Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	full_a	lord_n	psal_n	2,435	5	7.5110	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02043	Lectures of I.B. vpon the xii. Articles of our Christian faith briefely set forth for the comfort of the godly, and the better instruction of the simple and ignorant. Also hereunto is annexed a briefe and cleare confession of the Christian faith, conteining an hundreth articles, according to the order of the Creede of the Apostles. Written by that learned [and] godly martyr I.H. sometime Bishop of Glocester in his life time.; Briefve et claire confession de la foy chrestienne. English.	Baker, John, minister.; Hooper, John, d. 1555.; Garnier, Jean, d. 1574. Briefve et claire confession de la foy chrestienne. English.	1581 (1581)	STC 1219; ESTC S110441	203,151	484

mightie Father So it is said in the beginning of our prayer Our father to comfort vs but it is said also in heauen to magnifie his power greatnes ouer al things Likewise in the giuing of the Law it is saide Heare O Israel I am the Lorde great terrible no doubt to put thē in mind to feare him reuerently and not to presume vpon him But yet he addeth comfort afterward saying Thy God to deliuer thee hereafter which hath bene thy God already Thus we see that both must goe together Gods iustice and Gods mercie as Dauid said Thy rod thy staffe they cōfort me Psal 23. Wee call him father not in respect of our creation for so he is our Maker and Creator neither in respect of our gouernment for so he is our Lord and master and those names are not so comfortable vnto vs because hee is so that is a Lord and maker euen to the wicked and reprobate But wee call him father first in respect of Christ which is his onely begotten and beloued sonne Then in that we are his children adopted in Christ our elder brother which hath made vs all sonnes and children to his heauenly father by his death and passion by his obedience by his fulfilling of the lawe and by his satisfaction for our sinnes as Iohn saith Chap. 3. Behold what loue the father hath shewed vnto vs that we should bee called the sōnes of God This is a marueilous comfort that the God of the whole earth the Lord of lords is a louing father vnto vs. And this is in Christ Iesus that wee haue this dignity prerogatiue aboue others not in our selues nor by birth and nature for so we are the sonnes of Gods ire wrath of cōdēnatiō because of our sinful father Adā transgressing Gods cōmandemēt Whē we name him almighty we do not cōceiue him to haue such a power which he doth not vse but in saying this we confesse and acknowledge that he hath al things creatures vnder his power obedience euen the deuils themselues as we see in the Gospel how they submitted thēselues to Christ the sonne of God how he asked leaue before he could do any thing to Iob Iob. 1. Again we must needes graūt that being omnipotēt and almighty he doth all things that are done he ruleth gouerneth heauen earth the sea and hel all things in them the whole world at his beck doth bend yeld it self So that our God being so mighty is not an idle God in heauen as the wicked do imagine but disposeth al things by his iust wise prouidēce howsoeuer they fal out nothing cōmeth to passe wtout his wil and coūsel no not the flight of Sparrowes Mat. 10. For if the Lord should not vphold heauen and earth yea the whole world with his power it would fal to nothing to dust ashes therefore it is said that Christ doth susteine all things by the worde of his might Hebr. 1. And here our faith hath a double cōfort by the prouidence omnipotēcie of God First because it considereth that God hath sufficient power to defende his Church Secōdly because he is willling to do it It foloweth maker of heauē earth This proueth that he is almighty because he hath made heauē earth of nothing when it was not Gen. 1. And this doth notably confute the wicked false opinions of the Philosophers as Plato Aristotle who greatly to the derogation impairing of Gods glory power thought held that the world was eternal frō the beginnings and neuer made neither should haue ende But this is false blasphemous against God We learne here another lesson in our faith that the world was made and had a beginning and shall haue an ending as Moses proueth the one Peter the other 2. Epist 3. Chap. Now by making of heauē and earth we vnderstand al things conteined in heauen earth as the sea For Dauid saith The sea is his and he made it 95. Psa The things in heauē as his angels the things in earth men beasts fishes foules worms al other sensles creatures whatsoeuer It is therfore as if we should say maker of al things visible which we see inuible which we see not as in the Creed of the coūsell of Nice in more fully expressed And this was done because of the Heretikes called the Maniches which did appoynt two beginnings of things created the one good which was God and him they made the beginner of all good thinges the other they imagined to be ill which was the deuil and him they set ouer the euill things and supposed him the maker of them But these men were deceiued which thought any ill thing to be created and made ill at the first for the scripture doth otherwise pronounce of al things that they were exceeding good Genes 1. But in that any thing is ill it is by