Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	body_n	head_n	invisible_a	4,027	5	10.4705	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73011	Looke beyond Luther: or An ansvvere to that question, so often and so insultingly proposed by our aduersaries, asking vs; where this our religion was before Luthers time? VVhereto are added sound props to beare vp honest-hearted Protestants, that they fall not from their sauing-faith. By Richard Bernard, of Batcombe in Sommersetshire.	Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641.	1623 (1623)	STC 1956.3; ESTC S123041	43,757	64

to true Councels Can an ordinarie man then iudge of these things And if he cannot let him not be deceiued by pretence of them II. Touching the ancient Fathers this they must know that they are found to be of differing opinions and had contentions among themselues that they held not their owne iudgements infallible nor submitted to one another otherwise then men godly and learned doe now but onely as by good reason and authoritie they were ouercome that they haue erred and this is acknowledged by most learned men on both sides that our aduersaries of the greatest note do often shake off their authoritie when they are against them that of the Fathers writings some are doubted of some are corrupted and many counterfeites are put out vnder their names that the iudgement of all the Fathers cannot be had for all our controuersies These things being so how idle is it then for ordinarie men to be talking of Fathers of the opinion of all the Fathers or for any such men to be carried away with such a sound which is not possible for them to vnderstand seeing our aduersaries alleage them for their selues and we more truly for our selues III. Concerning the Churches custome and path in euerie age let them consider that this is very vncertaine Historians haue not alwaies in euery relation bin found faithfull that euerie Age hath not had in it such as haue truly written of the Church that a man may spend his whole life in seeking out the whole Churches course and yet not be able to find it out I suppose I erre not if I say that all men now liuing cannot do it exactly in euery Age. And therefore it s but a gulling flourish of our aduersaries to boast of the whole Church in euery Age and yet withall so boasting fraudulently to meane their owne particular Romane Church By alleaging then these arguments to wit Councels Fathers and the generall custome of the whole Church the conscience of an ordinarie Christian cannot bee throughly satisfied his knowledge cannot herein bee certaine to conuince his iudgement these are beyond his reach and capacitie Be aduised therefore not to be drawne with these reasons which are to thee so vncertaine but rest vpon the other which be plaine and easie within thy capacitie and certaine vnto thee by which thou mayst through Gods helpe maintaine that which thou professest and confute the aduersaries vntruths or at least gather thence such strength as they shall not easily draw thee to beleeue them as for instance in some particulars I wil shew thee They say that the Pope is the head of the Catholike Church There is no plaine Scripture for this We find Iesus Christ to be called the Head of the Church but no other It s no Article of our Creed therefore thou art not bound to beleeue it But I adde this that what we beleeue is inuisible Heb. 11.1 and not seene 2. Cor. 5.7 If therefore the Pope be the Head there must be a visible head of an inuisible body Againe the head immediately giues life motion and direction to its true body which the Pope cannot doe to Christs Church It s also vnreasonable to thinke two heads to bee for one body whether one besides another or one vnder another it is a monstrousity Common experience testifieth against the Popes inabilitie to performe the true office of the true Head to Gods Church They say that he cannot erre Let it be taken in the best sense they can conceiue it there is no plaine Scripture which giueth this to any one particular person It s no Article of our Creed to beleeue it experience hath found him to haue erred foully They say that after the words of consecration the bread is turned into the very body of Christ and the wine into his bloud so as Iesus Christ is there corporally as he was borne of the Virgin Marie vnder the accidents of bread and wine In holy Scripture there is no such thing taught there is a sacramentall phrase This is my Body and the like vsed in the Sacraments of the old Testament This is my Couenant Gen. 17.10 This is the Lords Passeouer Exo. 12.11 The Rocke was Christ 1. Cor. 10.4 but yet no