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	invisible_a	visible_a	2,160	5	9.2231	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80790	The doctrine of faith. Or, The prime and principall points which a Christian is to know and believe. Handled in sundry sermons upon texts of scripture selected and chosen for the purpose. Wherein the method of the creed, (commonly called the Apostles Creed) is observed; and the articles thereof are confirmed, explained and applied, for the instructing of the ignorant, and the establishing of all in the truth. / By Christopher Cartwright, Minister of the Word at York.	Cartwright, Christopher, 1602-1658.	1650 (1650)	Wing C687; Thomason E1231_1; ESTC R14778	283,812	488

Church but so far as I see the Scripture speaks of the Church as consisting of men only and not of Angells The Angells are called Elect 1 Tim. 3. 21. but they are never said to be called which the Originall word for Church doth properly import The Angells I speak of the good Angells never were in any other estate then now they are in though now they be more confirmed in that estate then they were at first as appears by the fall of the evill Angells who kept not their first estate Jude v. 6. They never were in any estate of sin and misery out of which they should be called And for the Angels that sinned God spared not them as S. Peter tells us 2 Pet. 2. 4. Again the Angells are clearly distinguished from the Church Eph. 3. 10. To the intent that now unto the principalites and powers in heavenly places might be knowne by the Church the manifold wisdom of God But further the Church thus taken for such a Of the Church militant and the Church triumphant company of persons is divers wayes distinguished 1. There is the Church militant and the Church triumphant The Church militant is that company which is here upon earth in warfare warring with Satan the world and the flesh The Church triumphant is that company which having vanquished and overcome those adversaries doth reign and triumph in heaven This distinction is grounded upon the words of the Apostle I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in heaven and earth is named Eph. 3. 14 15. And in other places sometimes the Church militant sometimes the Church triumphant is hinted Fight the good fight of faith said Paul to Timothy being a member of the Church militant 1 Tim. 6. 12. I have fought a good fight said he when he was about to passe from the Church militant to the Church triumphant 2 Tim 4. 7. So it is the Church triumphant that S. John speaks of saying After this I beheld and loe a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palmes in their hands viz. in token of the victory that they had atchieved Rev. 7. 9. But the Church militant is that which usually is spoken of in the Scriptures God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers c. 1 Cor. 12. 28. Yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with mine understanding that by my voice I might teach others also then ten thousand words in an unknown tongue 1 Cor. 14. 19. And so in many other places And the Church as here upon earth consists partly of such as are indeed of it partly of such as onely in shew and profession belong unto it For all are not Israel that are of Israel Rom. 9. 6. that is all are not indeed the people of God who professe themselves to be of that number No some call themselves Jewes that is Gods people yet are not but are the synagogue of Satan Rev. 2. 9. Onely true believers are indeed of the Church For if any one have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8. 9. Prophane persons and hypocrites are rather in the Church then of the Church like woodden leggs that are outwardly joyned to the body yet are indeed no parts of the body They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us 1 Joh. 2. 19. So speaks S. John of some Apostates and back-sliders shewing that then when they professed themselves to be of the Church yet indeed they were not of it And hence is another distinction of the Church into the Church visible and the Church invisible Of the Church visible and the Church invisible The visible Church is a visible company of people professing the Gospell whether they do it in truth and sincerity or no it doth consist of good and bad of elect and reprobate It is compared to a ●et that was cast into the Sea and gathered of every kind c. Mat. 13. 47. c. And to a field wherein were both wheat and tares Mat. 13. 24. c. And to a great house wherein are vessells of severall sorts some to honor and some to dishonor 2 Tim. 2. 20. The invisible Church consists only of such as are elect and are indeed that which they professe themselves to be like Nathanael Israelites indeed in whom is no guile Joh. 1. 