Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	church_n	faith_n	pillar_n	2,322	5	10.2633	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37498	The tryal of spirits both in teachers & hearers wherein is held forth the clear discovery and certain downfal of the carnal and antichristian clergie of these nations / testified from the Word of God to the university-congregation in Cambridge by William Dell ; whereunto is added A plain and necessary confutation of divers gross errors delivered by Mr. Sydrach Simpson in a sermon preached to the same congregation at the commencement, Anno 1653 ; wherein (among other things) is declared, that the vniversities (according to their present statutes and practices) are not (as he affirmed) answerable to the schools of the prophets in the time of the law, but rather to the idolatrous high places ...	Dell, William, d. 1664.; Simpson, Sidrach, 1600?-1655. A plain and necessary confutation of divers gross and antichristian errors.	1660 (1660)	Wing D933; ESTC R219079	121,760	168

out our Name as evil and to cast our Persons out of their Synagogues yea and also to kill us when they can get Power so if we be true Teachers must we be ready and willing to suffer all this for Christs Name sake Wherefore those Teachers who imbrace the heighth and Honour of this Life and will not own the Gospel of Christ farther than they may thereby procure to themselves credit reputation profit and preferment in the World and to this end in doubtful and difficult times carry themselves so subtilly that what ever Party shall prevail they may still stand on their leggs and injoy their present Prosperity and Preferment and so are neither hot nor cold neither truly for the Truth nor openly against the Truth but seek by all subtil means to decline the Cross of Christ. And though in Christ himself they praise his meanness plainness simplicity suffering and cross yet They themselves are delicate and cannot indure these things for Christs sake in Themselves but bend and frame the whole course of their Ministry so as they may obtain all Good things from the World and avoid and escape all Evil things from it these all are false Prophets and Ministers of Antichrist By these nine Signs for I shall name no more now may the true Prophets and Ministers of Christ be manifestly distinguished and discerned from the false ones of Antichrist by all the true people of God who have received his Spirit Now let God and his Word be true and every Man a Lyar. And now I shall make but two Uses of this Discourse briefly and so conclude for this time And the first shall be to Those of You who are spiritual Christians and the second to the carnal Clergy First You who are true believers and spiritual Christians may judge aright by what you have heard of the present Clergy or Common Ministry of the Nation and may see by the clear light of the Word that they for the Generality of them are not true but false Prophets not the Ministers of Christ but of Antichrist not sent of God nor annointed by his Spirit but ordained and appointed by Men at their own desire and seeking for Worldly Advantage sake men who stand and minister in the Church only in the strength of their Academical Degrees and Ecclesiastical Ordination but do not stand and feed the people In the strength of the Lord and in the Majesty of the Name of their God And this corrupt Ministry or carnal Clergy have deceived the People and Nations with a corrupt and carnal Understanding of Christ and of the Scriptures and of the Kingdom of Christ and of the Government of his Kingdom and of all the things of Christ Yea they have under the Name and pretence of Christ set up a Church to Antichrist every-where and do continually mislead thousands of poor souls and carry them captive to Hell and that under the colour and pretence of Religion And this I say is the great evil in these false Teachers that under the Name of Christ they fight against Christ and under the Name of the Word they fight against the Word and under the Name of the Church they fight against the Church And this is a grievous Abomination of Desolation in the Temple of God that they who should be the chief for the Truth are the chief against it and that they who should be faithfull Witnesses to the holy Truth of Christ should prove lying Witnesses against it If a prophane person or Heathen should do this it would be Wickedness and Impiety even in them but this is horrible Abomination and Antichristianism in the Church of Christ that They who are come into it as friends and have obtained the chief Places in it should yet under this vizard be indeed very Enemies and Seducers and Hinderers of the Word of Christ crucified Wherefore saith the Truth against such Psal. 55. 