Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	article_n	catholic_n	creed_n	3,489	5	9.9234	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64551	A vindication of the true Christian religion in opposition to the abominations of popery in a sermon upon Ezek. 21: 24,25,26,27 : being the text appointed by the Pope for Master Whitebread, one of the popish conspirators, to preach upon the accomplishing of their wicked design for taking away the life of His Most Sacred Majesty ... / by J. Thomas, Rect. of S. Nicholas.	Thomas, J. (John)	1679 (1679)	Wing T967; ESTC R30165	19,027	41

depose the King or to dispose of his Kingdoms his present Majesty Charles the II. being the 26th that successively in the right Line from the Conquerour have reign'd absolute Kings of England c. Now I will shew you by way of Application who have fallen off from the Faith under the New Testament and that plainly and particularly in what points and then you may judge whether the like Curse as was so dreadfully denounced against Israel may not be also hanging over their heads and pointing at their doors being palpably guilty of the lille Charge The Church of Rome Canonizing as de fide a new Doctrine contrary to the Catholick Faith for the first five or six hundred years after Christ is become a false Church or the Church of Antichrist which is no part of the true Church of Christ but an Imposthume or a bad humour in the body and no part of the body I mean the true Spiritual and Mystical Body of Christ And as the ten Tribes of Israel fell off from the Worship of God and ador'd the Golden Calfs made by Jeroboam and turn'd Bethel the House of God into Bethaven a House of Iniquity so have Papists turn'd the Roman Church which was once a pure flourishing Church to a corrupt Den of Thieves And yet it is granted by judicious Protestants that some may possibly be saved though with great hazard that are in Communion with her and groan under the lewd and Antichristian Doctrines and Practices impos'd by her as necessary to Salvation which overthrow the Fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith although held by themselves and are contrary point-blank to the Catholick Faith once delivered to the Saints particularly these following 1. The Church of Rome hold and affirm the Pope to be Universal and Supreme Head of the Catholick Church Caput totius Ecclesiae Militantis Universal Father of the Church the only Dispenser of Apostolick Benedictions thus dignified he Lords it over all the Clergy upon Earth Our Creed composed by the Apostles teacheth us to believe first in God the Father c. and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord and the Nicene Creed explains it I believe in one God c. and in one Lord Jesus Christ The Scripture explains this plainly in the 4th of Eph. 15. Speaking the truth in love grow up into him in all things which is the Head even Christ By which it appears we have no Universal Head for the Church Militant but our Lord Jesus Christ 2. The Church of Rome is held by them to be the Catholick Church contrary to our Belief in our Creed which saith I believe in the holy Catholick Church and explain'd in the Nicene Creed I believe in one Catholick and Apostolick Church All the Elect of God that ever have been now are or ever shall be in the world comprehending all particular Churches which were before the Roman Church and were in the same time that she flourished in other Provinces in Asia and Europe and now are separated from her making up one Catholick Church the Mystical Body of Christ 3. The Doctrine of the Popes Infallibility that he cannot Err and that his Authority confirm'd by Councils is greater and more certain than the Scriptures doth fly in the face of all the Foundation of our Faith for we take as the holy Catholick Church hath ever done the holy Scriptures for the only certain Rule of our Faith and Practice from which we own no higher Authority to appeal unto no though an Angel did preach things contrary to the Scriptures they are to us an Anathema he the Pope can dispence they say against Paul and Peter that is controul and wrest the sense of the Scriptures written by Paul and Peter yea against the Old and New Testament he can plenitudine potestatis as much as God This Doctrine you will find often boasted of in their Canons and Decretals 4. The Church of Rome doth plainly and point-blank oppose and overthrow the Catholick Faith concerning the Remission of sins The Apostles in the Creed as all the New Testament most amply and largely explaineth teach us to believe the forgiveness of sins and the Roman Church doth set it up on quite other terms by proposing that gift I mean the forgiveness of sins to be sold by the Pope and his Priests if any will be so fondly blind as to buy in the vile Market of Indulgences so in a word the Catholick Faith is to believe the forgiveness of sins and the Doctrine of Popery is to sell and buy it 5. The Popish Faction overthrow and utterly confound by their new Doctrine and Practice the Faith and Practice of the Catholick Church in Prayer Our Saviour Christ himself taught us to pray after this manner c. directing our Petitions to God the Father by the help of the Holy Ghost in the Name and by the Mediation of God the Son so are all Prayers made in the Old and New Testament But the Papists call upon Saints and Angels and because they believe it for it is a prevailing Argument with them that the Kingdom of Heaven is divided into two parts the Kingdom of Mercy to the blessed Virgin c. but the Kingdom of Justice to Christ they pray more for mercy unto Mary than unto God through Christ 6. They contradict and oppose the Christian Faith in the first six hundred years by the most unreasonable Point to be impos'd for matter of belief as ever any man can hear of Transubstantiation come out of the Council of Lateran under Pope Innocentius the III. He who contended with John King of England They believe that the Bread and the Wine in the Lords Supper after Consecration is substantially and materially changed contrary to our Natural Sense Seeing Tasting and Feeling and we believe it that they are Signs and Symbols of a Spiritual Food and refection which our Souls receive from Christs Body and Blood which was given for us These things being considered every Christian man will say that it was piously done of all the Reformers Luther in Germany Jerome in Prague Valdus in France Wickliffe Bilney and Tindal in England to separate from this Apostate Church lest they should be partakers of her sins and afterwards receive of her Plagues Rev. 18. 4. Hos 4. 15. 1 Cor. 10. 14. whose judgment now of a long time lingreth not and her damnation slumbereth not Rev. 13. Let him that understandeth count the number of the Beast There 's a set time appointed for his Judgment mention'd in 2 Thes 2. 7. until he be taken out of the way as it is in the Text until he comes Let any serious unbyass'd spirited man weigh these Points and Scriptures before-recited and he will soon resolve himself how tottering the See of Rome is and how miserable the honour of the Ignatian Tribe is who brag if they had not been Rome had not been the Angel had long since said It is fallen it is fallen Use 1.

