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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03882	A treatise concerning the properties and offices of the 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 first part of the second controuersy; Controversiarum epitomes. English. Selections	Gordon, James, 1541-1620.; Wright, William, 1563-1639.	1614 (1614)	STC 13997; ESTC S118148	27,620	62

that it hath donne thus not only for the space of one yeare but for a thousand or at least 900. yeares All which how absurd they are we will now declare 2. But to the end that all which we are to say hereafter of this matter may be the better vnderstood we must note heere that when we affirme that the Church cannot erre in fayth that by this word fayth we vnderstand not only that inuisible fayth which is in our mind but also visible that is to say the publike doctrine of the whole Church which is proposed or set downe to be belieued of all Wherfore when we affirme that the Church cannot erre in matters of fayth we affirme also that the doctrine or points of fayth the which the Church of God setteth downe as the most certayne and vndoubted word of God cannot be false but the very word of God it selfe which I will clearly declare by these arguments 3. The first argument is deduced out of all those properties and offices of the true Church before alledged out of Scripture For the true fayth being once taken away all the foresayd properties of the Church must needes perish and all her offices must cease For the Church cā neyther be the spouse of Christ nor the body nor the Kingdome nor the inheritance nor the tēple of Christ without faith but neyther can the Church without faith the true doctrine therof eyther conceyue bring forth nourish gouerne or defend Christ●es flocke And in this manner the church of Christ for so many ages had lost all her properties had intermitted all her proper offices contrary to so many and so cleare promises of holy wit● before alleadged 4. The second argument is deduced out of most cleare testimonyes of holy Scripture which teach that the Church cānot erre in faith For first Christ himself affirmeth that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church But if the Church could erre in faith the gates of hell for so many ages past had preuailed against her 5. Moreouer God speaketh thus by his Prophet Isay of the Couenant of the new Testament This is my league with them saith our Lord my spirit which is in thee and my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth out of the mouth of thy seed out of the mouth of the seeds seed saith our Lord frō hence forth euen to the worlds end But in our A●●●rsaries opiniō the words which God hath put into the mouth of the Church had departed many ages out of her mouth 6. Lastly the Apostle affirmeth that the Church is the Pillar and stability of truth But if the Church could erre in faith and teach publikely against the word of God it should be the Pillar rather of falshood then of truth Some of our Aduersaries do āswere vnto this place that the Church is called indeed the Pillar of truth because it doth not erre when it followeth and is agreable vnto the word of God yet neuerthelesse it erreth when it disagreeth from the word of God But this is a very friuolous answere For according vnto this interpretation euery Church of Heretickes of Iewes Turkes yea of the Diuels themselues should be the Pillar of truth For none of these erreth when it is agreable to the word of God But a Pillar is that which necessarily and alwaies vpholdeth that which it strenghtneth and whose pillar it is wherfore the Church should not be the Pillar of truth vnlesse it alwaies sticke and be ioyned with the truth and vphould it Caluin therfore conuinced by the euidency of the truth writeth that if true Church be the Pillar of truth it is most certaine that the Kingdome where lyes falshood reygneth cannot be the true Church Thus Caluin 7. The third argument is deduced out of diuers Absurdities which ensue out of the doctrine of our Aduersaries The first adsurdity is that the Apostles Creed were false wherin we belieue the holy Catholike Church For that Church cannot be holy which wanteth the true faith which teacheth falsities and wickednes which forceth all men to Idolatry 8. The second absurdity is that Christ himselfe and the holy Ghost should erre and teach thinges both false and wicked For the doctrine of the Church is not so much the doctrine