Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	daughter_n	rome_n	samaria_n	84	3	16.0748	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10399	Tvventy nine lectures of the Church very necessary for the consolation and support of Gods Church, especially in these times: wherein is handled, first, in generall concerning first, the name; secondly, the titles; thirdly, the nature, fourthly, the diuision of the true Church: secondly, of the visible Church ... and lastly, the application of it to all Churches in the world so farre as they are knowne to vs. By that learned and faithfull preacher, Master Iohn Randall, Batchelor of Diuinity, pastor of Saint Andrewes Hubbart in little Eastcheape, London, and sometimes fellow of Lincolne Colledge in Oxford. Published by the coppie perfected and giuen by the author in his life time; carefully preserued and adorned with notes in the margent, by the late faithfull minister of Christ, Master William Holbrooke.	Randall, John, 1570-1622.; Holbrooke, William.	1631 (1631)	STC 20683; ESTC S115641	423,199	550

They are mingled with the professors of Mahomet which is a most pestilent Religion directly opposite to the Christian faith admitting no colour of Reconciliation but if we beleeue in Christ we must reiect Mahomet and if we beleeue in Mahomet we must reiect Christ And yet the Lord I say hath shewed himselfe a Ruler in the midst of his sorest enemies preseruing his faith and Church euen whe●e Satans throne is as he did the church of of Pergamus Reu. 2.13 secondly as it is a Pestilent Religion directly opposite to Christ so consider that it generally abounds and swarmes ouerspreading a great part of the knowne world and yet in these places the Lord hath reserued a remnant that sticke close vnto him and that follow not the sway of the world as he had 7000. in Israel in the daies of Elias that had not bowed their knees to Baall Rom. 11.4 so hee hath many thousands among them that haue not bowed the knee to Mahomet Thirdly consider the pleasingnesse of that Religion of Mahomet a great inchanter of nature yet still the Lord hath preserued some that chose rather with Moses to suffer aduersity with the children of God then to inioy for a season all the pleasure that euer Mahomet could euer promise or bestow vpon them Surely we must needs acknowledge it to be a heauy iudgement of God that such flourishing Churches in Achaia Macedonia Corinth Ephesus c. should come to that miserable ruine and desolation that Mahomet should raigne amongst them so generally in Christs own Territories and let vs know that it was for their vnprofitablenes in the vse of the Gospell and other meanes of grace which God so freely offered them and let vs consider of it and feare and labour to profit by the Gospell and pray to God that the like befall not vs for our vnprofitablenesse This I say is a great iudgement of God vpon them and yet withall see how in wrath God remembers mercy and in despight of Satan Turke and Mahomet and other instruments hee plucks out some as firebrands out of the fire to be professors of his sauing faith and members of his Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against them And so much of the Greeke Churches both improperly and properly so called Now wee come to the Westerne and Latin Churches which are generally of two sorts some acknowledging the Pope their head as the Church of Rome it selfe and sundry others that hold communion with that Church both in Doctrine and in all or most of the corruptions thereof others renouncing his headship and refusing to communicate in the deformities corruptions and abuses of the church of Rome being therefore called the reformed Churches I shall not neede to speake of the former in euery particular looke what is said of the Church of Rome it selfe the same may be applyed to all the rest as is the mother so is the daughter Ezech. 16.44 We will deliuer her state in two obseruation First we will shew what may be said in charity and yet in truth and sound iudgement for the church of Rome Secondly what may be said in zeale and yet in truth too and found iudgement against it For the first the obseruation is this Doctr. 1 That the Church of Rome euen as now it stands may in some sense be iustly reputed and acknowledged a true visible Church consider rightly of the Note First wee doe not absolutely say it is a true Church but for ought wee see it may in some sense be iudged a true visible Church Secondly wee say not a sound Church no that wee flatly deny as vntrue but a true visible Church as a man though hee be wounded fainting and dying yet so long as there is any sparke of life in him hee is a true liuing man not a false though he be an vnsound and dying man Thirdly we make a difference betwixt the Papacy or the Popish fact●on and some better spirits in that Church which no doubt haue a righter beliefe and walke with a righter foote in the profession of the Gospell then the faction doth and these being mingled together with the rest the whole may be called a ●●ue Church for their sakes as was in our Sauiors time the Scribes and Pharises were a faction in the Church pretending Religion and the true worship of God and yet swaying all against the truth