Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	church_n	particular_a	pastor_n	2,231	5	9.9163	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61826	A discourse concerning the church ... by the Right Reverend Father in God, Robert Sanderson ...	Sanderson, Robert, 1587-1663.	1688 (1688)	Wing S597; ESTC R2316	6,874	34

Imprimatur Hic Libellus cui Titulus A Discourse concerning the Church c. Iuly 28. 1688. Io. Battely A DISCOURSE Concerning the CHURCH In these following PARTICULARS I. Concerning the Visibility of the true Church II. Concerning the Church of Rome III. Concerning Protestant Churches IV. An Answer to this Question Where was your Church before Luther BY The Right Reverend Father in GOD ROBERT SANDERSON Late Lord Bishop of LINCOLN LONDON Printed by T. B. for R. Taylor MDCLXXXVIII THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER THat the following Discourses are Genuine and Authentick and were really writ by that excellent Prelate whose name they bear can never be doubted by the Learned and Iudicious Reader For the Composures of that incomparable Pen are so Close and Logical and his Stile so Masculine and Convincing as not easily to be imitated by any other Hand However to justifie my Integrity herein since posthumous Writings lye under Suspicion I shall give this further Satisfaction That about Twenty Years since I received these Papers from the Hands of that well-known good Man Mr. Io. Pullen of MAGDALEN-HALL his Lordship 's Domestic Chaplain Who upon my Desire did communicate not only these but several other Remains of the same venerable Name Amongst which there is a Fragment of an Answer to Dr. Baylie's Challeng Whether or no it was ever finished I have no certain Conjecture But if it were and could be found the Publishing of it at this Iuncture would be Seasonable and Useful For though that Pamphlet is a Piece of as transparent Sophistry as was ever called Demonstration and though the Weakness and Inconsequence of it hath been sufficiently displayed yet such is the Pleasure of some Men that it hath been Printed and Reprinted with as much Assurance as if not the least notice had been ever taken of it The same Remark is obvious concerning these following Tracts 'T is surprising to observe after these things have been so clearly and fully stated that we should ever and anon be thus pelted with that impertinent Question Where was your Church before Luther Our Venerable Author doth tell them where it was And he doth it with such an Evidence and Strength of Reason as is peculiar to Himself For whereas the Writings of other Men may indeed convince Those of Bishop Sanderson do perfectly Silence A DISCOURSE Concerning the VISIBILITY OF THE True Church THE word CHURCH hath among others these four special Significations Being taken for First The whole Company of Gods Elect actually made Members of Christ by vertue of an inward effectual Calling to Faith and Godliness This we commonly call the Invisible Church or the Church of Gods Elect. Secondly The whole Company of all those throughout the World who by their Doctrine and Worship do outwardly make Profession of the Name of Christ. This we call the Universal Visible Church Or the Catholick Christian Church Thirdly Some particular distinct whether National Provincial or other greater or smaller Part of the Universal As we say the Church of Rome the Church of Corinth the Church of England This we call a Particular Visible Church Fourthly By a Synecdoche the Bishops Pastors and Governours of particular Churches lawfully authorized to represent the whole Church whereof they are Governours as to some special Intents This we call a Church Representative The word TRUTH applyed to any Subject is taken either Absolute or Respective Absolutely a thing is true when it hath veritatem Entis Essentiae with all those Essential things that are requisite to the bare Being and Existence of it Respectively when over and above these Essentials it hath also such Accidental conditions and Qualities as should make it perfect and commendably good A Thing may be true in the first sense and yet not true in the second but false As a Man may be a true Man animal rationale and yet a false Knave A Woman a true Wife nupta viro and yet a false Quean A Speech a true Proposition having Subjectum Praedicatum Copulam and yet a false Lye. A True Church according to the first sense and absolutely is every Church that in her Doctrine and Worship professeth the Faith of Christ whether soundly or corruptly But in the second sense and respectively that only is a true Church whose Doctrine and Worship is pure at least in a good measure from Errors and Superstitions So as other Churches which either maintain Heretical Doctrines or prescribe Idolatrous Worship may be justly called at least wise in comparison with this and in this second sense false Churches and not true A total and utter Defection from the whole Faith of Christ in Doctrine and in Worship destroys the very Being of a Church and maketh it no Church at all But a defection from the purity of Faith doth not take away the Being of a Church It remains still a true Church Absolutely but only maketh it an Impure and Corrupt Church and so far forth a false Church Respectively Corruptions in Doctrine and Worship as they are greater or lesser so they make a Church more or less false comparatively and as they are imposed upon Men with greater or lesser exaction they do more or less justify whether a Separation from or an opposition against such a false Church and in some cases enforce it When betwixt two Churches differing in Doctrine or Worship Question is made Whether of them is the true Church it must be understood not in the first sense and absolutely for so both are true and ergo equally true Churches for vero nihil verius but respectively and comparatively and in the second sense viz. Whether of them maintains the Doctrine together with the Worship taught by Christ and his Apostles in the greater measure of Purity and freer from Error and Superstition VISIBILITY as to our purpose imports such a state of a thing as wherein 't is evident and discernable more or less by sensible Marks so as a Man may infallibly know it thereby and say Here it is Which Visibility hath several Degrees and applyed to the Church may be several ways consider'd First A Thing is visible in the highest Degree where it doth it self ferire oculos as it were and is so eminently and gloriously conspicuous that a Man unless he wilfully shuts his Eyes cannot chuse but see it As the Sun in the Firmament is visible when it shines forth in its greatest Lustre at Noon-Day Secondly In an inferior Degree when 't is discernable even outwardly but not at the first sight or in any glorious Splendor but with due and serious and intent Observation As some Stars in an over-cast Evening to them that with a stedfast Eye look for them Thirdly And in a yet lower Degree when it s not discernable outwardly or at all to any but those only who more nearly partake of it As the light of a Candle in a close private Room is visible to those only that be in the Room In every of which

