Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	doctrine_n	prove_v	succession_n	2,866	5	9.7750	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B11964	A copy of a letter, vvritten by M. Doctor Carier beyond seas, to some particular friends in England. VVhereunto are added certaine collections found in his closet, made by him (as is thought) of the miserable ends of such as haue impugned the Catholike Church. To which also is annexed a briefe exhortation to perseuere constantly in the said Catholike Church, what opposition soeuer may occurre, and the danger of liuing out of the same; and lastly, a few examples of the admirable prosperity, of such as haue defended the Catholike Church	Carier, Benjamin, 1566-1614.	1615 (1615)	STC 4621; ESTC S118628	25,589	43

againe Then the maine care is to find what religion our Sauiour taught whilest he was vpon the earth And heere I would pray euery man of reason to consider 1 That our Sauiour did leaue nothing in writing but taught his Religion to his Apostles by word of mouth 2 That he commanded not his Apostles to write his Religion but to teach it ite praedicate 3 That of twelue Apostles seuen did leaue nothing at all in writing but taught their successors the Religion of Christ by word of mouth 4 That Saint MARKE Saint LVKE and Saint PAVL who wrote most of the new Testament were not of Christ his company whilest he was vpon the earth and therefore must needs learne their Religion of the Church before they wrote it 5 That diuers others did write the Religion of Christ as they did apprehend it but their Gospels and Epistles were reiected by the Church LVKE 1. 1. 6 That at the day of Iudgement there will be no writing to trie true Religion from Heresie but only the eternall truth of Christ in the soules of his Saints 7 That the Scriptures were written by men of the Church admitted Canonicall by Councels of the Church preserued from Tyrants by the care of the Church and euer vntill of late expounded by the consent of the Church 8 How few men are able to reade and expound the Scriptures any way and whether it be not easier to beleeue the Church then to beleeue a few priuate men that say they can expound Scriptures better then the Church 9. That all sorts of Heretikes haue alwaies boasted of Scriptures and despised the Church The Heretikes haue euer beene wont to pretend Scriptures the more easily to deceiue the simple They know full well that all the Fathers all Doctors all ancient Writers all generall Councels Canons Traditions all Ecclesiasticall Histories all Chronicles and monuments of Antiquitie all Martyrs Confessors Virgins and all testimonies both in heauen and earth are flat against them and therefore they will pretend the word of God which they know is a plausible perswasion to the simple and so they delude and deceiue them more easily These Scriptures they misinterpret corrupt falsisie and abuse most shamefully to serue their turnes as VINCENTIVS LI●INENSIS most excellently sheweth in his golden treatise Contra prophanas haeresum nouitates against the prophane nouelties of heresies Vpon these considerations any man may assuredly pronounce that whosoeuer beleeueth not the Church of Christ can neuer come to know what is the Religion that Christ did teach and which he hath hitherto maintained And therefore it is impossible for such a man to know which is the true Christian Religion The meanes then to know which is the true Religion of Christ is to enquire which is the true Church of Christ Heere it cannot be denied but that that is the true Church of Christ which Christ himselfe did found whilest he was vpon the earth to continue vntill the worlds end And whatsoeuer Church is founded by any other authoritie then that which Christ left vnto his Apostles only cannot be the true Church of Christ although all the Princes in the world would agree to make it so and cause all their subiects to sweare it were so Now to know which is the true Church our Sauiour did found we must obserue that this word Church doth signifie diuers things 1 Sometimes the Church doth signifie the building or house of Gods seruice in this sense our Sauiour founded no Church by himselfe but gaue power to his Apostles and Disciples to found and consecrate Churches as countries should be conuerted 2 Sometime the Church doth signifie the Congregation of all those that are baptized as the Church of Corinth Rome c. in Saint PAVLS Epistles In this sense our Sauiour founded no Church by himselfe for he baptized none but gaue power to his Apostles and Disciples to baptize 3 Sometime the Church doth signifie the Clergie or Spiritualtie chosen out of the number of all Christians to dispence the grace of Christ committed to them for the benefit of the whole bodie In this sense our Sauiour did by himselfe immediatly found a Church when he did call and send his Apostles and did giue them the same power which himselfe as Man had receiued of his Father Sicut pater misit me sic ego mitto vos Ioh. 20. qui audit vos me audit Luke 10. quorum peccata remiseritis remittentur eis Ioh. 20. mittam vobis Paraclitum quivos ducet in omnem veritatem Ioh. 14. Super hanc Petram aedisicabo Ecclesiam c. Then to know which is the true Church we must enq●●●● which