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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	church_n	key_n	peter_n	5,807	5	7.9067	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07344	An antidote against popery confected out of scriptures, fathers, councels, and histories. Wherein dialogue-wise are shewed, the points, grounds, and antiquitie of the Protestant religion; and the first springing vp of the points of popery: together with the Antichristianisme thereof. Being alone sufficient to inable any Protestant of meane capacitie, to vnderstand and yeeld a reason of his religion, and to incounter with and foyle the aduersary. By Iohn Mayer, B.D. and pastor of the Church of little Wratting in Suffolke.	Mayer, John, 1583-1664.	1625 (1625)	STC 17729; ESTC S102861	69,172	94

set forth the Articles of our faith Gods holy will and commandements and the doctrine of Prayer and worshipping God which is all necessarie to be knowne vnto saluation so that herein a Christian of ordinarie vnderstanding needeth not to depend vpon the sense of others but immediately vpon the Word of God In places more obscure the best Doctors of the Church haue alwayes differed and therefore euen herein Christian people are not tyed to the sense of any but to that which is most agreeable to the truth plainely set forth in some other place Serg. Paul If all haue iudgement in the sense of Gods Word then it seemeth that none are to bee debarred from reading the Scriptures for feare of falling into errour by so doing whereas it is plaine that ignorant persons are peruerted sometimes by the scriptures themselues 2. Pet. 3.16 For there are many places hard to be vnderstood which the ignorant and vnstable peruert to their owne damnation Saul Nothing can be more against the minde of Christ then to debarre the people from reading and hearing the Scriptures read in a knowne tongue For hee hath bidden Search the Scriptures for therein yee looke to finde eternall life Ioh 5.39 The danger that some fall into hereby is otherwise to bee prouided against viz. by diligent preaching and opening the sense Serg. Paul But is not the Church all in all to Christian people Haue they not the Scriptures from the Church and do they not by the Church come to know that they are the Word of God and therefore howsoeuer the Church shall order the reading and setting forth of the Scriptures is it not to be held to be done very well Saul It is not to bee denied but that as the Woman of Samaria brought the people there to the knowledge of Christ so we are brought by the Church at the first to know the Scriptures to be the Word of God but as the same people said vnto her after that Christ had taught them Ioh 4.42 now we beleeue not because of thy words but because we haue heard him our selues So Christian people receiuing the Word into their hearts doe not beleeue any more because of the Church but because the Word it selfe working vpon their consciences perswadeth them that it is the Word of God And as it gaue the being at the first vnto the Church so the Church is to bee ordered thereby as by the superiour and not to order it as an inferiour Serg. Paul What is the fourteenth particular point Saul The fourteenth point is that Christ onely is the supreme head and foundation of his Church neither hath any one man nor ought to haue superioritie ouer all others in spirituall matters in all Countries and Nations being as it were a common Rocke whereupon all may stay themselues nothing doubting but that cleaning to him they cleaue to Christ 1 Cor. 3 9. and are free from errour For none can lay any other foundation sauing that which is laid Iesus Christ If vpon any other the Church be founded it is not vpon one but vpon all the Apostles alike Ephes 2.20 Gal. 2.9 and the Prophets too if vpon any as more principall they are three Iames Cephas and Iohn who seemed to be Pillars If a power spiritually to rule by opening and shutting binding and loosing be committed to any ouer all others neither is that committed to one Peter but to all the Apostles Ioh. 20 23. For whose sins ye remit saith the Lord they are remitted and whose sinnes yee retaine they are retained and if any one hath rule ouer the world as chiefe it is not Peter Gal. 2 7. but Paul For to Peter was committed the ministerie of the circumcision onely which was but of one Nation to Paul the minister of the vncircumcision which was of all the rest of the world Serg. Paul But of Peter the Lord saith singularly Math. 16.16 Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and to thee I giue the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen And follow me and I will make thee a fisher of men And againe Peter louest thou me Ioh. 23. Feed my sheepe By all which it should seemt that howsoeuer others had power of binding and loosing too yet he was preferred as chiefe and aboue all the rest after whom such another should succeed and so another from age to age to the worlds end And this construction seemeth to bee verified by the vninterrupted succession of those Bishops who challenge to be his successors beyond all other Bishops of any other place seeing