12. It was not an enemy that reproached me then I could have born it neither was it he that hated me that magnified himself against me for then I would have hid my self from him but it was Thou a man mine equal my guide and my acquaintance we took sweet counsel together and walked unto the house of God in company c. And so these false Teachers are these familiar Enemies who exercise all their hatred under the pretence of love all their enmity under pretence of friendship and practise all their wickedness under a form of godliness and by this subtilty have they deceived the World They will not plainly contradict the words of the Prophets Apostles and Christ in the Letter of it but will praise it and speak well of it but yet they are utter Enemies to the true and spiritual Meaning of it both in their Lives and Doctrine and the more these men make a shew of Religion and Holiness the greater Antichrists they be in the Church Wherefore to You who are true Christians and have received an Annointing from God this is the Word and charge of God Come out from among Them my People and touch not the Unclean Thing that is their carnal Doctrine have nothing to do with such Prophets and Ministers but remember what Christ saith John 10. that His Sheep hear his voyce and will not hear the voice of Strangers for they know the voice of Strangers And if any of you live in any Town or Parish where such false Prophets are though they go under the Name of Godly and Orthodox yet touch not the Unclean Thing but know that it is better for you Believers to assemble together among Your selves though you be but few than to communicate with the false Prophets in their false Ordinances seeing Christ hath promised his Presence to his Believers even where but two or three meet together in his Name yea hath said If any Two of you shall agree together to ask any thing on earth it shall be done of my Father which is in heaven And if you having these Promises shall meet together among your selves in the Name and Spirit of Christ in the use of the Word and Prayer of faith lo Christ himself will be with You and though you be but few yet are you the Church of the living God the Pillar and Ground of Truth and of that very Church against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail And thus much to you spiritual Christians 2. And now for the carnal Clergy or false Prophets their burden is this from the Lord. You have run when You were not sent You have said thus saith the Lord when the Lord hath not spoken by You You have grieved the hearts of the faithfull and strengthened the hands of the Wicked You have been forward to advance the Form of Godliness whilest you have been bitter enemies to the Power of it You have deceived the Nations and made them drunk with the cup of the Wine of your fornications you have done

the Cross which the Word of God in the Spiritual Sense of it would certainly expose them to But now these Worldly Teachers as they love the World so they cannot endure the Cross that is reproach poverty shame sufferings and death for the true Word Wherefore they Preach the Gospel in such a sense as shall please the World but never offend them as shall make the World their Friends but never their Enemies for they cannot endure to think of much less to suffer the utmost Hatred and Persecution of the World for Christs Names sake Wherefore I say again though in Christ they will praise his reproach his shame his poverty his tribulation his death and crucifying yet they cannot endure these things in Themselves for his Truths sake but are most careful and studious to preach the Word of God in such a Worldly Sence as shall never provoke the World against them to do them the least harm but shall rather incline them to confer upon them according to thir own phrase all Countenance and Maintenance And thus the worldly Teachers speak of the World in this sense also But Christ and his Seed who are of God they speak not of the World but of God that is they speak the Word of God according to God never regarding whether the World be pleased or displeased therewith Yea they speak Gods Word according to Gods Mind though they certainly know that it will procure them all sorts of reproaches and tribulations and all manner of evil to be spoken and done against them in as much as they love God and his Word more than Themselves and this World and so they are so far from declining the Cross of Christ which the right Confession of the Word will bring upon them that they account it their greatest Glorifying to have fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings and to be made conformable to him in his Death all which things He endured because he spake Gods Word according to Gods mind and contrary to the mind of the World and Worldly Church And thus we see by Johns Doctrine who spake by the Spirit Who they are with whom Antichrist and his false Prophets prevail to wit the World and worldly People as also the Grounds why they prevail with them namely because They are of the World and speak of the World And now for the Use. The World hears these Teachers who are and speak of the World And hence first we learn That Antichrist and his Prophets the Worldly Teachers come with such Deceivableness of Unrighteousness that no Natural or Worldly men whatever of whatever Parts Learning Knowledge Righteousness can possibly discern Them If men are but Natural men though never so accomplished Antichrist deceives them all and makes them his Disciples For Antichrist comes so subtilly and in such glorious appearances of Holiness and Religion that none can know Him and his Wayes except they be singularly taught of God according to that of Christ to his