Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	church_n	invisible_a	visible_a	2,612	5	9.5734	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04323	A supplication to the Kings most excellent Maiestie wherein, seuerall reasons of state and religion are briefely touched: not vnworthie to be read, and pondered by the lords, knights, and burgeses of the present Parliament, and other of all estates. Prostrated at his Highnes feete by true affected subiects.	Colleton, John, 1548-1635.; England and Wales. Sovereign (1603-1625 : James I)	1604 (1604)	STC 14432; ESTC S107663	42,852	54

in Esay Thy gates speaking to the future church of Christians Esa 60. 11. shall be open continually neyther day nor night shall they be shutte that the strength of the Gentiles and their Kings may bee Ca. 61. 8. brought vnto thee And in another place I the Lord will make an euerlasting couenant with them and their seede shall be knowne among the Gentiles and their branches in the midst of people All that see them shall know them that they are the seede which our Lord hath blessed What could be plainer spoken for proofe either of the visibilitie or perpetuitie of Christes Church her gates saith he shall be open continually shut neyther by day nor night and that God hath made an euerlasting couenant with her and that all that see her children shal know them and know that our Lorde hath blessed them The Apostles because S. Paul writing to Timothie teacheth him how he ought to conuerse in the 1. Tim. 3. 15. house of God so tearming the Church of God nowe if the Church were inuisible the instruction must needes bee vayne and absurd for none can conuerse in an inuisible house Againe S. Luke writeth that the holy Ghost placed Bishops in the Acts 20. 28 Church of God to rule the same but who can rule a flocke that is either inuisible or vnknowne Christ himselfe because he promised his Apostles to remayne with them all dayes to the consummation Matth. 28. 20. of the world Which promise being made to the Apostles was made to a visible Church and for that they were not being mortall to liue to the worldes ende the promise was vndoubtedly made to them and their Successors in their persons and therefore the Church neither euer to cease or become inuisible Neither can the reasons and places precedent be auoyded by the ignorant distinction of a visible and inuisible Church A fantasticall apprehension of Wicliffe and his followers Waldens to 1. lib. 2. ca. 8. 9. vnderstanding by the latter the hidde and vnknowne congregation of the Predestinate because the Church beeing a societie of men as all writers affirme and euery societie requiring of necessitie some visible signe badge ceremonie bond rite profession inrollement or some other like ma●ke whereby the members of the same may bee knowne one to the other and also from others which essentiall point failing in the company of the predestinate they can no way possibly make vp the realitie name or nature of a Church For as S. Austen Contra Faust lib. 19. cap. 11. truely writeth In nullum nomen religionis seu verum seu falsum coagulari homines possunt nisi aliquo signaculorum vel Sacramentorum visibilium consortio colligentur Men cannot be incorporate in any one name of Religion eyther false or true vnlesse they be combyned together by some communitie or participation of visible seales or Sacraments Againe this hidde and vnknowne predestinate company which must bee thought to constitute an inuisible Church doe eyther refuse or not refuse to communicate with the false and adulterous church in ecclesiasticall subiection seruice sacraments and externall worshippe If they doe refuse then is their company and church not inuisible but most visible and markable and of the other side if they doe not refuse then sith the false Church is by testimonie of the holy Ghost the Apoc. 2. 9. Synogogue of Sathan and her doctrine b 1. Tim. 4. 1. the doctrine of diuels they must needes bee guiltie of damnable sinne by such their partaking with her And therefore their company not Gods Church because that multitude cannot possibly bee Gods church wherein there are none c Ephes 5. 27. Aug. contr Donatist post Col. cap. 20. de doctr Chr●sti lib. 3. cap. 34. Retract lib. 2. cap. 18. epist 48. ad Vincentium good but all wicked dissemblers and clokers of their faith With the heart d Rom. 10. 10 saith S. Paul wee beleeue vnto iustice but with the mouth vnderstanding thereby all external actions confession is made to saluation And the same Apostle biddeth all men e Rom. 16. 17. Tit. 3. 10. to auoyde false teachers and f 2. Cor. 6. 17. separate themselues from them yea g Ioh 10. 