Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	death_n	great_a	lord_n	4,859	5	3.8144	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14462	The firste parte of the Christian instruction, and generall so[m]me of the doctrine, conteyned in the holy Scriptures wherein the principall pointes of the religion are familiarly handled by dialogues, very necessary to be read of all Christians. Translated into Englishe, by Iohn Shute, accordyng to the late copy set forth, by th'author Maister Peter Viret. 1565. Ouersene and perused, accordyng to the order appointed, by the Queenes maiesties iniunctions.; Instruction chrestienne et somme generale de la doctrine comprinse ès sainctes Escritures. Part 1. English	Viret, Pierre, 1511-1571.; Shute, John, fl. 1562-1573.	1565 (1565)	STC 24777; ESTC S119198	167,989	225

compare it with the age of that lyfe whiche lasteth for euer D. Yet doo we learne Artes and Sciences and occupatiōs in nomber in maner infinite whiche can stand vs in no stede but onely in this miserable and wretched life And on the contrarie we haue but one to learne whiche is able to leade vs out of all the miseries and wretchednes wherin we are here wrapt and to make vs happy for euer and yet we make none accoumpte therof but fiee from it reiect it and persecute it Howe shall we nowe be able to excuse our selues We will ryse three or foure houres before daye yea at mydnight We will ryde runne day and night both by sea and lād with great paine and trauayle and oftentimes in great daunger of lyfe and Heb. 1. Act. x. all this wil we do to gayne a little péece of money But although that God doth send vs his Prophetes his Apostles yea hys owne sonne and that hee doth teache vs by the mouth of hys seruaunts which is hys own mouth through the which he speaketh to vs dayly in hys Church and doth present vnto vs hys giftes and graces in our own houses yea euen in our beddes and tables Yet notwithstandinge we wyl not vouchsafe once to receaue hym we will vnderstand nothing of him nor yet learn any thing of him Shal we then alledge our ignorance and excuse our selues by it Our Lord Iesus Christ did very well vnderstande of thys sycknes and of the daunger thereof wherefore he sayde to those people that did follow him more for their bellye then for any spiritual doctrine Employ your selues and traueil not for that meate that perisheth but for that which endureth Iohn 6. into eternal lyfe the which the sonne of man shal giue vnto you When he nameth by the name of meate hys doctrine which is the doctrine of saluation and the saluation which he bringeth vnto vs by meanes of the same the which we can finde in none but in him onely He therefore geueth vs plainly to vnderstand how much this doctrine and this health are necessary for vs and how earnestly and diligent lye we shoulde labour for them for so muche as they are thinges that are much more necessary to eternall lyfe then is the bodely meate for the corporal lyfe and it is so muche more precious as is the soule more precious then the body ¶ Of the diligence that is in men to do euyl and of their negligence to doo vvell T. THou sayest nothng at all of such as employe theyr whole study and trauayle to do euyl If euery one of vs would take so great trauayle in the searche of this holy worke wherof thou speakest as doth the theefe to rob or the whore in the vse of her whoredome we should accomplishe a goodly woorke The theues rise vp in the night put them selues in great daunger and take very great paynes to cut mens throtes and we wyll not once lift vp our heade from our pillow to waken vs and to open our eyes to beholde and consider those thinges that appertayne to our saluation Satan our mortal enemy is so dillgent and continually lyeth in wayte to find meanes howe to ruinate and destroy 1. Peter ● vs and we of our part are vtterly slothful and negligent in arming our selues againste his ambusshes and assaultes wherby we might auoyde hys snares Wherefore all thinges wel considered I see verye small reason wherewith to excuse men For there is no man but maye fynde meanes sufficient to attayne to this knowledge of God If that we were so careful of the eternal life as we are of this present lyfe and would as wyllinglye seeke for the one as for the other for ther is nothing that might ayde vs in that behalfe but God hath geuen it vnto vs. ¶ Of the vices that make men ignoraunt of God and of hys truth and hovv the seruauntes of God continually bring accusation agaynst them D. SAynt Paule was not ignorant of thys and therefore although he saye that he hath obtayned mercy for hys 1. Tun. 1. persecuting the Churche of God throughe ignoraunce yet doth he not excuse hymselfe by the same nor letteth to shew the greuousnes of hys synne calling hymselfe the greatest of synners a blasphemer a persecutor a man full of violence and oppression and acknowledgeth hym selfe woorthye of deathe and eternall damnacion If God of hys great mercye and grace had not succoured hym whereof he shoulde not haue needed if that he had not synned or if that hys ignoraunce