Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	church_n	power_n	1,747	5	4.8740	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93935	An iron rod put into the Lord Protectors hand, to break all antichristian powers in pieces. Or, A discourse, which tends to a spirituall war with all sects and self-opinions, which are the Churches enemies: wil bring Englands everlasting happiness, and joyn all other lands into the body of Christs Church, to serve God with with [sic] one consent, Zeph. 3.9. All which was discovered to John Sanders of Harburn, neer Brimingham [sic]: by true apparitions, revelations, and many several visions, as the second book sheweth.	Sanders, John, of Harburn.	1655 (1655)	Wing S575; Thomason E842_23; ESTC R203488	52,643	75

the spiritual eyes of the soul to discern that the youngest son should come to be greater then his brother although saith Iacob I know Manassch shal be great yet his younger brother shal be greater then he for his seed shal be ful of Nations and he set the youngers name before the elders Although it much displeased Ioseph who sought meanes to prevent his Father for doing thus yet Iacob knowing the decree of God would not alter it Gen. 48. from the tenth verse to the end of the Chapter A little before Iacobs death he called all his sons together to blesse them and to shew what would befal every one of them in the latter days and how Iudab should be the heads in that out of his linage Christ was to come and all people should be gathered to him In these prophetical signes Iacob is a representation of the holy Ghost and likewise for the manner and number of his family Of Moses laying on of hands Moses he followed this example of Iacobs laying on of hands Scriptures make no mention of it but a little about the time of his death Deut. 34.9 This Text of Scripture saith that Ioshuah the son of Nun which was the succeeder of Moses was full of the spirit of wisdom for Moses had put his hands upon him and he and Israel did as the Lord had commanded Moses In the Apostles and Disciples time at the Gospels first plantation as it is written for our instruction in several places of the Acts of the Apostles how that by their laying on of hands many received the gift of the holy Ghost Paul at one time laid his hands on twelve several men and they all received the gift of the holy Ghost and Prophesied and furthermore Paul exhorteth his son Timothy whom he had begotten Saith he Despise not the gifts that is in thee which was given thee by prophesie by the laying on of hands by the Presbytery Elders 1 Tim. 4.14 All these Scriptures were written for our instruction and learning there is none that believeth in God and his word that dare or wil object against it thus you see here is proved in Christs Church an example of twelve Apostolical Bishops under a High Priest otherwise called an Archbishop and a Discipled number of seventy to make a compleat body besides and the order of receiving of them in their several places and degrees into that holy office of the Ministerial Function and body of Christs Church according to those holy orders which have been alwayes practised by the ancient Fathers of both Jewish and Christian Churches in all former ages One Objection answered by Scripture ground and argument Object But happily many in our days may be apt to raise Objections against this truth that is so manifestly proved here by Gods holy Writ saying that Apostles and Elders are all one therefore say they there need be no other order but a number of Elders according to the Presbytery which order is mentioned in the Scriptures To answer these ●bjections and make them fall to the ground Look in the fifteenth Chapter of the Acts and the first second and third verses when there was a great diffention and disputation about Circumcision by Paul and Barnabas against them at last they ordained that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders of the Church The word Apostles in all places of Scripture standeth before the word Elders Paul was one of the twelve Apostles 1 Cor. 2.28 29. Eph 4. Barnabas Stephen Timothy and the others in their several places were of the company of the Elders of the Church Acts. 20.17 Multitudes of Texts and Scriptures might be raised to confirme this truth to shew that there was first an Apostolical number as chiefe twelve and then Secondly a discipled number of seventy according to order then in those dayes and that order would have continued till this very time had not corruptions and divisions cast them out of the Church But this I can by the power of God assure your Highnesse and all others that desire to know that we shall never enjoy perfect peace nor true Religion till that time be that there be ordained for the Church such an Apostolical and discipled number the which being done by God and mans appointment having their commission signed and sealed by God and man and being entred into a hallowed Covenant at the Ark or Tabernacle of Gods testimony meant the Church being received and ordained every one according to order to make a compleat body by joynt order their chiefe reverent