Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	devil_n	divide_v	satan_n	2,318	5	9.3446	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01041	A defence of the lavvful calling of the ministers of reformed churches, against the cavillations of Romanists Whereto is subioined, an epistle to a recusant, for clearing and maintaining some points of the former treatise of defence, challenged by a Roman Elymas Bar-Iesus-it. With a short discovery of the adversarie his dottage in his impertinent and rediculously deceitfull demands. By Patrik Forbes, of Coirse.	Forbes, Patrick, 1564-1635.	1614 (1614)	STC 11146; ESTC S114324	93,515	180

by the Barbarous feretie of Vandall and Gothik Kings in Africk and Europe it was inforced and yet neither so could it ever either beare downe the truth or continue long vngone in smoke before it As for Mahometisme nothing bred it but preceeding degrees of Antichristian darknes decay of light in the Church and with Antichrist his arysing to a heigh it still increased as which was both an effect thereof and in God his wrath a punishment of Antichristian Idolatrie Neither doeth ought yet still maintaine it but ignorance of the Gospell the revived light whereof hath not as yet come to them For thereby first the waters of Babylon at which both they and the Iewes doe still stumble must be dryed vp that so the way may bee prepared for the East to receave the Gospell as increase of Antichristian Idolatrie the swelling of Euphrates first alienated the one from it and still holdeth the other in induration Moreover this instance of Mahomet and the comparison thereof with our powerful prevailing light of truth is ridiculous For that Mahometisme never was advanced one foot of earth but so farre as by sword and fyre it was set forward Wheras the Gospell having sword and fyre and when sworde and fyre even in the hands of pitilesse persecuters yet by the patience of Saints have fainted having nowe at last privie poisonings bloodie complots and all the treasonable and tragicall machinations which the Emissarie frogges of hell can hatch against it yet it prevaileth and still shall in despit of all opposition till Antichrist being vndone these errors of Iudaisme and Mahometisme shall also vanishe at the cleare light thereof when they shall even see him who pearsed him and shall mourne apart for him which great events no doubt are approching neere in such strange and busie endeavour ●●●he frogges of Satans mouth to assemble their forces to Armageddon that their iust destruction may much against their intention minister matter even of an Ebrew song in a sweete and high tuned Halleluiah 26. Their other obiection is the manifold Sectes which have sprung vp with the revived light of the Gospell each contrarie to other and all stoutlie acclayming the prerogative of truth And O howe our adversaries doe heere applaud themselves of their vnitie and how skoffinglie they exagitat this as they call it our distraction and multitude of opinions so as one of them in a faire but faintlie fought challenge sent to the Ministers of Scotland at the end of his weake wrestling minding to finishe it with a deadlie blowe concludeth his discourse in a good tale faire tale forsooth of this our diversitie which for the greater force hee fetcheth from a tippling Taverne in Germanie seeking belike in Vino veritatem But doe not these men erre because they know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God yea though they themselves bee Ministers of Satan his deceit and men of his right hande yet are they not skilled to discerne his slight and malicious maner of working Might not this wherewith they reproach our Churches have bene laid alse yea and more iustlie against the first out-going light of the Gospell and primitive Church raised thereby yea was not this then the common accusation thereof in the mouthes of all ignorant and earthlie men for that even with the beginning and prevailing light of the Gospell Sathan stirred vp such an infinite number of detestable heresies and prodigious opinions abhominable even to any naturall man of stayed witts and all vnder the name of Christianitie that therevpon without more sifting or tryall the worlde was stirred madlie to reiect and condemne the whole profession and with sword and fyre to persecute it as a horrible Pest. When Satan brooketh all at ease then is hee at rest but if a stronger then hee come in to spoile his house then hee imployed might and slight When by the valour of Michael and his Angels Sathan is thrust out from brooking a place in Heaven then commeth hee downe on earth with great rage then VVoe to the inhabitants of Sea and earth For being by the power of the Gospell cast out of Heaven and falling downe thence as lightning then seeing hee can not brooke a roome in God his house hee furiouslie mistrammeth his own When hee can not keepe downe the light of the Gospell nor by all his guyle and malice obtaine but that precious pearle must come foorth his next endeavour is to cast in therewith such a multitude of counterfaits as may make the vpright pearle either hardlie to bee discerned or then with the rest to be esteemed all alike false so to divert mens heartes from it