there is no such sucression else where to be found Saul If Peter had beene appointed ouer all I had beene much to blame to withstand him to his face at Antioch Gal. 2.14 and to goe on in mine office without seeking allowance and aduice from him I doe not therefore acknowledge any chiefly intimated in Peter aboue the other Apostles but that hee should be a most notable instrument of glorifying God and propagating the Gospell wherein hee should exceed the rest being fuller of the power of the Holy Ghost as he was fuller of zeale towards Christ And that last committing of the sheepe and lambs to his feeding singularly was no more then was needfull after his grosse fall by denying his Lord and Master through which hee might for euer haue beene discouraged had not his commission beene againe renued It pleased our good God for his owne glory to deale alike with him and with me both grieuous sinners and blasphemers that where sinne had most abounded zeale and grace might most abound and whereas wee were most darkned through scandall that might hence arise making vs vnfit to be lights of the world to make vs shine by miracles aboue all others that thus no scandall to hinder the Gospell might any more appeare And as for the succession so much gloried in it is no true succession of Apostolicall men but of politicall Princes maintained by the sword and not by the word euen as the successors of Mahomet haue done Of Apostlolike men there hath beene a more true succession at Constantinople Alexandria and Antioch Serg. Paul But if there be no supreame power vpon earth how shall vnity be maintained in the Church seeing diners men will be of diners minds and in case of difference about matter of faith who shall be Iudge to end it if no one man how shall it come to an end or hath the Lord left his Church in such a miserable case as that she must needs broile in contentions without end Saul There was no supreame in the Primitiue Church and yet they are said to haue beens all together with one mind Act. 2.46 the Spirit which is the Author of vnity shall keepe the true Church in vnity though there be no visible head ouer all And as for differences that arise wee haue an exemplary direction to meet in Councell Acts

So that we may most truely affirme that there is no one tenent of our Church but we haue a plaine place of Scripture for it but it may truly be retorted vpon you that you haue not one plaine place for any one of your tenents or practices so that ye are faine miserably to wrest and straine any text hence alledged and when that will not doe to fly to Apochryphall bookes traditions and ridiculous fables Elym Are all these sayings in your Bible if they bee it is more then I know but sure I am that there are sentences plainly teaching the same that we doe For what else is that saying of our Sauiour This is my body and my flesh is meat indeed and blood drinke indeed and vpon this rocke will I build my Church and to thee will I giue the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen and againe Peter feed my sheepe And touching the Church Math. 18.17 1 Tim 3.15 If he heareth not the Church let him be to thee as an Ethnicke and the Church is the ground and pillar of truth Touching other points we need none other Scripture seeing to the Church it is promised Ioh. 16.13 When he is come which is the spirit of truth he will lead you into all truth Wherefore the Church cannot erre and whatsoeuer is by her propounded as matter of faith or practice must needs then be right But bee it knowne vnto you that wee want not plaine places for particular points Touching iustification Iam. 2.24 A man is not iustified by faith onely but by workes Touching prayer for the dead There is a sinne vnto death I say not that yee should pray for it 1 Ioh. 5.16 Iam. 5.14 Luke 7.47 Math. 25. Touching extreame vnction They shall pray for him and anoint him in the name of the Lord. Touching the merit of workes Many sinnes are forgiuen her because shee hath loued much and Come ye blessed c. for I was hungry and yee fed me c. For time would faile me if I should go on to alleage all the places that plainly make for vs. Paul You doe well so to slieglit our euidences brought out of the holy Scriptures because they are so plaine that they cannot bee answered neither indeed doe your sect much acquaint your selues with the Bible for there are some students in Diuinity of many yeares that neuer read the Bible To your places therefore How doth the speech of our Sauiour make for Transubstantiation without altering or adding It is meat indeed we confesse but he saith not is meat for the body nor yet in explaining himself afterwards hath he one word intimating a bodily substance that he would giue to be fed vpon but the clean contrary for he saith Ioh. 6.63 the flesh profiteth nothing my words are spirit and life Againe for those sayings vnto Peter there is nothing plaine for Peters supremacy for his bearing vp all as a foundation and much lesse for his pretended successours the Bishops of Rome For plainly to teach these things had beene to haue said vpon thee and thy successours will I build my Church and to