Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	judgement_n	sin_n	sinner_n	2,057	5	7.5058	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92860	Animadversions upon a letter and paper, first sent to His Highness by certain gentlemen and others in VVales: and since printed, and published to the world by some of the subscribers. By one whose desire and endeavor is, to preserve peace and safety, by removing offence and enmity.	Sedgwick, William, 1609 or 10-1669?	1656 (1656)	Wing S2383; Thomason E865_5; ESTC R203530	87,657	113

of without accusing our selves also II. Secondly We may be asham'd to remember any of them but if one why not all why not the Covenant Protestations and at last the Oath of Allegiance for in all the name of God was called upon There is an oath for the King and his Posterity an Engagement and Declaration against him 't will be of little use to enquire whether an Oath required by a settled Government and voluntarily sworn to for an Ordinance of God instituted in plain Scriptures both of old and new Testament for so Kingly Government is I say whether such an Oath Or an Engagement injoyn'd by a broken Power or a Declaration of an Army that never challenged any lawful Power against an institution upon an interpretation of a dark prophesie of the Revelation whether of these two be most binding 'T will help you and us little to resolve it III. Thirdly This is most considerable how far the letter of Oaths binde which may be in some doubtful in others contradictory and how far the equity and spirit of them binde and then to enquire what is the pith and substance of all our Protestations and Covenants which when sifted out let them have their just and righteous consideration And then 't were good to consider which of them this present Government be against whether it be not against those Oaths and Covenants made for the Right of the King and if so how came we to be acquitted from those former Oathes or whether it be against the Engagements made against Monarchy it seems to me to be another thing set up besides rather than against that Engagement being of another nature from that which we engaged against as we shall see hereafter But alas these Questions do not heal nor help us onely they may serve as dust to put in our mouthes to silence us that we upbraid not nor accuse one another We have taken notice of the chief things in the Preface of your Paper we shall now proceed to consider the Articles of Accusation themselves which speak out plainly what it is that troubles you YOur first Witness or Article is against Apostasie which you express in a Parallel 'twixt this Nation and the old Israelites in their deliverance out of Egypt saying They and we have soon forgot God our Savior c. We have not set our hearts right c. but have gone back and deals treacherously and turn'd aside like a deceitful bowe c. have provoked the Lord to anger by our inventions This first is more honest and ingenuous than any thing that follows it There is a serious truth in it and 't is soberly and humbly exprest if you do indeed mean what you have written For you say WE have soon forgo●ten God c. WE have not c. If you are true in this WE you have taken your share of the guilt and shame with your brethren and the whole Nation and have own'd a union with them in this head sin or root-sin of Back sliding which is but just if it was a slip 't was an honest and a loving one be perswaded to own it and to number your selves with us sinners and to bear your part of guilt and punishment also if it comes Sin is general so will Judgement be 't is therefore safer for you to lie down under Self-condemnation and either trust to mercy or seek to avert calamity than to justifie your selves as innocent persons and witnesses I take no pleasure in speaking of it but I fear what you write is too true that there is a general Apostasie amongst us it may be they that are in great place and so liable to great temptations are more guilty than others or else their guilt is more manifest but sure there is a general declining in the visible Professors of Religion and as you say Our hearts have not been right nor our spirits stedfast to God but we have turn'd aside like a deceitful bowe 'T is most manifest in these particulars I. First We are in Religion divided into several opinions forms names words and ways of worshipping God in which we walk in enmity to our brethren of different judgements which shews we have turn'd aside from God who is one and his name one whose Law is exceeding large who is love he saves all comprehends all under his wings And that which is purely of God and his word 't is sweet easie and delightful to all that are godly but that which leads men into divided paths and into opposition whereby we grieve afflict and offend godly ones there is in all those things some inventions of our own something of carnal reason Therefore in all divisions that are amongst us how ever we commend our own way as pure and would impose it upon others and not admit him to a share of the salvation that God hath wrought for all his people that denies it yet there is in every one mixtures of our own which while we zealously prosecute we turn aside from God and his law of Love II. Secondly We do as Israel abound in performances religious exercises in new moons solemn assemblies where we offer rivers of oyl the beasts of a thousand mountains expressions enlargements notions scriptures duties yet Israel departed from God and turn'd aside into themselves in these things therefore are they call'd theirs own ways and not that which God delighted in Isa 66.3 4. Alas how grosly are our preachings prayings assemblings churchings polluted with pride vain glory worldly ends is it not apparent that we deal treacherously with God while we seem to exalt his kingdom we do indeed seek our own honor and advantage and the exaltation of our own gifts party and ministery For when we ingage the strength and might of our hearts in these things and neglect to serve the Lord with our souls in a soul humbling and soul-cleansing work wherein the power of godlinese lies and when by these things we life up our selves above others and as Lords over others do we not as a deceitful bowe while we seem to shoot at Gods enemy we shoot at our own enemies and while we seem to aim at his honor aim at our own III. Thirdly We once were meek and lowly contented with mean things in the world so we might but enjoy Christ in his own Ordinances Now how we imploy our Gifts our Light our Zeal our Way to get uppermost Diotrephes-like to have the preeminence what contending for dominion envying plotting laboring either to maintain or got Greatness and Power imploying our light and gifts to pull down and destroy not to save and that which would destroy would rise it self and get into place If there be amongst us these three or any of them there is departing from God enmity self or pride the constant companions of Apostacy If we have departed from God and the majesty and largeness of his salvation into destroying enmity into perverse self into tyrannical pride 't is no

