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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	believe_v	church_n	infallible_a	3,890	5	9.9983	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06606	A treatise of the iudge of controuersies. Written in Latin, by the R. Father Martinus Becanus of the Society of Iesus, Professour in Diuinity. And Englished by W.W. Gent; De judice controversiarum. English	Becanus, Martinus, 1563-1624.; Wright, William, 1563-1639.	1619 (1619)	STC 1707; ESTC S101284	69,267	198

meane thereby as he is one in essence or as he is three in person if of Christ whether it be vnderstood as he is God or as he is man or when mention is made of his coming whether it be of his first or of his last or when the Church is named whether the militant or triumphant thereby is signified it is hard to vnderstand But to explaine it the better I will giue an example of euery one The Scripture maketh mention of Mar. 6. v. 9. God in saying Our Father which art in heauen Now it is doubtfull whether it be spoken of God according to the vnity of his essence or according to the distinctiō of his persons or as the Deuines do propound it whether the name of Father be taken there essentially as it is common to three persons or personally as applied to the first person only There are authors of both parts yet it is more likely to be taken in that place essentially as it is to be gathered out of these words of Christ Ioan. 2. 17. I ascend to my Father and your Father Where the word Father is taken both wayes For the Father of Christ according to his eternall generation is the first diuine person as he is distinguished from the sonne and the holy Ghost But our Father according to our creation gouerning and adoption is the whole Trinity as he is one God Therefore when he sayth I ascend to my Father he speaketh only of the first person but when he addeth and your Father he speaketh of three persons as they are one in essence and nature S. Paul maketh mention of Christ VVho is the Image of the inuisible God the first Colos 1. 15. borne of all creatures because in him were created all things and he is the head of the body the Church first borne of the dead Heere also it is doubtfull whether this be to be vnderstood of Christ in respect of his diuinity or humanity Many thinke that some part of the senteuce is to be vnderstood one way some part another with whom I agree For Christ according to his diuinity is the Image of God the Father and also by him and in him all things are made but according to his humanity he is the head of the Church and first borne of the dead And in both senses he may be called the first borne of euery creature according to the sundry expositions of the interpreters as may be seene in their comments vpon that same place There is also a certaine speach of the coming of Christ And when againe Heb. 1. ● he bringeth in the first begotten into the world he sayth And let all the Angells of God adore him Wherein consists a question whether this was spoken of his first coming at his natiuity or of his last coming in the day of iudgment If were spect that word againe it seemeth rather to be of his later comming But taking all the circumstances together it may appeare to be of his former So the interpreters of this place Of the Church also the Apostle writeth But that Ilierusalem which is aboue is free which is our mother Gal. 4. ●6 For it is writtē Reioyce thou barren that bearest not breake forth and cry that trauailest not because many are the children of the desolate more then of her that hath a husband Heere therefore is a difficulty to know whether it be meant of the Church militant or triumphant Which difficulty is in another place of S. Paul But you are Heb. 12 22. come to mount Sion and the Citty of the liuing God heauenly Hierusalem and the Church of the first borne And in the same Apostle Eph. 5. 25. Christ loued the Church and deliuered himselfe for it that he might sanctify it cleansing it by the lauer of water in the word of life that he might present to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle To this kynd of obscurity may also be reduced that some things which are spoken of Christ in Scripture are to be vnderstood of the head of the Church which is Christ somtymes of both as S. Augustine noteth For the head of the Church Christ is taken in that place of the Apostle lib. 3. de doctrina Chri. c. 31. Math. 28. ●0 Behould I am with yow all dayes euen to the consummation of the world Where Christ as the head of the Church promiseth to the body and members thereof his perpetuall assistance protection and gouerment For of the body and members of the Church is that place of the acts to be vnderstood Saul Saul why dost thou persecute Act. 9. 4. me For Saul did not persecute the person of Christ seing that he was in heauen where he could not be persecuted but his Apostles who were the members of his Church Also that of Zachary After glory he sent me to the nations Zach. ● 8. Where Christ speaketh in person of the Apostles As though he had sayd my heauenly Father will send me to wit my Apostles to the conuersion of the Gentills But when will he send me after glory that is after I haue shewed my glory and diuinity in my Resurrection and Ascension After the same manner also S. Austine in the exposition of the 147. Psalme doth interpret that place of S. Matth. Then if any man shall say Math. 24. 23. vnto you loe here is Christ or there do not beleeue him For he thinketh that there by Christ is signified his Church whose words are these There shall rise false Christs and false Prophets and shall say loe here and loe there but they shall not speake of the head himselfe behould here behould there for it is certaine that Christ is in heauen but of the Church And out of this place he confuteth the Donatists who sayd Behould here in Affrick is the Church and in no other place besides And that of the Prophet Isay of Isay 61. 10. both He hath clothed me with the garment of saluation and with the garment of iustice he hath compassed me as a bridegroome decked with a Crowne and as a bride adorned with her Iewels Where Christ is called the bride and the bridegroome that is the head and the body and that of the Psalme Psal 2. The kings of the earth haue stood vp and the Princes haue gathered together against our Lord and against his Christ Which was fullfilled in the head and daily is fullfilled in the members The first cause of the obscurity of scripture ariseth from this that oftentymes when we thinke least passage is made from the litterall sense to the mysticall from carnall things to spirituall from temporall to eternall from the Kings of Israell to Christ the king himselfe and contrariwise This especially is performed in the Psalmes and the Prophets as is to be seene in the 7. Chapter of Isay where from the History of two kings of the which one was Rasin King of Syria

