Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	christian_a	church_n	true_a	4,006	5	4.8519	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68490	An epistle of a Catholicke young gentleman, (being for his religion imprisoned.) To his father a Protestant Who commaunded him to set downe in writing, what were the motiues that induced him to become a Catholicke.	N. N., fl. 1614.	1623 (1623)	STC 18330; ESTC S114781	16,671	48

the vnity of Faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God c. In these places it is euidently promised the assistance of the Holy Ghost the continuance of the Church the infallibility of her Faith Ephes 4. the assured Doctrine of her Pastors and Teachers to bring her Children in vnitatem Fidei into the vnity of Faith Wee haue likewise in Scriptures expresse commaundement giuen to these Pastors that they Act. 20. carefully attend vnto their Flocke and that they are to render an accompt of their soules 2. Tim. 4. Ezech. 33. which will be required at their hands if through their default they perish Wee on the contrary part haue the like commaund who are the Laity Heb. 13. S. Math. 18. St. August lib. 1. aduer Ioui Idem Epist ad Heliodox St. Cipri de vnit Eccle. Num. 3. to obey the Pastors to take direction Doctrine and instruction from them as appeareth in many places of Holy writ and that vnder paine of eternall Damnation Wherefore that Christian who followeth the direction of this Church and obeyeth her precepts fulfilleth Gods Commaundements and so consequently cannot erre nor the Church erre in that direction For if the Church could erre in that Direction and Doctrine then were wee bound by Gods Commaundement to imbrace error and from hence one or two absurdities must needes arise to wit either that by error and falshood we might be saued or else for obseruing Gods Commaundements we might be damned both which are most haereticall and apparant blasphemy 19 When I had found that this Church had the infallible promise of Almighty God for the integrity and certainty of her Doctrine for her continuance vnto the end that to her Pastors and Teachers was committed the care of Christ his Flocke that the said Flocke was straightly commaunded to obey them as their Spirituall guides that very affection wherewith they desired to be of this Flocke joyned mee to this Church and subjected me to this guidance that feare I had of mistaking the Truth so needfull for the health of my soule made me cleaue to the assurance of this Direction where the Spirit of God is to be my direction and guide and his lawfull Officers my instructors Now remaineth onely for me to learne out where this eminent Citty of God St. Math. 5. Super montem posita Placed or seated vpon an Hill and casting foorth splendour St. Luk. 1. Ad dirigendos pedes in viam pacis To direct our feete into the way of Peace was to be found and surely this Candle which is not S. Math. 5. Sub modio posita sed super candelabrum Put or hidden vnder a Eushell but set vpon a Candlesticke Vt iuceat eis qui in domo sient To giue light to those that are in the House was easie to be discerned and so it must bee if the promises of God were true or his prouidence sufficient for the sauing of such soules learned and vnlearned for whom hee shed his most precious Blood and dyed 20 The Church of Rome so celebrated knowne to the whole Christian world carrieth onely the testimonies of this Truth It hath knowne continuance with succession of Pastors from the beginning of Christianity vnto this day It hath preserued the holy Scriptures from corruption and deliuered them to posterity from hand to hand from age to age to these dayes wherein we liue St. Vincent Lyrinens aduersus propha haereses It hath consent vnity of Doctrine throughout the whole world the same preserued throughout all Ages notwithstanding the opposition of Herisie and infidelity wherewith it hath continually bin exercised It hath preuailed against all Sects and Heresies whatsoeuer and beate them downe as they sprung vp different each from other like vnto the prodigious heads of Hydra at all times It hath testimony of Miracles Beda lib. de Eccles hist whereby the better to confirme her Doctrine recorded by most venerable Fathers and approued Histories and annuals of all Ages It hath Sanctity and Innocency of life and Doctrine now sealed and crowned in the blood of the most glorious Saincts and Martyrs of Heauen and such as our aduersaries cannot deny to be such It hath the consent of all generall and prouinciall Counsels that haue euer bin lawfully gathered and approoued in all partes of the world Lastly it hath