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	separate_v	separation_n	2,045	5	10.3917	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66982	The fall of Babylon, or, Seasonable reflections on the novelties of Rome with the rise, growth, and final overthrow of Antichrist now at hand, occasioned by the preface to a treatise called Nubes testium, or, A collection of primitive fathers giving testimony to the faith once delivered to the saints, being (as the author stileth it) a full discovery of the sentiments of the ancient fathers in the chief points of controversy at present under debate : written upon the first coming forth of the said treatise (but not permitted to be then made publick) for the benefit of all who abominate the corruptions of the great whore and would not be partakers of her sins of plagues / by B.W.	Woodroffe, Benjamin, 1638-1711.	1690 (1690)	Wing W3467; ESTC R27594	163,329	256

shall separate the clean Beast from the unclean and shall not defile your Souls with Beast or Birds nor with any other thing that creepeth upon the Earth and ye shall shew that they are unclean Also Exod. 34. Take heed to thy self lest thou make a Covenant with the Inhabitants of this City lest it be for thy ruine and farther on make no agreement with the men of that Religion lest when they shall have gone a whoring after their Gods and shall have worship'd their Images they call thee to eat of the things which are dedicated to them and thou take of their daughters to thy son and their daughters go a whoring after their Gods and make thy sons go a whoring after their Gods Levit. 15. Wherefore ye shall teach your Children and command them that they keep themselves from their pollutions lest they dye in them when they shall have polluted my Tabernacle Ezek. 2. The heart that goeth after their abominations and their sins I will bring their way upon their own head saith the Lord. Deut. 20. When thou shalt come into the Land which the Lord thy God shall give thee take heed that thou do not according to the Abominations of the people for the Lord hath all those things in Abomination and for such sins will he blot them out that thou mayst go into their Country Thou shalt be clean and without spot before thy God Those Nations whose Lands thou shalt possess followed Southsayers and Diviners but thy God hath otherwise ordained it for thee Now this is manifest too from the New Testament John 12. That the Lord is come dyed and suffered that be might gather in one the Children of God And 't is for the sake of truth thus united and for the separation of it from others that he says Matth. 10. For I am come to divide a man from his Father and to set the Daughter against her Mother and the Daughter-in Law against her Mother-in-Law and those of a mans House shall be his Enemies And he hath commanded thee to separate saying If there is any who leaveth not Father and Mother c. Also beware of false Prophets who come to you in Sheeps Clothing Also beware of the Leven of the Pharisees Also beware that no man seduce you for many shall come in my name and seduce many Wherefore if any man say unto you loe here is Christ or loe he is there believe him not and go not after them And in the Revelation he forewarns with his own voice and commands his people to go out of Babylon saying I heard a voice from Heaven saying O my people come out of her and partake not of her sins that ye receive not of her plagues for her sins are come up to Heaven and the Lord hath remembred her Iniquities The Apostle saith the same Be not unequally yoaked with Infidels for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness And what communion hath light with darkness And what concord hath Christ with Belial Or what part hath he that believeth with an Infidel And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols Wherefore come out from among them and be separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty Also in the 5th to the Ephesians Be ye not partakers with them for ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord. Also in the 1. to the Corinthians 10. I would not that ye should have fellowship with Devils ye cannot be partakers of the Table of the Lord and of the Table of Devils Also in the 2. to the Thessalonians 3. Now we command you Brethren in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly and not after the tradition which ye have receiv'd from us for your selves know how ye ought to follow us And below And if any man obey not our word by this Epistle note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed Also Ephes 5. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful Works of darkness Also 2 Tim. 3. This know also that in the last days perillous times shall come And below Having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away By these things noted here above the malice of Antichrist and his perverseness manifestly appear Also it is commanded by the Lord to separate from him and to be join'd to the Holy City of Jerusalem And therefore we who have knowledge of these things the Lord having reveal'd them to us by his Servants believing this Revelation according to the Holy Scriptures being admonish'd by the Commandments of the Lord The Waldenses protest their separation from Anti-Christ we separate our selves inwardly and outwardly from him because we believe that he is Antichrist and have join'd together and are united with a free will and most sincere intention and are purposed with purity and simplicity to please the Lord and to be saved through the assistance of the Lord holding our selves firm to the Truth of Christ and his Spouse as far as our Capacity of Understanding can support us The Causes why the Waldenses separated themselves from the Romish Church And therefore we have deliberated to shew the causes of our separation and what sort of Congregation we are that so if the Lord shall vouchsafe the knowledge of the same truth those who shall have receiv'd it may love it with us and if they are not sufficiently enlighten'd they may receive succour by this Ministry and be water'd by the Lord that if it be more abundantly and more highly conferred on any other we may desire the more humbly to be taught and to learn what is better from him and to be corrected in our Errours Now the things which follow are the Causes of our separation To maintain the Essential Truth That it may be manifest to every one in general and in particular that the Cause of our separation is such that is to say for the Essential truth of the Faith and for the inward knowledge of one true God and the Unity of Essence in three Persons which knowledge flesh and blood cannot give and for the Worship due to one only God by all those things above-mention'd for the sanctification and honour which is due to him above all things and above every Name for the living hope in God through Christ for regeneration and inward renovation by Faith Hope and Charity for the merit of Jesus Christ with all sufficient Grace and Justice for participation or Communion with all the Elect for the remission of sins for a holy Conversation and for the faithful performance of all the Commandments in the faith of Christ for true Repentance for perseverance to the end and for life eternal 2. And the Ministerial truths and in what they consist The Ministerial Truths are these The outward Congregation

to the executing any grievous Sentence for whom is it all this Drudgery is but for her who like that great Abaddon or Destroyer under whom she Acts Prides herself in the Cruelty For her who if she be as she is the Woman arrayed in Purple and Scarlet-colour it is the Blood of the Saints that hath thus dyed her Robes Rev. 17. 4. And what is the Honour what the part in all this she gives you but to be only the Executioners of so great Impiety and Injustice But let me for methinks it is due to your Majesties to be better treated though who can dissemble the Insolences of that Sorceress towards you retract the Imputation for sure it cannot be with your Royal Consent that such Barbarities are acted No it is the Design of those who menage such Villanies that what they do may be in the Dark For who shall say to a King Thou art Wicked and to Princes Ye ar●Vngodly Iob 33. 18. Indeed it is not fit this should be in the least surmised therefore they who promote such mischievous Purposes must colour all with Zeal and Piety it is the Cause of God and the Church must countenance the Practice But oh still greater Impiety to interest God himself in the Barbarities they are carrying on And let it not be admired the wicked Wretches so boldly crowd about your Thrones when they are so hardy towards God himself as to make his the Habitation of their Injustice to intitle the most High and Holy One to all the villanies of Hell it self But cannot God but be Iealous against these things Imitate then Royal Sirs your Prince recover his and your Honour from such vile Parasites be pleased to believe that that cannot be of God or Christ which is so contrary to that Clemency which is the radiant Diadem in Heavens Crown let not her being decked with Gold and precious Stones and Pearls let not the Golden Cup in her hand all are but what she hath spoiled you or your Subjects of tempt you any longer to the Abominations and filthiness of Fornication the Kings of the Earth are said to have committed with her Revel 18. 3. Rather as it there follows take not mine but the Admonition of God Himself come out of her that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues v. 4. But are there yet any among you who are still more dangerously ensnared and out of very Conscience unhappy Conscience to be thus misguided countenance the Romish Interest who think they do God good Service I will not say in Persecuting his Church but in Propagating that mistaken Faith which hath so long done it 'T is I confess a glorious Principle to be for Liberty of Conscience worthy the most Royal Heart to declare that none shall be Prosecuted for meer Religion and may this Charity cover all other Miscarriages But what recompence can that Church make them who thus Sacrifice all to it If at the same time what is Zeal and Piety in those who thus sincerely act in her Cause be but colour cheat and the same design of Cruelty carrying on by Her as when with open violence she invades the Peace and Consciences of Mankind And