Disciples To You it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God to them it is not given And to whom it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Christ to Them also it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Antichrist and none can truly know either the One or the Other without a special Gift from God Whence it is most evident That Men are not able to understand Antichrist and his Kingdom and Things as they are men learned in Philosophy and in the Knowledge of the Tongues or as they are men of such and such Degrees and Titles in the University or of such and such Ecclesiastical Orders in the Church I say Men by all such abilities and accomplishments as they speak are not able to discern Antichrist but rather are the more ready to be overcome by Him seeing by all these Humane and Ecclesiastical Things Antichrist can lay the faster hold on them and make them the more his own And Antichrist must needs be unknown to such men in as much as Christ Himself as he is held forth in the Word and whatever he is and doth both in Himself and Members is wholly unknown to them yea is so strangely unknown that by a prodigious mistake they do judge Christ and his Members and their Doctrine to be Antichrist and his Members and their Doctrine And on the contrary they do judge Antichrist and his Members and their Doctrine they do account and esteem of as of Christ Himself and his Members and their Doctrine And thus is the Multitude of carnal Christians which are even the whole World almost through the effectual Operation of Satan brought to think and believe assuredly that the Prophets of Antichrist who handle the Scriptures carnally and after the mind of Man do verily teach the very Doctrine and Truth of God and of this they are so confident that they would have the Worldly Powers and Magistrates to force all Men to believe as They say and to practise as They command Yea these Worldly Men with all their Worldly Accomplishments are so deluded by Antichrist that whilst they oppose and persecute the faithfull People of God or rather Christ Himself and his Word Works Truth and Righteousness in them they verily think they oppose and persecute Antichrist Himself and the falseness of his Members And as the Scribes and Pharisees the chief Teachers of the Jewish Church being Deceivers Themselves did yet call Christ a Deceiver and in killing and crucifying Him thought they did God good service so the carnal Clergy and the Head of them being Antichrists Themselves do yet tell of and terrifie People with another Antichrist And being Seducers Themselves do yet rise up against the very Members of Christ as Seducers that thereby they may boast themselves to be Righteous So throughly and perfectly hath Antichrist deluded and inchanted them through the cup of the Wine of his Fornications Thus the whole World is overcome by Antichrist and cannot by all their Highest Attainments discern Him from Christ only they who are born of God and are his true Children and being plain simple meek and lowly in Spirit are taught of God These only know Antichrist and overcome Him but these are the little flock Secondly In that the World Hears the Ministers of Antichrist We are given to understand That men that are of a Worldly Spirit and through that are addicted to the World and so seek and follow after the Profits Pleasures and Honours of this life they cannot possibly understand the Impostures and Deceits of Antichrist and his Teachers but They all are seduced and overcome by them Whoever therefore do profess or pretend to Religion and Godliness and nevertheless live in the Spirit of this World and are swallowed up with the Cares and Comforts of this World all such Christians are a fit Prey for Antichrist Seeing 1. Such carnal Christians are so addicted to Worldly Occasions that they cannot attend

The true Prophets endure reproaches persecutions with meekness The false are angry against the reproofs of the Word 7. The true Prophets force no body to hear them against their wills The false force men by the power of the Magistrate 8. The true Prophets are content that others should teach as well as they The false would have none to teach but themselves and their own Tribe lest their gain should be prejudiced 9. The true Prophets are willing to suffer for the Truth they teach The false teach to avoid suffering Two uses 1. use To spiritual Christians ☜ 2. Use. To the carnal Clergy The fourth General Point To wit With whom Antichrist cannot prevail 1. The Victory which the faithful do obtain over Antichrist his Prophets Uses 1. Christ hath alwayes kept his own Antichrist hath never prevailed against one of the Elect. The care of the true Church committed only unto Christ. 