Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A52177
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A friendly admonition, or, Good counsel to the Roman Catholicks in this kingdom by Martin Mason.
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Mason, Martin, fl. 1650-1676.
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1662
(1662)
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Wing M929; ESTC R15732
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4,338
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10
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for your selves how easily and how honourably might you enjoy it and till then however you may feed your selves with conceits and fancies God's peace in your Consciences will never be your portion If you attempt the Ruine of his innocent People you will be found fighting against God and engage him to make War with you and will not he be too Potent for you Surely destruction and misery without mercy will be their lot whose delight is in cruelty Therefore take warning in time and be awakened Desist from all cruel Enterprizes turn your minds to the royal Seed of God in your own Consciences and hearken to the holy dictates of God's holy Oracle in your hearts Bow in time and bend unto it lest for your disobedience you be broken by it Break off the chains of Iniquity wherewith the Enemy of your Souls doth imbondage you Wash you make you clean believe in the Light of Jesus while it is with you that he may be a Saviour to you That which condemns sin in you would overcome sin for you would you but turn at the Reproof which comes from the Spirit of the Lord in your own hearts Could you truly witness true victory over sin that would be more honourable than the conquest of a Kingdom Oh! that you would put on the holy Armour of God then would you be a royal Camp indeed an harmless holy and an honourable People It would be safer for you to seek Reconcilement with God and to live at peace with all men than seek to lord it over all men in the exercise of their Consciences towards God so would the Prayers and Tears of God's People mount up to the Throne of Mercy for you and be of greater force and efficacy with the Lord on your behalf than all your Masses are or yet poor Souls you are aware of And as for that innocent despised yet noble-minded People reproachfully called Quakers there is no evil in their hearts towards you nor towards any of the Children of men but in the integrity of their Souls they desire God may be merciful unto you who through ignorance add unto their Afflictions not knowing what you do Therefore let not your hearts be filled with prejudice against them nor your ears too open to receive nor your hearts too ready to believe mis-reports concerning them When you find them really in Rebellion against good Government do not spare them but all then I warn you in the Name of the Lord do not oppress them nor in the secret of your hearts conspire to be the ruine of them but be filled with Christian love innocency and meekness towards them for I am bold to testifie for them they are as dear unto the Lord as the apple of his eye and that Soul that troubles or persecutes them for the exercise of their Consciences to God shall feel the indignation of God And if ever the Lord suffer you for the sins of the People to make use of your Armour and be a Rod to them that are better than your selves delight not in Cruelty but love Mercy and be cloathed with Pity and Compassion towards all men when 't is in your power that you may find mercy when your work is done for you will have need of it therefore glory not in your own strength nor think not to make the Consciences of the Innocent bow unto you because their Persons are lyable to be afflicted by you for though such may suffer under you yet can their Innocency never be conquered by you for Jesus hath chosen us and we have chosen Him as our General in our holy harmless War against the Man of Sin the Mystery of Iniquity wherein our Weapons are not carnal But in the Kingdom of our Consciences neither Pope nor King shall come but Christ yet to Caesar we can give the things that are Caesars and to none but God the things that are Gods Had Charles no worser Enemies than I Charles by the Hand of Man should never die Thus have I in the integrity of my heart breathed a little of my Love unto you and laid good Counsel before you what remains but that I leave it with you and breath in secret to the Lord for you that if it be his good will and pleasure the words of sound Wisdom may take place with you and not be slighted or rejected by you Happy were it for you could you delight in Innocency and love that noble Seed in your selves which counsels you to depart from Iniquity and would have you do to all men as you would have all men do unto you so would the blessing of God be upon you his delight would be to exalt you and he would cloth you with honour in the sight of the People But if his own dear Seed in you still be under-valued and its good counsel be set at nought or slighted by you and your sins preferred above that which would overcome sin for you if instead of meekness you act with fury and madness if you think to make the Consciences of the Righteous bow unto you shame and confusion will assuredly fall upon and an ill savour you will be unto all Generations Lincoln 10th day 9th Month 1662. MARTIN MASON THE END