Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n
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A91516
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The right religion, reviewed and inlarged / by L.P. Gent.
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L. P., Gent.
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1658
(1658)
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Wing P74C; ESTC R181384
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42,130
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187
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swayeth in Europe Asia Africa and America where one and the same belief is embraced for one and the same motive Gods Revelation proposed by the Church The third part is lawfully sent This agreeth to the said Company for in that company No man clarifieth himself but one receiveth power from another the Subdeacon Deacon Priest from the Bishop the Bishop from the cheif Bishop or Pope The fourth part is Able to shew c. This a greeth to the said Company for in that company an exact succession of power and doctrine is faithfully and with clearness deduced Writers of severall ages and Nations having put forth and published to the view of the world authentick schemes Catalogues of Popes Coccius Gualterius Bishops Pastours succeding each other from Christ and the Apostles and from time to time layd open their Doctrine The fifth part is without the least interruption And this agreeth with the said Company for in that Company a Continual pure stream of power and Doctrine is demonstrated by the said writers to have been ever sweetly gliding from its head Christ and in its proper Channell Bishops and Pastours and not any moment of time can be pointed at in which its course was stopped from beating down infidelity and imbalming true Belieuers with the fragrant odours of vertve and Religion 2. 1. The second Proof is that Company composeth and maketh up the true Catholick Church which doth acknowledg and embrace a power generally claimed and Doctrine generally professed by the Apostles and Christians ever since But the said Company acknowledgeth and embraceth a power generally claymed and a Doctrine generally professed by the Apostles and Christians ever since Therefore that composeth and maketh up the true Catholick Church The first Proposition is undeniable in asmuch as Apostolicall power and Doctrine where communion is not wanting are sure Evidences of the true Catholick Church The second Proposition I shall sufficiently clear by instancing the beginning and after-rising of those Tenets which Sectaries hold against Catholicks by she wing how the learned of Catholicks who were as the mouth pen of the rest opposed the said Tenets as new and never heard of before lastly by producing Councells witnessing and confirming the Orthodoxness of this mouth and pen and branding the contrary for heresies Now forasmuch as it is easier to evidence our Fathers acts than our Grandfathers or great Grandfathers c I resolve to take this way making my first instance in the last so upwards to the Apostles When Calvin 1534. changed the Hierarchie of the Church into Presbyterie framed a spirituall presence of Christs body in the Eucharists establisht a perpetuity in the Possession of Grace destroyed all possibility of keeping the Commandments Christians generally professed as the said Company doth that their Commission was to inculcate that the Government of the Church was instituted by Christ Hierarchicall and not to be altered that Christs presence in the Eucharist was corporall that grace once had might be lost by sinne that keeping of the Commandments was the way to Salvation therefore as possible as salvation its self Staphilus Lindanus Hosius Claudius de Xaintes Morus conc Trident. when Zuinglius 1525. set up a signe and figure in the place of Christs body Christians generally professed as the said Company doth that their Commission was to inculcate that the Body of Christ was truly and really in the Eucharist Lindanus Fleidan Luth. conc Trid. When Luther 1517 reviled the Pope calling him Antichrist impugned the Authority of Generall Councells Grace from the Sacraments Mass taught impanature ubiquity of Christs Body Christians generally professed as the said Company doth that their Commission was to inculcate that the Pope was Christs Vicar appointed to Rule his flock That Generall Councells in their Canonicall decrees were to be obeyed That the Sacraments did confer grace to all that received them worthily that Mass was an holy sacrifice instituted by Christ for a Commemoration of his Death and Passion for exhibition of soveraign honour to his Eternall father for propitiation to the living and dead That ubiquity was proper to the Godhead Echius Cochlaeus Alphonsus Acastro Fisherus