Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	apostle_n	church_n	creed_n	6,767	5	10.3283	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65695	The absurdity and idolatry of host-worship proved, by shewing how it answers what is said in scripture and the writtings of the fathers, to shew the folly and idolatry committed in the worship of heathen deities : also a full answer to all those pleas by which papists would wipe off the charge of idolatry, and an appendix against transubstantiation, with some reflexions on a late popish book called The guide in controversies / by Daniel Whitby ...	Whitby, Daniel, 1638-1726.	1679 (1679)	Wing W1719; ESTC R39040	107,837	157

all honour dignity function and power ecclesiastical as was the case of Anthimus the intruder into the See of Constantinople and may be censued as unfit to be accunted Christians which was the censure that Felix the Third and a Roman Synod past upon Acacius but when the Church by proscribing and condemning them hath taken from them all it can it cannot ake away the power of Baptism and Ordination and therefore the Church Catholick hath judged that they who were Baptised and Ordained by Hereticks and Schismaticks have both true Baptism and true Orders and hath rejected those that think otherwise as Hereticks which both innumerable Synods and Orthodox Fathers among whom Austin doth excel have proved against the Luciferians the Donatists the Arians and other Pests of the Church § IX There be some eminent Divines among us who are I hope not without reason more candid in their apprehensions of the Roman Church before the Reformation admitting it to have continued when Luther and his friends began their Reformation to have been a Church in which Salvation might be had not only for the ignorant but also for many others who did not openly renounce Communion with her That we yield no more to our Adversaries now than formerly we did Appendix part 3. p. 880. saith Dr. Field in that we acknowledge the Latine or Western Churches subject to Roman Tyranny before God raised up Luther to have been the true Churches of God in which a saving profession of the truth of Christ was found and wherein Luther himself received his Christianity Ordination and power of Ministry I will first shew that all our best and most renowned Divines did ever acknowledg as much as I have written Now that which doth induce them thus to judg was the consideration of these things 1. That notwithstanding those very many and very grievous errors which then obtained too generally and which were too much countenanced by the most powerful members of the Roman Church there still remained a profession and acknowledgment of so much truth as being joyned with Piety might be sufficient to bring her members to eternal life If at this day saith Bishop Vsher Sermon before his Majesty at Wansled p. 28. we should take a survey of the several professions of Christianity that have any large spread in any part of the world as of the Religion of the Roman and the Resormed Churches in our quarters of the Aegyptians and Aethiopians in the South of the Graecians and other Churches in the Eastern parts and should put by the points wherein they differ one from another and gather into one body the rest of the Articles wherein they all do generally agree we should find that in those propositions which without all controversie are universally received in the whole Christian world so much truth is conteined as being joyned with holy obedience may be sufficient to bring a man to everlasting Savlation neither have we cause to doubt but that as many as do walk according to this rule neither overthrowing that which they have builded up by super-inducing any damnable Heresies thereupon nor otherwise vitiating their holy Faith with a lewd and wicked conversation peace shall be upon them and mercy Which doctrine he confirms 1. from the constant practice of the Apostles in their first receiving men into the society of the Church For saith he in one of the Apostles ordinary Sermons we see there was so much matter delivered as was sufficient to convert men to the Faith and make them capable of Baptism and yet these Sermons treated only of the first principles of the Doctrine of Christ in these first principles therefore must the foundation be contained and that common unity of Faith Ibid. p. 20. which is required in all the members of the Church Again p. 16. As there is a common Salvation so is there a common Faith which is alike precious in the highest Apostle and the meanest believer for we may not think that Heaven was prepared for deep Clerks only and therefore besides that larger measure of knowledge whereof all are not capable there must be a rule of Faith common to small and great which as it must consist but of few propositions for simple men cannot bear away many so is it also requisite that these Articles should be of so much weight and moment that they may be sufficient to make a man wise unto salvation If then Salvation by believing these common principles may be had and to Salvation none can come who is not first a member of the Catholick Church of