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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
country_n	church_n	city_n	congregation_n	1,463	5	9.9378	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08280	A mirror for the multitude, or Glasse Wherein maie be seene, the violence, the error, the weaknesse, and rash consent, of the multitude, and the daungerous resolution of such, as without regard of the truth, endeaour to sinne and ioyne themselues with the multitude: with a necessary conclusion, that it is not the name, or title of a protestant, christian, or catholicke, but the true imitation of Christ, that maketh a Christian. By I.N.	Norden, John, 1548-1625?	1586 (1586)	STC 18613; ESTC S120153	80,770	136

bent their bowes and made readie their quiuers ful of sharpe arrows although they haue whetted their swordes prepared powder peeces and shot let vs not I say be any whit at all dismayd at these their hautie attemptes For beholde God who is iealous of his owne cause will not suffer his honour to be throwen in the dust his Church to be ouerthrowen his trueth troden downe nor mans owne inuentions grounded vppon the weake foundation of good intent and not vppon the rocke the worde of God to goe awaye with the glorie For surely great is the truth and it shall preuaile let Herode rage let Iudas dissemble let Pilate Iudge let all the crue of Antichristian potentates conspire consulte condemne controule coniure afflicte persecute and seeke by all meanes to suppresse the trueth It shall in dispighte of them and all their forces breake foorth appeare and shew it selfe most triumphantly to the vnspeakeable comforte of the little flocke of Christ and to as great terror of these men mightie multitudes as the renting of the temple shaking of the earth and the other strange euentes at the crucifying of Christ were vnto that huge multitude of the aduersaries of the truth in those dayes yea farre greater forasmuch as it is nowe plentifullie preached manifest and auncient then newe and straunge and not reuealed to all Wee are nowe voyde of all excuse and although Christe himselfe prayed his Father not to laye the cryme of his death vppon them or to their charge in respect of their ignorance it shalbe farre otherwise with those that in these daies so obstinately seeke to crucifie him againe But to imagine or thinke that eyther the trueth is tyed to the multitude or to bee ouercome by the wisedome the pollicie the force or multitude of men or that the rage of Tyrauntes can extinguishe that ardent and godlie zeale that by the instinction of the holie Ghost is imprinted in the heartes and consciences of the faithfull members of the assured heade and vnmooueable rocke Christe Iesus were meere incredulitie nay a meere denyall of Christe and of his power and vertue Wherefore be it farre from vs to yeelde anie prerogatiue at all vnto the multitude further then may stande with the woorde of God And for our instruction and farther comfortes sake let vs with pure heartes and innocent intentes looke backe consider what our good God hath doone for our Fathers of olde that did professe his name aright whereby wee shall haue due proofe that it is not the multitude that imbrace his trueth nor that can resist suppresse or preuayle against the same although from the beginning the church of God hath bin farre the least part of the worlde the least part of euerie countrey and kingdome the least part of euerie Citie yea the least part of euerie congregation Yet such hath beene the care and louing affection of God towardes his fewe and small number that he hath not suffered them at anie time to take the foyle at the handes of his aduersaries beeing neuer so manie and mightie But doubtles this their argument of the force and soundnesse of the multitude doth not a little harme with the weaker sort of people whose heartes are not grounded vppon the sure foundation of Gods mightie protection And by reason thereof is the verie sounde of the multitude terrible only for that they knowe not nor consider the mightie workes of the Lord whose hand bringeth mightie thinges to passe they are ignorant of the truth and therefore can not conceyue the goodnesse of the Lord but desperately break out into this dangerous resolutiō namely to take part with the multitude be it with or against the truth They consider not how that god hath said that he hath chosen the weake thinges of the earth to confound the mightie the foolish such as in the world are accounted foolish to confound the wise in their own conceits the vile and base ones and such as are not regarded but despised in the world he hath raised vp and appointed to bring those things to nought which in the iudgment of man are of great estimation and account and the cause is that none should too much glorie in his owne strength wisdome or power No flesh should glorie in the presence of God Is not this sufficient to mooue the heartes of all those that couet to be accounted Christians to stande in the truth although they be therefore despised in the worlde threatned of the worlde and are as strangers and outcastes to the world rather then to accompanie the multitude and become