Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	antioch_n	apostle_n	elder_n	2,819	5	9.5165	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44364	The spirit of the martyrs revived in a brief compendious collection of the most remarkable passages and living testimonies of the true church, seed of God, and faithful martyrs in all ages: contained in several ecclesiastical histories & chronological accounts of the succession of the true church from the creation, the times of the fathers, patriarchs, prophets, Christ and the Apostles.	Hookes, Ellis, d. 1681.	1664 (1664)	Wing H2663A; ESTC R224173	399,190	375

presently the Angel of the Lord smote him because he did not give the Glory to God and being eaten up of Worms he gave up the Ghost The very same History Josephius Examplifies saying he had now finished the third year of his reign the fourth now beginning when he came to Caesaria which was formerly called Stratons Tower where he Solemnized some yearly Playes for Caesars health to which Festivity a great multitude of Noble Men and Youngsters came together out of the Province on the second day of this Celebrity he goes all attired with his Princely Robe richly and curiously wrought with Silver which by the reflection of the rising Sun yeilding an Angelical or extraordinary lusture struck reverence into the Spectators and presently some wicked Parasites with acclamations from a far off saluted him God desiring him to be propitious to them for that hitherto they had only honored him as a man but now they saw there was something more in him than humane This Impious Adulation he neither refused nor repelled he was suddenly struck to the very heart afterwards his Belly began to torment him more and more grievously wherefore turning to his Friends he said Behold I who by your appellation am a God am commanded out of this Life my certain fate giving the Lye to your flattery and I who you saluted Immortal am forced to death but I must endure the pleasure of the Heavens Having spoken these things his pain grew worse and worse and presently these things being divulged about the Country the rumour went that he was a dying and in the end his pain lasted in great extremity and without intermition for five dayes space and he then ended his life Joseph Lib. 19. Chap. ult Saul● name is changed to Paul About this time Saul is alwayes found named by his new name Paul Paul and Barnabas coming to Antioch and entering into the Synagogues almost the whole City came to hear the Word of God but the Jews seeing the multitude were filled with envy and contradicted what Paul spoke with whose Blasphemies Paul and Barnabas being grievously offended they left the Jews and preached only to the Gentiles who with joy embraced the Gospel and the Word of God was divulged over that whole Nation they stayed an Antioch a great while and suffered those things which in his latter Epistle to the Corinthians he writes of to wit that as at Phillippy afterwards so twice elsewhere by the Gentiles he had been whipped with rods and received five times four hundred stripes from the Jews Certain Professors of the Name of Christ of the Sect of the Pharisees came down from Judea to Antioch years since Christ 52 and said that the Christians of the Gentiles ought to be Circumcised and keep the law of Moses if they would be saved disturbing the Souls of many of the Brethren in Syria and Cili●i● with their perverse Doctrine against whom Paul and Barnabas stifly oppose themselves Paul calls them Brethren brought in un●wards Philastrius de Heres Cap. 87. and Epiphanius Heres 28 say that Cerinthus that arch Heretick was the first Broacher of this Opinion Paul fourteen years after his going to Jerusalem undertaken three years after his Conversation goes again to Jerusalem with Barnabas Paul goes to Jerusalem being both sent from the Church at Antioch with some others that they might ask the Judgment of the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem whose names those Disturbers had abused to bolster out their Opinion concerning the Controversie newly risen but Paul would not compel Titus to be Circumcised least he should seem to give place to the false Brethren for a moment Peter and Paul had foretold at Rome that it should come to pass years since Christ 67 that after a little time God would send a King that should overcome the Jews and that should lay their City equal with the Ground and should Beseige them being pined with hunger and thirst and then it should come to pass that they should eat each other and consume one the other and at last that they should come into their Enemies hands and should see their Wives most grievously Tormented in their sight and their Virgins to be Violated and Prostituted their Sons to be torn asunder and their little Ones to be dashed in pieces and to be short all things to be wasted by Fire and Sword and themselves forever banished out of their own Land and all this because they exalted themselves against the Son of God Lactan. lib. 4. Chap. 21. On the 29th day of the Moneth call'd June which last day of that Moneth falls to be within the reign of Nero. Paul was beheaded at Rome as the Records both of the Eastern and Western Churches confirm whereupon Chrysostom undoubtedly affirms that the day of his death was more certainly known then that of Alexander himself in 2 Cor. Homil. 