Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	catholic_a	church_n	creed_n	4,857	5	10.9440	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03882	A treatise concerning the properties and offices of the true Church of Christ VVritten in Latin, by the reuerend Father Iames Gordon Huntley of Scotland, Doctour of Diuinity, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English, by I.L. of the same Society. The first part of the second controuersy; Controversiarum epitomes. English. Selections	Gordon, James, 1541-1620.; Wright, William, 1563-1639.	1614 (1614)	STC 13997; ESTC S118148	27,620	62

disputatiō is not properly of the auncient Church which was before Christs time but of that which ensued the promulgation of the Gospell till this our present age whereof Christ sayth Vpon this rocke I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it For albeit the Church hath beene alwayes visible euen frō the beginning of the world till the cōming of Christ as Paulus Orosius Eusebius haue out of the holy Scriptures in euery age declared In this our age also Genebrard Sanders and Coccius haue briefly demonstrated the same Yet notwithstanding before the comming of Christ the whole Church of God was in a manner concluded into greater straits of persons and place according to those words of the Prophet Dauid God was knowne in Iury againe He hath not done thus to euery Nation and he hath not manifested or made knowne his iudgment vnto them But amongst the Gentils there were but a few who acnowledged and rightly worshipped God Wherefore the true Church was often reduced vnto a few persons in number but notwithstāding euer visible those very eminent in sanctity and holynesse as is declared by S. Augustins words already alledged But the state and condition of the Church of Christ is farre differēt after the promulgatiō of the Gospell frō that other for now that blessed seed of Abrahā is come wherin all the Natiōs of the earth were to be Blessed Now those prophecies of Christs inheritaūce and Kingdomes are fullfilled Aske of me thee I wil giue all Nations for thy inheritaunce and the bounds of the whole earth for thy possession Also He shall gouerne and reigne from sea to sea and from the ryuer to the end of the whole world And againe All the Kings of the earth shall adore him and all Nations shall serue him Moreouer our Lord hath prepared his holy arme in the eyes of all Nations and all the limits of the earth shall see the saluation of our Lord and God When S. Angustine had alledged this place among others against the Donatists admiring their great madnesse and ignorance who affirme the Church to be eyther inuisible or to ly lurking in some od place only brake forth into these most true words worthy of so great a Doctor who is sayth he so deafe who is so mad and who is foolish to contradict these so cleare euident testimonies but he which knoweth not what he speaketh And truly that the Church of God was farre more knowen and spread ouer the whole world after the promulgation of the Gospell euen in the Apostles tyme then it euer was in the tyme of the law those words of the Apostle do sufficiently declare But Isay haue they not heard And certes into all earth hath the sound of them gone forth and vnto the ends of the whole world the wordes of them And againe speaking vnto the Romā Church he sayth I giue thankes to my God through Iesus Christ for all of you because your fayth is renewed in the whole world 7. Moreouer from the Apostles tyme till this our present age the Church of Christ hath byn not only visible but also spread abroad knowne and most famous throughout diuers Kingdomes of the world as many historiographers as well Ecclesiasticall as prophane doe testify and the worthy Cardinall Caesar Boronius hath euidently declared and that not only throughout all ages but also euery yeare in so much that those who do not consent and agree heereunto are not only to be accounted Insidels but as S. Augustine speaketh very fitly and truely men out of their wittes CHAP. VI. Other arguments of our Aduersaries against the visible Church are confuted THE third argument of our Aduersaries wherby they impugne the visible Church is this the holy Scripture compareth the Church to the moone but the moone doth often tymes not appeare as it hapneth in the new moone and in the Ecclips I answere that we must not seeke for a similitude or likenesse in all thinge● betwixt the Church and the moone for otherwise the Church of Christ should neyther see nor vnderstand nor belieue and it should be altogeather without life as the moone is But in this matter that similitude or liknesse betwixt the Church and the moone is only to be sought out in which the Scripture compareth the Church to the moone but the Scripture doth not compare the Church to the moone as she is a mutable planet but as she is beautifull in her selfe Beautifull saith Salomon as the moone but in mutability the Scripture compareth a soole to the moone but not the Church A foole saith the Wisemen is changed as the moone Moreouer the Church of Christ is not compared to euery moone but only to the moone when she is in her fulnesse perfection yea to the moone which is neuer diminished nor fayleth hēce are those words of the Prophet Isar which Caluin acknowledgeth are to be vnderstood of the Church Thy sunne shall neuer more be set and thy moone