Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A02915
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A shorte declaration of the mistery of iniquity
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Helwys, Thomas, 1550?-1616?
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1612
(1612)
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STC 13056; ESTC S4697
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142,624
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224
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are the fruits of ignorance not to knowe the voice of Christ from the voice of false Prophets and yet such would have their ignorance excuse them although their ignorance be onely for want of their love of the truth And if they that through ignorance are led into false ways shal bee saved then they that through ignorance lead men into false ways shal also be saved and so shall allmost all flesh bee saved for who can not plead ignorance for al their transgressions in al false worship and all their false waies But they that are ignorant let them bee ignorant and let all the disciples of Christ covet spiritual gifts that they may prophesie and pray with vnderstanding and singe with vnderstanding and speake with vnderstanding that they may instruct others and in vnderstanding be of a ripe age 1 Cor. 14. this knowledg of salvation is required off all the Disciples off Christ alike there being but one law of obedience for all and Christ hath not appointed anie one to bee more ignorant theÌ„ another aÌ„d to every one that aske alike he gives alike aÌ„d they that seeke a like shal find a like Mat. 7.7 For there is no respect of persons with God Rom. 2.11 Now there is one ground that is most dangerously perverted to the destruction of manie soules wherein wee pray the best advised Godly consideratioÌ„ of every reader and that is this if men walke vprightly in the truth according to that they knowe and endeavor to attaine to better and more knowledg of Gods truth that they may walke in it such men though they commit much sinne through ignorance yet repenting of al their sinnes of ignorance there is mercy with the lord for such sinnes and sinners We confesse this is a most true ground or els no flesh could be saved if the Lord should not accept of the willingnes of meâ—s mynds in the truth according to that which they have But this ground is most wickedly perverted and brought in to excuse al vnwilling mynds to be enformed who willingly resist the truth and have no willing mynds to be directed by Gods word no furthee then staÌ„ds with their good likeing and yet this ground must excuse al their false worship and al false waies aÌ„d al false doctrine and exposition of the scriptures and al the prophanation off the holy ordinances of God which they do through ignorance although they repent not there off but iustifie themselves to do wel therein Can anie Godly hart thus conceive that because God in mercy doth pardon the sinnes off ignorance men repenting of their ignorances that therefore God wil perdon men that through ignorance comit sinne and iustifie theÌ„selves in those their sinnes either by word or practice Cannot men see the great difference which is betwixt repenting of their sinnes of ignorance and iustifieing off their sinnes committed through ignorance but wil they make it al one to confesse sinne and to justifie sinne Can the iust God contrary to his owne word and law forgive anie one sinne that is not repented off if we acknowledg our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgive vs our sinnes and to clense vs from al vnrighteousnes but if wheÌ„ we have sinned in anie perticuler thinge we say therein wee have not sinned we make God a lyer and his word is not in vs. and wee cannot bee forgiven nor clensed 1. Iohn 1.9 10. Can the holy and iust God forgive such sinners and sinnes as when they have through ignorance sinned in divers thinges against the Word of God they wil iustifie themselves that they are not ignoraÌ„t and that they have not therein sinned and so make the word of God a lye the word of the Lord is plaine that they which are ignorant and sinne and say there in they are not ignorant their sinnes remaine vpon them they are the words of Christ Ioh. 9 41. If you were blind that is iff you did â—e and acknowledg your blindnes ye should not have sinne but now ye say wee see therefore your sinne remaineth Thus doth our Saviour Christ shewe in as plaine words as the hart of man can disire that all and every sinne men comit through ignorance and say therein they do not sinne all those sinnes are not pardoned but remaine vpon them and the iudgment of the Lord is against them that so sinne as the wiseman further sheweth Prov. 28.13 Saying he that doth not confesse and forsake his sinne shall not have mercie at Gods hands but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shal have mercie How shal men yet vainely perswade themselves that God wil pardon their sinnes of ignorance which they neither confesse nor forsake but iustifie themselves in manie grevious sinnes and say they have not sinned and that they do not commit evill in doeing them but that they do that which is good and iust in the sight off God what sinne shal be condemned Iff this sinne shal bee pardoned shal not the adulterer that confesseth he doth evil in comitting adultery and the drunckard that confesseth he sinnes in his drunckennes and the blasphemer that confesseth hee doth evil in blaspheming shal not al these bee much rather pardoned although they forsake not their sinnes in that they confesse them then they that neither confesse nor forsake their sinnes but iustifie themselves in their sinnes doth this cause God to pardon their sinnes because they are fully perswaded in their mynds that they sinne not Why then if the adulterer drunckard blasphemer ydolater and Covetous man bee fully perswaded in their mynds that they sinne not in doeing those thinges they shal also be pardoned Thus must the Lord accept of ignorant strong perswasions of mens mynds in error and disobedience for true knowledg faith and obedience For iff they that through ignorance being fully perswaded in their mynds or conscieÌ„ces obey vnrighteousnes and iustifie error shal bee saved and through Christ bee accepted with God as they that of true knowledg and faith obey righteousnes and iustify the truth so then is there salvacion by Christ through ignorant perswasion off mynd and disobedience aswel as through true knowledg faith and obedience What wil men make of God how hath the mistery of iniquity prevailed First to take from him his power and goverment in his kingdome as we have shewed and then to take from him his iustice and iudgment for iff the Lord shal not in his iustice iudg those that ignorantly pervert his lawes statutes and ordinaÌ„ces who cal light darknes and darknes light sower sweet sweet sower Esa 5.20 Speaking evil off that they knowe not teaching for doctrines mens precepts overthrowing the doctrines off the Foundation off the begining off Christ following the ymaginations of their owne harts and setting vp the traditions off men in stead of the holie ordinances of God and because in al these thinges they are ignorant and walke as far as they see aÌ„d do as they are perswaded in their mynds thinking
