Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	earth_n	heaven_n	militant_a	4,766	5	11.7120	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51699	A cloud of witnesses, or, The sufferers mirrour made up of the swanlike-songs, and other choice passages of several martyrs and confessors to the sixteenth century, in their treatises, speeches, letters, prayers, &c. in their prisons, or exiles, at the bar, or stake, &c. / collected out of the ecclesiastical histories of Eusebius, Fox, Fuller, Petrie, Scotland, and Mr. Samuel Ward's Life of faith in death, &c. and alphabetically disposed by T.M., M.A.; Cloud of witnesses. Part 1	Mall, Thomas, b. 1629 or 30.; Flavel, John, 1630?-1691.	1665 (1665)	Wing M329; ESTC R21709	379,698	602

unto us and there is no perfect joy but in God In a fourth Letter to the same Lady Satan hath brought me out of the Kings Bench into the Bishop of London's Cole-house a dark and an ugly Prison as any is about London but my dark body of sin hath wel● deserved the same and the Lord hath now brought me into outward darkness that I might the more be enlightned by him who is most present with his Children in the midst of darkness where I cannot be suffered to have any candle-light neither ink nor Paper but by stealth Pray Dear Lady that my Faith faint not which at present I thank God is more lively with me then it hath been in times past I tast and feel the faithfulness of God in his promise who hath promised to be with his in their trouble and to deliver them I thank the Lord I am not alone but have six other faithfull Companions who in our darkness do cheerfully sing Hymns and Praises unto God for his great goodness We are so joyfull that I wish you part of my joy Let not my strait imprisonment any thing molest you for it hath added and daily doth unto my joy but rather be glad and thankfull unto God with me Cheerfull and holy Spirits under the Cross be acceptable Sacrifices in the sight of God In another Letter to the same Lady This is the day that the Lord hath made let us be glad and rejoyce in the same this is the way though it be narrow which is full of the peace of God and leadeth to eternal bliss O how my heart leapeth for joy that I am so near the apprehension thereof God forgive me mine unthankfulness and unworthiness of so great glory I have so much joy of the reward that is prepared for me most wretched sinner that though I be in place of darkness and mourning yet I cannot lament but both night and day am so joyfull as though I were under no cross at all yea in all the dayes of my life I was never so merry the Name of the Lord be praised therefore for ever and ever and he pardon mine unthankfulness Pray instantly that this joy be never taken from us for it passeth all the delights of this world it surmounteth all understanding I trust my Marriage-garment is ready In his Letter to a Friend in Prison that writ to him concerning Infant-baptisme The same night I received your Letter as I was musing on it I sell asleep and in the midst of my sweet rest I saw a great beautifull City all of the colour of Azure and White and four-square in a marvellous beautifull composition in the midst of the Sky The sight hereof so inwardly comforted me that I am not able to express the consolation I had yea the remembrance thereof causeth as yet my heart to leap for joy and as Charity is no Churl but would others to be partakers of his delight so methought I called to others and when we together had beheld the same by and by to my great grief it vanished This Dream I take to be of the working of Gods Spirit I interpret the City the Church and the appearance of it in the Sky the heavenly state thereof and that according to the Primitive Church which is now in Heaven men ought to measure and judge of the Church of Christ and on earth the marvellous Quadrature of the same the universal agreement in the same that all here in the Church Militant ought to consent to the Primitive Church throughout the four parts of the world the wonderfull joy I conceived the unspeakable joy which they have that be at Unity with Christs Primitive Church and my calling others to the fruition of this Vision my moving you and others to behold the Primitive Church in all your Opinions concerning Faith and to conform your self in all points to the same which is the Pillar of Truth Let the bitter Passion of Christ which he suffered for your sake and the horrible torments which the godly Martyrs of Christ have endured before us and also the inestimable reward of your life to come which is hidden yet a little while from you with Christ strengthen comfort and encourage you to the end of that glorious race which you are in Amen Pikes William Pikes some while before he was last taken he was in his Garden reading the Bible and about twelve a clock of the day his face being towards the South there fell down four drops of fresh blood upon his Book he not knowing from whence it came Calling his Wife to him he said What meaneth this will the Lord have four Sacrifices I see well enough the Lord will have blood His will be done and give me grace to abide the triall Wife let us pray the day draweth nigh Afterward he daily looked to be apprehended till the time came indeed Being at the point of death in Newgate so that no man looked he should live six hours he declared to them that