Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	bishop_n	church_n	succession_n	1,636	5	10.2155	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93917	A learned and very usefull commentary upon the whole prophesie of Malachy, by that late Reverend, Godly and Learned Divine, Mr. Richard Stock, sometime Rector of Alhallowes Breadstreet, London, and now according to the originall copy left by him, published for the common good. Whereunto is added, An exercitation vpon the same prophesie of Malachy / by Samuel Torshell.	Stock, Richard, 1569?-1626.; Torshell, Samuel, 1604-1650. Exercitation upon the prophecie of Malachy.	1641 (1641)	Wing S5692A; ESTC R184700	652,388	677

doctrine There may be an ordinary and externall succession of place and person without succession of faith and truth of doctrine Doctrine Manifest here in these Priests who held the places and did ordinarily succeed the Priests who were specially approved of God yet did not succeed them in faith and in soundnesse of truth And as it was in the times before often a succession of the one without the other And this is first manifest by the former doctrine for when it often happened that all the ordinary Priests such as had the outward succession were in errour God exciting extraordinary Prophets to reprove them as Isaiah Ieremie c. It must needs be that there was a separation of these two In particular it is manifest in the time of Elijah 1 King 19.14 So when wicked Ahaz was King 2 King 16.11 Vriah the high Priest corrupting the worship In the Church of the Jewes in Christs time it was so for they condemning Christ and his followers as schismaticall Joh. 9.22 and 12.42 This is further proved Acts 20.29.30 These had their succession from the Apostles and held the same seats the same places which the Apostles held yet had snot the same truth and faith So out of the Ecclesiasticall stories it is manifest that the Arrian Bishops as Eusebius Nicomediens and Eustathius and others did derive their succession of place persons seats and Churches from the Apostles For they were called chosen and ordained after the custome of the Church and had no new but the lawfull calling So of the Donatists and Paulus Samosatenus in the Church of Antioch succeeded Peter as well as they did at Rome And the Greeke Church judged by the Papists schismaticall hath her personall succession not onely 1200. yeares as they confesse from Constantines time but long before from Andreas the Apostle as Nicephorus lib. 8. Chronol cap. 6. Because the grace of God Reason 1 and the truth is not hereditary that men should leave it at their pleasure to their heires and successors as they can their places and seats for John 3. as the winde so the Spirit blowes where it lists Not living men can make others whom they gladly would partakers of their faith and truth how should the dead and departed living men more likely Because as in a common wealth new Lords new lawes Reason 2 and succeeding men have different mindes affections wills desires ends c. and so change many things so it is in the Church And though they should leave them it as an inheritance yet we see children hold not their patrimony but many spend all so of this And as is said of Himeneus and Alexander that they made shipwrack of faith 1 Tim. 1.19.20 So of others Then falls to the ground the doctrine of Popery Vse 1 making this externall and personall succession a note of the Church and by it would prove theirs to be the true Church But if there may be such a succession without true faith and if true faith onely makes a true Church then can it be no true nor certaine note Besides it is not certaine nor expressed in the word of God that the Pope was Peters successor no not in place but to be proved onely by tradition and not to be deduced out of the Word as Bellarmine de Rom. Pont. lib. 2. cap. 12. confesseth And so the maine point whereon the government and Hierarchy of the Papacie dependeth hath no word in the Scriptures to prove it and so the whole is hanged upon the conjectures of men as upon a rotten threed For the Scripture not affirming it what assurance can there be for matter of faith the matter must needs be suspitious and doubtfull Againe even the histories which is their proofe are in such various opinions that a man can hardly tell whom to follow touching Peters comming to Rome and his immediate successors Some say he came to Rome in the first yeare of Claudius the Emperour some in the second some in the fourth some in the tenth and it may be that none of these is true sure it is all cannot be true For his successors Tertullian maketh Clement his next successor Optatus nameth Linus and then Clement Irenaeus maketh Linus then Cletus then Clement If they differ thus what certainty where should faith finde any sure ground If then the succession at best is questionable and doubtfull if it may be certaine and yet be dis-joyned from the succession of faith as it is most certainly in them and true faith onely makes a Church then can this be no true note of the Church To teach us not to be deceived with the glorious shew and great