Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	article_n	believe_v	creed_n	2,820	5	10.5298	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41015	Roma ruens Romes ruine : being a svccinct answer to a popish challenge concerning the antiquity, unity, universality, succession, and perpetuall visibility of the true church even in the most obscure times, when it seemed to be totally eclipsed in the immediate ages before Luther / by Daniel Featley ...	Featley, Daniel, 1582-1645.	1644 (1644)	Wing F592; ESTC R4369	68,281	80

most part taken in the latter sense as in the creed of Athanasius whosoever will be saved must hold the catholike faith that is the orthodox faith which he there setteth down for at that time when he wrote that creed of his was not catholike in the first sense that is generally and u●●versally received if that be true which Vincentius writeth the p●…son of the Arrians did not infect only a portion of the church but 〈◊〉 a manner ●ain●ed the whole world insomuch that almost all the la●●n bishops being surprised by fraud or by force had a mist cast before their eys In neither of these two senses of the word can either your church or your faith or your persons be termed catholike Not your church for Dr. Reynolds hath long ago demonstrated in his second Thesis tha●… present Roman church is neither the catholike church of Christ nor a sound member thereof not your faith for that as I said before so farre as it differs from ours is patcht up of many heresies not your persons for they are singular or individuall and therefore cannot be catholikes that is ●●iversall Here you use to alledge for your selvs a passage out of Pacianus christian is my name and catholike is my sirname But what is this to you unlesse you could prove that Pacianus held your Trent faith when you prove that I will immediatly turn Roman catholike till you shew some affinity between your faith and his you cannot challenge his sirname catholike As for his meaning in this his elegant motto christian is my name and catholike is my sirname he alludeth evidently to the manner of the Romans and some other nations who used to give their children two names at least one common as Marcus or Cneius or Caius the other proper as Cicero or Crassus or Anthony or Pompey and the sense his words carry is this christian is a name which I have in common with all that in any sort beleeve the gospel and are neither Jews not Paynims but catholike is my proper name whereby I am distinguished from divers sorts of christians to wit all those who professe christianity in generall yet not purely but with mixture of some heresie or schismatically sever themselvs from the communion of the catholike that is the universall church and truly the name catholike in his days as also in the days of S. Austin when the hereticks were but a handfull and lurked but in corners here and there was a distinctive term for then the hereticks in regard of their paucitie could not with any colour pretend to the name catholike but afterwards when heresies became catholike that is spread over the whole face of the church and the orthodox christians were far fewer in number the title catholike ceased to be a note of distinction and the word orthodox was used in stead thereof to distinguish true beleevers from all miscreants hereticall or schismaticall PARAG. II. Concerning the attributes of our christian faith true divine and infallible Challenge That there is always one and but one true divine and infallible faith professed by the church of Christ without which none can please God or attain to salvation c. Answer When I read your preface and compared it with that which followeth I could not but think of Oretes pots sent for a present to Polycrates in which there was a little gold laid on the top and under it nothing but trash for after these two golden assertions of the unity and immutability of the true divine and infallible faith laid as it were in the top of your discourse there is nothing to be found under them but lead and trash as shall appear hereafter in the gaging it I grant there is one and but one true divine and infallible faith but you should have explicated how but one and in what sense Divine and infallible faith hath been always and is one for substance though not for circumstance all beleevers even from Adam were though not in name yet in truth christians Christ and his meritorious actions and passions were the object of their faith as well as ours but they beleeved in Christ to come we in Christ that is come we and they resemble the spies that carried the bunch of grapes on their shoulders the former who went before looked backward the latter who went behind looked forward on the grapes they looked forward with the eys of their faith on the incarnation passion resurrection and ascension of Christ to come we look backward on these as past they saw Christ in foregoing types we in succeeding sacraments Yea but it may be objected that many new articles of faith are daily declared and many new theologicall conclusions found out else how should knowledge encrease How then is the faith of the church always one For answer hereunto I will borrow