Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	grace_n	great_a	sin_n	12,671	5	4.8839	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63884	A sermon preached before the King at White-Hall November 5, 1684 / by Francis Lord Bishop of Ely ...	Turner, Francis, 1638?-1700.	1685 (1685)	Wing T3285; ESTC R1832	11,471	34

A SERMON Preached before the KING AT WHITE-HALL November 5. 1684. BY FRANCIS Lord Bishop of ELY and Almoner to His Majesty Published by His Maiesties Special Command LONDON Printed for Benj. Tooke at the Ship in S. Paul's Church-Yard M DC LXXXV ROM cap. III. ver viij And not rather as we be slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say Let us do Evil that Good may come Whose damnation is just IF ever that grievous complaint which in the foregoing Chapter S. Paul makes of the Jews might be also made of some that call themselves Christians The name of God is Blasphemed among the Gentiles through you perhaps from the time of S. Paul's writing this Epistle to the time when the fifth of November was first a Day of Note in our English Calendar neither the Jewish nor Christian story can point out a more remarkable Instance of a great scandal given to all the World than was that foul Conspiracy which gave us occasion of Celebrating this as a Festival Day yes I may safely that is truly say this was the greatest scandal on the Christian name within that compass of time from S. Paul's Preaching the Gospel of Peace to the opening of this bloudy scene there happen'd nothing like this nothing so ignominious not only to Religion and to pretences of Piety but to humane Nature it self nothing so full of black Diabolical malice For the first good Friday as I may call it was before that period of time which I set from S. Paul's Apostleship then for the other Judas's and the later Pilates that occasioned our setting apart the 30th of January for our solemn Fast they liv'd and flourisht a great while after these goodly forerunners and worthy Leaders of theirs the Powder-Traitors But what shall we say when S. Paul himself is forc't to enter his Protestation in my Text and make his appeal to all the World in a case of scandal which though never given by him yet was taken up against him by some either Jews or Judaizing Christians or Gnostick Hereticks by such men as these was the name of Christ Blasphemed among the Gentiles through him through S. Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles these striving to fasten it upon him and his fellow-helpers in the Gospel so as by consequence to fix it upon Christ himself as if it were a part of that Gospel and a piece of true Christian Divinity Preacht up as a good Principle Let us do evil that good may come of it a Principle which if granted may serve to justify any malicious wickedness nay even to glorify those that acted in the Prodigious Wickedness of this Day Now after such a Calumny as this that any should affirm this as if S. Paul had said it or did approve it what Man or what order of Men can expect or hope to escape being slanderously reported But how was this occasion taken if none were given to defame this glorious Saint and Servant of Jesus Christ and through his sides to strike at the Honour of his Master Be pleas'd to observe that Saint Paul had upon all occasions magnified the goodness of God in sending the Gospel to those who could least expect such an unspeakable Gift of a Divine Revelation since they had offended all manner of ways against the Dictates of Nature and right Reason as well as against the sufficient Grace vouchsaf't them But upon this very score does S. Paul extol the Mercy of God to them that where sin had abounded there Grace had superabounded But from this saying of His this Great saying some took advantage to raise an odious lye upon him as if he had declared himself in the case of the Pagans having the Gospel preacht to them that since the greatness of their sins did make God's mercy appear the more visibly great and glorious in sending the Gospel to such therefore it was lawful to live vicious heathenish Lives the more to illustrate the glory of that Grace in the forgiveness of such monstrous foul offences For answer to this Calumny though he can scarce afford to answer it but with indignation rejects it as a wicked slander he that in another place had shew'd so much charity as to wish himself an Anathema for his Brethren the deluded Jews on condition they might be converted yet he denounces here an Anathema upon those Slanderers who it may be suppos'd wilfully had perverted the Doctrine of Christianity their Damnation he declares is Just and Righteous if they persevere in charging not only him but his Blessed Gospel with admitting so cursed a Principle as if it were lawful to do any one known Evil though with an eye to the best and noblest Designs and with an aim at no other consequences but such as were most beneficial to the Publick nay though the Glory of God the propagating of his Gospel the setling of his Church be the studied end and intent of that one forbidden Action it must not be allowed in contemplation of all the good in the World But since the Apostle has said enough to vindicate himself that this was no Apostolical Canon of his Making but rather a Maxime from Hell and thither he sends it again I shall now consider it apart and drawing off from the particular case of S. Paul I shall proceed by these steps which will come extremely home to the case of these sinners against their own Souls whose burthen it is to be arraign'd every fifth of November First I shall shew that this Principle of doing Evil that good may come of it does indeed afford a colour though a false deceitful colour to those that do Evil to call it Good and so to go on as if they did no Evil. Secondly that this is a most unchristian heathenish Principle Let us do evil that good may come of it accordingly the Apostle has read their sentence whosoever they are that hold it their damnation is Just and still the more just their damnation as they justify the more impious Practices upon this Principle where I shall have occasion to shew how those that acted in this hellish Conspiracy proceeded upon this Principle and by consequence how justly they fell into condemnation Thirdly That it is a wicked Slander to charge any that are not guilty as if they held this Principle or proceeded upon it in their Practices Now whereas we of the Church of England do charge some others that are not of the Roman Communion and whereas we our selves are charged by some as if we also were serving Turns upon this same Principle I shall endeavour to make it appear who are and who are not slanderously Reported First I shall shew that this Principle of Doing Evil that Good may come of it does indeed afford a Colour though a false deceitful Colour to those that do Evil to call it Good and so to go on as if they did no Evil. Wo unto them that call Evil Good and Good Evil sayes the Prophet