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	nicene_n	3,055	5	12.2441	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97360	The works of the judicious and learned divine Dr. Thomas Taylor, part 1. sometimes preacher of Aldermanbury, London. Published by himself in his life time, in several smaller volumes, now collected together into three volumes in fol. two of which are here bound together. The first volume containing, I. An exposition on the 32. Psalm ... The second volume containing, I. An exposition of the parable of the sower and seed, on Luk. 8. ... The third volume is in the press, and will containe in it, I. The progress of sts, to full holinesse ...	Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.	1659 (1659)	Wing T560A	683,147	498

True it is That our Saviour said I receive not testimony from man that is I need no mans testimony for John gave witness to Christ no more doth the Scripture in it self For Christ was the light whether John witnessed to it or no so is the Scripture the Word of God whether the Church bee witness or no. But wee admit the Church to give witness but not authority see it in a familiar example A man owes mee money I have a bond and witnesses hee denies it I produce the bond and the witnesses that clear the matter and affirm the bond to bee his act and lawful do these now make the bond true or the debt good or onely clear it so to bee for if they should not witness the debt and bond were true Even such is the witnesse of the Church to the Scripture 2 The voice of the Spouse is inferiour to the voice of the bridegroom and howsoever a man may bee moved by the Church to hear the Scripture if hee bee unconverted as Augustine being a Maniche yet a man indued with Gods Spirit and the gift of faith esteems the Scripture for it self above all the words of all men as Christ himself at length was of far more authority than the woman of Samaria when the men thereof said to her Now wee beleeve not for thy word but because our selves have heard him So as when wee have the Papist asking us as every one of them doth when the Word hath put them to their shifts But how do you know Scripture to bee Scripture but by the Church wee must answer by the Scripture taking with us the help of the Church and especially by the Spirit of God revealing the truth unto us for the sheep of Christ hear his voice and follow him And when wee aske the Papists how they know the Church to bee the Church or where it is some say it is here some there some hold us off with one mark some with another but at last they come to know the Church by Scripture and that is the Church which the Scripture saith is the Church so in all other questions that must bee the determination which the Scripture determines 3 The Church cannot bee judge because it must bee judged by Christs voice and not bee a Law unto it Common-wealths must receive Laws from the Prince and not the Prince from his people and as it is in bodies politick so in the mystical body of Christ And as in the natural body the head ruleth the members not contrarily so is it here 4 How absurd is it to affirm that that which is subject to error must bee judge and superiour to that which is free from it But the Church may erre even the true Catholike Church on Earth may erre and doth when it departeth never so little from the Scripture although it cannot depart from the foundation nor incorrigibly erre for every man may erre and therefore that which consists of every man even the Apostle was compassed with infirmity Besides the main difference between the Church militant and triumphant is that one may erre the other is quite freed from error II. The second judge and decider of controversies appointed by the Church of Rome are the Doctors and Fathers but how corruptly for 1 They consent not among themselves and seldome agree in the same sense 2 They borrow all the light and truth they have from the Scripture as the stars from the Sun 3 All their doctrin must bee judged of by Scripture and only so far received as they agree with it 4 They all present their writings to bee examined by Scripture and so many things in them are truely judged erroneous even in the best of them If I speak let none hear me but if God speak woe to him that hears not It must not go for current This saith Augustine Aug. Epi●● 48. ad Vincent Donatistam or that saith Donate but This saith the Lord. 5 The Interpreter of Scripture must bee divine and infallible as it self is and certain but the Interpretation of Fathers is humane infirm sometime according to passion or contention so as often even by Bellarmines often confession they speak minus caut● the best of them wrote Retractations and other things being old than they did being young Seeing therefore there is no stability in Doctors let Christ bee acknowledged of us the chief Doctor of his Church Matth. 23.8 One is your Doctor even Christ III. Their third judge and decider of controversies are Councils which say they is the Church representative but these are as unfit to be Judges of the Scripture as the former For 1 Even the general Councils disagree among themselves in interpreting Scripture as might bee seen in a number of places 2 The Popes Canon Law it self affirmeth that all the Councils except the four general namely the Nicen Anno 332. Ephesius Anno 450. of Chalcedon Greg. lib. 2. Ep●st 210. Anno 456. and of Constantinople Anno 386. may erre and although it blasphemously equal the four Councils to the four Evangelists yet wee know that even these have erred For that Nicene general Council determined there should be at any case but one Bishop in one City which is against the Scripture Act. 20.28 Philip. 