Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
church_n antioch_n apostle_n elder_n 2,819 5 9.5165 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A17513 A iustification of the Church of England Demonstrating it to be a true Church of God, affording all sufficient meanes to saluation. Or, a countercharme against the Romish enchantments, that labour to bewitch the people, with opinion of necessity to be subiect to the Pope of Rome. Wherein is briefely shewed the pith and marrow of the principall bookes written by both sides, touching this matter: with marginall reference to the chapters and sections, where the points are handled more at large to the great ease and satisfaction of the reader. By Anthony Cade, Bachelour of Diuinity. Cade, Anthony, 1564?-1641. 1630 (1630) STC 4327; ESTC S107369 350,088 512

There are 4 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

perswaded to correct things manifestly amisse and to reforme themselues There needs no Counsell tho●e need no syllogismes there need no alleadging of places of Scripture for the quiering of these stirres of the Lutherans but there is need of good minds of loue towards God and our neighbour and of humility c. Thus writes Contarenus I might cite your Thu anus and many others that lay the fault of the diuisions rents and differences in the Church vpon your Pope and Prelats Bad Statists and worse Christians But I pray you what other differences of moment do ye finde among the Protestants Antiquus When the Diuines of the Reformed in France were called to the Mompelgart colloquy in the yeare 1586 they looked for no more differences then of our Lords Supper which you spake of but they found more of the Person of Christ of Predestination of Baptisme of Images in Churches Antiquissmus They found those fiue indeed And it was a wonderfull prouidence of God that so many seuerall Countries Kingdomes and States abandoning the abuses of the Church or rather Court of Rome and making particular Reformations in their own dominions without generall meetings and consents should haue no more nor greater differences then these And of these the first two of Christs presence in the Sacrament and of the communication of properties of the diuinity and humanity in the person of Christ are in a maner all one and reconciled both alike Concerning the two next the differences among the Fathers who notwithstanding still continued members of the same true Catholik Church may well excuse the differences among the Protestants And for the fifth difference concerning Images it proued no difference at all Both sides therin fully agreed But these are not the Tithe of the differences amongst your men and in these fiue which you reckon many of your owne men differ one from another and yet with you are good Catholiks Antiquus Happily I might insist vpon many other differences among you if I carried a minde rather to number then to weigh them But I will name onely one more the great and scandalous dissention among you about the gouernment of your Church betwixt the Bishops and Formalists on the one side and the Puritans or Separatists on the other side Antiquissimus Both these sides agree in all necessary sauing points of doctrine But in this very point of gouernment D. Field Appen first part pag. 120. first pull out the beame out of your owne eyes before you stare vpon our motes Some of your Doctors hold that the Pope is aboue Generall Councels some that he is not Some hold that the pope hath the vniuersality of all Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction in himselfe Others hold the pope to be onely the Prince Bishop in order and honour before other which are equall in commission with him and at the most but as the Duke of Venice among the Senators of that State Some hold that the pope may erre Iudicially Others that the pope cannot erre Iudicially Some hold the pope to be temporall Lord of al the world Others hold that he is not so Some hold that though the pope be not temporall Lord of the world yet in ordine ad spiritualia he may dispose of the Kingdome of the world Others hold that the pope may not meddle with Princes States in any wise §. 