5. not to follow them but to flee from them is a marke which our Sauiour himselfe giueth of distinguishing his true sheepe from others Wee would say by that is sayde that perpetuall visiblenesse being an essentiall qualitie and note of Gods church and euer really existing with vs and in our religion as all sortes of testimonies in the world doe witnesse and in no other company or congregation soeuer it followeth that our church is the sole true church and spouse of Christ 32. A religion in whose largenesse and spreading amplitude ouer the whole world the predictions and promise of our Sauiour are verified nor can take their trueth and verification in any other sect or doctrine that euer was or is at this day on earth h Mat. 24. 14. This Gospell of the kingdome saith our Sauiour shall be preached in the whole world for a testimonie to all nations And by the penne of another Euangelist i Luke 24. 47. That penance should be preached in his Name and remission of sinnes vnto all Nations And our Lord also compared this his Gospell to k Mat. 13. 31. Mark 4. 32. a Mustard seede one of the least of all seedes in the beginning but when it is growen it maketh great boughes so that the byrds of the ayre that is as Expositors interprete the greatest Powers and the most wise of the world come and dwell vnder the shadowe thereof making their residence happinesse and rest therein A resemblance and predictions which cannot agree or fall in with any other religion saue onely with the catholike Romane religion and with this very fully as the particulars precedent and subsequent doe cleerely demonstrate 33. A religion that hath alwayes had as the Apostle assureth Gods Church should euer haue yeelding also foure weightie causes of the same a perpetuall visible continuance of knowne Pastors and Doctors to the consummation of the Ephes 4. 11. Saincts the first cause vnto the worke of the ministery the second cause vnto the edifying of the body of Christ the third cause that now we be not children wauering and caried about with euery winde of doctrine the fourth cause and this vntill we meete all into the vnitie of faith that is to the worlds end Which successiue and euer continuing duration of Pastors and Doctors the same being also promised before to the true christian Church by seuerall a Psal 88. 31. sequ Esa 59 20. 21. Ierem. 31. 31. sequ Ezech. 37. 25. Prophets and so greatly materiall in it selfe as without it there can be no Church as both b Lib. 4. epist 9. S. Ciprian and c Lib. contr Luciferian S. Hierome do absolutely affirme hath

nothing in proper nor in common and beg their foode from dore to dore as do the Capuccines some attend the sick in all diseases assist them with ghostly counsell prouide them Sacraments and burie their dead bodies as do certaine fraternities some clense vlcers and festered sores nor refuse any office how base and loathsome soeuer about impotent criples and lazars as do the Nunnes of S. Elizabeths order And all these with other diuers orders that after another manner labour to mortifie themselues and do good to others he vpon no other beds but of straw rise at midnight sleepe little and spend much time in prayer and meditation Which are no conditions of life that either a Rom. 13. 14 make prouision for the flesh in concupiscences or b Galat. 5. 16. do seeke to accomplish the desires or c Titus 3. 3. serue the voluptuousnesse thereof sinnes which the Apostle forbiddeth but rather formes of life that d Galat. 5. 24. crucifie the flesh with her vices and concupiscences do e Galat. ● 19. naile them to the Crosse with Christ and render both f Galat. 6. 14. the world crucifide to those that so liue and them to the world Vertues which by the testimonie of the same Apostle g Galat. 5. 24. make their dooers the seruants of Christ and h Galat. 2. 20. to liue now not they but Christ in them Effects of no false religion 30. A religion from which Countries eyther departing or mingling other doctrines with it made present wracke of their former felicities falling eyther into flatte Apostafie or most lamentable bondage or both The instances are The i Theodoretu● lib. 4. cap. 32. Sozomen lib. 6. cap. 37. Goths while they remained Catholike florished and enlarged their territories but becomming Arians were shortly expelled thence by the Hunnes then Infidels The like and by like occasion befell the k Iornandes de rebus gest Dacians Mysians and Pannonians by inuasion of the Hunnes Gepides and Rugians The l Ex Aenea Silu●● in Eur. cap. 16. 