Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	eternal_a	grace_n	sin_n	7,886	5	4.9100	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80396	A pattern of mercy. Opened in a sermon at St. Pauls, before the Right Honorable, the Lord Mayor, and the Lord General Monck: February 12. 1659. / By Tobias Conyers, minister at St. Ethelberts, London.	Conyers, Tobias, 1628-1687.	1660 (1660)	Wing C5994; Thomason E774_8; ESTC R207295	28,966	47

A Pattern of Mercy Opened in a SERMON AT St. PAULS BEFORE The Right Honorable the Lord Mayor AND THE Lord General Monck February 12. 1659. By TOBIAS CONYERS Minister at St. Ethelberts London LONDON Printed by M. I. and are to be sold at the Grey-hound in St. Pauls Church-yard at the Crown in Popes-head Alley and at the Elephant and Castle near Temple Barr 1660. The Authors Apology WHen I entered upon the ensuing Discourse in my private Meditations I looked upon the complexion of the times and considered the temper of the climate in which we live and in a Nation all rent and torn with differences in Opinions both Civil Religious I thought nothing could be more acceptable then a proposition of peace But whilst I spoke for peace such was my unhappiness some men made themselves ready for battel The giving of offence to any sort of persons was a thing as far remote from any design or purpose of mine as it is disagreeable to my temper disposition to be at ods with any man And looking over these Papers which now I publish to the world if I may be permitted to judge in mine own case I cannot but wonder from whence the great cry of the City arose as if some Theudas or Judas Galilaeus were risen from the dead being naturally averse from the starting of any new Opinions and far enough from having any thing extraordinary in me either to create or make me the head of any new sect or faction It is confessed the 12th of Fehruary was a critical day and all circumstances concurred to render me unacceptable What I suffered in my self was nothing but that I should so much as accidentally occasion any reflection upon that noble Gentleman the Lord Mayor whom all men must needs judge both too great and too wise to concern himself in any thoughts or meditations of minds troubled me not a little it 's true I had been often soliciting my Lord for dismission and that he took this occasion to do it was so far less displeasing to me as it was satisfactory unto others for having served his Lordship for himself without any mercenary proposals and expectations I could not in the least be dis-satisfied with any thing that did but seem either to support or vindicate his Lordships Honor and Reputation in the World The aspersions cast upon me are either that I am Schismatical an Enemy to the Church or that I am Heretical To both which I crave leave to answer and make my just defence 1. That I am Schismatical or a Sectary I know not why any man should think so it is true that I hold communion with and observe the laws of Piety and holy Charity with that Christian people to whom Mr. John Goodwin is Pastour and this I alwayes thought I might do with the salvage of truth honour and conscience and yet that it might be known that in that congregation are persons of greater wisdom moderation and latitude then to confine the administration of Ordinances within their own precinct I think it not amiss to inform the courteous Reader that with their permission I do perform all those Ministerial duties that any Church Officer does in the place where he lives If it be the Episcopal party that censures me for schism I humbly crave leave to remonstrate that I entered the Ministry at a time when there was no Church Government establish't but every one did that which was right in his own eyes as I had no hand in pulling down their Hierarchy so will they not I hope blame me for joining with a people that I thought espoused the interest of truth and holiness since I did it as appeares by my practice with the preservation of that Ministerial freedom and liberty which any Officer Ecclesiastical either justly exerciseth or pretendeth unto If it be the Presbyterian party if I had made any schism of all men they have the least reason to take notice of it He that is of them without sin in this kind let him cast the first stone at me to borrow our Saviour's words For if the little Foxes and Boars have entered to root up and destroy the vinyard it was by that schism or gap which themselves made therefore the Brethren of the Presbytery remembring their own faults this day will I hope exercise great lenity and grace towards those that are found in the same sinne and transgression if it be a sin and transgression with themselves To both parties whom I wish may be no more called two but one I shall onely add this That when the fence is made up which how strong soever it may be I wish may not be too strait I must either keep out or at my further peril The Second part of my accusation is Error and Heresie Erroneous I may be Humanum est Errare Heretical I cannot be because never censured by any lawful Authority I know not what brought me so much as into suspition with the City unless it were for my Judgement about the death of Christ Election and Reprobation c. wherein I am sure I hold nothing contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England contained in her 39. Articles and interpreted according to her most learned and best beloved children as Dr. Hamond Dr. Taylor Mr. Thorndike Mr. Thruscross Mr. Gunning Mr. Pearce Now having so often profer'd to the Commissioners for Approbation and others bona fide to subscribe these forementioned Articles which contain the Doctrine of our reformed Religion ever since the time of reformation there is no ground in the world why any man should accuse me either for Novellism or Opinion But because some men may even censure the Articles themselves and because I am extreamly desirous to cut off all future jealousies concerning me touching the five so much controverted points I will here propose my sence in mine own terms I. That God's Eternal Decrees of Election and Reprobation are not of Qualities but of Persons II. That Grace of God which is afforded unto all men is sufficient to leave men without excuse III. That the death of Christ is sufficient for all but none shall have benefit by him but those that believe IV. That no man hath power of himself to do any thing that good is but standeth in need of the preventing exciting and assisting Grace of God in Christ for the beginning progress and perseverance in all good Or thus The will of man set at liberty by grace is onely free in its choice both of good and evil V. That there is a state of grace attainable in this life from which it is difficult if not impossible to fall away More particularly I now come to satisfie the Christian Reader concerning the following Discourse The offence that was taken at my Sermon was either in gross from the general tendency of it or in particular from that distinction which I made 'twixt goodness and Mercy and from that passage concerning the