boast of such succession Vse 2 specially when there is an apparant digression from the faith or a probable doubt of corruption in it For what succession soever be it never so long or glorious as a greater could not be then these Priests and people could have objected unto the Prophet yet if it be without truth of doctrine and true faith which is the very soule of succession it is nothing else but a very dead carkasse whereas true faith without any such outward succession establisheth and maketh a Church And indeed one of the purest and most excellentest Churches was without such a succession For the Church of which Christ in his owne person was Authour and Master in which the Apostle was brought up instructed had no succession And yet none will or dare deny that it was the best and purest Church For whom succeeded Christ and his Apostles Did he succeed Aaron and the Leviticall Priesthood Did he elect his Apostles out of them Nothing lesse For he succeeded not Aaron but Melchisedech being a Priest after his order not the others and so the succession was interrupted for many hundred yeares and so may be still And on the contrary there may be succession and no true Church when the faith is corrupt and not sound which made the Fathers when they speake of succession not urge a naked and externall succession but a true succession and such as was joyned with the succession of faith and religion * Non sanctorum filii sunt qui tenent loca sanctorum sed qui exercent opera eorum S. Hierom. They are not the children of the Saints who hold their seats but who follow their workes * Nonex personis fidem sed ex side persones probari oportet Tertul. lib. de Prescr avers Haeret. We must not prove the faith from the persons but the persons from the faith So say we let them prove the persons from the faith and not faith from the persons They have not the inheritance of Peter who have not the faith of Peter All which shewes they would not have us to stand upon the succession of the place and person but the faith and doctrine * Non habent haereditatem Petri qui fidem Petri non habent Ambr. lib. 1. de poenit c. 6. This wil prove

Idolatry is accounted adultery an Idol a harlot an Idolater an Adulterer passim in Scripturis Now as one saith Reason 3 non minor superstitionis quā libidinis impetus adrapiendos homines Men are as mad upon an Idol as upon a harlot and as they will spend all to satisfie their lust so to follow their superstition This may serve to reject Vse 1 and justly the suite of our Papists for favour and forbearance upon this ground because of the great cost which their ancestors they say have bestowed upon this land in building of Schooles Colledges and Hospitalls and endowed them with rich possessions D Bishop prefat they must first presuppose and indeed prove that it is the truth which they professe and that theirs is the true religion else may any idolater in the world make the same reason for himselfe and so may an adulterer plead for favour because he hath been at such cost charges with his harlot and endowed her and hers with such great riches but if not the one why the other why might not the Canaanites by the same reason have pleaded for favour from the Israelites Deuter. 6.10.11 Yet it was not any motive to bring favour unto them nay for all that they were commanded to destroy them And can the Church have a better guide and Christian common-wealthes a better example But it may be that they suppose that this should prove that their superstition is true religion because they thus decked it bestowed infinite cost otherwise upon it By the same reason may any idolater in the world plead that it is the truth and the true worship of God seeing their bounty towards their false Gods hath beene equall in most things and superiour in divers to this of theirs yea by this reason might many a harlot plead against the lawfull and just wife that she was not so but her self because she lives in the house is maintained daintily gorgeously when the other is excluded and shut out in poverty and misery but if not this why that but in all this I grant them but that which may easily be proved to the contrary that our ancestors in the first institution of these things did not intend the Popish faith and relition Then is it not to be wondred at Vse 2 if we see the great liberality of our superstitious Papists towards their superstitions and idolatry for it hath beene so with all idolaters whatsoever and no reason but it should be so with this which is more naturall and fitting the humours and corruption of nature then any other superstition in the word And as some say to Manna that it fitted and was tastfull to every pallate according to the humour of it so may we more certainely say of this as hath beene divers times shewed that it is fitting to the ambitious covetous voluptuous licentious and every one of what affection soever is it any marvaile then though men be marveilous liberall when as every man that hath it cares not what he bestowes upon his humour besides their doctrine of merits hath brought them in no small gaine specially