Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	fundamental_a	point_n	protestant_n	5,493	5	9.7792	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20163	An ansvvere to one question Wherevpon dependet[h] the resolution of all controuersies, doubts, and questions, which are, or can be made about matters of faith[.] Wherefore it is dilige[n]tly, & carefully reade, and duely pondered, after prayer made to God for the light of his grace, without which it cannot be rightly vnderstood in such sort as is fit. Permissu superiorum.		1628 (1628)	STC 660; ESTC S115860	8,090	24

AN ANSVVERE TO ONE QVESTION WHEREVPON DEPENDET● The Resolution of all CONTROVERSIES Doubts and Questions which are or can be made about matters of FAITH Wherefore it is to be diligētly carefully reade and duely pondered after prayer made to God for the light of his grace without which it cannot be rightly vnderstood in such sort as is fit Permissu Superiorum Printed at DOWAY MCDXXVIII THE QVESTION WHether is it necessary that there should be in all ages since Christ a Visible Christian Church hauing in it lawfully sent visible Pastours and Doctours teaching with Infallible Authority One and the same Infallible sincere and intire Faith of Christ necessary to saluation without admixtion of any errour proposed as deuine Truth by addition or detraction or mis-interpretation contrary to the Doctrine first deliuered by our Sauiour and his Apostles which Church hath bin such THE ANSWERE It is necessary that one such Church be and the Roman Catholicke Church only is such For Declaration of the truth of this my Answere IT Is to be noted 1. That although Almighty God by his omnipotent power could by extraordinary meanes breed infallible supernaturall Deuine soule-sauing Faith in men without vsinge the help of any visible Doctours Pastours or any other liuing creature Yet if we speake as we ought according to the ordinary law course of Gods prouidēce manifested in the Holy Scriptures and confirmed by Histories and daily experience It is necessary that there should be in all ages some or other Visible Doctours and Pastours or lawfully sent Preachers authorised by Almighty God and assisted by the Holy Spirit of Truth promised for euer to be in the said Church to teach it all Truth For otherwise people of each age could not be sufficiently instructed nor confirmed in Infallible certainty and vnity requisite in soule-sauing Christian Faith nor preserued from wauering in vncertainety or wandering in errours contrary to that One Infallible entire and sincere Faith of Christ which is necessary to saluation Note 2. That the Necessity of Doctors and Pastors in the Church is not only generally acknowledged by ancient Fathers and all other learned Catholiques of this age but is also confessed by the Learneder sort of Protestants Only Protestants deny these Doctours and Pastours of whatsoeuer age after the Apostles to haue Infallible Aucthority although teaching with vnanimous consent or with full Authority of a lawfully called continued and confirmed Generall Counsell vnlesse it be in points Fundamentall or soe farreforth as they prooue out of Scripture But Catholickes hold the Authority of the Church to be Infallible in whatsoeuer point of Faith This therefore being the chiefe point in Question I will prooue that there is Infallible Aucthority in the lawfully sent Doctors Pastours and Preachers of the Visible Church of Christ soe farreforth as in any age after Christ they teach and propose to people doctrine to be beleeued by deuine Faith with vnanimous consent or with there full Aucthority in any lawfully called continued and confirmed Generall Councell whatsoeuer the point of Faith be Fundamētall or not Fundamentall prooued out of Scripture or not soe prooued This I prooue first by plaine texts of holy Scriptures My spirit which is in thee Isa 59.21 and my word which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed from benceforth for euer I will aske my Father Ioan. 14.16 and he will giue you another Paraclete that he may remaine with you for euer the spirit of Truth When the spirit of Truth shall Come Ioan. 16.13 he shall teach you all Truth Going teach all nations c. taching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue Commanded you Matth. 28 19.20 and behould I am with you all dayes vnto the end of the world Preach the Gospell to euery creature and he that will not beleeue shall be condemned Mare 16.16 Hee that will not heare the Math. 18 17. Church let him bee to the a Heathen and Publican Vpon the Chayre of Moyses Scribes Math. 23.2 3. and Pharises haue sitten all things therfore whatsoeuer they shall say to you Obserue yee and doe Hee that heareth you Luc. 10.16 heareth me he that despiseth you despiseth me Obey your Prelates and be subiect to them for they Watch Heb. 13.17 as being to render accompt for your Soules The lipps of the Preist shall keepe Knowledg Malach. 