26. Dionysius the Bishop of the Corinthians affirms in an Epistle to the Romans that Peter also suffered Martyrdom at the same time with him in Eusebius l●b 2. Histor Ecclesiast Chap. 24. whom also Origen relates in the third Tome of his Comentaries upon Genesis that at Rome he was Crucified with his head downwards as he had desired Ibid. lib. 3. Hist Chap. 1. Four Years before the Jewish War that was managed by Vespasian when the City of Jerusalem enjoyed both Peace and Plenty one Jesus the Son of Ananus a Country-man and one of the common People coming to the Feast of Tabernacles began suddainly to cry out A Voice from the East a Voice from the West A prophesy against the ●ews a Voice from the four Winds a Voice against Jerusalem and the Temple a Voice against New Married Men and Women a Voice against all this People and crying thus night and day through all the Streets of the City some of the Nobility disdaining any token of adversity took the Fellow and scourged him with many stripes but he spake nothing secretly for himself nor unto them that scourged him but continued still in the same Cry but the Magistrates thinking it rather to be some Motion in him from God brought him to the Roman Captain where being beaten till his Bones appeared he made no intreaty but with a weeping Voice at every stroke he said Wo Wo to Jerusalem Albinus then asked them who he was and where he was born and why he still cryed after this manner but he answered nothing yet he ceased not to bewaile the City till Albinus thinking he was mad suffered him to depart he crying thus most on the Feast dayes and that for seven years space or rather six as it is in Phot. Biblioth Cod. 47. and five Moneths and yet was neither hoarse nor weary at last he was killed by a stone shot out of an Engine in the time of the seige Jeseph lib. 7. bel Chap. 12. And according to these and many other Prophecies concerning the destruction that was to come upon the Jews for

set in on the Fire bind the Rebel hand and foot and when the Grate is red hot on with him roast him broyl him toss him turn him upon pain of our high displeasure do every man his office Oh ye Tormentors Immediately his command was obeyed and after many cruel handlings this meek Lamb was laid on the Gridiron but what he indured was with such patience that the Emperour seemed to be tormented more then him though his Flesn broyled the other 's Heart burned and when he had been pressed down with Forks for a great space in the mighty Spirit of God he spake to the Tyrant thus This side is now roasted enough turn up Oh Tyrant great Assay whether roasted or Raw thou thinkst the better Meat Dioniceous writeth that the number of those that suffered Martyrdom about that time was great Men Women young Men Maidens old Wives and Men of all sorts and ages of whom some with Scourgings and Fire and some with the Sword abtained the V●ctory and got the Crown neither saith he to this day doth the President cease cruelly Murdering such as be brought before him tearing some with Torments Imprisoning others and commanding that no man should come to them yet God with the daily resort of the Brethren doth comfort the afflicted Not long after this time the Church had Peace for about the space of forty four years during which time it did mightily encrease and flourish and divers of the Christians were preferred both to Court and elsewhere but through this great prosperity the Christians began to degenerate and to grow Idle striving and contending among themselves upon every occasion with railing words bespattering one another in a despiteful manner Bishops against Bishops and People against People moving hatred and sedition each against other besides cursed Hyposrisie and Dissimulation more and more by reason whereof Gods Judgments brake forth against them the Pastours being inflamed in mutual comtempt against each other then did the Lord raise up Adversaries against his People then did Dioclecian the Emperour raise a great and grievous Persecution against the Church commanding all the