of the Church as it is of Christ of the holy Ghost VVho heareth you saith Christ heareth me and in another place The Paraclete the holy Ghost whome my Father will send you in my name he will teach you all thinges And the Apostles said It seemeth good to the holy Ghost and to vs. Lastly God himself by his Prophet speaking vnto the Church affirmeth that his holy Spirit is in the Church and that he hath put his words into the mouth of the Church which shall neuer be taken out of her mouth from henceforth till the end of the world Wherefore if the Church could erre in the doctrine of faith Christ also the holy Ghost and God himselfe should erre 9. The third absurdity is that a building could cōsist stand without a foūdation For the sayth of Christ is the foūdation of the Church if yet sayth the Apostle you continue in the sayth grounded and stable And in another place he teacheth that the Church is grounded vpon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets but the foundation being taken away the building must needs fall This absurdity is so manyfest that it forced Caluin to confesse this very truth which now we teach to be euidently conuinced out of S. Pauls words If sayth he the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets be the foundation of the Church take away that doctrine and how can the building stand Thus Caluin 10. The fourth absurditie is that the true Church should consist and be without her prop●r and essentiall forme no otherwise then if one should say that a true and liuing man might consist and be without his soule For the true fayth and the true preaching thereof are as it were the essentiall formes of the Church Caluin also acknowledgeth this absurdity when he writeth that the fayth of the Church being taken away there must needes follow the vtter ouerthrow of religion euen as the life of man is ouerthrowen and taken away if he be stabbed with a dagger or deadly wounded at the hart 11. The fourth argument is deduced out of the manifest contradictions which follow of the contrary doctrine For they who cōtēd that the true church of Christ doth erre in fayth do not indeed know what they say for that is the only true Church of Christ which retayneth and kepeth still the name the sincere fayth of Christ but that is the fal●e Church of Christ which only professeth the name of Christ but erreth in fayth Wherefore to say that the Church of Christ erreth in fayth is all one as to say that the

them to haue this extraordinary calling neuerthelesse by these ensuing arguments we will manifestly proue that it must needs be confirmed and approued by those who haue their ordinary vocation in the Church of God 4. The first argument S. Paul was immediatly and extraordinarily called by God as he writeth himselfe and yet he was sent to Anainas who had the ordinary vocation that by him he might be instructed and baptized And afterwards together with S. Barnabas he was ordained by the imposition of hands by those who were the ordinary Pastors of the Church Lastly he writeth that according to the reuelation which he had he went to Ierusalem and conferred the Gospell which he preached with the visible Church and ordinary Pastors of the same least he might seeme to haue runne or laboured in vaine they therefore who refuse the approbation of the visible Church albeit they be neuer so extraordinarily called therunto they doe but labour in vayne 5. The second argument We m●st not easily beleeue euery one who affirmeth himselfe to be extraordinarily sent by God according to that admonition of S. Iohn Belieue not euery spirit but proue the spirits whether they be of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world But this proofe or triall cannot be better done then by Christs Church which is as S. Paul writeth the pillar and ground of truth The which also S. Iohn clearly sheweth by the words following when he sayth he that knoweth God heareth vs he that is not of God heareth vs not in this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error It is therefore a most certayne rule whereby this extraordinary vocation is examined to demaund whether it will submit it selfe to the approbation of the visible Church and will heare her or no For he who heareth the Church hath the spirit of truth and the true extraordinary vocation but he who will not heare the Church hath the spirit of error and the false extraordinary vocation 6. The third argument The holy Ghost neuer contradicteth