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	profession_n	true_a	4,447	5	5.8085	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28845	A pastoral letter from the Lord Bishop of Meaux to the new Catholicks of his diocess exhorting them to keep their Easter, and giving them necessary advertisements against the false pastoral letters of their ministers : with reflections upon the pretended persecution / translated out of French, and publish'd with allowance.; Lettre pastorale. English	Bossuet, Jacques Bénigne, 1627-1704.	1686 (1686)	Wing B3787; ESTC R12514	28,012	60

Communicated when he was Dying as St. Cyprian and other Saints Communicated Infants as the Martyrs Communicated in their Houses and the Hermits in their Retreats as many Saints have understood that JESUS CHRIST Communicated the two Disciples at Emaus as our Adversaries themselves Communicate those who have an Aversion to Wine and believe not they deprive them of the Sacrament of JESUS CHRIST tho' they make the whole Vertue of it to consist in the Species How much more ought they to be content with one Kind alone in the Catholick Church where the Efficacy of the Sacrament is plac'd in JESUS CHRIST himself Do you believe the Church that good Mother would deprive Her Children of the Grace of a Sacrament whose Sweets and Vertue she so well knows Or that JESUS CHRIST who hath promis'd to be alwayes with Her would permit it Upon account of this Promise Monsieur Claude acknowledges That there is always a Church which publishes the Faith a Church to which JESUS CHRIST hath given an exteriour Ministry and by consequence a Church which is Plain and Visible He allows That we must acknowledge in Vertue of this Promise a perpetual Subsistence of the Ministry in a State sufficient for the Salvation of God's Elect for the Edifying the Body of Christ and for the bringing of all his Elect and true Faithful Ones to perfection If they want any thing Essential to so great a Sacrament as this of the Communion is the Ministry sufficient to the Salvation and Perfection of the Faithful Is it to be in this State not to receive such a Sacrament but by violating the Commandment of JESUS CHRIST It is a manifest Truth both among us and the Ministers That the Church cannot be where the Sacraments are not If then both Kinds are absolutely necessary to every particular Faithful if the Sacrament do's not subsist but in the Distribution of them both the Ministers must say That so long as but one Kind was given the Church was without the Sacrament of the LORD'S SUPPER Nevertheless they dare not say this They are forc'd to allow that People were sav'd amongst us at least before their Reformation and that the True Church was there They are necessarily bound then to acknowledge the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was there also and that by consequence it subsists in its full perfection being distributed but in one only Kind This is also what Monsieur Claude acknowledges after such a manner that it leaves no doubt to those who will but ●ead him with Attention Behold how he defines the Church The Church is the true Faithful who make Profession of the Truth and of Christian Piety and of true Sanctity under a Ministry which furnisheth them with necessary Food for a Spiritual Life WITHOUT DEPRIVING THEM OF ANY THING OF IT There is nothing more Essential to the Church than what enters into the Definition of it There enters into the Definition of a Church That it be under a Ministry that is to say under Pastors who are to furnish it with all necessary Food for a Spiritual Life without depriving them of any of it This Minister agrees with us in this Foundation and all the Ministers grant it That at least untill the Pretended Reformation People were sav'd under the Ministry of the Latin Pastors and of the Roman Church and that the true Church was there also It was under a Ministry then that furnish'd it with all necessary Food without depriving them of any even tho' they had ceased to give the Cup and the Cup cannot then be reckon'd among those Aliments necessary to a Spiritual Life Come then my dear Brethren come to the Sacred Bancquet of the Church and make not its Perfection to consist in both the Kinds since the Ministers themselves are forc'd to grant they give you under one Kind all the Aliment that is necessary to a Spiritual Life without Depriving you of any of it In effect what ground can you have to doubt It is upon the Faith of the Church you content your self with your Baptism though you receiv'd it in your Infancy without the Authority of Scripture and after a manner if the Letter only be regarded so different from that which JESUS CHRIST ordained that he himself observ'd the first wherein also the Apostles have plac'd the Mysterious representation of our Burial as well as of our Resurrection with JESUS CHRIST You understand well that I speak of the Immersion practis'd in Baptism during so many Ages and comprised in the Words of our Lord Baptize c. that is to say Plunge and dip intirely under Water If upon the Faith of the Church you are at quiet as to your Baptism rely upon the same Faith as to your Communion and deprive not your selves of the whole Sacrament under pretence of desiring a part of it It is the utmost of my wishes to see you at the Holy Table perfecting the Mystery of your Peace and Reconciliation with the Church But least you should there receive your Condemnation and for want of discerning the Body of our LORD render your selves culpable we desire as far as it is possible to prepare you our selves for this Celestial Bancquet and we will go from we must understand I will be always with you Teaching and Baptizing From whence it follows by his Confession That JESUS CHRIST promised to his Church to be with her and to teach with her without interruption even to the end of the World And again There shall always be a Church and JESUS CHRIST will be always in the mid'st of her Baptizing with her and Teaching with her Without doubt it is by the Pastors he will exercise this Ministry 't is with the Pastors then he promised to Baptize and Teach Let them explain to us how those can Baptize ill or Teach ill with whom JESVS CHRIST Baptizes and with whom JESVS CHRIST Teaches Monsieur Claude opposes to us Experience and to shew us that this invincible force which we attribute to the Ecclesiastical Ministry in vertue of the Promises of JESVS CHRIST do's not at all belong to it he brings us many Passages of Heriveus of St. Bernard of Alvares Pelagius and of others who in the foregoing Ages deplored the disorders of the Clergy and desired a Reformation I undertake not here to Examine these Passages You may read them and if you find but only one where these Authors have complained of Transubstantiation or of the Sacrifice or of the Adoration of the Eucharist or finally of any of the points of Doctrine upon which Luther and Calvin have grounded their Reformation I will readily abandon the cause But if on the contrary among so many Passages cull'd out as it were for Ostentation there be not to be found one that regards the least of these things acknowledge that these Pretended Reformers have only taken from these Venerable Men the name of Reformation and have done nothing but abused

