Selected quad for the lemma: woman_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
woman_n	devil_n	seed_n	serpent_n	4,337	5	9.5644	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09443	A godly and learned exposition or commentarie vpon the three first chapters of the Reuelation. Preached in Cambridge by that reuerend and judicious diuine, maister William Perkins, Ann. Dom. 1595. First published for the benefit of Gods Church, by Robert Hill, Bachelor of Diuinitie; Lectures upon the three first chapters of the Revelation	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1606 (1606)	STC 19732; ESTC S114701	362,972	238

cause of his banishment to wit for testifying the hystorie and doctrine of the gospell the summe whereof is this That Iesus Christ the sonne of Marie is the sonne of God and redeemer of all that beleeue in him to the iustification of life This testimonie S. Iohn puts downe to giue vs to vnderstand what part of Gods word that is which is most hated of the world and for the preaching whereof Gods ministers are persecuted and banished to wit the gospell of Iesus Christ especially for the law is in part naturall but the gospell is supernaturall and to mans reason absurd for the preaching whereof men in all ages haue been persecuted The reason hereof is this God in the beginning made a couenant with man promising That the seede of the woman should breake the serpents head Now the gospell is that glad tidings wherein is declared that this promised seede is come who hath indeede bruised the head of the serpent Hereupon the diuell maligneth the gospel aboue all parts of Gods word and accordingly hath laboured by al meanes to suppresse the same partly by persecution as hee did in the first three hundred yeares after Christ and partly by bringing into the church damnable heresies which did destroy the gospell by deprauing the natures and offices of Christ when by outward violence he could not preuaile Now seeing the diuell and his instruments doe thus hate the gospell and labour to extinguish it we on the contrarie must labour to know and to beleeue to loue and embrace the gospell that so we may vphold and maintaine the same Vers. 10. And I was rauished in the spirit on the Lords day and heard behind mee a great voyce as it had beene of a Trumpet In this tenth verse are set downe the third and fourth circumstances of this vision The third is the manner of receiuing and giuing this reuelation to Iohn namely in a traunce The fourth is the time when it was giuen on the Lords day Touching the manner it is noted in these words I was in the spirit That is I was by the mightie and extraordinarie worke of the spirit of God cast into a traunce That this 〈◊〉 bee so expounded appeareth by comparing this phrase with the like in the whole prophesie of Ezechiell who vseth to say I was in the spirit when hee expresseth and signifieth that hee was cast into a traunce and therein receiued some vision by the spirit To vnderstand this the better consider two things first what a traunce is secondly the end of it First a traunce is an extraordinarie worke or action of Gods spirit Wee must not thinke that traunces come from the vertue of the starres nor from the constitution of mans bodie or by the strength of imagination as some haue fondly thought but they are wrought by the holy ghost Secondly it is not euery worke of the holy ghost but an extraordinarie worke aboue the order of nature It is also powerfull and mightie wherein the whole man both in bodie and mind is altered which Saint Iohn here expresseth saying I was in the spirit This extraordinarie worke of the spirit consisteth in two actions one vpon the bodie the other vpon the mind First in procuring a traunce the spirit of God casteth the body of man into a dead sleepe whereby all the sences both inward and outward are benummed so Genes 15.12 when God renewed his couenant with Abraham hee casteth him into an heau●e sleepe that is into a traunce wherein all his sences were benummed onely his mind was waking The action of the Holy ghost on the mind is to draw it from fellowship with the body and all the sences to haue a neerer fellowship with God that so the spirit of God may enlighten it with diuine light that it may vnderstand the things which are reuealed to it as wee may see in other extasies and traunces of the Prophets and Apostles As in that of Pe●er when he saw the vision of beasts cleane and vncleane And thus wee see what a Traunce is namely an extraordinarie powerfull work● of the spirit vpon the whole man ca●ting the bodie into a dead sleepe and making the mind fit to receiue the things which are reuealed vnto it of the Lord. II. point The end of traunces God for two causes reuealeth his will in traunces vnto his seruants as to Iohn in this place First that 〈◊〉 might know that the things reuealed were not inuented of themselues but giuen of God Iohn herein had no vse of his bodily sences hee neither heard saw nor felt but they were asleepe And therefore the vision must needs be from God and the glory therof wholly his Secondly and chiefely that the things reuealed might take the deeper impression in the vnderstanding for the mind being freed from fellowship