Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	council_n	faith_n	trent_n	4,913	5	10.4664	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84653	Severall queries concerning the church of Jesus Christ upon earth, briefly explained and resolved wherein is shewed and proved, 1. That there is a church of Jesus Christ upon earth. 2. What this church is? 3. How a people become a visible church? 4. That the churches in England were at first rightly constituted? 5. What manner of government Jesus Christ hath ordained in and for his church? 6. What manner of persons those ought to be, that may be continued in, or admitted into the church? 7. What is the duty of church members towards Jesus Christ their head, and one another. / By John Flowre M.A. preacher at Staunton in the county of Nottingham.	Flower, John, b. 1623 or 4.	1658 (1658)	Wing F1386; Thomason E2141_2; ESTC R208378	33,318	112

contradicted T is true those Histories say not that the whol Nation of England did embrace the Faith of Christ when it was first preach'd unto them as is conceived either by some of the Apostles or Apostolicall then as Philip or Simon Zelotes or Joseph of Arimathea but part of the Nation did and were then gathered into a Church-way For about six hundred years after this when Augustine was sent from Rome by Gregory the then Bishop of Rome to endeavour the conversion of the whole Nation he found both a Ministery and Churches of Jesus Christ setled in the Land For at his first coming he as the History relates assembled together the Bishops and Doctors of Britaine to discourse and reason with them and to request their assistance for the conversion of the Pagan English So that we may say and that truly that Christianity was in England propagated but not at first planted by Rome But grant this that Augustine was the first that planted the Christian faith in England and that there were neither Ministery nor Church before ordained and gathered by him and his assistants what is this to the now unchurching of the Church in England or the wrong constitution of it at the time Obj. The ministry and churches of England were ordained and constituted by Augustine and his assistants who were sent from Rome Therefore the Ministery and Churches of England had no right constitution and Ordination Sol. I deny the consequence if any man will go about to prove it it will be necessary that he prove and make appeare that the Ministery and Church of Rome were at that time a false and Antichirstan Ministery and Church But I think it is a clear case that the Church of Rome was then though a corrupt yet a true Church so continued for many yeares after that time Yea it is the opinion of some Godly learned and judicious from whom I see no Reason to dissent that the Church of Rome did not quite fall off from Christ or turne utterly Antichristian untill the Councel of Trent at which time the said Church of Rome did by a publick Councel disowne and destroy the very fundamentalls of Christian religion which she never did before that time at which time these absurd antichristian and unchurching errors were decreed and published as the faith of the Church of Rome and all were accursed and excommumicated that assented not unto these abominations 1. Popes supremacy 2. Dividing the bread and wine in the Sacrament allowing the people no wine 3. Justification by works 4. Worshipping of images 5. That the people ought not to read the Scripturess 6. That Traditions ought to be believed as Scripture Now these abominations which make desolate I mean unchurch the Church of Rome were not set up by publick decree and consent in the said Church untill the said Councel of Trent 'T is true the Mystery of iniquity did work before and these abominations as before were creeping into that church but they were corrected exploded by several Councells The Councels of Calcedon Affrick Constantinople Milevi Basil decreed against the Popes Supremacy the Councel of Basil decreed communicating in both kinds The divine worshipping of Images was forbid by the second Nicene Councel the Councel of Nice decreed that no Christian should be without a Bible To believe Traditions to be equall with the Scriptures to hold justification by works was never decreed by any Councel nor held out as the Faith of that Church before the Councel of Trent So that I may say though the Mystery of iniquity was many hundreds of years a working yet the disease came not to its full height and state so as to destroy the body until that time I mean the Councel of Trent So that the Church of Rome not having declared a publick disowning of the Faith and Gospelfundamentalls untill the Councel of Trent I see no reason as yet why shee may not be called a true Church untill that time I say a true Church though a Church very corrupt As a man may be called a true man though never so sick and weak and diseased until by the extremity and height of the mallady he becomes dead so a Church may truly be called a Church though very sick diseas'd corrupt untill by making shipwrack of the Faith and erring in fundamentalls it expires Thus it is clear that grant it were so as it was not that the Ministery and Church of England as to the whole were ordained and constituted by Augustine and other assistants from Rome yet this concludes nothing at all against the right ordination and constitution of the Ministry and Churches of England because the Church of Rome was at that time though very corrupt yet a true Church Ob. But it is objected the churches of England were not rightly constituted because the people became Christians not by the ministry of the word but by the commands and edicts of their Kings who after they were converted commanded all their subjects and people to embrace the said faith and religion Sol. To this I answer that the matter of this objection is wholly false and Scandalous It is wholly false that the Pagan people of England became Christians after the conversion of their Kings by penal Laws and edicts of their said Soveraignes After Augustine had converted Ethelberg King of Kent to the Christian faith let any one if he can shew any such act or edict put forth by him to enjoyne all his subjects to embrace the said religion upon any penaltie or forfeiture If there were any such thing it would surely be upon record But we read the contrary of him we read of this King Ethelberg that after he was converted Innumerable others dayly came in Mr. Fox Acts Monuments 1. vol. page 1656. and were adjoyned to the Church of Christ whom the King did specially embrace but compelling none for so be had learned that the faith and service of Christ ought to be voluntary and not coact And so I read of the other Kings that then reigned in this Land that after they were converted to the Faith of Jesus Christ they encouraged Ministers to go into their Countries and preach to their Subjects and by this means became the Pagan people of England to be Christians a Church by the preaching of the Gospel to them and not by compulsatory Laws of their Kings And they that do gainsay this it will be easy to prove that they are either ignorant or perverse Mr. Cotton late of New-England a man of great learning and reverence though he fully assented not to the way of the Churches of England and therefore separated from them yet he never found fault with their constitution at first for as to this he declares himself thus The efficient instruments of their first plantation meaning the Churches of England which were neither Apostles or Apostolicall men whether Phillip or Joseph of Arimathea or Simon Zelotes as any of our

