Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	good_a	king_n	prince_n	3,500	5	5.4628	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61823	A sermon preach'd before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, aldermen and livery-men of the city of London, in the parish-church of St. Lawrence-Jewry, on the feast of St. Michael 1693 at the election of the Lord Mayor for the year ensuing / by William Strengfellow ...	Strengfellow, William.	1693 (1693)	Wing S5961; ESTC R33814	14,200	30

by Smiles and Frowns Promises and Threats and a hundred other methods too mysterious for me to pry into to make each their own Party the most numerous With what monstrous rudeness and scurrility do they not only treat each other but even the sage Candidates for the Magistracy themselves Insomuch that to put any one in nomination on one side is in effect nothing less than to expose him openly to all the opprobrious taunts and sarcastick Invectives the direful Slanders and infamous Libels that either Wit or Malice can invent on the other And all this for the sake of a momentous Victory forsooth the gaining of one the preference out of four or five who at the same time are probably all unexceptionable Men and very worthy to fill the Chair These and such other unseemly unchristian and even inhumane methods of competition I cannot but think are those accursed things that mainly serve exceedingly to Eclipse the common felicity of this Renowned Corporation The ferment of dissention is often rais'd so high upon one of these days that it cann't be quite allay'd the whole year round And thus the Body-Politick being never thoroughly clear'd its distemper returns and perhaps with a double violence like a lurking Ague at its wonted Season You 'l say perhaps these are baneful and Epidemical Evils indeed but what course can be taken that 's likely to remedy them That 's a Question too hard for me to Answer And therefore I chuse rather to leave nay most earnestly to recommend it to the mature deliberation of those amongst you whose Authority and Influence makes 'em most capable of doing it to resolve upon some such Expedients as may most effectually prevent 'em for the time to come However that I may not quite dismiss this Argument without some testimony of my hearty good will to so desirable an end accept the offer of my poor Mite towards it in the Fifth and last place V. In a few words of Advice or Exhortation 1. To the Competitors for 2. To the Electors to And 3. To him who shall be instated in the chief Seat of Magistracy for the Year ensuing To those of you who shall be put in Competition for this Post of Eminence give me leave most affectionately to recommend an unfeigned Love a fraternal Kindness and an inoffensive Conduct towards one another Remember 't is one of the best assurances you can give the Publick of your real desert of the Honour you are in nomination for to shew a generous disdain of all little Tricks circumventing Artifices or unwarrantable means for the attaining of it Be so far your selves from approving of conniving at or being active in the Calumniating the Libelling or bespattering of one anothers Reputation as to discountenance it all you possibly can in others Have a care of betraying any such over-forward inclination for your own Promotion as is not fairly consistent with both the Rules of decency and the best interest of that whole Community of which you are Members And chuse rather with the true * 1 King 3.26 Mother to resign the Child to the doubtful nurture of the contentious Pretender than to be willingly Accessary to its certain mine by the dividing of it To those of you who are immediately concern'd in the Election 't is my serious advice That as you have now begun the solemnity of the day you 'l have a special care to pursue and end it too as becometh Christian Brethren And to this effect set each one a strict watch before the door of your own Lips and let all Bitterness and Wrath and Clamour and Evil-speaking and Malice be put away far from you Let neither Zeal for a Party nor a Personal Friendship nor a secret Grudge neither Humour nor Advantage Threats nor Promises nor any other motive but the solid interest of the Government to the best of your Understandings be the Director of your Votes Consider the inestimable value of a Good Name and be not so unreasonably lavish of it at one anothers charge as hath been too too customary upon these occasions And bethink your selves what a piece of disgraceful service it is to those you wish well to to cast Dirt upon others with no other design but meerly to make them look the cleaner For 't is a sure indication that his Merit can be of no great Extent who hath no better a way to come by materials to raise the Fabrick of his own Reputation but out of the Ruins of that of another Man And finally To him who shall have the Precedence of all the rest I would importunately recommend in the first place a generous and vindictive Cognizance of all base and slanderous Indignities that shall appear to have been cast upon any of his worthy Brethren during the Competition And then a serious and impartial Reflection upon what hath been already said with respect to the business the Snares and the charge of the Illustrious Office he is himself to bear together with the Qualifications requisite to fit a Man for it Or rather I would beg leave to refer him to the Universal Conduct of his most deservedly honourable Predecessor A noble Pattern which if he duly imitates it I believe all good Men will readily conclude with me cannot fail of being by the Blessing of God Almighty very effectually conducive to the credit of Religion the Establishment of the Government the Union and Prosperity of this great City and his own Immortal Honour Now to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost the only Potentate by whom Kings reign and Princes decree Justice be all Honour and Glory World without end FINIS