Vniuersality true Sacraments Sacrifice and all what euer markes the holy Fathers doe point our the true Church of Christ by euery of these seuerall signes most easie to be proued and in truth are manifest to him who will but peruse the Ecclesiasticall Histories of Times and Ages Euseb Zohomen Dorethe de hist enl which my selfe by examining finding to be most true cannot doubt of 21 Finally if this be not it on earth there is no true Church St. Chris in Hom. quadā ad populam Antioch Christ hath deceiued vs the Apostles deluded vs the Fathers wronged vs and the promises of God haue failed For it is most manifest that no Congregation no Society no Sect no Doctrine hath continued from Christ downeward vnder the succession of Pastors with one and the same Sacraments vnder one forme of Gouernment but onely this And albeit some Sect hath for the time seemed powerfull as the Arrians Pelagians Donatists and many others yet were they no sooner sprouted vp but they were seuered into innumerable diuersities among themselues and at warres yea deadly fewd one against the other and it is not vnknowne vnto your good selfe but that Regnum in se diuisum must perish S. Math. 12 if we may beleeue our most Blessed and most mercifull Redeemer and so did they euery one in their turnes insomuch that the memory of them had not remained if that Catholicke Fathers in Confutations written against them had not recorded their Errors and preserued the infamous memory of the Authors 22 And what we doe finde true of all former Sectaries Luther in Epist ad Iohan Heruag is notorious in Martin Luther and his complyces for their differences implacable hatred each against other Tispogra Argent Zuingl vbi s●pra See a Treatise writtē by Doctor Stapleton called a discourse vpō the Doctrine of Protest printed at Louan 12. of Nouember 1564. is at large discussed in their owne Writings to bee found in almost euery Booke-sellers shop Insomuch as since Luther among his progeny within one hundred yeares there are recorded more seuerall Sects I may truely say Heresies and more nouell opinions hatched and brought into the world by their abortiue meanes then in 1400. and odde yeares before And common experience sheweth that euery man being his owne caruer and Teacher shapeth vnto himselfe a Faith out of his owne Braines 23 And thus good Sir I not daring to doe for the reasons aboue mentioned and for the danger it importeth had none other hope to saue my soule but by committing my selfe to that guidance where so many assured

in matters of Faith more than in smaller matters 9 But admit againe that Protestants had some sure infallible rule or meanes to ascertaine vs that this which they propose or any of these is the sincere translation of Gods word yet are we as deeply incombred as euer for insomuch as Gods word consisteth not in bare characters or sillables but in the spirit and meaning of that writing where I pray is that plaine and infallible Rule which Protestants can assigne the conduct whereof who so followeth cannot possibly erre in the true meaning of holy Scripture For without this all the rest is nothing auaileable to sustaine an infallible Faith and an error or mistaking herein is so pernicious and damnable that whosoeuer is possessed therewith cannot possibly enter Heauen Qui non St. Ioh. 3. credit iam iudicatus est who beleeueth not aright is already iudged And Heb. 11. sine fide impossibile est placere Deo without Faith it is impossible to please God And our Faith is not grounded vpon letters Characters or sillables but of the signification true meaning of the holy Ghost vttered in them 10 Heere againe I finde Protestants so masked or hoodwinckt that they know not which way to take or what to say as may easily appeare by the poore shifts they are put vnto when in this matter they are by Catholickes called to accompt And first it is a vsuall refuge of theirs to say that the Scripture is easie and plaine of it selfe to be vnderstood of euery one without difficulty or ambiguity But this is so apparantly controwlde with the forme and matter of Scripture and euery mans particuler experience that it plainely discouereth the weakenes and insufficiency thereof As for the forme stile it is repleate with Maiesty and depth it containeth many Hebraicismes and Grecismes which the ignorant and vnlearned doe not vnderstand yea many times the most Learned doe make doubt differ about for that it doth containe so profound matter aboue ordinary capacity As the Trinity and Vnity in God the Incarnation Resurrection and Ascention of Christ our most B. Sauiour together with his Priesthood