Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	call_v	church_n	pillar_n	6,253	5	10.5659	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03882	A treatise concerning the properties and offices of the true Church of Christ VVritten in Latin, by the reuerend Father Iames Gordon Huntley of Scotland, Doctour of Diuinity, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English, by I.L. of the same Society. The first part of the second controuersy; Controversiarum epitomes. English. Selections	Gordon, James, 1541-1620.; Wright, William, 1563-1639.	1614 (1614)	STC 13997; ESTC S118148	27,620	62

that it hath donne thus not only for the space of one yeare but for a thousand or at least 900. yeares All which how absurd they are we will now declare 2. But to the end that all which we are to say hereafter of this matter may be the better vnderstood we must note heere that when we affirme that the Church cannot erre in fayth that by this word fayth we vnderstand not only that inuisible fayth which is in our mind but also visible that is to say the publike doctrine of the whole Church which is proposed or set downe to be belieued of all Wherfore when we affirme that the Church cannot erre in matters of fayth we affirme also that the doctrine or points of fayth the which the Church of God setteth downe as the most certayne and vndoubted word of God cannot be false but the very word of God it selfe which I will clearly declare by these arguments 3. The first argument is deduced out of all those properties and offices of the true Church before alledged out of Scripture For the true fayth being once taken away all the foresayd properties of the Church must needes perish and all her offices must cease For the Church cā neyther be the spouse of Christ nor the body nor the Kingdome nor the inheritance nor the tēple of Christ without faith but neyther can the Church without faith the true doctrine therof eyther conceyue bring forth nourish gouerne or defend Christ●es flocke And in this manner the church of Christ for so many ages had lost all her properties had intermitted all her proper offices contrary to so many and so cleare promises of holy wit● before alleadged 4. The second argument is deduced out of most cleare testimonyes of holy Scripture which teach that the Church cānot erre in faith For first Christ himself affirmeth that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church But if the Church could erre in faith the gates of hell for so many ages past had preuailed against her 5. Moreouer God speaketh thus by his Prophet Isay of the Couenant of the new Testament This is my league with them saith our Lord my spirit which is in thee and my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth out of the mouth of thy seed out of the mouth of the seeds seed saith our Lord frō hence forth euen to the worlds end But in our A●●●rsaries opiniō the words which God hath put into the mouth of the Church had departed many ages out of her mouth 6. Lastly the Apostle affirmeth that the Church is the Pillar and stability of truth But if the Church could erre in faith and teach publikely against the word of God it should be the Pillar rather of falshood then of truth Some of our Aduersaries do āswere vnto this place that the Church is called indeed the Pillar of truth because it doth not erre when it followeth and is agreable vnto the word of God yet neuerthelesse it erreth when it disagreeth from the word of God But this is a very friuolous answere For according vnto this interpretation euery Church of Heretickes of Iewes Turkes yea of the Diuels themselues should be the Pillar of truth For none of these erreth when it is agreable to the word of God But a Pillar is that which necessarily and alwaies vpholdeth that which it strenghtneth and whose pillar it is wherfore the Church should not be the Pillar of truth vnlesse it alwaies sticke and be ioyned with the truth and vphould it Caluin therfore conuinced by the euidency of the truth writeth that if true Church be the Pillar of truth it is most certaine that the Kingdome where lyes falshood reygneth cannot be the true Church Thus Caluin 7. The third argument is deduced out of diuers Absurdities which ensue out of the doctrine of our Aduersaries The first adsurdity is that the Apostles Creed were false wherin we belieue the holy Catholike Church For that Church cannot be holy which wanteth the true faith which teacheth falsities and wickednes which forceth all men to Idolatry 8. The second absurdity is that Christ himselfe and the holy Ghost should erre and teach thinges both false and wicked For the doctrine of the Church is not so much the doctrine of the Church as it is of Christ of the holy Ghost VVho heareth you saith Christ heareth me and in another place The Paraclete the holy Ghost whome my Father will send you in my name he will teach you all thinges And the Apostles said It seemeth good to the holy Ghost and to vs. Lastly God himself by his Prophet speaking vnto the Church affirmeth that his holy Spirit is in the Church and that he hath put his words into the mouth of the Church which shall neuer be taken out of her mouth from henceforth till the end of the world Wherefore if the Church could erre in the doctrine of faith Christ also the holy Ghost and God himselfe should erre 9. The third absurdity is that a building could cōsist stand without a foūdation For the sayth of Christ is the foūdation of the Church if yet sayth the Apostle you continue in the sayth grounded and stable And in another place he teacheth that the Church is grounded vpon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets but the foundation being taken away the building must needs fall This absurdity is so manyfest that it forced Caluin to confesse this very truth which now we teach to be euidently conuinced out of S. Pauls words If sayth he the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets be the foundation of the Church take away that doctrine and how can the building stand Thus Caluin 10. The fourth absurditie is that the true Church should consist and be without her prop●r and essentiall forme no otherwise then if one should say that a true and liuing man might consist and be without his soule For the true fayth and the true preaching thereof are as it were the essentiall formes of the Church Caluin also acknowledgeth this absurdity when he writeth that the fayth of the Church being taken away there must needes follow the vtter ouerthrow of religion euen as the life of man is ouerthrowen and taken away if he be stabbed with a dagger or deadly wounded at the hart 11. The fourth argument is deduced out of the manifest contradictions which follow of the contrary doctrine For they who cōtēd that the true church of Christ doth erre in fayth do not indeed know what they say for that is the only true Church of Christ which retayneth and kepeth still the name the sincere fayth of Christ but that is the fal●e Church of Christ which only professeth the name of Christ but erreth in fayth Wherefore to say that the Church of Christ erreth in fayth is all one as to say that the