Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	church_n	doctrine_n	mark_n	1,651	5	9.1086	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04528	The Catholique iudge: or A moderator of the Catholique moderator Where in forme or manner of a plea or suite at law, the differences betweene those of the Reformed Church, and them of the Romish Church are decided; and without partialitie is shewed which is the true religion and catholique Church, for the instruction of either partie. Together with eight strong arguments or reasons, why the Popes cannot be competent iudges in these controversies. Written in the Dutch and French tongue, by Iohn of the Crosse, a Catholique gentleman. Translated out of French into English, by the right worshipfull and learned Knight Sir A.A.	John of the Crosse, a Catholique gentleman.; A. A., Sir.	1623 (1623)	STC 14651; ESTC S107831	50,836	96

and title but the first hath true effect of succession without which succession is but a bare following of one thing after another when the disease is said to succeed or follow after health darknes after light tempests after calme folly and rashnesse after wisedome and prudence lees or dregs after wine or beere Hitherto continue the words of Nazianzen Also as we say that Nero succeeded Augustus and Cambyses Cyrus Considering then that the succession of the Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine hath long since ceased in the Church of Rome the Reformed conclude that the ordinarie succession of the Popes of Rome and of the Bishops of the Romane Church is not sufficient to establish true religion When the succession of doctrine ceased in the Romane Church nor in any sort thereof to determine But it may be they of the Romane Church will demand of the Reformed Christians at what time and vnder what Pope the succession of true doctrine was interrupted changed and altered To which the Reformed answer that the Popes and Bishops of Rome must be distinguished and divided into three ranks or sorts For first all the Reformed deny not The first ranke of Romane Bishops but that from Linus to Melchiades the first Bishoppes of Rome being thirty and one in number were faithfull Pastors of the Church of Christ who laboured in the vineyard and harvest of the Lord even vnto death and therefore they may rightly be called starres remayning in the right hand of our Lord Iesus Christ but from Sylvester the first The second sort of Popes to Sabian the Thuscan thirty three in number they say the Reformed were but Bishops with Miters which albeit they were not the worst did notwithstanding by their traditions and decrees prepare the state and throne for the great Antichrist All the other Popes from him vnto the Pope at this present The third sort of Popes are called and held by the Reformed for Antichrists in such sort notwithstanding as that the first of those Popes vnto twenty and nine after Boniface the fift and Leo the fourth are accounted to be in the kingdome of the great Beast the other thirty and one Popes ensuing from Iohn the eight vnto Iohn the seuenteenth are registred and recounted in the kingdome of the great Whore Apoc. 17. and the other nine and thirty Popes succeding vnto Celestine the fourth Apoc. 17. Apoc. 20. Apoc 9. belong to the kingdome of the great Dragon and all the last Popes from Innocent the fourth vnto the present Pope which exceedeth the number of fiftie are enrowled or numbred in the kingdome of Grashoppers according to the ancient prophesie which the Lord hath vouchsafed to reveale vnto vs concerning the kingdome of Antichrist Beholde how plainely it appeareth say the Reformed that the personall succession of Bishops is of very smal importance and authority to decide the difference of religion The consent and accord in the outward service cannot be a marke of true religion But yet say they of the Roman Church cannot the vnion good agreement and consent in publique doctrine and outward service demonstrate which is the true Catholique Church To which the Reformed reply that if bare consent and accord in outward service could performe so much that then neither the Iewes nor the Turkes nor any other Heretiques Pagans and Infidels could bee excluded from the Catholique Church for as much as experience in all times doth sufficiently proue them marvelously to agree and to be of one iudgement and consent in their perverse heresies and false errors whereas contrariwise wee see often-times great and excellent Orthodoxe Doctors Dissention of diverse excellent Doctors Act. 15. to haue had sharpe and bitter dissention and contention one with the other Betweene Paul and Barnabas such strife was stirred and kindled that one departed from the other euen so Peter Alexandrine and Melitus did striue and contend each against other as also Epiphanius and Saint Crysostome Soz. l. 1 c. 