turning one substance into another The Creed teacheth vs to belieue him to be in heauen and thence to expect his comming when hee shall appeare to iudge the quicke and the dead This transubstantiation therefore is no part of our Faith It s against reason for a true body and continued quantitie to be in two places yea in a thousand mouthes at once The Angels reason vnto Marie Mat. 28.6 confuteth this grosse opinion for he said to her when she with the other Marie came to seeke Christ He is not here for hee is risen that is He is not in this place because he is else-where in another If Christ could haue been in two places at once the Angels argument had been of no force remember that this is an Angell-reason which know wee how to reason truly This opinion is against our sences we see not feele not nor taste not flesh and blood Now God neuer deluded mans sences whensoeuer he turned one substance into another Moses staffe was made a Serpent dust was Lice the water blood and water was wine and all these sensible No Scripture nor any other approued testimony can be produced to shew vndoubtedly the contrarie Yea this is certaine that the true body of Christ is discernable by sense to be a true bodie wheresoeuer it is therefore when the Disciples doubted at his sudden appearing he said It is I my selfe And to proue this he willeth them to vse their senses saying Handle me and see that so they might discerne his true body flesh and bones and so might it be in the Sacrament if indeed and truth he were there corporally It hath been witnessed against by the blood or many Martyrs but where be so many in defence of our aduersaries grosse opinion Which of them haue euer hitherto or dare to suffer for this their opinion as ours haue done against it This opinion of our aduersaries is to be detested for first the falshood thereof secondly for the grosse idolatry committed through it euen a piece of bread adored for Almightie Iesus Christ himselfe Thirdly for the bloodie crueltie which for the vpholding of it hath been done with furious rage vpon the bodies of Gods Saints because they would not beleeue this false doctrine nor commit this abominable idolatrie Fourthly all such as thus beleeue sinne not only in the act damnably for Idolaters perish euerlastingly Reuel 21.8 but also irrepentantly because they be perswaded that in so beleeuing and worshipping they doe not onely not sin but doe a most excellent worke and meritorious seruice to God They teach that there is a Purgatorie a place of torment In holy Scriptures we find plainely Heauen Earth Hell Sea but no

imperfect contrary to Psal 19.7 1. Tim. 3.16 17. That there is an vnwritten word called Traditions to be added thereunto contrary to Deut. 4.2 Reuel 21.8 Prou. 30.6 That the witnesse of the Church is greater then the witnesse of the Scriptures and to be beleeued before them contrary to 1. Ioh. 5.9 Ioh. 5.17 That the inuisible God may bee pictured contrary to Deut. 4.15 Acts 17.29 Esa 40.18 Rom. 1.23 That Images may be made to be worshipped contrary to Deut. 27.15 Exod. 20. and that they are for instruction contrary to Hab. 2.18 That prayers may be made to the Virgin Mary and to Saints departed contrary to Matth. 6.19 and contrary to the practice of the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles and holy men in Scripture That prayers made by number and often repetitions are pleasing vnto God as when people are taught to pray by number on Beades contrary to Matth. 6.7 That they may be vttered in an vnknowne tongue and also Gods publike seruice so said contrary to 1. Cor. 14.15 19. That therein a generall good intent is acceptable to God though the mind bee not endued with sound knowledge contrary to Prou. 19 2.n 1. Cor. 14.20 That the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is to be administred and receiued in one kind contrary to Matth. 26.27 1. Cor. 10.16 11.23 24 25. That Iesus Christ is corporally in the Bread transubstantiated contrary to Act. 3.21 And that it is very God contrary to Hos 8.6 That it is offered for a sacrifice propitiatory as if Christ once offering himselfe were not sufficient contrary to Heb. 10.10 14. That the Law may be fulfilled and a man iustified thereby before God contrary to Rom. 7.19 3.20 4.2 1. Cor. 4.4 Esa 46.6 That a man may merit by his works contrary to Tit. 3.5 Ephes 2.8 10. Rom. 6.23 Luk. 7.10 That a man may bee able to doe more then God requireth of him or that hee is tyed by dutie to doe contrary to Rom. 7.19 Luk. 17.10 Prou. 20.9 Eccles 7.20 Psal 130.3 That the Pope may dispense with Gods Law contrary to 1. Sam. 2.25 Rom. 8.33 34. Iob 9.33 34.29 That there are sinnes which yet are not prohibited by Gods Law contrary to 1. Ioh. 3.4 Ro. 4.15 7.8 3.20 That some sinnes are in themselues veniall which deserue not death contrary to Rom. 6.23 Iames. 