shall not be diminished or as Caluin translateth it shall not be hidden Lastly S. Iohn saith that the moone is vnder the feete of the Church that therby we may vnderstād that the Church of Christ by the vertue of the sunne to wit Christ himselfe where withall she is wholy inuested and adorned is free from all mutability in matters of faith 2. The fourth argument Those thinges which we belieue by faith are inuisible but by faith we belieue there is a Catholike Church as appeareth by the Apostles Creed therefore the Catholike Church is inuisible and not visible I answere that this is a weake argument albeit Caluin also vseth it For if it were not it would proue that the holy Scripture were also inuisible because we belieue also the holy Scripture by faith yea it would also proue euen our Aduersaries Church to be as yet inuisible for they as yet belieue their Church by faith and yet they cōfesse that their Church is now visible And truely if their Church had remayned still inuisible they had neuer caused so many tumults in the Christian Common-wealth But certainly euen as in the holy Scriptures we see one thinge and belieue another we see the letters characters the which the Infidels also see but we belieue that the Scripture is most true in all thinges the which they do not belieue so we se that the Church of Christ is extant the which also the Infidels do see for Turkes Iewes do very well know that there is a Pope and that there are Bishops Princes and Christian Nations but we belieue that this Church which we see is an holy Church is gouerned directed by the holy Ghost and that she cannot erre in matters of faith all which the Infidels do not belieue 3. The fifth argument None is in the Church but by faith but faith is inuisible therfore the

that it hath donne thus not only for the space of one yeare but for a thousand or at least 900. yeares All which how absurd they are we will now declare 2. But to the end that all which we are to say hereafter of this matter may be the better vnderstood we must note heere that when we affirme that the Church cannot erre in fayth that by this word fayth we vnderstand not only that inuisible fayth which is in our mind but also visible that is to say the publike doctrine of the whole Church which is proposed or set downe to be belieued of all Wherfore when we affirme that the Church cannot erre in matters of fayth we affirme also that the doctrine or points of fayth the which the Church of God setteth downe as the most certayne and vndoubted word of God cannot be false but the very word of God it selfe which I will clearly declare by these arguments 3. The first argument is deduced out of all those properties and offices of the true Church before alledged out of Scripture For the true fayth being once taken away all the foresayd properties of the Church must needes perish and all her offices must cease For the Church cā neyther be the spouse of Christ nor the body nor the Kingdome nor the inheritance nor the tēple of Christ without faith but neyther can the Church without faith the true doctrine therof eyther conceyue bring forth nourish gouerne or defend Christ●es flocke And in this manner the church of Christ for so many ages had lost all her properties had intermitted all her proper offices contrary to so many and so cleare promises of holy wit● before alleadged 4. The second argument is deduced out of most cleare testimonyes of holy Scripture which teach that the Church cānot erre in faith For first Christ himself affirmeth that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church But if the Church could erre in faith the gates of hell for so many ages past had preuailed against her 5. Moreouer God speaketh thus by his Prophet Isay of the Couenant of the new Testament This is my league with them saith our Lord my spirit which is in thee and my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth out of the mouth of thy seed out of the mouth of the seeds seed saith our Lord frō hence forth euen to the worlds end But in our A●●●rsaries opiniō the words which God hath put into the mouth of the Church had departed many ages out of her mouth 6. Lastly the Apostle affirmeth that the Church is the Pillar and stability of truth But if the Church could erre in faith and teach publikely against the word of God it should be the Pillar rather of falshood then of truth Some of our Aduersaries do āswere vnto this place that the Church is called indeed the Pillar of truth because it doth not erre when it followeth and is agreable vnto the word of God yet neuerthelesse it erreth when it disagreeth from the word of God But this is a very friuolous answere For according vnto this interpretation euery Church of Heretickes of Iewes Turkes yea of the Diuels themselues should be the Pillar of truth For none of these erreth when it is agreable to the word of God But a Pillar is that which necessarily and alwaies vpholdeth that which it strenghtneth and whose pillar it is wherfore the Church should not be the Pillar of truth vnlesse it alwaies sticke and be ioyned with the truth and vphould it Caluin therfore conuinced by the euidency of the truth writeth that if true Church be the Pillar of truth it is most certaine that the Kingdome where lyes falshood reygneth cannot be the true Church Thus Caluin 7. The third argument is deduced out of diuers Absurdities