16. Socr. l. 4. c. 32. Orig. con Cels lib. 7. Srom. 7. Saint Ierome and Saint Augustine and Ruffin likewise Ciril Iohn of Antioch and Theodoret. Yea pagan Infidels haue often vpbraided and reproched Christians for their disagreement and disunion Whence it appeareth more cleere then the Sun at noone-day say the Reformed that as externall agreement or the onely vnion and consent in the outward service of God cannot decide or determine of the truth of religion so on the contrary part also every kinde of dissenting and partaking is not by and by a token or marke of false religion Yet with this proviso or caution that the foundation of the truth be not subverted by the debate and difference in the dissention That the most ancient custom is not a marke of the true Church Shall it be then the cōmon publike custom of diverse ages that can shew vs where we must seeke and find the true Church The Reformed answer that as the eternall God hath expresly forbidden the faithfull to permit and suffer his eternal and divine truth in any sort to be impayred defaced or diminished either because of time or proscription of many yeeres or by any custome bee it never so ancient● or by any conspiring and generall assent whatsoever yea although it were of the whole world So that wee see that the good Patriarch Noe with all his familie Gen. 7. Heb. 11. although hee saw all men to conspire and consent together in impiety and dissolute life it being growne to a custome in certaine ages afore-going hee notwithstanding did rather embrace with those of his familie divine doctrine then consent with all other to the impiety and prophanation of the whole world Must it then bee the Church that ought to suppresse and compound all these grear controversies in religion The Reformed say that first and foremost we must learne well to distinguish the true Church from the false Synagogue and the assembly of the vngodly That the only written Word of God should be Iudge of religion which cannot be effected by any other meanes then by the only written Word of God Must then the holy Scripture be full and sole or competent Iudge of the difference and state depending betweene these disagreeing and divided inheritors The Reformed Christians are altogether of this opinion and thereupon are fully resolved For indeed they maintaine and certainely shew with S. Austine S. Ciprian and diuers other very ancient fathers and Orthodox doctors that the things which are necessarie to the saluation of the faithfull and children of God Luk. 16. Io. 4. Io. 6. Io. 15. Act. 28. Pro. 30. 2 Tim. 3. Esa 8. are all exactly contained in the written word of God which is commonly called the holy Scripture For Saint Austine verie well saith Aug. tract in Iohan. ca. 11. Chrysost hom 41. c. 22. in Ioh. It is only to the bookes of holy Scripture now called Canonicall that wee must

that they of the Romane Church would not accuse them of such faults that is to say of heresie vnlawfull calling and innovation or bringing in of novelties but rather perceiving their religion to consent and accord with the truth of God contained in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles that they would imbrace the Reformed religion For first of all the Reformed Christians complaine very much of the wrong that is offered them in acvsing their religion of heresie Lib. 2. cap. de Har. 2. Man Ioan. Auent lib. 3. Annal. because they can proue that such are not Heretiques as in some points dissent from the opinion of the Romane Church neither they which maintain that there are Antipodes Antipodes are they which tread against our feet Glos dist 10. ca. Mul. dist 2. Euseb l. 5 c 26. Lib. confes fol. 274. 6. 4. Ar. Flor. hist par 3. cap. 13. as Pope Zacharie did thinke nor all they which will not obey all the commandements and ordinances of the Pope as the Canonists haue determined nor they which giue not consent to the celebrating of Easter as Pope Victor appointed neither they which beleeue not all the traditions which are instituted observed as good and godly by the Romane Church For then all such should be heretiques as beleeue not that Dominick wrought more miracles then our Lord Iesus Christ and all the Apostles Also that the said Dominick is greater then Ioh. Baptist Moreover that we must firmely beleeue all the Legends of Saint Francis Bernardine and other such like vnder paine and penaltie of being damned excommunicated and burned as Heretiques To conclude all those must not bee reputed Heretiques which beleeue not that all Emperours Kings and Magistrates and consequently all humane creatures are subiect to the power and to the outward sword of the Popes But the Reformed Christians esteeme them to be Heretiques Who ought to be held for Heretiques First of all which bring into the Church of Christ such a doctrine as is repugnant to the Analogie and