Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	death_n	life_n	love_v	14,062	5	6.3866	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94076	Strong motives, or Loving and modest advice, vnto the petitioners for presbiterian government. That they endeavour not the compulsion of any in matters of religion, more then they wish others should endeavour to compell them. But with all love, lenitie, meekenesse, patience, & long-suffering to doe unto others, as they desire others should doe unto them. Whereunto is annexed the conclusion of Lieuten. Generall Cromwells letter to the House of Common tending to the same purpose.	Cromwell, Oliver, 1599-1658.	1645 (1645)	Wing S6016; Thomason E304_15; ESTC R200308	6,240	8

STRONG MOTIVES OR LOVING AND MODEST ADVICE Vnto the Petitioners for Presbiterian GOVERNMENT That they endeavour not the compulsion of any in matters of Religion more then they wish others should endeavour to compell them But with all Love Lenitie Meekenesse Patience Long-suffering to doe unto others as they desire others should doe unto them Whereunto is annexed the Conclusion of Lieuten Generall Cromwells Letter to the House of Common tending to the same purpose 2 TIM 24.25.26 But the servant of the Lord must not strive but must bee gentle towards all men apt to teach Suffering the evill instructing them with meekenesse that are contrary minded proving if God at any time will give them repentance that they may acknowledge the truth and come to amendiment out of the snare of the Devill of whom they are taken Prisoners to doe his will DEare Friends you cannot nor would not account true Religion the life and Crowne of all your Liberties and Priviledges except you may have free liberty to exercise the same according to your owne understandings and consciences as you conceive to be informed by the word of God and if so be then it will be your part to doe as you would be done unto You would not be compelled to worship God contrary to the light of your Consciences nor be withheld from worshipping him according to your Consciences How is it then that you so earnestly endeavour for such a Government as pretendeth to have a right of controlling and directing all men in matters of Gods worship and whereas you would be understood to have sound out true Religion if you will ingeniously consider you must acknowledge you have no more to prove yours to be so but that upon grounds of Scripture you are fully assured in your owne minds of the truth thereof But now I hope neither you nor Councells nor Synods have any Spirit of infallibillity you may mistake and misapply the Scriptures as well as other men may doe What reason is there or can there be then that you should be so earnest to inforce all men in this Kingdome to walke by your uncertaine rule All other consciencious people of what judgement so ever are as you are in this kind even fully assured in their owne minds upon grounds of Scripture rightly understood as they beleeve that they have found out true Religion and may upon as good grounds it may be as yours endeavour to compell you as vehemently to walke by their rules as you may compell them to walke by yours And what though you could prevaile with Authority to second your endeavours shame not your selves and kick not against pricks by endeavouring a thing so evidently unjust nor tempt a just power to do a thing so contrary to their owne Consciences and so prejudiciall to the Common Wealth And since you labour for a pute and perfect Reformation in all Christs Ordinances it would be happie for the whole Nation that you would insist principally upon his greatest undisputable Ordinance which is LOVE Love you know is the fulfilling of the whole Law the end of the Commandements is love By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples if you love one another And that you are translated from death to life if you love the brethren Yea though you speake with the tongues of men and Angels and pretend never so much zeale to all Christs Ordinances as indeed you abound in glorious language in that your Petition yet without Love you are all but as sounding Brasses and unckling Cimballs So Love is the luster and beauty of Religion Let your light therefore your Love so shine before men that they seeing your good workes may glorifie your father which is in Heaven If you have this worlds goods and see your Brother lacke how dwelleth the Love of God in you Pure Religion and undefiled before God even the father is this to visit the Fatherlesse and Widowes in their distresse and to keepe your selves unspotted of the World Will it thinke you be sufficient in the great day of the Lord to say Lord we have preached and heard and prayed and fasted and mourned and received in thy name but consider Though you could say Lord in thy name we have cast out Devills and done great miracles you know your answer aforehand Away from me I know you not For when I was an hungred you fed me not when I was naked yee clothed me not when I was sicke and in prison yee visited me not c. But how far short of these rules doe those come that will not allow their brethren a peaceable life amongst them if they but differ from them in some points of judgement if you doe conceive any one to be in an error breake not the bonds of love to bring him out of his error for you may easily mistake truth for error but love is so well knowne that you can no wise excuse the breach thereof If you would have an end of all your troubles study love though it be the only neglected unpathed and forgotten way yet is it like the poore wise man that saved the City by his wisedome for love is wise and since the loving way is the most prevalent way in all things endeavour therein to be most forward in all your purposes councells debatings or petitions and let love governe say within your selves in every thing how doth this consist with love Love is the forme of every sound mind and useth none but Just meanes to obtaine his iust desires and cannot but be displeased when Christians doe the contrary And truly Love it selfe doth much dislike that you should flatter the world into a high conceipt of the Reformation in King