Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	good_a	zeal_n	zealous_a	120	3	9.8088	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

THis usefull Treatise Entituled Religions Peace long since Presented by a Citizen of London to King JAMES and the High Court of Parliament then sitting I allow to be Reprinted Aprill 1. John Bachiler 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 Yeare 1614. Wherein is contained certain Reasons against Persecution for Religion Also a designe for a peaceable reconciling of those that differ in opinion Rom. 14.5 10. One man esteemeth one day above another another man esteemeth every day a like let every man be fully perswaded in his own minde But why dost thou judge thy brother or why dost thou despise thy brother for we shall all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ LONDON Printed for John Sweeting at the Angel in Popes-head-alley 1646. TO THE Presbyterian Reader THis Treatise which as a supplication to King James and the Parliament was Printed in the yeare 1614. is for your good now againe re-printed the Author thereof Leonard Busher an honest and godly Man as I make no doubt will appeare to you in the perusall of his Booke intended two things therein First to make it appeare that the Bishops were not true Ministers or successive from the Apostles but rather a Siens or branch of the Popish stocke descended from the Romish Hierarchy to whom they owned their Instauration Ordination and Function Had this advice been believed and embraced by the Parliament then the mischiefes they have since practised much of the blood that hath been shed and the miseries that by their meanes have been brought upon us had in great measure been prevented but his Counsell was then slighted though by the wisdome of this present Parliament put in execution whereby we are secured for the future from the domination compulsion against Conscience and notorious cruelties of that sort of men Whence we may learne that what to a people at one time seemes strange and absurd and in no wise to be admitted of at another time appeares an acceptable truth the reason is because wee are not Masters of our owne understandings but suffer them to bee dull'd and corrupted till misery and the sting of oppression opens our eyes so that we embrace truth more out of necessity then choice The second thing his Discourse drives at is to make it appeare by Scriptures and sound Arguments that the onely way to make a Nation happy and preserve the People in love peace and tranquillity is to give liberty to all to serve God according as they are perswaded is most agreeable to his Word to speake write print peaceably and without molestation in behalf of their severall Tenets and wayes of Worship wholsome and pertinent Laws being made upon penalties to restrain all kinde of vice or violence all kinds of reproach slander or injury either by word or deed And though this advice likewise seemes not the best to some especially to you my Brethren in the Presbyterian way yet am I well assured that this Nation will never be happy but as hitherto it hath been so for the future it will be distracted with oppression and persecution and the faces of one sort of men set against another till liberty of Conscience be allowed Indeed a man would thinke we had beene school'd and whist long enough to it by our calamities for went whereof this age and that age and the other age and every age hath been miserable For want whereof the Apostles suffered martyrdome the Saints and godly of all times have been hunted like Patridges by birds of Prey And yet good men in the esteem of a great part of the world especially of the rich and powerfull they have suffered as evill-doers disturbers of the World Heretiques Schismaticks seditious Persons and those that put them to death have had the reputation of being maintainers of Truth and sound Doctrine so apt in all ages have the people been to mistake good for evill and evill for good The Plea for liberty of Conscience is no new Doctrine as old certainly as the blessed Word of God it selfe which gives us this unmovable foundation thereof That every Man should bee fully perswaded of the truth of that way wherein hee serves the Lord And though there has been struglings in all ages to make good this blessed birthright to all peacefull People yet through thePotency and subtlety of Popes Bishops and Ministers that preferred the advance of themselves and their usurped and abused Function before the good and welfare of the People we have been deprived of this blessing next to the manifestation of Gods love and goodnesse to us the most excellent and desirable in this world for want wherof and by means of its contrary Persecution this Vniverse es●ecially the Christian part thereof hath suffered continuall agony and earthquake Warres and its miseries have overspread all Lands States have been shaken and subverted Love meeknesse gentlenesse mercy the truest badges of Christianity have been dampned and banished and in their roomes cruelty hardheartednesse respect of Persons Prisons tortures c. things that our blessed Lord and Master and his Apostles never prov'd unlesse upon their own afflicted bodies have had great sway for these many hundred yeares Hence is it that in stead of Peace we have frequently had the Sword in stead of sweet tranquillity love and affection hatred contention disaffection and the bitter fruits thereof hath reign'd amongst us and in all probability will reigne till God shall put it into the heart of the Parliament to make tryall for prevention thereof of this God-like way which in the ensuing Treatise is held forth I hope upon perusall thereof you that are my Brethren of the Presbyterian way will abate much of your misguided eagernesse in prosecuting your conscientious Brethren Consider I beseech you St. Paul before his conversion he was as zealous I make no question as any of you when he persecuted the Saints and (a) Acts 8.3 made havock of the Church that is of Gods People congregated together to worship and serve God when hee (b) Verse 3. entred into every house and drew out both men and women to put them to Prison when he (c) Act. 9.1 breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord when he (d) Act. 9.2 procured Letters of the High Priest to goe to Damascus where if he found any of that way then the hereticall way in his account he might bring them downe to Hierusalem when he (e) Act. 8.1 consented to Stephens death In all these violent motions he was zealous and hearty and thought hee did God good service in the suppression of a rising Sect that were against the High Priests learned Rabbies and Doctors of the Law Ceremonies strict Injunctions and observations of the Judaicall and Priestly Law You see how farre mistaken zeale can goe Consider this I beseech

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