1.1 The twelfth Canon of that Council condemned all kinde of war among Christians The thirteenth Canon holds the necessity of the Eucharist as the necessary viaticum or provision of a Christian at his departure Also it erred in the matter of Ministers marriage stayed by Paphnutius And the Constantinopolitan Council gave all equal honour and authority to the Bishop of Constantinople with the Bishop of Rome which the Papists themselves generally hold to be a great error and yet perhaps was none Aug. lib 2 de baptism contra Donatist c. 3. And the consent of Ancient Fathers is that Plenaria Concilia universal and Oecumenical councills may err be mended by later Councils 3 There was a true sense and interpretation of Scripture in the Church before any of these general Councils The first general Council was the Nicene wherein were three hundred and eighteen Bishops gathered by Constantine the Great against Arrius but this was not till the three hundred twenty eighth year after Christ and was there not all that while the gift of interpreting and judging of Scripture that now we must seek a new means erected so many hundred years after the Apostles 4 The Councils themselves determined by the Scriptures of the Scriptures as the first Nicene general Council where Constantine enjoyned and accordingly they determined all according to Scripture It seems in those daies the Scriptures were above Councils and since Councils and Decrees of men got wings to fly above the Scriptures it was never well as one of themselves speaketh Well may we now say with Nazianzen who therefore avoyded all meetings of Bishops quod nunquam ullius Concilii bonum foelicem exitum vidisset yet he

down Here bee in these words three things further to bee considered 1 The action which the Devil would effect the casting down of Christ 2 The agent not the Devil but Christ himself must do it Cast thy self 3 Luke addes from hence where means of safety were Doct. 1 All the travel of the Devil is to cast down Christ and in him all mankinde The estate of the Church is militant while it is here below and the battle is maintained between Michael and his Angels and the Dragon and his Angels Rev. 12.7 and therefore as in a battel the contrary part by all the power and policy it can seeks to cast down and overthrow not the Captain onely but all the adversary power and discomfit the whole Host so is it here To clear this point wee must know there be three estates from whence Saan hath ever sought to cast men down 1 From the estate of innocency and grace created Adam was no sooner set up in this happy and glorious estate but Satan cast him down And from this pinacle wee are all cast down in him The second Adam himself was sundry waies assayld in these temptations and sundry others to bee cast down also from the same most innocent estate which had been the casting of us all not out of the earthly Paradise with Adam but a casting down from heaven unto hell 2 From the estate of regeneration and grace renewed Satans continual labour is either to keep men under condemnation from the state of grace or to cast them down if it were possible from that estate to which they are by Christ restored Hee worketh effectually in the sons of disobedience by hardning their hearts blinding their mindes and leading them hood-winkt at his pleasure to damnation 2 Cor. 4.3 If our Gospel bee now hid it is hid to them that perish in whom the God of the world hath blinded their mindes that the light of the glorious Gospel which is the image of God should not shine unto them And for the elect hee sets upon them false Prophets and seducers hee is incessant in most malicious tentations by which hee soileth them often in foul manner and if hee cannot cast them down from their estate in Christ yet hee often casteth them down from the comfort of it both by inward and outward sorrows and persecutions Rev. 12. the Dragon when hee cannot kill the woman and her seed hee will cast out of his mouth waters like a floud to drown them and if that prevail not hee will stir up war with the remnant of the seed which keep the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ 3 From the Pinacle of their outward estate or office which they hold in the Church or Common-wealth for so hee did here with Christ when hee had gotten him to the Pinacle hee thought to get him down easily At least hee will do his best to cast him down for hee should fall with witnesse First If hee see a man on the Pinacle of the Temple a teacher in the Church listed up above others in gifts or place hee will leave no stone unturn'd to cast him down for hee knows that as if hee had here cast down Christ hee had cast down with him all his members so if he can cast down an eminent Teacher hee casts down with him as many as depend upon him And here no Teacher can secure himself if hee were in place above all the ministry of the New Testament nay the higher the pinacle the more slippery and dangerous to fall Judas his place was an higher place than any ordinary minister of the New Testament stands upon but yet how fearfully was hee cast down by the Devil who put it in his heart and prevailed