Christ it followeth that the unity of Faith generally requisite for the incorporating of Christians into that blessed Society P. 17. is not to be extended beyond these common principles Which may farther be made manifest unto us by the continual practice of the Catholick Church herself in the matriculation of her Children and first admittance of them into her Communion For when she prepared her Catechumeni for Baptism and by that door received them into the cougregation of Christs Flock we may not think her judgment to have been so weak as to omit any thing herein that was essentially necessary for the making of one a member of the Church Now the profession which she required of all that were to receive baptisin was for the Agenda or practical part an abrenuntiation of the Devil the World and the Flesh with all their sinful lusts and works and for the things to be believed an acknowledgment of of the Articles of the Creed which being performed solemnly she then baptized them in this faith intimating thereby sufficiently that this was that one faith commended to her by the Apostles Ibid. p. 17. as the other that one Baptisin which was appointed to be the Sacrament of it And that the creed of the Apostles as it is explained in the latter Creeds of the Catholick Church was esteemed by the general suffrage of the Greek and Latine Fathers and the whole Antient Church See P tters answer to Charity Mistaken § 7. from p. 216. to 233. Mr. Chill c. 4. § 83 8● Bishop Tayor diss part 2. l. 1. § 4. a sufficient Summary or Catalogue of fundamentals that even by the Trent Council the Trent Catechism and the best learned Romanists it is acknowledged so to be is very largely and convincingly demonstrated by many eminent Writers of our Church 2. They add that those prevailing doctrin●s which thwarted the great fundamentals of our faith and made salvation more difficult were indeed docrines strongly then prevailing in but not received and owned as Articles of Faith by all themembers of the Church of Rome Answ to Charity Mistaken § 3. p. 64 65. In the latter Ages before the Reformation saith Dr. Potter though the Court of Rome by cunning and violence had subdued many noble parts of Christendom under her yoke yet the servitude of that Church and her misery was somewhat more supportable

the Sacrament when Christ invisibly is present but also when it is placed upon the Altar and there a Sacramentum Eucharistiae non servatur apud nos in templis ut fit hic apud Europaeos Christoph Licanatus Aethiopum legatus apud Hotting Hist Eccl. Sac. 16. p. 44. vide Damian à Goes de Moribus Aethiop p. 506. reserved in the Pyx and when it is carryed in Procession The Eastern Churches have no such custom of placing it upon the Altar in a little Box or carrying it in b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Metroph Critopulus Pomp to be adored by the people now in these adorations performed to the reserved Hosts consisteth more especially and plainly the Idolatry of Roman Votaries § VIII But 2. If by the Christian world R. H. and others do understand all Christians without exception declaring for and practising those things which we esteem Idolatrous we say that no such Idolatry hath been admitted by the whole Church of Christ but if they understand only the greater part of Prelates or the most numerous part of Christians and say as R. H. doth Cuid di c. 2. c. 5. §. 63. n. 2. that they must be reputed as the whole I Answer that Idolatry may in this sense prevail over the Christian Church as formerly it did over the Church of Israel and Judah For as in the days of Elias there was so great Apostacy as that the Prophet said I only am left alone and yet God had his Church preserved in those 7000 who bewed not their knees to Baal so may it also be in the Church of Christ there may be an Apostacy so great as to prevail on the most numerous party in each Christian Church and yet there may remain besides those numerous Churches and Persons we have reckoned up even many thousands of the Roman Church who did not in their hearts believe or in their practices submit to their Idolatry The Roman Doctors as well as Antient Fathers do acknowledg that this hath been the state of Christians and that it shall be so again they do acknowledg that when Arianism prevailed thus it was Act. 6. p. 409. the second Nicene Council informs us that Arius Aetius Eunomius Eudoxius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and others were the men by whom the Devil brought again into the Christian world that Idol-worship which had been rooted out and that through the as2istance of the Emperors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. the disease grew strong and prevalent so that all principalities contended for it saith the Latine were over-powered by it saith the Greek and when almost all the world had joyned themselves to the prevailing part God raised up St. Basil as an Elias under Ahab to support the Priesthood which dfter a manner was now fallen This is the relation of that great Apostacy made by Gregory Nyssen who lived in these times and approved by the Second Nicene Council and more particularly by the Author of the answer to the Constantinopolitan Synod v. Whitbies Ans to Cressie ch 9. §. 