Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	day_n	live_v	lord_n	4,582	5	3.7371	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70295	The humble petition and representation of the sufferings of several peaceable, and innocent subjects, called by the name of Anabaptists, inhabitants in the county of Kent, and now prisoners in the goal of Maidstone, for the testimony of a good conscience. Together with their free and faithful acknowledgement of the King's authority and dignity in civil things, over all manner of persons, ecclesiastical and civil, within His Majesties dominions. With their reasons, meriting the King's protection in their civil and spiritual rights, equal with other His Majesties obedient subjects. Humbly offered to the King's Majesty, and the consideration of our fellow brethren and subjects. Well worthy general observation.	Jeffery, William, 1616-1693.	1661 (1661)	Wing H3444; ESTC R214927	7,358	20

Thou art a Magistrate or as Thou art a Christian but that Thou hast no such power given unto Thee of God as thou art a Magistrate appears 1. Because if Magistrates as such have such an Authority then all Magistrates in all Nations have the same Power then if we lived in Turky must we receive the choran and be a Worshipper of Mahomet if in Spain be a Papist in England sometimes a Papist as in Henry the 8th dayes a Protestant in Edvvard the 6th a Papist again in Queen Maries and a Protestant again in Queen Elizabeths and so for ever as the Authority changes Religion we must do the same but God forbid 2. Because the Apostles themselves that gave forth those commandements that are written in Scripture to be obedient to Magistrates refused to be obedient to their Rulers when they were commanded to forbear Acts 4.19 chap. 5.29 that which they judged part of the Worship of God and said Whether it be right in the sight of God to harken unto you more than unto God judge ye 3. All the Scriptures of the New Testament that enjoyns obedience unto Magistrates were written when the Romans had the Empire of the world whose Emperours were for the most part if not all Heathenish Idolators for the first 300 years until Constantines time it therefore cannot be supposed that any of these Texts of Scripture that calls for obedience to Magistrates intends an obedience in matters of Faith or Worship for then the Christians that lived under those Emperours must needs have denyed Christ and worshiped the Roman gods as some of the Emperours commanded And now O King that no man as he is a Christian hath power to be a Lord over anothers Faith or by outward force to impose any thing in the Worship of God is as clear 1. Because the Lord Jesus Himself nor his Disciples would never by any outward force compel men to receive them or their Doctrine for when the Disciples of Christ supposing they might use violence as under the Law would have commanded fire to come from Heaven as Elias did to consume them that would not receive them Christ turned and rebuked them saying Ye know not what spirit ye are of for the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them 2. If any men under Heaven have had any such power in the dayes of the Gospel the Apostles and Elders in the primitive times must needs have had it but this they disowned the Apostle Paul in 2 Cor. 1.24 saith thus Not for that we have dominion over your Faith but are helpers of your joy for by Faith you stand yea the Lord Jesus when he strove for Domination forbids it saying Ye know that the Princes of the Gemiles exercise Dominion over them Mat. 25.26 and they that are great do exercise authority upon them but it shall not be so amongst you Even so saith Peter speaking to the Elders Feed the flock of God which is amongst you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind neither as being Lords over Gods Heritage but be examples to the flock and in truth the Apostles and Disciples were not to use any external force to carry on their Masters work but onely by shewing the terrours of the Lord were to perswade men and in case of resistance to shake the dust from their feet as a witnesse against their opposers 3. It is very plain that the Lord Jesus himself in his parrable of the Tares and Wheat forbid and force to be exercised upon false Worshippers as such Mat. 13. for by the Tares which he forbids the pulling up cannot be intended the transgressors of the second table such as Thieves Murderers c. because all confesseth with one consent that the Magistrates Authority reaches such but those that Christ Jesus would have remain amongst his Wheat in the field of the world is the Children of the wicked One through Idolatry and Will-worship this will further appear if the 28 29 30. vers be compared with the 38 39. of the same Chapter and the reason the Lord Jesus gives why both Tares and Wheat must grow together O King that it were engraven with the point of a Diamond and often laid before Thee is least in gathering up the Tares the Wheat also be rooted up with them How sad is it to remember how in all ages since Christ very strange mistakes have been on this account Matth. 