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A00430 Catholique traditions. Or A treatise of the beliefe of the Christians of Asia, Europa, and Africa, in the principall controuersies of our time In fauour of the louers of the catholicke trueth, and the peace of the Church. Written in French by Th. A.I.C. and translated into English, by L.O.; Tradition catholique. English Eudes, Morton.; Owen, Lewis, 1572-1633. 1609 (1609) STC 10561; ESTC S101746 137,760 254

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more because Princes and Soueraigne Magistrates should beare sole authority and by their absolute commaundement should testifie their good will therein and employ the prudent aduise of their Ecclesiasticall subiects not the wisest onely but the best and godliest also not so much to dispute and winne the victory as to conferre and amiably to agree The God of peace will giue the fruit of peace to his glory and our good But I know not by what Inchantment or destinie Kings for the most part know not their forces and willingly do dispoyle themselues of a greate part of their owne Authoritie and many times perceiue it too late As for the particulars many doe know and see the euill but doe perswade themselues that the remedie is most dangerous of all or else for feare will not bee singular in opinion be it neuer so good louing rather to suffer themselues to bee caried away with the torrent and streame of diuision and to be of the common fashion that they may the better follow their priuate affaires Euery one doth bragge and vaunt himselfe of his faith but few or none will practise charitie and what is faith without charitie more then a tree without fruite or a body without a soule I haue beene here emboldened to addresse my selfe to your Highnesse for the reasons aboue said and to the end that vnder the lustre of your name this little Treatise written onely for the publike vtilitie might be the more fauourably receiued and respected of all men especially of the subiects of the kings Maiestie your father amongst whom are more learned Diuines well practised in the art of disputation in the reading of the Fathers and in all the Histories of the Church then peraduenture in three or foure other as great Countries Their writings doe testifie it insomuch that wee doe admire thereat in these parts and the English Liturgie gathered according to the modell of the Auncients the purest of them in the which through the aduise of so many excellent men in learning and pietie English men and others hath beene reserued for reuerence of Antiquitie all which might be left with a good conscience Also it is very likely that it shall endure perpetually and serue for a patterne or example for those which are not as yet reformed The praise whereof next vnto God shall be to the good and wise Kings of Great Britane the Predecessors whereof haue receiued and embraced with the first the faith of Iesus Christ and not with the last the Reformation which was necessary in the Church The principal cause truely or rather the only cause of this long peace prosperity wherwith God hath blessed the Kingdomes of your Iland besides many benedictions wherewith he hath fauoured your Royall house and your Highnesse in particular who haue after his Maiestie the first place in age in valour and dignitie and who for the gratious respect which naturally you doe shew vnto all men which through any merite or seruice doe seeke the honor of your fauour will mooue you I am assured to receiue this little present as from him who will thinke himselfe happy all the dayes of his life to say * ⁎ * Your Highnesse most humble and most obedient seruant Th. A. J. C. ❧ The Preface ¶ First Diuision of Christian people THe vniuersitie of Christians is diuided into sixe principall parts which doe equally vaunt themselues of the Name of the Church of God The East Church doth pretend that the first ranke or seate is due to her without any contradiction in regard of her prerogatiues and priuiledges a Countrey of great largenesse almost all the Apostolicke Seas and the most part of the Patriarkes The maiestie of an Empire which during the space of more then a thousand yeeres hath withstood Paganisme and Mahometisme The authoritie of seuen vniuersall Councels celebrated within her iurisdiction The Syrian language wherein the Sonne of God pronounced his Oracles and the Greeke tongue in the which they were registred In this Church doth the Oecumenicall Patriarcke of Constantinople preside or gouerne It is composed of Grecians a Nation acknowledged as a mother by her proper aduersaries of Syrians Iberians Sclauonians Russians Muscouites and others scattered into many places of Asia and Africa al which do call themselues Orthodoxe Catholickes and do not differ or varie among themselues but onely in fewe ceremonies The Latine or Catholicke Romane Church might conueniently be placed in the second place Her primate is called in Latine Pontifex or more commonly Papa in English Pope a name which all they of the East Church doe giue vnto all their Priests This Pope is acknowledged by the Italians Frenchmen Spaniards by some Germanes and Polanders and withall by some Americans and Indians which of late are conquered and conuerted by the Spaniards The Romane Catholickes do say and affirme themselues to be very strongly vnited together because that they depend vpon one head or chiefe Neuerthelesse they are not all of one accord so farre as his authoritie doth extend Some doe attribute vnto him