Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	begin_v	great_a	time_n	1,599	5	3.2122	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54053	A sober guess concerning several dark prophesies in the Revelation, especially the XI. chapter extracted out of several authors expositors on the Apocalyps / by T.P. Minister of the Gospel.	T. P.	1662 (1662)	Wing P119; ESTC R22458	86,572	208

with his horn so the Dragon i.e. the Heathen Empire had done before them while they were his born Rev. 12.3 that is propugn himself and oppugn his adversaries for this hath been Antichrists course all along to push down and to gore even to death for the most part all those that opposed his Idolatries and Heresies in all nations by those horns i.e. by the Kings and people of those Nations who have given their power and strength to the beast Rev. 17.13 and who do generally continue it to the Beast with one mind and consent Which have received no Kingdom as yet For when the Apostle wrote there was no such Kings in rerum natura or existent in the world as the King of France the King of Spain c. These Kingdoms were then horns of the Dragon i.e. Provinces of the Empire and therefore in the description of the Dragon chap. 12.3 the Crownsare not said to be upon the horns i. e. upon the Kingdoms who had then no Kings of their own but upon the Heads i. e. upon the Imperial head at Rome As for instance this land Britain was in the Apostles time a Province or Kingdom but it had no King of its own and so no Crown that was upon the head of the Emperor at Rome and he had supreme power over this Island but when as these Kingdoms became the horns of the beast they came also to have peculiar Kings of their own England had and hath its King and France its King And to go on in the description of the Beast the Crowns are not said to be upon the heads but upon the hornes And upon his hornes ten crowns Rev. 13.1 But received power as Kings one hour with the beast The Roman Empire was by little and little so divided that Anno. 403. some hornes appeared i. e. The Kings and the beast began their raign together now the Kings and Kingdomes began to arise above 400. years after Christ when the Empire began to be destroyed Clavis Apo●alypt Histories do not speak much of them under the name and notion of Kings till after 400. years or about 410. but the truth is Histories are very confused and no wonder for those were times of strange confusion The beast is said to begin with them at one and the same time or as the word may be interpreted the first hour the word in the Greek Text that signifies one signifies also first and so it may may be interpreted the beast began to rise the very first hour the Kings began to rise rather then the first hour after they were risen for therein is a difference of many years it being almost 60 years from the first breaking of the Empire before the ten Kingdomes were set up in it That the word that is here translated one is used also to signifie first For two or three years we must not pinch much it is hard to make an exact account so as there be no mistake as to time Modicum non curat nec prator nec propheta we may see in many instances as Luk. 24.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is word for word one day of the Sabbath or week but it is generally rendred and so the meaning is the first day of the week the women came to the Sepulcher Now if the Kings and the beasts begun their raign together so long since as between 400. and 410. then is this Earthquake which is to ruine him and them also if they persist in his service Dan. 2.44 45. Rev. 19.18 19. near at hand Quest What reason have we to think that the Pope about that time began to be the great Antichrist Answ For answer we are to know there are two particular characters of the Beast as some Divines observe out of the Text the former the cause of the latter viz. 1. Blasphemy for he is full of the names of Blasphemy Rev. 17.3 by which understand Heresie and Idolatry 2. Cruelty for he is ascarlet-coloured beast and makes war with the Saints Rev. 13.7 but both these flow from a higher principle which is as I may say proprium quarto modo and a more convertible character of the beast and that is his primacy or supremacy This supremacy hath in it two things that make it up one is a clayming authority over the consciences of men and so over their faith and worship 2. the extending of his power to all Churches and Nations I will not say these two are the same things nor that they issue from one and the same root but surely this I may say they are neer a kin and have their roots not far asunder because they are generally still found in one and the self-same person That both these meet in the grand Antichrist will appear First He arrogates authority over the soul So much I take to be intimated in these words of Daniel speaking of him Dan. 7.25 He shall speak great words against the most high and think to change times and Laws that he shall arrogate power to himself to change Gods Laws as in coyning and altering Articles of faith appointing worship for God c. high words great words against God● 2 Thes 2.4 He as God sits in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God how doth he do that viz. by Lording it over the consciences of Gods people as if he were God and thereby deprives Christ of one of the principal flowers of his Crown which is to have dominion over the faith see more for this Rev. 13.5 6 15 16. Secondly the great Antichrist is to extend his power at least presumptively and intentionally where he cannot do it actualy over all kindreds tongues and Nations Rev. 13.7 It is Antichristian to claym such authority The Title of Pontifex Maximus renounced by Gratian and Theodosius after him was after the death of Theodosius the first taken up by the Pope who holds it to this day So that what ever the Ropes name be Poutifex Maximus is his ordinary stile Cotton on Rev. 13. vers 16. though but over one man or one Church It is more Antichristian to claym such authority over many Churches more Antichristian to claym this Authority over whole Provinces still more Antichristian to claym it over many Princes and Kingdomes but yet all these do not amount to the grand Antichrist Why because there may be a greater But now he that claims such Soveraignty over all the Churches in the World is the grand Antichrist indeed for there can be no greater Now this the Pope doth yea that he may be sure to challenge as large a dominion as Christ hath he doth not onely arrogate authority over all the World but also in Heaven and Hell where Christ hath power yea in purgatory where Christ hath no power He that will but look upon the sentence condemnatory of Pope Leo the tenth in his Bull against Luther will find this true wherein he doth not labour to convince