Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	believe_v	faith_n	law_n	5,376	5	5.2987	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93406	The picture of a new courtier drawn in conference, between, [brace] Mr. Timeserver, and Mr. Plain-heart. In which is discovered the abhominable practises and horrid hypocrisies of the Usurper, and his time-serving parasites. In which a Protector having been in part unvailed, may see himself discovered by I.S. a lover of Englands dear bought freedomes.	I. S.	1656 (1656)	Wing S42; Thomason E875_6; ESTC R206568	14,398	16

to make a Prince according to machivels rule thus you have my perswasions concerning the last thing you proposed Tim. I shall consider of what you have said and if I finde that I may be of your mind and keep my honour and profit and place under his Highnesse and let me tell you privately that I could say Amen to what you have said were it not that I love the honour and praise of men more then the honour and praise of God But I pray sir resolve me this question Whether his Highnesse may not expect better success in these his late undertakings then that which befell Strafford and the King Plain To this I answer that his successe will be the same or worse if worse can be as will appear by these following considerations First he that walks in Jeroboams sins shall partake of Jeroboams plagues secondly he knowing the judgements of God that they which doe such things are worthy of death doth not only the same but have pleasure in them which do them therefore his successe will be the same Rom 1.32 Thirdly He that judgeth and condemns an other for doing unrighteous things and he himself do the same doubtlesse he shall not escape the judgment of God Rom. 23. Fourthly if Strafford the grand master of state policy could not keep his own head upon his shoulders nor escape the hand of vengeance that God hath stretched out against Oppressors Then doubtless the Scholler will not go free Fifthly If the King which was a great student in the politicks yet could not keep himself from bowing down to the block of destruction that just reward for his unrighteous deeds from all which I conclude your Masters portion will be the same if not prevented by timely repentance Tim. Sir as to these thing I will say more when the times are altered for you know my manner is to be for any thing that is profitable although its contrary to equity and justice but we will passe to the next question Whether his Highnesse did not speak like a gracious man in reproving the last Parliament for putting their finger on their brothers conscience Plain To this I answer his tongue was like a good Samaritan but his heart like a Jew which have nothing to doe with one another he spake like a Saint but acted like a Serpent as appears in that the same man which the Parliament imprisoned for his conscience hath he imprisoned since for the same and after ten or twelve weeks restraint commanded him to be carried by his mercenarie fouldiers to Portsmouth and there snipt him and sent him to a remore Island to be kept in streight and close imprisonment yet could reprove the Parliament as confidently as if they had committed the greatest abhomination in putting their finger on their brothers conscience although he can thrust in his whole hand Tim. Sir but what end should his Highnesse have in reproving the Parliament for that which I confesse he himself hath done since Plain To this I answer first ingenerall that his own Advantage was his end more then any good to the freedome of mens consciences 2. More particularly first he knew he had dissatisfied many honest men by his first Speech and that there was none other way to draw them in but putting on his old vaile of godly pretences in speaking for liberty of Conscience and reproving them which would have infringed it Secondly that he might commend himself to the people as one that was tender of their consciences and that his large hollow heart could hold all that were godly though differing in judgment and that they need not fear to put their trust under the shaddow of his wings for he was willing to be their servant for their goods Thirdly that he might the better perswade the people that Parliaments were of little use as they might see by the actions of the last who spent their time about errours in Religion and neglected the taking away the great errour in the state Thus you have my perswasions to the last question Tim. Sir I see you are like your name viz. Plain hearted and that you are not afraid to turn your inside outward which is a thing that my soul dreads because all my beauty lyeth in the outside you would hardly believe how the news of the Protector being unvailed made my very heart shake also I must tell you I am more free to discourse in private than in publique therefore I pray at this time resolve me this question What the reason is his Highnesse put in execution that bloody Ordinance which was made in 48 against the things they call blasphemy and heresie Plain Doubtlesse you are not ignorant of the great service this Ordinance might doe your Master for it concludeth a man to be an heretick which holds that a man is not to believe more than his reason can comprehend Now this is of singular use for your Master for he that believes God called him to the government must believe more then his reason can apprehend Secondly he that believes there is a spark of honesty or christian goodnesse in the great man before mentioned must believe more than his reason can comprehend Thirdly He that believes that O.P. intends any good to these three Nations he must believe more than his reason can comprehend Fourthly He that believes England is in a better condition then it was in the dayes of the long Parliament he must believe more than his reason can comprehend Fifthly He that believes himself and his posterity are any better than slaves and meer vassals to the will of O.P. he doth believe that which he hath no reason for as you may perceive by that which fell from his own lips viz. That he had an unlimitted power till he was pleased to limmit himself in the paper which he calleth the Government which puts me in mind of an old Maxime that he which bindes may loose and he that hath power to loose can binde from which you may easily discern that our Lives Estates and Liberties depend upon his will and grace therefore he that believ●s we are any better than slaves believeth more than his reason can comprehend and therefore O. P. had need to make this Ordinance passe for good law that the people may be bound to stretch their faith beyond their reason that in so doing they may believe Cromwel to be that which indeed he is not an honest man Tim. Sir I have a word to speak on my Masters behalf and that is he is bound by his Oath to maintain all the Laws Statutes and Ordinances as well as any one of them and therefore he must maintain this before mentioned Plain Suppose that which you have said were true yet you have not acquitted your Master from being a transgressor for the act of Parliament that establisheth two shillings six pence a day for the Horsemen and ten pence a day for the foot is already broken and this is as