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	rome_n	succession_n	9,910	5	9.8153	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08471	The acquital or purgation of the moost catholyke Christen Prince, Edwarde the .VI. Kyng of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande &c. and of the Churche of Englande refourmed and gouerned under hym, agaynst al suche as blasphemously and traitorously infame hym or the sayd Church, of heresie or sedicion.	Old, John, fl. 1545-1555.	1555 (1555)	STC 18797; ESTC S101902	35,373	96

filthynesse of religion and maners that they doo 1. Pet. 4. Therfore we are not sondred from the felowship and communion of the thurche that hathe ben from the begynnyng of that worlde vnto this daye We are souldyours with all sayntes vnder all one Emperour and captayn we haue the same hope and expectacion that they haue We repose all the necessaries of our life saluacion and helpe in one only and the self same paymaister euen our lorde God Iesus Christ So we be true membres of y● true churche of Christe though our aduersaries haue hitherto synfully accused vs the membres of the gospellers churche of heresye and sedicyon 〈…〉 vs vp theyr olde song ●●uersaries obiections that we are fallen from the holy churche of Rome that we haue gathered a newe fangled schismaticall churche together whych hath nother head nor continual successiō of bishoppes and therfore that newe fangled churche is no churche but a conspiracie of a fewe mystye rascal knaues crept out of a sorte of obscure felowes and denounced accursed long ago and slaketh and abateth agayne daylye more and more to bewraye it selfe by that token seyng it is not stable as Bamaliel sayde it is of men and not of God Here vnto we make thys answere at fewe wordes Aboue all thynges it is to be weyghed and consydred whiche a one the true churche of Christ is and wher it is Not al that are called Israel sayrth the Apostle are Israel Rom. 9. euen so al that bragge of the name of the churche be not the true churche but the is the true churche that is knyt to her one onely husbande and head Christ that heareth the voyce of none but of her only husbande and shepeherde Christ and continueth wyth al sayntes in hym From thys maner church we neuer fel whether it beare the name of the churche of Rome the churche of Alexandria the churche of Constātinopole or the churche of Antioche For what so euer is or euer was of Christ of truthe and of true godlynesse in these or in other churches throughout the wyde worlde we embrace it with al our hartes and endeauour our selues to kepe that syncerely stil vnto the ende But in dede we are fallen from and abhorre the Romyshe wyckednesse the Romyshe errours the Romyshe corrupciōs the Romyshe lyes the Romishe false iugglyng knackes and all abuses whēce so euer they be as we vtterly also abhorre the Ieweship and Mahumetes religion We do very wel agree wyth the olde states of the churches of Alexandria Antioche and Constantinopole but wyth Mahumetes corrupcion of them wherin they sticke all fast at thys daye we agree not We agree very wel with the olde church of Rome which the chosen vessel of God S. Paul made so muche prayse of but we agre neuer a wytte at thys daye wyth the extreme corrupcion of the churche of Rome whyche theyr owne very frendes can not chose but speake euil of bycause of the horrible abominacions of it Are we therfore fallē frō the churche of Christ bycause we accordyng to Christes owne mynde and cōmaundement renounce and caste awaye the errours of the churche of Rome The holy prophetes of God the natural sōne of God Iesus Christ our Lorde wyth hys chosen Apostles were vndoubtedly in the body of the true and catholike churche of God albeit they had no feloweship the while wyth that churche that vaunted them selues to be the true churche of God Naye that churche excommunicated and persecuted the Prophetes and Christ and the Apostles and condemned them openly for heretikes and schismatikes But yet they were true faythful men and catholikes neuerthelesse for al that And how cometh it to passe that the gospellers churche is called a newe fangled churche which haue theyr relacion from hence to the begynnyng of the worlde whych haue Christ the eternal sonne of God to be theyr foūdacion and acknowlage the Apostles and Prophetes to be her founders and sheweth in her selfe all the tokens of the true churche in the sight of all men That is not an headlesse churche whych acknowledgeth and reuerēceth Iesus Christ the sonne of God the same I meane whom the Apostles name the heade and the saluacion the king chief hygh priest of the church Nother is the gospellers churche without cōtinual succession of bishoppes seyng it hathe her relacion euen vnto the Apostles of Christ Christ hade the continual rable of bishoppes and pristes in the cathedral churche of Ierusalem euer agaynst hym The same was agaynst the apostles also But yet who wyll therfore denye that the Apostles churches are the true churches Who wyl reproue Christes doctrine and hys Apostles of lyeng excepte it be a man to wycked to tel of Besydes thys