Edwards or Queene Elizabeths dayes when it was but a meere bustling of the Clergie to get one another out of their places by which indeed the people gained some small measure of knowledge But yet Penry Greenwood and Barrow were put to death for knowing more then the State allowed And though much better be hoped from the present Reformers yet if you consider the manyfold miseries and sufferings of Godly harmelesse people for Conscience sake even in these times and could looke upon the same with an eye of love it would make you weepe and feare the issue as well as rejoyce in the Parliaments proceedings Alas you little thinke of the manifold inconveniences that you desire for your selves in hastning your Church Government untill you have a Church to be governed Doe you know what judgement you may be of before halfe a yeare come to an end and would you willinglie be liable to compulsion or restriction to molestation or punishment for serving God according to your Consciences You know not what spirit you are of nor whose worke you are doing And did not the wisedome of Parliament prevent you would draw inevitable thraldome upon your selves your innocent brethren the posteritie and the whole Nation You are deluded with glofing language

affectation of speech and holy tearmes sophistically framed whorishly painted and artificially composed and you are causlesly affrighted with old Popish exclamations against Heresie Schisme Scandall Strange Sects Horrid blasphemous opinions Separated Assemblies illiterate Pastors boldnesse insolencie contempt of all Authority Seditious persons disturbance of the Citie unnaturall flames of division especially about Church Government in the same Kingdome betweene people and people Minister and Minister Pastor and Flocke Master and Servants Parents and Children Husbands and wives differences in opinion breeding alienation in affection It is wonderfull that in our great and victorious Army differences in opinion should have no such evill effect but the contrary as witnesseth that worthy and religious commander Lieutenant Generall Cromwell Master John Rushford in his Relation to master Speaker about taking of Bristoll certainly the reason is from the wisedome of his Excellency our most worthy and prosperous Generall in making no distinction of his Officers or Souldiers but as they are vertuous or vicious performe or neglect their dutys That true Christian love is more regarded universally in that army then any formes of worship or Church Government at all Love is the life and soule of Religion and the true mother of all unity and peace Well but I pray you observe what other mischeifes are collected to animate you to make your Petition for your present establishing of Church Government Why here lyeth the weight of all this agravation the reason of all the other exclamations and the true cause of the haste Faithfull Ministers are despised and discouraged in their Ministry Hopefull plants disheartned and terrified from the ministry Publique Assemblyes are forsaken the pretended Preachers of new Gospels cryed up Universall toleration of all opinions pleaded for beleeve it here 's matter enough indeed for if there be once graunted a freedome of speech an opening of the Presses and toleration of all Opinions and immediatly downe goeth the glory of the Clergy They will easily be proved to be no other then other men if so good their impofition of hands will not hold up their honour in the least Jure Divino is already dasht and there remaines no hope of recovery Downe also falleth their domination for why should those Clergie men who are in no more relation to God then other men but meere errable men like others assume unto themselves a power of judging and censuring of opinions doctrines and practises in matters of Religion And then also downe falls their profit for no man will henceforth thinke himselfe bound by any law of God to pay tithes any longer now under the Gospel as of old was due to Gods faithfull Ministers under the Law and so they will stand only as publique men appointed by the State to an Office of teaching and instructing the people and performing other businesse as the Parliament shall thinke meet who also may appoint to every one a compe●ent stipend sutable to his charge and carriage then it may be they will both live quietly and let others live quietly too and so the whole Nation will have rest from this intollerable oppression of a compulsive Church Government and the Parliament be freed from a continuall trouble and importunate diversion from their more important affaires But this doubtlesse would follow that the learned Clergy know better them you doe and they had rather you should know any thing then those things for you must observe that selfe deny all is more often preach't then practised by them Why doe you thinke they are such enemies to the Independents and all sorte of the Separation You imagine it is because they run into errors and damanale opinions to their soules destruction No no such thing it is only because the true Independents and separation doe all the very Pastors offices themselves renounce and disclaime all Glory in distinction from the greatest to the meanest of their Flocke and all usurped domination being but as any other men in judging of Doctrines or practices and but as the mouth or speaker of the Congregation Also they renounce all right or claime to any pay and if they want not their judgement is that they ought rather to give then to receive the difference is visible enough You may perceive your Clergie doe stand for Glory Domination Profit Our faithfull Officers doe renounce them all both in name and in deed And thus you see the cause of that masse of Clamour and exclamation and reproach which they heaped together for you in your Petition to blind your eyes wherein they prevailed to much upon your zeale to the great prejudice of your judgements for it will hardly be credited that such an understanding people as you are should be induced to petition for the establishment of any Modell of Government which you had never secne nor examined according to the word of God And was it not as improper to urge the