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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	church_n	militant_a	triumphant_a	2,228	5	11.7299	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67743	The cause and cure of ignorance, error, enmity, atheisme, prophanesse, &c., or, A most hopefull and speedy way to grace and salvation, by plucking up impediments by the roote reduced to explication, confirmation, application, tending to illumination, sanctification, devotion / by R. Younge ...	Younge, Richard.	1648 (1648)	Wing Y143; ESTC R16605	116,892	303

persecutions as from God afflictions And well may hee work good by evill Instruments when every Prince or Magistrate hath the feat to make profitable Instruments aswell of evill persons as of good And each Physitian can make poyson medicinable SECT 10. Q. This rub being removed and the passage made cleere proceed in the wayes of your Text and shew me the time of this Enmity Ans. First I will make a distinction and then give the Answer The circumstance of time is twofold the time when it was proclaimed And the time that it is to continue 1. If wee consider the time when it was first proclaimed It was immediatly after the fall when Adam had newly sinned not long after the Creation even when time it self was not a week old as is probably conjectured by the learned 2. If we consider the time that this Enmity is to continue it is either generall or particular The generall time is here set downe in the Text indefinitly I will put Enmity between ●hee and the Woman and between they seed and her seed which being without limitation is to be understood largely and so signifies that it is perpetuall without end from the beginning of time to the end of all time when time saith one began this malice first began nor will it end but with the latest Man It is an everlasting Act of Parliament like a Statute in Magna Charta 3 If we consider the time more strictly then it signifies in the Subject possest of it the whole time of a wicked mans life or if in time he becomes the Womans seed by a new birth then it signifies that part of his life which went before Regeneration But in the Object of it for the whole time of a godly mans spirituall life after he is become the Womans seed even from the morning of his new birth to the evening of his departure hence without intermission which makes the Psalmist cry out for thy sake are we killed all the day long Psal. 44.22 Quest. What way wee gleane from hence Answ. Some comfort in that this War shall once have an end The Israellites shall not alwayes live under the Tyranny of Pharaoh or travells of the Wildernesse Nor the seed of the Woman alwayes under this heavy yoak of affliction and persecution for Death shall free us from our sorrowes aswell as from our sinnes yea as this is their time to persecute ours to suffer so their time will come to suffer ours to triumph let me rather feele their mallice then be wrapt up in their vengeance SECT II. Quest. WHat is their manner of venting this Enmity Answ. Sathan the Prince of Darknes and his adherents the wicked world do war against Christ and his Members two wayes by Persecutions and by Perswasions under which two Generalls are comprised divers and sundry particulars which I shall severally speak of when I come to the Properties of this Enmity In the meane time we are to take notice that all Sathans businesse was and is at and ever since the fall of Adam to slay Soule● 1 Peter 5.8 Iob. 1.7 Neither doth he want Instruments in all places to further and promote this his designe Quest. Now a word of the place where Answ. The circumstance of place is threefold 1. If we consider the place strictly in respect of the Subject in whom it resides then it is principally the heart of Man unsanctified 2. If we consider the place where it was proclaimed then it is Paradise or the Garden of Eden as verse 23. shewes 3. But if wee consider the place where they exercise this Enmity then it is the place of this miserable world where the Church is Militant indeed Revel 12.7 It is said there was warre in Heaven Michael and his Angells fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angells But this cannot fitly be construed of Heaven in Heaven but of Heaven on Earth For in Heaven the Church is triumphant and the Devill in the beginning was cast out of that Heaven 2. Peter 2.4 And there is no Warfare but all wellfare no Jarr but love and peace yea such a peace as passeth all understanding So that by Heaven there is meant the Church of God on Earth called in holy Scripture Heaven and holy Ierusalem above for that her chiefe treasure is in Heaven Math. 6.20 her affections in Heaven Colos. 3.2 her Conversation in Heaven Phil. 3.20 and for that the Lord of Heaven dwells in her heart by faith Ephes. 3.17 SECT 12. Quest. WHat is promised shall be the issue or effect of it and who shall get the victory Answ. The issue or effect is declared in these words He shall bruise thine head and thou shalt bruise his heele The meaning whereof is this 1. By bruising of the head is meant Sathans overthrow and finall Ruine and distruction by Christ in respect of his Power Dominion and Workes Iohn 12.31 and 1. Iohn 3.8 to which purpose the words of the Apostle are very significant Hee also himselfe tooke part of our flesh and blood that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Divell Heb. 2.14 And he being overcome his seed are overcome and perish with him Revel 12.9 Iohn 14.13.30 and 12 31.32 And this is the first promise of grace and life made to Eve and all mankind now dead in sin and enemies to God Collos. 