Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	day_n	good_a	lord_n	2,726	5	3.8026	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78056	Religions peace: or, A plea for liberty of conscience. Long since presented to King James, and the High Court of Parliament then sitting, / by Leonard Busher citizen of London, and printed in the year 1614. Wherein is contained certain reasons against persecution for religion, also a designe for a peaceable reconciling of those that differ in opinion.	Busher, Leonard.; H. B.	1646 (1646)	Wing B6251; Thomason E334_7; ESTC R200599	43,040	46

you I know you are especially you that are Laymen zealous as you think for God and his Truth as Paul was But I hope there will a time come and I wish it were now present when in the midst of your heat and fervency the glorious and shining brightnesse of Love will appeare in your hearts like the light surrounding Paul going to Damascus and the scales of ignorance and mistake will fall from your eyes and then you will lament all the evill which through weaknesse you have brought upon your Brethren you will then blame your owne zeale and importunity and apply your selves more cordially and constantly to observe our Saviours rule of equity to doe unto others what you would have others doe unto you Peruse this Treatise I beseech ye with a single heart and unprejudiced mind and let it sway you as the Arguments thereof are efficacious and the Scriptures therein urged are pertinent and convincing So wisheth yours and all other good Mens true Friend H. B. To the High and Mighty King James by the grace of God King of great Britain France and Ireland and to the Princely and right Honorable Parliament Leonard Busher wisheth the wisdom of Solomon the zeal of Jos●…s and the mercy of Christ 1 Cor. 5.5 with the salvation of your Spirits in the day of the Lord Jesus FOrasmuch as your Majesty and Parliament do stand for the maintenance of the Religion wherein you are born and for the same do most zealously persecute with fire sword I have thought it good and also my duty most Royall Soveraign to inform your Majesty and Parliament thereof In all humimility therefore I give you to understand that no Prince or People can possible attaine that one true Religion of the Gospel which is acceptable to God by Jesus Christ meerly by birth (a) John 3. ● for Christ saith Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God Also the Apost Iames saith (b) Jam. 1.18 Of his own will be begat us by the word of truth and the Apostle Peter saith (c) 1 Pet. 1.3.23 Matth. 28. Mark 16. Being born anew not of mortall seed but of immortall by the word of God who liveth and endureth for ever Therefore Christ commanded this word to be preached to all nations that thereby they may attaine the new birth By which your Majesty and Parliament may perceive that the one true Religion of the Gospel is not attained by naturall birth for then all Princes and peoples in all nations should have that one true Religion of the Gospel the which you see and grant they all have not yet many of them also will defend their Religion wherein they are born by fire and sword as if it were their naturall and earthly inheritances or had with fire and sword been gotten and therefore will with fire and sword maintain and defend it But your Majesty and Parliament may please to understand that the Scriptures doe teach that the one true Religion is gotten by a new birth even by the word and spirit of God and therewith also it is onely maintained and defended For the word of God is lively and mighty in operation 2 Cor. 10.4 Ephe. 6.17 Heb. 4 1● and sharper then any two edged sword and entereth through even unto the dividing asunder of the soule and the spirit and of the joints and of the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart Seeing then the one true Religion of the Gospel is thus gotten and thus defended and maintained namely by the word preached onely let it please your Majesty and Parliament to be intreated to revoke and repeale those Antichristian Romish and cruell laws that force all in our Land both Prince people to receive that Religion wherein the King or Queen were born or that w th is stablished by the Law of man and in stead thereof enact and publish that Apostolick Mat. 28.19 Mar. 16.16 Acts 8.12 Lu. 24.4 7. Acts 8.12.37 ● 41 Christian gentle and mercifull law of Christ viz. Goe teach all Nations preach the Gospel to every creature that is Christ will have his ministers to preach and teach the people of all Nations the things that concern the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Messiah repentance and remission of sins and to baptize in his name such as doe beleeve And forasmuch also that the false and Antichristian religion did come by the spirit of error and doctrine of devils 1 Tim. 4.1 Rev. 16.14 and not by fire and sword therefore by the spirit of Christ and doctrine of the word of God must it be driven out of the hearts and consciences both of Prince and People and not by fire and sword as the false Bishops and Ministers have and doe still perswade Therefore may it please your Majesty and Parliament to understand that by fire and sword to constrain Princes and peoples to receive that one true Religion of the Gospel Mark 9 38 39. is wholly against the minde and mercifull Law of Christ dangerous both to King State a means to decrease the Kingdom of Christ and a means to increase the kingdom of Antichrist as these reasons following do manifest The which I humbly beseech your Majesty and Parliament carefully to consider and that according to the Word of God which shall judge every man according to his deeds Mat. 16.27 Rev. 16.14 Luke 9.55 56. Joh. 12.47 persecution is a work well pleasing to all fals Prophets and Bishops but it is contrary to the mind of Christ who came not to judge and destroy mens lives but to save them And though some men and women beleeve not at the first houre yet may they at the (d) Mat. 20.6 7. eleventh houre if they be not persecuted to death before And no King nor Bishops can or is able to command faith (e) Eph. 2 8 1 Tim. 1.13 Act. 20.11 That is the gift of God who worketh in us both the will and the deed of his own good pleasure set him not a day therefore in which if his creature hear not and beleeve not you will imprison and burn him Paul was a blasphemer and also a persecuter and could not be converted by the Apostles and Ministers of Christ yet at last was received to mercy and converted extraordinarily by Christ himself Jam. 5 11. ● Pet. 3.9 2 Cor. 5.19 who is very pitifull and mercifull and would have no man to perish but would that all men come to repentance but not by persecution but by the word of reconciliation which he hath committed to his ministers And as Kings and Bishops cannot command the wind so they cannot command faith Joh. 3. and as the winde bloweth where it listeth so is every man that is born of the spirit You may force men to Church against their consciences 1 Sam. 15 1● ●4 but they will beleev as they did afore