Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	authority_n	believe_v	infallible_a	7,464	5	9.9342	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32801	The divine trinunity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, or, The blessed doctrine of the three coessentiall subsistents in the eternall Godhead without any confusion or division of the distinct subsistences or multiplication of the most single and entire Godhead acknowledged, beleeved, adored by Christians, in opposition to pagans, Jewes, Mahumetans, blasphemous and antichristian hereticks, who say they are Christians, but are not / declared and published for the edification and satisfaction of all such as worship the only true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all three as one and the self same God blessed for ever, by Francis Cheynell ...	Cheynell, Francis, 1608-1665.	1650 (1650)	Wing C3811; ESTC R34820	306,702	530

and laboured more abundantly then any in this service 5. Peter did never claime or exercise any such power over the Princes and Kingdomes of the world as the Pope doth Lu. 22. 25 26. Mat. 20. 25 26. 6. If Peter had desired and usurped any Supremacy over the rest of the Apostles he had thereby degraded himselfe and been last of all Mark 9. 34 35. 7. If the vices of Popes may make them Supream or their errours infallible we are able to prove that by fraud violence and such like black arts they have usurped a power over the consciences of men to lead them ●nto Heresie Antichristianisme Atheisme For by endeavouring to prove their Infallibility by the Scripture and then venting grosse errours as infallible truths upon the authority of the Pope and Church they have tempted some to beleeve neither Church nor Pope nor Scripture The Pope hath told them that they had as good beleeve nothing as not beleeve all and therefore it is to be feared that too many beleeve nothing at all Let us then to the Law and the Testimony and let Christ and his Spirit be heard speake in them and we will proceed to tryal with the Papists upon what points they please We will try all their new Tutelar Gods whether Angels or dead men or their breaden God in the Masse by the 1 Command Their picturing of God and worshipping of him by pictures by the Second Commandment Their Superstitious benedictions Magicall Incantations exorcismes and all those helps to salvation which salt wax spittle bells can afford by the third Commandement and so I might proceed to the Holy-dayes Masses c. or try their Popes usurpations the cruelty of their Inquisition their allowance of Fornication forbidding to marry their equivocations rebellious concupiscence by the Second Table We will by the Gospell of Christ try the Doctrine of Justification by workes their publick prayers in an unknowne tongue their denying of the Testament of Christs bloud to the people we will examine whether there be more sacrifices of Christ then one whether they that dye in Christ rest from their labours I might proceed to examine their Doctrine concerning the Offices and benefits of Christ concerning the nature and use of faith and the Doctrine of the Sacraments and the rest of the points in controversie between us and the Papists And truly when I do read such questions as these I cannot but thinke of those Texts 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2 3. Now the Spirit speakes expresly c. the Spirit doth so expresly condemne these seducing and erring Spirits that whosoever will be perswaded by the evident demonstrations of the Spirit and be over-ruled by his positive definitions in Scripture will confesse that the Papists were very wise in offering to be tryed by unwritten Traditions or the Pope and his adherents in all points in question It is clear that the Popes have taught for Doctrines the Commandements of men He that reades the Epistles to the Romanes and Galathians 1 Cor. 14. Chap. the second Chapter to the Colossians the second Chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians and the plainer places of the Book of the Revelation will acknowledge the Spirit doth speake expresly The Pope must therefore be beholding to his School-men to defend his Doctrine and to his Canonists to keep up his Discipline and pretend no more to Scriptures or pure Antiquity for his Justification If the Anti-Scripturists would but hearken to the Spirit speaking in the Scripture they would say the Spirit hath magnified both Law and Gospel and made them honorable precious and glorious in our eyes I will not insist upon those many convincing arguments whereby the Scriptures are undeniably proved to be the word of God but humbly desire all men to consider whether the true reason why those Arguments do not effectually perswade obstinate men be not cleerly this because men do undervalue the testimony of the Holy Ghost and resist vex grieve or quench the Holy Spirit whose office it is to seale up this and all other saving truths to our consciences and hearts True it is that the law of God is written in our hearts by nature but our nature is corrupted and we are blinded with pride passion prejudice with selfe conceitednes and selfe-love and therefore it is requisite that the wrath of God should be revealed from heaven against pleasing gainfull sins nay unnaturall sins Rom 1. 