5. Antiquus The differences among Protestants you say are not great but I am sure their dissentions are great bitter scandalous and odious while they write most virulent inuectiues one against another damne one another most grieuously for their different doctrine without shew of any touch of Christan mortification or moderation Antiquissimus Those that do so are much to blame It is farre from mee to defend them Yet you know sometimes very holy and well mortified men may happen into strange contentions euen for smal matters Saint Paul and Barnabas appointed by the Holy Ghost to ioyne for the worke of the ministry in planting Churches among the Gentiles Acts 13.2 which they did very laboriously cheerefully with good successe and though they suffered persecution in doing it yet were comfortably deliuered and allwayes found God who had sent them present to protect and blesse them and afterwards they were sent by the Church to Ierusalem to the Apostles and elders Acts 15.1 2. about questions that troubled the Church and by the whole Councell of Apostles they were sent againe Iointly to the Churches of Antioch Syria and Cilicia and other Nations to giue them notice of the decrees of the Councell to direct and confirme the brethren now hauing deliuered their message and done their businesse imposed at Antioch and were so to go forward to Syria and Cilicia They fell to contention and for a matter of no great moment to wit Barnabas would haue Iohn to goe with them and Paul refused him the contention grew so sharp that they parted company and went seuerall wayes See how flesh and blood boyled in these good mens hearts Euen in those mens hearts whom God had made speciall choyce of and Ioyned them together for his most especiall and extraordinary workes vpon whom the Church of God after fasting and prayer had laid their hands and separated them to goe Ioyntly together about that holy busines who had power to doe many miracles and extraordinary workes Acts 15. who made report of the wonderfull successe which God gaue them in conuerting the Gentiles to the great admiration and consolation of the Apostles whom the Apostles sent againe with their decrees to the Churches euen these holy men fell out for a light cause and parted company Haply some man might say Are these to be accounted truely mortified and holy men who were carried away with such a humor of pride and s●lfe will that neither of them would yeeld to other are these guided by the spirit of God the spirit of peace loue concord humility are these fit to teach others that cannot ouerrule their owne passions or haue they no part of the spirit of God but are men ouerborne with haughtinesse wilfullnesse stubbornesse vnfit for men of this profession able to make men vtterly distaste and abhorre whatsoeuer they preach Thus would some men gather out of this action But Saint Paul a chosen vessell yet still an earthen vessel who knew well he had his cracks and his flawes himselfe gathereth another thing 2 cor 4.6 2 Cor. 4.6 God who hath commanded the light to shine out of darknes hath shined in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Chirst But we haue this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of vs. Secondly At the first Councell of Nice many Churchmen offred vp to the Emperor Constantine Bills of Complaint one against another Zozomen hist lib. 1. cap. 16. which the Emperor tooke very ill and said this was worse then
vniuersall both in time and place §. 4. See Aug. in Psal 92. continued throughout all Ages and dispersed in all places in which sense onely the Church is Catholicke and one then it is a point of fa●th and not of sight For it is visible totally at any one time or place to any mortall eyes Some part thereof being in Europe some in Asia some in Africa for place some part in heauen triumphant some on earth militant some not yet in the world for time We beleeue therefore that there is one Catholicke Church we see but a small part of it that is one vniuersall company of Christians spread ouer the whole earth and continuing from the Apostles times till the day of Iudgement part whereof is now in heauen part on earth and part yet to come called to be professors of Gods worship and partakers of his glory through Iesus Christ his sonne And though this whole company be neuer visible to men at once yet some parts thereof liuing vpon earth are alwayes visible to men by their persons and profession some at one time some at another some in one Countrey some in another as the Church of Jerusalem and of Antioch of Rome Corinth Galatia c. In the Apostles times the seuen Churches of Asia in S. Iohns time the Churches of England France and other Nations in our time §. 