Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	great_a	rome_n	5,301	5	6.4962	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33498	The books and divers epistles of the faithful servant of the Lord Josiah Coale collected and published, as it was desired by him the day of his departure out of this life.	Coale, Josiah, 1632?-1668.; Coale, Josiah, 1632?-1668. Collection of the several books of Josiah Coale.; Coale, Josiah, 1632?-1668. Whore unvailed.; Coale, Josiah, 1632?-1668. Vindication of the light within.; Parker, Alexander, 1628-1689.; Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.; Penn, William, 1644-1718.	1671 (1671)	Wing C4751_PARTIAL; Wing C4760A_PARTIAL_CANCELLED; ESTC R23397	193,793	414

that in this present Visitation he taketh away the Righteous from the Earth as well as the wicked therefore the wicked cannot discern betwixt him that serveth God and him that serveth him not according to that saying of Daniel viz. None of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand c. But they are ready to conclude and many do conclude that the Righteous are not Righteous and that the Just and Innocent are not Just and Innocent But because they have slighted the Day of Gods love unto them in which his Hand was stretched forth to gather them he hath so brought it to pass and takes away the Just as well as the Unjust that thereby their Eyes may be blinded that they may not see a difference and that their years may be stopped left they should hear his Word and that their hearts may be hardned as Pharaoh's was lest they should understand the way of Life in which the just walketh and be converted thereunto and healed and yet in all these thing iniquity cannot he charged upon the Lord because he willed not their destruction but did strive with them long and gave them space to repent but they repented not therefore their destruction is of themselves for when he would have gathered them they would not therefore I say it s of themselves that they are left so desolation yet there is a remnant in the midst of thee Oh England whose day is not yet over and them he will spare and will gather them to himself and they shall see the path of Life and hear the voice of the Bridegroom of their souls and understand the things that belongs to their everlasting peace and shall be glad and rejoyce in his great Salvation Written by a Servant of the Lord. JOSIAH COALE The Whore Unvailed Or the Mystery 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 But what his Arguments therein produced are worth for his purpose may here be seen in this following Treatise Also his Reflections upon the Principles of the People called Quakers Answered With a brief Discovery of the true Church in which the Doctrine of Perfection is Vindicated by sound Scripture Arguments Whereunto is added the 14th Chapter of A. S. his Book in which he declares the Protestant or Sectarian Ministers not to be true Preachers nor sent of God which I thought meet to publish herewith that the Sectarians or Episcoparians may Answer for themselves O thou that dwellest upon many Waters aboundant in Treasures thine End is come and the Measure of thy Covetousness Jer. 51.13 For out of the North there cometh up a Nation against her which shall make her land desolate and none shall dwell therein chap. 50.3 And a mighty Angel took up a great stone like a milstone and cast it into the Sea saying Thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down and shall be found no more at all Rev. 18.21 Printed in the Year 1667. To the Reader Reader ALthough the Author of the pretended Reconciler of Religions did in the conclusion thereof seem to Challenge an Answer to all Particulars therein laid down according to the Chapters and Numbers thereof yet I did not look upon his Challenge to be any Obligation to me to proceed according to his Directions neither indeed was it needfull or necessary that I should answer his desire therein for it would have required more time then I was willing to spare for that work and more labour then I was willing to bestow about it because there is an easier way which I have taken to do the Work as effectual as though I had gone through with every particular there inserted For when the Foundation of a Building is Raced the whole Building will fall as effectually as though a man should begin at the top and pull down all one Stone after another and with a great deal less labour it is done So for my commodity I have observed that Rule in answering the aforesaid Book by Racing the Foundation of the Contents thereof or answering the chief Heads by which he therein endeavoured to prove the Church of Rome to be the True Church upon which all the rest of his Book hath its dependancy and those Heads or Particulars being confuted the rest must of themselves needs fall or of necessity be of no validity and so not worth spending Ink and Paper about upon consideration of which I doubt not but the Reader will find as good satisfaction in what I have hear written concerning the Church of Rome as though I had answered all his particulars particularly And so to the Grace of God do I commend thee J. C. The VVhore Unvail'd c. GReat is the controversie at this day throughout Christendom concerning the way of Worship and Salvation and great is the confusion that is about Faith and Religion c. even amongst all professing Christianity and many and cruel are the murthers that have been acted by them one against another about Faith and Worship since the Apostacy began and since people forsook the right way and went in Cains way and in Balàams Jude ver 11. For then persecution began amongst the profest Christians and not before and when the right way was forsaken then people went into Envy and then they withstood the truth even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses and then they began to be scattered from the holy Mountain of the Lord where nothings hurts nor destroys to the barren mountains where they have been destroying one another and there in the dark and cloudy day of Antichrist's reign they have been worshipping the many headed Beast that then arose and also the Dragon that gave power to the Beast to make War with the Saints and they who have been worshipping upon one mountain they have cryed salvation is here And they who have been worshipping another head or upon another hill they have cried that salvation was to be found there For the seven Heads of the Beast are seven Mountains upon which the Whore sits that drinks the Blood of the Saints And so they fell out one with another about the way of Salvation upon these barren Mountains unto which people are in looking for Salvation the strife and the envy hath been And there people hath been killing one another about the way and themselves all out of the way in an Antichristian destroying persecuting spirit as their fruits declare for the Spirit of Christ never led the true Christians to persecute any about Religion neither doth any who are in the right way kill and destroy mens lives about Religion Nay they that do so are not true Christians but of an Antichristian spirit for I testifie in

