Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	child_n	king_n	lord_n	2,366	5	3.6403	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07767	Meditations vpon Psal. 101. Written first in French, by Philip Mornai lord of Plessis, and by him dedicated to Henrie the fourth, the French king. And now translated into English, for the benefit of the christian reader, by T.W.; Meditations upon Psal. 101.	Mornay, Philippe de, seigneur du Plessis-Marly, 1549-1623.; T. W. (Thomas Wilcox), 1549?-1608.	1599 (1599)	STC 18146; ESTC S106486	63,180	176

Iustice whilest it moderateth the affectiōs that enlarge mercie too much because they are they that blind it and cause it sundrie times to fall vpon the wicked it I say euen that mercie I mean which was borne and bred for the good onely as on the other side it causeth that rigour to light vpon good men which was created made for the wicked alone Dauid therefore here singeth and setteth out vnto vs both the one and the other He maketh them for our sakes to accord well vpon his harpe and bringeth both the one and the other to his proper and peculiar tune them I say which in truth tend both to one end that is the glorie of God and the good of men and bring forth the like effect to wit faithfull obedience to Gods will Prou. 21.3 For sayth Salomon Mercie and Iudgement are more acceptable to God them sacrifices So that we may thence gather that they make kings as also al other mē acceptable before God And in another place hee saith Prou. 21.17 Hee that pursueth Iustice and Mercie shall find life and glorie What meaneth he by this Surely nothing els but this that a good feeling and faithfull practise of these two holy vertues will defend princes and get them glorie in this world and in the other bring thē euen to eternal life But to find out these vertues and to follow after them euen the best both men and Magistrats haue need of a good guide He onely that giueth this grace to kings that they bee kings must giue them also grace to raign aright or to rule well Wee say no man is borne an artificer much more safely may wee say that no man is borne a goodking For as it is one thing to bee borne a man and another thing to bee a good man so is it also to be born a king and to bee a goodking To God therefore hee must come And this Dauid did well see when praying for himselfe and his sonne Salomon hee saith Psal 72.1.2 O God giue thy iudgements to the king and thy righte●usnesse to the kings sonne to the end that he may iustly gouerne thy people and iudge the afflicted with equitie And Salomon saith of himselfe 1. King ● 7.8.9 O Lord I know not how to goe out or in Thy seruent is set ouer this great people giue him an vnderstanding heart to iudge rightly that he may discerne betweene good and euill otherwise who is able to gouerne this great people Verie notable and excellent doctrines are deliuered vnto vs out of these few words These vertues of which we haue spoken haue their root and resting place in goodnes and indeed cannot elsewhere be foūd And goodnesse naturally communicateth and distributeth it selfe as a grace that cannot containe it selfe within it selfe but needs must breake forth for the glorie of him that giueth it and the good of them who are partakers thereof Wherefore these royall and kingly vertues must send out their boughes and branches euen vnto the borders of the kingdome and countrey so as there may not be any though neuer so mean but in some measure more or lesse they should partake thereof One of them spreadeth out it selfe in the sinewes that so it may preserue the people and containe thē in their dutie The other spreadeth out it selfe in the veines comfortably to water the land and the people thereof with the Princes fauour And this is that same common and generall good which the Prince oweth vnto all his subiects Iustice I meane and with it peace and protection or defence also and that without difference or respect be herein framing conforming himselfe vnto God the soueraigne Lord Who maketh his sunne to shine Mat. 5.45 and his rain to fall indifferently vpon the good and the euill giuing more sometimes to the debased and afflicted than to others that are not humbled not only because they stand in more need but also because Mercie in his own nature draweth nigh vnto him that hath need thereof as Iustice likewise to him that lieth more open to outrage and violence he following herein that which is commanded Open thy mouth for the dumbe Prou. 31.8 in the cause and right of them that are appointed to destruction and herein also fashioning himselfe like vnto God Pro. 23.10 Who boweth down his head to heare him that is humbled keepeth himself continually about them that are by an afflicted spirit and watcheth ouer the harnest of the fatherlesse and preserueth the widdowes bounds But to them that are knowne for good people and found indeed to bee men of godlinesse and integritie there is another mercie there is another iustice due that is to shew vnto them Christian countenance and particular or speciall fauour to cherish them to acknowledge them for such to honour in them that grace or graces which God hath vouchsafed vnto them to honour him withall that so he might apparently distinguish them frō others that indeed are not such