Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	believe_v	church_n	err_v	4,831	5	9.7259	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16897	The apologie of George Brisset, Lord of Gratence Written vpon consideration of the inhumane murther of the late French king, and sent to Monsieur Tauraine, a counsellor in the Court of Parliament of Brittaine in France, Lord high Steward of the councell of Nants; where the said noble man, with many others of account, were conuerted from the Church of Rome, and become true Christian catholicks, to the great ioy of all good Christians. Translated out of French into English.	Brisset, Georges.; Tauraine, Monsieur.	1610 (1610)	STC 3791; ESTC S106652	10,830	32

THE APOLOGIE OF GEORGE BRISSET LORD OF GRATENCE Written vpon consideration of the inhumane murther of the late French king and sent to Monsieur Tauraine a Counsellor in the Court of Parliament of Brittaine in France Lord high Steward of the councell of Nants where the said Noble man with many others of account were conuerted from the Church of Rome and become true Christian Catholicks to the great ioy of all good Christians Translated out of French into English VIRESCIT VVLNERE VERITAS Printed for VVilliam Barley and Iohn Baily 1610. The Translator to the Reader THis short discourse includes in it much substance and layeth open the principal errors by which the trayterous Papists haue so long gouerned the common-wealth of France shewing how their reasons are badly grounded ill applyed and worse deriued for their purpose Therefore I wish euery man would haue so much care of his soules health as to imitate this new Conuert in the searching of Gods word and doubtlesse then many would receiue true comfort and discerne light from darknesse and bee no more misse-led with that vncharitable rule of Popery viz. That it is not lawfull for artificers and trades-men and those that bee ignorant people to search into the Booke of God By which meanes these Papists haue faire aduantage to muffle their scholers in any error were it neuer so grosse where hauing their faith tied to another mans report they must needs stand in danger of damnation And that many more should not be seduced into the like opinion here is by an inspiration from God an Apologie made by a French gentleman trained vp all his time from his infancie in Poperie now reduced to the true knowledge of God reuealed in his holy word by searching out his saluation in the diligent reading and meditation thereof AN APOLOGIE OF GEORGE BRISSFT Lord of Gratience WHen I had throughly considered right noble Sir how that Rome continually striues to build vp the glory of her kingdome with the bloud of Princes and to make by the same a legend ful of sainted murtherers I grew more desirous of my souls health then before And that the changing of my religion may make in you no ill impression of me but that you would still hold me in the same estimation I haue here set downe in writing the motiues and reasons which haue induced me so to do intreating you to beleeue that I haue not bin led vnto it by any humane or worldly consideration For I haue shut mine eies to many faire promises and aduantages which were offered me by the church of Rome and haue lost the loue of many persons which notwithstanding I will not ceasse to honor and loue but principally your selfe whose vertue and discretion I haue alwaies highly esteemed Which doth not onely giue me hope that you will the better tast my allegations which I haue here briefly set downe but also that many thousands hereby may returne out of the mists of Popery into the light of truth in the which God be theirs my guide And as my soule therein hath gained content so I wish all mis-led beleeuers in that bewitching religion of popery be summoned call their intellectual senses together and examine their consciences whether saluation consisteth vpon the similitude of visible things wherein I haue bene in former times nusled or the contemplatiue cogitatiōs of inward thoughts wherunto I am now reduced be the better Therfore as an induction to this my Christian Apologie I wish all true Catholickes to become true alleagiants to their Princes and not to let the blind Bayard of Babylon with the vaine glory of his outward ceremonies bewitch you And so with honest truth to the world feruent faith in Christ Iesus I begin The time I was right honourable worshipfull and well beloued friends one of the number of the most zealous to the Romane religion I had notwithstanding this perswasion with my selfe that religion is not subiect to men how great and learned soeuer they be but that they themselues are subiect to religion also that religion is the rule of saluation giuen of God to men and to which euery man ought