stood by that he had been twice in persecution before and that now he desired the Lord if it were his will that he might glorifie his Name at the Stake Place Monsieur Pierre de la Place President of the Court of Requests in France when out of that entire love which his Wife bore him fell down at the feet of one of those bloody Instruments of that barbarous M●ssacre 1572. to intreat some favour for her Husband He rebuked her and told her That it is not the arm of flesh we must stoop unto but unto God onely Perceiving in his Sons Hat a White Cross which through infirmity he had placed there thinking thereby to save himself he sharply chid him and commanded him to pluck that mark of sedition thence telling him We must now submit to bear the true Cross of Christ. Pothnius Pothnius Bishop of Lions to the President asking him in the midst of his torments What that Christ was answered If thou wert worthy thou shouldst know Polycarp This famous Bishop of Smyrna St. Iohn's Disciple having been in Prayer three dayes before his apprehension in a Vision by night he saw the Bed set on fire under his head and suddenly to be consumed When he awoke he gave this exposition of the Vision to them that were present That in the fire he should lose his life for Christs Cause When the Pursuers were brought to the Inne where he was he might have escaped but would not saying The will of God be done As he was going to the place of Judgement there came a voice from Heaven heard by several of his Church saying Be of good cheer Polycarpus and play the man When the Proconsul bid him say Destroy these naughty men he looked up to Heaven saying Thou thou it is that wilt destroy these wicked naughty men The Proconsul bidding him defie Christ and he should be discharged he answered Fourscore and six years have I

said Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit In her troubles she writ the following Verse with a pin Non aliena putes homini quae obtingere possunt Sors hodierna mihi tunc erit illa tibi In English thus Think nothing strange which man cannot decline My Lot's to day to merren may le thine Deo juvante nil nocet livor malus Et non juvante nil juvat labor gravis Post tenebras spero lucem In English thus If God protect me malice cannot end me If not all I can do will not defend me After dark night I hope for light H. Haggar He was persecuted for saying A. 1520. that There shou●d be a battel of Priests and all the Priests should be slain and that the Priests should a while rule but they should all be destroyed for making of false gods That the men of the Church should be put down and the false gods that they m●ke and after that they should know more and then shou●d be a merry world Hale When Thomas Hale was taken by an Alderman of Bristow and another he said unto them You have sought my blood these two years and now much good do it you He was burned A. 1557. for saying The Sacrament of the Altar is an Idol Hall Nicholas Hall in his Answer to the first Article against him granted himself a Christian man and acknowledged the determinations of the holy Church i. e. of the Congregation or Body of Christ but denied to call the Catholick and Apostolick Church his Mother because he found not this Word Mother in the Scripture To the second he said That whereas before he held the Sacrament to be but onely a token or remembrance of Christ's death now he said that There is neither token nor remembrance becasue it is now misused and clean turned from Christs institution c. Hallewin Harman When Cornelius Hallewin of Antwerp had received a sharp Letter sent him from the Minister of the Flemish Church upon the occasion of a recantation spread and falsly fathered upon Cornelius the blood gushed out of his nose he spread abroad his arms and made pitiful out-cries What to deny the Truth said he God forbid O that the faithful should conceive so hardly of me Good God thou knowest I am innocent nor have I this way offended When he was condemned to die the Margrave offered him that he should die a more easie kind of death if he would give ear to the Priests which he had brought to him to Prison No Sir said he God forbid I should do such a thing Do ye with my body what ye will As they bound him and Harman of Amsterdam Harman willed the Margrave to take heed what he did for said he this will not go for payment in Gods sight in bereaving us thus of our Lives I wish you therefore to repent before it be too late You cannot long continue this tyrannous course for the Lord will shortly avenge it A Cross being offered them and a promise that they should be beheaded and not burnt if they would take it into their hands they said They would not give the least sign that might be of betraying the Truth and that it was all one to them what death they were put to so they died in and for the Lord. The punishment they said could last but for a while but the glory to come was eternal At the Stake Cornelius fell on his knees praying God to forgive his enemies who had sinned through ignorance When the Margrave of Antwerp offered Halle●i● and Harmar mitigation of torments upon abjuation We are resolved said they these momentary afflictions are not worthy that exceeding weight of glory that shall be revealed Hallingdale Articles against Iohn Hallingdale 3 That during the reign of King Edward he did depart from his