Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	faith_n	prove_v	3,810	5	6.3590	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40800	Of the infallibilitie of the Chvrch of Rome a discourse written by the Lord Viscount Falkland ...	Falkland, Lucius Cary, Viscount, 1610?-1643.	1645 (1645)	Wing F322; ESTC R40575	14,027	22

they are to prove it false by some infallible way for the conclusion must be of the same nature and not conclude more then the premisses set downe now such a way Scripture and Reason or infused faith cannot be for they use to object the fallibility of them to those that build their Religion upon them nor the Authority of the Church for that is part of the question and must be it selfe first proved and that by none of the former wayes for the former reasons The Popes infallibility can be no infallible ground of faith § 13. being it selfe no necessary part of the faith we can be no surer of any thing proved then we are of that which proves it and if he be fallible no part is the more infallible for his sideing with them So if the Church be divided I have no way to know which is the true Church but by searching which agrees with Scripture and Antiquity and so judgeing accordingly But this is not to submit my selfe to her opinions as my guide which they tell us is necessary Which course if they approve not of as a fit one for a Learned man they are in a worse case for the ignorant who can take no course at all nor is the better at all for this Guide the Church whilest two parts dispute which is it and that by arguments he understands not If I granted the Pope § 14. or a Councell by him called to be infallible yet I conceive their Decrees can be no sufficient ground by their own axiomes of Divine faith For first say the most No Councell is valid not approved by the Pope for thus they overthrow that held at Ariminum and a Pope chosen by Symony is ipso facto no Pope I can then have no certainer ground for the infallibility of those Decrees and consequently for my beleife of them then I have that the choice of him was neither directly nor indirectly Symoniacall which to be certaine of is absolutely impossible § 15. Secondly suppose him Pope and to have confirmed the Decrees yet that these are the Decrees of a Councell or that he hath confirmed them I can have but an uncontradicted attestation of many men for if another Councell should declare these to have beene the Acts of a former Councell I should neede againe some certaine way of knowing how this declaration is a Councels which is no ground say they of faith I am sure not so good and generall a one as that Tradition by which we prove that the Scripture is Scripture which yet they will not allow any to be certaine of but from them Thirdly for the sence of their Decrees § 16. I can have no better expounder to follow then Reason which if though I mistake I shall not be damned for following why shall I for mistaking the sence of Scripture Or why am I a lesse fit interpreter of one then of the other were both seeme equally cleare And where they seeme so I meane equally cleare and yet contradictory shall I not as soone beleive Scripture which is without doubt of at least as great authority But I doubt whether Councells be fit deciders of Questions § 17. for such they cannot be if they beget more and men have cause to be in greater doubts afterwards none of the former being diminished then they were at first Now I conceive there arise so many out of this way § 18. that the Learned cannot end all nor the Ignorant know all As besides the forenamed considerations Who is to call them the Pope or Kings Who are to have voices in them Bishops only or Preists also Whether the Pope or Councell be Superiour the last neede the approbation of the first debated among themselves Whether any Countries not being called or not being there as the Abissines so great a part of Christianity not resolvedly condemend by them for Heretiques were absent at the Councell of Trent make it not generall Whether if it be one not every where received as when the Bishops sent from some places have exceeded their Commission as in the Councell of Florence it be yet of necessity to be subscribed to Whether there were any surreption used or force and Whether those disanull the Acts Whether the most voyees are to be held the Act of the Councell or those of all are required As Canus sayth All the Councell cannot erre the most may which never yet agreed or Whether two parts will serve as in the Tridentine Synode a considerable doubt because Nicephorus Callistus relateing the resolution of a Councell at Rome against that of Ariminum makes them give three reasons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tom 2 pag. 172. One That the Bishop of Rome was not present The second That most did not agree to it Thirdly That others thither gathered were displeased at their resolutions which proves that in their opinions if either most not present agree not to it or all present be not pleased with it a Councell hath no power to binde All these doubts I say perswade me that whatsoever brings with it so many new questions can be no fit ender of the old In those things in which § 19. before a Generall Councell have defined it is lawfull to hold either way and damnable to do so after I desire to know how it agreeth with the Charity of the Church to define any thing and so bestow upon the Divell one path more for us to walke in to him If the infallibility of a Generall Councell be a point of faith I desire to know why it is so § 20. Scripture and Tradition seeme to me not to say so But if they did so I suppose you will grant they do of this doctrine That the soules of the blessed shall see God before the day of judgement and not be kept in secret Receptacles For else the doctrine of prayer to Saints cannot stand and yet for denying this doth Bellarmine excuse Pope John 22 of which beleife they know he was not alone because the Church he meanes I doubt not a Generall Councell had not then condemned it I desire to know why should not he be condemned as well without one as many Heretiques that are held so by their Church yet condemned by no Generall Councell which if he makes to be the rule of Heresie it had beene happy to have lived before the Councell of Nice when no opinion had beene damnable but some against the Apostles Councell at Hierusalem because there had yet beene no Generall Councell At least why shall not I be excused by the same reason § 21. though I beleive not a Councell to be infallible since I never heard that any Councell hath decreed that they are so Neither if it have can we be bound by that Decree unlesse made certaine some other way that it selfe is so If you say we must beleive it because of Tradition § 22. I answer sometimes you will have