letter and the sense The letter killeth as the Apostle sayth and is cause of many heresies as was shewed by diuers examples The sense oftentymes is obscure and doubtfull both for the apparent contradictions which are found in euery place also for many other causes which before were numbred and therefore there is need of some Iudge who may manifestly desine that this is the lawfull sense and that the vnlawfull Thirdly out of the Controuersies themselues because there are many controuersies of the which no mention is made in the Scripture and so consequently can neyther be defined out of Scripture Fourthly out of the vse and custome of the old Testamēt where the Scripture did not vse the office of a Iudge but high Preist who was Prince of the Sinagogue whose precept was to be obeyed vnder paine of death Fiftly by the vse and practise of the new Testament wherein all Controuersies hitherto haue beene decided by the Prelates of the Church Sixtly out of the proportion of Ciuill causes which are not decided by the written law but by the Prince of the Common wealth nor according to the rule of the written law only but also according to the ancient customes not written The other is to shew that the testimonies of Scripture which are obiected against vs eyther to be nothing to the purpose or to be rather for vs thē Isa 8. 20. against vs and not to be expounded truly by them as for example To the law testimony is nothing to the purpose because it is not vnderstood of I●an 5. 39. Controuersies of fayth but of the future euents of casuall things And also that other place Search the Scriptures doth rather helpe vs then our aduersaries For Christ when he sayd this to the Iewes did not dispute with them out of Scripture only as our aduersaries would haue vs beleeue but also out of the testimony of S. Iohn Baptist to the which he added the testimony of Miracles and also the voice of God the Father speaking downe from heauen therefore he neuer dreamed that Scripture only was the Iudge of Controuersies The rest as I haue shewed are no better expounded by our aduersaries as out of our confutation the Reader if he b● but indifferent may easily perceaue himselfe An Obiection of the vulgar people aginst all that hath beene hitherto sayd MANY that be of the more simple 〈◊〉 thus obiect against vs. The Iudge of Controuersies in matters of fayth ought to be so infallible that he cannot erre Because if he erre all others following him should be deceaued in imbracing his opinion But now it is most plaine manifest of the one part that the scripture is infallible seing it is the very word of God which can by no meanes erre and of the otherside that no man can be infallible is no lesse certaine seing that euery man is a lyar and not any one can be found who is Rom. 3. 4. not subiect to errour According to that of S. Paul God is true but euery man a lyar Therefore the Scripture may be an infallible iudge Men seing they be lyars cannot But the Pope is a man the Church is nothing but a congregation of men Therefore the Pope the Church are lyars and may erre And so consequently none is safe and secure in matters of fayth who followeth their doctrine This obiection if there be any force in it is no lessle against our aduersaries then against vs. For if euery man be a lyar and may erre it followeth also that Moyses all the Prophets Apostles Euangelists Luther also and Caluin al the Lutherans and Calumisticall preachers are lyars and subiect to errour because they are men therefore they are not to be beleeued or trusted in any thing whatsoeuer and they ought to bee doubted of accounted as vncertaine Where then is fayth Neyther doth it help them to say that they preach the word of God and not of man for if they be lyars euen in so saying they may ly Nothing therefore is certaine But God forbid that we should eyther say so or thinke so For it is far otherwise And first we confesse that the scripture is certaine and infallible because it is the word of God But this we add that seing it is obscure the lawfull sense thereof is not manifest to euery one And therefore that there is need of some other iudge who may infallibly deliuer which is the true and lawfull sense of scripture But euery priuat man cannot be this Iudge because otherwise there would be as many diuers Iudges as there be diuers heads and opinions And so no controuersy could euer be composed For euery one would say that he vnderstood it rightly and al other falsly Therfore it is necessary that there be some publique Iudge who with authority may haue power to decide and end the matter betwixt the parties at contention Moreouer we affirme that men may Gen. ●●1 ● psal ●● 6. be considered two waies First as they are the Children of Adam subiect to diuers corruptions of nature And so by that meanes may be prone to lying and falsity Secondly as they are directed gouerned by the holy Ghost for the instruction of others and so they may be infallible and voyde of all errour Such an one in the old Testament was Moyses and the whole Senate of the Seniors Such also were the high Priests who followed thē Such were the Prophets Isaias Ieremy Ezechiel Daniel and Num. 11. 7. Deut. ●● ● Agga ● 1● 〈◊〉 ●0 7. Ierem. r. 7. Ioan. 15. 16. Ioan. 16. 1● others Such in the new Testament were the Apostles to whom it was said of Christ I will send you from my father the spirit of truth And also this VVhen that spirit of truth shall come he will teach you all truth But where there is all truth certainly there cannot be any falshood or errour To conclude such hath beene and at this day is the Church which by reason of the perpetuall assistance and direction of the holy Ghost neuer hitherto hath erred nor euer can erre heereafter Matth. 1● ●8 1. Tim. 3. 1● Isa 54. 4. Ibid. v. ●2 Ibid. v. 17. For it is built vpon a firme rocke and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it It is the pillar and ground of truth It shall neuer be consounded nor blush The Iasper stone is the munition of it And it shall iudge euery tongue resisting it in Iudgment Therefore it is the infallible Iudge which we seeke But now there is a question whether all who are in the Church haue so much assistance and direction of the holy Ghost that they cannot err or no. Which truly is very easy to be resolued For all certainly haue it but with a certaine kynde of dependance from the Church Therefore as long as they remaine vnited to the Church they cannot erre but if they once depart from it then they beginne to erre