This their obiection then maketh so little against the Gospell as it sheweth evidently by this angrie busines of Satan that he is indeed highlie chafed and therefore the wyse hearted ought the more diligentlie to search after that precious pearle the manifestation whereof so breeveth him for that true and vpright money which hee laboureth among the mids of his counterf●its and false coine to conceale ●r then to discredit When Satan by the beast of his throne and authoritie brooked all then was that ●ase and vnitie whereof our adversaries glorie For God had put in the heartes of the Kings of the earth with one consent to give their Kingdomes to the beast till the wordes of God were fulfilled Sahtan never invyeth vnitie in errour nor zeale in a false religion If vnitie simply without respect of that wherein parties are vnited were a note of the church then might hell vindicate to it selfe that title For the Deuills have an vnitie and Satan his kingdome is not divided against it selfe Brigands conspiring to shed blood and having one purse are vnited It is then vnitie in truth and not a conspiracie in errour or brotherhood in evill which men may glorie of As at the first publishing of the Gospell Sathan was put besides his possession and thereupon stirred vp swarmes of herefies so having once again by the beast of his power gotte his throne erected even in the Temple of God brooking al peaceably therein when again the litle long closed but at length opened sweetly swallowed booke gave hability by the right 〈◊〉 to examin him cast him out then he returned madly to his former policie Thus the sorcerers of Egipt to discredit the works of Moses 〈◊〉 did work the like and thus ever the invious one with the good seed soweth in his ●ares But all this maketh so litle against the truth that by the cōtrarie the vertue power thereof a● so much the more clearly manifested In that these who are the Sinagogue of Sathan calling themselves 〈◊〉 and ●re not ar evē forced to come worshipe before the feet of P●il●●●●ia and are compelled to know that God loveth her in that shee only is stablished and made a piller in the house of GOD which

of Christ but an inward traytour deceaving by the ensigne and that so cunninglie and covertlie as a long time not only his characterized ones who only of his favoures are partakers both of his treason and endles iudgement but also many simple sheepe deceaved by the semblance of the Lambe his hornes and in singlenes of heart following the ensigne were made so to follow him and to receave his name albeit they receaved never his character nor learned the deeepnes of Satan and many also who never either receaved character or name yet lurking within him and shrouded vnder the common ensigne of profession receaved the number of his name that is were numbred and counted to be his albeit in effect they were none of his either by acceptation of character or name For hee treading downe the holy Citie Court of the Temple that is domining and ruling in the visible church and along time ouerthrowing therein all true worshippe as did Iezabel in Israel 42. monethes or three yeares and a halfe Antiochus Epiphanes in Ierusalem the same space all which time of his vsurpation the true church within his compas continuallie lurking as the Temple within the Citie and Court No other possible accesse could bee to the Temple the true Church but through the Citie and Court the visible Church wherein Antichrist sitting that is Domining all Christians behooved of necessitie to ioine to that body where was the common ensigne which howsoever or by whomsoever caried yet it was ever oportunum inquirendi exordium convenient entrie to inquire by and so alwayes many comming thither and spying the pollution of the Citie and court of the Temple they stepped in to the Temple where continually therefore in a close and deepe wisdome that case is numbred by dayes al the time of Antichrist his most absolut prevayling was the true church and true and faithfull Ministers of grace and light and albeit few and long lurking in heavines yet powerfully dispensing light and grace free from open and barbarous persecution till the little booke opened and obtained out of the hand of the great Angell and greedilie and sweetlie swallowed inabled and stirred them by the right measuring reed to examine the church and thereby to finde that citie and court were to bee cast out whereat the beast Antichrist highly chaffed murthereth first even with applause those true Ministers But God still stirring vp others in the same spirit at last a visible separation is made not from the Church as our adversaries vainlie pratle but from Antichrist and the long covered traitour in the church So as then truth and true professours within the church onely of the church but long borne down and lurking through prevailing errour at length begun to becom visible to the terrour and astonishment of their adversaries and to obtain and beare sway by the discoverie fall of Antichrist Whose sacrilegious impietie having come to such height as it could no longer bee covered or borne it was then said to the revived witnesses Come vp hither and their enemies saw them and were afrayde that is the