father in God ought not to receive them into this holy office without the laying on of hands the which being done and they joyned together as one man for the work of the Lord for the ruling and gathering of the Saints and building up of true Religion being thus elected and choseu The true way to prove them by going to spiritual war with all Sects which are the true Churches enemies YOur Highnesse and many more may question me or demand saying How shal wee know whether thy calling and election be of God and sure and firm and not of mens traditions or superstitious consecrating 'T is answered thus It wil be known by this manner of trial that followeth whether or not that they be the onely men God hath appointed to beautifie his Church and to raise up Davids fallen Tabernacle here first in this land and to be a pattern example for all other lands to follow them Your Highnesse and they must 〈◊〉 ●lame open spiritual war against all Sects that hold 〈…〉 of Church fellowship that call themselves Religions and they may be all comprehended under four heads as namely these 1. Presbyterians 2. Independents 3. The Anabaptists must be calld And last of all the Church of Rome that is in these dominions must be call'd to this spiritual war to bring them to the Touchstone of Gods word All these aforenamed Churches so called or any other whatever ought to have both leave and command from and by your Highness to come to disputation together with them of the late and new ordained Election which is the Apostolical and discipled Body under a spiritual Head Then as Iude saith there will bee earnest contending among all these several elect for the faith once delivered to the Saints every sect such a certain number as equalizeth the fore named being chosen and ordained according as best pleaseth their several judgements or opinions When this Herald or Trumpet is sounded which God wil cause his holy Angels to stir up the hearts of men to do it in his good time Matth. 24.30 to gather his elect from the four winds to see the true way to joyne themselves to the true Ministerial head and body of Christs Church Eph. 4. in one united faith For when these several elections are gathered together there wil be casting of lots among these spiritual souldiers

doe to fall from heavenly things but you wil fall from the high place that Gods providence hath raised you to Which by yeelding obedience to God and his King Jesus Christ and him whom he wil set upon his holy mountain you may stand firm otherwaies it wil be very slippery O for the Lords sake who hath set you up to be a protector of the people endeavour to build your self a sure foundation Imbrace this truth take good heed to hold fast the good old waies of Gods worship but you must first finde it for it hath been a long time lost take heed therefore of either despising or not believing and obeying the spirit of Gods prophesie My Lord I have had stil a great feare of you but it proceedeth from the love of God in Christ which bindeth me to fear love honour and obey all that God doth ordain or permit to be Rulers or governours over us When natural men are lifted up high and seem to obtain much credit in the world then they may be lower and farther from the waies of God then before the God of this world having blinded their eyes to keepe them hoodwinkt from the glorious light of the gospel of peace which offers peace to all Behold I speak not these things against you or your power for I wish you all prosperity and health and a setled peace in righteousnesse and true holiness but God hath sent me to shew you your danger by plots and which way to take to appease his wrath The manner of Davids faln Tabernacle how it fell as well from the gentile Christians as the naturall Jews My Lord the means to bring us to a true setled and established peace is first to seek Gods kingdome and the righteousness thereof and all things else needful shall be added thereunto as when England formerly did flourish both in Church and State and was preserved more then any other Nation from plots conspiracies inbred-enemies and forraign foes as namely the Spanish invasion the Powder plot and many more which for brevity sake must be omited 'T is true there was a time that we were in Covenant with God the temporal state or Magistrate was a wall to the Church and Ministry yet the Church in that time was not without spots or State without corruptions The Church was never a pure Church free from blemishes since the Primitive Apostolical and Discipled florishing time Job 38.7 when the morning Stars sang together under the light glory and peace which was obtained by the mercy and love of God in Christ that immaculate Lamb and his twelve Apostles Meaning the Church was but one body serving God with one consent which were to be Rulers or Judges of the twelve spiritual tribes of Israel then as Jacob and his twelve sons were the first chief natural heads so Christ and his twelve Apostles were the last chief spiritual Fathers or Brethren that laid the foundation under Christ to bring all nations under the Gospel-Covenants the which as many as believe and are obedient