Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	christian_a	church_n	communion_n	1,593	5	9.3126	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50525	The apostasy of the latter times in which, according to divine prediction, the world should wonder after the beast the mystery of iniquity should so farre prevaile over the mystery of godlinesse, whorish Babylon over the virgin-Church of Christ, as that the visible glory of the true church should be much clouded the true unstained Christian faith corrupted the purity of true worship polluted, or, The gentiles theology of dæmons i.e. inferiour divine powers, supposed to be mediatours between God and man : revived in the latter times amongst Christians in worshipping of angels, deifying and invocating of saints, adoring and templing of reliques, bowing downe to images, worshipping of crosses, &c : all which together with a true discovery of the nature, originall, progresse, of the great, fatall and solemn apotisy are cleared : delivered in publique some years since upon I Tim. 4. 1,2,3 / by Joseph Mede ...	Mede, Joseph, 1586-1638.; Twisse, William, 1578?-1646.	1641 (1641)	Wing M1590; ESTC R22768	121,369	171

whether the Churches fatall Apostasie be already past or yet to come it would be much the shorter and quicker course both for them and us to decide this controversie to examine the condition and quality of both religions by the holy Scripture where we have also as Saint Peter speakes a most sure word of prophesie whereunto wee shall doe well if wee take heed as to a light shining in a dark place Now though this answer be sufficient enough for the objection of our Adversaries yet for the better understanding and clearer insight into the matter questioned we will further consider whether and in what manner or measure our Church may be said to have been visible during the prevailing Apostasie and in what respects again it was not visible and in both agreeable unto the state of the true Church under the frequent Apostasies of the Church of Israel First therefore we must know that by a visible Christian society in this question is meant a society or company of Christian beleevers joyned together in one externall fellowship and communion of the same publike profession and rule of faith use of Sacraments and Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction for these make the outward forme and as it were the shape of a Church whereby this society is discernable from other societies of men so that a society by this outside severed and distinguished from other societies is a society visible and conspicuous to other societies of men The question therefore is whether that holy society of beleevers before mentioned who accorded together in one common faith with us of all divine truths needfull to salvation and kept themselves free from such enormious abominations and mortall errours which we now disclaime as utterly annihilating that common faith whether such a society as this has beene in all ages joyned and distinguished by such a common outside from other companies either of men in generall or Christians in speciall or in shorter and perhaps plainer termes thus whether the society of men of our Christian beleefe hath beene in all ages for the outside a distinct ecclesiasticall corporation from other societies of men My answer is That for the first ages it was so not only thus visible but easily discernable from all other societies of men whatsoever but afterward when the great Apostasie we spake of surprized and deformed the bountifull Spouse of Christ then was not that virgin company of Saints our Mother a distinct externall society from the rest of Christendome but a part yea and the only found part of that externall and visible body whereof our adversaries boast their predecessors to have beene members for howsoever this our Virgin-mother for the internall and invisible communion of her sincere and unstained faith we●e a distinct and severed company from the rest with whom she lived yet for the common principles of the Christian faith still acknowledged in that corrupt body of Christendome she retained communion with them and for the most part of that time of darknesse continued an externall part of the same visible body with the rest in grosse call'd Christians as being begotten by the same Sacrament of Baptisme as the Israelites in like case of Circumcision taught in some part by the same word and Pastours still continued amongst them and submitting to the same jurisdiction and government so farre as these or any of these had yet some soundnesse remaining in them but for the rest which was not compatible with her sincere and unstained faith and which annihilated in those it surprised even those common grounds of Christianity otherwise outwardly professed she with her children either wisely avoided all communion with it or if they could not then patiently suffered for their conscience sake under the hands of Tyrants called Christians untill that Tyranny growing insupportable and that mortall contagion unavoidable it pleased God lest we might have beene as Sodome and Gomorrah to begin to call us thence at the time appointed unto a greater liberty as we see this day As therefore when a little gold is mixed with a great quantity of base and counterfeit metall so that of both is made but one masse or lump each metall we know still