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A85941
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The down-fall of Anti-Christ: or, The povver of preaching, to pull down popery. In a briefe treatise on 2. Thessal. 28. By John Geree, Pastour of Tewkesbury, in Glocester-Shire.
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Geree, John, 1601?-1649.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing G595; Thomason E157_17
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18,755
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26
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did as busily imploy it in stopping the mouthes of the faithfull Ministers As Prelates went up preaching went downe and they never left aspiring till not onely they did with Rome Magnitudine laborare but like force without counsell Mole rueâ—e suâ And in our owne experience we see them still aspiring and inhauncing their power Heretofore they were content to confesse kindes of government arbitrary and so to hold their office from the King who might appoint that or any other government but of late they assume to be Iure divino Heretofore they were glad of the protection of laws but of late they have beâ—ne bold to trample on them disdaining and not enduring prohibitions bringing in new Ceremonies and Canons at pleasure If therefore they should now be taken downe and cropt onely but have a root or being left they would in time find meanes to renew their strength and this affront would increase their stomack and it is to be feared their attempts against the preaching of the Gospell would be tho the more subtill yet never the lesse earnest and much more malicious Neither can it be expected to be otherwayes for when any thing exceeds the bounds which God hath set how should they know any other limits now God sure hath never advanced any Ministers to that power over their brethren to silence and censure at pleasure Christ censured affectation of superiority in his Apostles not ordained it he forbade Monarchical power amongst them as unsuitable to their function in this to be unlike the civill powers that were among the Gentiles therefore in exercising this sole power of excommunicating and depriving they keepe not the limits he hath appointed and in his steps tread his Apostles Saint Peter forbids Lordlinesse in Elders Saint Iohn noteth Diotrephes for loving preheminence and excommunicating those that crost his humour to obey the Apostles The Church of Christ is not to be without Governours and government but if we search the Scriptures we shall find that governing is not the chiefest operation in the Church nor are Governours the highest officers Rom. 12.6.7.8 The holy Ghost setteth Pastours and teachers above rulers So likewise 1. Cor. 12.28 Governments be in an inferiour place and where governing is conjoyned with Preaching preaching is esteemed the more honourable worke â— Tim. 5.17 and 1. Cor. 1.16 Preaching is so advanced by the Apostles as tho other ministeriall acts were nothing in comparison for Christ sent me not to Baptize but to Preach Such Prelates then as being advanc't to governing neglect preaching or because they are admitted to government exalt themselves over the Pastors and Teachers in the Church to suspend or inlarge at pleasure undoubtedly transgresse the rules and orders in the word and then no other limits can confine them if there be power to transgresse This therefore showes how unsafe it is by humane lawes to thinke to confine that power which hath transgrest divine without abolition and on the contrary how safe the abolition of it is for being it is not of God but against him rather abolition cannot displease God nor be inconvenient but most safe and acceptable Yet had there never beene any experience of this alteration in Church government or had the experience of it beene unprosperous there might be far greater scruple in attemptiâ—g it but when we see not onely an other government in all other reformed Churches but also the successe of that government to be much more usefull to the advancement of the Gospell and Kingdome of Christ there may be much more confidence in removing this last and greatest Let of preaching the Gospell Thus have I endeavoured to lay open the most soveraigne preservative against and most forcible destructive of Popery Preaching and therein I am sure I have not erred because the Spirit of Truth is my guide I have indeavoured also to discover the Lets of preaching and and to suggest some wayes of redresse wherein I stand in more need of candour for I may erre and need pardon I am short and need supply but if by these or other meanes preaching be advanc't I doubt not but Popery will be subdued daily and if Protestancy prevaile against Popery Protestants will undoubtedly prevaile against Papists when the spirituall holds of Anti-christ are throwne downe by the word the Temporall power of Anti-christians shall not prevaile against us God will turne his hand against our enemies But if we suffer preaching to goe downe and Popery to prevaile how just will it be with God to sell us into the hand of Papists which he in his mercy and goodnes ever avert To whom be glory for ever and ever AMEN As Christ saved the world by writing and tâ—aching of foure Evangelists so the Fiend casteth to damne the world and Priests fâ—â— letâ—ing to preach the Gospell by these foure By fained contemplations by Songs by Salisbury use and by worldly businesse of Priests Wickliffe in the Conclusion of his complaint to the King and Parliament FINIS