deprauation and corruption by the sinne of man of Adam and not by creation for the deuill was made an Angel but he fell and lost his first estate and so became a deuill and wicked spirit by his owne corruption and will as Peter proueth 2. Epistle 2. Chap. Nowe if the deuill made some things thē God made not al but what saith the scripture The Lord hath made al things for his owne sake he saith not some things but al nay he goeth further addeth euen the wicked for the day of euil not that he created them wicked for hee made them in Adam perfit and good but he hath appointed them to serue to his honour and glory although they bee vessels of wrath he is glorified in them after a sort although not so as hee is glorified in the good For therefore dyd he sturre vp Pharao King of Egypt because he woulde shewe his glory vpon him Rom. 9. Seeing then God hath made heauen he hath made also all the ornaments of heauen as the heauenly spirits the Sunne the Moone the Starres to gouerne the earth by their light For in that we giue him the creation of the greater wee must needes graunt the lesser and hee that can make the great and huge heauens of nothing is able also to make the things conteyned in them of lesse importance As concerning the Angels it is sufficient for vs to know that they were all made of the Lorde for his wil and pleasure to be his ministring Spirites to execute his commandementes and iudgements against the wicked and for to serue for those that shal be heires of saluation Hebr. 1. It is but curiositie to enquire of the time of the creation or of the orders and estate in heauen Moses telleth vs a good and short lesson that heauen and earth were made perfect in sixe dayes with al the hostes and furniture of them and saieth no more of this matter to teache vs sobrietie in these things to wade no farther then we haue the warrant of the worde

as Dauid sayeth If thou take away thy breath from them That is his power from his creatures they dye So that here we see Gods prouidence ouer vs and all things For he woorketh dayly by preseruing and keeping his creatures in their estate as Christ saith My Father hitherto woorketh and I woorke by maynteyning things created For God is not like a carpenter that maketh an house and setteth it vp in deede but afterwarde neuer peraduenture seeth it againe but leaueth it to the dweller and owner of it the master thereof and careth no more for it If God shoulde deale so with vs it woulde be ill and wrong with vs for the deuill woulde dayly destroy vs if he did not keepe vs and all ours For we are not able to keepe our selues no not a minute of an houre Here therefore acknowledge in the mercie of God his Fatherly care and prouidence ouer vs and all his creatures 4 The last thing we learne of the creation of the worlde is the iustice of God how he gouerneth it rightly in equitie iudgement as the Prophet singeth All the waies of the Lord are iudgement equite For vnlesse hee dyd execute his iustice vpon the wicked they woulde destroy his Church but he keepeth them vnder as it were with a bridle and hampereth euen the proude tyrants and deuils of hell by his seuere iustice shewed vpon them So that the Lorde is iust in all his wayes yea his wil is a most perfite rule and patterne of iustice Dauid often repeateth this lesson to terrifie the wicked Iust art thou O Lorde right are thy iudgements Psalm 119. So sayde the Emperor Mauricius being killed by Phocas This do the wicked confesse thēselues when they feele his heauy hand vpon them for their sinnes and offences as Pharao did when the hayle destroyed the cattell of Egypt saying vnto Moses Aaron I haue nowe sinned the Lorde is righteous but I and my people are wicked Exod. 19. Thus the reprobate whether they will or no must confesse the Lorde to be righteous in his workes For as the Lord is merciful to Forgive the sinnes of his children that are truely penitent and not obstinate so is he also a most iust Iudge ouer all the earth to execute his sharpe punishments vpon the malitous and wilful sinners The Iudge of the worlde doeth according to iustice as Abraham sayde of him when he was about to destroy Sodoma Gen. 18. I delite sayth the Lorde in iustice mercy and iudgement Ierem. 9. Examples of his iustice he hath shewed in the flood brought in vpon the wicked Example of his mercie in sauing Noe and his familie so that his iustice and mercie goeth alwaies together as Dauid saith I will sing of mercie and iudgement Psal 101. representing the person of Christ which should be in his kingdom as wel iust as mercifull a Lion of the tribe of Iuda to teare in pieces the wicked and a Lambe to preserue his with al gentlenesse softnesse Looke vpon Sodome how the Lord shewed there his extreme and seuere Iustice vpō those miscreants to consume them with fire and brimstone from heauen most terribly Gen. 19. and as Peter sayeth Made them an example for all ages and posterities to come of his iustice against sinne and vncleannes 2. Pet. 2. But yet then hee deliuered iust Lot out of tentation and trouble Note his mercy in it to the good godly I might heere recken vp the examples of Sennacherib of Achab of Nabuchodonozor of Herode of Iulian and such other persecuting kings and Emperours against the Church of Christ whome all God in his iustice hath ouerthrowen