shewes ENOVGH your faith So that it is plaine he thought punishing for opinions to be a marke which might serve him to know false opinions by I beleive throughout Antiquity you will find no putting any to death § 27. unlesse it be such as begin to kill first as the Circumcellians or such like I am sure Christian Religions cheife glory being that it encreased by being persecuted and having that advantage of the Mahumetan which came in by force me thinkes De Regno especially since Synesius hath told us and reason told men so before Synesius that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every thing is destroyed by the contrary to what setled and composed it It should be to take ill care of Christianity to seeke to hold it up by Turkish meanes at least it must breed doubts that if the Religion had alwaies remained the same it would not be defended by wayes so contrary to those by which it was propagated I desire recrimination may not be used § 28. for though it be true that Calvin hath done it and the Church of England a little which is a little too much for Negare manifesta non audeo excusare immodica non possum yet She confessing She may erre is not so chargeable with any fault as those which pretend they cannot and so will be sure never to mend it and besides I will be bound to defend no more then I have undertaken which is to give reasons Why the Church of Rome is fallible I confesse this opinion of damning so many § 29. and this custome of burning so many this breeding up those who know nothing else in any point of Religion yet to be in readinesse to cry To the fire with him and To Hell with him as Polybius saith in a certaine furious faction of an army of severall nations and consequently languages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All of them understood onely this word Throw at him this I say in my opinion was it cheifely which made so many so suddainly leave the Church of Rome that indeed to borrow the Authors phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They needed not perswasion to doe it but onely newes that others had begun For as this alone if beleived makes all the rest be so too So one thing alone misliked overthrowes also all the rest If it were granted that § 30. because it agrees not with the Goodnesse of God to let men want an infallible Guide therefore there must be one and that the Church of Rome were that one yet if that teach any thing to my understanding contrary to Gods Goodnesse I am not to receive her doctrine for the same cause for which they would have me receive it it being as good an argument this Guide teaches things contrary to Gods Goodnesse therefore is not appointed by God as to say It is agreeable to his Goodnesse there should be a Guide therefore there is one And sure it is lawfull to examine particular doctrines whether they agree with that principle which is their foundation and to that me thinkes to damne him that neither with negligence nor prejudication searcheth what is Gods will though he misse of it is as contrary as the first can be supposed I would know whether he that never heard of the Church of Rōe shall yet be damned for not beleiving her infallible § 31. I have so good an opinion of them as to assure my selfe they will answer he shall not I will then aske Whether he that hath searched what Religions there are and finds hers to be one and her infallibility to be part of it if his reason will not assent to that shall he be dāned for being inquisitive after truth for he hath committed no other fault greater then the other Whether such an ignorance I meane after impartiall search be not of all the other the most invincible Nay grant the Church to be infallible § 32. yet me thinks he that denies it and imployes his reason to seeke if it be true should be in as good case as he that beleives it and searcheth not at all the truth of the proposition he receives for I cannot see why he should be saved because by reason of his parents beleise or the Religion of the Countrey or some such accident the truth was offered to his understanding when had the contrary beene offered he would have received that and the other damned that beleeves falshood upon as good ground as the other doth truth unlesse the Church be like a Conjurers circle that will keepe a man from the Devill though he came into it by chance They grant that no man is an Heretique that beleeves not his Heresie obstinately § 33. and if he be no Heretique he may sure be saved It is not then certaine damnation for any man to deny the infallibility of the Roman Church but for him only that denies it obstinately and then I am safe for I am sure I doe not Neither can they say I shall be damned for Schisme though not for Heresie § 34. for he is as well no Schismatique though in Schisme that is willing to joyne in communion with the true Church when it appeares to be so to him as he is no Heretique though he hold Hereticall opinions that holds them not obstinately that is as I suppose with a desire to be informed if he be in the wrong Why § 35. if it be not necessary alwayes to beleeve the truth so one beleeve in generall what the Church would have beleeved for so they excuse great men that have held contrary opinions to theirs now before they were defined or they knew them to be so why I say shall not the same implicit assent to whatsoever God would have assented to though I mistake what it is be sufficient When indeed to beleeve implicitly what God would have beleeved is to beleeve implicitly likewise what the Church teacheth if this doctrine be within the number of those which God commands to be beleeved I have therefore the lesse doubt of this opinion § 36. that I shall have no harme for not beleeving the infallibility of the Church of Rome because of my being so farre from leaning to the contrary and so suffering my will to have power over my understanding that if God would leave it to me which Tenet should be true I would rather choose that that should then the contrary For they may well beleeve me that I take no pleasure in tumbling hard and unpleasant bookes and making my selfe giddy with disputeing of obscure questions and dazled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caesariut If I could beleeve there should alwayes be whom I might alwayes know a society of men § 37. whose opinions must be certainely true and who would 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synesius labour to discusse define all arising doubts so as I might be excusably at ease have no part left for me but that