2 2. That which is fittest to build up the Kingdome of Christ is fittest to destroy Anti-christs throne for these are Contraries contrariorum contraria sunt praedicata Now what is the essentiall pillar of Christs Kingdome what begins it upholds it encreaseth it but the preaching of the Gospell By this the Apostlâ—s planted Churches and succeeding Pastours water'd and cherisht them When David and the house of Saul had both Thrones in one Kingdome what strengthned the one eadem operâ weakned the other So it is betweene the Kingdome of Christ and Anti-christ Generatio unius est corruptio alterius The ones raising is the others ruine Argum. 3 3. What is most contrary to the efficient or producing cause of any thing must needs be most destructive of that thing For as contraries have contrary praedicates so have they contrary effects also one contrary destroying what another brings forth Now what begat or brought Popery to its height but ignorance and suppressing of the word of God this superstition raigning and domineering then most when preaching of the word was least Therefore what ignorance of the word begat viz. this monster so sin the light and plaine setting up of the word must needs be fittest to consume Argum. 4 4. Every thing hath its spheare in working and things worke best on things of the same nature Corpus non agit in animam nisi indirecte Antichristianisme is a spirituall evill and so spirituall meanes should be most operative against it Now this spirit of Gods mouth is not a carnall but a spirituall weapon 2. Cor. 10.4.5 and mighty through God to throw downe strong holds even the spirituall holds of Anti-christs and the Divells Kingdome Argum. 5 5. That which is the best meanes to destroy sin must needs be most operative in the destruction of the man of sin for esse dat nomen his name is from his nature sin gives him being as well as denomination but by the word sin is destroyed By the Law comes the knowledge of sin and knowledge of sin is a good degree to the cure For penitus seisse est penitus odisse and odium is affectus aversationis one cannot rightly know it but will truly hate it and one cannot practise what they hate Ioh. 17.17 Sanctifie them by thy truth thy word is truth To sanctifie is nothing but to cleanse from sinne Argum 6 6. And what else can be the reason why the Pope and Papists are such enemies to the word of God both read and preached Is it not because they perceive its an enemy to them doe they not confesse the reason why they suppresse it to be because it makes Heretickes as they terme them that indeed makes them leave the Ly of Popery which is discovered by that and embrace those truths which are more consonant to that blessed rule And if the word read be so terrible to for powerfull against Anti-christ what is the word preach't but much more effectuall For tho the word as it is read be of more authority yet as it preached so being expounded and applied becomes of more power and efficacy Argum. 7 7. And doth not experience confirme this what did what doth give the greatest blow to Popery was not the divulging of the Gospel of Christ by Wickliffe Hus Hierome of Prague and Martin Luther that which first wounded the Kingdome of Anti-christ and in this Kingdome hath not Anti-christ most footing where preaching hath least Papists swarming most in those Shires and parts of them where dumbe and Idoll Ministers are most rife But where the Gospell hath beene for any long time preach't there like Owles with the morning light Papists vanish being either cnoverted to the truth or averted to other places where they may be quiet D … es of darknesse need little other confutation but light a candle will doe more to them than a staffe and the Gospell is spirituall light discountenancing Popery while it discovers it This is the power this is the excellency of the spirit of Gods mouth But here it is to be observed A good Note that it is the Spirit of Gods not of mans mouth which consumes this man of sin Human preaching though it have never so much of mans wit wisedome and eloquence is too weake for this worke it s that plaine preaching which is in the demonstration of Gods spirit and power that must blast this enemy of God and goodnesse Gods owne ordinance must accomplish his owne worke Iosh 6.4.5 If the Israelites bad blowne with brazen yea with golden trumpets when God prescribed Ramshornes the walls of Iericho would never have beene overthrowne Object If Papists would heare all the Sermons which are preach't this might be likely but they will not come within the verge of this heavenly call what force can it then have against them Answ Tho Papists heare not others will who by this meanes will have an antidote to prevent infection and hereby ordinary men will be inabled so to discover their sleights and lay open the filth of their superstition that they will grow ashamed Vse 1 This is then a sound truth and very usefull to direct all those that desire and indeavour this happy consumption of this man of sin Popery is full of Idolatry by Image-altar saint and bread-worship and so pernicious to the Churches and States where it is suffered there cannot then be a better object for a good Christian or States-man than to indeavour the supplanting of Popery and to those that are so well minded here 's the way the spirit of Gods mouth consumes the man of sin then set up preaching and you pull downe massing and expell it Penalties against Papists are good and necessary but preaching is better and more usefull If penalties be executed against Popery it may be kept from audacious appearing but by the setting up of preaching it would loose its being Penalties may restraine it preaching would consume it If Jesuites be banish't that may hinder the perverting of others if preachers be set up that will further the conversion of those which they have already perverted Penalties may hinder Popery from being the sin of the Land because being punished it should not be imputed But preaching would hinder it from being a fin in the Land because it would make it vanishas a mist before the Sun Both together are now necessary and usefull but I am perswaded if every congregation in England had a learned and godly Pastour that did preach the Gospell to them constantly in the demonstration of the spirit and power in a small time Jesuites would need no Proclamations to banish them nor Papists any Law to punish them there would be no Papist in our Israel But while the ignorance and negligence of Ministers suffer them to be seduced and their lewd conversation harden them in errour Lawes and penalties will be of little availe against them Which was long since observed by that learned and renowned light of our