Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	age_n	live_v	old_a	4,232	5	5.4475	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53985	The true mark of the beast, or, The present degeneracy of the Church of Rome from the faith once delivered to the saints a sermon on November 5, 1681 / by Edward Pelling ...	Pelling, Edward, d. 1718.	1682 (1682)	Wing P1106; ESTC R1620	19,445	35

the Faith which all the Apostles preach'd which all Christian Churches receiv'd and for which the Roman Church is here commended was made up of those principal Doctrines which at this day we find in our Creed To these were it necessary to add the Testimonies Tert de veland Virgin de prascrip Atkanas in initio fine Symbol of Church-writers I might instance in Tertullian Athanasius and divers more who speaking of the Creed own'd it to have been the One only immoveable and sufficient Rule which all Christians went by the Catholick Faith and the Faith of all Churches in the world which whosoever believed was a right Catholick and sound Believer But to avoid prolixity I shall only take notice of what we meet with in Irenaeus who lived in the Iren. adv Haer. lib. 1. c. 2 3. 4. very next age to the Apostles for rehearsing the Articles of the Creed he tells us that That was the Faith which the whole Church over the whole world had received from the Apostles and their Disciples that every Church held taught and kept with all diligence and care and that the Churches in Germany in Spain in France in the Eastern parts of Egypt in Africk and in the mid-land parts of the world which takes in Rome too did in His dayes believe no other Doctrines than what were contained in the Apostles Creed and that the Universal Church was One because the Faith of every Church in the world was one and the same and that none either taught more or believed less than that One Faith did amount unto Alas in those dayes the Creed of all Christians was a plain easie and short one for they thought themselves obliged to this only to believe the Essentials of Christianity and to lead good lives and it had been well for Christendom had after-after-ages taken no other care but by multiplying Articles some have multiplyed Errors too and as Seneca observed of the old World that while men lived upon a Simple and Natural sort of Diet they were very healthful and strong but multos morbos multa fercula fecerunt when they came to be Nice and Luxurious and would have variety of costly Dishes served up at their Tables many diseases followed so it is observable in this Case as long as Christians contented themselves with a Simple Religion and a plain short Creed so long the Faith continued in a good state but when they came to be wanton and would needs have this and that Point set out according to their Gusto Religion became Sickly and men Unsound and by abusing their Learning they were the less Virtuous and the less Orthodox but yet the more Techy and Imperious 2. But to come to our next Point I know the Church of Rome will by no means hear of this that She has play'd any Tricks with the Ancient Faith either by Adding to it or by Taking from it or by Embasing it with any Novel Mixtures nor indeed that it was Possible for Her to do it considering that Singular Prerogative of an Un-erring Judgement which she pretendeth to have above all Churches beside But this is a most vain and ridiculous conceit for because she was faithful once it will no more follow that she hath been so ever since then it will follow that because the Husbandman soweth Wheat in his Field it shall bring forth no Tares or that because a Child is Innocent upon his Baptism he shall never grow up to be a Man of Sin or that because a Virgin is yet unspotted she will never turn Whore or that because a man is yet in Health he shall never be crazy or that because a Town is yet free from the Plague it shall never be visited with it or that we shall not be mortal because our Climate is Temperate our Air good our Physicians skilful and our Food at present is wholsome A long Tract of Time produceth many and great Alterations for one Generation passeth away and another comes and many times we see that the Posterities of men are not half so good as their Predecessors were and that Religion which was sprightly and visible in One Age may be almost Lost in another Anciently the Faith of the Church of Rome was Right and her Bishops were Wise and Holy men but because she had this Honour in the Primitive times was it impossible for her ever to lose it Was it Impossible either for the Sheep in the fold to catch the Bane or for the Shepherds to fall asleep or for Wolves to creep in unawares or be encouraged and invited to come in at Noon-day Why look ye now This is as great a piece of Non-sence as if you should believe that because the City of London is now well stockt with a Knowing and Honest Clergy it may not be as ill stockt with a pack of Illiterate and ill men should Times alter and our Laws and Government be subverted 'T is true Christ promised his Church That the Gates of Hell should not prevail against her But this promise belongs not to any One particular National Church but to the Church in General 'T is true also that Christ said Lo I am with you alwayes even to the end of the world but 't was spoken to All the Apostles and to all their Successors for ever 'T is true likewise that Christ prayed That Peter 's Faith should not fail but this was a Personal respect to Peter himself but no security for those that came after him and we may well wonder how it should come into the head of any Papist to dream from that Text that because Peter himself did not utterly forsake the Faith ergo it was impossible for Marcellinus to become an Idolator or for Eleutherius to turn Montanist or for Liberius to fall off to the Arians or for Honorius to be a Monothelite or for Anastasius to turn Nestorian or for Pope John the 23d of that name to teach That there is no Future state of Happiness nor any Resurrection of the dead And yet we have proved it upon them that these things were done and taught and that the Faith of these and other Bishops of Rome hath actually failed either in whole or in a very great part When St. Paul writing to the Church of Rome gave her this warning Be not high minded but fear Rom. 11. 20. and when he besought them to mark such as caused divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which they had learned Rom. 16. 17. either the Church of Rome was then in danger of being tainted with Scandalous Principles and of Apostatizing from the Truth and of Falling from the favour of God or else the Apostle was an Impertinent man and ill adviz'd to give them such Needless admonitions and to tell them of danger when there was none 3. But not to argue any longer at this rate If it be made appear that the Primitive Faith of the Church of Rome is Actually corrupted and