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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	catholic_a	church_n	communion_n	2,376	5	9.1446	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58905	A sermon preached before the King at Chester, on August xxviii, 1687, being the feast of S. Augustin, Doctor of the Holy Catholic Church by ... Lewis Sabran ...	Sabran, Lewis, 1652-1732.	1687 (1687)	Wing S221; ESTC R1786	28,293	35

to that Church which alone gives you an Infallible Guide Think well of God's infinite mercy and true desire that you should be saved and never despair to find an Authority established by God Non est desperandum ab codem ipso Deo auctoritatem aliquam constitutam qua v●lut certo gradu innitentes at●ollamur ad Deum Epist 56. Immobili authoritati himself from which as from a secure step we may take our rise to God. Heretics offer Reasons and Arguments for proof of their Belief and pretend by them to be preferr'd to the unmovable Authority of the Church which is so firmly established therein lies the rashness common to all Heretics But the most meek Lord of our Faith hath been pleased to strengthen his Church with an Authority far weightier than that of all others into this Castle of the Faith all the weaker ought to withdraw Vere illa rectiffima disciplina est in aciem fidei quam maxime recipi infirmos ut pro illis jam fictissime positis firmissima ratione pugnetur themselves whil'st for them thus secure others fight with invincible Reasons and Proofs You are willing to be guided by so weak an Authority as that of your Father and Mother and will you refuse to be guided by the pious Examples of all their Ancestors and of the whole Church for fourteen hundred years As for your Baptism in it you were christened a Catholic whoever baptized you and by declaring your self a Catholic you restore your self to the Religion you were christened in For the Catholic Church is like unto Paradise the Waters of whose Fountain could be drunk out of it in the Rivers that streamed out but that Baptism being given and belonging only to the Catholic Church as in Paradise only could be enjoyed temporal happiness Salutem beatitudinis extra cam neminem vel percipere vel tenere De bapt cont Don. l. 4. c. 2. so no one purchases or maintains a Right to eternal happiness out of that Church Thus did this holy Saint endeavor to draw back to the true Church's Communion those more stubborn Heretics creating in them that holy Fear of God which is the beginning of Wisdom Christian Brethren you who are so happy as to have been born in or early called to the Bosom of this holy Catholic Church and thereby to enjoy that Blessing with less toil and labor than it cost S. Augustin Be ever thankful for so great a Mercy wonder not when you see knowing Men sober Enquirers who even after a studious search have so thick a Veil yet over their eyes as not to see those glorious evident Marks God hath distinguished this Church by nor their Obligation of rendring themselves Members of it For twenty years Augustin a man of far greater Parts and a more diligent Searcher was thus blind Pity those 〈…〉 who pin their Faith on the Sleeve bottom it on the Authority of some such particular men whil'st they refuse to give ear to the whole Catholic Church which assures them that they go astray Pray for both obtain a Ray of Grace for them and they will see as you do judge as you do and equally bless God for it If any here present enjoy not yet that happiness may the Example and Motives of this Saint's Conversion prevail with him Let him weigh whether he be not unhappily under the same prejudices this Saint was so long prepossess'd with 'T is in vain to consult many Books or Persons on each point of Belief Alas says the Saint taught by twenty years De Doctrina Ch. c. 16. experience the helps of all sorts of Instructions received from Man avail little if God work not in us that very effect which we expect from them Seek then Knowledge from God by a devout and humble Prayer but expect not that he should give you a new Revelation or lead you to Truth but by those Guides his admirable Providence hath provided for you Resolve your Faith finally into God's Word but that you may not be deceived hear it from the Mouth receive it by the Authority of that Church you are commanded to hearken unto Thus did this holy Doctor offering to those Heretics who questioned the Grounds of his Faith these evident Marks by which God hath character'd his Church that Pillar of Truth on which all the Faithful are to lean If any stubbornly refuse to observe them they will allow me however to offer them to the Catholic part of my Auditory for their comfort This is then the account he gives of his own and our Faith Many things do most justly detain In Epist Fund cap. 4 5. me in the Bosom of the Catholic Church First the Vnion in Faith and consent of many Nations 'T is the common misery of all Heretics not to see what of all things Fo. 2. l. 7. contra Parmen c. 3. in the world is most patent and seated in the very eyes of all Nations to wit the Church out of the Unity whereof whatever they do can no more cover their Souls from the anger of God than a Cobweb could preserve their Bodies from cold That Church which every-where 1. de Symbol● cap. 5. opposing different Heresies can never be conquered by them They all went out of Her like unto so many withered Branches cut off from and cast out of the Vine whil'st She remains in her own Vine adhering to her own Root enjoying her Charity or perfect Tract 3. in Ep. Joann Union In her alone we hold the Inheritance of Christ all Nations They have it not whose Communion unites not the whole Circle of the Earth who is not in Communion with that Inheritance is gone out of it Such may challenge Christ but to as little purpose as he who in the Gospel made this address to him Say O Serm. de temp 169. Lord to my Brother that he divide the Inheritance with me Christ refused to divide it amongst them Paul was as great an Enemy to Division when he said I beg of you Brethren that you say all of you the same thing and that there be no Schisms amongst you He wept for those who tho' on his account divided Christ See then how wicked those men are who will be divided They Brevic. contra Donatistas Acutum aliquid sibi dicere videntur cum Catholicae nomen non ex totius Orbis communione interpretantur sed observatione Praeceptorum omn●um L. contra Parm. multa Frusta de Uno Frnsto think themselves witty when seeing their Congregation restrained within the bounds of some Province or Kingdom they pretend that they be a part of the Catholic Church that hath all things commanded and necessary for Salvation as if to be a Catholic did not import a Communion or Unity in Faith and Sacraments in a Church diffused the whole World over They cut off a part and that again falls into many pieces tho' no necessity can warrant