former Faith and Religion and so doth continue and determineth so to do as he saith to his life's end 4 That he hath divers times said That the Faith Religion and Ecclesiastical Service received observed and used now in this Realm is not good but against Gods command c. And that he will not in any wise conform himself to the same ●ut speak and think against it during his natural life 5 That he absenteth himself continually from his Parish Church c. 6 That he will not have his Child by his will as he saith confirmed by the Bishop Unto all which Articles he made this answer that he confessed all and every part to be true He told B●nner that the blood of the Prophets and of the Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth was found in the Babylonical Church which is the Church where the Pope is head Because I will not come to your Babylonical Church therefore you go about to condemn me Being demanded whether he would recant he answered That he would continue and persist in his Opinions to the death When the Sentence was read He openly thanked God that he never came into the Church since the abomination came into it When William Hallywell and the twelve more that were burnt in one Fire at Stratford the how near London were condemned and carried down thither to be burnt they were divided into two parts in two several Chambers Thereupon the Sheriffe came to the one part and told them That the other had recanted and their lives therefore should be saved willing and exhorting them to do the like and not to cast away themselves unto whom they answered That their Faith was not built on man but on Christ crucified Then the Sheriffe went to the other part and said the like to them but they answered as their Brethren had done before That their Faith was not built on man but on Christ and his Word Hamelin Mr. Philibert Hamelin of Tournay refusing offers of escape out of Prison said I esteem it altogetder unleseeming for a man that is called to preach Gods Word unto others to run away and to break Prison for fear of danger but rather to maintain the Truth taught even in the midst of the flaming fire After Sentence of death was past upon him he eat his meat as joyfully as though he had been in no danger speaking to them of the happiness of eternal life evidencing that A good conscience is a continual feast When he was apprehended there was apprehended with him his Host whom he thought he had converted but afterward he renounced Christ and his Word Whereupon he said unto him O unha●py and more then miserable Is it possible for you to be so foolish as for the s●ving of a few dayes which you have ●o ●●ve by the course of nature so to start away and deny the Truth Know you therefore that although you have by your folishness avoided the corporal fire yet your life shall be never the longer for you shall die before me and God shall not give you the grace that it shall

to speak to them or receive any thing of them upon pain of imprisonment Notwithstanding the people cried out desiring God to strengthen them and they prayed for the people and the restoring of his Word At length Mr. Holland embracing the Stake and the Reeds said Lord I most humbly thank thy Majesty that thou hast called me from the stake of death unto the light of thy heavenly Word and now unto the fellowship of thy Saints that I may sing and say Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts Lord into thy hands I commit my spirit Lord bless these thy people and save them from idolatry Hooper Mr. Iohn Hooper in his exile writ a Declaration of Christ and his Office and a Declaration of the holy Commandmants of Almighty God c. In his Epistle before his Declaration of Christ and his Office to the Duke of Somerset Because the right of every just and lawful Heir is half lost and more when his Title and Claim is unknown I have written this little Book containing what Christ is and what his Office is that every godly man may put to his helping hand to restore him again to his Kingdome who hath sustained open and manifest wrong this many years as it appeareth by his evidence and writing the Gospel sealed with his precious blood In his Declaration ch 3. Jesus Christ in all things executed the true Office of a Bishop to whom it appertained to teach the people which was the chiefest part of the Bishops Office and most diligently and straitly commanded by God As all the Books of Moses and the Prophets teach and Christ commanded Peter Iohn 20. and Paul all the Bishops and Priests of his time Acts 20. Christ left nothing untaught but as a good Doctor manifested unto his Audience all things necessary for the health of man Iohn 4. He gave also his Apostles and Disciples after his resurrection commandment to preach and likewise what they should preach Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature teaching them to observe what I have commanded Matt. 28. As they did most sincerely and plainly without all glosses or additions of their own inventions and were as testimonies of the Truth and not the Authors thereof Alwayes in their Doctrine they taught the thing that Christ first taught and Gods holy Spirit inspired them Gal. 1. 