Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	church_n	great_a	part_n	3,994	5	4.5007	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26199	The suffering condition of the servants of the Lord at this day vindicated and some reasons given why the people called Quakers do own the doctrine of Christ, to continue in it, and to meet together in the name and fear of the Lord, to wait upon him, and worship him in spirit and truth, not withstanding they meet with sufferings in this present time for so doing : Bristol, the 6th month, 1662 / John Audland.	Audland, John, 1630-1664.	1662 (1662)	Wing A4198; ESTC R22605	21,740	31

your selves in their condition they are as strongly it may be more perswaded in their Consciences by the Spirit of God that their Way is right than you are of yours Well then weighing these things would you be forced Would you have others to deal so with you if you vvere in their condition and they in yours Let God's Witness answer in all Consciences and see if these vvays of forcing in matters of Conscience to God-wards be not quite contrary to the practice of the Saints and to the Royal Law of Christ Obj. Besides though it be said But we judge we are in the right and our way is the true way Ans It 's answered You may be mistaken many hath that have had thoughts their way was right and while you have not the infallible Witness of God's Spirit with you to testifie to your Way peradventure you may err as the former Forcers have done and then you cause people to sin if you could force them to blaspheme and to deny as Saul did for if he that turneth a sinner from the error of his vvay who hath erred from the Truth doth save a soul and hide a multitude of sins then they that force people from the Way of God and cause them to err doth bring souls into death and so bring innocent blood upon themselves yea the blood of souls which will be a great weight in the day of God's account Obj But if it be further said How then how must we do there is so many wayes that people might be brought to one way to serve God Ans Do what God requireth of you and no more and then we shall never suffer by you nor under you Do justly love mercy and walk humbly with your God this is better than the fat of Rams 't is better than all the outward sounds and ceremonies and bodily exercise while the heart is far from the Lord. And if you judge you are in the right and your way is right come forth then with spiritual Weapons mighty ones in the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and let us see you shine forth in his Image let this be your covering your white Robes even the Righteousness of Christ which is the righteousness of the Saints and le ts see your meekness patience gentleness and good example your readiness by word and deed to convince gain-sayers in the power and gospel of Christ your love to Enemies your self-denial your subjection to the Cross of our Lord Jesus Oh this would reach our hearts then God's Witness would answer to you and this would answer the good part in all and this is the way to bring people to be of one mind in the truth this is God's way this is the way the Saints walked in this is the way we love and desire and this also would be of good report amongst all good people but the contrary force and compulsion with a hasty froward proud envious spirit with Staff and Club and carnal Weapons and Stocks and prisoning of people against whom there is no occasion but concerning the Law of their God and matters which are really of Conscience to God-wards We say this will never be justified by the Lord nor effect the end neither nor be of good report amongst sober people nor answer the good part in people And moreover the Lord God of Life will turn his hand and power against them that so turn their hand and power against his people for obeying him and exercising their Consciences towards him in waiting upon him and worshipping him according to that which he hath made manifest to them and such will be more inexcusable for persecuting now than the Jews were in former dayes for then the Saints met together and professed the Name of Jesus which the Jews did not say they believed in Besides it was in appearance such a new way and so different to the Law and manner of Worship which the Jews had that they had some seeming colour in their way but now for they that professe the Name of Christ and the Scriptures of the New-Testament and the Saints practise and Christ's commands to be obeyed for these all things considered to persecute people for owning the commands of Christ and for practising the same things which they cannot but read the Saints practised and to hall people and commit them to Prison for meeting in the Name of Jesus to worship God and to wait upon him yea and to be so far from cherishing such as to act the very parts of them that made havock of the Church and halled out both men and women and was exceedingly mad and caused some to blaspheme and committed to Prison for the same things it doth appear to be great evil and to be even sin against knowledge against their own Profession as Christians and cannot be parallel'd with any of the Saints but with the Persecutors who hated and evilly entreated the servants of the Lord in former ages who never could accomplish their end though they caused many to suffer and now to put all out of doubt and to give all who opposeth the people of God in the way of God an absolute answer that they shall not be able to accomplish their end and therefore it vvould be far better to be quiet and to mind the Royal Law of Christ lest they by acting contrary do bring innocent suffering and blood upon their own heads and incur God's heavystroke of displeasure against them yea and a fire be kindled in their own bowels and a worm which shall not