Selected quad for the lemma: head_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
head_n	church_n	pope_n	vicar_n	3,197	5	10.9896	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07845	The golden ballance of tryall VVherein the reader shall plainly and briefely behold, as in a glasse of crystall; aswell by what rule all controuersies in religion, are to be examined, as also who is, and of right ought to be the vpright iudge in that behalfe. Whereunto is also annexed a counterblast against a masked companion, terming himself E.O. but supposed to be Robert Parsons the trayterous Iesuite.	Bell, Thomas, fl. 1593-1610.	1603 (1603)	STC 1822; ESTC S120918	58,889	126

ecclesia constituitur ex collectione omnium fidelium vnde omnes fideles orbis constituunt istam ecclesiam vniuersalē cuius caput sponsus est ipse Christus Papa autē est Vicarius Christi non verè caput ecclesiae vt notat glossa in Clem. ne Romani de elect Quae notabiliter dicit quod mortuo Papa ecclesia non est sine capite ista est illa ecclesia quae errare non potest For concerning maters of Faith euen the iudgement of one that is a meere Lay-man ought to be preferred before the sentence of the Pope if that Lay person could bring better reasons out of the old and new Testament then the Pope did And it skilleth not if one say that a Councell cannot erre because Christ prayed for his church that it should not fayle For I say that although a general Councell represent the whole vniuersall Church yet in truth there is not truely the vniuersall Church but representatiuely For the vniuersall Church consisteth of the collection of all the faithful Whereupon all the faithfull in the worlde make this vniuersall church which cannot erre wherof Christ himselfe is the head The Pope is the Vicar of Christ but not truely the heade of the church as noteth the Glosse vpon the Clementines which saith very well that when the Pope is dead the church wanteth not then an head and this is that Church which cannot erre Out of these wordes I note first that by the opinion of the great Papist Panormitan a meere laye mans iudgement euen in matters of faith ought to bee accepted and receyued before the Popes constitution if that Lay-man bring better reasons then doth the Pope I note secondly that through the wonderfull prouidence of God euen the enemies of the truth the Papists I meane are enforced to testifie the truth against themselues in their owne printed bookes For doubtles this Testimony of this Papist is the foundation of that doctrine which is this day established in the church of England and in all other reformed churches throughout the Christian world I note thirdly that a generall councell may erre because it is not the Catholike or vniuersall church indeed A generall councell therfore yeeldeth not any infallible iudgement CAP. VII Shewing that the holy Scripture is the sole and onely infallible rule of truth IN the former Chapters I haue shewed first that all Bishoppes may erre seuerally secondly that many Bishops may erre ioyntly together when they teach one and the selfe same thing Thirdly that the Pope or Bishoppe of Rome may erre not onely in his priuate opinion but also in his publike sentence and definition Fourthly that Prouinciall Councels may erre Fiftly that generall counsels may erre It therefore now remayneth that I find out and set down some such rule as is infallible and will not in any respect point or clause deceiue them that follow it and leane thervnto Which rule say I is the holy scripture the sole and onely written worde of God And I proue the same briefly first by the written word it selfe which telleth vs plainely that the holy scripture was written by the instinct of the holy Ghost euen as God himself appointed it to be done That prophesie came not in old time by the wil of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost That God is not as man that he should lie neyther as the sonne of man that he should repent I proue it secondly by the testimony of S. Dionyse Areopagita whose wordes are these Omnino igitur non audendum est quicquam de summa abstrusaque diuinitate aut dicere aut cogitare praeter ca quae nobis diuinitus scripturae diuinae enuntiarunt In no wise therfore may we make bold to speake or thinke any thing of the high and ineffable diuinity but that onely which holy writ hath reuealed to vs from aboue I proue it thirdly by the verdict of S. Austen in these wordes Ego solis eis scripturarum libris qui iam canonici appellantur hunc timorem honorem didici deferre vt nullum eorum authorem scribendo aliquid errasse firmissime credam Alios autem ita