which ensue out of the doctrine of our Aduersaries The first adsurdity is that the Apostles Creed were false wherin we belieue the holy Catholike Church For that Church cannot be holy which wanteth the true faith which teacheth falsities and wickednes which forceth all men to Idolatry 8. The second absurdity is that Christ himselfe and the holy Ghost should erre and teach thinges both false and wicked For the doctrine of the Church is not so much the doctrine of the Church as it is of Christ of the holy Ghost VVho heareth you saith Christ heareth me and in another place The Paraclete the holy Ghost whome my Father will send you in my name he will teach you all thinges And the Apostles said It seemeth good to the holy Ghost and to vs. Lastly God himself by his Prophet speaking vnto the Church affirmeth that his holy Spirit is in the Church and that he hath put his words into the mouth of the Church which shall neuer be taken out of her mouth from henceforth till the end of the world Wherefore if the Church could erre in the doctrine of faith Christ also the holy Ghost and God himselfe should erre 9. The third absurdity is that a building could cōsist stand without a foūdation For the sayth of Christ is the foūdation of the Church if yet sayth the Apostle you continue in the sayth grounded and stable And in another place he teacheth that the Church is grounded vpon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets but the foundation being taken away the building must needs fall This absurdity is so manyfest that it forced Caluin to confesse this very truth which now we teach to be euidently conuinced out of S. Pauls words If sayth he the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets be the foundation of the Church take away that doctrine and how can the building stand Thus Caluin 10. The fourth absurditie is that the true Church should consist and be without her prop●r and essentiall forme no otherwise then if one should say that a true and liuing man might consist and be without his soule For the true fayth and the true preaching thereof are as it were the essentiall formes of the Church Caluin also acknowledgeth this absurdity when he writeth that the fayth of the Church being taken away there must needes follow the vtter ouerthrow of religion euen as the life of man is ouerthrowen and taken away if he be stabbed with a dagger or deadly wounded at the hart 11. The fourth argument is deduced out of the manifest contradictions which follow of the contrary doctrine For they who cōtēd that the true church of Christ doth erre in fayth do not indeed know what they say for that is the only true Church of Christ which retayneth and kepeth still the name the sincere fayth of Christ but that is the fal●e Church of Christ which only professeth the name of Christ but erreth in fayth Wherefore to say that the Church of Christ erreth in fayth is all one as to say that the

true Church is not the true Church but the false which implieth a contradiction 12. The fift argument is deduced out of those things which our Aduersaries do graunt vnto vs. For the common doctrine of our Aduersaries is as we will shew hereafter that the sincere preaching of the word of God and lawfull administration of Sacraments are the markes and signes of the true Church without which it cannot consist therfore it necessarily followeth that they must also admit that the true Church cannot erre in fayth and in the true preaching of the word of God For that Church cānot sincerely preach the word of God who fouly erreth in points of fayth and in the true preaching therof Caluin also out of diuers places of Scripture doth proue that it is a false Church and not a true which erreth in the principall points of fayth and ●he acknowledgeth that the true Church cannot erre therein they being necessary to saluation Beza in like manner writeth that the true Church cannot erre in the chiefe poyntes of fayth albeit he saith that it erreth in lesser matters the which distinction of poynts of fayth he hath takē out of Caluin The Church therfore cānot erre at the least in chiefe points of faith euē in our Aduersaries iudgmēts 13. Our Aduersaries heape togeather a great many of arguments but they are such as may easily be answered For wher● as they know that their arguments are but weake and almost nothing wor●h they endeauour by the multitude thereof to oppresse the truth or at the least to obscure ●ide it Many of them when they manifestly see that it is impossible that the true Church can consist or be without faith they craftily feygne that the Controuersy betwixt vs is not of this matter but of some other far different that is to say of that vvhereof none euer doubteth so dealeth Caluin with vs. For when he had confessed that to be the false Church and not the true which erreth in principall poynts of fayth consequently that the true Church cannot erre herein as out of his owne words we haue already declared at the last he feigneth that the controuersy in this matter is not whether the Church can erre or no but whether she may erre if she take not for her companion the word of God and that we affirme that whatsoeuer she shall decree eyther without or besids the word of God that the same is to be accounted as a most certayne oracle of God But that he and his affirme that therefore the Church cannot erre because it