Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	church_n	member_n	visible_a	3,063	5	9.7114	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33996	A word in season being a parallel between the intended bloody massacre of the people of the Jews, in the reign of King Ahasuerus and the hellish powder-'plot against the Protestants in the reign of King James : together with an account of some of the wicked principles and practises of the Church of Rome, demonstrated in their barbarous and cruel murders and massacres of the Protestants in the Netherlands, France, Ireland, Piedmont, the Albigenses, &c. : also shewing that the present Church of Rome is an apostate church ... / by H.C., a lover of true Protestants.	Care, Henry, 1646-1688.	1679 (1679)	Wing C537; ESTC R13082	42,613	54

Church of Rome hath neither therefore not St. Peter's Seat And as to their pretended Miracles we have already spoke to them The Mahometans may as soon prove themselves Christ's Spouse upon that account as the Church of Rome And as to her Vnity as little can be said upon that account if we may believe History there 's some scores of Orders of Monks and Friars amongst them and some of them have been so divided that they Burnt one another for matters of Religion and for different Opinions And if you will see the Pope's Infallibility or rather Fallibility look into their Lives which I just past And as for her pretence of Visibility if we ever behold and see the True Church but as we look on her we shall never see her the true visible Church of Christ it hath Christ for its Head so hath not the Church of Rome All her Members are such as profess Repentance from dead Works and Faith in Christ So do not all the Members of the Church of Rome and 't is impossible they should being National The true Visible Church observeth all Christ's Ordinances have a true Baptism both in respect of Manner and Subject so the Church of Rome hath not The true Visible Church of Christ on Earth may be known by these three Marks First A right Gathering Acts 20. 25. not by the Sword but by the Word Secondly A right Constitution which consists in free Fellowship of the Doctrine of the Apostles Acts 20. 40 41 42 47. Acts 17. 4. The second thing pertaining to Church-Constitution consists in the disposing her Members to those Places to which they are fitted to serve in 1 Cor. 12. 27. with ver 18 28. Acts 6 3 4. The third mark of the true Visible Church of Christ is Government according to the Primitive Practice which was only Spiritual and did reside not in the Pastors and Elders apart from the Church but in the Pastors together with the Church Acts 15. 22 25. yet so as that those to whom the Church hath committed her Power are the Instruments in the Name of Christ and his Church to exercise Government Which Government consisteth in these things Exhortations Reproofs with all Long-suffering and Doctrine 2 Tim. 4. 2. And if this prevail not with Offenders then is the power of Excommunication to be exercised according to Mat. 18. 17 18. 1 Cor. 5. 3 4 5. But can any of these Marks be found in the Church of Rome No she makes Members by the Sword as the True Church by the Word She forceth them to be of her Religion Whereas Members of the true Visible Church are Volunteers 2 Cor. 8. 5. Rome's Government is by the Sword not by God's Word 't is Carnal not Spiritual as the Government of Christ's Church is Therefore you see she is still the false Church the Mother of Harlots what ever she pretends In the last place Come out of Babylon those that are in her And you that are out keep out because if you partake of her Sins you will partake of her Plagues Take an account of them in several Threatnings of God against her the Apostle calls upon us in Rev. 17. 1. to see the Iudgment of the great Whore that sitteth upon many Waters In this Judgment they shall kill one another Rev. 6. 4. making good that Prophecy in Rev. 17. where 't is said that God shall put it into the Hearts of the ten Horns the ten Kings to hate the Whore to burn her Flesh with Fire and make her desolate Rev. 18. 16. Reward her double even as she hath rewarded you And double unto her double according to her Works In the Cup which she hath filled fill to her double The King of France who proved so Treacherous and Cruel to the Admiral Coligny and the Protestants in France to the number of about an hundred thousand Massacred in a most Inhumane manner though he gloried so much in that Action as to make certain Medals to perpetuate the Memory of it yet the same King was inwardly tormented with the Horrors of a guilty Conscience which the Effusion of so much Blood did justly raise in him being sometimes troubled with Visions he was often heard to say Ah! my poor Subjects what had you done But I was forced to it The strange manner of his Death looked like a signal Judgment from Heaven for that Bloody Day For after a long Sickness believed to be the Effect of a Lent Poison given him by the Queen-Mother Blood not only came out at all the Conduits of his Body but through the very Pores so that he was sometimes found all bathed in his own Blood And he that made the Kingdom swim with Blood died thus wallowing in his own Thus wicked Men fall into the same Pit they thrust others into and their violent dealing comes on their own Pate As lately here in London one Edward Coleman a Papist who was found to be a grand Conspirator against the Protestant Religion intending to subvert and overthrow Religion and the People of God was himself with divers others taken in the said Conspiracy Judged Condemned Drawn Hanged and Quartered as his just Demerit for that Act and Deed December the 3d. 1678. at Tybourn in the view of thousands Yet again in Rev. 15. 