from men who lie a dying who to inrich them though they laboured all their life to inrich their wife and children yet care not how poore they leave them then because they are so taught that by such meanes they may redeeme their soule and satisfie for many things they else might suffer what will not a man give to save his life when he is upon the gallowes more in this Yet ye have spoyled me Their fact and offence in the relation and comparison which standes thus they that is idolaters will not spoyle but they will cleave fast unto their Gods and be very devout yet ye have not done so to me Idolaters often cleave faster Doctrine and are more devout to their Idols and their worship then they who professe the truth cleave or are devoted to the Lord. It should teach us in that to imitate them lest they rise up in judgement and condemne us Vse Let it be our resolution as it is in Mic. 4.5 For all people will walke every one in the name of his God and we will walke in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever Have ye Upon whom I have bestowed many and great things yet have ye spoiled me and so makes their sinne the greater They who have received more from God then others Doctr. if they contemne and injure him and take from him his due or any such like they offend more then the rest vide Cap. 1.12 but ye have polluted it Spoiled me They tooke away and with-held the maintainance of his Ministers who were the instruments and meanes of his worship therefore he accounts himselfe to be injured and spoiled Hence a generall doctrine The injury contempt and abuse committed against the meanes of Gods worship is held to be done against God himselfe Doctr. Thus God takes this done to his Ministers vide cap. 1.7 The table of the Lord is not to be regarded In tithes and offerings This is that wherein they had offended and God complaines he was spoiled because the portion of their goods which was due to him they had kept from his house and Ministers It is a sacrilegious and impious thing Doctrine for men to with-hold or withdraw the maintenance of the Ministers So much the Prophet affirmeth here so much all those places prove which command such things to be given to the Ministers As Num. 18.21 For behold I have given the children of Levil all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance for their servie which they serve in the Tabernacle of the congregation Deuter. 12.19 Beware that tho for sake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth And 14.27 Nehem. 13.10.11 And I perceive that the portions of the Levites had not beene given and that every one was fled to his land even the Levites and singers that executed the worke Then reproved I the Rulers and said why is the house of God forsaken and I assembled them and set them in their place Luke 18.12 1 Cor. 9.7.9.10.11.13.14 Gal. 6.6 1 Tim. 5.17.18 Because this is to rob and spoile God Reason 1 as it is here affirmed and proved by that where the Ministers maintenance being tithes is called the Lords holy to the Lord Lev. 27.30 Also all the tith of the Land both of the seed of the ground and of the fruit of the trees is the Lords it is holy to the Lord. Things are said to be the Lords either by a common duty as it were the homage that all creatures owe unto the Lord as their Creator or in respect of his rule governement of them for this all things are his both good and bad of which that is Psal 24.1 The earth is the Lord and all that therein is the world and they that dwell therein Or in respect of a propriety and immediate right he hath in them and so

being put for their writings Out of all which nothing will follow for the Pope or nothing in speciall manner I will trouble you with no other reasons onely I will shew you this chalenge is false because many of them have erred The first shall be Marcellus or Marcellinus who offered up sacrifice to Idols and by the Councell of Sessa was made to recant it The second Liberius whom Hierom and Athanasius affirme to have been an Arrian one that denied the Deity of Christ Thirdly Thirdly like to him was Felix who was an Arrian as the same Hierom writeth Innocent the first made both Baptisme and the Eucharist necessary to salvation of infants Augustine lib. 1. contra Iulian. Peligian cap. 2. The latter of these errours was condemned by the Councell of Trent Sessio 5. sub Pio quarto Ca. non 4. Fourthly Leo the first who died as Arrius did an Arrian Fifthly Siricius accounted Matrimony pollution Sixthly Vigilius accursed all who affirmed that there be two natures in Christ Seventhly Honorius the first which taught as Melchior Canus confesseth that Christ had not two wills or operations Eighthly In Concilio Romano Pope Stephen the sixth he abolished all the Acts of Formosus his predecessour and commanded all that had received Orders from him to be ordered againe and thought that the Sacrament depended upon the vertue of the Minister Ninthly in concilio Ravennae habito Iohn 9. disanulled all the Acts of Stephen and Sergius the third all that Formosus had done And so that which Iohn had done and approved the Acts of