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
A09109	A temperate vvard-vvord, to the turbulent and seditious VVach-word of Sir Francis Hastinges knight vvho indeuoreth to slaunder the vvhole Catholique cause, & all professors therof, both at home and abrode. Reduced into eight seueral encounters, vvith a particuler speeche directed to the Lordes of her Maiesties most honorable Councel. To vvhome the arbitriment of the vvhole is remitted. By N.D.	Parsons, Robert, 1546-1610.	1599 (1599)	STC 19415; ESTC S114162	126,552	136

holie Apostle aboue his fellowes by Christes owne declaration which were overlong to set downe how many ancient fathers do deduce and inlarge vpon these places of scriptures and factes of our Sauiour alredie rehearsed And agayne after the ascension of Christ to heauen that Saynt Peter first of all called the Councel of Apostles together and caused Saint Mathias to be chosen in place of Iudas That he first of all the rest did publish and promulgate the ghospel after the coming of the holie ghost and conuerted fyue thousand at one se●mon That he wrought the first miracle in healing the lame man at the temple gate called Speciosa That he first of all as high iudge gaue sentence and condemned to death Ananias and Saphira for their hypocrisie That he first of al presumed to preache the ghospel of Christ to Gentils as he had don before to the Iewes That to him alone was shewed the vision wherby Christ declared that the tyme was now come to admit Gentils to Christianitie That of him only is written dum transiret vniuersos that is as S. Chrisostome sayth whyles he as a general of an armie walketh vp and down to see what is in order what is not That of him only among all the Apostles S. Paule writeth after three yeares I went vp to Hierusalem to see Peter the reason wherof Saynt Chrysostome affirmeth to be quia os erat princeps Apostolorum for that he was the mouth and prince of the Apostles And fynally that by Christes particulir order as is to be supposed he left the bishoprike of Antioche and went and tooke vpon him that of Rome that was head ci●tie of the world All these thinges put together do wel argue that Saint Peter well knew the dignitie and prerogatiue he had aboue the rest both for himself and for his successours wherunto if we ad the playne commission geuen by Christ in two distinct places of scripture that are recorded besides other perhaps that are not written the matter wilbe more euident The first is where after that glorious cōfession made by S Peter of the God head of Christ recorded in S. Mathew his ghospel our Saueour sayth to him agayne Thou arte Peter or a rock for to this end Christe before had geuē him that name that signifieth a rock and vpon this rock will I build my churche and I will geue to thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. By which wordes is promised to Peter the principalitie in gouernment of the churche as the wordes themselues do shew and the consent of ancient fathers both Greek and Latin do expound The second place is in Saynt Ihons ghospel where Christe after his resurrection gaue to Saynt Peter that preheminence which before he had promised for being in the companie of diuers other principal Apostles he asked Peter alone three seueral tymes whether he loued him more then the rest or no which holy fathers say was don in respect of the three tymes that Peter had denied him before and the other answering that he loued c. Christ three tymes sayth to him pasce agnos meos pasce oues meas feed my lambes and feed my sheep making him pastor general of all his flock and committing the whole churche to his pastoral charge by those wordes as both the wordes themselues do import being vttered to Peter alone and with particuler emphasie for him to feed Christes flock aboue the rest of the Apostles as he had thryce byn asked whether he loued more then they and as all antiquitie with one consent haue euer taken the sense to be quia solus profitetur ex omnibus omnibus antefertur sayth Saynt Ambrose for that Saynt Peter only did professe to loue so extraordinarily aboue the rest he was preferred in charge before all the rest And Saynt Augustine vpon this place oues ipsas pascendas id est docendas regendasꝙ committit Christ committed here his sheep to be fed by Saynt Peter that is to say to be taught and gouerned And Saint Chrisostome vpon the same wordes alijs omissis Petrum duntaxat affatur fratrum ei curam committit Christ leauing the other Apostles there present speaketh only to Saynt Peter and committeth the charge of his brethren to him And a litle after agayne Cum magna dominus Petro communicasset orbis terrarum curam demandasset when our lord had imparted great matters to Peter and had geuen him the charge of the whole world c. And Saynt Epiphanius Hic est qui audiuit pasce oues meas cui concreditum est ouile This is he to whome it was sayd feed my sheep to whome the whole flock of Christ was geuen in charge c. I haue thought good to ad this litle taste of ancient fathers interpretation leaving out infinite others to the same sense to preuent heretical shiftes in