to bee subiect and that it is not lawfull for any one to exempt himselfe or to change or diminish any thing therein And thereupon demanding of some Church-men which I had best conceipt of if this rule was giuen of God they answered me that it was in the sacred booke of God called the Bible and that there is no other booke besides which may be named the word of God Following therfore this counsell after I had prayed to almighty God to giue me grace to profite therein I painfully endeuoured my selfe to reade that booke and hauing chearefully read ouer all the Gospell I was wonderfully astonished to finde nothing therein concerning the most part of those things which had bene taught me And that it is not in the Bible commanded at all to inuocate the Saints nor to render any seruice to images nor to sacrifice Iesus Christ nor to pray to God without vnderstanding what we say and that it speakes nothing of Purgatory nor of Lent nor of Masses nor of Merits nor of Monkes nor of religious Orders nor of the precedencie of the Church of Rome nor in briefe of any of all those things almost which were taught me in the time ignorance blinded me which things I then thought had bene expresly commanded in that Booke of the word of God Furthermore I found in the same diuers passages which did seeme to me to be flat contrary to these things Hereupon repairing my selfe to some of the same Church-men they answered me and said that it was not lawfull for me to reade the holy Scripture nor to search after things which surpassed my capacity but to be directed by them also that the Catholike Romane Church had so ordained to whom the holy Scriptures belongeth saying that she is the pillar and ground of truth 1. Tim. 3. vers 15. VVho heareth not the Church let him be vnto thee as a heathen man or a publicane Matth. 18. And that Iesus said to Saint Peter I haue prayed that thy faith may not faile thee Whereby it appeareth that the Church of Rome founded vpon Saint Peter cannot erre in the points of faith as they of the Romane sect affirme Whereupon aduisedly pondering these things in my minde I said I beleeue that Iesus Christ dyed for me and that the promises contained in the booke of the word of God doe appertaine vnto me as well as to Clergie-men wherefore then should I not presume to see these things which appertaine vnto me Contrariwise if I had books of loue or of tales and fables they should not be taken from me but now these men would bereaue me of the booke which they themselues say is the booke of Gods word Adde to this if it be for none to reade but the learned neuer any man should prepare himselfe to reade it seeing hee

cannot be learned before he haue read it I had thought one had read the Scriptures to become wise in piety behold these men would that one should become wise before he had read it wherefore then do they alledge passages out of the holy Scriptures seeing they will not permit me to search whether their allegations bee true or not My minde was therefore to see those places which they did alledge vnto me for the authority of the Church of Rome Now for the first where the Church is called the pillar and ground of truth I finde it there no waye spoken of the Romane Church no more then of the Grecian or Syrian Church there being also no appearance that the diuine veritie should be grounded vpon men but much more conuenient that men should ground themselues vpon the word of God And therefore Saint Paul by these words only vnderstood that the church is established by God in earth to sustaine and defend the truth against infidels and the enimies of truth and that these words do represent vnto the Church her duty whereunto she is bound and not at all her authority So the Church of Syria planted by Christ and his Apostles was the pillar and ground of truth against the Iewes and Pagans but this did not exempt it from errour The like may happen to the Church of Rome As for the second place which saith He that hearth not the Church let him be vnto thee as an heathen man or a publicane by reading the whole place I finde easily that these words cannot serue to shew that the Church of Rome which they call Catholicke that is to say vniuersall should be iudge of the differences of religion First because there is not any mention at all in that place of the Church of Rome Secondly because the doubts of religion are not there spoken of but the quarrels and differences betweene two brethren where also it followeth that he speaketh not of the Catholicke or vniuersall Church for to end the priuate quarrels betweene two brethren we must not expect the iudgment of the vniuersal Church Therfore by the Church in this place he meant the Pastors or gouernours of some particular Church labouring to appease the