Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	bishop_n	council_n	nice_a	6,219	5	10.6361	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62642	Sixteen sermons preached on several subjects and occasions by the most reverend John Tillotson ... ; being the second volume, published from the originals, by Ralph Barker ...; Sermons. Selections	Tillotson, John, 1630-1694.; Barker, Ralph, 1648-1708.	1700 (1700)	Wing T1269; ESTC R18542	169,737	479

Heresie of the Collyridians which he calls the Heresie of the Women because they first began the Worship of the Virgin Mary declares most expresly against the Worship of any Creature whatsoever For neither says he is Elias to be worshipped though he is reckoned among the living meaning that he was taken up into Heaven Body and Soul nor John nor any other of the Saints And as for the Virgin Mary he particularly adds that if God will not have us to worship the Angels how much more would he not have us to worship her that was born of Anna And concludes let Mary be had in Honour but let the Lord be worshipped St. Chrysostom in a long Discourse persuades Men to address their Prayers immediately to God and not as we address our selves to great Men by their Officers and Favourites and tells us that there is no need of such Intercessors with God who is not so ready to grant our Petitions when we entreat him by others as when we pray to him our selves Lastly St. Augustine because the Scripture pronounces him accursed that puteth his trust in Man from thence he argues that therefore we ought not to ask of any other but of our Lord God either the Grace to do well or the Reward of it The contrary to which I am sure is done in several of the Publick Prayers used in the Church of Rome And l. 12. de Civ Dei he expresly tells us that the Names of the Martyrs were recited in their Prayers at the Altar but they were not invocated by the Priest who did celebrate Divine Service And in the Third Council of Carthage which was in St. Augustin's time it is enjoined Can. 33. that all Prayers that were made at the Altar should be directed to the Father Which how it is observed in the Church of Rome we all know To conclude this matter it cannot be made appear that there were any Prayers to Saints in the Publick Offices of the Church till towards the end of the Eighth Century For in the Year 754. the Invocation of Saints was condemned by a Council of 338 Bishops at Constantinople as is acknowledged by the Second Council of Nice which first establish'd this Superstition in the Year 787 and this very Council was condemned Seven Years after in a Council at Frankfort and declared void and to be no otherwise esteemed of than the Council of Ariminum Thus you see when this Doctrine and Practice so contrary to the Doctrine and Practice of a great many of the first Ages of the Christian Church was first established namely at the same time with the Worship of Images and when the first Foundation of Transubstantiation was laid which as they began at the same time so they are very fit to go together I should now have proceeded to the next thing which I propos'd namely to answer the chief Pretences which are made for this Doctrine and Practice But of That in the following Discourse SERMON IV. Christ Jesus the only Mediator between God and Men. The Third Sermon on 1 Tim. II. 5 6. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all IN the Two former Discourses upon this Text I have treated on the Second Proposition I laid down from the Words viz. That there is but one Mediator between God and men the Man Christ Jesus In treating on this Proposition I shewed First That it is agreeable to Scripture Secondly VOL. II. That it is agreeable to one great End and Design of the Christian Religion and of our Saviour's coming into the World which was to destroy Idolatry out of it Thirdly That from the Nature and Reason of the thing there can be but one Mediator or Intercessor in Heaven with God for Sinners and that he can be no other than Jesus Christ Fourthly I shew'd how contrary to this Doctrine the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Rome is in their Invocation of Angels and the Blessed Virgin and the Saints and making use of their Mediation and Intercession with God for Sinners This I endeavoured to do by shewing 1st How contrary this is to the Doctrine of the Scriptures 2ly How contrary to the Doctrine and Practice of the Church for several of the first Ages of it And thus far I have gone I proceed now in the 3d. Place to answer the chief Pretences and Excuses which are made by those of the Church of Rome Serm. IV. for this Doctrine and Practice As 1. That they only say that it is lawful to Pray to Angels and Saints but do not enjoyn and require it To this I answer Two things 1. In saying that it is lawful to Pray to Saints and Angels if they went no farther they say that which they can never make good because Prayer is an Act of Religious Worship and peculiar and proper to God only and therefore cannot be given to any Creature Angel or Saint This I have proved from Scripture where our Saviour commands us when we pray to say Our Father which art in Heaven that is to direct and address our Prayers to God only And St. Paul likewise forbids the worshipping Angels by invocating of them and making use of them as Mediators between God and us in his Epistle to the Colossians which Theodoret expresly interprets concerning the Invocation of Angels and applying our selves to them as Mediators and Intercessors with God in Heaven for us And the Council of Laodicea declares this Practice to be Idolatry Besides that the ancient Fathers of the Christian Church for above Three Hundred Years never spake of praying to any but God only and do expresly condemn the Invocation of Angels much more of the Saints who are Inferior to them and therefore they always define Prayer to be an Address to God a Conversing and Discoursing with God which would be a false Definition of Prayer if it were lawful to pray to any but to God only All which considered one may justly wonder at the Confidence of some Men who would have it taken for granted without any Proof that the Invocation of Saints and Angels is Lawful 2. If it were true that it is lawful to pray to Angels and Saints it is not true that the Church of Rome does only declare it to be lawful but does not require and enjoyn it as some of their late Writers pretend With what Face can this be said when there are so many Prayers to Angels and Saints and especially to the Blessed Virgin in the Publick Offices of their Church in which all are supposed to join as much as in the Prayers which are put up to God by the Priest 'T is true indeed the People understand neither but they are present at both and join in both alike that is as much as Men can be said to join in that which they do not understand as that Church supposeth People may do and receive great Edification