is the Clergie that was founded by Christ and continueth in the vnitie of the Church by perpetuall Succession from the Apostles so from Christ himselfe for your certaine resolution hereof you haue three infallible arguments 1 The report of Chronicles and Histories whereof there is great variety that can tell you the beginning and occasion of euery Schisme if you doe but turne the bookes ouer 2 The vniuersalitie antiquitie and consent of Doctrine taught in the true Church and the variety nouelty and repugnancie of Doctrine taught in Schisme herein you may inquire of the most learned and most honest to informe you 3 The Scriptures 1 Of the old Testament to which our Sauiour sends vs IOH. 5. Scrutamini Scripturas By those S. Augustine proues the visibility of the Catholike Church against Donatists 2 Of the new Testament by which is proued the perpetuity of the Catholike Church Portae inferi non praeualebunt Matth. 16. Vsque ad consummationem seculi Matth. 28. Consider then deare friends what a happy thing it is for a man to liue in such a Church that is with such a Clergie as being lawfully called and continuing in the vnity of the Church haue the very same power that the Apostles themselues yea that Christ himselfe as he was Man had to forgiue sinnes vnto the penitent to conuey grace by Sacraments as Christ conueyed it himselfe sometime without Sacraments to exhibite the Reall presence of Christ vnto the faithfull and to preach the glad tidings of saluation both by word and writing And on the contrary side what an vnspeakable misery it is to haue such a Clergie that is such a Church as hath no calling but from a Ciuill Magistrate and consequently no power from Christ no remission of sinnes no grace in Sacraments no Reall presence of Christ amongst them nor warrant from Christ either to preach or expound the Scriptures although they talke of them neuer so much I will not determine against the succession of the Clergie in England because it is to me very doubtfull but although the successions were neuer so good if there be not vnitie there can be no grace conueyed from the head vnto such parts of the body as are by Schisme cut off and with hostilitie opposed as you see most of the Clergie of England

to be Whilest my selfe was amongst you I did what I could to reduce vnity and to withstand Schisme and therefore I hope God hath conueyed some grace by my Ministrie amongst you but if you consider duly of the premisses you cannot condemne me for taking a surer course for my selfe especially seeing you cannot be ignorant how much I was maligned and opposed by the Masters and maintainers of Schisme It is a continuall griefe to me that I cannot preach vnto you And I pray God so moue the hearts of his Maiestie and the Parliament that it may not be treason nor felonie to be a Catholike Priest nor to maintaine the succession of Saint PETER nor to preach Catholike Doctrine as it is held in the Church of Rome according to all antiquitie with one vniuersall consent And if euer I may be so happie to heare such newes I will thinke my selfe most happie that I may serue you and liue and die amongst you Otherwise I will continue as I doe euery day to remember you at the oblation of Christs body and bloud and with my most ardent deuotion to pray for his Maiestie the Queene their Children and Lords of the Councell my friends at the Court my louing and beloued neighbours in the Countrie and your selfe especially and euer so I remaine Your most affectionate and true friend and seruant in Christ Iesus B. A. CARIER Leidge February 20. 1614. Stilo Nouo The miserable ends of such as haue impugned the Catholike Church Together With the admirable prosperity of such as defended the same Deuter. 32. Laudate Gentes populum eius quia sanguinem seruorum suorum vlciscetur vindictam retribuet in hostes eorum You Gentiles praise his People because he will reuenge the bloud of his Seruants and will repay vengeance vpon their Enemies Esay 60. 12. Gens Regnum quod non seruierit tibi peribit The People and Kingdome which will not serue thee shall perish 1615. The miserable ends of some notorious Enemies of CHRIST and his CHVRCH REade IOSEPHVS 7. belli cap. 18. of the destruction of the Temple and of the most grieuous punishment of the Iewes for their barbarous crueltie against our Sauiour Christ The number of captiues was ninety and seuen thousand The number of those which were slaine and dead in the time of siege was eleuen hundred thousand Idem 7. belli c. 28. The famine so great as they were brought to eate their owne and their childrens flesh to feede in sinckes and channels About forty thousand of them had their bellies ripped vp for the gould they were supposed to haue swallowed c. and more had beene so barbarously entreated had not come forth a Prohibition They were so vile as thirtie of them were sold for one peny They haue beene hated and persecuted of all Nations and peoples Exceeding great numbers of them in one place or other continually murthered They haue liued in intolerable slauery euer since the destruction of Ierusalem and euer shall Ioseph 7. belli cap. 28. IVDAS hanged himselfe with a halter Matth. 