first for the betraying of his Master and then the hanging of himself how did the Devill seek to winnow as wheat the rest of the Disciples that stood on the same battlements who had as certainly been cast down but for the power and prayer of their Master Luk. 22.31 How strongly may wee clear this truth if wee observe one experience which all the ages of the world have confirmed namely that the Devil hath ever striven to set men on the Pinacle of the Temple to cast them down and the Church in them How hath hee by wicked means as flattery mony and corruption advanced them into the highest places and pinacles of the Church whom hee might use as his chief Agents to ruinate and bane the Church as the false Prophets in the Old Testament that would ever with the Squirril build and have their holes open to the sun-side ever keep in with Princes and sing sweetly to the present times As also the false Apostles that would suffer nothing for Christ but under a colour of preaching Christ abolish Christ and his doctrin taught and maintained by the true Apostles How doth the Church complain that shee was never so wounded as by the watch-men who also robbed her and took away her veil from her Look into the Records of fifteen hundred years and wee shall not read almost of any persecutions of the Church but raised and with all heat pursued by proud persecuting and Antichristian Bishops who kept the chief places in the Church And ever since the Bishop of Rome hath been by the Devil lifted up into the highest Pinacle of the Temple his casting down and fall into so many monsters of doctrin and manners hath been in this Christian World the ruine and downfal of so many as whose names are not written in the book of life All this comes to pass by the malice of the Devil whose tayl draws the third part of the stars of Heaven and casteth them to the earth Rev. 12.4 Against these stars and lights of the World hee bendeth his forces If hee can cast them down to earthliness or service of any lust he hath his desire Secondly If hee see a man upon the Pinacle of his own house hee will if he can cast him down thence and for this purpose will lay his plots and objects David walking on his battlements was soon cast down thence by the sight of Bathsheba Especially if a man be a Magistrate or Governour standing on the pinacle of authority the Devil will cast him down if by any means hee can His example will cast down a great many with him hee stands high many eyes are upon him and so many see him If Rhehoboam commit Idolatry all Judah will sacrifice under every green hill If the Magistrate bee fearful negligent or any way noted for vice those under him will take it for a Licence Reasons The Reasons why Satan seeks thus restlesly to cast men down from every good estate are these 1 Because himself is cast down from Heaven to Hell Rev. 12.13 When the Dragon saw that hee was cast out into the earth hee persecuted the woman Hee would have and hold every man under his own condemnation 2 Because of

special for thus long the charge of the Angels stands in force 3 Pray not to Angels but to the God of Heaven to send his Angel before thee to direct and assist thee in thy duties and ways For what God hath promised we must pray for Gen. 24.7 Abraham tells his Servant that God will send his Angel before him to take a wife for his son and this Angel prospered his Journey vers 40. And that this was the practice of the Church in Aegypt appears by Moses his message to the King of Edom Numb 20.16 being ill entreated in Aegypt we prayed to the Lord and he sent an Angel and brought us out of Aegypt I doubt not but this duty were it more faithfully practised would bring home much more success and comfort than many men find in their labour who scarce know whence or how their prosperity cometh unto them Obj. If God should send his Angels in humane form and as familiarly to converse with us as anciently they did with the Patriarks we should beleeve this doctrine but now there is certainly no such thing Ans 1. Christ is now in Heaven where our conversation ought to bee by faith rather than by the visible apparition of Angels 2 The beginnings of the Church needed such heavenly confirmation but now the Word is sufficiently confirmed by the Son himself from Heaven 3 The Scriptures are perfect and fully and plainly reveal unto us Gods will in every particular as if the Angels should come and teach us daily 4 The blessed Spirit is more abundantly given in our hearts and supplieth their absence in bodily shape and apparition 5 We must labour to get the eyes of our souls open and then we shall with Eloshaes servant see their comfortable presence notwithstanding they take no bodies to appear in Vers 7. Jesus said unto him It is written again Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God NOw followeth the repulse of our Saviour to this second temptation wherein are two things 1 His resistance 2 His reason drawn from a testimony of Scripture Jam. 4.5 I. Christ resisteth and yeeldeth not albeit hee heareth Scripture alleadged Why If yee were of God saith Christ yee would hear his word neither doth Scripture speak any thing in vain But the reason is 1 Because our Lord perceived that the Word was wrested and abused by Satan and 2 That Scripture abused binds not to obedience 3 That Scripture turned out of his right sense is not Gods Word but carries something in it besides Scripture and