with the body and not hindered by any phantasies of the sences they being all asleepe and quiet doth then most liuely and sensibly apprehend and retaine the impression of things reuealed Here then we see the great care of God that his seruants might throughly vnderstand certainely beleeue and constantly keepe in memorie the things hee deliuered vnto them The like care he shewed in reuealing his will to all his former Prophets he would not haue their minds troubled with the fellowship of the body nor hindered of the sences inward or outward but wholly taken vp for the seruice of his spirit And there is good reason of this for if they must faithfully teach Gods will to others to make them know and vnderstand to beleeue remember the same is it not necessarie that they themselues should throughly vnderstand soundly beleeue and firmely keepe in memorie whatsoeuer God reuealeth This dealing of the Lord for this end with his holy Prophets teacheth vs that the ordinarie ministers of the Gospell at this day ought to imploy themselues with all care and diligence that they may throughly vnderstand the will of God in his word and withall beleeue it soundly and remember it carefully We must not now looke for traunces and visions as they had but we must vse continuall study in the word which is the ordinarie meanes to come vnto this knowledge This dutie concerneth all students in diuinitie and all others which desire a good vnderstanding in the word of God And for their furtherance herein they must haue principall care to search into the text of Scripture throughly thereby shall they best conceiue the proper meaning of the holy ghost and with greater facilitie keepe the same in memorie For one sayth truly That euery good minister should bee a good text man Whereby is descried a common fault of many students who rather imploy themselues in the auncient writings of men than in the word of God nay many spend their best time in the base writings of wicked hereticall monks and friers It cannot be denied but many of the fathers were worthie members of Gods church but if the fountaine be left the

created or ordained of God it hath no propertie of the godhead but yet an idoll is something in mans imagination which giueth to it the honour of God and reputeth it as God making it a God vnto himselfe III. Reason N●aman the Syrian went into the temple of the god Rimmon and there kneeled down Euen so may christians go eat in idols temples Ans. When Naaman went in thither he did not kneele downe to the idoll but to the king performing a ciuill dutie vnto his Prince who vsed to leane on Naamans shoulder and worship his false god And though Naaman were present at idoll-worship seruice yet it was with protestation against it for being cured of his leprosie he promised to worship no God but the God of Israell and thereupon he laded two mules with the earth of the land of Israell in token of his publicke profession of thankfulnesse to the true God for his clensing If these in Pergamus whom Christ disliketh had gone as Naaman did into idoll temples they had not sinned as they did And at this day if men protest against the idolatry of the masse they may enter into those congregations where masse is said for this protestation is a flat condemning of their false worship The second opinion of these Nicolaitans was That men might lawfully commit fornication This opinion they would thus iustifie First from the practise of Lot Who offered to the men of Sodom his daughters when they called for the strangers that were come into his house Which thing say they Lot would neuer haue done if fornication had bene a sinne Ans. It seemeth that Lot cannot be excused in that action though his purpose was by a lesser euill to preuent a greater but God hath plainely taught That no man may do the least euill for the procuring of the greatest good that can be Rom. 3.8 II. Reason The Lord say they commanded Hosea To take a wife of fornication and children of fornication Hos. 1.2 It is not therfore vnlawfull Ans. There be diuers interpretations of that place Some say that was onely in vision and not a fact done Others say it was in speech onely because hee prophesied vnto the people that he himself was as a man of fornicatiō vnto them These expositions may well stand Yet others hold that the Lord commanding him this it was to be done and was done indeed And sundrie circumstances seeme to prooue that it was a fact done for the womans name is set downe to be Go●er and her fathers name Diblaim Secondly a thing in vision or in speech onely doth not so much preuaile with wicked people as that which is done indeed Thirdly the antient opinion of best diuines that liued neerest to the Apostles times auouch it was a fact done Obiect But this maintaineth fornication against good maners and the expresse law of God Ans. It were so indeed if the Prophet had done it on his owne head but he did it by Gods speciall appointment who is Lord of his owne law and may dispence with it at his pleasure God in his law forbidd●th to kill yet Abraham is commaunded to kill his sonne Which if he had done he had not sinned because hee had a speciall commaundement for it which a man must obey though it bee