26. CAIPHAS being weary of his life killeth himselfe Clem. Rom. Const ap 8. c. 1. ANNAS also perished miserably as writeth Nicephor lib. ● cap. 40. Iosephus and others HERODE ASCALOMITA as hee sought all meanes to destroy our Sauiour Christ killed all the men children abimatu infra from two yeares old and vnder so being most grieuously afflicted with a horrible disease Ioseph an lib. 17. cap. 17. cap. 8. sought all meanes to destroy himselfe at last his dolours being intolerable by Gods iust judgement he was extinct of a dropsie and corrupt humour which ranne betwixt the skin and the flesh and eaten with wormes which crawled out of his skin Euseb hist eccl li. HERODE AGRIPPA who put to death S. IAMES and imprisoned S. PETER was soone after in a publike assembly striken from heauen with a most horrible disease and died eaten vp with lice yea his whole stocke according to Iosephus which was most ample within seuentie yeares was cleane rooted out HERODE ANTIPAS which beheaded Saint IOHN Baptist was first depriued of his dignitie and with Herodias he was exiled to Lions in France for killing S. IOHN Baptist as Authors Ecclesiasticall affirme PONTIVS PILATVS was diuersly punished according to his deserts and at last banished to Vienna he slew himselfe Euseb Cass●odor Ado. in Chron. NERO hated of all men for his crueltie at last forsaken of his souldiers and despairing euer to recouer his former state in great perplexitie arrayeth himselfe in vile attire flieth away and perceiuing hee was pursued killed himselfe Sueton. 25. Dion in Nerone DOMITIAN for his barbarous crueltie generally detested was stabbed of Stephen the steward of Flauia Domitilla Sueton. Philost trion and others his name and memory was after abolished Macrob. Satur. lib. 1. cap. 12. TRAIANVS a cruell persecutor of Christians is teported to haue beene poysoned See Baron HADRIANVS like another Phalaris raged against Christians The persecution vnder him was so extreame as Christians were murthered at the cry of the common people Neuerthelesse in his time the Church was spread abroad far and neere At last he was punished with grieuous sicknesse and so being very weary of his life sought often to kill himselfe and finally procured one to slay him See Baron SEVERVS in regard of his cruelty exercised vpon Christians was so punished of God almightie as he saw himselfe most vnhappy in his children for his sonne Antoninus often attempted to slay him and also he was not ignorant his son Geta should be murthered as soone as Antoninus could get opportunitie to doe it Antoninus slew Geta afterwards in his mothers lappe Lege Baron SEVERVS died being consumed with thought and griefe of minde See Baron DECIVS a most cruell persecutor of Christians in the warre he made against the Gothes together with his sonne was extinct Anno 2. Imper. VALERIAN as long as he fauoured Christians flourished but after he began to persecute them by the treason of Marrianus a Duke he was deliuered ouer to Sapores King of the Persians who euer after vsed VALERIAN for a foot-stoole to stand vpon when he went to horse at last hee commanded him to be flayed and salted Baron CLAVDIVS raged most cruelly against Christians but in the third yeare of his Empire he died of the Pestilence AVRELIAN a seuere bloudie and cruell persecutor was beaten downe with thunder and afterward killed of his owne subiects MAXIMIANVS one of the cruellest persecutors that euer was hanged himselfe Anno imper Const Panegyr 4. DIOCLETIAN a like persecutor by the judgement of God was reserued vnto the eleuenth yeare of Constantine when he saw Christian religion most flourishing which hee with his fellow Maximian sought by all meanes they could to extinguish At last this yeare suspecting some dishonorable death it is said he poysoned himselfe Victor Also Euseb lib. 8. cap. vlt. Zozim lib. 2. Zonor Cedren write of his miserable death See

people in Constantinople See the Chronicle of Matth. Palmer Anno DCC XLI TO OMIT MANY OTHERS AND TO ASCEND TO THE MONSTERS of our age LVTHER died sodainly for hauing supped very delicately and pleasantly being in perfect health and hauing delighted all his company with merry conceits the same night he died Coclaeus in vita Lutheri ZVINGLIVS was slaine in war which he made against Catholikes and a little after his brother Oecolampadius going to bed in good health one night was found dead by his wife in the morning Coclaeus in act Luth. an 1531. ANDREAS CAROLOSTADIVS the Ministers of Basil write to haue been killed of a Diuell in their Epistle of the death of Carolostadius IOANNES CALVINVS was eaten and consumed of wormes and died as did Antiochus Hunery Maximinus c. as witnesseth Hieronymus Bolsecus in his life who also addeth that the Arch-heretique died blaspheming cursing and inuocating Diuels This Heretique that besides his other heresies denied prayer to Saints at his death prayeth vnto Diuels To all these former examples we might adde infinit more of notorious persecutors and enemies of Gods Church which all came to miserable ends and so shall all others come to confusion which hate Sion which oppose themselues against Gods Church and Kingdome which our Sauiour hath built vpon a firme Rocke and therefore no stormes windes or tempests can ouerthrow it Matth. 16. 