2.13 and 1.21 Neither is it only meant of Christ in his owne person but it implyes that all his Members by resisting the Devill stedfastly through faith in him shall have victory also 1 Corinth 15.57 given them by the God of peace who shall bruise Sathan under our feet shortly as the Apostle speaketh plainely Rom. 16.20 Faith in the Lamb shall put this roaring Lyon to flight They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb Reve. 12.11 Secondly by his heele bruising is meant 1. First Christs holy wayes which Sathan should by all means either of Temptations or Persecutions seek to suppresse 2. And secondly his humane Nature which Sathan should afflict all manner of wayes untill he brought upon him That Shamefull Death of the Crosse Ga● 3.13 That Painefull and Death of the Crosse Ga● 3.13 That Cursed Death of the Crosse Ga● 3.13 For then his heele was bruised when his Body was crucified And it was no more then the bruising of his heele his divine Nature being impassible and untouched where note that it was the politick malice of the Devill and the World that aymed by the death of the Generall to disband the Army So long as Christ lived on earth we read of no persecution against his Disciples Math. 9.15 But let him be once removed and then there is havock made of the Church Stephen is stoned Peter crucified Paul beheaded some strangled some burned some broyled some brained all but only St. Iohn murthered And Thirdly it is meant that all who beleeved in

Christs name shall suffer bruising in one kinde or other for his sake And then his heele is bruised when his Members are afflicted But all the hurt they can do is but to bruise the heele Bruise them in their Persons Estates Good Names For to hurt their best parts their Soules they shall never be able yea all this bruising in the end shall turne to the further good Of their Soules Here in Grace Hereafter in Glory And so you have the matter the Author the Subject the Object the Cause the End the Time the Manner the Place the Continuance the Issue and effects of this Enmity SECT 13. Quest. BY your opening of this Text and unveyling of the termes I see it looketh two severall wayes and that it reacheth out as it were with one hand a blessing to all beleevers aswell as a curse with the other to all wicked men and Spirits Answ. Yea it is like a Checker halfe white halfe black Consisting as Much of Mercy and Consolation as Judgement and terror resembling Moses who saved the Israelites and slew the Egyptians For as harsh as the words sound they are so full of grace and mercy and containe so much in a little that this text may well be called the Gospells Epitome yea the marrow or pith of the whole Bible compiled by wisdome it selfe A short yet absolute Sum of all holy faith yea the foundation of all whatsoever the Prophets and Apostles have written or Ministers do preach The key of the Scriptures as Ambrose calls the Creed It is but of a short sound but of a large extent little in shew infinite in sence In fine it is so large for matter so short for phrase so profound for depth so sweet for Consolation and yet so terrible for severity that it well suites with the Author who spake the words and none els Quest. I perceive then that to draw this Well dry to dig this Mine to the bottome and to speak of each severall in this universe were an Herculean work and fit for some divine Theseus or Solomon Besides it would require too large a vollume for Common use wherefore it shall content mee you only Anatomize that part or Member of the whole which is here termed Enmity by laying open the veines and Arteries thereof it being the very point or mayn Center the pole or Cardinall Axeltree upon which this text moves and is turned And that will be sufficient For where prevailing is by lyes there discovery is victory yet lest the Pages should still grow As fi●h into a multitude garble your notions and give us but the very Marrow of the matter And because Method to the matter is as fashion to Apparell and form to building propose what shall be your order of distribution Ans. As the Throne of Solomon was mounted unto by six staires so this Throne of Sathan this strong hold of the wicked may be mounted unto for I only intend a discovery at this time by a Ladder of six steps set upon this ground which is already laid or if this originall be counted for one step then the Ladder consists of seaven staves answerable to the seven steps which led up to that Temple in Ezekiels Vision Ezek. 40.26 For I will draw all our present discourse to one of these heads taking liberty so to place them as may serve best for my purpose and the Readers benefit Viz. The Originall of Enmity The Continuance of Enmity The Properties of Enmity The Causes Why wicked men hate and persecute the Godly The Ends Why wicked men hate and persecute the Godly The Reasons why God permits them The Reasons why The Godly suffer it so patiently These seaven shall limit my speech and your patient attention and I take them only to be inherent in the words there be some short adherent circumstances which I shall salute as I passe they may be within the circumference