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	true_a	2,638	5	5.6069	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03884	A treatise concerning the church Wherin it is shewed, by the signes, offices, and properties therof, that the Church of Rome (and consequently such particuler churches as liue in her communion) is the only 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 third part of the second controuersy.; Controversiarum epitomes. English. Selections	Gordon, James, 1541-1620.; Wright, William, 1563-1639.	1614 (1614)	STC 13997B; ESTC S114238	53,360	142

A TREATISE CONCERNING THE CHVRCH WHERIN It is shewed by the Signes Offices and Properties therof that the Church of Rome and consequently such particuler Churches as liue in her Communion is the only 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 third Part of the second Controuersy Permissu Superiorum M. DC XIV THE FIRST CHAPTER Of the false and true Signes or Markes of the Church in generall HAVING in the precedent Cōtrouersyes declared that Christ and all that good is can only be found in the true Church and that out of it there is nothing but euerlasting damnation now it remayneth that we enquire which is that true Church where it may be found and how it is described and set forth in holy Scripture for all the sectes of heresies go about to challenge her vnto themselues yea euen those who otherwise haue a very bad conceyt and opinion of her For they see very well that out of her they can expect or hope for no saluation But to the end we may not erre in matter of so great moment we will seeke out the true Markes and Signes wherby the true Church may be certainly knowne and discerned from euery faile and counterfait Church 2. Our Aduersaries doe commonly set downe two signes or markes of the true Church to wit the sincere preaching of the word of God and the lawfull administration of the Sacraments B●za addeth a third signe to wit the Ecclesiasticall discipline practised agreable to the word of God The Lutherans annexed vnto these a fourth signe to wit an Obedience towards ministers O● this fourth signe we will speake a little after for it is reduced to the vnity of the Church But the three signes set downe by the Caluinists are altogeather foolish and friuolous the which we proue thus 3. First by the very nature of a signe For euery signe of it owne nature is a sensible thing as all teach following therein S. Augustine and our Aduersaries confesse this to be true when they treat of the Sacraments Yea Caluin writeth that this was alwaies as it were a matter of faith in the Church And so do all teach now who are of vnderstanding Truly non● will say that which is only belieued in the Sacrament is a signe but that which is seene But these signes of the Church prescribed by our Aduersaries can neyther be seen nor perceyued by any sense Yea not euen by our vnderstanding vnlesse it be illuminated by faith For by faith only are they perceyued because none can know which is the sincere preaching lawfull administration of the Sacraments or Ecclesiasticall discipline prescribed by Christ but by faith wherfore they who say that these are the signes and markes of the Church do not indeed know what they say euen as if one should affirme that in the Sacrament of baptisme the ablution and the wordes are not signes but the effect of baptisme which is not seene which euery man seeth how absurd it is 4. The second reason Euery signe of anything must be more manifest and better knowne then the thing it selfe whose signe it is because it is put for that end that it may be a signe or token wherby that other thing may be known but these signes of the Church alleadged by our Aduersaries are more obscure and vncertaine then the Church it self For the Church is at the least often tymes visible as they thēselues confesse but these their signes be neuer visible but alwaies inuisib●e for they can only be knowne by fait● 〈◊〉 we haue already declared but that which is by faith belieued is necessarily obscure because faith as witnesseth the Apostle is the arg●ment of things not appearing hence it is that all sectes do bragge and boast that they haue these signes because indeed they cānot be clearly seene of any 5. The third reason our Aduersaries do ●lledge in va●ne these signes for therfore do we enquire for signes and Markes of the Church that they which are ignorant of ●er may therby come to know her for they who already know any thing do not need any signes as for example he who already knoweth very well this Citty needeth no markes or signe therof wherby he may know it But he stādeth in need of signes who neuer saw this Citty So in like manner they w●o are out of the Church and know her not do most of all need some signe and markes wherby to know her but these which our Aduersaries assigne can be knowne by none but by those who are already within the Church and know her very well hauing the true faith 〈…〉 therof but they cannot be vnderstood by those who know not the true Church to the end they may seeke and fynd her because they are only perceyued and knowne by faith they are therfore alleadged in vaine by our Aduersaries 6. But neyther can these signes be knowne of all those who are in the Church but only of the more learned in the Church For euery one of the common people cannot discerne which is the sincere preaching of the word of God or the lawfull administration of the Sacraments and the Ecclesiasticall discipline prescribed by the word of God for it is necessary that he who knoweth all these things well should also vnderstand almost all the holy Scripture Moreouer there is as yet a very great controuersy among ou● Aduersaries themselues concerning these three signes whiles that some of them doe contend striue that this is the sincere preaching of the word of God others that some doe say that this is the lawfull administration of the Sacraments others that some doe say this is the discipline prescribed by the word of God others assigne another quite different from this 7. But our Aduersaries do in very truth confound the offices of the Church with the signes therof For to preach sincerely to administer the Sacraments lawfully and to appoint the discipline of the Church rightly are the offices of the Church as we haue declared before and not the signes therof these signes therfore being reiected which our Aduersaries do assigne it remayneth that we enquire out the true signes of the Church 8. But this is first to be presupposed as it were the ground of all that we are to speake of this matter That euen naturall reason it selfe doth clearly demōstrat that there is some true Church of God heere vpon earth For this is one of those first principles of fayth which are as euidently proued by naturall reason as that there is a God Wherfore the Apostle placeth these two amōgst the fi●st grounds of our faith he that cou●ueth to God saith he must belieue that he is is a rewarder to thē that seeke him But they which so seeke after God that they may be rewarded by him are

