Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	build_v	peter_n	rock_n	30,238	5	9.7701	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08197	The oration and sermon made at Rome by commaundement of the foure cardinalles, and the Dominican inquisitour, vpon paine of death. By Iohn Nichols, latelie the Popes scholler. Which sermon and oration was presented before the Pope and his cardinalles in his Consistorie, the xxvij. day of Maie. 1578. and remaineth there registred. Now by him brought into the English tongue, for the great comfort and commoditie of all faithfull Christians. Heerin also is aunswered an infamous libell, maliciouslie written and cast abroad, against the saide Iohn Nichols, with a sufficient discharge of himselfe from all the Papists lying reports, and his owne life both largelie and amplie discouered.	Nicholls, John, 1555-1584?	1581 (1581)	STC 18535; ESTC S105660	86,257	238

the famillie of God In these all such places we be taught that the house of God is not any buylding of wood or stones nor any Cittie or any materiall Temple but man is the house of God as héereafter more manifestlie it shall appeare when I come to intreate of the Church But first I will begin with the Pope who arrogantlie nameth him selfe the vniuersall Shéepheard And his Schollers or subiectes are not afraide to say that hee béeing Bishoppe of Roome is the visible heade of the Churche in Christes stéede But this they cannot shewe by Scripture neyther dooth the Church require any such head for Christe is present with it as he hath promised Math. 28. Sum vobiscum vsque ad consummationem mundi I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the world If the Pope be a visible head why is he not séene of all men why dooth he not gouerne all men in the Churche and giue nourishment vnto them as the head ought to doo why dooth he not preach vnto all people This he dooth not wherefore he is no visible head as he seemeth to pretend And surely to be the generall head ouer all is too great a matter and enterprise for any mortall man to take vpon him I am sure the Pope wyll graunt him selfe to be a member of this Catholique Churche if he then be a member howe can hée also be an head except the same thing shall be bothe an head and a member which is verie absurde and monstrous If he saye that he is a member Christ is his head onely and not any other why shall not Christe be as well a head for all These thinges we sée are verie chyldishe and fonde but yet they applie and saye that Christ sayde to Peter Thou arte Peter and vppon this Rocke wyll I builde my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuayle against it Nowe vppon this place our aduersaries the Papistes grounde this proposition the Churche is founded vppon Saint Peter Ergo Saint Peter was the head of the Church If Saint Peter be the head of the Church the Pope is his successour Ergo the Pope is the head of the Church I denie that Saint Peter was head of the Church and therefore is Saint Peter whose successour the Pope claimeth him selfe to be was neuer head of the Church howe can the Bishop of Roome be head The confession of our aduersaries is grounded vppon these woordes Tu es Petrus That is to saye Thou arte Peter And ours vppon this That it is sayde Super hanc Petram et non super te Petrum That is Vpon this Rocke and not vpon thee Peter In déede our sauiour Christe hath most manifestlie distinguished Petrum à Petra That is to say Simon Peter from the liuelie Rocke wherevpon he hath builded his Church chaunging bothe the name and the person The which our text plainly sheweth vs that which he would neuer haue doone if it ought to haue béene vnderstoode of Peter and not of the confession of Saint Peter I leaue it to the iudgement of euerie Christian whether it be more agréeable to the faith and more healthfull for the Church eyther that the Church be founded vpon Christe or vppon Peter vpon the sonne of the lyuing God vpon him that vanquished sathan or vpon him whome Christe him selfe in the verie same Chapter calleth Sathan him selfe Vpon him who is called the cheefe corner stone of the building or vpon him who is an offence vnto him that is to saye a stone of great stumbling None sayth Saint Paule 1. Cor. 3. Can laye any other foundation but that which is layde which is Christe Also Saint Peter sayth 2. Peter 2. You are as liuing stones built vpon the cheefe corner stone in whome who so euer beleeueth he shall not be confoūded That is to say in that cofession of Christ which he calleth the Rocke and foundation of the Church It appeareth then by this place that Christe hath builded it vpon him selfe and not vpon Simon Peter and vpon the confession of faith which Peter made and not vpon the faith of Peter which was too much wauering and vnstedfast And in verie déede where Saint Iohn reciteth this storie he resteth whollie vpon Peters confession Iohn 6. And therefore by the Rocke he meant him selfe For when Peter had sayde Tu es Christus filius Dei Thou art Christe the sonne of God Christe sayde to him Vpon this Rocke will I builde my Church And in that place he giueth no more to Peter in the Keies which is the binding and loosing of sinners then he giueth them all else where As in Iohn 20. when he