Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	beast_n	image_n	worship_v	2,681	5	9.5773	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41500	Prelatique preachers none of Christ's teachers, or, A Disswasive unto the people of God from attending the ministry (so called) of those, who preach by verture of an (Apocryphal) ordination, received from an order of men, commonly stiled Lord Bishops wherein arguments are tendered to their serious considerations, by way of motive against that practice ... .	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1663 (1663)	Wing G1192; ESTC R33795	80,325	88

Nonconformity after all this understood that they nevertheless without any demurre in the case stood fast and firm in their resolution not to comport with his Decree in a great fury he commanded that the Furnace should be heated seven times hotter than ordinary and that the strongest men in his Army should bind these three persons and cast them into it ver 13 14 15. c. We may in this story as in a glass behold the spirit of Idolatry and Superstition acting like it self in rage and blood to compel through dread and terrour of outward sufferings an universal subjection of all persons to all the prescripts and commands of it In like manner the Beast that had two horns like a Lamb but spake as a Dragon that is that professeth the humility and meekness of Christ the Lamb of God but speaketh in his Bulls and Excommunications of Kings and Princes and whole Nations like the Great Red Dragon the Devil who boasteth of a power delivered and given unto him to dispose of all the Kingdoms of the World as he pleased Luke 4. 6. this Beast I say according to that Heavenly Vision wherein his practices and doings were long since revealed by Christ unto his beloved Disciple John causeth ALL both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive from him or by his command a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads and that no man might buy or sell and consequently have any means of livelyhood or subsistance as far as he could hinder it save he that had the Mark or the Name of the Beast meaning his own or the number of his Name Rev. 13. 16 17. that is in the general for we must not at present enquire after the particulars save only such who should give testimony by one means or other that they owned his Authority and submitted their Consciences to his Faith and Religion And vers 15. it is said that by his power he gave Life or Spirit the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the Image of the Beast that is to his own Image meaning that what by means of his temporal and what by means of his spiritual power which he should get in the world he would so animate and inspire his Image that is the Systeme or aggregate Body of his Ecclesiastical Consistories or Courts of Judicature in all places which in their bloody proceedings and actings against the true Worship and Worshippers of God resemble his Genius and frame of Spirit and may therefore be termed his Image 〈◊〉 this body or Image of his saith John He had power to give Life that it should both speak and cause that is so speak as to cause that as many as would not worship the Image of the Beast that is reverentially own and acknowledge this his Jurisdiction and Power as given unto him by God should be killed The other Interpretation of this passage given by some maketh the result of it the same in reference to our present purpose And the practices of the Papal Judicatures for many Ages past in all places and Nations under Heaven where the Authority and Faith of the triple Crown prevailed give a pregnant and loud testimony to the truth contained in the Scriptures now cited yea and afford a clear light for the right understanding of them It were no hard matter to exemplifie and confirm the obsrvation now before us by many more instances as well from the Scripture-Records themselves as from Histories of the best credit otherwise So that it is a shrewd presumption that a co-assembling with Parish-Congregations for the Worship of God and the ordinary or constant hearing of a Prelatical Priesthood have nothing of God in them make not for edification in Faith and Love in that they are so rigorously exacted and under such severe penalties imposed upon all men by the greatness of this World this being the accustomed known and appropriate method of Idolatry Superstition and humane-Inventions to maintain and propagate themselves and their interest in the World Nor are they that ride upon the high places of the Earth wont to be so zealously addicted or through-hearted to promote the real concernments of Heaven where they have to do The reason why Christ shall not deliver up the Kingdom which at present he administreth unto God the Father until he hath put down all Rule and all Authority and Power is declared thus For he must reign till he hath put all ENEMIES under his feet 1 Cor. 15. 