these are in the heart and Center And these alone as I suppose may serve as spectacles to see the Devill ●nd his Workes by in the matter of hatred and persecution SECT 14 Quest. TO begin with the second point proposed having dispatched the first and to proceed from Explication to Confirmation and so to Application How prove you that there hath been in all Ages past is now and ever shall be between these two Kings Sathan and Christ and their Regiments the wicked and the Godly a perpetuall War Enmity and strife according to the Lords prediction or Proclamation Ans. For proofe I could produce Testimonies and examples innumerable there being scarce a Page in the Bible which doth not ●ither expresse or imply somewhat touching this Enmity yea as if the Scriptures contained nothing else the holy Ghost significantly calls them the book of the Battailes of the Lord Numb 21.14 as Rupertus well observes And because examples give a quicker impression then Arguments the proofe shall be by Induction of particuler instances collected from the Scripures and Ecclesiasticall History wherein I will be briefe and only mention Three in every Age though the Sea of examples hath no bottome for that I shall be forced to speak more at large when I come to the properties and Causes of Enmity The continuance of the worlds Enmity in all Ages Viz. 1. In the old world before the flood 2. After the flood before the Law 3. After the Law before Christ. 4. Since the Gospell in the time of Christ and his Apostles 5. After the Apostles for the residue of the ten Persecutions 6. From the Primitive times and Infancy of the Church hitherto 7. For these present times wherein we live 8. For the time to come unto the Worlds end 1. To begin with the first Age Viz. the old World before the Flood Wee read of this War enmity and strife between Cain and Abell 1 Iohn 3.12 Betweene Lamech and the holy Seed Gen. 4.23.24 and between those wicked Gyants which Moses speaks of and the sons of God Gen. 6.2 to .12 Yea those Gyants bad battle to Heaven as our Mythologists add to ver 4. SECT 15. 2. AFter the Flood before the Law between all the men of Sodom and righteous Lot Gen. 19.4.9.11 2 Pet. 2.8 between Hagar and Ishmael the Bond woman and her son and Sarah and Isaac the Free-woman and her son Gen. 21.9.10 Gal. 4.29 And between Esau and Iacob first in the wombe the more plainely to shadow out this enmity Gen. 25.22.23 and after they were borne Gen. 27.41 SECT 16. 3. AFter the Law before Christ between Doeg and the eighty five Priests which he slew with the edge of the sword 1 Sam. 22.18.19 Between Iezabell and all the Prophets of the Lord which she destroyed 1 Kings 18.13.14 And between the Heads in Israel in Micahs time and all that were good Micah 3.2 SECT 17. 4. SInce the Gospell in the time of Christ and his Apostles this enmity so manifested it selfe not only in the Gentiles

the Spirit of God as it fared with the Philosopher when he read the fir●t Chapter of Saint Iohn's Gospel who said This Barbarian hath comprised more s●upendious stuffe in three lines than we have done in all our voluminous Discourses And indeed The wisedom from above is gentle easie to be perswaded when better reason is alleadged Iames 3.17 as in Peter Iohn 13.8 First peremptory but after conviction pliable An humble man will never be an Heretique shew him his errour he will soon retract it Iohannes Bugenhagius a reverend Dutch Divine lighting upon Luthers Book De captivitate Babylonicâ and reading some few pages of it as he sate at supper rashly pronounced him the most pestilent and pernitious Heretique that ever the Church had been troubled with since the times of Christ but a few dayes after having seriously read over the Book and well weighed the matter he returned to his Colegioners and recanted what he had said affirming and proving that Luther onely was in the light and all the world besides in grosse darknesse so that many of them were converted by him and won to imbrace the same truth Thus Satan and his instruments deal like our Pirats who will set upon rich laden ships but passe by those that are empty Nor are they to be appeased after they have once begun for that which rashnesse and follie have brought forth pride afterwards and contumacie shall maintain to the last gaspe Usually an ill cause once undertaken shall be maintained though with bloud Nay rather than want cause they will now hate such a Minister because they have formerly hurt him as many husbands hate their wives onely because themselves have wronged them or at least love them the lesse for their owne faults all which they will defend with their tongues though they condemne it with their consciences Which men are like those wicked Iewes Acts 13 45. who would neither believe the Doctrine which Paul preacht nor abide that the Gentiles should be brought to the Faith of Christ For they not onely forbear to hear such a Mini●●er themselves but will dehort all their familiars in imitation of the high Prie●●s Scribes and Pharisees who in their own opinion were too good too wise too holy to receive Christ into their companie and not content to seque●●er themselves from Christ they disdained also that he should be conversant with Publicans and sinners Pride was ever envious and contumelious thinking she addes so much to her own reputation as she detracts from others and indeed the twinckling starres at the approach of the Sun lose their light and after regain it not untill darknesse be upon the deep yea the whiter the Swan is the more black is the Crow that 's by her SECT 39. 