21. p. 118. and the truth of this assertion hath been proved already from the clear testimonies of Nazianzen Basil Vincentius Lyrinensis and divers others to whom add that of Athanasius who compares the Pious and Orthodox in his time to Elias and the Prophets Ep ad Solit. vitam agentes hid by Obadiah in a Cave and who tells us that where there were any Orthodox persons they did either thrust themselves into the Dens and Caverns of the Earth or solitarily wander in the Deserts Gaide disc 2. ch 2. §. 26. n. 2. Ibid. §. 27. n. 3. Now let the indifferent Reader judg whether from such sayings we find no ground to affirm that Arianism at any time had infected or pessessed a major part of Christianity as R. H. confidently saith and whether when these things were spoken no question could be made but that the major part of the Prelates of the Vniversal Church professed the Catholick Faith I am sure the words of the forementioned Fathers by no means will admit of such a sense and therefore R. H. thought fit not to produce them but to spend a long Harangue full of intolerable faults in confutation of their testimonies under the Covert of confuting Protestants Moreover it is the judgment both of the Fathers and of Roman Catholicks that when the reign of Antichrist prevails Ep. 71. p. 864. the Church will be reduced to the like Estate St. Basil considering the wonderful prevalency of Arianism crys out hath the Lord quite deserted his Church is it the last hour and doth the defection now take place by which the Son of perdition is to be revealed In Sophon c. 2. St. Jerom saith however it may seem at the first view absurd he that considereth that of the Apostle in the latter days there shall be perillous times c. and that of Christ when the Son of man cometh shall he find Faith upon the earth will not wonder at the extreme desolations of the Church Chap. xviii 18. which by the reign of Antichrist will be brought to solitude Theophylact on that of Luke shall he find Faith on the earth speaks thus the Lord asketh the question because then there shall hardly be found any Faithful Op. imperf in Matt. Hom. 49. for so greatly will the Son of perdition prevail as to seduce if it were possible the very Elect And St. Chrysostom adds that the sacrifice of Christians will be destroyed by Antichrist Christians will fly to the Deserts none being left either to enter into the Church or offer an Oblation to God Ep. 80. ad Hesyc p. 236. P. 219. Edit Colon. A. P. 1603. Add to this that Prophetick testimony of St. Austin that in the time of Antichrist the Church shall not appear being eclipsed by the persecutions of ungodly men and that of Ephraim Syrus or whosoever is the Author of that Tract which bears his name that men should ask whether the Gospel be continued upon earth and answer should be returned in the negative v. Hieron in locum And thus that place in Daniel Ch. ix 27. He shall cause the Sacrifice and the Oblations to cease is expounded by Hilary and by Hippolytus and by Apollmarius of the time of Antichrist And in this the Fathers are followed by whole Troops of Papists in the times of Antichrist saith Pererius there shall be no sacrifice in publick places In Dan. p. 888. Non quod omnes sunta fide catholicâ sicut exponunt aliqui recessuri sed quam major pars credentium discedel à fide De Pontifi Rom. l. 3. c. 7. neither shall any publick honor be given to it the Holy Fathers tell us saith the same Pererius that then all Christians shall be either Martyes or Apostates or shall lie concealed like wild beasts in Dens and Solitudes Lyra upon the Thessal ii

2. saith that the Apostle seems to speak of a departure from the Catholick Faith not that all shall recede from it but that the major part shall do so Bellarmin adds that it is certain that it will be so L. 13. Doct. Prin. c. 2. L. 2. de temp nov c. 15. To the same purpose speak Stapleton Acosta with divers others And all this they ground upon those passages of the Revelation which seem very concluding to this sense and clearly to intend it as the slaughter of the two witnesses by whom the Orthodex members of the Church is understood the flight of the woman that is the Church into the Desert and the worship which the whole world will then pay to the Beast Where note that these Witnesses which represent the Church are but two and they at last are slain Rev. xiii 7 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aret. in locum and that the Dominion of Antichrist is over all Kingdoms Tongues and Nations and he is said to cause the earth and him that dwelleth therein to worship him and both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive his mark All which seemeth to signifie as much as the testiinonies forecited Now seeing it is Prophesied concerning Antichrist that he should exalt himself above all that is called God Rev. ix 20. and of the people of those Antichristian times that they should worship Devils and Idols of Gold and Silver and of Brass and Stone and of Wood which can neither see nor hear nor