punishment of Blasphemy To hoth which good Reader I shall crave the leave both to explain my self and give my Reasons 1. For the general and natural tendency of my Sermon I think it was for Peace Love Mercy and Unity and if any thing otherwise either hath or shall ensue upon it it is absolutely contrary to its primitive intention I am indeed till I see reason for the contrary very much perswaded of the equity and reasonableness of suffering with lenity and moderation all those that dissent in Religion provided they trample not upon Authoritie make no breach upon the civil peace offer no violence or dishonor unto those who are different in their perswasions from them Here I take shelter under the great St. Austin who writing to Proculianus the Donatist acknowledgeth That such as err from the Truth must be drawn home by mild instruction and not by cruel enforcement When Bishop Itacius as my Author informs me had put to death Priscilian and divers of his Followers Anno 383 he was first condemned for that bloodie act by Theognistus and St. Ambrose afterwards meeting some Bishops at Triers that had partaken with Itacius in his bloodie execution refused to have any Communion with them Neither do I think can it be made appear that the Councils of Nice Calcedon or Constantinople made use of any other weapons against the Arrians Nestorians Macedonians but the Word of God And my same Author brings in Thuanus proaem in Histo p. 5. a Romanist challenging all the world to shew him any approved euample in all the Monuments of Antiquitie of any execution done upon the Opinionists of those times but that the Church of God did alwaies abhor the shedding of blood in matters that meerly concern'd Religion To denie unto men the exercise of their Religion provided as before they keep the civil peace is that which neither the Pole nor the French denie unto the Hugonets the Sectaries of those parts That the Church of Rome should impose in matters of Religion is so far rational that she doth pretend to an high infallibilitie but why one Minister should impose upon another one Protestant upon another when neither the one or the other does so much as pretend to infallibillity for the present I see not and should be glad that any person of piety and learning would give me sober reasons of Conviction In particular concerning that distinction which I gave twixt goodness and mercie in God for which some took occasion boldly to aver That I denied the Attributes of God whoever they were they fulfilled the old saying Fortiter calumniare aliquid adhaeretis and I hope I shall wipe off both the dirt and the stain by denying it I will not disparage the Auditory at Pauls so far as to make any other explanation then what I then made and to which I refer the Reader as it is truly transcribed and printed for when we said that God could not be merciful till the creature sin and misery opened a door thereunto we spake of mercy in actu exercito in the exrcise and practice thereof and in this sense onely it seemeth distinguishable from goodness and in all other respects identified and made one with it for mercy it is elicit and drawn forth of goodness by the consideration of want and misery In the second and last place That which was most excepted against and which hath opened the mouths of so many men against me was that one Expression That I could subscribe to punish Blasphemy according to the Judaical Law if there were any person to be found who could infallibly determine it This is all that was spoken more 〈◊〉 less upon this Subject and what grounds there may be for it thou shalt judge 1. Consider that at that time when this Law was put in execution against Blasphemers the Jews that were entrusted therewith were such as had an immediate and consequently infallible Direction in all difficult and important Cases from God himselfe and therefore could not swerve in the Administration of Judgement unless they would directly oppose the plain and positive Determination of God himself but since we cannot expect any such immediate Direction or Determination in an Affair of this importance whether we ought to put any such Law in execution ought to be the subject of our serious thoughts and inquiry 2. It is worth our consideration how the Jews made the ordinary and common naming of Jehovah to be blasphemous and punishable by death judging it warrantable from the Letter of that Text Lev. 24. 11. And the Israelitish Womans Son blasphemed the Name of the Lord it is in the Septua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And naming the Name of the Lord cursed And Ver. 16. without the explication or addition of cursing or execration it s said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that meth the Name of the Lord shall surely be put to death though our translation hath it He that blasphemeth the Name of the Lord shal surely be put to death Now I submit it to the Judgements of the Wise how difficult it is to state the Nature of Blasphemy how high or how far the Expression must go to bring the person in danger of this Law and how requisite it was even for the Elders of the Congregation to put the Offender in Ward as they used to do till the mind of God was known concerning this thing 3. The Law against Blasphemie seemeth to be much of the same kind with that equally severe against presumptuous Sins Numb 15. 30. But the soul that doth ought presumptuously whether he be born in the Land or a Stranger the same reprocheth the Lord that Soul shal utterly be cut off i. e. Punished with death An Instance is there given Ver. 32. They found a man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath-day and they brought him unto Moses and Aaron and unto all the Congregation and they put him in Ward because it was not declared what should be done unto him We observe 1. There was an Atonement to be made for sins of Ignorance but sins of Presumption were to be punished by Death 2. Presumption or as ihe Septuagint reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sin with an hand of pride is such a sin that cannot be judged of accurately and distinctly by any save God onely men may guess but it belongs unto God to pass a definitive Sentence The man was brought into just suspition that had gathered sticks on the Sabbath-day but how far God would interpret it presumptuous neither Moses nor the Congregation could determine Therefore they put him in Ward till they knew the mind of God Observe Christian Reader that the Enquirie which they made at the mouth of God seems not to be concerning the Punishment for that was determined before The soul that doth ought presumptuously shall be cut off but concerning the Sin how far God would interpret it presumptuous and within the Cognizance of his own Law Hence I