Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	king_n	law_n	liberty_n	6,707	5	6.5575	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86310	Queen Esthers resolves: or, A princely pattern of heaven-born resolution, for all the lovers of God and their country: opened in a sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at the monethly fast, May 27, 1646. / By Richard Heyricke, Warden of Christs Colledge in Manchester in Lancashire, and one of the Assembly of Divines.	Heyrick, Richard, 1600-1667.	1646 (1646)	Wing H1748; Thomason E338_11; ESTC R200845	22,360	35

and considers the accidents and consequences she balanceth the beauty the excellency the glory of the enterprize together with the trouble difficulty and danger True Resolution is not an inconsiderate and rash temerity not a sencelesse and brutish stupidity this virtue cannot be without knowledge and apprehension she seriously and soberly pondreth and weigheth all things she ballanceth and poyzeth together the eminency the worthinesse of her undertaking with her strength and ability the weaknesse of her Sex nor the Majesty of her Person doth not more commend her Resolution then her wisdome in deliberating her judgement and discretion in consulting about it another circumstance that commends the Resolution In difficult and dangerous affairs in businesse of great consequence and importance the wisest they of most understanding are to use advice and councell of others two are better then one In the multitude of Councellors there is safety Non unius mens tantae molis est capax Esther consults with her Uncle a wise religious and faithfull friend a grave and advised Councellor she commends it to the whole City of Shusan they approve it they blesse it she doth not precipitately nor rashly being wedded to her own judgement conceive resolve and execute but she debates the matter she canvaseth it pro and con she puts it to the Vote thus being prepared and fortified she will not be deterr'd it is not a Lyon in the way nor a Legion of Devils though she fore-sees she must encounter with both yet she is arm'd she knows the worst she can but perish and that standing in competition with her peoples safety she regards it not Go I will unto the King which is not according to the Law The Court of Kings ought to be as the Court of Heaven equally neer and distant to every one it argues more Tyranny than Majesty to have set and standing Guards to keep out Petitioners Turkes and Persians that make it their glory to fear all may keep such Guards and Enact such Laws because they are afraid of all But Christian Princes who are to rule by Law and not by will they are to have their Courts open to all the poorest subject may have liberty to prefer his Petition a priviledge that Esther though a Queen could not have but if she would go uncal'd to the King she must run the hazzard of the Law for it was not according to the Law How far such Laws do binde I cannot determine He is no transgressor saith the Civill Law that crosseth not the mind of the Law-giver though he break the Letter of the Law and a reasonable cause as the Casuists and the Schoolmen agree ever excuseth the breaking of a humane Law I heard it very lately from the Authority of the Honourable House of Commons what Laws Ordinances or Orders soever that are against the Law of God are by the Laws of this Land null'd The observation of Laws is very commendable but when exigences are so violent when confusion hath turned all upside down when the State is disturbed when wicked men are combined when all Order is perverted then men are to look to the main chance then to sollicite the principal businesse and so much the more zealously as Esther did by how much there is lesse possibility of compassing it the ordinary way When necessity is so urgent that it makes the observing of the Laws impossible Nature Reason Laws Religion all instruct us to betake our selves to that which is most necessary Prerogative Priviledge Liberty all must be laid aside It was a reproach unto Cato he would rather suffer the Common-wealth to run into all extremity when he might have succour'd it would he have a little transgres'd the Laws and contrary wise Epaminondas is commended that in case of necessity he continued his charge beyond his time though the Law upon pain of life did prohibite it The Parliament shall ever be famous they have not onely followed presidents but made them Men may swerve from a second particular and municipall Obligation denying obedience to the Laws and Customes of the Country when they are against the first and more ancient against Universall Nature and Reason the Queen did not contemn the Law but necessity made her passe it over this way it might please God to bring forth a glorious deliverance and to make her a blessed Agent in her peoples rescue if she should miscarry she might loose some of her hopes none of her virtues the Laws deterre her not nor the greatnesse of her adversary Go she will though Haman advanceth against her Sathan when he cannot master the truth by meaner Agents he interesseth great ones Haman his name discovers his humour he was a troubler and at this time a troubler of Israel by birth an Agagite of that Nation which God cursed and with whom the Jews were to have perpetuall Hostility this was one reason why Mordecai refused to bow he would not stoop to so accursed an Enemy of God and his