permitteth it selfe to be directed and gouerned by the sayd word of God and because it teacheth nothing but out of the word of God But this is a meere slander F●or there can no Catholike be found who doth not acknowledge that the Church permitteth it selfe to be directed in all things by the word of God seing that the sole word of God is the obiect of ●aith as we haue sayd be●ore wherfore the true Church proposeth nothing els vnto vs to be belie●ued with a Catholike fayth but the most sincere and true word of God But in this matter only is the controuersy betwixt vs and our Aduersaries that they acknowledg only the written word of the holy Scripture to be the true word of God but we not only acknowledge the written word but also that which was preached and deliuered vnto vs by Christ and his Apostles Wherof we haue said inough in the precedent disputation 14. Some others by friuolous distinctions endeauour to hyde this their error and to obscure and darken most cleare perspicuous matters wheras notwithstanding in very truth they can say nothing els but that which we haue already taught For they inuent and imagine a twofold Church the one pure the other impure wherein they place euen Heretikes themselues this which is impure say they erreth in faith but not that which is pure But we acknowledge only one holy Catholik Church of Christ with the Creed of the Apostles that of the Councel of Nice we willingly yield vnto them their impure Church wherin the Heretikes are For none doubteth but that such a Church may erre But as this is a false not the true Church of Christ so of it is not this present Controuersy but only of the true and pure Church of Christ. 15. Others distinguish the Church into visible and inuisible and they say that the inuisible Church cannot erre but the visible may erre But we haue now already declared that the true Church of Christ must needes be visible Wherfore this distinction is now sufficiently refuted And truly it importeth but a little whether that their inuisible Church can erre or not erre seing that it cannot be seene or knowne of any and consequently cannot be profitable vnto any 16. There are also some of the later Sectaries who distinguish and deuide the Church into the Church of the Saints which are in Heauen and into that which remayneth fighting heere vpon earth And they say that the Church triumphāt of Saints cannot erre in faith or in the doctrine of faith but the Church militant may erre But this is a ridiculous distinction First because the Saints haue not fayth but a cleare vision of God for as the Apostle witnesseth Fayth concerneth things which doe not appeare wherefore if at any tyme faith perished vpon earth without al doubt it could not be ●ound in heauen neyther must we expect the doctrine of fayth from heauen as the Anabaptists doe who seeke for reuelations from heauen● but we must looke to receiue it from the Church militant vpon earth Moreouer the properties and offices of the Church of Christ before alledged out of holy Scripture do not agree as is manifest to the Church triumphant of Saints but to the Church militāt vpon earth For neither is that Church of the Saints betrothed vnto Christ by fayth neyther are the Saynts those who preach vnto vs the word of God who administer the Sacramēts vnto vs who execute the other offices of the Church but men liuing vpō earth wherfore they runne in vaine to this heauenly Church wherof we do not heere dispute 17. Moreouer that is also a very weake reason wherby they thinke that they conuince that the Church militant vpon earth may erre This Church sayth he militant vpon earth is imperfect and therfore the may erre euen in explicating the doctrine of fayth for otherwise a perfect effect might proceed from an imperfect cause So he As though forsooth there could be no other imperfection in the Church besid● infidelity or error in explicating the doctrine of fayth or as though the whole perfection of the Church consisted in fayth only and in the doctrine thereof and not also in charity and other giftes of God as the Apostle declareth at large Or lastly as though this perfection of the Church

A TREATISE CONCERNING the Properties and Offices of the true Church of Christ. VVRITTEN In Latin by the Reuerend Father Iames Gordon Huntley of Scotland Doctour of Diuinity of the Society of IESVS And translated into English by I. L. of the same Society The first Part of the second Controuersy Permissu Superiorum M.DC.XIV THE FIRST CHAPTER Of the Properties and offices of the true Church of Christ. IN the disputation of the Church that first of all is to be obserued that whereas our Aduersaries haue brought in and do hold many erroneous opinions they do all proceed out of the ignorance of the true definition and Nature of the Church It is a true saying of the Apostle that they which erre and wander from the true faith are conuerted into vaine talke desirous to be Doctours of the ●aw not vnderstanding neyther what thinges they speake nor of what they affirme For if our Aduersaries did well vnderstand or could conceyue what is imported by the Name Nature of the Church they would neuer affirme so many absurdities of the Church of Christ. We will therfore first of all declare and explicate what is to be vnderstood properly by the name of the Church 2. But this best of all is declared by the Properties of the Church of