Country men may read in Mr. Fox 's Book of Acts and Monuments out of Gildas Tertullian Origen Beda Nicephorus which being so we cannot but conceive the Churches in England were rightly gathered and planted according to the rule of the Gospell And all the corruptions found in them since have sprung from Popish Apostacy in succeeding Ages and for want of thorough and perfect purging out of that Leaven in the late times of Reformation in the dayes of our Fathers Cottons way Churches New-England So that all the work now is not to make them Churches which were none before but to reduce and restore them to their Primitive Institution Thus Mr. Cotton And it being granted that the Churches in England were rightly constituted and gathered at first it will easily be proved that there hath continued a true Church in this Land unto this day though very corrupt and impure especially when subject to the Papall yoke Yet in those saddest times of corruption and persecution God had his Church and Ministery in England who witnessed to the Truth and appeared for a Reformation of such corruptions abuses in the Church though many of these by the power of a prevaling faction in suffered for such zeal and love to the Church the Truth I say the Church in England under the greatest Corruption was never without some Witnesses some Names which suppose they were but a few in comparison of the greater part that corrupted themselves and were made drunk with the wine of fornication spoken of Rev. 14.8 Yet will not God disown that to be a Church when these though but few names be found God own'd them to be a Church in * Rev. 3.1 * verse 4. Sardis and yet tells them they had but a few names which had not defiled their garments And though the Church in England might be reproved of corruption in Doctrine yet this did not unChurch her no more than it did the Church of Pergamus which God owned to be a Church though they held the Doctrine of Baalam Rev. 2.14 Though the Church in England might be justly reproved of corruption in manners and discipline yet this did not un-Church her no more than it did the Corinthians whom St. Paul calleth a Church of God though in the same Epistle he reproveth them both for their corruption in manners and discipline 1 Cor. 11.21 Though in the Church of England by the power of a prevalent factious party cha 3.1 2 3 chap. 5. many of the precious Saints of God were put to death yet this doth no more un-Church her than the same sin did the people of the Jews whom God al along own'd as his Church though a prevalent wicked factious party among them killed the * Mat. 23.37 Prophets and stoned the Messengers of the Lord that were sent unto them The Church in England since its first Institution unto this day cannot be justly charged to have made shipwrack of the faith of Jesus Christ by disowning or erring in any thing fundamentall to that Faith or necessary to the esse or being of a Church Therefore the Church in England continues to be a Church of God still As for her many and grievous corruptions both in Doctrine discipline and manners they are sadly to be bewailed and diligently to be reformed These blemish and disbeautify a Church and justly provoke God against it These are inconsistent as to the well being but not to the being of a Church And though the Church in England did joyne with and own the Church of Rome whilst the said Church held the fundamentals of Christian Religion and was sound in matters of Faith yet when the said Church of Rome did begin to faulter there to deny fundamental verities and make shipwrack of the faith which she hath done since the Councell of Trent at that very time did the Church in England refuse her the right hand of fellowship disown and separate from her and so continues unto this day After this manner also did the reformed Churches in Germany Suevia Denmark France separate themselves from that faction of Rome and likewise so continue at this day They that deny the Ministery and Churches in England to be a true Ministry and true Churches must of necessity also assert defend and affirm these to me most horrid and desperate Conclusions First Conc. 1 That the reformed Churches beyond the Seas are no true Churches but false and Antichristian Churches and Ministery The Reason is because the Church in England and these Reformed Churches reach out the right hand of fellowship to each other have the same Baptism the same Ordinances the same Ordination the same Discipline as to the substance of it Therefore if the one be false and Antichristian the other cannot be a true and Christian Church or Churches Secondly Conc. 2 That Luther Calvin and all those famous Lights and happy Reformers of the Churches beyond the Seas were false and Antichristian Ministers Thirdly Conc. 3 That Cranmer Ridley Latimer Tayler and many more who laboured much the Reformation of the Church in England from Romish superstition and were famous instruments as to that work and afterward sealed unto the truth with their blood and are now Triumphing in heaven that all these were limbs of Antichrist and no Ministers of Jesus Christ Fourthly Conc. 4 That there hath been no true Church nor Ministery of Jesus Christ for many hundreds of years upon earth For if neither in England nor beyond the Seas where then hath it been Now if Satan did so prevail against the Church as utterly to raze the very foundation of it how will this consist with that word of our Saviours * Mat. 16.18 Vpon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it If there hath ever ceased to be a true Ministery upon earth how will this again consist with that promise of our Lords * Mat. 28.2 Loe I will be with you unto the end of the world Fifthly Conc. 5 That there hath been no true conversion of Soules unto God for these many hundreds of years in England but that all have continued dead in sins and trespasses Children of wrath without Christ aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel strangers from the Covenant of Promise having no hope and without God in the world This was the condition of the Ephesians whilst they were no Church Ephes 2. nor had a Gospel-Ministery amongst them And this hath been for many hundreds of years and still is the sad condition of England if without a Church and true Ministers of Jesus I cannot see how that ture conversion should be wrought by a false and Antichri-christian Ministery * Jer. 23.32 I sent them not nor commanded them there fore they shall not profit this people at all saith the Lord. Therefore by what Ministery a people profit are converted from sin and Satan to serve the Lord and fear