18. Port● inferi non praeualebunt aduersus eam The gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against it as hath promised our Sauiour Whatsoeuer the diuell can doe by Tyrants Heretickes or any other aduersaries against this Church it standeth immoueable Deus fundauit eam in aeternum God hath founded it for euer Psal 47. Saint Augustine expoundeth this of the Church of God This Church is Gods Kingdome whereof it is said Luk. 1. Regni eius non erit finis and of his Kingdome shall be no end Of this Kingdome it is said Dan. 2. Iu diebus autem regnorum eorum suscitabit Deus coeli regnum quod in aeternum non dissipabitur regnum eius alteri populo non tradetur comminuet consum●t vniuersa regna haec ipsum stabit in aeternum This Kingdome then of God his Catholike Church shall stand and continue for euer No tyrannie nor persecution can destroy this Church no it cannot diminish but rather encrease it as euidently hath beene seene in all ages And this is that Saint Leo writeth Ser. 1. de Petro Paulo in these words Non minuitur persecutionibus Ecclesia sed augetur semper dominicus ager segete ditiori vestitur dum grana quae singula cadunt multiplicata naseuntur The Church is not diminished by persecution but increased and alwaies our Lords field is clothed with richer graine whilest the graine which one by one doe fall into the ground doe spring vp multiplied And although God almighty sometime leaueth some particular country and people for heresie and sinne yet he will still haue his Church he wil raise others and call other countries as we may see after the fall of the Church in Africk and some parts of the East many other goodly Kingdomes and Prouinces were presently conuerted to the faith of Christ heere in the West-Church as in Ecclesiasticall histories may cleerely be seene And now since the fall of our Countrey and some other places neere vnto vs from the Catholike faith wee know that innumerable people in Africk in the East and West Indies are conuerted to this same Catholike Church and true faith of Christ whereby wee see verified that dreadfull threate of our Sauiour Christ Auferetur a vobis regnum Dei dabitur genti facienti fructus eius This Kingdome that is the preaching of the Gospell is taken from vs because we brought not forth the fruits of it and squared not our liues according to the rules thereof Therefore God hath take from vs our true Teachers and lawfull Pastors hauing lawfull mission and vocation without which none euer preached or taught Catholike truth but were brochers of seditious doctrine and pernicious heresie as we now see by lamentable experience in these parts of Christendom This considered I hope all good Catholikes and seruants of Christ which are in the lap of the Catholike Church will be of good comfort cleaue vnto this Rocke the piller and foundation of truth as the Apostle calleth it In so doing they shall neuer be drowned in the waues of Heresie and Infidelitie If some Catholikes either out of feare of imprisonment or losse of their temporalties fall from this Church God almightie will call others yea euen Puritanes and other seduced soules These will he call to the knowledge of his truth these will he gather into his Church and these once seeing what a singular benediction what a soueraigne benefit it is to bee within the house of God which is his Church will for euer laude and praise his holy name therefore Those will say with the royall Prophet Psal 83. Melior est dies vna in atrijs tuis super millia Better is one day in thy Courts aboue a thousand and beati qui habitant in dome tua Domine in saecula saeculorum laudabunt te blessed are they which dwell in thy house O Lord for euer and euer they will praise thee and Elegi abiectus esse c. I had rather be an abiect in the house of our Lord then to dwell in the Tabernacles of sinners And therefore vnderstanding the greatnesse of this benefit they will pray with the same holy Prophet Psal 23. Vnam petij a domino hanc requiram vt in habitem in domo domini omnibus diebus vitae meae One thing haue I besought of our Lord and this will I aske againe that I may dwell in the house of our Lord all the dayes of my life Out of this house that is the Catholike Church there is no meanes of saluation neither by preaching nor by Sacraments out of this Church no remission of sinnes out of this Church no good worke can be meritorious of euerlasting life Whosoeuer falleth out of this Church as he cannot merite by any good worke of prayer fasting or almes because he is not in state of grace so he loseth the merite of all his former good workes though neuer so many What losse can euer be comparable to this Whosoeuer falleth out of this Church Ioseth the communion of Saints setteth himselfe out of Gods grace sauour and protection out of the patrociny of Angels and Saints such cannot be Gods children but his enemies such can receiue no influence of Gods grace no sanctification no justification no comfort of the holy Ghost such can haue no peace or quiet of conscience such as be out of Gods Church cannot presume God will heare their prayers according to that Psal 65. Iniquitatem si aspexi in corde meo non exaudiet deus Such as are not capable of any Sacrament and consequently not of saluation such as