Euerie one should learn to put a difference betwixt the precious and the vile Psal 15. ● and to make much of them that feare the Lord. Therefore the prince much more should doe it because he should be of a more discerning spirit than other men and it is 〈◊〉 peece of his dutie to obserue and make this difference And yet wee many times see that none are more blind than they and none lesse regarded or rather more contemned than those that ●n●ai●e●tly feare God It may be we know not what it is to honour them If that be so let vs listen and learne a little To honor good men is nothing else but to sound yea if need be to send them abroad into 〈◊〉 world and by that m●●nes to stir●e vp at desire in all both to resemble them and indeed to become such But to leaue thē wrapped vp in confusion and in a masse of miserie that is nothing else but to make vice and vertue all one or rather indeed against vertue to streng thē vice vice I say which is but of too much account amongst men yea which is but too much in euerie one of vs by reason of the secret intelligences which it hath with our corrupted nature And so by this wee see second step of Gods goodnesse towards men which as it appeareth in this that he maketh them his children his deerelie beloued oues his heires and reserueth for them his treasures and distributeth freely his graces vnto them so doth it more particularly appeare as in respect of kings who though by nature they may be borne to kingdomes or by men be chosen thereto yet neuer can haue grace to be kings indeed but from him I am 1.17 From whom alone descendeth euery good gift perfect grace and who can neuer faile them indeed or euer will except it bee through iniustice neglect of dutie or other some grecuous transgression seeing it hath pleased the soueraigne Lord

deeper a reach and extend so farre as they doe wee may thereby plainely perceiue that it is no light care and charge to bee a king neither is it an art or trade casily learned to rule well And that is the reason also why in the words following Dauid telleth vs Verse 2. I will attend vnto the perfect way vntill that thou commest to me In the vprightnes of my heart I will walke in the middest of my house DAuid in his former words had made a vow touching Mercie and Iustice The things are good that all men will confesse but yet we are sure it is no easie matter to bring them to execution specially for him that is not mercifull and iust And that causeth the Prophet now to say that hee will studie and endeuour to bee such a one His meaning in them words is that he could not become a good Prince vnlesse he did first begin to be a good man rightly ruling his owne person and his priuate life that so hauing made proofe of them in that calling he might be the better assured of the practise of them when he should come into publike This lesson and doctrine in quite and cleane contrarie to the courts and courses of our age And what better proofe can we haue of it than mens deeds and words As for their deeds they are too apparant and as for their speeches they haue passed this as a customary and ordinary point yea they haue made it a prouerb or by-word as we say of an il man a good Prince Why doe not they approue of this A shrewd boy a good man if that be true And why doe they not bring vp their youths in all dissolution and naughtinesse But Gods truth teacheth vs otherwise for it is the feare of God that maketh a good man and is indeed the beginning of a Prince Whereof we may yet bee the better persuaded sith Princes as saith Salomon raigne by wisedome Pro. 8.15 and sith also that euen of that wisedome the feare of God is the very beginning Pro. 9.10 that is to say the beginning of a vertuous and wise Prince The Prince certainely by his office is the guide of his subiects He must then either know the way himselfe or at leastwise learne it or else how can hee be able to direct and guide others He is an example for them to frame their manners by and therefore vnlesse he can frame his owne well he shall doe them small good But saith the same wise Salomon Pro. 14.12 There is a way that seemeth right vnto a man but the issue thereof tendeth to death The Prince therefore both as in regard of himselfe and as in respect of his subiects also hath great need to take heed thereto and the rather because by many auocaments as if it were by by-paths he may more easily be turned aside than others And that causeth Salomon in another place to say The way of a folle is right in his owne eyes Prou. 12.15 by which also he would giue vs to vnderstand that it is not his owne opinion or iudgement that hee must beleeue and much lesse must he sticke to the opinion of other men seeing that all men are nothing els but obscurity yea the world it selfe is very darkenesse In which regard we may say that our steps are nothing else but so many stumblings yea so many fals And yet notwithstanding they are our steps still yea such as God weigheth well and examineth rightlie yea such as the Lord hath alwaies before his eyes Wherefore certainely Prou. 5.21 if other men had need much more the king must say with Dauid O Lord cause mee to know thy waies euen thy commandements to the end that mine eyes may see them Let thy word be a lanterne vnto my feet Psalm 19.8 and a light vnto my path yea to pray as hee doth in another place Ps 119. 