26.65 the Lord of Life himself was put to death for supposed Blasphemy and wickednesse John 19.12 and accused for being an enemy to Cesar and this done unto him by a people that had the Law of God amongst them and were famous in the world for their Earthly Wisdom and Knowledge Stephen was stoned Acts 6.13 14. chap. 12.2 and James the Apostle killed with the Sword supposed to be Tares or the Children of the Wicked One when they were the Pretious Wheat of God the Christians that suffered in the ten Persecutions Were they not accused of being pestilent fellows movers of Sedition Act. 24.5.12 chap. 17.6 7. turners of the world upside down Enemies to Cesar when the contrary was most true and they will be found to be the Faithful Martyrs of Jesus So in latter times many of those that have been put to death for Heresie and Blasphemy are by this Age acknowledged to be the Saints of God O King that our Words might be acceptable to thee consider that neither Thy self nor Councellors have the spirit of infallability if the Apostles that had an extraordinary spirit of discerning must not pluck up the Tares left they root up the Wheat also How can any Prince on Earth undertake a work so dangerous It is possible many of those that are accounted false Worshippers and Hereticks in this day may at the time when God shall Judge the World in Righteousness be found the Servants of the Most-High God Remember we pray Thee that those that lived in the dayes of the Lord Jesus accused their Fathers for being guilty of the blood of the Prophets saying If we had been in the dayes of our Fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets Math. 23.29 30. yet themselves killed the Lord of Life The Romish Church also saith if they had lived in the dayes of the Heathen Emperors we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Christians yet puts to death many as righteous as they were and now many of thy Subjects in this Nation are ready to say If we had lived in the dayes of Queen Mary we would not have been guilty with our Fathers in the blood of those good men that then suffered yet such a spirit of Persecution is now risen up as if not restrained will terminate in the blood of many good men and so bring down the wrath of God upon this

Generation and there will be no remedy 4. To inflict temporal punishments upon any of us thy Subjects for not conforming to Thy Decrees that restrains us from the Worship that we know to be of God Is it not a breach of that Royal Law that commands Thee That vvhatsoever ye vvould that men should do to you do you even so to them for this is the Lavv and the Prophets Mat. 7.12 And we would in all humility offer to Thy consideration if Thy Soul were in our Souls stead wouldest thou be satisfied with the same measure as is now dealt unto us when neither the God of Heaven nor our own Consciences doth condemn us of any evil intended against Thy Person or Authority nor can the greatest of our Enemies make any due proof of any Combination or Plotting with any upon the face of the Earth for the disturbance of the publick Peace And this we can with boldness say because we know our own Innocency But whereas it is Objected That the Kings of Israel and Judah under the Old Testament had power in spiritual Causes and did punish Blasphemy and Idolatry which are crimes of the highest nature against God we confess they had such power which was given to them in plain Precepts written in the Law of Moses but the Gospel that we live under is another Dispensation in which the Lord Jesus is the onely Law-giver who doth not as Moses proceed against the Transgressors of his Precepts by external force and power to the destroying them in their Bodies and Estates in this life 1 Thes 1.9 2 Pet. 3.9 Acts 17.31 but in long-suffering waits on men not willing they should perish but rather that they should repent and be saved and when any continues in disobedience to the Gospel his punishment is eternal in the world to come the Apostle Paul testifies of himself That he vvas a Blasphemer and Persecutor 1 Tim. 1.20 And if the mind of God had been that he should have suffered death in that condition How should he have had repentance given him and been such a glorious Instrument in the Church as afterward he was