Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A31512
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A vindication of the true Episcopal religion as it was planted and set forth by our Saviour Christ ... / by W.C., student in divinity.
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W. C., Student in divinity.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing C173A; ESTC R15221
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10,285
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16
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Emperour Universal Bishop And without doubt as St. Augustine saith Rome is that Temple of God where Antichrist and the Man of Sin should sit according to St. Paul so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God But you may say How doth he shew himself that he is God I aswer thus Here he sits in his great magnificent Throne in his rich Robes his Triple Crown on his Head and in his pretended Peters Chair where he shews himself that he is God in blessing whom he pleases but not without Money and cursing whom he pleaseth Here he makes his unlawful Decrees to be believed and honoured equal with the Scripture upon pain of his Curse if they do not Here they must kiss his Feet give him his Godhead Title Most Holy which is due to none but God Here he delivers Souls out of Purgatory makes Indulgences and Pardons for Sins past and to come Here they buy their Sins and the Man of Sin sells their Sins but non of these without great Sums of Money In all these things he shews that he is God because he can put whom he pleaseth into the State of Salvation and whom he will into the State of Damnation nation and for Money forgive them their Sins past and to come I have hear shewn you that that wicked man is revealed the man of Sin whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and with the brightness of his coming whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders For this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believe not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness Beloved Brethren I beseech you in the Lord Jesus Christ that you do not adhere to the Man of Sin nor believe his deceivable lying Doctrine that you have no part with those of whom St. Paul speaks who believe lies and believe not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness Again the Man of Sin stiles himself the Vicar of Christ and Head of the Church but follows not Christ neither by Example not Doctrine Christ was humble meek and lowly and taught us to pray for them that hate us The Man of Sin contrary to Christ's Doctrine curses them that hate him and many of them that love him if they displease him The Apostles told our Saviour he should command strange Fires to consume his Enemies he told them they knew not what Spirit they were of he came not to destroy Men but to save them The Man of Sin contrary to this Doctrine by his Persecution burns many of Christ's Servants by Fires as in the time of Queen Mary The Apostles asked Christ who should be greatest Christ told them That he that would be greatest should be as him that serves or Servant to all The Man of Sin maketh himself greatest and above his fellow-Bishops yea above all that is called God contrary to Christs Doctrine You see how he proves himself to be the Man of Sin St. Paul speaketh of to the Thessalonians by his Wicked Practise as in tolerating Perjury Rebellion Treason and Murder in this late Plot against our Sovereign Lord the King and his Loyal Subjects to destroy the Government head of Church and State Now the Lord bless our Sovereign Lord the King the Duke of York and all the Loyal Subjects of England The Lord keep us all from any adherence with the Man of Sin and that we believe not his deceivable lying Doctrine lest we should come into the state of the Damned which St. Paul speaketh on And Lord we thank thy gracious Majesty that thou hast delivered us out of the hands of the Man of Sin and of his Wicked Designs and from all the Plots our Enemies have had ever since we have been a Church O Lord I beseech thee to continue thy good hand of Providence over us thy unworthy Servants in preserving us from all dangers that may fall upon us by reason of our Sins O Lord give every one of us such a measure of Grace as thou shalt think fit that we may hate Sin and every false way which hinders thy Blessings from us The Lord grant that our Sovereign Lord the King and his Successor may take such care over this present Church that as God shall deliver the Enemies of this Church into his hand they may have Justice done according to the Will of God that so he may truly be called The Defender of the Faith in Heaven as well as on Earth And all this we beg for Jesus Christ's sake our Blessed Redeemer Presbyterian Government defective in breaking the Vnity of the Church of England FIrst they brake their Oath of Allegiance with their King then the Ministers broke their Oath of Canonical Obedience with their Bishop which are both Perjury Then they raised an Army against their King both in Scotland and in England which is Rebellion which is as the sin of Witchcraft then they Fought against the Kings Person which is Treason a crying sin then they turned out their Bishops out of their Spiritual Office and sold the Church Lands and took away the Discipline of the Church and Common Prayer which was composed by Martyrs and robbed Gods Church which is Sacrilege then they pursued the King with their Armies and took him and murdered him which is Treason in the highest degree And all this as they pretended was for a Reformation which in the end proved a Deformation of the Church of England Judge in your selves what Reformation could be when all their Actions determined in sins and of a deep Dye as Perjury and Rebellion Sacriledge Treason and Murder All which proceed from the Spiritual Man of sin the Devil who is the cause of all Sin and Division Hear what St. Paul saith Mark those that cause Division and avoid them for they serve not the Lord Jesus Who then must they serve but the Devil From the Presbyterians after they had broke the Unity of the Church of England I say from that evil Root sprung the Independant Anabaptist and the Quaker and all these are divided within themselves in Judgment of their Religion There is the Presbyterian against the Independant and Anababtist and the Anabaptist against the Independant and the Presbyterian and the Quaker against them all and all these against the true Episcopal Church as I told them upon a Dispute there was Ephraim against Manasse and Manasse against Ephraim and both against Juda. If they were Gods Disciples they would love one another but I fear they are not because they have not Charity one towards another St. John in Epistle 1. Chap. 2. ver 10. saith They went out from us because they were not of us for if they had bin of us they would no doubt have kept with us Now for all those crying Sins I have repeated I wish from my heart they are not guilty of them and what I have written is not out of any malice but as they were Brethren once to inform them of their Error and Sin wishing their Repentance might be their Punishment for I believe that many of them are civil honest-meaning Men but they erre not knowing the true meaning of the Scripture Now I beseech the Lord God of Peace and Love That he would give those Dissenters such a measure of Grace that they may see their Errors and repent and come into the true Episcopal Church they went out of which hath been proved a true Church by Fire and Sword as Gamaliel told the Jews That if the work were of God they could not overthrow it lest they were found fighters against God Therefore have a care that you speak no evil nor Fight no more against this Church lest you be found Fighters against God Now the Lord grant that these Dissenters may come into the true Church they went out of and conform to the Government of the Church which is allowed by God and the King and there they may exercise their Spiritual Parts God hath given them that they together with us may serve God with one Heart and with one Mind holding the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace and Love without which no Man shall see the Lord Which the Lord grant of his mercy through the Merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. FINIS