Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

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scripture_n	church_n	council_n	trent_n	2,747	5	10.4894	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25887	A great wonder in heaven, or, A lively picture of the militant church drawn by a divine pencill : Revel. 12, 1, 2 : discoursed on in a sermon preached before the honourable House of Commons, at Margarets, Westminster, on the last monethly fast-day, January 27, 1646/7 / by John Arrowsmith ...	Arrowsmith, John, 1602-1659.	1647 (1647)	Wing A3776; ESTC R441	30,018	49

Rom. 15. 19. Succeeding Ministers have accordingly in their places acquainted themselves with continuall labours which Scripture calls upon them for Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a trumpet Isa. 58 1. Durante pugnâ non cessat tuba the trumpet must be sounding all the while the battle is in fighting Now there is no end of the Christian Warfare and therefore none of the Ministers pains The Church is Gods husbandry 1 Cor. 3. 9. her Ministers his husbandmen Redit agricolis labor actus in orbem The husbandman hath never quite done his work but the end of one task is still the beginning of another So it fares with painfull Ministers One while their employment is instructing poor ignorant souls then are they like Stars that shine in a cold Winter-night Another while convincing gainsayers and Hereticks then are they like those stars in their courses that fought against Sisera Judg. 5. The most benigne Constellation is not more promising to the World than their Associations are unto the Church 3 As the stars are said to differ one from another in glory 1 Cor. 15. 45. So the Apostles excell'd other Ministers in the universality of their commission the immediatnesse of their call the infallibility of their doctrine together with many other priviledges And among succeeding Ministers there hath been found very great difference in regard of their parts gifts and graces such as there is among Stars of the first second and third magnitude Melancthon speaking of the Divines of his age said Pomeranus is a Grammarian I a Logitian Justus Jonas an Oratour but Martin Luther is all these a miracle of men and one that penetrates the heart in whatsoever hee speaks or writes a Beza comparing the three famous Ministers of Geneva saith that Farellus excelled in Fervency Viretus in Eloquence Calvin in Sententiousnesse and that the concurrence of these endowments in any one man would have rendred him a compleat Evangelicall P●stour b The third thing which I am to cleer is That Evangelicall doctrine is as a crowne to the Church of Christ The prudent are crowned with knowledge saith Solomon Proverbs 14. 18. Now there is no knowledge saving but this of Evangelicall truth and therefore no such crown as that 'T is our Saviours counsell to the Church of Philadelphia Revel. 3. 11. hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown Some false Apostles it should seem had been tampering with this Church Christ commends her for keeping the word of his patience ver. 10. i. e. the Gospel which declares the sufferings of Christ and excites to patience by his example whereupon hee adds the fore-mentioned word of advice It would save much labour in debating one of the Arminian points if the place might be interpreted as for ought I know it may to this sense As if he had said O Philadelphia keepe that truth which hath been taught by those that planted thee at first That truth is thy crown let no man take it from thee no tyrant rob no seducer cheat thee of it A crown thou knowest is the most principall ornament take it from me evangelicall truth is the most principall crown I beleeve you expect some application of what hath bin already delivered before we close with the second verse and will therefore briefly infer somwhat first from the whole vision then from the womans severall perfections and lastly from the order of those perfections 1 Inferences from the whole vision Which are two 1 That besides the naturall there is a spirituall use to be made of all the creatures The Sun here points to Christ the Moon to the World the Stars to the Ministers of the Gospel Mans soule is an Alembeck in which when the creatures are laid like so many herbs if there be any fire of devotion within many sweet meditations may be distilled Naturall hearts are apt to make a sensuall use of divine things but spirituall hearts have an art of making divine uses even of naturall things which we should all doe well to learn 2 That the Whore of Babylon differs much from the woman in my Text the Apostaticall Church of Rome from the Apostolicall Church of Christ As not being clothed with the Sun but with outward pomp Revel. 17. 4. She was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour and deckt with gold and precious stones more for state then for Christ refusing to accept of him for her only covering shelter and ornament and going about to establish a righteousnesse of her own Not having the Moon under her feet but in her heart loving the world maintaining her greatnesse by carnall policie and making prosperity a signe of the Church Not being crowned with these twelve stars but with the inventions and traditions of men recommended by the Councell of Trent as worthy to be received with the same affections and reverence which are due to the Holy Scriptures So as indeed the Moon is her crown and the Stars her footstool 2 Inferences from the severall perfections here ascribed to the woman Her being clothed with the Sun lets us see 1 The All-sufficiencie of Christ Jacob desired but bread to eat and rayment to put on Having food and rayment sayth Paul let us be therewith content Now besides spirituall meat and drinke which Christ affords us John 6. 