Stephen Some of these must needs erre Tenthly Gregory the seventh whom Cardinal Benno in his writing of him who lived at the same time makes an Heretick a Necromancer a seditious and a Simonist an adulterer not the worst Bishop but the worst of all men A right Hellebrand Eleventhly Celestinus the third allowed heresie to breake the bond of marriage and that a man might marry againe if his wife fell into heresie and è contra So Alphonsus de Castro Twelfthly Iohn 22. or 21. who held that the soules separated from the bodies saw not God nor rejoyced not with him before the day of judgement and was forced to recant it with sound of trumpet by the University of Paris for feare of losing his Popedome as Iohn Gerson writeth in his Sermon of Easter Thirteenthly Iohn 23. or 22. was accused in the Councell of Constance for denying eternall life and the resurrection of the body All which with many moe prove manifestly against them that the Pope can erre and hath erred and so may still Bellarmine I confesse hath a great many of shifts and evasions to cleare his holy Fathers but they are so light and foolish they are not worth the studying on for the most part This teacheth us how dangerous a thing ignorance is Vse 2 even in every Christian for if it be the cause of errour in the Ministers it will be in the people And if the Ministers all one and other are subject to errour if they erre and the people be without knowledge they will go after taking errour for truth because they are able to distinguish neither the one nor the other If it were infallible and certaine that their guides could not erre nor their Ministers be deceived it were no matter though they were never so ignorant but when it is most certaine that they are subject to it and their erring will not excuse the people though the other answer for their abusing and mis-leading of them their ignorance is very dangerous and that implicite faith Popery so much commends damnable And in them and others who would perswade the people they may be ignorant and a little or no knowledge is required of them it is suspitious as if they meant to make a prey of them to broach some errors among them For then saith Chrysostome theeves go to stealing when they have first put out the candle and then do men utter their bad wares when they have dim and false lights To perswade all men to labour for knowledge Vse 3 and to increase in the knowledge of the Word and Mysteries of salvation That they having the rule of truth and falshood the word of God may not be carried away with the errour of one or many be they never so great or learned Erre they may be they never so learned for they know but at the best in part and erre oftentimes they do because they are not wholly sanctified For as the greatest part of a Church is wholly unsanctified so the best are but in part sanctified and so are subject to partiality and errour yea may both erre and defend errour against their knowledge some violent temptation of pride pleasure and profit and such like carrying them thereunto seeing none now is incessantly guided and governed by the Spirit Then had they need of knowledge that they may try and discerne the spirits and doctrines and he that is not carelesse which end goes forwards not retchlesse for his soule whether it walke in the paths of truth or in the paths of errour will not be carelesse for it and to grow in knowledge But if they erre how not we Lookers on may see more then players We may allude to that Prov. 28.11 The rich man is wise in his owne conceit but the poore that hath understanding can try him And God often to the simple reveales things when hid from wise Matth. 11.25 to humble them and know themselves but men It is a thing that cannot be denied because stories of all times do manifestly prove it that sometimes errours and heresies have so much prevailed that the most part of them who held and possessed great places of office and dignity in the Church of God either for feare flattery hope of gaine or honour or else mis-led through simplicitie or directly falling into errour and heresie and departed from the soundnesse of the faith so that the sincerity of religion was upholden and the truth defended and maintained onely by some few and they molested persecuted and traduced as turbulent and seditious persons enemies to the common peace of the Christian world To say nothing of the times of Christ and after him of the first Churches in the Acts. This was the state of the Christian world in the time of Athanasius when in the Councell of Seleucia and Ariminium the Nicence faith was condemned and all the Bishops of the whole world were carried from the soundnesse of the faith save Athanasius and some few Confessors banished with him So that Hieron contra Luciferam Ingemuit totius orbis miratus est factum se Arrianum So Hilarius contra Aux Episc Mill. complained that the Arrian faction had confounded all Paphnutius in the Councell of Nice for the marriage of Ministers was alone But yee are gone out of the way Though they succeeded them in their places yet not in their faith not in the truth of