and sincerity of it in their courses Mary Simeon Anna Zachary and Elizabeth and a few more with whom our Sauiour ioyned or rather they with him as liuing member of Gods Church and should not the whole be rightly acknowledged to be a true Church because of them Doubtlesse it may and so the church of Rome may rightly be acknowledged to be a true Church in respect of some better spirits that are mixed with them and not in respect of the Papacy and Popish faction alone The reasons to proue them a true Church are these first Reas 1 they haue beene a true Church of God directly affirming euery part of the foundation and they doe not directly deny any part of it yea in outward shew of words they expressely affirme it still and therefore may truely be acknowledged a true Church That they haue beene a true Church of God is plaine enough Rom. 1.8 But yee will say that is no sound arguement that they are so still I answer that yet this is to be considered for it is a great matter that must make a congregation that hath beene a true Church to become a false one and with more charity and loue are such to be censured that are in the state of Apostacy then other congregations holding the same errors that are but onely comming on in the saith and haue not yet beene throughly possest of the true being of a Church The Church of Ephesus was fallen away from her first loue Reuel 2.5 And the Church of Sardy had a name that she loued and yet was deade Reu. 3 1. And yet God calls them true Churches still A Church in Apostacy that is falling not vtterly fallen is still a true though an vnsound and dying Church hauing been a true Church and not directly ouerthrowing the foundation so long it may be still intituled a true Church well then the church of Rome hauing bin a true church it must appeare that they in outward shew at least affirme the whole foundation and euery part thereof but this they doe they affirme the whole foundation at least in outward shew and sound of words they professe the same Scriptures and the same Creed that we do yea they professe in words the very same foundation before spoken of in the very same termes in effect Looke into the Rhemists Testament you shall see that vpon those places 1 Tim. 2.5 1 Iohn 1.7 they acknowledge Iesus Christ to be the onely Sauiour of the world and therfore they may in some sense be rightly acknowledged

that say wee haue no true Ordination we Answer that we had our ordination from the Church of Rome at the first and that being a true visible Church therefore we haue a lawfull Ministery Vse 3 Thirdly this may serue for satisfaction to that question which the Papists aske vs where was your Church before Luthers time did he erect a new church No he erected no new church but by his Ministry brought many faithfull out of their impure and vnsound Church into a more sound and pure Church not onely for matters of ceremonies for then he had beene a Schismatique to separate from them but for matters of substance so that this point well considered preuents a number of inconueniences which wee should runne into if wee should fall into that heate of zeale as to deny them to bee a true visible Church Vse 4 Fourthly this may comfort vs in respect of our fathers that haue liued in the Popish Church what shall we thinke of them that they liued in no true visible Church and therefore could not be saued far bee it from vs no we are perswaded that they liued in a true Church and that many of them where sound in those times and now saued they attained not to that high straine of Iustification by workes I would faine know whether they did not doe that they did ignorantly or whether they did challenge or disclaime their merits on their death beds many at the point of death disclaime their merits now though that point now is more stiffly defended by the Popish faction then euer it was much more did they doe it then Now to disclaime all their owne merits at their death is not that both repentance of former errors if any in that kinde and faith in Christ alone too If any beleeue in Christ crucified in truth of heart though hee hold but by the hemme of his garment shall he perish Surely no. Vse 5 Lastly this teacheth vs to vse charity towards them of the Popish Church in censuring of their estate we are not rigourously and rashly to call for fire from heauen vpon them as the Disciples would haue Christ haue done on the Samaritanes No yee know not what Spirit ye are of saith our Sauiour wee must not rashly Iudge them to bee vnbeleeuers but rather mis-beleeuers And so much for that point what in charity and yet in truth maybe said for that Church The seuen and Twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH HAuing entred into the last point concerning the matter of the Church namely the application of the Doctrine of the Church to all Churches that we know in the world After we had diuided them according to their scituation and language into the Easterne and Westerne the Greeke and Latin Churches we beganne with the Easterne and Greeke Churches and so proceeded to the Westerne and Latin Churches And of them I tould you that some were vnder the yoke of the Pope and haue him to bee their head Others haue shooke off that yoke and