full authoritie ouer the Church and Councels and ouer Kings and Common-wealthes others doe contradict it Neuerthelesse these doe tollerate the Pope in his attempts vnto the very execution of them which is the cause that Christendome is noted to be in schismes and scandals and her people in warres and dissentions The third Christian nation is the South or Meridionall Church which containeth the Nubians and the Abyssins subiects of Negus of Ethiop otherwise called Prester-Iohn and many that are scattered in Egypt Arabia and Chaldea which are called Iacobits or Israelites because that they are of the linage or race of Iacob otherwise called Israel But some are of opinion that they take name of one Iacob an hereticke They are called of some in Greeke Cophites or in Hebrew Cophtes because that they vse Circumcision Their Primate maketh his residence in Caire and is called Patriarcke of Alexandria his substitute or Deputy in Ethiop is called Abuna The fourth Christian nation are the Nestorians accused to hold the heresies of old Nestor which are dispersed here and there in Tartaria Persia and in the Kingdomes of the East Indies Their Prelat resideth in Mosal or Seleucie and is called Iascelich The Historiographers doe not exactly report the truth what is or in times past hath beene their beliefe which is the reason wherefore we do not aleadge them very often The fift Nation is that of Armenia which peraduenture might be thought to be of the Romane Church because that they haue offered themselues to her in hate of the Grecians and their Catholike for so they call their chiefe head did submit himselfe to the Pope of Rome but the truth is that the Romane Church doeth hold them all for heretickes although that shee doeth deale more discreetly with them for to withdraw them
the beginning therefore he that is a Melchite is a Catholike and whosoeuer holdeth a contrary opinion is an Hereticke It is this heresie that keepeth the kingdome of Nauarre vnder the Spanish yoke It is this heresie that brought that frowning fortune into our France and had bene the ruine of her if her great and inuincible Melech seconded by faithfull Melchites otherwise called Polititians had not preserued and defended her with the grace and assistance of him which is the onely giuer and translater of Monarchies It is this Heresie that the most Puissant and mightie King of Great Britaine indeuoreth to quench abolish in the hearts of his subiects a heresie which for a while lyeth hid vnder ashes but meeting with any proper matter will breake into a great combustion Euery one may here see that the most part of Christians doe reiect this opinion yea the Romanes themselues although they suffer the Pope of Rome to maintaine it in the Canons Wee will then conclude according to the generall voice That the Primate of the Catholike Church whether he be at Constantinople or at Rome or at Alexandria hath no power or authoritie ouer Temporall Common-wealthes QVESTION VII Whether all the doctrine necessarie to saluation may bee taken out of the holy Scripture THE EAST CHVRCH NIlus Archbishop of Thessalonica This is not then the cause of this difference and much lesse the whole bodie of the Scripture as if it were too short No it is not vttered openly and plainely wherof this question is for to accuse the Scripture is as great a fault as to accuse God but God is voyd of all blame Lombard The Grecians say that the holy Ghost proceedeth onely from the Father the which they beleeue say they because that the Gospell which containeth wholy the Faith that is to say the doctrine of the faith maketh mention of the Father onely The King of Moscouia If the Gospell had not bene written how could the word of God haue bene vnderstood and if the Apostles had not reduced into writing their delegation or Commission how had it bene knowen to the world that they were sent to men Sacranus The Russians say that the teachers of the Latin Church are not credible because they teach but that they receiue from the Greeke Doctors conditionally that they find nothing therein contrary to their owne opinion Annot. The Christians of the East are marueilous iealous of the Traditions and Ceremonies of the Fathers neuerthelesse they hold that the Scripture is necessarie against those that say that the Church may erre Moreouer they hold the same sufficient and a rule of Faith and therefore admit not altogether the Greeke and Latin Doctors but iudge of their doctrine which they could not doe but by examining it by the rule of Scripture THE SOVTH CHVRCH A Luares It was demaunded of me whether all those things that is to say the customes of the Romane Church were contained in our Bookes and whether they seemed better vnto me then those which they vse I answered that I found our bookes reduced into a better order then their bookes were because that since the time of the Apostles wee haue had alwayes great masters and teachers which were neuer imployed in any other vocation but to compose and gather together the holy Scriptures and passages of the Prophets and Apostles scattered in many volumes They replied vnto me that they had fourescore and one bookes of the olde and new Testament and asked whether we had more I answered that we had tenne times more drawne and extracted out of the olde and new Testament enriched with many expositions wherein was contained very deepe doctrine Prester-Iohn caused one to tell me that he was not ignorant of the great quantitie of bookes which we haue but that he desired verie