Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A13210
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The falshood of the cheife grounds of the Romish religion Descried and convinced in a briefe answere to certaine motiues sent by a priest to a gentleman to induce him to turne papist. By W.S.; Seminary priest put to a non-plus
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Sutton, William, 1561 or 2-1632.; Sutton, William, b. 1607 or 8.
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1635
(1635)
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STC 23508; ESTC S100149
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32,996
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132
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THE FALSHOOD OF THE CHEIFE grounds of the Romish Religion Descried and convinced in a briefe Answere to certaine Motiues sent by a Priest to a Gentleman to induce him to turne Papist By W.S. Printed for the Author Anno Dom. 1635. TO THE WORSHIPFVLL his much honoured Vncle EDWARD SMYTH Esquire SIR THere are other reasons besides that common motiue and popular pretence of the importunity of friends which hath now put this little manuall into the world It was composed by the Author for I cannot say that it was written by him but rather dictated as hee spake it lying on his bed of sicknesse and therefore hee intended to haue kept it private iudging it vnworthy other mens approbation because vnworthy his own Neverthelesse it secretly crept into the presse and return'd from thence full of faults like the Printer of it who had as little authority to Print it at all as Print it false There was no other way to suppresse the old impression but by a new which I haue here done setting it out the second time but in a lesse volumne and with lesse faults There is one motiue more and that more important then the former The Author since his death for in his life time malice it selfe was never so audacious as to dare ecclipse the bightnesse of his integrity either in life or doctrine hath had his faith branded with the name of apostacy and his profession with heresy But whither he were a professed open enemy or an hypocriticall friend which hath done him this wrong I forbeare to name Whosoever he were this ensuing treatise will put him both to shame and silence and therefore I need not make any apology for him whose owne workes speake in his defence Sir it was formerly made solely yours by the Author and therefore in the dedication it now iustly claimes your patronage only If it satisfy not the more curious reader yet hee that made it thought his paines fully recompenced in that it gaue you satisfaction neither doth the reward of my labour spread it selfe vnto others but is wholy terminated in your acceptance If it chance to bee condemned as imperfect because he hath not spoken all that might haue beene said on this subiect I adde neither hath he spoken all that hee could It was intended for a letter only and therefore not to swell into a larger volumne yet I presume there is as much in the answere as the Priests motiues require more peradventure then he ever expected or at least thank't him for Such as it is it is once more made yours by him who desires to be esteemed Your dutifull Nephew and Servant WILLIAM SVTTON From Christ-Church in Oxon. Iun. 28. 1635. Motiues sent by a Priest to a Gentleman to Induce him to turne Papist The rejection of the Iewes and acceptation of the Gentiles I Haue no will in you How to knovv the holy Catholique Church which all Christians professe to beleeue saith the Lord of Hostes and guift I will not receiue of your hands for from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe great is my name among the Gentiles and in every place there is Sacrificing and there is offered to my name a cleane oblation because my name is great amongst the Gentiles saith the Lord of Hostes Mal. 1. vers 11. A Description of the true Christian Catholique Church Militant The holy Christian Catholique Church militant which wee professe in the Apostles Creed to beleeue is a visible Monarchy or Kingdome consisting of all the true beleeuers vpon the face of the earth confessing one God in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity vnder one lawfull visible head for the time being obseruing one Faith Religion and Sacraments instituted by Christ Which holy kingdome and Society is composed of a visible head Clergy and Laity the head to governe the Clergy to preach and administer Sacraments the Laity to learne and to obey in all things touching their faith and salvation For Christ saith of the Pastors of his Church Hee that heareth you heareth mee and he that despiseth you despiseth mee Luk. 10. vers 16. That our Saviour Christ being a Priest for ever secundum ordinem Melchisedec was the first visible head and founder of the said holy Christian Catholique Church militant composed of a head Clergy and Laity is apparant first in his sacred person being the visible head in his holy Apostles being the Clergy and in his Common disciples being the Laity which small beginning is compared to a Mustard-seed and the increasing to a great tree that birds may build in the Branches thereof our Saviour saying to the Clergy his Apostles and in thē to all their lawfull Successors To you it is giuen to know the misteries of the Kingdome of God but to the rest in Parables Luk. 8. vers 10. The increasing of the Church By the Preaching and Miracles of our Saviour Christ and his Apostles many were converted to be members of the Church At S. Peters first Sermon after he had receiued the Holy Ghost 3000. were added and afterwards 5000. Act. 2. vers 41. Act. 4. vers 4. And Saint Paul affirmeth that in his time the Romane faith was renowned in the whole world Rom. 1. vers 8. agreeing with the words of Christs But you shall receiue the vertue of the holy Ghost comming vpon you and you shall bee Witnesses to me in Ierusalem and in all Iurie and Samaria and even to the vtmost of the earth Act 1. v. 8. Of the Continuance of the holy Catholique Church in true Faith by the Holy Ghosts assistance This is my Covenant with thee saith our Lord speaking of his Church my spirit that is in thee and my words that I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth and out of the mouth of thy seed and out of the mouth of thy seedes seed saith our Lord from this present and for ever Isay 59. vers 21. All power is giuen to mee in Heaven and in Earth going therefore teach ye all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all things whatsoever I haue commanded you and behold J am with you alwaies to the Consummation of the World Math. 28. vers 19.20 I will aske the Father and hee will giue you another Paraclet that he may abide with you for ever the spirit of truth Ioh. 14. vers 16.17 And if hee will not heare the Church let him be to thee as the Heathen and as the Publican Math. 18. v. 17. All which promises of Christ for sending the Holy Ghost to preserue his Church in truth for ever was visibly miraculously performed on Whitsunday Act. 2. vers 1. That our Saviour Christ did constitute Saint Peter to bee Ministeriall head of his Church militant And I say to thee thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it