and vtterly destroyed This we learne that God doeth also preserue the state of mankinde by his iustice that one doeth not ouerrunne another as wilde beastes Then by this wee learne to stand in feare of Gods iustice if we sinne at any tyme desperately least we be caught vp with it and suddenly consumed If his wrath be kindled yea but a litle blessed are al they that put their trust in him Psalme 2. For our God in his wrath and iustice is a consuming fire as Hebr. 12. And it is an horrible thing to fall into his handes If he be angry who may abide or stande in his sight when the hilles melte away and the sea is dried vp and the hard rockes cleaue asunder O that we had this consideration of his iustice before our eyes continually it would keepe vs from all sinne and vngodlines for therefore we sinne because wee feare not this iustice of the Lordes There is no feare of god sayeth Dauid of the wicked before their eyes therefore they sinne We see then what wee haue to note vpon this article of our Christian beliefe and what commodity commeth vnto vs of the creation of all thinges by God howe we gather and consider of his infinite greatnesse by his wonderfull woorkes for the heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke And this is one way to come to God as to be without excuse before his tribunall seate in the day of iudgement when the secretes of all heartes shall be disclosed and all thoughts opened before the Lorde By this creation the heathen men are without excuse and haue knowen him generally as Paul sayeth Romanes the first chap. That which may be knowen of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it vnto them For the inuisible things of him that is his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the worlde being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neyther were thankefull but became vayne in their imaginations their foolish heart was full of darknesse when they professed themselues to be wise they became fooles God is knowen three wayes by his works by his worde and by his holy spirit of adoption Although God be knowen by all these wayes of his elect yet he is knowen of the reprobate onely by his worde and workes which see the workes and heare his worde but neuer haue his Spirite directing them aright which is proper onely to his owne children Of the first way speaketh Paul in this place vnto the which the creation is a glasse to bring vs to a full consideration of his greatnesse Wel we learne by the creation of heauen and earth his power his wisedome his goodnesse and iustice and whatsoeuer else may be in God This is great comfort to the godly and bringeth great boldenesse vnto them and trust in the last day that they haue such a father and do beleeue in such a God as is maker of heauen and earth this teacheth vs our duetie to referre all our actions to his honour and glory to cōfesse him alone to acknowledge that he made vs and not we our lelues to liue to him to dye to him to do al things for his sake

in his blood and for this cause doe wee beleeue that there is but one true Catholique Church and no moe which shall continue for euer although Satan and his ministers goe about by all meanes possible to ouerthrowe and subuert it Wee are then taught here to beleeue that there is an vniuersall Church of Christ and not to beleeue and trust in it as we doe in God for that were idolatrie to trust in men and put our confidēce in them But wee must trust in GOD onely and not in this Church as the Papistes woulde beare vs in hande because the Church is but the company of the elect and chosen and are men Nowe wee can not beleeue and put our hope in any thing that is a creature for that were blasphemie to say and wee are also accursed if wee do so as the holy Prophete Ieremie hath by the mouth of the holy Ghost forewarned vs saying Thus sayth the Lorde Cursed bee the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lorde for hee shall be like the heath in the wildernes and shall not see when any good commeth but shall inhabite the parched places in the wildernesse in a salte lande and not inhabited Ier. 17. By these woordes then of the holy ghost we learne not to beleeue in the Church but that there is an holy Church of Christe in this worlde euery where dispersed and scattered abroad through the face of the whole earth This article doeth declare vnto vs what the Church is terming it the communion of Saintes or fellowshippe of the godly eyther with Christ or els with themselues in loue furthermore what maner of Church this is is here likewise set downe that it is holy by reason of Christ her head catholike because it is not tied to any one place as Rome but generally is in all places of the earth tossed as a ship vpon the sea frō one coast to another as pleaseth God to dispose of it To these things two other pointes may be adioyned to make vp the perfit discourse of it and to the which all other thinges incident to any maner question of the Church may bee easely referred The one is to consider who is the vniuersall head and gouernour of this catholique Church the other by what true markes notes signes and titles this Church may be knowen and discerned from the false and counter faite synagogue of Satan that is from the whorishe and Babylonicall strumpet of Rome which falsly taketh vpon her the name of this chaste wife and spouse of Christe being an vncleane and a most adulterous harlot which hath long agoe forsaken her bridegrome Iesus Christ as it shall God willing hereafter better appeare in the discourse and tract of this matter Seeing the Church is likened to an house 1. Timothie 3. and euery house is builded and gouerned of some man Hebr. 3. it is necessarie that this house also which is the Church of the liuing God haue some builder head of it to looke vnto it which is both able to do it most ready to helpe it The builder of this Chruch is Iesus Christ Mat. 16. 