people Haman was incorporated a Persian whose Princes exacted more then Civill observance this was a second reason He was advanced the second in the Kingdome where he plots and contrives by a desperate and bloody Stratagem the utter ruin and destruction of the Jewish people Kings are but men their favorites often the worst of men they lye open to the envy of the people which like the Sun-beams beats alwayes most scorchingly upon rising grounds What that Prerogative is I know not that Kings cannot offend Kings sin and Kingdomes are ruin'd Esther bows low to the King but stands upright against Haman she encounters his person and is resolved either to stand by his fall or to fall if he stands this difficulty though a great one yet not the onely one the last is worst there is a seeming impossibility she must reverse the Law the last discouragement Non conveniat saith Caesar vel ullum verbum disconsonant it is that one word should passe vainly out of a Princes mouth But when laws are enacted decreed and established when signed and sealed with the Kings seal and that according to the Laws of the Medes and Persians which alter not what hope to reverse or change it set aside Principles Grounds Articles of Religion unquestionable truths and undeniable Aphorisms the Morall and Eternall Law of God Men are not to make nor may any entertain the Laws with an Oath never to change them none may vow a perpetuall marriage to their own Mandates there may be a cause for a Bill of divorce room for retractations What made these Persian Laws unalterable but the Laws themselves that power that makes may change This Esther knew this might be though there was little hope this should be but she will venter it it was for her people her Religion her God which are the Motives that moved her the last consideration that commends the Resolution Had Esther been of the ordinary temper as jolly and proud of her Majesty and beauty

Queen Esthers Resolves OR A Princely Pattern of Heaven-born RESOLVTION For all the Lovers of God and their Country OPENED IN A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE Honourable House of Commons at the Monethly Fast MAY 27. 1646. By RICHARD HEYRICKE Warden of Christs Colledge in Manchester in Lancashire and one of the Assembly of DIVINES EXOD. 32.32 Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin and if not blot me I pray thee out of thy Book which thou hast written ROM. 9.3 For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my kinsmen in the flesh JER. 3.9 They are not Valiant for the Truth upon the Earth LONDON Printed by J. Macock for LVKE FAVVNE and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the Parrot in Pauls Church-yard 1646. Die Mercurii 27 Maii 1646. ORdered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament That Colonell Moore do from this House give Thanks to Mr Heyricke for the great paines he took in the Sermon he Preached this Day at the intreaty of this House at St Margarets Westminster it being the day of publike Humiliation And to desire him to Print his Sermon And it is Ordered that none shall presume to Print his Sermon without leave under his hand writing H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. I doe appoint LUKE FAVVNE to Print this Sermon Richard Heyricke A Sermon Preached at a late Solemn Fast before the Honourable House of COMMONS May 27. 1646. ESTHER 4.16 and if I perish I perish REsolution is the life of Action a thing well resolved is more then half done Vita sine proposito languida Of all the Resolutions that I have read of I finde none parallel with nor comparable to this of Queen Esther And this will appear if you will consider the Resolution it selfe the acting or executing of this Resolution the successe and issue The Resolution had the royall stamp of Virtue and Glory the Execution of Wisdome and Courage the Successe of Wonder and Honour The Resolution did breath an Heroick Virtue the Execution a Religious Fortitude the Successe Honour and Glory 1. The Resolution is commended from the beauty the Majesty of her that resolved a Woman a Queen 2. From the preparation she makes unto it wherein we have 1. Her discreet deliberation with her selfe 2. Her wise Consultation with others 3. From the difficulties and dangers she was to encounter withall 1. She must go uncal'd to the King there she exposed her self to the penalty to the danger of the Law 2. She was to affront and confound the Minion of the Court the Favorite of the King she was to hazzard the frowns the thunder of the Kings Creature 3. She must attempt to reverse a Law of the Medes and Persians which were not to be changed to be cancel'd In the first there was evident danger in the second eminent difficulty in the third apparent impossibility but not the one nor the other nor the third not the danger not the difficulty not the Impossibility could weaken or shake her Resolution 4. This Resolution receives commendation from the Motives that invites her from the Object the end that encourageth and strengthens her to it 1. The preservation of her Country people unjustly and wickedly doom'd to ruin and destruction 2. The continuation of her Jewish Religion attempted to be corrupted extirpated 3. The Vindication of the glory of her God which would be ecclipsed blasphemed The Execution of this Resolution is commended First from the means by which she accomplisheth it they are all