head-shippe and are therefore called the Reformed Churches Concerning the Church of Rome that which is spoken of her may be applyed to her Adherents as is the mother ●o is the daughter as I haue said Now for the Chu●ch of Rome I propounded these two obseruations to be spoken to first what might be-spoken in charity for her and yet in truth and sound iudgement too and of that we haue spoken Secondly what in zeale and yet in truth and sound iudgement too may be said against it And that is it which wee are now to speake to what may be said in zeale and yet in truth and sound iugement against her A point very needfull to be well cleared and rightly vnderstood for whereas we haue deliuered in the former obseruation that the Church of Rome in some sense may rightly be reputed a true visible Church ' Euery one will be ready to except against it and say why then haue ye● forsaken it why doe ye not still hould communion with her what iust exception can yee alledge for your separation from her For Answere to which exception Doct. 2 I will propound in the second place this obseruation namely that howsoeuer the Church of Rome in some sense may be reputed a true visible Church yet it is maruellous vnsound and corrupt and exceedingly corrupt with many foule abuses errors and abhominations yea so corrupt as it is not lawfull nor safe for vs to communicate with her The Obseruation ye see consists of two branches the former is the ground of the latter auouching that shee is polluted with many foule abhominations the latter is an inference from the former that therefore it is not safe nor lawfull to ioyne with her The whole obseruation is to be vnderstood of that Church specially in respect of the Popish faction the Pope and his Darlings for as when wee spoke in charity for them acknowledging that in some sense they are to be reputed a true visible Church it was intended of some that were of better Spirits amongst them that are sounder in some chiefe points of Religion and that are not so obstinate in their errours as the rest So now that we come to speake in zeale against them that they are so foulely polluted that it is not safe to ioyne with them It is intended in respect of the Pope and his chiefe Darlings and factors called the Popish faction neyther is this any wrong to the Church that we so speake of the whole body in generall tearmes because the Church and faction are there mingled together in that Body as when wee come into a Barne floore and see a great deale of chaffe in the same heape with good wheat we may speake fauourably of the wheate and say there is good corne and we may speake disgracefully of it too and say it is but light stuffe We will begin with the first part of the obseruation that condemnes her corruptions And we will reduce all her corruptions to these two sorts First matter of Doctrine secondly matter of practice And though these be much incident one to the other yet for playnnesse sake we will distinguish them God willing as well as wee can First for Doctrine the point is this The Doctrine of the Church of Rome as it is at this day vnderstood and maintained by the Popish faction is very vnsound and corrupt full of grosse and abhominable errors they haue changed the truth of God into a lye light into darknesse and the Gospell of Christ the comfortable Doctrine of grace and faith into the erors of Antichrist and the damnable Doctrine of workes and merits and of mans traditions We wil not speake of all her corruptions in doctrine that were too much only we will shew it in some chiefe particulars that briefely we wil reduce them to these foure heads The first is error in Doctrine concerning the Scripture the second is concerning the direct

profession Secondly their profession must be publike or open that is it must be so publike and open that there may be notice taken that such and such men are of such a society and Religion else they are rather of the inuisible Church spoken of before And looke as their profession is more or lesse publike so the Church is to be reputed more or lesse visible Thirdly as they must publikely professe so they must ioyne together in this profession and that intends first their separation from all others whether they be of none or of a contrary and diuers Religion and secondly it intends their associating or sorting of themselues together with professors of the same Religion growing into and liuing in a louing Communion and fellowship with them Thirdly it intendes that they must doe it voluntarily and of their owne accord some ioyne for fashion some for feare some for hope of gaine and some others for the sauing of their goods and the like yet all these doe it voluntarily for the will cannot be forced yea if they doe it against their will it is a sinne to them though they ioyne to the purest Churches in the world And so much for the second part of the definition that they must ioyne together in a publike profession of Religion Thirdly that there may be a true visible Church the Religion which this Company make profession of must be the true Religion for as without the Church there is no saluation so without the true Religion there is no true Church there are diuers Religions in the world and