the vniversality of Collen Louen Paris Henrie the 8th Conc. Trident When Valdesius 1170 inveighed against Indulgences and Purgatory Christians generally professed as the said Company doth That their Commission was to inculcate that the Catholique Church had power to forgive not onely the fault or guilt of sinne but likewise the pain and punishment due for the same That out of this world there was a place of satisfaction for such as departed in grace Antoninus Claudius Cossiodus Conc. Florent Trident. When Photius with other greekes 1049 opposed the Popes supremacy Christians generally professed as the said Company doth That their Commission was to inculcate That the Pope was the supream Bishop and head of the Church Rabanus Haym Antoninus Conc. Florent Conc. Constant 8 When Berengarius 104. grew to that impudence as to out Christ quite the Eucharist Christians generally professed as the said Company doth That their Commission was to inculcate That Christs Body was truely and realy there Lanfranc Guitmundus Blondus Conc. Lugdunense When Albanenses 796. questioned extreme unction Christiás generally professed as the said Company doth That their Commission was to inculcate that extreme unction was one of the seaven Sacraments instituted by Christ Bede Conc. Worm When Jacobus 584 took away Confession Christians generally professed as the said Company doth That their Commission was to inculcate that Confession of sinns to a Preist rightly impowered was availeable and necessary Saint Gregory Cassiodorus Conc. Trident When Sonaras 495 despised Images Christians generally professed as the said Company doth that their Commission was to inculcate that as to other things relating to God and his saints so also to Images a certain degree of respect and reverence was due Saint Hier. Theodor Conc. 2. Nic. When Vigilantius 424. cried down holy Reliques and prayer to Saints Christians generally professed as the said Company doth that their Commission was to inculcate that respect to holy things and prayer to Saints was both laudable and beneficiall Saint Epiphan Saint Aug. Saint Hier. Saint Greg. Niss Conc. Constant Conc. Laodi when Pelagius 405 denied originall sinne and the necessity of Baptisme Christians generally professed as the said Company doth That their Commission was to inculcate that since the fall of Adam all were conceived in originall sinne and that to remove it Baptisme was requisite Saint August Saint Gregory Naz. Nisse Saint Basil Theodoret Saint Ambr. Saint Hier. Saint John Conc. Milev When Jovinian 395 made sinns all alike greivous had the same esteem of Marriage and virginity Christians generally professed as the said Company doth that their Commission was to inculcate That sinns according to their more or less repugnancy to reason were greater some than other that how be it Marriage was good and honourable yet that virginity was
to observe the unjustness of sectaries who impute easiness to Catholiques avouching that according to their Religion a bare confession of sinns to a Preist pacifies and appeases God whereas besides confession not to speak of its horridness a verseness to nature they hold as necessary all the other above mentioned Acts that if any one bee wanting their confessions become invalid and sacrilegious Above all their strangeness breakes out in their complaint of uneveness in their way as though it were such a matter to believe Christes merits who is the source and fountain of all worth or to have a confidence in God whose goodness trascends all that can be sinne and yet this is the very quintessence of their requisites to reconciliation with God albeit their sinnes should swell to drown in loudness the cryes of Sodome and Gomorrha CHAP. 13. Of the Spirit of Spiritists 1. THe spirit of God in God is as God every where I fill heaven and earth Jer. 23. So as in this sense none can be absent from his essence presence nor vertue But the question runs of the effects thereof which depending upon his will are confined within narrower limits This truth appears bright in St Iohn where he forbiddeth to give credit to every spirit Jo. 1.4 To deny that the spirit of God is active fruitfull in some were to fall into another extream and in effect to call Gods goodness mercy in question to know and discern who they be the onely way is to see their warrant and examine their works If their warrant prove that of Miracles and their workes good doubtless they have the favour of Gods spirit if otherwise they are at the best but pretence makers and ushers of innovation 2. This way must needes be true and sure because Christ and Saint Paul taught it and it stands with right reason for bare sayings without proof are sounds of want and emptiness and the capacity of every Agent being to produce effects like it self it is as impossible for the