Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	forgive_v	lord_n	sin_n	11,546	5	5.1796	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91881	John the Baptist, forerunner of Christ Iesvs: or, A necessity for liberty of conscience, as the only meanes under heaven to strengthen children weake in faith; to convince hereticks mis-led in faith; to discover the gospel to all such as yet never heard thereof; and establish peace betweene all states and people throughout the world; according unto which, were both our Saviours commission, and the apostles practice for the propagation of it peaceably: as appeares most evidently by sundry Scriptures digested into chapters, with some observations at the end of every one; most humbly devoted to the use and benefit of all such as are zealously inquisitive after truth; piously disposed to imbrace it, and constantly resolved to practice it in their lives and conversations; to the honour of God, the edifying of their brethren, and their owne salvation unto eternity. The contents of the chapters follow in the next leaf. This is licenced, but not permitted to be entred according to order.	Robinson, Henry, 1605?-1664?	1644 (1644)	Wing R1673; Thomason E9_13; ESTC R15393	119,971	135

Church or the Civill Magistrate to put them to death the Blessed Spirit would have contradicted it selfe for how could they be and yet not be how could they live for manifestation of the Saints and yet be put to death by the Civill Sword which possibly might have been so soone as they began to be Hereticks if the Civill Magistrate had but the power to doe it and so they could not have lived sufficiently to manifest those which were approved Some perhaps will object But if Hereticks and other spirituall offenders doe God such good service how can he in justice punish them hereafter or why is the Angel of the Church of Thyatira blamed for suffering Jezabel the Prophetesse to seduce Gods people Rev. 2.20 I answer that though the Blessed Spirit saies there must be heresies and offences yet at same time it sayes likewise Woe to them by whom they come Mat. 18 7. and good Christians will not doubt the equity thereof if they reflect but upon the Scripture Secondly the Angel of the Church of Thyatira was not blamed for not putting Jezabel to a Civill death for first the Church had no such Commission from Christ and secondly it had no power from the Civill Magistrate to execute it But as was said before the Church was justly taxed in that Jezabel was suffered to preach false doctrine incontrolably without examining of the doctrine and reproving her in that they permitted her to seduce weake Christians without cutting her off by the Sword of the Spirit the power of excommunication for God required the Church to be as diligent in exercising their spirituall weapons for convincing and compelling spiritually all Heretickes unto the truth as he did that the Civill Magistrate should have cut off every adulterer and murderer only the difference is this that since the meanes to be used against spirituall offenders being spirituall such as would not be willingly convinced thereby but obstinately persist Gods pleasure was not that they were cut off by the Civill Sword as every murderer and adulterer but that these should survive untill the day of judgement the end of their life Mat. 13.39 Eccl. 11.3 for the manifestation of those which were approved and we by putting them to a civill death doe contradict this and many other such like Scriptures by endeavouring to render them of no effect But lest any should aske Doth not God then as much desire that Hereticks and all other spirituall offenders should be convinced in demonstration of the Spirit and reduced unto the truth as that all murderers adulterers should have beene put to death if so then one being to God as possible and easie as the other it would follow that all Hereticks might possibly be convinced and none left for manifestation as is pretended of those which are approved I answer that God expects the Church should imploy all spirituall meanes and use as much diligence in convincing and reducing them to the truth or else if they persist in cutting them off from the communion of Saints which is the spirituall death as he does that the Magistrate should put all murderers and adulterers unto a Civill death and secondly as the spirituall punishments prevaile only on such as are spirituall I mean on such as in times past were Hereticks like Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 but now are ripe unto conversion so in consequence the obstinate and perverse who stop their eares at the voice of the charmer charm he never so well Psal 58.5 necessarily persisting unconverted are they which God will have still to enjoy their Civill livelyhood for the manifesting of those which are approved But suppose it were Christianity to put spirituall offenders to death on what part of Scripture will we ground it or whence can we deduce such laws but they will prove ridiculous and be voydable by any heretick that scruples not to play the hypocrite and pleads but as all delinquents doe at the Bar of Civill Justice in answering not guilty and that whatever he was heretofore he is now converted The Lord sayes You shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer which is guilty of death but he shall surely be put to death Numb 35.31 and it is just with God so to doe to require this Civill death though the murderer should afterwards repent unfainedly and be absolved from eternall death as the good thiefe whilst be hung upon the crosse Luke 23.43 But if any one dye a Hereticke a spirituall offender of so heynous a nature as deserves eternall death there remains no redemption his Civill and Spirituall death are inseparable concomitants the former necessarily implies the latter which is contrary to Pauls rule who required only the destruction of the flesh that the soule might be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 5.5 But as concerning meere Spirituall offenders however you call them soule-murderers to scrue up their punishment above Gods commandment at what time soever such a sinner repenteth him of his sin the Lord forgives him and we are required to forgive him seventy times seven even as often as he shall offend us Mat. 18.22 But suppose a convinced Hereticke who going up the ladder cries out for mercy and saies he is convinced can any Christian Law deny him mercy who is then no more a Hereticke then our selves as Peter said Can any man forbid water that these Gentiles should not be baptised which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we Act. 10.47 A murderer though he repent him of his fault yet since it is impossible to restore the murdered to life againe dyes a murderer though a penitent one but he that is convinced and leaves his heresie cannot be said to dye a Hereticke and being now no longer a Hereticke what ground is there to put him to death or otherwise to punish him this pretended convert being thus got free discovers himselfe to be the same Hereticke still untill he be apprehended and brought again to the Gallows where he then pleads as hard for his second conversion or as often as the Civill Magistrate shall put him to it and I know no reason but that his reprivall must be as often granted him if it were to dooms day To say he plaies the hypocrite only to save his life that he is not really converted I answer that he cannot then possibly be obstinate who both affirmes himselfe not only to be willing but saies also that he is really converted and we may no more judge of his conscience who for the present both affirmeth to beleeve the same with us and is conformable withall then he may judge of ours If you demand why a law may not as well be made for punishing Spirituall offenders though they should have repented as well as murderers and adulterers I answer That such a law would yet be more repugnant unto Scripture which in expresse tearms requires the incestuous person upon his sorrow to be forgiven comforted and received to