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	great_a	word_n	1,780	5	3.6962	3	false

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

other merit but that of his blood This is doubtless the Church of Christ since all is founded upon his word all is edify'd by his doctrine all is referr'd to his glory 'T is not so with the Church which Papal authority has set up which would needs force Christianity to follow it as the Church of Christ How many rules of faith how many acts of piety which have no solid foundation in Holy Writ That 's a building wherein Christ's hand appears much less than those of the builders since in it the authority of the Scripture gives way to that of the Ministry as if that were become the original source of Divine Revelation One wou'd think our Saviour who knew all things had a mind to prevent the errors whereinto men were like to fall by taking a Church of men's setting up insensibly upon Earth in the name of Christ for that which he had founded himself in the fulness of time and indeed he does prevent it by the precautions he takes in the establishment of the Apostolical Ministry which he associates to the building of his Church He chooses for Apostles men of the lowest rank of the people ignorant unlearned self-interested fearful in a word men who were no way proportionate to the work they were design'd for Why did he leave them in this state of infirmity till the coming down of the Holy Ghost but that the tryal of their weakness might make them sensible 't was Jesus Christ who acted in them at the very time they were building up his Church that so they might not arrogate to themselves the success of it tho their hands were employ'd in the Structure Why was our Saviour pleased to particularize the failings and infirmities of his Apostles but as a precaution to posterity which might have attributed to them the glory of having edifyed his Church His wisdom having discover'd to them their natural insufficiency leaves no room in them for presumption by shewing them they had no vertue but what came from above it characterizes the Church of God by Christ's hand alone that built it I am not ignorant how that the Evangelical Ministry must last to the end of the world how Christ promis'd his Apostles he wou'd be always with them and how this promise is to be fulfill'd in the Succession of the Ministry But divine wisdom uses the same caution in the succession as in the establishment thereof What character does he give to the succession of the Ministry no other than the succession of his doctrine I send you as my Father has sent me Go and teach all nations Mat. 28 baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the World These last words include a promise made to the Ministry and a condition imposed in order to partake of the promise teaching them as I have commanded you that 's the condition on which he promises to be with them They are sent by Christ as Christ was by the Father Christ sent by his Heavenly Father makes the truth of his mission appear by the transcendency of his miracles which are so many proofs of his Divinity by the apparition of the Holy Ghost that declares him to men for the beloved Son of God But he does not impose the necessity of believing his Doctrine otherwise than as it is conformable to the Father that sent him Whence proceeds this admirable conduct But from this reason that the Evangelical Ministry was to be excercis'd by men the gifts of the Holy Ghost were to longer to accompany the Ministry than was requisite to establish the Faith after that the Church was to be directed by the Holy Ghost Jesus Christ was to be with the Ministry but after an invisible manner If the visible succession of the Ministry had been a sufficient proof of its mission then some hypocrite or other sitting in the Apostolical Chair might have pretended to have acted by the spirit of God when there was no such thing The faithful might have been impos'd upon unless Christ had promis'd his Apostles to be with them setting them this Law withal to teach as he had commanded them and unless he had charactariz'd the ministry by the succession of his doctrine so that every ministry that teaches not what the Apostles have taught or that sets for a rule of saith another thing than they taught is not look'd upon as the Apostolical Ministry Boast he never so much of having succeeded St. Peter unless he have the succession of the Doctrine he has no right to it he must not impose The truth Christian Religion obliges us to believe came to us from the Father by the Son from the Son of God by the Holy Ghost from the Holy Ghost by the Apostles by their Successors Now to know whether they be the true Successors of the Apostles is but to examine whether the truth they profess the Religion they propose flow from the primitive Spring How goodly are the tents O Jacob How great must our happiness be who live in the bosom of a Church which holds it for an axiom of faith to be conformable to God's Holy Word which is so happy as to be directed by a Ministry that may without controversy say the Religion we preach comes not from our selves we are not the Authors of it 't is the very same the Apostles left us in the Gospel the Apostles receiv'd from the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost deriv'd it from the bosom of the word incarnate the word incarnate from the bosom of the Heavenly Father Thus by the Authority of the word of God is the succession and purity of Faith preserv'd in the Christian World Such is the necessity of this grand principle that no sooner came the Church to forget it but it fell into a most deplorable condition Look back into those all at once happy and unhappy days when Peace succeeding that persecution which the Church had so long groan'd under corrupted Christianity which all the subtilty of Hereticks and cruelty of Tyrants were not able to oppress The Church became great in wealth and dignity but at the same time small in virtue the salt of the earth vanisht away all fell into corruption Both Pastors and Flock had much at the same time a general disgust for heavenly things the sacred fire of the Altar went out by degrees whilst no other burnt thereon but that of Lust and Ambition The Children of Eli made it their main business to encrease the rights and advantages of Priesthood the Church of a Heavenly Kingdom became a Temporal Reign the Apostolical Chair became a Throne whereon the Apostles Successors were not ashamed to exact those Divine Honours the Apostles themselves had rejected and the Holy Scripture the authority whereof had till then govern'd the Church became itself Captive to the