105. Ps 119.133 Stay my feet in thy word and guide thou my steps and suffer not any iniquitie to haue dominion ouer mee Light of nature good intents in our selues other mens aduise or example will not serue here For neither are the● the way neither will they steed vs to direct vs therein No Gods law only is this way Psal 19.7 that way saith hee which restoreth the soule which giueth wisdome to the simple this was the way that made him euen then when hee as but a Sheepeheard to vnderstand more than all the aged Psa 119 99.100 and to be indeed more wise than those that had taught him Psa 119.24 Yea saith he Thy testimonies are my pleasures or pastimes thy statutes are my counsellors meaning by that manner of speech that be thought said or did nothing but he aduised with the Word first So much studied hee in this booke of the Law that God had graciously giuen for instruction to him and all other Princes And herein hee did the rather and the more diligently imploy and busie himselfe because God had commanded him and such as hee was Deut. 17.18.19 That after hee should bee set vpon the throne of his kingdome he should write out a copie of his law into a booke to the end saith hee that hee might learne to feare the Lord his God to execute his law and not to lift vp himselfe in pride aboue his brethren that so the feare of God might hold him in his dutie and within the bounds of Mercie and Iustice without declining therefrom either to the right hand or to the left without which hee could not but goe aside either to the one hand or to the other To the left as they doe which make an occupation of rigor and roughnesse that so vnder the pretext of austeritie they may obtaine with the hurt and losse of some poore and misrable people the reputation and credit to be good Iustices Concerning whom Salomon saith Be not ye iust ouer much Eccle. 7.18 For who art thou O man that wilt rule the balance more right and streit than God God I say Who hath made all things in weight number and measure To the right hand as they doe who vnder the pretext of pitie will with the hurt and hinderance of Iustice play the merciful men of whom the same Salomon sayth Many men will boast euery man of his own goodnes and mercie Prou. 20 6. but where shal one find a faithfull man But who art thou also O man that vndertakest to bee more mercifull fauourable and gentle than God God I say that is an infinite fountain of mercy God I say who of that infinit mercie of his only hath made thee hath maintainned thee and sustaineth and norisheth thee in whom by whō alone thou art and must be iust and merciful and without whom if thou suppose thy selfe to haue Iustice it is but iniurie and if thou take thy selfe to haue mercie and compassion it is but hard heartednesse and Tyrannie Neither

and flie away Yea and this shall they the sooner effect if in their deeds if in their words they detest euill and loue good and if they they themselues carrie in their faces and foreheads the marke and impression of vertue iustice mercie and such like For darknesse without doubt shall and must flie before light And euen so euil which is nothing but a priuation of good as darkenesse is of light if goodnesse once appear be established cannot hold his place nor continue or bee at all where goodnes once entreth But if it so fal out thet a Prince come to gouernment and state in an age so corrupt as ours is and hee is not able to root out euill so soone as he would or as he should this specially at the least he must aduise and look to that hee suffer it not to fall or drop vpon the more noble parts of the bodie for if they be once taken the other being ouertaken therwith no part shal be free but rather that he send it packing to the b●sest and furthest parts of the Commonweale euen as nature it selfe in a naturall and humane bodie teacheth vs expelling that which would annoy or hurt the vitals as wee say to the furthest parts that so in that care and wisedome the Prince may prouide that it bee no part either of his sence or of his life and least of all certainely of his spirit and of his soule In a word this is my meaning The Prince should not admit such corruption neither to his presence nor to his person nor to his practise and affaires nor commit vnto it his life his councell or estate for if he doe so hee hazardeth all his bodie his soule his scepter his kingdome his subiects c. And sith this is the nature of naughtinesse and sinne that if it may be but permitted to prease into presence it will conceiue hope of further accesse and entertainement mightie men must stop the passage of it and shut their pallaces gates the eies and eares of their head the power of their hands the passions and affections of their hearts and whatsoeuer else against it But this is a verie great worke indeed for a Prince or King I confesse it But the person is great that is to doe it and hee hath manie more meanes to effect it than meaner men and therefore taught his fingers to fight Psal 144.1 and made him able to ouercome all yea and to instruct all Princes present and to come For whatsoeuer things are written beforehand Rom. 15.4 art written for our learning that we thorow patience and comfort of the