Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	body_n	church_n	society_n	1,721	5	9.2198	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63267	Popery, the grand apostasie being the substance of certain sermons preached on 2 Thes. 2, v.1 to 12 on occasion of the discovery of that desparate plot of the papists against the King, kingdom and the Protestant religion / by John Troughton ...	Troughton, John, 1637?-1681.	1680 (1680)	Wing T2315; ESTC R23765	68,596	168

also many dark spots though clear as the Sun she hath her clouds and Eclipses Many will be carryed away with errour superstitions and carnal policies yea some of all sorts rulers as well as ruled learned as well as unlearned Those that have made great shew as well as the common sort be not troubled nor suspect the true doctrine and worship these things are foretold and therefore must be We are next to enquire what this departure is which is here foretold and who be guilty of it Some have understood it of the defection of the world from the Roman Empire following the conjecture of some one leader without consideration as Calvin observes And the Rhemists recede from it very unwillingly and under correction of their Superiours but the Apostles saith the day of Christ shallnot come except there come a departure first viz. a departure from Christ The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used for departure or apostasie is appropriated to signify a defection in or from religion so the same Apostle useth it but with an explication 1 Tim. 4.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some shall depart from the faith Moreover the head of this Apostasie is to sit in the Temple the Church of God v. 4. and to bring it about by delusions and lying miracles seducing those that loved not the truth that they might be saved but had pleasure in unrighteousness v. 10 11 12. It must therefore be a departure from the truth and purity of the Christian religion It is agreed betwixt Papists and Protestants that it is the apostasie under Antichrist as the chief head and leader of it which is here foretold but the question is who is this Antichrist Where and when this apostasie may be found As the Jews did generally expect the coming of Christ yet knew him not believed him not when he was among them so the Papists believe and expect that Antichrist shall come and miserably spoil the Church but cannot or will not see and own him though he is and long hath been amongst them That Nero shall rise again and be the Antichrist as he was the first persecuting Emperour I not worth the refuting The Papists generally teach that Antichrist is yet to come and shall endure but three years and a half immediately before the end of the world that he shall be a Jew of the tribe of Dan rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple abolish the Christian worship and almost the name of Christ but all this without any colouor proof except that slender one that he shall sit in the temple of God v. 4. Some few are so ingenuous as to confess that Rome is Babylon Antichrists seat but then some say the Heathen persecuting Emperours in the first three hundred years of the Church were this Manof sin Some again considering that it is an apostasie of professing Christians here spoken of conjecture that some Pope of Rome at the end of the world shall deny Christ become an Infidel and cause himself to be worshipped as God this should be this man of sin But the Text plainly speaks of a defection of Christians which was secretly working in the Apostles days only some thing hindered its prevailing and full discovery vi 6 7 8. The mystery of iniquity doth already work and it was to be a mysterious defection not an open and totall apostasie from Christ it was to be brought in by signs miracles lying wonders and all ungodly deceits for the just condemnation of them that received not the love of the truth that they might be saved though they received the profession of it v. 9. to 12. And the man of sin the Head of this apostasie was to sit or rule in the Temple of God which is his Church 1 Cor. 3.16 Therefore this apostasie was to be not total from the name and profession of Christ ad of his Church but a defection in the Church an apostasie from the purity of the Doctrine worship Discipline and practice of the Gospel such as should have so many excuses and specious pretences for it that the delusion should be strong and such as those that do not heartily love the truth should not be able to discern Whence we collect this proposition Proposition That the Church of Rome is and for a long time hath been the seat of this man of sin the mother of this apostasie or That Popery is the grand Apostasie of the Church here foretold This I shall make good first by some general reasons and then by the particular criteria or marks laid down in the text By the Church of Rome we mean all those Nations and Churches which as so many members make up that great body which they call the Roman Catholick Church whereof the Pope is the Head and the Church of the City of Rome the principal part By Popery we understand that religion viz. Doctrines worship Discipline and Government which is peculiar to them and distinct from all other Christians especially from the Protestant Churches and whereby they are knit into one body and society and live in one Communion distinct from and opposite to the Reformed Churches Now that this Church is apostatized from Christ and this religion is a Doctrine and practice of apostasie may appear in the general by comparing the true state of the Church of Christ with the state and Doctrine of the Roman Church 1. First The true Church of Christ acknowledgeth and worshippeth one only God the creator of the world and father of our Lord Jesus Christ This is the foundation of religion that there is one only infinite Being the fountain and author of all things else and therefore that all worship fear trust and obedience is due to him alone 1 Cor. 8.5 Though there be that are called Gods whether in heaven or in earth as there are Gods many and Lords many But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in Him But the Papists do acknowledge and worship other Gods besides him even the Host or Bread in the Sacrament and the Virgin Mary The Heathens pretend to acknowledge but one supreme God but the Papists do acknowledge that which sense reason and scripture witness to be a bit of bread to be the supreme God their maker and Lord which they usually call the Host and that it is to be worshipped cultu Latriae Conc. Trid. Ses 13. Cap. 4 5. ibid. c. 6. with that worship that is due to God alone This they keep upon their Altar in a gilded Box in imitation of the Ark of old there they teach is the special presence of God as it was in the Holy of Holies This they worship and carry in triumph by this they swear viz. by the Mass and by the Pix and this is a peculiar note and badge of their communion by which they difference themselves from others and destroy all that do not acknowledge and worship this their God as far as their power

