Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	great_a	sin_n	transgression_n	3,082	5	10.1157	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17144	An apologie for religion, or an answere to an vnlearned and slanderous pamphlet intituled: Certaine articles, or forcible reasons discouering the palpable absurdities, and most notorious errors of the Protestants religion, pretended to be printed at Antwerpe 1600. By Edvvard Bulkley Doctor of Diuinitie	Bulkley, Edward, d. 1621?; Wright, Thomas, d. 1624. Certaine articles or forcible reasons.	1602 (1602)	STC 4025; ESTC S106873	145,731	186

are they then baptized for dead To picke Purgatorie pickpurse out of this place passeth my skill Here is mention made of baptisme for the dead but neither of Purgatorie nor of prayer for the dead I am not ignorant that there be sundrie expositions of this place yet I doe not remember that euer I read it expounded of Purgatorie or applied vnto it And therefore I will write no more at this present of it but wil expect a syllogisme to be made of it for the proofes of Purgatorie and then I shall further consider what to say vnto it We doe beleeue that they onely be members of that bodie whereof Christ Iesus is the head which be either triumphing with him in heauen or be fighting for him against Satan sinne and the world here vpon earth Saint Paul saith that Christ came to make peace by the blood of his crosse and to reconcile the things which are in earth and the things which are in heauen That is to say his whole vniuersall Church whereof part was alreadie in heauen and part remained behinde vpon the earth They therefore that be in Purgatorie be no members of his bodie nor are to be deliuered by him but being the Popes creatures are either by him who can at his pleasure emptie and scoure Purgatorie to be deliuered or else still in that fained fire to be tormented Neither hath true Christian charitie so much as the cursed couetousnes of Priests been the bellowes to blow that forged fire for the heating of their kitchens Now that I haue answered your reasonlesse reasons of our denying this article of Christian faith the communion of Saints I will briefly shew what is our beleefe of it We beleeue that al the Saints of God and members of the holie Catholike Church haue communion and fellowship with Iesus Christ and are partakers of all his benefits Of this communion Christ speaketh I am the vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruite Of this speaketh S. Paul God is faithfull by whom ye are called vnto the fellowship of his sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. This communion or fellowship is wrought by faith by the which Christ dwelleth in the hearts of all his elect and faithfull people and by which wee be graffed into him to receiue all grace and goodnes from him as the branch doth from the vine or stocke And we beleeue that all the faithfull and godly be knit together in loue as the Apostle speaketh whereby they are to communicate those graces and gifts which God hath bestowed vpon them to the edifiyng and helping of others in such sort as God hath appointed Yea we beleeue that all the faithfull haue communion and fellowship together in that they haue all one heauenly father one Iesus Christ their redeemer and mediatour one holy Ghost their sanctifier are iustified by one faith common to all the elect dedicated to God by one baptisme called by one Gospell to be partakers of one kingdome of glorie This is the summe of our beleefe concerning this article wherein wee would know what fault you can finde But your communion and vnion consisteth in being vnder one Pope of Rome vnder whose obedience whosoeuer is not you think he cannot be saued as is before shewed neither will you haue communion with him And therefore whereas Christianitie hath continued as I said before in Greece Russia Aethiopia Armenia and other countries amongst whom no doubt but God hath had and now hath his elect and chosen people yet you haue no communion or fellowship with them because they be not vnder your owne Pope And much lesse haue you communion with the Saints in heauen because you haue not the faith of Gods elect For did the faithfull Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and others beleeue to be deliuered from the fire of hell by the merits of Nicholas or to ascend into heauen by the blood of Thomas Becket Nay Iesus Christ is the onely mercie seate into the which the two Cherubinis did looke that is as I take it both the faithfull before his comming in the flesh and they that be after doe looke onely vpon Christ in him onely to seeke and finde mercie Now let vs see the third article of our Creed which you say we denie which is Remission of sinnes Here I beseech the Christian reader to consider who they be that denie this article containing a principall point of Christian religion and saluation whether wee or this accuser with his partners Wee beleeue that whereas wee be children of wrath vnprofitable seruants and prodigall children that haue sinned against heauen and our heauenly father and are so deeply indebted to God that wee be neuer able to make payment for the which he might iustly throw vs into the dungeon of damnation for euer wee I say beleeue that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life by whom wee haue redemption through his blood euen the forgiuenes