glorious in the world and hated of god strong in the worlde and weake in the truth familier with the world at discord with Christ conuersant in the worlde and straungers in the Church of God Seeing that it is not the number of the persones the power or glorious showe of the persons but the inwarde godlye zeale of the heart the vnfeyned affection of the heart which bringeth foorth perseueraunce in the truth vnto the ende whome God regardeth to whom he giueth aide to stand and victorie wherein truely to boast and say the mightie hande of the Lorde hath done this thing and in so doing he will not suffer his little contemned children to be confounded of the high and hautie minded multitudes but will confound them in their own imaginations And therfore saith he feare not my little flocke be not discōforted or discouraged I wil fight for you wil scatter your enemies before your faces I wil throwe downe and confounde these wicked people that delight and long for warre that thirst after bloud and hunger after the destructiō of the Saints of God But we see that our heauenly father comforteth vs he louingly willeth vs counsaileth vs gladly to leaue the bondage of Aegypt speedely to flye from the filthines of Sodome and with Noah to enter into the arke of our safety euen to the amiable courtes of the Lord to hold our selues by the piller of the trueth euen the Gospell of his Christ and to visit his temple So will he be our God and we shall be his children he will be our father and we shall be his sonnes and daughters whome hee will mightelye protect and defende from the force and erronious course of the multitude And whatsoeuer Sathan Antichrist and their adherets doe deuise or imagine against vs howsoeuer they seeme to feare vs and dismay vs with their multitudes let vs be patient wayting the Lordes leasure for our deliuery Let vs be both carefull and constant in our callinges and euery one from the highst to the lowest the heade and members euery one according to his office and function frame our selues diligentlye to haue cleare heartes and readye handes in the feare and due reuerence of him that hath promised vs ayde to stand not only vpon our own garde but as one body compact of many members stand

If the Lorde had not beene on our side when men rose vp against vs they had swallowed vs vp quicke and yet is the snare broken and we deliuered immortall prayses be vnto his blessed name therefore The trumpet hath giuen our enemies the enemies of gods truth an vncertaine sounde they were readie to battaile but God be thanked they are returned to their own shame And notwithstanding as these late conspirators haue cōfessed the King of Spaine hath vowed the consummation of halfe his kingdome but he will winne little Englande to subiection vnto the vsurped authoritie of the whore of Babylon who doubteth but he may spende all spoile his owne soule vnlesse he conuert and yet he that hath hitherto garded vs is for euer sure And as he frō high beholdeth the litle yea the least worm in the earth so doubtlesse he winketh not at the vaine vauntes of this mightie king his wilful permittance of his most wicked inquisition whereby many godly mēbers of Christ are cruelly martyred to fulfill the most damnable wil of that man of Rome the red deuouring dragon But before the blind bloudy expectatiō of this rash conceited king be fulfilled no doubt but our gratious Soueraigne shal at the pleasure of our good God liue to heare of his vl●imum vale or certaine cōuersion in washing himselfe in the bloud of the lambe the merites of Christ from the pitch of the poyson of Romish affection wherewith he is nowe so defiled that the sauour thereof hath infected many and martired not a fewe How many haue there bin martyred in Spaine massacred in Fraunce spoyled in Portingall slaine in Flaunders endangered in England and many other countries kingdoms as in Naples Italy Florence Ferrar● Mantua Myllayne Germany Denmarke and many other where the poyson of tyranny hath beene sprinckled abroade to please the Popes high holines to feede his hellish humour to fil his belly with the bloud of the Saints of God that in these places haue like cōstant christians denied his vsurped more thē blasphemous authoritie Meruelous is the mirror of our time specially the volume of Martyrs who haue suffered for the testimony of the truth of the Gospell wherein may be seene that it is no newe thing that these men so egerly thirst for the bloud of the godly in euery kingdom country prouince Citie and congregation not only from the killing of godly Abell to the beheading of Iohn Baptist but during the raignes of all the tyrannous Emperors of Rome and since continued by succession all the time of all the blouddy ministers of the red Dragon the Popes of Rome who seeke by all meanes to deuour the childe the Gospell of Christ wherewith the true Catholique church trauaileth as a woman to be deliuered namelie to haue it spread through al the world which the Pope the man of sinne the father of deceipt and dispensor of murther seeketh euen now to stop and preuent least the general true knowledge therof should so manifest his wickednes blasphemy and rebellion against