Oh that my Voice or Pen might reach such Royal Personages as are most concerned herein That they would amongst that hurry and distraction a tottering Cause for such Rome's must be the sentence is gone out against Her she is faln is faln and cannot long stand gives them retire a little within themselves and consider what can be the end of Her who hath so long had it written on her Forehead MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH I would not it becomes me in my duty not to press hard on any Prince but least of all on such whom the World may be apt to think what 's last said more nearly concerns but neither dare I upon this occasion so far to temporize with any as not freely to premonish of the danger especially where it is the only Interest such can have either with God or Man to desert that Communion which hath already betrayed to such irreparable mischiefs And I most humbly ask leave to offer to such a Prince whether to say no more for I may not here enter upon long Argument and Conviction that Religion which bests Consults the Honour of God the Interest of his Vicegerents the Security of the People the Quiet and Peace of Conscience that Religion which in its Precepts is most agreeable to the Principles of Reason and the common notions Mankind hath of Good and Evil whether I say such a Religion or what teaches and acts contrary to all these be the Religion he would choose the Religion fit for Prince or People For my part I would speak to such an one as I would answer it at the great day when Prince and People must all stand naked before God Were I not as well assured that the Romish Church in the Bulk it now stands and hath for these several hundred years stood were that BABYLON spoken of in the Revelation that MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH as I am that 't was Gods Holy Spirit that dictated that and all other Scripture Were I not assured that the Romish Church were chiefly concerned in those seven last plagues or Vials of the Wrath of God mention'd Revel 15. and 16. Chapters Were I not assured that most of those Vials have been already poured out on her and that there is very little behind to compleat her full Doom Were I not assured that those who come not out of her must perish with her and that their and her Fall is near at hand I should not dare as I have here done to appeal to you O Soveraign Princes and thus freely to call you down from your Thrones to consider what is offer'd by one who is the meanest of your Subjects But is it I then or the Truth that calls upon you Is it so mean a Subject that presses upon your Royal State or is it your own Royal State it self your greatest Interest that of your Heavenly as well as Temporal Crown that here bespeaks you In Compassion in Compassion to your Royal selves be jealous at length of that corrupt Communion which can preserve you neither in this nor another World Think not Great Sirs that the Dream of Purgatory an Invention to make men less careful of their Salvation while the day is in which only we can work will then relieve you Think too how cruel their Mercies are who have no better State for their Votaries than what themselves tell you that is Think not the highest Saints will be able to defend you then who when they have done all they can are themselves but unprofitable Servants Luke 17. 10. and can have done no more than was their duty to do Much less think that Images Relicks Crucifixes or whatever other Merchandize

the same Soveraign Power which before was in the Emperors though under another 〈◊〉 name the deadly wound i. e. the blow given by the Goths Vandals and Hunns to the Roman Empire was healed not but that there is another sense in which this may be understood of which afterwards And to shew how 't was He gain'd this it follows v. 13. And He doth great wonders so that He maketh fire to come down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of Men which what can that relate to but to that foremention'd Excommunication thundred out against the Emperor called Fire from Heaven because 't was from the Church or under the pretence of that Spiritual Power therein lodged called Heaven in this Book this Fire proceeded and on the Emperor called Earth because of that Earthly or Secular Power committed to him it came down And having advanced so far which as I likewise have before remarkt falls in with the Year 666. it follows v. 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth i. e. the Inhabitants of the Roman Empire by the means of those Miracles which He had power to do in the sight of the Beast saying to them that dwell on the Earth that they should make an Image to the Beast which had the wound by a Sword and did live i. e. having thus prevail'd against the Beast the Roman Empire He sets up a Power like it in Himself making the People who were thus deceived by the means of those Miracles which He had power to do in the sight of the Beast those Excommunications and other Methods I mean by which He had so much lessen'd his Soverainty to assist in setting up his Image in that shew or rather real representation of Soverain Power He had transferred to Himself Whereupon 't is added v. 15. that He had