Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	apostle_n	church_n	true_a	1,620	5	5.0143	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B11964	A copy of a letter, vvritten by M. Doctor Carier beyond seas, to some particular friends in England. VVhereunto are added certaine collections found in his closet, made by him (as is thought) of the miserable ends of such as haue impugned the Catholike Church. To which also is annexed a briefe exhortation to perseuere constantly in the said Catholike Church, what opposition soeuer may occurre, and the danger of liuing out of the same; and lastly, a few examples of the admirable prosperity, of such as haue defended the Catholike Church	Carier, Benjamin, 1566-1614.	1615 (1615)	STC 4621; ESTC S118628	25,589	43

againe Then the maine care is to find what religion our Sauiour taught whilest he was vpon the earth And heere I would pray euery man of reason to consider 1 That our Sauiour did leaue nothing in writing but taught his Religion to his Apostles by word of mouth 2 That he commanded not his Apostles to write his Religion but to teach it ite praedicate 3 That of twelue Apostles seuen did leaue nothing at all in writing but taught their successors the Religion of Christ by word of mouth 4 That Saint MARKE Saint LVKE and Saint PAVL who wrote most of the new Testament were not of Christ his company whilest he was vpon the earth and therefore must needs learne their Religion of the Church before they wrote it 5 That diuers others did write the Religion of Christ as they did apprehend it but their Gospels and Epistles were reiected by the Church LVKE 1. 1. 6 That at the day of Iudgement there will be no writing to trie true Religion from Heresie but only the eternall truth of Christ in the soules of his Saints 7 That the Scriptures were written by men of the Church admitted Canonicall by Councels of the Church preserued from Tyrants by the care of the Church and euer vntill of late expounded by the consent of the Church 8 How few men are able to reade and expound the Scriptures any way and whether it be not easier to beleeue the Church then to beleeue a few priuate men that say they can expound Scriptures better then the Church 9. That all sorts of Heretikes haue alwaies boasted of Scriptures and despised the Church The Heretikes haue euer beene wont to pretend Scriptures the more easily to deceiue the simple They know full well that all the Fathers all Doctors all ancient Writers all generall Councels Canons Traditions all Ecclesiasticall Histories all Chronicles and monuments of Antiquitie all Martyrs Confessors Virgins and all testimonies both in heauen and earth are flat against them and therefore they will pretend the word of God which they know is a plausible perswasion to the simple and so they delude and deceiue them more easily These Scriptures they misinterpret corrupt falsisie and abuse most shamefully to serue their turnes as VINCENTIVS LI●INENSIS most excellently sheweth in his golden treatise Contra prophanas haeresum nouitates against the prophane nouelties of heresies Vpon these considerations any man may assuredly pronounce that whosoeuer beleeueth not the Church of Christ can neuer come to know what is the Religion that Christ did teach and which he hath hitherto maintained And therefore it is impossible for such a man to know which is the true Christian Religion The meanes then to know which is the true Religion of Christ is to enquire which is the true Church of Christ Heere it cannot be denied but that that is the true Church of Christ which Christ himselfe did found whilest he was vpon the earth to continue vntill the worlds end And whatsoeuer Church is founded by any other authoritie then that which Christ left vnto his Apostles only cannot be the true Church of Christ although all the Princes in the world would agree to make it so and cause all their subiects to sweare it were so Now to know which is the true Church our Sauiour did found we must obserue that this word Church doth signifie diuers things 1 Sometimes the Church doth signifie the building or house of Gods seruice in this sense our Sauiour founded no Church by himselfe but gaue power to his Apostles and Disciples to found and consecrate Churches as countries should be conuerted 2 Sometime the Church doth signifie the Congregation of all those that are baptized as the Church of Corinth Rome c. in Saint PAVLS Epistles In this sense our Sauiour founded no Church by himselfe for he baptized none but gaue power to his Apostles and Disciples to baptize 3 Sometime the Church doth signifie the Clergie or Spiritualtie chosen out of the number of all Christians to dispence the grace of Christ committed to them for the benefit of the whole bodie In this