of sinnes according to his rich grace and that our sinnes are forgiuen vs for his names sake And we beleeue that God of his great mercie in Iesus Christ doth forgiue vs not onely our sinnes but also the punishment due vnto them and which wee haue deserued by them accepting vs for vessels of his mercie and heires of his glorie Now this accuser of vs and his companions doe first beleeue that they doe make satisfaction to Gods iustice for their sinnes which is a flat deniall of the forgiuenes of our sinnes For whereas our sinnes be called debts and satisfaction is a paiment it followeth that if we doe make satisfaction for them then we neither need nor can haue forgiuenes of them For our satisfaction and Gods forgiuenes cannot stand together For euen as if I owe a man a hundreth pounds and I pay him he doth not forgiue it and if he forgiue it I doe not pay it So if we by satisfaction make paiment to God for our sinnes then hee doth not forgiue them if hee forgiue them then wee doe not make satisfaction for them Now let vs see what is the doctrine of these men concerning this their satisfaction whereby they make paiment themselues to God for their debts Bishop Fisher whom I suppose the Pope hath sainted for standing so stifly in his cause writeth hereof thus Thirdly some there be which by grace in this life haue so punished themselues for their offences that they haue made a sufficient recompence for them Againe So doth heartie weeping for sinne expell sinne and is a sufficient and iust recompence for it And againe But whereas any creature haue made due satisfaction in this life he neuer after shall suffer more paine and also is cleane out of debt and nothing after that shall euer be claimed of him Againe They be called recti corde that haue made satisfaction

AN APOLOGIE FOR RELIGION Or AN ANSWERE TO AN VNLEARNED and slanderous Pamphlet intituled Certaine Articles or forcible Reasons discouering the palpable absurdities and most notorious errors of the Protestants religion pretended to be printed at Antwerpe 1600. By EDVVARD BVLKLEY Doctor of Diuinitie Prouerb 14. 15. The foolish will beleeue euery thing but the prudent will consider his waies Lamenta 3. 40. Let vs search and trie our waies and turne againe vnto the Lord. Chrysost in Genes Hom. 5. Quocirca diuinae Scripturae vestigia sequamur neque seramus eos qui temerè quiduis blaterant i. Let vs follow the steps of the holy Scripture and not endure or abide them that rashly babble euery thing AT LONDON Printed by Felix Kingston for Arthur Iohnson and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Flower de-luce and Crowne 1602. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR THOMAS EGERTON KNIGHT LORD Keeper of the great Seale of England Chamberlaine of the Countie Palatine of Chester and one of her Maiesties most honourable priuie Councell grace and peace be multiplied WHen I consider Right Honourable the estate of England in these our daies I cannot better compare it then with the estate of the kingdome of Iudah vnder K. Iosias expressed shortly yet effectually by Sophonie the Prophet who liued and preached in that time For as then God gaue to that people that worthy and godly King who zealously rooted out Idolatrie and planted Gods true worship agreeable to his law so God in great mercy hath giuen vs our most gracious Queene Elizabeth by whose godly meanes Idolatrie hath been abolished Gods true religion and seruice restored his holy word truly and sincerely preached and peace and tranquilitie among vs long maintained And as in those daies vnder King Iosias notwithstanding that godly and zealous reformation there was great wickednes among the people as the said Sophonias sheweth For there were then which worshipped vpon the rouffes of their houses the host of heauen and which worshipped and sware by the true and onely God Iehoua and by Malcham their Idoll and such as were turned backe from after the true God and sought him not nor inquired after him and that did weare strange apparell and others that filled their masters houses with robberie and deceite and such as were frozen in their dregges and said in their hearts the Lord will neither doe good nor euill And Ierusalem was then a filthie and spoyling citie which heard not Gods voyce receiued not instruction trusted not in the Lord and drew not neere vnto her God c. Euen so how these sinnes abound at this time in this land I thinke there are but few but doe see and none that truly feareth God but doth lament To omit other sinnes here mentioned as then there were which worshipped Iehoua the onely true God and Malcham their Idoll euen so there be now not a few which to please the Prince and State pretend outwardly to like of religion established and yet inwardly in their hearts fauour Idolatrie and wicked worshippings repugnant to the same And as then many were turned backe from after God and sought him not nor inquired after him euen so now there are many which be reuolted from Gods holy worship agreeable to his word and vtterly forsake the holy assemblies where Gods word is truly preached the Sacraments are according to Christs institution rightly ministred and Gods holy name faithfully called vpon These with Lots wife looke backe vnto Sodome and are with the Israelites in heart turned backe into Egypt desiring rather to eate onions and garlike there then to feed vpon