mought haue excused hym For howe good so euer hys meanyng was or howe greate so euer hys zeale was towarde the lawe of God yet notwithstandyng his ignoraunce was not wythoute a great portion of that negligence and carelesnesse whyche is naturallye in men as touching the knowledge of God and godlye thynges nor wythoute some portion of the pride rashnes wylfulnesse presumption and arrogancie of the Phariseis and of the leauen of hipocrisye and superstition which are verye great vices from the whych euen those that are most perfect and holy cannot well shyft them although they doo not appeare vnto men T. If then thys doth happen to such as are of the most perfect sorte as to Saynt Paule what shall become then of a sort of glorious and arrogant hipocrites which are much more full of hypocrisy then of good conscience and haue a greater care for their owne glory and profyt then for the glory of God and the edification of hys church and haue such an opinion of their owne knowledge iustice and perfection that they thinke that no man may amende or correct any iot thereof For there be very few such ignorant ones amongst the persecutors of the church as was saint Paule before his cōuersion D. Ther is no doubt of that Saint Peter doth also impute vnto ignorance in the sermon that he made in Hierusalem Act. 2. vpon the day of Pentecost that which the Iewes cōmitted against our Lord Iesus Christ in the deliuering of Math. 17. Iohn 18. him to death preferring of Barrabas before him yet not withstanding doth not he let to lay it greatly to their charges as very murtherers of the true autor of life and verye sonne of God T. I perceiue by that thou sayest that God requireth of vs very great diligence and a great humility abiection and despising of our selues and that our negligence slothe presumption and arrogancye and our vayne glory and opinion that we haue of our selues are most commonly the cause of our damnable ignorāce D. It is euē so ¶ Of such as doo contemne the knovvledge of God euen as though they dyd knovv all thinges that appertaine to true Christianitie and also of the knovvledge that men maye attaine vnto in this life and hovv to encrease it T. I May well vnderstande by these what excuses those men may alledge that saye when they are wylled to enquire of the wyll of

The firste parte of the Christian Instruction and generall sōme of the doctrine conteyned in the holy Scriptures wherein the principall pointes of the Religion are familiarly handled by Dialogues very necessary to be read of all Christians Translated into Englishe by Iohn Shute accordyng to the late Copy set forth by th' author Maister Peter Viret 1565. ¶ Ouersene and perused accordyng to the order appointed by the Queenes maiesties Iniunctions 2. Timothe 3. Al Scripture diuinely inspired of God is profitable for doctrine to improue to amend and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be perfecte and prepared vnto all good worckes No man that layeth hys hande to the plow and looketh behind hym is meete for the kyngdome of God Luke 9. HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE ¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Day dvvellyng ouer Aldersgate beneath Saint Martins ❧ To the honorable the Lord Robert Dudley Baron of Denbigh Earle of Licester Maister of her Maiesties horse and knight of th' order and one of her highnes preuye Councel Iohn Shute vvisheth health vvith increase of honor and Godly vnderstandyng WHen Hanniball a manifold wintered souldiour a Generall of meruelous iudgement and worthines had giuen eare a while to Phormiō the Philosopher discoursing before him of martiall matters the duty of a Generall and office of ech man that commeth to field beyng demaunded at length what he thought of him whome the Lippewise men estemed the wysest and learnedst of the worlde aunswered that fooles he had heard many but a more dotyng foole then this Phormion was he neuer heard It semed to him very straunge that he whiche neuer went further then the scoole neuer fought but with the rod shoulde giue preceptes to hym that had spent all his life in martiall affaires obtained moe vistories then he had red ouerthrowes And may it not right honorable seme as straunge to your good Lordship and be deemed of some others as greate dotage for me a simple souldior better practised abrode in martiall matters then furnished at home with cunnyng of the scoole to deale with matters of hie diuinitie But I take not vpon me to teache of my selfe but to translate out of others nor do I meane to bragge of any skill but to testifie my good will employed to profite others yet do I not thincke it a matter vnmeete for my profession and callyng to knowe the truthe of Gods holy worde and to further in the same as many as I may For requisite it is as your honor and wisedome right well vnderstandeth all Christians to knowe their God further if they will be the children of his kingdome to worcke through obedience to his will as the Apostle sayth their owne saluation with trembling and with feare A souldior is not