Christ that the worlde seeing his falshood should fall from him and be saued And that good Reader is the cause that he is now so busie seeketh by all meanes he can to bring that to passe which God for his mercies sake neuer permit But thus euerye good Christian must resolue himself that during the time of our pilgrimage here in this life these wicked ministers of bloudy Antichrist shall not cease to persecute him by all means seeke to suppresse the true seruants extinguish the true seruice of the liuing god for that therin standeth the saluation of euery faithfull in Christ. And therefore whatsoeuer stormes tempestes tumultes vprores conspiracies rebellions and such like buffits of Sathan rumble about our eares we may not start backe frō our profession we may not be faint hearted to fall from our faith to feyned holinesse notwithstanding threates of inuasions sacking of our Cities cutting of our throts and murthering of our bodyes For beholde although it shoulde please our heauenly father to giue vs ouer vnto the hands of his and our enemies and they to take their willes against vs they haue power but only ouer our bodyes and not ouer our soules which shall rest in the bosome namelye in the safe custodie of our Sauiour Iesus Christ vnder the alter indewed with the longe white Robe● of innocencie washed in the bloude of the immaculate Lambe Whereas if wee for feare of the losse of our goods fauour of our f●●endes or liues ioyne with these men to be pe●take●s of their bloudie practises against the godly then shall we be likewise of the number of those against whome they that nowe he vnder the Alte● Christ crye for vengeaunce for the tyrannie done against the iust that waded thorough the pikes of persecutions Wee must therefore beware of giuing anye consent vnto their practises and rather yeeld our owne neckes vnto the yoke of their tyrannies th● when the number of Gods elect is fulfilled and the Lo●de appearing in glorie we also with him may be pe●taker of the same glorie when wee shall no more hunger nor thirst but be in the continuall presence of the throne of our Sauiour Christe and serue in his temple day and night that he that sitteth in the throne may dwell amongest vs and wee with him for euermore so that for the ioy of his presence we shall no more mourne nor weepe but all teares beeing wyped from our faces wee shall continue in singing the ioyfull song of prayse vnto his name that sitteth in the throne for his most louing protecting vs in our corporall life in such constant perseuerance in his truth among the bitter persecutions of the wicked that then shall haue their portions in vtter darkenesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth that in his merites are thought woorthy of that blessed life whereunto he that will attaine must willingly accept of such crosse as his master by his diuine prouidence thinketh meete and expedient to be layde vppon him which in what maner ●oeuer ●t pleaseth him to deale with vs vouchsase thy zealous prayer that all true Christians may patiently suffer And to conclude why shoulde wee feare the force the threates and great bragges of these men seeing we haue the Lorde himselfe to be our King Let the multitude of Pharaohs hoast and the mightie companie of Senacherybes Armye fiet as they will let them champe and chafe like wildes boares yea although the whole earth shake and all the foundations thereof tremble quake as of late it hath done let vs not be dismayde but goe on in loue to feare and in faith to loue him that hath promised to be with vs euen he that dwelleth in the Cherubyns who hath sufficiently declared his power in Sion wherunto all these proud boasting murtherous and bloudthirstie men nill they will they shal be

the foundation of their deuises to come from the wel-spring of wickednes frō him that can dispence and giue tolleration for murthers and al wickednes els whatsoeuer and say further that the wise the learned the mightye and the multitude agree and giue not onelye their consents but their helping hands with money and force to further their enterprises And therefore is their madnes in taking such actions in hande so muche the more to bee tollerated and borne withall naye to be fauoured and accepted Alas poore weake defence a slender excuse were there not two hundred and fiftye Captaines famous men ioyned themselues to Korah Dathan Abiram whose generall consent was neither a sufficient excuse neither a proofe that their rising and rebellion was lawfull But Moses told Korah another tale for sayd he thou and all thy companye are gathered together against the Lorde This agreeth with the word of God to Paule when he went to persecute the christians namely that he persecuted God himselfe And thus we see that although these men arme them-selues with the glorious title of the Catholik church their deuises manifest and plainly betoken that their harts are set against the church against Christ christians And therefore although they outwardly pretend great showes of holines deuout workes of charitie therby win vnto themselues credit in the world glory of their long continuance though their cunning collusions haue caught as in a snare