the heauenly Manna of Gods blessed word Of these thus turned backe from seeking after God they be most dangerous which being deceiued themselues endeuour by all meanes both by speaking and writing to seduce and deceiue others Such be the Seminarie Priests and Iesuites who although they be at this present time at leastwise in outward apparance at deadly fewd among themselues writing most bitterly one against another yet they all agree in resisting Gods truth seducing the simple and in labouring most earnestly to set vp againe their Dagon of the Masse fallen downe before the Arke of Christs Gospell To this end they write lewd lying and slaunderous Pamphlets wherein they traduce the truth and faithfull fauourers thereof deceiue the ignorant and confirme in error their ouer affectioned fauourers who without triall or examination ouer rashly receiue and ouer lightly beleeue whatsoeuer is broached by them Of these lying Libels there came one to my hands a yeere past and more pretended to be printed at Antwerpe 1600. wherein is boldly affirmed but faintly proued that we haue no faith nor religion that of vs both the learned and ignorant of the Greeke and Latine tongues be Infidels that wee know not what wee beleeue that we are bound in conscience both neuer to aske forgiuenes of our sinnes and also to auoide all good workes that wee make God the author of sinne and worse then the diuell These and such other shameles assertions and false slaunders when I read it came into my heart that Master Thomas Wright with whose spirit I had been acquainted was the venter of this ware In which opinion I was afterward confirmed for that both some of his fauourers could not denie it and in a written copie therof taken in a search in Shropshire and sent vnto me these two letters T.W. were set in the end of it This lewd Libell although in respect of the matter voide both of truth and learning deformed rather to be despised then earnestly answered yet because the author of it thinketh so highly of himself and so basely and contemptuously of vs giuing out in certaine written conferences which he hath dispersed abroad in this land and some faithfull men haue seene that wee be vnlearned and so giuen to worldly affaires that we bestow no time or but little in studie I although the meanest and vnmeetest of many was moued to write this answere thereby to confute these calumnies to cleere the truth to confirme the faithfull and if by Gods gracious blessing it might be to reclaime and reforme the ignorant and seduced Whereof I haue the lesse hope for that as they imitate those wicked Israelites which refused to hearken turned away their shoulder stopped their eares that they might not heare and made their hearts as an Adamant stone least they should heare the law and the words which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by his Prophets So they doe fully follow the peruerse Pagans which most obstinately refused to reade godlie bookes written by Christians as that ancient eloquent Christian Lactantius in these eloquent words declareth Non est apud me dubium Constantine Imperator Maxime quin hoc opus nostrum quo singularis ille rerum conditor huius immensi operis rector asseritur si quis attigerit ex

himselfe and not God of God So that he receiueth not his diuinitie from his father I answere that if we consider of Christ absolutely in respect of the essence he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of himselfe to whom all things doe agree which are spoken of the diuine essence by it selfe but if we consider of him in respect of his person he is not of himselfe but sonne of the father yet coëternall and coëssentiall So saith Saint Augustine Christus ad se deus dicitur ad patrem filius dicitur that is Christ in respect of himselfe is called God and in respect of the Father is called sonne Saint Basil saith that it was an vndoubted principle of diuinitie in all ages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The godhead to be begotten neither of it himselfe nor of any other but to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnbegotten And that Christ is God of himselfe I proue it thus He that is Iehoua is God of himselfe Christ is Iehoua ergo Christ is God of himselfe The first proposition cannot be denyed for God is called Iehoua because he hath his being of himselfe and all others haue their being of him And that Christ is Iehoua I thinke you will not deny and if you doe it may easily be proued For he that appeared to Esaias the Prophet cap. 6. and is there called Iehoua vers 3. is said of Saint Iohn to be Christ in these words These things said Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him That which Esaias cap. 18. 13. 14. speaketh of Iehoua Saint Paul Rom. 9. 