sense our Sauiour did by himselfe immediatly found a Church when he did call and send his Apostles and did giue them the same power which himselfe as Man had receiued of his Father Sicut pater misit me sic ego mitto vos Ioh. 20. qui audit vos me audit Luke 10. quorum peccata remiseritis remittentur eis Ioh. 20. mittam vobis Paraclitum quivos ducet in omnem veritatem Ioh. 14. Super hanc Petram aedisicabo Ecclesiam c. Then to know which is the true Church we must enq●●●● which is the Clergie that was founded by Christ and continueth in the vnitie of the Church by perpetuall Succession from the Apostles so from Christ himselfe for your certaine resolution hereof you haue three infallible arguments 1 The report of Chronicles and Histories whereof there is great variety that can tell you the beginning and occasion of euery Schisme if you doe but turne the bookes ouer 2 The vniuersalitie antiquitie and consent of Doctrine taught in the true Church and the variety nouelty and repugnancie of Doctrine taught in Schisme herein you may inquire of the most learned and most honest to informe you 3 The Scriptures 1 Of the old Testament to which our Sauiour sends vs IOH. 5. Scrutamini Scripturas By those S. Augustine proues the visibility of the Catholike Church against Donatists 2 Of the new Testament by which is proued the perpetuity of the Catholike Church Portae inferi non praeualebunt Matth. 16. Vsque ad consummationem seculi Matth. 28. Consider then deare friends what a happy thing it is for a man to liue in such a Church that is with such a Clergie as being lawfully called and continuing in the vnity of the Church haue the very same power that the Apostles themselues yea that Christ himselfe as he was Man had to forgiue sinnes vnto the penitent to conuey grace by Sacraments as Christ conueyed it himselfe sometime without Sacraments to exhibite the Reall presence of Christ vnto the faithfull and to preach the glad tidings of saluation both by word and writing And on the contrary side what an vnspeakable misery it is to haue such a Clergie that is such a Church as hath no calling but from a Ciuill Magistrate and consequently no power from Christ no remission of sinnes no grace in Sacraments no Reall presence of Christ amongst them nor warrant from Christ either to preach or expound the Scriptures although they talke of them neuer so much I will not determine against the succession of the Clergie in England because it is to me very doubtfull but although the successions were neuer so good if there be not vnitie there can be no grace conueyed from the head vnto such parts of the body as are by Schisme cut off and with hostilitie opposed as you see most of the Clergie of England

worthy to be noted that such as diuided themselues by any Schisme in the old Law were most seuerely punished as for example Chore Dathan and Abiron and their complices to the number of foureteene thousand and seuen hundreth men besides many others that perished in the sedition before These rebelled against Moses their lawfull Superiour IEROBOAM who vpon a diuellish policie drew the people from the true worship and seruice of God to Idolatry and Schisme God almightie so punished him as he left not one of his seed to pisse against a wall 3. King 14. So as wee may plainly see there is no wisdome no prudence no counsell against God These Politicks take a wrong course to aduance and continue their states and families for Nisi Dominus aedificauerit domum c. Vnlesse our Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it Psal 126. for these Houses Kingdomes and States that are founded by such Machieuellian policies neuer continue long as appeareth most euidently Psal 16. Noli ●mulari in malignantibus neque Zelaueris facientes iniquitatem c. Reade the whole Psalme wherein it is said the impious and wicked enemies of God shall wither away as grasse vanish as smoke their seed and very reliques shall perish though for a while they flourish neuer so much and be neuer so highly exalted encreased and multiplied in the world yet shall they come in short time to confusion and destruction As God almighty dealt with IEROBOAM Author of that notorious Schisme and diuision so likewise did hee to Baaza Zamri and Achab Kings of Israel for that saith the third booke of Kings they walked in the wayes of Ieroboam that is because they continued the Schisme and did not reduce the Israelites to the true worship and seruice of God You shal find that of all those God almighty left not one to pisse against a wall for this is the phrase of Scripture in that place These are dreadfull examples of Gods seuere justice against the Authors fauourers and maintainers of Schisme against God his Church and Kingdome To these might be added a great many more