sayde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Receyue the holie Ghost whose sinnes so euer ye remit they are remitted whose sinnes so euer ye retaine they are retained Héere all haue as much as Peter And what hath the Pope to doo with these words which followeth not Peter neyther in life nor doctrine A strange thing it is to sée howe they builde their kingdome vpon Peter and whatsoeuer is sayde of him they take it to them selues But before they can prooue any thing in déede they must prooue these thrée points vnto vs if they will haue the Pope to be the supream head of the whole Church which they shall neuer be able to doo by the Scriptures as long as they liue First they must prooue that Peter was chéefe and head of all the Apostles Secōdlie that hée was at Roome and sate there as Bishoppe generall Thyrdlie that he left all the title preheminence of his seate to his successours whatsoeuer If they prooue the two first poynts as they can not yet they make nothing against vs although we should graunt it them vnlesse they prooue the thirde which they shall neuer be able to doo that Saint Peter hath left all his aucthoritie to his successours after him for euer Saint Paule in his Epistle saluted manie that vvere Christians at Rome but of S. Peter he made no mention if S. Peter had bin at Rome he had not forgotten to haue greeted him as vvell as the rest The Epistles of Saint Peter are extant but no mention there is that eyther hee was at Roome or was cheese of the Apostles or supreame head of the Church or that his successours should play Rex ouer all men and be the rulers of all Churches in the worlde For as much then that neyther by the writinges of Saint Peter nor any other Apostle of Christe our aduersaries can prooue the Pope to be any Ecclesiasticall head to this Church but Christe Iesus alone who is alwayes present with it and euer walketh in the middest of the seuen golden Candelstickes so that hee néedeth no Vicar generall or vniuersall Bishoppe Let vs déerely belooued as we looue the Lord Iesus our head and tender the saluation of our owne soules flée farre from the Pope and all his adherentes Traditions Decrées and Pardons least hee make marchandize

also of our soules as hée doth of a great many both in Roome Italie Fraunce Spaine and else where O my déerelie belooued be not deceyued in your owne conceytes and fonde imagiations what mooueth you to take the Pope to be such a fellowe that hée is able to gouerne vniuersallie all Churches Dooth his singular vertue and not Scriptures persuade you that the Pope is the vniuerfall head of the Church If it be so where appeareth the excellencie of his vertue Is hée humble as Christe was nay the Pope is prowde Is he poore as Christe was naie the Pope is ritch Is he patient as Christe was naie the Pope is impatient Is he mercifull as Christe was naie the Pope is vnmercifull Dooth he vse admonition as Christe vsed not so the Pope vseth imprisonment Dooth he vse communication as Christe vsed naie the Pope vseth extirpation Dooth the Pope vse clemencie as Christe vsed naie the Pope vseth all manner of tyrannie Dooth the Pope praye for his aduersaries as Christe dyd I tell you no the Pope cursseth them apace and with his thunderboltes of curssing and banning he maketh affraide yea and dooth terrifie the heartes of many that offend him I tell you plainely and th●● without flatterie you shall finde the Pope in all vertue seuered from Christe you shall finde him to Christe Beliall to lyght darknesse to trueth falsehood Are not these and such like the verie fruites of Antichriste the Trée is knowen by his fruite O déere countreymen forsake not Christe to followe Antichrist embrace not fables in stéede of veritie looue not him which aduanceth him selfe aboue all thinges that is called God Ireneus Lib. 5. Cap. Penultis mo a most auncient Doctour of the Church who liued almost fiftéene hundred yéeres since disputing of Antichrist sayth thus Antichristus cùm sit seruus tamen adorari vult vt Deus Antichrist notwithstanding he be but a slaue yet he will be worshipped as if he were God Ioachimus Abbas sayth Antichristus iampridem natus est Rome et altius extolletur in sede Apostolica Antichrist is long since borne in Roome yet shall he be higher aduanced in the Apostolique sea Antichriste is hee sayth Gregorie lib. 4. Epist 38. that shall clayme to him selfe to be vniuersall Bisshoppe and shall haue a garde of Preests to attende vppon him This Gregorie was Bishop of Roome and if this prerogatiue and preheminence of the name of Christe his generall Vicar héere on earth had béene due vnto him he had neuer beeing a wise man reiected the same neither had he at any tyme béene so bolde as to call him Antichriste that should clayme to him selfe supremacie If he béeing Bishoppe of Roome a godlie and a learned man would in no wise be counted chéefe Pastour ouer all Nations and Kingdomes surelie his successors that came after him were much to blame to vsurpe that swelling and statelie title of supremacie Saint Gregorie calleth the name Of a supreame head Of a generallitie of an vniuersall Patriarche of a supreame Bishop for all is one the name of pride of rashnesse of blasphemie an vngodlie a wicked and a prophane name And that he further sayth Eulogio