scriptures might haue hope What course to keep what remedie to vse specially when they haue established peace at home and abroad for the redressing and the repressing generally of all euils and particularly of such as either ciuile or forraine warres haue set on foot in the kingdome Verse 8. I will cut off sayth he betimes all the wicked of the land that I may root out of the citie of the Lord the workers of iniquitie IT is as much in effect as if he should say I will not put off from day to day neither to frame mine owne life wel nor by mine owne example to amend my people for delaies are dangerous specially of good things and occasion as wee say is bald behind and therefore good taking hold of her forelockes besides I haue no charter or patent of my life and therefore I will not deferre the doing of this good Neither will I for a long time or many yeares delay the reformation of my estate but as much as in me lyeth labour to bring it to a good condition speedily I know pother Princes are or will be of another mind and that they may alleadge for themselues many goodly clokes and colours as innouatian is dangerous feare of the people doubts and diffidences concerning the action it selfe and diuers such like But I will cast all these behind me and make no account thereof for the first is but a principle of Policie and that is as vncertain as mans braine that bred it And for the second it hath small force in it and it may bee specially standing for God that when I fear most I shall be most fauoured and followe● for he hath the hearts of men in his hand to turne them at his pleasure And as for the third concerning the action it selfe seeing mine own hart telleth me it is good and I am persuaded thereof by the truth of the Word why should I lay or suffer to lie stumbling blockes in my way Nay rather thorow Gods goodnesse and strength I will rise vp so much the more earlie and put my hand to that busines whatsoeuer may come of it This is my full and flat resolution And sith the lord by nature doth teach it me I wil thorow his assistance and grace perform it Doth not the sunne as soone as it riseth yea before it riseth driue and chase away darkenesse And then why should not I so soone as I ascend to the scepter and throne and come to the crown perform these good things Surely I will erect the throne of Iustice certainely I will establish pietie vertue shall find entertainement at my hands and I wil banish vice This did Dauid say and this did he doe also And in both these it behoueth all good kings to resemble him An excellen● enterprise and of great consequence I confesse specially in this State and Kingdome in which vice hath triumphed a long time nay in which it yet ruleth and beareth sway But yet if men will begin in time the day is long and there are many houres yet before night come Delaies in other things are not good but here they are sta●ke naught Purposes will not serue for they are but the imaginations of our mind nor promises neither because they are but bare words and vttered many times to deceiue men but practise performance is it that will glorifie God and doe good to Church Commonweale Countrey Kingdome and all The beames and streams of a vertuous Prince may make hote and comfort and that without ouerheating or discomforting of himselfe his countrey and kingdome yea they may cause vertue to bud and spring and they may nip vice in the head And why should wee doubt of it Seeing wee know that Gods graces though in priuat persons shall not yet bee vnprofitable much lesse shall they b●● without life in men that resemble his Maiestie and beare his marke vpon them His Zodiake as we may say is furnished a man may see it planted with much goodnes he is not yet at the midst of his age and if God would wee might see all things in the Kingdome and Commonweale changed into better the sores thereof strengthened and healed and that without any wound or scar the former euils softened yea almost worne out of memorie and as it were quite and cleane forgotten And though it were so that

the greatest part of a Princes life were past yet that should not hinder redresse and amendment of matters The more that hath ben neglected in former time die more should be reformed in the rest of the daies of the pilgrimage that wee are to liue Who knoweth whether God ●ati● granted life to that end That so acc●●ding to the breaches of our former y●ares our liues might bee more glorious to him and profitable to the people and our liues and our deaths to more comfortable to our selues Sure wee are of this Eccle. 