the new Testament which he hath purchased sealed vnto vs with his blood to stand for a law of Election and Ordination for ever vnto which who soever addeth or taketh away either in word or action by Doctrine or example the Lord will add vnto them all his judgments and take away all his mercies Reuel 22.18.19 You being thus by the word of truth all declared and proved to be false Prophetts not haveing entred into the shepefold by the dore it must needs follow according to the words of the Lord that all the great signes and wonders that you shew in this your false ministery are lying signes and wonders Let it not be grevious vnto you to heare of these thinges whereby to provoake you to wrath but let it be grevious to you that you thus sinne and so be provoaked to indignation against your selves that you may come to repentance Here is all your Zeale of wonder and signes of so great fervency whereby you worke vpon the blind consciences and ignorant affections of the simple deceaved soules proved to be false and deceaveable all your fire wherewith you kindle the harts of men and seduce simple woemen makeing them beleeve you have brought it from heaven all this is but the false enlightning and heat of a false spirit even of that spirit which your spirituall Lord breathed vpon you when you kneeled on your knees before him and he laid his hands vpon you and most blasphemously even in the high dishonor of the spirit of grace bad you receive the holy ghost by and in the power of this spirit do you preach and pray and do all your great wonders and other spirit have you none for this is the spirit to which you have submitted and by this spirit onely are you sent and therefore are you all false Propheets and you have not the spirit of God abiding in you ye are gone out of the way ye have caused manie to fall ye have broken the Covenant of levi in that you are admitted to the Order of Priesthood by the Man of sinne who is an adversary against God to whose blasphemous consecrating of Preists directly contrary and opposite to the holy established ordinance of Iesus Christ in the Gospell â— the spirit of God can give no approbation 〈◊〉 neither admitt of such to be the Prophetts of God that have not entred by Christ the true doore and way but have entred by him that sitts as God in the Temple of God but adiudgeth you all to be false Prophetts Leave of therefore your great daies of humiliation by fasting and praier wherein sometymes you make the people to Cover the Alter with teares and whereby some of you have taken vpon you to cast out manie Devills goeing on to the hight in shewing signes and lying wonders to deceave if it were possible the very Elect according to the prophesie of Christ which is thus fulfilled in you Kindle fire vpon the alter of the Lord no more in vaine the Lord hath no pleasure in you neither will accept an Offering at your hand but will curse you as deceavers who vow a holy Offering but bring a Corrupt Sacrifice vnto the Lord Mala. 1.14 and all this you do and shall do so long as you serve in your Office and Ministery received by the power and authority of the Man of sinne contrary to the holy Ordinance of Election and ordination appointed by Christ in the new Testament And now al these thinges we dare not but thinke you have done and do through ignorance Amend your lives therefore and turne that these your great and grevious sinnes may be put away when the time off refreshing shal come from the presence of the Lord. And take heed both you and al the people that do with such admiration runne after you as wee our selves have done wee speake it to our owne shame take heed least that now your ignoraÌ„t zeale and fiery spirits of error wherewith you have enflamed the harts off the simple being discovered take heed least you boyle in great heat gnawe your tongues for sorrow blaspheme the God of heaven for your paines for your sores repent not of your works as is prophesied men shal do Revel 16 9-11 From which hiest measure off sinne the Lord for his Christs sake deliver you and through Gods grace wee wil hope better thinges off you which the Lord grant we may find in you for the Lord knowes our vnfained harts disire is that you might al be saved And we exhort the people off God no longer to harken to the voice off straingers but that they flee from them according to the Counsel of our Saviour Iesus Christ Ioh. 10.5 And let the people see with their owne eies how you have al shewed your selves to bee hirelings which are not the Shepherds neither the sheepe are your owne in that seing the wolfe coming you have fledd and left the sheepe nay manie of you even of those that are accounted most faithful and holy have and do go your selves and lead Your flocks to heare the voice of strangers that are set vp and stand vp in that Office and publique place which you challeng for your owne and are glad your selves to preach in corners Others of you make a secret composition with the Hyrarchy which you professe to abhor and then heir some wretched maÌ„ vnder you to surplice aÌ„d crosse and sinne for you Oh how hateful and abhominable are the works off darknes of this kind which are done off you in the light and al this vnder a great seeming shew off holines but is meere hypocrisie aÌ„d dissimuâ—ation because you are hirelings and not good shepeherds who would lay downe their lives for their sheepe rather then lead them into the hand of the destroyer and if you deny them to bee theeves and robbers that come into your places aÌ„d are made pastors over your flocks against your wils and against the mynd off the flock then must you needs acknowledg them true shepeherds over the flock and that they have come in by the doore aÌ„d acknowledg your selves iustly thrust out seeing you in your iudgments hold but one Pastor over a flock Wee wil not follow you in these perticulers except further occation be offered But remember how you compare your fellow Preists to Circumcellions or Fryers goeing vp and downe with the bishops bulls like beggers to see where they can get entertainment and see not al this while your selves yea some of your cheife spirits for working lying wonders stand in the market place to be hired from the East to the west aÌ„d to be transported froÌ„ North to South wheresoever you can get a good Towne pulpit or a privileged Chappel a great Chamber or dyning parlor to administer in how prophane soever the Towne or houshold be you wil not let to make theÌ„ all partakers of the holy thinges at first before you knowe your shepe or your shepe knowe you contrary to