Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	church_n	likeness_n	mutable_a	20	3	16.0062	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03882	A treatise concerning the properties and offices of the true Church of Christ VVritten in Latin, by the reuerend Father Iames Gordon Huntley of Scotland, Doctour of Diuinity, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English, by I.L. of the same Society. The first part of the second controuersy; Controversiarum epitomes. English. Selections	Gordon, James, 1541-1620.; Wright, William, 1563-1639.	1614 (1614)	STC 13997; ESTC S118148	27,620	62

disputatiō is not properly of the auncient Church which was before Christs time but of that which ensued the promulgation of the Gospell till this our present age whereof Christ sayth Vpon this rocke I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it For albeit the Church hath beene alwayes visible euen frō the beginning of the world till the cōming of Christ as Paulus Orosius Eusebius haue out of the holy Scriptures in euery age declared In this our age also Genebrard Sanders and Coccius haue briefly demonstrated the same Yet notwithstanding before the comming of Christ the whole Church of God was in a manner concluded into greater straits of persons and place according to those words of the Prophet Dauid God was knowne in Iury againe He hath not done thus to euery Nation and he hath not manifested or made knowne his iudgment vnto them But amongst the Gentils there were but a few who acnowledged and rightly worshipped God Wherefore the true Church was often reduced vnto a few persons in number but notwithstāding euer visible those very eminent in sanctity and holynesse as is declared by S. Augustins words already alledged But the state and condition of the Church of Christ is farre differēt after the promulgatiō of the Gospell frō that other for now that blessed seed of Abrahā is come wherin all the Natiōs of the earth were to be Blessed Now those prophecies of Christs inheritaūce and Kingdomes are fullfilled Aske of me thee I wil giue all Nations for thy inheritaunce and the bounds of the whole earth for thy possession Also He shall gouerne and reigne from sea to sea and from the ryuer to the end of the whole world And againe All the Kings of the earth shall adore him and all Nations shall serue him Moreouer our Lord hath prepared his holy arme in the eyes of all Nations and all the limits of the earth shall see the saluation of our Lord and God When S. Angustine had alledged this place among others against the Donatists admiring their great madnesse and ignorance who affirme the Church to be eyther inuisible or to ly lurking in some od place only brake forth into these most true words worthy of so great a Doctor who is sayth he so deafe who is so mad and who is foolish to contradict these so cleare euident testimonies but he which knoweth not what he speaketh And truly that the Church of God was farre more knowen and spread ouer the whole world after the promulgation of the Gospell euen in the Apostles tyme then it euer was in the tyme of the law those words of the Apostle do sufficiently declare But Isay haue they not heard And certes into all earth hath the sound of them gone forth and vnto the ends of the whole world the wordes of them And againe speaking vnto the Romā Church he sayth I giue thankes to my God through Iesus Christ for all of you because your fayth is renewed in the whole world 7. Moreouer from the Apostles tyme till this our present age the Church of Christ hath byn not only visible but also spread abroad knowne and most famous throughout diuers Kingdomes of the world as many historiographers as well Ecclesiasticall as prophane doe testify and the worthy Cardinall Caesar Boronius hath euidently declared and that not only throughout all ages but also euery yeare in so much that those who do not consent and agree heereunto are not only to be accounted Insidels but as S. Augustine speaketh very fitly and truely men out of their wittes CHAP. VI. Other arguments of our Aduersaries against the visible Church are confuted THE third argument of our Aduersaries wherby they impugne the visible Church is this the holy Scripture compareth the Church to the moone but the moone doth often tymes not appeare as it hapneth in the new moone and in the Ecclips I answere that we must not seeke for a similitude or likenesse in all thinge● betwixt the Church and the moone for otherwise the Church of Christ should neyther see nor vnderstand nor belieue and it should be altogeather without life as the moone is But in this matter that similitude or liknesse betwixt the Church and the moone is only to be sought out in which the Scripture compareth the Church to the moone but the Scripture doth not compare the Church to the moone as she is a mutable planet but as she is beautifull in her selfe Beautifull saith Salomon as the moone but in mutability the Scripture compareth a soole to the moone but not the Church A foole saith the Wisemen is changed as the moone