power to give life unto the Beast Breath saith the Margin of the English 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Original a Spirit or Spiritual Being unto the Image of the Beast For 't is by Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Censures the Beast thus recover'd exercises his Jurisdiction that the Image of the Beast should both speak as He doth with a Witness in these Anathema's Thunderbolts of Excommunications as they are called or Fire from Heaven and cause that as many as would not Worship the Image of the Beast should be killed which de facto happen'd in the Persecutions rais'd on those who could not submit to the Novelties introduced And He causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a mark in their Right hand or in their Foreheads and that no man might buy or sell save He that had the mark or the name of the Beast or the number of his name None to hope for any Preferment in the Church no nor yet for any Temporal Advantage to be so much as permitted the benefit of common Traffick and Commerce that did not by receiving his mark either in hand or forehead by his having the name of the Beast profess himself entirely to be his For that is done by receiving name from any other or the Number of his name i. e. after such a time at least that the Beast should have attain'd such a Number wholly resign to His Will which Number is set down in the next Verse and a Note prefixt to shew that 't will concern us to know when He arriv'd at this usurpt Power which the Holy Ghost had been describing And that as I before observed must be by looking back to the taking of Rome Anno 410 and from thence reckoning to 1076 the very point when as it hath been said Fire came down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of Men i. e. Gregory the 7th who presided in the Church or Heaven thundred out his Excommunication on the Earth or the Emperor and that in the most publick and solemn manner i. e. in the sight of men I could not well say less than I have on these Points and being by the discourse brought again to mention this great Epocha in the Reign of Antichrist I cannot but take notice that as the Holy Ghost here so manifestly directs us to it so other Writers and among them Baronius however in the dark as to this light that is here given us in it are not sparing to talk of the Power and Prevalency of Antichrist about this time The place in Baronius is Anno 1106 Quod vero pertinet ad Antichristum fuit quidem Opinio non vulgarium Virorum eum hoc fore saeculo revelandum inter alios Norberti viri temporis hujus fama Celeberrimi à quo id se audivisse testatur S. Bernardus Epistolâ ad Gausredum Carnotensem Episcopum The Report was so strong that Paschalis stopt his Journey upon it saith Baronius ibid. Paschalis Papa rogatus à Conventu Moguntino in Galliam Cisalpinam properare itineri se committens ob sparsam famam de proximo Antichristi Adventu Florentiae substitit And before Anno Christi nongentisimo Indictione tertia novum inchoatur saeculum quod sui Asperitate ac boni sterilitate ferreum malique exundantis deformitate plumbeum atque inopia Scriptorum appellari consuevit Obscurum And again 1001. Anno Christi millesimo primo quo novum saeculum inchoatum est c. 'T was the Opinion of some that Antichristus adveniret non longo post tempore Universale Judicium succederet and He saith the many Prodigies which happen'd the year before seemed to foretel it and then which I rather take notice of adds Sed ad ista credenda de Adventu Antichristi Fine mundi satis esse videbantur Romanae Ecclesiae tot saepe iterata a naufragia necnon Corruptio morum quam magnam valde in hoc tempore fuisse in hominibus praesertim Ecclesiasticis Glaber ea videns deplorat Insuper quod ferreum hoc Saeculum ob malorum excrescentiam Auctore Ditmaro diceretur revera esset quod videlicet ut ait Glaber deficeret Religiositas Pontificum marcesceret districtio regularis Abbatum simulque Monasterialis Disciplinae vigor tepesceret ac per illorum Exempla caetera plebs Mandatorum Dei praevaricatrix existeret And if not to depart from the Explication that is before given of those words in Rev. 13. 13. But only farther to illustrate the matter in hand we may understand the coming down of Fire from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of men in the sense our Lord speaks Luke 12. 49. of his coming to send fire on the Earth never was any Age in which it was so much kindled no time wherein what by the intemperate Heats between the Popes themselves as well as between them and the Emperors the World was in a greater Flame And if those of the Romish Church will give others leave to speak after them in this cause can there be any more memorable testimony than what we find to this purpose