Meeting places of the Christians to be spoiled and cast down and the Book of the Scripture to be burnt which was executed with all rigour and contempt that might be giving out Edicts for the displacing of all Christian Magistrates and for Imprisoning of the Elders and Bishops and a great Persecution ensued But the Christians manfully passed through exceeding bitter Torments by Scouging Whipping and Racking and being put to death so that it cannot be expressed what number of Martyrs suffered what Blood was shed through all Cities and Regions for the Name of Christ in this Emperours time by divers Torments some being hanged up by the Feet and by the smoke of a small Fire strangled One Peter was hoysted up naked and so beaten and torn with Whips that his Bones might be seen then they poured on Salt and Vineger and after Roasted him with a soft Fire Also many Christians being met together Maximinian the Emperour sent some to burn the Meeting place and burn them all but first they commanded a Cryer to Proclaim that whosoever would have life should come out and sacrifice to Jupiter otherwise they should be all burnt then one steping up boldly in the name of all the rest said We are all Christians and believe that Christ is our only God and King and we will sacrifice to none but him hereupon the Fire was kindled and many Men Women and Children were burnt in that place And the punishments these Christians endured were so great and horrible as no Tongue is able to express as Whippings Scourgings Rackings horrible Scrapings Sword Fireship-boats whereinto many were put and sunk into the Sea as also hanging upon Crosses binding some to the bodies of Trees with their Head hanging downwards hanging others by the middles upon Gallowses till they dyed of hunger throwing divers alive to Bears Leopards wilde Bulls pricking others with bodkins and tallens of Beasts till they were almost dead The Christians being assembled at Antioch where one Romanus ran to them declaring to them that the Wolves were at hand which would devour them yet he exhorted them not to fear A Band of armed men were sent against them but they kept their Faith whereupon the Souldiers sent word to their Captain that they could not force the Christians to deny their Faith by reason of Romanus who did so mightily encourage them The Captain commanded that he should be brought before him which was done accordingly What saith the Captain Art thou the Author of this Sedition Art thou the cause that so many lose their lives Roman●● Persecuted by the Gods I Swear thou shalt answer for them all and shalt suffer those Torments that thou encouragest them to undergo Romanus answered Thy Sentance O Emperor I willingly embrace I refuse not to be sacrificed for my Brethren and that by as cruel Torments as thou canst invent The Captain being much enraged with this his stout answer commanded him to be trust up and his bowels drawn out whereupon the Executionor said not to Sir this man is of noble p●rantage and therefore be may not be put to so ignoble a death scourge him then quoth the Captain with whips having knobs of lead at the end but Romamus song all the time of his whipping requiring not to favour him for nobilities sake not the blood of Progenitors saith he but the Christian Profession makes me Noble Then did he deride their Idol Gods which inraged the Tyrant so that he commanded his sides to be lanced with Knives till the Bones were laid open yet still did the holy Martyr preach the living God and the Lord Jesus Christ to him for which the Tyrant commanded them to strike out his teeth also his face was buffetted his Eye-lids torn his Cheeks gashed with Knives the skin of his Beard pulled off yet the meek Martyr said I thank thee O Captain that thou hast opened to me so many Mouthes as Wounds whereby I may Preach my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Look how many Wounds I have so many mouths I have landing and praising God The Captain astonished at his constancy bad them give over tormenting him yet he threatned to burn him reviled him and blasphemod God saying Thy crucified Christ is but a yesterdayes God the Gods of the Gentiles are of greatest Antiquity But Romanus taking occasion from hence declared to him the Eternity of Christ withall saying give me a Christian Child of seven years old and thou shalt hear what he will say hereupon a Boy was called out of the Multitude to whom Romanus said Tell me my pretty Babe whether thou think it reason that we worship Christ and in Christ one Father or else that we worship infinite Gods the Child answered that certainly what we affirm to be God must needs be one which with one is one and the same and inasmuch as this one is