I coulde tell what a maner one the succession of bishoppes of Rome is namely of them that haue made theyr neste in that Satanicall seate for these fyue hundred yeares yf I wolde do as Suetonius dyd and yf I lusted as he disclosed the most shameful filthy lyues of Emperours to blase out the cursed false partes and abominable wyckednesses of many bishoppes of Rome and yf I lusted to expoūd thys sayeng of Paul Ther shal starte vp from among you Act. 20. men speakyng peruerse thynges to drawe disciples after them c. But it is ynough to play touche go in these maters bycause I speake to men of vnderstandyng That churche is not of a fewe folke that is dispersed al the worlde ouer and comprehendeth all those that be faythfull except our aduersaries peraduenture meane that whych Christ our Lorde spake in the Gospell Mat. 22. Many are called but fewe chosen And agayne Narowe is the gate and strayte is the waye that leadeth vnto lyfe and fewe ther be that fynde it Ther is also no conspiracie in vs to any euel purpose but an holy consent to the doctrine and obedience of Christ As for mystye knaues we are none for we cast no mystes nor darke clowdes to deceaue any man but we allure al mē to the most clear lyght of the gospel Nother is the gospellers churche buylded vpon obscure men and holden accursed but of Christes owne Apostles which were most famous notable men in all the worlde For albeit the preaching of the gospel was brought vnto vs by those mēnes ministeries who are of most hygh cōmendacion amōg the godly yet we geue not thankes for the begynnyng of so precious a Iewel vnto men but vnto Christ the sonne of God Paule was the furst that preached the Gospel to the Corinthianes but for all that he wolde not haue them called Paulinianes but he wolde haue them called Christianes If Christ whych is the true lyght of the worlde yf the Apostles whych are the lyght bear ours of the worlde be obscure men and accursed we graunt that our doctrine came of obscure and accursed men But I am sure they that go about to bryng them into that slaūder shal haue light ynough and

tyme. The .vii. Chapter THerfore the gospellers churche dothe not cal euery one at auēture tagge ragge to be ministers of Goddes holy worde Ministers of the gospellers churche but suche men as be furst exerciced in the holy scriptures and in the catholyke vnderstādyng of faythe wyth the churche For ther be chosen vnto the holy ministerie of the churche men of sounde doctrine and vpryght lyfe accordyng to the Apostles rules And lyke as saynt Paule whan he ordeyned Timothee to be bishop byndeth hym as it were wyth an othe 2. Timo. 5. to preathe the Gospel syncerely sayeng I charge the in the syght of God and our Lorde Iesus Christ and of the chosen holy angels that thou kepe and obserue thys with out rashenesse of iudgement 2. Timo. 4 And eftsones he sayeth I charge thee before God our Lorde-Iesus Christ whych shal iudge both the quicke the deade at hys appearing and in hys kyngdome preache the worde be feruent and reproue in season and out of season c. Euen so doth the Gospellers churche bynde theyr ministers by an othe that they make no newe gloses nor exposicions of theyr owne heades nor vtter in theyr docerine any thing against the scripture and the true catholike vnderstandyng of fayth but euery where and in euery point both to respecte onely folowe the canone and rule of faythe And in the yearely conuocacions which the gospellers churche vseth there is diligent inquisicion and searche made vpon the pastours and vpon the lyfe and doctrine of euery minister whether it be soūde and vpryght or not least the sorer fal of the minister should make a good parte of the churche cōmitted to hys spiritual charge to fal miserably into euil wyth hym The lyke ordre was appointed set furthe by kyng Edwarde the .vi. to hys churche by hys publyke commission cōmaundement onely the fault of not executyng the same was in some of hys corrupte doublefaced dreamyng counsailours and traiterous harted Popishe Bishoppes and ordinaries by whom the vertuous good Kyng was deluded And so in thys mater againe we are most farre of from the heretikes churche by al meanes For the heretykes bothe Papistical and Anabaptistical lyke as they renne whan no man sendeth them nor haue any regarde to the sayd general rule inasmuche as they be a rule and a lawe to them selues euen so maye they in no wyse abyde any reformacion or correction Of the chief principles of our faithe and religion In dede the Gospellers churche dothe most religiously kepe the catholyke vnderstandynge of the churche and the chief principles of the true catholyke religion and doctrine Our congregacion beleueth and embraceth the fyrst promise that the eternal almyghty God hym selfe made pronounced in Paradise sayeng Ge. 3. I will set enemitie betwene the and the woman or that specially appointed woman and betwene thy sede and her sede It shall treade downe thy head and thou shalt tread vpon hys heele For we knowe acknowlage that the furst and principall groūde workes of our faythe and saluacion were sattled and cōprised in thys promyse