et Anastasio None of my predecessours no Bishop of Roome hath at any time agreede to vse so vngodlie a tytle Let not such also forgette who take vpon them so rashlie and so vnlearnedlie to maintayne the Bishoppe of Roome what Gregorie héerein further sayth his wordes be these for that they are manifest I may not omit them Gregorius Ioanni Episcopo Constantinopolitano Who is therefore sayth he in so corrupt and naughtie a name set before vs to be followed which despising the Legions of Angels appointed with him in equall fellowshippe hath lept out into the highest point of singularitie to the intent hee might obey none but rule all Who also sayde I will clime vp into heauen and make my seate aboue the Starres of the skie I will sit vppon the glorious mount towardes the North I will clime vp aboue the clowdes and will be lykest the most highest Esai 21. Let those which are in blindnesse if they haue eyes sée if they haue eares let them heare if they haue reason let them iudge if they haue learning let them discusse whether these wordes be so plaine as the Pope in no wise except hee renounce his Pardons and pride can auoide them Chrisost Opere imperfect Hom. 35. Quicunque in terra primatum desiderauerit confusionem in coelo inueniet Whosoeuer ambiciouslie desireth supremacie in earth he shall finde confusion in heauen The Pope ambiciouslie desireth supremacie on earth therefore he shall finde confusion in heauen Saint Augustine Tom. 5. De Ciuitate Dei Lib. 18. Cap. 2. Et Lib. 20. Cap. 19. He sayth Babylon is the first Roome and Roome the second Babylon And to come néerer to the matter Saint Iohn sayth Antichrist shall sit in the Cittie that is built vpon seuen hilles And so is the Cittie of Roome Apoca. 17. And moreouer Sibilla sayth That the greatest terrour and furie of his Empire and the greatest woe that he shall worke shall be by the bancks of Tyber and there is Roome Hée that hath eyes to sée let him sée and hée that hath eares to heare let him heare Phocas as you may reade in Platina In vita Bonifacij 3. That execrable murtherer was he that proclaymed the Bishoppe of Roome to be head of the vniuersall Church About six hundred thirtéene yéeres after Christe was borne this Phocas béeing but a common Souldiour The monstrous cruelty of Phocas vpon the Emperour Mauricius by treason and conspiracie laide handes vpon his liege Lord and maister the Emperour Mauricius and in villainous sort put him to death and so by trayterous villanie he aspyred to the Empyre The manner of his crueltie was this first he commaunded foorth the Emperours youngest Sonne and caused him to be slaine euen in the sight of his Father and so the second and then the thirde and afterwarde the Empresse Mauricius heauilie looking on lamented and cryed vnto God saying Righteous arte thou O Lord and rightfull is thy iudgement Last of all he vsed the like tyrannie also vpon the Emperour and layde him his wife and his thrée chyldren on a heape together After that he had thus lyued and committed sundrie murthers and other great mischéefes the people tooke him slewe him and threwe him into the fire Héere you may see the first promotour a holie promotour of the Popes holines a murtherer the finder out of supremacie and supremacie founded and builded vppon murder Thus you haue heard howe first the Bishop of Roome was claymed in stéede of president of the vniuersall Church Not according to Christe his institution but according to the commaundement of the murderer Phocas the Popes vsurpe the name of supremacie Well shall we haue a view of the Scriptures shall we sée what in them that Bishoppe of Roome hath to maintaine his Papacie one thing déerely

thing truelie of the goinges of the beloued or of the dooinges of the beloued Beléeue me truely O world it is daunger to aske her it is next to deaths doore to heare her it is dampnable death and hell to beléeue her Better it is to dye in body for him that may then to beléeue her to be the holy Catholique Church and therefore to perishe in body and soule Happy were they and are and shall be who patiently suffered doo suffer and shall suffer the tyranny and persecution of Antichriste Hope of Roome for the deniall of his whoorishe and Babilonicall Church By theyr patience it appeared that they had the cognisance or badge of the true Church August De tempore Ser. 130. Crux regni insigne est The Crosse sayth Saint Augustine is the cognisance or badge of the Church Athanasius Ad solitariam vitam agentes sayth Caedi Christianorum proprium est Caedere aus tem Christianos Pilati et Caiphae officia sunt To be persecuted belongeth to Christians but to persecute the Christians belongeth to the office of Pilate and Caiphas But the Papistes say that they punishe the Protestants onely for a desire to haue them reconciled to their Sinagogue and for entyre looue A gentle kinde of looue lyke the looue of one Philippides of whome Aristophanes in Vespis writeth who tooke a cudgell A prettie example alluded to the Papists and dyd beate his Father and all for looue But we may say with Tertullian Crudelitas vestra nostra gloria est Your crueltie is our glorie For Gods Religion the more it is pressed the more it encreaseth This persecution of the Papistes against the Christians is an euident