retaines its nature diverse from the other and yet outwardly and visibly is not to be discerned the one from the other but both are seene together as they are outwardly one but cannot be distinguished by the eye as they are diverse and severall the gold is visible as it is one masse and under the same outside and figure with the rest yet it is truly invisible as it is diverse from the rest But when the Refiner comes and severs them then will each metall appeare in his own colours and put on his own outside and so become visible apart from the rest Such is the case here and such was the state and condition of the Church in the prevailing and great Apostasie the purer metall of the Christians visible body outwardly was not discernable from the base and counterfeit while one outside covered them and so much the rather because the Apostate part in a great proportion exceeding the sound made it imperceptible but when the time of refining came then was our Church not first founded in the true faith God forbid but a part of the Christian body newly refined from such corruptitions as time had gathered even as gold refined begins no then first to be gold though it begin but then to be refined gold Whatsoever we have hitherto spoken of the state of the true beleevers under the Apostasie of Antichrist is the same which befell the true Israelites in the Apostasie of Israel And doth not Saint Peter intimate that the Apost●sie which should betide Christians should be like to that which we reade to have befallen Israel 2 Pet. 2.1 There were saith he false Prophets also among the people i e. Israelites even as there shall be false teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them If the Apostasie of Christians were to be of the same stamp with that of Israel and the Heresies brought into Christendome by the false Doctors of Babylon like unto those wherewith the false Prophets of Israel infected and poysoned the ancient people of God surely we cannot finde a better patterne whereby to know what was the estate and condition of the unstained Christian beleevers under that Apostasie of the man of sinne than that which was of the true Israelites under the Apostasie of Israel for the right understanding whereof we must alwayes remember That the Israelitish Church did at no time altogether renounce the true and living God not in their worst times but in their owne conceit and profession acknowledged him still and were cald his people and he their God though they worshipped others beside him so Christians in their Apostasie neither did nor were to make an absolute Apostasie from God the Father and Christ their Redeemer but in an outward profession

the nations of the North Almaines Sarmatians Quades Picts Scots and Saxons especially the Goths began to break in upon it almost without intermission harrying burning wasting destroying the most part of the Provinces thereof almost for 45 yeeres together And to mend that matter the Goths sonne after their comming were admitted as Inhabitants and dispersed as free Denizens into the bowels and heart of the Empire advanced to be Commanders and bore the greatest sway in their Armies By which fatall errour the Empire received her bane and the Romanes were no longer masters of their owne strength which they quickly and often repented but even that cost them deare when they had indeed eyes to see it but never ability to amend it This was the first degree of the Empires ruine 2 The second was about the yeere 410 when Alaricus the Goth sacked Rome it selfe the Lady of the world when as Saint Jerome saith Capiebatur urbs quae totum cepit orbem imo fame periit antequam gladio vix pauci qui caperentur inventi sunt And from th●s very yeere the plurality of Kings foretold of began to come upon the stage five or six new kingdomes presently appeared within the Territories of the Empire of the Goths of the Burgundians and though somewhat later of the Franks in Gallia of the Suevians and Alans and of the Vandals in Spaine and as Sigonius thinks of the Huns in Pannonia certainly they could not be much later than this very yeere But this number of Kings we will leave till they be better increased as continually they did And thus you see the second degree of the ruine of the Empire 3 The third was about the yeere 455 presently upon the death of the third Valentinian the last as Sleidan well observed of the Emperours of the West and consequently of the ancient Rome then when Gensericus the Vandall tooke the City now the second time fired it and spoiled it of all the goodly and glorious ornaments which Alaricus had spared amongst which were the golden and silver vessels of the Temple of Jerusalem brought thither by Titus All which with an innumerable multitude of Roman captives he carried away with him Now was the prediction which Varro reports that Vect●us Valens the Augur made of 12 Vulturs to Romulus the founder that his city should continue 12 hundred yeeres fulfilled and those yeeres newly expired and which is more to be heeded now was the plurality of Kings lately risen in the ancient Territorie of the Empire as Daniel and Saint Iohn had prophesied increased unto the full number of ten which together with the Provinces wherein they were seated and the names of the Kings which reigned the next yeare after the City was taken are these which follow ANNO DOMINI 456. Kingdomes