himselfe for otherwise which God forbid he should not be the spirit of truth but of falshood for truth is neuer repugnant to truth but to falshood seeing that therfore it is manifest that the ordinary vocation is from the holy Ghost that extraordinary cannot be opposit vnto it which is truly from the holy Ghost For otherwise God should be opposit vnto himselfe which were impiety to thinke wherfore it necessarily followeth that the extraordinary vocation must agree with the ordidinary and be subiect vnto it as also it must establish and confirme but not impugne it Hereupon sayth the Apostle the spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets if they be subiect to the Prophets much more to the whole Church of Christ. 7. The fourth argument There would arise a greate confusion in the Church of God if euery one were permitted to preach and administer the Sacraments that should affirme himselfe to be extraordinarily called without any other examine or approbation of the Church For so euery phantasticall fellow might freely bragge and affirme himselfe to be extraordinarily called by God And vnder that pretence and title might preach administer the Sacraments and exercise all other Ecclesiasticall offices 8. By these arguments some more learned amongst our Aduersaries being conuinced do acknowledge that all extraordinary vocation should be examined and approued by the ordinary Pastors of Christs Church But they adde moreouer that this is true when the Church it selfe followeth the word of God and as long as the ordinary vocation remaineth in her But in vayne do they adde these conditions because we haue already proued that the true Church alwayes followeth the word of God nor can departe or decline in any sort from it For otherwise she were not the true Church of God but the Sinagogue of Satan And the Apostle also expresly saith that the ordinary vocatiō of Pastors their continuall successiō shall remayne alwayes in the Church of God vntill we meete all with Christ in the end of the world By which wordes of the Apostle Caluin also and Beza being conuinced do confesse that there must alwaies be Pastors and Doctors in the Church of God and that the said Church cannot consist without them The same also their confession made at Rochell acknowledgeth in the 25. article 9. Some of our Aduersaries doe heere obiect vnto vs the example of Christ and his Apostles for say they their doctrine was neuer approued by the aunciēt Church of the Iewes whereas notwithstanding it was extraordinary But this is a very friuolous and odious comparisō of Christ and his Apostles with their ministers For it was expressely foretould by the Prophets that Christ was to abr●gate the old Law and the carnal vocation and succession thereof and that he was to ordayne another more excellent and spirituall the which he effected indeed Wherefore seing that now the Apostles had another farre more excellent vocation instituted by Christ there was no reason they should aske any vocation from Moyses But we read no where that the vocation ordayned by Christ was to be abrogated by any other whosoeuer but contrarywise the holy Scriptures do plainly teach that the vocation ordayned by Christ should endure till the end of the world wherefore our Aduersaries can proue nothing by this argument vnlesse they will bring in and establish another Messias and a new Law-maker who hath authority to abrogate and chaunge the law and vocation of Christ which is the blasphemy of both Turkes and Iewes FINIS 1. ad Tim ● v. 6. 7. Os●e ● 19 20. Isaiae 62 v. 5. Cant. 4. v. 8. Ioan. 3. v. ●9 2. ad Cor 11. v. 2. Apoc. vlt. v. 17. ad Rom. 12. v. 5. 1. ad Cor. 1● v. 27. 1. ad Ephes. 1. v. 22. 23● 〈◊〉 4● v. 7. Luc. 1. v. 33. Luc. 17. v. 21. Psalm 2. v. 8. Psalm 27 vel 28. v. vlt. Psal. 32. vel 33. v. 1● Psalm 86. vel 87. v 3. Psalm 45. ve● 46. v. 5. Matth. 5. v. 14. ad Hebr. 12 v. 22. 2 ad Cor. 6. v. 16. 1. Tim. 3. v. 15. ad Gal. 4. v. 26. ●d Ephes. 4. v. 13. Marc. vlt. v. 15. Ad Titū vlt. v. 5. Ioan. 6. v. 57. 58. Matt. vlt. v. 19. Mart. vlt. ● 16. ● Luc. 22 v. 1 ● 1. Cor. 3. v. 2. ad Hebr. 5. ● 12. 14 Hebr. 5. 〈◊〉 12. 14. Act. 20. v. 28. Matth. 10. v. 32. 33. Genes 5. v. 15. Isay 54. v. vlt. Matth. 16 v. 18. Ioan. 16. v. vlt. Isai● 6● v. 12. Ad Ephes. 5 v. 31. 32. Cant. 6. v. 8. S. Cypr. in tract de vnitate Eccles. S. Aug. Tom. 9. de Symbol ad Cathec lib. 4. cap. vlt. Ad Rom. 8. v. 9. S. Aug. Tom. 9. tract 26. in Ioan. S. Aug. Tom. 7. de vnitat Eccles. c. 19 Calu.