33. expoundeth of Christ The Angel that appeared to Moses in the bush is called Iehoua but Christ who is called the Angel of the couenant and the Angel of the great counsell was that Angel ergo Christ is I●houa And so consequently is God of himselfe And therefore Epiphanius whom I trust you will not terme a Puritane calleth Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of himselfe The Fathers of the Nicene councell in calling Christ God of God did thereby signifie that he is coëssentiall and of the same substance with the Father and not as you falsely affirme that he receiued his diuinitie of his Father which is in effect to make Christ no God For it is proper to God to be of himselfe The deitie is the diuine essence which is one and singular and the same wholy in the Father in the sonne and in the holy Ghost And so we acknowledge a Trinitie of persons and a vnitie of essence that is one only God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Basil c. it is manifest that the names of Father and sonne doe not signifie the essence but the proprieties of the persons So Damascene saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The deitie signifieth the nature or essence the word Father the person And the essence is wholy in the Father wholy in the sonne and wholy in the holy Ghost as euen your great Master of the sentences Peter Lumbard confesseth so that the Father is God of himselfe the Sonne God of himselfe the holy Ghost God of himselfe and yet not three Gods but one true and immortall God And therefore with Athanasius wee worship a vnitie in Trinitie and Trinitie in vnitie The fift article which you say those whom you disdainfully call Puritaines doe deny is the descension of Christ into Hell Can you shew and name any such puritanes which omit this article either in rehearsing it or in expounding it as you haue done the second commaundement of God I am sure you cannot Why doe you then say that they deny it forsooth because they receiue not your exposition of it to wit that Christ descended in soule to Hell and was there as long as his body was in the graue and there harrowed Hell and deliuered thence the patriarkes and all iust men there houlden in bondage vnto his death as your Rhemists write And doe all that receiue not this exposition deny this article Then did your owne Doctor Durand deny this article who held and published in writing that Christs soule did not in respect of the substance and essence thereof but by effect efficacy and operation descend into Hell Then did Iohn Picus that learned Earle of Mirandula and Cardinall Caietane whom the Pope sent into Germanie to suppresse Luther deny this article who concurre and agree with Durand yea I might say that then either Saint Cyprian or Ruffin denyed this article who expoundeth it of Christs buriall But you say that these nameles Puritans defend that Christ suffered the paines of Hell vpon the crosse whereby they blaspheme most horribly that sacred humanitie as if Christ had despaired of his saluation as if God had hated him and he had hated God c. I answere that this doctrine of Christs suffering the paines of Hell vpon the crosse is not so desperate as your collections thereof are false and blasphemous What desperatnes or absurditie is this that Christ our Sauior not in respect of himselfe but in that he became our suretie and tooke vpon him our debts and bare our sinnes in his bodie vpon the wood as Saint Peter saith did beare and indure in his humanitie the wrath of God and the paines and torments which our sinnes had deserued to deliuer vs from the wrath of God which we by our sinnes had prouoked and from the said paines and torments which we had merited We are not to thinke that Christ did suffer onely an externall and corpōral death for then he had shewed greater weakenes then many meere natural men haue done who with great courage and cheerefulnesse haue gone vnto death but Christ our Sauiour was in such an Agonie that his sweate was like drops of bloud trickling downe to the ground so that an Angel appeared from heauen comforting him He cryed and said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Whereby it doth euidently appeare that he suffered not onely an outward death of the body but did in his soule wrastle with the paines of Hell and beare the burden of Gods wrath dewe to our sinnes to deliuer vs from the same and to purchase the loue and mercie of God vnto vs. And when the prophet saith of him He hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was laid vpō him and with his stripes we are healed All we like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquitie of vs all Did not our Sauiour Christ heerein suffer the punishment which was due to our sinnes Saint Paul saith that Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law being made a curse for vs for it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on the tree yet Iesus Christ

righteousnes by whose stripes we are healed The blood of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne Hee hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood and made vs Kings and Priests vnto God his father As these places attribute our iustification and saluation onely to Iesus Christ and his merits so others doe detract and take the same from our workes and deseruings To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnes If it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace but if it be of workes it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke By grace ye are saued through faith and that not of your selues It is the gift of God not of workes least any man should glorie Who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his purspose and grace c. Not by the workes of righteousnes which we had done but according to his mercie he saued vs. Although this which I haue said may seeme sufficient to answere this article yet I will say something to this syllogisme To the Maior or first proposition I answere