they do not overthrow the Foundation but ex consequenti and indirectly is not enough of it self alone to enforce or justify an outward Separation from her But the imposing these Errors upon the Consciences of Men to be believed as of necessity is Damnable And doth not only justify a Separation already made but also bindeth sub Mortali all true Christians to such a Separation Seventhly The Worship required and performed in the Church of Rome is in most Things Superstitious and in some lately Idolatrous and such as wherein a good Christian cannot lawfully Communicate with her So as if there were nothing else yet her Idolatry were enough to justify and enforce such a Separation Concerning Protestant CHURCHES BY the Protestant Churches we understand those visible Particular Churches which having by an external Separation freed themselves from the Tyranny and Idolatry of Popery have more or less reformed the Doctrine and Worship from Popish Corruptions and restored them more or less to the Ancient and Primitive Purity Now such Churches may be consider'd either Materially or Formally First Materially When we consider those Churches to whom it happens thus to be Reformed barely and precisely as Local and Particular visible Churches without respect had to their present Reformed or former Corrupt Estate or to the Substance of their Faith. As when we say The Church of England The Church of Denmark The Church of Saxony c. Secondly Formally The Protestant Churches may again be consider'd two ways in respect of a Two-fold Form. First An outward and accidental Form. Secondly An inward and as it were essential Form. The inward Form ever giveth Esse but the outward often giveth Nomen The outward Form is barely the State of Reformation which supposeth another former Estate of Deformity or Corruption out of which respect they have the Name and Title of Protestant and Reformed Churches But the inward Form is the Substance of their Faith thus reformed in their Doctrine and Worship from the Corruptions wherewith Popery had infected it Which Substance of Faith in the Protestant Churches may be consider'd differently in the Positive Points of their Faith and in the Negative The Positive Points or Affirmative Articles of our Christian Faith are they which make us true Christian Churches For in our Positive we teach the ancient Faith of Christ and his Apostles and the Primitive Church And in our Negative we reject the Innovations and Corruptions of latter Times To the QUESTION then Where Our CHVRCH was before Luther I Answer FIrst Taking our Protestant Churches Materially as namely the Church of England it was where it is viz. in England Where by the great Mercy of God it hath continued a visible Christian Church from the first Plantation of it by Apostles or Apostolical Men without Interruption though not always without Error and Corruption unto this Day And herein it need not yield to the very Church of Rome it self or to any other Church under Heaven Secondly Taking the Protestant Church Formally in respect of the Substance of Faith the Professors of it have been in some Degree or other visible as well before Luther as since But yet differently in the Affirmatives and in the Negatives of our Faith. Thirdly Taking the Protestant Church Formally in respect of the outward Form viz. as under the State of Reformation we will freely confess There was no such Reformed or Protestant Church before Luther as now there is For a Church could not be said to be Reformed till it was Deformed No more than a Man can be said to be stript of a Motly Coat before he had it on Fourthly The Protestant Church for Substance of Faith in the Affirmative Doctrine hath continued visibly from Christ and his Apostles without Interruption as well before as since Luther according to the Tenor of our Second and Third Theses In which our Adversaries and we agree witness the Articles of our Church Fifthly The Substance of Faith as concerning the Worship Maintain'd and Practis'd in the Protestant Church of England hath continued Visible in like manner in all Ages as well before as since Luther Witness our Service-Book Wherein our Adversaries themselves are not able to except against any thing contained Only they complain of some Defects But that belongs not to the Affirmatives but to the Negatives of our Faith. Sixthly The Negative Tenets of our Protestant Church wherein she Renounceth the Errors and Idolatries of the Romish for so much as they are Negatives are not capable of a visible Profession in such Sort as Affirmatives are Yet thus far our Church was visible in respect of these Negatives before Luther viz. In the Primitive Times for the first Six Hundred Years especially and some other Ages after also all Orthodoxal Particular Churches were visible Professors of our Faith. In as much as in their Writings where we were Affirmative they were Affirmative also Where we are Negative they are either Negative or Doubtful or Divided or Silent Which very Silence is enough to make them ours as to this Intent For who can expect they should purposely confute those Errors which were many of them not so much as thought on in their Times Seventhly In succeeding Times when Errors and Superstitions began to grow to some Head through the Factions of Princes the Pride of the Clergy and the common Ignorance of the Times As namely about the Year Nine Hundred and thenceforth till the Times of Luther our Protestant Church was not visibly distinct from the corrupt Romish according to the Tenor of our Fifth Thesis but mingled with it Yet it had thus far forth visible Professors That there were in every Age before Luther some whose Names and Opinions have been by God's good Providence preserved in Histories and Records notwithstanding the indirect Endeavors of the Adversaries to root out the Memory of them who complained of the Corruptions and contradicted the Doctrines and Abuses of Popery some in one Point and some in another some in most of all those Points wherein we now dissent and that in such Degrees and Respects of Visibility as we have declared in our Sixth and Seventh Theses FINIS