5. Secondly if you take the Church for the company of Christians liuing in any one particular Age and thereunto apply the propheticall promises you must admit a threefold distinction one of the parts of the Church another of the promises appliable to the seuerall parts and a third of the times wherein they are to be fulfilled For a D. VVhite Reply to Fisher pag. 52. most of the promises though in generall termes made to the Church in common to shew what the whole is in respect of Gods outward vocation or what the office and duty of the whole Church is yet doe appertaine formally and indeed onely to the better part of the common subiect As your owne Doctors teach b Cornel. de ●apide com Esa cap. 2. v. 4 Cum Deus aliquid Synagoga vel Ecclesiae permittit quamvis ampl● vniuersal bus v●rbis ●● tamen de bonis proba tantum qui sae●●s amicitiam cum deo promittente pa●iscente seruant intelligendum The Scriptures giue vs a distinction of the Called and Chosen saying Many be called but few chosen Mat. 20.16 The Called are the Professors and the Prof●ssors saith your c Bellar. de Eccles● militant lib. 3. cap. 2. §. nostra autem sententia Bellarmine are the members of the true Church though they be reprobi scelesti impij reprobates wicked and impious For saith he to be a member of the Church there is not necessarily required any inward vertues but onely outward profession But I hope you will not say that to this company in grosse these promises doe belong of purity vnspottednesse eternall life but onely to the better part thereof that is the Chosen that truely beleeue and holily liue according to Christs doctrine which company because who they are is onely knowne to God the discerner of the hearts and not to men who see onely their persons and profession but not their hearts may well be called in respect of men The invisible Church as visible to God onely The Holy Ghost describing the true members of the Church calls them such as should be saued Acts 2.47 The Lord added to the Church such as should be saued And this is the ordinary doctrine of d Aug. de Bapt. contra Donatis●as lib. 6. cap. 3. Auari raptores faencratores inuidi malevoli ad sanctam ecclesiam dei non pertinent quamvis esse videantur illa autem columba vnica pudica casta sponsa sine macula ruga hortus conclusus sons signatus paradisus cum fructu pomorum c. non intelligitur nisi de bonis sanctis iustis intim●m supereminentem spiritus sancti gratiam habentibus S. Augustine that true godly men such as shall be saued are the only heires of the promises the couetous rauenous vsurers enuious malevolous do not belong to the holy Church of God though they seeme to be in it That onely Doue that chaste and pure Spouse without spot or wrinkle that garden inclosed fountaine sealed paradise of Pomegranats c. is not vnderstood but of the good holy and iust such as haue the inward and supereminent grace of the holy spirit Thus Saint Augustine Againe e Aug. ib. lib. 7. cap. 51. he saith All things considered I thinke I shall not rashly say that some are so in the house of God that they are also the very house of God which is said to be built vpon a Rocke which is called his onely Doue his faire Spouse without spot or wrinckle c. for this is in the good faithfull The like De vnitate eccle cap. vlt. Epist 48. De Bapt. cort Donat. lib. 5. c. 27. in praesatione in Psal 47. De doctr Christiana lib. 3. cap. 22. In the rules of Tychonius De corpore Domini bipartito and holy seruants of God euery where dispersed and yet conioyned in spirituall vnity and in the same communion of the Sacraments whether they know one another by face or not And it is certaine that others are said so to be in the house that they belong not ad compagem domus to the frame of the house nor to the society of fruitfull peacefull righteousnesse but as the chaffe among the Corne c of whom it is said They departed from vs but they were not of vs. In many other places Saint Austen hath the like Insomuch as Bellarmine being ouerpressed with the Scriptures and Fathers and especially Saint Augustine §. 6. cannot but yeeld and saith in plaine tearmes f Bellar. de eccle milit lib 3 cap. 2. §. nota●dum autem that wicked men without any internall vertue are no otherwise members of the Church then our excrements and diseases are parts or members of our bodies as our hayres our nayles and euill humours in our bodies and elsewhere g Ib. cap. 9. §. Ad vltimum a●o malos non esse membra viva corporis Christi hoc significari illis scripturis obiectis He saith that euill men are no other then dead members of Christs body and hee citeth many learned Papists that say Malos non esse membra vera nec simpliciter corporis ecclesiae sed tantum secundum quid aequivocè That euill men are not true members nor simply of the body of the Church but onely after a sort and equiuocally His Authors alleadged there are Iohannes de Turrecremata Alexander de Ales Hugo B. Thomas Petrus à Soto Melchior Canus alij I will conclude this point with Saint Augustine who saith h Aug lib. 2. contra Cre●conium