fair direct and Lawfull 2ly From the circumstances which accompany it they are Religious Honest and Seasonable the means proclaims her Piety to God the circumstances her policy to man The Successe and issue answerable to both these she is crowned with glory her enterprize with honour God graciously heard her prayer the King smilingly received her Person Mordecai her Uncle advanced Haman the common Enemy hanged the Jews her people rescued the confederate combined conspirators executed her Religion established Gods glory mightily exalted This is the resolution of this Resolution of which briefly by way of Explication then of Observation and Confirmation and in the close by Application The first thing that adds lustre to this Resolution was the Beauty the Majesty the Sex the quality of her that resolved Ester a Woman a Queen Admirabilior in foemina quam in viro virtus We use to admire saith Quintilian the same virtue more in women then in men whence his sentence is If we desire to beget in any the love and emulation of courage the instance of Horatius and Torquatus would not prove of so great efficacy as of that woman who with her own hand slew Pyrrhus In perswading you to true Christian resolution the instance of Cato the example of Joab cannot be so powerfull as this of Queen Esther It was a blindnesse to be pittied in Seneca that he could not see a fairer Object for God than Cato standing bolt upright in the midst of publike ruine were it lawfull to speak in his swelling language Ecce spectaculum behold a spectacle truely worthy of God not an Heathenish man desperately strugling with a private misfortune but a virtuous woman more then manfully wrestling with publike danger and destruction Behold strength in weaknesse vertue in infirmity Resolution in inconstancy strength virtue resolution in a woman Graetior est virtus veniens e corpore pulchro Nor doth her Sex cast a brighter beam on her resolution then her condition Majesty makes high the commendation Had Queen Esther been yet amongst the Virgins of the common rank within the wals of her obscure family a Captive a Stranger she had then lost much of the glory of this Sacred Resolution when Poverty and Obscurity exposeth it self to a doubtfull danger for a publike safety few observe them many stars may be Ecclipsed and few take notice of it miscarriage it self to a desperate condition is the cure of its misery what is it for hunger-starved Lepers to adventure on the Enemy If they kill us we shall but dye this is not resolution but necessity But for one without the verge of danger to interest and hazzard her self in anothers rescue is a Character of true fortitude for one preferred to the height of Majesty incompassed within the wals of strength and safety incircled with Guards and Pensioners for a Queen to expose her self in a voluntary compassion to the danger of a fall of death this blazons an Heroick spirit and proclaims a Royall goodnesse this commands amazement and admiration the sun Eclipsed all eyes are fixed upon it Nor doth her Sex and quality her beauty and Majesty more eternize her Resolution then her wisdome in the manner of resolving none are but what of necessity they cannot avoyd to commit their affairs to any contingency Esther wisely considers the nature of the businesse not onely in the superficiall and outward appearance but she penetrates into the inside she weighes

as her predecessor Vasthi how easie had it been for her to have over-looked the calamity of her people she that before neglected her Husband her Soveraign how would she have here under-valued her servants her subjects her wise Ladies would have perswaded her yea she would have said her self it had been an unnecessary anxiety to have interrupted her mirth with the thought of their misery a businesse beneath the State of a Queen to undertake the rescue of a few despised Country-men especially with the hazzard of the forfeiture of her honour the high displeasure of the King the danger of the Law the hazzard of her life the small hope of successe This certainly would have been her voyce if they perish they perish but Religious Esther she more esteemeth of her peoples safety then her own her life is bound up in theirs if they perish she could not live she would have been more miserable had she surviv'd their Misery who could desire to live when the Country is dead all owe more to their Country then to themselves this Esther knew which thus strengthned her resolution together with the preservation of her Religion a second consideration 2. Religion is the very Nerves and sinews of the Common-wealth the very heart and prime fountain of life and livelihood the Crown the glory of a Nation the beauty the strength the perfection the Spirit the soul of a Kingdome In Religion is Embarqued the publike safety when that is aimed at the danger is dreadfull the losse beyond recovery Eli's heart trembled whilst the Arke was in the field in doubtfull disputation but when he heard the Arke was taken he fell from his seat whose heart was sooner broken then his neck yet with that he dyed Happy death that made him not out-live the losse of the Arke none but Atheists that know no life but the present but they make Religion the first thing The Heathen is recorded to all ages for the laying aside his Father Wife and Children and taking the care of his Country gods few make Religion their businesse especially