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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	catholic_n	church_n	visible_a	3,605	5	9.5506	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33507	The whore unvailed, or, The mistery of the deceit of the Church of Rome revealed being a brief answer to a book entituled, the reconciler of religions, or, A decider of all controversies in matters of faith, written by a professed Roman Catholick who subscribes his name A.S. in which he endeavoured to prove the Church of Rome to be the true church ... / by a servant of the Lord, Josiah Coale ; whereunto is added the 14th Chap. of A.S. his book in which he declares the Protestant ... not to be true preachers ...	Coale, Josiah, 1632?-1668.	1665 (1665)	Wing C4760; ESTC R37745	41,902	55

of the Spirit of Christ in his inward parts which all ought to obey and submit unto For the persecuting Jews who were uncircumcised in heart and ears and did alwaies resist the holy Ghost they professed as great zeal for God and his cause as the Apostate Christians now do and they looked for the coming of the Messiah of whom all the Prophets prophesied and profest they would adore him and reverence him c. and said that if they had been in the daies of their fathers they would not have slain the Prophets Mat. 23.31 who prophesied of the coming of Christ and so they had seemingly a great zeal for God and his truth But alas a murdering spirit was found in them for notwithstanding they professed that they would not have killed the Prophets yet they killed the Son who was the end of the Prophets And although the Prophets signified the time when Dan. 9.24 and the place where the Messiah should be born Mic. 5 2. yet when he was come according to the Prophets which they profest These professing Jews would not own him nor receive him Joh. 1.11 because he reproved their hypocrisie and their murdering spirit Joh. 8.40 But they crucified and slew him And this is the very state of the Apostate Christians at this day for who is there now amongst them but wi●l profess as great love to Christ as the Jews in Christs dayes did to the Prophets who prophesied of him who is there now amongst them but will say had we been in Pilats daies we would not have crucified Christ nor delivered him up to be crucified a● the Jews said of the Prophets yet notwithstanding their so saying they do as the Jews did for now in this day of his spiritual appearance which they professe they look for and expect they are found persecuting of him in his Members under the same pretence that the Jews persecuted him in their day viz. as a Blasphemer c. And so the Persecutors were in all ages b●inded by the god of the world who was a murtherer from the beginning and though they could see the iniquities of their fathers and predecessors in persecuting and killing the Prophets yet the envy of their hearts was such that they could not see their own iniquities in persecuting and slaying the son who was greater than the servants whom their fathers slew so as I said before it is not a profession of Christ and his Ordinances or zeal for his cause that makes people true Christians neither is God worshipped upon any of those mountains where the persecuting and destroying one another is but the worship of God consisteth in obedience to that spi●it of truth which condemns all those works of darknesse and cruelty and in his own mountain of holinesse where nothing hurts nor destroys Isa 11.9 And such is the Father now seeking to worship him that will worship him there and is now gathering his sheep from off the barren mountains upon which the Whore si●s where they have been scattered in the dark and cloudy day of Antichrists reign and where the wars and fightings are even to his own holy mountain where they shall learn war no more Isa 2.4 And this is the work that the envious and murtherous one opposeth and bestirr● himself with all his force and might in his instruments of cruelty and men of war arming of them with all kind of weapons that possibly he can form to fight against this appearance and work of God for so it hath been that since we who are reproachfully called Quakers were raised up to be a people to bear testimony for the name of the Lord and of the working of his spirit and power we have alwayes been even as a But for all the Archers of Babylon even from every mountain to shoot at And our sufferings hath not been only in our persons and estates as the spoyling of our goods and scourgings and cruel mockings and imprisonments many unto death as this Nation to her anguish must be made to know but even all sorts of Babylons Me●chants or they that trades in every part of her or within her subburbs have oft made it their business to write and print against us endeavouring thereby as much as in them lay to render us odious to our own Nation and to Nations about us under pretence that we were Papists and Jesuits and that we propagated Jesuitical principles c. but they being almost if not altogether weary of that work finding it to be to no purpose for the truth which we professe hath still got ground and flourisheth