Christ and by her Offices commended vnto vs in the holy Scripture it selfe and those we call properties which do agree with the Church as she hath relation vnto Christ her chiefe head and Pastour But those we call her offices which the Church exerciseth towards her Children There are indeed many properties of the Church assigned by holy Scripture but it shall suffice vs to alleadge and note these fiue only 3. The first is that the Church is the spouse of Christ. I will betroth thee vnto me for euer saith the Prophet Osee and againe I will betroth thee vnto me in faith and Isaias The bridegrome will reioyce in his bride and thy God she speaketh vnto the Church shall reioyce in thee Christ also by the Prophet Salomon sayth Come o my spouse from Libanus In the new Testament also the Church is called the spouse of Christ. He which hath the bryde saith S. Iohn Baptist is the bridegroome And the Apostle I haue despoused you to one man to present you a chaste Virgin vnto Christ. Lastly S. Iohn Euangelist in his Reuelations saith the brydegrome and bryde do say Come 4. The second is that the Church is the mysticall body of Christ. VVe being marry saith the Apostle are one body in Christ and againe you are the body of Christ and members of member and in another place And he hath made him to wit Christ head ouer all the Church which is his body 5. The third propertie is that the Church is the Kingdome of Christ. Our Lord shall reygne ouer them saith the Prophet Micheas in the mountaine of Syon from hence now and euermore And the Angell as witnesseth S. Luke speaketh thus of Christ. He shall reigne in the house of Iacob for euer Lastly Christ himselfe saith vnto his Disciples the Kingdome of God is within you 6. The fourth propertie is that the Church is the Inheritance of Christ Aske of me saith God the Father vnto his Sonne and I will giue thee all Nations for thyne Inheritance And againe the Prophet Dauid sayth Saue thy people ô Lord and blesse thyne Inheritance And Lastly Blessed is that Nation whose Lord is God thereof a people whome God hath chosen for his Inheritance 7. The fifth property is that the Church is the Citty of God and Christ. glorious thinges are spoken of the Citty of God sayth the Prophet Dauid And againe the mayne streame of the riuer doth cōfort the Citty of God and Christ himselfe saith A Citty placed vpon a mountaine cannot be hydde And hence it is that the Church is called the heauēly Ierusalem and Syon as also the Temple house of God You are come saith the Apostle to mount Syon and the Citty of the liuing God heauenly Ierusalem And in another place You are the Temple of the liuing God Lastly that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to conuerse in the house of God which is the Church of the liuing God 8. But now the offices of the Church are many the which may be reduced to fiue heades For the Church as witnesseth the Apostle is our Mother 9. A Mother exerciseth fiue offices towards her Children First she conceyueth them Secondly she bringeth them forth Thirdly she nourisheth them Fourthly she gouerneth them Fifthly she defēdeth and preserueth them from all daungers till they come to the vse of reason all these thinges the Church performeth vnto vs vntill we meete all with Christ the spouse of the Church and our Father into the vnity of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God into a perfect man into the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ as the Apostle speaketh 10. The first office therfore of the Church is to propound vnto all the word of God and that fully as concerning those thinges which are necessary to saluation sincerely clearly and without any errour For the word of God is the incorruptible seed wherby we are conceyued and borne againe as Christ and his Apostles do testify But the Church performeth this both by word writings whiles she conuerteth Gentils Mahumets Heretikes and Atheists and Christ enioyned this office vnto the Church in those wordes preach you the Ghospell vnto euery creature 11. The second office of the Church is lawfully to administer the Sacraments For by these also we are regenerated and nourished strenthened gouerned and defended This office also Christ enioyned vnto his Church when he commaūded her to Baptize administer the other Sacraments 12. The third office of the Church is to feed those who are borne to Christ not only by the Sacraments but also by the word of God Feed saith S. Peter the flock of God which is among you But the Church feedeth the weaker and ruder sorte of people with milke and not with stronger meates as the Apostle speaketh hence it commeth to passe that the Catholike Cathechismes are taught so much in the Church But she nourisheth those which are stronger in faith with sol●de meates and not only with milke 13. The fourth office of the Church is to gouerne according to those wordes of S. Paul Take heede to your selues and to the whole flocke wherein the holy Ghost hath placed you Bishops to rule the Church of God Hence it ensueth that there haue byn so many Assemblies and Councells called togeather that heresyes might be condemned manners reformed and Ecclesiasticall order well established in all thinges also that for this office there are chosen Preachers Pastors Administrators of the Sacramēts and all other thinges are ordayned which do concerne the right gouernment