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	jesus_n	lord_n	11,571	5	3.7769	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32213	A declaration by the Kings Majesty, to his subjects of the Kingdomes of Scotland, England, and Ireland	England and Wales. Sovereign (1660-1685 : Charles II)	1650 (1650)	Wing C2959; ESTC R15465	5,568	17

A DECLARATION BY THE KINGS MAJESTY TO HIS SUBJECTS OF THE KINGDOMES Of SCOTLAND ENGLAND and IRELAND EDINBVRGH Printed by Evan Tyler Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty 1650. C R HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE BY THE KING HIS Majesty taking in consideration that merciful dispensation of divine providence by which he hath been recovered out of the snare of evil counsell and having attained so full perswasion amp confidence of the loialty of his people in Scotland with whom hee hath too long stood at a distance of the righteousnes of their cause as to joyn in one Covenant with them and to cast himself and his interests wholly upon God and in all matters Civil to follow the advice of his Parliament and such as shall be intrusted by them in all matters Ecclesiastick the advice of the Generall Assembly their Commissioners And being sensible of his duty to God desirous to approve himself to the consciences of all his good subjects and to stop the mouths of his and their enemies and traducers doth inreference to his former deportments and as to his resolutions for the future Declare as follows Though his Majesty as a dutiful Son be obliged to honour the memory of his Royall Father and have in estimation the person of his Mother yet doth hee desire to be deeply humbled and afflicted in spirit before God because of his Fathers hearkening to following evil counsels and his opposition to the work of Reformation and to the Solemn League Covenant by which so much of the blood of the Lords People hath been shed in these Kingdomes And for the Idolatrie of his Mother the Toleration whereof in the Kings house as it was matter of great stumbling to all the Protestant Churches so could it not but be a high provocation against him who is a jealous God visiting the sinnes of the fathers upon the Children And albeit his Majesty might extenuat his former carriage and actions in following of the advice and walking in the way of those who are opposite to the Covenant and to the work of God and might excuse his delaying to give satisfaction to the just necessary desires of the Kirk and Kingdom of Scotland from his education and age and evill counsel company and from the strange and insolent proceedings of Sectaries against his Royal Father and in reference to religion and the Ancient Government in ●he Kingdom of England to which he hath the undoubted right of Succession Yet knowing that he hath to do with God Hee doeth ingenuously acknowledge all his owne sinnes and all the sinnes of his Fathers House craving pardon and hoping for mercie and reconciliation through the blood of Jesus Christ And as be doth value the constant addresses that were made by his People to the Throne of Grace on his behalf when he stood in opposition to the work of God as a singular Testimony of long suffering patience and mercy upon the Lords part loyalty upon theirs So doth he hope and shall take it as one of the greatest tokens of their love and affection to him and to his Government that they will continue in prayer and supplication to God for him that the Lord who spared anti preserved him to this day notwithstanding of all his own guiltinesse may be at peace with him and give him to fear the Lord his God and to serve him with a perfect heart with a willing mind all the dayes of his life And his Majesty having upon full perswasion of the Iusti●● equity of all the heads articles thereof now sworn subscribed the national Covenant of the Kingdom of Scotland the solemn League and Covenant of the three Kingdoms of Scotlant England and Ireland Doth Declare that he hath not sworn subscribed these Covenants entred into the Oath of God with his people upon any sinister intention crooked design for taining his own ends but so far as humane weaknesse will permit in the truth and sinceritie of his heart and that he is firmly resolved in the Lords strength to adhere thereto to prosecute to the utmost of his power all the ends thereof in his station and calling really constantly sincerely all the dayes of his life In order to which hee doth in the first place Professe and Declare that hee wil have no enemies but the enemies of the Covenant that he wil have no friends but the friends of the Covenant And therefore as he doth now detest and abhor all Popery Superstition Idolatry together with Prelacy and all errors heresie schism and profanenes and resolves not to tolerate much lesse allow any of these in any part of his Majesties Dominions but to oppose himselfe thereto and to endeavour the extirpation thereof to the utmost of his power So doth he as a Christian Exhort and as a King Require that all such of his subjects who have stood in opposition to the Solemn League and Covenant and work of Reformation upon a pretence of Kingly interest or any other pretext whatsoever to lay down their enmity against the Cause people of God and to cease to preferre the interest