Moreouer the Church of Christ is not compared to euery moone but only to the moone when she is in her fulnesse perfection yea to the moone which is neuer diminished nor fayleth hēce are those words of the Prophet Isar which Caluin acknowledgeth are to be vnderstood of the Church Thy sunne shall neuer more be set and thy moone shall not be diminished or as Caluin translateth it shall not be hidden Lastly S. Iohn saith that the moone is vnder the feete of the Church that therby we may vnderstād that the Church of Christ by the vertue of the sunne to wit Christ himselfe where withall she is wholy inuested and adorned is free from all mutability in matters of faith 2. The fourth argument Those thinges which we belieue by faith are inuisible but by faith we belieue there is a Catholike Church as appeareth by the Apostles Creed therefore the Catholike Church is inuisible and not visible I answere that this is a weake argument albeit Caluin also vseth it For if it were not it would proue that the holy Scripture were also inuisible because we belieue also the holy Scripture by faith yea it would also proue euen our Aduersaries Church to be as yet inuisible for they as yet belieue their Church by faith and yet they cōfesse that their Church is now visible And truely if their Church had remayned still inuisible they had neuer caused so many tumults in the Christian Common-wealth But certainly euen as in the holy Scriptures we see one thinge and belieue another we see the letters characters the which the Infidels also see but we belieue that the Scripture is most true in all thinges the which they do not belieue so we se that the Church of Christ is extant the which also the Infidels do see for Turkes Iewes do very well know that there is a Pope and that there are Bishops Princes and Christian Nations but we belieue that this Church which we see is an holy Church is gouerned directed by the holy Ghost and that she cannot erre in matters of faith all which the Infidels do not belieue 3. The fifth argument None is in the Church but by faith but faith is inuisible therfore the

of the Church 14. The fifth office of the Church is to defend her children For this cause she opposeth her selfe against the Aduersaries of Christ. She professeth publickely her faith she fighteth cōtinually with the serpēt and his seed she suffereth much yet alwaies getteth the victory No weapon saith the Propet Isay that is made against thee shal proceed or leuel right And Christ saith Vpō this rocke I wil build my Church the gates of Hel soal not preuaile against it And in another p●ace You shall suffer trouble and pressure in this world but be of good cheere I haue ouercome the world By these propert●es and offices of the Church if they be well considered all the errors of our Aduersaries may easily be confuted as by that which followeth will manifestly appeare CHAP. II. That out of the true Church of Christ there is no saluation THE first error is of certaine Sectaries of this tyme who promise men saluatiō out of the Church But this error is easily refuted by the Scripture For that is most cleare and euident which Isaias the Prophet sayth speaking vnto the Church in the person or name of God That Nati●n and Kingdome saith he which hath not serued thee shall perish 2. The same also to be an errour is conuinced by the properties and offices of the Church before alleadged For first Christ hath but one spouse and acknowledgeth no other They shal be two in one flesh but I sayth the Apostle speake in Christ in the Church So also Christ speaketh of the Church my doue and my perfect is one Christ is not an adulterer neyther doth he beget any children of an adulteresse For this cause saith S. Cyprian the spouse of Christ cannot be an adulteresse she is not corrupted and she is chaste And a little after whosoeuer being separated from the Church is ioyned to an adulteresse he is separated from the promises of the Church Nerthe● shall he euer attaine to the rewards of Christ who teares the Church of Christ. He is an aliene he is prophane he is an enemy he cannot now haue God for his Father who hath not the Church for his Mother These he which last words S. Augustin repeateth out of him 2. Secondly he that is without the body of Christ cannot receiue the spirit of Christ nor be partaker of the lyfe and merits of Christ. But he who hath not the spirit of Christ is not his as witnesseth the Apostle S. Augustine declareth this very well by the example of a mans body whose members cannot liue vnlesse they be ioyn●d to the body Another reasō also S. Augustine alledgeth taken from the foresaid property of the Church None sayth he obtaineth saluatiō euerlasting lyfe but he who hath Christ to be his head But none can haue Christ to be his head but he who is in his body which is the Church So sayth S. Augustine 4. Thirdly the Name only of a Mother doth proue this sufficiently For none can be conceyued nor borne without a mother and the child which is borne if it leaue to sucke the mothers breasts will perish for hunger