Vincentius his decision what saith he is there no profiting in Christs school no growth in faith and the knowledge of salvation Yes very great but provided always that this progresse be a going forward in the same way to heaven not a turning out of the way an improvement of faith no change that is holding the same principles of faith we may and ought daily by the studies of scriptures deduce new conclusions but such as are vertually contained in those principles not such as are any way repugnant to them so long as we mutilate not our creed by dis-beleeving or mis-beleeving any article of it and whatsoever we offer farther to be beleeved we cleerly and evidently conclude from scriptures or other prime and fundamentall articles of christian religion the faith of the church is still one Secondly this faith is said to be divine in a three-fold regard 1. Of the object which is God 2. The efficient which is the spirit of God 3. The motive which is the word of God or the authoritie of the speaker which is divine and because God cannot deceive nor be deceived hence it followeth that the faith which is grounded upon his word is infallible and such is the faith of the reformed church of England one divine and infallible whereas on the contrary your romish faith is neither one nor divine nor infallible Not one for you differ one from another in many substantiall points of faith as is proved Paragraph the X. Nor divine for the last resolution of your faith is unto the church a company of men subject to error Nor is it infallible for it is partly grounded upon unwritten traditions which vary partly upon the decrees of Popes and councels which contradict one the other the generall synod held at Ariminum contradicted the first of Nice in the point of Christs deity the councell at Frankeford contradicted the second councell of Nice in the point of images the generall councell held at Lateran contradicted the generall councell at Basil in the point of supremacie and I could with a wet finger produce divers decrees of Popes out

hence argue that the Arrians were orthodox or the Nestorians Catholikes or the Sadduces right beleevers Did you never read in S. Hilary the ministers of antichrist are 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 of their unity in their impiety if you ever read it could you choose but reflect upon your self as for us though we desire nothing more than that we may think one thing and that as we all agree in the love of truth so we might all professe that truth in love yet when piety and unity truth and concord are divided we say with Nazianzen a godly discord is better than an ungodly concord it is better to dissent for truth than consent in errour Here if you reply that you argue not barely from consent but from consent in the truth you fall again to your begging trade you suppose that which is the main point in question and bears all before it prove your doctrine to be the truth of God and take all A man would think that there should not be heard so much as the noyse of an hāmer among your workmen who stand so much for unity If there should be differences even in matter of saith necessary to salvation among us as there are not our controversies are de fimbriis non de textu of the lace and fringe of ceremonies not of the queens vesture of gold wrought about with divers colours I say if there were differences amongst us in substantiall points of faith this could be no strong argument against us who make not unitie an inseparable note of the true church but it utterly overthrows your church in your own judgment who determine peremptorily that where there is not unity there is no true church but I assume there is not unity in doctrin of faith amongst you therefore out of your own mouth I conclude you have no true church Although like Samsons soxes you are all tyed by the tayl that is the conclusions de fide set down by your false prophet teaching lyes whom the prophet Esay warranteth us to call the tayl yet your heads are as far asunder as may be and you draw almost in every controversie of faith contrary ways casuist against ca●●ist and canonist against canonist and canonist against casuist Dominicans against Franciscans and Sorbonists against Dominicam and Jesuits against all Neither are these quarrels {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but as Hercules his controversies was with Antens {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} about Scripture the rule of faith and Popes and councels the judges of faith and regenerating grace the cause of faith and justification the effect of faith and the sacraments the symbols of faith Your controversies are sharp and poinant and your differences irreconcilable you are at odds 1. Concerning scripture Some of you hold that the Jews have corrupted the originall of the old Testament as Iacobus episcop. Christop. and Canus and others deny it as Driedo and Bellarmine Some of you hold that the originall text of Greek and Hebrew are authenticall and that by them all translations are to be examined Others according to the strict letter of the Trent-canon hold the vulgar latin absolutely authenticall insomuch that no man