Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	christian_a	church_n	great_a	6,947	5	2.6794	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54027	Concerning the church: or, of the church-state under the Gospel Whereby it may appear what a miserable apostacy from the truth hath overspread and covered the earth for many ages and generations, and how gross and thick the darkness yet lies upon it, though the light of God in his tender mercy hath broke forth and shined upon the people of his gathering, and through them hath also visited the world. The guidance of this in my heart, was particularly and chiefly towards the Papists, but I afterwards had a true sence, that it also extended to the state of such Protestants, as had not waited on the Lord, ... Written in Alisbury prison about the middle of the 6th month, 1666. By Issac Penington. Whereunto is annexed, Some observations upon the eternal judgment, as it is expressed by Christ, Mat.25.31 to the end of the chapter.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1666 (1666)	Wing P1157; ESTC R224045	15,114	20

there is a possibility of their fal from the Faith wherein their standing is and from the Power which preserveth And if they so fall they are liable to be cut off as the Jews were as their Apostle tels them Rom. 11.20 21 22. In the fear in the humility before the Lord in keeping to the Faith their safety is but if they become high-minded because of their State and Church-priviledges if they think their standing so sure as that they are out of the danger of falling then they are out of the fear out of the humility out of the Faith which preserves and being out of the Preservation they must needs fall and so continuing must needs be cut off Now the same Apostle doth not only warn them to take heed of falling from the Faith but afterwards expresly foretels of a falling away even that there must come such a thing among them also yea and of such a falling away from the Truth and Power of Life as should give Antichrist advantage to get into God's Temple and sit there as God taking upon him the power and authority as if he had the true Power and Authority of God 2 Thess 2. ver 3 4. And what doth he then doth he not corrupt all even as God's Power and Presence purifies and preserves all And as he shews himself as God so doth he not also shew forth his Church as God's Church Yes it goes so in the World as God's All that drink of his Spouses Cup take it to be so who are very many and great ones even Kings and Inhabiters of the Earth Peoples Multitudes Nations and Tongues Rev. 17.2 15. chap. 18.3 and none are able to discern that it is not so but those that are anointed with the true eye-salve which giveth to see through his deceits 1 John 2.20 For he cometh with all deceivableness of unrighteousness 2 Thess 2.9 10. he makes the Church after he hath got possession of it and made it his sitting as God in it appear as like the true Church as possibly he can that he may hold up his mystery of deceit in the World which if once discerned would soon fall and come to nothing 2 Thess 2.7 Rev. 17.5 To open these things a little more fully and further from the Scriptures that they who yet cannot read otherwise may read them there and come in some measure to the acknowledgment of the Truth and wait for the Power from on high from whence is the true Faith wherin is the true Church and its standing for want of which the World is become a Wilderness full indeed of Profession but very empty of the nature and life of Christianity Christ tels his Disciples that false Christs and false Prophets should come and deceive many yea that they should prevail so far as if it were possible to deceive the very Elect Mat. 7.15 ch 24.11 24. The Lord God had sent forth his truth and now after it he suffers to go forth a power of Deceit a mighty power even having all maner of Deceivableness of unrighteousness in it 2 Thess 2.9 10 11. And it works according to its power it gathers all its own every where Not one but he that is of the Elect Seed can stand before it Now the reason why God suffered this to go forth was in Judgment Men had dallied with the Truth had took up a Form of Godliness and rejected the Power therfore God withdraws from the Form and suffers the unclean spirit to enter it and the uncircumcised nature of man to shelter it self there It arose also from the Devil's subtilty who finding himself dispossessing of his Kingdom played this Masterpiece both to save what he could at present and to recover the rest again in process of time He in his Apostles and Ministers takes upon him the profession of Christianity sending them forth as the Ministers of Righteousness 2 Cor. 11.13 15. but for all that they were still of the worldly nature of the worldly root spirit and principle And so by them he brings forth Christianity or the profession and observation of the Christian Religion in such a way as would please the worldly mind and nature And bringing it forth so he gathers to him all that were not gathered and preserved by the Power and so becomes the greater Body and Church in view and the rest as to the outwardness of their Church-state are fain to give way and retire into the Power cut of their former place and station in the world Rev. 12. Now as Christ had said that false Christs and false Prophets should come so John said they were come 1 Joh. 2.18 and also shewed from whence they come They went out from us ver 19. They were such as came into the Form among us but were not begotten of the Life nor subject to the Power with us And there were many of them chap. 4.1 and such they were as had a great power of Deceit and came therewith to seduce them 1 Joh. 2.26 Therefore he bids them in the Unction which they had received v. 27. which searcheth and discerneth all try the spirits If their spirit or the spirit that is in them confess Christ who is the power of the endless life the sum substance and end of all that which shadowed-forth life they are of God chap. 4.2 But if their spirit confess not Christ come in the flesh though they may seem never so much to preach him they are not of God v. 3. Now whose spirit confesseth Christ Surely his only that is subject to him He that preacheth Christ in words and denieth him in works whose works are not wrought in Christ nor brought forth by Christ his confession is but outward but formal it is no true confession It is but the confession of his mouth not of his spirit and he is in the sight of God not a confessor but a denier of him And who so is enabled by God to try spirits and waiteth in his Light and Anointing to try such findeth him to be so notwithstanding all his fair words and speeches of Christ and his pretending to be his Minister Rev. 2.2 For men with fine words and fair speeches may deceive the hearts of the simple but they cannot deceive those to whom God giveth ability to try spirits Could the Devil deceive Christ when he said Thou art the Son of God No Christ knew his spirit to be against him notwithstanding those words And can the ministers of Antichrist deceive the Elect of God when they preach up Christ in words to be the Saviour and Redeemer and yet own not that Life and Power which saves but persecute it wherever they find it No The same Spirit of Christ in them discerneth quite through their words to their spirit My Sheep saith Christ hear my voice Joh. 10.27 Man may be deceived and caught in the snare but the Elect the Sheep know the voice of the Shepherd from the voice of the Stranger If