Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	king_n	law_n	people_n	8,247	5	5.1348	4	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64109	The rule and exercises of holy living. In which are described the means and instruments of obtaining every vertue, and the remedies against every vice, and considerations serving to the resisting all temptations. Together with prayers containing the whole duty of a Christian, and the parts of devotion fitted to all occasions, and furnish'd for all necessities.	Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667.; Vaughan, Robert, engraver.	1650 (1650)	Wing T371; ESTC R203748	252,635	440

the first they are to be in the order of obedience 6. Submit to the punishment and censure of the Laws and seek not to reverse their judgement by opposing but by submitting or flying or silence to passe thorow it or by it as we can and although from inferiour Jugdes we may appeal where the Law permits us yet we must sit down and rest in the judgement of the Supreme and if we be wronged let us complain to God of the injury not of the persons and he will deliver thy soul from unrighteous Judges 7. Do not believe thou hast kept the Law when thou hast suffered the punishment For although patiently to submit to the power of the sword be a part of obedience yet this is such a part as supposes another lest undone and the Law punishes not because she is as well pleased in taking vengeance as in being obeyed but because she is displeased she uses punishment as a means to secure obedience for the future or in others Therefore although in such cases the Law is satisfied and the injury and the injustice is paid for yet the sins of irreligion and scandal and disobedience to God must still be so accounted sor as to crave pardon and be washed off by repentance 8. Humane Laws are not to be broken with scandal nor at all without reason for he that does it causelesly is a despiser of the Law and undervalues the Authority For humane Laws differ from divine Laws principally in this 1. That the positive commands of a man may be broken upon smaller and more reasons then the pâ—sitive comâ—ands of God we may upon a smaller reason omit to keep any of the fasting dayes of the Church then omit to give alms to the poor onely this the reason must bear weight according to the gravity and concernment of the Law a Law in a small matter may be omitted for a small reason in a great matter not without a greater reason And 2. The negative precepts of men may cease by many instruments by contrary customs by publick disrelish by long omission but the negative precepts of God never can cease but when they are expressely abrogated by the same Authority But what those reasons are that can dispence with the command of a man a man may be his own Judge and sometimes take his proportions from his own reason and necessity sometimes from publick fame and the practise of pious and severe persons and from popular customs in which a man shall walk most safely when he does not walk alone but a spiritual man takes him by the hand 9. We must not be too forward in procuring dispensations nor use them any longer then the reason continues for which we first procured them for to be dispensed withall is an argument of natural infirmity if it be necessary but if be not it signifies an indisciplined and unmortified spirit 10. We must not be too busie in examining the prudence and unreasonablenesse of humane Laws for although we are not bound to believe them all to be the wisest yet if by enquiring into the lawfulneâ—se of them or by any other instrument we finde them to fail of that wisdom with which some others are ordained yet we must never make use of it to disparage the person of the Law-giver or to countenâ—nce any mans disobedience much lesse our own 11. Pay that reverence to the person of thy Prince of his Ministers of thy Parents and spiritual Guides which by the customs of the place thou livest in are usually paid to such persons in their several degrees that is that the highest reverence be paid to the highest person and so still in proportion and that this reverence be expressed in all the circumstances and manners of the city and nation 12. Lift not up thy hand against thy Prince or Parent upon what pretence soever but bear all personal affronts and inconveniences at their hands and seek no remedy but by patience and piety yielding and praying or absenting thy self 13 Speak not evil of the Ruler of thy people neither Curse thy Father or Mother nor revile thy spiritual Guides nor discover and lay naked their infirmities but treat them with reverence and religion and preserve their Authority sacred by esteeming their persons venerable 14. Pay tribute and customes to Princes according to the Laws and maintenance to thy Parents according to their necessity and honourable support to the Clergy according to the dignity of the work and the customs of the place 15. Remember alwayes that duty to our Superiors is not an act of commutative justice but of distributive That is although Kings and Parents and spiritual Guides are to pay a great duty to their Inferiours the duty of their several charges and government yet the good govovernment of a King and of Parents are actions of Religion as they relate to God of Piety as they relate to their people and families And although we usually call them just Princes who administer their Laws exactly to the people because the actions are in the matter of justice yet in propriety of speech they are rather to be called Pious and Religious For as he is not called a just Father that educates his children well but pious so that Prince who defends and well rules his people is Religious and does that duty for which alone he is answerable to God The consequence of which is this so far as concerns our duty If the Prince or Parent fail of their duty we must not fail of ours for we are answerable to them and to God too as being accountable to all our Superiours and so are they to theirs they are above us and God is above them Remedies against disobedience and means to endear our obedience by way of consideration 1. Consider that all authority descends from God and our Superiours bear the image of the Divine Power which God imprints on them as on an image of clay or a coin upon a lesse perfect mettal which who so defaces shall not be answerable for the losse or spoil of the materials but the effacing the Kings Image and in the same measure will God require it at our hands if we despise his authority upon whomsoever he hath imprinted it He that despiseth you despiseth me And Dathan and Abiram were said to be gathered together against the Lord. And this was S. Pauls argument for our obedience The powers that be are ordained of God 2. There is very great peace and immunity from sin in resigning our wils up to the command of others for provided that our duty to God be secured their commands are warrants to us in all things else and the case of conscience is determined if the command be evident and pressing and it is certain the action that is but indifferent and without reward if done onely upon our own choice is an act of duty and of religion and rewardable by the grace and favour of God if done in obedience to the

