Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	church_n	ground_n	3,148	5	6.8788	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61802	A discourse concerning the necessity of reformation with respect to the errors and corruptions of the Church of Rome : the first part.	Stratford, Nicholas, 1633-1707.	1685 (1685)	Wing S5930; ESTC R10160	55,727	60

so cheap a rate great Fools are they that will put themselves to the trouble and expence of travelling to Rome for it Those other Scriptures produc'd to this purpose As Tell it to the Church and if he neglect to hear the Church let him be to thee a● Matt. 18. 17 Heb. 13. 17. an Heathen and a Publican Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves c. are even to a prodigy impertinent For whosoever from these and such like Texts shall infer that any person or society of persons is infallible he must also by the same rules of arguing conclude that every Prince and subordinate Magistrate yea that every Parent and Master is so since the Commands of God to Hear and Obey these are as express and peremptory as to hear and obey the other Secondly And as the Scriptures alleg'd do not prove any Church now in being to be infallible so much less that the Church of Rome is For what proof is this Christ promis'd his Apostles that his Spirit should lead them into all Truth therefore the Church of Rome is infallible Is not the consequence altogether as good therefore the Church of England is infallible Christ hath promis'd that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church And is not this Promise as applicable to the Church of England as to the Church of Rome The Church is the Pillar and Ground of Truth So was the Church of Ephesus when these words were directed to Timothy and so was every one of the Asian Churches as long as they continu'd Churches and so is the Church of England now and other reformed Churches in a higher Sense than the Church of Rome which together with the Truth she still upholds does also maintain so many Errors that the pillar and ground of Error is a Title better becoming her and so will the universal Church be in all succeeding ages Christ hath promis'd to be with his Church to the end of the World But is this Promise limited to the Church of Rome May not the Church of England put in as good a claim to it And may not Christ be in the midst of two or three that are gathered together in his name in England as well as in Italy But as more especially relating to the Church of Rome they tell us that Christ pray'd for St. Peter that his Faith might not fail 'T is true Luke 22. 32. but is every man infallible whose Faith fails not Yea suppose Christ had pray'd that St. Peter might be infallible does it thence follow that the Church of Rome is so Christ promis'd St. Paul that no man should set on him to hurt him And it seems as fairly to follow from this Promise made to St. Paul that the Church of Rome is infallible as from the Prayer made for St. Peter But St. Peter was that Rock Christ meant when he said Vpon Mattt 16. 1● this Rock will I build my Church That 's a question For St. Chrysostom understood by the Rock not the Person but the Confession of St. Peter a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In cap. 16. Matt. Hom. 55. and so did St. Cyril of Alexandria and many more of the Fathers And if the Pope be infallible 't is certain that by the Rock is meant the Faith or Confession of St. Peter for so Pope Felix III. hath expounded it b Super ista confessione adificabo eccles●am meam Epi●t 5. apud Binium tom 3. p. 603. Edit Paris 1636. But suppose that by this Rock is meant the person of St. Peter does it follow that the Church of Rome is infallible Yes say they because the Church of Rome was built upon him Whether it was or no is much disputed but 't is out of question that the Church of Antioch was and that some years before there was a Church at Rome if therefore any privilege accrue from thence the precedency must be given to Antioch But was not St. Paul a Rock and all the rest of the Apostles in the same Sense that St. Peter was If then a Church becomes infallible by being founded upon a Rock how comes it to pass that all the other Churches of Apostolical Foundation have err'd In brief when they shall produce one Text of Scripture that but so much as fairly intimates that his Holiness of Rome is not as subject to err as His Grace of Canterbury that a Lateran Council is more infallible than a Convocation at Westminster they will produce something that is not altogether impertinent II. Let us now consider whether their Arguments from Reason are more concluding 'T will I think be sufficient to examine that alone which they most frequently insist upon and make the greatest noise with for if that shall be found to be of no weight we may warrantably conclude that all the rest are lighter than nothing and Vanity Now that is taken from the supposed necessity of an infallible living Judge in order to the Peace of the Church For though the Scripture they grant is a Rule infallible yet since Controversies notwithstanding frequently arise about the Sense of it by what means shall these be determin'd and Sects and Heresies either prevented or suppressed if there be no infallible Interpreter of it Which Argument supposes these three things 1. That it is necessary in order to Peace that all Controversies which arise in the Church should be determined 2. That Controversies cannot be determined without an infallible Judge 3. That such a Judge would certainly give a final Determination to them Neither of which Suppositions may be granted For neither is it necessary to the Peace of the Church that all manner of Controversies should be decided and if it were there may be other means by which they may be as well decided as by an infallible Judge and in case there were not yet this Judge would not be so effectual to this purpose as is supposed 1. There is no necessity in order to this end that all sorts of Controversies should be determin'd because every difference in opinion does not necessarily infer the breach of Peace How frequently do we meet with those who live in Peace together and yet are in many things different in their Judgments one from another This the Romanists themselves must of necessity grant for they boast much of their own Peace and Unity and yet all the World knows that there are many Controversies among themselves that are yet undetermin'd and are likely so to remain Nor is this true only of particular Persons but the same is also verified of particular Churches many of which maintain Peace between themselves notwithstanding their different Judgments in many matters of smaller moment 2. When Controversies arise which really distrub the Peace of the Church is there no way to decide them without recourse to an infallible Judge If not then 't is not enough that there be such a Judge but 't is also necessary