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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
head_n	body_n	member_n	mystical_a	10,421	5	11.0632	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68136	A letter vvritten by a true Christian Catholike, to a Romaine pretended Catholike Wherein vppon occasion of controuersie touching the Catholike Church the 12. 13. and 14. Chap. of the Reuelations are breifly and trulie expounded. Which conteine the true estate thereof, from the birth of Christ, to the end of the world.	Herbert, William, Sir, 1553?-1593.	1586 (1586)	STC 12752.5; ESTC S112797	52,029	90

is interpreted Nego And beeing accompted according to the greeke letters beeing all numerall make vppe the iust number of sixe hundred sixtie and sixe the accompt falleth out euen Α 1 Ρ 100 Ν 50 Ο 70 Υ 400 Μ 40 Ε 9 666 But the worde thus written hardly receueth that interpretation Wherefore I take it rather to bee the three first sillabls of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth Negans The misterie wherof S. Iohn expoundeth vnto vs in his first epistle the second chapter the 23. verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quis est mendax nisi qui neg at Iesum esse Christum hic est Antichristus Who is a lyar but hee that denieth Iesus to be Christ he is Antichrist Our Lord Iesus is tearmed Christ that is to saye the annointed in two respects the one for that he is the chiefe prince the other for that hee is the cheefe preist and Prophet As chiefe prince he sitteth at the right hande of the father till his enemies be made his footestoole gouerning the godly with his spirit and the wicked with a rod of iron As chiefe preist he is a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech hauing nether successor nor coadiutor who needeth not often to offer himselfe as the highpreist of the Iewes who went yeerlye to the sanctuary with other blood for with one oblation hath hee consecrated for euer those that are sanctified whiche sanctification wee haue by the oblatiō of the body of Christ once made which sacrifice for sinnes being offered he sitteth for euer at the right hand of God In respect of which sacrifice God promiseth that he wil forgiue vs our sins and put our iniquities out of his remembrance Now where remission of sinnes is there is no more offering for sinnes and so consequentlye no sacrificing preisthoode that function hauing bene absolutelye performed by Christ Iesus But the Bishop of Rome establishing a sacrificing preisthoode and an offering for all actual sins by the sacrifice of the masse denyeth Iesus to be that annointed and eternall preist according to the order of Melchisedech Who by one sacrifice vppon the aultar of the crosse hath obtayned such a perfect remission of sinnes aswell actuall as originall that there may be no farther or future oblation or sacrifice for sinnes For to repeate the saying of the Apostle in his epistle to the Hebrewes the tenth chapter Where remission of sinnes is there may bee no more offering for sinne And againe when they teache these two propositions the one deuised by Pope Boniface the other by Pope Sixtus Deus assumpsit Petrum in consortium indiuiduae trinitatis atque ab eo tanquam a capite dona sua omnia in corpus transfundit God hath assumed Peter into the fellowship of the indiuisible trinitie and from him as from a head powreth all his giftes into the bodie and that Diuus Petrus habitat in Pontifice Romano Sainct Peter dwelleth in the Romain byshop By reason whereof hee is that Melchisedech for he is the head of all byshops whose preisthoode none other is to compare with from whom they all growe as members doe grow from the heade and of whose fulnesse they all receaue And moreouer affirme Ecclesiam esse vnam non propter Christum sed propter Papam qui eam conseruat vnam That the church is one not in respect of Christ but in respect of the Pope that keepeth it in one Do they not vtterly ouerthrow al that in them lyeth the functions of Christs annointing who is both the cheife preist and prince of his church Being the head thereof as of a misticall bodie which receaueth frō him by the influence of his grace spirituall life and vigor His mercie wisedome and prouidence spreading themselues both generally throughout the whole and particulerly into euery member thereof Wherby both the vnitie felicity therof is wrought and established But they that deny vnto him or attribut vnto any other the functions of his annointing deny him to be Christ By this therefore we may see who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who is Antichrist Gensericos saith Haymo signifieth in the Gothicke tongue Gentium seductor the seducer of the gentils in eo est Antichristus christo contrarius quod iste seductor ille vero dicitur gentium saluator And in this is antichrist contrary vnto Christ That the one is the seducer the other is the sauiour of the gentils This woorde he reconeth in Greeke letters and so maketh it vp the number of 666. thus Γ 3 Ε 5 Ν 50 Σ 200 Η 8 Π 100 Ι 10 Κ 20 Ο 70 Σ 200 666 Who this seducer of the Gentiles is wee maye well perceaue by that which is said before no doubt it is he of whom the Prophet Zachary speaketh Immediatly after the passion of Christ when as the Gentils had receaued the faith and the sinagogue