55. my flesh is meat indeed and my bloud is drinke indeed he himself becomes apparrell to us Gal. 3. 27. As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ 2 The true fountain of all that wisdome zeal and grace which appears in the conversation of true Saints They are clothed with Christ as with the Sun and he if is that communicates to them light of wisdom heat of zeal and influence of grace Such as have really put on him make not provision for the flesh as others do to fulfill the lusts thereof although but too many while they professe a being clothed with the Sun give just occasion to renew a sad complaint made by one of the Fathers viz. That the bloud of Christ when newly shed did as it were boyle in beleevers hearts whereas now 't is almost frozen in ours So much doe wee come short of the first love of those Primitive times Her having the Moon under her feet shews us how very ill it becomes the genuine issue of this woman to love the world the friendship whereof is enmity with God Jam. 4. 4. Mundus in maligno positus 1 John 5. 19. next after Satan this present evill world is the great Malignant Looke as the Moon when she is at the full is then in most direct opposition to the Sun so 't is the temper of the world to be most opposite to and rebellious against Christ when it receives the most light of prosperity from him and is fullest of the blessings of his goodnesse Jesurun waxed fat and kicked then he forsooke God which made him lightly

Church got over both in that shee not only saw the abolition of legall ceremonies which saith he might well be signified by the moon seeing all the feasts of the Jews and whole course of their Ecclesiasticall year depended upon and were regulated by the motion of that Planet but also the extirpation of those Idols which the heathens formerly worshipped For then did Satan fall down like lightning from heaven Luke 10. 18. he fell from being adored as God to being slighted as an Impostor yea abominated as a wicked spirit Then was fulfilled that which is written Revel. 12. 9. The great Dragon was cast out the old Serpent called the Devill and Satan which deceived the whole world he was cast out into the earth and his Angels were cast out with him Yea then was that promise in part fulfilled the language whereof hath great affinity with the phrase in my Text The God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet shortly Rom. 16. 20. 2 The affronts of the world The Church got these under her feet when she gloried in tribubation was above her persecutors and had patience to endure as much as their malice and cruelty could inflict I take pleasure sayth Paul in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake for when I am weake then am I strong 2 Cor. 12. 10. The Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ Act. 5. 41. They in Heb. 10. 34. tooke joyfully the spoyling of their goods knowing in themselves that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance Laurentius the Martyr when they layd his body upon a gridiron with a purpose to broile him to death is reported to have sayd I have alwayes longed for such cheere as this To mee these very flames are cooling and refreshments rather then torments Gordius desired his Executioners not to grudge him overmuch happinesse telling them that the more they tormented him the more GOD would reward him 3 The enjoyments of the World 1 John 5 4. Whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that overcomes the world even our faith Carnall reason paints the things of this life and sets them out in beautifull colours but faith washeth off the complexion and then their deformity appears Those Christians in the primitive times that layd their estates at the Apostles feet had first got them under their own learnt to trample upon and to have a low esteem of them in their most serious thoughts Take the goodliest things in the world there have been some in all ages found that were above them One of the Fathers will not allow temporall riches the name of Goods but accounts it enough if wee forbeare to call them evils Another thinks him too dainty for a Christian that desires pleasure on this side heaven too foolish that imagines carnall delights to be reall pleasures A third being tempted with preferments to a revolt said Offer them to children not to Christians As for me I can part with life but not with truth Many such instances there are wherein yee may cleerly discern the Moon under the womans the World under the Churches feet Her third and last perfection follows to wit having Upon her head a Crown of twelve Stars That is holding fast the pure doctrine of the Gospell first preached by the twelve Apostles and after them by succeeding Ministers which is as a Crown on the Churches head So as here three things are to be made out First That the Apostles are here meant and such faithfull Ministers as succeeded them not excluded The number exprest points us directly to the Apostles who are often called the twelve in Scripture There were no more chosen at first Luke 6. 