Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	scripture_n	spirit_n	3,143	5	5.2045	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70537	The character of the true church In a sermon preach'd at the French church in the Savoy, upon these words, How goodly are they tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel, Numb. XXIV. v. 5. By A. D'Astor de Laussac, formerly a prior and an archdeacon of the church of Rome.	Dastor de Laussac, Antoine.	1700 (1700)	Wing L623C; ESTC R221680	22,752	35

ambition of the Ministry it violated its natural sense and so forc'd it to be establish an authority till then unknown When faith was in its purity the Scripture lodg'd the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven in the Hands of the whole Apostolical Colledge in whose name St Peter had answer'd Jesus Christ But when the faith was once corrupted then the Scripture was forc'd to allow none but Peter to be intrusted with them and such as flatter'd themselves to be his successors When faith was in its purity the Scripture deliver'd up the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven as a patent whereby they were impower'd to the preach the Gospel by which the gates of Heaven were open to believers and shut to unbelievers But when the same faith was once corrupted then the Scripture was made to signify by those keys the power not only of preaching the Gospel but even of interpreting it after an infallible manner and of filling up with their traditions what was deficient When faith was in its purity this power of binding and loosing was receiv'd by the Apostles as a lawful power to explain in Religion what was legal or illegal what good or what ill But after the Corruption of the faith this power of binding and loosing erected a tribunal where Christ's pretended Ministers investing themselves with the Power of remitting sins which is an essential attribute of God loos'd sinners by their Absolution or bound them by the refusal of the same Nay this power had different degrees of jurisdiction according to the different ministers in whom it was lodgged and being consider'd as in its center there was a tribunal set up whence proceeded Indulgences and Excommunications which bound Christians according as they were subject or rebellious to this new authority This authority this Supream degree of spiritual jurisdiction was none indeed of those truths Christianity most depended upon but it so much favour'd the spirit of ambition and power that laying aside the thoughts of Christ's having condemn'd it in the Apostolical Colledge they were easily seduc'd by this fair outside What endeavours were us'd in order to back with arguments from the Scripture the authority of the Ministry that was just set up But methinks this was placing the Ark before Dagon's Idol which fell before it This authority in judging arbitrarily and excommunicating all such as wou'd not subscribe to what the word of God had not determin'd this jurisdiction I say fell before the moderation of Christ that wou'd not condemn unbelievers because his business was not to judge but to save the world 〈◊〉 12. ●8 they have one that shall judge them said our Saviour making his word to be the sole judge of controversies This arbitrary power usurp'd over Consciences could not maintain itself when so plainly contradicted by the Scripture in the Apostles behaviour who had always refus'd it referring the faithful to the word of God The Idol fell before the Ark. The Scripture overthrows the authority the Ministry had assum'd but us Ministers being more cautious in this than the Philistins who did not send away the Ark till after the falling of the Idol the effects of their authority were felt before any cou'd examine into the nature of it the Shepherds Crook became a Scourge for all such as wou'd not condescend to their decrees Thus it was that the word of God lost by degrees the priviledge of being the Rule of our Faith 'T was by this means the authority of the Scripture became tributary to the ambition of the Ministry and if ancient Philosophers were given over to the lust of their hearts for having made the truth captive to injustice so God exercis'd the same punishment upon the Ministers of his Gospel they were given over to their own hearts desires for deviating from the rule Christ had set them by which they shou'd have preserv'd the purity of faith By this desire of the heart I don't mean the ignominious passions that punish'd the pride of those ancient Heathens No there is in mans heart a more refin'd and exalted desire he is still more fond of which is that he always had of being the Arbiter of his Religion 'T was to satisfy that desire that the Gentiles made themselves Gods For this the Jews made themselves a pleasing idea of the Messiah they expected 't was by this same desire which the Latin Ministry so blindly follow'd that they begun to edify their Church by the authority of Christ as Christ had edify'd his own by the Ministry of the Apostles Hence arose the worship of images conniv'd at till then as meer ornaments to Churches hence was renew'd the use of Apotheosis by that pompous way of canonizing of Saints Their Relicks were expos'd upon their Altars their Indulgences were us'd to set off the solemnities design'd for them What strange alterations did Christ's Sacraments then receive Nay the very ceremonies the Apostles had us'd were erected into Sacraments and the Sacraments Christ had instituted were alter'd either in their substance or in their exterior part No longer was the Supper of the Lord a Sacrament of his body but his very individual body 'T was no longer a memorial of his passion but an expiatory Sacrifice 'T was no longer the use of the substance that was alter'd but the very substance it self 'T was no longer a deep veneration and respect due to the sacred sign of Christ's body but a real adoration render'd to the Sacrament as to Christ himself In a word Rome Christianiz'd had the same fate with Pagan Rome which lost that Religion their Ancestors profess'd by having adopted that of all those nations they had a mind to bring under their power Modern Rome had the misfortune to change the image of an incorruptible God into that of a corruptible man and a spiritual and divine worship into a carnal and superstitious one At the sight of so amazing a revolution that occasion'd such woful distractions in the Church I cannot forbear using the words of the Prophet Jeremiah bewailing the lamentable condition of Jerusalem Lam. 3. How is the Gold become dim How comes the doctrine of Christ formerly so pure and so bright in the golden age of the Church how comes it now to be wrapt up in the clouds of tradition How is the finest gold chang'd How is that Christian piety so lively so sublime of old become now so lukewarm and so despicable It formerly rais'd Christian hearts to Jesus Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father but now it makes them stoop to the worshipping of him in the Sacrament of his body which is but a means to convey his graces to us How comes it to pass that so pure a worship whereof the sole object was God and Christ as Mediator is now divided between God and the creatures How are the precious sons of Zion Ibid. comparable to fine gold esteem'd as earthen pitchers the work of the hands of the potter How comes it