47. The Church in this respect is called invisible because it is not visible to the eyes of men they can see the profession but whether it be sincere and proceed from the heart or no they cannot see For God only knowes the hearts of all the children of men 1 King 8. 39. And so he only knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. Of a particular Church and the Church universall 3. The Church is distinguished into particular and universall A particular Church is a company professing the faith in some particular place Thus we read of the seven Churches in Asia Rev. 1. 4. that is of Churches that were in seven Cities of Asia as it followes there v. 11. So we read of the Church that was at Antioch Acts 13. 1. the Church which was at Jerusalem Acts 8. 1. Yea we read of Churches in particular houses as in the house of Aquila and Priscilla Rom. 16. 5. in the house of Nymphas Col. 4. 15. in the house of Philemon Philem. v. 2. The universall Church This is the universall Church as upon earth otherwise the universall Church comprehends both the Saints on earth and the Saints in heaven is the whole company of believers throughout the world The Apostle having spoken first of a particular Church Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth c. presently after he speaks of universall Church with all that in every place call upon the Name of Jesus Christ c. 1 Cor. 1. 2. The universall Church is that which is mentioned in the Creed and is called the Catholike Church for Catholike is as much as generall or universall The Church of Rome most absurdly will be the Catholike Church Roman Catholike is frequent in the mouths of Papists but this is over-grosse Catholike importing the whole and Roman but a part The Church of Rome was once indeed an eminent part yet but a part of the Catholike Ribera ● Iesuite is forced to confesse that by Babylon is meant Rome or universall Church Rom. 1. But now it is so degenerate and corrupt that it is termed Babylon Rev. 17. and the people of God are required to come out of it Rev. 18. 4. In the Creed the Church is stiled holy and so it is They that are indeed of the Church are indeed holy Ye are washed ye are sanctified

1 Cor. 6. 11. Wherefore holy brethren c. Heb. 3. 1. And they that are of the Church but by profession yet by profession are holy Called to be Saints 1 Cor. 1. 2. Which becometh women professing godlinesse How the Church is stiled holy 2 Tim. 2. 10. And though the visible Church contain in it hypocrites and unholy persons as well as those that are holy yet the Church is called holy from the better part even as a heap of wheat and chaffe being mixed together we use to say of it this is wheat rather then this is chaffe though there may be more of that then of the other Now the Church which is so indeed is holy two wayes 1. Out of it self in Christ as being united unto him and one with him and so having the righteousnesse and holinesse of Christ imputed unto For God made Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. In this respect Sine maculâ deputatur quia culpa non imputatur Gil. in Cant. 4. 7. Christ speaking to the Church saith Thou art all faire my love and there is no spot in thee Cant. 4. 7. The Church is said to have no spot in her because no spot is imputed to her 2. In it self from Christ For the Church being united to Christ and partaking of his Spirit it must nees be conformed unto Christ in some measure and be made holy as he is holy And of his fulnesse have we all received and grace for grace Joh. 1. 16. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. He that saith that he abideth in him ought himself to walk even as he walked 1 Ioh. 2. 6. But this inherent holinesse of the Church here in this life is imperfect The inward man is renewed not altogether at once but by degrees by little and little day by day 2 Cor. 4. 16. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. 18. As for that Eph. 5. 27. That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish As for that I say it is not so to be understood as if the Church were such now here in this Non est ita intelligendum quasi Ecclesia ita jam sit sed quia praeparatur ut sit Aug. in Retract In regno caelorum Ecclesia plenè perfectè erit non habens maculam aut rugam aut aliquid istiusmodi Cum enim non tantum dixit ut exhiberet sibi Ecclesia●● non habentem maculam aut rugam sed addidit gloriosam satis significavit quando erit sine maculâ ruga Beda ad loc life but it is prepared that it may be such hereafter in the life to come And the Apostle saying That he might present it unto himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle sufficiently shewes when the Church shall be without spot or wrinkle to wit when it shall be glorious and that is not here upon ●arth but hereafter in heaven The nine and twentieth SERMON I Come now to the notes or marks of the Of the notes or marks of the Church Church whereby it is to be discerned I mean of a visible Church for the invisible Church cannot be discerned by us but as I shewed before by God onely And this consideration of the notes of the Church is very requisite and of great concernment For as Christ said to his Disciples Mat. 24. 