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cause_n	church_n	great_a	rome_n	2,890	5	6.5165	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03465	The historie of Adam, or the foure-fold state of man, vvell formed in his creation, deformed in his corruption, reformed in Grace, and perfected in glory. By Mr. Henry Holland, late preacher at Saint Brides Church in London	Holland, Henry, 1555 or 6-1603.; Topsell, Edward, 1572-1625?	1606 (1606)	STC 13587; ESTC S104152	275,758	386

let them kisse the calues And so they kissed Baal 1. King 19.18 long before in signe of loue and reuerence to that false God Thirdly an occasion to Idolatrie is the reseruation of superstitious reliques Deut. 7.25 The grauen images of their Gods shall bee burnt with fire and couet not the siluer and gold that is on them nor take it vnto thee least thou bee snared therwith Esay 30.22 Yee shall pollute the couering of the Images of siluer and the rich ornament of the Images of gold and cast them away as a menstruous cloth and thou shalt say vnto it I abhorre thee Fourthly to keepe any remembraunce of them in common speach or otherwise Psal 16.4 The sorrowes of them that offer to an other God shall bee multiplyed their offrings of blood will I not offer neither make mention of their names with my lips Exod. 23.13 Yee shall make no mention of the name of other Gods neither shall it be heard out of thy mouth Hos 2.17 I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth and they shall bee no more remembred by their names 5. All Societie with Idolaters Fiftly our hearts may bee stollen away to Idolatrie by ioyning in societie and familiaritie with Idolaters and here wee bee forbidden specially first to make mariages with them for that were to ioyne together the sonnes of God with the Daughters of a strange God Gen. 6.2 Mal. 2.11 Gen. 24.3.28.1.34.14 Esra 9.14 Secondly to ioyne in societie and league for wars with them 2. Chron. 19.2 Iehosaphat for ioyning with wicked Ahab in wars receiued this answere wouldest thou help the wicked and loue them that hate the Lord therefore for this thing wrath from the Lord is vpon thee Thirdly by marchandize to minister vnto Idolaters any matter to feede and keepe them in Idolatrie as our Marchants that carry wax into Popish countries or such as giue or lend pictures of Christ or his mother or Idolatrous heretical Bookes to Popish minded men Quest 84 What sinne else is here forbidden Ans Superstition is here condemned which may well bee discribed to bee a vaine feare whereby Sathan doth so possesse the hearts of Idolaters that they cannot relinquish their accustomed religion be it neuer so contrary to the holy will of God Signes of this superstitious feare are these Col. 2.23 First it is tempered set forth 1. Shew of wisdome and coloured with great appearance and shew of wisedome as if it were a seruice most acceptable vnto God Secondly next it is shadowed with great humiliation 2. Great humiliation wherein is pretended great obedience to God and man not refusing to vndergoe any condition for religion sake as wee see in Iupiters Priests and people at Listra Act. 14.13 Thirdly 3. Spares not the body this sinne is well coloured and couered in not sparing the body for these men will seeme to beare willingly any chasticement in body for mortification sake for this cause the Priests of Baal to seeme the more religious cut themselues before the people with kniues and launcers till the blood gushed out vpon them 1. King 18.28 And to this end monasticall vowes pilgrimages Popish penance c. are had in the Church of Rome in great estimation Quest 85. Proceede yet further to more branches If there bee any more of this kinde Ans Hypocrisie I adde here in the next place the sinne of hipocrisie as being a sinne most repugnant to the pure worship of God Definition for hypocrisie is a fained worship of God true in outward appearance but false in inward affection Iohn 4. and God requires of vs principally to worship him in spirit and truth This is well described and taught vs. Mat. 15.7.8 This people commeth neare vnto mee with their mouth but their hart is farre from mee Hypocrites are like whited tombes Mat. 23.27 and like folish virgins which haue light in their lamps seeme to watch as well as others till they haue most need of light then they are without Mat. 25.8 They are like bull rushes which bend downe their heads for a day but soone after looke stately and proude againe Es 58.5 Signes of hypocrisie are these First to hunt for glorie and credit in the world by seeming to loue God more then any 1. Sam. 15.13 and ver 30.31 Secondly to bee very quick in the fight of other mens sinnes but blind in his owne Mat. 7.4.5 Thirdly to regard the traditions of men more then the word of God Mat. 15. Act. 4.19 Fourthly to be carefull in the lesser dutie and carelesse in the greater to strayne at a Gnat and to swallow a Camell Mat. 23.23 The triall and examination of the Conscience The conscience here by this light truly examined will say and confesse as followeth I haue thought that if a man did worship God with a good minde and meaning after the custome of the Church of Rome it would be well accepted I haue thought the preaching of the Gospell foolishnesse I haue thought a man might well pray to Saints and Soules departed I haue thought a man for faith need not