then if an Angel from Heaven should bring it wee must bee so farre from receiving it as to hold him accursed 4 For our example that wee should not take all allegations hand over head but as Christ here try whither they tend if to cast us down refuse them II. Christ resisteth but not without reason but by Scripture and opposeth Scripture to Scripture not as repugnant one to another but by way of collation and conferring one with another that the right use of one may overthrow the abuse of the other not in way of contrariety but of commentary Quest But why did not our Saviour shut his mouth by telling him how wickedly he had abused the text he had alleadged by adding detracting and wresting it to a contrary end and meaning Ans This might indeed have confounded him sufficiently but our Saviour his Combate is not only victorious for us but exemplary and therefore we are herein trained in our fight and encounter 1 To hold close to the Scripture in answering the Devil It is written again which word of our Saviour noteth how he buckled the Scripture to him both as a Buckler to defend him and as a Sword to foyl and wound his enemy and so must wee who are not so able to dispute with Satan about the true meaning of a place as our Lord was 2 To inform us that the best and only way to discover the abuse of Scripture is Scripture it being the only rule and judge of it self and all the controversies rising out of it And therefore the Devil no sooner heard this testimony but his mouth was shut as well knowing how the wisdom of the Father had discovered his subtilty The best Commentary of Scripture is Scripture every man is the best interpreter of himself and so the Author of the Scriptures is the best interpreter of them 3 To let us see that although Satan had abused the Scripture yet he nor wee must overcome by no other weapon and that the abuse of a thing takes not away the right use of it nor good things to be rejected because they are abused by them that can use them aright If Christ had been of the Papists mind he would have condemned and shut up the Scriptures from common men because the Devil had abused them for so doe they because Hereticks his instruments doe abuse them the Laiety may not meddle with them But it is plain that in things necessary no abuse in one takes away the right use in another As for example A murderer useth a sword to kill a man may not another use a sword or that sword in his own defence And are not the Scriptures the sword of the Spirit more necessary A Drunkard a Glutton a proud person abuse meat and drink and apparel to surfeiting drunkenness ryot and excess shall wee therefore cast away meat drink apparel and refuse the necessary use of it And is not the Word a more necessary food Because a Wolf comes in sheeps cloathing must the sheep cast away their fleece No the Prophets did not refuse the Word of the Lord because the false Prophets did say The Word of the Lord as well as they Obj. Then it is no good argument that we must reject such and such things because the Papists have abused them Ans If they be good and necessary it is not as are the Word Prayer Sacraments Churches and whatsoever stands by Gods Ordinance in Divine or Civil use But in things unnecessary that wee might bee as well or better without their use it is a good consequence Idolaters have abused them therefore we must forbear them as Bishop Jewel speaketh Doct. The infallible Judge and speaking-decider of all Controversies in the Church are the holy Scriptures in the true sense of them Our Lord here gives the true meaning of one Scripture by another in this his Controversie with the Devil Deut. 17.9 10. In any matter of difference the people must come to the Priest or Levite and they must judge and determine all differences according to the Law and all the people upon pain of death must stand to that judgement Now this Priest was a type not of the Pope but of Christ on whose mouth all must depend for the decision of all Controversies Josh 1.7 the Book of the Law was given to Joshua to decide all matters among the Jews from which he must not depart to the right hand or left hand

had seen some which the Papists stand unto And we also seeing the gross errours of Councils as that ancient Council of Carthage under Cyprian appointing rebaptization to such as were baptized by Hereticks the second Ephesin Council in which were more than three hundred Bishops is called by Leo himself living in Theodosius his time Conciliabulum latrouuns a den of Theeves the second Nicene Council appointed Images made by mans hand to be worshipped a most gross error and Idolatry The Romane Council under Pope Stephanus condemned Pope Formosus and all his Decrees and the Council of Ravenua condemned Stephanus and restored Formosus One of them must needs erre The Council of Constance appointed a number of gross errors as that the Cup should bee taken from Laickes that faith given to Protestants under the Emperours promise and seal is not to be kept c. and it condemned a number of John Hus his Articles which were orthodox and consonant to Scripture The Council of Trent was a sink of all Antichristian errours now we I say seeing such gross errors of Councils may not or ought not we with the ancient Fathers appeal from Councils to the holy Scripture Jerome on Galath 2. saith The doctrine of the Holy Ghost is that which is delivered in Scripture contra quam si quid statnant