Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	pure_a	religion_n	undefiled_a	1,985	5	11.7434	5	false

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