For we are lost through our owne synne but we are saued by the mere mercie of god through christ in whō like as God hathe frely chosen vs frō euerlasting euen so he openeth vnto vs by hys worde whā it is best tyme in his sight bothe for his owne glorie and our cōmoditie that we through hys grace should beleue in Christ the sonne of the most souerayne hyghe God and of that excellent woman Hebr. 2. the most blessed virgine Marie and so be saued For Christ by hys painfull passion hathe brokē and stamped vnder fote the head or kingdome of the Deuil in that he hathe conquered deathe abolished synne despeched damnacion quyte out of the waye frō all faithfull christianes ¶ The .8 Chapiter VVe and oure Gospellers churches do beleue and religiously embrace that only and eternal couenaunt that God made to Adam The coue●aunt of ●od with ●en furst in Paradise afterwarde many tymes renewed and playnly compacted with the holy fathers as Noe and singularly wyth Abraham the father of the beleuers adding therto the Sacrament of Circumcision For the Lorde appeared vnto Abraham 〈◊〉 17. and sayd vnto hym I am El Saddai a myghty strōg God euery where present and omnisufficiently fillyng all wyth all good thynges Walke before me and be perfite and I shal rayse vp that is I shal repayre my couenāt betwene me and thee and betwene me and thy sede after thee in theyr generations with an euerlastyng couenaunt that I may be thy God thy sedes after thee Al these sayenges we applye also vnto vs ●ala 3. in that the Apostle sayd yf you be of Christ than in dede ye are the sede of Abrahā and heyres according to the promise in that Baptisme was geuen vnto the churche in stede of Circumcision and also in that we haue receaued Iesus Christ our Lord the ende and accomplishement of all the promyses Our churches do religiously embrace the most holy tables of thys eternal couenaūt The tables of the couenaunt grauen wyth the very fyngre of our almyghtye souerayne Lorde God in two tables of stone with great mysterie and to thintent they should the longer indure and geuen to the churche of the Israelites of al faythfull beleuers throughout al the hole worlde of God hym selfe by hys most blessed seruaunt Moses In the which as it were in a certain hādsom short sūme and yet most fully expounded we haue recyted and conteyned al mystical maters perteynyng to godlynesse and the most sure testimonie of Goddes good wil towardes vs and the most perfite rule of al out offices and dueties These tables I saye that were written wyth the fyngre of God and proclaymed beforehande wyth Goddes owne mouth in that great church at the mount Synai we kepe entier perfite sounde vncorrupte we take awaye nothyng we altre nothyng we putto nothyng we leaue out nothyng we thrust in nothyng contrarye to Christes mynde we chaunge nothynge at al. From the botome of our hartes therfore we abhorre Idolatrye whiche we se also condemned so zelously and so earnestly of the prophetes and Apostles And therfore we should thynke it abhominable wyckednesse in case ther be sene in our tēples dedicated only vnto God any Images eyther of God hym selfe or of hys sayntes muche more of prophane men or women S. Paule reasonyng with the most wyttye learned Brekes of Athenes Act. 17. sayeth For asmuche as we are the generacion of God we ought not to iudge that the alwelding God is lyke vnto golde or syluer or stone craftely grauen or vnto the inuencion of man By meanes wherof we reade also that S. Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist charged Christes Churche sayeng Babes beware of Images ● Io. 5. which wordes the auncient writour Tertullian in hys boke De corona militis expoundeth

thus Custodite vos ab Idolus non iā ab idolatria quasi ab officio sed ab idolis id est ab ipsa eorum effige Indignum enim vt ima go Dei viui imago idolis mortui fiat That is kepe your selues from ydoles not now from ydolatrie as from the seruice doyng but from the ydoles that is from the very ymages of them For it were wrong that the ymage of the lyuing God should be the ymage of an ydole and of a deade thyng Therfore our churches are by these wordes acquieted from the cryme of heresie whych a great meignye of bishoppes preachers and Papistes wyth stampyng and staryng scolding and roaryng charge vs wythal and for none other cause but that the ymages of God and hys sayntes be throwen out of all Christes temples and were in no wyse receaued any more in Kyng Edwardes dayes but the scriptures of the lyuyng God set in their places Ther is no doubt sayeth Lactācius Li. 2. ca 19. Constātinus scholemaister but ther is no religion whersoeuer an ymage is And S. Austen in hys Cataloge wherin he rehearceth al the heresies of hys tyme reckoneth amōg them one Marcella a woman of Carpocratia whych worshipped the ymages of Iesus Christ of Paule of Pythagoras and of Homere wyth makyng addracion and incensing to them For the holy martir S. Ireneus in the 24. chap. of hys fyrst boke Contra haereses reporteth that the heretikes called Gnostici dyd worship the expresse lyuely painted ymage of our saueour Christ the paterne wherof they