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	divine_a	presbyter_n	3,000	5	9.9451	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34966	Dr. Stillingfleets principles giving an account of the faith of Protestants / considered by N.O.	Cressy, Serenus, 1605-1674.	1671 (1671)	Wing C6892; ESTC R31310	47,845	118

liue in this Communion or knowing this Obligation persist in a wilfull neglect to re-vnite themselus to it Because all such persons liue in a mortall sin viz. Disobedience to and a willfull Separation from their lawfull and Canonicall Ecclesiasticall Superiors whom our Lord hath sett ouer them And this sin vnrepented of destroys Saluation being the same so heauily condemned by our Sauiour Si non audierit Ecclesiam Now that vnrepented of it is we haue reason to fear so long as they hauing opportunity either neglect to inform their judgment or this being conuinc'd to reform and rectify their practise And this seems a judged Case in the Donatist who pretended some such thing for their security if we will admitt S. Augustins sentiment of it for thus he directs his speech to them Nobiscum estis in Baptismo c. that is You are with vs in Baptism you are with vs in the Symbol or Creed you are with vs in the rest of our Lords Sacraments and I may safely add with regard to some of them at least You are with vs in a good life with the former exception But in the Spirit of Vnity and bound of peace and lastly In the Catholick Church you are not with vs And so he leaues them to the punishment due to those who are out of it and separated from Christ its head To conclude I ask this Counter-Question concerning a Christian liuing for example In the Fift Age of the Church Why the belieuing of the Apostles Creed as those of the first Age did and leading a good life may not be sufficient for Salvation to such a one vnless he continue in the Communion of his lawfull Ecclesiasticall Superiors of his owne Age requiring of him vnder Anathema or penalty of damnation the belief not only of the Symbol of the Apostles but of all the Articles of the Athanasian Creed as in the beginning and Conclusion of that Creed it is clear they did Here what Answer the Doctor shall make to this Question supposing he will not justify such Separatist I cannot imagin but it must fitt his own Here therefore such a Christians business for knowing whether he stands safe as to his Faith and Life in order to Saluation seems to be That he seriously examin Whether those whose Communion he rejects are the true Legall Ecclesiasticall Superiors who are sett ouer him by our Lord and to whom he is enjoyned Obedience and with whom he ought to liue to vse S. Augustins words in the Spirit of Vnity and bound of peace XXX PRINCIPLE 30. There can be no better way to preuent mens mistakes in the sense of Scripture which men being fallible are subject to then the considering the consequence of mistaking in a matter wherein their Saluation is concerned And there can be no sufficient reason giuen why that may not serue in matters of Faith which God himself hath made vse of as the means to keep men from sin in their liues vnless any jmagin that errors in Opinion are farr more dangerous to mens souls then a vicious life is and therefore God is bound to take more care to preuent the one then the other Whereas the Doctor says That the best way to preuent mens mistakes in the sence of Scripture is the considering the consequence of erring in a matter wherein their Saluation is concerned Our dayly sad Experience shews that though our seeing or considering the dangerous consequence of a mistake affords vs how good soeuer yet no certain way to preuent it but our being directed by an Infallible Externall Guide certainly doth And the consideration of such Consequence should hasten euery one to prouide this only certain Remedy I mean in committing himself in such matters of Faith as are much disputed to the Guidance of men more studied and experienced in the Diuine Laws and that are also sett ouer him by our Lord for this very thing to instruct him in them Where in case these Guides shall disagree yet euery Christian may easily know whose judgments among them he ought to follow namely always of that Church-Authority that is the Superior which in most cases is indisputable This Ecclesiasticall Body being placed by the Diuine Prouidence in an exact Subordination As here in England it is not doubted whether we are to pay our Obedience rather to a Nationall Synod then to a Diocesan to the Arch-Bishop or Primat then to an Ordinary Bishop or Presbiter And then He who hath some experience in Church affairs if willing to take such a course cannot but discern what way the Major part of Christendom and its Higher and more comprehensiue Councills that haue hitherto been do guide him And the more simple and ignorant who so can come to know nothing better ought to follow their example As touching the following Clause in this Principle That the same means may serue to keep men from Error in matters of Faith as is vsed by God to keep men from Sin in their liues Hereto I add That here God hath taken care by the same Church-Authority to preserue his Church in Truth and to restrain it from Sin giuing them an equall Commission to teach the ignorant and to correct the Vicious And since their Doctrine directs our manners as well as Faith their infallibility is as necessary for things of practise as of speculation Error in Opinion also may be such as may be much more dangerous to vs then for the present a vicious life supposing our persistance in a right Faith because we haue our Conscience still left vncorrupted to reclame vs in the later but not so in the former And there is more hopes of his recouery who as yet doth ill with a relucting judgment Some erroneous Opinions or other also are the ordinary sources and springs of euill practises and the Doctor cannot but acknowledg this who hath spent a considerable part of the Book to which he hath annexed these Principles vpon pretending to shew how Roman Errors do induce an euill life and destroy Deuotion III. The Doctors Consequences examined I. CONSEQUENCE 1. There is no necessity at all or vse of an Infallible Society of men to assure men of the truth of those things of which they may be certain without and cannot haue any greater assurance supposing such Infallibility to be in them 1. This Consequence here is voyded because the Supposition if applied to Diuine Reuelations and matters of Faith in the former Principles is not prooued 2. But if the whole were granted This concludes the vselesness as well of any Ecclesiasticall Authority to teach men as of an Infallible to assure men of the truth of those things which by vsing only their owne sincere endeauour according to the Doctors pretence Principle 13. they may know without them II. CONSEQUENCE 2. The Infallibility of that Society of men who call themseleus the Catholick Church must be examined by the same Faculties in man the same