this behalf who first would make this commission of pasce oues meas to be onely to feed by preaching and not to gouern with superioritie and secondly to be a common and indifferent commission giuen to all the Apostles equally and not to Saynt Peeter aboue the rest which is aparently false For albeit we gra●nt that this commission pasce oues meas in a general sense may be and is vnderstood and spoken not only to Saint Peter but also to all the rest of the Apostles and not only to them but to all other inferior pastors besides yet in preheminence and highest degree of special authoritie oueral it is spoken in this place to S. Peter alone as hath bin shewed and consequently also to his successors and by the same consequence it followeth in lyke manner that if Sir Francis Hastinges and his people be either lambes or sheep of Christe or do any way apertain to his flock and fold they apertain also to the gouernment and iurisdiction of this vniuersal pastor Saint Peters successor agaynst whome he rayleth and rageth so pitifully as in his booke appeareth And for that all the Christian world hath made euer this most certayne and infallible deduction that Christ gaue not to Saint Peter these eminent prerogatiues of authoritie and superioritie for himself alone but for his posteritie and successours also that should ensue him in his seate and charge ouer the church of Christ vnto the worldes end for this cause they haue reuerenced and respected so much the Bishops of Rome as by all general Councels fathers and Ecclesiastical stories doth appeare and only certayn broken heretiques both in old tymes and ours as guiltie people fearing their iudges haue set themselues agaynst them but euer to ther owne perdition among which rable not withstanding if Sir francis Hastinges will needs be one still hauing red what here hath byn alleaged I can say no more but leaue him to Gods iudgementes cum apparuerit princeps pastorum when Christ the prince of

spirituall belonging to the soule and conscience the other temporall that concerneth the body and weale-publique Let the consideration of the spirituall goe before for that they are the worthier and most important for true Christians to be considered and esteemed There was in England before the alteration one God worshipped and adored after one and the self same manner not onely thoroughout this little Iland of England and Scotland but also of the whole body of Christendome one fayth one beleefe one forme of seruice one number of sacramentes one tonge in celebration one sacryfice one head of the Church one obedience one iudgement in all with other lyke poyntes and circumstances of vnion and vnitie which made a generall vniformitie also in the peace of mens myndes and is a benedictiō so highlie esteemed commended by the Apostles and Christ himself as nothing more in Christian doctrine This was in England before the change but now in these poyntes we English of the new profession are not onelie different deuided from the generall body of Catholiques in Christendom with whome we were vnited before but also among our selues and with other new sectaries sprong vp with vs or after vs we haue implacable warres and are deuided in opinions as from Lutherans in Germanie and Denmarke from Zwinglians in Swizer-land from Caluinistes in Geneua Fraunce Holland and Scotland and at whome what combates our Bishoppes Counsellors and moderate sorte of Protestantes haue to defend their Parlament Religion and Q. proceedings as they call it against Puritanes Brownistes and other lyke good fellowes that by shew of Scriptures doe impugne it All Englishmen knowe and see by their bookes daylie so as this first and greatest spirituall blessing of vnity and vniformitie we haue lost and not gained by out change of Religion But here our Knight perhappes will say that the blessing consisteth in that by this change they who follow the Parlament Religion allowed by the state of Englād I doe say Perhappes for that I know not but rather doe doubt much whether Sir Frācis doth followe it or no haue the onlie true Religion among all others that doe erre or at least-wyse his puritan Religion and thereby that they only haue this blessing by the change And no doubt but he saied much if he could proue it of the one or of the other but this seemeth impossible I meane that he should either proue it to me or knowe it himself but onlie by his owne particuler ghesse which maketh not faith but opinion and fansie for I would aske Sir Francis or any such man as he is that determineth so resolutely that his onlie Religion among so many others as are extant at this day is true and all others false whereon doth he groūd his certaintie Two only meanes can Sir Francis haue to guide himself in this case first that he hath receyued his doctryne of such or such persons preachers Ministers or Doctors whose learning and knowledge in this ●ehalf he trusteth absolutely then is his whole fayth builded vpon the credit of man as is euident and consequently is nothing worth nor no fayth at all The other waie is that he beleeueth it for that it ●s founded in scripture but this