praesentis Ecclesiae Concilij Tridentini then all will come to nothing de effect saor l. 2. c. 35. q. d. Though all other councells were expunged yet that may stand by it selfe and so long we shall stand One thing more by the way I would haue you take notice of in Bellarmine how when hee had first endevoured to proue that the first foure generall Councels were all called by Popes just as your friend would haue it yet presently after in the same chapter he sets downe foure reasons why the Emperor did call call those 4. Councels and not Popes alone l. 1. de Concil to cap. 13. to 2. It is confessed by divers learned Protestants that the Romane Church was the true Mother Church which Christ our Saviour planted some for 300 yeeres some for 400. yeares some for 600. yeares c. Among other particular Churches planted by the Apostles the Romane Church with the first was of speciall note and the faith of the Romans in the beginning renowned through the whole world Rom. 1.8 But what doth S. Paul say more of the Romanes in that place The Romish Church not the mother of all Christians then hee doth of the Thessalonians elsewhere Read 1. Thes v. 7.8 2. Thes 1. v. 3.4 and you shall finde as great praise if not greater given to them then to the other What would hee inferre hence Did hee ever heare any Protestant confesse because he would so faine worke somewhat out of their confession that the Romish Church when it was at the best was the Mother of all Christians Or that the holy Catholique Church which we belieue in our Creed was nothing else but the Church of Rome Or because that Church was faithfull in the Apostles daies doth it follow that it must needs continue so still Egesippus an auncient Catholique writer saith that so long as the Apostles liued Virgo pura incorrupta mansit Ecclesia c. apud Euseb Eccl. Hist l. 3. c. 29. And whereas hee talkes of 300 and 400. nay of 800. years as if we did acknowledge Rome so long to haue bin the Church of Christ tell him for his further learning that we acknowledge her for a Church still though a most degenerate and corrupted one Whose doctrine is full of Novelty and her practise as full of pride and cruelty and yet a Church in respect of some truths that shee teacheth among many falshoods as a man that is heart-sicke and ready to dye ceaseth not for all that to bee a man so we likewise thinke of divers other Christians in the world though there be many errors in their doctrine and much scandall in their liues yet so long as they hold the foundation the name of the Church is not to be denied them and if your friend thinke otherwise tell him that his faith is never the better because his charity is worse then ours The corruptions of Rome But hee will deny perhaps that there are any such corruptions as we speake of growne into the Church of Rome What then meane so many grievous complaints made by men of speciall note in that Church long before Luther was borne Bernard in â—antic â—on serm 〈◊〉 What meant Bernard to say that there was putida tabes a filthy disease that had spred it selfe throughout all the parts of the Church that Ministri Christi in his time did servire Antichristo If nothing be amisse in the Church of Rome what meant Paulus Tertius to set certaine delegate Cardinals and others a worke to giue their advice how reformation might be made Or what meant those Cardinalls to write such a booke as they did called Concilium delect Card. aliorum Praelat which if you will read as it is extant in Tom. 3. Concil edit per Crab. editionis Colon. 1551. you shall find that their Church hath both rugas maculas Concil Trident. sess 22. dâ—eret de Oâ— serb 〈◊〉 vit in cel bratione Missae as well in matter of doctrine as in manners What meant the Councell of Trent to decree that the Masse it selfe ought to be purged out of all such abuses as vel avaritia vel superstitio induxit if all were as it should be what needed such a reformation of your Breviary and Missal officium beatae virginis But that they were refertae superstitionibus and so confessed in Pij Quinti constitut super recitat offic Beat. virginis Read also his preface in Breviar Missale restitut Indeficiency of faith not promised to one particular Church Now let him answere himselfe how it may bee true that Rome was once a sound Church of Christ and yet is not so now Let him remember what Isaiah said c. 1. v. 21. How is the faithfull City become a Harlot Desire him to read that whole passage in the Prophet and he shall finde how changing of the name the words doe as well fit Rome in these daies as ever they did Ierusalem then And whereas he talkes of the promises of God it is but the same vanity that the Iewes were possessed with when they stood so much vpon Templum Domini Jer. 7. v. 4. The promises that Christ made to his Church that he would be with it to the end of the world That hee would send the spirit of truth to abide with it for ever that Hell gates shall not prevaile against it They were made to the Catholique Church and not to any particular one such as Rome is and to that Catholique Church they haue beene and ever shall bee most truly performed God will haue his Church vpon earth though Rome were as deepe buried vnder the earth as now she stands aboue it And to end with a demonstration Hee doth well to end with one for I am sure that from the beginning hitherto such Arguments haue beene geason with your friend and if this bee one Aristotle never knew what demonstrations meant in that kinde of argument the propositions ought to be evidently true and the conclusion to be drawne from the premises not by probable but by necessary consequence And here is no such matter The Patriarchall and Episcopall seates of the Apostles not extinguished That all the Patriarchall and Episcopall seates of the Apostles This is not true nay in saying so he doth vnreasonably overlash For it is well knowne to the world that there is at this day a Patriarch of Constantinople to whose Iurisdiction are subiect all the Christians of Asia minor excepting Armenia the lesse and Cilicia besides Circassia Mengrelia and Russia moreover that in Europe it selfe the Christians of Greece Macedonia Epirus Thracia Bulgaria Rascia Servia Bossina Walachia Moldavia Podolia doe acknowledge the Iurisdiction of that Patriarch and cannot endure the Bishop of Rome vnder this Patriarch there is the Metropolitan of Salonichi Thessolonica and thirtie Churches of Christians in that one Citty and no lesse then ten Suffragan Bishops subiect to his Iurisdiction besides this the Metropolitan of