2.7 and they shall require the Law out of his Mouth because he is the Angell or Messenger of the Lord of Hostes He that shal be proud refusing to obey the Commaundement of the Priest Deterom 17. who at that time doth minister vnto the Lord by decree of the Iudge that man shall dye How shall they beleeue Rom. 10.14.15 whome they haue not heard How shall they heare without a Preacher How shall they preach vnles they besent Hee hath giuen some Apostles Ephes 4. Some Prophets and Euangelists others Pastors and Doctours c. that we be not now little ones wauering and Carried about with enery wind of Doctrine The Church of the Liuing God is the Pillar and Ground of Truth 1. Tim. 3.15 Out of which texts I frame this argument THose to whome Almighty God hath promised the spirit of Truth to teach them all Truth and in whose mouth he hath placed his word and this not for one or two or moe of the first ages after Christ but for euer all dayes vntill the end of the world making them his Legates and Messengers ouer the whole world and out of whose mouth people are to require his Law in whome they are commanded to heare beleiue and obey in whatsoeuer they teach as if Christ Iesus himselfe did teach and this vnder paine of Death and eternall Damnation and of being accompted as Heathens and Publicans Those I say to whome such Promises are made and such Authority is giuen by Allmightie God without any Limitation or restictiue Condition must needs be thought to haue farre more Authority then any others to whome no such Promise was made nor Authority giuen yea they must needes be thought to haue Infallible Authority and to be a firme Pillar and Ground of Truth as S. Paul stileth the Church soe as they neuer did nor shall be permitted to teach any errours by Addition Detraction or Misinterpretatiō of Gods Word at least with vnanimous Consent and when by a Visum est Spiritui Sancto et nobis or some such like signe of vsing their full Authority they expresse thēselues to teach as Gods Legats Messengers and lawfully sent Preachers not thire owne Priuate inuentions or opinions but the publique Doctrine of God and the Church But to the Doctours and Pastours of the Catholick Visible Church in all Ages these Promises were made and this Authority was giuen without any Limitation or restrictiue Condition

haue nor can haue Infallible certainty of any point proposed as deuine Truth by vnanimous consent or full authorite of the Church we can haue no Deuine fayth at all Rom. 10. Eph. 4. for sith as S. Paul signifieth Deuine Fayth cometh by heraing the Word of Christ preached by those onely who are lawfully sent as are those Doctours and Pastours lineally desceding from Christ and his Apostles which by Christ his appointment must be allwayes in the Church If we can not haue Infallible assurance by hearing these Doctours and Pastouis in any poynt they teach we can haue noe Deuine Fayth at all for this requireth Infallible assurance Therfore If the Authority of the Church or the Doctours or Pastours thereof be not Infallible in proposing and teaching Deuine Truth in whatsoeuer euen in the least poynt we can haue no Infallible assurance in any other poynt of Deuine Truth nor any Deuine Faith in whatsoeuer point allthough most necessary to saluation The 2. reason IF we that liue now had neuer hard of Christ or his Apostles or their Preaching or writing Deuinely reuailed Truths necessary to Saluation or had onely heard of them one or moe but such as weare cōmonly knowne to tell nothing but fictions and lyes we could not at least according to the ordinary course of deuine Prouidēce beleeue these necessary points at all yea although we had heard of these by some one or moe honest men who sometymes speake true sometymes false the most we could doe were to assent vnto these things by a probable yet weake and fallible opinion or humane faith Therefore to assent vnto these things by an absolute sure and Infallible Iudgment of Deuine Supernaturall faith It is needfull that these Doctours and Pastours of the Church by whose teachinge we are by the ordinarie course of Gods Prouidence to learne them by men not only sent but also Infallibly assisted by God and that partly with naturall or at least with Supernaturall guifts this their Authority may Sufficiently be made knowne to be such as may Iustly moue men to a supernaturall Deuine and Infallible beleefe For although these things be as they are in all the foresaid cases in themselues infallible Deuine Truths yet they do not breede in vs Infallible supernaturall and Deuine beleefe vntill they be applyed to our vnderstanding by a meanes hauinge in it a due Proportion of Deuine supernaturall and Infallible Authority Sith therefore This ordinary meanes which by Gods appointment is to apply these Truths to our vnderstanding is no other besides the teaching of the Doctours and Pastours of the true cōtinually Visible Catholique Church It must be granted that they haue an Infallible Supernaturall and Participatiue Deuine Authority in their teaching so long as they teach with Vnanimous consent and conformable to that which is Authorized Doctrine of the Church The Third Reason IF there be not Infallible Authority in the Pastours of the Church in Proposing deuine Truths by vnanimous Consent or by there full Authority it is at least morally Impossible that Vnity of Faith soe much commended 1. Cor. 1.10 ●phes 4.3.45 ●●●llpi 2.2 Gel. 5.20 and required so much to be amongst Christians should be preserued or that Heresies Schismes so much fpoken against both by Scriptures Antient Fathers could be preuented or taken away For sith words of Scriptures do not expresse all matters pertaining to Faith as namely which Bookes be Canonicall Scripture which Apocriphall