Et poutant sortez du milieu d'elle separez vous dit le Seigneur ne touchez aucune chose souillèe je vous retireray vous seray au lieu de Pere vous me serez pour Fils Filles dit le Seigneur tout-Puissant Item au 5. des Ephesiens Ne participès point avec eux car vous estiès en la voye de tenebres mais maintenant vous estes lumiere au Seigneur Item en la 1. aux Corinth 10. Je ne veux point que vous soyés faits compagnons des Diables Vous ne pouvez participer à la table du Seigneur à la table des Diables Item en la 2. aux Thes 3. O Freres nous vous annoncons au nom de nôtre Seigneur Jesus Christ que vous vous gardiès de tout Frere allant deshonnestement non point selon les coûtumes lèquelles vous aves receu de nous Car vous memes savez en quelle maniere vous nous devez resembler Et plus bas s'il y a quelqu'un qui n'obeisse à nôtre parole notes-le par Epître ne vous entremleez point avec luy à ce qu'il soit confus Item Ephes 5. ne communiquez point aux oeuvres de tenebres qui sont infructueuses Item 2 Tim. 3. Or saches cecy qu'es derniers tems il surviendra des tems fâcheux Et plus bas Ayans l'apparence de piete mais en ayant renie la force detournetoy de telles gens Par les choses notées cy-dessus paroît manifestement la malice de l'Antichrist sa perversité Aussi est-il commandé par le Seigneur de se separer de luy de se joindre à la Sainte Cité de Jerusalem Et pourtant nous qui avons connoissance de ces choses le Seigneur nous les ayant revelées par ses serviteurs croyans à cette revelation suivant les Saintes Ecritures estans admonétés par les Commandements du Seigneur Les Vaudois rotestent le leur separation l'avec l'anti Christ nous nous départons interieurement exterieurement de luy parce que nous croyons qu'il est l'Antichrist avons fait compagnie unité de franche volonté en sincere intention nous estans proposés purement simplement de plaire au Seigneur étre sauvés moyennant l'aide du Seigneur nous tenans fermes à la verité de Christ de son Espouse quelque petite qu'elle soit ce autant comme nôtre intelligence peut porter Causes pour lesquelles les Vaudois se sont separes de l'eglise Romaine Et pourtant nous avons deliberé de montrer quelles sont les causes de nôtre separation qu'elle est nôtre congregation afin que si le Seigneur donne la connoissance de cette méme verite ceux qui l'auront receuë l'aiment avec nous Et si d'adventure ils ne sont suffisamment illuminés ils recoivent secours per ce Ministere soient arroses par le Seigneur Que s'il en est plus abondamment donné à quelqu'un plus hautement nous desirons d'estre enseignés d'autant plus humblement apprendre mieux de luy pour estre corrigés de nos defaus Ce sont donc les choses qui suivent qui sont causes de nôtre separation Quil soit manifesté à un châcun en general en particulier 1. Pour maintenir la verite essentielle que la cause de nôtre Separation est telle assavoir pour la verité essentielle de la Foy pour l'interieure connoissance d'un vray Dieu unité d'essence en trois personnes laquelle connoissance la chair ni le sang ne donne point Qui consiste en la vraye connoissance service deu a Dieu seul Et pour le service convenable deu à un seul Dieu par dessus toutes choses pour la sanctification pour l'honneur qui lui est deu sur toutes choses par dessus tout nom pour l'Esperance vive par Christ en Dieu pour la regeneration renouvellement interieur par Foy par Esperance par Charité pour le merite de Jesus Christ avec toute suffisance de grace justice pour la participation ou communion avec tous les éleus pour la remission des pechés pour la sainte conversation pour le fidele accomplissement de tous Les Commandemens en la Foy de christ pour la vraye repentance pour la perseverance jusqu'à la fin pour la vie eternelle Et les verites ministerieles en quoy elles consistent Les verités ministeriales sont celle-cy la congregation exterieure des Ministres avec le peuple sujet en lieu en tems en la verité par le Ministere en la verité mentionée cy-dessus amenant établissant conversant les dits bons Ministres fidele frequente compagnie tendant à la Foy à l'integrité de vie en suivant les coûtumes l'obeissance s'addonnant courageusement à la pratique aux faits pratiquez par le Seigneur sur le troupeau Devoir des bons Pasteurs Les choses que les Ministres sont obligés de faire pour le service du peuple sont celles-cy La Parole Evangelique les Sacramens joints à la Parole léquels certifient quelle a esté l'intention l'intelligence confirment l'esperance en Christ aux fideles la communion ministeriale à toutes choses par la verité effentielle Et s'il y a quelques autres choses ministeriales elles peuvent estre toutes rapportées a ce que dessus Mais de ces singulieres verités les unes sont necessaires essentiellement au salut des hommes les autres conditionnellement elles sont contenuës aux XII articles de la Foy en plusieurs propos des Apôtres Car l'Anti-Christ a déja regné par le passé en l'Eglise par la permission Divine Sommaire des erreurs impuretes de l'Anti-Christ 1. Idolatries superstitions de plusieurs sortes Les erreurs impuretéz de l'Anti-Christ defendues par le Seigneur sont celles-cy assavoir diverse inombrable idolatrie contre le Commandement de Dieu de Christ service rendu à la creature non au Createur visible invisible corporelle ou spirituelle ayant intelligent ou sensible naturelle ou fabriquée par quelque ar●… sous le nom de Christ ou des Saints ou des Saintes des Reliques des authorités laquelle creature est servie par Foy par esperance par actions par oraisons par pelerinages par aûmônes par offrandes par sacrifices de grande dépense Laquelle creature ils servent