Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	church_n	invisible_a	visible_a	2,160	5	9.2231	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42414	A resolution of three important questions (premis'd as a foundation to an intended exposition of the fourth and fifth chapters of the apocalypse) in answer to the late reverend and learned Dr. H. M. Wherein is shewed, I. That the fourth and fifth chapters of the Revelation, are properly a prophecy of things to come to pass after St. John's receiving of the vision of them. II. That by opening of the book, Rev. v. is meant, of prefigured the explaining of it. III. That by the throne in both the said chapters, is meant a throne of God on Earth, and not in the highest heaven. By W. G. V. T.	Garrett, Walter.	1688 (1688)	Wing G271A; ESTC R200685	23,074	29

no real thing And as to the Completion of it we must not think that the Prophecy is to be understood in that gross manner as if it were never to be fulfill'd till the Persons signified by the Living Creatures and Elders should get together about a Throne paying their most profound Devotions to one looking like a Jasper and a Sardine Stone sitting in the midst of it But the meaning is only to shew the Order of the Hierarchy the Person sitting in the midst of the Throne being the Supreme Visible Governour the Living Creatures in the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne next under him and the 24 Elders under them In which Order not Local but Political or Subordination one to another the Inferiours pay their duties to their Superiour and all of them to that good God who invisibly presides in the midst of them Object But the Doxology we speak of Rev. iv 11. is addrest to the Sitter on the Throne for his Creating of all things and how then could any Mortal have an hand with him Answ In the Language of the Prophets any notable alteration of Affairs is call'd a New Creation And as for the term of all things it is very often said not of * 〈◊〉 which ●he Rea●● observe 〈◊〉 the Ori●● is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the 〈◊〉 know 〈◊〉 easily 〈◊〉 to this ●an to a●● as if ●●en said ●ou hast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these 〈◊〉 Vid. 〈◊〉 in par●● all things Uni●ersally but of those things only which had been the subject of the foregoing Discourse Which Points being confest by all Interpreters of Scripture so far as I know will need no further proof And thus have I vindicated the Sitter on the Throne to be a Man and consequently the Throne to be an Earthly Throne I proceed 6. The Throne appears to be an Earthly Throne also by the Company that are gather'd about it For these are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Living Creatures and Elders which are Names we never find given to any but Mortals And it is a very dangerous thing for the sake of an Hypothesis and to serve a Turn to depart from the constant and unquestionable use of Words by affixing private and unwarrantable Interpretations to them These Persons are also prov'd to be Mortals by the Incense they are represented with Rev. v. 8. which is a Type of the ascending up of the Prayers of the Church from Earth to Heaven From whence Dr. Hammond upon the place infers that the Persons using it are the Church on Earth And he infers the like from what they say of themselves ver 10. that they were made to God Kings and Priests and that they should reign upon the Earth For this description can neither agree to Angels nor to Souls departed But if the Company about the Throne be Mortals the Throne must needs be an Earthly Throne And since mention has been made of the Famous and Learned Dr. Hammond I crave leave to add That he is so far from scrupling to interpret the Sitter on the Throne to be a Man that he makes him not so much as a King but only a Bishop For which see his Annotations on Rev. iv 2. and I look upon Dr. Hammand to be as good a Judg as any Man of what Interpretations are safe tho' not so always of what are sound But to return to our purpose 7. The New Jerusalem is a City that was to be on Earth as appears from Rev. xxi 2. where it is said to come down from God out of Heaven The same is said of it again at ver 10. where also St. John is carried up but to an high Mountain to see it so that it must needs be an Earthly City And if it came down from God out of Heaven as is said of it whither could it come but to the Earth Accordingly we find it said at ver 24. That the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory and Honour into it And at ver 26. They shall bring the Glory and Honour of the Nations into it From whence it is very plain that the New Jerusalem was to be a City on Earth But now in Rev. xxii 3. The Throne of God and the Lamb is said to be in the New Jerusalem which Throne of God and the Lamb is the same with that we are speaking of as will appear from Rev. v. 6. where the Lamb is represented in the midst of it And therefore the Throne we speak of is an Earthly Throne as being in an Earthly City 8. Lastly For fail Dr. M. himself against whom I unwillingly dispute all this while confesses the 24 Elders to be a Type of our Noble Reformers i.e. of Mortals See his Apoc. Apocalypseos upon Rev. xi 16. whence it follows That the Throne about which they are represented in the Vision must be a Type of an Earthly Throne Nay and even this the Doctor has asserted too tho he now seem to have forgotten it or else what mean those words of his upon Rev. vii 9. After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no Man could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb. Namely says the Doctor before the Throne above viz. in Chap. iv v. described in Heaven For John he adds is supposed to see all these Visions in Heaven tho they concern things here on Earth Of which words the plain meaning is That altho the Vision represents these things in Heaven yet they are to be fulfill'd in things on Earth And what is this but to grant that the Throne seen in Heaven in the Type is in the Antitype an Earthly Throne And so much for proof that by the Throne Rev. iv v. is meant an Earthly Throne I shall therefore conclude this Point with a further Illustration of it taken from that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is easie to be observ'd between the Sitter on the Throne we speak of and the Dragon with Seven Heads and Ten Horns described Rev. xii Concerning which Dragon it is confest by Mr. Mede Dr. More and all the best Interpreters that thereby are meant the Pagan Persecuting Emperours of Rome the profest Enemies and Opposers of the Church of Christ Notwithstanding which consent of Interpreters the Holy Spirit himself tells us at ver 9. that this Dragon is the Devil and Satan And yet the Prophecy mentions but one such Seven-headed Dragon neither So that it must necessarily follow according to them and indeed according to the truth it self that by the Dragon is represented both the Pagan Emperours as Instruments and Satan as the prime mover of them by whose Instigation and Assistance they became so active in endeavouring the Churches Ruine The Emperours were the visible Dragon actuated and set on work by Satan the invisible The Reddition or Application of this to the Sitter on the Throne is obvious For by Interpreting the Sitter on the Throne to be a King notwithstanding that the Prophecy sets him forth as God I do no more make two Sitters on the Throne then they who expound the Dragon to be a King notwithstanding that he is said to be the Devil make two Dragons And as the things spoken of the Dragon there are applicable to Satan as the prime Mover but to the Emperours as his Instruments so the things spoken of the Sitter on the Throne are applicable to God as the first and principal Cause of all and to Men employed by him in the Service only as Instruments and second Causes And I would fain know whether the nature of the opposite Relation that there is between two Princes the one a violent Persecutor and profest Enemy of the Church and the other as zealous a Defender of it do not oblige that as the one is represented like the Devil and Satan whose work he does so the other should be represented like God whose Image Instrument and Representative on Earth he is According as we find Interpreters to agree in the Exposition of the Man-child said to be caught up to God and to his Throne Rev. xii 5. for they expound it generally of Constantine the Great as I took notice before And if other Scriptures are found to flie so high in the setting forth of Kings as to call them Gods much more may we expect them to be describ'd as such in this Book of the Revelation which must be confest for loftiness of Expression to exceed all others in the Sacred Volume FINIS