against a morall precept Againe Hosea tooke a wife of fornication not to maintaine her in her sinne but to make her a chast woman And whereas he was commaunded also to take vnto him children of fornication it must not be vnderstood of children begotten by him but borne of her in fornication As if he should say Take a wife with her children which she brought forth in fornication So that this place which way soeuer wee take it doth nothing maintaine their wicked errors III. Reason Acts. 15. The Apostles charge the churches To abstaine from that which is strangled from bloud and from fornication There say they fornication is reckoned among things indifferent and therefore may be vsed lawfully Answ. It is there reckoned among things indifferent First because it was so accounted of amongst the gentiles Secondly because the gentiles did ioyntly by these three things offend the churches of the Iewes But hence it followeth not that it is indeed a thing indifferent II. Point The affection of Christ towards these men is noted in these words Which thing I hate This hatred must bee referred not to the persons of the Nicolaitans but to their opinions liues and practises Hereby Christ would instruct vs in sundrie needfull duties First if we will follow him wee must hate all honour and approbation that may bee giuen to idols bee it neuer so little These Nicolaitans might say they abhorred idols and worshipped them not onely they went with their friends into their Temples and sate downe to eate meat before them now euen this dealing Christ hateth Wherein hee doth notably condemne the practise of the Romish church which say they worship not idols but the true God and yet they doe that which Christ hateth for they kneele downe before them they adore them and light candles vnto them and offer vnto them many rich iewels and much sumptuous attire which is a great deale more than the Nicolaitans did And therefore they are much more to be condemned and their practise also hated of vs. Secondly Christs hatred of the lest honour of idols doth affoord a speciall caueat to such men as giue themselues to a trauelling life as into Italy Spaine and other idolatrous places they should content themselues within the precincts of the church and not proceed further without warrant of a speciall calling whereby they may assure themselues of Gods gracious protection For hereby they giue occasion to themselues to do that which Christ hateth though they say they hate idolatrie For if a man escape to bee present at their abhominable seruice yet he cannot auoid going to their Temples where hee is to offer some gifts or performe some ceremonie after the custome of the country whereby hee shall giue some approbatition at the least of their idolatrie whereas hee ought to hate the least appearance therof euen the garment spotted with the flesh Thirdly by this his affection Christ would teach vs to grow to an hatred of all familiar societie with idolaters for though we may haue society of concord with them yet societie of amitie which is a speciall liking between man man we must not maintaine with them Fourthly Christ hateth not onely their idolatrie but their fornication also Hereby teaching vs to grow to a hatred of fornication which the rather must bee detested because The bodies of euery man and woman be not their owne but Christs and therefore ought not to bee imployed in the honour or seruice of the diuell but of Christ. Againe the bodies of euery christian man and woman are the members of Christ now it is an vnseemely thing to take the member of Christ and make it the member

regard of sexe is inferiour may haue more excellent gifts and so likewise may exercise authoritie and rule and wee find by good experience that the gouernment of a woman is a ha●pie gouernment no records of time can shew a more happie regiment for blessings temporall and spirituall vnder any man than wee haue long enioyed vnder our noble queene The second fault of this Church is that they suffered a woman to seduce and teach false doctrine and thereby to seduce Gods people That this is a fault Christs reproofe sheweth euidently and therefore I will not stand to prooue it Hence wee may gather that euery man is not to bee left to his owne conscience to teach and hold what doctrine he will but all such men or women as ●each erronious doctrines by the gouernors of the Church are to bee restrained It is a grieuous fault in any Church not to restraine the authours and maintainers of sects and false doctrines and of opinions which stand not with the truth of Gods word and on the contrarie it is a vertue and a good gift in any church when they restraine the authours and fauourers of sects and false doctrine And in this regard our Church is to bee commended and approoued and the commonwealth likewise for making lawes to restraine both Popish recusants and some Protestants who depart from this our Church as being no Church of God but a member of Antichrist and of Babylon Now that Christ might aggrauate these their offences hee doth describe both the woman and her teaching Hee describeth the woman first by her propertie in this name I●zabell that is one like Iezabell secondly by her action