Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	church_n	pope_n	rome_n	4,587	5	6.8117	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89056	A further discovery of the mystery of the last times; as an addition to a little book, called Some discoveries of the mystery of the last times, bordering upon the coming of the Lord Jesus. Set forth for the good of all men; but especially of those who in these dissenting times (wherein Ephraim envieth Juda, and Juda vexeth Ephraim) know not where to settle themselves, or to what society of Christians to joyn themselves: wherein is (as simply and plainly, as the author was able to open those mysterious scriptures quoted in this following treatise) shewed the cause of all our divisions and contentions about matters pertaining to form and order in the church of Jesus Christ; and wherein is moderately proved from those scriptures these particulars. 1. The flourishing and building condition of the church of Jesus Christ in the time of the gospel. ... 7. Lastly, that the Lord Jesus will by himself destroy all those enemies, and deliver his people, when the restoration of all things shall be.	Mercer, Richard, fl. 1649-1651.; Mercer, Richard, fl. 1649-1651. Some discoveries of the mystery of the last times, bordering upon the coming of the Lord Jesus].	1651 (1651)	Wing M1732; Thomason E637_16; ESTC R206616	80,538	60

said Revelation 11. 2. But the court which is without the temple meaning as I conceive the ordinances leave out and measure it not that is take no care of it for it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy city shall they tread under foot 42. mouths By Gentiles I understand not gentiles in profession for so much as it cannot be said that the Gentiles or heathen do tread under foot the holy city but by Gentiles in this place I understand men that are gentiles in manners having in effect forsaken the faith of Christ which I take to be the Church of Rome having possession of the Church or holy city of God and tread under feet the people of God and dispense with the ordinancts of God at their pleasure which is the court or outward part of the temple which is given to them to tread under feet 42. months And it is said in the 13. chapter and 5. verse And there was given unto him speaking of the beast which did arise out of the sea a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy and power was given unto him to continue 42. months which two texts I conceive do mean one and the same thing which is counting a day for a year 1260. years Now if this time do begin at the ceasing of the persecution by Licinas Emperour of the East as I suppose it doth which was according to Mr. Foxe's Accompt in the year of the nativity of Christ 324. then the time of the Raign of the beast was compleat according to this accompt 1584. which is since according to the accompt of the Church of England 66. years so that all this time of the Raign of this beast from the year 324. at the ceasing of the persecution untill the year 1584. this beast did go on and encrease in power and did persecute the people of the Lord Jesus Now if it be said That there was a time between the raising of persecution by the Dragon or Empire Heathen and the persecution by the beast Christian which according to Mr Fox's accompt was a thousand years To this I answer First That this was the slumbring or sleepie condition of the Church For as soon as the Church began to have case and riches given her she fell asleep and declined which opportunity being offered the enemy sowed tares amongst the wheat and as the tares sprung up and brought forth fruit they shewed themselves In which time of the Churches declining the tares were not discovered and therefore for that time there could not be in reason any persecution because of the sleep of the servants and these tares by reason of the sleep of the servants grew too many for the good seed and had gotten possession of the Church of God and did in time grow so wicked as they caused the servants to awake But secondly Although there was no persecution for causes of Religion yet the Pope or beast Christian was an enemy unto the people of the Lord Jesus in these particulars as First The Pope or bishop of Rome was an enemy unto the people of God by intruding himself into the Church of God in claiming to himself to be Universal Bishop and thereby doing injury to his fellow bishops and causing contention to arise in the Church of God contrary to any rule of Scripture Secondly he having gotten this universall title unto himself was an enemie unto the people of God by his negligence in suffering and permitting such grosse errors by degrees to grow in the Church of God and therby the Pope was an enemy to the people of Jesus Christ in claiming to himself to be head of the Church of Jesus Christ which is a title peculiarly belonging to the Lord Jesus and having gotten this title to suffer the people of the Lord Jesus to be seduced But then Thirdly Though there was no persecution in the Church of Rome or during the raign of the beast christian for neer one thousand years in respect of religion and in respect of any people walking contrary to the common multitude yet neverthelesse the Pope with his Clergy were enemies to the people of the Lord Jesus and did cause abundance of bloud to be shed by the wars which were raised in the Empire by means of the Pope striving with the Emperour and other Princes for temporall possessions and also in striving with the Emperour and other Christian Princes to gain them to submit unto the Popes yoke for many temporall matters in desposing Emperours and Princes and setting up others in their steads whereby followed miserable wars and devastations in the world which is lamentable to relate and in striving with the Emperour and other Christian Princes to gain out of their hands the election of Bishops and other head officers in the Church which the Pope by degrees did wrest out of the hands of the Emperour and other Christian Princes contrary to the ancient custome of the nations and for which there was much contention and bloud-shed in the Christian world besides the oppression of him and his officers and legats in raking together the goods of the Churches in the nations and setting up of alians and forrainers in the benefices of the nations but especially here in England to the impoverishing of the nations and to the ruine of the people for want of teaching as may be seen at large in Acts and Monuments of the Church of England volume the first in many places Fourthly The Pope or beast Christian were great enemies unto the people of the people of the Lord Jesus in respect of divisions and schisms which were in the Popes Church by means of several Popes there being somtime two sometime three as was in the beginning of the councell of Constance the Emperour and Christain Princes falling in dissention and taking parts about them each maintaining his Pope which that government had set up insomuch as King Henry the fourth of England writing to the Pope to be a means to cease the Schisme in the Church relates to him that by the vote of men there were to the number of 200000 men slain in the parts of the world among Christian Princes about the division of the Popes by means of wars raised up in that quarrel As also 30000 souldiers slain in war about the Bishopprick of Leodiem between two set up one by the authority of one Pope the other by the authority of the other Pope which relates to such a summe as I think all men will acknowledg that the Pope or beast Christian hath been an enemie to the people of God before he began to persecute for the cause of religion as may be seen in the same letter of King Henry the fourth Acts and Monuments page the 720. the first volume Then fifthly After the abomination was fully set up which I take to be in the year 1215. then began to follow persecution for the cause of religion it being the time that the people of the Lord Jesus were

