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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	authority_n	church_n	true_a	2,292	5	5.6438	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73183	Qvi non credit condemnabitvr Marc. 16. Or A discourse prouing, that a man who beleeueth in the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Passion &c. & yet beleeueth not all other inferiour articles of Christian fayth, cannot be saued And consequently, that both the Catholike, and the Protestant (seeing the one necessarily wanteth true fayth) cannot be saued. Written by William Smith, Priest.	Smith, William, Priest.	1625 (1625)	STC 22872.5; ESTC S124609	77,182	179

stiling her the pillar and foundation of truth And further it should follow that the Church should thus insufferably erre both in generall Councells as also in the priuate authorities and sentences of all the learned Fathers in the firste times 11. And thus for example the Councell of the Apostles should haue erred (k) Act. 15. in decreeing it vnlawfull to eate in those times blood and strangled meates In like sort the first Councell of Nice (l) Euseb l. 6 hist c. 33. should haue erred in condemning the Quartodecimani for heretikes because they would not keepe Easter day according to the custome of the church The councell of Rome vnder Cornelius for condemning the heresie of the Nouatians who reiected the Sacrament of Pennance as also for condemning the errour of Anabaptisme The councell (m) Vt patet in act 2. of Calchedon for condemning the Heresie of Eutiches and for prohibiting the mariages of Monkes and Virgins and the first Councell of Ephesus (n) Socra l. 7. c. 34. for condemning the heresy of Nestorius both which Heretikes beleiued in the most holy Trinity and acknowledged Christ for their Redeemer The fourth councell of Carthage (o) Can. 79. for sententionally decreeing that prayer and sacrifice for the dead was according to the true faith of Chirst and for pronouncing the denyers therof for Heretikes And finally to omitt other Coūcels the councell of Constantinople (p) Zonaras in vita Constantini Nicephorus l. 17. c. 27 should haue erred for condemning the Heresie of Origen who taught that the Diuels in the end should be saued And thus farre of councels condemning points of seeming indifferency for open wicked heresyes 12. But now graunting that the sayd points as they were houlden by the maintainers of thē were not Heresies that the beleiuers of them might be saued then two maine absurdityes doe ineuitably follow The first is the erring of the whole Church of God in condemning them for heresies they being not Heresies but true doctrines as is said The second the inconsiderate carriadge of the church in these matters For to what purpose or end were all these councells consisting of many hundreds of the most graue and Reuerend men of all christendome celebrated with such labour and trauaile out of all countries and infinite chardges if the doctrines for the impugning resisting condemning wherof they were gathered might be indifferently maintayned and defended on all sides without breach of true faith or danger of saluation The erring of the Church is no lesse manifested in the sentences and condemnation giuen by many of the most ancient famous learned Fathers in the primitiue Church not any one orthodoxall Father contradicting them therein against diuers maintayning opinions that seeme in regard or the Trinity the Incarnation c of small importance if so these opinions be not heresies nor the beleiuers of them Heretikes but men in state of saluation 13. And thus according hereto Florinus though he taught God to be the authour of sinne might be saued In like sort the Heretikes who in S. Hieromes dayes denyed the possibility of the Cōmandements the Manichees who denyed Free-will the Eunomians who taught that only faith did iustify The Aerians who denyed prayer and sacrifice for the dead and tooke away all fasting-dayes Vigilantius who taught that Priests might marry that we ought not pray to Saints Iouinian who helde mariadge to be better then virginity The Donatists who taught the inuisibility of the Church And finally to omit many others for breuity sake The Pelagians who denyed the necessity of Baptisme in Children All these men I say might be saued notwithstanding the former doctrines if so euery one might expect saluation in their Religion And yet we finde that the foresaid men were branded for wicked Heretikes their doctrines for damnable Heresies as in the seauenth chapter aboue is showed by S. Irenaeus S. Hierome S. Epiphanius Philastrius S. Augustine Theodoret and others diuers of these holy Fathers wryting Catalogues of Heresies did place the foresaid doctrines and their authours within the said Catalogues and this they did without any reluctation or gainesaying of any other ancient and learned Father of