that with men wages is giuen for workes but with God whose thoughts are not as our thoughts nor waies as our waies it is otherwaies Man may do labour and seruice to man which may merit and deserue by equitie and iustice wages and reward For that there may be a proportion betweene the seruice and reward and also a benefit and commoditie commeth to him to whom the seruice is done As in this example here alleaged the Lord Deputie or some other may doe some such singular seruice in Ireland that if her Maiestie should bestow vpon him 1000. pound a yeere he might in some proportion deserue it and her Maiestie may receiue double benefit by it But can wee doe any workes that can either merit and deserue the kingdome of God or bring any benefit vnto God Dauid saith My weldoing extendeth not to thee And as S. Paul saith that all the afflictions of this present life are not worthie of the glorie that shall be shewed vnto vs so may I say that all our imperfect and stained workes are not worthie of the kingdome of God which we haue not deserued but Iesus Christ by his death and passion hath purchased for vs. Can a bond seruant by any seruices looke to deserue an earthly kingdome and can we which are bond seruants to God in respect both of creation and of redemption looke to deserue the kingdome of God Christ our Sauiour saith Doth he thanke that seruant because hee did that which was commaunded vnto him I trow not So likewise ye when ye haue done all things which are commaunded you say we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done that which was our dutie to doe If he that hath done all things which were commaunded must confesse himselfe to be an vnprofitable seruant how much more must wee confesse our selues to be vnprofitable seruants who haue both omitted many things commaunded and committed many great and grieuous sinnes prohibited So saith Hierome Si inutilis est qui fecit omnia quid de illo dicendum est qui explere non potuit .i. If hee be vnprofitable that hath done all what is to be said of him that could not fulfill all Therefore wee are not to trust in our owne merits but in Gods mercie which importeth our miserie and not worthines But for the proofe of your Minor you alleage the saying of our Sauiour Christ Call the labourers and giue them their wages I graunt that God doth giue to them that labour in his vineyard a reward which is called wages because it followeth pietie and good workes as outward wages followeth labour But that this heauenly wages is not deserued by our workes as that other is by our labour it euidently appeareth by that parable where they that had wrought but one houre receiued as much as they did which had borne the burden and heate of the day Which sheweth that this reward came of grace and not of merit and so S. Ambrose doth expound it Non labori praemium soluens sed diuitias bonitatis suae in eos quos sine operibus eligit effundens vt etiam hij qui in multo labore sudarunt nec amplius quam nouissimi acceperunt intelligant donum se gratiae non operum accepisse mercedem i. Not paying a reward vnto our labour but powring foorth the riches of his goodnes vpō them whom he hath chosen without works that they also which in great labour haue toyled and haue receiued no more then the last may know that they haue receiued a gift of grace and not a wages of workes To your other places Apocal. 20. 12. and 1. Cor. 3. 8. I say with S. Paul that God will reward euery man according to his workes but not for the merite and desert of their workes To them that continuing in well doing seeke glorie honour and immortalitie hee will giue euerlasting life and vnto them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey vnrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish vpon the soule of euery man that doth euill But you will say why is not euerlasting life the wages of good workes as euerlasting death is of euill workes and sinnes I answere that our euill workes be simply euill and being transgressions of Gods righteous law offend his infinit maiestie prouoke his infinit wrath and deserue infinit paine and punishment But our workes are not simply and perfectly good but be imperfect and are stained with the corruption of our finfull nature as I haue before declared and therefore cannot satisfie Gods infinit iustice nor pacifie his infinit anger nor deserue his infinit glorie but rather require Gods great mercie as hath been shewed And therefore Saint Paul in the sixt to the Romanes hauing said that the wages of sinne is death doth not say which had been most meete to haue been said if this pharisaicall doctrine were true the wages of good workes is eternall life but hee saith the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord as also Oecumenius doth wel obserue You confidently affirme that the Protestants who are enemies to merits shall neuer attaine to the kingdome of Heauen which is purchased by good workes and merits Where first I would aduise you to take heede that you be not brethren to those old heretikes called Hieraclitae to whom Saint Augustine doth ascribe this as an heresie that they denied infants to appertaine to the kingdome of Heauen because they had no merits His words bee these Hieraclitae ad regnum coelorum non pertinere paruulos dicunt quia non sunt eis vlla merita certaminis quo vitia superentur i. The Hieraclites say that infants