and presence in the most Blessed Eucharist with the like which doe inuolue great hidden misteries and profound difficulties containing many seeming contradictions which to reconcile great Clerks holy Fathers haue much trauailed writing whole Bookes large tomes therof against Iuliā the Apostata other enemies of Christianity Lib. 3. conf cap. 5. Iustitui animam saith St. Augustine intendere in Scripturas sacras c. I intended to bend my minde to holy Scriptures to see the quality of them and beholde I see a thing vnknowne to the proude not open to Children but in gate lowly in effect lofty and couered with mysteries neither was I such as I could enter into it or bowe my necke to the entrance of it So he Thus did this holy Father and great Doctor finde the holy Scriptures which Protestants make so easie plaine and thus doth euery mans experience teach not only in the endles diuersity of expositions betweene Catholicks Sectaries but especially between Sectaries themselues Protestants with Protestants who haue filled the world with their ianglings and giuen testimony that they speake against their Consciences and knowledge when they say that the Scriptures are easie for euery one to vnderstand else why should they spend so much time in making so many Expositions and Commentaries and in filling Bookes to make that vnderstood which euery man with so much ease doth conceiue or why should they after all their Commentaries leaue all controuersies of Scriptures more ambiguous then before yea in stead of clearing all doubts beget infinite new controuersies before vnheard of 11 And from hence doth appeare how poore and weake an Answer that other is which many brought into straights flie vnto saying that Scriptures are made plaine by conferring one place with another for this both Catholickes and their opposites with all diligence doe affirme yet agree neuer the more by this neither are they conuinced of one Truth St. Paul saith Rom. 1. Abacuc 2. Gal. 3. Heb. 10. Act. 15. Iustus ex fide viuit The Iust man liueth by his Faith and againe Fide purificans corda hominum God by Faith purifying the hearts of men And St. Iames saith St. Iam. 2. Sicut corpus sine Spiritu mortuum est ita fides sine operibus mortua est like as the body without the Spirit is dead euen so also Faith without workes is dead and nothing auaileable Protestants explicate St. Iames by St. Paul but Catholicks explaine St. Paul by St. Iames This diuersity hath wel nigh cōtinued 100. yeares tossed discussed with all diligence yet not to this day agreed vpon between them so the like in all other points of cōtrouersies we doe find 12 Moreouer I demaund whether after conference of places such as doe infallibly finde Truth thereby that it be impossible hauing so done to be decciued if you say they doe then you will be controwled by dayly experience as well in Protestants as in Catholicks who after all differ as before which could not be if by this meanes they did infallibly finde the Truth For Ephes 4. that is but one as God is one and Faith one But if you graunt all that conference of places notwithstanding the true meaning of holy Scriptures and consequently cannot serue for the purpose we treate of 13 Others confesse that conference of places cannot be sufficient in this case but avow that Almighty God will enlightē the hart of euery one in particular that seeketh the knowledge of his Truth But this seemeth vnto me the most absurd desperate and vnlikely shift of all vnlikelihoods for as I haue said notwithstanding this priuate Spirit we see the diuersity dayly encreased rather then any way diminished which could not be if God particularly and infallibly guided euery one that heartily desired the truth then must you shew a meane how euery one shall know or be infallibly assured that this priuate exposition is true and all contrary to it false and then must he shew how he commeth by that speciall guift denyed to all that differ from him or how we can be assured therof or how is this rule generall to all which so many so earnestly trauailing for truth seeke after yet attaine not vnto this therefore so repugnant to euery mans reason experience seemeth only a rendeuous which men are driuen to retire vnto hauing no better to succor or help themselues with for mine owne part thus much I say and know that in sincere desire of truth I yeeld to none I know it the life of my soule I preferre before all worldly treasures and as I rancke not my selfe among the Learned so am I not the most vnlearned among the ignorant and vnlearned yet when I peruse the holy Scriptures I doe find them so deep so profound