24 25. clearly implying that persons of high interest in the World are seldom in any other sence friends to the Kingdom of Christ but only by opposing it their enmity and opposition to him in his Saints and Worship ministreth an occasion unto him according to the projecture of the Wisdom and Counsel of God to continue this Kingdom so much the longer in his hand namely until in a most equitable and fair process of Justice and Judgment and after much patience and a large space given for Repentance he shall abolish for ever their places of dignity and power from off the Earth CONSIDERATION XIX When God hath vouchsafed a sufficiency of 〈◊〉 and these unquestionably lawful though not so rank of flesh or so highly promising upon such an account as some others for the attaining of any good and desirable end as well a declining and forsaking of these means whether out of diffidence of the sufficiency of them for the end desired or upon any other reason whatsoever to espouse others that are more carnally flattering and pretending to more strength and efficacy but want the feal of Divine Approbation upon them as the associating of means of this latter kind with those of the former hoping by such a Conjunction as this to pursue our desires with less danger of a defeat or disappointment I say both the one and the other of these projections and practices have still been displeasing unto God and of sad consequence unto those that have been no better advised than to make tryal of them Examples of the truth of this observation the Scriptures afford many When King Ahaz would not rest satisfied with the strength of his own Kingdom and men by whom God had promised him protection deliverance from the two Kings his neighbours who combined in War against him but judged it better policy to call in the King of Assyria to his assistance contrary to the mind of God made known unto him by the Prophet in these words Take heed and BE QUIET that is trouble not thy self in seeking after forreign help from one place or other It is much the same expression and upon a like occasion which we find Isa 30. 7. Their strength saith God is to sit still meaning to depend upon him in the use of such means for their protection and safety as they had at home or he should direct them unto and not to weary themselves or waste their treasures by sending abroad to

affections towards the Saints chusing for their bosome converse persons whom they judge most able and willing withal to justifie them in their Apostacy and to maintain the Prelatical cause from the one end to the other with greatest zeal and dexterity they become self-willed self-conceited boasting of their knowledge imputing it to the weakness and ignorance of all others that they do not sacrifice at the same Altars with them or that they scruple question or condemn any thing which they allow and practise In a word these Crow-trodden professors let the Metaphor offend no man by offering and suffering their judgments and consciences to be ridden by a Prelatical Clergy become in time not only transform'd into an uncouth strange and hard favour'd kind of Christian much unlike unto themselves when and whilest they consorted with the Sons and Daughters of God and drank of the same waters of life with them but for the most part so intoxicated also besotted and bewitched with their new wine that they seldom or never recover that lovely image of God wherein they formerly appeared to the comfort and joy of many a precious Soul For that which Solomon saith concerning the woman which forsaketh the Guide of her youth and forgetteth the covenant of her God namely that none that go unto her return again Prov. 2. 17 19. may be said of those that turn aside to a Babylonish Ministry God in judgment poureth out upon them the spirit of deep sleep and closeth their eyes Esa 29. 10. so that they hardly ever awake out of the snare until they dye CONSIDERATION XVIII Nor falleth it much short of a Demonstration of the Evil or sinfulness of that Way from which by many Arguments we have disswaded already that so much secular violence hath been and still is imployed to compel and force all men into it How did the Prelates heretofore before the great mountain of their power and glory was removed by the late King and Parliament turn every stone of tyranny cruelty and oppression to constrain both men and women to keep their Parish Churches What troups of Summoners and Apparitors were levied up and down the Nation to hunt out and pursue like Blood-hounds all both male and female bond and free whose Judgements were too full of Light their Consciences of Goodness to drink of the waters of those polluted Cisterns which they had hewn out chusing rather some of them to worship God chastly and purely even with two or three gathered together in the name of Christ amongst whom he hath promised his presence Mat. 18. 