of man to the interest of God which hath been one of those things that hath occasioned many troubles calamities in these Kingdoms and being insisted into will be so far from establishing of the Kings Throne that it will prove an Idol of Iealousie to provoke unto wrath him who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords The King shal alwise esteem them best servants and most Loyal Subiects who serve him seek his greatnesse in a right line of subordination-unto God giving unto God the things that are Gods and unto Cesar the things that are Cesares And resolveth not to love or countenance any who have so little Conscience and piety as to follow his intrests with a preiudice to the Gospell and the Kingdome of Jesus Christ which he looks not upon as a dutie but as flatterie and driving of self designs under a pretence of maintaining Royall Authority and greatnesse II. His Majesty being convinced in conscience of the exceeding great sinfulnesse and unlawfulnesse of that Treatie and peace made with the blody Irish Rebels who treacherously shed the blood of so many of his faithfull and Loyall Subiects in Ireland and of allowing unto them the liberty of the Popish Religion for the which he doth from his heart desire to be deeply humbled before the Lord And Iikewise considerering how many breaches have been upon their part Doth Declare the same to be voyd And that his Maiesty is absolved therefrom being truly sorry that he should have sought unto so unlawfull help for restoring of him to his Throne and resolving for the time to come rather to choose affliction then sin III. As his Majesty did in the late Treaty with his people in this kingdom agree to recall annull all Commmissions against any of his Subiects who

did adhere to the Covenant and Monarchicall Government in any of his kingdomes so doth he now Declare that by commissionating of some persons by Sea against the people of England he did not intend dammage or iniurie to his opprest and harmlesse Subiects in that kingdom who follow their trade of Merchandize in their lawfull callings but only the opposing and suppressing of those who had usurped the government and not only barre him from his just right but also exercise an arbitrary power over his people in those things which concern their persons consciences and estates And as since his coming into Scotland he hath given no Commissions against any of his Subiects in England or Ireland so he doth hereby Assure and Declare that he will give none to their preiudice or dammage and whatever shall be the wrongs of these usurpers that he will bee so farre from avenging these upon any who are free thereof by interrupting and stoping the liberty of trade and Merchandize or otherwise that he will seek their good to the utmost imploy his Royall power that they may be protected and defended against the uniust violence of all men whatsoever And albeit his Maiesty desireth to construct wel of the intentions of those in reference to his Maiesty who have been active in Counsell or Arms a-against the Covenant Yet being convinced that it doth conduce for the honour of God the good of his cause his own honour and happiness and for the peace safety of these Kingdoms that such be not imployed in places of power and trust He doth Declare that he will not imploy nor give Commissions to any such until they have not only taken or renewed the Covenant but also have given sufficient evidences of their integrity carriage and affection to the work of Reformation and shall be declared capable of trust by the Parl. of either kingdom respective And his Majesty upon the same grounds doth hereby Recall all Commissions given to any such persons conceiving all such persons will so much tender a good understanding betwixt him his Subjects and the setling and preserving a f●rm peace in these kingdoms that they wil not grudg nor repine at his Majesties resolutions and proceedings sherein much less upon discontent act any thing in a divided way unto the raising of new troubles especially since upon their pious good deportment there is a regress left unto them in manner above expressed And as his Majestie hath given satisfaction to the just and necessary desires of the Kirk and Kingdom of Scotland So doth he hereby Assure Declare that he is no lesse willing and desirous to give satisfaction to the just and necessary desires of his good subjects in England and Ireland and in token thereof if the houses of Parliament of England sitting in freedome shal think fit to present unto him the propositions of peace agreed upon by both Kingdomes he wil not only accord to the same and such alterations there anent as the Houses of Parliament in regard of the constitution of affaires and the good of his Majestie and his Kingdomes shall judge necessarie but do what is further necessarie for prosecuting the ends of the Solemn League and Covenant especially in those things which concerne the Reformation of the Church of England in Doctrine worship discipline and Government that not onely the directary of worship the Confession of Faith and Catechisme but also the propositions and directory for Church Government accorded upon by the Synod of Divines at Westminster may be setled and that the Church of England may enjoy the full