differences betwixt particular persons and that according to the rule of Gods word He that will not then reforme and submit himselfe vnto them is put into the rancke of Pagans Now to the third text the consequence thereof seemes very harsh vnto me Peter I haue prayed that thy faith may not faile therefore the Church of Rome cannot erre For the reading through this whole place of Scripture doth euidently shew that Iesus Christ doth not speake to the Church nor of the Church but that he speaketh to the person of Saint Peter preparing him to the temptation into which he forsaw that hee should shortly fall and renounce his Sauiour Iesus Christ therfore promiseth him by those words that his faith should not finally faile in this his temptation but that God would raise it againe from that fall where if by Saint Peter he had meant the Church of Rome is it possible he should not expound himselfe neither there nor in any other place Besides if our faith rest it selfe vpon these presuppositions which is to say that Saint Peter hath bene head of the vniuersall Church and that hee hath made the Bishop of Rome his successor not onely in the Bishopricke of Rome but also in the charge of head of the Church and that this charge hath succeeded euer since Christ without varying in doctrine and without interruption of succession how is it that the people can bee assured thereof seeing that for to know it it is necessary to haue read ouer many histories both ancient moderne authors written in latine which they vnderstand not In all this therefore am I not satisfied I must also confesse here that hauing bene taught that the Church of Rome holds that the consecration and the transubstantiation is not effected in the Masse if the Priest haue not intention to consecrate I haue bene seazed with feare of being an idolater knowing well that very often the Priest hath his intention elsewhere or beleeueth not himselfe the very thing he doth for he may be a scoffer or a prophane person Some there be that in such a case adore that which the Priest lifts vp worship bread and call it their God and their Creator This perplexity is befallen me through the reading of the Gospell where I haue found the institution of the Sacrament litle agreeing with that which the Priest doth in the Masse 1. For there I find that all those that were present did communicate but here ordinarily the Priest onely eateth 2. Also euery one there receiues both kinds and Saint Paul 1. Corinth 11. speaking to the people commandeth them to proue themselues and then to drinke of that cup but at this day the cup is vtterly taken away from the people 3. Iesus Christ did not there lift vp the hoast as doth the Priest 4. the Apostles did not adore the hoast as the people do at this day 5. In all the whole institution of this sacrament there is no mention made of sacrifice nor any command to sacrifice Iesus Christ for the liuing and the dead 6. Christ spake in a language which those that were present vnderstood 7. The Gospell saith that Iesus Christ tooke bread and brake it The Church of Rome on the contrary saith that the Priest doth not breake bread but the Audience 8. The Gospell saith that which Iesus Christ gaue was his body it saith also that he gaue bread The Church of Rome on the contrary holdeth that the bread is not the body of Christ but that it ceaseth to be bread and is conuerted and transubstantiated into the body of our Sauiour which is as much as to corrupt the words of Iesus Christ 9. I finde also in Saint Matthew 26. vers 29. and in Saint Marke 14. and in Luke 22. that Iesus did drinke of the fruite of the vine that is to say wine with his disciples it was therfore wine then when he dranke it 10. I haue also found in the Apostle Saint Paul in seuerall places as in the 1. to the Cor. 10. vers 16. and Chap. 11. so forward that we breake and eate bread also he saith in these words This is the body of Christ and the bread which we breake is the communion of the body of Christ But the Church of Rome denies all this and saith that this is not bread at all and that we do not at all breake bread but the figure of bread how is it then that these appearances of bread should bee the communion of the body of Christ 11. Finally I see that the Gospell according to Saint Luke the 22. chapter and the Apostle Saint Paul in the eleuenth chapter of the first to the Corinthians verse 25. do prescribe vnto vs how these words This is my body ought to