which euery where occurre in the old Testament Reade Psalme 82. where you shall see a great number of Kings and Princes which sought to destroy Gods people to come to miserable ends These seeking to ouerthrow Gods Kingdome doe nothing lesse but they incurre his heauy wrath and indignation to their owne vtter ruine confusion and extirpation Of all this before written wee may gather that God almightie hath a singular prouidence ouer his Church and Kingdome he neither slumbreth nor sleepeth which keepeth Israel Psal 120. Tyrants persecutors and foolish people may oppose themselues against it seeke to extinguish it but all in vaine Qui haebitat in coelis irridebit eos Dominus subsannabit eos He that dwelleth in the heauen will laugh them to scorne c. Psal 2. God almightie doth gratiously protect his Church and though he suffer it to be mightily impugned yet faciet cum tentatione prouentum hee will make with temptation issue The Catholike Church and Kingdome of our Sauiour Christ hath by this meanes beene maruailously encreased and propagated as all Ecclesiasticall writers perspicuously testifie as contrariwise the enemies thereof haue most miserably perished and come to confusion CERTAINE MEMORABLE EXAMPLES OF GODS SEVERE REVENGE AGAINST such as were rebellious and iniurious to Priests of the olde Law 1 OF CHORE DATHAN and ABIRON we haue spoken before how themselues and al that belonged vnto them was swallowed vp of the earth Numb 16. 2 MARIA the sister of MOSES for murmuring against him was punished with a leprosie Num. 12. 3 SAVL because he obeyed not Samuel the Prophet lost his Kingdome 1. King 31. 4 ACHAB for contemning the Prophet Micheas and cast him into prison was slaine in warre 3. King 22. and Ioram the sonne of Achab and all his progeny were slaine by Iehu That I may reuenge saith the Prophet vnto Iehu the bloud of my seruants the Prophets and the bloud of all the seruants of our Lord from the hand of Iesabel 4. King 9. IOAS who slew Zachary the Priest and Prophet in the porch of the house of God was punished most grieuously Paralip 24. For the yeare following the Syrians came into Iudea and Ierusalem and slew all the Princes of the people and sent all the prey vnto the King of Syria into Damasco and whereas there came but a small number of the Syrians yet God deliuered an infinite multitude into their hands and Ioas they punished with all ignominy and reproch and left him in great sicknes and misery And his owne seruants rose vp against him to reuenge the bloud of the sonne of Ioiad● the Priest and they slew him in his bed AMASIAS King of Iuda because hee contemned the Prophet of God c. was deliuered into the hands of Ioas King of Israel being spoiled of all he had and afterwards slaine of his owne seruants 2. Paralip 25. O●IAS his son because he vsurped Priestly function and authority was stricken with a leprosie 2. Paral. 26. And that which Christ spake in the Gospell the bloud of all the Prophets from the bloud of Abel the Iust vnto the bloud of Zacharie the Prophet shall be required at your hands Luk. 11. hath terribly expressed this reuenge of almightie God for the dispersion of the Iewes throughout all the whole world vntill this day is nothing else but the just reuenge of almightie God for the bloud of Christ and all the Prophets EXAMPLES OF GODS SEVERE PVNISHMENTS AGAINST SVCH AS CONtemne Bishops and Priests BY many example precedent as also by these ensuing collected out of Histories Ecclesiasticall and prophane it may appeare how Emperours Kings and Princes which would not be obedient children to Gods Church but persecuted the same haue come to miserable ends CONSTANTIVS fauouring the Arians after hee had banished Liberius Pope Athanasius also Bishop of Alexandria and many other Catholike Bishops and had arrogated and taken to himselfe to heare and know all causes Ecclesiasticall as at large sheweth Saint Athanasius ep ad Sol. v. ag whilest he persecuted Iulian c. ended his life in an obscure place and in great torment of conscience As at large describeth Ammian Marcellin l. 22. hist VALENS who banished the Catholikes into obscure places and vsed all rigour and seueritie against them was punished with like measure himselfe with his Princes in the warre against the Gothes flying into an old house was with all his Princes burned and the house ouer their heads Ammian Marcel l. 31. This Emperour cast the holy religious man Isacius into prison as Achab did Micheas the Prophet VALENTINIAN the yonger who many wayes vexed Saint Ambrose to make him yeeld a Church vnto the Heretikes and threatned to exile him was hanged by his owne seruants ignominiously shortly after ANASTATIVS the Emperour excommunicated of Pope Gelasius was an extreame persecutor as well of Bishops as