Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A62858
|
Le Tombeau des controverses a grave for controversies, between the Romanist & Protestant, lately presented to the King of France / Englished by M.M.
|
M. M.
|
1673
(1673)
|
Wing T1793; ESTC R15915
|
30,396
|
50
|
gives them and of which a wife man hath said Chi non ha Paura non sente il malo he who hath no fear can feel no harm No Party should take an advantage of another and I believe that if we served God well and honoured the King we should all agree with so much sweetness that one might see faith truly universal justly Apostolical and truly Christian shine out clearely 30. If to produce unity wee must have the same thoughts let us all respect follow without wrangling the good will of our Soveraign let us not be obstinate in our private faith but let us be fixed in that which hath appeared at all times Catholique and which we have equally respect for and confiance in All of us have the Confession of Faith which is called the Apostolical Symbol we have almost in the same words as they recite them in the Mass the Confession of Faith of the Council of Nice such a collection of Faith signed by 318 Bishops was a conclusion of that worthy Assembly to whom Rome sent two Deputies the Articles of faith were received by the Church which was not Arian and since none of bur Churches are so let us be satisfied with that Confession truly Catholique and let us hold to it Let us Reason together with freindship The Confession of the Symbol of Nice touched without doubt all the Articles of the Christian Faith which the truly faithfull believe or ought to believe to satisfy their consciences so worthy an Assembly was the first that Christianity saw in its quiet after the dreadfull Persecutions It was under the Authority of Constantine the great who was converted from Idolatry to the Faith it was as the Resurrection of the Gospel which untill then was preached in hidden places in Caves and dark holes of the earth By the happy Miracle of a new Life Jesus Christ increased by his Divine Power the light of Faith and the sweetness of tranquillity it was necessary in so considerable a meeting to inform Christians very well what they were obliged to believe always in all parts of the World and in all Nations where Religion could be found It was absolutely necessary also to inform by a publique Act the Soul of the newly Converted Emperour of all the Mysteries which make Christian Religion Divine and True and the Emperor ought to Regulate his Faith by that general approved Confession signed by all the good Bishops In short this Confession of Faith so Authentique and so wisely Established was received by all Christianity as an abridgment of the Gospel with this assurance that those who believe these Propositions would have that true and entire Faith which Christ requires in his Faithfulones All these Circumstances witness that the Articles proposed since that time were not believed then since they could not forget to Record them and that this Council principally Assembled against the impious subtleties of Arius treated of all the Mysteries of Religion and by a common Agreement made a general Declaration of them that they put into it all that is necessary to Salvation not only to correct present Errors but to hinder new ones and if the blind obedience which Worshipped the Decrees of the Church and the Patriarch of Rome had been a difference necessary to Salvation the Roman Deputies would not have sail'd to present it The Emperour nor the Fathers of the Council would not have neglected to put in that Article which goeth at present for the most Fundamental Ground of Faith and instead of these Words One Holy and Apostolical Church we should read these the Roman Church only I wonder that if the Greeks complain of that which the Latines have added to the Articles of the Procession of the holy Spirit Filioque we should not complain of them that they have added And the Roman Church After having confirmed this Truth that the Confession of Faith published by the Council of Nice being received by all Christians establisheth them in a most Holy and Pious Unity let us agree according to the will of the King in the French Church in that manner which the first and principal Council of Christians regulated our common Faith since in the third Age it regulated the Faith of Constantine the great and all Christianity we may joine to these those who condemned the Heresy of Nestorius and Eutichus in short we are united if true Antiquity Governs us 20. Let us consider the difference of the first Council held at Nice which cements us all with the last held at Trent which divides us I am not willing to utter the least unbeseeming Word but I must say keeping the Truth which I love that there is a great difference between him whom the Spirit of the holy Scriptures Governs and him that takes his from the Valises or Clok-bag of Rome In the Council of Nice we have nothing which is not proposed in Holy Writ by the Ministry of Christ and his Apostles In that of Trent we see all is Proposed Resolved and Ordained according to the prescribed Order of the Romane Legates and according to the Popes interest The first which bindes us with the Truth of God unties us with Pleasure the