Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	christian_a	church_n	world_n	5,052	5	4.5521	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68061	An exquisite commentarie vpon the Reuelation of Saint Iohn VVherein, both the course of the whole booke, as also the more abstruse and hard places thereof not heretofore opened; are now at last most cleerely and euidently explaned. By Patrik Forbes of Corse.	Forbes, Patrick, 1564-1635.	1613 (1613)	STC 11149.3; ESTC S102414	192,912	300

to come into the obedience of faith In which perilous case of their kingdome the Dragon Beast and false Prophet bestirre themselues and iointly bend their whole malice power and deceit by their emissarie false Teachers to seduce the Kings of the earth in their quarrell against the true Church But for such a mighty foile to both the seducers and the seduced as shall make at length the long blinded Iewes turning to the faith to concelebrate the victory 7. This miserable euent in the enemies prognosticated against all their busie indeauors in the sixt Viall is now in the seuenth fully executed with so strange a commotion alteration and ouerturning of the state of the earth by so vncouth plagues as was not since the beginning of the world At all which notwithstanding that Antichristian body deuoted to destruction still obstinately blasphemeth Chap. 16. This so huge a destruction so summarily in the seuenth Viall deliuered is henceforth more largely and cleerely exponed according to that grouth of light which that time shall bring with it laying open to the view of the Earth the parties destroied and the manner measure and euents of their ouerthrow These are the Whoore Chap. 17. and 18. The Beast and false Prophet Chap. 19 and the Dragon for an absolute victorie Chapter 20. Of the Whoore is shewed who shee is and by whom shee shall be destroied The Whore is the City of Rome borne vp to be a Lady of Kingdomes and a mother harlot corrupting the Earth with spirituall fornication by the pontificality the eight and last sort of soueraigne heads ouer-ruling that state and with whom it shall fall for euer Her destruction shall bee by these selfe same Kingdomes and States who before deceaued with her had beene speciall props of Antichrist his power but at last espying the abhominations thereof fall from him and become instruments of God his iust indignation against the Whore Chap. 17. The greatnes certainly instant performance equitie of her irreparable ruin is Rhetorically amplified Chapter 18. Whereupon and the conioined fall of Antichrist her aduancer by the sword of his mouth who iudgeth and fighteth righteously whose name is that word of God is ministred to the Church such matter of ioyfull praise as stirreth also at length God powerfully turning their hearts the Iewes to ioine in the concelebration of the same victory Chap. 19. The Dragon Satan who by Constantine his conuersion and Christianity by lawes established had beene bound vp from open rage a thousand yeeres all which time howsoeuer the most part of the World through Antichrist his preuailing deceit were dead in superstition and blindnes yet the true Church who receiued not his character liued the life of God being partakers of the first resurrection and Christian religion was in account is therefore againe let loose to practice open cruelty and thereto stirreth all his forces from all quarters But yet by the power of the Gospell preuailing maugre all his endeauours the rest of men who haue long laien dead in blindnes and error rise also the first resurrection there is a new face of a world all enemies being so ouerthrowen as the Church hath a most gracefull and quiet state for that Satan is now taken againe this second time and so as hee neuer getteth any liberty hereafter either by errour to deceiue or persecution to disturbe the Church her quiet hee being now not onely bound vp for a thousand yeeres as that first but so as his destruction now begunne holdeth on till that full point it shall haue in the last iudgement and the Church her raigne hereupon shall accordingly not be for a thousand yeeres onely as at the first but for euermore hauing now performed in her and to her whatsoeuer rested foretold by the Prophets vnaccomplished for her gracefull and quiet state and her enemies full destruction here and in that the mystery of God is fulfilled shee hauing no more to expect but the comming of her Lord for translating her to glory From the sixth verse of the 22. Chap. is the conclusion of the Booke wherein for procuring to this prophecie due regard and carefull obseruation it is commended from the truth and fidelity of the matter which is