23 24. If any shall say unto you loe here is Christ or there believe it not for there shall arise false Christs So though Papists on the one hand and Sectaries on the other hand will be ready to say loe here is the Church and loe there is the Church yet believe it not for there are false Churches First therefore let us examine the notes of the Notes assigned by the Papists 1 Antiquity Church which the Papists assign and they are principally these 1. Antiquity This they boast much of their Religion they say is the old Religion and therefore the true Religion and consequently their Church is the true Church But we must distinguish of Antiquity there is a primary and there is a seconda●y Antiquity Primary Antiquity is indeed a mark of the truth for error and falshood being an aberration ● deviation from the truth it must needs be that Id verum quodcunque primum id adulterum quodcunque posterius Tertull. advers Prax. c. 4. truth is before errour and falshood Therefore Jeremy bids Ask for the old paths where is the good way But secondary antiquity doth not argue truth There is Vetustas erroris an antiquity of errour as Cyprian truly observes Our Fathers worshipped in Cypr. Epist 74. Edit Paniel this mountain said the woman of Samaria unto Christ Joh. 4. 20. They could plead prescription for vvhat they did yet vvas it not therefore right You worship you know not what said Christ unto her v 22. And Mat. 5. v. 21. 27. 33. Christ tels his Disciples that so so it had been said of old yet he would have them to knovv that it was otherwise and vvhich here is chiefly to be noted the Apostle tells us that even in his daies the mystery of iniquity did begin to vvork 2 Thes 2. 7. If the Doctrine of Antichrist vvhich is there spoken of did begin to work then in those daies no marvell if it be novv very ancient yet is it never a vvhit the better for all that If a prescription of many hundred yeares were sufficient to demonstrate truth then might the Heathens have vvell and justly maintained their idolatry and superstition against the doctrine and vvorship of Christian Religion and indeed some of Iam si longa aetas autoritatem religionibus faciat servanda est tot seculis fides sequendi sunt nobis parentes qui secuti sunt foeliciter suos utar ceremoniis avitis Sera contu●eliosa est emenda●io s●n●ctutis Symmachus pro sa●ris Patriis them have used and urged this argument which seems so plausible to our Romish adveriaries Let them ansvver the Pagans and withall they will ansvver themselves This therefore I say that although the Church of Rome can plead antiquity yet this is not enough to prove it to be the true Church this antiquity which it hath being but a secondary antiquity If they could evince that their Doctrine is simply and absolutely most ancient this were to some purpose but this they can never do Ob. But say they the Church of Rome was once a true and a sound Church by S. Pauls own testimony Rom. 1. Answ True but as the Prophet saies

her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Revel 18. 4. 2. Another note of the Church which the Papists 2. Succession assign is succession of Pastours and Teachers they can shevv such a succession and thence they conclude that they are the true Church But there is a twofold succession viz. personall and doctrinall a succession of persons and a succession of Doctrine the former vvithout the latter is as nothing The Priests that condemned Christ had a personall succession but vvanted doctrinall succession They could shew hovv their persons did succeed those that vvere before them and they others and so on untill they came to Aaron but they could not shevv the like succession of their doctrine so neither can the Papists shevv that they hold the same faith vvhich vvas delivered by the Apostles and therefore in vain do they vaunt of this that they can shevv a personall succession of their Popes from the times of the Apostles Bellarmine Bellarm. de Eccles l. 4. c. 8. confesseth that the argument drawn from succession doth not hold for the affirmative viz. that vvhere there is succession there is the true Church but only negatively that there is not the Church where succession is wanting So then by their own confession this argument makes little for them and as little doth it make against us For though our Divines have laboured not unprofitably to shew that successively in all ages there have been some or other who have asserted the truth which we maintain this is sufficient that we can make it appear that we hold