18. he is the only head of it as S. Paul doth proue most manifestly vnto vs both in the 1. 4. chap. of the epistle of the Ephesians and the 1. chapter to the Colos saying God hath made all thinges subiect vnder his feet and hath giuen him ouer al thinges to be the head to the Church which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in al things And againe Let vs folow the trueth in loue and in al things growe vp vnto him which is the head that is Christ by whom all the body being coupled and knit together by euery ioynt for the furniture thereof according to the effectuall power which is in the measure of euery part receyueth increase of the body vnto the edifiyng of it selfe in loue Ephe. 4. So in the Colos 1. 18. He is the head of the body of the Church Out of this doeth the body of Christ which is his Church receyue a special and singuler comfort against al tētations that they shal be defended preserued for euer for Christ cā not forsake his body he cā not but loue it nourish it with those spiritual graces which come proceede frō him the head fountaine For as we see in the body naturall how that the head receiueth not meate for it selfe but for the cherishing and increasing of the strength of the body and the rest of the members so the Lorde Iesus is not an head for himself but for vs neyther hath hee receyued all power and authoritie of his father with the fulnesse of the holy Ghost to keepe it to him selfe but to giue and to impart it most louingly and liberally to his true members to make them to grow vp more and more till they come to a perfection in him If Christ therefore haue strength holinesse power and all other good giftes and graces of the spirite then may the Church assure her selfe of them all because the wife may recken that all the goodes and landes of her husbande are hers and wee knowe that the Church hath this dignitie and prerogatiue which is inestimable and full of wonderfull loue that shee is counted and called as shee is in very deede the chaste wife and spouse of Christe here vpon the earth to whome hee is ioyned with the coniunction and fellowshippe of his heauenly spirite I haue sayth Paul prepared you for one husband to present you as a pure virgin vnto Christ 2. Corin. 11. Cantic 4. Ezechiel 16. Ephesians 5. What noble man will bee content to take a poore wretched beggerwoman out of the streetes full of ragges and filthinesse to make her his wife And yet the Lorde Iesus hath done greater thinges in mercie for vs then this for when hee passed by hee looked vpon vs and beholde our tyme was as the time of loue hee spredde his skirtes ouer vs and couered our filthinesse yea hee sware vnto vs and entred into couenant with vs and we became his owne So is the Lorde in mariage become nowe our head and wee his spouse let vs then take heede that wee admitte no others into his loue or defile our selues with whoredome and idolatrie in giuing our faith and allegeance to straungers and false goddes whome wee knowe not Our husbande is very ielous ouer vs hee can not abide another man to bee admitted vnto his bedde for that were spirituall fornication and adulterie before him which hee wyll punishe most seuerely as hee did in the Israelites which brake couenant with him and betooke them selues to Idoles and bowed downe to them in steade of him as the Prophete declareth Ezechiel 16. Seeyng then Christ is appoynted the head of his Church and that one wife as there is but one bodie which is the Church can haue but one husbande to bee her

7. Yea this confession acknowledging of our faults must sometime be made to our neyghbour or brother if we haue offended him and we must are commaunded to seeke reconciliation at his handes as our Sauiour sayeth Matth. 5. If thou bring thy gift to the altar there remēbrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offring before the altar and goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift And this is that thing that S. Iames meant in his Epistle 5. Chap. Acknowledge your faultes one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed not so that wee allowe any papisticall shrift or a vaine confession of all our sinnes in the eare of a masmonging Priest which can do vs no good but rather taketh an occasion him selfe to bee ill when he heareth the lewde deedes of some But wee meane that an agreement is to bee sought for with submission one to another if any man be offended Neyther doeth this place of Iames prooue the Popish confession as they woulde haue it for hee speaketh not here of the Priest but of all Christians And if so bee they will haue this place to prooue it then must their Priest confesse as well his sinnes to the