they that sit at the top of the wheel cloath'd in soft rayment dandled on the knee and lul'd in the bosome of soveraignty there are that will sell Paradise for Paris and will launce no farther forth then they may return safe again but Esther is of a more divine temper she stands up for the defence of her Religion In her Religion she saw the glory of God had founded it and it could not be ruin'd without a manifest hurt to the glory of that God which was dearer to her then her own life the third and last encouragement Nothing is more dear yea so dear to a Religious soul as the glory of God the glory of its own soul is valued at a cheap rate in respect of this Gods glory is the supream the highest glory the sun of glory if that be darkned though all the stars shine it is still night whereas if that shines in its glory though no stars shine yet it is day Chrysostome professed he loved nor honoured Rome so much for her Antiquity her multitude of inhabitants her sumptuous fair buildings the great priviledges and immunities of the Citizens the beauty and glory of the City as for that the Lord of Glory was held forth there in the preaching of Peter and Paul Heaven it self is not so glorious as a poor Country Village where the King of glory is preached Queen Esther rather then the glory of God should be obscured by a black cloud of his servants blood rather then the miscarriage and downfall of Religion should open the mouth of blasphemy to spit reproach in the face of Gods people she will stake her owne soul lay her life at pawn to redeem the glory of God from such an injury Finis dat amabilitatem the end beautifies the enterprize if any end can adde glory to any surely this doth multiply on the head of Ester she is resolved actum est it is done already in her unbended resolution she cloaths her self with Virtue and puts on courage with her Jewels Thus accompanied with Divine beauty and heavenly Valour she sets forward to her already bleeding Nation her Weapons are faith and prayer her Armour courage and resolution her Attendants beauty and virtue her word Si pereo pereo nor can danger difficulty or impossibility Haman Death nor Devill turn her back again Go I will Thus you have heard with what cautions with what courage and wisdome Queen Esther and by her Example every good Christian ought to enter into a Resolution here was an absolute integrity of all concurrencies which made this resolution good acceptable to God comfortable to her self profitable to her people The person that made it fitly qualified the end moving sufficiently warrantable the circumstances honest and seasonable the means direct and lawfull Here was no defect iniquity and exorbitancy of any particular but a generall combination of all requisites The Resolution was necessary and religious which will the better appear if we compare what Queen Esther did in Persia with what the Scriptures testifie the Saints and servants of God have done at other times and ought to do at all times which is my second thing the Doctrine and the confirmation of it In the Cause of God Religion and our Countries we are not to passe for perishing Gratious and Religious spirits neither are nor ought to be out-dared in the cause of God Religion and their Countries safety by the fear and danger of perishing They that are on Gods side as Moses proclaimed in the gate they are to know neither father nor mother but every one to stay his brother companion and neighbour Christ teacheth us to hate father and mother and wife and children and Brethren and Sisters yea and our own lives also when they stand in competition with God Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha he speaks not of the Jews and Heathens but of Christians the Apostle blesseth those and prayes for them that love Jesus Christ in sincerity Ephes 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity as the blessing is so is the curse Anathema Maranatha to them that love not the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity None can love Jesus Christ in sincerity that love their lives before and above Christ Saint Jerome protested he would trample upon Father and Mother if they hindred his way to Christ Cursed be he said that noble Marquesse that counts the whole world to one houres enjoyment of Jesus Christ Saint Paul could not by the prayers and teares of his friends be kept back from going to Hierusalem though the Spirit witnessed Bonds and afflictions did attend him there why do ye break my heart for I am ready not to be bound onely but also to dye at Hierusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus

