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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	aaron_n	church_n	great_a	21	3	2.4208	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44854	Hē apostasīa, ho antichristos, or, A scriptural discourse of the apostasie and the Antichrist, by way of comment, upon the twelve first verses of 2 Thess. 2 under which are opened many of the dark prophecies of the Old Testament, which relate to the calling of the Jews, and the glorious things to be affected at the seventh trumpet through the world : together with a discourse of slaying the witnesses, and the immediate effects thereof : written for the consolation of the Catholike Church, especially the churches of England, Scotland, and Ireland / by E.H.	Hall, Edmund, 1619 or 20-1687.	1653 (1653)	Wing H325; ESTC R11943	203,833	222

the sad Ship-wrack of a good cause which went ●…ut and returned like Solomons Ships for gold The King and the Parliament at their first s●…ting out promised fair and good grounds of great hopes ●…f m●…ch good both to Church and State appeared but soon was the King whether drawn or driven or both d●…parted from the right way He took the sword and sadly per●…shed by the sword the Lords and Commons made vowes and protestations to God and man and in the breach of them were broken Each of these with the Emperour Mauritius might justly say Jusius es Domine justa sunt tua judicia in all that hath befal●…en them Yet in these dreadfull frowns of his upon the Reformers we may see Gods gracious smiles upon their intended reformation whiles the clouds of Gods just displeasure overs●…adowed the Reformers a bright beam of his Providence shined on that cause they all professed for the King Lords and Commons that began in a good cause but afterwards were divided upon different self-interests at the very last of all met again consulted agreed and finished all three together their testimony concerning this cause and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revel 11. 7. God snatched both that from them and th●…m from us unworthy of both who contemning the golden yoke of Christs government are justly liable to the iron ●…oke of Antichrists tyranny However let the Parliaments cause in the eyes of the wise be magnified though the underta●…ers of it be for ends best known to God debased let God and his cause be true though every man be found a liar before him Let not therefore the professed friends of Zion in this day of Gods dark and dreadfull providences amongst us stumble and fall as the most of professours do from their first principles let not the reproaches of ●…apists and open prophane persons on one hand nor of Sectarian●… on the other hand make us lose our stedfastnesse let our ●…ffections and prayers be the same for our Reformation and our Reformers as formerly let not their failings in the cause cause us to fall from the cause Angels not men are able to carry on a Reform●…tion without faults where shall we finde a Reformaion ●…arried on without great miscarriages At the first Nationall Reformation in the world we finde Moses the Churches Monarch in the Mount with God and Aaron the Seventie and the people his ●…riest his 〈◊〉 and his subjects in the valley that while with the Devil y●…t their ●…ellish sm●…ke below did not eclipse Gods light above that day was a glorious day of Reformation notwithstanding in the eyes of all the people the two Tables wer●… br●…ke by Moses their 〈◊〉 the Lords anointed in Nehemiahs time how many 〈◊〉 were g●…t into that box purposely so pollute the ointment of a Reformation oppressours and supplanters and Schismaticks had shrewdly 〈◊〉 blown that Reformation yet 't was carried on at last God can carry on a cause by mens miscarriages David a man after Gods one heart began●…s Reformation he stumbled in limine for he should have brought home the Arke Deut. 10. 8. according to Moses prescription upon the Priests shoulders but he followes the Philistines fashion and fetcheth it home upon a Cart. Here the King and his Parliament I mean his Nobles and the Priests all stumbled and by this stumble the 〈◊〉 was shaken and Uzzah smitten yet the Ark was the same and so 〈◊〉 the n●…erer its appointed place We mention this to the shame of those 〈◊〉 th●…se dayes who pretend to follow the 〈◊〉 but startle and start aside 〈◊〉 because th●…se beasts that were employed to draw it have stum●… and 〈◊〉 it Oh Christians take heed of apostatizing from Gods ca●…se when persecuted God takes that from Christians most grievously If God smote to the grave Uzzah for touching the Ark when it shock will he not smi●…e to hell those Apostates that kick their heel at the Ark now 't is shaken There were never such a number of brazen-faced Apostates seen in the World together as in these dayes England and Scotland have produced These wormes which bred in the belly of the Church made it sick and miscarry of a Reformation since they are voided the Church though for the present weak I hope ●…s neer to her recovery Let those then that long and lo●…k for her recovery take off their hearts from murmuring at the cause and turn all their complaints against themselves ô that the spirit of supplication might passe through the