libertie and freedome of all Assemblies power of Kirk censures and of all the ordinances of Jesus Christ according to the rule of his own word and that whatsoever is commanded by the God of Heaven may be diligently done for the house of the God of Heaven And what ever heretofore hath been the suggestions of some to him to render his Matie jealous of his Parl. of the servants of God yet as he hath declared that in Scotland he will hearken to their Counsell follow their advice in those things that concern that Kingdom and Kirk So doth he also Declare his firm resolution to manage the goverment of the kingdom of England by the advice of his Parl. consisting of an House of Lords of an House of Com. there and in those things that concern Religion to prefer the counsels of the Ministers of the Gospel to all other Counsels whatsoever And that al the world may see how much he tenders the safety of his people and how precious their blood is in his sight how desirous he is to recover his Crown Government in England by peaceable means as he doth esteem the service of those who first engaged in the Covenant have since that time faithfully followed the ends thereof to be duty to God Loyalty to him So is he willing in regard of others who have been involved in these late Commotions in England against Religion and Government to pass an Act of Oblivion Excepting only some few in that Nation who have bin chief obstructers of the work of Reformation and chief Authours of the change of the Government and of the murther of his Royall Father Provided that these who are to have the benefit of his Act lay down Arms and return to the obedience of their lawfull Soveraign The Committee of Estates of the Kingdom and General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland having declared so fully in what concerns the Sectaries and the present designs resolutions and acting of their Army against the kingdom of Scotland and the same Committee and Assembly having sufficiently layd open publick dangers duties both upon the right hand and upon the left It is not needful for his Majesty to adde any thing thereunto except that in those things he doth Commend Approve them that he resolves to live die with them his loyal subjects in prosecution of the ends of the Covenant And whereas that prevailing party in Eng. after all their strange usurpations and insolent actings in that land do not only keep his Maiesty from the government of that kingdom by force of Arms but also have now invaded the kingdom of Scotland who have deserved better things at their hands against whom they have no just quarrel His Matie doth therefore desire and expect that all his good subiects in Eng. who are resolve to be faithful to God and to their King according to the Covenant wil lay hold upon such an opportunity use their utmost endeavours to promove the Covenant and all the ends thereof and to recover and reestablish the ancient government of the kingdom of Engl. under which for many generations it did flourish in peace and plenty at home and in reputation abroad and priviledges of the Par. and native and just liberty of the people His Majestie desires to assure himself that there doth remain in these so much confidence of the duty to Religion their King country so many sparkles of the ancient English valour which shined so eminently in their noble ancestors as will put them on to bestir themselves for breaking the yoke of those mens oppressions from off their necks Shall men of conscience honor set religion liberties and government at so lowa rate as not rather to undergo any hazard before they be thus deprived of them wil not all generous men count any death more tolerable then to live in servitude all their dayes and wil not posterty blame those who dare attempt nothing for themselves for their children in so good a cause in such an exigent Whereas if they gather themselves take courage putting on a resolution answer able to so noble and just an enterprise they shall honour God and gain themselves the reputation of pious men worthy patriots and loyall subjects and be called the repairers of the breach by the present and succeeding generations and they may certainly promise to thēselvs a blessing from God upon so just honourable undertaking for the Lord and for his cause for their own liberties their native King country and the unvaluable good and happines of the posterity Whatever hath formerly bin his Majesties guiltines before God and the bad successe that these have had who owned his affairs whilst he stood in opposition to the work of God yet the state of the question being now altered his Majesty having obtained mercy to be on Gods side to prefer Gods interest before his own he hopes that the Lord wil be gracious and countenances his own cause in the hands of weak and sinfull instruments against all enemies whatsoever This is all that can be said by his Matie at present to these in England and Ireland at such a distance And as they shal acquit themselves at this time in the active discharge of their necessary duties so shal they be accepted before God endeared to his Maty and their names had in ramembrance throughout the World Given at our Court at Dumfermline the 16. day of August 1650. And in the second year of our Reign