token that the Church of Roome is the Sinagogue of Sathan Caine persecuted Abell the Giants Noah the Sodomites Loth Ismaell Isaack Esau Iacob the Egiptians the Israelites Pharaoh Moses Saule Dauid and yet Dauid would not hurt againe of whome we learned that Gods Church dooth suffer rather then hurt pardon rather then persecute The false Church of the Prophetes persecuted the true propheticall Church the Sinagogue of the Iewes persecuted Christe and his Apostles The Churche of Roome persecuteth Christes lyttle flocke and congregation So Hillarius and Nicephorus in many places discourse Lactantius sayth excellently to this matter Diuin Institut Lib. 5. Cap. 19. Defendenda religio est non occidendo sed monendo non saeuitia sed patientia non scelere sed fide Nam si sanguine et tormentis si malo religionem defendere velis iam non defendetur illa sed polluetur atque violabitur Religion is to be defended not with murthering but with monishing not with crueltie but with patience not with furie but with faithfulnesse For if ye defend Religion with bloodshedde and tormenting or with working of mischeefe it is not defended but defiled and deceyued The Church of Roome persecuteth all Christians The Ornamentes and deckings of the Antichristian Church of Roome her sentence is burne burne burne her hadge let vs laye wayte for blood her head blasphemie her shéelde tyrannie her breast iniurie her eyes fyre her gyrdle fornication her breath poyson her tongue the stinge of death her féete ready to shedde innocent blood her sworde violence her Crosse persecution her pardons iniquitie her tryple crowne presumption her Keies ambition and all her dooinges abhomination Héere doo follow great swarmes of Cainites Giantes Sodomites Egiptians Scribes Pharasies Herodians Monks The Champions and vpholders of this Babilonicall Sea Friers Cardinalles Adulterers Idolaters Parasites Poysoners Pardoners Bawdes Flatterers Traytours Rebels Murderers Theeues with all the Romishe rabble These are the right Canniballes lyke to the barbarous people of Armenica that eate one an other My countrey men wyll you builde your faith vppon this Church which receyueth such Varlettes which hath such gracelesse personnes such persecutours and such bloodie butchers The Church of Christe hath none such there were neuer in the Church of Christe nor are not nor neuer shall be persecutors The Church of Christe is styll persecuted and neuer persecuteth Did the Matriarches persecute did Christe persecute did the Apostles persecute When the Samaritanes would not receyue Christe Iames and Iohn béeing as yet Nouices in Christes schoole called for fyre from heauen and would haue burned and consumed the Samaritanes but Christe rebuked them saying You wot not of what manner of spirite you are for the sonne of man is not come to destroye mens liues but to saue them If the Church of Roome were the holie Catholique Church it would then féede the soule of man béeing a spirite with spirituall foode moone her by spirituall instrumentes drawe her by the worde leade her by the spirite and persuade her by the Scriptures which are the onely meanes which God appoynteth If an Heretique holde an opinion he holdeth it eyther of ignoraunce or of wylfulnesse If of ignoraunce he is to be conuerted by doctrine to be conuinced by Scripture reformed by exhortation reduced by reason persuaded by the trueth If of wylfulnesse he is to be menaced by the Lawe and corrected by excommunication The Church of Rome vseth no such meanes wherefore the Church of Roome is of the deuill and not of Christe And as the Lord hath done to Ierusalem in Titus Vespasianus tyme as Iosephus in his hystorie of the Iewes maketh mention and to the ruines thereof that the place should not boast of the Oracles of God So God hath done to Roome A notable forewarning to the Church of Roome to the Idolles thereof that theyr boasting should be in vaine of the Church of God For what was Roome euen from her byrth but a Citie built in Parricide then strengthened with robberies and made a Sanctuarie for murderers of all Nations The pettigree of Roome as you may read in theyr owne Romaine Hystories And what was it afterwardes in the time of the Emperour Iulianus Apostata Dioclesian Nero and diuers others but a slaughter house of the Martyrs of God and what is it in ours and our fathers dayes but the Queene of pride the nurse of Idolatries the mother of whordomes the sincke of iniquities out of which sorceries withcrafts poisoninges adulteries rebellions and bloodie warres haue ouerflowed the whole earth Who wyll beléeue in this Church are we commaunded to beléeue léeue in this Church when as it is sayd in our Créede Credo sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam I beleeue that there hath béene is and shall be a holie Catholique Church My sence can not shew it and therefore I beléeue it for if I sée it beléefe is in vaine for where sence faileth and can goe no farther there beléefe beginneth For is it necessarie that we should frō time to time beleeue that Roome is the holie Catholique Church but we should from tyme to tyme beleeue there is a holy Catholique church But in déede the Papists and such like open persecutours haue of so long tyme kept vnder the Church that we are driuen