thee and to him that shall succeed thee in thy Bishopricke at Rome I will giue authority ouer all others But so far is the Lord from this that when there was iust occasion offered vpon the motion of the mother of Zebedees children to declare the supreme when they contended about it amongst themselues hee speaketh no word to settle the supremacy vpon any one but altogether to stop the mouth of any from once challenging it But I haue spoken sufficiently of this before so that I shall not need to adde any thing about his commission to feed his sheepe It is maruaile that when all chiefe points of faith are so plainely expressed that this which is so much stood vpon as inferiour to none should be so obscurely passed ouer Touching the Church there is nothing plainely spoken that it shall be alwayes visible but onely it may be implyed that as long as there are Christians to doe those mutuall offices of reproouing one another for sinne there shall be a discipline exercised in the Church how corrupt soeuer for the chastisement of such as are complained of as manifest transgressors of the Law the iust proceedings whereof notwithstanding the corruptions are of force to the terror of malefactors For that saying tell the Church at that time had reference to a most corrupt Church of Scribes and Pharisees whose authority was yet by the Lord established saying Math. 23.1 whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and doe So that from hence nothing more can be rightly taught no not by inference but that there shall alwayes be some visible Church good or bad which we also acknowledge But in case that there bee two such Churches together who doubteth forsaking that which is corrupt to goe to the best and soundest Touching error from which you seeke to exempt your Church because the Church is called the gound and pillar of truth what is this to the present Church of Rome the sinke of most grosse errors and superstitions The true Church indeed such as it was in those dayes founded vpon the Prophets and Apostles Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner slone Ephes 2.20 was the ground of truth because therein the truth was preserued and vpheld and wheresoeuer it is so at this day that Church is likewise the ground and pillar of truth But it doth not necessarily follow that wheresoeuer the Church is whether sound or corrupt it is the ground of truth for so much as the truth held and eleaued vnto in all things maketh the Church the pillar and ground of truth and not the Church that to be true whatsoeuer she shall think good to propound For otherwise Christ the Prophets Apostles with their dictates institutions and writings should not bee a ground vnto men succeeding and inferiour to them but these men should bee a ground vnto them which were absurd And the same I answer to that promise of the spirit it was peculiar to the Apostles and special instruments stirred vp for those times to be so guided into all truth as not to erre because what came from them was to bee a ground to the faithfull in all succeeding ages and it is most palpably wrested to your Church now And if your fundamentall places be thus impertinently alledged the rest will fall without any labour at the least most worthy Sergius you may be able to iudge hereof by that which hath beene already spoken in laying open the faith of the reformed Church Serg. Paul When these places were first alledged by Elymas I thought it impossible to answer them and therefore did begin to incline to thinke better of the Roman Church then you had perswaded me but now I see that they are but the painting and colouring of a deformed face being without all true beauty And for the places omitted I haue them

in the workes of the regenerate through which they become worthy of heauen Serg. Paul The Saints are so neere vnto Christ as that it seemeth to be all one to ascribe merit vnto their passions and to hi●● if they were diuerse from him it were to lay another foundation indeed Hast not thou written to the same effect saying Col. 1.24 I fulfill therest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body which is his Church And touching the Masse and good workes of the regenerate whatsoeuer vertue is ascribed hereunto it tendeth the more to the magnisying of Christs merit which is able to giue vertue to other things to m●rit also Saul These are plausible reasons indeed to d●ceiue the simple but he which hath any vnderstanding can consider that by the like reason the sunne moone and starres might safety be associated vnto God in diuine worship for they are neere vnto him also And for that saying of mine if any other part of my writing or of the whole Bible did sound to the seconding of such an acception it might well bee taken so but considering that I haue plainly professed elsewhere that Paul is nothing and Aposlo nothing 1. Cor. 3. Phil. 3.9 and that Christs righteousnesse is that onely wherein I desire to bee found Mee thinkes what I haue said to the Colossians should not be wrested so but bee simply taken of my sufferings in going about to doe good vnto the Church which I call Christs sufferings because vndergone