sole Interpreter of the truths therein contain'd and the infallible judge of controversies on that occasion The Religion that protests against the authority which the Romish Ministry has assum'd over the Scripture looks upon the Word of God as the only rule of the Christian Faith and gives the Scripture so great an authority over the Ministry that Christianity is no longer liable to its decisions than as they are conformable to Divine Revelation The authority which this Supream Minister has assum'd over the world of God has by degrees alter'd the purity of the Faith by adding to or taking from what Christ had establish'd whereas the authority which the word of God has re-assum'd over the Ministry has re-establish'd the purity of that Faith which Christianity enjoy'd in the golden days of the Church Hence arises the diversity of Communions one of which pulls up out of the field of the Lord what the other had sown from this opposition proceeded the animosities of the Church of Rome against the Protestants But Christ has taken care to comfort his Church in this distress it labours under telling it withal that he had been hated first Reformation is for no other reason odious but because it roots up those plants our Heavenly Father had not planted and pulls down from the heavenly edifice what had been built with wood hay and stubble 1 Cor. 3. 12. If the Ministry using the authority assum'd had only set up some new curious doctrine interwoven with human opinions I own it won'd have been hard for the purity of saith to have born with it but yet rather than break unity it wou'd have been necessary to have waited till the Lord had try'd every mans work Ibid. v. 13 as St Paul has exprest it But no less than the Church it self was aim'd at No other foundation says St Paul can any man lay but that which has been laid viz. Jesus Christ 'T is not only the death of Christ his resurrection his ascension and sitting at the right hand of God that are the foundation of the Church all these mysteries wou'd have been needless had they been unknown and they had been unknown that not God spoke by his Prophets by Jesus Christ and his Apostles Now the word of God wherein are set forth all these mysteries has been the seed of the Faith and Faith having subjected Reason to its authority has been the foundation of the Church And this is its character set forth by Christ himself when he said Mat. 7.24 Whosoever hears my sayings and doth them I will liken him to a wise man who built his house upon a rock whereas he that hears and doth them not 〈◊〉 v. 26. shall be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand Whence it clearly appears that the true and only foundation of Christian Religion was the subjecting of human understanding to the word of God Now to establish a Church meerly upon the authority of a Ministry that sets us for a rule of Faith what is rather grounded upon tradition than upon revelation is building a house upon the sand because 't is no more than to hear the word of God and not to be conformable to its anthority to lay another foundation than what has been laid 'T was then necessary to find out another principle to return to the original foundation of the Church that is to look upon Holy Writ as the only rule of Faith and the only foundation of the authority of that Ministry Christians are to be led by Nay it seems evident that Faith coming from hearing and hearing from the Word there is so great an affinity between the word of God and Faith that the faithful's submission to the authority of the Scripture is one of those truths which Reason and Revelation do not more clearly prove than every Christians natural suggestion The being of a God is a truth resulting from a natural instinct 'T is a natural instinct in Christianity that there is a Church and in that Church generally taken 't is a natural notion that the faithful must be rul'd by the word of God What occasion'd that numberless train of false Gods among the Pagans but that natural notion man always carried along with him of some true Divinity from whom he deriv'd his being life and motion Whence comes it in Christianity that all Hereticks have been seen to give their Sect the name of a Church but because there never was any Christian that own'd Christ for the Saviour of the world but was sensible there was a Church wherein the faithful might attain Salvation and why was there never any Heretick in all these suppos'd Churches but what endeavour'd to authorize his opinions by the Scripture This is such a natural notion as cannot but convince any reasonable mind that Christians must have the word of God for the rule of their faith since by that same word they have faith convey'd to them And if in Morals Hypocrisie is a homage Vice pays to Virtue it may be said in Religion that that affectation in Hereticks of being grounded upon the Scripture is an homage Error pays to the Truth whose original source and infallible witness is in that Holy Word it being to the Church of Christ what the mercy-seat whence were pronounc'd the oracles of God was to Israel of old How cou'd we judge better of the Church of Christ than by the model himself has left us Thou art Peter Mat. 1.18 and upon this rock will I build my Church he does not say upon thee Peter but upon the rock that is upon that Christ Simon had but just confess'd because the Church cou'd neither be founded upon the person nor upon the Ministry of St Peter but upon the confession that Apostle had made of Christ who is the fundamental Stone of the Spiritual Building Christ does not say here thou shalt build my Church for man is not able to build the Church of God but I will build my Church because the character that distinguishes the Church of Christ from all such as might usurp that name is that Christ is the foundation of it and the Master-builder in this Spiritual Edifice no other hand must be seen but that of Christ that is his will his power his spirit and the authority of his word And tho St Peter and the other Disciples have been associated to that great work yet 't is Christ's hand alone that has wrought all by them They indeed preach'd but Christ converted they wrought Miracles but 't was through his name they baptiz'd but Christ perform'd the regeneration in a word 't was Christ edify'd his Church How goodly are thy tents O Jacob This is certainly the character of Christ's Church since it receives no other truth but that he brought upon earth no other solemnities but those he consecrated no other Sacraments but those he constituted no other expiatory Sacrifice but that of his death nor any