Protestant Churches this day ô that all the families that fear the Lord might 〈◊〉 before the Lord this day that each might see how they have in their places fallen short of the glory of God Oh that the families of the house of David of Nathan of Levi and Shimei i. e. of the Royall blood and Priestly function might mourn this day before the Lord for their own si●…s and the sins of their fore-fathers ô that we might all know in th●…s our day of visitation the things that concern our peace The sacred prophicies tell us if we mistake them not that the Churches deliverance is nigh at hand that time when the Witnesses shall rise the everlasting Gospel shall be preached to all people and the twelve Tribes converted and also the time when the Devil the beast and the false Prophet shall be cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone now as Daniel Chap 9 finding out the expi●…ation of the 70 years captivity did thereupon betake himself to fast and pray and confesse the sins of Judah Jerusalem and all Israel with the sins of their Kings Princes and fore-fathers so ought we that look after the publick weale of the Church finding by the prophecies that the Apostasie is well nigh finished and the Antichrist appears which is the immediate fore-runner of Christs glorious comming as we shew in the ensuing Tract to raise the Witnesses and restore the Iews to bet●…ke ourselves to solemn humiliation fasting and prayer making confession of the sins of our Kings of our Nobles of our Ministers and of our people taking to ourselves Daniels words Chap 9. 16. For our sins and the iniquity of our forefathers Ierusalem is become a reproach ô Lord to all that dwell about it now therefore cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary that is desolate for the Lords sake ô Lord incline thine ear to hear open thine eyes and behold our desolations Oh that we would all turn Priests and come quickly bringing this holy ●…incense with us into the Congregation that so atonement might be made for the Churches of God against which great wrath from the Lord is gone out this day and sore plagues are upon them Gods eares are not heavy nor is his hand shortened that he cannot save us but our pride security hardnesse unbelief impenitencie and murmuring have kept back good things from us Why are we in bondage to a generation that curse their father and

that had such a Pilot in such a stresse This Text is the sheat-Anchor which staid the driving ship of the Church of Thessalonica they had heard Paul in person preach of the grand Apostasie and the comming of Antichrist and of th●… great let untill the time of Antichrists appearing and how all these must be fulfilled before the day of Judgement but they had forgot all this untill Paul had remembred them 't is certainly an excellent piece of divine policie in a time when a Church hath ●…lipt the anchor of old truths and is tossed to and fro with heresies to minde them of old truths for all errour in the Church as we said is either caused through forgetfulnesse or wilfulnesse as for wilfull Apostates they are past cure without infinite mercy and an extraordinary divine arme stretched out they are miserably ship-wracked to eternity but as for forgetful apostates what better remedie can be brought for their recovery then bringing to their remembrance ancient truths from which they have swerved What makes so many eminent professours in these our dayes turn Apostates but onely forgetfulnesse their fear and care of their persons families and estates hath made them forget their Baptismall Sacramentall Nationall Personall Engagements This sin of forgetfulnesse caused some who went to prison triumphing like Martyrs to return from prison sneaking like Malefactors they forgot Solomons words Prov. 4. 6. and a greater then Solomons in Matth 16. 25 26. and 19. 28. and Revel 21. 7 8. and 2. 7 17 26. and 3. 5 11 12. In truth such was their forgetfulnesse through fear that they forgot their own Epistles Poor souls I pity them and pray that either they may remember themselves or others may quite forget them let their shamefull acts never be published in Gath. Mark 8. 18. Do ye not remember The Apostle proves the truth of his Doctrine both from an ocular and auricular demonstration they had seen him in person mainteining it with their ears received it formerl●…●…or a truth so that the Apostle drove them to this Dilemma either to be quiet and establish themselves in the truth by rejecting those seducers and their doctrines or to proclaim to the World that they were Apostates in forsaking the Light and the Truth which they once imbraced CHAP. V. ANd now ye know what with-holdeth that he might be revealed in his time This Text is neither plain to be read nor easie to be understood Some of the Fathers have onely this dark Comment upon it that they understand it not Hereupon some as darkly say of this Text that Pauls intention was not to be understood by any but the Thessalonians Venerable Beda and Dr. Estius ingeniously confesse they understand it not and several others though not in words in their works professe as much I pray God I be not one of them I am the likeliest of all men If I am 't is not for want of search For Hagar I think did not search more for a Fountain then I have done for a Stream naturally flowing from this profound Well yet am still exceeding thirsty The Text it selfe is an inference drawn from a double reason in the premisses The inference is that now they knew what hindered the appearing of Antichrist and the grounds of his inference are from v. 3 4 5. 