was dissolued Ecce ego suscītabo Pastorem in terra succisa non visitabit aetate tenerum non quaeret contritum non sanabit stantem non sustentabit carnem pinguis comedet vn gulas eorum abrumpet Vae pastori vano derelictori pecoris gladius super brachium eius super oculum dextrum eius brachium eius arescendo arescet oculus dexter eius caligando caligabit Forlo saith the Lord I will raise vp a shepheard in the land which shal not looke for the thing that is loste nor seeke the tender lambes nor heale that that is hurt nor sustaine that that standeth vp but he shall eate the fleshe of the fatte and teare their clawes in pieces Oh idle shephearde that leaueth the flock The swoord shal bee vppon his arme and vppon his right eye his arme shall be clean dried vp his right eye shal be vtterly darkened This is Gensericos gentium seductor the seducer an Idoll shepheard of the Gentiles The Latine wordes DIC LVX that is say light as it is noted by Haymo containe also the same number of sixe hundred sixty and sixe and are not voide of especiall demonstration D 500 I 1 C 100 L 50 V 5 X 10 666 For the Pope although his kingdome and religion be nothing els then darkenesse and ignorance yet wil he haue men to beleeue and professe that with him and his is the truth and the light And though men see it to bee darkenesse yet say it to bee light Yea and that hee is the sunne that shineth in the firmament of the Churche and the Lampe that giueth light vnto men Therefore Cornelius Byshop of Bitonto wel acquainted as it seameth with the Popes humor heerein in an oration of his at the laste councell of Trent vsed this speach Papa lux venit in mundum sed dilexerunt homines tenebras magis quam lucem The Pope beeing the light came into the world but men loued the darkenesse better then the light It seameth he had learned this

but also doe adore the image without any kinde of scruple whatsoeuer yea and doe honor the same with that worship wherewith the thing or person thereby represented is to be honored And by Andradius the late defender of the Tridentine counsell whose workes are seene and allowed by the Romishe church Non inficiamur saith he hac nos latriae adoratione Christi praeclarissimam crucem colere venerari We denie not that we worship and honor the moste excellent crosse of Christ with this adoration of greatest honor worship but both the crosse of Christ and the image of the trinity and al other images are creatures therefore our conclusion is strong and certaine that the church of Rome is not the catholik church Infinite arguments to this purpose might be drawne and euerie of them in effecte demonstratiue but the matter so cleere these few may suffice Let vs then examine sith it is not the catholike church whether it be a catholik church in that sense that the word catholik is imitatiuely taken for soūd and sinceere that is whether it be a pure and perfect member of the catholike church It is very sure and certeine that sometime it hath bene a verye notable member and as it were a right arme an ayde confort and ornament to the rest of the partes but the question is what it is at this present and for manye yeeres hath beene whether now it be a sound member of the catholike churche or no for the deciding heereof wee can haue no better or more manifeste tryall then by the doctrine that it teacheth by the sacraments that it administreth by the prayers that it vseth and by the discipline that it exerciseth and heerein we come to the firste point that controleth your second proposition As in the body of a man so long as any principall member as the arme or the leg hath the bone vncrushed vnperished or vnwrested the flesh and muscles vnbrused vninfected and vnhurte the veins sinewes and arteries neither ouerstretched distorted or shrunke the skinne vnannoied vnexulcerated vnimpeached we terme and accompt it a sound member But if in any of these points it be defectiue rekon it vnsound in that proportion and degree that the nature and qualitie of the defect is of So in the body of the church as long as any member or particuler church as the Church of Rome the Church of Antioch the Church of England the Church of Fraunce hath the worde of God whiche resembleth the bone or pith vppon the whiche it ought to growe and depende vnperished vnwrested and vncorrupted the praiers and supplications which are as it were the flesh and muscles of it wherewith it ought to be filled and replenished vnwasted and vnconsumed with atheisme and securitie and vnpoysoned and vninfected with Idolatry and superstition The holy sacraments which represent the veynes sinewes and arteries wherewith it is both norished vnited vnmāgled vndisordred and vnstrayned and the discipline which is like to the skinne that enuironeth compasseth and defendeth the rest vnexulcerated and vnenflamed with the tumors of tiranny or cankers of couetousnesse or otherwise vnstained with iniquity we are to tearme and accompt it a sounde member of the catholike churche and so much the lesse sounde by how much the more it is in any of these pointes defectiue or euill affected If wee cast this leuell ouer the Romaine churche shall not wee soone discouer howe crooked and corrupt it is and howe much it hath swarued from the vprightnesse and sinceritie wherein it was first established