Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
earth_n church_n heaven_n power_n 8,990 5 5.1707 4 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A36016 The mystery of iniquity anatomized by William Dillingham. Dillingham, William, 1617?-1689. 1689 (1689) Wing D1483; ESTC R24295 19,111 24

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

drawing Disciples after them Acts 20.30 and so heading of Sects and Colonies or by usurping and lording it over God's heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 and not only over the Plebs Christiana but also over all those Orders and Powers which Christ had planted in his Church and raise themselves up to a Soveraignty over all others of their Brethren and become Universal Bishops of the whole Church of Christ on Earth and Oecumenical Rulers in matters relating to Christ and his Kingdom But the Devil might easily foresee that when he should start this game there were like to be many pretenders at least many who thinking themselves of equal Power and as capable as others of such a Prelation would be glad to have it if there must be one but all could not be gratified with one place so that there must needs be a Simultas of more Competitors This affectation of Empire should first lift up its Head in the Eastern Church but at length prevail in the West after it had been decried and severely censured there as Antichristian For so great an Authority to be lodged in one Person there was no pretext could be made so plausible as to hold Vicegerent under Christ Jesus of whom the whole Family of Heaven and Earth is named who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords to whom all Power was given by the Father in Heaven and Earth But that this new Spiritual Monarch might not seem to be the first in the Claim he was to pretend to be the Successor of St. Peter the Apostle for whose Investiture and Institution he was to combate the Gospel and to find it out there though neither Peter himself nor St. Paul have any thing like it in their Epistles and the Primitive Fathers and Councils were stiff against it especially the most ancient of them who by their Canons and Carriage and Writings seem not to have had any belief that any particular See on Earth was their sole Soveraign Lord and Emperor in Spiritualibus But to silence all such Gainsayers both ancient and modern in this and all other matters he should claim the Authority of infallible interpretation of Scriptures and Fathers whom having first garbled and cut out the Tongues of many of them that spake against him he should infallibly pronounce to be all for him Notwithstanding that the most considerable part of Christianity might judge and know the contrary But that this his Empire and Soveraign Dominion might not be thought the effect of Pride and Arrogance so contrary to the precept and example of Jesus Christ whose Vicar he should pretend to be and so expose him to the envy of others he should cloak it under the humble Title of Servus Servorum tho he should carry it liker Dominus Dominantium and in humility seal Annulo Piscatoris with the Ring and Seal of St. Peter the Fisher-Man Apostle who yet perhaps never had any such thing But be it as it will it is resolved that a Prince he shall be Rev. 13.1 11 12 14. but alas what 's a Prince in Cuerpo alone without welt or guard without a Court a Council and a Guard especially if he want both personal Wisdom Learning and Vertue to recommend him to his Subjects and protect him from Affront Envy and Contempt It was therefore thought fit in the next Consult That there should be a convenient number raised out of the Clergy to uphold the Mystery though of inferiour rank at first till the state should be formed and come into request by suitable Power and Riches and receive some considerable Address from the rest of the World. Hereby the Empire would rise by Degrees and at length be able to invite Politick Heads from Noble and Princely Families and entertain the Minds of such of the Clergy whose Advantages should tempt them to aspire to the supreme Dignity and for the present quiet their pretentions in hopes of obtaining when there should a favourable Conjuncture offer it self And 'i th mean while they would be true to the See which they might hope in time would be their own and enjoy all the most sublimated exercises of their Wits and Lusts and all this under the Mystery and pretence of administring the Spiritual Kingdom of Jesus Christ for the Salvation of Mens Souls and the Glory of God the Father And for this end the Revenues of the Church given and devoted by pious Christians to God for the Maintenance of his true Worship and Relief of his poor Children must be amassed upon these spiritual Courtiers to enable them to maintain a Port becoming the Children of Pride and provide Fuel for their burning Lusts while the Churches whose Titles they should wear would be pilled by them and the care of Souls neglected and Religion betrayed And because Bishopricks and Ecclesiastical Benefices would prove an insufficient Fund for their occasions therefore there were other Provisions to be made as we shall see hereafter But neither Court nor State can subsist in Prosperity and Reputation without Dependents Intelligence Forces and Means to support them All which might very easily be supplied by the means of Priests Missionaries and other Persons under the Mystery of Religion As for Dependents the getting into their Hands the Disposal of all Ecclesiastical Benefices and Church-Revenues would give them an Opportunity of boring through the Ears of many Millions and of making them their Vassals while so many whole Orders in their vast Number of Monasteries and all their Members Tenents and Retinue yea and Revenues also would upon occasion be at their Devotion and Command And for Intelligence there might be a select Number of Priests of choicest Abilities sent into the Courts of Princes who under pretence of being helpful to their Souls by preaching directing and confessing them should be able to discover their greatest Secrets and most private Counsels and be under an Oath to discover them unto the Governors of the State Ecclesiastick And others also in prodigious Numbers might be sent into all Nations who should be Eye-Witnesses of what is done by Men of all Conditions and have a Key into their Hearts and Consciences so that not so much as a Thought should stir but it should come to their Knowledg and be under their Management and Disposal And all under pretence of taking care of their Souls Others under pretence of voluntary Poverty should not only abuse the Charity of ignorant People but as they beg pry into their Families observe their private Behaviours Company and Acquaintance their Abilities and the several Degrees of their Devotion to Ecclesiastical Interest Besides these those of the mystical Council being pick'd out as Persons of Interest from several Nations and some out of Princely Families whose Secrets and Interests they are acquainted with or by their Friends and Acquaintance can easily come to the Knowledg of These I say can supply Intelligence how every Vein and Artery of any State and Kingdom and almost of every single Person in them