quovis praeiextu upon any pretence whatsoever may reject it Some among you hold the books known by the name Apocrypha not to be of equall authoritie with the canonicall scriptures nor to be produced to ground any article of faith upon them Others carried away with the Trent-stream admit those apocryphall writings into the canon of scripture given by divine inspiration 2. Concerning the Decalogue Some of you teach that we are commanded to worship God even in the devill himself others disclaim this strange doctrin Some of you teach that the commandement non facies sculptile is not morall nor bindeth christians but part of the ceremoniall law and positive appertaining to Jewes onely others defend the contrary with us Some of you teach that images are not to be worshipped in themselvs or properly but only ratione prototyps in regard of the thing which they represent others defend that the image is to be worshipped in and for it self and not only in regard of the thing which it representeth Nay some blush not to maintain that the image is to be worshipped eodem cultus genere quo prototypon that is that the image of Christ is to be worshipped with the same worship wherewith we worship Christ to wit cultu latria that the image of the blessed Virgin is to be worshipped with the same worship wherewith we ought to worship the Virgin her self to wit cultu hyperdouliae that the images of saints are to be worshipped with the same worship wherewith the saints themselvs are to be worshipped to wit cultu doulia Some hold all equivocation before a magistrate to be unlawfull and forbidden in the commandement non dices falsum as being no better in plain english than a lye Others allow equivocation in divers cases 3. Concerning the blessed virgin Some earrestly maintain that she was conceived in sin as all the children of Adam are Christ only excepted others with as much vehe●●●cie both maintain the doctrin and celebrate the ●ea●● of her i●●●culane ●onception and though Sixtus the 4. took part with the Franc●… yet cardinall de Turre-Cremata writes for the D●… Mulciber in Trojam pr●●r●ja staba● Ap●ll● 4. Touching the grace of regeneration and the ●p●ration thereof in our conversion Some teach that it worketh physicè and determineth the will others teach that it worketh onely ●…liter standing as it were at the devotion of the will to admit of it or refuse it to be converted by it or not 5. Touching justification Som teach that we are not justified by our inherent righteousnesse as Pighius and o●he●s cited out of Vega others follow the common tenet affirming that the righteousnesse by which we are justified before God is not Christs imputed but out inherent righteousnesse 6. Touching certainty of salvation The learned know C●…rinus hath written in this point agreeable to the doctrine of the reformed churches as also how Dominious S●●● impug●eth his opinion 7. Touching marriage Some hold it lawfull for the innoce●t partie to marry after divorce for adultery others hold it utterly unl●wfull 8. Touching merit of works Some hold that the work● of a man in the state of grace merit ex condigno ratione operis eternall life others ex congruo onely and some utterly exclude all merit as they are cited out of Vega. 9. Touching sinns Some teach that all sins in their own nature are mortall others are for the schools distinction of v●●iall and mortall sinns 10. Touching the sacrament of the Lords supper Some teach that the body of Christ is made of the bread and allow of a kind of production in transubstantiation others defend transubstantiation by way of adduction not production Secondly so●e reach that the

Mahumetans as fix and the idolatrous as nineteen O lamentable estate of the world Quis talia f●●d● temperet a lachrymis how much larger is the heard of satan than the flock of Christ if you restrain your note of universalitie to such as professe the worship of God in Christ and thereby exclude the Payni●●s and Mahum●tans yet so it will not stead you for it is most certain that the partie of christians which oppose the papacy is incomparably the greatest in number If to the protestants in the western church you add the eastern churches professing christian faith in a great part of Europe Asia and Africa they will bear down the scale to the ground To speak nothing of the Ab●ssin●● and AEthiopians largely dispread in the kingdoms of Pr●ster Iohn to omit the patriarch of Muscovia the archbishops of Mold●via and Walachia Under the Turk there are fo●● p●triarchs at this day to wit the patriarch of Constantinople of Al●x●ndria Antiochia and Ierusalem and that these patriarchs are not like some of your bishops whom P●normitan fitly calls nullatenenses appe●rs by the catalogue of archbishops subject to the p●triarch of Con●… s●t down by Curopalata which are these 1. The archbishop of Cas●rea in C●pp●d●cia 2. Ephesus 3. Heracle● 4. A●… 5. 