The holy Scriptures it hath not onelye corrupted and wrested as by infinite examples might be shewed but also depriued of force and strength where it ought to haue depended of the Scriptures it maketh the scripture depend of it And whereas the sense of the holy ghost is sure certaine and immutable it maketh it variable and alterable according to the temporary practise of that church This shall you finde in the epistle of Cardinall Cusanus no lesse blasphemously then barbarously recorded The Sacrament of the Lords supper it hath mangled into a half communion and a priuat Masse disordred with the monstrous fantasie of transubstantiation and thereby altered the commemoration to an adoration the Sacrament to a Sacrifice propiciatorye The sacrament of Baptisme it hath pestered if not polluted with manye superstitious and superfluous ceremonies The names and dignitye of sacramentes it hath strayned and stretched to other things contrarye to their nature The prayers and supplications which ought only to bee made vnto God and so made vnto God as the congregation may both in vnderstanding and deuocion ioyne with them and saye Amen It hath what with inuocation of Saints what with worshipping of images what with a strange and vnknowne language made either impious or vnprofitable The discipline which should keep all things in order and frame in it is altogether stained with ambition and couetousnesse finally it is a member so ful of corruption so swolne with pride and so envenomed with ambitiō that it perswadeth the world that it is the body and that all the rest of the partes are but members of it and that whatsoeuer parte is not like it is corrupt and carying vppon it the Romaine Byshop as a most pestilent vlcer it saith that is the head to which all other partes must submit and subiect themselues And is it not then rightlye to bee iudged an vnsound member and an vnsincere Examine in like sort any other particuler church Do it vprightly and sincerely and it shal make manifest vnto you whether it be a sounde or vnsounde member of the catholike church and if vnsound in what degree proportion and measure it is so to bee iudged and accompted These therefore are perfect and pregnant sayings which can neuer deceaue you if the lampe of eternal light Gods holy and heauenly worde beare any credite or authoritye with you for by that shall you knowe whether the doctrine of any church be pure or impure whether the Sacraments be rightly or otherwise administred whether the praiers be godlye and religiously or Idolatrously and superstitiouslye made and vsed whether the discipline be sincere and perfect or disorderly and corrupt and in this we fall to the second point that aunswereth your second proposition If the doctrine of any church is conformable to the doctrine of the Patriarkes the Prophets the Apostles whose doctrine and documents the holye scripture layeth downe it is to be iudged sound and sincere and so much the lesse sounde be how muche it more swarueth from their faith and doctrine If the Sacraments in any church bee ministred according to their firste institution and vse which the holy scriptures doth declare they are to be accompted rightly and duely administred If prayers in any church be vsed according to that forme manner purpose and intent that the godlye of all ages testified in the scriptures did vse and exercise they are to be reckoned

that you came of curtesie to see me I must thanke you and am right sorye my leisure did not serue me to haue further speches with you You deliuered vnto me two Propositions as the grounde-worke of your opinion the one that the principles of your doctrine are grounded firmelie vpon the catholike Church which antiquitie vniuersalitie and consent doe plainelie make manifest vnto you The other that the signes giuen of a true Church by thē of the reformed religion which are the sincere preaching of the worde the right administration of the sacraments religious prayers holesome discipline are no true signes of a true Church but so to affirme them is an error in Logique for that the Church is a signe of them and not they of the Church For your first proposition that the errors thereof may better appeare I will brieflie handle these 3. points First that neither the Catholike Church nor the doctrine antiquity vniuersality or consent thereof can otherwise be knowne then by the scriptures Secondly that sundry principles of your religion are not at all grounded vpon the catholike Church Thirdly that the Romaine Church vpon the which your principles are grounded is neither the Catholike Church nor a sounde member of the catholike church For your 2. proposition that the errors thereof may likewise be seene I will in few words deale with ●●●se three points First that of a particuler Church no better iudgement can be giuen whether it be sounde or vnsound or of two particuler Churches which is the sounder then by the worde and doctrine that they preach by the sacraments that they minister by the praiers that they vse and by the discipline that they exercise for where these are moste pureliest and perfectliest done that Church is to be thought the purest and perfectest member of the Catholike Church Where these are impurest and corruptest that Church is to be iudged the impurest and corruptest