which in doubtfull and not euident causes is true and Infallible translation and which is the Infallible sence of the wordes of the holy text and which taxts those be which containe points of doctrine Fundamentall or necessary for all sorts to know Beleeue expressely Sith also about seeming plaine words of Scripture euē cōtaining points necessary to be knowne and beleeued expresely there haue bin and daily doe or may arise questions or Coutrouersies euen amongst learned men about the sence Some houlding it necessary to saluation to take the words in this others in a contrary sence If there be not an Infallible Aucthority in the Church to instruct men Infallibly in the right sence and to deside controuersies arising about the sence How it is possible that men should submitt these there different opinions to some other mans Iudgment in matters of such moment as is eternall Saluation or Damnation when each man is by nature apt to apprehend that to be truest which seemeth so to his owne witt and vnderstanding and that to be securest which being sutable to his owne apprehention seemeth to be confirmed by to-him-seeming-plaine words of deuine Scripture as euery sensuall sect maister apprehendeth his opnion to be confirmed by some or otheir to-him-seeming-plaine wordes of deuine Scripture Other Reasons might be added But by these it is playne enough that the Authority of the perpetuall Visible Church is not onely such as is of other priuat men who do not Ordinarily erre in points of Faith Fundamentall and necessary to be knowne of all sorts or in such points which they can euidently prooue out of Sripture but that it is obsolutly Infallible and neuer did doth or shall erre at least with Vnanimous consent or when it teacheth by her full Authority in whatsoeuer point Fundamentall or not Fundamentall prooued or not prooued by Scripture Which being so you may plainly see supposing there cannot as there cannot be assigned anie other True Visible Church in all Ages since Christ different from the Roman which can doth shew it felfe to haue beene (✚) See 〈…〉 … bula 〈…〉 al●o S. 〈…〉 Cata … in the A●p●●dix to th● Antido●● Visible and teaching without change the Faith of Christ in all Ages You may see I say First how safely you may rely vpon the Authority of the Roman Church and noe other in whatsoeuer point pertaining to Christian Faith and Religion espcially when euen best learned Protestāts do grant that (†) See Protestants Apology Tract 1. Sect. 6. Saluation may be had in it 2 How vniustly Protestants pretēd cause of there seperation frō her to haue bene that she hath changed her first faith ether by Addition Detraction or Misinterpretation of any point of Faith especially necessary to saluation Thirdly how needfull it is for those who either for one reason or other remaine seperate from the Faith Vnity and obedience of the Roman Church to returne with speed into the Vnity of the Roman Church as the doue into Noe his Arke in regard there is noe other place whereupon they may safely rest the feete of their Faith Conscience or where in they can abide with out danger of being drowned in eternall Damnation For out of the true infallible all wayes Visible Catholicke which is onely the Roman Church There is noe communion of Saints no remission of Sinnes no saluation of Soule to be hoped for And what 〈◊〉 it profit a man to gayne all the wo●●● with losse or hasard of the losse of Eternall Saluation of his Soule I will therefore conclude with t●●… Dilemma drawne out of a discourse S. Augustine If there be no Prouider of God in human matters then a m●● neede not indeuour to be of a right Religion nor care whether he be of this or that or any Religion at all But i● there be a deuine Prouidence as all but Atheists do confesse and these also may be cōuinced to beleeue by the greatnes multitude beauty variety and order which is seene in the whole world and by the secret instinct ingrauen in the hartes of all euen most barberous people and felt somtimes especially in daunger of death euen by Atheists them selues Then it is not to be doubted but that there is by deuine prouidence ordained some on or other certaine and Infallible Authority vpon which as vpon a sure Step we may rely for finding out that one Infallible and entire true Faith and Religion in which God is Pleased to be serued of men and without which it is Impossible that God should be pleased or men doe to him that duty for which they were created or attaine that happy End vnto which they were ordained But among all Authorities ordained by Almighty God for this purpose there is none greater and more worthy to be credited then the Authority of the Catholicke Romane Church which euen by Confession or acknowledgmēt of Makind hath beene esteemed to haue highest Authority from the Apostolicall Seate by successiō of Bishops while Heretiques haue in vaine barcked round about it haue ben condemned partly by the Iudgment of the people partly by the grauity of Counsels partly by the Maiesty of Miracles To which Authority not to yeald principality is huge impiety or headlong arrogancy Therefore it is not to be doubted but the Authority of the Catholicke Roman Church is Infallible and that vpon it as vpon a sure stepp we may rely or finding out that One Infallible entire Faith and Religion which is necessary to Saluation FINIS