to pass that Christians who in the golden days of the Church were lookt upon as so many Gods come down from Heaven are now so much altered how comes their Religion to be so earthly They formerly carried Christ in their hearts they express'd these mysteries in every action of their lives and now they think Christ can hardly be found but in Images of him so frail so corrupt is their piety that they wou'd think themselves without any Religion were they once without their Images and Relicks were they once deprived of the privledge of procuring themselves Patrons among the Saints Whence comes so deplorable a change Can we look upon the Church in this condition as that new Jerusalem St. John saw coming down from heaven paepared as a Bride adored for her Husband Revil 21.2 Alas if it be the same Jerusalem it shares in the same fate with that whose sad condition Jeremiah bewailed and we may say with him how doth the city sit solitary that was full of people Lam. 1 How is she become as a widow She that was great among the Nations and Princess among the Provinces how is she become tributary Such was the fate of Christ's Church It was formerly full of worshippers who worshipp'd in spirit and in truth but after it was gone to decay there were hardly seen any Christians but such as were carnal idolatrous or superstitions Christ her Spouse had indeed promis'd to be with her till the end of the world provided she taught that Doctrine he had deposited with her but her Ministers were backward in performing the conditions impos'd they follow'd not so much the Scripture as the interpretations they gave it according to their particular interest and designs therefore Christ abandon'd them They preach'd the imaginations of their hearts they set them forth as rules of faith by means of that authority they usurp'd over mens Consciences Hence came the deplorable state of the Church which was found insensibly burden'd with more precepts and ceremonies than the Synagogue hence it was that the Church which had triumph'd over the world became herself tributary in the flock tributary to ambition in the ministry tributary to those superstitions which ignorance or slackness of piety had introduc'd into the flock You need not wonder at the strangeness of this proceeding God suffer'd it to be so the better to display his incomprehensible wisdom By permitting disorder and corruption to invade the Church occasion'd by the pretended infallible authority the ministry had assum'd over the word of God He wou'd make Christianity sensible of the indispensable necessity of submitting the Ministry to his Holy Word as he had order'd it The Church is represented to us as terrible as an Army drawn up in battel array For what makes an Army terrible to the enemy but good order and discipline What made the primitive Church so powerful and glorious Terrible it was to the world because the truth and efficacy of its doctrine submitted the flesh to the spirit terrible to Tyrants because it plac'd the pleasures of this present life far belew the glorious advantages of a future state it became terrible to error because it submitted reason to faith tradition to revelation the authority the Ministry has over the people to the authority the word of God ought to have over the Ministry God saith St Paul has set some Apostles some Prophets some Pastors and Teachers for the edifying of the Church that the faithful might not be like Children toss'd up and down with every wind of doctrine Acts 20. The Holy Ghost saith the same Apostle has set some overseers to feed the Church of God which he has purchas'd with his own blood We own this ordination to be by God's appointment we respect this Ministry upon that account but the Ministry is of the nature of relative beings it is not set up for it self the Ministry has a relation to God who establish'd it and for that reason all that it teaches in Religion must be referr'd to the glory of God Now that relation does not appear and is not made good when that faith the Ministry would set up has too great a relation to its own particular interest Acts 20. the Holy Ghost has appointed Overseers and Pastors to govern the Church of God 't is true their flock must listen to them in order to be instructed but then they themselves must listen to the Holy Ghost John 16.13 14. who speaks by the word of God When the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak He shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you Here is as it were the finger of God pointing out the subordination of the Ministry to the Holy Ghost who guides it the Holy Ghost does not speak of himself he glorifies the Saviour that sent him by receiving from him what he teaches the Apostles And must not this order last for ever Is it possible there shou'd have been a time when the Ministry had power to decide by its own authority when it might be dispenc'd from glorifying the Holy Ghost by taking out of those Sacred Writings he himself dictated those rules of faith it would impose upon the flock If this subordination had lasted if the Ministry had been in every particular rul'd by the word of God wou'd the worship of Images have been set up so expressly contradicted therein wou'd not the hand of Ezekias that broke down the Brazen Serpent whereby the people were led to Idolatry have taken away under the Gospel a worship that proves so often a rock of offence to Christians Wou'd not the Angel that took up the body of Moses lest divine honours shou'd be paid him have hid the relicks of Saints in their Graves rather than have permitted them to be carry'd in pomp about their Churches and upon their Altars there to receive such honours and adorations as are only due to God If the Gospel had been consulted wou'd Christians that pretend to works of supererogation be otherwise thought of than unprofitable Servants Wou'd the Supper of the Lord have been taken for the real and substantial body of Christ rather than for the virtue and efficacy thereof if regard had been had to the style of the Gospel that always gives to the sign the name of the thing signify'd and oftentimes attributes to the effect the name of the cause that produces it If Christ has edify'd his Church by himself or his Apostles how comes it that the Gospel makes no particular mention of Transubstantiation of the Sacrifice and worshipping of the Sacrament The first of these is a continual Miracle the Sacrifice of the Altar is one of the essential parts of piety the worshipping of the Sacrament is such as must necessarily if of divine institution make men that neglect it guilty of the