the same faith which was once delivered to the Saints and have not Iude v. ● departed from the Church of Rome further then they have departed from this faith This the ancient Doctors thought sufficient and though sometimes they have alledged personall succession yet it was still with this supposition that it was accompanied with doctrinall succession otherwise they made no reckoning of it We must adhere unto those saith Iraeneus who keep the doctrine of Oportet adhaerere his qui Apostolorum doctrinam cu 〈…〉 diunt Iren. l. 4. c. 44. c. 43. he calls this principalem successionem Non habent Petri hariditatem qui fidem Petri non babent Ambros de pentt l. 1. c. 6. In eadem side conspirant●s non minus Apostolica depu 〈…〉 r pro consanguinitate doctrine Tertul. de Praescript c. 32. the Apostles This succession he calls the principall succession So Ambrose They do not succeed Peter saith he who have not the faith of Peter And Tertullian speaking of Churches planted since the Apostles times saith that they agreeing in the same faith are neverthelesse accounted to be Apostolicall for the consanguinity of Doctrine 3. They of the Church of Rome do also make 3. Amplitude amplitude and largenesse of extent a note to discern the Church by But this is no true note of the Church for errour and heresie may so prevail as to have more professors and abettors then the truth In the time of Ahab for one true Prophet Micaiah there were four hundred false Prophets 1 King 22. 6. c. And Eliah complained unto God saying The children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine altars and slain thy Prophets with the sword and I even I only am left and they seek my life also 1 King 19. 14. So in the time of our Saviour the history of the Gospell shews how few in comparison did embrace the truth when it vvas preached unto them He came unto his own and his own received him not Joh. 1. 11. So some few hundred years after Christ the Sect of the Arians grew so great Ingemuit orbis Arrianum se esse miratus est Hieron advers Luciferian that as Hierome expresseth it the world did groan and wonder to see it self become an Arrian And in after Ages what marvell if Antichrist did so inlarge his dominion S. John having foretold that so it should be All the world saith he wandred after the beast Revel 13. 3. And he tells us that the Angell interpreting unto him the mystery of the whore sitting upon many waters said thus The waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are peoples and multitudes and Nations and tongues Revel 17. 15. 4. Our Romish adversaries amongst other 4. Union with and subjection to the Pope as Head of the Church See B. Mortons Book entituled the Grand Impostor 5. Miracles notes of the Church do much stand upon this that the members of the Church be united together under one head viz. the Pope But we have not so learned Christ we know and acknowledge him and him only to be the head of the Church So the Scripture plainly termeth him Ephes 5. 23. Col. 1. 18. But of any other head of the Church besides Christ we find nothing 5. Miracles also are made one note whereby the Church is to be discerned But though miracles were requisite in the first planting of the Church Mar. 16. 20. Yet now it is otherwise Yea the Scripture hath taught us to suspect those that shall pretend miracles shewing that this shall be the guise of false teachers and of Antichrist himself There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shal shew great signs and wonders c. Mat. 24. 24. Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders 2 Thes 2. 9. And he doth great wonders so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles c. Revel 13. Ecclesiam suam demonstrent si possunt non in sermonibus rumoribus Afrorum non in conciliis Episcoporum suorum non in literis quorumlibet disputatorum non in signis prodigiis fallacibus quia etiam contra ista verbo Domini praeparati cauti redditi sumus sed in praescripto legis in praedictis Prophetarum in Psalmorum cantibus in ipsius Pastoris vocibu● ● in Evangelistarum praedicationibus laboribus hoc est in omnibus Canonicis sanctorum librorum authoritatibus Aug. de Unit. Eccles c. 16. 13 14. Excellent is that of of Austine concerning the Donatists Let them demonstrate their Church if they can not in the speeches and rumours of the Africans not in the Councells of their Bishops not in the writings of any disputers not in lying signs and wonders for against them we are prepared and made cautious by the Lords owne word but in the prescript of the Law in the Predictions of the Prophets in the songs of the Psalms in the words of the Shepherd himself in the preachings and labours of the Evangelists that is in all the Canonicall authorities of the holy books Ne dicar quia illa illa mirabilia fecit Donatus vel Pontius vel quilibet a●ius