Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	jesus_n	sin_n	sinner_n	3,659	5	7.4408	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B04844	The case considered & resolved: whether Mr. Brooks his pills to purge malignants were prescribed from ignorance, malice, or both, or, (Mr Tho. Brooks his inside turn'd outward). Wherein all godly, humble, and ingenious Christians, whether in a congregational way or other, are concerned, to inquire into the truth ... presented in generall to the inhabitants of Margarets New Fish-street, but more particularly for the consideration of himself, and those of his congregation ... also friendly advice to an unfriendly neighbour, desiring him for the time to come to abstain from reviling such persons as he never spake word to, nor they to him. / By Richard Parham, a parishoner of the said parish.	Parham, Richard.	1653 (1653)	Wing P356B; ESTC R187021	27,320	39

still do know divers persons which are most zealous for a Congregationall way that were the greatest promoters of his interest of any people I knew in the City and such as were not ordinary members but Preachers so called I could name the persons time and places but shall only give a hint of something that I speak upon my owne knowledge that you may know and take notice how little the present Authority are beholding to some Churchmen though since I see the same persons are exceedingly countenanced and advanced About the time the late King was brought to Hampton Court these Churchmen had a Petition on foot to presse on a Personall Treaty they used all the prevailing arguments that might be to get hands to it and persons to own it Amongst the rest sayes a Preacher I see no safety nor how the breach can be made up without compliance with the King And said moreover that he had an oportunity to speak to him and that he thought there was much of God in him and that he would be willing to comply to any thing both religious and civill and abundance more that was very high in the commendation of him as in particular that he offered to grant the Militia for so many years c. Answer was made that he had no Militia left to grant for if it had been his before yet the right was onely by the power of the Sword and by the same power he had lost it but if he had a right to grant a term of years that then the power must rest in his person which was a doctrine contrary to all the Declarations of Parliament in that case He said moreover that he would grant Liberty of Conscience as much as could be desired with an Act of Oblivion and divers other things which are too long to insert But answer was made he was not in a capacity to grant for he was no better then a prisoner and that he had opposed so long as he had any power left and for him to grant an Act of Oblivion was for to lay all the guilt and bloud of the Nations on them that opposed his proceedings and how dishonorable it would be to ask forgivenesse of a conquered enemy let the world judge But after a large debate sayes the Gentleman I professe I thought not that what I propound might not be for a publike good I would never perswade to it I had never instanced this but that the vail might be taken off from some Churchmens faces that the world might not suppose they were the onely Promoters of the present Authority when indeed the fault of the Personall Treaty under which divers others suffered they were the most guilty of in pressing and perswading to it of any that ever I spake with But amongst all their pretendings to the annoynting of the Spirit and to make known the mind and will of God that there should not be one found amongst them that could read the hand-writing as it was done by Daniel when he told the K. Belshazzar this is the interpretation of the thing Dan. 5.6 God hath numbred thy Kingdome and finished it thou art weighted in the balance and found too light c. But truly I could not find any of our Churchmen who pretend so much to know the mind of God but were as ignorant of what God by his providence was about to do in overthrowing the late King and renting the Kingdome from him as any the Magitians Astrologians and Southsayers were to interpret the handwriting to the King of Babilon And as far from truth and the mind of God were they in prosecuting the personall Treaty as those Prophets that counsell'd Ahab to go up to Ramoth Giliad and prosper Friends I desire you would not look on me as an enemy to the wayes of Christ and Gospell obedience for I know divers persons who are eminent for a holy just and righteous conversation unto whom I stand greatly engaged upon the highest account of friendship that at this time and I believe according to their light do in sincerity of heart walk in Church-fellowship And divers others of my acquaintance who upon good grounds have forsaken those wayes though in the highest formes and yet retain the principles of a holy life to wards God and just dealings towards men and therefore why should we be ready to judge those that are either above us or below us in the practise of religious duties seeing the Apostle concluded that there was as well milk for babes in Christ as meat for strong men But to return to the thing in hand in the next place he sayes the Petitioners use to hear such whose malignant principles and practises are such as their own Truly whoever they hear I believe they may soon hear as true Ministers as himself but it is no wonder to hear those that are uppermost to be offended and angry with those that conform not to their way though the same persons whilest kept under were the greatest writers and pleaders for Liberty of Conscience in the largest extent of any people in the Nation but as the Proverb is the Priest forgets that he was Clark so when some have attained to what liberty themselves desire they are presently ready to tye up all others to their own humours as I might largely instance He tells us farther that they say they cannot find that comfort to their souls they hoped Truly this seemes to me that they would gladly hear a Gospell Minister by whose preaching and practise they might receive both profit and comfort and certainly there cannot be a surer sign of their desire to have it then their being sensible of the want of it But alas Christ tells the people Mat. 7.16 that they must not expect to gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles In the next place he is pleased to Quaerie and runs a large circumference with inkhorn terms the substance whereof is to prove that the Petitioners have no right to Gospel comforts For a brief answer to which in generall I say if the largest and most gracious tenders of the free mercy of God for forgivenesse of sin and eternall salvation by Jesus Christ be not to be offered to the vilest of sinners I must unlearn divers Scriptures which I do believe expresly prove that not only the mercy of God is so infinite and the satisfaction of Christ so undeniably full and sufficient for the forgivenesse of sins and eternall salvation by him for all persons that it is to be tendred to all without exceptions unlesse such only who are so holy that they think they need it not for Christ himself speaks in the like case the whole have no need of the Physitian and that he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance yet still the proud Pharisees laid this to his charge that he was a company keeper with a friend to Publicans and sinners I speak not this to justifie any person