3. THey will combine themselves together and lay devilish plots to destroy the godly as the new King of Egypt with his people did against the children of Israel when they perceived them to multiply so fast Exod. 1.9 10. Thus the hundred and twenty Governours combined together to worke Daniels overthrow Dan. 6. And thus Demetrius the Silver-smith and the rest of the crafts-men which made gain by the silver Temples of Diana combined themselves together to conspire the death of Paul's companions Acts 19. And when Paul was rescued by Lysias the next day there were more than forty of the Iewes which bound themselves by a curse saying They would neither eat nor drinke till they had killed Paul in which conspiracie the chief Priests and Elders were likewise assistants Acts 23.10 14. The Apostle saith If God be on our side who can be against us But Saint Chrysostome in opening of those words saith Nay rather Who is not against us if God be with us For they cast their heads together saith David with one consent and are confederate against God and his secret ones imagining crafty counsel against them saying Come Let us root them out c. Psal. 83.3 4 5. How wicked men agree in persecuting the truth and professours thereof we may see Acts 4.26 27. Mark 14. where even old Annas and that wicked bench of grey-headed Scribes and Eld●rs are content to break their sleep to do mischief and make noon of midnight As for the manner of their consultations they are lively exprest by the Author of the Book of Wisdom who bringeth them in saying thus one to another Come let us lie in wait for the righteous because he is not for our turne but is clean contrary to our doings he upbraideth us with our offending the Law he was made to reprove our thoughts it grieveth us also to look upon him for his life is not like other mens his wayes are of another fashion he vaunteth to have the knowledge of God and counteth us as bastards he withdraweth himselfe from our wayes as from filthinesse he commendeth the latter end of the just and boasteth that God is his Father Wherefore let us see if his workes be true let us prove and examine him with rebukes and torments let us condemne him to a shamefull death And then gives the reason Such things do they imagine for their own wickednesse hath blinded them and they do n●t understand the mysteries of God neither hope for the reward of righteousnesse nor can discern the honour of the soules that are faultlesse Wisd. 2.12 to 23. Qu. I but what have they whereupon to ground their accusations For the religious mans life is commonly like Paul's Phil. 3.6 unrebukable and he walketh in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Law without reproof as Zacharie and Elizabeth did Luke 1.6 Answ. He that studies quarrels will easily finde occasion When the Governours were resolved that Daniel should die they soon found pretences As suppose it be a private Christian they will lie in wait to finde faults in him and turne good into evil and are of so prying an observation that they will look farther into his actions than the best man would willingly have them search Nor can you easely finde the man that is not quick-sighted in other mens faults blinde to his own But being disappointed of their hopes hear what they say We shall not finde an accusation against him he is so faithfull Except we finde it concerning the Law of his God Dan. 6.5 And his punctuall obedience to Gods Lawes and ●●icking close to the word of truth shall serve for a need Or secondly If he be a Minister they will assemble together to hear him pray and preach that so they may catch something out of his mouth whereof they may accuse him as the Scribes and Pharisees dealt with our Saviour Luke 11.54 And those Governours with Daniel wherein he shall not be able to speak so warily but they will finde matter enough to insnare him as the words shall be wrested though indeed to have a great audience onely shall be made crime enough you know when the Jewes saw

eye-sore of our enemies and let envy looke herselfe blinde And so much of the first Cause SECT 59. Quest. WHat is the second Cause why ungodly men hate and persecute the religious Answ. Their ignorance of God of Christ and the Scriptures Quest. How is that proved Answ. By Testimonies Examples Reason and our own Experience 1. First by Testimonies They shall hate and persecute you yea they shall excommunicate and kill you for my Names sake saith our Saviour to his Disciples because they have not knowne the Father nor me John 16.2 3. and 15.21 And again they are an offence unto us because they understand not the things which are of God but the things which are of men Matth. 16.23 And are deceived because they know not the Scriptures neither the power of God Matth. 