See you that loue the Pope so well what a blessing you would bring vpon the Land by restoring his authority which our forefathers counted a burden most vntollerable Antiquus Matthy Paris is noted to take too much delight in speaking euill of the Pope and Matthy of Westminster receiued his Narrations from him and both were too much affected to their owne Countrey Antiquissimus They were both of the Romish Religion the one a Monke of Saint Albones the other a Monke of Westminster Abbey both delighted to speake the truth and spake well of the Popes wherethey saw cause and related other Countries affaires with as vpright affections as their owne Paris saith that the iniustice impiety and dishonesty beare with these words they are his owne of the Court of Rome made the Greeke Church then to fall away and to oppose it selfe against the Roman and that shortly afterwards the Church of Antioch excommunicated the Pope and his Church for vsurping primacy ouer them and being also defiled with Simony Vsury Auarice and other hainous offences And we reade the same things plentifully deliuered in all forraigne Historians Nauclere Vrspergensis Krantzius Aventinus Schasuaburgensis Frisingensis Trithenius c. Vrspergensis in Chron. pag. 307. Abbas Vrspergensis at his being at Rome seeing among other infinite meanes and mines of wealth a great confluence of causes litigious about Bishops places and all other Ecclesiasticall dignities and Parish Churches out of all Countries running to the Court of Rome there to be decided Hee applaudes Rome with the Apostrophe Reioyce O Mother Rome for vnto thee are opened the Cataracts of treasures in the earth To thee runne the Riuers and mountaines of money in great plenty Be Jouiall for the iniquity of the sonnes of men c. thou hast that which thou alwayes thirstedst after Sing thy song that by the wickednesse of men not by thine owne Religion thou hast ouercome the world Men are drawne to thee not by their deuotion or pure conscience but by perpetrating manifold mischiefes and for decision of their Controuersies to thee most gainefull Antiquus Sir suppose all you haue alleadged be true for the substance will you condemne the wisdome policy and zeale of the Church or any members thereof for the vndiscreet managing of it by some particulars Is not wisedome policy power and zeale necessary to maintaine good Doctrine good gouernment and to winne soules and must not learned men and good gouernours bee maintained with wealth befitting their estate and dignity to keepe them from contempt and pouerty are not all these things necessary Antiquissimus Yes vndoubtedly very necessary and commendable but vnder colour of necessity you may not allow policies contrary to true piety and Gods Word such as I alleadged to wit The barring of the Scriptures from Gods people to keepe them in ignorance The disanulling of the Apostles ordinance of placing preachers resident in Cities and Townes subiect to Bishops Iurisdictions who may looke to their good life and sound doctrine and instead of them to allow and priuiledge ambulatory preachers to preach what they list mauger all Bishops and their Officers Yea to instill into the peoples mindes false doctrines treasonous and rebellious practises to the disturbance and destruction of Kingdomes and Common-wealthes who finde it best fishing in troubled waters and fish not for mens soules but for Kingdomes to subiugate all to the Dominion of R●me or Spaine nor the gathering of wealth by wrongs or oppressions to the vndoing of people and making the Religion of GOD to stinke in their nostrils as Helies wicked sonnes did 1 Samuel Chapter 2. verse 27. Wherefore the sinne of the young men was very great before the Lord for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. Antiquus Well Sir to let this passe If you describe these polices truely they are very potent those of the society of Iesus are very learned diligent zealous and constant to endure all labours paines and perils to winne men their policies and plots are so strongly layed constantly followed wisely managed and powerfully backed with the Pope and Cardinals yea with Kings Princes and States fauouring them or tyed to the Pope by some necessitudes that they are vnresistable and therefore you may doe well to yeeld to them in good time for such wisedome strength and policy will preuaile Antiquissimus Thinke not so Antiquus This arme of flesh be it neuer so strong is too weake for the arme of the