from God by a glorious dispensation and ministry deseruing credit from the neere approaching performance of things prophecied and from the perfection thereof in this that it closeth vp the Canon so as no more is to be expected either for light or manners but hearts to be erected in earnest wish and attentiue expectation of our Lord his comming Euen so come Lord Iesus DIuinus quidquid vates contexerat altis Sphingibus hic dextré Forbesius referat Sic sibi promeruit nomen per saecula foelix Qui simili expendit pauca talenta modo Andreas Aidius Scoto-Britannus Ad patrem suum colendissimum Patricium Forbesium à Cothari de pererudito eius in Apocalypsin Commentario Iohannes Forbesius filius VAtibus haec olim sanctis imperuia Ioua Innuit Isacidis quisque Propheta suis Post vatum Deus haec etiam tunc aspera nato Fulminis ostendit caetibus ille Asiae Presbyteri Deus haec patefecit peruia tandem Patricio varijs gentibus indepatent Peruia nulla via est talis sine Flamine Sancto Quo duce teste libro hoc inuia nulla via est Ingentem veteres amplam Zebedeia proles Obtinet hinc laudem Forbesiusque suam Pectus ob haec tacitae pertentauere Sionis Gaudia quae prae se vate canente tulit Hinc etiam Ionias Hilarauit Apostolus vrbes Oblectauit enim littera missa viros At duce Patricio lector pius intime noscens Gestit exultat laetitiaque fremit Propter aquas vitreas ignitas mosis Agni Turbae tenens palmas nobile cantat epos Diuinum a quo lux numen super ardua tollens Forbesij per quem nomen in alta ferens Hinc tua progenies noua pectore gaudia voluit Dum te chare pater Nestora quisque cupit Nestor eris nec Nestor eris sed corpore quanto Mens prestat tanto Nestore maior eris Victa cadunt ictu annorum collapsa putrescunt Corpora at ingenijs stat sine morte decus Esto quidem arctatam vinclis suspirantem Admeliora animam liberet inde Deus Quantaque terricolis tua per spicientia praebet Gaudia caelicolis mens tua tanta ferat Te tamen haud triplicis venturi terminus aeui Finiet aut lucem nox ruitura tuam Daedala sed magni dum stabit machina mundi Ingenij viues per monumenta tui Te monstrante micat primoque oriente relicto Ardua caelorum Phosphorus vsque petit Donec protulerit vultus splendore decori Aeternum aeternus Phaebus ab axe diem Tum clarus multis in milibus aera carpens Te sistes album Principis ante thronum Indeque cum Christo clamore per astra secundo Coelica tendentem turma sequetur ouans Ad Papam

of scarsity which the godly who were men for that is all the man Eccles 12 13. ●oted to bee in punishment of the Gospell reiected See Tertullian in his Apology and to Scapula and Cyprian contra Demetrian 13 As induration grew and cruelty against the Gospell how God sent out all his foure great plagues on these persecutors consider the tragicall time of Antoninus surnamed the philosopher a most bloudy persecutor and the record thereof in story Ab Armis nusquam quies erat perque omnem Orientem Illiricum Italiam Galliamque bella feruebant terra motus non fine interitu ciuitatum inundationes fluminuns lues crebrae locustarum Species agris infestae prorsus vt nihil prope quo summis angoribus anteri mortales soleant dici se● cogitariqueat quod Antoni● imperante non seuierit The times of Gallus and Volusianus were more miserable and yet more that of Valerianus and Galienus but most of all that of Maxentius Maximinus and Licinius all these foure plagues raging mightily their Stories will make any Reader agast and comparing therewith these praedictions to wonder at God his both wisdome and iustice 14 Now all these plagues working no amendment but stirring them to further rage against christians whom they tooke to bee causers of all these euils the fiercenes of persecution was more intended Dioclesian set himselfe to roote out Christianity his Collegue Her●uleus no lesse bloudy Hereupon a great and loud cry of martyred soules ascendeth which till the appointed time of full vengeance obtaine long white robes Thus God in some degree had comforted them before by imprinting his terror in the hearts of cruellest persecutors The Edict of Traia● spake for them when he was forced to put forth that no Inquisition should bee made for Christians much more the Edicts of Adrian and Antonius Pius who vnder paine of death commanded that none should bee delated for Christianitie except guiltie of some other crime Antonine the Philosopher whom no Apologie could mitigate yet in the Marcoman wars is conuinced of Christ his power when in confession that hee and his Army were saued at the prayers of Christians hee called that Legion Fulminatrix the terrors affrighting so Dioclesian and Maximianus as wearie of Massacring Christians