long lurking afflicted and at last murthered ones become visible even to their enemies who first imagined none such to bee and next that they could bee no more and to their griefe and terrour are seene and knowen to beare away the title of the true Church in that place as through all that Prophecie signified by the name of heaven in opposition to the earth and earthlie ones Wee have not only stronge and invincible argumentes but even therewith such cleare foretolde storie of all the ryfinge grouth doctrine dealing and fall of Antichrist And of the continuall manner of God his gracious dispensation towardes his true Church lurking vnder him afflicted by him and victorious over him as that wherein our adversaries glorie most turneth most to their shame and that wherewith they most reproache our Church speaketh stronglie for vs. And the Lorde his wise providence for preserving thus his Church in the middes of Antichristian vsurpation while he appeared to possesse all was wonderfull in that even in time of greatest corruption yet a sure accesse and free way was still reserved and kept thorough the Citie and Court to the Temple the Sacrament of Baptisme in substance remayning and the doctrine of the Trinitie beeing kept sounde 8. Wee are so farre from denying to Antichrist a place yea and an ordinarie calling in the Church that wee affirme constantlie that so it must have beene And that not onely hee behooved to bee in it but also Sit that is beare rule therein But so wee grant him to bee in it as yet hee is none of it more then a boile or apostume in the body is a member of the body so wee grant him to have had rule and ordinarie calling in the Church as had these Husband-men to whom indeed the Vineyard was set but they murthered the heire such an ordinarie builder wee confesse him to bee as reiecteth that stone which yet in despyte of him becommeth head of the corner Wee yeeld him the ordinarie vocation of a Pastour but that hee is a wolfe to have beene sometime a starre of heaven and minister of light and of the keyes of the kingdome but to have fallen to the earth to have changed the keyes of heaven in those of the bottomlesse pit and to have become the minister of darknes whereby hee hath darkened Sunne Moone and Aire Sathan having bene once by Michael his valour so powerfullie cast downe from heaven had never againe bene able by the beast of his authoritie to erect his throne even in the Temple of God if hee had not pretended the Lambe his hornes neither had hee ever bene able to sende out our Sampson his ridle if hee had not plowed with his heifer Now then seeing that Antichrist of an order succession of degenerating Pastours and that not at once but slowlie and by degrees hath slylie arissen to that height of impietie as a beast rising out of the earth Sensim imperare incipiebat religio habenas imperij capere ius suum acquirere nibil subitum nihil tumultuarium sayth their owne parasite Steuchus And seeing that alwayes before his discoverie the pretence of the common ensigne carried him out and that there-through many true both Pastours and Professours receaving his name or his number but not his character did come in singlenes to the cōmon ensigne not properlie to him seeing that albeit he was a Wolf yet before it was said to the revived witnesses Come vp hither he brooked stil the place of an ordinarie Pastour and seeing that outward ordination and all the action of the ministers thereof serveth but for outward order all inward gift grace power and vertue comming from God the author of the calling what absurditie is it that a good Pastor receave ordination of a

extraordinarie calling wee have to worke miracles Who of any sound mynd can not but extreamlie wonder how by so manifold and childishe a cavillation men affecting the opinion of learning and holynes should so evidentlie make themselves ridiculous and bewray openlie an evill conscience For first as I have already cleared for our Churches in common they are impudent to deny our ordinarie vocation But to let this passe with them if my doctrine proove it selfe to bee the truth what place have such men as it convinced to bee ●yers to except against my vocation which justifieth it selfe sufficientlie even by that fame Doe men gather grapes of thornes or fygges of thistles And if necessitie were of miracles what greater can bee then this that The stone even reiected of the builders is yet made the head of the corner Which by the Lord his owne Testimony is marveilous in our eies and yet it is the Lod his doing If our doctrine bee truth their mouthes are stopped who directlie impugne it and if it bee false what foolishnes is it to crave a warrant of our callings as if all the miracles which ever were wrought could warrant a man to teach lyes Besides all this that miracles are alwayes requisite for iustifying an extraordinarie callinge it is falslie assumed For of Iohne Baptist whose callinge Christ his answer to the Priestes prooverh to have beene extraordinarie it is witnessed that hee wrought no miracles as neither did divers Prophets before him And whatsoever was then either vsed or requisit while that manner of dispensation had place yet now when the whole Counsell of