All their tears and intreaties could no more prevail with him then Dido's did with Aeneas when Jupiter commanded his departure For my brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ Moses full of zeal and compassion when wrath was going forth against Israel when the destroying Angel was waving his sword over them his sword furbished and garnished to make a sore slaughter He bows his knee to the father of Jesus Christ he cryeth out O this people have sinned a great sin and have made them gods of gold yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin and if not blot me I pray thee out of thy Book which thou hast written He speaks after the manner of men in whom compassion and passion stops passage to further speech an abrupt kind of speaking an imperfect sentence wherein much more is implyed then was expressed Luther would to Wormes though there were as many devils as tiles and Antonius Marinarius said standing up in the Councell of Trent Though heaven fall and the whole world run headlong yet I will look up to the goodnesse of God and though an Angel from heaven should perswade me the contrary yet I would say Anathema to him A French Cavalier protested for the recovery of Callis he would be content to lye two years in hell A reverend Bishop lying at the point of death spake zealously and soberly Me moriente let me dye so the Church may flourish Sejan with the hazzard of his own life did bear off the burthen that would have crusht Tiberius to death and our Santleger received the Arrow into his own brest that would have pierced the King to the heart Those Worthies did worthily that presented the first Petition at York and this Parliament shall live for ever for the first Remonstrance and Protestation This is a duty that we all owe to God to our Religion and Country which all that are eminently godly truely religious and zealous Patriots have ever preferred before their particular estates honours and Lives I shall but commend one Precept to you with an example to illustrate and back it you have them both in one verse of the same chapter 1 Iohn 3. v. 16. Hereby perceive we the love of God because he hath laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren the example is the highest that can be given and the Precept in every word emphaticall we ought in point of duty it is not arbitrary nor voluntary a necessity lies upon us and woe unto us if we lay not down our lives for the brethren to lay down freely and of our own accord not by constraint and of necessity but of choyse and desire Our lives the highest thing in our power higher then our honours our estates our liberties our priviledges our present comforts for the brethren the Saints the servants of God The Reasons that strengthen this Doctrine are mighty convincing and strong to invite if not to inforce the obedience to it This we ought to do in point of Equity Honour and Policy 1. In point of equity what can we stake in Gods cause and our Countries that we have not received from God and for Gods purposes The Lord hath made all things for himselfe the Lord found nothing made to his hand what is there in heaven and earth that can stand out against God and say I made my selfe it was a blaspheming sin no sin of ignorance which King Pharoah belched forth Who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go The great Turke blasphemed God in heaven when he cryed out O God hast thou not enough to do with thine own businesse in heaven but thou interesteth and interposeth thy self with mine on earth it was sordid base flattery Jupiter in coelis God ruleth in heaven Caesar on earth the Tyrant set his mouth against heaven when he said Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty And as God made all himself so he made all for himself whē he made them he made no overture of his interest propriety All that man hath all that man is is from God and therfore all that he hath and all that he is must be for God Of him and to him there is S. Pauls Alpha and Omega when God endowed man with the greatest trust power and prerogative when he made him his Vice-Roy his Vicegerent his Lieutenant Generall when he gave the foul of the Ayre the beast of the field the fish in the sea the trees in the Garden to his command yet then the Lord laid this restraint but of the tree in the midst of the Garden thou shalt not eate That tree could then baffle Adam when all the creatures besides would bow unto him and give homage and obedience then that would stand upright and say Adam touch me not passe by lay no hand on me lest thou dyest what can we lay out for God which we have not received from God for Gods purposes if we lay out much of our silver and gold for God God therfore hath given us much because we should use much Of thine own saith David we have given unto thee when the Kings and Princes offered liberally towards the building of the Temple If we have large parts hearts and heads inlarged as the sand on the sea shore so that we had as many choise notions as sands on the sea shore God intended to make large use of them Wisedome and Understanding calls God Father life it self was bestowed on man by God that it might be bestowed on God by man The Lord Jesus Christ himself received a body not that he needed a body but that with that body he might serve the great design of Gods Predestination and so he understood and acknowledged it A body hast thou prepared for me I come to do thy will O God The whole Church resolves according to this My beloved is mine and I am his He is mine in all he hath he is mine in all he did in all he suffer'd he for my sake encountred with the malice of men with the rage of devils with the wrath of God and therefore good reason I should be His His in all I have His in all I am His in all I can do and suffer O saith Spira Were it with me as in times post I would scorn the threats of the most cruell Tyrant with invincible Resolution and glory in the outward profession of Christ till I were choaked in the flame and my body consumed to Ashes Certainly they are to be beg'd as fools and to be esteem'd as mad that rise against the Parliament that hath stood for them we have received all from God Judge ye owe we