Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	great_a	heaven_n	know_v	2,359	5	3.7515	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85583	Great Brittans ruine plotted by seven sorts of men; discoved [sic] and counter plotted: in which is contained a probable way for the happy and peaceable composing of all the distempers of the time, with articles for the finding out of scandalous ministers. commended in a letter to a friend, and now recommended to the Honourable Parliaments consideration. By a true-hearted well-wisher to great Brittanes happinesse.	True-hearted well-wisher to Great Brittanes happinesse.	1642 (1642)	Wing G1669; Thomason E134_31; ESTC R9186	13,456	33

reformation be eminent and well noted in the World In an assembly or Synod thus constituted me thinkes Sir it would doe well to have the Doctrine of the Church well determined and explaned so that in matter of Doctrine wee might consent with all Protestant Churches and if it were possible that an agreement might bee laboured for betwixt us and the Southern and Eastern Churches and al Churches to be accounted Christian which shall be found to agree in matter of Doctrine who knowes but the singular industry and wisdome of such a well constituted assembly may fetch in the Asian African European and American Churches into greater unitie and brotherly correspondencie and haply to the incredible strength of the Christian party against all the sworne enemies of Christ Jesus Nay who can tell but that such a reconciliation wrought in matter of doctrine may be a speciall meanes to undermine the walls of Babylon to bring under the Mahumetan and to render the Lord Christ as a more acceptable Messias to his old and forsaken people the Jews But now Sir I cannot but pause being transported with such high thoughts and designes but are not wee the tools and instruments to serve divine providence Doth not Creation Redemption the constant benignitie of Gods providence engage us to serve God in his highest and greatest ends Is there any part of the World where God hath ground better furnished with men of parts Learning Tongues Arts Sciences brave and Noble Resolutions Ancient and Renowned Valour and Honourable Atchievements then in these British Isles Hath God so honoured and qualified Great Britain with such sufficiencie and eminencie in all things And shall not Great Britain reach out its Vertues to serve her Lord and Master in his greatest and highest Designes Well Sir Let us not bee discouraged let us do quantum in nobis for our God hath often honoured himselfe by the weakest Instruments Secondly I desire the old boundaries and meeres between actions necessary and indifferent may be searched out well viewed restored and determined the losse of Meere stones oftentimes occasioneth quarrels betwixt neerest Neighbours and dearest Friends for many hundred yeeres by-past the Meer-stones betwixt necessity and indifferency have beene for the most part lost and buried under ground so that necessity hath encroached upon indifferencie or indifferencie upon necessitie Heavens help us in this for in earth wee could never find for many hundred yeers men of such moderate and temperate spirits as would allow necessitie and indifferencie their owne without wrong to the one side Sir I professe I would not have God to lose one foot of his own ground nor the Conscience its Christian privilege neither yet the Magistrate the least due that God allows him only I could wish it well determined in a competent and impartiall Church Assembly First whether the Conscience be tyed to obedience in any thing but what God requires in his Word by way of precept or naturall and necessary inference and whether it be fit to strain an inference too far and too curiously Secondly whether all things be not indifferent wherein the Scripture hath not determined and the Conscience free to use them or refuse Thirdly whether the libertie of Conscience in indifferent things was not purchased by Christ Fourthly If it be the Churches priviledge what man or civill Magistrate hath power to take away my priviledge by Christ without my own consent testified by my selfe or others trusted in my behalfe Fifthly whether a Nationall Synod after the Church is well purged be not a fit way to conclude our libertie in indifferent actions especially there being some to represent the people haply a Committee of the House of Commons assisting in the Worke for the finding out of the bounds of indifferent actions and the prescribing Laws concerning them Sixthly whether any such assembly may make any Law for indifferent actions but with a Protestation of Revocation upon inconveniences observed and generall scandals Seventhly whether charitie be not as necessary together with other generall Rules Phil. 4.8 and as order or subjection to Magistracie and how these can be all managed without crossing or violence to some side But now mee thinks whiles I looke into the Arke I cannot but tremble and cry out with the Apostle O the depth these are arcana Ecclesiae or fitter for a well constituted Synod then for any particular or private person to search into them neither are they fit to be discussed in such a Synod without singular moderation charitie humilitie profound judgement and integritie And now Sir I have done with my second Myne which being well wrought will blow up many of the above-named Conspirators Only Sir Let us encourage the work to the utmost for the reconciliation of all Christians in matter of doctrine who knows but that God Great Britains Lord will account the Indies too mean a recompence for her faithfulnesse in erecting the Kingdome of Christ through the World and making the light of the Gospel more glorious Sure I am the opportunitie for the West Indies is fairer then ever for my part I dare undertake to cleere it and for neerer Kingdomes who knows but they may say to us as those in the Prophecie of Zacharie Wee will goe with you for God is with you Thirdly A good frame of Church-government which may represent the new Jerusalem comming downe from Heaven wherein the Lambe may bee the light and that unerring Truth of Gods Word the only Rule whereby to work this frame of building Sir I am confident wee shall never be free from scandalous Ministers Arminians Innovators and Popish Protestants till a new frame of Government be determined which may more certainly finde out discover and suppresse the Enemies of God and his Church then this of ours Sir my meaning is not to assigne any particular forme or way for Church-government that is fitter for a Nationall Synod then my self only into your bosome I dare vent my conceit in some generals I wish the three severall Governments to be well surveyed the Episcopall the Presbyteriall and the Independent ways in New England to refine them all in a Church Assembly And wherein all or any of them may conforme us more neerly to the Word and sute with the disposition and necessitie of our church so much Sir desire we may follow in any one or all of them but where these severall Governments or any of them do crosse the Word and are inconsistent with the present and distracted condition of our Church I humbly pray to God Almighty they may be reprobate so that Christ only may rule in his Church according to his commission from his Father Sir I believe you will find upon the examination of the three severall Governments some thing worthy of admiration and imitation in every one of them None of the three Governments but may have their severall defects or superfluities one out of all would doe well yet so as nothing be taken but