17. Anto. Sabel Enne 10. lib. 6. ex Chronicis earundem Nationum alijsque Historijs Dalmatians Gaulls Britanes Spaniards and the Africans by superinducing or mixing one the heresie of Manichaes another the herisie of Vigilantius the thirde the heresie of Pelagius the fourth the heresie of Priscillian the last the heresie of Donatus with the catholike religion were conquered and supplanted the Dalmatians by the Turke the Gaules by the French the Britaines by the English the Spaniardes by the Goths the Africanes by the Vandals To which may be added the Germanes wasted and subiected by A●tila to the seigniory of the Hunnes after the Arian heresie had rooted it selfe in seuerall quarters and prouinces of their Countrey The inhabitants also of the citie Iulinum who being conuerted to the Ortelius in Rugia ex Saxone Helmold● Cran●zio Romane faith and falling againe from it were all consumed both cittizens and cittie with fire from heauen Touching the Countries in the East after they beganne to dishonour themselues with newe doctrines they so fast ratine headlong therein an inseparable propertie of all heresie because they are vnbounded and lacke a defining and binding power that in short while after to witte in the raigne of Heraclius the Emperour there were on foote d Nic●ph lib. 18. 45. Iacobitans Georgians Theopaschite Armeniaens Monophysites Agnoetans Staurablatans Monothelites Seuerites Aphtarthodocites Phantasiasts Manichaes Tetradites Tritheites Arians Nestorians sixteene seuerall sortes of beleefe but what followed First Chosroes king of the Persians sacked Ierusalem and much weakened the Empire Then Heraclius the Emperour turned Monothelite Mahomet that infernall monster being made the Captaine of the Saracens tooke Syria and Aegypt Anno Dom 635. Mesopotamia An. Dom. 639. and afterward all Africa Finally we thinke that in the reuolution of the fifteene first ages the Nation or kingdome cannot be named which forsaking the catholike Romane religion or not keeping it whole and inuiolated was either not conquered or miserably torne by ciuill diuision and slaughters 31. A religion whose professant companie or congregation hath bene euermore since the first planting thereof very visible and perspicuous as the seuerall resemblances parables and figuratiue speeches vsed in holy Scripture doe cleerely testifie that the true Church and Spouse of Christ should euer be comparing her to a a Psal 18. 5. tabernacle placed in the Sunne to a b Esa 2. 2. mountaine prepared in the toppe of mountaines to a c Matth. 5. 15. Citie scituated on a hill to a d Matth. 3. 12. Luke 3. 17. Floore to a e Mat. 13. 47. Nette a f Iohn 10. 16. Sheepefolde a g Luk. 14. 16. great Supper a h Mat. 21. 33. Luke 20. 9. Vineyard c. and her doctrine to a i Matth 5. 15. Candle put vpon a candlesticke shining to all that are in the house that is in the world as k Tract 2. in epist Ioan. S. Austen vnderstandeth the place things that are all most visible and obuious to weakest sense and therefore doe proue that the true Church ought to be alwayes visible and apparant to the view of others Neither is the word Church to be found throughout the whole body of Scripture to signifie other then a visible knowne multitude and the reason is plaine why it must so signifie because it were otherwise impossible for any one to ioyne himselfe to the true Church perseuere therein obey the head and be subiect to the Prelates thereof which all are bound to doe by the expresse word of God lawe of nature and vnder heauiest Matth. 18. 17. Ephes 5. 23. Hebr. 13. 17. curse and censure of damnation if the Church were or could be inuisible or not remonstrable For vnto things hidden inuisible there can be no repaire no adherence nor homage of duetie or tribute of obedience defrayed Nay to deny the perpetuall visibilitie and duration of the Church were in great parte to euacuate Christes passion and plainely to robbe him of the ende he suffered for namely to sanctifie and cleanse his Church as S. Paul witnesseth and to render Ephes 5. 26. it glorious vnto him It were the Church being as the same Ephes 1. 23. Apostle writeth Christs bodie and the fulnesse of him to make Christ a head bodylesse and take as it were his totalitie or perfection from him it were to diuorce our Sauiour from his dearely beloued spouse formed out of his side vpon the crosse Ephes 5. 29. and inseparably ioyned in marriage with him it were to bereaue his omnipotent Maiestie of his house kingdome lotte and 1. Tim 315. Colos 1. 14. Psal 2. 8. heritage vpon earth for such is his Church vnto him and so call●d in holy Scripture yea It were directly to charge the Prophets the Apostles and euen Christ himselfe either with vntrueths or absurdities The Prophets because these words are read