5. we have an account of seven Viols or Goblets of Gold all filled up to the brim with the Wrath of God which often in Scripture is compared to Wine and because of the effects of it called the Wine of Trembling or Astonishment And they are called the seven last Plagues or Stroke Because in them the Wrath of God is finished Then he stirs up all his Wrath against them that the sufferers do knaw their Tongues for pain And well they may For mark that in Rev. 14. 10 11. 't is like Zechariah's Roll filled with Curses within and without Those that receive the Mark of the Beast in their Forehead publickly or in their Hand privately shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his Indignation and they shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb And the smoke of her Torment ascendeth up for ever and ever They have no rest Day nor Night who worship the Beast and his Image and whosoever receiveth the mark of his Name And when the Voice shall be Babylon is fallen is fallen Rev. 17. 2. which shall be when she is very secure and saith in her Heart I sit as a Queen and am no Widow and shall see no Sorrow Then shall Worldly spirited Men lament and tremble and cry Alas alas while the blessed Inhabitants that are in Heaven the holy Apostles Prophets and Angels are commanded to rejoyce over her destruction for which also the Blood of the Martyred Souls under the Altar doth cry and all their Brethren who are yet witnessing in the Wilderness do earnestly pray as being then to receive a full Reward for their Labours and to Reign with Christ for whom they suffered Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly POST-SCRIPT THat the Church of Rome doth look upon shedding of the Blood of Protestants which they call Hereticks as Meritorious let us take a view of their Practices after the Massacre in France The News being brought to Rome on the 6th of November 1572. A Consistory was called of Cardinals and the Legats Letter that contained a Relation of the Massacre was presently read See Thuanus Upon this they went straight in a Procession to St. Mark 's Church where they offered thanks to God for this great Blessing to the See of Rome and the Catholick Church And on Monday following there was another Procession made by the Pope and Cardinals to the Minerva where they had high Mass and then the Pope granted a Jubilee to all Christendom and one Reason was that they should thank God for the Slaughter of the Enemies of the Church lately executed in France Two days after that the Cardinal of Lorrain had another great Procession of all the Clergy the Ambassadors Cardinals and the Pope himself who came to St. Lewis's Chappel where the Cardinal Celebrated Mass himself and in the King of France's Name he thanked the Pope and Cardinals for their good Counsel the Help they had given him and the Assistance he had received by their Prayers of which he had found most wonderful Effects He also delivered the King's Letters to the Pope in which he wrote that more Hereticks had been destroyed in that one Day than all the twelve Years of the War Nor did the Pope think there was yet Blood enough shed he sends Cardinal Vrsin his Legat in all haste to France to thank the King for so great Service he had done the Church and desired him to go on and extirpate Heresie Root and Branch that it might never grow again And as the Legat passed on his Journey he gave a plenary Absolution to all that had been actors in the Massacre Besides the best Picture-Drawers and Workers of Tapistry were also put to work to set off this Action with all possible glory And a sute of these Hangings are to this day in the Pope's Chappel So well do they like that Act that they still preserve the Memory of it I must confess such a Representation does well agree with their Doctrine FINIS ERRATA PAge 5. Line 35. for 11th Reade 13th P. 6. l. 3. for three days r. few Months P. 9. l. 7. for among r. against P. 18. l. 29. for designed r. desired P. 23. l. 13. r. because as she is P. 25. l. 35. for 567 r. 1567. P. 31. l. 38. f. O Saint saith r. O St. Sith P. 34. l. 17. for Purgations r. Purgatory P. 39. l. 16. for 1 Cor. 10. 6. r. 1 Cor. 10. 16. * See a Book called A Looking-Glass for the Pope

he Instituted the Sacrament Why do your Priests then wear so many foolish antick Garments more fit for a Stage-player than a Minister of Christ Which of the Apostles wore the Amis or Linnen-Vail or Albe Who commanded you to wear a Girdle in signification of that Cord you say Christ was bound in the Garden withal the Maniple that bound Christ to the Piller The Stole a Cord by which Christ was led to be Crucified with I do not remember I have read of such a Cord in the Scripture neither do I find any Chalice the Apostles used nor a Pattin or Altar-Clothes Corporal or Pall. Where did Christ ever say the Sacrament is for three sorts of Men those in Heaven to encrease Glory them in Purgatory to free them from pain them on Earth to encrease Grace or the Ministers going back three steps from an Altar in token of Christ's prostrating himself Where did the Priest learn to beat his Brest at Mea culpa and to bow at the Confiteor and to kiss the Altar Where do you find in God's Word the Introit In what Chapter do you find the Kyrie Eleison to repeat nine times Lord have