GOD is reveiled and that manner of dispensation altered miracles in these our tymes without any more were even enough wherefore to mistrust the worker For that howsoever at the beginning of the Gospell in so strange and great alterations as were the inbringing of the Gentiles and the abrogation of the legall worshippe which was of GOD his owne appointement it was as sayeth Augustin miraculis inchoata begun with miracles yet now the Sonne of man having long agoe come in his kingdome with power and the Sinagogue beeing buried with honour the case in these last tymes varieth so farre as miracles and wonders are the badge of Antichrist who hath come with all effectuall working of Sathan in signes lying wonders and strong delusion So as whosoever now worketh miracles quanto magis mira●ilia confi●emur tanto cautius vitare debemus How much more wonderfull wee confesse them to be wee ought the more warilie to eshew them as sayeth the same Augustin And this diversitie o● dispensation the holy Ghost in goodly and convenient types most fitlie expresseth Chapter 4. and Chapter 15. of the Revelation In the first is put a cleare Christallin Sea with seven burning Lampes apart So to designe the pure word worship according thereto in these first tymes accompanied with the powerfull cooperation of the holy spirit but in such sort as then there was a distinct outward and visible dispensation and donation of the holy spirit by imposition of hands and kything in visible symbols of the holy spirit and divers gifts and miraculous operations In the fifteene Chapter is shewed again that the Sea is cleare as Christall and hath the ioyned operation of the holy spirit but the Sea is mingled with the fyre To shew in the last dispensation for overthrow of Antichrist a puritie of the word and worship the vertue of the spirit ioyned therewith as at first but yet so as no dispensation of the spirit should be but by and with the word as mingled therewith all outward and visible extraordinarie donation of the spirit and miraculous operations now ceassing And verelie an other manner was requisite for bringing in first the Gentiles to the faith and so casting Satan from heaven even that the Gospell should be miraculis inchoata then for overturning his fraudfully reerected throne in the church vnder pretence of the Lambe his hornes and to much different dealing for burying the Synagogue with honour then for thrusting Antichrist to the doore with shame At first the Lord had to procure credit to his Gospell as to his owne sacred will word next again he had by this Gospell so now obtaining as the partie to be detected and overthrowen thereby dare not openly denie the authoritie thereof but to convince the traitour covered vnder false pretences 25. To disproove this power of plaine and prevayling truth and to discredit the argument of our miraculous successe thereby our adversaries yet ryse against vs with two obiections The first is that if successe and wyde obtayning were a note of truth then also or more iustlie might Arrianisme and Mahometisme acclaime the title thereof as wee But these instances are sophisticallie brought against the truth and vs. For albeit wee confesse heresie to bee verie contagious and the word thereof to be fretting as a gangrene through the conveniencie it hath with the vaine humour of man who is naturallie a lyer yet when soever it is put to iust tryall by the truth then can it retaine no strength It is indeed true that truth alwayes prevayleth not for then the mysterie of iniquitie had never attayned to such height but this falleth not through the weaknes of truth but partlie through the vanity of men who falling away frō the love and due regard of truth are in God his iustice given vp to the efficacie of errour Partlie through their vniust furie reiecting and persecuting the truth vntryed wherein yet the great odds betwixt veritie and lyes is wonderfull in that even in the highest degree of prevailing error while Satan hath a throne in the verie temple of God yet even then as in Pergamus the truth still dwelleth and a number keep the name of God even where Satan his throne is and against the terrour of bloodshed Whereas on the other part truth being but admitted to plead for it selfe albeit the holders have little strength as in Philadelphia yet the adversaries are forced to come and worship at their feet But this we maintaine and hold that when ever it pleaseth the Lord to send out his light and truth for leading men to his holy mountaine and that herefie howe stronglie soever grounded is reduced to due examination thereby that then albeit it hath vsurped even the holy citie court of the tempel yet by the true measuring reed it will be clearlie found to be cast out Their argument is a deceitfull falacie by confounding of divers cases and causes of the truth admitted to plead and of the same againe after in God his iustice hid or by mens crueltie and vniust violence debarred from all defence And this is evident in both the alleadged instances For Arianisme albeit having for it great but vnsanctified both learning and eloquence yet was ever ashamed before the truth till by the crueltie and violence of Easterne Emperours in Asia and