preaching but to beleeue quietly as our forefathers and as the Church doth beleeue I haue thought a man hath no such neede to read or heare the word of God with such care and conscience I neuer came to Church with such preparation as here is required and when I departed I was no whit wiser then when I came into the Church I haue thought that God being inuisible might best bee honored being represented by some Image set before vs I haue thought that Images were godly ornaments for the Church and pretie books for ignorant people I haue thought that Images specially of Christ and the Virgin Mary haue vertue and power to worke miracles I haue thought all the worship of God in the Masse very good deuotion pilgrimages reliques of Saints and such like ware as the Church of Rome sold vs to bee great helps to pietie and to Gods holy worship And for the traditions of my Fathers my opinion rested more in the auncient beleefe of my late progenitors then in the prime and immediate law of God I could neuer beeleeue but that an humble and good minde without the Law of God was as acceptable as all the instruction of the Gospell and that it was a Godly thing to fast to cut to whip and to afflict my body although I were neuer so commuanded by God it was as I thought a glorious thing to worship the Angels the Saints departed neither did I euer till now see any cause why I should not pray for my departed friends yea vntill now I cared for nothing but to please the world and I would neuer haue yeelded to worship God but because the King State and great men of the world did like and approue such actions but oh how farre haue I erred from the Law of God as farre as euer Paul went from Ierusalem or

any men and beasts such absurditie will follow vpon that doctrine as it will grieue any mans heart to heare them much more to beleeue them To conclude what glory had Christ in earth that his Disciples haue not seene surely none but they must see his glory giuen him by his father and therefore where Christ is thether we must ascend namely to the heauens and forsake the earth and neuer looke to enioy any benefite by the renued frame of the earth Quest 51. To what vse then shall there bee new heauens and a new earth according to the Scriptures for first of all Saint Peter saith 2. Pet. 3.13 But wee looke for new heauens and a new earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Reue. 21.1 Saint Iohn writeth saying And I saw a new heauen and a new earth for the first heauen and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea Ans By these places of holy Scripture it cannot bee prooued that the Saints shall liue vpon earth no more then that they shall liue in heauen for the Apostles plainely affirme a new heauen and a new earth and therefore we as sufficiently prooue by these texts our glorified estate in heauen as well as vpon the earth Quest 52 But why should wee looke for a new earth after the later day if wee shall not dwell therein Ans I answere for many causes first for the accomplishment of his owne promise Esa 66.17 For loe saith the Lord I will create a new heauen and a new earth and the former shall be remembred no more Is not the promise of God sufficient cause for vs to liue and dye in expectation of the performance thereof Hath God no other ends and vses of the new earth except men dwell in them Paradise wherein Adam once dwelled and from which hee and wee were expelled was it destroyed when men did not inhabite it or doth any man liuing know vnto what vse the Lord appoynted it surely none and therefore if man might bee on earth and God suffer Paradise for his secret purposes best knowen to himselfe not to bee inhabited much more after the iudgement when the gates of heauen shall bee open shall not any man neede once to dreame of an habitation vpon earth Secondly if there bee no other cause yet is this cause a sufficient reason to all sober men to perswade them of the vse of the new earth namely that whereas sinne hath now made it subiect to corruption and yet the first purpose of God that it should remaine for euer in pure estate without corruption had not sinne brought in death to men and corruption to the creatures must still stand and therefore for the first purpose of God which neuer altereth hee will preserue this outward world euen as the bodies of men that it may remaine before him as a monument of his owne handy worke for euer Two opinions are very grose one that if man had not fallen hee should neuer haue come to heauen but enioyed onely this worlds felicitie whereas the onely difference betwixt vs now in a degenerate estate and him in a pure estate concerning life eternall is not in regard of place for hee should haue gone to heauen as Elias and Enoch without leauing behinde him his mortall parts and that without paine of death or helpe of a Mediator by his owne righteousnesse holinesse and integritie and now through many afflictions paine and death by the helpe of a Mediatour and after the bodies resurrection will goe to heauen and life eternall The second errour is that the world should haue needed any purgation or should haue waxen old like a garment as now it doth or that there should haue needed any iudgement except sinne had entered into the world and therefore I conclude that the earth at the beginning was ordayned to stand for euer Psal 19.90 