when they are out of her Unity This great Man hath alwayes follow'd the same Method For when Antonian one of his Colleagues in the Episcopal Dignity was loath to condemn Novatian and would first be infirm'd of his Doctrine St. Cyprian makes him this grave Answer As for that which concerns the Person of Novatian since you desire to be inform'd what Heresy he has introduc'd you must know my dear Brother before all things that we need not curiously enquire what he has taught since he hath taught out of the Church let it be what it will it is not Christian since it is not in the Church of JESUS CHRIST So when Men separate themselves from the Unity and after the Example of Novatian send new Apostels to establish their new Institutions and their new Doctrines in a word to build a new Church tho' they vaunt like him of Reforming the Church and of reducing it as well to a Purer Doctrine as to a more Regular Discipline they are so far from being admitted to prove theirs to be the True Church because of the True Doctrine which they pretend to teach that on the contrary they are convinc'd that they cannot have the True Doctrine when they are not in the True Church and when they would Build a new one Let these False Pastors who boast of their being extraordinarily sent to Build the Church anew fallen into Ruine and Desolation hear St. Cyprian Let them remember on what Maxims he founded his Episcopacy And since they cannot shew us a Mission like his let them cease to imitate the Language of so great a Bishop and to assume to themselves his Authority You have often heard them say That you need not trouble your selves where the Church was since JESUS CHRIST hath pronounced That in whatsoever place two or three Persons shall meet together in Name he is there in the midst of them It is a long time that the Hereticks and the Schismaticks have abused this Passage They serve themselves of the times of St. Cyprian to Authorize the Assemblies which they hold a part But this Holy Martyr confounds them by the foregoing Words where JESUS CHRIST speaks in this manner If two of you shall agree together on Earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven where at first sight it is manifest that these two who agree together ought to be in the Body and Christian Unity in Common Fraternity If two says he of you that is as St. Cyprian understands If two or three Children of the Church two or three who are together in Communion shall Assemble themselves in the Name of JESUS CHRIST he will be in the midst of them and will hear their Prayers Secondly says this Holy Doctor It is necessary that these two or three be united And continues he how can they unite themselves with any one when they are not united with the Body of the Church and with all the Fraternity How can two or three be Assembled in the Name of JESUS CHRIST if it be apparent at the same time that they are separated from JESUS CHRIST and from his Gospel FOR WE HAVE NOT SEPARATED OUR SELVES FROM THEM BUT THEY HAVE SEPARATED THEMSELVES FROM US And since that Heresies and Schisms are alwayes posteriour to the Church as they have formed different Conventicles and diverse Assemblies they have forsaken the Head and the Origine of Truth Lend an Ear my Brethren to this Decision of St. Cyprian He points at those who came after those who separate themselves from the Church which they found Established those who make themselves New Assemblies who upon that account are incapable of Assembling in the Name of JESUS CHRIST and so far are they from being permitted to justifie their Separation and their New Assemblies upon this ground because they Preach the Gospel and because JESUS CHRIST is with them that it is manifest on the contrary according to the Doctrine of St. Cyprian That they are separated from JESUS CHRIST and from the Gospel in as much as they separate themselves from the Church and account themselves obliged to form a new one And to the end they may the better understand of what Church this Holy Martyr would speak it is of the Church which acknowledges at Rome the Head of her Communion and in the place of Peter the Eminent Degree of the Sacerdotal Chair which there acknowledges the Chair of Peter and the Principal Church from which the Sacerdotal Vnity hath taken its Original Finally which there acknowledges a Bishop endow'd with so Eminent a Priest-Hood that the Emperour who assumed among his other Titles that of Pontifex Maximus or High Priest could no more endure him in Rome then he could a Caesar in the Armies disputing the Empire with him Why do not these Coyners of Pastoral Letters who to adorn their deceitful Discourses catch up Fragments of St. Cyprian take all his Doctrine intire Why do not they tell you with him That there can be no Martyr out of the Church that since they are separated from its Vnity it is in vain they shed their Blood for the Confession of the Name of JESUS CHRIST that the stain of Schism cannot be washed out by Blood nor the crime expiated by Martyrdom That there can be no Charity out of the Church and so whatsoever Torments they endure out of Her Bosom they are of that kind of which St. Paul said If I deliver my Body even to be burned if I have not Charity all this will avail me nothing If then these pretended Pastors will speak the Language and attribute to themselves the Authority of the true Pastors let them shew us the Original of their Ministry and like St. Cyprian and the other Orthodox Bishops let them make us see that they are descended from any Apostle let them shew us the Eminent Chair where all the Churches preserve the Unity where principally shines the Concord and Succession of Episcopacy Open your selves my Brethren the Books which you call your Ecclesiastical History 't is Beza that has Composed it Open the History of these salse Martyrs whose unhappy number they would have you to augment you will find that the first who model'd the Churches in France which you call Reform'd were of Laicks made Pastors by the Laicks and by consequence alwayes Lay-men who dar'd at all times to take the Law of God in their Mouth and without Power Administer the Holy Sacraments Call to your Remembrance Pierre le Clerc a Wooll-Carder I do not speak it in scorn of his Profession or to revile an Honest Trade but to tax the Ignorance the Presumption and the Schism of a Man who without having Predecessor or Pastor to ordain him bolts out of his Shop to preside in the Church It is He who carved out the Pretended Reform'd Church of Meaux the first hatch'd in this Kingdom