Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	matter_n	see_v	3,060	5	3.1155	3	true

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

Church also inuisible I answere that this is a very weake consequence for otherwise we might reason thus None is a man but by a reasonable soule but the soule of man indued with the vse of reason is inuisible therfore the whole man also is inuisible Also no Scripture is to be accounted holy but by the authority of God but this authority is inuisible therefore the Scripture also is inuisible For it is not necessarie that a thing may be called visible that the chiefe part or reason thereof be visible but it sufficeth if any part therof be visible as manifestly appeareth in all visible substances for their chiefe partes to wit their substantiall matter and forme are thinges inuisible 4. Secondly I answere that the faith wherby a man is made a member of the visible Church is not only an interiour faith which is not to be seene but that which is euidently seene and declared by exteriour signes as for example by confessing publikely the said faith by receauing the Sacraments and such other exteriour acts The which is so true that this exteriour profession of our faith only without the interiour faith sufficeth that a man become a member of the visible Church as Bellarmine well proueth seing that otherwise none could be certaine of his Prelate or Pastour because none can see the faith or mind of āother 5. Hence also it is that not only the predestinate and iust men are members of the visible Church but also such as be hypocrit●es and wicked men who professe their faith according to those wordes of Christ Euery branch in me not bearing fruit he will take it away And if any abide not in me he shal●e cast forth by which words Christ sheweth that they also who doe not remayne in him that is to say those which are not predestinate and those which do not bring forth any fruit that is to say bad Christians are in him that is to say in his visible body which is the Church the which also almost all our Aduersaries confesse as we haue said before and Bellarmine proueth more at large 6. The sixt argument our Aduersaries deduce out of the Apocalyps wherein it is said that a woman inuested with the sunne which signifieth the true Church fled into the desert and remayned there for the space of 1260. dayes that is to say as our Aduersaries interpret it a thousand two hundred and sixty yeares Out of which they infer that the Church remayned inuisible as it were in the desert these thousand two hundred and sixty yeares last past I answere that this is a vitious argument for many reasons For first it is very absurd to thinke that the Church of Christ did ly hidden and inuisible these thousand two hundred sixty yeares past For therupon it would ensue that the Church of Christ was inuisible then when it most florished was spread abroad ouer the whole world as for example in the tymes of S. Augustine Ambrose Hilary Athanasius Hierome Chrysostome Cyril c. Yea in the tyme also of all the auncient Councels the which our Aduersaries themselues do admit in their confession of faith For all these Fathers and ancient Councells haue byn within the space of the forsaid thousand two hundred and sixty yeares the which our Aduersaries do account from Pope Siluester till Luthers tyme wherfore this place of the Apocalyps is not to be vnderstood of yeares but literally of daies only 7. Moreouer it is not certain that by this word desert is vnderstood any solitary place or such as is depriued of all the society or comfort of men For Primasius S. Augustines scholler saith that by the foresayd word is signified the whole world the which also that desert signified through the which the Children of Israel passed before they came to the land of Promise Euen as by the sayd land of Promise was also signified the euerlasting lyfe Some others will haue the foresayd word desert to signify a departure or forsaking of all sinnes and vices and all other pleasures of this world according to that saying of the Prophet Osee. I will carry and lead her into the desert and I ●ill speake vnto her hart And that of Dauid Behould flying away I went farre off and I remayned in the desert 8. Lastly albeit we should graunt that this desert were some wyld or forsaken place yet neuerthelesse it could not be gathered thereby that the Church of Christ eyther was or euer shal be inuisible For neyther this womā which fled into the wildernesse signifyeth th● whole Church of Christ but some one famous Church the which Antichrist shal persecute most of all because it will strongly oppose it selfe against his impiety and wickednesse And in the end of the forsaid vision S. Iohn playnly affirmeth that the Dragon after the deliuery of that woman shall make warre against the rest of her seede who keep the commandmēts of God and haue the testimony of Iesus Christ therfore besides that woman there will be some out of the desert who will publikely professe the true faith of Christ against whom for that cause the Dragon will fight 9. But that we may now conclude this controuersy of the visible Church seing that Christ our Lord came into this world that he might make open and knowen the way to eternall sauation not to one Nation or age only but inded to the whole world and all posterity it is a very absurd thing to thinke that this one only way to eternall saluatiō which is the true Church of Christ remayned hidden and vnknowen to all Nations for so many ages past CHAP. VII That this visible true Church of Christ cannot erre in matters of fayth NOTHING can be sayd more absurdly thē that the true Church of Christ can erre in matters of fayth and yet there is nothing which the Sectaries of this tyme do hold and defend with greater pertinancy not without iust cause for they see very well that it cannot be denyed but that the true Church of Christ hath for these many yeares past remayned still among Catholikes only visible as afterward we shall more clearly declare but if they should also graunt that this visible Church cannot erre they should ouerthow themselues by their owne confession Wherefore to the end they may still haue some corner or hole to slip out at they affirme that the true Church of Christ both hath erred still doth erre in points of faith Then the which nothig certainly is more absurd especially seing that they affirme that it hath erred not in things of small moment but in the principall and chiefest poynts of fayth which are playnly necessary to eternall saluation yea also that it hath fallen into manifest Idolatry Moreouer that it hath not only fayled staggered in fayth hath publikely taught many errors against fayth but hath also compelled and forced by threats and torments all to Idolatry And lastly