Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	evil_a	good_a	overcome_v	2,148	5	9.0851	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40524	A special warrant given forth from the spirit of God (who is Lord over all lords and King over all kings) against the spirit of envy and persecution ... also some descriptions set down how this insufferable enemy (the spirit of persecution) may be known ... / written by Joseph Fuce.	Fuce, Joseph.	1663 (1663)	Wing F2258; ESTC R31719	17,110	26

oh what havock hath this soul-betraying spirit of envy and persecution made with and among the Christians so called in the Apostacy how hath he set Kings Princes and Nations and Kingdomes and Priests and people one against another about Religion and Worship and how grievously have people been enslaved through Christendome by this spirit of persecution to martyr and murther one another the Papists against the Protestants Lutherans Presbyterians and other Sects and the Lutherans Protestants Presbyterians and others against the Papists and all about Religion and all called Christians and all lyable to suffer as often they have done by the Heathen so mischievous and trecherous hath this persecuting spirit betrayed people to death about their form of Worship that hath stood in outward things and all hath been without the spirit of love unfeigned and out of natures affection and they were the persecuters that had the powers of the earth on their sides and were uppermost and so they have rowled to and fro and tumbled up and down like the Sea and broke one another like the waves thereof and destroyed and devoured one another like the fishes of the Sea and beasts of the field and all about Service and Worship and every one counting his own way right and all others wrong while all their hands have been full of blood and all are out of the Spirit that teaches to love enemies and to forgive enemies and so to overcome the evil with the good spirit of love and forgiveness and so they have been all wrong in persecuting one another and revenging one upon another and seeking to overcome one another with the evil spirit of cruelty and persecuting and so the very name Christian is abhorred among the Heathen Turks and Indians and Jewes also by reason of this devilish spirit of envy and persecution which hath made slaves of whole Nations of people called Christians who hath done or fulfilled the lusts of the Old Dragon from whence all these Wars and Jars and killing one another about Religion and Service did first arise in this long Night of Apostacy which Christ the true Prophet said should come wherein no man should work c. And now take notice how this great enemy hath wrought in this Age in which we live after that it pleased God to enlighten mens understandings somwhat more than in some Ages past and to awaken the Consciences of some to seek after God more strictly than before Then they began to reform from some Idolatry as they counted it and to learn some of the Traditions of their forefathers which were almost all Papists about a hundred years ago and many were zealous for godliness but then this spirit began to work afresh among people in this our native Country of England and after some reformation inwardly the enemy got up among them and led many into new inventions and Traditions of their own and then the envious spirit of persecution got up and then they that were in the old Traditions and Invented wayes of Service and Worship and they that imagined and invented new Inventions and set up other Traditions rose up one against another in the spirit of envy and persecution And oh what a work hath been within this 20 years which may never be forgotten First what killing and slaying one another and throwing down others Traditions and slighting their Way and Ministers and setting up others that had stollen more of the good words and fair Speeches whereby they so much the more deceived the hearts of the simple And oh how lovly were the Reformed Ministry and people and how did they crow over others that did not reform while they had a dunghil to stand upon and then what hunting was there among the best reformed Ministers for great Benefices and sometimes laying two or three little ones together and then they mounted into the chief Seats in their Temples called Churches and there they cryed against the Church of Rome and against the Common-Prayer and Organs and Singing Boyes and the like and yet would take Tythes which was the Romish wages and hire although they refused to do the Romish Service and so that hath stood notwithstanding their changing and that was not enough to serve some but they would run and complain to the Powers that then were to get Augmentations And notwithstanding their good words and fair speeches their hearts went after their covetousness And as the Priests did so did many Rulers Oh how they sought after Lordships and others Estates and so threw down others and exalted themselves notwithstanding their Reformation so full of Pride Covetousness and Envy was their hearts And when the Presbiterians Independents and Baptists and the like who pretended for Liberty of Conscience were at the highest and had the Rule among them and the Papist and Episcopal were very low in England which one would think were enough to make them remember a poor low and afflicted people throughout their Generation I say their Liberty of Conscience was but to themselves for it neither reached back to the Common-Prayer men nor the Papist Then the Lord would try them a little further with a poor despised low and humble people whom he chose out from among them all some from the Common-Prayer men and some from the Presbiterians and some from the Independants and some from the Baptists and the like and when the Lord had called us and begun to break our hearts in pieces by the power of his living Word that was as a hammer in us and thereby were we made to fear tremble shake and quake and weep and mourn like the holy men of God in Ages past And when the Lord was thus fitting us for his own service to sound sorth his praises then the Professors they stood and wondred scoffed and mocked at us calling us Quakers both Rulers Priests and people and although they pretended Liberty of Conscience yet we were haled out of our Meetings and put in the Stocks and beaten and abused and imprisoned for declaring the Truth and our Goods made havock of because we could not uphold such covetous hypocrites as these Priests were And much more did we suffer notwithstanding their talk of Liberty of Conscience and then in the power of God we were made to cry out against deceit and hypocrisie for which we suffered by the hands of the unreasonable and this wicked envious persecuting spirit was the Author of all that mischief And we were so mortified in our minds and humbled in our spirits by the opperation of the power of our God which we received in his eternal Light that we could do them no evil but good for evil and thereby were we made both able and willing to do or to suffer whatsoever we were called unto for his Names sake and waiting in his true Light we have seen how this wicked soul-betraying spirit of envy and persecution hath betrayed and took Captive and then made slaves of the sons and