2 Cor. 3. Holy Apostles never took upon them to be Christ's Vicar in the Earth nor to be his Lieutenant But said Let a men so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4.1 And in the same Epistle the Apostle Paul hiddeth the Corinthians to follow him in nothing but where he followed Christ chap. 11. They ministred not in the Church as though Christ was absent although his most glorious Body was departed into the Heavens above but as present that alwayes governeth his Church with his Spirit of Truth as he promised Matth. ult Behold I will be with you to the end of the world In the absence of his Body he hath commended the protection and governance of his Church to the Holy Ghost one and the same God with the Father and himself It was no little pain that Christ suffered in washing away the sins of this Church therefore he will not commit the defence thereof to man It is no less glory to defend and keep the thing won by force then it is by force to obtain the victory Therefore he keepeth the defence and governance of the Church onely and solely himself in whom the Devil hath not a jot of right Though the Apostles were instructed in all truth c. they were but Ministers Servants Testimonies and Preachers of this verity and not Christ's Vicars on Earth c. but onely appointed to approve the thing to be good that God's Law commanded and that to be ill which the Word of God condemned Seeing that Christ doth govern his Church alwayes by his holy Spirit and bindeth all the Ministers thereof unto the sole Word of God what abomination is this that one Bishop of Rome c. should claim to be Christ's Vicar on Earth and take upon him to make any Laws in the Church of God to bind the conscience beside the Word of God and by their Superstition and Idolatry put the Word of God out of his place All that are not blinded with the smoke of Rome know the Bishop of Rome to be the Beast Iohn describeth in the Apocalyps as well as the Logician knoweth that risibilitate distinguitur homo a caeteris animantibus Christs supremacy and continual presence in the Church admits no Lieutenant nor general Vicar Likewise it admitteth not the Decrees and Laws of men brought into the Church contrary unto the Word and Scripture of God which is onely sufficient to teach all verity and truth for the salvation of man ch 4. This Law teacheth man sufficiently as well what he is bound to do unto God as unto the Princes of the world Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2. Nothing necessary for man but in this Law it is prescribed Of what degree vocation or calling soever he be his duty is shewed unto him in the Scripture And in this it differeth from mans laws because it is absolutely perfect and never to be changed nothing to be added to it nor taken from it And the Church of Christ the more it was and is burdened with mans laws the farther it is from the true and sincere verity of Gods Word Though Basil Ambrose Epiphanius Augustine Bernard and others erred not in any principal Article of the Faith yet they did not inordinately and more then enough extol the Doctrine and Tradition of men and after the death of the Apostles every Doctors time was subject to such Ceremonies and manners that were neither profitable nor necessary Unto the writings of Scripture onely and not unto the writings of men God hath bound and obligated his Church In this passage I admonish the Christian Reader that I speak not of the Laws of Magistrates or Princes that daily order new Laws for the preservation of their Commonwealths as they see the necessity of their Realms or Cities require but of such Laws as men have ordained for the Church of Christ which should be now and for ever governed by the Word of God This Law must prevail We must obey God rather then man The example hereof we have in Daniel of the Three Children who chose rather to burn in the fiery Furnace then to worship the Image that Nebuchadnezzar had made So did the Apostles Acts 5. Cursed be those that make such Laws and cursed be those that with sophistry defend them ch 5. The Authority of Gods word requireth me to pronounce this true Judgement in the case of Images that be not worshipped in the Church that their presence in the Church is against Gods Word as well as to say Sancta Maria ora pro nobis The Old

every one of the Serpents seed are guilty of all the iniquity which the whole body committeth because they are altogether against Christ Jesus and his eternal Verity every one serving Satan the Prince of this world in their rank age degree and estate The Kings and Princes that by power oppress the people of God and will not suffer that they truly worship God as he hath commanded but will retain them in Egypt are brethren and companions to Pharaoh The Prelates and Priests with their Fathers the old Pharisees have taken away the key of Knowledge and have shut up the Kingdome of Heaven before men so that neither they themselves will enter nor suffer others to enter in As Satan by craft hath corrupted the most holy Ordinances of Gods Precepts of the first Table in the place of the spiritual honouring of God introducing mens dreams inventions and fancies so hath he abusing the weakness of man corrupted the Precepts of the second Table touching the honour that is due to Parents under whom are comprehended Princes and Teachers for now the Devil hath so blinded the senses of many that they cannot or at least will not learn what appertaineth to God and what to Caesar but because the Spirit of God hath said Honour the