20. although in such an attempt as this they exposed themselves to the danger of being with Daniel cast into the Lyons Den I mean of being brought into their High Commission or some of their Antichristian Consistories many I say chusing this rather than without any such danger to communicate with the Parish Assemblies either in their adultrous worship or idol ministry and of late since their deadly wound was almost healed how have they by their sorceries insinuated and prevailed with the Legislative Powers of the Nation only to legitimate Ministers of their spurious brood and conformity and to disinherit all others of their functions as if they were basely descended because they do not call them Fathers and not only this but by several penalties also to restrain all assemblings of men for the Worship of God and their Christian Edification excepting only in consort with such Congregations where they shall be necessitated to hear such Teachers only who bring their office of teaching from under their hands Thus doth the spirit of Prelacy in conjunction with an arm of flesh with the powers of this world instead of those of the world to come labour in the very fire to bring the whole trade of hearing to the shops of their journey-men be their wares never so braided sleight or deceitful and this verifieth the saying Superbia appetitum habet unitatis omnipotentiae i. e. The Pride of man greatly affecteth unity and omnipotency Now it can hardly be shewed that ever the real interest of the Gospel or true Christianity endeavoured their advancement or promotion in the World by threatning or inflicting secular punishments as Fines Confiscations Imprisonments Banishments Deaths or the like upon those who refused to comply with them but upon their service and for their gaining upon the world rather offered and exposed their own proselytes and friends upon all occasions to the suffering of these things from the world Whereas on the contrary it is well known that Idolatry Superstition and false Worships almost in every kind in all ages for the enlargement of their quarters and for encreasing the number of their Proselytes have according to their strength warred after the flesh in the Apostles phrase and pleaded their cause with Fire and Sword and all manner of outward severities against those that refused compliance with them By how authoritative and bloody an Act of Uniformity did King Nebuchadnezzar endeavour a universal concurrence of all within his vast Dominions to joyn with him in his Idolatrous Worship of the Golden Image which he had set up Then all his Princes and great Officers of State being summoned together and present an Herald cryed aloud To you it is commanded O People Nations and Languages That at what time ye hear the sound of the Cornet ye fall down and worship the Golden Image which Nebuchadnezzar the King hath set up And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace Dan. 3. 4 5 6. And when only three persons in his Dominions were accused as Nonconformists to this his Decree with what fierceness of indignation doth he proceed against them First In his rage and fury he commanded to bring them before him Being come he himself examined them or rather expostulated with them about the crime laid to their charge as if it had been an high affront put upon him or an undervaluing of his Majesty and Power Is it true O Shadrach Meshach and Abeduego Do ye not serve my gods nor worship the Golden Image which I have set up Even as our Prelates and great men of their Inspiration count it an insufferable disparagement and reproach unto them when persons of meaner rank in the World judge it not safe or well-pleasing unto God to worship him after the same mode with them as with the same Ceremonies the same Gestures or Postures of body in the same places and assemblies the same I mean in nature or kind and especially with the same Liturgies and forms of Prayer when they shall authoritatively solemnly and with a borrowed visor of gravity and devotion impose all this upon them When the King having re-minded the said three Servants of God of the tenour of his Decree concerning the worshipping of his Golden Image and threatned them with the heavy doom therein expressed in case they should persist in their

but under great dangers or penalties to assemble themselves together for their holy occasions openly Christ is not wont to bless them or do any great things for them in such promiscuous Congregations which are of a worldly complexion and constitution as well Priest as People and which upon this account are publickly countenanced and rejoyced in but his manner and good pleasure hath been in such hard seasons as these to allure them into the Wilderness and there to speak kindly and graciously unto them or to gather them together under his wings privately as a hen gathereth her chickens and so to communicate his heavenly warmth and vivifick influence unto them CONSIDERATION XXI They that keep the Word of Christ's Patience shall be kept by him from the hour of temptation which will come upon others to try them Rev. 3. 