Lord. Note what is written in the Reuelation cap. 17. verse 12 13 14. The ten hornes are ten Kings these haue one minde they giue their power and strength vnto the Beast these shall make warre with the Lambe but the Lambe shall ouercome them for he is the Lord of lords and King of kings And they that are with him are called and chosen and faithfull The power and policy of Babylon should not amate vs but animate vs. Chap. 2. sect 8. Reuel 18.9 to the chapters end Tu contra audentiùs ito For Babylon shal fall Reuelations chapter 18. verse 2. c. and Rome is that Babylon your men grant it as I haue shewed therefore Rome shall fall and her fall shall be wofull dolefull and irrecouerable The Kings and Merchants her friends shall bewayle her the world shall stand amazed and Gods people shall reioyce at her fall She must fall fully and finally and she hath begunne to fall already See History of the Councell of Trent pag. 4. euen when Pope Leo the tenth thought that state in greatest security then came an vnexpected blow from one contemned man Luther which shooke her foundations and since that time she hath shrunke continually and setled lower All the props of strength and policie haue not beene able to raise or hold her vp She hath all policies on her side the Protestants haue none but the plaine downe-right truth and ordinary teaching as Christ hath prescribed and yet that plaine truth hath preuailed against all her power and policies FINIS A IVSTIFICATION OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. 1. The first Chapter is a full discourse of the visibility of the Church and sheweth where the Church of the Protestants was before Luthers time This Chapter is large to giue the fuller satisfaction and for better perspicuity is diuided into foure Sections The first Section sheweth how visible the true Church ought to be The second sheweth that the Protestants Church hath euermore been so visible as the true Church of Christ ought to be in the ancient Primitiue Church Greeke and Easterne Church The third section deliuereth a sufficient historical discourse of the Waldenses prouing the point The fourth section sheweth that the Church of Rome excepting the Papacy and the maintainers thereof continued to be the true Church of God vntill Luth●rs ●●me and was all one in substance with ours The first section is subdiuided into subsections and they into to many smaller Paragraffes noted thus § The first subsection
was driuen out Notwithstanding within a few dayes after to appeale the tumults of people he was recalled Socrates lib. 6. cap. 16. placed ag●ine in his Bishopricke restored to preaching and so continued a while but not without tumults wherein many were wounded and many killed And when hee was banished againe the Cathedrall Church at Constantinople with the Senate h●use were set on fire and burned to the ground in the pursuit of reuenge Baronius beginning the story of this contention Baron tomo 5. anno 400. nu 51. saith thus I take in hand a great and lamentable narration of strife and direfull persecution not of Gentiles against Christians nor heretickes against Catholickes nor of wicked men against good and iust but which is monstrous and prodigious euen of Saints and holy men one against another Ninthly Socrates lib. 7. cap. 33. D. F●eld church lib 5 cap 33. ●p●end 1 part pag 116 117 118. c D Hall Columb● Noe pag. 44. In the first Councell of Ephesus being the third generall Councell there arose great cont●ntions b●twixt Cyril of Alexan ria and Iohn Bishop of Antioch two Patriarkes either of them thundring Anathematismes again●t other and depriuing each oth●r of their Churches Theodores vnhappily thrust his sickle into Iohns haruest against whom at the ●nstigation of Euoptius Cyrillus grieuously inueighed Theodoret accused Cyrill of Apollinarisme and Cyrill accused Theodoret of N storianisme And this fury spred so farre that it drew almost the Christian world into sides So that when afterwards Theodoret would haue come into the Chalcedon Synod the Aegyptian and other reuerend Bishops cryed If we receiue Theodoret we cast out Cyril the Canons cast out Theodoret God abhorres him This was done in the first action of the Chalcedon Councell and againe in the eight action the Bishops crying out openly he is an Hereticke he is a N●stori●n away with the Hereticke Yet when the matter was fully knowen and that Theodoret had willingly subscribed to the Orthodoxe Creedes and to Leo's Epistles The whole Syno● cryed with one v●yce Theodoret is worthy of his Ecclesiasticall Sea let the Church receiue her Catholike Pastor Antiquus