excluded from this band he must needes in this battell keepe his order ●hil ● and do by grace his vttermost endeuoure leaste the muster maister Christe do casse him and so ●osuc 7 with great reproche deualize hym VVe read that for a litle pilfering of a common souldior the whole armie of the Lorde was in daunger and lyke to haue ben defeacted But the blasphemie incōtinency outrage and suche lyke that in many countreis in the warres in our dayes are vsed are in deede a great occasion to procure and purchase those dreadfull plagues whiche we often see light vpon nations VVherfore that we may continew in quiet peace whē occasion shall require obtaine Godly victories expedient it wer and for my countreys sake I wish that our souldiors may be well instructed in the knowledge and feare of God so much the rather for that their lyfe is doubly incertaine Anacharsis thought saylers and such as trauayle by sea to be rather of the nōber of the dead then of the liuing by cause that he which is in most assuraunce is alwaye within eight or ten ynches of his death And is not a souldior euery moment of an houre more nere his bane amyd so many great shotte samll shot and other weapons VVherfore it were good not onely for the parties them selues but also for all Christian cōmon wealthes if they whiche are called to serue in warres were well instructed in the knowledge fear of God as god be thāked some of thē are I would thinck my self surerer in the company of fiue hūdred well trayned souldiors whiche were instructed in the feare and loue of God then in that of xv hundred whiche are as well trayned and exercised in the vse of their weapons as they and doe want the other chief instruction And for my parte beyng a simple one am not ashamed to be exercised in the study of Gods booke no more then to be in the fielde exercised in the vse of any weapō or order although my studie in it be not such as I wish it to be yet hauyng receiued great profite cōfort of conscience by reding of sondrie workes of diuinitie and namely by the readyng of a worcke of Maister Peter Viret intituled the Christian instruction I would not bereaue my countrey mē the commoditie of the same but thought my selfe bounde in conscience to make them partakers therof VVherfore hauing translated the first parte of it into our tounge with boystrous and rude termes as a man vtterly voyde of eloquence I haue committed the same to the printe and so farre presumed vpon your honours goodnes as vnder your Lordshippes name to suffer it to come to the sight of others May it please you to accepte this simple token of my trauaile poore good will towardes your honor I dout not but some shall receiue such fruite of it as they shall like well my labour and pray for your Lordship vnder whose name it is published And so shall my desire in Christ be satisfied God prosper your honor in health and high estate God encrease his faith and his feare in you Right honorable I haue added in the end of this worke a table contayning the principall matters that are entreated of in this worke to the end that men may the more easily find them God defend you and preserue you ❧ John Shute to the faithfull reader Grace mercy and peace from God the father thorowe our Lord Iesus Christ COnsiderynge that God requireth no more of man for his innumerable benefites which he hath doth from time to tyme bestow vpon him but onely frāck obedience the whiche he can no wise yelde duely vnto him except he knowe him and he can not know him but by his word and for that ther be many aduersaries at this day who will not haue men to deale with the word of God nor to receiue any Religion but such as shall be giuen vnto them by generall Councels I haue thoght good to turn into y● English toūg this litle worke framed by the right famous worthy godly learned man M. Peter Viret wherin you may see what cōmoditie the Church of God hath reapt

others might by the readyng therof obtayne vnderstanding c. The Scripture is the power of God to saluatiō by it we knowe God and Christ by it we knowe our selues by it we are taught our duety toward our neyghbour by it we learn to obei our prince by it we know the true Prophet frō the false the Scriptures ar to be preferred before al the writings of men it is the touche stone wherby we ought to examine Ad Regina● derecta fide the doctrines of men Cyril sayth it is necessary for vs that we folow the holy Scriptures not to swarue in anye thyng that is commaunded in them S. Ambrose vpon the. 1. Epistle to the Corinthes 4. chap. saith what soeuer is not receiued frō the handes of the Apostles is full of wickednes Cyprian in Sermon ● de lapsis And how dare they ordeyne and decree any thing without Christ whose hope and fayth vertue and glorye is whollye in hym Origine vpon Ezechiell Homili 7. lette vs folowe no man and if wee will folowe any wee haue Christe set foorth to vs to followe The actes of the Apostles are set forth vnto vs we know the doings of the Prophetes by the holy volumes that is a sounde exāple to folow Theophilactus vpō the Epistle to the Romains