of the Provinces Names of the Kings reigning Somewhat of their changes 1 Britans In Britaine Vortimer   2 Saxons Hengist   3 Franks In Gallia Childericke An. 526. this kingdome was subdued by the Franks but to fill up the number that of the Ostrogoths became two by the comming of the Longobards into Pannonia the same time 4 Burgundians Gundericke 5 Wisigothes In the South of Gallia between the Rhene Loyr and the Sea and part of Spain Theodorick 6 Swevians and Alanes Spain in Gallicia and Portugal Riciarius   7 Vandals In Africke but first in Spain Gensericus   8 Almaines Germany in Rhetia between the Rhene c. Sumanus This kingdome became one with a part of the kingdome of the Herules 475. during their short reign in Italy 9 Ostrogothes In Pannonia where they subdued the Huns and not long after propagated their kingdome into Italy Theodemir The Longobards succeeded the Ostrogoths first in Pannonia upon the death of Theodorick of Ve●ona An. 526. Then in Italy called in by Narses discontented soon after he had destroyed the kingdome of the Goths 10 Greeks In the residue of the Empire Marcianus Ancient Romes Empire finished that of the Greeks is but on● of t●e kingdomes wh●reinto 〈◊〉 was divide● Thus was the Empire divided and shared An. 456. the yeere after Rome was sacked by Gensericus and the off-spring of these Nations through many alterations partly by the inconstancie of humane things unions and dis-unions partly by the further enlargement of the Christian faith are the body of the most of the Kingdomes and States of Christendome at this day Three of these Kings saith Daniel should the Antichristian horne depresse and displant to advance himselfe which three are those whose dominions extended into Italy and so stood in his light 1 That of the Greekes whose Emperour Leo Isaurus for the quarrell of Images he excommunicated and revolted his subjects of Italy from their allegiance 2 That of the Longobards successours of the Ostrogoths whose kingdome he caused by the aid of the Franks to be wholly ruinated thereby to get the Exarchate of Ravenna which since their revolt from the Greekes they were seized on for a Patrimony to Saint Peter 3 The last was the kingdome of the Franks it selfe continued in the Empire of Germany whose Emperours from the day of Henry the fourth he excommunicated deposed and trampled under his feet and never suffered them to live in rest till he made them not onely quit their interest in election of Popes and investiture of Bishops but that remainder of jurisdiction in Italy wherewith together with the dignity of the Roman name he had once infeoffed their Predecessors These are the Kings by displanting or as the Vulgar hath it by humbling of whom the Pope by degrees got elbow-roome and advanced himselfe to the heigth of temporall Majesty and absolute greatnesse which made him so terrible in the world This third blow therefore I suppose is to be counted the last of the ruine of the Roman Empire the Imperiall power of ancient Rome untill the Pope some 345 yeeres after revived the name henceforth ceasing for as for those who yet for some twenty yeeres after our date scuffled for that name one of them deposing another they were indeed but shadowes of Caesars and as it were struglings with the pangs of death untill with Augustulus it gave up the ghost yea it is to be observed that two of them Avitus the very next and Glycerius being deposed from the Empire were made Bishops the one of Placentia or Piacenza the other of Portus as a signe perhaps that the Emperour of Rome henceforth should be a Bishop and a Bishop the Emperour To conclude therefore with the application of our Apostles prediction whether the Christian Apostasie in worshipping new Daemon-gods began not with the first of these degrees notably increased with the second and was established by the last I leave you to judge when you shall have surveyed the monuments and records of those times It is commonly and truly affirmed by our Ecclesiasticall Antiquaries that before the yeere 360 there is no word to be found of the invocation

Temple and Religion are encouraged by the neerenesse of that time of expectation when so great a confirmation of their faith of their Messias already come should appeare Heb. 10.23.25 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering and so much the more as you see the day approaching namely that day when you shall be sufficiently confirmed so I take the 35. and 37. verses of the same Chapter Cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward for ye have need of patience For yet a little while he that shall come will come and will not tarry What he is this but even he of whom Daniel sayes The people of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the City and the Sanctuary Dan. 9.26 For even as the destruction of Papall Rome would be a great confirmation of the reformed Christian who hath forsaken the Communion of that Religion the continuance and supposed stability of the glory thereof being that wherewith their Proctors endeavour most to shake and stager us so was the destruction of the Jewish state and Temple to be unto those Jewes who had withdrawne themselves from that body and Religion whereof they had once beene to embrace the new faith of the Messiah preached by the Apostles For if at the end of the 70 weeks approaching the legall Sanctuary were rased