mysteries than Gospel institutions Their chief worship devotion lyeth in building and adorning Temples for Masses not for preaching in buying Masses in decking of images with Gold Jewels in offering incense and wax Candles in pilgrimages and offerings to their Saints in vows of forced and usually feigned chastity of Hypocritical and lazy poverty and such like bodily exercises which profit little 1 Tim. 4.8 4. The Church of Christ owneth him only for her head King and Lord. God gave Christ to be head over all things to his Church which is his body Eph. 1.23 He hath all power in Heaven and earth committed to him to rule and order all things concerning his Church which is his own house Mat. 28.18 19 20. Whereupon he appointed Apostles to bring all nations to be his Disciples to consecrate and ingage them to him by Baptism and to teach them to observe all as he commanded Christ as mediator is the only head of the Church which is his body and all Christians members in particular of him receiving life strength and spirit from him and being governed by him But the Papists acknowledge and adhere to the Pope as the head of their Church which they say could not be one Church unless it be united to the Pope as their visible head Catec Rom. de Symb. Art 9. Q. 11. De eo i. e. Pontifice Romano fuit illa omnium Patrum ratio sententia consentiens hoc visibiel caput ad unitatem ecclesiae constituendam conservandam necessarium fuisse They say that Christ and the Pope make but one compleat Head of the Church That all which is said in the Canticles or elsewhere concerning Christ's relation to his Church may be truly applyed to the Pope That he hath all power in heaven and earth given to him Pope Boniface the 8. declared that it was absolutely necessary to Salvation for every man to be subject to the Pope of Rome Definimus decernimus declaramus esse de necessitate salutis omni humanae creaturae esse subditum Pontifici Romano accordingly they teach peccatum pagantiatis incurrit quisquis Pontifici non est obediens i. e. Whosoever is not obedient to the Pope doth thereby become an Heathen They ascribe to the Pope an universal headship not of order only but of power and jurisdiction he is the Rock the foundation of the Church he giveth authority to the Scriptures and without him authoritas Scripturarum plane nulla est saith one i. e. the Scriptures have no authority at all he can lay aside the Bible if he please or dispense with any of the commands of the old or new Testament saith their Canon Law and he daily doth dispense with oaths vows and obligations of all sorts both to God and man with unlawful marriages c. They say indeed in disputation that the Pope is a ministerial head the Deputy the Vicar of Christ but a Minister is only to execute the pleasure of his Lord a Deputy and Vicar is to see his Masters laws and commands observed not to enact laws of his own not to relax or abrogate any of his Masters laws which power the Pope both challengeth and exerciseth 5. Christ's Church professeth subjection to his law only Isa 33.22 The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King Christ is the only King of his Church and the power of making Laws is the chief prerogative of a King He gave his word to be the standing Law whereby his people should be ruled and guided and by which they must be judged at the last day John 12.48 But the Papists have another Law by which they are governed and the Pope is their law-giver who ruleth them The Scriptures they own indeed as the word of God but not as his whole mind and law and that no otherwise than as the Pope interpreteth and alloweth them They joyn with the Scriptures unwritten Traditions which the Council of Tent saith are of equal authority Traditiones non scriptas pari pietatis affectu reverentiâ suscipit veneratur Conc. Trid. Ses 4. Cat. Rom. Pref. Q. 12. The Canons of Councils viz. those that the Pope likes and confirms and the decretal Epistles of Popes they reckon equal with the Holy Scriptures Decretales epistolae meritò inter Scripturas canonicas recensentur The consciences of men they do subject to the determinations and commands of the Pope as to Jesus Christ so that the law of the Church of Rome is composed and made up of the Scriptures Traditions Canons and decretals of Popes over all which the Pope superintends as the supreme law-giver to confirm relax add or alter as he pleaseth according to the known Ruleof Cardinal Cusanus Lex currit cum praxi c. Whatsoever is the present allowed practice of the Church of Rome that must be taken for the infallible rule or law of Christ So that the will of the Pope is the supreme law of conscience to the Papist in this world 6. Christs Church acknowledgeth only his Sacraments Baptism and the Lords supper The Sacraments of the Gospel are badges of our professed Subjection to Christ and of our dependance on him for remission of sins for grace and eternal life and it is fit that Christ alone should appoint what should be the signs Seals and conveyances of his grace and the marks of subjection to him and the tokens of the Covenant betwixt him and his people Christ appointed his Disciples to enter into his Covenant by the sign and Seal of Baptism Matth. 28.19 to renew and confirm this Covenant from time to time by the use of his holy supper 1 Cor. 11.23 24. c. and he appointed no other but these and his people must institute and use no other as signs and Covenant seals betwixt him and them But the Papists have added five more which they own and maintain to be Sacraments besides many other significant ceremonies to which they attribute the use and effects of Sacraments these they make signs of Gods Covenant means to convey grace some of them as universally necessary as those that Christ appointed yea without which Christs Sacraments are not sufficient to Salvation viz. the Sacraments of Confirmation and Penance of the former they say a man cannot be a Christian till he be confirmed by the Bishop Baptism is not compleat without it De consecra dist 5. ch de jejun Nemo potest esse Christianus nisi ad Baptismum accesserit unctio episcopalis nisi confirmatione chrismatus Their penance consisteth of confession of sin to the Priest contrition for sin and the Priests absolution and they teach that sins cannot be forgiven unless they be particularly confessed to the Priest and he absolve them in the name of Christ upon their undergoing or promise to undergo some outward austerity or penance imposed on them by him These Sacraments are badges and means of their subjection to the Priest and to