and that there is no more cause that men shall inhabite it now after the Iudgement then if men had neuer sinned and that this purpose of God shall sustaine and repaire it for to bee a monument of his owne work for euermore Quest 53. If the Lord would haue it remaine as a monument of his owne worke why then doth not the Sea remane for it is expresly said Reue. 21.1 And there was no more Sea Ans The Apostle in the Reuelation declareth onely a vision and therefore it cannot be certainly expounded literally in euery point hee repeteth what he saw and not in euery part what shall be for God hath reserued some things vnto himselfe but forasmuch as many visions are allegoricall especially in the Reuelation where the Angels are Ministers or Bishops the Churches Candlesticks the Beasts Gouernors persecutors the marriage of the Lambe the last day final end of the churches trouble ther also the sea in many places signifieth the brittle estate troublesome generation of this world And for my part I can see no cause or reason to interprete that part of Saint Iohns vision literally but rather that in the renued estate of the world after the later day there shall dwell righteousnesse neyther men with beasts or one with another shall haue any contention but all things shall succeede according to peace constancie and pleasure Wherefore those words being vnderstood of the Elect after the resurrection like as is afterward the new citty her foure gates her pauement with the twelue precious stones her water her fruites her trees her leaues her garments all allegoricall I conclude that the first diuision which God made of waters shall stand both aboue and beneath the firmament and that the sea shall not worke nor bee tossed with windes nor destroy any of the creatures renued vpon the face of the earth but vnto the Saints they shal no more looke vpon sea or land Quest 54. But it would bee much more for the comfort of men to liue againe in this world wherein they haue receiued many wrongs afflictions and oppressions by wicked men that they might see how god hath swept out all the vngodly out of the earth according to the promises of God as Psal 37.9 Euill doers shall be cut off but they that waite vpon the Lord shall inherite the land ver 11. The meeke shall possesse the earth and haue their delight in the multitude of peace ver 18. The Lord knoweth the dayes of the righteous and their inheritance shall be perpetuall ver 22. Such as be blessed of God shall inherite the land ver 29. The righteous man shall inherite the land and dwell therein for euer Now how can they bee said to inherite the land which in this world are but pilgrimes and wander to and fro and how can they haue a multitude of peace during the first possession of the earth in any delights who are adiudged in this world to warre fire and persecution and how short is their dwelling for euermore if they dwell not here againe after the later day when

inheritance shall bee peace thy life shall bee peace thy God shall bee peace and whatsoeuer thou desirest shall bee peace Here in this world thy gold cannot bee siluer thy siluer cannot bee bread thy bread cannot bee wine and thy light cannot bee thy meate but there the Lord shall be all vnto thee thou shalt eate him that thou maiest not hunger thou shalt drinke him that thou maiest not thirst thou shalt bee illightened by him that thou maiest not bee blinde thou shalt bee sustained by him that thou maiest not faint hee shall possesse the wholy which is all in all Thou shalt not there feele any misery because with him through thy loue thou shalt possesse all Thou shalt haue all and hee shall haue all because thou and hee shall bee one Thus far Saint Austen Another propertie of this life is the change of bodies and alteration or rather vtter abolishing of all inglorious infirmities and weaknesse for it is said Phil. 4.23 our bodies shall be like his glorious body and what is the fashion of his body you may read Reu. 14. his head and haires white as wooll or snow and his eyes were as a flame of fire and his feete like vnto fine brasse c. It shal be incorruptible and neuer change immortall and neuer dye spirituall and liue of it selfe without corporeall helpes nothing shall rise against the soule of a man no fraitly no want no hunger thirst or cold no heate wearinesse or indigence no contention and brawling no not that trouble arising in euery one in the kingdome of grace Sollicita cautela vitandi inimici diligendi both of auoiding and louing his enemie Of this estate a learned father discourseth in this manner When this mortall hath put on immortalitie there shall bee no opposition by diabolicall pollicy no euill or condemned heresie no impietie of infidels but in those tabernacles of the righteous shall bee nothing but reioycing and exultation because they are made the citizens of that city which is supernall eternall and free which is not couered with darkenesse shadowed with night wasted with continuance and age nor yet hath any need of the glittering light of the Sunne there shall not the Moone shine the Starres shew no candle lighted no lampe burning for the diuine light shall lighten it the Sunne of righteousnesse and the true light shall shine vpon it the inaccessible and incomprehensible light which is not inclosed in any place nor ended in any time shineth vpon that