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
A45356	A discourse of the excellency of Christianity	Hallywell, Henry, d. 1703?	1671 (1671)	Wing H461; ESTC R25404	37,770	96

of them that embraced Christianity was Repentance from dead works and Faith towards God and upon this followed Baptism then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I take to be Catechizing and after that Confirmation by the Bishop agreeable to this Apostolical Custom is the Practice of the Church of England who after Baptism appoints Children to be instructed in the Church-Catechism and then brought to the Bishop to receive Confirmation For others whose intellectual Capacities were fit for the reception of higher Mysteries there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a full and rational Explication of the several Dogmata of Christianity and of these St. Paul is to be understood when he says We speak wisdom among them that are perfect even the wisdom of God in the Mystery of the Gospel And St. John distinguishes the several Ages and Growths of Christians I write unto you little Children because your Sins are forgiven you for his names sake I write unto you young men because ye have overcome the wicked one I write unto you fathers because ye have known him that is from the beginning Now that the Stewards of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven may give every one his meat in due season it is necessary there should be a diversity in the Gospel that every proportion and degree in Grace may receive somthing which may both strengthen and gratify the knower A man is not satisfied with that which will nourish and content an Infant and and he that is well grown in Piety and Holiness leaving the Rudiments and Principles of Christianity ascends to higher Notions and is infinitely satisfied and ravished with the Contemplation of the Works of Nature and Providence in beholding the Divine Goodness and Wisdom in the Manifestation of that Mystery which lay hid from Ages and Generations and whose only Design being revealed is the complete Restauration and Perfection of Human Nature And in this is the Saying of the wise man verified Eccles 2.26 God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom and knowledge and joy CHAP. II. Of the Truth of Christianity THe second Illustration of the Excellency of Christian Religion is That it is true which will best be evidenced by these Gradations 1. It is certain that there was such a Man as Jesus in the World And here I would desire the Enemies of this Truth whether Jews or Heathens to give me liberty to make use of the same Arguments they themselves do in proving the Truth of their Histories For how are they assured that there were any such men in the World as Moses and Aristotle If they say they have it from a constant and unquestionable Tradition we can bring the same proof for the Christian Religion the Truth of which hath been delivered successively from one Generation to another for above these sixteen hundred years If they appeal to the Writings of those who were contemporary with them the Christians have the same Plea For the very Enemies of Jesus such as Celsus the Epicurean and Julian the Apostate never questioned his Existence and Being upon Earth The words of Celsus we have in the second Book of Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Julian confesses as much as we find by Cyril in his sixth Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I might here bring in the Testimony of Tacitus Pliny and Numenius the Pythagorean who in his third Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Origen tells us relates a certain piece of the History of Jesus which he afterwards allegorizes but I need not be copious in this the Jews themselves who never thought they could sufficiently detest and hate the Name of the Holy Jesus yet could not deny but he once lived among them and therefore call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Lucian in derision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him that was hanged on a Tree 2. It is likewise as unquestionable that Jesus wrought many notable Miracles while he conversed with men and they are such as if we look into the Quality and Design of them do evidently prove his Mission from Heaven and therefore that all men ought to believe on him And this miraculous Power ought to have convinced the Jews by their own Law for this was the Sign or Token left by Moses to discern between the true and false Prophet Deut. xviii 21 22. And if thou say in thine heart How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken When a Prophet speaks in the name of the Lord if the thing follow not nor come to pass i. e. if he do no Miracles that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken And consequently if there shall come one whose Doctrine tends to the establishing the pure Worship of the true God and delivers nothing but what is for the promotion of Piety and Holiness and shall confirm this his Doctrine by Miracles both Jews and Gentiles ought to believe in him But if any one come and seek to draw men from real and substantial Holiness and the Worship of the true God and to gain credit to his pernicious Design shall work a Miracle we are not to believe him because God sometimes permits such things to be done to try the Constancy and Stedfastness of men Deut. xiii 1 2 3. To this the Jews object and say that our blessed Saviour performed his Miracles by magical and diabolical Arts for so they tell him that he cast out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils To this impious Cavil we may return 1. the Answer which our Saviour made them Mat. xii 25 26. Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation and if Satan cast out Satan he is divided against himself how shall then his kingdom stand For the Doctrin of Christ being so exactly opposite and destructive of the kingdom of Unrighteousness and Darkness as Porphyry himself acknowledged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the Head and Prince of this wicked Polity should abet the Lord Christ so far as to impower him to cast out his associates from their usurped Habitations it would undoubtedly beget an intestine War and the Powers of Hell would be at an eternal Variance and Dissension with one another which at last would be the cause of the ruine of their Kingdom 2. This were an invincible Tentation put upon Mankind for there can be no surer manifestation of the Presence and Approbation of the Deity than when a man is inabled to work Miracles And it were irreconcileable with the Goodness and Wisdom of Almighty God to suffer the most innocent and harmless Persons in the world to be fatally and inevitably deluded 3. The great Synedrium consisting of the High-Priests the Elders of the People and the Scribes or Lawyers as their Assistants whose Office and Right it was to try the Prophets are said by the Jews to be skilled in Magick Rites for the better and surer Exploration of those who pretended to be true Prophets but wrought their