a rent from the Vnity tho' Christ's Garment was seamless and fell to the Lot of one because all that belong to it are gathered into a perfect Unity No the Catholic Church is but one it cannot be divided nor Ecclesia Catholica est una non potest esse divisa nec scissa in diversas partes Epist 47. Dicendum est quae ve● ubi sit una Ecclesia quia praeter unam altera non est L. 1. cont Don. cut into different parts And Where is that Church ought to be our sole Quaere for besides that One there is not another It is in those good faithful and true Servants of God where-ever diffused joyned not only by a Spiritual Union but in the same Communion of Sacraments whereas all the Congregations or rather Divisions which call themselves Churches of Jesus Christ and which are divided from and opposite to one another and Enemies to the Congregation of Vnity which Spirituall Unitate devinctis in cadem Communione Sacramen●orum de Bapt. contra Don. l. 7. c 51. Si nostra Communio est Ecclesia Christi vestra Communio non est Ecclesia Christi c. Serm. 11. de verbis Dom. cap. 23. Qui ad Religionum s●iss ●●s trad●cunt cont C●es● l 3. is the true Church belong not to Her tho' they bear her Name they might belong to her if the Holy Ghost were divided against himself We may then say to each If those of Our Communion be the Church of Christ those of Yours be not the Church of Christ For which-ever be the Church of Christ 't is but ONE of which 't is said One is my Dove I will then never hear those who lead to a Division of Religions or Churches saying Here is Christ and There is Christ Secondly I am kept in that Church by her Authority grounded on Miracles led by Hope that Hope which moves the Members of that Church to purchase Eternal Glory promised as a Reward by our just Judge to meritorious Actions increased by Charity Thirdly because that Authority of Hers is back'd by her continuation and Antiquity all other Congregations having had their decay long since or their beginning so lately that their precise Age the place of their Birth the very names of their Fathers are known whil'st She founded on the Prince of the Apostles with an infallible promise That Matt. 16. the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against Her That Christ will ever dwell in Her hath continued these seventeen Ages defended from Error by him whose Sanctity and Mercy could not otherwise have absolutely commanded us to submit to her Direction under the pain of belonging as little to him as the very Heathens Fourthly by the Succession of Priests in the Seat of Peter to this present Bishop Behold the Title Roman importing a continued Succession of 244 Teachers legally sent from God an Union with the Pastor of the one only Flock the Vicar of Christ whose Roma responsa vene●unt causa ●i●ita est atinam error finiatur Authority is so Sacred that in differences about Religion when he has past Sentence the case is out of question tho' the Error continue so unerring at least when that Voice of the Church is owned by her representative Body that if an Angel from Fo. 7. in Psal cont part Don. To. 2. Ep. 164. Heaven should require from us to abandon the Church in which that Succession is found we ought to return him no other Answer but an Anathema In fine the very name of Catholic detains me in her Communion c. A Name She only hath ever owned Such was the Blessed Saint's Profession of Faith a Record of Truth thirteen Ages old and so plain and convincing that he doubted not to address himself thus to the dissenting Sectaries of his time Can we be unwilling Fo. 6. de Util. Cred. c. 17. and slow to repair to the Bosom of that Church which hath ever been maintained in the height of an absolute Authority even by the general acknowledgment and consent of all Mankind by the continual Succession of Bishops in the See Apostolic against the opposition raised by so great a number of Heresies which have bark'd in vain against her and which have been condemned by the unanimous voice of Nations by the Grace and Judicious Censure of Councils by the Glory and Majesty of Miracles so that not to yield to her Prerogative is an infallible Mark of an extreme Impiety or a prodigious Arrogancy Let us return to Augustin Grace hath gained a half Victory the Battel is renewed hotter and more stubborn than before he is convinced but not converted his Understanding yields but his Heart revolts that poor Heart was driven by contrary Winds known Truth press'd him to profess it his affection to some darling Sins and to a fancied Reputation held him back He deferred 1. 7. Conf. c. 11. as he owns from day to day to live to God whil'st without delay he died to himself My Savior says he 1. 8. Conf. c. 11. cap. 5. again that is the true way pleased me but it was narrow and I had not strength enough to break into it I sighed after Liberty but my Chains fell not off those Iron Chains which my own will had made and shackl'd me in by which my Enemy held me fast My sinful Affections weak in their beginnings had been heightned into Passion Passion yielded unto was grown a Custom Custom unresisted was become an unconquerable Necessity Two Wills a newly-created one the Off-spring of Grace and my old sensual sinful one strove the one against the other and rent cruelly my martyr'd Soul. I now suffered with pain what I had wrought in my self with delight and my sinful Will uncontrouled had led me further than I would before I coloured my backwardness in sacrificing my Vanities and Human concerns to those of Religion with this excuse that I waited but for a fair unquestionable discovery of the Truth and now that I had it in my sight I found my self chained up and even afraid that my Chains and Excuses should fall off together My half-resolutions of rising and following you my Lord were like those of one half asleep No one would be content to sleep always all judge 't is better to be awake and up yet a drowzy head is loth to shake off a pleasant fit of sleep Verba ●enta somnolenta modo ecce modo sine paululum sed modo modo non habebat modum illud paululum ibat in longum when the hour of rising calls So it was with me I was convinced it was fit and just that I should yield to your Grace my Judgment press'd me to it but soft Pleasures to be renounced my Reputation to be blasted by my Enemies my Sincerity to be questioned by my Friends enslaved my Will. You clearly laid open before me that Truth which you invited me to avouch it was too