through all these things now at last the Papists or Jesuits themselves who I perceive have a secret hope of a day once more in this Nation they begin to put out their heads and to print against us and so both Protestants and Papists even every head horn of the Beast after whom the whole world wonders are ●●u●d pushing against the La●o and the Saints Rev. 17.14 For of late a cer●ain Pamphlet accidentally came to my hands written by a perfect Roman Catholick who subscribed his name A.S. in which he seems to shew himself sensible of the great distractions that are throughout the whole Christendome about the true way of worship and con●e●ning the true Church and fi●st states a Question viz which is this Church c. and afterwards makes it his businesse to prove the Church of Rome to be this true Church and that by divers Arguments by him stated in a Syllogistical manner And I also finding the Author of the aforesaid Pamphlet therein smiting at the people of God called Quakers and endeavouring to render them odious by affirming they are led by a deluding spirit c. I found my self som●what concerned to return a brief reply to his chief Arguments therein produced by which he ha●h in vain endeavourd to accomplish the aforesaid work by him undertaken A.S. His first Argument produced to prove the Church of Rome to be the true Church consisteth of nine particulars as followeth viz. That is the true Church and no other which is one holy Catholick and Apostolick Church which is visible infallible inerrable in which is power of miracles out of which none can be saved But the Rom●n Pontificial that is to say the faithful people dispersed all the world over in communion with the high Priest Bishop or Pope of Rome is such and no other Therefore the Roman Pontificial alone is the true Church Reply To which I reply that the true Church of which Christ alone is Head and Supreme Governour is in it self one holy Apostolick Church c. I shall not go about to deny but as touching that grand Question by A.S. stated before his Argument here inserted viz. which is this Church c. I answer this is a thing indeed disputable amongst many yea amongst many thousands yet not at all questionable nor yet doubtful unto me for I am well satisfied therein and in all other

of Rome are baptized and sanctified in Christ and that all her Institutes and Cerimonies c. are holy and therefore she is holy Answ I deny i● and he cannot prove it for all who are baptized into Christ and are sanctified in him have put on Christ Gal. 3.27 and doth live holy and have the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 But the Church of Rome hath not the mind of Christ neither doth she live holy as afore proved Therefore she is not holy And as concerning her Institutions and Ceremonies as Bowing to Images and Altars and such things we never read that the holy Church in the Primitive times did practice such things therefore we have no ground to believe they are holy 3. That the true Church is Catholick or Universal I shall not go about to deny but I do deny that the Universality of the Church of Rome is a sufficient Argument to prove her to be the true Church for consider 1. What Church is more universal then the great Whore the false Church who hath a name written MISTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATION OF THE EARTH Rev. 17.5 Who sits upon the many waters which are Nations Kindreds Tongue● and Peoples Rev. 17.15 And did not the Whole world wonder after the beast that carries the Whore Rev. 13.3 And did she not sit as a Queene over them all with her fair profession or golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthinesse of her fornication Rev. 18.7 and 17.4 And did not all the inhabitants of the earth and the Kings of the earth drink of the wine of her fornication and commit fornication with her Rev. 18.3 17.2 Mark how universal was this great Whore the false Church and how confident she was for she said in her heart that she should see no sorrow Rev. 18.7 And did she not glor●fie her self and reign over the kings of the earth Rev. 17.18 mark this thing Is not this the very state of the Church of Rome now at this day doth she not reign over the Kings of the earth and over the inhabitants of the earth and hath she not so done long even for many ages Witnesse Fox his Acts and Monuments the first Volume which copiously relates the Authority she hat● exercised over Kings and how Pope Aarian made Fredricus the Emperour hold his stirrup while he got up his horse yea and shent him for his pains because the poor Emperour not being us'd to that work held his stirrup on the wrong side of his horse And again Did not the gre●t Whore which John sp●ke of drink the blo●● of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus Rev. 17.6 And was she not to have blood given her to drink And hath not the Church of Rome drunk the blood of many thousands of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus Surely the Histories of many generations past will testifie she hath Therefore she is not the true Church but the Whore And have not many Nations gone into her and