22.29 Luke 19.42 2. Secondly by Examples and Reason This the Apostle confesseth to have been the cause of his persecuting the Church 1 Tim. 1.13 Who so soon as he was inlightned with the saving knowledge of the truth changed his note with his name and preached that faith which before be persecuted It s worth the noting how he was no sooner informed but he was reformed Now if we looke upon him as Saul wee shall see what we are by generation if wee looke upon him as Paul we shall see what we are or should be by regeneration Neither is it strange that the world through ignorance should hate and persecute the members of Christ for upon the same ground they even crucified Christ himselfe Father forgive them saith he of his murtherers for they know not what they doe And why have the Kings of the earth in all ages banded themselves together against the Lord and against his Christ Psal. 22. But because they knew him not John 15.21 For if the Princes of this world had knowne they would not have crucified the Lord of glory as the holy Ghost speakes 1 Cor. 2.8 Alas poore ignorant soules they did but imitate Oedipus who killed his Father Laius King of Thebes and thought he had killed his enemy And what do the Cavaliers now in killing the Saints But as if one with his Hatchet should cut off the bough of a tree upon which hee standeth For they are beholding to the Religious for their very breath Neither is their great plot any other peece of policy then as if the Sodomites should make hast to turne out Lot and his Family that fire and brimstone may make hast to destroy them For as when Noah and his Family were once entred the Arke the Flood came and destroyed the first World Gen. 7.11 13. So the number of Christs Church being accomplished fire shal come down to destroy the second World at which time the Devill and all Reprobates shall be laid up in hell Oh the wickednesse and witlesnesse of our Malignants Methinkes the Parliament may justly twit their unnaturall Country as Themistocles once did his Athenians with these words Are yee weary of receiving so many benifits by one Assembly And certaynly if ever it shal be dissolved without their consent which God forbid it would faire with the causers of it mens eyes being opened as it did with the Authors of Socrates his death which I finde thus reported After that Socrates was put to death at Athens Arastophones rehearsed a Tragedy of his concerning Palamides at the hearing whereof the people were so moved that they presently fel upon the Authors of Socrates his death and drew them forth to punishment But to return to what we intend If we consider it rightly we shall find that ignorance is the cause of all sin Sin indeed at the first was the cause of ignorance but now ignorance is the cause of sin Swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring abound saith the Prophet because there is no knowledge of God in the land Hos. 4.1.2 It is a people that doe erre in their hearts saith God why because they have not knowne my wayes Psal. 95.10 SECT 60. 3 THirdly Experience proves that none are so farre transported with a mad and supertitious zeale against the religious as the rude rabble who can yeeld no other reason or confession of their faith if they be asked then this that they are no Puritans or that they hate a Puritan from their soules when as the devill himself who hates the Puritan they mean most of any can make as good a confession of his faith as this For who are the greatest censurers and the violentest opposers of goodnesse are not the ignorant fry who have more rage than reason and the more fottish still the more insolent As reprove one of them for swearing or drunkennesse or unjust dealing or for prophaning the Lords day for Atheisme and the like you are sure to be branded with the odious title of Puritane yea you are factious and schismaticall if ye will not be drunke and every whit as lewd as they are It is worth a large smile to observe what a clamour the blundering rabble will make against the people of God if one in their company but mention the word Puritane or tell them how scrupulous and precise such an one is O what a number of sharp and deadly arrows will each of them shoot both at the good and goodnesse maugre all admonition For each being stung with the Gad-slie of mis-governed zeale as Paul was before hee knew Christ they presume to affirm with incredible impudence accompanied with invincible ignorance that there are not worse men in the world then the religious Wherein it is hard to say whether ignorance or malice doe more abound whether it be more out of the strength of will or weaknesse of judgement It is the nature of ignorant and carnall men that walke after the flesh in the lusts of uncleannesse whom Saint Peter calls bruit beasts led with sensuality to speake evill of the things they understand not 2 Pet. 2.12 Especially in judging acts of zeale and piety their opinion still lights upon the worst sense like them in the s●cond of the Acts who mocked the Apostles when they were filled with the holy Ghost and hearing them speak languages which they understood not cried out These men are drunke with new wine Untill we be borne againe we are like Nicodemus who knew not what it was to be born again Iohn 3.4 Untill we become zealous our selves wee are like Festus who thought zeal madnesse Acts 26.24 Untill we be humble our selves we are like Michal who mocked David for his humility and thought him a foole for dancing before the Arke 2 Sam. 6.16 Yea to such as shall perish or are for the present in a perishing condition all religion seemes foolishnesse 1 Cor 1.18 And thus you see in grosse that Ignorance is a main cause of hatred and persecution Wee shall more clearly discerne how it comes to be so if we note The Root Ignorance The Stem Suspition or