sent vnto Pilate the lieutenaunt of Iewrie who foūde the meanes to haue Christ set furthe as an heathen man by ymage lyke vnto hym selfe whan he was alyue by singular connyng payntours and caruers And yet that bishop and martir inueyed to the vttermost of his power agaynst that ymage whyche the Gnostici set so muche price by A and yf it were now to be had it should be reputed among the most holy reliques But thys Bishop was not a seuere earnest persecutour and enemye of ymages and ymage seruice alone for it is knowen to all men what Epiphanius the Bishop of Salamine Cyprus dyd 〈…〉 as he wryteth of him selfe in hys greke Epistle that S. Ierome translated into latine whych doubtles he wolde not haue done yf he had thought Epyphanius facte to haue bē sacrilege Epiphanius also sawe a vaile hanging in a certain churche dore stained and paynted and hauyng an ymage as it hade ben of Christ orsom saynt But he plucked it by the ende In tomo Hiero. 3. fo 73. b and rēt it downe thinking it vnworthy that the image of a man should heng in the churche of Christ cōtrary as he saithe playnly to the autoritie of the scriptures And he exhorteth Iohn bishop of Ierusalem to charge the elders ministers of that place the they should heng vp no such vailes whych come against the religion of Christ For he sayd it was more besemyng the duetie of a bishop to see that such scrupulositie for so he termeth the vse of images in temples should be taken out of the waye whych is not worthy of the churche of Christ Now ther is no good grounde for the papistes to obiecte vnto vs the sentences and decrees of Gregorie B. of Rome Damascene the greke wrytour Bardiners great clearke and of the seuenth Synode whych they call the Synode of Nice agaynst these so cleare and so substaūcial authorities For these that I haue alleged are of muche more auncientie certayntie thā theyrs be Therfore who so euer reporteth vs to be he retikes bycause we lacke ymages let them fyrst proue the lawe of god heresie let them prone the testimonies iudgemētes of the Prophetes and Apostles heresie and let thē proue the sayenges and doynges of Ireneus Tertullian Lactātius Epiphanius Austē and Ierome to be heresie and whan they haue done so let them com and condemne vs of heresie also And so they wyl do one day whan they cā But yf they spare them let them be good to vs also Now wil we returne to our purpose Our churche called the gospellers churche dothe religiously holde and confesse that most excellent and most true godly belief called Symbolū apostolicum or the apostles Crede 〈◊〉 apost● Crede Whyche though it be purported in no place of the scriptures in the very same forme of wordes that we rehearse it in yet it is all holly and euery title of it fette out of the apostles writinges Thys Crede comprehendeth the most plenteous full forme of belief so that our elders did by it as a most tryed and certain sure rule alwayes proue and trye who were true ryght catholike beleuers who were false beleuers and heretikes Sym●n is S. Cipriane in the exposicion of thys apostles Crede saythe that this greke worde Simbolum is a declaraciō a collacion or a gatheryng of sondry maters together into one forme And for thys cause thys same declaracion is set and compacte together by conference of the apostles doctrine that therby it myght be knowne who cōfessed Christ truly according to the rules of the apostles The holy Martir Ireneus after the rehearsal of the apostles Crede saythe Li. con● haereses Ca. 3. Forasmuche as the church dispersed throughout the hole vniuersal worlde hathe receaued thys confession and Crede it obserueth it diligently as though the hole churche were dwellyng all in one house and preacheth and confesseth it after all one consonaunt sort as if al the churche had but one mouthe For albeit the speches in the worlde be vnlike yet the vertue and power of the declaring therof is but all one the self same one And nother the lāguage that is in Spayne nor the speche that is in Fraunce ne the languages that are in the east coūtreyes ne yet the Egipcians tongue nor the Lybianes speche nother the languages that are vsed in the mydle partes of the world but as the sunne of goddes makyng is but one and the selfe same one in all the hole vniuersall worlde so dothe the light preaching of the truthe shyne euery wher lighteneth all folkes that are willing to com to the knowlage of the truthe And nother the bishop of the churche hym self that hath the best vtteraūce speaketh any thyng elles but these articles nother doth he that is of slenderer vtteraunce speake any lesse For seyng ther is but one and the selfe same one faythe nother dothe he that is hable to vttre it at large speake any more nor he that can not vttre the mater so plenteously speake any lesse Thus muche hath Ireneus Therfore it is most certainly out of perauēture that the ful forme of belefe is most fully comprehended in the Apostles Crede and he that constaūtly and purely continueth therin to the ende shall doubtles obteyne euerlastyng lyfe as Athanasius sayeth who so euer wylbe saued before al thinges it is necessary that