Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	bishop_n	church_n	succession_n	4,247	5	10.3084	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00664	An ansvvere to VVilliam Alablaster [sic] his motiues. By Roger Fenton preacher of Grayes Inne	Fenton, Roger, 1565-1616.; Alabaster, William, 1567-1640.	1599 (1599)	STC 10799; ESTC S101956	37,337	52

more narrow issue our demaund is whether vpon the promise of God made to his Church for her preseruation in the faith of Christ there may not be built ouer much securitie that is as the schoole hath conceaued of theological vertues though on Gods part respecting his promise there can be no excesse of hope or confidence yet in regard of the peruersenes of our nature which may make the generall promise of God lesse effectuall to vs there may grow presumption because those promises be not absolute but conditional so whether the promise of Gods assistance to his Church be of the like nature with some condition to be obserued of the Churches part or whether it be altogither absolute is one point in question That it is in part absolute is a thing graunted of all handes to wit that neither the wickednesse of man nor the gates of hell shall euer so farre preuaile against it as quite to extinguish it but it shal continue a Church till the last dissolution For else wherefore shuld heauen and earth stand to be a cage of vncleane birds or a theater of iddle vanities This cannot agree possibly with diuine prouidence But for those promises which concerne the better being of the Church as the enlarging of her dominions the increase of the number of true and zealous catholikes her more conspicuous and florishing estate her preseruation from the inundations of heresies from the Apostasies of her members and schisines of the whole bodie her deliuerance from the mistes of errors and finally her sound and more sincere profession of the truth concerning these promises of assistance I say though God be faithfull who hath promised yet the Church by reason of her manifold sinnes may make them lesse effectual vnto her But taking all these promises to be most absolute without condition we may grow presumptuous promising to the Church ouermuch securitie Such was the errour of the Iewes in the time of Iohn Baptist who building vpon the promise of God made to their forefathers not regarding any condition on their part to be performed thought themselues secure while they could but say they had Abraham to their father and shew their lineall descent out of his loynes But the answere doth directly ouerthrow that conceit God is able of stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham insinuating that which Saint Paul more fully doth expresse Gala. 3. 7. They which are of faith are the children of Abraham though by propagation no more proceeding out of his loynes then the verie stones in the streete Be it so that the promise of the assistance and residence 〈◊〉 Gods spirit in the Church was made to Peter and his successors as the promise of Gods fauour to Abraham and his seed The seed of Abraham according to promise we haue found not to be those children which proceeded out of his loynes by naturall descent but such as resembled father Abraham in faith godlines I demaund then first of any indifferent man who be principally meant by Peters successours according to the promise I meane that promise made vnto Peter and his followers to the end of the world Whether those Bishops of Rome who can onely say they haue Peter for their predecessour and shew a lineall and locall descent from Peter in that Sea or rather those of speciall note in the Church of Christ at Rome or elswhere who aswel in ability to gouern as soundnes of doctrine and sinceritie of life doe resemble that blessed Apostle Somthing to enlightē my selfe by example Saint Basil Bishop of Caesaerea but neuer of Rome was notwithstanding by Saint Chrysostome iuuested with that glorious title of Peters successour in his second booke de sacerdotibus I demaund whether such a father of the Church renowned for doctrine and life though neuer seated at Rome be not rather to be accounted the Apostle his successor according to promise then either Pope Iohn infamous for life or Pope Honorius the Monothelite for that heresie condemned by three generall councels Secondly to giue you a little more ground suppose the Bishops of Rome be more priuiledged by their local succession and haue greater interest in the promise made to Peter and his successours then Doctours of other seas which I cannot yet find but suppose it though as the seed of Abraham euen according to the flesh in that regard were neerer to the promise then straungers as the Apostle witnesseth For vnto you the promise belongeth my next demaund is whether that promise made to Peter and in him to his successours of Rome be absolutely tyed to them or with some condition by them to be performed Of that old promise made to Abraham we find two conditions required in his seed one of faith set downe by Saint Paul They which are of faith are the children of Abraham and the other of workes mentioned by our Sauiour If ye were Abrahams children you would doe the works of Abraham The breach of these conditions caused those natural braunches the Iewes to be cut off Whereupon the Apostle maketh an admonition to the Church of the Romanes the rest of the Gentiles by their example not to presume since God spared not the naturall braunches least he spare not them Noli altum sapere sed time Which is not so to be conceiued as if there could be a generall Apostasie of the Catholike Church from faith but so as if amongst the Romanes or other Gentiles the current of the visible Church and fountaine of diuine graces might be dried vp and begin to spring afresh amongst the Iewes or other nations Then if this be possible nay if it be as the Apostle speaketh to be feared of vs that the Romanes or any of the Gentiles may fal from faith and be cut off from the promise as your selues doe sentence the Churches of the East at this day to be fallen then much more may there be a possibility of errour in your Church in some braunch of faith For such a fal cannot be in a moment but must needs presuppose some preparations going before So then to wind vp this whole discourse you taking the promise made in Peter to the Sea of Rome absolutely not respecting any condition at al may thereupon build ouermuch securitie and so consequently fancie to your selues a confirmed estate of the Romane Church like the state of Angels imagine therein a meanes of deciding controuersies more certaine and infallible then God in his diuine wisedome thought meet for her state militant here vpon earth Yet albeit we cannot hope for a meanes of vnitie in that degree of certaintie which fansie may easily imagine or mans nature desire Notwithstanding there be excellent means for the certaine finding out of necessarie truth prouided by God in his Church not one but many and amongst many no one so certaine to vs which man by his ignorance or wilfulnes may not peruert to his owne destruction Wherefore though first and