Sauiour Christ did ordinarily eate the Paschal lambe To blaspheme the name of God in this age of the world is amongst them accounted for a light matter but to speake euill of the Pope especially in Italy or Spaine is a burning matter and vnpardonable At Rome the Iewes hold a religion which teacheth that Christ is an impostor or iuggler but to say that there is no Purgatory at all is a crime worthy of the Inquisition Now euery Bishop in our country of France can giue absolution in crimes and offences committed against Gods lawes but none can absolue sinnes committed against the Pope or his lawes This triple-headed Potentate doth teach many things contrary to the law and the Gospell First God saith in the 20. chapter of Exodus Thou shalt not make to thy selfe the likenesse of any thing which is in heauen or earth Thou shalt not bow downe to them c. But in the Romish Church they paint the holy Trinitie they kneele downe before the images of Saints Secondly God saith in his law Sixe dayes shalt thou labour The Pope saith Thou shalt not worke sixe daies but thou shalt keepe such holy dayes as he enioyneth thee in the weeke dayes to obserue Thirdly God saith by his Apostle 1. Tim. 3. vers 2. A Bishopmust be the husband of one wife hauing his children vnder obedience with all reuerence But the Church of Rome commandeth that a Bishop should haue neither wife nor children Fourthly God commandeth by his Apostle 1. Cor. 10. If any of them which beleeue not call you to a feast whatsoeuer is set before you eate asking no question for conscience sake The Church of Rome contrariwise saith when you shall be inuited to the houses of heretickes eate not of all that which shall be set before you in the Lent time or vpon fridaies Fifthly God saith by his Apostle 1. Cor. 14. It were better in the Church to speake few words with vnderstanding then ten thousand in a strange tongue The Church of Rome on the contrary say all their Seruice in a language that is not vnderstood And so in many other points If any one alledge vnto me the multitude of professors I say that Christ Matth 7.13 would haue vs enter by the narrow gate and saith that the broade way wherein the multitude doe walke is the way to destruction Therefore if in the reading of the word of God I meete with any difficulties I resolue with my selfe neither to be iudge nor interpreter and that which remaines cleare and plaine is sufficient to instruct and saue me And truly since I conformed my selfe to the true religion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ I haue learned now to beleeue no longer by the faith of another Nor truly is any man saued by atturney which makes me earnestly to exhort all Romish professors to doe as I haue done for their owne saluations and to thinke seuerally vpon these things that their soules may be deliuered out of captiuity that we may together glorifie God vpon earth being desirous to bee glorified by him in heauen And now to you you Romish Catholickes as you tearme your selues you that haue nusled me long in ignorance now that the true light hath opened mine eies I will as plainly lay open and set abroad your superstitious practises which now to my soules sorrow I haue bene witnesse of First ye neuer came in with your miters robes and rings by the doore as did the poore Apostles but by the window like robbers theeues and murtherers with Simon Magus and such like Neuer was your proud power of our heauenly fathers planting and therefore at the last it must vp by the rootes yee must in the end be destroyed without hands Dan. 8. inuisibly shall ye be striken 2. Maccab. 9. as was the great tyrant Antiochus 2. Thess 2. Heb. 4. with the mighty breath of Gods mouth which is his inuincible word shall your false kingdome be consumed This reckon I to be sufficient to declare you both to God and man most spightfull traitours vnto those that will not bee wilfully blinde And to proue you spirituall theeues is the purpose of my writing for proofe whereof I neede not to seeke further then into your owne open acts How long haue ye kept the eternall testament of Christ vnder your filthy feete from the peoples reading which is the liuely foode of their soules yea how many innocent Christian creatures haue yee most cruelly murthered to cause them to abhorre it I haue knowne you burne a worshipfull gentlewoman for hauing but one chapter of S. Matthews Gospell written in her house and another man for hauing S. Iohns Gospell beside many other cruelties by you committed Some haue you burned for not allowing your pilgrimages some for not beleening your pardons some for not fasting the friday for not obseruing your Lent some for your Purgatory some for your images some for not praying to dead Saints of your owne making some for not creeping to the crosse some for not going on procession and some for holy-water and for other vaine trifles of your owne inuenting Too long were it to recite all your acts of mischiefe which yee haue alwaies practised to deface Gods word Neuer were ye yet content that the seede of saluation