13. and when Judas was faln from his Apostleship Matthias was substituted in his roome to make up the number yea though there was a superaddition of Paul and Barnabas yet in memory of the first election they are still spoken of as twelve long after that in the Apocalypse I will not trouble you with discoursing of the twelve stones taken up out of the midst of Jordan the twelve Spies sent out to search the land of Canaan the twelve Oxen under the brazen Sea the twelve Lyons that supported Solomons Throne the twelve Officers appointed by him to provide for his houshold all which are by some made types of the twelve Apostles Neither will I insist upon that notion which Hierom presumes to be unquestionable and sets a nec dubium est upon viz. that those twelve wells of water and seventy palme trees at Elim Exod. 15. last did undoubtedly prefigure the twelve Apostles and seventy Disciples It may perhaps be worthy of more consideration that as the Iewish Church had twelve Patriarks from whom the twelve Tribes of Israel descended so Christ ordained twelve Apostles to be as fathers of his Israel under the Gospel the Christian Church And that the Spirit in Revel. 4. 4. where mention is made of twenty foure seats and twenty foure Elders sitting upon them alludes both to the twelve Patriarks and the twelve Apostles which put together make up those twenty foure by whom the whole Church under both Testaments is represented It appears by what hath been sayd that the Apostles are certainly meant in this place The reason why I conceive other Ministers not excluded is because the Angels of the seven Churches are called stars Revel. I. l●st as well as the twelve Apostles here Which is The second thing to be cleered viz. That the Apostles and all faithfull Ministers are like stars Wherein it were easie to be large seeing they and the stars resemble each other in many things But I will content my selfe with a few 1 As the stars are heavenly bodies shining but with a borrowed light so the Apostles of old were and all godly Ministers ever since have endevoured to be men of an heavenly conversation heavenly men and earthly Angels as Paul was styled by Chrysostom They shine as lights in the world acknowledging all the light they have to be derived from Christ as the Sun of whose fulnesse they all receive That which one of the German Divines made his Motto fully speaks every one of their hearts Nil scio nil possum nil sum quoque quod tamen esse Scire posse aliquid dicor id omne Dei est They are most ready to professe that of themselves they know nothing can doe nothing are nothing that good is and that whatsoever good they are or do or know they owe it wholly to the free grace of God in Christ 2 As the Stars are in continuall motion for the good of the Universe so were the Apostles for the good of the Church Paul ceased not to warne every one night and day with tears Acts 20. 31. went from Jerusalem round about to Illyricum preaching the Gospel

esteemed the rock of his salvation Deut. 32. 15. I spake to thee in thy prosperity but then saidst I will not heare Ier. 32. 21. why should Christians then be friends to that world which is such an enemy both to their salvation and to their Saviour Her being crowned with twelve Stars may serve 1 To beget in us honourable thoughts of the Ministers calling How mean soever their persons be yet are they Stars and that in the right hand of Christ Revel. 1. 20. an expression that argues affection to them as when Jacob called the son whom he meant to love for his dying mothers sake by the name of Benjamin or the son of his right hand nor only so but care of them according to that Psal. 17. 7. Shew thy marvellous loving kindnesse O thou that savest by thy right hand and that Psal. 80. 17. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thy selfe I know there are many wandring stars as Iude calls the false teachers of that age in the 13th verse of his Epistle men that made a fair shew but had no substance of truth in them and are therefore in that and the foregoing verse compared to clouds but without water to trees but without fruit and to stars but without light I am far from taking upon me to plead for any such but fear not to professe my selfe an advoca●e for all those that are godly gifted and faithfull in the work of their ministry throughout the Land the rather because there was never more never so much contesting against their Office as now But who are they that thinke themselves able to wrest from Christ that which he holds in his right hand and do not rather fear lest he stretch out this hand of his to the crushing of all those that go about to crush his stars Godly Ministers when they are slighted and injured most may comfort themselves by considering that it is the fate of stars to appear much lesse to the eyes of men then indeed they are and that they who during life are as Stars in Christs right hand favoured and protected by him shall after death be as stars at his right hand glorified with him according to that Dan. 12. 