1 There shall be a generall Apostasie v. 3. before the man of sin be revealed 2 That man of sin before he comes to be formally the man of sin must v. 4 stay the Witnesses and this was no strange or new doctrine for v. 5. he had preached it to them before so that from this double Demonstration he in this Text concludes with a confutation of their former preposterous conclusions for the forme of the Apostles speech is Elenchicall they concluded that the day of Judgement was at hand No such matter saith Paul for the generall Apostasie must continue a certain space first and then must come the man of sin in the end of that and he must slay the Witnesses and this you may remember I taught you therefore now certainly you cannot but know what lets the Antichrists appearing since you have been double taught it viz. that of the generall Apostasie which God by his revealed decree hath ordered first to be and then the slaying of the Witnesses the overcomming and suppressing of that Magistracy and Ministery which upheld Gods holy Ordinances in their purity for the Apostasie did but drive the Witnesses into the wildernesse where the Antichrist in the end of the Apostasie findes them and slayes them He opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God i. e. Magistracie or that for Religions sake is reverenced for so much the Greek word imports that is the Ministery which for their works sake are to be had in double honour The Apostle draws an argument à 〈◊〉 impedimenti that the great let must be the two Witnesses for they are the mountain which stand in the Antichrists way all his war is with them and all his Tyranny is over them and their Subjects I cannot finde in all the Scr●…pture what should be the great let but the two Witnesses 't is they that have fire in their mouths to devour their enemies they have power to shut heaven and power over waters to turn them to blood these all are but expressions of their prevalencie with God against their enemies those Antichristian enemies which persecute them into the Wildernesse and hence it is that Antichrist Revel 11. 7. makes war with them by which 't is clear 't is a Nationall Church under a lawfull Magistracy and Ministery which are in a capacity of levying war against the Antichrist that by the way chiefly observing this that they are the Antichrists let And v. 10. They that dwell on the earth i. e. Antichrists followers they rejoyce and make merry and send gifts one to another and what 's the matter because those two Prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth that is those Antichristian factions they i. e. the Witnesses kept down Antichrist with his followers therefore these rejoyce for their slaying I very well know the diversity of opinions on this Text Some and those of the Eastern Churches conceive the great let is the Spirit of God whose powerfull influence in the Gospel kept Antichrist under This in some sense is true yet not in opposition but confirmation of that opinion of the Witnesses being the great let for what Mediators doth the Spirit make use of betwixt his Majesty and men but only the Witnesses Moses and Aaron were thus his Mediators Others say the great let is the decree of God this in some sense though not in theirs is true for there are no events but what fall under Gods decree but we speak and so doth the Apostle of the second not of the first causes Others say the doctrine of the Gospel was that great let which kept Antichrist from appearing This opinion

blesse not their mother to a generation that are pure in their own eyes yet not washed from their filthinesse a generation ô how lofty are their eyes and their eye-lids are lifted up a generation whose teeth are swords and their jaw-teeth knives to devour the poor from off the earth and the needy from amongst men a generation of L●…custs the wonder of Solomon who having no King go forth all of them by bands Would we but incline our cares to Gods counsels and turne our feet into his paths he would soon subdue our enemies and turn●… his hand against our adversaries the haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves but that we were disobedient to the Commanaments of the Lord. Why is the Diadem fallen from our head but because wo unto us we have sinned Why do flattering lippes proud tongues and double hearts prevail against us to the oppression of the poor and the making of the needy sigh Why do the wicked walke on every side when the vilest of the sonnes of men are exalted but because weare sinfull our Cities and our Countreys and our families of all rankes and degrees have sinned Go forth therefore ye sons and daughters of the Church weeping gird your selves in sack cloth and put ashes on your head take to you words of lamentation and bewail the sins of your Kings of your Princes of your Nobles of your Ministers before the Lord. Let the Trumpet be blown in Zion let a Fast be sanctified and a solemn Assembly called gather the people assemble the Elders let the Bridegroom go forth of his chamber and the Bride out of her closet let the Ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the altar and let them say Spare thy people ô Lord and give not thine heritage to reproach that Heathens should thus rule over us So soon as the people of God are thus framed God will be jealous for the land and pity his people The Churches teares usually go before the black Funerall of their enemies their tears ascend like exhalations insensibly but return in thundering and lightning stormes upon their enemies We shall finde the Churches mourning and the enemies ruine to be Zach. 12. 