Rules of tryall the same Motiues by which the Infallibility of any Diuine reuelation is This Consequence couched only in generall terms is granted in the same manner as the 6. Principle is changing must here into may But then of many things examined and discouered by the same way or means some are much more easily by euery one examined and discouered then some others as the Euidence for them in this means are greater So Holy Scriptures belieued such from Vniuersall Tradition may be much clearer in some Articles of our Faith then in others And some Diuine Reuelations may be so obscurely expressed there or inuolued only in their Principles as that some weak capacities cannot discern them which yet in the same Scriptures may discouer the Authority of the Church and its promised Diuine Assistance and Infallibility in necessaries and so from thence learn those other Of which Church and its Infallibility clear in Scriptures for all necessaries and for deciding other Points more obscure therein thus writes S. Augustin in his Dispute with the Donatists concerning the obscure Point of Rebaptization Quoniam sacra Scriptura fallere non potest c. Since the Holy Scripture cannot deceiue vs let whosoeuer is in fear of being deceiued by the obscurity of this Question consult the same Church about it which Church the Holy Scripture doth without all ambiguity demonstrate And before Earumdem Scripturarum etiam in hac re a nobis tenetur veritas cum c. That is The truth of the Holy Scriptures is held by vs in this matter or Point of Rebaptization when we do that which has pleased the Vniuersall Church that is which had been stated concerning that Point by the Church which the Authority of the Scriptures themselues does commend that since c. Thus writes S. Augustin All which is false and sayd to no purpose if the Scripture be not clear in this That this Church can determine nothing in such important Contests contrary to the verity of the Scriptures and that we ought to giue credit to what he decides for then it would not be true what he says The truth of the same Scriptures in this matter is held by vs and He who is in fear to be deceiued by the obscurity of this Question is no way relieued in following the sentence of the Church Now if it be further asked Amongst those seuerall Modern opposit Communions which do equally inuite men into their Society by the Name of the Church Which of them is so Diuinely attested there are beside the Description made of it in Scripture not applicable to other pretended Churches and frequently vrged by the same Father against the Donatists There are I say sufficiently certain rationall Euidences and Marks thereof left to Christians whereby the sober Enquirer after it cannot be mistaken I mean not here those Marks of the true Church though true Marks also the quest of which men are sett vpon by Protestants viz. True Doctrine and a right administration of the Sacraments A Quest or Tryall that can neuer be made an end of being a task to know all the Truths in Christianity first before we can know the Church When as the Enquirer seeks after the Church which as S. Augustin sayth the Scripture demonstrates that by it he may come to know the Truths But I mean those other Marks mention'd by S. Augustin in the Book he wrote of the Benefit of belieuing the Church viz. Sequentium multitudo c. The multitude of her followers the Consent of Nations her Antiquity c. Which Church hath descended visibly from Christ himself by his Apostles vnto vs and from vs will descend to posterity c. And which by the Confession of Mankind from the Apostolick See by succession of Bishops hath obtained the supreme top of Authority whilst Hereticks on all sides barked against her in vain and were still condemned partly by the judgment euen of the common people partly by the venerable grauity of Councills and partly also by the Majesty of Miracles that is by Miracles done in this Church after the Apostles times of seuerall of which S. Augustin himself was an eye-witness and of some an instrument The same Father repeats much-what the same in another Book of his De Vnitate Ecclesiae against the Donatists a Sect in Africk Non est obscura Quaestio c. It is no obscure Question says he viz. which is the true Church in which those may deceiue you who according to our Lords prediction shall come and say Behold here is Christ behold he is there behold he is in the Desart as in a place where the multitude is not great The time was when the Reformation were constrained to vse the like phrases and also to apply to themselues that Text Fear not little Flock But you haue a Church described in in the Scripture to be spredd through all Regions and to grow still in Conuersion of Nations till the haruest You haue a City concerning which he that was the Founder of it sayd A City built on a Hill cannot be hid This is the Church therefore not in some corner of the earth but euery where most known Now I hope none will think fitt to apply these Scriptures more to S. Augustins time then to any other or to the present For by the same reason the Donatists might here haue counter-applied them to some other and not to S. Augustins times Much what the same is iterated again by this Father and three Testimonies I hope will establish this matter where he tells the Manicheans what retained him in the bosome of that Church from which they stood separated Vt omittam Sapientiam c. that is That I may omitt that Wisdome viz. the Mark of true Doctrine which you do not belieue to be in the Catholick Church there are many other things which most justly keep me in her bosome The consent of peoples and Nations keeps me there Authority begun by Miracles confirmed by Antiquity keeps me there The Succession of Pastors from the Seat it self of S. Peter to whom our Lord after his Resurrection recommended his Sheep to be fedd by him vnto the present Bishop keeps me there And lastly the very Name of Catholick heeps me there c. Here are S. Augustins Marks to find our the Church from which men were to learn the Truth whilst proposed to seuerall persons and Sects always the same And these are the Euidences in Tradition and in those other commonly call'd Motiues of Credibility which in themselues seeme not justly questionable that will afford a sufficient Certainty to euery Sober Enquirer whereby he may try and discern that present Church to which now also if in S. Augustins time Christ affords a testimony and which lyeth not in Corners nor starts vp after some Ages and vanishes again but is fixed ab Apostolica Sede per successiones Episcoporum a City sett on