lego vt quantalibet sanctitate doctrinaque praepolleant non ideo verū putem quia ipsi ita censuerunt sed quia mihi vel per illos auctores canonicos vel probabili ratione quod a veritate non abhorreat persuadere potuerunt I have learned to giue this feare and honour to those onely bookes of scripture which are called Canonicall that I firmely belieue no author therof to haue erred in any point but yet I reade others so that how holy or learned soeuer they bee I doe not by and by thinke it true because they say so but because they perswade me by those Canonicall Writers or by probable reason that that is true they say The same S. Austen in an other place telleth vs plainely that the holy Scripture is the rule of faith These are his wordes Sancta scriptura nostrae doctrinae regulam figit ne audiamus sapere plusquam oportet The holy Scripture setteth downe the rule of our doctrine that we presume not to be wiser then it is meete and conuenient The Iesuite Bellarmine whose words are most forceable against Papistes because he is the mouth of all Papistes confesseth plainely that the worde of God is the rule of faith that the written word because it is the rule hath this prerogatiue that whatsoeuer is contained in it is of necessitie true and must bee beleeued and whatsoeuer is repugnant to it is of necessitie false and must be reiected But because it is a partial rule and not the totall rule of faith thereupon it commeth that something is of faith which is not contayned in the same Thus writeth the Iesuite Out of whose wordes euerie child may gather that the scripture is the infallible rule of faith For although the Iesuite would make vnwritten traditions to bee a ioynt rule together with the written word whose opinion I haue disproued in my Booke of Motiues yet neyther doth hee neither can he deny but that all must bee reiected whatsoeuer is repugnant to the holy scripture By this my discourse hetherto it is cleare and euident to euery indifferent Reader that neither Fathers Popes nor councels prouinciall or generall are or can bee the infallible rule of faith but the sole and onely written word of God that is the holy Scripture But now remayneth a most intricate and d●fficult question who must bee the iudge of the Scripture that is who must determine and set downe what writinges what opinions what preachinges what doctrines are grounded vpon the Scriptures and are consonant to the same againe what opinions what Writinges and what doctrines are not grounded vpon the Scriptures nor are agreeable to the same Hic labor hoc opus est I therefore proceede to the next

Chapter hoping by Gods grace to vse such perspicuitie in handling this difficult question as shal bee to the contentment of all indifferent Readers CAP. VIII Shewing who is the right Iudge of the holy Scripture and word of God ALbeit the holy Scripture be the infallible rule of Faith and the true Touchstone by which all doctrines are bee examined and tryed as is already proued yet will controuersies neuer haue a peaceable end vnles some speciall iudges bee appointed to decide and determine the same For as the old Prouerbe saith So many heads so many wittes Out of one and the selfe same Scripture one man gathereth one sense an other man an other sense For the perspicuous vnderstanding wherof I put downe these Paragraffes The first Paragraffe The examination of doctrine is of two sortes the one is priuate the other is publike Priuate examination is that vpon which euery man doth build and stablish his owne faith For as the Prophet sayeth The iust man shall liue by his faith And as the great Popish Doctor Aquinas writeth the former obiect of our faith or that which wee formally belieue is God himselfe or that which God hath reuealed to vs and not that which man telleth vs. For sayeth hee faith doth not yeelde assent to any thing but because it is reuealed of God The publike examination of doctrine pertayneth to the common consent of the Church for the peaceable gouernance thereof For GOD is not the Author of confusion but of peace The Second Paragraffe As the examination of doctrine is of two sorts so are the examiners and the iudges of two sortes also that is to say publike and priuate The Publike iudges are all the Ministers of the Church by what name or title soeuer they bee called The priuate Iudges are all the faithfull seuerally by themselues in all matters pertayning to Faith and the saluation of their owne soules That all the faithfull are priuate Iudges it may be easily proued by many textes of holy writte First by this text of S. Iohn beleeue not euery spirit but trie the