By which argument euen our wisest Aduersaries are convinced For both Caluin and Beza doe confesse this that euen the name only of a mother doth conuince that which we haue sayd to be true yea also the Scripture doth oftē testify that out of the boosome of the Church we cannot hope for the remission of our sinnes nor euerlasting saluation and that the goyng out of the true Church was alwaies-hatefull And hence it commeth to passe that in the Creed of the Apostles first we beliue the holy Catholike Church and then the remission of sinnes and lyfe euerlasting because indeed without this Church none can obtaine eyther remissiō of their sinnes or life euerlasting CHAP. III. That the Church of Christ is to continue for euer THE second error of our Aduersaries is that many of them affirme that the Church of Christ hath not continually endured but that it sometymes fayled This error may also be easily refuted by the foresayd propertyes offices of the Church For first the Church is the spouse of Christ of which he speaketh by the Prophet I will betroth thee vnto me for euer Christ therfore did not betroth his Church vnto him for a few yeares only 2. Secondly the Church is the Body of Christ but Christ cannot be without his body and truly it were a monstrous thing to see a liuing head without a body 3. Thirdly the Church is the Kingdome of Christ but the Scriptures doe teach in many places that this Kingdome of Christ shall continue for euer as Micheae 4. v. 7. Daniel 2. v. 44. Ierem. 33. v. 20. 21. Luc. 1. 22. 33. Lastly Christ sweateth in his Holy One that is to say by his Holines that the Kingdome of Christ shall last for euer Wherefore they endeauour to make Christ himself periured who affirme that the Kingdome of Christ sometymes perished 4. Fourthly the Church is the house of Christ the which he built vpon a rocke against which the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile 5. Fifthly this same is proued by the offices of the Church The Church shall shew the death of our Lord vntil he come God also gaue some as Apostles and Doctors who should teach and rule the Church vntill we meet all in Christ in the end of the world Whē Christ also sent his Disciples to teach all Nations and to administer the Sacramēts he added this promise Behould I am with you all dayes euen to the consūmation of the world By which words as S. Hierome wel noteth he sheweth that they are to liue alwayes and that he is neuer departed from the faithfull belieuers 6. Lastly our Aduersaries themselues being cōuinced with the truth of this matter do acknowledge that the holy Scriptures do testify this in many places For Caluin and Beza to omit many others do acknowledge and proue this out of the Scriptures Seing that sayth Beza the Kingdome of Iesus Christ is continuall it necessarily followeth that there haue alwaies bin some to be found who did acknowledge him for their King CHAP. IIII. That this Church which hath alwaies continued hath alwaies byn visible THE third error of our Aduersaries is that they deny the Church of Christ to haue byn alwayes visible For seing that they cannot deny but that the Church of Christ hath alwayes continued as we haue declared in in the precedent Chapter and whē we demaund of them where their Church was for the space of a thousand yeares and more they fly vnto a certaine inuisible Church which they say lay hidden for many yeares But this error also is easily refuted by the soresaid properties and offices of the true Church 2. For first the Church is the body of Christ but this body of Christ was

that it hath donne thus not only for the space of one yeare but for a thousand or at least 900. yeares All which how absurd they are we will now declare 2. But to the end that all which we are to say hereafter of this matter may be the better vnderstood we must note heere that when we affirme that the Church cannot erre in fayth that by this word fayth we vnderstand not only that inuisible fayth which is in our mind but also visible that is to say the publike doctrine of the whole Church which is proposed or set downe to be belieued of all Wherfore when we affirme that the Church cannot erre in matters of fayth we affirme also that the doctrine or points of fayth the which the Church of God setteth downe as the most certayne and vndoubted word of God cannot be false but the very word of God it selfe which I will clearly declare by these arguments 3. The first argument is deduced out of all those properties and offices of the true Church before alledged out of Scripture For the true fayth being once taken away all the foresayd properties of the Church must needes perish and all her offices must cease For the Church cā neyther be the spouse of Christ nor the body nor the Kingdome nor the inheritance nor the tēple of Christ without faith but neyther can the Church without faith the true doctrine therof eyther conceyue bring forth nourish gouerne or defend Christ●es flocke And in this manner the church of Christ for so many ages had lost all her properties had