I believe the holy Church by this error enervated an Argument usually alleadged by the Fathers for the Deity of the holy Ghost against Macedonius and his Followers Paschasius therefore proves by certeine Places of Scripture that they are commanded to believe in God alone but never in man wherefore seeing the Church consists of a company of men that reading of the Creed must consequently be false which enjoynes us to believe in the Church But what of all this He appealed not in this from the Creed unto Scripture but by Scripture corrects a false reading of the Creed as the Fathers in their polemicall writings against Hereticks frequently correct their corrupt quotations of some places of Scripture by other undoubted places Ob. 8th The Reason assigned why the Apostles composed this Creed discovers the vanity of the Tradition what was that That it might be forsooth to the Apostles a Canon or Rule according to which they should square and conforme their Preaching what to the Apostles to whom Christ promised his Blessed Spirit that should lead them into all Truth Certeinly they needed it not for their owne sakes amongst whom there was no ground of difference nor doubt of the Principles of Christianity And whereas others more probably say it was framed for the Churches sake that shee might have a short plaine yet full confession of Faith as a Formula of Beliefe to be publickly recited at the Time of Baptisme neither will this hold for in the Apostles Age the Confession of Faith was plaine and simple when they came to be Baptized namely in Jesus Christ or in the Father Son and holy Ghost as appeares by the History of the Acts so that the Church had then no need of such a Formula It began not to be required till diverse Heresies brake into the Church Answ First It is readily confest that the Apostles needed no Rule of Faith whereby to square their Preaching as if otherwise they should have erred yet they might well agree one a Canon or Rule of Fundamentals wherewith they thought fit to acquaint all Christians as with Points necessary to Salvation whereas otherwise they might have Preached more at large and intermixt matters of lesser Consequence As for the Authors who bring the Reason alleaged in the objection they lay it downe not in these Termes least the Apostles being seperated each from other ipsi inter se in varias scinderentur partes much lesse thus ne subinde alii abaliis in doctrinâ abirent as is odiously alleaged but Ruffinus renders the reasō thus Ne diversum aliquid his qui ad fidem Christi invitabantur exponerent S. Austin in like words Ne diversum vel dissonum praedicarent his qui ad fidē Christi invitabantur Now diversum and abversum dissonum and absonum are two things there was no feare that the Apostles by being severed each from other should Preach ought contrary to the Truth or to one Another if they had not before agreed uppon a Forme yet they might have Preached somewhat diverse from the Fundamentalls of Christianity namely other Points of inferiour concernment or at least the same in other wordes if they had not agreed on this Rule at their setting forth whence their Auditours might have taken occasion to suspect and argue them of falsehood not believing they were all guided by the same Spirit or to part themselves into factions as it fell out in the Church of Corinth about Paul and Apollos although they taught the same Gospell And what stirres arose in the Church about a Ceremony viz. the time of observing Easter derived frō a different tradition of S. Iohn to the Churches of Asia frō the rest of the Christian world though they all agreed in the main the keeping of the Feast Eusebius others will sufficienly informe us But to come closer to our Subject A notable instance in the very same kind namely in matter of of Doctrin such as the Creed is we find in the Greek and Latine Church about the middle of the fourth Century touching the Grand mystery of the Trinity which yet upon due examination proved only a difference of the tongue language The Controversie is thus set down by Greg. Naz Orat. 21. written in praise of the Great Athanasius Num. 46. 47. The Orientals saith he held one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Essence and three Hypostases or or subsistences The Latines by Reason of the barrennesse of their Tongue and the narrownesse of expression could not distinguish Hypostasis from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Subsistence from Essence therefore insteed of Hypostasis brought in the new-coind word Persona Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signify the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the proper distinctive Relations of the Three as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signified the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Nature what was the effect of this saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The effect deserved laughter or rather Lamentation this small difference of wordes seemed a diversity of Beliefe for the Orientals suspected the Westrne Church of Sabilianisme because they would not acknowledge three Hypostases but caled them by the name of three Persons And the Western Church suspected the Orientals of Arianisme for holding three Hypostases