to his chief Arguments therein produced by which he hath in vain endeavour'd 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 Roman 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 things that appertain to the way of Life and Salvation but that the Church of Rome is the true Church as A. S. affirmeth and by his many Arguments hath endeavoured to prove I do not acknowledge but deny and doubt not but I shall in this short ensuing Treatise prove the contrary to the Satisfaction of every judicious Reader First Although the true Church of which Christ is in visible Head is one yet the oneness of the Church of Rome is not a sufficient Argument to prove her to be the true Church for wherein doth her oneness consist farther then in Idolatry Superstition Murther and such like abominations of which much might be mentioned which was never practised by the true Church in the Apostles dayes but in these things the Church of Rome is one Witness her Worshipping Idols or Images bowing to that she calls her Altars and the rest of her Supestitious Ceremonies witness the Killing Burning or Drinking the Blood of so many Thousands as she hath done for many hundred yeares past as the whole Christendom full well knows therefore the Church of Rome is not the true Church Secondly And consider was not the company of Priests one in Hosea's dayes who murthered in the way by consent whom the Prophet compared to troops of Robbers Hos 6.9 And is not the Church of Rome one as they were for hath not she murthered many by consent of most of her members in the way that she is in consider these things But then A. S. saith That she is one in matters of Faith and governed by one invisible Head Christ and by one visible Head the Pope the true Successor of Peter c. and therefore she is the true Church Answ 1. I answer that she is perfectly united in matters of Faith I utterly deny witness the History of the Counsel of Trent which copiously relates the Divisions and Contradictions amongst them there about matters of Faith But admit that it were so that she were one in matters of Faith that doth not prove her to be the true Church unless she could prove her Faith to be the true Faith by which righteousness is wrought Heb. 11.13 And which is made perfect by works of righteousness James 2.22 But the Faith of the Church of Rome is not the true Faith as her works of unrighteousness before mentioned clearly make manifest therefore the Church of Rome is not the true Church Secondly That the Church of Rome is governed by one invisible Head Christ that I also deny and her fruits before mentioned and that which I shall hereafter mention sufficiently declares the contrary and as Christ said to the Jews If you were of Abraham you would do the works of Abraham but now you go about to kill me thus did not Abraham So say I of the Church of Rome If she were governed by the one invisible Head Christ as the true Church was then she would have the mind of Christ who came not to destroy mens lives but to save them as the true Church had 1 Corinth 2.16 but she hath not the mind of Christ Witness her destroying the lives of many not onely of those that believe not but of those that believe Therefore she is not governed by the invisible Head Christ and consequently is not the true Church but the Whore that drinks the blood of the Saints Thirdly But that the Church of Rome is governed by her visible Head the Pope I shall not go about to contradict for although that proves her to be one in subjection to the Pope yet it doth not prove her to be the true Church because Christ never ordained a visible Head to his Church but that the Pope is the true Successor of Peter as A. S. affirms that I do deny and it remains for him to prove it or for some of his Servant to do it for him for after Peter was converted he never gave consent to the murthering of any as the Pope hath done many Therefore he is not the true Successor of Peter 2. That the true Chu ch is holy or as A. S. saith the spotless Body of Christ that I do acknowledg but the Church of Rome of which the Pope is visible head is not holy nor the spotless Body of Christ 1. For the spotless Body of Christ the true Church was baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire the Spirit of Judgment and of burning and thereby her filth and her spots were purged away from her and she was washed from Idolatry and covetousness c. as the Apostles testified 1 Cor. 6.11 and thereby she was fitted for Gods Kingdom and was made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus and had the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 who came not to destroy mens lives c. Luk. 9.56 But the Church of Rome is not washed from Idolatry nor free from Murther as her worshipping of Idols or Images doth testifie and as her killing and destroying about Religion and Worship beareth witness which the Spirit of Christ never allowed of not the spotless Body of Christ never practised Therefore the Church of Rome is not holy nor the spotless Body of Christ And as to that affirmation of A. S. in the third Number of his first Chapter viz. Every man as he is Regenerated in Christ and a member of his body is holy and a Saint though as he is the Son of Adam be is a lyar and a sinner Answ To this I answer That the most part of all the Sectaries in the World will joyn with him in that particular therefore he need not so much cry against them but the True Church will not own that Doctrine neither can I own it because it is the Doctrine of Devils and the Spirit of God testifies against

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 are visible I shall not deny and that she is the Light of the World I do confess 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 are visible yet so is the Whore also But then some will say How are they then to be distinguished First I answer By their fruits as Christ said men do not gather grapes of thorns nor figs of thistles Matth. 7.16 neither can one Fountain send forth bitter Water and sweet James 3.12 nor a good Tree cannot bring forth bad fruit But the visible Church of Rome brings forth bad fruits and sends forth bitter 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 Apostles 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 affirms 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 Kingdom of Christ be composed of both good and bad then according to his own affirmation the Kingdom of Christ is part good and part bad which is horrid blasphemy in A. S. to affirm Oh gross darkness and confusion Art thou a Member of the 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 walk in his marvellous Light which makes all things manifest of what sort it is Fourthly But if you say that Christ likened the Kingdom 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 Fleld I answer they Were so untill the Harvest and the Fleld is the World Mat. 23.39 but the true Church is not of the World 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 Tares 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 Wheat only Sixthly Farther If you say that there were some in the true Church in the Apostles days 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 Joh. 2.19 Therefore the true Church is not composed of both good and bad but of the good only But to return 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 blood neither were 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 Christendom 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 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 Christ's 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 Christ's 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 Christ time to this day without interruption as A. S. saith she hath then she cannot possibly be the true Church for the true Church was interrupted since the Resurrection and Ascension 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 Wilderness where she had a place prepared of God that they might feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Rev. 12.6 and ver 13 14. concerning which I shall have occasion to speak more hereafter so on this wise the true Church was interrupted since Christs dayes But A. S. saith that the Church of Rome hath always 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 always remain to the end of the World and