rule of Faith briefly contained in the Apostles Creede Secondly such as turne aside from the true Catholique Church that is to say vniversall which retaines the pure doctrine of God And finally such as beeing often and seriously admonished doe notwithstanding absolutely persevere in their errors for which they haue beene many times reprehended and condemned The protestation of the Reformed Church The Reformed now protest that they haue not declined or gone astray one whit from the Analogie and rule of Christian Faith and confession of the faithfull nor from the foure most ancient generall Councels that is to say of Nice of Constantinople of Ephesus and of Chalcedon nor from the Creed of Saint Athanasius nor finally from any part of the Word of God They further protest that they were never lawfully cited in due and rightfull forme and manner or condemned by competent Iudges nor convinced of any errors but rather that they alwayes either rendred a reason and made confession of their Faith or have appealed publiquely to a generall free Councell of all Christendome For touching the Councell of Trent That the Coūcell of Trent was not free that it was not free or open they can as they say cleerly proue by Histories in which it appeareth manifestly that Cervinus Polus and diuerse other Cardinals were excluded from this Councell as also Iaques Nacluaist Bishop of Clodiafossa Dominicke Withelme of Venice Paul Verger Bishop of Iustinopolis with certaine others and that onely because they were suspected somewhat to incline to the Reformed religion and for certaine reasons and speeches which they deliuered or vttered against the Popes Concerning the sending and calling of the Reformed Doctors which first did repugne or resist the Sea of Rome the Reformed affirme that they were called in part immediately that is to say they were called by God without any outward means and that God disposed their hearts enflaming them with a true zeale for the advancement of his glory and of the kingdome of his Sonne Iesus Christ In part also mediatly that is to say by outward meanes that is by the approving enccouragement and forwarding of Christian Princes Lords and Magistrates stirred vp by God for this purpose as also diverse Nations which with humble prayers praise the Lord for so great a grace and singular benefit of Reformation And this is not onely lawfull for Christian Princes and Magistrates to doe but they are bound and tyed vnto it by the duty of their Calling at all times when the outward and visible state of the Church requireth any reformation of errors which may haue crept into the Church by the malice or bad dealing and ignorance of the Pastors That is manifestly perceived say the Reformed as well by the expresse commandement of God in so many places of his Word as by all the notable examples of Ezekias Iosaphat Iosias and diuerse other religious Kings that feared God who in their time caused the service of God to be reformed which was corrupted with Idolatry and superstition as the holy History at large doth testifie Finally whereas they of the Romane Church accuse the Reformed religion of nouelty The doctrine of the Reformed is not new The Reformed Christians therevpon complaine that thereby great wrong is done vnto Gods truth because the Reformed plainely shew that they neither acknowledge nor make profession of any other doctrine then that by which Adam Seth Noe Abraham and all the other Patriarches and faithfull men haue beene saued and the which our Sauiour Iesus Christ his Apostles and the first six Counsels and the most ancient Fathers and Orthodoxe Doctors haue deliuered and set forth So that finally the diuel whilest the workmen did sleep hath filled the Lords field with so much darnell that the good corne can scarcely be discerned and perceaued For albeit our Lord God hath alwayes firmly decreed to maintain continue his Church yet his will is not that his Church should be alwaies a like flourishing and prosperous but like the moon he suffers it sometime to encrease sometimes to be in the waine or decrease Gen. 7. 1 King 19. Mat. 2. euen so we see that in the time of Noe there were but eight persons saued in the Arke from the waters of the flood It is also sayd that in the time of the Prophet Elias there were 7000. which embraced the true doctrine Likewise when the comming of Iesus Christ was expected the Church was so obscure and concealed that scarce one faithfull person seemed to be remaining How true doctrine was by little falsified In like manner after the happie birth of our Sauiour the Christian Church began to decline by little and little for the space of 1500 yeeres For in the first 500. yeeres falshood began to oppose and resist the truth In the other 500. yeeres ensuing truth began to giue place to falshood and at the length in the last 500. yeeres truth