the last chap. sayth They whiche bryng any thyng beside the determinations and doctrine of the Apostles they bryng in offences heresies and dissensions Ireneus aduersus Valentini similiū scripta lib. 2. cap. 56 ▪ Leane to the holy Scriptures which is the sure and vndoubted truth it is a sure stone wherwith to build when ye leaue this cleaue to any other doctrines c. S. Augustine in his prologue of his 3. boke of the trinitie sayth Obey not my writinges as thou wilte the Canonicall scriptures for what so euer thou shalt finde in thē that thou beleuest not the same beleue without douting but in myne if Authority of the wryting● of the fathers thou finde any thing wherin thou art not persuaded thorowly beleue it not assuredly Againe in his 112. Epistle which he writeth to Paulm he speaketh to the like end Itē in his 2. boke of Baptisme against the Donatists 3. chap. he saith you alwayes alledge to vs the letters of Cypriā the sayinges of Cypriā why take you authoritie of Cypriā for your Scisme refuse his exāple to trouble the church who is he that doth not well know that the Canonicall scriptures as wel of the olde as of the new Testament are conteined within limites which ar certain that the same is to be preferred to the writings of al the Bishops y● haue ben hereto fore so that we may not in any thing doute or dispute of it to wit whether y● all y● therin is be true or no but it is lawfull to reprehēd the writings of the Bishops which were writen before or which wer writen after the cōfirmation of the Canonical scriptures either by word c. Moreouer Origene vpō the Prophet Ieremie in his 1. Howelie sayth we must needes call to witnesse the holy Scriptures for without thē no mā ought to credite our sayings or writings S. Hierom vpon s Mathew fayth That which is spokē without the authoritie of the scriptures euen as it is spoken so may it be reiected contēned vpon Ieremie 9. chap. sayth The error of fathers mothers of aūcesters ought not to be folowed but the authoritie of the scriptures the cōmaūdemēt of God whiche he teacheth vs c. And within fewe lynes after he sayth Assuredly thorowe ignoraūce of the law men shall receiue Antichrist for Christ c. S. Cypriā to Cecil in his 3. boke of his Epistles 3. Epistle saith yf you do that which I cōmaūde you I will not cal you my seruaūtes but my frends And also that Christ ought onely to be herd the father hath borne witnes from heauen saying This is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him wherfore if it be so the Christ onely ought to be herd then ought we not to looke what any man before vs hath thought good to be done but that which Christ who is Christ and not custom is to be followed before all hath done for we are not boūd to folow the custome of mē but the truth of God for so much as God sayth by his Prophet Esay in ye. 29. chap They honor me in vain teaching the cōmaūdemēts doctrines of mē And again in the Gospel Mathew 15. you reiect the cōmaūdemēt of God to establishe your own traditions And therfore deare brother if anye of our predecessors eyther through ignoraunce or simplicitye haue not obserued that which the Lord hath taught vs to do by his example or doctrine that same may be refused for the symplenes therof may through the mercies of the Lord be pardoned him c. And shortly after he sayth if we be the elders ministers of God Christ I fynd not that we ought to follow any but God Christ for somuch as he saith in the Gospel of Iohn chap. 8. I am the light of the world he that followeth me shal not walke in darcknes but shal haue the Diui●●●um institut lib. 6. cap. 8 light of life Lactāti ' Firmian ' in his 6. boke of his godly institutiōs 8. chap. sayth we ought not to follow mē but god The canons decrees of the Popes in the. 9. distinct ca. Noli cap. Ego cap. Negare dist 24 1. quest ca. Non affermam ' say thus Men must dwell vpon the holy Scriptures not vpon the sayings of men how holy soeuer they be c. S. Chrisostome vpō S. Iohn sayth in the end of the. 16. homelie That mē of occupatiō do seeke striue to be excellent in their occupacions Gredi desire of corporall things and carelesnesse of spirituall things but the christiā can not render reasō of his religion if these handy occupations were not knowen it were but losse of money but the cōtempt of the christiā religiō carieth with it destruction of the soule yet we tranayle in so great miserye madnes that we bestow in thē all our studie care but the things which are most necessary for vs and are most sure fortes of our saluation we esteme not at all It is it that letteth the heathens frō acknowledging their errour and causeth thē to scoffe at vs for albeit they are groūded onely vpō lyes to do al that which they do to defend the ignominie of their doctrine we which serue the truth dare not once opē our mouthes to defend that which is ours why should they not condemne our great imbecillitie haue vs in supicion to be crafty disceitful why should they not speake euil of Christ as of a lyar who by his fraud should haue abused the simplicitie of the multitude we are