Now the Use that every true Protestant is to make of this is to render unto God his unfeigned thanks for our most Religious King and Church of England who vow and assert and protest to stick to the true Christian Faith once delivered to the Saints which Faith hath been receiv'd in this Island of Britain 1640. and upwards i. e. ever since the latter years of Tiberius his Reign who died in the 27th year of Christ as Baronius reckons it Joseph of Arimathea and Simon Zelotes were the first Planters here and some say that Paul preached here also King Lucius in the year of Christ 169. was baptized and setled three Primates and Metropolitans one in London another in York and the third in Caerlion in Monmouthshire and ever since we have had successively Archbishops and Bishops in our Church of England whereupon this Church became to be call'd of some Anglicana filia Primogenita Ecclesie Catholica The Reform'd Christian Professors of Christs Faith were call'd Protestants first in Germany when the Doctrine of Christ by the industry of Melancthon Luther and Zuinglius prevail'd so with the Princes and Dukes there that they have unanimously agreed and protested to stick to the Reformation against superstitious Popery to their Lives and Fortunes And this Protestant Religion much upon the same time or shortly after was profess'd and established in England by King Edward the Sixth of blessed memory revived by Queen Elizabeth continued by King James and King Charles the First all of blessed memory and now maintained and defended by our most gracious Soveraign Charles the Second whom we heartily are bound to pray for may he go on and prosper and may his Royal Heart be still in Gods good hand for it to dispose it his own good way May his Royal Person both at his going out and at his coming in be now and evermore as safe Body and Soul as all the holy Angels can make him safe from all pernicious Counsels and from Counsels of falshood and wrong Use 2. To strengthen and establish us in this Religion yea though it be to the hazard and loss of Properties and Liberties Fortunes and Life it self Mat. Fear not him that kills the body but rather fear him that can destroy both body and soul in hell put on your Spiritual Armour fight the good fight of Faith and finish the good Religious course that ye have begun Consider your Case and Quarrel you contend for the Testimony of Jesus Christ Rev. 12. 17. Run I say therefore the Race with patience looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of your Faith Did Scipio suffer Death for vindicating the City and Aristides Banishment for his love to Equity and was Demosthenes destroy'd for his care of his Country and shall we sink under the weight of some light afflictions which can endure but a moment for so great a Case 3. And lastly because our Enemies are watchful to take advantage and rejoyce at our miscarriages they are like Ravens and Vultures gathering to and picking at our infirmities and failings Laetetur certe priamus priamoque Creati Therefore ought we to be very cautious in all our ways and circumspect in all our actions Be wise as Serpents and harmless as Doves It is excellently observ'd of Plutarch that such living Creatures as have strong and firm Bodies and Stomacks can devour and digest Serpents and Frogs let us then quitting our selves like men of wholesome Minds strong Faith sound Principles and blameless Practises slight and digest with patience the Scandals and false Accusations of the Serpents Seed the Evil Spirits proceeding out of the Mouth of the Dragon Let us bless them that curse us and pray for them that spightfully use us And to conclude the whole matter of what hath been said as you would escape the imminent danger of the dreadful Curse of God with pernicious Confusions in this and the World to come be watchful and active against the prevailing of Popery which with the utmost rage of Persecution is unavoidably destructive to Prince and Properties Religion and Laws Liberties and Countries Families and Lives yea Souls too if we subscribe to it And as we tender the love and peace of God the integrity of the true Christian Faith profess'd publickly as once delivered to the Saints and the continuance of Pious Government by just Laws and have a due regard for the safety of his Majesty and for the strength and preservation of the Kingdom from Forreign Innovations let us without wavering stick to the Protestant Religion in which we have been bred and born and God out of his abundant Grace grant we may be able with courage and comfort in the Holy Ghost to die in the same in which if we continue through Faith in Christ we shall assuredly find Salvation FINIS Page 15. Line 23. for provoke God safest read provoke God fastest BOOKS Printed and Sold by Isaac Cleave at the Star next to Serjeants-Inn in Chancery-lane THe Church of Rome unmasked or her false Principles briefly detected with some Reasons of so many retaining or returning to Communion with her and the great danger of everlasting destruction that such do run themselves upon Written by a Learned Divine by way of Letter to a Friend in the Country The Book of Rates now used in the Sin-Custom-House of the Church and Court of Rome containing Bulls Dispensations and Pardons for all manner of Villanies and Wickednesses with the several sums of Money to be paid for them To which is added the new Creed of the Church of Rome containing the Articles of their Faith by Anthony Egane B. D. late Confessor of the Kingdom of Ireland but now of the Reformed Religion England's Improvement Revived in a Treatise of all manner of Husbandry and Trade by Land and Sea plainly discovering the several ways of improving all sorts of waste and barren Ground and enriching all Earths with the Natural Quality of all Lands and the several Seeds and Plants which most naturally thrive therein Together with the manner of Planting all sorts of Trees with Directions to make Walks Groves Orchards Gardens Also the way for ordering of Cattel c. By Jo. Smith