committed fornication with her and doth she not sit upon many waters the Peoples Kindreds Tongues and Nations and this kind of universality she makes use of as an argument to prove that she is the true Church which may be truly said to be a part of her witchcrafts and sorceries with which she hath long bewitched the Nations even all this long night of Apostacy in which Antichrist hath reigned who hath blinded the invisible eye in people and with this same pittiful shallow stuff she would fain still blind that eye which God hath opened in us But blessed be the Lord the day is dawned which makes all things manifest Secondly And farther consider what a slender or blind Argument it is to plead universality to prove the Church of Rome to be the true Church Surely A.S. did not consider that they are many who goes in the bro●d way that lead● to destruction and that the whole world wondred af●e● the bea●● that carries the Whore the false Church neither did he consider that they are but few who finds and walks in the straight way which leads unto life ●or had he considered these things he would have been ashamed to have produced such an Argument to prove the Church of Rome to be the true Church But it s clear that the universal Church of Rome sits upon the many waters and reigns over the Kings of the earth and goes in the broad way Therefore she is not the true Church but the Whore Fourthly Again That the true Church is Apostolick and built upon the foundation of the holy Apostles and Prophets Eph. 2.20 and was propagated through the world by the Apostles that I acknowledge but that the Church of Rome is Apostolick or had her beginning in Christ and his Apostles as A.S. affirmeth or that she was propagated through the world by the Apostles in that discipline Ceremonies worshipping of Idols or Images Murthering the people of God c. in which she now stands that I doe deny and its abomination in A.S. to affirm it For consider First When or where did Christ or his Apostles begin the practice of bowing to Images or worshipping Idols or when did any of them bow to an Altar of wood or pray with a string of beads or pray to Saints or carry a silver or wooden Crosse about with them or murther any because they were not of their Faith The Church of Rome cannot prove that ever Christ or his Apostles began or practised any of these things nor that they were in being in their dayes we defie them but they are inventions set up in the false Church in the dark night of Apostacy that hath been over the Nations since the Apostles dayes and are practised in the Church of Rome to this day Therefore she is not Apostolick but Apostate like Fifthly That the true Church or the Members of it is visible I shall not deny and that she is the Light of the world I do confesse but that the Church of Rome is the true Church or the Light of the world because she is visible that I do not acknowledge but deny for although the true Church or the Members of it is visible yet so is the Whore also But then some will say How are they the● to be distinguished First I answer By the●● fruits as Christ said men do not gather grapes of thorns nor figs of thistles Matth. 7. ●6 neither can one 〈◊〉 send forth bi●ter water and sweet James 3.12 nor a good tree 〈◊〉 b●ing forth bad fruit But the visible Church of Rome bring● forth bad fruits and sends forth bi●●er waters as the Cruelties exercised by her and the Murthers she hath acted for ages past testifieth and as the Idolatries exercised in her to this day as before mentioned witnesseth For such things was never exercised by nor in the true Church in Christs nor the Apostle● dayes therefore though the Church of Rome be visible yet her fruits testifieth that

she is not the true Church Secondly Again A.S. saith and diabolically affirmeth in the second Page of his pretended Reconciler of Religions that the true Church is composed of both good and bad wheat and tares which I do abominate to acknowledge and is blasphemy in him to affirm for the true Church is built of Living stones 1 Pet. 2.5 elect and precious or as A.S. affirmeth of living believers but no living believers can be truly called the bad nor the tares but elect and precious and all that are living or precious are the good therefore the true Church is built of the good only Thirdly But if the Church of Christ which A.S. in his second page affirmeth is the kingdome of Christ be composed of both good and bad then according to his own affirmation the kingdome of Christ is part good and part bad which is horrid blasphemy in A.S. to affirm Oh grosse darknesse and confusion Are thou a Member of that Church that calls it self the light of the world Oh dark dull gloomy light the Lord God Almighty bring all his people out of that dark Cell that they may wal● in his marvellous light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which makes all things manifest of what sort it is Fourthly But if you say that Christ likened the kingdome to a net that was cast into the Sea which gathered of all kinds I answer he did so yet when it came to land there was none composed or gathered into the vessels but the good only and the bad were cast away Matth. 