member where these are not at all there is to bee accompted no visible Church to be at all Thus to affirme is an error in Logike but a truth in diuinitie Secondly that of the truth of the doctrine of the right administration of the sacraments of the sinceritie and puritie of the praiers of the godly exercise of the discipline in any Church the onelye perfecte absolute and true touchstone is the holy scripture which ought diligently to be read of all men Thirdlie that for the true vnderstanding of the Scripture in those things that are necessarie the circumstance of the place the conference of other places the proportion of the doctrine the summary of our faith and the holy Ghost working in our harts doe sufficiently enable and enlighten vs. The holy Catholike Church wee define to bee the congregation companie and societie of all those that haue beleeued in Christ from the beginning of the world to this present time all that nowe beleeue in him and all that from henceforth shall beleue in him to the end of the world It is called Sancta holy because it is sanctified hallowed by the holy ghost it is called Catholica catholike or vniuersall because it conteyneth all ages all places al persons that beleeue it is called Ecclesia because it is a calling out or euocation of people out of ignorance and error vnto the faith and knowledge of God This Church is the misticall body of Christ who is the true and onely heade of it which gouerneth it in omnipotēcie and is ioyned vnto it in charitie Saint Augustine vpon the 56. psalme confirmeth this our definition of the Church Corpus Christi est Ecclesia non autem ista aut illa sed toto orbe diffusa nec ea quae nunc est in hominibus qui praesentem vitam agunt sed ad eam pertinentibus etiam ijs qui fuerunt ante nos ijs qui futuri sunt post nos vsque in finem soeculi tota enim Ecclesia constans ex omnibus fidelibus quia fideles omnes sunt membra Christi habet illud caput positum in coelestibus quod gubernat corpus suum si seperatum est a visione annectitur Charitate The body of Christ is the church yet not this church or that but that whiche is dispersed throughout the whole world neither yet that alone which is in men that liue at this present but that vnto which they likewise appertayned that haue bene before vs and that are to come after vs vnto the worlds end For the whole church consisteth of all the faithfull for all the faithfull are members of Christ hauing that head placed in the heauenly places which gouerneth his bodye though it be separate from the sight it is adioyned in charitie It is deuided into two parts the militant and triumphant the triumphant already in blisse and glory ineffable the militant hoping for the like happinesse and in the meane time vnder the banner of Christ Iesus warfaring heere on earth against the world the flesh and the Diuell This church for antiquitie so auncient for number so great for estate so diuers for situation so vniuersall no mans age coulde serue to knowe no mans knowledge were able to conceiue no mans conceit were of sufficiēcy to comprehend if the holy Scriptures wherein the spirit of God hath deliuered these thinges for our instruction were not extant amongst vs. In them we are taught that the churche began in Adam that the first Martyr was Abel the first persecutor Cain that by the Breach of Gods commaundement mankinde fell into that miserable and corrupt estate that it was not able to performe that Law of perfect obedience and righteousnesse that GOD had giuen and grauen in the hartes and mindes of men by the accomplishment whereof they were to haue life and by the impeachment whereof they were to haue death eternall and that then GOD in his infinite goodnesse and mercie graunted a remedie for vs in the promised seed which should restore mankinde and treade down the serpents head which was the first preaching of the Gospell published by God himselfe apprehended by faithe beleeued by Adam Afterward of God reiterated to the holye Patriarches by them imbraced and taught to their children and families preached and foretolde by the Prophetes shadowed out in the Lawe written in the Leuitical ceremonies performed in Christ testified and published by the Apostles confirmed with signes and miracles beleeued of al nations maligned by the Deuill persecuted by the wicked in all ages and yet continued to the end of the worlde by Gods especiall grace prouidence These things wee plainely see conteyned from the first of Genesis to the last of the Reuelation which otherwise coulde neuer haue come to our knowledge In them wee may see the beginning increasing continuance and perpetuation of the church the estate and condition of it in tyme past at this present in time to come the doctrine deliuered by the holy Ghost to the Patriarches to the Prophets to