intermitted all her proper offices contrary to so many and so cleare promises of holy wit● before alleadged 4. The second argument is deduced out of most cleare testimonyes of holy Scripture which teach that the Church cānot erre in faith For first Christ himself affirmeth that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church But if the Church could erre in faith the gates of hell for so many ages past had preuailed against her 5. Moreouer God speaketh thus by his Prophet Isay of the Couenant of the new Testament This is my league with them saith our Lord my spirit which is in thee and my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth out of the mouth of thy seed out of the mouth of the seeds seed saith our Lord frō hence forth euen to the worlds end But in our A●●●rsaries opiniō the words which God hath put into the mouth of the Church had departed many ages out of her mouth 6. Lastly the Apostle affirmeth that the Church is the Pillar and stability of truth But if the Church could erre in faith and teach publikely against the word of God it should be the Pillar rather of falshood then of truth Some of our Aduersaries do āswere vnto this place that the Church is called indeed the Pillar of truth because it doth not erre when it followeth and is agreable vnto the word of God yet neuerthelesse it erreth when it disagreeth from the word of God But this is a very friuolous answere For according vnto this interpretation euery Church of Heretickes of Iewes Turkes yea of the Diuels themselues should be the Pillar of truth For none of these erreth when it is agreable to the word of God But a Pillar is that which necessarily and alwaies vpholdeth that which it strenghtneth and whose pillar it is wherfore the Church should not be the Pillar of truth vnlesse it alwaies sticke and be ioyned with the truth and vphould it Caluin therfore conuinced by the euidency of the truth writeth that if true Church be the Pillar of truth it is most certaine that the Kingdome where lyes falshood reygneth cannot be the true Church Thus Caluin 7. The third argument is deduced out of diuers Absurdities which ensue out of the doctrine of our Aduersaries The first adsurdity is that the Apostles Creed were false wherin we belieue the holy Catholike Church For that Church cannot be holy which wanteth the true faith which teacheth falsities and wickednes which forceth all men to Idolatry 8. The second absurdity is that Christ himselfe and the holy Ghost should erre and teach thinges both false and wicked For the doctrine of the Church is not so much the doctrine of the Church as it is of Christ of the holy Ghost VVho heareth you saith Christ heareth me and in another place The Paraclete the holy Ghost whome my Father will send you in my name he will teach you all thinges And the Apostles said It seemeth good to the holy Ghost and to vs. Lastly God himself by his Prophet speaking vnto the Church affirmeth that his holy Spirit is in the Church and that he hath put his words into the mouth of the Church which shall neuer be taken out of her mouth from henceforth till the end of the world Wherefore if the Church could erre in the doctrine of faith Christ also the holy Ghost and God himselfe should erre 9. The third absurdity is that a building could cōsist stand without a foūdation For the sayth of Christ is the foūdation of the Church if yet sayth the Apostle you continue in the sayth grounded and stable And in another place he teacheth that the Church is grounded vpon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets but the foundation being taken away the building must needs fall This absurdity is so manyfest that it forced Caluin to confesse this very truth which now we teach to be euidently conuinced out of S. Pauls words If sayth he the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets be the foundation of the Church take away that doctrine and how can the building stand Thus Caluin 10. The fourth absurditie is that the true Church should consist and be without her prop●r and essentiall forme no otherwise then if one should say that a true and liuing man might consist and be without his soule For the true fayth and the true preaching thereof are as it were the essentiall formes of the Church Caluin also acknowledgeth this absurdity when he writeth that the fayth of the Church being taken away there must needes follow the vtter ouerthrow of religion euen as the life of man is ouerthrowen and taken away if he be stabbed with a dagger or deadly wounded at the hart 11. The fourth argument is deduced out of the manifest contradictions which follow of the contrary doctrine For they who cōtēd that the true church of Christ doth erre in fayth do not indeed know what they say for that is the only true Church of Christ which retayneth and kepeth still the name the sincere fayth of Christ but that is the fal●e Church of Christ which only professeth the name of Christ but erreth in fayth Wherefore to say that the Church of Christ erreth in fayth is all one as to say that the