spirits if they bee of God Secondly by this text of S. Paule trie all thinges and keepe that which is good Thirdly by this text of the same Apostle the spirituall man iudgeth all thinges These texts the two famous Papistes Nicholaus de Lyra and Dionysius Carthusianns expounde of thinges pertayning to saluation which say they all the faithfull are able to trie And which is to bee wondred at the Iesuite Bellarmine vnawares confesseth the same These are his expresse wordes Duo vel tres congregati in nomine Christi obtinent semper quod petunt a Deo nimirum sapientiam lumen quod sufficit eis ad cognoscenda ea quae ipsis necessaria sunt Sequitur itaque siue pauci siue multi siue priuati siue Episcopi congregentur in nomine Christi omnes habent Christum praesentem adiuuantem obtinent quod eis conuenit obtinere Two or three gathered together in the name of Christ do at all times obtaine that of God which they desire at his handes to witte Wisedome and vnderstanding which is sufficient for them to know those thinges which are necessarie for them Therefore whether fewe or many whether Priuate persons or Bishoppes bee gathered in the name of Christ they all haue Christes presence they all haue Christes helpe they all obtayne that which is meete and conuenient for them Thus sayeth our Iesuite And doubtlesse it is meete for euery one to know all thinges necessary for his saluation it can not be denied Out of these wordes I note first that whosoeuer are gathered together in Christes name they all obtayne of GOD so much vnderstanding and knowledge as is necessarie for Saluation I note secondly that God is as well present in the assemblie of priuate men as in the Synode of Bishoppes I note thirdly that God helpeth priuate men and is present with them at all times euen as hee is with Bishops Whereupon I must needes inferre that the thinges concluded by secular persons in their assemblies for matters pertayning to their soules health doe no lesse proceed from GOD then doe the Decrees of Bishoppes And consequently the Iesuite will hee nill hee must perforce confesse that priuate secular and meere Lay-men can and may iudge in matters of Religion in matters of Faith in matters concerning their own soules health And all this is nothing else in deed but euen that which Christ himselfe hath plainly taught vs. Where two or three sayth Christ are gathered togither in my name there am I'in the midst of them I proue the same doctrine because Christs sheepe as Christ the great sheepheard telleth vs know his voyce and follow him but will not follow a straunger This place doubtlesse doth conuince For if the sheepe know the voice of the sheepheard as Christ saith they do then must the sheepe perforce iudge of the voice of the sheepheard For otherwise it will follow that a man cannot discerne that which hee knoweth Melchior Canus faith plainly that the holy Ghost teacheth euery one all things necessarie to saluation This veritie is confirmed by an other testimonie of our Lord Iesus if any man sayth he will do his will the will of God hee shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe Loe the knowledge of Gods word proceedeth from the doing of his will But the doing of Gods will pertaineth to all both great and small as well to priuate lay-men as to ecclesiastical persons though they be the Bishops of Rome And for this cause sayth the great Papist Panormitan his words you may reade in the sixt chapter of this discourse that the iudgement of a meere lay-man must be preferred before the iudgement of the Pope if that priuate lay-man haue better reasons gathered out of the old and new Testament then are the reasons of the Pope See the aunswere to the Obiection in the fourth Paragraffe and note it will To conclude holy Writ telleth vs that the Bereans did search the Scriptures to see if they were according to Saint Paules doctrine And let this suffice for the iudgement of priuat persons and meerlay-men Now that all ministers Archbishops Bishops and other pastors of the Church may iudge of the sense of the holy Scripture it is a thing so cleare and manifest as little or nothing need be said thereof For Saint Paule saith that Bishops by which worde he vnderstandeth all the Ministers of the Church must haue great care that false doctrine be not taught This the Papists freely graunt of Bishops denying the same in other inferior ministers of the Church But I will proue the assertion to be verified of all ministers in generall First because Saint Paul committeth the gouernment of the church to al the ministers in differently calling them Bishops that is ouerseers of the