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B09324 Godly and wholsome doctrine and necessary for these times being the second part of the homily concerning the Holy Ghost dissolving this doubt wheter all men rightly challenge to themselves the Holy Ghost, or no? 1685 (1685) Wing J828A; ESTC R179117 5,756 2

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GODLY and WHOLSOME DOCTRINE And Necessary for these Times BEING The Second Part of the HOMILY concerning THE HOLY GHOST Dissolving this DOUBT Whether all men rightly Challenge to themselves the Holy Ghost or no OUR Saviour Christ departing out of the World unto his Father promised his Disciples to send down another Comforter Joh. 14.15 that should continue with them for ever and direct them into all truth which thing to be faithfully and truly performed the Scriptures do sufficiently bear witness neither must we think that this Comforter was either promised or else given only to the Apostles but also to the universal Church of Christ dispersed through the whole World For unless the Holy Ghost had been alwayes present governing and preserving the Church from the beginning it could never have sustained so many and great brunts of Affliction and Persecution with so little damage and harm as it hath And the words of Christ are most plain in this behalf saying That the Spirit of truth should abide with them for ever John 14. Matth. 21. that he would be with them alwayes he meaneth by Grace Vertue and Power even to the worlds end Also in the Prayer that he made to his Father a little before his Death he maketh intercession not only for himself and his Apostles but indifferently for all them that should believe in him through their words John 17. Rom. 8. that is to wit for his whole Church Again Saint Paul saith If any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his Also in the words following We have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Hereby then it is evident and plain to all men that the Holy Ghost was given not only to the Apostles but also to the whole body of Christs Congregation although not in like Form and Majesty as he came down at the feast of Pentecost But now herein standeth the Controversie whether all men do justly arrogate to themselves the Holy Ghost or no The Bishops of Rome have for a long time made a sore challenge thereunto reasoning for themselves after this sort The Holy Ghost say they was promised to the Church and never forsaketh the Church But we are the chief heads and principal part of the Church therefore we have the Holy Ghost for ever and whatsoever things we decree are undoubted Verities and Oracles of the Holy Ghost That ye may perceive the weakness of this Argument it is needfull to teach you first what the true Church of Christ is and then to conferre the Church of Rome therewith to discern how well they agree together The true Church is an universal Congregation or Fellowship of Gods faithful and elect People Eph. 2. Built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone And it hath alwayes three Notes or Marks whereby it is known Pure and sound Doctrine the Sacraments ministred according to Christs holy Institution and the right use of Ecclesiastical discipline This description of the Church is agreeable both to the Scriptures of God and also to the Doctrine of the ancient Fathers so that none may justly find fault therewith Now if ye will compare this with the Church of Rome not as it was in the beginning but as it is presently and hath been for the space of Nine hundred years and odd you shall well perceive the state thereof to be so far wide from the nature of the true Church that nothing can be more For neither are they built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets retaining the sound and pure Doctrine of Christ Jesus neither yet do they order the Sacraments or else the Ecclesiastical Keyes in such sort as he did first institute and ordain them but have so intermingled their own Traditions and Inventions by chopping and changing by adding and plucking away that now they may seem to be converted into a new guise Christ commended to his Church a Sacrament of his Body and Blood They have changed it into a Sacrifice for the quick and the dead Christ did minister to his Apostles and the Apostles to other men indifferently under both kinds They have robbed the Lay-people of the Cup saying that for them one kind is sufficient Christ ordained no other Element to be used in Baptism but only Water whereunto when the Word is joyned it is made as St. Augustine saith a full and perfect Sacrament They being wiser in their own conceit than Christ think it is not well nor orderly done unless they use Conjuration unless they hallow the Water unless there be Oyl Salt Spittle Tapers and such other dumb Ceremonies serving to no use contrary to the plain Rule of St. Paul 1 Cor. 14. who willeth all things to be done in the Church unto Edification Christ ordained the Authority of the Keys to Excommunicate notorious Sinners and to absolve them which are truly Penitent They abuse this power at their own pleasure as well in cursing the godly with Bell Book and Candles as also in absolving the reprobate which are known to be unworthy of any Christian Society whereof they that list to see Examples let them search their Lives To be short look what our Saviour Christ pronounced of the Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospel the same may be boldly and with safe Conscience pronounced of the Bishops of Rome namely that they have forsaken and daily do forsake the Commandments of God to erect and set up their own Constitutions Which thing being true as all they which have any light of God's Word must needs confess we may well conclude according to the rule of Augustine That the Bishops of Rome and their Adherents are not the true Church of Christ much less then to be taken as chief Heads and Rulers of the same Whosoever saith he August contra Petiliani Donat Epi. cap. 4. do dissent from the Scriptures concerning the Head although they be found in all places where the Church is appointed yet are they not in the Church A plain place concluding directly against the Church of Rome Where is now the holy Ghost which they so stoutly do claim to themselves Where is now the Spirit of Truth that will not suffer them in any wise to err If it be possible to be there where the true Church is not then is it at Rome Otherwise it is but a vain brag and nothing else Saint Paul as ye have heard before saith If any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his And by turning the words it may be truly said If any man be not of Christ the same hath not the Spirit Now to discern who are truly his and who not we have this Rule given us John 10. John 8. That his Sheep do alwayes hear his voice And St. John saith He that is of God heareth God's Word Whereof it followeth that the Popes not hearing Christs voice as they