18. to the end of the Chapter Moreover it is to be sadly considered that the Gospell is not written in our hearts by nature nor can it be found out by any artificiall Demonstration but it is discovered to us by Divine Revelation Rom. 1. 16 17. I know many learned men have used the testimony of humane Authors in a Secondary and subservient way to confirme our Faith in this point but it is cleer that we must rest our Faith upon the Authority of God in this and all other points or else our Faith will not be a Divine Faith God sweares by himselfe because he is the greatest and doth bear witnesse to himselfe in his word Nay to his Word in his Word because he is the truest for he is indeed the prime truth the onely Infallible Truth And hence it is that the Scriptures are called the testimonies of God and the testimony of the Spirit is so often produced 1 Pet. 1. 11. Act. 5. 32. 1 Ioh. 5. 6. It is no shame to adhere to the Testimony of God in the weightiest point Psal. 119. 31 46. Hence it is that the Penmen do so often shew their Commission and cry thus saith the Lord. And hence it is that God doth so often own the Scriptures for his word This is my word saith God this came from my inspiration saith the Spirit 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 21. This is my writing saith Iehovah I will own it and stand to it I have written to him the great things of my Law saith God Hos. 8. 12. The Scriptures are the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. They contain the counsel of God Act. 20. 27. God hath given us sufficient assurance that the Law was written by his own finger and all other books by his spec●al command and inspiration All Scripture is given by inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3. 16 Prophecy●ame not in old time the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it came not at any time by the will of man but Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. Our Saviour gives a full testimony to Moses David the rest of the Penmen of the Psalms and all the Prophets Luk. 24 44. God hath sealed the testimony of the Penmen by miracles on men and divels we need not expect new miracles to confirm this Old-Testament ancient Gospel both are confirmed by the old miracles which stand upon Record in both But if any man preach a New Gospel we may

say a Councell without the Pope 3. Others the Pope and Councell both together it seems the Pope is not sent as Peter to strengthen his brethren but his brethren must be sent for to strengthen him 4. Some say both together is not sufficient either in point of manners or matter of Faith unlesse the acceptation of the Church Vniversall be superadded 5. We are not able to reckon up the number of those who deny the infallibility of the present Church and Pope of Rome 6. They cannot give us in a perfect Inventory of all written verities unwritten Traditions and Church-definitions which the whole succession of Popes have upon the credit of their infallibility determined to be necessary for all Christians to know and beleeve I need say nothing of the Papall Reservations Provisions Mandates and all postnate Dictates and Decrees which Bishops Metropolitans are by their* Oath made to the Pope at their confirmation obliged to observe Nor will I trouble my Reader with the distinction of Supremacy of knowledge in resolving Church questions because that they say belongs to the Fathers who excelled the Popes in expounding of Scriptures and Supremacy of Power to decide Church causes For this latter Supremacy is that which Popes and Cardinals and all must live by in the Court of Rome and the former Supremacy is purposely claimed for the support of this But it was a long time before the Popes presumed to challenge the power of deciding all the greater causes of the Church thorowout the world For the Bishops of Rome were at the first but Bishops within their own City then Metropolitans within their own Province afterwards Arch-Bishops or Patriarks over Metropolitans within their Princely Diocesse and last of all their pride and policy being crowned with successe did swell them up to be Popes and Lords over all the Christian or