dye and a dart strike through the heart and liver and so the end be as bitter as Wormwood and as sharp as a two-edged Sword these are Instruments of War which the Lord hath in his Quiver which is reserved for the day of Battle when God pleads with all flesh by fire and by his sword when the slain of the Lord shall be many when he will rain snares upon the wicked fire and brimstone and grievous tempests this is the portion of their Cup But indeed we do desire the conversion and salvation even of our persecutors and therefore to put all out of doubt as is before said that there is no prevailing against the Lord nor against the Sion of the Holy One in whom the Lord is We say the living God of Heaven and Earth hath made manifest unto us the Way to Life and called us to walk in it and united our hearts together as many as lives in his Power to serve him and to wait upon him and to meet together to worship him in spirit and truth and we are perswaded to obey the Lord and believe in the Lord that he will strengthen us in his Way and Will unto the end For our strength is in the Lord and not of our selves who hath called us to follow him through good report and bad report and not to deny his Way because of sufferings but to endure in patience and let the Lord

ask any Petition Dan. 6 7. of God or man for thirty dayes save of the King should be cast into the Den of Lyons QUERY VI. Also did the three Children well or did they evil in suffering their bodies to be cast into the hot fiery Fornace Dan. 3.20 because they could not actually obey the King's Command because is was contrary to the Command of God QUERY VII And further Was it evil in Mordeoai or was it good that he kept the Law of his God contrary to the King's Law Esth 4.2 in going to the King's Gate in Sackcloath when evil was intended against God's people yea or nay QUERY VIII Did the Apostles well or did they evil who were Christians in obeying the Commands of Christ before the Commands of men especially when the Commands of men were contrary to the Commands of Christ Judge and let the Truth answer and whether it is well or evil in Christians to do so now yea or nay QUERY IX If it be said These were Heathen Kings that thus persecuted God's people we query Whether they that profess chemselves Christian Magistrates be not more inexcusable in the day of Christ in living contrary unto more knowledge who persecutes the followers of Christ in righteousness than the Heathen Rulers were in the times of ignorance Read and consider QUERY X. Whether Christ's followers now in righteousness meeting together in Christ's Name and in his Spirit to worship God be in the well-doing or in the evil Let Truth speak that God may be glorified QUERY XI And if such Worshippers together in Christ's Name and Spirit be in the well-doing Whether they ought not by Christian-Magistrates who have the Power to be preserved in outward peace from the violence of the Wicked who are filled vvith envy against the righteous as they vvere in all ages and from the hands of the Heathen that combineth together to do vvickedly QUERY XII If the Church be in God 2 Thess 1.1 and God be in all places and the Church be the Houshold of Faith then we query If the Church be met together in some place whether it be not according to the practice of the primitive Saints and according to the New-Testament and the tenor of the holy Scriptures yea or nay QUERY XIII And was it lawful for Christians to meet together in an upper Room in the Apostles days as in Acts 1.13 and Acts 20 8. and is it not lawful for Christians to meet together so novv Or is there any Law of Christ to the contrary And are they not his Laws that Christians ought to mind and keep concerning the Worship of God yea or nay QUERY XIV Whether Christians as concerning their Worship to God in Christ Jesus ought not to hear Christ alone whom all ought to hear and receive his Counsel in their Consciences And whether it is not his right to rule in the Consciences of Christians in the Worship of God and in things appertaining to it yea or nay QUERY XV. Whether any thing ought to be imposed by Christian Magistrates on the Consciences of any true Christians now as concerning their meeting together in the true Worship of God or commanding them to swear or they must suffer as it appertaineth to Conscience or is it Christ's right there to command Or whether swearing or fearing to swear be not or ought not to be matter of Conscience to all yea or nay QUERY XVI Whether Christian Magistrates imposing swearing on Christians Consciences or any other thing contrary to Christ's perswasions in the conscience and contrary to the holy Scriptures be right in the sight of God or will stand approved in the day of account yea or nay QUERY XVII Or whether is it right for Christian Magistrates to impose any thing on Christians consciences before they convince them that the things imposed are lawful to them in the sight of God yea or nay Read with patience and consider QUERY XVIII And if this be denied by Christian Magistrates and they do not convince Christians of the lawfulness to God of the things they do impose which may cause great sufferings to the righteous Whether it may not incur the anger of God also against themselves and cause God to impose that upon them which may be greater suffering in their inward man than all the outward sufferings of the innocent in this time yea or nay Consider these things in the fear of God and let Truth answer John Wilkinson Therefore thus saith the Lord Ye have not obeyed me in proclaiming freedom every man to his Brother and every man to his Neighbour Behold I proclaim a liberty for you saith the Lord to the Sword to the Pestilence and to the Famine and I will make you a terror to all the Kingdoms of the Earth Jer. 34.17 The End