King therefore whatsoever they command be it right or wrong must be obeyed It is blasphemy to affirm That God hath commanded any creature to be obeyed against himself that for the command of any Prince be he never so potent men shall commit Idolatry embrace a Religion which God hath not approved by his Word or confirm by their silence wicked and blasphemous Laws made against the Honour of his Majesty and men that do so are Traitors to their Princes whom by flattery they confirm in their rebelling against God God cannot lie he cannot deny himself he hath witnessed from the beginning that no Religion pleaseth him except that which he by his own Word hath commanded and established The Verity it self pronounceth this Sentence In vain do ye worship me teaching for Doctrines the Precepts of men and also all plantation which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out Before the coming of his well-beloved Son in the flesh he secretly punished all such as durst enterprise to alter or change his Ceremonies or Statutes as in S●ul Uzziah Nadab A●ihu is to be read and will be now after that he hath opened his counsel to the world by his onely Son whom he commandeth to be heard and after that by holy Spirit speaking in his Apostles he hath established the Religion in which he would have his true worshippers to abide unto the end will he now I say admit mens inventions in the matter of Religion which he reputed for damnable Idolatry If men or Angels would affirm that he will or may do it his own Verity shall convince them of a lie for this Sentence he pronounceth Not that which seemeth good in thy eyes shalt thou do to the L●rd thy God but that which the Lord thy God hath commanded thee that do thou adde nothing unto it diminish nothing from it which sealing up his New Testament he repeateth in these words That which ye have ho●d till I come c. Whilst Mr. Knox was thus occupied in Scotland Letters came to him from the English Church assembled at Geneva which was separated from the superstitious and contentious company that was at Frankford commanding him in Gods Name as he that was their chosen Pastour to repair unto them for their comfort Great desires there were to stay him in Scotland but he would not be perswaded saying Once I must see that little Flock which the wickedness of men hath compelled me to leave adding That if God blessed those small beginnings and if that they continued in godliness whensoever they pleased to command him they should find him obedient Immediately after his leaving Scotland the Bishops summoned him and for non-appearance burnt him in Effigie at the Cross in Edinburg An. 1555. from the which unjust Sentence Mr. Knox made his Appellation and directed it to the Nobility and Commons of Scotland Printed at Geneva An. 1558. In his Appellation To the Nobility and States of Scotland It is not onely the love of this temporal life Right Honourable nor the fear of corporal death that moveth me to expose unto you the injuries done against me and to crave of you redress but it proceedeth partly from the reverence every man oweth to Gods eternal Truth and partly from a love which I bear to your Salvation It hath pleased the Lord of his infinite mercy not onely to illuminate the eyes of my mind c. but to make and appoint me a Witness Minister and Preacher of his Doctrine the sum whereof I communicated to my Brethren in Scotland because I knew my self to be a Steward and must give an account c. I did therefore as Gods Minister whilst with them God is record and witness truly and sincerely according to my gift divide the word of Salvation c. I affirmed so taught by my Master Christ Jesus That whosoever denieth him yea ●r is ashamed of him before this wicked generation him shall Christ deny and of him be ashamed c. And therefore I feared not to affirm that of necessity it is that such as hope for life everlasting avoid all Superstition vain Religion and Idolatry Vain I call whatsoever is done in Gods Service or Honour without the express command of his Word Nevertheless me as an Heretick and this Doctrine as Heretical have your false Bishops and ungodly Clergy condemned pronouncing against me a Sentence of death in testification whereof they have formed a Picture from which false and cruel Sentence c. I make it known to your Honours that I appeal to a lawful and general Council c. most humbly requiring of your Honours to receive me calling unto you as to the Powers of God ordained into your Protection against the rage of Tyrants not to maintain me in any iniquity errour or false opinion but to let me have such equity as God by his Word ancient Laws and determinations of godly Councils grant to men accused or infamed It is lawfull to Gods Prophets and Preachers of Christ to appeal from the sentence and judgement of the visible Church to the knowledge of the Civil Magistrate who by Gods Law is bound to hear their causes and to defend them from Tyranny as appears in Ieremiah's case c. He was condemned by the Priests and Prophets in Ierusalem c. who then onely in earth were known to be the Visible Church from which Sentence he appealed i. e. sought help of the Princes I am in your hands c. q. d. the Princes of Iudah and Rulers of the people to whom it belongs indifferently to judge between party and party to justifie the Just man and to condemn the