was no heade but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hauing iust in the deadly wound of the sixt head of these seauen heads when Saint Iohn wrote this prophesie fiue were fallen that is the Kinges Consulles Dictators Decem viri and Tribunes militare one was which was the Romaine Emperours an other was not yet come that is the French Emperours And when he came he was to continue but a short time it continued not the eight part of the time of the former and the beast that was that is the Popedome which was prefigured in Aegypt and Babylon and is not that is had not yet attayned to that power and authoritie Is the eight that is the eight soueraigne gouernour of Rome and is one of the seauen that is to saye Romaine Emperour This Pope Boniface the eight well declared when as in a great Iubilie at Rome he went one day in his pontificall attire as Romaine Byshoppe and the next day in his robes Jmperiall as Romayne Emperour in the one he shewed himselfe as the eight in the other as one of the seauen They that mislike this interpretation will affirme that there were either fewer soueraigne gouernours of Rome or more if they saye there were fewer they will be conuinced by the auncient histories of Rome by the which wee shall proue the first fiue so precisely as the occasion of their beginning the time of their continuance the cause of their ceasing the perticular persons that gouerned in euerie of them shall manifestly appeare Jf farther to lesser the number they shall confounde the sixth and seauenth heade that is the Romaine and the French Emperours they shal attribute more to the French then euer themselues claimed or had either in power or dignitie for Charles the great first founder of that Empire claimed but the Empire of the West and in his time the Romaine Emperours dwelling in Constantinople and gouerning Rome and Italie by an exarchant partly by the treacherous practises of Rome and Italie partly by the forces and armes of the Kinges of Lumburdie was depriued first of his tributes and after of his territories in Italie so that the King of Lumbardes possessing and inuading all the Byshoppe of Rome for his owne benefite imployed the ayde of Charles the great who accordingly came into Italie ouerthrew the Lumbardes was made Emperour of the West and gaue Rome to the Pope not to bee saueraigne of it but to hold it of him and his heires in fee. But after the line of Charles the great was extinguished which continued not aboue a hundred yeeres a shorte time inrespect of the former the Popes attained the suffraintie of Rome both as Byshoppes and Emperours so became they the eight and one of the seauen as Boniface the eight manifestlie declared A prayer and that 〈◊〉 giuing for the deliuerie of her most excellent Maiestie from the pernitious practises of Antichrist and his counterfeit Catholickes O Eternall God and heauenly Father whose might is ineffable whose mercies inestimable we thy poore creatures most vnprofitable seruants in all humblenes of minde do prostrate our selues before the throne of thy maiestie yelding vnto thee with most feruent harts and faith vnfained the Sacrifice of prayse thanksgiuing Thy might did make vs when we were nothing our lewdnesse lost vs when we were made thy mercie saued vs when we were lost thy grace preserueth vs nowe we are saued thou art our God and great is thy goodnes we are thy people but great is our weakenes thou in thy giftes art gratious and bountifull Lord let thy grace make vs as thankefull Thou openest our eyes whereby we may see thou enlightnest our mindes whereby we may iudge thou feedest our soules wherby we may liue thou giuest vs peace whereby we may rest the light of thy gospell thou makest to shine a gratious Queene thou giuest vs to raigne thou rulest in her she raigneth in thee by these thinges thou comfortest our bodies and soules Lord herein the wicked do enuy our blisse the roaring lyon would faine vs deuour and Antichrist seeketh to cut off our head that then he may tread vs vnder his feete but thou of thy mercies hast bridled his rage his shame is discouered his purpose disclosed this is the worke of thy mighty hand his nets are broken and we are escaped preserue thine annoynted O Lorde of thy grace confounde thou thy foes and comfort thy flocke let Antichrist waste with the worde of thy mouth Illumine mens mindes that al nowe may see that murther is counted religious at Rome Thy name be praysed with hymnes of our heartes the notes of obedience most pleasing to thee In thoughtes wordes and deedes let vs still resounde for this thy great goodnes so gratiously shewed Defende O most mercifull father thy seruant our Soueraigne from all such wicked and pernitious attemptes Turne the Counsailes of all Achitophels to foolishnes sustaine her with thy mightie hande in her Royall estate enrich her dayly more and more with the treasures of thy heauenly wisedome Indue her aboundantly with thy most holy spirite and to thy glorie and our gladnesse make her an olde mother in Israell Graunt these thinges O Lorde for Iesus Christ his sake thy only sonne our onely Sauiour to whom with thee the holy Ghost three persons and one God be all honor glory prayse and power world without end Amen FINIS Reuel 12. Cus ep 2. 7. Lib. 6. cap. 9. Lib. 1. de ●ri Lib. 4 Lib. 5. Lib. 9 Lib. 8. cap. 2. in Ioan. Lib. 2. de doctr Chr. cap. 6. In Epist 3. ad volus Lib. 3. de doctr Chr. cap. 28. hom 12. cap. 34. Con. in cap. sextum Ep. ad Gal. H. 11. de ciuit Dei cap. 3. De doctr Chr. lib. 3. cap. 16. Lib. 3. de doctr Chri. cap. 5. Supr exod hom 12. cap. 34. In psal 125. Iohn 2. 1. Corin. cap. 2. Daniel 7. Ioseph de bello iuda ico lib. 2. cap. 3. Cap. 10. v. 13. Durandus Roffensis Zach. 11.12 Gen. 36. 35 Esvy 66. Paul 2. Thes 2.3.8 Re. cap. 14. vers 7.8