rather Antichristian world The Ecclesiasticall and Temporall Supremacy or Soveraignty of Popes is condemned by Reason and History by Fathers and Councels as others have proved at large let us not therefore be put off with that ridiculous piece of Sophistry which is so common The Pope is infallible and supream Head of the Church and Lord of the World because the Scriptures meane so and the Scriptures meane so because the Pope saith so who doth not see that the Scriptures are only put in for a meer stale and therefore the Argument had been as strong if they had proved the Popes Infallible Authority and Princely Supremacy by an ipse dixit at first The Pope saith he is Infallible ergo he is so I am not at leasure to heare what the Pope who hath endeavoured to dethrone Christ and depose the Holy Ghost saith in his owne behalfe at Rome for if he once bring this great question to be resolved in his owne Consistory he will soon bring all causes to be decided there also where he himselfe is Plaintiffe Witnesse and Iudge only in prudence and modesty he hath entertained a company of Cardinals who are to divide the spoiles with him for his Grand Inquest The Popes Supremacy is unwritten and therefore he is a fit Judge to decide all controversies amongst the Traditionaries whose faith is not written in either Testament But since the Pope doth strive with the Holy Ghost for the Chair and Christ for the Throne let us heare what Christ and the Holy Ghost do both speake in the Holy Scriptures of Truth and we shall quickly decide this grand controversie and many more Christ is the only Pastour of his Church he is to continue so and have no successor We find in holy Scripture that Christ is the only Head and Saviour of his whole Church Ephes. 1. 22. Colos. 2. 19. he doth and will continue with his Church alway even unto the end of the world to give life sense and motion to it and to rule and governe the whole and every member of it by the effectuall councell and working of his Holy Spirit The Apostles were but Ministeriall Heads or Principall Members who had a preheminence over the inferiour members for perfecting of the Saints by the worke of the Ministry 1 Cor. 12. 21. 28. First Apostles this eminent ministry or Headship did belong to all the Apostles and not to Peter only the power of remitting and retaining sins was given to the other Apostles aswel as Peter Io. 20. 21 22. 23. We deny not Peter to be the first Apostle in time as Andrew was the first Disciple and therefore Peter is first reckoned Mat 10. 2. Nay we will not deny him to be most eminent in grace and for both reasons grant him to be first in Order but we deny that he was chiefe in dignity or Supream in power Because we know the Apostles had all equall power For Christ sent them all as his Father sent him they had all of them power to open heaven to beleevers and shut it against unbeleevers The power of the Keyes was given upon the confession which Peter made in the name of al the rest Mat. 16. 16. 18. as he was wont to do Ioh. 6. 69. The confession was common to all the promise common to all the performance common to all Ioh. 20. 21 22 23. I need say no more but this 1. The Papists do entitle Peter to that Supream Soveraignty which belongs to Christ But Peter and the rest of the Apostles were joynt foundations built on Christ the only proper head and foundation Ephes. 2. 20. 2. They entitle the Pope to that power which did belong to Peter but Peter had no successour in his extraordinary and Apostolick power the Pope is no Apostle and when Peter speakes of his ordinary power he tells the Elders that he is their Fellow-Presbyter I who am also an Elder exhort the Elders 1 Tim. 5. 1. But that Peter was an ordinary Bishop of one City First of Antioch for seven yeers and then of Rome for twenty-five cannot be proved by Scripture no nor by any credible Historian I know they rely upon Eusebius his testimony But it is enough for me to reply that Eusebius his History doth dissent from his Chronicle and his Chronicle doth dissent from Scripture 3. Christ hath many Ministers to preach his Gospell but he hath no Catholick Vicar besides his Spirit who can challenge the Supream Soveraignty of deciding controversies by an infallible Sentence It is the Spirit that makes the word to be effectuall 1 Cor. 3. 7. As Christ workes by his Spirit he hath no Vicar for he himselfe is with his Disciples alwayes to the end of the world Mat. 20. Christ himselfe doth Baptize with the Holy Ghost he himselfe did open the heart of Lydia 4. The Pope challenges this power over the Gentiles but Paul was the Apostle of the Gentiles by the appointment of the Holy Ghost and Peters own consent Rom. 11. 13. Act. 13. 2. Gal. 2. 9. Paul was chief