much to know their names Damianus a Goes The Abyssins say that they haue all the writings of Moses and the Prophets and other bookes of the old Testament the foure Euangelists and all the Epistles of S. Paul and that they want not any booke of the holy Scripture whereof they recyted a Catalogue in my presence Neuerthelesse the Bishop Zaga an Ethiopian seemeeth to count the bookes of the Bible otherwise for he saith that in the new Testament there are fiue and thirtie peraduenture he comprehends those which Aluars saith that they call Manda and Abetilis diuided into eight parts but the same Abyssins doe beleeue that the holy Scripture is sufficient for saluation without those for they denie not the name of true Christians to those that haue not those bookes and therefore they hold them not to be of equall authority with the other The same Authour saith that the Abyssins beleeue not that there is any power whether Councel or whatsoeuer able to make lawes which binde the conscience much lesse such doctrine as is not grounded vpon the Scripture Annot. The Ethiopians are of the opinion of the Reformed if they meane those foure-score and one bookes which are in the Volume of the Bible for the same number is to be found if one reckon the Epistle of Ieremie for one booke by it selfe and if one doe seperate the Histories which are not found but in Greeke added to the bookes of Daniel and Hester Moreouer it is to be noted that the Abyssins do limite that which they holde for the word of God within the number of foure score and one bookes against the opinion of the word not written and they demand if the fashion and manner of celebrating the Masse is to be found in the holy Scripture Aluares a Roman Catholik answereth them cleane besides the matter saying that the Romane Church hath Doctors and Teachers which haue a doctrine farre greater and more perfect then that of the olde and new Testament The Reformed Church subscribe not willingly to this Article for they make a contrary Article as hereafter followeth THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of the French Church We do beleeue that the word which is conteined in these bookes proceedes from God of whom it taketh his authority and not of men And forasmuch as it is the rule of all truth and verity conteining all that is necessary for the seruice of God and our saluation it is not lawfull for men neither for the Angels themselues to adde diminish or change it THE CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH I. Maior It is to be noted that wee doe hold many things to be diuine Law which are not expresly conteined in the Diuine law to wit in the holy Scripture neyther may they euidently be deduced from thence As for example not to ordaine a woman to be Priest or the institution of any one order In like manner we read not in the new Testament and much lesse in the old that the soueraigne Bishopricke was graunted to the Successors of S. Peter yet notwithstanding wee hold the soueraigne Bishopricke is by Diuine law The councell of Trent
Greekes and the Latins in that point doth onely report the sayings and sentences of the ancient Grecians who say that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne But that hath not satisfied his followers which thinke that the modern Gretians hold not the beleefe of the ancient besids some of the Latin Doctors doe confesse that they vnderstand not well the intention and meaning of the Grecians others doe call them Heretickes and Schismatikes The reformed Churches doe leaue this question with the same irresolution We reiect saith Tilenus the errour or as others tearme it the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the moderne Grecians This difference hath beene the cause or at least wise the pretext of the Schisme betwixt the East Churches and the VVest The East Churches who would transport the Primacie to Constantinople pretending that the Pope of Rome abuseth the Church doe take occasion to accuse the Pope vpon this Article that Pope was Nicholas the first by the report of Bellarmine who alledgeth Anthoninus or Adrianus as some will haue it because that he had beene so bolde as to adde of his owne authoritie to the Symbole of Nice that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the sonne and because peraduenture he hath not expounded it fully they of the East haue accused the Latines of constituting two principles and the Latines laying the fault vpon them doe impute vnto them blasphemie saying that they did derogate from the Diuinity of the Sonne of God Lombard and others say that the difference is in words and not in the matter it selfe Peraduenture the Grecians doe denie the procession of the holy Ghost to be from the sonne in one consideration and the Latines do affirme it in another for to know if it be so wee are constrained to enter into very curious considerations of Diuinitie It is therefore necessary to marke that the sonne is considered three manner of waies First as being the Diuine essence and the very same essence with the Father hoc sensu filius non spirat for the actions are of the persons and not of the essence considered apart Secondly the Sonne is to be considered as a Sonne and that formally So the Sonne produceth not the holy Ghost for he which is produced so farre as hee is produced produceth not In the third place the Sonne is to be considered as a person and that is it which S. Austen regarded when he saide that the Sonne hath from the father not onely to be sonne but