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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	work_n	world_n	year_n	83	3	4.2515	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62873	Saints no smiters, or, Smiting civil powers not the work of saints being a treatise, shewing the doctrine and atempts of Quinto-Monarchians, or, Fifth-Monarchy-Men about smiting powers, to be damnable and antichristian / by John Tombes ...	Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.	1664 (1664)	Wing T1816; ESTC R6979	110,523	126

hope wherein those whom they believe to be godly oppose them and their violence of spirit beyond all sobriety in moving persons so earnestly to that smiting work in this age upon no better grounds than their own conjecture though they foresaw it would bring common calamity and the bodies and lives of godly persons perish by reason of their opposition to this Stone which shewes they were resolved to smite all that stood in their way though godly as it fell out in the year 1660. Mr. Tillinghast in his first Sermon p. 26. saith the work of Christs Kingdom the glorious beginning of it shall be about the time of the Jewes coming in and p. 39. saith the Lord make us wait on him for his own time and yet Serm. 3. gives signes of its being near even in this generation which he makes it the duty of Saints to observe though not one of the signes is from any Revelation of God but from things which may happen and have without such signification as he would put upon them I omit what Mr. Mede in his letter to Arch-Bish●p Usher and in other writings and many others write of the mystical numbers in Daniel and in the Revelation which I would not have slighted so as to give no heed to them it being not in vain that the Holy Ghost hath delivered them to us only this I conceive it very dangerous and unsafe to make them the warrant or motive to such an attempt as the smiting of civil powers or the beginning of any War against the known Rules of scripture and Lawes of civil Government it being in it self wicked shewing bitter furious zeal without the wisedome from above and likely hereafter as it hath done formerly to others to bring destruction of soul and body on the agents and much misery on others whether opponents or neuters § 14. Many things are groundless and false which the Quinto-Monarchians suppose and take as articles of their faith concerning the Fifth-Monarchy and its setting up TO the uncertainties and falsities about the smiting work of the Stone whereby the evil of their attempt is demonstrated I shall next add the uncertainties or falsities of those things which th●y make as articles of their faith about the Stones becoming a Mountain and filling the whole earth Where 1. they shew their inadvertency in making Gentile Saints who are but subjects the Stone meant Dan. 3. 34 35. Excluding the Jewes from being the Stone in the beginning whereas the Stone is expresly termed the Kingdom which shall stand for ever v. 44 45. which cannot be understood of the Saints who are subject they are not the Kingdom nor do they stand for ever though they receive a Kingdom that cannot be shaken Heb. 12. 28. But the Stone is Christ the King and his Dominion which must fill the whole earth with Subjects Lawes and Administrations of Rule and Justice which cannot be said of the Saints Gentile or Jewish Which inadvertency causeth them to speak confusedly p. 19 20. and throughout their Book termed the Baaner of truth displayed sometimes terming the Stone Christ sometimes his Kingdom sometime the Gentile Saints sometimes the Jewes joyned to the Gentiles Now the same Stone which smites the great Image becomes a great Mountain and fils the whole earth but this is not true of the Gentile Saints or Jew and Gentile joyned together they become not a great Mountain nor fill the whole earth therefore they smite not the Image 2. That the Stone or fifth Kingdom is an outward visible Kingdom not the spiritual Kingdom which was begun by Christ in the days of his flesh is much insisted on as the chief ground of their faith and hope in this matter But in the Banner of truth displayed p. 20. in answer to the question what this Stone is They say this Stone is called in Scripture the Kingdom of Christ and the Kingdom of Christ this stone Dan. 2. 44 45. Matth. 21. 43 44. which they say hath a twofold dispensation i. e. 1. An internal dispensation or the inward Kingdom which is the Kingdom of Christ in the hearts of his Saints and in and over his Church 2. An external dispensation 1. Of war in subduing and conquering his stubborn enemies and opposers in the world whereby they shall be compelled to yield and shall become subjects though Kings and Princes 2. Of peace upon the earth in and over the whole world which is the new creation and restitution of all things where will be perfection no sin among the Saints immortality no mortal nor corruptible thing where death shall have no sting nor grave victory but all shall be swallowed up in Christs fulness which is victory And for this they cite many scriptures in the margin Now 1. I grant that the stone Dan. 2. 44 45. is the Kingdom of Christ or of God Mat. 21. 43 44. 2. The distinction of the internal external Kingdom is not denied 3. Nor do I oppose the double dispensation of this Kingdom 4. Nor do I deny the description of either dispensation But 1. hence I infer that the stone Dan. 2. 44 45. notes the internal Kingdom or the dominion Christ had by the preaching of the Gospel termed the Gospel of the Kingdom Matth. 24. 14. meant Matth. 21. 43 44. For 1. that Kingdom is meant there and no other which was to be taken from the Jews but that could be no other than the internal Kingdom for no other Kingdom was then among them but it therefore no other is there meant 2. That Kingdom was there meant which was to be given to another Nation meaning the Gentiles but that was no other but the internal 3. That Kingdom is there meant whose fruits were to be brought forth by the Nation to whom it was to be given now the fruits of the Kingdom are expressed to be righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. which belong to the internal Kingdom and therefore no other there meant Which thing is also confirmed by other passages of Scripture as namely that of our Saviour Luk. 17. 20. When he was demanded when the Kingdom of God should come he answered them and said The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation or with outward shew therefore the Kingdom of God meant in the Gospel is not the outward visible Kingdom which the Quinto-Monarchians expect which is also proved from v. 21. where it is added Neither shall they say Lo here or lo there for behold the Kingdom of God is within you or among you which could be no other than the Kingdom set up by the preaching of the Gospel To which is to be added Christs good confession before Pontius Pilate John 18. 36. Kingdom is not of this world if my Kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews but now is my Kingdom not from hence Wherein our Lord Christ declares his Kingdom foretold by