their tymes 14. From which consideration I do gather that if those opinions were not iustly condemned for heresies and their authours for Heretikes then not only the Church did fondly erre in so great a matter but also the aforesayd alleadged Fathers to wit S. Irenaeus S. Hierome Epiphanius S. Augustine with many such others should deseruedly be reputed for Heretikes for their condemning of true doctrines for heresies and the beleeuers of them for heretikes and on the contrary side Florinus the Maniches the Eunomians Vigilantius Iouinian the Donatists Pelagius and many other such should be accounted for their teaching of true doctrins orthodoxall Fathers and authours and might haue iustly complayned of their insupportable wronges and indignityes proceeding from the pennes of the foresayd Fathers an absurdity which I thinke no man enioying the benefit of his fiue senses will allow And yet the admittance of our Newtralists paradox inauoydably draweth on this inference 15. Another absurdity accompanying the former doctrine is that Heretikes should be true members of Christs church This I deduce For seeing by the consent of all learned men none can be saued but such as be members of Christs Church for otherwayes Turks and Iewes dying in that state might be saued and seeing the foresayd registred doctrines and the authours are condemned for heresies and Heretikes both by the authority of Gods Church and according to the true definitiō of heresy aboue set downe for the foresayd Heretikes made choyce of those their heresies and did maintaine them most frowardly against the whole Church of God not submitting their iudgments to it it must of necessity follow that if those men could be saued then Heretikes continuing Heretikes are members of Christ his Church then which what paradox in it selfe can be accounted more absurde or in the iudgment of learned men more incredible Considering with what acerbity of comportement the Apostles all the orthodoxall learned pious Fathers both in their writings otherwise haue in all ages entertained Heretikes as aboue I haue manifested in the sixth Chapter 16. Againe supposing the truth of the doctrine of the Omnifidians as I may tearme thē yet obserue how repugnant it is to all reason otherwise absurd euen in its owne nature I will heere passe ouer diuers reasons alleadged in the precedent chapter and insist a little in some few of them The first It is certaine that that faith which belieueth some articls yet belieueth not others which are no lesse true such is the faith of our Newtralists is no true supernatural fayth seeing it beleeueth nothing thorough the authority of God his Church both which reueale and propound all articles alike indifferently to al men to be beleeued Now what more crosse to

reason then that a bare opinion not relying vpon any supernaturall grounds as hauing neither God for its Reuealer nor the Church for its propounder conceaued only through moral inducements therefore euer standing obnoxious to errour and mistaking should be able to purchase eternall saluation to mans soule 17. Againe how aduerse is it to all true iudgment to auerre that it is no preiudice or hinderance to mans saluation to beleeue those principle of Religion which teach aduance all liberty sensuality in conuersation and manners do depresse and disparadge all chastity fasting voluntary pouerty keeping of the commandements all rigorous and painefull workes and labours of vertue piety and mortification For it is most contradictory in the very tearmes and no lesse repugnāt to Gods sacred word that that doctrine which transferreth (x) Iud● vers 4. the grace of God into wantonnes should be accounted the (y) Mat. 7. Luc. 13. strict way which leadeth vnto life 18. Furthermore can it be conceaued as sorting to Gods most mercifull proceeding with man that he should cut off the liues of those mē with most feareful sodaine prodigious deaths who first broached the doctrines of Protestancy if the sayd doctrines had eyther bene true in thēselues or at least of that coldnes or indifferency as that they might stand with the soules saluation No God is iust and withall mercifull therefore neuer extraordinarily punisheth but for extraordinary sinnes poore men that these were who compare as it should seeme both in the diuulging of their mendacious and lyinge doctrines as also in their vnexpected and sodaine death with the false Prophets of (z) 3. Regum Achab. 