with their inchantments bewitched the greatest part of the world brag of their vnion of their mutuall consent of their mighty adherentes great multitudes that ioyne with them yet seeing they haue forsaken the faith seeing they deny the truth fight against it seeing they seek to resist the passage of the gospel with out which there can appeare nothinge but the shadowes of good thinges seeing they set not forth but vtterly depraue the glory of God and the merits of his Christ. Seeing they goe about and endeuour as we see not onely to resist but to betray and ouerthrow Moses and Aaron We may say truly auere yea cōstātly affirme that they haue a golden vizarde vpon their leaden faces they haue the names but not the effect or fruites of Catholiques They call themselues the Church and are not of the Church Christ commandeth that the light of euerye good christian should so shine before men that they might see the fruites of the true light And is not murther of Princes Sacking of Cities Ouerthrowing of commonweales Nay of their own natiue countryes the fruits of their light Are not these the fruits and works of darknes which bewray their consciences to haue no true light Is this course which now they begun to take they way to make themselues cleane to take away the euill of their works from before the eies of the Lorde Is this course that they take the meane to become holye as our heauenlye father is holy No no but they eat the bread of malice deceipt of liyng slaughter which in their mouths seemeth sweet but the operation therof shall fill euen their bowels with deadly grauell But all ye that are infected polluted with this poyson of their practises callinto your minds for the loue of God the daunger of your estates here in earth where the law throgh the iust iudgement of God condemneth you the diuell deceaueth you and the merciful God leaueth and forsaketh you who al thogh he wil that al mē shalbe saued come to knowledge of the truth he detesteth abhorreth he cannot abide wilful contēners therof Receaue therefore with meeknesse the word of the Lorde which is able to saue your soules For beholde by it we heare the most comfortable promises of our mercifull God by it we may learne the way to his truth and to auoyde the pollicies practised against the same Let vs therfore yeeld with reuerence our eares to heare it our tonges with diligence to read declare it our hearts with ioy vnderstanding to cōsider it And thē may we rightly apply this saying vnto our selues Come vnto me all ye that trauaile and are heauie laden and I shal refresh you Loe deare Christian brethren what greater cōfort can we haue then this If any be burdened in conscience that he hath addicted himself too much to the crooked and by wayes of mans inuentions forsaking the direct rule of the sacred worde and endeuoureth duly to reforme himselfe and to bee clensed then I say here is water offered here is the liquor of life extended in the bason of Gods booke to refresh vs withall Let vs ioyfully receiue it and turne vnto God and verily we shall be saued We haue sufficient warning to flie the company of the enemies of God and Christ and to haue no fellowshippe with their vnfruitefull workes of darkenes let vs I say learne of Peter to saue ourselues from this froward generation so shall we eate the good thinges of the lande namely we shall enioye the thinges necessary for our pilgrimage heere and aboue all shall be fed with the breade tending to the feeding of our soules to life But if we refuse and become rebellious we shall be deuoured with the swoord for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Wherfore I saye let vs girde vp the loynes of our mindes and refer ourselues faithfully vnto our Lord God being sober trusting faithfully perfectlye on the grace that is brought vnto vs by the reuelation of Iesus Christ And let vs shew ourselues obedient not to fashion our selues to the course of our fathers who were led in ignorance neither according to the course of this world which with greedines followeth and imitateth the red Dragon who seketh to deuour the gospell of our Lord and sauiour and with tiranny to persecute euen to the death all the professors thereof But the trueth is great and it shall preuaile Yet haue these men that pretende these mischifes which haue beene so graciouslye by the almighty God reuealed had their onely confidence in the strength of the multitude of their confederates in respect of the great number of them and the little number and small company of the true and constant christians they cry out and saye they haue the truth with them for that so manye and so learned men as holde with them cannot be deceiued neither can so many and so mighty as take part with thē be conquered or resisted These are arguments which they ground vpon naturall reason and therfore doth the worde of God vtterly confound them as by the testimonie of the worde and truth of God shall appeare CHAP. 2. A most comfortable discouery by examples out of the holy Scriptures applyed to our time how daungerous a thing it is to measure our profession according to the mindes of the multitude and how vaine a thing it is to ioyne ourselues