by the Saints even those who are private persons and that the civil powers shall be smitten by them to which they are subject But for this they having nothing but an obscure prophecy to rely upon and it not agreeing with plain precepts which forbid resistence to the higher powers that are this their impious Collection is deservedly to be exploded and detested A fifth is that this smiting work shall be done by the Saints afore Christs coming and in preparation thereto But this agrees not with the Apostles words 1 Cor. 15. 24. where it is made Christs work to put down all Rule and all Authority and Power which will not be till the end and then Christ or his Father shall put all his enemies under his feet which cannot be the work of the Saints For one of the enemies is death v. 26. which none in his wits will say can be destroyed by Quinto-Monarchian Saints they perhaps may bring death on themselves and others but sure they cannot destroy death who cannot raise from the dead Besides the scripture makes the coming of Christ and his Kingdom comtemporary 2. Tim. 4. 1. therefore not to be effected by the Saints on earth by any preparatory work of theirs A sixth uncertainty or falsehood which moves them to so much zeal for their smiting work is that they have fancied it to be the work of the present generation which Mr. Tillinghast much insists on in his Sermon on Matth. 16. 3. concerning the signs of the times but upon how slender reasons may be shewed in what followes sure when our Lord Christ made the time of his coming unknown to Angels and the son of man and known only to the Father Mark 13. 32. he would have us not be curious to know it but watch that we be not surprised by it And sith after all the labours of the learnedst and most prying inquisitors all the Prophetical numbers about this thing of the ruin of Babylon and Christs personal Kingdom on earth have been so uncertainly calculated that mens expectations have been deluded it is great rashness for any to pitch on a certain year or age much more to attempt such audacious and horrid things as the smiting of civil powers in a preposterous way which attempt of theirs becomes the more inexcusable in that their own writing entituled The Banner of truth displayed shewed their uncertainty and unresolvedness both in the manner extent and time of this smiting work For whereas they apply that of Dan. 2. 34 35. 44 45. concerning the stones smiting of the great Image so that the Iron the clay the brass the silver and the gold was broken to pieces together and became like the chaff of the sommer threshing-floors and the wind carried them away that no place was found for them unto the Saints even Gentile Saints smiting of all parts of the fourth Monarchy all the civil powers of Europe which they count Roman Babylon and Antichristian yet p. 40 41. they make the conversion of the ten horns Rev. 17. 16 17. to be one gradation of the stones growth which although they would not have to be the present powers of the ten horns nor yet multitudes of people in the ten horns but some out of all the ten horns whom the Lord will have mercy on shall be chosen by Christ in which respect it is said the ten horns yet they admit that the powers of the ten horns which the text expresly v. 12. 13. terms ten Kings which had received then no Kingdom but receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast who have one mind and shall give their power and strength unto the Beast and are according to them part of the fourth Monarchy to be utterly destroyed shall be subdued by the Saints and as now they are Antichristian and fight for the Beast against the Lamb so shall they become Christians and fighters for the Lamb against the Beast which is utterly inconsistent with the being broken in pieces together by the stones smiting so as to become like the chaff of the sommer threshing-floor and the wind carry them away that no place be found for them if the stones smiting them be their subduing by the Saints And for the time of the beginning of their smiting work which p. 46. they make the ending time of the mystical numbers spoken of by Daniel and John for the accomplishment of those great things which God hath declared by the mouth of all his holy Prophets to be brought to pass in these later daies Dan. 12. 11. Rev. 11. 2 3. 12. 6. and 13. 5. which they make a great argument and quickning motive to the Saints to look about them and for the stone to arise and smite the compleated Image and break in pieces the iron teeth of the ravenous beast that so deliverance may be brought they grant this thing which they lay down as a call to the stone is doubtful to most and p. 47. tell us that in this particular their judgment and opinion do most accord with Mr. Tillinghast his Calculation according to which those things named spoken of to come to pass at the end of those numbers would in all likelyhood have their accomplishment together with the said numbers the year of Christ 1656. But the event disproving it they will not engage further therein but set down other signs which are signs only from themselves and not from any divine revelation and yet p. 52. conclude This present generation in which we live is the ending time of those mystical numbers forementioned the expiring time of Antichrist wherein God will begin to put a period to the Beasts tyranny and powers And therefore cannot but assert that the consideration of these things is a great call and motive to the stone to arise and be doing which work we call the fifth Kingdom in its first dispenspensation preparing way for the second and more glorious dispensation But after mentioning the compleat and effectual call that the stone shall have to be a clear light into that time it shall smite and into the work of that time together with power from on high whereby it shall be emboldened and fitted to smite as aforesaid and also a fit and leading providence or opportunity preparing way for its breaking forth with these golden characters of power wisdom and glory and then adding some examples of Gods former providence they say let the stone wait for the accomplishment of these particulars afore it smite add their humble conceit then mind those who at present are the gainsayers and imbittered opposers of this work and yet hope and believe they are godly of this their faith and hope lest they split themselves upon this stone becoming their rock of offence and so their bodies and lives perish upon such an account in this day of common calamity that hasteth upon the whole world By which may be perceived their uncertainties in that which they call their faith and