Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	heathen_a	let_v	publican_n	2,742	5	10.9981	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78056	Religions peace: or, A plea for liberty of conscience. Long since presented to King James, and the High Court of Parliament then sitting, / by Leonard Busher citizen of London, and printed in the year 1614. Wherein is contained certain reasons against persecution for religion, also a designe for a peaceable reconciling of those that differ in opinion.	Busher, Leonard.; H. B.	1646 (1646)	Wing B6251; Thomason E334_7; ESTC R200599	43,040	46

when they com there for God giveth a blessing onely to his own ordinance and abhorreth Antichrists And Kings are to think that they are men as well as Kings Act. 9.15 1 Tim. 2.1.2 1. Cor. 7.2.22 Wise 6.1.8 and that Christ hath ordained that same meanes of faith for Kings which he hath for subjects and that subjects are Christs freemen as well as Kings subjects and Kings that beleeve are Christs Servants even as subjects are Kings servants and both are bought with a price therefore both ought not to bee the servants of men in matter of faith and religion but Kings shall give a greater account at the day of judgment then their subjects to judge men now for religion is to judge afore the time also to sit in the judgment seat of Christ to whom onely it belongeth yet not before the day appointed how much lesse to Kings and Bishops Rom. 2.16 Act. 10.42 I read that Constantine the Emperor called the great wrote to the Bishop of Rome that he would not force constraine any man to the faith but onely admonish commit the judgment to God Christs kingdom is not of this world Ioh. 18 36.10.17 therefore may it not be purchased nor defended with the weapons of this world but by his word and spirit no other weapons hath he given to his Church which is his spirituall kingdom Therefore Christ saith Mat. 18.17 He that wil not heare the church let him he to thee as a heathen and a publicane Ephes 6.10.17 he saith not burne banish or imprison him that is Antichrists ordinance And though a man be an heretick yet ought he not to be burnt but to be rejected after once or twice admonition Tit. 3.10 that is cast out of the Church but as in the church of Rome people of all sorts are by persecution forced there into by the Bishops Ministers thereof so it is in the Church of England also which sheweth that the Bishops Ministers of Rome England are of one spirit in gathering people to their faith and church which is the spirit of Satan who knoweth welth at his kingdom the false Church would greatly decay if persecution were laid down seeing himself cannot stand before the word and spirit of God much lesse his Bishops Ministers therefore he wil have them for a name and shew to use the word of God but indeed if the false interpretation and alledging of the Scriptures wil not help then saith he constrain them with fire and sword or else if people have libertie of conscience they will try the spirits which of them is of God as the Apostle John teacheth and then saith he the Prince as well as people will try all things 1 Ioh. 4.1 and keepe that which is good and wil also prove themselves as the Apostle Paul teacheth whether they are in the Apostolike faith or not 2 Cor. 13. 5 as the Church of Rome provoketh the Magistrates to persecute to death such as are excommunicated out of her so doth the Church of England provoke the Magistrats to persecute to death such as she excommunicates And as the Bishops and Ministers of Rome will perswade the prince and people to heare and read none but themselves so do the Bishops and Ministers of of England also but the Bishops and Ministers of the Apostolick church doe perswade all men to prove and try the Spirits whether they are of God which they cannot doe except they heare and read other mens doctrines as well as the Bishops and their Ministers neither can they if they would so long as the Bishops have power from the King and State to silence and imprison c. all Preachers and to burne all books which teach not their doctrines Your Majesty and Parliament shall understand that all those that confesse freely without compulsion that Iesus is the Messiah 1 John 5.1 1 Joh. 4.2 1 Cor. 12.13 the Lord and that he came in flesh are to be esteemed the children of God and true christians seeing such are born of God and no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost therefore not to be persecuted And as Abel killed not Cain but was killed himself and as Isaac and Iacob did not persecute Ismael and Esau but was persecuted of Ismael and Esau who Gal. 4.29 and Cain were figures of all persecuters so the beleeving doe not persecute the unbeleeving nor the true Church the fals but the beleeving and true Church are as they have been most often persecuted themselves of whom Abel Isaac and Jacob were figures whose children are all beleevers and freemen that stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free Gal. 5.1 and will not be tangled with the yoke of bondage no not with circumcision much lesse with the discipline and doctrine of the Church of Rome whose Bishops are able Ministers of the fire and sword both to Prince and people as many Histories doe lamentably witnes to their utter infamy and overthrow also if the beleeving should persecute the unbeleeving to death who should remaine alive then none but the beleeving should live in the world and the unbeleeving should dye in their unbelief and so perish for ever the Lord will not that the beleeving should live to the destruction of the unbeleeving but unto their conversion edification and salvation And by persecuting of Prince and people to death because they will not heare and beleeve is no gaining of souls unto God but unto the devill And whereas ignorant and wicked Bishops may think to win souls by killing Prince and people for Religion they are deceived greatly for thereby they lose many souls viz. their own and the unbeleeving their own they lose because they wilfully break the Lords Commandement that saith Thou shalt not kill Luk. 18.20 meaning such as are not corporall malefactors and the others which dye in their unbeleef they confesse themselves are eternally lost except they as some of their ministers hold a redemption after this life And the Bishops should know that error and heresie cannot be killed by the fire and sword but by the word and spirit of God that is the onely weapons of Christs Bishops and Ministers and such only Christs ministers do use whose lives and conversations are so harmles holy and gentle that thereby and by their deaths and sufferings they win many souls unto God whereby they are known from all false Bishops and ministers who like wolves and beares not like sheepe and lambs make prey and devour both Prince and people that are not of their kind if they be able to master them Besides may it please your Majesty and Parliament to understand that the beleeving man that hath an unbeleeving wife 1 Cor. 7.16 and the beleeving woman that hath an unbeleeving husband cannot live together as the Scripture teaches for the salvation of the unbeleeving if they be