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	universal_a	visible_a	1,943	5	9.1874	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07764	An homily upon these words of Saint Matthew, chap. 16.v.18 Tu es Petrus. Written first in French by that honorable and learned personage, Monsieur Du Plessis Mornay. And translated into English by I.V.; Homélie sur ces mots de sainct Matthieu. English.	Mornay, Philippe de, seigneur du Plessis-Marly, 1549-1623.; Verneuil, John, 1582 or 3-1647.	1615 (1615)	STC 18143; ESTC S100069	12,997	36

the inward what man is he be he never so arrogant that daies boast of it and as concerning the outward what shall he bee bee it what measure of grace it will that he hath receaued of God that it can suffice him not only for the whole world but even for the smallest province Adde that the Church being perpetuall and Peter mortall there can be no proportion betweene the labour of Peter which concludeth with his life and the building of the Church which is perpetuated through all ages otherwise it should haue fallen to ruine and tumbled down in the person of Peter But thou wilt obiect what order or what meanes hath Christ left vs for his outward ministery heare the Apostle when be ascended vp on high he led captivitie captiue and gaue gifts vnto men what gifts Ephes 4.8 he gaue some to bee Apostles some Prophets and some Evangelists some Pastors and teachers why for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the vnitie of the faith of the knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Dost thou not see how hee hath provided to bring his work even to its perfection and that without mentioning at all either of Peter for his princely Apostle or any other ministeriall head of the Church and where S. Paule speakes so expresly and so punctually in handling this matter ought wee to supply his sense nay rather are wee not bound to hold our peace committing that which remaines to the managing of our Lord the master of the house who alwaies in the palme of his hand doth beare its portraiture and conducts it with his spirit and having said to his Apostles parting from beneath Preach you to all nations baptize you c. that is to say performe your dutie every one of you in his place Mat. 28.20 every one in your vocation and this holy ministery hee added for their inward meanes And loe I am with you alway even vnto the end of the world Christ you see the sonne of God of the same essence with his father nor lesse jelous of his glory and therefore giue● is not to another or to any creature which he should haue done if on another he should haue caused or suffered to depend the salvation of his Church 5 Let vs say moreover that al Scripture as the Apostle teacheth vs is giuen vs ☞ for the consolation of the faithfull 2. Tim 3.16 we cānot deny that the scope of these words of Christ is to fortifie his Disciples against the temptations and persecutions which they were to expect by reason of the infallible continuance of the Church Tell me therefore thou Disciple of Christ where sindest thou most comfort in thy perplexities where most refreshings in thy soule when one tels thee that the Church of Christ is founded vpon the faith of Peter or vpon the true rocke which hee did here confesse vpon Cephas a mortall man yet a sinner subiect to the like infirmities that wee are the congealed rocke which the wether consumes or vpon the sonne of God that eternal rock that rocke which notwithstanding its firmnesse dissolved into the waters of comfort to quench thy thirst and distilled in hony to nourish thee in a desart barren countrey Verily if thou standest yet vnresolved in thy choyce harken vnto Christ consider S. Peter himselfe heare what Christ saith of an house built vpon this rocke The raine descended and the slouds came Math. 7.25 and the windes blew and beat vpon the house and it fell not the reason followeth for it was founded vpon a rocke The other quite otherwise being built vpon the vnstable sands and what more vnstable then a man that fell saith he and great was the fall of it V. 27. both sustained the same violence both the same flouds and the same tempest● but see where the difference consisted not in the stuffe not in the fastening not in the masse but onely in the foundation only in the situation On the other side marke S. Peter that great Apostle of Christ but alwaies a man who in this Chapter foure verses from this whereof we treate V. 23. tooke our Saviour apart and was so hardy as to rebuke him because he would needs goe vp vnto Hierusalem Insomuch that our Saviour in his holy anger was constrained to tell him Mat. 16. Get thee behind me Sathan thou art an offence vnto me for thou savorest not the things that bee of God If hee was an offence or a stumbling blocke to Christ how could hee choose but bee a cause of falling vnto the Church But see him againe vpon the point of combate after so many protestations of his constancie yea execrations how hee denies Christ with curses Christ whom before he had so hartely confessed and that being far from danger at the voice of a chamber-maid and of one simple dore-keeper canst thou yet imagine him to be hardy enough to withstand the gates of Hell which here yeelds himselfe conquered to a maid of Caiphas But it is not said that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against him but against it against the Church against him only as he is a mēber of Christ and a member of that Church 6 But here some perhaps will shake their heads as If I haue applied my selfe too much vnto the letter vnderstanding only the plaine song insinuating that there is another tablature another mistery in it Who ought to remember ☜ themselus of that rule which the fathers giue vs that there where wee finde one literall and naturall sense arising which instructeth our faith and manners and affords no place to any absurditie none to any inconvenient or contrary sense we must there sit downe without searching farther through figures or allegories for he which diues lower is in danger to trouble the cleere water and stir the mudde Nevertheles let vs see what it is that they can say what that Philosophers stone is which they pretend in these words Thou art Peter but withall let vs haue our eies about vs to discerne the false coine Tu es Petrus that is to say in the Roman speech I am sure neither in Greeke nor Latine thou art Bishop of Rome vpon thee as thou art such a one I will build the Roman Church and not only vpon thee not alone vpon thee Peter for there shall bee no more Bishops of Rome of that name but vpon thee Gregory vpon thee Adrian Alexander Iulius c. vpon every Bishop of Rome good or bad holy or profane Christian or Atheist be he what he will I will build the Church Catholike or vniversal visible in the Roman infallible in all kinds thee so much the more as being the head thereof Here Christian thou seest how to supply both Rome the Bishop