and the Jewish state dissolved then would it be apparent indeed that the Messiah was already come and slaine for sin because this was infallibly to come to passe within the compasse and before the expiration of those 70 weeks or 490 yeeres allotted for the last continuance of that City and Sanctuarie when it should be restored after the captivity of Babylon Not without cause therefore doth Saint Peter in his second Epistle say to the Christian Jewes We have a more sure word of prophecie whereunto you doe well that you give heed as unto a light shining in a dark place untill the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts yea and besides because Jesus also as well as Daniel had prophesied of the approaching desolation of that City and Temple mentioning all the signes that were to usher it if the event when time come should fall out accordingly then must Jesus of Nazareth who foretold the foregoing signes thereof be approved as a true Prophet by whom of a truth the Lord had spoken Now for the last place I mean to alledge thus must the last of Saint James also be expounded because the fall and shock of that state might shake the whole nation wheresoever dispersed unlesse God had spared the Christians and made them alone happy in that wofull day or rather because Christ had foretold that one of the next fore-runners thereof should be a generall persecution of Christians as it happened under Nero. Therefore the remembrance of the end of these 70 weekes so neere the expiring was a good caution to all the Christian Jewes to watch and pray to this sence therefore I take that of Peter 1 Pet. 4.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of all things is at hand be yee sober therefore and watch unto prayer that is the end of all your Commonwealth legall worship Temple and service is now within a few yeeres be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer that ye may be more happy in the day of vengeance and wrath upon our Nation Neither need we wonder that this desolation should be called the end for our Saviour himselfe taught them so to speak in his prophecie concerning it as may appeare if we consider that Antithesis in Saint Luke cap. 21.9 Yee shall heare of warres and commotions but the end is not by and by Ver. 20. But when yee shall see Jerusalem encompassed with armies then know that the desolation thereof is nigh And thus much I thought to add to my former discourse of latter times lest through ignorance thereof we might incline to that little better than blasphemous conceit which Baronius by name and some other of Romes followers have taken up viz. that the Apostles in such like passages as we have noted were mistaken as beleeving that the end of the world should have been in their owne time God of purpose so ordering it to cause in them a greater measure of zeale and contempt of worldly things an opinion I thinke not well beseeming a Christian. 1 For first whatsoever we imagine the Apostles might here conceive in their private opinions as men yet we must know that the Holy Ghost by whose instinct they wrote the Scriptures is the Spirit of truth and therefore what is there affirmed must be true yea though the Pen-man himselfe understood it not 2 Secondly it was not possible the Apostles should expect the end of the world to be in their owne time when they knew so many things were to come to passe before it as could not be fulfilled in a short time As first the desolation of Jerusalem and that not till the 70 weeks were expired Secondly then the Jewes to be carryed captives over all Nations and Jerusalem to be trodden downe of the Gentiles untill the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled Luke 21.24 Thirdly that in the meane time the Roman Empire must be ruined and that which hindered taken out of the way 2 Thes. 2.7 Fourtly that after that was done the man of sin should be revealed and domineere his time in the Temple and Church of God Ibid. Fifthly after all this viz. when the fulnesse of the Gentiles should come in that Israel should be received againe to mercy Rom. 11.27 Sixthly that Christ should reigne in his Church on earth so long till he had put downe all rule all authority and power and subjected all his enemies under his feet before he should subdue the last enemy which is death and surrender his kingdome into the hands of his Father 1 Cor. 15.24 25 c. Heb. 2.8 Seventhly that the time should be so long that in the last dayes should come Scoffers saying Where is the promise of his comming 2 Pet. 3.4 How is it possible they should imagine the day of Doome to be so neere when all these things must first come to passe and not one of them was yet fulfilled And how could the expectation of this day be made a ground of exhortation and a motive to watchfulnesse and prayer as though it could suddenly and unawares surprize them which had so many wonderfull alterations to foregoe it and yet none of them come to passe I have spoken hitherto of what was revealed to all the Apostles in generall but if we take Saint John apart from the rest and consider what was afterward revealed to him in Patmos we shall finde in his Apocalypticall vision besides other times more obscurely intimated an expresse prophecy of no lesse than a thousand yeers which whatever it meane cannot be a small time and must be fulfilled in this world and not in the world to come