Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	covenant_n	seal_n	seal_v	4,393	5	10.3434	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28837	A conference with Mr. Claude, minister of Charenton, concerning the authority of the church by James Benigne Bossuet, Bishop of Meaux ... ; faithfully done into English out of the French original.; Conference avec M. Claude, ministre de Charenton, sur la matière de l'eglise. English	Bossuet, Jacques Bénigne, 1627-1704.; Claude, Jean, 1619-1687.	1687 (1687)	Wing B3780; ESTC R23256	107,935	138

Revelation the Church which is but the bare Interpreter No Sir reply'd I I equal not the Church to St. Paul but I say that to pretend one ought to be Believ'd without examining when one thinks to act only as an Instrument of which the Holy Ghost makes use is not to have Dominion over the Conscience as the Example of St. Paul demonstrates Besides I pretend not to equal the Churches Authority to the Apostolical The Apostles were Authors of the Revelation as you have very well said that is they first receiv'd the Truths which it pleas'd GOD to reveal The Church is only the Interpreter and Depositary But saving this essential Difference between the Apostles and the Church I say That the Church is as much inspir'd to Interpret as the Apostles were to Establish and that holding the Grace of Interpretation from the same Spirit which gave the first Revelation to the Apostles she no more exercises Dominion over the Consciences in Interpreting than the Apostles did in Establishing But that both the one and the other cause the Holy Ghost to have Dominion over them according to the Measure which is given to every one It must be prov'd said Mr. Claude that the Church has receiv'd a like Grace There 's no need of proving answer'd I immediately 't is sufficient to shew that the Passage you alledge is not concluding To this there was nothing said But if I remember well Mr. Claude exaggerated a little how strange it was that we would oblige Men to believe the Church like GOD himself upon her bare Word without making use for the Interpretation of Scripture of the Reason GOD has given us that those of Beraea did not so and that the Apostle according to our Opinion was much to blame for letting them examin his Preachings I answer'd That there was a very great Difference between the Faithful already Children of the Church and subjected to her Authority and those that still doubted whether they should enter into her Bosom That those of Beraea were in this last Condition and the Apostle would not by any means propose to 'em the Churches Authority of which they doubted But that the Faithful were not instructed in the same manner after the Councel of Jerusalem There the Apostles decided by Authority of the Holy Ghost Act. XV. v. 28. Act. XVI v. 4. It has seemed good say they to the Holy Ghost and to us What do Paul and Silas Carriers of the Councels Letter after this They went through the Cities as 't is in the Acts What to cause the Counce● of Jerusalem's Decree to be there examin'd 'T would have been to examin after the Holy Ghost himself What then They went through the Cities delivering them the Decrees for to keep that were ordained of the Apostles and Elders which were at Jerusalem See the Order The Examen in the Councel the Obedience without examining after the Decision the Examen in those of Beraea that is in those who not being in the Church have yet no Authority to regulate them Submission without examining in those who being already in the Church are only to hear her Decrees 'T is their Happiness to be in a Body which guided by the Holy Ghost can never be deceiv'd and by that means be deliver'd from the Danger of an Examen the end of which would perhaps be Error The Conference had already lasted four Hours I already had from Mr. Claude's Acknowledgment one of the Propositions I would make him confess to wit That every particular Person ought to believe he may understand the Holy Scripture better than the Universal Councels and all the rest of the Church He must yet own the other Proposition no less Important and see how GOD brought him to it As he had spoken much of this Dominion of the Church over Consciences repeating three or four times That we gave her the Respect which was due to none but GOD alone when we believ'd her without Examining I told him he need not make so strange of a thing which they did as well as we and upon that I askt him Whether a Believer at his first Receiving the Holy Scripture from the Church were oblig'd first to doubt and after to examin whether the Book she put into his Hand were truly inspir'd by GOD or no. If this Believer examins and doubts he renounces the Faith and begins the reading of the Gospel by an Act of Infidelity and if he doubts not he then receives without examining the Authority of the Church which presents him the Gospel To this see Mr. Claude's Answer The Believer you suppose who has not read the Holy Scripture and into whose Hands 't is put to speak properly doubts not he is ignorant He knows not what this Scripture is which he is told is inspir'd by GOD. He has heard his Father and those who instructed him say That 't was divinely inspir'd He yet knows no other Authority but theirs and as for what concerns the Scripture he knows not what it is Thus he cannot be said to be Unbelieving or Incredulous And pray Sir said he let me make you the same Argument upon the Church as you make me upon the Scripture The Believer to whom the Churches Authority is propos'd either believes it without examining or doubts If he doubts he is an Infidel If he doubts not by what Authority is he assur'd Is the Churches Authority a thing evident of it self and must be not find it by some Examen This is your Difficulty which you have to solve as well as I either let us quit 'em both or resolve 'em both together I declare to you that I will answer for the Scripture what you shall answer me for the Church I understand you answer'd I but before I explain to you how the Christian believes the Church let us first settle the Matter that is in question Is it not evident Sir amongst you as well as amongst us That when the Holy Scripture is shewn to Children educated in the Church 't is shewn them as a Book inspir'd by GOD and I ask whether they cannot when they are caus'd to read something in it make this Act of Faith I certainly believe that what I am going to read is GODs Word Mr. Claude answer'd here That those of whom I spake to him had yet no divine Faith concerning the Authority of the Scripture but a bare human Perswasion grounded on the Deference they had for their Parents and that they were but Catechumens Catechumens Sir said I. You must not if you please speak so They are Christians they are baptiz'd they have in them the Holy Ghost and Faith infus'd they are in the Covenant according to you they have receiv'd Baptism as a Seal of the Covenant to which they are admitted and as the Covenant is seal'd in them by the exterior Seal of Baptism the Holy Ghost seals it interiorly in their Hearts Know your own Doctrin Upon this said Mr. Claude you know