should fructifie among the people but euermore ye haue stroue to stop the sweete blast thereof thereby to do the diuell your father a pleasure Yee are those wilde swine leawd shepheards and Foxes which haue rooted vp the Lords vineyard therefore how terrible will your sentences be against you at the latter day where in feare yee shall confesse openly all your damnable foolishnesse and that ye haue bene wilfully ignorant of the truth and haue tired your selues in the waies of wickednesse and destruction Before your owne faces I will more plainly set downe your abhominations and good workes as you call them You are I say bewitchers of our French Parliaments wherein yee haue depriued altogether the common people of the Bibles reading onely you admit it to three degrees of men to Gentlemen Merchants and Priests all artificers and men of the commonsort dearly excluded as though God were partiall not willing his lawes and sweete promises should be knowne to poore men vnto their soules saluation These be the good workes that you say will iustifie you before your God the Pope These are deeds of supererogation wher with you scoure your fiery Purgatory These are the merits of your satisfactions whereby you get heauen when God is not at home Oh shamelesse murtherers If he be called a mankiller that killeth the body much rather he that killeth soule and body All the world in a manner derideth your proceedings and laugheth to scome your vnprudent practises Christneuer contemned the poore but blessed them aboue all sorts of people Not onely opened he his Gospell to the poore in his owne person but also appoynted the poorest sort of men to declare it after his departure Matth. 28. Marke 16. Luke 24. Iohn 15. Acts 2. enduing them most largely with his Spirit from aboue He chofe the weake to confound the strong and the poore to deface the proud Neuer sent he such glorious and Lordly Prelates to sit in Consistories Councels and Sessions to the destruction of such as beleeue faithfully in Christ therefore it is easie to perceiue whose seruants you be You euermore call vpon earthly gouernours as did Simon Magus your predecessour vpon the Emperour Nero to martyr the Gospell-preachers Christ neuer willed any to be brought to his faith by compulsion neither vsed the Apostles to enforce any man thereunto But you like tyrants more cruell then the Turke constraine people to your false faith by diuers kinds of torments The true faith which commeth by the Gospell preached bringeth forth the workes of the Gospell Gal. 5.22.23 which are the fruits of loue and gladnes peace patience gentlenesse long suffering meeknesse chastity temperance and such like But your good works as you terme them be the going for pardons the seeking of images the praying to dead Saints the taking of holy water the hearing of Masse without vnderstanding the wearing of beads the offering of candles the idle spending of your holidaies the comming to confession the creeping to the crosse the fasting of Saints eues the praying for all Christian soules the building of Monasteries and chanteries the charming of Churches and chalices with a thousand superstitions more for your profite and aduantage These I say and such like are your good workes which beget nothing as Saint Paul saith but haughtinesse vaine glory couetousnesse pride hatred malice manslaughter gluttony drunkennesse sloath idolatry sedition witch craft fornication letchery and such like sins of the flesh And now to conclude with this my soules prayer Oh eternall Father for thy infinite mercies sake graciously grant that our soueraigne Lord and king Lewis the 13. may be so inspired with the true vnderstanding of thy word that hee would clearely cast out of his priuy Counsell house these locusts of Aegypt and daily vpholders of Sodome and Gomora the popes cruell cattell to the vniuersall health of his people for neuer shall he haue of them but deceiptfull counsellers and hollow hearted gentlemen Finally O Lord take from thē their inordinate pompe and riches and more godly bestow it to the aide and maintenance of the commonwealth As for an example it hath in times past bene done in England our neighbour kingdome where all Monasteries Nunneries Conuents and Friers houses were conuerted into schooles of Christian learning hospitals for sicke persons and conuenient dwelling places for poore and aged people reseruing the rest of their lands and goods to the maintenance of their citties and townes Which godly deede is now commended through all Christendome and there O happy country is Christ truly harboured nourished couered fed and visited in his diseased members all which will be recompenced at the latter day God grant that France and all other nations may do the like Amen FINIS