for him who taught me sometime Act. 9. that the persecuting of his members was the persecuting of himselfe Lastly where there is any such extent of the vertue of Christs passion to make other things meritorious certaine it is good to acknowledge and extoll it but out of this case as it is in the matter of the Masse and of good workes it is a plaine derogating from Christs merit the onely sure foundation and a razing of it That there is no merit in these things hath beene sufficiently shewed heretofore Serg. Paul But did not the blessed Virgin Mary merit any thing for vs by thos passions which she had together with Christ in her soule when he hung vpon the Crosse Saul I am glad that you put me in mind againe to speak of this that the abhomination of the Romish religion might the more appeare For indeed they make her aboue all the Saints not onely a mediatrix of intercession but of Redemption also affirming that her standing by when the Lord suffered vpon the crosse full of sorrow to be hold it was a ioyning with him in our Redemption and therefore where as it is said of Christ hee shall breake the Serpents head they turne it she and whereas the Prophet saith in his person Gen. 3. I haue troden the winepresse alone there was no man with me Esa 63.3 they say there was no man indeed but that blessed woman yea and so farre be the Iesuites gone in their dotage about her meriting as that they make comparisons betwixt her milke and Christs blood ascribing as much to the one as to the other as appeareth in the booke called The Iesuits Gospell Serg. Paul Touching his mediatorship doe they rely vpon any other Mediators Saul Yes that they doe for they make both the Virgin Mary and all the Saints departed mediators vnto God for them in all their common prayers desiring them to pray for them and sometimes as though they had the disposing of heauen that they would conferre vpon them the Kingdome of heauen Serg. Paul Although Christ be the onely Mediator of Redemption yet there are more mediators of intercession for we all must pray one for another It seemeth therefore that this doth no more raze the foundation then desiring the Elders of the Church to pray for vs in the time of sicknesse Saul I haue already spoken enough to shew the error of this practice It shall suffice therefore onely to adde thus much more that this distinction betwixt a Mediator of Redemption of intercession in heauen is vaine for as Christ is the onely propitiation for our sinnes 1 Iohn 2.2 Rom. 8.34 so hee onely at the right hand of God maketh intercession for vs. If any else doe the like it is concealed from vs neither are wee bidden to come by them but altogether by the Sonne vnto the Father Moreouer we cannot come by any in heauen vnto God but wee must ascribe vnto them the diuine attribute of omniscience● wherby they know all things though neuer so remote from them which is to rob the Lord of his peculiar honour as if Maiesty or Supreme power were ascribed to any of the kings subiects Serg. Paul Proceed new to the last point what doe they hold touching the beginning and proceedings of Grace Saul They teach that there is in euery man free will whereby hee can desire and doe preparatiue workes vnto grace which the Lord beholding hath mercy vpon him and inlargeth him being before in prison and bound as it were with chaines and then hee becommeth able to doe according to his desire that is perfectly to fulfill Gods Commandements for which he shall finally haue the reward of eternall glory bestowed vpon him Serg. Paul And haue they not good ground for this in the example of Cornelius Act. 10. whose almes and prayers done before his conuersion were acceptable to God so as that hereupon Peter was sons vnto him and the holy Ghost was bestowed vpon him Saul God had wrought in the heart of Cornelius before this Act. 10.2 for hee is said to haue beene a deuout man and one that feared God which could not haue been spoken of him if he had been a meere naturall man Therefore from his example no good argument can be made to proue preparatiue works in naturall men Hee had doubtlesse so much grace and knowledge as was incident to the faithfull before Christs comming in the flesh onely hee wanted the knowledge of his person in particular already come to preach which and that withall he might receiue the holy Ghost Peter was sent vnto him Serg. Paul But how doth this raze the foundation Christ Saul Because vpon Christ all our well desiring and doing doth depend We cannot thinke a good thought as of our selues but all our sufficiency is of God 2. Cor. 3.5 Ioh. 15.5 1. Cor. 1. Gen. 6.5 and the Lord hath plainly said without me ye can doe nothing and touching a naturall man the wisdome of God is foolishnesse vnto him all the imaginations of his bea rt are onely euill continually To teach that then whereby a man shall bee brought in part to rely vpon himselfe is in effect to disanull Christ the alone ground of our well doing and desiring Serg. Paul I am well satisfied by this touching your first reasen prouing that the Roman Church is no true Church of God me thought you game me an hint of a further reason in saying