to they are Abrahams Sons by faith and Citizens of the new Ierusalem whose builder and founder is God The old Ierusalem then flourished when Davids natural Son Soloman was King over the twelve Tribes of Israel when he had built the Temple and dedicated it to the Lord by prayer and religious feasting he was in Covenant with God Those were peaceable plentiful and golden days for Church and state The new Ierusalem wil never be in her excellency of glorious beauty til God hath joyned the two sticks into one Ephraim and Iudah Ezek. 37.16 17 18 19. I mean the natural seed and spiritual seed under the seamlesse garment of one government under Davids spiritual Son the second Solomon then wil that time appear that Christ wil restore the Kingdom of Israel to be under one government and one body for the Church and State which never hath been since Iudah and Israel parted in Rehoboams and Ieroboams time for as Solomon and his Son Rehoboam were the onely chiefe Cause or instruments of their parting one by Idolatry and the other by slighting or despising the counsel of the Ancient and following the counsel of young men who were puft up with pride and covetousnesse like the men of our late days and so caused the Kings government to be rent in pieces by Gods Prophet 1 Kings 11.30 31 32. signifying the greatest part of the House of Iacob to revolt from the house of David which are not reconciled to this day Just in the same manner fared it with the Christian Gentiles which Christ his twelve Apostles first planted in the true Apostolical Catholick order in one body under one head who had a seamless garment of pure government which in process of time was in a flourishing condition in one body of spiritual government in those prosperous days of peace true Religion most men gave themselves wholly to build and beautifie Gods house being charitable minded in hospitality and Christian duty in those days men did shine by godly pious conversation without flattery or dissembling hypocrisie shewing themselves as Solomon saith Aples of Gold pictured with studs of Silver But while many slept in security Satan sowed tares which for want of being weeded out of the Church in due time caused corruption to creep in by degrees and at last to break out into idolatry strife and heresie then the Christian vail of Religious duties was rent in twain as Christ signified at his death by the renting of the vail of the temple it is to be understood of the renting and destruction of the Christian Temples by devision as wel as the Jewish ceremonial Law of which for brevity sake many proofs for confirmation must be omitted but this I give you to understand that Davids Tabernacle was raised as wel to the Christians Gospel covenant as to the Jewes and natural Israelites under the Law and likewise so it fell you may question me saying how can you prove that I answer When the Catholike Church first passed by divisions and grosse errors into jars and open wars and to part from one real body which was planted to be over twelve spiritual Tribes under one head in Christs Church Abraham being their Father by true Faith they being all spiritual brethren in Christ then began they to kil plot persecute and revile one against another pretending for Religion but contrary to Christs covenant or the Apostles doctrine And so to this day we continue reviling and hating one another and they calling us Hereticks that are Protestants and we calling them grosse Idolatrous worshipers yet neither of us without great errors and so we continue resting Christs gospel-Gospel-truth in unrighteousnesse by making corrupt Laws on purpose to persecute and destroy one another by Satans malice contrary to Christ and his Apostles rule or the true Primitive Churches practice A short description of the ruinating of the Protestant Religion in this Land THe

bed and went to bed again A while after being something warm in my bed the Lords Angel gave me warning that I must undergoe the strongest temptation that night as any man had endured yet the Lord would uphold me in it Dear friends it was no dream nor fancy for I was awake and had my perfect memory A little while after there was as it had been a book opened in my conscience I cannot forget the remembrance of the letters stil and there was laid to my open view and memory all the sins that ever I had offended God either by omission or commission and the Lord assured my conscience they were forgiven assuring me that they were buried in the Sea of Christs blood That was no sooner past and another Book opened but there came into my mind a remembrance of al my dealing between man and man and there was found no accusation against me but onely for 4 d. which had been neer six years past For the first journey that ever my Master sent me out with iron ware he sent me three dayes journey from his house to a place called Chessom in Buckinghamshire and before I came home againe I lost 1 s. of my account and having cast it up at Warwick the last night of my journey and then I fearing to tel my Master of it kept halfe a peck of oats from my horses thinking to get the shilling that way