〈◊〉 6. Sardis 7. Necomedia 8. Nicea 9. Calcedon 10. Mitylene 11. Thessalonica 12. Laodicea 13. Synadae 14. Ieonium 15. Corynth 16. Athens 17. Patrae 18. Trupezuntium 19. Larissae 20. Naupactus 21. Adrianopolis These archbishops have many bishops under them the archbishop of Ephesus 2. of Moldavia 3. of Walachia 3. of Heraclea 7. of Thessalonica 9. of Corynth 10. of Athens 11. of Larissae 13. of Muscovia 17. not to over-charge your memory with more under the patriarchs All those christians besides many more of the Greek church professing Christ differ from your Roman church in many substantiall points of faith They ●cknowledge no supremacy of the Pope have no faith in his infallibility nor trust in his pardons they disclaim merits and works of supererogation purgatory transubstantiation are no articles of their faith they allow marriage of priests they cannot away with the mutilation of the sacrament by depriving the laytie of the cup they teach the perfection and sufficiencie of the scripture they have the scripture and the church lyturgie in their severall languages understood by their people The Musc●vits in the Musc●vitish the Ar●bians in the Arabick the Georgians in the Iberick the Carmonians in the Carmanick the Col●hians Slavonians Grecians in their known Greek or other peculiar languages therefore it is not safe for you to put the truth of religion upon this poynt Were the rule of multitude of visible professors of religion cert●in and infallible Mi●hea were to be condemned and the 400. prophets of Aha● to be justified Ieremy to be abandoned and all the prophets that were in Iuda and Ierusalem whom ●ose against him to be followed Nay Christ the truth it self to be traduced and reproved and the co●●cell of the chief priests and elders held against him to be maintained and approved Had you lived in Athanasius his days we know where to have had you questionlesse not of his side who had all the world in a manner against him as the speech of the Arrian Emperou● to Liberius imports Wh●● a petty part art thou of the world Who art thou that ●ette●● thy self against the world In S. Iohn● time the whole world was set on wickednesse and in Athanasius his time up●n heresie ●o●us m●●dus saith S. Hierom gemuit se fact●… Arr●anum the whole worl● gr●aned because it became Arria● What becomes now of your note of universa●itie To this poynt I earnestly desire particular satisfaction which I have not ye● received from any Rom●… catholike or universalist as they would be called PAR. XIII Where the true church was when the Roman fell CHALLENGE Or if they cannot do this as we well know they cannot let them labour to assign us another catholike church distinct from the Roman when she as they falsly suppose fell from her first truth Answer We cannot prove our true church by the false marks you have set down neither can you prove your false church by the true marks set down by us Eminent visibilitie illustrious ample unversalitie and anti-christian combination under one head the Pope are no marks as hath bin shewed of the true church And what then if we cannot prove our doctrin by them Then you say let them labour to assign us another catholike church distinct from the Roman when she as they falsly suppose fell from her first truth I have already shewed a church more ample than yours and not only distinct from your Roman but opposite to it as much as we in the most sundamentall poynt to wit the papacy yea so opposite that the first sunday in Lent when they solemnly curse all hereticks as Arrius Macedonius Eutyches Nestorius Apollinaris c. they pronounce in like manner an Anathema to the Pope But what an argument is this If you cannot prove your church by the fore-named false marks then assign us some other church distinct from the Roman in which these marks are conspicuous To passe by this your lame inference and make the best of such poor stuff as you bring out of your own words a man may pick out such an argument either the Roman church continued still the church or when she sell away some other church must be assigned which persevered in the truth else there should be no Church in the world If this be that you would say the answer to this your objection is very easie on our parts for we charge not the Latin church with defection from the true faith universally but the chief governo●rs and leaders thereof or to speak more fully that prevalent and predominant faction in the church of Rome that hath born sway for some hundreds of years which we say is plunged into many dangerous and pestilent errors and superstitions yet not into all errors at one leap but they sunk into them by degrees when then this faction in the Roman church which we call the papacy or the kingdom of anti-christ or the Mystery of iniquitie threw it self into an open gulf of error or heresie we say that that part of the Roman church and elsewhere which both secretly and openly impugned such error and heresie and in as much as in them lay stopt such corruptions at the entrance were the true church as for example when the fore-named faction by Boniface the third Phocas his means brought first into the church the Luciferian title and anti-christian power of oecumenicall or universall bishop and head of the whole church they in the Greek and Latin church which opposed it were the true church When the same faction by Irene and Pope Adrians means decreed the worshiping of images in the second councell of Nice those who made head against them and