was from the law of nature to the subiection of the law written The second from the seueritie of the law vnto the obedience of the Gospell Christ being the summe of all but with difference For in the state of nature he was discerned a farre of as a bodie In the law he was distinguished neerer as a man In the Gospell he is seene face to face Both these chaunges were restitutions of the former but with some perfection For Moses restored the decalogue sacrifice worship of one God circumcision tenths sabbaths and such like which were in the state of nature but arbitrarie for harmonie In the Gospell Christ the interpretation of the law which was corrupted and the three great parts of religion iustificaon by faith which was exemplified in Abraham the sacrifice of himselfe which was figured in Isaack and in the Pasca the mysterie of baptisme which was instituted in the deluge and redde sea and the Eucharist which was acted by Melchisedech For like as when Thamar the daughter in law of Iuda brought forth her twinnes Zaram and Phares Zaram first put forth his hand and the midwife tied a red threed about it and he pulled it in againe and his brother Phares was borne afore him So the Sacraments of the Gospell which are bound about with the redde threed of Christ his passion did first shew their hand in Abraham and Melchisedech but the Sacraments of the Iewes were borne before them So that these two be not chaunges but restitutions and these are two earthquakes registred in the scripture prophecied of before expected by the Church brought in with prodigious signes confirmed by the visible presence of God in miracles and one more we expect which shall chaunge all things temporall into eternall at the ende of the world Besides these neither the scripture mentioneth any more neither the iudgement of the Chuch and fathers did expect other For what prophesie either in the old testament or in the new made way for this reformation after 1000. or 1500. yeares What prodigious signes gaue the world warning of Luthers comming which of the creatures out of course gaue attendance at his birth with what extraordinarie power was he garded with what miracles was his doctrine graced That a religion venerable for age certaine for succession comely for order admirable for vnitie approued by experience allowed by prouidence confirmed by miracles rooted in so many kingdomes that neuer was doubted of but by heretikes neuer saw change but by her enemies should vpon one mans and such a mans credit and authoritie without greater cause nay without any cause fly the world leaue her kingdom and royalty at the dispose of one Apostata and Monke and an incestuous Monke ANSVVERE THose two memorable varieties one restoring nature by the moral law adding withal a vaile of shadowes and religious ceremonies the second remouing that vaile changing the moonelight of the law into the sunshine of the Gospell haue the preeminence before all other changes whatsoeuer neither is there any past or herafter to be expected cōparable to these two Notwithstanding besides these there haue been many restitutions of the Church from errours and heresies in al ages you discern none at all Yet of all others I wonder you spied not that of the morning starre Iohn Baptist so conspicuous aboue the rest so consonant to your owne notes Registred in Scripture prophesied of before expected by the Church brought in with prodigious signes who made a memorable varietie not onely by way of restitution in the doctrine of repentance but also by addition in his watrie baptisme The rising of which starre was the moone-set of Moses and the Prophets making a period of the law For so saith the text The law the Prophets lasted till Iohn Baptist who shined till the son of God appeared and then ceased Oportet illum crescere meautē minui Moreouer besides these three lights if I should take vpon me to reckon the lesser lights of the Church which haue restored it from darkenesse and corruption in all ages I might as well number the starres in the firmament Were not Abraham and Lot lights to expell the mistes of that idolatrous age Did not false gods after so farre preuaile that they entred into the familie of blessed Iaacob and possessed all that were about him till he rose as a starre in his brightnes to cleere his whole family and make restitution of his former religion in Bethel How many relapses in the time of the law not onely the congregation of Israel adored a calfe but euen the Priest himselfe was vrged to consent as you confesse Pope Liberius was to Arrianisme Did not all Israel after the death of Ioshua and that good generation runne after Baalim In the time of Saul the Arke of God was neuer sought for till that glorious starre of Israel king Dauid restored it againe How many Idols were after erected by the kings of Ierusalem and Iuda All the abhominations of the nations and the whole host of Heauen worshipped in Israel carued Images seated in the temple of God yea the booke of the law lost by the priestes Yet notwithstanding as their backslidings were many so was there manifold restitution made by the lightes of Israel the Church still reformed againe by the Prophets and holy men of God And can you spie neuer a reformation besids those two grand ones of Moses and the sonne of God This was the condition of the natural branches the Iewes and no lesse is to be expected of the Church of the Gentiles in this state militant but that it be sometimes darkned eclipsed as wel in abuse of practise as error of doctrine in some ages more in some lesse again by diuine prouidence raising vp some of notable learning and extraordinary spirit enlightned and restored to her first integritie so farre forth as truth can preuaile with corruption of the time such were the Catholike Bishops that restored her from the deluge of Arrianisme Neither is it to be expected that any of the creatures should be out of course to giue the world warning of such reformers For it is well knowne these reformations be of a farre other kind then those former made by Moses Iohn Baptist the son of God For those were euer with some addition of perfection not reuealed before Therefore no reason the world should take notice of them without diuine confirmation by signes wonders For had Moses Iohn Baptist or the Messias himselfe borne witnesse of themselues without the testimonie of miraculous workes or former prophesies there being neitheir Canon of Scripture to proue them nor diuine reuelation to discerne them by no reason in the world nor religionin the Church could possibly haue entertained them But sithence the last perfection is now reuealed by the Gospell and that absolute Canon of Scripture giuen to the Church to which nothing must be added in paine of eternall plague of