Furthermore it is too well known that the Jews are the greatest Blaspemers against our Lord Jesus Christ as is on the earth yet it is not the Mind of the Lord they should be destroyed from the Face of the Earth for how then should the Scripture be fulfilled wherein God hath promised to call them and make them the most glorious Nation in the World Oh how can they be converted if they be not permitted where the Gospel is Preached We speak not this in favour of any blasphemy for our Souls abhors it but because we would have the Lives of men as pretious in Thy Eyes O King as they are in the Eyes of the Righteous and most Holy God 5. As it is no wayes lawful from the Word of God for Christian Magistrates to destroy and root out the contrary minded in Religious Matters although Idolaters So such proceedings may many times prove inconsistent with the very being of Nations for suppose any Nation were wholly Heathenish Idolators and the Word of God coming in amongst them should convert the chief Magistrates and twentieth part of the Nation more must he with that twentieth part destroy all the other nineteen if they will not be converted but continue in their Heathenish Idolatry It cannot possibly be supposed to be warrantable From all this that we have said thou O King mayest see that not without Grounds do we deny the taking the Oath of thy Supremacy which calls for obedience as well in Spiritual Ecclesiastical things and Causes as Temporal not but that we can freely acknowledge thee to be Supream Governour of all Persons as well Ecclesiastical as Temporal but still in temporal Causes and things We do also as freely Renounce all forreign Jurisdictions and Powers whatsoever that any on the Earth may pretend to have over any of thy Dominions or Subjects And whereas some have said that no more is required in the Oath Considered together with the Proviso in the Statute of the 5 Elizabeth and the Queens Admonition Yet we Humbly conceive there is Because the Queen both in the Proviso and Admonition Challenges such a Power as was Challenged by her Father King Henry the 8. which was to Burn his Subjects at the Stake for their Dissenting from him in Religious Matters as by his practice appeared And the Queen her self exercised the same Authority in putting some to Death for their Conscience in Religion And whereas many of us that are now prisoners cannot take the Oath of Allegiance because we cannot swear at all the Lord Christ having forbidden in that fifth of Mat. 33. compared with Iames 5.12 not onely vain Oaths but also such swearing as was delivered of old time and lawful under the Law as in our Consciences we are perswaded and therefore before now under former powers have denyed to swear Yet God is our Witnesse who is the Searcher of all Hearts we deny not this Oath because we would not yield due Subjection and Obedience to Thee and Thy Authority for this we say in the presence of him that shall judge the quick and dead we do without any deceit promise to live peaceably under Thy Government and in case any thing should be by thee cōmanded in Spiritual Matters wherein we cannot obey we shall not then take up any Carnal or Temporal Weapon against Thee or Thy Authority but patiently suffer such punishment as shall be inflicted on us for our Consciences And now may it please Thee O King that these Engagements which we Humbly tender unto Thee may be accepted of by Thee and not destruction brought on us our Families for not taking of an Oath when the engagements before recited taken before some Justice of the Peace in a solemn manner with calling God to witnesse to the truth of what we say without doubt answers the end of the Law that enjoyns the Oath of Allegeance and may be as much security from us to Thee as if we took many Oaths Why should the very rigor of the Law be exercised on us Yea but that we fear we are too tedious unto Thee we could make it clear that the late dealing of thy inferiour Ministers hath been such tovvards us as neither Lavv nor custom hath prescribed And novv having faithfully laid our condition and Principles so far as they relate to Magistrates or Government before thee We therefore beseech Thee O King that Liberty may be given us to vvorship our God and such bovvels of compassion be in Thee as to give us such speedy relief as may be agreeable to the Mind of God which made Heaven and Earth which executed judgement for the oppressed which giveth food to the hungry the Lord looseth the Prisoners Psalm 146.7 Signed by us in the Name of the Baptists now Prisoners in the Goal at Maydstone William Jeffery John Reve. George Hammon James Blackmore Dated the 25th day of the 11th moneth commonly called January FINIS