also to be or his being that is to say to be a distinct person not to be simply the Diuine essence for the Sonne hath the same of himselfe and the person begetteth not the essence but the essence begetteth the person and if the sonne produce not in this maner that is to say as a person then the holy Ghost proceedes not from the Sonne in any wise for as it hath beene said the holy Ghost proceeds not from the Sonn eyther as an essence or as a Sonne Well then if the Grecians say not that he to wit the holy Ghost proceedeth from the essence of the Sonne being simply taken neyther from the Sonne as a Sonne the Latines should not take occasion to condemne them seeing that they say the same But because the Grecians say and that according to the Gospell that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father it is manifest that they denie not the procession of the holy Ghost to be from the Sonne because he proceedeth not from him either as an essence or as a Sonne for if that were so they should denie in like manner his procession to be from the father for the father produced not the holy Ghost as an essence simply for the essence produceth not neither as a father for if he had produced him as a father the holy Ghost should be then his sonne The Grecians doe hold that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the father in such a sort as he cannot be saide to proceede from the sonne And they haue reason to say so because the holy Ghost is in the person and from the person of the Sonne the which the father hath begotten as a sonne and the father begot not a Sonne which had not the holy Ghost and his productiue grace and fertility Likewise the father is the cause the Greeke Doctors do vse this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the holy Ghost both as a person primo per se and as a father per filium But the Sonne inspireth not as a sonne primo per se neyther in producing another person which should produce the holy Ghost This obseruation remaineth obscure if it be taken without distinction that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and from the Sonne also the Grecians should seeme to speake more properly then the Latines The auncient Doctors confesse that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the father proprie as hee speaketh more properly which saith the King commandeth then he that saith the King goeth for the commandement proceedeth from the King as a King but the King goeth as he is a man If then the Sonne be an inspirer the Father is the cause euen as a father But because that the Grecians do absolutely denie that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Sonne denying thereby that his person is an inspirer a man must take heede least he fall into a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for if by the word proceede they vnderstand to haue his originall or beginning they say not ill considering the Father alone is the beginning The Diuines doe confesse as much when they call the Sonne Principium quasi Secundarium This word Secundarium destroieth the name of Principium and the word quasi sheweth that it is to speake improperly Yet here one cannot speake properly enough Therefore you may see that the holy Ghost is sayd to proceed from the Father alone in diuers sorts the which the Churches of the East doe regard But they regard not the reasons wherefore he may be said to proceed from the Sonne as also it is very hard to expresse how the person of the Sonne is an inspirer without considering him either as an essence simply or as begotten for in this person is considered but the essence and the relation as those schoole diuines affirme the which relation hath the place of forme from which the action ought to proceed It is likewise very hard to say how the Father inspireth as a person without inspiring neither as a Father nor as an Essence Neuerthelesse we must so say seeing the sonne of God himselfe hath sayd and taught so as his beloued Disciple Saint Iohn testifieth vnto vs which heard it of himselfe But because he hath not said that the holy Ghost proceeds from himselfe the Churches of the East will not say so but do consider the Father as Father and the Sonne as Sonne and they say with their great Doctor Saint Damascenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father
causes the custome of confessing secret sinnes and may pronounce remission without any confessing as they of the East Churches doe to this day by their Synchoreses as we will relate in his due place We will then make this Catholike conclusion that The Pope cannot by his Indulgences deliuer aniy from those temporall punishments which God inflicts neither ought he to dispence with the doing of al those workes of repentance that are possible QVESTION XVIII Whether the soule of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ descended into hell and whether it vscended into heauen the very sameday of his passion THE EAST CHVRCH RItual of the Syrians The side of the Lord was pearced thorough with a Launce and thence issued water and blood a sacrifice for all the world his body was buried and his soule came backe from hell and was vnited to his bodie Moyses the sonne of Cephas Bishop of Beth-raman Iohn hath written of corporall Paradise in the prayer whose Title is Wherefore this tree is called the tree of knowledge of good and euill and would teach as much as our Sauiour Iesus Christ said Thou shalt be this day with me in Paradise for there he proueth by many arguments