without all doubt in the true Church 9. Moreouer naturall reason it selfe doth euidē●l● teach vs that it is an absurd thing to thinke that there is no way left by God for men to obteine their eternall saluation seeing that this is quite opposite to the prou●dēce of God to his infinite goodnesse but there is no other way besides the Church as we haue declared before but because there are so many so diuers opiniōs of men cōcerning this so necessary a way to saluatiō there are also certaine signes markes thereof set downe that we may the better vnderstand which is indeed the certaine and most true way 10. Out of these which we haue now said followeth first that that which we haue insinuated before is most true to wit that it is more certaine euidēt that there is the holy Scripture seeing that it is manifest by naturall reason that there must needs be some Church of God heere vpon earth the which is not so euident of the holy Scriptures 11. The second thing which ensueth is that to these signes of the true Church these two cōditions are altogeather necessary The first is that they must be such as that they may not only be perceiued by fayth and our vnderstanding but euen by sense it selfe for otherwise they cannot be true signes as we haue already proued The other is that they be knowne and manifest to all men euen vnto Insidells seeing that otherwise they cannot help them or conuince and bring them to the true Church For the Church of Christ as the Prophet testifieth is a direct way so that sooles that is to say Infidells cannot erre by it 12. Of these signes of the true Church Bellarmine Coccius and Thomas Bozius Eugubinus discourse at large who hath gathered twenty fower signes in all of the true Church all which he manifestly proueth to agree to the Roman Church out of these Authors more signes may be required 13. But we regarding our intended breuity will only alledge fower which are set downe in the Nicene and Constantinopolitan Creed that is to say that this true Church is One Holy Catholike and Apostolicall For these fower signes are so certayne that they cannot be reiected euen by our Aduersaries First because they are expressely set downe in holy Scripture as we wil shew in the next Chapter Moreouer our Aduersaries do professe that they admit and receiue three Creeds to wit the Apostles Creed the Niceene and that of S Athanasius But in that which we call the Nicen Creed these fower signes of the Church are expressly set downe wherof we will now speake more particulerly CHAP. II. That the true Church of Christ is One Holy Catholike and Apostolicall S. Augustine very well admonisheth vs that when we dispute against heretikes which doe admit the holy Scriptures we should ●roue the true Church of Christ the signes thereof out of the sayd holy writ For as the same holy Father noteth in another place the Prophets had spoken more obscurely of Christ then they did of the Church because by their Propheticall spirit they did see that there would arise greater strife deb●te about the Church thē of Christ himselfe We will therfore heere proue these fower signes of the Church First out of the Scriptures and secondly by naturall reasons seeing that these signes must be such as may conuince those which do not admit the Scriptures as we haue declared in the precedent Chapter 2. The first sig●● of the true Church of Christ is Vnity For there is a threefold vnity necessarily preached in the Church of Christ. The first is of all the members with Christ which is the supreme head of the Church the which is effected by fayth wherefore it necessarily followeth that there must be but one fayth of all the members of the Church One Lord and God saith the Apostle and one saith and againe vntill we all meete in the vnity of fayth 3. The second Vnity is of all the members among themseues for as he who dissolueth the first vnity is an heretike so he which violateth this is a schismatike wherefore Christ sayth in this all men shall know that you are my disciples if you haue loue on to another And the Apostle That there might be no schisme in the body but the members togeather might be carefull one for another Finally God is not the God of dissention but of peace as also in all the Churches of the Saynts I teach sayth the same Apostle 4. The third vnity is betwixt the faythfull people and their Pastours by obedience the which whosoeuer dissolue are also to be accounted schismatikes of this the same Apostle writteth thus Obey your Prelats be subiect to them this is that fourth marke of the Church assigned by the Lutheranes as we haue sayd in the precedent Chapter the second § 5. This threefold vnity is very sensible the which may easily be perceiued euen by any Infidell For the disagreement of doctrine concerning matters of fayth may easily be heard the distentions of the people among themselues or with their Pastours may manifestly be perceiued 6. Finally euen naturall reason it selfe proueth this to be one of the most certaine signes of the true Church For God cannot teach contrary and oppofit doctrine because he then should be a lyar which according to the Apostle is impossible In like manner naturall reason sheweth that God which is goodnesse it selfe cannot be the author of schismes and dissentions but of concord peace and vnity 7. The second signe is Holinesse the holy Scripture is full of testimonies and authorities whereby this signe is most euidently proued and declared For S. Paul in the beginning of almost all his Epistles calleth the Churches vnto whom he writeth Holy as is to be seene in the beginning of the Epistles to the Romanes to the Corinthians to the Ephesians to the Philippians and to the Colossians and S. Peter called the the true Church an holy Nation So also Christ himselfe sayth For then I doe sanctify my selfe that they also may be sanctifyed in truth Lastly that sentence is often repeated in the holy Scripture the which S. Peter citeth also out of the old testament be yee holy because I am holy 8. The signe also is visible vnto all first because this sanctity is to be seene by good workes that they may see saith Christ your good workes and may glorify your Father which is in heauen Secondly this sanctity may be seene by their pious and holy doctrine For it is necessary that the true doctrine of God be holy sound and i●reprehensible Thirdly this sanctity is seene by the miracles wherby God himselfe t●stifieth and confirmeth the sanctity of his Church And them that belieue saith Christ these signes shall follow in my name they shall cast out Diuells 9. This signe also of Sanctity is euident to