Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	acknowledge_v	church_n	true_a	2,210	5	5.5850	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65766	The church's security in the midst of all difficulties and dangers explain'd and asserted in a sermon preacht upon the 5th of November last, upon those words of Numb. 23, 23 / by R.W., B.D., and minister of Kedarminster in the county of Worcester.	White, Richard, b. 1636.	1694 (1694)	Wing W1802; ESTC R9789	10,322	24

the Devil and his Angels and all wicked Men that are his Seed on the other This Enmity was fixt by God very early even as soon as the Covenant was renewed with Mankind thro' Christ after the Apostacy of Adam as you will find Gen. 3.15 where God saith to the Serpent And I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel This was the main ground of the quarrel between Cain and Abel Cain kill'd his Brother Abel his nearness in Blood could not save him from an hand of violence and the fundamental reason was because Cain's works were evil and his Brother 's were righteous And this hath suitably been the fundamental ground of all the Persecutions and Massacres and Burnings and Violence that ungodly Men in all Ages have exercis'd towards the Members of the Church whatever else hath been pretended as the reason of them But yet 2. There are some other reasons that may be given of this matter as 1. Because that gracious persons are by their words and example a continual reproof of the evil practices of wicked Men they do by their words and example reprove their Superstitions and Idolatries in matters of Religion and their Hypocrisie therein as also their Wickedness and Profaneness in life and practice and this wicked Men cannot bear they look upon such kind of reproof to be no better than a reproach and therefore are apt to revenge it by any kind of violent practice whatsoever Thus God's Attestation which he gave to Abel's faith and sincerity in his Worship which he offer'd to God was that which provoked Cain to that violent dealing which he afterwards expressed towards his Brother Thus the Christians in the Primitive times disowning and reproving the Idols that did then so much abound in the Heathen World did provoke the Heathens so much to persecute them to the death And thus the Protestants reproving and disowning the Superstitious and Idolatrous practices of the Papists is that which hath especially stirr'd up the Papists to all their Cruelties against them 2. Another ground is an inconsistency it may be in temporal interests and concerns wicked Men do make Self their God and Self-interest their Diana which they chiefly adore when therefore this is crost by any one tho' it be done no other way but by the performance of necessary duty they are hereupon apt to be provok'd to endeavour Revenge tho' in the most cruel way and manner Thus that which provok'd Balak to procure Balaam to curse the People of Israel was a fear lest they should disturb him in his Kingdom and Government And that which hath especially provok'd the Popish Party against the Protestants is because that by their Doctrine they touch the Pope's Crown and the Fryers Bellies if these had been let alone as some have observed Luther had not met with such opposition in his Preaching Thus England's standing of old in the way of the Ambition of Spain and its standing of late in the way of the Ambition of France hath been the main ground of England's Troubles from Spain formerly and now from France so that if we consider these particulars it will appear to be no matter of wonder That 't is and hath been all along and by consequence will be to the end of the World the custom of the Devil and his Instruments to contrive and design the ruine and misery of the People and Church of God though by the wickedest means that can be thought of or invented But I have further added 2. That the Church and People of God are from time to time and shall be to the end of the World delivered from and shall prevail against the Contrivances and Machinations of the Devil and his Instruments 'T is true indeed and must be acknowledged that particular persons who are real Members of the Church of Christ may be and often have been brought to untimely Ends by the machinations and contrivances of wicked Men in this kind this is suitable to all History Experience and the Apostle confirms it Rom. 8.36 quoting it out of Psal 44.22 As it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long we are accounted as Sheep for the slaughtor by which words he proves that tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and peril and sword may be the portion of the People of God as he saith in the verse before this is evident likewise from what is said Heb. 11.36 37. Others had tryal of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonments they were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword they wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented c. But even in this case there are two things very considerable 1. That as to such as are persecuted thus to death they are hereby but hastened to the enjoyment of a blessed Immortality even as Abel was tho' they may lose their Heads in the quarrel yet they do not lose their Crown but enjoy it so much the sooner nay in all these things saith the Apostle we are more than Conquerors thro' him that hath loved us Rom. 8.37 2. 'T is farther observable that the Kingdom of Christ is generally the more encreased and inlarged occasionally from such persecutions Sanguis Martyrum est semen Ecclesiae 't was an old observation that the Blood of Martyrs was the seed of the Church This Tertullian tells the Heathens in his Apology the more we Christians are mow'd down by the sickle of death the more we are increased and grow up the thicker hereby But 2. It must be allow'd further that as for particular Churches they may possibly be utterly destroy'd and scatter'd by the violence of Persecution for God hath not given his promise to any particular Church whether Congregational Provincial or National that it shall always continue in the state of a true Church of God but then 't is to be considered 1. That God doth long preserve some National and Provincial Churches notwithstanding all designs and machinations to the contrary of which our Church of England hath been hitherto a singular and standing Instance 2. When at any time he suffers the destruction of any particular Church 't is because of some great provocations from that Church preceding as he threatens the Church of Ephesus to remove her Candlestick because of her forsaking her first love Rev. 2.4 5. which threatning hath been since so fully accomplisht that as a late Writer observes unto us there is not one Christian Family now to be found in Ephesus 3. When at any time it so falls out that particular Churches are disperst and destroy'd by the violence of Persecution yet even this falls out oftentimes to the good and benefit of the Universal Church and the greater spreading of it those that are disperst by Persecution spreading the Gospel for which