Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	king_n	london_n	time_n	4,294	5	3.4004	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69742	A Christian hnd [sic] sober wish for moderation by a true son of the church.	True son of the church.	1662 (1662)	Wing C3939; ESTC R9061	12,080	18

the Scripture judge in that answer of the Prophet Elisha to the King of Israel 2 Kin. 6. When that Prophet had led the great hoast of the Syrians whom God at his Prayer had smitten with blindnesse into the midst of Samaria the King of Israel asked the Prophets v. 21. My Father shall I smite them shall I smite them v. 22. And he answered Thou shalt not smit them would'st thou smite them whom thou hast taken Captive with thy sword and with thy Bowe Intimating that it were Cruelty to have done it in cold bloud to those whom he had conquered Post Acis Odiis idem qui terminus Armis When Fight is done all hate must cease And with Arms be laid down to Peace Much more where the absolute hand of God upon them had Delivered them into his power If this be not the present case as at the first I hinted I dare appeal even to these men themselves I cannot here omit one Argument which present experience hath brought in these few years of this great Revolution whereby is evidenced even to sence how unfit and improbable a way to Settlement these Violences are and are like to be by what they have already effected Hand ignota loquer I speak but what is to well known was there ever a clearer day in England then that wherein the King appeared in his return to London 29 May. 1660 Was there ever a more enlarged and Universal Testimony of satisfaction and joy then at that time Did not many several judgements and Partyes yet join emulate in their endeavours for his Majesties Restauration and Entertainment Did ever Prince offer himself to Publick view with more applause or ride walke swime and any thing with more security Did not this Sereinty continue till by the Act for establishment of the Present book of Common-Prayer and the total neglect of that His Majesties Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs 25 October 1660. all hopes were taken from those who as His Majesty therein saith had declared themselves to him To be neither Enemies to Episcopacy nor Liturgie but modesty to dosire such Alterations in either as without shaking of foundations might best allay the distempers which the Indisposition of the time and the tenderness of some mens consciences had contracted from others whose consciences were not satisfied with set forms till by so vigorous a putting in execution of the Stat. of 35. Eliz. 1. which was scarce ever made use of in fourscore years before many thousands were put in fear of Banishment for their Conscience sake till thousands were cast into Prisons onely for meeting to serve God at least as they think in a right way till Purchasers upon Publique Sales found themselves left to the mercy of those who claimed those Estates and the gracious intentions of his Majesty in his Commission issued out in favour of them made frustrate by the Commissioners not attending that Service till very many were at several times upon bare suspicion imprisoned some sent to remote Castles c. And thereby bereaved of that part of His Majesties Declaration from Breda which promised them freedome from the least endamagement in their Liberties as well as in their Lives and Estates But after that in these and other things of so general and tender concernment so great and considerable a number of the People found such disappointments of their Expectations though grounded as aforesaid Jer. 8.15 That they had looked for Peace but no good came for a time of Health and behold trouble I wish I might not too truly add After God also so failed in his just expectation from us for such his unparrallel'd Mercies that he might now say as in Isa 5.7 I looked for Judgement but behold oppression for Righteousness but behold a Cry After these uncharitable Violences against our Neighbour have been seconded with such open and universal dissolution and profanenesse against God as if we alone had taken upon us to fulfil that Prophesie of Christ Matth. 24.12 And because Iniquity shall abound the Love of many shall wax cold After all this and much more there is indeed a sad and dark Cloud arisen and which every day increaseth and hath almost overspread the face of our so late glorious Horison How are mens minds filled with all manner of Fears and Jealousies How have they broken forth according to the several apprehensions and constitutions of men in some to desperate Attempts in others to voluntary Banishment and Transplantation of themselves their Families Stock Trades c. in very many to a Stupefaction and sitting still to a giving over all manner of employments what an unheard of deadnesse is there in all manner of Trading over all the Kingdom whereof and of the Causes his Majestie takes notice in his last Declaration where he professeth That he can never think the Peace of His Dominions secure whil'st there shall be a Colour left to the Malicious and Disaffected to inflame the Minds of so many Multitudes upon the score of Conscience with despair of ever attaining any effect of His Promises for their ease His Majestie is enforced contrary to his own inclination to continue extraordinary Guards for the security of his Person who can expresse what dreadful events such Jealousies may portend no man but may in some measure guesse This I say is an Argument whereby the Truth of what was before offered by way of Reason is brought down and evidenced to Sence wherein both the Contraries being put together they do appear as clear as if written with a Sun beam so that without the inevitable decree of this Nations ruine both in Church and State be gone out from Heaven it is impossible for us to be possessed with such blindness and dementation as to forsake so plain a path for our future Peace and Settlement and to follow the other Precipice whereof every step appears already to be so dangerous and the end destructive God by almost a miracle hath put into our hands the power to provide for our future Happiness and Security and hath graciously put it into His Majesties heart to choose the better part who hath accordingly shewn in his last mentioned Declaration That he doth and shall ever think his Royal Dignity and Greatnesse much more happily and securely Founded in his own Clemency and his Subjects Love then in their Fears and his Power Wherein his Majesty not only acts according to those rules of Reason and Christianity but from his clear insight into the nature of his People who as Tacitus observes when under the Power and Conquest of the Romanes yet were only Domiti ut parean non ut Serviant Subdued to obey not to Serve The Foundation well or ill laid concerns exceedingly the whole building if there be an error or defect in the first concoction it will hardly be rectified by all that follow That will scarce attain to be a true Settlement which is founded upon the Fears Jealousies Dislike and Dissatisfactions of so very many thousands especially when grounded upon or accompanied with those things which concern that whereof no man can be Master His own Conscience whereof God only can be judge Et sic liberavi Animam meam FINIS