,. ---) - -- :------ -- .~.~----;·--.---- -·- :_. -- -------~.:.---~---·----···;.. i i :t,~~:,::g~; : 1 theu.(hdp.tothellebr; 1 1g5 1 ! thc-Cnnn::h. l i ---- ~, o~tv•nrd. ptac~ _an<l _)vclf:l!:e-, an~lyndcrgoe ! !}. hcmittJ: bur, abouc :~.il Other, tha.r pcrfccinioti ---- ,. motl- grjcuqu~ vial)s_~nd pcrfc.;ut;c;>os. Look, of Ant1ocbm Epiphnnu, was' mOH notoriOmj I as.thcrc is a cont~lllJall_.intcrchapgc bctwc~:nc whkh WJS foretold by Dtinieliil his prophecy~ day ;)nd night., ~tnd- J.hc one doih conib11r!y Q~n.l r.36.and i~ rccordcd in the books ofthe I fallow ~he other., i9 ~s)_t is OJlC while day,. alJC! Mt!CcabuJ, ' .. - ' . ' . ' ' ,. rano~bcJ \Vhili: nig}1t~:.fq ~s.it with_the Chqrch To come tO the tirilc of rhc Gofpcl ! ThC' I of Cod; !lll~t~v~itl}. ~rU.cJ;>cl'ccucrs in t)1is world: Primitiuc Church,afrcr the afcq1lion ofChrifl,: fomc-timc thcy.~~uo pc<!.CC :u,d pt:,Of}lG~·ttiqand in the firfl300, yearcs, {ilffcr~d ten moH blob: I I this cept:inuc:th n?t ~L~v.a;:: but ano~hcr :~·hilc P'/ :me) g_ricuous perfccmions: bcnvixt <:ai:h of I they ar.r m qoublc,-lmfe_ne, and pqrlc.c;ut10n. wl~ich, 01c ~-1.ad l9mc times of pcacc,znd (as it j ljo mnketflis point triore phinc,..b~caufc it. were) rd_?icc rp brc.arh in. Andiaf,cr tht: rchcl{ 1 is of {0mc ijnporran~c} v\'e)11ay behpld the pcrfccution cndcd,thc Lord railedvp the good truth ofir-, if} rhc Chu~vh of God.frotp. the be... Empnour Conffantinc; \\hb brought pc:lt:c, <X ginnin~.At(mn.rfamilk-was Got.!~ Church}and wclfan: vmo the Church. Bur, foone after hini_1 thcrFill wasfi,rfi nop.blc peare: l)u~~'"''h.ct.l God the hcr~lic o"f .Arrim, r:tif~·\'P by the ~ic~lil.l, 1 ac<;cpre<l A6t!s f.1crificc, qnd r~fnf~Q Cain_es, B .brought as gricuous pcrfc~ici6s 911 the chnrchj·\ th~n j:r~.rfcp,It~qn.~~gan.,.and C1in ilS!!'( His bra~ as eucr the: Pagans d1d; bctiog am!jfl bbfphc.- thcr,Abc/I. .Abrah;m.isqllcdt)lf'F;lthcrofthc mous hcrcfic, ,denying t_hc ctcrnoll deity ofl £1ithfulf, and hjsfamilyrin.d~ofc d:t)'CS, was th<;: I (:hriH, 3J)d ofthe holy Oho.fi:and.,it prcuailc.d . true (,il!!rch ofG0dJrwhc;rp11,\·\'C IJVJY,.P..Otably in the Church for 8o.ycarcs.Npr long aft"cr the fee •his ,liangeabl'c.c(t;Jt.e 1 : for,. G9.sl .c;•!ls birq fuppre!lion oftlm pcrciie, began the idolarric out of Charra_n,.~o d·wtt~in the land g(Can;tan, ~nd tyr?tlni~ of Antichrift to prcuaile in the ! E~qd, .~~' I ~.t.o.l}uc.Jy~i~hin a w.hil..C; ~h ..qfa\lJt!' ~Chur~;h, for many hundred yeares, Arid nqw,.·! lic·w~s'fo great in t}1~;Land1 that hc-;..w~.s fainc about fome fourcfcorc yqares ago"nc, the Lord t.o ~od d,o~~lc)t1to ~gypr, r_o . foj9utQ_C. th~rc, in mcrcic raifcd vp wotthi.c inllrumcnts, by Aud, \he1< the Lor,g)>ldle.d_him.e.J'CSf<!if1gly. 1 _who(e mcanes hce dcliucrod his !=hurcb from and enriched him.