10. whereas they deprive themselves of the benefit and blessing of this precious Promise who shall betray forsake or decline this Word By the Word of Christs Patience though it be with some difference yet not great neither understood may with greatest probability as I conceive be meant any Gospel-Truth which is opposed with a strong and high hand in the place where we live and can hardly be owned and professed without suffering or at least without danger of suffering in one degree or other Such a Truth as this may be called The Word of Christ's Patience because he is the occasion by his charge upon men in that behalf why any man suffers for the profession and defence of it at any time or more briefly because it is for his sake that any man in any case whatsoever suffereth for it In a State or Nation professedly Pagan and where Christianity upon what terms soever professed is a reproach unto those that profess it or matter of deeper inconvenience the whole Gospel or Doctrine hereof in general is and may be called The Word of Christ's Patience In Kingdoms or States professing Christianity the Doctrine of the Gospel in general is never this Word because every man here may profess that he believeth this Doctrine in general without exposing himself to any danger of suffering But the Word of Christ's Patience in such Communities of men as these is alwayes some particular considerable and weighty Truth of the Gospel one or more which either plainly and in express words or else constructively and by clear consequence whether in opinion or practice or both is denied or opposed either by the Ruling Powers or by the Ministers and others reputed Learned and Orthodox or by the generality of the People here So that whoever shall keep this Word that is shall discover himself to own such a Truth or shall upon occasion openly plead the cause of it renders himself hereby obnoxious unto the hatred and ill-will of the one and the other and consequently unto all such sufferings both for nature and degree which they shall think meet and please to inflict upon him God permitting them so to do as on the contrary they may be said to let go sell or betray such a Truth and give it up as an Error into the hand of the enemy who being convinced in their consciences that it is a Word or Truth of Christ shall notwithstanding either dissemble or deny it when they ought and are called to give testimony unto it or shall comply with the Adversaries in their opposition to it Now concerning the Promise made by Christ unto those that shall keep the Word of his Patience in the sence given by being kept by him from the hour of temptation which will come or may come at one time or other upon the generality of Christians to try them throughly or with the greatest and forest tryal of all is meant That when other Professors of the Gospel shall in many places be tryed with a bloody persecution whereby they will be brought to this sad exigent either to waste their consciences by denying some manifest Truth or else either to lay down their lives or to undergo somewhat that will be bitter in the next degree to it they shall be kept or preserved from that storm So that this is the Rule of Equity by which Christ declares that he will walk towards those that profess his Name and Gospel They that shal shew themselves loyal faithful unto him in owning any of his Words when they are opposed although their faithfulness in this kind shal expose them unto or bring upon them lighter sufferings only and which are more easie to be born shall notwithstanding upon the account of such their faithfulness be excused or exempted by him from greater tryals and which are unto blood whereas those that shall faulter with him and turn their backs upon any of his Words or Truths when the danger of owning them is but little comparitively shall be in danger of being exposed and left by him unto temptations that are most fiery and grievous and exceeding difficult to be resisted Let us now apply the consideration of these things to the business in hand One of the Words of Christs Patience amongst us at this day and which for weight and moment hath the preheminence amongst some others that may passe under the same denomination is That Christ is not onely the Sovereign or Supream but the sole and onely Law-giver unto his Church and People in matters appertaining to the Worship of God Whether the open asserting and maintaining of this Truth in the terms now expressed and no further or otherwise will create danger or trouble unto any person amongst us or no I cannot affirme But certain I am that both an oral and practical maintaining of it in the right sense and import of the said words is of a threatning concernment amongst us For if the Legis-lative authority in matters of Divine worship and things requisite and necessary at all times and in all places hereunto be vested in Christ alone then they that shall keep own and give testimony unto this word must not consent unto or comply with either in word or deed any model or form of praying any ceremony one or more in or about the worship of God any Church-office for the regulating and ordering of this worship which Christ himself hath not prescribed ordered and appointed but are introduced imposed and commanded under mulcts and penalties by humane power and authority only For any thing by command made necessary in or for the worship and service of God and without which men are not permitted but at their peril to worship him hereby becomes essential to this worship and so somewhat and a part of it Those circumstances which God commanded in relation to any main part of his worship under the Law though they were in themselves considered things indifferent as that the beast to be sacrificed should be killed on the side of the Altar Northward Levit. 1. 11. that the crop and feathers of the fowles sacrificed should be cast besides the Altar on