13.48 Therefore the true Church is not composed of both good and bad but of the good only Fifthly But if you object that the tares and wheat were both to grow together in the field I answer they were so untill the harvest and the field is the world Mat. 13.39 but the true Church is not of the wo●ld Joh. 17.14 but when the reapers were sent forth which were the Angels that had the Gospel to preach Rev. 14 6. who went to disciple people and to baptize them into the true Church Mat. 28.19 Their commission was to compose or gather the wheat only and to seperate the tare● from it and to bind them in bundles for the fire Mat. 13.30 and therefore the true Church is not composed of both wheat and tares but of the wheat only Sixthly Farther If you say that there was some in the true Church in the Apostles dayes that were false brethren and these were bad I answer Though they were amongst them yet they were not of them as the Apostle said 1 John 2.19 Therefore the true Church is not composed of both good and bad but of the good only But to r●tu●n to the fifth part of A.S. his argument where he saith that the Church of Rome is known to the world in her Bishops Pastors and Believers c. and therefore she is visible Answ Although that proves her visible yet it doth not prove her to be the true Church but the contrary for the true Church that was the light of the world was not known to the world John 17.14 but the visible Church of Rome is known to the world as A.S. himself affirmeth therefore she is not the true Church but the contrary Again the true Church wrestled not with flesh and bloud neither was her weapons carnal but spiritual and she wrestled with spiritual wickednesses that were in the high places and broke down the strong holds of iniquity 2 Cor. 10.3 4. but the Church of Rome wrestles with flesh and blood and kills mens bodies about Religion as the whole Christendome knoweth and the spiritual wickednesses are still standing in her as afore proved and as all the world sufficiently knows therefore she is not the true Church Sixthly The infallibleness of the true Church of which Christ is supreme head and governour I do not go about to deny but that the Church of Rome is infallible that I do deny For First Although A.S. hath affirmed that she hath alwayes remained since Christs time unto this day without interruption c. yet he never proved it neither can he do it for as before I have said we never read that the true Church in Christs dayes was found in such things neither was such things then found in her as is now found in the Church of Rome and which the Church of Rome is now found in by which it is clear that she hath not alwayes remained since Christs time in the state she now stands Secondly But if she hath alwayes remained since Christe time to this day without interruption a● A.S. saith she hath then she cannot possibly be the true Church for the true Church was interrupted since the Resurrection and Ascention of Christ and yet remained as hereafter I shall shew and in the Apostles dayes her interruption began and some of the Apostles foresaw it and said of your selves shall men arise speaking perverse things Acts 20.30 and when they were arisen they withstood the truth as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses 2 Tim. 3.8 so here the interruption of the true Church began and after this John saw the Dragon interrupting or persecuting her into the Wildernesse where she had a place prepared of God that they might feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Rev. 12.6 13.14 ver concerning which I shall have occasion to speak more hereafter so on this wise the true Church was interrupted since Christs days But A.S. saith that the Church of Rome hath alwayes remained since Christs time without interruption Therefore she is not the true Church Thirdly And whereas A.S. farther saith that the Church of Rome shall alwayes remain to the end of the world and therefore she is infallible I answer He hath not at all confirmed that by any proof neither hath he any farther proof than his own affirmation except he would produce that saying of the Mother of Harlots viz. I sit as a queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow Rev. 18.7 And indeed what would be a very pittiful Argument to prove the Church of Rome infallible but none other can he produce except he could first prove her to be the true Church which he is never able to do his best argument by which he hath undertaken it being already confuted Therefore we have no more cause to believe his affirmation than we have to believe the sayings of the forementioned mother of Harlots for they are both alike to us and though she said she should see no sorrow yet John who was in the spirit of the Lord said that in one day her desolation should come Rev. 18.8 And although A.S. saith that the Church of Rome shall alwayes remain to the end of the world yet I say in the name of the Lord and by the same spirit that John was in That the one day of which John spake is already dawned in which the desolation of that Great Whore