Isaiah the 13. 10. and 14. 13 14. Ezekiel 28. 2 14 15. with the whole chapter Daniel 11. 36. 2 Thess. 2. 4. Revelation 13. 5. In all which places there is mention made of one that shall exalt himself above all yea above God himselfe as the most of these prophesies witnesse Now if there can be any Monarch found or any government upon earth that doth exalt himself as the Pope doth it may be applied to him but I never read of any that came neer unto that blasphemy which the Pope hath applied to himselfe and that hath been by his favorites applied unto him as to be the universall Bishop to be the head of the Church not to be subject to errour with divers other the like titles as you may find in part in the Acts and Monuments of the Church of England but at large more fully set forth by Bishop Jewel in the Apology of the Church of England in his answer to Mr. Harding A fourth Reason which induceth me to beleeve that the beast that did arise out of the sea to be the Empire Christian under the Pope is grounded from that glory and outward riches which is to be seen in the Church of Rome which was prophesied to be enjoyed in these Scriptures as namely Isaiah 13. 19. and 14. 4 11. and 47. 7. Ezekiel 27. read the whole chapter Revelations 17. 4. and 18. read the whole chapter now when I consider the outward poverty and contempt which was upon the Lord Jesus and his Apostles and upon the whole Church in the primitive times and that glory and outward pompe which is and hath been in the Church of Rome ever since the empire became Christian I cannot finde but that the Church of Rome must be the beast which did arise out of the sea and is that woman that was decked with gold and pearles and precious stones Revelation the 17. 4. A Fifth Reason which moves me to beleeve the beast that did come out of the sea to be the Empire Christian under the Pope is by those prophesies Isaiah 47. 7. Zephaniah 2. 15. Revelation 18. 7. In which places is set forth the flourishing condition of the Enemies of Gods people and their boasting of their Rule and Authority and that it should abide for ever and this I found to be performed in a book lately come to my hand called A lost sheep returned home written by a new converted Catholick wherein he glorieth in that flourishing condition of the Church of Rome and that the gates of hel shall not prevail against her in the latter end of his twenteth chapter page the 296. A sixth Reason that induceth me to beleeve the Church of Rome to be the beast that did arise out of the sea I ground from these Scriptures Isaiah 14. 20. Rev. 17. 6. and 18. 24. in which places Babylon is reproved for destroying of her land and slaying of her people and in her was found the blood of the prophets and of Saints and of all that were slain upon the earth which thing considered where hath there been more blood spilt of the servants of God then in her being as it were nothing but destruction attending upon them that in anything transgresse any of her decrees and canons and constitutions Seventhly I am moved to beleeve the Church of Rome ruled by the Pope to be that beast which did arise out of the sea which I prove by these Scriptures Isaiah 24. 5. Daniel 7. 25. Ezekiel 34. 18. in which places is mentioned those that should change the Lawes and alter the government of the people of God as is cleer from those places Now when I consider how much the ordinances of Jesus Christ are changed in that Church from the first constitutions I cannot see to whom or to what government these Scriptures can be applied better then to the Church of Rome The eighth Reason which perswadeth me to beleeve that the Church of Rome under the Pope to be that beast which did arise out of the sea I ground from these Scriptures Isaiah the 65. 5. and 66. 5. in which places mention is made of a people that should boast themselves to be the people of God and should despise others and count themselves more holy then any other and should cast out all other which did any way differ from them and saying in pretence thereof Let the Lord be glorified Now to whom may this be more fitly applied then to the Jewes in the letter being once the people of God and the Church of Rome in the mystery havinig also the people of God and under that notion persecure the people of God both with excommunication in casting them out of their society and also not suffering of them to have a being among men and all this under pretence of glorifying God Now if there can be any society found in the world which doth so fully agree to this thing as doth the Church of Rome why then let it be applied unto them but I conceive there will be none found that come neer to that people in those things therefore I conclude and may safely suppose these Scriptures may be applied unto them in the mystery The ninth Reason which moves me to beleeve the beast which did arise out of the sea to be the Empire Christian under the Pope I take from Revelation the 17. 5. where speaking of Babylon he saith The mother of harlots and abominations of the earth Now when I consider that Jerusalem in the letter did commit so much spirituall whordome against her God Ezekiel the 16 I conceive there is in the mystery some people which in the Christian Church should commit Idolatry and spirituall whordome against their God to answer the type before spoken of and I know not where to apply it so fitly as unto the Church of Rome which ascribes unto her selfe a title to the Church of Jesus Christ and was once the people of God Tenthly and lastly I am perswaded that the Church of Rome is that beast which did arise out of the sea from that text Revelation the 17. 5. where it is said And upon her forehead was a name written MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT where note all this is done in a mystery this is not Babylon in the letter that is Babylon in plain termes but it is Babylon in a mystery the Church of God as is pretended which under the title of Christs Church persecutes his members and yet not so in a mystery but that he is discovered of some and would be of more but that the word of God must be fulfilled which saith For this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a ly Thus having discoursed of this beast which did arise out of the sea which is an Enemy unto the people of the Lord Jesus in their slumbring and declining condition I will God enabling me speak some thing of the standing and time of this beast therfore pray mind It is