Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	believe_v	church_n	faith_n	6,736	5	6.2916	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17371	Maschil, or, A treatise to giue instruction touching the state of the Church of Rome since the Councell of Trent, whether shee be yet a true Christian church. And if she have denied the foundation of our faith. For the vindication of the right reuerend father in God, the L. Bishop of Exeter, from the cavills of H.B. in his book intituled The seven vialls. By Robert Butterfield Master of Arts, and minister of Gods Word.	Butterfield, Robert.	1629 (1629)	STC 4205; ESTC S120372	51,626	162

Parts of the true visible Catholicke Church are Churches Nationall as England the Netherlands c. The parts of the Visible Church are eyther sound as the Orthodoxe and reformed Churches or vnsound and diseased as the Greeke Church the Churches of Italie Spaine France c. Members of the true visible Church are all persons baptized who haue not renounced their Baptisme but do still professe him to whom at the first they gaue vp their names To conclude what the nature of the Visible Church is we may conceiue by this exact definition of it that it is a Communitie or Societie of men sanctified Hooker his discourse of iustification through the profession of the truth which God hath taught the world by his Sonne Where by the way let it bee noted that by sanctification is to be vnderstood a separation or distinction from others not professing as they doe as the word is frequently taken in Scripture especially the Old Testament for true holinesse consisteth not in professing but in obeying the truth of Christ CHAP. IV. What we call a true Church TWo things there are which breede diuersities of opinions among men the one the many circumstances wherewithall matters disputable are beset which beeing Hooker lib. 1. P●r. 11. seuerall cause men of sundry wits to be of sundry iudgements the other the not conferring the opinions of those that dissent From whence it hath come to passe that many emulations and heart burnings haue bin noun shed betweene men otherwise learned and pious which afterwards by wise men interposing themselues and comparing the seuerall opinions haue beene happily layd asleepe and the opposites reconciled who after their opinions and assertions were compared together were found in words to differ but in sense and meaning to say the same thing and seemed rather to disagree than to do so indeed The like falleth out in this present controuersie Some haue affirmed and doe maintaine That the Church of Rome so farre forth as she hath the Sacraments and teacheth fundamentall truth is the true Church of Christ the Family of Iesus because they know it meerely impossible that these things should bee found any where without the Church Others beholding the mysterie of iniquitie which worketh in that Church and the many heresies and impieties where withall her doctrine is fraught haue denied the Church of Rome to bee a true Church and in regard of her many corruptions haue thought her hardly to deserue the name of a Church at Whita●er ●e ●c●le●●a Cap. 1. all These assertions are seemingly repugnant and yet are easily reconciled the former opinion by a true Church vnderstanding a Church that hath those essentiall qualities which concurre to make vp the being of a Church and are as it were the forme of it which according to Philosophy giueth essence and distinction to euery thing though otherwise much deformed and vnsound the latter meaning thereby a Church sound and healthy including within the appellation of a true Church not onely the being simply but the well-being also and all that complement of excellencie and perfection which in this world the Church is capable of So that both sides confesse the Church of Rome to bee a true Church but neither of them that it is an Orthodoxe Church Mee thinkes I might here put a period vnto this discourse and proceede no faither but that the importunitie of some which hath caused me to begin this treatise calleth vpon me to goe forward and enforceth to sift the matter neerer yet who will not thus bee satisfied but as if the church of Rome were wholly and in euerie part Diabolicall and euerie Papist an Antichrist crie in the language of Edome Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground There is no saluattion for awy there euerie 7. Vials passim liuing soule therein perisheth they fight against God plead for Babylon whosoeuer they be that allow them the name of a Church for she hath altogether denied the faith nay cursed it is become worse than an infidell I say vnto them as Christ to his Disciples when their zeale or rather fury transported them Yee know not of what Luk 9. 55. manner of spirit yee are Therefore to giue full satisfaction As we esteeme him to bee a true man to whom the definition of a man Id q●●d absolute de re quaque dicitur ad ●ei essentiam naturanque pert●●●●● quod vero 〈◊〉 id non est r●i essentiale prop●i● sed potius essentia accessio circumst●ntia ●umus lib Singulari de Ecclesia agreeth which is that hee is a liuing Creature endued with reason though otherwise hee bee sicke of a foule disease suppose the Leprosie yea the Plague which is not onely contagious but mortall likewise So we take the Church of Rome to bee a true Church and a part of the true Visible Catholicke Church so farre forth as the definition of the Church aboue giuen is compatible with her though otherwise shee bee miserably deformed and infected which wee haue more than once affirmed This attribute of truth then is to be vnderstood not Morally but Logically So a Thiefe though hee bee not an honest man is yet a true man notwithstanding Yet more fully The Church of Christ may be Mus●ulus in Epist ad Galat. considered three wayes first