2. Use. Antichrist hath no cause to boast nor the true Church to be discouraged for any that are lost 2 The grounds of their Victory 1. Because they are of God As Children of their Father And s● partake 〈◊〉 his ve●●● Nature 2. Ground of the Victory of the faithful to wit Because greater is he that is in them than he that is in the World 1. Use. Antichrist prevails against Forms but not against God in the flesh 2. Use. Not easie to overcome Antichrist seeing he is the Temple of the Devil 3. Use. Not to be dismayed at the fulness of Antichrist seeing the fulness of Christ is greater The fifth General Point To wit With whom Antichrist doth prevail The World hears them Who are the World Grounds 1. Because they are of the world Use. Universities cannot be the fountain of the true Ministery ☞ 2. Because they speak of the World Their speaking of the World may be understood in a threefold sense 1. They speak the Spiritual Word of God in a carnal sense 2. They speak the Spiritual Word of God to a carnal end 3. They turn the Word of God into worldly Doctrine to avoid the Cross. 1. Use. All natural men deceived by Antichrist whatever their accomplishments may be ☜ Antichrist is unknown to them seeing Christ is unknown to them 2. Use. Men of a 〈◊〉 worldly Spirit cannot understand the Deceits of Antichrist ☜ 3. Use. The carnal Clergy have a numerous Auditory The Hearers of Antichrists Prophets How the Spirit of Truth and Error may be known in the Hearers aswell as in the Teachers Two Heads or chief Teachers in the World Why the Anthor deals so plainly 1. With Mr S. Simpson 2. With Humane Learning How the Author is for Humane Learning how against it The great mischief of Humane Learning mingled with Divinity ☞ ☞ 3. With the Universities Men of unquestionable Worth and Godliness have spoken freely of the Universities in former times as Wickliff Hus. Luther ☞ ☞ Melancthon Omnes Scholas esse haereticas vel Theologia Scholastica arguit Melanct. in Apol. pro Mart. Luther Objection Answer The Universities the same for the Substance now as formerly Objection Answer Objection Answer The Rehearsal of the Errors 1. Error Answer No Heathenish Learning was taught in the Church of God all the time of the Old Testament What Learning the Fathers before the Flood taught in their Schools and the Patriarchs and Prophets afterwards Objection Answer Neither was any Heathenish Learning taught the Church in the time of the New Testament Christ taught no Philosophy to his Apostles The Apostles taught no Philosophy Peter Steven Paul The Primitive Christians and Believers taught no Philosophy Justine Martyr forsook Philosophy betook himself only to the Scriptures Non ad humanas rationes sed ad voluntatem Doctrinae Spiritus interpretatio est accommodanda Justin. in Exposit. fidei Constantine the Emperor took care for the teaching the Scriptures to Christians Euseb. lib. 4. de vita Constantin Berno Augiensis Abbas Se multis jam annis Poetarum figmenta Paganorum Historias seculariumque Literarum studia velut stercora respuisse omnemque mentis intentionem ad divina perscrutanda convertisse Berno in Epist. ad Magnifred Cum juvenis adhuc in omni Disciplinarum genere exercerer certo affirmare possum me non minus quam reliquos aequales meos profecisse c. Zuingl lib. de Certitud Veritat Verbi Dei The sad Fruit of University Education The Testimonies of the Faithfull to the former Doctrine Matthias Parisiensis Antichristum omnes Universitates eruditorum Collegia seduxisse ita ut jam nihil sani doceant aut Christianis rectè suà Doctrinè praelu●●ant Illyric Flac. Catal. Test. Veritat John Hus. Sedu●it Antichristus à Divi●a sapientia plen● Salute Spiritu Sancto ad prudentiam scientiam Hominum Principum hujus mundi quam copiavit nimis vehementer dilatavit au thenticavit lucrosam Divitiarum Honorum in hoc seculo effecit ut ita Divina Sapienta Scientia esset neglecta à Christianis inveterata obducta quasi vilis inutilis ab iisdem reputata c. Joh. Hus. Lib. de vita Reg. Antichr cap. 30. Martin Luther M. Luther De Captiv Babylon Joachim Calaber 2. Error Answer Vetuit ne Christiani Gentilium Disciplinis instruerentur Sozomen Histor. Eccles cap. 17. ☞ True Religion depends not on Humane Learning Acts 4. 13. Acts 6. 10. Christianos de integro Gentilium Disciplinam imbibere nemo est qui Christianae Religioni prodisse concesserit Nam non est extra periculum Christianos Gentilium eruditione institui quippe quae docet multos esse Deos. Socrates Histor. Eccles. cap. 14. Meum consilium est ut adolescens vitet Philosophiam ac Theologiam Scholasticam ut mortem animae suae Luth. Tom. 2. fol. 434. b. 3. Error Answer The Knowledge of Heavenly things comes down from Heaven to us Ver. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom in 1 Epist. ad Cor. Hom. 7. Humane Learning too strait narrow to comprehend true Divinity 4. Error Answer Paul made a Preacher through the Grace of God and not through Humane Learning * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Humane Learning doth not fit a man to the Ministry of the Gospel Testimonies Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. in 1. Epist. ad Corinth Hom. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Idem ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wickliff Through Love we understand the Scriptures ☜ How the Ministers may come to understand the Scriptures Tindal Zuingl Lib. de certitudine Veritate Ver. Dei Quod si non firmiter creditis vos humanis Doctrinis desertis divinitus doceri posse vera fide etiamnum vacui estis Cadit hic Theologiae Scholasticae usus universus quicquid ex Philosophis haustum est Error est dicere Sine Aristotele non fit Theologus imò Theologus non fit nisi id fiat sine Aristotele