Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	church_n	good_a	true_a	1,044	5	4.3446	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19641	Vertues common-vvealth: or The high-way to honour Wherin is discouered, that although by the disguised craft of this age, vice and hypocrisie may be concealed: yet by tyme (the triall of truth) it is most plainly reuealed. ... By Henry Crosse.	Crosse, Henry.	1603 (1603)	STC 6070.5; ESTC S105137	93,354	158

worser then Pagans Let this great dutie therefore be considered seeing thou hast store with-hold nothing that is due is not hee a caytiffe that will see his mother dye for hunger and he hath bread to relieue her if he would why the Common-wealth is thy mother euery poore Christian is thy brother wilt thou see them famisht before thy face and not succour them hauing inough Thou hast thy wealth to that end if thou couldest see it and vse it aright Neuerthelesse we see how men of good place and reckening will hide themselues in corners liue priuately onely to keepe their purses that they may be lyable to no imposition and crowde into Cities Boroughs and priuiledge places or like nonresidents rowle vp and downe from one lodging to an other to the intent that being vncertaine where to be had their states may be vnknowne and by this meanes both ouerthrowe hospitalitie defraude the Queene and Common-wealth of necessarie duties and depopulate the countrey Is it not a token of a couctous minde that men of good possessions and faire liuings should breake vp house and soiourne onely with one or two seruants that they may hoorde vp theyr rents when they are sufficientlye able to keepe a good house themselues surely it is a signe of a base condition Furthermore many wealthy Yeomen rich Farmers that are risen vp to goods inough doo tread the same path For wheras erst when they dwelt vpon their owne they kept good houses and were no small stay to the places where they liued are eyther couetous of some vaine-glorious title of gentilitie or otherwise so miserly greedie of wealth for one of the two I know not which thrust themselues in like maner into Cities Corporations and Liberties and yet holde theyr Farmes still in their owne occupying for they haue such long armes that they claspe many great liuings And also lying vpon the aduantage take Farmes ouer their neighbours heads ten yeares before their Leases be expired And what do they with these plurified liuings but place shepheards heards vnderlings and such thred bare tenants in their stockes and that at such vnreasonable rents too that the poore snakes that dwell vnder them are driuen to weake shifts to fare hardly liue barely moyle and toyle the whole yeare to scrape vp theyr rent not sauing at the yeares ende for all theyr paines scarce the price of an old Frise Ierkin for theyr Lorde knowes better then they what profit will arise and how euery thing will fall out and if hee thriue vnder him then doth hee stretch and racke it to the vttermost till at last hee bring the whole gaine into his owne bagge and so by this means can hardly beare ordinarie charges much lesse doo workes of superrerogation being kept downe so cruelly by their greedie Land lords Now these haue not onely theyr meanes brought in vnto them by the sweat of poore mens browes and sleepe in peace and securitie when others watch and labour a great blessing if rightly weighed but will closely and cunningly seeke to shift off all duties by withdrawing them into odde corners Oh that men of such abilitie should haue such Iron rustie hearts to hide their heads shut their hands and whip deuotion from their doores doo they not seeke to subuert and weaken the state as much as they can by with-holding that part of dutie required by the lawe of nature but the greedinesse of gaine causeth vnrelenting hearts for one would possesse all alone O how are men deceiued in their owne estate that being rich are yet euer poore because opinion is neuer satisfied whereas if we onely respect nature no man can be poore Natàr a enim vt ait Philoso paucis minimisque contenta nature is content with necessitie But to bring all this to a head though some bee carried with the streame of pride some with the flouds of desire some prodigall some pinching and though the couetous man gape for more more and like hell mouth neuer satisfied yet will they hide theyr plough-sores vnder the carpet of liberalitie as now and then to giue an almes against a good time as they call it to beate downe a hard opinion intimating thereby to bee good free-hearted men when all the yeare beside they scrape and clawe it from other by the excessiue prices of theyr badde commodities and by pinching them with many vncharitable gripes and yet will they hide theyr want of loue vnder Vertue and Religion and why so because it carrieth a generall good liking of all men for although many haue no religion at all nor one sparke of a vertuous man yet for all this wil they seeme to loue and embrace it intirely because of the vnspotted simplicitie they see in the true professors thereof and that chiesly because this outward shewe is some meanes to asswage the heate of sharp reprehensions and that vnder colour of this they may liue in some good report of the common sort for if they should not hide the malice within with a shewe of holinesse without but permit the rebellion to rush forth they would be hatefull to others and disquiet theyr owne peace to hold friendship therfore with the world it is expedient for them to be hypocrites and deceiuers and therefore will they performe many Christian duties and communicate with the Saints yea and crowde to the Church doore of true deuotion and both pray and vse good exercises in their families frequent Sermons yea and ride and goe six or seuen miles to heare a good Preacher are not these good things and the very properties of a true Christian yes verily but all this is but done in pollicie to mocke the world how know you that why looke into their course of life if any vaine opportunitie be offred wil theynot follow it if the wicked call to goe will they not run will they not dice carde sweare swagger and be drunke are they not vsurers extortioners proud persons and so cold in charitie that no Christian dutie can heat their loue so it is an casie thing to see their hypocrisie if a man but cast his sight vpon their conuersation And in like manner many at the end of the yeare as a charitable worke will keepe open house and set opē their gates for al the rake-hels loose vagabounds in a countrey and fill idle bellies with their flesh-pots when the poore blind lame and sicke are faine to lye in the depth of miserie without comfort helpe or succour and to what ende is this great superfluitie forsoothe to reioyce for the blessed feast of Christmas Indeede this feaste dooth bring great cause of ioy for that beeing all lost in Adam and heires of damnation are neuerthelesse by the comming of the Messias the sonne of God who tooke on him our flesh at this time of the yeare to vndergoe the wrath of his father due to vs redeemed vs from hell and made vs inheritors of heauen here is cause of ioy