Respectu electionis diuinae secondly Respectu obedientiae quam praestat Deo thirdly Respectu iuris Christi in Ecclesiam The Church in regard of diuine praedestination is inuisible as we haue shewed and therfore comes not within the present cause If we consider the Church in regard of her obedience and fealty which she performes towards God the Church of Rome is not the true Church of God she hath rebelled against him and transgressed his Lawes she hath added to his Word and must expect without Repentance that hee will adde to her plagues But in the third place though she be turned aside by her Idolatries and hath wandred from God through her Fornications yet hee hath not lost his right ouer her as ouer those Churches of Constantinople and other parts who long agoe embraced Mahumetisme in stead of Christian Religion Christ hath still Title to the Church of Rome as a Prince vnto his Subiects that are become Rebels whom vpon their Repentance and Amendment he receiueth not as aliens and strangers but as his owne naturall Subiects CHAP. V. What the Foundation of Faith is THe Foundation of our Faith implyeth two things First the generall ground whereupon wee rest when we doe b●leeue And thus the fundamentall writings of the Prophets Euangelists and Apostles are the foundation of our Faith Therefore St. Paul telleth vs that the Church of God is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets ●phe ● 20. More peculiarly the Christian Church is said by St. Iohn to be built vpon twelue foundations and in them Apoc. 21. 14. the names of the twelue Apostles O

you the Victorie if you can performe this latter promise proue but the Church of Rome directly to deny saluation by Christ alone and yours bee the day How or where pag. 51. In the Councell of Trent you say Sess 6. Can. 10. If any shall say that men are formally i●st by the righteousnesse of Christ let him b●● accursed Is not this a direct and 〈◊〉 expresse deniall of the Foundation Answ I will not pronounce Anathema to those that shall bee otherwise minded but this I say That this alledged passage is so farre from implying a direct deniall of t●e Foundation of Faith that it opposeth no truth it fauoureth no errour Formall iustice is the same that inherent Righteousnesse inherent Righteousnesse is the Righteousnesse of Sanctification Now who can say that we are formally iust that is that wee are sanctified by the righteousnesse of Christ That which wee haue of Christ is the righteousnesse not of his Person but of his Merit not inherent but imputed Qui● vnquam è n●stris nos per iustitiam Christi imputatam formaliter iustificari asseruit An non f●●mam quamlibet inharentem qua formaliter iusti denominemur semper explosimus Annon fidem vtcunque inbaeret non vt formam sed vt organon non formaliter sed relatiuè tantùm iustificare astrnimus who of vs e●er affirmed that wee are formally iustified by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ Haue not wee alwaies ex●loded any inherent forme which ●hould denominate vs formally iust And although Faith bee inherent ●et we teach that it iustifieth not as ●● forme but as an instrument not ●●●mally but relatiuely saith that Dr. Prideaux Lect. de iustific ●orthy Oxford Light Mee thinkes ●ee that can tell others that they will ●ewray their shamelesse ignorance ●f they deny that the Church of ●ome in the Councell of Trent ●dmitteth of any other Faith than such as the Diuels and damned in * 7. Vialls pag. 2● Hell haue which must bee deduced by I know not what blinde consequences should not himselfe be thus foulely mistaken Wee haue past one danger th●● which is alledged in the next place will make more against the Councell of Trent but will aduantage hi● that alledged it as little as the form●● Can. 11. If any shall say that men are iustified by the sole imputation ●● Christs righteousnesse or by sole ●●mission of sinnes otherwise than ●● inherent righteousnesse in vs obtai●●● thereby or also that the grace wher●by we are iustified is the onely fa●●● of God let him bee accursed Answ No● consider whether they which affirm● that by the righteousnesse of Chris● Offer th●m the fundamentall word● and ●ee 〈…〉 them will refu●e to 〈◊〉 to them that inherent righteousnesse whic● we haue is obtained and the mer●●riousnesse thereof whereby wee ●● iustified doe directly deny th●● Iesus Christ came into the world ●● saue sinners Now this is the Pop●● doctrine of Iustification Christ hath ●●●rited to make vs iust but as a Medicine which is made for health doth not he●l● by beeing made but by being applyed so by the Merits of Christ there can bee no iustification without the application of his Merits Thus farre we ioyne hands with them but in the Application ●ee disagree Wee teach that by ●aith the Merits of Christ are apprehended and applyed to our ●ules and so wee are imputatiuely iustified they that the Merits of Christ haue obtained for our workes ●●at pitch of aduancement that by them wee are made iust and so our inherent righteousnesse is our Iustification Let no man thinke that I s●●ke to varnish their opinions or to ●●● the better foote of a lame Cause ●o● most Thus they teach yet is their doctrine contumelious to God 〈◊〉 ini●rious to the bloud of Christ The Pelagians beeing ouer great M Hoo●er in his discourse of iustification ●●iends to Nature made themselues enemies vnto grace for all their confessing that men haue their soules and all the faculties thereof their wils and all the abilitie of their wil● from God And so the Church of Rome is still an Aduersary vnto Christs Merits notwithstanding her acknowledging that wee haue receiued the power of meriting by the bloud of Christ And if it were not a strong deluding spirit which hath possession of their hearts it were not possible but they should see ho● plainely