Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	father_n	miserable_a	sinner_n	16,295	5	10.6580	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53733	Truth and innocence vindicated in a survey of a discourse concerning ecclesiastical polity, and the authority of the civil magistrate over the consciences of subjects in matters of religion.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1669 (1669)	Wing O817; ESTC R14775	171,951	414

their expression of Gospel Mysteries not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth but which the Holy-Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with Spiritual As these things may and will be made evident when particulars shall be instanced in When I say these things are discovered and laid open there will be a composure possibly of those affections and disdainful thoughts which these swelling words may have moved in weak and unexperienced minds It may be also it will appear that upon a due consideration there will be little subject matter remaining to be Enacted in that Law or Act of Parliament which he moves for unless it be from that uncouth motion that men may be obliged to speak sense as well as truth seeing hitherto it hath been supposed that every Proposition that is either true or false hath a proper and determinate sense and if sense it have not it can be neither I shall only crave leave to say that as to the Doctrine which they Preach and the manner of their Preaching or the way of expressing those Doctrines or Truths which they believe and teach the Non-Conformists appeal from the rash false and invidious charge of this Author to the judgement of all learned judicious and pious men in the world and are ready to defend them against himself and whosoever he shall take to be his Patrons or his Associates before any equal competent and impartial Tribunal under Heaven It is far from me to undertake the absolute defence of any party of men or of any man because he is of any party whatever much less shall I do so of all the individual persons of any party and least of all as to all their Expressions private Opinions and peculiar ways of declaring them which too much abound among persons of all sorts I know there is no party but have weak men belonging to it nor any men amongst them but have their weaknesses failings and mistakes And if there are none such in the Churcb of England I mean those that universally comply with all the Observances at present used therein I am sure enough that there are so amongst all other parties that dissent from it But such as these are not principally intended in these aspersio●s nor would their Adversaries much rejoyce to have them known to be and esteemed of all what they are But it is others whom they aim to expose unto contempt and in the behalf of them not the mistakes misapprehensions or undue expressions of any private persons these things are pleaded But let us see if their Prayers meet with any better entertainment an Account of his thoughts about them he gives us p. 19. It is the most solemn strain of their devotion to vilifie themselves with large Confessions of the hainousest and most aggravated sins They will freely acknowledge their Offences against all the Commands and that with the foulest and most enhancing circumstances they can rake together and confess their injustice uncleanness and extortion and all the Publican and Harlot sins in the world In brief in all their Confessions they stick not to charge themselves with such large Catalogues of sin and to amass together such as heap of Impieties as would make up the compleatest character of lewdness and villany and if their Consciences do really arraign them of all those crimes whereof they so familiarly indite themselves there are no such guilty and unpardonable Wretches as they So that their Confessions are either true or false if false then they fool and trifle with the Almighty if true then I could easily tell them the fittest place to say their prayers in I confess this passage at its first perusal surprized me with some amazement It was unexpected to me that he who designed all along to charge his Adversaries with Pharisaism and to render them like unto them should instance in their Confession of Sin in their prayers when it is even a Characteristical note of the Pharisees that in their prayers they made no confession of sin at all But it was far more strange to me that any man durst undertake the reproaching of poor sinners with the deepest acknowledgement of their sins before the holy God that they are capable to conceive or utter Is this thought I the Spirit of the men with whom the Non-Conformists do contend and upon whose Instance alone they suffer Are these their Apprehensions concerning God sin themselves and others Is this the Spirit wherewith the Children of the Church are acted Are these things suited to the principles Doctrines practices of the Church of England Such reproaches and reflections indeed might have been justly expected from those poor deluded souls who dream themselves perfect and free from sin but to meet with such a Treaty from them who say or sing O God the Father of Heaven have mercy upon us miserable sinners at least three times a Week was some surprizal However I am sure the Non-Conformists need return no other answer to them who reproach them for vilifying themselves in their Confessions to God but that of David to Michal It is before the Lord and we will yet be more vile than thus and will be base in our own sight Our Author makes no small stir with the pretended censures of some whom he opposes namely that they should esteem themselves and their Party to be the Elect of God all others to be reprobates themselves and theirs to be godly and all others ungodly wherein I am satisfied that he unduely chargeth those whom he intends to reflect upon However I am none of them I do not judge any Party to be All the Elect of God or all the Elect of God to be confined unto any Party I judge no man living to be a Reprobate though I doubt not but that there are living men in that condition I confine not holiness or godliness to any Party not to the Church of England nor to any of those who dissent from it but am perswaded that in all Societies of Christians that are under Heaven that hold the head there are some really fearing God working righteousness and accepted with him But yet neither my own judgement nor the Reflections of this Author can restrain me from professing that I fear that he who can thus trample upon men scoff at and deride them for the deepest Confessions of their sins before God which they are capable of making is scarce either well acquainted with the holiness of God the evil of sin or the deceitfulness of his own heart or did not in his so doing take them into sufficient consideration The Church of England it self requires its Children to acknowledge their manifold sins and wickednesses which from time to time they have grievously committed by thought word and deed against the Divine Majesty and what in general others can confess more I know not If men that are through the light of Gods Spirit and Grace brought to an acquaintance with the deceitful workings of sin in their own hearts