being ouercome by their constant sufferings they bequeth their states and seeke secret corners wherein to hide themselues what was it else but a quiet confession of Christians innocency Maximinus at his tragicall end setting himselfe to blasp●eme Christ yet is forced to confesse him and to acknowledge himselfe iustly punished for persecuting the Saints Licinius is faine to connterfet Christianity But then it was that the soules got the long white robes when Constantinus embracing Christianity by publike edicts Christian Religion is approued and established and heathen worship abrogated The Church so becomming glorious and of high account and all former horrible accusations now seene and knowne to the world to bee lies At this point of time Satan is bound a thousand yeeres seats are set vp and they sit on them Chapter 20 The commemoration of Martyres was alwaies honourable amongst Christians and laudably of them vsed at first howbeit it turned afterward to foule Idolatry but that the heads of that same bloody state should submitte themselues to Christ his name and the Church thereupon to haue so goodly free and peaceable state as wee see ensued that was indeed to receiue long white robes 15 The promised vengeance yet behoued to come vpon that bloody Empire whi●● in the sixth seale commeth in a high degree when the whole state thereof is shaken and in a manner defaced by the Gothes and other barbarous nations whose names had beene till then not heard of who occupying the fairest and goodliest Prouinces of the Empire erecting new kingdomes and states and changing the names of countries euery part almost receiuing new inhabitants altered as it were the face of the world and eclipsed the glory of that pompous and bloody Empire And this out of all doubt is meaned by the sixt seale and is that deadly wound which the beast getteth in his sixth head which wound beeing afterward cured that state in the cured head continueth the enemy and murtherer of Saints the rest of the brethren albeit in an other sort till for the full finall and recurelesse ouerthrow thereof we expect a greater earthquake then this or any since the beginning of the world by powring out the seuenth V all of the last wrath That some enterpret this seale of these sturres whereby the heathen persecuters were deiected about Constantines time who preuailing against them ma●e at it were a new face of an Empire by abrogating heathenisme it hath no conuenient analogy with this type and lesse cleare accommodation to the signification heere set downe by the spirit The slaughter and deiection of diuers Emperours from their states so long as in the succeeders the Empire retained the lustre and strength as in Constantine it was more confirmed and enlarged was no such vncouth or strange thing in that state which was but a very stage of Tragedies as that in such speeches as the spirit vseth in this type it should haue beene expressed It is true that the coincident case of Christianity established and heathenisme abrogated was a great and vncouth thing but which in all mens confession cannot by these speeches of darkening the sunne and fall of starres c. bee signified For that aduancement of Christianty was in the fifth seale by long white robes expressed whereby the soules were the more patiently to attend the vengeance promised which is heere in a great measure but then fully shal be executed when the rest of the brethren euen the rest of the womans seed against whom the Dragon maketh warre by the Vicar of his throne being slain● the kingdomes of the world shall become our Lords and all both first and last dead shall be iudged and aduenged by the finall ouerthrow of that bloody state which first and last is the murtherer of Saints Which now in this sixth seale receiueth a deadlie wound but hauing it cured againe in the eighth head therefore called one of the seuen recouereth glory and worship of nations and holdeth on the aduersary still till out of the tabernacle of testimonie open in heauen at the seuenth trumpet seuen ministers of the last wrath come against it whereof the last bringeth a greater earthquake then this to vtter destruction of that state for euer That which hath ledde exceeding learned men in this errour of accommodation both heere and in other parts of this Prophecie is that wrong conceiued ground whereof I spake before that these seales and trumpets are sections of time and finding that at the opening of the seuenth seale such effects ensue as are anterior in time to this fall of the Westerne and great weakening of the Easterne Empire they drawe backe the accommodation But as the euils of the sixe seales which