3. They that be wise or they that be teachers shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousnesse as the stars for ever and ever There will soon be an end of their labours and sufferings but none of their glory 2 To put us all upon prizing Apostolicall doctrine as the Crown of our Church and Nation Let Italy boast of her rich Copes stately Altars curious Images which are so far from adorning a Church as that they doe indeed defile it the Crown and glory of England is that she hath maintained the truth of Christ and enjoyed the light of the twelve Stars deposited in this blessed booke Did I only say shee hath maintained the truth of Christ may I not venture to assert that shee doth maintain it If not the next assertion must be that of the Lamentations Chap. 5. 16 The crown is fallen from our heads not unto us But I hope better things of the Kingdom and such as accompany Reformation though I thus speake Doubtlesse the Confession of Faith lately presented to the Honourable Houses by the Assembly of Divines who have therein expressed the sense of many millions beside themselues will abundantly manifest to the world that this crown is not wholy fallen from Englands head yet I fear there is cause enough to acknowledge that it doth not stand so fast on as heretofore by reason of the many Opinionists whose main employment is to shake it Verily whosoever bears a loyall heart to Jesus Christ cannot but grieve to see the jewels of that crown which he hath provided for his Churches head pawned and sold and embezled as they are to see not only Arminians Libertines and Socinians gratified in abundance of their principles but even Mahumetans closed with by some in what they hold concerning the authority of Scripture and concerning the deity of Jesus Christ and of God the Holy Ghost Yet notwithstanding would we all in the strength of Christ set our selves for time to come to buy the truth which none should sell and when truth hath been sold by others to redeem it I doubt not but within a while that would become applyable to England which the Prophet speaks of Zion Isa. 62. 3. Thou shalt also be a Crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royall Diadem in the hand of thy God 3 Inferences from the order of these perfections 1 That men will never contemne the world till they have learned to put on Christ The woman is first clothed with the Sun then gets the Moon under her feet not till then The world tastes bitter to a soule that hath got the relish of Christ and is amiable only to such as know him not The stars that shine with some lustre all the night when the sun riseth in the morning hide their heads and appear not being so out-shined as to be obscured by that more glorious light Such are all worldly excellencies to a soule wherein Christ is risen A man can then slight the things for which he formerly valued himselfe To Zacheus gold is not the same thing after conversion and before it Now he makes restitution and cares not how little hee leave himselfe so he be not left by Christ 2 That men will never prize the Gospel as their Crown till they have learned to contemne the world The Moons being under the womans feet goes before her having a crown of twelve stars upon her head Those in the parable who had no minde to come to the marriage supper but desired to be excused fetch all their excuses from worldly affairs That in Psal. 119. 36. Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies and not to covetousnesse implies that an heart inclined to covetousnesse will never give the Oracles of God their due esteem Luther who gloried in nothing more then the Gospel of Christ and ventured all for it is reported to have profest that he was never so much as tempted by Satan to that sin The Pope tryed to win him by money which it seems was more rhen the Devill had done but upon tryall made the answer which his agents returned was That the German beast cared not for gold Hitherto of the first Verse Come we now to that other part of the description which concerns the Churches weake and perillous condition laid down in the second And shee being with child cryed travelling in birth and pained to be delivered Where there is a kinde of gradation the steps whereof will help to bound and likewise to methodize our discourse after this manner Shee is with childe her being with childe introduceth a travell that travailing is attended with pains

according to Christ Jesus neither will our heavenly Father ever be glorified by all his own children with one minde and one mouth according to their duty In an Army where the severall Regiments are distinguished by severall colours yet all under command of one Generall and engaged in one common cause if the souldiers by reason of some diversity in their colours should mistake one another for foes and accordingly charge every one upon those of the Regiment next adjoyning how inevitable would the ruine of such an host of men be The Church of Christ is an Army with Banners there alwayes hath been and will alwayes be some variety of opinion even among the good Souldiers of Jesus Christ But so long as they are all obedient to the known commands of the Captain Generall of their salvation as the Scripture styles Christ this variety should not ingage them in the destruction of one another lest thereby the Armies of the living God come to be destroyed and preyed upon by the common enemy 3 Encourage the woman in her travell as Rachels midwife once did Gen 35. 