they doe herein gaine-say the very ground of our Faith Gaine-say it they doe not directly deny it all the paines which shall bee taken to proue it will be● vtterly lost Nay what great●● Argument against them to pr●●● their Cause weake than the pain●● they take in it seeing the direct d●niall To Iewes and Turkes Christ is an execration we doubt it not but Popery is a mystery of the Foundation is not ● thing that can bee done in a com●● If it bee it is as manifest as the No●●● day it is not if it neede pr●●● Now for the other clause touching the Grace whereby we are iustified wee must bee content to take them according to their meaning Whensoeuer they speake of Iustifying they vnderstand that which wee call sanctifying and when they mention Iustification they meane iusti-faction Thus it is euident that Papists doe not directly deny the foundation of Faith which if they did they were no Christian Church by iust consequence wee grant that they doe yet euen in this impietie some are deeper than the rest The Philosopher noteth in mens capacities that weakenesse that the common sort cannot see things which follow in reason when they follow as it were a farre off by many deductions For which cause the vnlearneder sort of Papists seeme more excusable The Masters of the Synagogue of Rome know better and therefore heauie will their account bee Many partake in the errour which are not guilty of the Heresie of the Church of Rome yet euen their errour also is damnable By this time wee may percelue with how good reas●● Mr. Burton could say before co●cerning the Popes Bull or now of the Councell of Trent which yo●● as wee haue shewed is not the beliefe of euery Papist that therein Chris● Iesus is renounced as solemnely as 〈◊〉 in Baptisme renounce the Diuell and all his workee And I cannot bu● exceedingly wonder that 〈◊〉 Diuine should dare to publish to the world such vniustifiable vntruthes ●● if hee should neuer giue an accou●● thereof neither to God nor Man Mee thinkes I could feele his pulse though I neuer saw his face and 〈◊〉 you his temper but because so●è Reuerend Friends of mine 〈…〉 good opinion of him for his honesty though not for his discretion for their sakes I spare him Onely this I adde that his fault to the greate●● that beeing before admonished that See the conclusion of the Reuerend Bish Apologie there is a barre before which we shall once giue account of all our euerlashings hee would yet goe on and despise such Fatherly counsell He shutteth vp his discourse turning himselfe to the learned Bishop and blaming him for trusting the iudgment of * Amongst whom is our royall King Iames to whose Paraphrase on the R●u●lation M Burton acknowledgeth himselfe much beholden particular persons in a Point the contrary whereof the Church hath publiquely resolued and diuers famous and learned haue auouched and againe solli●its him for a Retraction The iudgement of those particular Persons is the vniuersall Concent of Protestant Writers the Church our Mother hath taught vs no such Doctrine nay I dare say she abhorres it You speake of many famous and learned but wee finde not one sentence of theirs alledged and those whose iudgement you would haue vs to stand to are found to speake against you And now let the iudicious Reader iudge to whom it appertaines to make the Palinody For mine owne part I haue now brought that to passe which I earnestly desired and if I haue fauoured any vnsound opinion yea or spoken suspiciously let me suffer as an Hereticke Nay God knoweth that I haue weighed euery word in a Ballance beeing fearefull to giue offence eyther to Protestant or Papist or to the Church of God The Position which according to my weake abilitie I haue maintained is this That all the corruptions in the Church of Rome doe proue her more or lesse sound not more or lesse a Church If in this o● any other thing I haue erred I shall thanke those that will bring mee into the way againe Let wise men finite mee and it shall bee a precious Oyle that shall not hurt mee but let no man condemne mee till hee haue first shewed mee better and found me obstinate I hate lukewarmenesse I abhorre neutralizing I heartily embrace that speech of the Reuerend Bishop of London of blessed Dr. King 7. ●● Lect. on Ionas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Memorie It hath beene a fauourable Compromission of men more partiall than wise that the Questions betwixt Rome and the Reformed Churches might easily bee accorded I finde it not c. Wee haue Altar against Altar Liturgie against Liturgie Prayers against Prayers Doctrine against Doctrine Potentate against Potentate Pope against Prince Religion against Religion Subiection against Subiection Faith against Faith so Diametrally opposed as th Northerne and Southerne Poles shall sooner meete together than our opinions standing as they doe can bee reconciled Yet I vnfainedly desire that things may be otherwise and my prayer vnto Almightie God is that they may at length if it bee his will so yeelde to frame and reforme themselues that no distraction remaine in any thing but that * Which is our prayer in the Church Liturgie that all which confesse his holy name may agree in the truth of his holy word wee all may with one heart and one mouth glorifie God the Father of our Lord and Sauiour whose Church wee are I conclude my Apologie for the Reuerend Bishop with his Application of the sweete Apologue before the Bodie of the Clergie met in the Conuocation The Spider in the Cup Conc●o ad Clerum the Worm● in the Apple what else bee they but superstition in their worship rotten and vnwholsome traditions in their Faith without these the Religion pleaseth vs well Nu●●●● quit 〈◊〉 qui dictum in se inclementiù● Existima●●ss● sic existi●e● 〈◊〉 Resp●●sum no● dictum esse quia 〈◊〉 prius FINIS