other which makes all submit to the Vanities of the Pope divides us even to Fury But to make the Purity of that Faith appear the better which can give us that Admirable Peace I will employ this Page to set down Word for Word the Confession of Faith Writ at the Council of Nice so as it is sang in the Romane Mass from whence I took it with exact Faithfulness The Creed I Believe in One God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth and of all things Visible and Invisible and in One Lord Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God begotten of his Father before all Worlds God of God Light of Light very God of very God begotten not made being of one Substance with the Father by whom all things were made Who for us Men and for our Salvation came down from Heaven and was Incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and was made Man and was Crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate He suffered and was Buried and the third Day he Rose again according to the Scriptures and Ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the Right Hand of the Father And he shall come again with Glory to Judg both the Quick and the Dead whose Kingdom shall have no End And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord and giver of Life who procedeth from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son together is Worshipped and Glorified who spake by the Prophets And I Believe one Catholick and Apostolick Church I acknowledg one Baptisme for the Remission of Sins and I look for the Resurrection of the Dead and the Life of the World to come Amen We are Piously and Christianly United by this Creed and if any thing be omitted in it it is so clear
loving force of that which is Good Fair and True 33. When his Majesty testifies his desire of the Agreement of his Subjects he wishes first the Glory of God and then the happiness and honour of that Church which bears the title of the French Church are we not all obliged by the Zeal of our Salvation and for the Interest of our most dear Country to carry our Affections highly towards his Majesties design let us procure the Glory of God and the happiness of the Church of France For the first let us not be so weak and erroneous to believe that the Honour of God is increased when that of Rome is the Authority of the King who is a Sacred Majesty is sufficient to make us Preach Understand and Observe the Will of God for the second are we so base to seek after with an unnatural Zeal the glory of the Roman Court to the prejudice of the French Church The Gentlemen of Sorbon making their Censures or judicious Observations on Odoricus Renaldus Continuer of Baronius have branded as notable faults that which is writ against the French Church and its Liberty These Liberties are not Licentiousness but as the Wise learnedly explain an exact Observation of the Ancient Rules of the Christian Faith Would to God that all the Kings Subjects upon this occasion had the love to hold themselves to the Rules of that Faith which is called Canons and ten or twelve Persons of each Religion had the Command to search them not in Modern Antiquity but Apostolique and in that of the first Councils they would easily find the French Liberty well established and the Dependence on Rome very ill-founded I ask if our French Church can be unjust if she takes the Reformation demanded by 5 Embassadours of France in several Reductions of the Council of Trent Would she not be as holy when she Regulates her Faith upon Divine words and her Manners upon the Sacred Laws of God as though she served the Statues of the Grandeur of Rome The Cardinal of Lorain did not he do a greater Service to the French Church when he endeavoured a Reformation in the Council of Trent than by that base Compliance which he had afterwards to the Will of the Pope Are not the Gentlemen of Sorbon generous and Christian when speaking of the works of Renaldus they say that the French-Church hath done nothing more profitable than the Pragmatick Sanction which Sanction was made at Burges in the year 1438. The King Assembled Bishops Princes and the great Lords of his Kingdom but because it bound the Authority of the Pope it was looked upon as a black attempt and that was it which rendred it praise-worthy His Majesty may if he please do somthing better he may apply the great Remedy to the Malady which hath broken our bones and eaten our flesh whereas others have ordered nothing but Lenitives and applyed them with a trembling hand Let us desire my dear Eutimius let us desire this holy Unity of one and the same Religion his Majesty who wisheth it desires our common good 't is an evil thing to hate as 't is an unhappiness to be hated The thoughts which I have newly explained to you shall end with this we should be happy if we had but one God in Heaven and one Monarch upon Earth I beseech the Almighty to inspire the King not to permit in his Kingdom a Companion with God and that he would propose ways to us which are only drawn from the Law and Truth of God to be the Rule of our Devotions his Majesty will acquire Glory in giving us Peace France will have all the Properties of being the One the True and the Good and we shall have Goodness of Soul Truth in Spirit and Unity of hearts FINIS