1.15 Genes 2.17 That originall concupiscence is no sinne in the regenerate contrary to Rom. 7.19 Psalm 51. That the Virgin Mary was without sinne contrary to Iob 14.4 Eccles 7.2 20. Psal 130.3 Rom. 3.9 23. 1. Ioh. 1.7 8. Luk. 1.46 That Marriage is not honourable in all sorts of men as for instance not in the Clergie contrary to Hebr. 13.4 1. Cor. 7.9 1. Tim. 5.14 and contrary to the practice of the married Priests vnder the Law That married persons with consent may euer liue asunder to leade a Monasticall life contrary to 1. Cor. 7.2 That holinesse is to be put in the obseruation of dayes contrary to Col. 2.16 Of meates contrary to Rom. 14.14 1. Cor. 8.8 Matth. 15.20 1. Tim. 4.3 4. and so men lose thereby Christian liberty contrary to Gal. 5.1 That many who dye in the Lord not abiects from God yet rest not after death for a time contrary to Reuel 14.13 but make a temporall satisfaction in a place they call Purgatorie whose sinnes although heere pardoned yet goe not these soules immediately to heauen contrary to Luk. 23.43 where the good Thiefe is promised Paradise which is Heauen 2. Cor. 12.3 4. That the Popes power is kingly yea that he may vse the temporall Sword and depose Kings and dispose of their Kingdomes and be subiect to none contrary to Luke 22.25 26. Matth. 20.25 26. Rom. 13. 1. Tit. 3.1 1. Pet. 2.13 That he which gets the Popes dispensation sinneth not in that he doth though the same be against Gods Law contrary to Matth. 5.19 Deut. 27.26 Ier. 11.3 Ioh. 3.4 That the Pope is Christs Vicar and yet may intermeddle with the earthly and temporall Kingdomes of this World contrary to Christs owne practice Luk. 12.14 the nature of his Kingdome Iohn 18.36 against the nature of such spirituall weapons and power which God gaue to his Apostles 2. Corint 10.4 5 6. Yea that the Pope may take vpon him as hee doth to haue to doe with those which are without to wit the Heathen to giue away their Kingdomes as he presumeth to doe with such as forsake him whom hee iudgeth to bee Heretikes contrary to 1. Cor. 5.12 13. That his Clergie are exempted from ciuill iurisdiction contrary to Christs commandement Matth. 22.21 to his practice Matth. 17.27 to Saint Peters teaching 1. Pet. 2.13 14. and to Saint Pauls Rom. 13.1 7. Tit. 3.1 It were infinite to particularize all the differences betweene our Religion and theirs wherin they are contrary to holy Scripture and contrary to the tenne Commandements the Creed the Lords Prayer and the two Sacraments Of which if any desire herein instances to be better satisfied let him reade Gabriel Powel who hath purposely set downe a multitude of particulars VI. And lastly if none of the Martyrs were Papists or as they please to call themselues Romane Catholiks then could they not bee their Martyrs for they which bee not such are not held to bee of their Romane Religion nor Church But none of these Martyrs were Papists or Romane Catholikes for they held not these many differences of theirs from vs by which a Papist becommeth a Papist or Romane Catholike and without which hee is not by them approoued to be such a one For let a man hold all other poynts of Christianity wholly and fully yet if he hold not that the Pope hath authority as Christs Vicar vpon earth that the Church of Rome is the Mother and Mistresse of all Churches that there are seuen Sacraments that the Sacrament may be receiued in one kind that the bread after consecration is transubstantiated and Christ there corporally vnder the formes of Bread and Wine and so to bee diuinely adored that seruice is to bee said euery where in Latine that Images are to bee set in Churches and to bee worshipped that Saints departed are to bee prayed vnto and their Reliques worshipped that there is a Purgatory for penall satisfaction after this life that our workes doe merit and that we are iustified by them before God that Ecclesiasticall persons may not marry that confession of sinnes is to be made secretly to a Priest in his eare and that hee hath power iudicially to absolue the confitents and impose penance vpon them for satisfaction for sinne vnto God These and such like articles newly coyned whosoeuer doth not hold is not iudged to be a Romane Catholike But none of these differences did these Martyrs hold much lesse euer suffered persecution for For not one of these articles of the Trent Conuenticle was held in the time of these sorts of Martyrs all of them suffering within the 600.