mercy upon us three times to the Father three times to the Son three times to the Holy Ghost What Book in the Scripture do you find Prayers called the Collects or that Allelujah is repeated at Easter more than any other time of the Year Where is the Trackt to be found that is to be read with a slow and a long Voice Where did any of the Apostles reade the Gospel at the North-end of the Altar or St. Peter or St. Paul sign the Book with the sign of the Cross Or the Minister and People sign themselves in three places with the sign of the Cross on the Forehead on the Mouth and on the Brest Where do we find Christ wash his Fingers just after the Sacraments Institution as your Priests do In what Epistle do you find the Apostles adore the Bread and Wine that were in his Hand when he Administer'd it Where have you any Office of the Virgin Mary consecrated in Scripture as Hymns Psalms Canticles Antiphones Versicles Responsories and Prayers which you divide the Virgins Office in Not in holy Writ I am sure Who bid you beg for the assistance of the Virgin Mary to perform your service to God's Glory Where did the Apostles ever pray that God would pardon their negligence in the service of the blessed Virgin What Rule have you for keeping a Feast in remembrance of our Saviour's Birth or for the observation of Circumcision or Epiphany day What Rule have you for blessing your Candles you use in your Worship and why must the Day call'd Candleman-Day be the day above all others So we may ask a Rule for the keeping of Ascension-Day Pentecost Trinity Sunday Corpus Christi Transfiguration Day as you call it Who commanded this I pray The Pope not Christ So Advent-Sunday the four Lords-Days which precede Christmas-Day as you say Where do you find that the Apostles observed those four Days which preceded the Resurrection of Christ Septuagesima Sexagestma Qui●●●●gesima Quadragesima hard words for the Simple to understand Which are four days of Penance and Mortification Where do you find a Lent commanded by Christ In what Chapter is Palm Sun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y or Passion Sunday mentioned or Low-Sunday Who taught you to keep a Feast and solemnly observe the Conception Nativity Presentation Annunciation Visuation and Assumption of the blessed Virgin Where is any time in Scripture set apart for the People to confess their Sins to a Priest Where are any holy Ashes spoken of in Scripture to be used on the Forehead on Ash-Wednesday These and forty more Ceremonies I could recount that the Church of Rome practiseth all which prove her to be a Superstitious Harlot Let the Church of Rome prove that she hath received those Ceremonies from the Spirit of God as she pretends and I will own them too Tenthly I might show that this Harlot is a rich Harlot See what Rev. 18. throughout saith The Merchants of this City which were made Rich by her they seeing her Destruction shall say Alas alas that great City which was clothed in fine Linnen and Purple and Scarlet and decked with Gold and precious Stones and Pearls Her Worldly Pomp she hath in her present Church state even among the Clergy only is quite out of the reach of the best Arithmeticians Add to this that of Experience and it will shew us that when that Church had her Domination in this Land they knew where the best ground lay as the Ruins of their Abbies do evince APPLICATION Is it so that the Church of Rome is this Mystery Babylon Mother of Harlots Then let all the People of God that are out of it bless God for that Mercy Had God suffered Popery to continue in England as it was in the Marian Days had not thousands and ten thousands in all probability of us in England been in that False Worship which now are freed from it O let us bless God in Deed with all our Hearts lest our Sins should let her in again upon us as the Sins of Israel brought in the King of Assyria upon them and not only so but laid their City desolate and caused God to take away their Prophets Priests Ark Vrim and Thummim their Solemn Assemblies Sabbaths and appointed Feasts Let us keep our ground that we have got against Antichrist and stand up as Witnesses for the Lord Though we may be slain for it comfort your selves in this the Witnesses shall live again 2. Let all that are in Babylon be exhorted to take the Counsel of the Spirit of God in Rev. 18. 4. Come out of her And that first because she is a false Church Whatever she pretends as marks to denote her a true Church she cannot be so because National The Church of the Jews was so indeed But the gospel-Gospel-Church is Congregational only such to be Members of the gospel-Gospel-Church which can give an account of the Work of Grace upon their Hearts Acts 2. 42 43. Acts 8. 12 13 14 15 16 17. As little can they say for their Holiness which they say must be in a True Church See the Lives of many of them which have been Heads of that Church I mean the Popes some have been Drunkards some Whore-mongers Thieves given more to War than to Christ prophane Scoffers of Christ Murderers Poisoners of their own Parents calling on the Devil to help them Players at Dice and Drinkers of the Devil's Health Traitors to Princes c. Bernard was a little moved with the Popes of Rome when he called them Tyrants Defrauders Ravenous Traitors Darkness of the World Wolves and Devils Are these St. Peter's Successors I am sure he never taught Men to live at this rate neither did he live so himself If they will have Peter's Seat they must have Peter's Doctrine and Life But the