highest Profanation but if forbid of an abominable Idolatry How comes the Gospel to be so silent in this matter Why did the Holy Ghost who inspir'd the Apostles with all the fundamental truths conceal such important ones from them What! is God so jealous under the Mosaical dispensation of the methods the people of Israel were to use in his worship as to prescribe the very least ceremonies nay the smallest vessels they should use in their Sacrifices and can it be thought under the dispensation of the Gospel that Christ who came to teach men how to worship in purity and in truth and establish a Religion far more excellent than that of the Law should have left it to tradition alone to set rules for the most essential part of Christian worship The Church then is not of Christ's not of his Apostles setting up those that succeeded after the establishment of the Faith are they that laid the foundation or Christian Religion But how does this appear probable Except the Lord build the house Psal 128. they labour in vain that build it Let them insist never so much upon the antiquity rank and profound learning of their Doctors that taught these particular opinions in Christ's Religion there must be seen at least Christ's hand in those of the Gospel Ministers that is the will of Christ and the doctrine of the Gospel must be the foundation of faith and piety 1 Pet. 1. All flesh is as grass saith St Peter and all the glory of man as the flower of grass The grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away but the word of the Lord endureth for ever And this is the word which is preach'd unto you by the Gospel 'T is that holy word which has always been the foundation of the Christian faith 't is the only rule of faith in the Church of Christ When Religion was upon its decline tradition took place of the Gospel it became the foundation of faith by means of the authority the Ministry had assum'd over the word of God but when the purity of Christianity was re-establish'd the word of God was reinstated in all its prerogatives which the Lord had given it over the Ministry and it may be said of the Reformation what the Prophet said of the establishment of the Church The same stone which the builders refus'd is become the head stone in the corner Psal 118. This is the Lords doings and it is marvellous in our eyes This is the day which the Lord has made we will rejoyce and be glad in it The authority of the word of God is undoubtedly that corner stone of the spiritual building whereby you are reunited with the primitive Christians since you believe nothing but what they believ'd 'T is God Almighty himself that hath purify'd his Church by restoring it to that order he had at first establish'd The Son of God being sent into the world to enlighten all men and the Holy Ghost which Christ sent to his Apostles have secretly reform'd in the Christian Faith all that was not established by the Gospel God has restored the purity of the Gospel to its lustre and that ought to be the subject of your joy since persecution that attends it serves to set off the glorious character of the Church of Christ and that 's the second head of this discourse Balak thinks to compass his designs upon Israel and rid himself more easily of them if he can but get Balaam to curse them he makes him look on all sides but the more he strives to curse them the more he finds himself constrain'd to bless them Thus the Church of Rome tries all ways to render the Protestant Religion odious they expose it in its Reformation Reformers Temper and in its forsaking as they pretend the ancient Ministry But as Balaam with-held by the spirit of God was proof against all the crafty contrivances of Balak so a Christian who is enlighten'd by the Gospel will always look upon the Reformed Church as Balaam did upon Israel 't is a people that shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the Nations Numb 23. The Lord their God is with them and the shout of a King is among them In a word he will cry out notwithstanding all worldly designs and Polices How goodly are thy tents O Jacob and thy tabernacles O Israel This is to be understood of a Christian inlightned by the Spirit of God thoroughly convinc'd of the maxims of the Gospel and that thinks seriously on his Salvation for among Christians who only bear the name of such and whose Religion is their Interest there are many who know the truth to be in that Church Christ has reviv'd but some forsake it because 't is forsaken in their native Country others persecute it because 't is persecuted by the world But what matters it if Religion be obscure to worldly-minded-men who shut up their eyes to the truth when they may be thereby expos'd to misery and contempt what matters it if it be oppos'd by such Christians as find it their particular interest and advantage to be animated with a mistaken zeal 't would be very unjust to judge of a Church by the opinion the world conceives of it for whether we consider the Church as expos'd to the contempt and reproaches the world strives to over-cloud it with or rais'd to lustre and splendour in spite of the world itself those very clouds are as bright and glorious as that glittering light and purity it shines with in the eyes of true Christians and herein do we see the oracle of the Prophet David accomplished there is a day that discovers to us another day and a night that discovers to us another night The beauty of the primitive Church is a day Psal 19.3 that discovers to us the excellency of the reviv'd Church the motives of hatred and persecutions Christ and the primitive Church have undergone form as it were a night that discovers to us the principle of disgraces and oppositions that over-power the Church wherein Christ has renew'd the purity of Faith which was in primitive Christians Who will not then admire the beauty of that reviv'd Church so conspicuous for its uniformity with the primitive Church And who will forsake that Church because 't is reviled by worldlings because 't is hated and persecuted in some parts of the world as Christ and the primitive Christians were This opposition the Church of Christ meets with in the world is one of the fairest strokes to set off its beauty 't is a Seal the Heavenly Father has sealed it with by a happy conformity with Christ Behold this Child said Simeon is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against Would not one think 〈…〉 he made a description of the reformed Church that having brought again Christianity to purity of Faith revives piety in some and stirs up envy