power of God and through Faith in Christ from putting forth a hand or a finger to take up a carnal Sword or other weapon for or against any creature any more notwithstanding the tumults changes overturnings strivings buffettings that hath been among the sons of men since the Lord in the infiniteness of his love hath called us out from amongst them into peace with God on earth and love to all Man-kind who are his creatures But many of us have been moved of the Lord to break our Swords in pieces and other Instruments that were prepared against creatures so that they might do no hurt and this was as a signal testimony that we should war no more as we hope whole Nations will do in due time when God hath slain the enmity that is in and among them by the power of his love which is stronger than Death as he hath done in us Glory and Honour be given to our God who lives for evermore who hath brought us to stand witnesses for him and of his works as a Pattern to all Mankind upon the face of the whole earth and as Christ said By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples if you have love one towards another And through Faith and Patience and Long-suffering with love goodness have we been made instruments to overcome the hearts and minds of many which hath been turned to the Light in their own Consciences and to the Grace of God given unto them and it is given unto us and remaineth in our hearts to continue in love to our very enemies in the Faith and Patience unto the finishing our course for the Name and Glory of God whether it be by life or death for we have full assurance how that it is better to dye in the Lord than to live in sin But let all spiritual Israel know assuredly that the rod of the wicked shall not alwayes be upon the backs of the the righteous for God will remove the yoak from off their necks and wipe away all tears from their eyes and sorrow and sighing shall flee away although some may as some hath finished their testimony in being slain for the Word of God and are received into the Kingdome of everlasting peace and Glory for ever and our warfare is spiritual and our weapons are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds and to the cutting down of every thing that riseth up against Christ within that all may be insubjection unto him whose right it is to reign and so our victory is spiritual and we do give thanks unto God who hath given us victory over sin and death hell and the grave and over the tempting spirit of envy persecution in our own particulars through faith in Christ Jesus who is the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls and we do not at all desire victory over mens persons as they do who strive and fight with carnal weapons but our striving and smiting and fighting with our spiritual weapons is against sin and he that tempts to sin and evil which is the greatest enemy to mans everlasting peace who is the Devil and Dragon and in the power of the meek spirit and Lambs nature our-stroke is and shall be against him in all his appearances within and without as it hath been in the pure love of God the Father Vnto whom be honour and glory now and for evermore And now all you that do own this Special Warrant from God and his Law and Command from him which is Light in every Conscience and that which it requires and are awakened and stirred up thereby against the spirit of envy and persecution and in whose hearts it is to joyn with the Lamb to make war with the Dragon lend your ears to wisdomes voyce in you and so far as these lines are according to the same even so be instructed how and with what to arm your selves so that you may not be overcome with this persecuting spirit nor do any hurt to any of the Sons or Daughters of men for as the Scripture saith Wisdome is better than strength or weapons of war in this work and the lips of knowledge is a precious Jewel and every purpose herein is established by Counsel and with good advice make war for I saith the Lords Spirit will make the soul-betraying spirit of persecution feel the stroak and woe and misery and plagues and Vials double filled of the wrath of the Almighty shall come upon the head and crown of thee thou subtle Serpent but I have pity and bowels of mercy towards all mankind whom I have Created saith the Lord and I will wait yet a little longer for the return of the captivated ones that I may shew mercy unto them that do look unto me from the ends of the earth and be saved and that I may shew compassion unto ten thousand times ten thousands of those that do return at my reproof and come unto me by true and unseigned repentance yea a numberlesse number that I may be exceeding good and gracious unto them as I have been unto thousands that are already come home unto me by my true and everlasting Light saith the Creator of mankind And now all you that do own and obey Gods Special Warrant the Light which he hath sent forth into your own hearts and consciences you are all required to wait low in it to see what you are to be armed with and then to receive it in the Light and put it on then you are still to wait and to keep low to hear the voyce of the meek soul-saving Spirit and then to obey and meekly to follow him who is the Captain of our salvation and then you will see how you are to war and fight against the foes of your own house in every particular and that not without hope of overcoming and so as you put off the works of darknesse put on hope for an Helmet and faith and love for your brest-plate and your shield and let righteousnesse be your covering and keep low in the patience and let your feet be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace and put on therefore as the Elect of God bowels of mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind meeknesse long-suffering forbearing one another forgiving one another If any man hath a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye and above all these things put on Charity which is the bond of perfection and so take unto you the whole Armour of God and hold fast the sword of the Spirit which is the power and word of God that so you may be able to quenoh the fiery darts of the enemy and through the strength of your Armour and sharpnesse of your weapons and through the word of God and his grace and the word of patience or the opperation of his power to effect the work in you you may be made victorious in the end of