16 17. Rachel travelled and she had hard labour and it came to passe when shee was in hard labour that the midwife sayd unto her fear not thou shalt have this son also Shee had born Joseph before now the midwife puts her in hope of Benjamin We have already through the unspeakable blessing of God upon your Counsels and Forces obteined deliverance from a mighty adverse power that would have ruined us Reformation is that which we are now groaning for what satisfaction would it give to heare you saying to England Fear not thou shalt have this son also The Church as I intimated before is sayd to travell in the labour of those her agents that are called to employments of the greatest moment and difficulty such are Magistrates Ministers Souldiers and to the first of these sorts it belongs to encourage the other two Hezekiah was a great reformer and it may be observed that there is mention twice made of his speaking comfortably to certain persons 2 Chron. 30. 22. Hezekiah spake comfortably to all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord And again Chap. 32. 6. He set Captains of War over the people and gathered them together and spake comfortably to them If our faithfull and valiant Souldiers have not received due encouragement let them have it I beseech you to the full and let mee have leave to speake a few words in behalfe of our godly Ministers whose assistance how useless soever it may be accounted in other affairs cannot be spared in Ecclesiasticall Reformations Israel was not brought out of Egypt but by the concurrence of Moses Aaron nor the second Temple built but by joynt endevours of Zerubbabel and Joshuah It hath bin formerly sayd by one out of this Pulpit that you have nothing at all to doe in reforming the Church by another that none but you have to doe in the government of it I fear not to call both these extreams and beg your attention to those that take the middle way whose unanimous voyce to the Parliament of England concerning extirpation of Heresies and removall of abuses out of the Church is that of She●●aniah to Ezra Arise for THIS MATTER BELONGS TO THEE we also will be with thee be of good courage and doe it We live in an age wherein are many that doe evill with both hands earnestly as the Prophet speaks Micah 7. 3. There is therefore need that both our hands should be employed in doing good Now the two hands of a Christian Kingdom are the Magistracy and Ministry thereof The businesse of Reformation cals for both As we commonly use our hands for the washing and cleansing of each other So if the Minister be extravagant the Magistrate may correct him then the right hand washeth the left If the Magistrate doe amisse the Minister may admonish him then the left hand clenseth the right But he that makes use of one hand to cut off the other with destroys his body such would our condition be if either Ministers should suffer the Magistracy to be cryed down or Magistrates permit the Ministry to be debased Scripture and experience bid us hope that Amalek shall then be foyled and Israel prevail when faith in Christ and zeal for truth shall support both these hands as Aaron and Hur did those of Moses upon the mount Lastly for a conclusion of all let the prayer of faith be of greatest activity when the woman is found to be in greatest extremity Time was when things were at such a passe even with Jerusalem in a day of trouble rebuke and blasphemy that the children were come to the birth but 〈◊〉 was no strength to bring forth Isa. 37. 3. The case may pe●haps be ours at present though I will not say it is 〈…〉 am the wisest course we can possibly take is to follow 〈◊〉 ●zekiahs good example who upon that sad occasion 〈◊〉 not only pray himselfe vers 15. but send to Isaiah req●●ring him to lift up a Prayer for the remnant that was 〈◊〉 vers. 4. Verily Honourable and beloved there is as 〈◊〉 need of fasting and prayer at this day as ever there 〈◊〉 since our troubles began But the assembling of our 〈◊〉 from moneth to moneth will be in vain unlesse that whi●● is tendred to God be the fasting of sincerity and prayer 〈◊〉 faith If while we fast our lusts be surfeited and 〈…〉 outcry our devotion we must expect to have it much lon●er yet ere the childe be borne Wherefore to add streng●● to our faith and alacrity to our prayers let us feed 〈◊〉 those interrogations which have the force of a promise 〈◊〉 them Isa. 66 9. Shall I bring to the birth and not cause 〈◊〉 bring forth sayth the Lord I that cause to bring forth shall I shut the wombe sayth thy God For my part when 〈◊〉 consider that Temple-worke hath been alwayes accomplished not by might or by power but by the spirit of the Lor● and call to minde how many mountains are already 〈…〉 before his Zerubbabels I am filled with hopes 〈◊〉 you the Worthies of our Israel whose souls have 〈◊〉 all this while to bring forth a Reformation shall 〈◊〉 day see the travell of your souls be fully satisfied 〈◊〉 as Jesus Christ would not save his people by halves 〈◊〉 leave the worke of purchasing redemption for them 〈◊〉 had brought it to a Consummatum est so he will not 〈◊〉 his Church by halves but carry on the blessed work 〈◊〉 Reformation till not we only but all they through●●● the world whose expectations are fastned upon it sha●● cause to rejoyce and say It is finished FINI● Exod. 3. 3 5. Isa. 54. 11. Psal. 80. 13. Math. 10. 16. Certum est mihi hic agi de Ecclesia primogenita c. Alcasar in loc. Forbes Paraeus Mede Typus est mulier haec parturiens Ecclesiae