9. But to hasten to an end in the ennumeration of the Absurdities following the foresaid paradox of saluation in euery Religion and to come to that which within its owne lardgnes inuolueth many improbabilities For if Catholikes and Protestants notwithstanding the disparity of their fayth can both attaine to Heauen in vaine then is the doctrine of recusancy taught ioyntly on both sides and in vaine haue so many sortes of Reuerend and learned Preists others of the laity in our owne Country whose blessed soules I beseech to pray to God dayly for the remission of my many sinnes suffred cruell deaths in the late Queenes raigne only because they refused to present themselues to the sermons of the Protestants but they are gone most happely gone since Clauis (a) Tert. de prescr Paradisi sanguis Martyrum In vaine likewyse these later yeares haue diuers lay persons endured contrary to his Maiesties naturall inclination most prone to mercy and commiseration great losses disgraces and imprisonements only for the same cause But who can thinke that learned men should be so prodigall of their liues and blood and English Catholikes so insensible of their temporall states children and posterity as that they would willfully precipitate and cast themselues into those miseries only for not beleeuing and exercising points of indifferency such as may stand with their soules eternall happines In vaine also then haue the learned men on both sides spent out their whole liues in defending each man his owne Religion in their most paineful and voluminous bookes writtings if so they dissented one from another in matters of such supposed small importance Finally in vaine and without iust cause therefore most cruelly haue many forren states in Christendome imposed proscriptions bannishments and other insupportable disgraces to such of their owne subiects as will not imbrace their owne doctrine and Religion though both sides did conspire and agree in the fundamentall points of faith In vaine also both in former times and at this present haue there beene are such Insurrection of subiects against their Princes such bloody implacable warres betweene absolute Princes themselues such deuastation depopulation of whole Countries such mayne battells feilds fought with losse of diuers hundred thousands liues and lastly such incessant vninterrupted beseiging takinge of great Citties and townes with effusion for the most part of much innocent blood of weomen and children and all this originally and principally for matter of Religion I say in vaine most iniuriously haue all these attempts and actions beene vndertaken if the disagreement in Religiō for which they are vndertaken between Catholikes Protestants were of that reconcileable nature as that the professours on both sides notwithstanding their diuersity of faith might ioyntly be saued 20. What can we now reply hereto in behalfe of our Newtralists Shall we say that the most learned men of all Religions the Kings Princes States and all their subiects of all Christendome were and still are actually madd and out of their senses in managing these their deplorable attemptes for Religion and that our all reconciling and peaceable Newtralists who through his pliable sterne of disposition in these spirituall matters is become in kindred as aboue is touched of the halfe blood with the Atheist and who is commonly deprehended to want learning grace and vertue is peculiarly enlightened by God in setting downe what articles of fayth are only necessary to mans saluation and what are to be reputed but as accessary and of smaller importance To such straites we see is the defence of the former doctrine driuen vnto Seeing therefore this doctrine of our Omnifidians or Nullifidians for indeed while they seeme to allow all Religions they take away all Religion is encompassed on all sides with so many notorious absurdityes as are displayed in this Chapter seeing it cannot be true except there be a retrogradation of all matters heere on earth and a turning of the world as they say vpside downe that is except the most learned become most madd and the most ignorant most wise And except truth in doctrine be necessarily to be accompanyed with infinite grosse absurdityes and errour and falsehood fortifyed and countenaunced with store of proofes both diuine humane as if God did purposely lay trappes to ensnare mans iudgment Therefore since such comportement and carriage of things is not sutable and correspondent to Gods prouidence and charity towardes mankind let euery man who thinketh he hath a soule to saue or loose vndoubtedly assure himselfe that there is but one true fayth or religion wherein he may auayleably expect saluation and that this fayth of Christ wherewith the soule is clothed is like to the inconsutible garment of Christ both being incapable of diuision renting or partition 21. Now for the greater illustration of this point by way of similitude and as tending towards the closure of this treatise Imagine that a man pretendeth right and title to certaine lands and taketh aduise of all the learned Lawyers and Counsailours of the whole Realme to whome he showeth all his euidences of which some do cary a title only in grosse and in general others proue a more particuler and more restrayned right to the sayd lands Imagine further that