waie to Sir Francis must needes be as vncertayne as the other if not more for that to be sure that it is ●oundly grounded vpon scripture he must first reade himself his whole beleef expresly in scriptures which is much for a man of Sir Francis occupation to do then he must be able to iudge of manie other poyntes belonging to the same as namely that the booke is surely scripture that he readeth And then that the translation which he vseth is trulie made out of the learned tongues of Hebrue Greek and Latin And lastelie he must be sure of the true sense and exposition which also are hard matters for a man of Sir Francis learning and much more for others that knowe lesse then he Yea and when all is done if he had all these helpes needfull for such a matter as he hath not yet were it but a priuate mans opinion and consequentlie his faith should be grounded but vpon his owne particuler iudgement which maketh no faith at all but opinion only as oftē hath byn saied for that faith must haue Gods expresse authoritie for her foundation So that to conclude the first blessing which Sir Francis in particuler thinketh to haue rec●yued by this change of his religion is in effect that wheras before when he beleeued the Catholique and vniuersal fayth of Christendome deliuered vnto him by the vniuersal churche as founded on scripture which churche Christe and his Apostles gaue him expresse comission to credit his beleef was properly fayth and founded vpon a rocke that could not fayl now hauing left that fortresse and cast himself into the waues of new opinions he hath nothing certayne at all but so much as he list to chuse of himself or of other mens opinions which choise is properly called heresy for that the woord heresie in Greek as all learned men know signifyeth nothing els but a certayne election and choise in matters of religion to witt when a man leauing the common consent of the generall Churche chuseth only to follow that which his owne priuate iudgement induceth him vnto And to make this more playne how all these people haue no other rule of beleef but only what their owne fa●sie leadeth them vnto I aske Sir Francis not of any Catholyque Doctor nor of anie auncient father as S. Augustin S. Ierom or the rest whome easely he would contemne but rather of his owne Doctors Martin Luther Iohn Caluyn Theodore Beza and such others whome he supposeth to haue bin seruantes of God and indued with his holie spirit and all the world knoweth that they were more learned then Sir Francis yet why should he beleeue his owne iudgmēt more then theirs in poyntes of faith wherin they differ from him as Luther about the real presence and the number and forme of Sacraments and many other pointes Caluyn in matter of the Q Supremacie which he denieth Beza in the whole gouernement of their churche Or why should I beleeue Sir Francis or his new maisters of England rather then these that were more learned then hee or his or what reason rule or foundation haue any of these men to beleeue their owne opinion more then others but only self will and fansie This then is the first and greatest spiritual benediction or malediction rather that I fynd to haue happened to our realme and nation by this wofull alteration of religion that whereas before we had ● direct rule squyre and pole-starre to follow which was the vniuersal churche now euery man being set at libertie holdeth beleeueth and teacheth what he listeth Nor is there any waie or meane lefte to restrayne him for streight way he appealeth boldly and confidently to the scriptures and there he wilbe both

great Saint for his Christian libertie and constancie S. Chrysostome in lyke manner shalbe condemned for a great traytor who had greater contentions with his temporal Lordes Arcadius and Honorius Christian Emperours and with their wyues Theodosia and Eudoxia then euer S. Thomas had with king Henry the second For he pr●ached agaynst them publiquely with great vehemencie and thundred out excomunication agaynst them and was twyce banished and driuen out of his Bishoprike by their disfauor and died in exile And yet was he neuer called or accompted a traytor but a singuler holy man and Theodosius the yonger son of Arcadius brought his body with great solemnitie honour and reuerence into Constantinople and wept most bitterly for the sinnes of his parētes in persecuting so blessed a man And as the story sayth made prayer to him now dead for pardon of his fathers sinnes As did also often our king Henry the sonne for the offence of his father in being some cause of the death of this iust man his pastor and spiritual father Wel then to conclude this matter treason there was none nor could be in this contention of S. Thomas agaynst king Henry for it was donn with all due respect of the Archbil hopes parte and according to the lawes ecclesiastical both of churche realm And as for the mannes behaueour and actions in the rest of his lyf if we beleeue three or foure historiographers together of greate credit and sanctitie that liued at the same tyme and conuersed with him they were admirable in all kynd of vertue His death was by