of the seven viz. the scandalous Minister the innovating Prelate with his Officer together with the rigid Arminian be well disciplined you shall observe the other foure the corrupt Magistrate the professed Papist the popish Protestant and the Libertine presently brought in by the power of the Gospel and if it please his Majesty with the Parlament to plant in the rooms of the scādalous Ministers and Arminians approved ministers for doctrine and life it would be a true piece of policie beyond the Bishop-craft practised in these later times for the advancing of their Hierarchie And if it so please the wisdome of the State to bestow the Lands and Impropriations belonging to the Bishops and great Churches besides what shall be thought fit to settle on the Crown upon Ministers conscientious industrious able and learned where meanes is most wanting to make some provision for Ministers widdowes and children as they doe in the French Churches to maintain Schollers in the Universitie and enlarge Schoole-masters allowance I dare confidently undertake that learning would not bee discouraged but the present generation would pray and posterity for ever would rise up to praise God for such a blessed King and such a happie Parliament In the meane time Sir Three discouragements whisper in my eares all pretending that this alteration is not safe nor fecible Ob. 1 First if Ecclesiastical government be altered why may not the civil also be desired to be altered upon the same terms Ans First there is more general grief and desire of alteration in the Ecclesiastical government then in the Civil Secondly the conscience is more concerned in the one then in the other the purse is pinched in the one the conscience in the other examine this wel you shall find something worth notice Thirdly the Scripture seemes to prescribe more for Ecclesiasticall government then Civill leaving all Nations to libertie for their severall lawes provided none crosse his own eternall commands Ob. Secondly doth not reason require a levell in the Commonwealth as wel as a parity in Ecclesiasticall dignities Ans I am confident no moderate wise man would desire such a levell as to have all Ecclesiasticall grounds ly in a flat high Mountaines are fitter for barren Wales then fruitfull England little hils doe not disparage the most fruitfull grounds If some Minister have one some two some three hundred pounds per annum haply more such hills will not bee complained of only let the Mountains be throwne into the Seas I meane the greater promotions then shall the little hils skip like lambs when the World is more equally divided one graine of faith may remove these Mountaines into the middest of the Sea Ob. 2 Secondly the Church may bee called the younger sister of the common-wealth there was a Common-wealth in Israel before the Priesthood of Levie Commonwealths were before Apostles Pastors or Teachers seniority usually gives dignitie though Rachell the younger sister was faire and more admired by Jacob yet Leah the elder sister was preferred for it was the custome of the Countrey said Laban Thirdly much advantage may come by levelling the Church but unconceiveable mischief by levelling the Common-wealth sandie Hills may be easily levelled high stonie Rocks cannot without difficultie Verbum sapienti Ob. 3 Thirdly the King will not easily consent Ans Sir I fear it not never was better King upon the Throne then our gratious Soveraigne never any more deepely engaged to maintain Episcopacie but I am confident that God who hath given him a gratious heart will give him a discerning spirit to see the evil consequences of degenerate Episcopacie by the cleere information of his great Counsell Sir excuse me for that my Remora hath stayed my ship a little longer among the projectors then I did intend I will now come to the principles by which they have wrought First no ceremony no Bishop no Bishop no King a principle it is true which it may bee pleased the palate of a wise man but as it hath beene used and applyed it hath opened a gap to destruction schisme ruine and danger It hath beene used as though a King could not rule without the help of a Bishop whereas Kings swayed their scepters before the Episcopal dignitie was ever knowne in the World and as like themselves as ever since and as though a Bishop could not subsist without a ceremonie whereas the Bishops of the Apostles and primitive times as they were then called had few or no ceremonies at all The further you come from Christ the Apostles and primitive times the more ceremonies you shall finde in Augustines time there were but few in comparison of after times yet he complaines of a Judaisme and multitude of ceremonies above that which is meet that in a few hundred yeers were crept into the Church I conceive the Apostles and primitive Bishops were more pious more conscientious more industrious and did more good in feeding and governing the Church of God then our late Bishops and yet they used few or no ceremonies in comparison Sir these Septemvirated conspirators if you observe have all admired this principle witnesse their inordinate zeal for the ceremonies as though there were no Religion but in the practice of these have not the laws of God I meane the expresse morall Commandements beene slighted and neglected the breaches of it easily dispenced withall The fundamentall lawes of the Kingdome shaken while these ungodly projectors have advanced their Ceremonies and Canons for my part I have ever tooke a King for a beame of the Deity cast into an angle of the Earth and that Judgment and Justice make the throne stable ruling according to Law is the greatest honour and safety of a Prince and therefore God requires by Moses that the King shall read in the book of the Law night and day there are two sorts of Lawes Gods owne Laws and the fundamentall lawes of a Kingdome or State the King is to see the execution of both these and it is most safe to preserve them with all tendernesse so that if a King have a care of these he may bee sufficienrly supported without the help either of Bishop or Ceremonie methinks it is a disparagement to the Crowne to bee supported by Bishops sure I am Solomons throne was supported by Lyons and for Ceremony to support Bishops It seemes such a sandy foundation that with a violent storme the foundation may be washed away and the whole building may easily fall Goe through all the seven sorts of men whom I have charged for the conspirators of State you shall hardly finde a man but working a great deale of trouble by vertue of this principle I will close all with crossing and thwarting of the proverb A King may be without a Bishop and an Apostles Bishop without a Ceremony The second principle that a papist is much honester then a puritan and much more to bee favoured a damnable principle according to the intention and application of it and of