Your discourse hath ● t me into a mixture of griefe and ●o● Griefe that any of the holy ancient Fathers haue held any errours at all and that there were such bitter contentions among them Ioy that seeing there were such they are not hid from me For that will make me more moderate in thinking of them though reuerently as holy men yet still as men subiect to humane infirmities and not in all things to make their sayings rules of my faith or their doings pat●ernes of my life but altogether to make the most holy perfect infallible and vnstained word of God the guides of both and it shall make me also more wise in esteeming men now liuing reuerently for the graces of God which I see in them notwithstanding their humane fra●lties such as I perceiue the best Saints of God haue had But yet I see not any sufficient rule to leade mee to Iudge how you can challenge the Fathers to be of your Religion more then the Romans may challenge them to be of theirs I perceiue well they diff●red from both in many things wherein you both refuse them Antiquissimus You make that vse of my discourse that I wish For the Rule to direct your iudgement I haue pointed at it often and now I will briefely and as fully as I can lay it open vnto you CHAP. 4. Of the Rule to iudge the soundnesse and purity of all Christians and Churches by This Chapter hath foure Sections The first Section of the Rule vsed in the Primitiue Church The second of the Rule enlarged and approued in this Age The third of Obiections arising from the former discourses and their answeres The fourth of the necessity of Preaching still to them that hold the Rule The first Section § 1. The Rule in generall § 2. Opened by distinctions of the foundation of Religion § 3. A necessity to haue a short rule drawne out of the Scriptures § 4. This rule is described by Saint Paul § 5. The practise of it by the Apostles who onely deliuered the most necessary fundamentall points to the Iewes and then baptized them § 6. The like practise vsed by the following Primitiue Church to their Catechumeni before Baptisme §. 1. THe Rule to Iudge all Christians and Churches by is this They that hold the same fundamentall points of Christian Religion which doe sufficiently constitute the Church of Christ and hold no other opinions wittingly and obstinately that ouerthrow any of these fundamentall points they are vndoubtedly of the same true Church and Religion §. 2. For the vnderstanding of this Rule note 1 Saint Paul distinguisheth betwixt the foundation and that which is built vpon the foundation 1 Cor. 3.10 As a wise Master-builder I haue laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon The word Foundation is taken two wayes First for the principall thing which is to be beleeued and wherupon our saluation is builded that is Iesus Christ as Saint Paul saith there verse 11. Other foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Iesus Christ Acts 4.12 There is no saluation in any other there is none other name vnder heauen giuen among men whereby we must be saued 1 Tim. 3.16 This is the great mystery of godlinesse God was manifest in the flesh c. This was Saint Peters confession Matth. 16.16 Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Vpon which confession as Saint Augustine and Chrysostome expound it Christ said he would build his Church and the gates of Hell should not preuaile against it Secondly the word Foundation is taken for the Doctrine of the Scriptures which teach saluation onely by Iesus Christ as Ephes 2.20 The house that is the houshold or Church of God is built vpon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himselfe the chiefe Corner stone And so the Apostles are called twelue foundations Reuel 21.14 to wit in respect of their doctrine whereby they laid the foundation of the Church and of mens saluation by Iesus Christ §. 3. 2 Although the whole Scripture and euery thing therein contained or from it necessarily deduced be a fit obiect for faith to apprehend Yet that all Christians should thorowly conceiue and vniformely professe them all is not to be hoped B. Vsher Serm. at Wansted pag 22. nor in any Age hath beene found As we haue manifestly proued * In the former Chapter Variety of Iudgements in some points of lesser moment which are not plainely deliuered in the Scriptures may be tollerated and must not dissolue the vnity which all must hold in the fundamentall principles Heauen was not prepared for deepe Clerkes onely which vnderstood all or for such as neuer differed in any opinion 1 Cor. 132 12. but euen for such also as knew but in part and saw through a