Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	abandon_v	church_n	truth_n	19	3	5.1014	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00901	The fall of Babylon in vsurping ecclesiastical power and offices And the miserable estate of them that pertake of her fornications.		1634 (1634)	STC 1101; ESTC S101521	80,856	100

into that her first errour yea though they should be at enmitie with her for her after errours or not know her there are none exempted that fall into the same errour only As many as have not this doctrine marke and so for the doctrine of the Nicolaitans of Babylon or any other therefore if a man forsake all Babylons errours save one if he hold but one of the first as this aboute Bishops which is the roote of all the rest he committeth adulterie with her in that he pertaketh of her sinnes and may receive of her plagues She hath many others It is true that all nations have drunk of them The reformed churches have therefore discovered and abandoned them Among which the church of England will not acknowledge that though she retaine diocessan Bishops theire courts power in imposing divers Romish customs canons and ceremonies that yet theese are any part of the Babylonian corruptions for which she is taxed in the holy Scriptures and at the last rewarded Some seeing Bishops beare such sway in the church of England do plainly affirme that they are of God and ordained in the new Testament knowing that otherwise so greate power and authority in the church cannot be lawfull Gal. 3.15 seeing the Apostle saith though it be a mans Testament yet if it be confirmed no man dissanulleth or addeth thereto much lesse to Gods Others there are that if you tell them it was an invention of the Romanists and other Clergie men after the death of the Apostles they so much reverence that church of Martyrs that they care not much whether it be of the Apostles or them which is a verie greate follie and vanitie seeing our Lord taxeth so many churches of those times with greate corruptions and it hath beene manifested that the church of Rome both in this case and many others did quickly grow worse then them all that many were the presumptions and burdens she laide on the church that the foundation of diocessan episcopacie was making the pastors of greate cities to be alwaies presidents of Sinods which so increased theire authority that in time the title of Bishops came to be restrained to them who beeing in such power were as readie to take it as others in flatterie to give it And why then should so much be ascribed to theire Synods seeing so many foolish and presumptious things were determined by them As abouts Temples Altars Masses vestments holy water orders Metropolitans all verie superstitious and so much for theire owne glorie that An ichrist rose out of them Our Lord saith he that speaketh of him selfe seeketh his owne glorie Ioh. 7.18 but he that seeketh his glorie that sent him by speaking his truth as in the two verses before the same is true and no vnrighteousnes is in him which argues Also chap. 8.38 that they who speake any thing besides his revealed will who speake any thing besides his truth or commaund what he hath not commaunded they are false and seeke theire owne glorie yea there is much vnrighteousnes in them they defile a church they speake that which they have seene with theire father and that therefore those prelates who ordained these things sought theire owne glorie defiled the church and were guided by other spirits then the Spirit of Christ who only taks of Christs and shewes vnto men Chap. 16.13.14 Which is also plaine by this that to theire owne glorie they are more observed then the commaundements of God as Lent and other things then devised So Telesphorus sought his owne glorie Platina in Telesphor when he ordained That in the night of Christs birth day three massos should be celebrated the first at midnight when Christ was borne in Bethelem the second at the breake of day when he was known to the Shepheards the third at the time of the day when he was nailed on the crosse for after that hower it was forbidden to celebrate it Because Paul saith As oft as ye eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew the Lords death therefore in the primative church they oft received the Sacrament commonly once every Lords day which was well But this was no warrant for them to devise to shew his death by a kinde of Sacrifice as Alexander first invented See Platiin Alex. and somtime twise or thrise in a morning in this superstitious manner which soone served hypocrits for a pretence of lesse preaching or hearinge the word growing ignorant and making the masse ordained in those times the chiefe part of their religion which must needes be much to theire glorie in an Antichristian sense that speaking of themselves devised it and were so followed in it Idem in Eleuther And so in ordaining diocessan Bishops Archbishops and Patriarchs after the example of the flamins Archflamins and Protoflamins as Platina and others shew Indeede all ordinances did greatly increase theire glorie were they never so foolish because they beeing in honour had st ll flatterers to defend them and perswade obedience to them Therefore reade Damasus Platina and others that write theire lives and you shall finde there was then scarse any B. of Rome that did not invent som ordināce least he should be thought an ill husband in increasing the glorie of his Sea Idem in Zepherin an 198. Idem in Calist and in Steph. 1 Zepherinus ordained that the cup in the Sacrament should be of glasse and no more of wood as it was before This was after altered and commaunded to be of gold silver or pewter Calistus ordained that there should be a fast thrise a yeare on the saturday for corne wine and oyle which after was changed to the fast at fower times Stephen 1. ordained that Priests should not weare holy garments but in the church and in celebrating holy rites least if they did otherwise they should fall into the sinne of Balthasar who touched the holy vessels with prophane hands In the times of the Apostles before presbyters wore such garments b●fore Surplesses coapes and such vestments were taken from the h●athen there was litle neede of such an ordinance Howsoever the Scriptures do so forbid prophane cariage at all times and in all Christians that this needed not to keepe priests from beeing drunke in theire Surplesses What should I speak of hallowing grapes on the Altar and such like foolish ordinances The verie shame of those ages and of them that so much reverence theire inventions and canons for theire Antiquitie But it is rather because Vrbanus made one which enricheth the Prelates because Dionisius limited the confines of divers diocesses and Cajus distinguished the orders because though in all these things they spake of them selves yet they were confirmed in the councell of Nice who indeede sought Christs glorie and spake out of his Testament in her creede But whether she spake of her selfe or of theese Bishops of Rome and theire inventions and customs in her other Canons aboute Bishops the Reader