in name Jewish but now in their use Moral and Christian as subservient to mercy in relieving hundreds of poor families And these upheld not in opposition to light nor in a superstitious love to the things but because they yet know not nor do you instruct them how to take them away without great injury to many people that have no other livelihood in the earth Love is the royal law the fulfilling of the law it may and must rule all things yea both Law and Gospel too it makes that lawful which were otherwise unlawful and that unlawful if against love which were other wise lawful And therefore a man may be a Pharisee in contending against Tythes as well as in a rigid observance of them if he either omit or oppose the weightier matters of the law judgement and mercy such a spirit seems to carry you in this zeal to sacrifice Tythes and First-fruits without either judgement to shew how it may be done in justice and righteousness and without mercy in considering the poor Ministers that live onely upon them III. Thirdly The next branch of abominable and horrible Impieties is The exalting of Sons Servants Friends c. though some of them known to be wicked men to the highest places c. What Servants or Friends are preferr'd that are suspected to be wicked I know not being no Courtier but for Sons they stand higher and are obvious to most mens knowledge or observation I dare not say neither do I know that any of them are wicked they are yong men and may have weakness but wickedness is a malicious opposing of good and practising evil But would you consider the Protectors family as an object of greater Envy and subjected to more danger and malice than others are may they not deserve a little more favor than ordinary and what great matters have they The eldest son is a Justice of Peace in the Countrey the second son commands the Forces in Ireland wherein there may be some favor shew'd to him being an Imployment possibly beyond his years and experience I doubt this is the Offence and the rather because the fame goes he inclines to a differing party For his sons by marriage The Deputy of Ireland is a friend to the Subscribers and may help to ballance some kindness that goes another way For the Master of the Horse if he do but perform that part of a righteous man to regard the life of his beast you will not judge him a wicked man nor unworthy of his Preferment But if the Protector should be an indulgent father and erre in an excess of natural affection in preferring his children it may finde a better name than abominable and horrible impieties For Gideon and Nehemiah 'T is not said expresly that I know in Scripture what they did for their children but there was as a good man and as good a Governor Samuel who had but two sons and he made them Judges in Israel and yet very ill men that were covetous took bribes perverted judgement 1 Sam 8.3 and yet he was not thus upbraided IV. Fourthly The last particular of these horrible and abominable Impieties is so many Officers in the Army and both Officers and Soldiers to receive their pay in a time of peace c. What number of Officers what their Pay is and how they spend it I do not know being a stranger to all these things onely I would advise you of a mistake to call this a time of peace for though the Enemy be not in the field he is in the house The enemy is broken and scatter'd but you can't say he is not if he were not we are enemies one to another there is war in every mans heart tongue and would be in the hands if they were not bound by an Army There is nothing at all done in the Nation towards a civil or religious Peace or Accord nothing declar'd wherein we agree either in Church or State This very Paper of yours cannot but be interpreted War for so great a number of people a little Welsh Army to declare against the present Power to disswade the people from their obedience to endeavor to set up another and that upon fighting principles is undoubtedly War therefore if you would have the Army reduc'd study to be quiet and to follow your private occasions for these insurrecting practises to disturb the people and molest the present Government do necessitate and establish the sword amongst us and therefore we that do desire Peace and an Ease of our Burthens have cause to complain of the unquietness of your spirits and of all that go fretting and rayling about to raise up strife and War The seventh Testimony mentions the sad effects of the secret Design of Hispaniola c. I am not able to judge absolutely of the good or evil of this Work but this I know 't is not safe to judge by the Success especially at first for we our selves succeeded but ill in the beginning of these wars I fear you do but take advantage of our loss to express your enmity for if we are not mistaken in you you are for war with all the world and therefore can't be against the Design though you grieve for the Success and 't were well if you don't mis-call the Affection and say 't is Grief fox the Loss when 't is anger or enmity at the persons and then you do not grieve but rejoyce at the evil that befals your brethren What ever the nature of the Design be or what ever the Success may be this I have observ'd that this Quarrel with Spain and about the West-Indies hath been long in the hearts of many honest people and that the well-affected of England have had a greater antipathy to this proud cruel and most antichristian Nation the Spaniard than to any Nation in Europe Though the Design was laid in private yet the publick Declaration shews a true English and Protestant spirit rather to ingage in war than to submit to the Inquisition and the usurp'd Tyranny over the West-Indies I confess I much desire and love a General Agreement of Godly men in publick and great Affairs but if there be the spirit reason and justice of the good party I cannot but alow it though it want the vote and outward suffrage Your last Witness is various consisting of divers parts I confess I do not well understand all things in it First you testifie for your selves with what hearts you joyn'd with the Parliament and Army against the King and his Party that you had no other design save as they were enemies to our Lord Christ c. I know your spirits are at a very great distance and enmity against the King and his Party and therefore cannot think you intend to bespeak their good thoughts of you yet your declaring onely against the enmity not against Office or Person and your care of the general good of the Nation particular benefit and just liberty