at several times so after with my with my Master I losing 8 d. and wronging the dumb creatures of their allowance my conscience being troubled at it did so no more And when I was at the point of death God suffered two ugly Devils in shape like Blackmoors to accuse me before him so that I was forced to look out of the bed and they stood between my bed and the window at my left hand I was in a terrible fright they standing neer my bed-side a little after midnight The Lord gave me a strong spirit to resist the Fiends by prayer which made them fly from my bed-side And Gods holy Angel comforted me exceedingly and so left me for a little time Anon after there appeared another Devil who was transformed into a glorious shape whose adornments shone like gold as it had been a great Emperor King or Monarch with a Crown on his head who would have perswaded me to have denied that Christian Faith as I was trained up in and renounce the Baptism as I had received in my infancy and I should bee in as great estimation for the time to come as any in the world I endeavoured to pray against those perswading temptations but my own heart would have deceived me one time I could scarce keep my mind close to God and being mighty hot by sweating and faint by sicknesse my soule desired to keep close to God My heart was brought very weak I was brought so feeble-minded I thinking all hope past but I must yield at last I said avoid Satan At these words and many more such like the transformed Fiend vanished away and the Angel appeared at my right hand as I lay in my bed and strengthened me with exceeding inward comfort and so left me againe The black Fiends appeared a second time and being resisted by prayer they fled And there was another like a General or great Commander in gay apparel in several colours as red black green yellow in a bunch perswading me as the former did but the Lords power was strong in me to resist him by prayer which made them fly from my bed-side then began it to be a little morning-light I prayed all night looking every minute when the Lord would fetch away my soule from my body but I desired much of the Lord to live to see my Father and brothers and to make a Will to dispose of some little money and some cattel some to the poor some to my brothers some to friends according to my Talent as I had When the day began to dawn in my chamber there was the shape of a Ladder reared from the chamber-floor to the window the top of the Ladder was above the window the two ugly black Fiends and the transformed Devil appeared again neer my bed-side in violent way to feare and tempt me I prayed to God for defence and succour the transformed Devil shining like an Angel of Light ran up to the top of the Ladder above the window there I was tempted again the two black Fiends ran up after and stood one above another on the Ladder calling to me twice and saying Come wil you come The Lord strengthened my heart to prayer the transformed Fiend vanished away from the top of the Ladder The ugly black Fiends after they had turned feet to feet the ones head was up towards the top of the Ladder the others hung downward and thus they hung their soles of their feet together on the Ladder I thought all this while on Jacobs Ladder Lord thought I to my selfe this is such a Ladder as Jacob saw in his Vision Gen. 28.12 At the end of these terrible fights of the fearful Vision I brake forth uttering these very words saying O my Saviour thou that wast tempted and hadst no sinne 〈◊〉 able to succour me a poor finful creatore in the name of the whole Godhead avoid Satan The one fel one way the other another way the Fiends parting asunder and I praise God I had no more temptation all the rest of the time of my sickness And the Angel of the Lord came and comforted me and told me when I was restored to health I must go on Gods message to the King and tel him he must agree with the Parliament and condiscend to them by agreement and forgive them that which had been past as a loving Father although it were against him in that way as he was in and his Army if he did refuse to doe it speedily and for to work Reformation both in Church and State if this were neglected the Kings Army would come to nothing but destruction and hee would be destroyed and cut off but yet his Son would come at last to reign Then I was to tel the Parliament in withstanding the King they must not doe it to make themselves great but perform their vow for the setting up of Gods truth in the true purity for Church-government and for Temporal and State Affaires it must be to maintaine true Judgment in all degrees for the Magistrate according to truth If this in the beginning were not their ayme and in the end in the end their actions God would blast all their proceedings by one power displacing and dissolving another til at last their heresie and injustice and division would bring them to confusion And the Angel then gave me direction how the King and Parliament must make their agreement at last and what form and manner the Church must and would be established and governed And how that God had ordained tha I must be one of