5.16 that God commandeth vs to redeeme the season and rendreth this reason of it for the daies of euill And wee know this is a sure note of excellent blessing from God vpon his people they shall bring forth fruit in their age Psal 92.14 they shal be sat and flourishing And yet I meane not for all this that Princes vnwisely or without aduise shal cut off burne seare or as we say in plain Emglish without consultation run into and set open alterations and changes of state execution of iustice c. for so perhaps in seeking to settle good and to auoid euill they might fall into a mischeefe more intollerable by much than their present condition In nature we see that such a humane bodie there may be as in which all the bloud shall be so corrupted that before a man should find any good bloud therein he might if he wuld vse phlebotomie or bloud letting draw out and take away both the life the last drop together In such a case when the corruptions are so grosse ●nd infinite a skilfull Physician will vse Epicrasis as they call it or labour to bring it to a better temperature or mixture of the humours He will draw from the bodie I confesse both by diuerse meanes and at diuerse times but yet he will take no more but what is needfull and necessarie to vnburthen Nature of Which when it is discharged indeed gathereth vigorand force vnto it selfe againe and euaporateth and euacuateth by sweating and other good meanes the rest of the poyson or maligne humours and to be short doth by this gentle euacuating and sundring euil from good make good indeed at the length the verie bloud it selfe And euen so must the Prince doe in this abundance of superfluous and corrupt humors in the State or Commonweale There may bee in a kingdome sometimes such maligne influence and such store of poysonfull corruption that though the Prince would willingly purge the euill in that estate yet wanes at home and abroad plagues famines and a number such like pestilences within the bosome of the Commonweale will not suffer him to doe it If he should open a veine the spirit would depart with the bloud and the life would goe away with the strength What must he doe then Countenance euill At no hand Shall hee wincke at transgression Not so neither Shall hee disgrace and keepe backe from preferment the good and vertuous Be it and all the rest farre from him For the first is to commit sinne with a high hand Deut. 29.20 and the Lord will not be mercifull to such The second is to suffer it to get a head and when it is once aloft it will hardly or not at all bee beaten downe And the third is to wound yea to breake the hearts of the faithfull who the more they bee discouraged the more doe the wicked preuaile What then He must as hee may take away from the wicked and vngodlie all their gouernement and autharitie for they are not men meet for it because it being a holie and a heauenlie thing it must haue men to exercise it that do in some sort sort with the nature thereof On the other side hee must raise vp good people from vnder their yoke and burthen hee must deuide amongst them his fauour his authorities his offices for they only are both worthie of them and fit for them because God and not man by shedding his graces into their hearts hath made them meet therfo●e This if they would doe they should in a small time see by this discretion and thorow Gods blessing vpon their care a conuersion or turning of their State without any subuersion nay without any great great trouble to it or in it and a new kingdome yet without any great noueltie or change The ship of Delos so much read of and celebrated in antiquitie for lasting many yeares and ages without renewing whence got it that fame but because that so soone as a lord or planet was in danger they diligently and presently prouided another in the roome thereof And euen so if a King will amend an estate or kingdome that is deca●ed he must proceed by the same course If so soone as a dignitie state or office shall be void he be careful to haue it replenished with good and vertuous people and such as are fit for the charge hee shall within lesse than tenne yeares make all new and yet without innouation yea hee shall doe it by an encreasing that shall not bee perceiued till God make it breake forth and so shall bring backe pietie and iustice to their auncient glorie and shall beget againe in the hearts of his subiects vertue honestie loyaltie and euery good thing besides specially if euerie one in his Countrey in his Colledge in his companie in his Towne according as hee hath beene chosen by the Prince to a good place shall bring to this good worke the same good affection and shall set it forward after the selfesame maner But if on the other side hee set vp in the roome of a wicked man a wicked successor if he prouide for the place by lot as wee say or bestow it vpon him that will offer most or giue it for importunitie or for fauour then I can say no more but this The good that was done in nine moneths will bee ouerthrowne in three daies For this wee may assure our selues of an estate or a building decayeth in fewer daies than there was of yeares spent to reare it vp and establish it So true is that saying of the Philosopher It is more easie to destroy than to build Wherefore the king that wee treat of seeing hee is fallen into such a wicked age will begin his worke earely in the morning euen as soone as hee entreth so soone will hee begin because hee is persuaded that God hath aduaunced him to that end And our Sauiour commandeth First seeke the kingdome of heauen Math. 6.33 and the righteousnesse thereof and then all these things shall be giuen vnto you And hee will doe it also euen with the same hart and affection that Dauid did that is that he might purge and reforme the citie of his God and he will not doe it that he might raigne quietlie and at his ease for that is but a priuate and worldly thing and not thankes worthie but that the Lord might rule and raigne in his ●ate and Kingdome