victory at Nazeby the quick recovery of Liecester the reliefe of Taunton the Surrender of Bridgewater Shurburne Bristoll as an Argument to hasten that Government which must necessarily hasten the thraldome of most of those worthy Commanders and Souldiers whom God was pleased to honour with so many both unexpected and undeserved blessings The same hands have beene since laden with more benefits of the samr nature if that would any thing availe with you You once knew an Armie or two that hated nothing so much as Tub preachers as you too much have delighted to heare worthy men so reproached and all such Round-heads were wearied out you know also what followed certainly God and you have judged differently of that sort of people But you are to be pitied herein as being not wholly your selves in this cause you have too much relyed upon some whose pride and domination must either fall or Gods glory and the good of the Common-wealth but if you persist in such fruitlesse businesse after this timely advice your sinne will be little lesse then that of wilfullnesse In mercy therefore to your selves and tender compassion to your yet too much dispised brethren of the Separation labour by sound consideration to amend your judgements and by some proper worke of love make some amends for this your hard and unwarrantable intention against them and whilst you live love the Parliament that stopt you in your too hasty and inconsiderate pursuite thereof Little doe you imagine the benefits that would accrew to the whole Nation by generall liberty how is it possible you should judge cleerly of a thing you dare not thinke of nothing so much distracts the understanding as feare doth chiefly of your unlimitable preheminence and intolerable maintenance There is nothing more certaine then that the State shall thence receive it's greatest safty Provided it make good and pertinent Lawes against all Treason Treachery Vice and corruption of manners and withall appoint good Officers for execution of those Lawes if all peaceable people were countenanced alike by Authority and all reproach

and dispitefull language discountenanced all sorts of peaceable People could not choose but love such a Government and errors would be convinc'd by reason and demonstration in due time which is the only just and proper way for it is a sad thing that any man should suffer imprisonment or other violent dealing or punishment for error in judgement how great so ever not maintained by any act of violence you have taken but too much pleasure in observing some such dealing even in this time wherein you boast of being restored to all just liberty Make amends also in this inquire who they are that suffer in this kind and use all lawful endeavours for their deliverance and no longer give countenance to those that glory in nothing more then learning and literall abilities and yet make use of imprisonments and close imprisonments too still labour for banishments and death if the Parliament would give eare thereunto to vanquish errors O what is become of love What is become of that meekenesse plainnesse gentlenesse patience that were in our blessed Saviour his Messengers that planted and propagated the Gospel not by violence but by love Let us all henceforth abandon all violence and unkindnesse one toward another let us not strive about words or things that are needlesse disputable and obscure but let all things be done in meekenesse and lowlinesse of minde and let us watch all opportunities how to exceed in love one towards another Blessed is he whom the Lord when hee commeth shall finde so doing Courteous Reader SInce nothing is more excellent nor can be more prevalent either in Wars or any action or interprise then love concord and unitie of affection nor yet any thing more to be avoided then needdlesse differences denominations and distinctions which doe arise by diversitie of opinions chieflie in matters of Religion because they breed discord and so tend to confusion As when one saith I am Pauls another Apollos the third Cephas and the fourth Christs as if Christ were divided or Paul crucified c. Having yet some convenient roome here remaining I have thought it expedient to insert the conclusion of Lieut. Generall Cromwells Letter from the Armie because it not only keepeth an excellent Harmony with the former matter but likewise it manifesteth to the world how the persecuting partie I meane the Presbiterians and the Lawyers their Adherents unjust dealing against those whom the Episcopall partie called Round-heads and they call Independents and so not doing unto others as they would be done unto themselves THE CONCLVSION OF Lieuten Generall Cromwells Letter From the Armie to the House of Commons concerning the taking of BRISTOLL Which was contained in the Originall Letter signed by himselfe but omitted in the Printed Copy which is Authorized by the House of Commons though there was a whole Page left blanke in that sheet Whereby the World may know how both the Truth the Common-Wealth and that worthy gentleman are wronged as well as other men either by the Printer or some others PResbiterians Independents all had here the same Spirit of Faith and prayer the same presence and answer they agree here know no names of difference pitty it is it should be otherwise any where All that beleeve have the reall Vnity which is most glorious because inward and spirituall in the body and to the head As for being united in formes commonly called uniformity every Christian will for Peace sake study and doe as far as Conscience will permit And from brethren in things of the mind we looke for no cumpulsion but that of Light and reason In other things God hath put the sword into the Parliaments hands for the terrour of Evill dooers and the praise of them that doe well if any plead exemption from it he knowes not the Gospel If any would wring it out of your hands or steale it from you under what pretence so ever I hope they shall doe it without effect That God will maintaine it in your hands and direct you in the use thereof is the prayer of Your humble servant Oliver Cromwell From Bristoll this 14 th of Septemb. 1645. Printed October 1645. FJNJS