(o. gx:.eatly,-that hec b.ccamci that idohtrie and blindndfc: yet .fo, ~s ftilhhc. a mighty Prin£c_, able to: encount-er.. '-"Yith clrc Church hath felt the bloodie hand. ofAntichrifl :kings of thofc n:~tions in battd14!!ftcrhisre- , ,ip gri~uous pcrfccutions. All which, fhc.v\•es . turnG J9 C:tnaan,Exo,d•. I44 . . ~ ~. .... this to be moll true : that the outw::lrd fiat-cof The lfraclircs, Q-ad~. c~ofcn _pe,Oplc; were Gods Ch'Urch, isintcrchani~abte, hauing_onC 400. yeare·in bondage inEgypr; bur;at thcap.. ·C Y.'hilc P.cacc,and antnhc:r whilc·grieuous pcl"ftpointed time God gauc them aglor~C?usdelicution. ucrancc~ an~,yct they were t.ricd in_.th~wfldcr- ·· ~ To appl~ethiS to our fducs:GQd hath p.l:'\nne£fe4o•y~arcs; after whjch time,., th,cy were t~d hisChurch:11nongv~ h1 th.island, and i9r planted (afcly in the fruitefull Lan\19fCan"n, many yc,rst6gcrhcr, ha try bldfed vs w.irh pro. a Land th.at flowet! ·with milke and l10ny. And fpcritic a~? peace: \\'hich) in gteat niercic he thcrealfo, the.C~uroh gfGod was in th.is ca(e: hath giuen vs asa rc''"'d of the faith of hi~ fomcfhn~ in profpcrhic;311d other~\\lile"s in ad-" fcruams which are among ~s, ap.d, dUrin.g this ucr!itie; (or, whc~1 it: was ruled by.Iu~gcs.(as in time, wchaue"had great frccdqmc and lihe:n-ic j that bookcappearcs) for tC~l_, rwcnt•y, thinic 1 i11 Gods holy minillcric, fOrth~ _word; pr:aicr, or founy ye·ares togcthcr,the I.fraclits for thdr :.nq facramems, Bur, we mull know, that the· flnncs, \'VCrc i~l fubi~Ctipn and bond~g<: to rhc: !late of Gods Church, forpCa-cc and trouble is nations round :tbout chcn1: as theMoa&itu,thc int~rchangcable,asd~yand nighr,for light <tnd Philifli'm_i, thCAmmur.itcs, &.c. Yet,then:, when darkcndfe. Wherefore we rnufi be aduc:rtifcd, j t_hcy c;:ricd to Godf he iC~t-thcm fon!c migh~y to lookevmo qur fclucs:for our etlar:.c~u peace. i Iudge to dcliucnhem, for (o long.<i•lJe •gain. !J 1 . mufi not !aft alwaies, thc(e golden dayes 1 vi)l ' This was the int~rch:mgcable cflatc of ,the .hau!= an ende, and tr<?ubles and affiiCHor;ts \~·ili Church, all rho time ofthe Judges" .And aft Cl'- vndoubtcdly come. Indeed,God oncly knowc _-..,.ard, when it wa~ goucrncd by Kings, it was c~h•.what kinde of offiitl:ions {hall befall, and in the fame' cafe: fo~,ottc whi-le God gau~ them .the particulartjme thereof: buuhar they fu::tlf gopd Kings, who WC?uld adu:mcc reUgion,and come in .the time appointed Of God, wee / maimainc and chcrifh the Prcifl:s aHd i>rophc:rs 1 ':" 11 .agy. re.foi~e our fc.Incs. by the rca[gns. folio\\.·~~ of Gad;:and for their time the Ch!Jrch profpcrtd, But othcrwhilcs, for their Cimics, God I F~r!.t, the tenOur of" the Law, Is this :' that I wo;1ld fcnd them wicked Princ.cs:whi"cfr per(c. I the c11r[c ·dorh fol!.r• the tranfgr1Jion: (o thot I cutcd the Prophets, and:hcg~d~y it~.the.J:md. I ~\·.hen any man, or family, or peoplc,line in the This is plainc in the &ooi<cs·of the K.ings :md l breach of ,Gods ~?mm;tndcmcnts, they rnuH Chroniclcs.Afrc:r the raigne <?t goo~ k.i11g lofi• j lookc f01· Gods'iudgc"n1c:nts eo bcp9wrcd vp- ,! af, c:une the c;~p1iuitic imo Bahyl~n,-~·rod 70. on them. J"1ow.) _we may too trudy affumc,!l yeares expired, the lord by K. C}'ntJ returned I th:u this qur n~uon :1nd people abol)nd with the~n ~gainc.Afrerthci"r rc.mrnc,rhcy v.:~rc: one I grieuous finne in all eflatcs. For, in the ciuill c~ . wlulc tn peace, :tnd :mother while in difhdlC: Hate(to omit themanifold praCt:ifes ofonprcfli- \ :as we m:ly fcc2.:_hc boo~cs of Ez...ra and Ne--_ on)whcrc is iuHicc without bribcric?o: brgai~ 1 --~"--.,--"---,...~--:-~-~-----~-R ~J.. -.~---•~:_.. _ ·-- ~~lg"; \
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