lawfull and free generall Councell which the Conuenticle of Trent was not till then we are not to be condemned of obstinacy and so as yet no Heretikes Thirdly we neither haue neglected nor yet doe neglect the true Catholike Churches authority into which wee are receiued by Baptisme For we very willingly desire to heare her sentence but where can that bee except in a generall Councels determination therein to heare the Catholike Church speaking to vs from the Scriptures we greatly long for we readily submit vnto Let her thus speak that we may know her Iudgement and we will hearken thereunto As for the Church of Romes authoritie we doe not acknowledge it ouer vs because it is not nor euer was in her best estate the Catholike Church but onely a particular Church which now also is a party questioned And therfore her authoritie for her selfe against vs is no more of vs to be regarded then by them our Churches authority for her selfe against them Seeing then that by their definition wee are not conuinced of heresie wee are not out of the Church as Heretikes II. Not as Schismatikes For albeit we haue no departed from this Romish Church yet are we no Schismatikes First for that we keepe communion with the Catholike Church into which we by Baptisme were admitted which is the body of Christ and wee truly members thereof in faith and loue through the worke of Gods Spirit being built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the Corner-stone Secondly because this Church of Rome hath falne from the faith and obedience commended by S. Paul to be in the Church at Rome in his time as appeareth in many particulars before named which the Church first planted at Rome neuer taught neuer beleeued nor practised Therefore are we no Schismatikes for leauing her in those things wherein she hath left the true and Apostolike Church at the beginning Thirdly for that wee doe not breake off from her simply but in some respect that is as farre foorth as she hath forsaken her former selfe so that if shee would returne to the Catholike Faith and Religion and forsake her Trentisme Iesuitisme and Popery the inuentions of her owne added to that which first she did professe wee want not charitie towards her to vnite our selues vnto her againe For otherwise neither our true loue to God nor true loue to his Church will suffer vs to liue with her so defiled as she is in the spirituall bond of sacred loue which knits the true members of Christ one to another Heauenly charity which maketh this vnitie admitteth not of such things into the vnitie of faith as bee taught and practised in that Church both sinfull against God and pernicious to mens soules yea vtter destruction to them without hearty repentance Fourthly wee haue a warrant yea a commandement from God to separate our selues from her for that she is become the great Whore and spirituall Babylon Reuel 18.4 This charge of God freeth vs from Schisme for there is no sin no Schisme in that which God commandeth to be done Fifthly we by leauing this Romish Church doe not deuide our selues from the true Catholike and Apostolike Church but by this separation doe we indeed returne to the vnitie of it and to our first blessed estate therein when first the Gospell was here planted in this Iland by Apostles or Apostolicall men which came hither not from Rome but from Ierusalem our Mother Church where the Lord and his blessed Apostles first began to teach and erect a Church which is the Church we returne vnto in doctrine and worship of God from which Holy Catholike and Apostolike Church wee were drawne by the vsurping and tyrannical power and iurisdiction of the Pope and his faction and the generall backsliding of this his Church So as this which they call Schisme is no Schisme in vs but a forsaking of schisme in them and is only a returning vnto and a recouerie of our selues againe to our former vnion with Christs true Church beginning at Ierusalem and planted here many hundred yeeres before the Monke Austin euer came into England Sixthly They are properly called Schismatikes saith Aquinas which of their owne accord and will separate themselues from the vnitie of the Church If this be true in the iudgement of this their owne so greatly honoured Doctor then certainely wee are no Schismatikes First of our owne accord and will we make not a separation but are inforced therto by the power of Gods commandement to come out of this Babylon to auoyde her sinnes to escape thereby her punishments She her selfe hath caused deuision and offences contrary to the doctrine which shee once receiued as the Epistles of S. Paul and S. Peter do in many particulars witnesse against her The Apostle S. Paul therefore wils vs to auoyde her and such as cause deuision and offences contrary to the Apostles doctrine Rom. 16.17 It may seeme from hence that a faction begun euen then among you Secondly we doe not separate from the Church that is from the vniuersall Catholike Church but from a Church that is the particular Church of Rome for Thomas doth not say He is a Schismatike which separateth from a Church but from the vnitie of the Church to wit the Church vniuersall which is but one For indeed no reason can bee giuen why any should deuide themselues from the true Catholike Church but good reasons may be giuen why a particular Church may be and ought to bee forsaken as wee doe giue for our departing from the Church of Rome for we are commanded to forsake Idolaters 1. Cor. 5.11 Heretikes Tit. 3.10 such as bring not the doctrine of Christ and doe not abide therein 2. Ioh. 10. and her that is called Babylon Reuel 18.4 Thirdly before we can be Schismatikes we must forsake the vnitie of the Church Now wherein stands this vnitie Standeth it only in affection of loue or also in the faith of the truth For both these graces the Apostle commendeth the Churches Ephes 1.15 2. Thes 1.3 and faith is preferred to the first place in both Scriptures We haue not forsaken the vnitie of the Faith of which S. Paul speakes Eph 4.13 For we teach the doctrine of the Apostles and no other in any thing when we differ from this present Church of Rome which hath lost her first faith of truth in many things Now can true diuine loue be there kept where faith is lost or can there be charitie to vnite where doctrine doth deuide Can light and darkenesse truth and falsehood cohabite in loue Truth and loue onely dwell together and for truths sake loue separateth from falshood wheresoeuer she finds it And therefore except they can proue that we haue lost the vnitie of faith wee haue not forsaken the vnitie of the Church in loue as the former reasons shew To conclude were the Priests and Leuites Schismatikes which left