of the Church 14. The fifth office of the Church is to defend her children For this cause she opposeth her selfe against the Aduersaries of Christ. She professeth publickely her faith she fighteth cōtinually with the serpēt and his seed she suffereth much yet alwaies getteth the victory No weapon saith the Propet Isay that is made against thee shal proceed or leuel right And Christ saith Vpō this rocke I wil build my Church the gates of Hel soal not preuaile against it And in another p●ace You shall suffer trouble and pressure in this world but be of good cheere I haue ouercome the world By these propert●es and offices of the Church if they be well considered all the errors of our Aduersaries may easily be confuted as by that which followeth will manifestly appeare CHAP. II. That out of the true Church of Christ there is no saluation THE first error is of certaine Sectaries of this tyme who promise men saluatiō out of the Church But this error is easily refuted by the Scripture For that is most cleare and euident which Isaias the Prophet sayth speaking vnto the Church in the person or name of God That Nati●n and Kingdome saith he which hath not serued thee shall perish 2. The same also to be an errour is conuinced by the properties and offices of the Church before alleadged For first Christ hath but one spouse and acknowledgeth no other They shal be two in one flesh but I sayth the Apostle speake in Christ in the Church So also Christ speaketh of the Church my doue and my perfect is one Christ is not an adulterer neyther doth he beget any children of an adulteresse For this cause saith S. Cyprian the spouse of Christ cannot be an adulteresse she is not corrupted and she is chaste And a little after whosoeuer being separated from the Church is ioyned to an adulteresse he is separated from the promises of the Church Nerthe● shall he euer attaine to the rewards of Christ who teares the Church of Christ. He is an aliene he is prophane he is an enemy he cannot now haue God for his Father who hath not the Church for his Mother These he which last words S. Augustin repeateth out of him 2. Secondly he that is without the body of Christ cannot receiue the spirit of Christ nor be partaker of the lyfe and merits of Christ. But he who hath not the spirit of Christ is not his as witnesseth the Apostle S. Augustine declareth this very well by the example of a mans body whose members cannot liue vnlesse they be ioyn●d to the body Another reasō also S. Augustine alledgeth taken from the foresaid property of the Church None sayth he obtaineth saluatiō euerlasting lyfe but he who hath Christ to be his head But none can haue Christ to be his head but he who is in his body which is the Church So sayth S. Augustine 4. Thirdly the Name only of a Mother doth proue this sufficiently For none can be conceyued nor borne without a mother and the child which is borne if it leaue to sucke the mothers breasts will perish for hunger By which argument euen our wisest Aduersaries are convinced For both Caluin and Beza doe confesse this that euen the name only of a mother doth conuince that which we haue sayd to be true yea also the Scripture doth oftē testify that out of the boosome of the Church we cannot hope for the remission of our sinnes nor euerlasting saluation and that the goyng out of the true Church was alwaies-hatefull And hence it commeth to passe that in the Creed of the Apostles first we beliue the holy Catholike Church and then the remission of sinnes and lyfe euerlasting because indeed without this Church none can obtaine eyther remissiō of their sinnes or life euerlasting CHAP. III. That the Church of Christ is to continue for euer THE second error of our Aduersaries is that many of them affirme that the Church of Christ hath not continually endured but that it sometymes fayled This error may also be easily refuted by the foresayd propertyes offices of the Church For first the Church is the spouse of Christ of which he speaketh by the Prophet I will betroth thee vnto me for euer Christ therfore did not betroth his Church vnto him for a few yeares only 2. Secondly the Church is the Body of Christ but Christ cannot be without his body and truly it were a monstrous thing to see a liuing head without a body 3. Thirdly the Church is the Kingdome of Christ but the Scriptures doe teach in many places that this Kingdome of Christ shall continue for euer as Micheae 4. v. 7. Daniel 2. v. 44. Ierem. 33. v. 20. 21. Luc. 1. 22. 33. Lastly Christ sweateth in his Holy One that is to say by his Holines that the Kingdome of Christ shall last for euer Wherefore they endeauour to make Christ himself periured who affirme that the Kingdome of Christ sometymes perished 4. Fourthly the Church is the house of Christ the which he built vpon a rocke against which the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile 5. Fifthly this same is proued by the offices of the Church The Church shall shew the death of our Lord vntil he come God also gaue some as Apostles and Doctors who should teach and rule the Church vntill we meet all in Christ in the end of the world Whē Christ also sent his Disciples to teach all Nations and to administer the Sacramēts he added this promise Behould I am with you all dayes euen to the consūmation of the world By which words as S. Hierome wel noteth he sheweth that they are to liue alwayes and that he is neuer departed from the faithfull belieuers 6. Lastly our Aduersaries themselues being cōuinced with the truth of this matter do acknowledge that the holy Scriptures do testify this in many places For Caluin and Beza to omit many others do acknowledge and proue this out of the Scriptures Seing that sayth Beza the Kingdome of Iesus Christ is continuall it necessarily followeth that there haue alwaies bin some to be found who did acknowledge him for their King CHAP. IIII. That this Church which hath alwaies continued hath alwaies byn visible THE third error of our Aduersaries is that they deny the Church of Christ to haue byn alwayes visible For seing that they cannot deny but that the Church of Christ hath alwayes continued as we haue declared in in the precedent Chapter and whē we demaund of them where their Church was for the space of a thousand yeares and more they fly vnto a certaine inuisible Church which they say lay hidden for many yeares But this error also is easily refuted by the soresaid properties and offices of the true Church 2. For first the Church is the body of Christ but this body of Christ was