Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	grace_n	lord_n	spirit_n	4,882	5	4.6741	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29185	The ministers of England which are called, the ministers of the gospel vveighed in the ballance of equity: by way of consideration, whereby it plainly appears, whether they be the ministers of Christ, or of antichrist. And also, whether to bear a testimony against a setled maintenance, either by tyths or any other way which may be invented to uphold that ministry, be any way dangerous to destroy the gospel of Christ; resolved. With a serious meditation upon the dealings of God with England, and the state thereof in general. Published for the satisfactiou [sic] of such as desire to prove all things, and are willing to hold that fast which is good; by a friend unto the faithful ministers of the gospel of Christ, John Braithwait.	Braithwaite, John, fl. 1660.	1660 (1660)	Wing B4206; ESTC R221651	16,773	40

things be not so consider if the pretended Ministers of the Gospel in England have not been Antichristian what was the Bishops who received their Ordination from the Pope or at the least did derive their succession from him If the root be unholy what can the branches be If the Pope be Antichristian what were the Bishops And if the Bishops were Antichristian what can the pretended Presbytery be do not they derive their succession from the Bishops would not they be heirs of their Inheritance would not they rule over the Conscience what is the meaning of all this covetousness and pride amongst them what 's the meaning of this envy and stirring up the Magistrates to cast men into prison and spoile their goods what do they think this is the way to convert people unto God or convince people that they are Ministers of Christ surely nay people may rather by all these things judge that they are Antichristian Ministers and so this doth but discover their folly and madness unto all men who have understanding But what is the matter they cry up the Gospel so much do they that out of the integrity of their hearts or is it not rather out of the deceit of their hearts is it not because of their hire would not those which are called Independants turn to the name of Presbyters rather than deny their wages and the Presbyters turn to Episcopacy rather than deny theirs nay would not the greatest part of all those men if the Magistrate so commanded and they have that liberty granted them turn to say or sing mass and call that Gospel and cry it up too rather than deny their hire the Popes wages so that of all that may be said or seen concerning them 1 Tim 6.10 the love of money which is the root of all evil is the foundation upon which they stand and that is the main thing they cry up in effect for say they take away the maintenance and the Gospel will down and as one of them said being asked if he preached for hire This is the great quarrel of all they have against us to pull down the Ministry of the Word What is this but to make it the Foundation yea and the chief thing that doth uphold them But the Lord God of Heaven and Earth is risen who will not only discover but also shake their Foundation and dread and terrour and amazement shall come upon them from the Lord God who searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins Oh what a snare hath this Setled or rather forced Maintenance been it hath not only inticed the Independants and Presbyterians but the Baptists also have been partakers thereof it is even but a remnant that have escaped drinking of this Cup of Abomination and these few are set even as a mark for all the rest to shoot their arrows of envy and malice against And when I considered whether the People were clear and innocent as touching this matter Alas nay the People love to have it so and therefore they cry for Laws to compel themselves to pay to their Ministers and my heart pittied them that they should be so blind and ignorant and I said were it not better for them if they have a mind to maintain their own Ministers that they did it freely and of their own accord Alas what foolish people be those who call for a Chain to be bound in and a Rod to whip themselves that so him whom they call their Minister may bind them and whip them and hail them to Courts and to Prison and spoil their Goods when he pleaseth But alas the ground of all this is Ignorance 2 Cor. 4.6 for the People have been kept from the light which should give unto them the knowledge of the glory of God and who hath kept them from it but these Merchants of Babylon have not they called it natural have not they said that that which reproveth for sin is a natural Conscience and the Scriptures doth say John 16 7 8. it is the Spirit of truth and so the People have been so foolish to give their money to be made blind and to be led into the ditch and so perish But when I considered that those Priests were in a great measure the cause of all these Abominations and Wickedness I mean those that go in Balaams way Then I began to admire the long-suffering and forbearance of God who hath spared them thus long and given them so many warnings and visits by his Servants that so they might return from their wickedness and the evil of their doings that he might have mercy upon them and do them good but yet for all this they will not return but will do despite unto the Spirit of grace and will cleave unto their Idols it is not long ere the Lord will say Gen. 6.3 as he once said concerning a People My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man and then VVo and desolation shall come upon them all that partake with them Wherefore you Rulers and all People take heed that ye do not uphold them after you see this their abomination If you do ye shall not prosper nor escape the judgments of God and also take heed that you do not stop your ears against that which would let you understand and see their wickedness for if you do stop your ears ignorance shall not excuse you in the day of the Lord God Object But saith the People our Ministers they Christen our Children and doth not that make them Christians and it is possible if we do not hire them they will not Cristen our Children and will they not then be Heathens Answ Then it seems your Ministers do that which the Ministers of Jesus Christ did not do to wit Sprinkle Infants and call it Cristening or Baptisme an Ordinance of the Popes making and for which all the great sums of Money is given to the Pope and his Ministers that you may have the name of Christians which name as it appears to me is derived from Sprinkling with Water which some People call Cristening and indeed it is possible if the Popes Wages be taken away then they will cease to Sprinkle the Children but however this is my Testimony that they have no right in equity and conscience to demand much less to force a maintenance from those that do not hire them nor approve of their Doctrine as their Cristening and such like things which is not at all necessary to Salvation but this is the thing that is necessary to Salvation that Children be informed to the Light Gods Covenant which is given for Salvation to the ends of the earth which if they walk in it Isa 42.6 49.6 they will come to know God and Jesus Christ which is life eternal though they never be Cristened and if they be Cristened and know not him they are in the state of Heathens for the Heathen know not God Object But if every man may do as