accordingly diuers Churches yet there is but one onely true Religion which is that which is contained in the Scripture the Word of Truth and so there is but one only true Church that is that which embraceth that true Religion So that whatsoeuer Congregation vnder the Sunne doth not professe that one true Religion let them professe whatsoeuer Religion they will besides they cannot iustly bee reputed true visible Churches For the better vnderstanding of this Point I will draw it into an Obseruation and so discourse of it at large and the Obseruation is this Doctr. Whatsoeuer Company or Congregation of men doe openly professe the sauing Truth of God the same Congregation and Company is to bee held and reputed a true visible Church The truth of this Doctrine holds generally in all Congregations whatsoeuer of that quality from the greatest to the least and from the best to the worst for first whereas all and euery Professor of Gods Religion through the world doe concurre and ioyne together in the acknowledgment of the common sauing faith though not in the outward Communion of the same Ecclesiasticall Assembly and therefore all these may bee termed a true vniuersall visible Church so also euery particular Ecclesiasticall Assembly professing the same sauing Truth and ioyning together in the outward Communion of one setled Congregation and obseruing the same lawes and Orders at the same time and place may be called a true particular visible Church and that whether it be in the same Countrey and Prouince or in a Parish or in a priuate house and accordingly they are called a Prouinciall a Parochiall or a domesticall Church and each of these is a true visible Church though one be vniuersall and the other particular For Instances of all these in Scripture First for a Prouinciall or Nationall Church which is a Company of people professing the same Truth in the whole Land or Nation you may see an instance Act. 9.31 Then had the Churches Rest in Iudea and Samaria and Galile c. There were Prouinciall Churches named by the Countrey they were in as Iudea Samaria c. And in the Reuelations the second and third Chapters the seuen Churches there mentioned were Nationall Churches as Ephesus c. And 1. Cor. 1.2 vnto the Church of God which is at Corinthus c. there was a nationall Church Secondly for a Parochiall or Parish Church which is a Company of people professing the same faith in a Towne or in a Parish we shal reade of them in Act. 14.23 Where it is said that the Apostles ordained them Elders in euery Towne Thirdly for a domesticall Church which is a Company professing the same faith in a priuat house as we may reade in the Rom. 16.5 and in the 1. Cor. 16.19 of Aquila and Priscilla with the Church in their House And Colos 4.15 We reade of a Church that was in the House of Nimphas though these are rather to bee reputed inuisible Churches except they may be so openly taken notice of and so notoriously knowne as the Church that was in Priscilla and Aquila's house then they may be called Domesticall visible Churches So much for the first diuision that some Churches are either vniuersall visible Churches or particular Churches and that either in a whole Land or in a Towne or in a priuat House Secondly whereas some Churches are more notoriously knowne some lesse yet both are true visible Churches though one be more visible and the other lesse visible In the time of the Apostles it was so the Church of Rome was notoriously knowne for their faith was knowne throughout the whole world Rom. 1.8 and their obedience was come abroad amongst all Rom. 16.19 so that this Church was more visible Other Churches were lesse knowne as the Church at Cenchrea Creet which are only named in the Scripture and no Epistle written to them Now because they are onely mentioned therfore they were lesse knowne and so lesse visible yet true Churches as wel as the other Thirdly whereas some Churches professe the sauing faith more purely and sincerely others more corruptly yet each of these is a true visible Church though the one bee more pure not more true the other lesse Instances of these we haue in the second and third Chapters of the Reuelation some Churches there were more pure some more corrupt yet all true Churches Churches more pure were Smyrna and Philadelphia all commended in them nothing dispraysed Churches lesse pure were Ephesus Pergamus and Thiatira in which Churches some things are commended some things discommended Churches yet lesse pure were Sardis and Laodicea where there is nothing commended but all things dispraysed So we see that some of these profest the true sauing faith more purely some lesse purely and some more corruptly yet euery one of them was a true visible Church Fourthly and lastly whereas some Churches are growne to some Ripenesse and perfection and to some setled forme of Gouernment others are in their infancy and haue not such a forme established for Gouernment yet each of these is a true visible Church though the one be more the other lesse perfect Instances of these we haue in Scripture First for them that were more perfect as at Hierusalem where Iames was Bishop there the Church was growne to some perfection there the Apostles met and had a Consultation