3 4 10. a Gospel-connexion and what himself hath joyned we cannot pull asunder Since therefore preces lachrymae are our best weapons against our enemies let us take to our selves this spirituall armour and let us thus go forth for the cause of God with much affection rejoycing as a Bridegroom commeth forth of his chamber and as a strong man rejoyceth to run a race let us rejoyce that we are counted worthy to be in arms for so great a King let us with a holy scorn disdain the enemies of our Lord the King let us defie that power and strength they bring against him Let the Counter-motions of crosse providences which make it evening by the Apostates clock put forward the hand of your faith to make it the morning of deliverance doth the Antichrist tread down all before him and oppresse the Church of God exceedingly be of good cheer for thus it is written that Antichrist must do and the Witnesses must suffer and also 't is written that then he is neer to his ruine and the Church neer to a glorious and exceeding great deliverance which is the subject of one main part of the ensuing Discourse Be not then ô ye Saints of the most High either afraid or ashamed of your afflictions Can you chuse a better Master Can you fight under a more royall Standard then Christs or can you finde a baser enemy or more accursed then the Antichrist gird on then your spirituall armour with the girdle of sincerity be stedfast in your resolutions why do the latchets of the shoes of patience hang so loose Why do you f●…et and startle at the news of suffering as if the fiery triall which is to try you were the fire of hell to damn you sincerity rejoyceth in the triall how will you be known from loose professeurs if your sincerity be not tried by afflictions afflictions indured with patience for Christ are the seales of sincerity this was one of Pauls seals which passed him for current among the Saints Paul a prisoner of Jesus Christ. Sufferings for Christ are an evident t●…ken of perdition to your enemies but to you of salvation and that of God Faith is the evidence of our salvation and sufferings are the evidence of our faith Rejoyce therefore inasmuch as yeare made partakers of the sufferings of Christ for when his glory shall be revealed ye shall be glad also with exceeding joy your reproaches for Christ render you happy inasmuch as thereby the Spirit of glory resteth on you though on your enemies part Christ is blasphemed yet on your part he is glorified We have indeavoured to clear the Church of England and to clear the reformation beg●…n and at last fi●…ished by the King Lords and Commons as Christs Church and Christs cause notwithstanding all those reproaches cast upon it let us then all of us that own the Church of England for a true Church and the reformation of that Church for a good cause prepare for sufferings and let us count them as so many scars of honour got in the field where the Royall Standard of our Lord the King is pitched which we shall wear forever our bodies shall lie down in the grave in the honour of them and at the Resurrection rise in the m●…jesty of them Let love to Christ and love to the Church of Christ constrain us to constancy let 's stop our eares against all the charmes of the Devill the world or the flesh let 's look to our Redeemer who when he was tempted upon the salvation of the chief Priests and Elders and upon the vindication of the Godhead to come down from the Crosse this seems to me to be the deepest temptation of hels forging for to destroy the work of Redemption for had Christ come down before he had died our Redemption had not been finished and we must all have been damned yet he continued in his shameful and grievous torments under all these blasphemons roproaches until the work of our Redemption was finished look up then to this great Captain of our salvation and as you have seen him do so do ye you must if you be Christs be made conformable to Christ your head by sufferings The faithful Christians of the three Kingdoms have suffered much ô let them not come down from the cross until the work be finished 't is supposed that there are sharper sufferings yet to come yet let us not ●…aint for there are more with us then are against us we have as that great person said A good Cause and a gracious God and so we have all the Angels and Saints on our sine we have the Trinity to trust to who is a strong h●…ld in time of trouble and knoweth every soul that trusteth in him Let love to the