offer to him that overcommeth and that questionles as well by war as spirituall weapons He that is called faithfull and true Chap. 19. doth in righteousnesse judge and make war against her that sitteth on many waters and so doe these that fight his battails To them that voyce crieth Reward her as she hath rewarded you and double vnto her double according vnto her works In the cup c. For she saith in her heart I sit as a Queene and am no widdow and shall see no sorrow Therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be vtterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord who judgeth her Notwithstanding that she seemeth daily to strengthen her selfe by plots devises and friends by Iesuiticall and Spanish practises yet fall she must Many thinke this cannot yet be because England doth not yet set against her as if God could not fulfill his worke without the ayde of lukewarme helpers Ioh. 18. and newters Christ saith Euerie one that is of the truth heareth my voyce Therefore if English Prelates and others that beare sway there doe not heare it in theese things they haue cause to doubt that they are not in all things of the truth nor quite come out of Babylon I wonder how they can evince vnto themselves that they are not of Babylon the greate nor pertake of her sinnes who haue no more zeale against her Marvaile not that they doe not desire to have swords drawen against her who scarce endure that the sword of the Spirit should be vnsheathed against Babylon much lesse against those tenets of theire owne which are Romish and Antichristian The ministers of the french and dutch churches though they be not wholly excercised in points controverted which were no wisdom seeing there are many other points of faith and salvation wherein the people are also to be built vp and fortified yet they scarce make a Sermon but in somthing or other they confute poperie and establish the people in the truth as God requireth If English Prelates have not made this course to be in a sort forbidden yet men say that by discountenancing of such preaching they have at least put it out of fashion as foolish and vnproffitable while in the meane they are contented and desirous that men should preach and contend for the authority of theire hierarchie traditions and ceremonies if not for Arminian tenets A thinge that pleaseth papists who looke for fruite of them knowing them to be popish yea many are so foolish as to love and praise this kinde of preaching and to loath the confutation of it as God complained of the Iewes Ier. 5.31 The prophets prophecie falsly and the Priests beare rule by theire meanes and my people love to have it soe and what will ye doe in the end thereof That is when destruction comes on you for it It is strange that men will not see that this theire preaching and contending for humane inventions and errours is to offer strange fire and the entrance way to all corruption as it was in the Church of Rome whose superstition errours crept in by degrees by degrees did eate out true Religion It will be saide it hath not yet donne so in England both the citie and countrie haue many zealous Christians yea many that are conformable I answer true yet they are verie few in respect of the rest and such as beare the Sway who count zeale against poperie puritanisme and are ready to say with them in the Gospell Ioh. 7.48 Act. 28.20 Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharises run this course but this people who knoweth not the Law are cursed Because they walke not after the high Priests the Bishops For as concerning this sect wee know it is every where spoken against And howsoever these called puritans whether they be conformable or peaceable reformists are such as will be religious whether the Bishops like it or noe as som Iewes would be Disciples for all the high Priests Elders and Pharises therefore this is no thanks to Bishops no fruite of theire government who like better of civill and ceremonious men such as pretend love of common prayer though they haue neither knowledge true loue of the word nor affection to defend religion against Papists and theire practises and like hypocrites doe but pretend a love to prayer For in those prayers they say that in knowledge of him standeth our eternall life Graunt vs in this world knowledge of thy truth And yet are enemies to this knowledge and the meanes of it preaching hearing conference and reading of some good bookes They pray for increase of grace to heare meekely his word receive it with pure affection and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit Yet theire life and actions shew that they are so far from loveing these things that they mock and persecute all those that doe as knaves and hypocrites Yet in some cases as God saith of such men Isa 58. they seeke me daily and delight to know my wayes as a nation that did righteousnes and forsooke not the ordinance of theire God they aske of me the ordinance of justice they take delight in approching to God They fast and like the Bishops looke God should regard them for it But though men be never so religious in observing some of Gods ordinances if they despise or neglect the rest or any of them Deut. 15.21 chap. 17.1 the Lord hateth that Religion as a lame sacrifice Theire hands were full of blood and in other things they had transgressed the Lawes changed the ordinance and broken the everlasting covenant Isa 1.11.12.13.14.15 therefore he saith to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me I am full of the burnt offerings Bring no more vaine oblations incense is abhomination vnto me New Moones Sabbaths and appointed feasts my soule hateth And when ye make many prayers J will not heare He counteth all this but complement all religion and would not heare them in these things though he had commanded them who would not heare him in others Like the Prelates who say well that in baptisme wee promise to forsake the world and all the pompe and vanitie thereof Yet can not be perswaded by Gods word to cast theire crownes theire offices and the pompe and vanitie of them at the feete of Christ though it be proved that they are not of God but of men of the world Romish and doe much mischiefe but insteade of confuting they persecute such as pleade Christs cause in proveing these things terryfying all men of that profession more then any other with theire power in the high commission as the Papists doe Protestants with the iniquisition striveing to make them hatefull to Princes and yet keepe theire proofes from theire eyes as if they were worse then the tenets of Papists and Arminians which are not so straitly prohibited nor so narrowly looked vnto B. London