in a wicked way but certainly if the infinite love and mercy of God be not the way to bring in ignorant prophane and scandalous persons to obedience and conformity to the wayes of Christ I would gladly learn what is meant by the Commission Christ gave to his Apostles Mark ult and 15. and he said unto them go ye into all the world and preach the Gospell to every creature c. Now if the Gospel be the declaration of glad tidings of salvation and that it must be preached to every creature by the expresse command and Commission of Christ himself I wonder how any dare be such Traytors to the Lord Jesus if he hath appointed them to preach the Gospell as to conceal the glad tiding of the Gospel of grace and mercy and to thunder out the curses and thre atnings of the Law in the room of it against them who they call ignorant and prophane sinners We find upon the birth of Christ Luke 1.10 the Angell who was the messenger to declare Christs coming into the world what said he but this Be not afraid for behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy that shall be to all people c. And in the 13. when the heavenly souldiers sung a Halelujah to the highest was it any thing but glory to God on high peace on earth and good will towards men Friends the consideration of the Gospell as it is made knowne in the Scriptures is a thing so large admirable and excellent that in this difcourse I have neither time nor oportunity to treat of it and befides some famous men have excellently and are at present writing on that subject I should have made bold to have unravelled the Quaeries piece by piece and have seen how agreeable they are in all particulars to the mind of Christ in the Gospell But I have given you this but as a tast of what I intend if ever it please God I shall speak to it again yet in this small glasse I hope the gentleman may see of how far different and strange a countenance he is of from a true Minister of the Gospel by the matter contained in his late book and also I desire an answer to this Quaery Whether the tender of the mercy of God in Christ Jesus for remission of sins faith and salvation be to be made to them in a Church-fellowship or those without That I may be brief I desire you seriously to consider one Scripture because the gent leman pretends to so many heavenly enjoyments gifts of the Spirit and the bird in the bosome that makes a heaven of joy in his heart for 't is possible he may be deceived as much if not more then that people which God ownes to be a true Church and it is that which God himselfe speaks to the Church of Laodicea Rev. 5.17 For thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not how thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked I think he may upon ferious considerations of his Ministery say as Job did 39 37. I will lay my hand upon my mouth once have I spoken but will answer no more In the next place the gentleman tells us of his qualifications and because he saith further that the understandings of ignorant prophane and secandalous persons are not a fit rule or standard to try the abilities or qualifications of such Ministers as are not Ministers of the letter but of the Spirit Quaeries propounded to be debated in Publique FOr the triall of his gifts and qualifications I here propound that which I hope is equall just and reasonable that we may in a friendly loving and free manner make an enquiry into the Scriptures and see what they hold forth to be the characters and qualifications of a true Minister of the Gospel and to that end that he would save a labour of writing and charge of printing and give the Parishioers and some other friends a publike meeting once a week in the Parish Church where freedome of speech may be to all that desire it they speaking to the Question and one at a time and to spend two hours in an evening in the inquiry of the characters and qualifications of a Minister of the Spirit and in this I hope he will grant the Scripture to be a right rule and equall standard In order whereunto I shall insert a few Quaeries as fit matter to be inquired into In the 4. of the Ephesians 8.11 12. we find what Ministers Christ gave to the Church at his Ascension in these words and when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men and he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ c. In this Scripture we find two things chiefly contained First what Ministers Christ gave Secondly what end he gave them for Now we may find in Scripture the severall qualifications that belong to every one of these Officers and distinguishing characters to know thew one from another And that it is so I shall set downe the distinguishing characters which the Scriptures afford us to know an Apostle by And leave the Gentleman because he saith he is a Minister of the Spirit to give the like of the others according to the Scripture that we may know under which of those Qualifications and distinguishing Characters he comes for a Pastor is not an Evangelist nor an Evangelist a Prophet c. The first distinguishing Character that we finde of an Apostle in Scripture is that he is a chosen witnesse of the Resurrection Act. 1.22 3.15 4.33 10.39.41 Luk 24.48 2. An Apostle is one sent forth to preach the Gospel to all the world Mat. 28.19 20. Mar. 16.14 to the end 3. The office of an Apostle did comprehend in it all the other offices of the Ministery Act. 6.2.3 4. An Apostle was one endued with all the gifts of the Spirit 2 Cor. 12.12 Act. 13.9 5. An Apostle was able to communicate these gifts by the laying on of their hands Act. 19.6 17. 2. Querie Whether the office of Apostles was to cease in the persons of those to whom the Commission was at first given And to this end I pray consider how long the Promise lasted which is Lo I am with you alway untill the end of the world Christ could not be with their Persons for we finde in Scripture that most of them were martyred in a few yeares after his Ascension and yet the Commission of an Apostle was to teach and baptize all Nations teaching them to abserve all things whatsoever Christ had commanded them And in the 4. of the Ephesians we finde that upon the Ascension of Christ they were the first and chiefe Officers of the Church verse 12. that were given for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministry for the Edifying