Which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse her teaching is described in the end of the verse Touching her propertie Christ calleth her Iezabell for two causes First for that she was like to Iezabell and in her person reuiued the manners and opinions of Iezabell For as Iezabell brought among the Israelites the false worship of the Idoll Baal so this woman laboured to bring into this Church of Thyatira Idolatrie and other sinnes Againe Iezabell was giuen to fornication as the Scripture recordeth of her by the mouth of Iehu 2. Kings 9.22 and so was this woman giuen to fornication Thirdly Iezabell was a woman of authoritie and by her place and dignitie did countenance and maintaine Idolatrie and her wicked sinnes so it is lik● that this woman was of some place and authoritie and did ther●by countenance her wicked opinions and damnable sinnes In this reason of her name note first a notable practise of Sathan for the furtherance of his kingdome which is this In succeeding ages hee laboureth to reuiue the erronious opinions and wicked vices of vngodly persons of former times This wee see plaine in this place for long after ●●zabel● death the wife of Ahab a wicked woman ●uen in the Apostles time he raised vp ●nother woman like Iezabell both for wicked life and doctrine And the like practise hee vseth at this day In all such as follow the rules and counsell of Machiauell is reuiued the craft of Achitophell in the Papists are reuiued the opinions and manners of the wicked Scribes and Pharisees in the recusant Protestants is reuiued the sect of the Donatists and the sect called Audiani The familie of Loue reuiues the opinions and manners of the Valentinians and the Montanists and many other damnable errours Now this the deuill doth because hee knowes by experience the great hurt that these opinions and sinnes haue formerly done vnto Gods Church Secondly Christ calleth this woman Iezabell that he may prouoke this church to a greater detestation of her in regard of her damnable wayes and that shee might be in as great disgrace with them as was Iezabell in the old Testament to the people of God that so they might better eschew her wicked seducement And herein we haue a good direction for our profitable reading of the bookes of the old and new Testament namely that when we meet with examples of wicked men and wicked women we must thereby take occasion to be vnlike them And if we find our selues like them any way either in wicked opinion or in practise wee must thereupon grow to a dislike with our selues Againe finding the examples of good men or good women wee must labour to conforme our selues thereto and become like them and in this regard approoue our selues when wee see our selues conformable vnto the godly in any vertue and grace The second argument wherby Christ describeth this woman is her action Shee calleth her selfe a Prophetesse that is shee chalengeth her selfe to bee one that doth teach Gods will by the instinct of his spirit And herein shee became a notable patrone of the damnable sect of the Nicolaitans for she held the lawfulnesse of fornication and of eating things sacrificed to Idols And for the maintenance hereof shee sayth shee is a Prophetesse one that speaketh nothing but as shee is taught by Gods spirit This is the practise of heretickes vnder pretence of the spirit to maintaine their damnable deuices as might easily bee prooued by induction of particular heretickes in former ages First hence then we are taught to labour to haue the spirit of discerning whereby we may trie the spirits whether they be of God or not Many will bee of no religion because there bee so many false teachers and such diuersitie of opinions in religion But herein they bewray their prophanesse they ought the rather to labour for this gift of discerning whereby to know what is from God and what is not Secondly hence wee are taught that when wee are vniustly slaundered disgraced or iniured wee ought not to fret and fume but by patience to content our selues for wee see that wicked men to maintaine their wicked opinions and manners will not sticke to abuse God himselfe and make his blessed spirit the author and patrone of their errours and sinnes Wee by our sinnes deserue disgrace and reproch but the spirit of God hath done nothing amisse And therfore wee must bee patient being in the same condemnation as Luke 23.40 41. and rather reioyce in as much as wee are partakers of the sufferings of the spirit 1. Pet. 4 vers 13. Againe here obserue how shee prooueth her selfe to be a Prophetesse namely by her owne testimonie onely She calleth her selfe so Where we may see the note and marke of a false Prophet to wi● their owne bare word and testimonie A true Prophet or Prophetesse hath sundry testimonies besides their owne words to proue the lawfulnesse of their calling as in the primitiue Church they had the gift of speaking diuers languages without studie and of working miracles they had also puritie of doctrine ioyned with integritie of life lastly many excellent gifts of God as zeale courage and constancie to maintaine the same Christ hauing described this woman for her further disgrace as also to aggrauate the fault of this Church in suffering