for these are the proper parts of willingnesse and choice 3. The understanding must yeeld obedience in general though not in the particular instance that is we must be firmly perswaded of the excellency of the obedience though we be not bound in all cases to think the particular Law to be most prudent But in this our rule is plain enough Our understanding ought to be inquisitive whether the civil constitution agree with our duty to God but we are bound to inquire no further And therefore beyond this although he who having no obligation to it as Counsellours have inquires not at all into the wisdome or reasonablenesse of the Law be not alwayes the wisest Man yet he is ever the best Subject For when he hath given up his understanding to his Prince and Prelate provided that his duty to God be secured by a precedent search hath also with the best and with all the instruments in the World secured his obedience to Man Sect. 2. Of Provision or that part of Iustice which is due from Superiours to Inferiours AS God hath imprinted his authority in several parts upon several estates of Men as Princes Parents Spiritual Guides so he hath also delegated and committed parts of his care and providence unto them that they may be instrumental in the conveying such blessings which God knowes we need and which hee intends should be the effects of Government For since GOD governes all the World as a King provides for us as a Father and is the great Guide and Conductor of our spirits as the Head of the Church and the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls they who have portions of these dignities have also their share of the administration the sum of all which is usually signified in these two words Governing and Feeding and is particularly recited in the following rules Duties of Kings and all the Supreme power as Lawgivers 1. Princes of the people and all that have Legislative power must provide useful and good Lawes for the defence of propriety for the encouragement of labour for the safeguard of their persons for determining controversies for reward of noble actions and excellent arts and rare inventions for promoting trade and enriching their people 2. In the making Lawes Princes must have regard to the publick dispositions to the affections and disaffections of the people and must not introduce a Law with publick scandal and displeasure but consider the publick benefit and the present capacity of affairs and general inclinations of mens mindes For he that enforces a Law upon a people against their first and publick apprehensions tempts them to disobedience and makes Lawes to become snares and hooks to catch the people and to enrich the treasury with the spoil and tears and curses of the Communalty and to multiply their mutiny and their sin 3. Princes must provide that the Lawes be duely executed for a good Law without execution is like an unperformed promise and therefore they must be severe exactors of accounts from their Delegates and Ministers of Justice 4. The severity of Lawes must be temper'd with dispensations pardons and remissions according as the case shall alter and new necessities be introduced or some singular accident shall happen in which the Law would be unreasonable or intolerable as to that particular And thus the people with their importunity prevailed against Saul in the case of Ionathan and obtained his pardon for breaking the Law which his Father made because his necessity forced him to taste honey and his breaking the Law in that case did promote that service whose promotion was intended by the Law 5. Princes must be Fathers of the people and provide such instances of gentlenesse ease wealth and advantages as may make mutuall confidence betweene them and must fix their security under GOD in the love of the people which therefore they must with all arts of sweetnesse remission popularity noblenesse and sincerity endeavour to secure to themselves 6. Princes must not multiply publick Oathes without great eminent and violent necessity lest the security of the King become a snare to the people and they become false when they see themselves suspected or impatient when they are violently held fast but the greater and more useful caution is upon things then upon persons and if security of Kings can be obtain'd otherwise it is better that Oathes should be the last refuge and when nothing else can be sufficient 7. Let not the people be tempted with arguments to disobey by the imposition of great and unnecessary taxes for that lost to the son of Solomon the dominion of the ten Tribes of Israel 8. Princes must in a special manner bee Guardians of Pupils and Widows not suffering their persons to be oppressed or their states imbecill'd or in any sense be exposed to the rapine of covetous persons but be provided for by just lawes and provident Judges and good Guardians ever having an ear ready open to their just complaints and a heart full of pity and one hand to support them and the other to avenge them 9. Princes must provide that the Laws may be so administred that they be truly and really an ease to the people not an instrument of vexation and therefore must be careful that the shortest and most equal wayes of trials be appointed fees moderated and intricacies and windings as much cut off as may bee lest injured persons be forced to perish under the oppression or under the Law in the injury or in the suit Laws are like Princes the best and most beloved who are most easie of accesse 10. Places of judicature ought at no hand to be sold by pious Princes who remember themselves to be Fathers of the people For they that buy the Office will sell the act and they that at any rate will be judges will not at an easie rate do justice and their bribery is lesse punishable when bribery opened the door by which they entred 11. Ancient priviledges favours customes and Acts of grace indulged by former Kings to their people must not without high reason and great necessities be revoked by their successours nor forseitures be exacted violently nor penal Laws urged rigorously nor in light cases nor Lawes be multiplied without great need nor vitious persons which are publickly and deservedly hated be kept in defiance of popular desires nor any thing that may unnecessarily make the yoke heavie and the affection light that may increase murmures and lessen charity alwayes remembring that the interest of the Prince and the People is so infolded in a mutual imbrace that they cannot be untwisted without pulling a limb off or dissolving the bands and conjunction of the whole body 12. All Princes must esteem themselves as much bound by their word by their grants by their promises as the meanest of their Subjects are by the restraint and penalty of Laws and although they are superiour to the people yet they are not superiour