that Paradise was corporall The Liturgie of Saint Basil Thou hast appeared in the last dayes vnto vs which sate in darkenesse and that by thy onely Sonne which gaue himselfe to death for our saluation and by reason of our sinnes descended into hell by his Crosse and Passion THE SOVTH CHVRCH DAmianus a Goes The Aethiopians beleeue that Christ descended afterward into hell and hauing rased and broken the gates thereof he came backe into life the third day with great triumph ouer his enemies and ouer death and that after that hee returned into heauen from whence he came and that by his admirable ascention THE LATIN CHVRCH CArdinall Bellarmine DVRAND affirmeth that the soule of Christ descended into hell not according to his substance but by some effects that is to say as it did illuminate and beatifie the holy Fathers which were in Lymbo Caluin hath taught some such like thing touching the descent of Christ vnto the soules of the holy Fathers by his efficacie or vertue and not by his essence Idem It contradicteth the holy Scripture and the Fathers to say that Christ returned from hell the first day THE REFORMED CHVRCH LAsicius Polonus It is the beleefe of the Bohemians that Iesus Christ descended into hell in his soule seperated from his body to triumph ouer Satan The Sybilles doe deriue this word Ades which signifieth hell of the word Adam by reason that Adam descended This place seemes to be els-where then in heauen Vrsinus We must beleeue that which is certaine to wit that Christ descended into hell in that fashion as we haue sayd in suffering in his soule but if any one can defend that he descended in any other fashion it is well but as for me I cannot beleeue it ANNOTATION THe auncient Catholike Church beleeued that the soules of the Fathers in the old Testament went to a place called in Hebrew Scheol in Greeke Ades in English Hell And all Christians for the most part doe beleeue that the Apostles haue taught so likewise seeing that there is not any one particular man knowen that should be the author of this opinion And although that this Article was not in the beginning in the Creede of the Apostles as it is not in the Creed of Nice neuerthelesse hauing beene receiued without contradiction the same doth argue that the beleefe was such before time And which is more the Scripture of the old Testament makes no mention in any place that the soules should ascend into heauen but very often it maketh mention of Scheol or Hell and to descend I will descend into Scheol with sorrow for my sonne sayd that good man Iacob and to descend signifieth to go to some lowe place It is true that the word Scheol signifieth sometimes a graue but the Catholike Church takes it here for Hell for the Greeke translator approued by the Apostles taketh it so as also Saint Luke in this sentence of the Psalmes cited by S. Peter Thou wilt not leaue my soule in Hell For to vnderstand well this question you must note first that it doth not appertaine to saluation to know whether the soules of the Fathers were aboue or belowe prouided alwayes that one doe not call the holy Scripture into doubt which it is not done by and by although a man doe not alwayes attaine to the true sense of it Secondly there are two places that the most learned diuines yea the antient and now a dayes the Latins and the Protestants can hardly agree off So that in so doing some proceede in one fashion others in another The Creede saith that our Lord descended into hell and our Lord said This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Some men will aske how ascended he into Paradise seeing he descended into hell The greater voice of the Romane Catholikes and of the Protestants is that Hell was Paradise when our Sauiour was there but there are many learned men of the Catholike Romans as Durand and the learned Picus which thinking it absurd to say that Paradise was in Hell haue thought fit otherwise to agree vpon it And haue written that the soule of the Lord went really vnto the true Paradice and descended not into Hell but by efficacie or vertue On the other side amongst the Protestants Caluin and Beozo haue thought more to the purpose to referre this word Hell to the torments that our Sauiour suffered to the end that that which the Scripture saith that our Sauiour went to Paradise should be beleeued without running to any false or forged Exposition Also there are learned men amongst the Latines and the Protestants which doe decline from the common opinion herein because that it seemeth very absurd vnto them Neuerthelesse because that none of the three is receiued without contradiction it sheweth that there is difficultie in them all For to say that the Lord descended not into Hell but by his efficacie or vertue is to wrest that place of Scripture Thou wilt not leaue my soule in Hell To say that Hell whereof mention is made in the Creede is the torments which the Lord suffered vpon the Crosse is an Exposition altogether vnknowen to the Ancients and against the intention and meaning of those which added that clause to the Creede and those Protestants themselues for whom this serueth are ready to receiue one more proper as is to bee seene in that sentence before alleadged of Vrsinus As for the rest one may giue many Expositions and all Orthodoxall of one selfe same place of Scripture when one is not assured of the intent and meaning of the Authour so is it likewise in the Creede But about these difficulties the Apostolicke Churches in the East doe furnish vs with a fourth