spirit of God that is all goodness to be the author of ill as for a reasonable creature to beget an unreasonable or heat to cause cold Whence it is plain that the spirit of Spiritists is a false imposture a meer figment and delusion in as much as it is destitute of Miracles and induceth to ill it perswading a disloyall defection from our Lords Prayer the Commandements and Church Bucer in Mat. 6. Calvin in Mat. 6. Luther de Moyse Zuinglius in explan art 16. Tindal in Fox his acts pa. 140. edit An. 1610. in the consonancy and dissonancy to which consist the goodness and badness of all Actions All actions being good or bad according as they are conform or difforme to Gods known will which is apparently manifested in the aforesaid Hereto adde that the spirit of Spiritists prompteth things contrary and imconsistent each with other Lutherans assert the reallity of Christs ' body Zuinglians maintain a bare figure Calvinists differ from both which cannot befall the spirit of God for so the spirit of truth might become the spirit of Errour and falshood 3. To say that God is no excepter of persons that his spirit being free may breath on whom he pleaseth is out of the matter in hand here being no dispute of Gods power what he may doe but of his will what he doth Their other ground for inspiration upon the assurance of Conscience St Paul and St Austin convinced long since of weakness and cozenage St Paul when for yielding to Conscience in persecuting the primitive Christians he acknowledged himself unworthy of the name of an Apostle 1 Cor. 15. St Austin when he sharpned his pen against Manichisme which before in obedience to Conscience he upheld and defended Conscience can have no greater certainty than the understanding that gave it being and the understanding experience teacheth to be so bad an aymer that in the search of truth it oftner misses than hits CHAP. 14. Of the Spiritists Rule of faith 1 THe Rule of faith may be considered in it self or in respect of us in it self it is Gods revealed truth in respect of us it is the same truth expressed to us Thus far Catholiques and Spiritists agree their difference is about the expression These holding that it is that of their private spirit joyned to that of Scripture onely Those that it is that of the Church Scripture bearing witness of her truth This latter is clear by what hath been already said in the third Chapter and will appear yet more by disproving the former Which for the first part that it is false and spurious Saint Peter gives evidence point-blank 2. Pet. 1. No interpretation of Scripture by private spirit Saint Paul speakes to the same effect where he wisheth 2. Cor. 10. to captivate the understanding to the obedience of faith And our Saviour confirms both testimonies obliging all under pain of damnation Mat. 18.17 to believe the Church If the Church be to sway every private spirit must stoop and obey for none can serve two Masters Luke 16. 2. For the second that it is deficient Scripture attesteth referring to the Church and reason makes it good For as much as the expression Faith requires ought to be as full and ample as the duty of Faith that is it must be able to informe the understanding in all it stands bound to give assent unto wherein the expression of Scripture alone is defective it not declaring sundry pointes Christians acknowledge themselves bound to believe To wit that those bookes of Scripture which are received for Canonicall are so indeed That some are Canonicall other some Apocryphall That they are determinately these or others That the Jewes Sabaoth is to be neglected and laid aside and the Sunday solemnized That the Creed is authenticke and truely the Apostles That it is lawfull to eate straâ—gled meates and blood But these men please themselves with onely talke of Scripture for were Scripture as they pretend the Rule of their beliefe though it containes divers truths yet those truths meeting and becoming one in Revelation they would all perfectly agree not onely Lutherans among themselves Calvinists among themselves but likewise Lutherans with Zuinglians and Calvinists with both it being the propertie of unity to unite and make one all that conforme to the same Whereas happening quite contrary it is a manifest signe that fancy under specious pretences of Scripture the Spirit is the great Idol they do homage to Lutherans to Luthers Zuinglians to Zuinglius and Calvinists to Calvin CHAP. 15. Of the Protestant Church Protestants cast a fairer shine than the Spiritists and certes were their Church as true as it is seeming they could not be justly taxed But all is not gold that glisters Satan is apt to transforme himselfe into an Angell of light 2. Cor. 11. Falshood it self is not seldome seen in the habiliments of truth and therefore this Chapter pretends to lay open the many