concilia nefas duco If Councels determine any thing contrary thereunto I account it abhominable Aug. l. 2. de bapt cont Don. c. 3. And Augustine being pressed by the authority of the African Council at which Cyprian was present appealed from it to the Scripture with this reason We may not saith he doubt of the Scripture of all other we may doubt Nay Panormitan the great Popish Canonist and Lawyer saith plainly Plus credendum est simplici la●co Scripturam proferenti quam toti simul Concilio We must more beleeve one poor simple Lay-man that bringeth Scripture than a whole Council I will adde nothing of the Romish trick of falsifying the Books of Councils and corrupting changing adding and detracting from the Canons which makes them yet more uncertain and insufficient to rule the Scriptures by this might be instanced in the Nicene and Milevitan Council and others but the further dispute hereof belongs to the Schools IV. The fourth Judge to decide all Controversies is the POPE himself for they have but fumbled all this while and now they deal plainly for when they pretend the Catholick Church Doctors Councils they mean all Romish for with the Rhemists the Catholick and Roman faith is all one Rhem in Rom. cap. 1. vers 8 Gregory de Valentla saith By the Church wee mean her head the Roman Bishop Bellarmine hath these words The Pope himself without any Council De Christo lib. 2. cap. 2● may decree matters of faith And the Canon Law saith that all his rescripts and decrees are Canonical Scripture and that he may dispense 1 Against Gods Law 2 Against the Law of Nature 3 Against an Apostle 4 Against the New Testament Now that the Pope cannot have authority at his pleasure to judge the Scripture is plain 1 Because a Council is above the Pope Gerson A●neas Sylv. as the most and ancientest of Papists beleeve and two general Councils of Constance and Basil decree and that the Council hath power to restrain yea and depose him and so hath done And yet a Council as wee have seen wanteth this authority over the Scriptures Bellarmine would not beleeve or approve it but for the observation of the Church and common opinion Now the Sorbonists of Paris deny it 2 Because we know the Pope can erre in his Chair in matters of faith and interpretation of Scripture As for example Rom. 8.8 They that are in the flesh cannot please God Pope Sirycius thus interpreted it To bee in the flesh is to be married therefore the Priests must not marry John 6.53 Except yee eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you Pope Innocent 1. thence determined the absolute necessity of the Eucharist to salvation and therefore it must bee given to Infants Luke 22.38 Behold two swords here Pope Boniface 8. interprets it of the temporal and spiritual sword delivered to the Pope Nay they have not onely erred many of them but been gross and wicked Hereticks Liberius Pope about the year 350. was an Arrian and subscribed to the unjust condemnation of Athanasius and afterwards as a obstinate Heretick was deposed Honorius the first Anno 626. was an Monothelite held that Christ had but one will and so but one nature and for this Heresy was condemned in three general Councils In the year one thousand four hundred and eight at a Council held at Pisa consisting of a thousand Divines and Lawyers two Popes were deposed at once to wit Gregory the twelfth and Benet the thirteenth the tenor of whose deprivation calls them notorious Schismaticks Hereticks departed from the Faith scandalizing the whole Church unworthy the Papacy cut off from the Church What must wee obey in error scandal and Heresy or can the Pope alter the nature of that which is false and make it true 3 When there were two or three Popes at once and none knew which was the right Pope or the chief Pastor whither should men go for their determination of controversies in Religion or when themselves disagree in interpreting Scripture how can wee know which of them to lean unto See an example Matth. 16.18 Thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church Some Popes understand it of Peters person some of Peters Chair which they say is at Rome some of Peters Confession Wee have all unerring Popes maintaining these several interpretations how shall wee chuse the best what upon a Popes word every one of them hath that Therefore there must bee a superiour Interpreter and more infallible namely the Spirit of God in the Scriptures 4 How know we he hath any authority over any other Bishop seeing the Scripture gives him none How may wee know hee is not carried by affection seeing hee is a party in the Churches controversies and by Canon cast our from being a Judge How know wee no appeals lye from him seeing the Fathers have appealed from Councils which are above him How can wee know that hee sits in Peters Chair upon earth Cathedram in coelo habet qui intu● docet corda Aug. seeing the Father hath taught us That hee sitteth in Heaven who inwardly teacheth mens hearts Therefore wee renounce all such corrupt Judges and lean to the uncorrupt Scripture Vse 2. Secondly seeing the Scriptures are the best Commentaries of themselves and the Judge and decider of all Doctrines and Controversies Ministers that would stablish truth of Doctrin must bee careful to prove and justify all their collections of Doctrin out of Scripture for thereby they settle the faith of their people upon a sure ground of faith and manners all other