heauenly Ierusalem the mother of vs all which with her children the sons of light the sons of the day the sonnes by adoption the sons of God shall be glorified in the same for euer and euer Fiftly and lastly they shall be in heauen not onely in vnspeakable ioy but also seruing God in that life for there is no life nor ioy in any life without the seruice of God and therefore our sauiour told vs to doe his fathers will was his meate that is the staffe of his life and his ioy Now the Saints in heauen shall both ioy and doe nothing but praise him for all their time shall bee a Saboth appropriated to serue him and sing his praises for euermore Esay 66.23 and indeede this must sinke deepe into our hearts in this life not onely for our instruction what wee shall doe in another world but also to stirre vs vp in this life to serue God because therein we ioyne with the Saints in heauen and the Church in earth is pertaker with the triumphant glorified soules in the kingdome of Maiestie and for this cause in our dayly prayers wee pray Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heauen But to returne to the ioy our ioy shall bee there all of the Creatour and not of the creature none shall take it away for wee shall bee out of danger of loosing our happinesse and therefore better then the Angels now but ioy taken any where else and compared to this is but sorrow sweetnesse but paine and bitternesse comlinesse but black and ougly filthinesse and delights but troablesome noysomnesse Of which estate Saint Ciprian in his sermon of mortalitie maketh this meditation Wee accompt Paradise our countrie and wee haue already gotten the Patriarches to bee our Parents oh why doe wee not runne and make hast home into our country and salute our parents there expecteth vs a great number of deare friends of parents brethren sonnes sisters mothers and acquaintance I say a great number expecteth vs which are already secured of their owne glory and are carefull for ours Oh to come into their sight and mutually to embrace them how great shall bee their and our glory both together what shall bee the pleasure of those celestiall kingdomes where the feare of death ceaseth and wee assured to liue eternally what is that highest and perpetuall felicitie there are crowned the Godly fellowship of the Apostles the great number of Prophets the innumerable troupes of Martyrs There doe virgins triumph which by the vigour of the spirit haue gotten victory of all concupiscence and liued in chastitie there shall they see the mercifull rewarded who wrought righteousnesse by their feeding clothing and cherishing the poore although for the obeying of Christ they haue forsaken their owne patrimonie And to conclude with the words of Saint Austen wee can more easily tell what is not in heauen then what is for wee are not able to tell how great a good God is and yet we are not permitted to hold our peace and therefore wee cannot tell and yet for ioy wee cannot hold our peace then whether wee speake or say nothing wee shall reioyce exceedingly This is their reward to see God to liue with God to liue of God to bee of God to bee in God to bee for God which is the cheefest good And where as is the cheefest good there shall bee the cheefest felicitie cheefest pleasure true libertie perfect charitie eternall securitie secure eternitie there is the true reioycing all knowledge all beautie and all blessednesse there is peace pietie goodnesse light vertue honestie sweetenesse concord rest praise glory and life eternall concerning which pray gentle Reader that Christ would say to thee and mee Come ye blessed of my Father receiue the kingdome thy Masters ioy prepared for you before the worlds beginning Quest 66. But you haue rehearsed out of Saint Paul that this life is eternall and the gift of God How can it bee the gift of God seeing it is the reward of righteousnesse Ans Indeede as it is the full promise of God it is a gift but as it is the hire and recompence of a good life it is a reward and euery way it commeth from the free and voluntary gift of God for if it came any other way woe were it to vs which are able to doe so little for so great a crowne wee cannot buy it we cannot steale it as Iacob did his fathers blessing but it must bee giuen vs not from or by man but by the Lord which giueth plentifully and casteth no man in the teeth And this is a comfort where withall I will end this discourse for by it I conceiue that the kingdome of heauen shall be bestowed equally both vpon poore and rich for it is a gift and no man can challenge more in that gift then an other none can bee nearer then other Euery place of the earth standeth in equall distance from heauen and euery man and woman are alike capeable of eternall life the wise and foolish virgins stood in the same way and place to expect the same bridegroome Therefore seeing all must be bound to God for these benefits let vs not iudge any that in our opinion seeme to bee far from grace for the Lords gifts and graces are without repentance and hee that is able to call them to graffe them and to winne them will cloth their naked soules with comfort His desire is to binde men vnto him for it and therefore let not any man dispaire of their saluation nor enuy them if the Lord call them to heauen at the last gaspe as hee did the good theefe vpon the Crosse FINIS