walk Rev. xiii 12. and that the earth and they that dwell therein should become worshippers of the Beast and of his Image therefore it must be also Prophesied that Idolatry should reign and spread it self over the Christian World CHAP. IV. The Contents Ob. 3. That if the Church be guilty of Idolatry the Gates of Hell would have prevailed against her Answered by shewing that by this phrase the Gates of Hell errors in Doctrine or Corruption in manners cannot be understood but only the state of death § I. Ob. 4. That if the Church be Idolatrous she cannot be Holy Answered by shewing what is the Holiness of the Church visible § II. Ob. 5. We grant the Papists may be saved and consequently must grant they are not guilty of Idolatry Answered I. by shewing that moderate Papists grant that Protestants may be saved whom yet they charge with Heresie and Schism and such like damning sins § III. 2. That their Repentance for their unknown sins and consequently their unknown Idolatries may obtain mercy for those who wanted means of better information § IV. 3. That in the same circumstances we believe that Idolaters may be saved ibid. Ob. 6. The Church of Rome cannot be guilty of Idolatry because we do acknowledg her to be a true Church Answered I. By shewing that true Church may still continue so to be when it is guilty of Idolatry § V. 2. That the Church of Rome may be a true Church in that large sense in which the Protestants confess she is so and yet be guilty of Idolatry they only saying that she is a true visible Church in that sensein which Heretical and Idolatrous Churches may be so § VI. To admit the Church of Rome to be in this sense a true visible Church is sufficient to justifie the Ordination and Succession of our Clergy I. Because the Ordination of Hereticks is valid § VII And so is also the Ordination of Idolaters § VIII Some of our Divines acknowledg that in the Church of Rome when Luther first begun his Reformation there was a saving profession of the truth of Christ § IX This acknowledgment is explained and the inference thence made that the Church of Rome was not then Idolatrous though Idolatry prevailed much in it ibid. Ob. 7. That if the Church of Rome be truly charged with this crime she must be guilty of Heathenish Idolatry answered by shewing that she is so only in that sense in which all Idolatry may be stiled Heathenish § X. And 2. by divers instances of such Idolatry which in the judgment of the Romanists themselves is not exclusive of salvation ibid. § I Ob. 3 AND this is all that is needful to be said in answer to this Argument p. 125. But yet ex abundanti I will add some remarks upon those Arguments which T. G. and R. H. do further offer to demonstrate 1. That the whole Church of Christ cannot be guilty of Idolatry which is the minor proposition of this objection And first T. G. thus Argues that if the Church which is Christs Kingdom could Apostatize so far as to enjoyn and allow the belief and practice of Idolatry the Gates of Hell would have prevailed against it but the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against it Ergo. Answ These words the Gates of Hell do not contain a promise of preservation of the Church from sin or error of what kind soever but only signifie that all true Christians who die in the Lord shall be delivered from death and shall obtain a joyful Resurrection For the Gates of Hell in Scripture phrase do never signifie the power of Heresie or Satan sin or error but both in the Old Testament the Jewish writers and the Antient Heathens it constantly is used to signifie the state of death as will be evident to any person who consults the places cited in the Synopsis and doth with them compare the passages in which this phrase is used in the Old Testament and in the Jewish writers I said Es xxxviii 10. saith Hazekiah in the cutting off of my days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall go to the Gates of Hell I am deprived of the residue of my years and what is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gates of death is by the Septuagint Translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gates of Hell Chap. xvi 13. Mac. v. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praepar Ev. l. 1. c. 3. p. 7. D. Job xxxviii 17. Thou hast the power of life and death saith the Author of the Book of Wisdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou bringest down to the Gates of Hell and raisest up again They cryed to the Lord to have mercy on them now being even at the point of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the Gates of Hell Nor did Eusebius doubt the truth of this exposition of the words for he declares that God had hereby promised that the Church should not be overcome by death and that by virtue of this one voice Vpon this rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her the Church continues not subdued by her enemies nor yielding to the Gates of death 2 This Scripture may concern the Church considered as invisible Ecclesia in iis est qui aedificant supra petram i. e. qui audiunt verba Christi faciunt Aug. de unit Eccl. c. 16. c. 18. De Bapt.