people as the people to him for so goe the wordes of the text One to another acknowledge your faultes Notwithstanding if any man feele him selfe grieued with his sinne and clogged in his minde and conscience if then hee resort to his godlie and learned Pastor or preacher in the parishe and tell it vnto him to haue comfort and his aduise what to doe hee can not iustly for this bee reprehended of any because it is both good and godly But to number vp al their sinnes to the minister as the papistes woulde haue it no man can doe for who knoweth howe oft hee offendeth as Dauid sayth Psalme 19. neyther is this thing warranted by any authoritie or example in scripture But to our purpose wee see then by these thinges that as we are sinners all the sort of vs so wee must not dissemble them if wee truely intende to haue remission of them but with our whole heart we ought to confesse them vnto the Lorde And here is to bee noted that in this article wee doe beleeue and confesse a remission or forgiuenesse of sinnes and not a satisfaction of vs for our sinnes as the aduersaries teach that wee must satisfie for our sinnes and purchase pardons from Rome by money by masses and such trumperies as going on pilgrimage barefoote by fastings and lying in hearecloth Surely if these things bee added to take away our sinnes then is not this our article true which sayth that there is a free remission of sinnes without paying any thing at all of our part euen as the detter when hee hath nothing to pay or discharge his dette some godly creditour doeth freely forgiue him Nowe if hee shoulde pay any thing or halfe of it then it is not freely forgiuen but partly forgiuen and partly payde but Iohn pronounceth that if any man thirst he may come and take of the well of the water of life freely Reuelation 20. 22. Esay 55. If wee may take away any of our sinnes by satisfying for them then all is not due to the blood of Iesus Christ but Iohn sayth that it is the blood of Christe and no other thing that doeth purge vs from all our sinne Wee with all our merites and good deedes can not satisfie Gods wrath and anger conceiued for one of the least of our offences for the least sinne that we committe deserueth euerlasting hell fire and howe then can wee satisfie except wee bee freely forgiuen This Dauid well vnderstoode saying If thou O Lord straitly markest iniquities O Lorde who may stande but marke what Dauid addeth and it confirmeth our position and purpose but mercie saith hee is with thee that thou maiest be feared Psal 130. Hee declareth vnto vs sufficiently that wee can not bee iustified before the most pure God but by forgiuenesse of sinnes and therefore pronounced that man blessed that had his sinnes forgiuen not that had satisfied for them Our sauiour doeth teach his to pray in humilitie Forgiue vs our sinnes and not to say Giue vs grace or might to satisfie for them Thus much for the first poynt that if wee will haue pardon of our sinnes wee must first confesse and acknowledge them for what should God forgiue vs if we were not sinners The seconde thing to consider in this article is to knowe to whome to come vnto for the forgiuenesse of sinnes and for whose sake they are remitted otherwise to knowe and beleeue a remission of sinnes is in vaine for as it is bootelesse for a man that is very hungrie to knowe and beleeue there is meate in the worlde except he knew the place the man that had it for him that he might resort vnto him and as it is in vayne to confesse thy disease and sickensse vnles thou know some good Physicion who may helpe thee so surely it shall profite vs nothing at all to knowe or to confesse our sinnes if wee bee ignorant of the mediatour that should take them away yea if the sicke person shoulde seeke out such a Physition as either could not or would not cure him his labour also were vnprofitable and all one as if the needy man shoulde goe to one for an almes that is as needy as hee him self Let vs therefore take diligent heede to this that being sicke of our sinnes in our soules we goe and runne to such a cunning Physition as we are sure both can and will for his abilitie and compassion cure and heale our infirmities and hath a salue for euery sore and maladie This cure and Physicke for all diseases resteth not in any creature whatsoeuer no not in the Angels for they neede a mediatour to holde them al vp not in the Saintes for eyther they are all sinners as those aliue here in the earth or els haue bene all sinners as they in heauen and therefore neede a mediatour as well as wee There is no creature therefore in this great cure of sinnes that can doe vs any good nay rather wee shall be woorse and woorse runnyng to them as the woman in the Gospell was with the issue of blood seeking vnto Phisitions vntill shee came to Christ who cured her immediatly Luke 8. for he is only the good Physition that came to cure our deadly woundes Matthewe 9. Will yee then knowe who this is that onely forgiueth sinnes Marke what the holy Ghost saith Ioh. 1. Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde Who is this onely lambe of God but Iesus Christ the sonne of GOD slaine from the beginning of the worlde for the sinnes of the people for there is but one mediatour betweene God man the man Iesus Christ 1 Timo. 2. and he hath giuen