Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	believe_v	faith_n	propound_v	3,192	5	10.4974	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08047	Of the eternall felicity of the saints fiue bookes. Writen in Latin by the most illustrious Cardinall Bellarmine, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English by A.B. Permissu superiorum.; De æterna felicitate sanctorum. English	Bellarmino, Roberto Francesco Romolo, Saint, 1542-1621.; Everard, Thomas, 1560-1633.; Bellarmino, Roberto Francesco Romolo, Saint, 1542-1621. De gemitu columbae English. Selections. aut	1638 (1638)	STC 1841; ESTC S113735	165,177	472

Paul nor Iohn nor the rest of the Apostles and Prophets taught these Points of their owne Authority but they were instructed therin of God himself they did preach the word of God not their w●e word thē presently is the Hart dilated and prepared to belieue without the least doubt or wauering in fayth Now that it was God who taught and spake by the Apostles and Prophets is made manifest from his working of so many manifest stupendious miracles so as it were not only simplicity but great temerity to rest diffident and distrustfull of the Truth For thus doth the Apostle speake to the Hebrews cap. 2. VVhich when it was begun to be declared by our Lord of them that heard was confirmed on vs God withall testifying by signes and wonders and diuers miracles and distributions of the Holy Ghost according to his VVill. But what things God speaketh who dare deny to be true seeing God cannot possibly lye for if he could iye then were he not God Yet is it vrged what things are propoūded to vs to belieue are aboue reason This is true but they are not aboue the Power and Wisdome of God And therefore S. Iohn sayth 1. Ioan. 3. God is greater then our Hart because he is able to do and which we are not able to vnderstand And his Essence and Existence is more perfect and worthy then mans Soule can possibly comprehend or take the true height thereof If an vnlearned and ignorant man be ready to belieue the Philosophers and Astrologers discoursing of the greatnes of the Sunne and the starrs vvhich seeme incredible Why then may not man with the like promptitude and facility giue credit to God himselfe touching those points of fayth which it shall please him to reueale and the rather seing the Wisdome and power of God do by infinit degrees differ from that sparke of Reason with which men are endued Those men therfore who haue a true apprehension of these reasons do not suffer any straitnes or difficulty in belieuing those dogmaticall Points which the Church propounds to vs to belieue A second discourse of Hope which is the second Part of the Gate of the House of God CHAP. XI VVHat we haue said of the Vertue of Fayth the same we may bouldly pronounce of the Vertue of Hope for if we should say that what we expect in the life to come we do expect to proceede from the bounty and liberality of men we might be deseruedly reiected as vayne Impostours since men may lye and it is not in their power to afford distribute so great and transcendent Rewards But we teach not that they are to be hoped for from man but from God Who neither can lye since he is Truth nor deceaue since he is Goodnes nor can promise any thing impossible since he is Omnipotent Therefore a Rusticke fellow might deseruedly thinke himselfe to be mocked and derided if any man should promise to him the Wisdome of Salomon or the Greatnes of Augustus because that man who thus should promise should be reputed as a Lyar. But why ought not a Christian to whom God hath promised eternall life the kingdome of Heauen the Paradise of all Pleasure assuredly hope for the same Is there perhaps wanting an Earnest or Pledge of Gods most bountifull Good Will to vs Not so For did not God by way of figure and adumbration of things Present lead his People without any step or print of vvet through the Red Sea did he not rayne Manna from Heauen did he not draw Water from out a Rock To conclude did he not bring his Seruants by the Conduct of Iosue into the Land of Promise And must so remarkable a figure be reputed as empty and of no force Furthermore If God so loued the World that he gaue his only begotten sonne Ioan. 3. Hath be not then giuen with him all things to vs Rom. 8. What great thing do we hope for to be giuen vs from God the which is not inferiour to that guift which already he hath giuen to vs we neither hoping for it nor demanding it Yf God gaue to sinners and his Enemyes the Death of his owne Sonne will he not giue to the lust and his friends the life of his Sonne Neither satisfying himselfe herewith he gaue and adioyned the Holy Ghost as a pledge of our Inheritance who cryeth in our Harts Abba Pater And the spirit giueth testimony to our spirit that we are the Sonnes of God and if Sonnes Heyres also of God and Coheyres with Christ. Rom. 8. Wherefore if the greatnes of the things promised may seeme to ouercome our Hope yet can they not ouercome the greatnes of him that promiseth Which greatnes since it is infinite may so easely strengthen our Hope as that without any fearefull doubtfulnes it may arriue and attaine to the things promised Which Promise as the Apostle proueth Heb. 6. God hath euen confirmed with a most solemne Oath That so by force of two inexpugnable and immoueable forts to wit the Promise of him who cannot lye and his annexed Oath we may haue Hope as a s●●me and safe Anker leading vs to those Penetralia into which Christ entred for vs who is made a Priest for euer according to the Order of Melchisedech A second discourse of Charity which is the third part of the Gate of the House of God CHAP. XII NOw what shall we speake of Charity This Vertue as in regard of the difficulty of fulfilling its precepts is of a most narrow and strayt extent so in respect of the excellency of the Diuine Goodnes whervnto Charity hath reference it may be said to be of a most great breadth For why ought it to seeme hard to loue God with all our Hart with all our soule with all our strength when as he is most sayre most good most worthy of infinite Loue It is not a hard matter here vpō Earth to loue things that are fayre and good but it is hard not to loue them at all or not to loue them too much Therefore God seemeth after a certaine manner to offer vs wrong in commanding vnder so seuere punishments to loue him as if of our owne accord and willingly we ought not to loue him But some may reply saying Those things which are good fayre here vpon the Earth are so ardently loued and affected because they are clearely seene as being subiect to the sense But God no man euer saw Ioan. 1. It is true indeed we see not God neuerthelesse we haue seene and do dayly see his workes which are very fayre of which works the VViseman thus sayth Sap. 13. Yf with whose beauty being delighted meaning with the beauty of the Sunne and the Moone they thought them Gods let them know how much the Lord of them is more beautifull then they for the Authour of Beauty made all those things We in like sort do make triall and tast of the sweetnes of God in his daily Benefits conferred