wilfull murder without iustice or commaundment of king or any magistrate as all the world knoweth His canonization was presently vpon his death by diligent inquiry of all factes and circumstances and by vniuersal applause of all christendom King Henry the second excused himself of the murder admitted his canonization builded his shryne and sepulcher adorned the same with greate giftes came thither in person and not only denyed as I haue sayed that his intention euer extended to his murder but also tooke seuere punishement and pennāce of himself for the vniust wrath that by incitation of others he had conceyued agaynst so holy a man of which penance of the kings one that liued at the same tyme and saw it wryteth that he opened his naked shoulders at the sepulcher and receyued first fyue ierkes at fyue Bishops handes and fourescore and three at so many monks ●andes and after lay on the bare ground and other such circūstances as in the author you may read All those that had byn enemies to the blessed man or had had parte in his death came after to greate miserie by Gods iust iudgmentes And fynally all the Christian world for these foure hundred yeares haue holden him for a glorious martir and builded many a churche to God in his memorie in other countries many great mo●arches haue come to England of purpose to visit his sepulcher and others haue sent great presentes and donaries Many miracles haue ●yn recorded by graue authors and publique testimony of the whole ● land to haue byn wrought by God at his sepulcher in witnes of his ●anctitie All these testimonies then being extant in the world for so many hundred yeares together let any man iudge whether they ought ●ot to be of more weight with a wyse and pious Christian then this ●raynles calumniation of a mad hasty hoat spurr that knoweth ●ot what he sayth and much lesse careth or indeuoureth how to ●roue it But let vs see now his third position that he feigneth to be among ●s as a groūd of religiō These two irreligious prophane groūdes saith he ●eing layd though you haue seen that the knight hath layd them as fi●ions of his own grownds of ours they proceed to a third set it down ●r a Popish ground also that it was a dangerous and deadly sinne for any man 〈◊〉 disobey the Pope and his cleargie in any of their orders inioyned and commanded in such reuerence and regard must he and his cleargie be had that the meanest● masse Priest comming with authority from him must be obeyed vnder payn of damnation though he commaund that which is blasphemous before God in Christians and disloyal to men in subiects This is his narration from which if ye separate a manifest lye o● two with some fond exagerations for without this kynde of leui● the poore knight can make no batch as for example that the Pope an● his Cleargie must be obeyed though they commaund blasphemies against God and disloyalty against princes which is a shameles slander and that the disobedience if he speake of omission in any one order inioyned by Pope and Cleargie is a deadly sinn and the lyke if you separat● I say these ouer lauishings of the hastie knight all the rest he obiecteth is rather commendation of Catholique religion then any reproche at all for in that he saith wee obey the meanest preest as the highest if he come with authoritie of the highest he sheweth therby that we haue among vs true obedience and subordination and tha● for conscience sake Not respecting so much the person that commandeth as him for whome and in whose name and authoritie h● commandeth and therin we fulfill the precept of S. Paule Obedite pra●positis vestris subiacete eis ipsi enim peruigilant quasi rationem pro animabu● restris reddituri Obey your Prelates and humble your selues vnto them he distinguisheth not betwene high and lowe for they keep diligent watche ouer your soules as men that must render account thero● to God And in other places he sayth that this obedience must b● with such reuerence humilitie and inward affection as vnto Chry●● himself whose substitutes our spiritual superiours be though neuer so mean or contemptible in mannes sight And again S. Paul sayth this obedience must be non solum propte● iram sed etiam propter conscientiam not only for feare of punishment but also for conscience that is vnder pain of deadly sinne or of damnation though this wise knight do iest at the phrase which yet is the proper phrase of S. Paul himself in the same place saying qui autem resistu● damnationem sibi acquirunt those that resist to obey procure damnation to themselues And this is answere sufficient for so ydle an obiection● that we obey the meanest masse Priest cōming with authority of the highest in which matter I could teach Sir Francis a spirituall poin● of doctrine if he were capable of it and most true to witt that the meaner the substitute is that is obeyed in the name and place of any potent prince or superior the greater honor is donn to the sayd prince or superior and the greater vertue is argued therby to be in him that obeyeth for that he is not induced by any talent or commendation of the sayd substitute to obey him but only for loue