our desires with submission to Gods will so also we must limit the importunity of our prayers by the moderation and term of our desires Pray for it as earnestly as you may desire it 7. Our desires must be lasting and our prayers frequent assiduous and continual not asking for a blessing once and then leaving it but daily renewing our suits and exercising our hope and faith and patience and long-suffering and Religion and resignation and self-denyal in all the degrees we shall be put to This circumstance of duty our blessed Saviour taught saying That men ought alwayes to pray and not to faint Alwayes to pray signifies the frequent doing of the duty in general but because we cannot alwayes ask several things and we also have frequent need of the same things and those are such as concern our great interest the precept comes home to this very circumstance S. Paul cals it praying witâ—oâ—t ceasing and himself in his own case gave a precedent For this cause I besought the Lord thrice and so did our blessed Lord he went thrice to God on the same errand with the same words in a short space about half a night for his time to sollicite his suit was but short and the Philippians were remembred by the Apostle their spiritual Father alwayes in every prayer of his And thus we must alwayes pray for the pardon of our sins for the assistance of Gods grace for charity for life eternal never giving over till we dye and thus also we pray for supply of great temporal needs in their several proportions in all cases being curious we do not give over out of wearinesse or impatience For God oftentimes defers to grant our suit because he loves to hear us beg it and hath a design to give us more then we ask even a satisfaction of our desires and a blessing for the very importunity 8 Let the words of our prayers be pertinent grave material not studiously many but according to our need sufficient to expresse our wants and to signifie our importunity God hears us not the sooner for our many words but much the sooner for an earnest desire to which let apt and sufficient words minister be they few or many according as it happens A long prayer and a short differ not in their capacities of being accepted for both of them take their value according to the fervency of spirit and the charity of the prayer That prayer which is short by reason of an impatient spirit or dulnesse or despite of holy things or indifferency of desires is very often criminall alwayes imperfect and that prayer which is long out of ostentation or superstition or a trifling spirit is as criminal and imperfect as the other in their several instances This rule relates to private prayer In publick our devotion is to be measured by the appointed office and we are to support our spirit with spiritual arts that our private spirit may be a part of the publick spirit be adopted into the society and blessings of the communion of Saints 9. In all formes of prayer mingle petition with thanksgiving that you may endear the present prayer and the future blessing by returning praise and thanks for what we have already received This is Saint Pauls advice Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God 10. Whatever we beg of God let us also work for it if the thing be matter of duty or a consequent to industry For God loves to blesse labour and to reward it but not to support idlenesse And therefore our blessed Saviour in his Sermons joyns watchfulness with prayer for Gods graces are but assistances not new creations of the whole habit in every instant or period of our life Reade Scriptures and then pray to GOD for understanding Pray against temptation but you must also resist the Devil and then hee will flee from you Ask of GOD competency of living but you must also work with your hands the things that are honest that ye may have to supply in time of need We can but do our endeavour and pray for blessing and then leave the successâ— with GOD and beyond this we cannot deliberate we cannot take care but so far we must 11. In all our prayers we must be carefull to attend our present work having a present minde not wandring upon impertinent things not distant from our words much lesse contrary to them and if our thoughts do at any time wander and divert upon other objects bring them back again with prudent and severe arts by all means striving to obtain a diligent a sober an untroubled and a composed spirit 12. Let your posture and gesture of body in prayers bee reverent grave and humble according to publike order or the best examples if it be in publick if it be in private either stand or kneel or lye flat upon the ground on your face in your ordinary and more solemn prayers but in extraordinary casual and ejaculatory prayers the reverence and devotion of the soul and the lifting up the eyes and hands to God with any other posture not undecent is usual and commendable for we may pray in bed on horseback every where and at all times and in all circumstances and it is well if we do so and some servants have not opportunity to pray so often as they would unlesse they supply the appetiâ—es of Religion by such accidental devotions 13. Let prayers and supplications and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and all that are in authority For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour We who must love our Neighbours as our selves must also pray for them as for our selves with this onely difâ—erence that we may enlarge in our temporal desires for Kings and pray for secular prosperity to them with more importunity then for our selves because they need more to enable their duty and government and for the interests of Religion and Justice This part of prayer is by the Apostle called intercession in which with special care we are to remember our Relatives our Family our Charge our Benefactours our Creditours not forgetting to beg pardon and charity for our Enemies and protection against them 14. Relye not on a single prayer in matters of great concernment but make it as publick as you can by obtaining of others to pray for you this being the great blessing of the communion of Saints that a prayer united is strong like a well ordered Army and God loves to be tyed fast with such cords of love and constrain'd by a holy violence 15. Every time that is not seiz'd upon by some other duty is seasonable enough for prayer but let it be performed as a solemn duty morning and evening that God may begin and end all our businesse and the out goings of the morning and evening

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