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	majesty_n	parliament_n	3,897	5	6.3360	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27165	No treason to say, Kings are Gods subjects, or, The supremacy of God, opened, asserted, applyed in some sermons preached at Lugarshal in Sussex by N.B. then rector there, accused of treason by James Thompson, Vicar of Shalford in Surry, and the author ejected out of the said rectory for preaching them : with a preface apologetical, vindicating the author and sermons from that false accusation, relating the manner of his ejection, and fully answering the narrative of the said Vicar, now also parson of Lurgarshal / by Nehemiah Beaton ...	Beaton, Nehemiah, d. 1663.	1661 (1661)	Wing B1568; ESTC R17272	43,029	53

It is indeed a very stately and lofty expression of the greatness of God and vastness of his power that he hath gathered the wind in his fist Prov. 30. 4. And that is yet higher Isa 40. 12. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out the heaven with a span But methinks this exceeds them all that he holds the hearts of Kings in his hand and turneth them c. 2. As this should raise our apprehensions and esteem of God so should it teach us not to think of men no not of Kings more highly than we ought to think How commonly doth the outward splendour Majesty and glory of Kings and earthly Po●entates so dazle the eyes of poor Mortals that they mistake them for Deities and seeing them so high conclude there is nothing above them If Herod arrayed in Royal apparel sit upon his Throne and make an Oration to the people they are ready presently to cry out It is the voice of a God and not of a man Acts 12. 21 22. Well but now this Text and Doctrine understood believed and seriously weighed by us will prevent such horrid blasphemies and convince us that beside desperate wickedness there is sottish ignorance and much childish folly bound up in the heart of such sins For if the hearts of Kings even at that time when their glory and greatness do most amaze us be in the hand of the Lord alas how weak and contemptible then are they in comparison of Him They are not Masters of their own hearts they know not what they shall purpose think resolve or do the next moment as shadows they have no motion of their own Compare them indeed with men how great are they Whom they will they can slay and whom they will they can keep alive whom they will they set up and whom they will they put down Dan. 5. 19. All under them must obey them and comply with them But now compare them with God and they that thus command others are commanded by another what he willeth and determines that must they do yea when they transgress His Precepts they do but fulfill His purposes what therefore the Prophet saith to shame men out of the bruitish sin of Idolatry may we apply to this purpose He tells them that the best of their Idolls after it is most curiously carved and when they have lavish'd never so much Silver and Gold upon them yet even then are they not able to stir themselves They must needs be born because they cannot go Jer. 10. 5. The very same I say may we affirm of the mightiest Monarch in the World when he seemeth most formidable even such an Idoll is he compared with God not able to stir or move hand or heart of himself but must needs be born which way God will carry him that way must he needs go though therefore we must honour fear and reverence Kings as they are Gods Delegates as they bear the Sword from him for him yet must we still remember they are but men and if they command that which crosseth the command of God or if the consideration or fear of their greatness be like to draw us from our allegiance and obedience to the great God let us then call to mind and meditate on this truth and what we have heard this day and if they or any other shall say are not your Lives Estates and all outward enjoyments in the Kings hand Then let us consider and say yet is not my heart in the Kings hand and so he cannot force me to sin unless I will but the Kings heart is in the Lords hand and therefore he cannot cause me to suffer unless the Lord will 3. Is the Kings heart in the Lords hand then learn hence to whom the glory and praise of all the good that is in the heart of any King and of all that good that his hand findeth to do to whom I say the glory of it is due and to whom to pay it even to that God that thus gives him both to will and to do of his own good pleasure For though we must not defraud or rob the King of the honour and praise of his Graces Virtues or virtuous Actions as they are his as a second inferiour yet true cause of them yet must we be sure to give God the whole glory as the principal and first moving cause He is that Sun and Father of Lights from whom these glorious Stars receive and borrow all that light and good which they communicate to us And this brings me to the Occasion of this daies meeting and to move you to the great duty of the day The Reasons declared by Parliament for setting this day apart as a day of solemn thanksgiving are these That it hath pleased the King graciously to declare his firm adherence to the Protestant Religion his tender love and regard to the Civill Liberties of these Nations his great esteem of and affection to Parliaments his gracious Pardon to all those that have in any kind offended him his declining Forraign assistance together with many other gracious and excellent expressions which his Majesties Declaration and Letter are full of Now as we must give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars have grateful dutiful and loyal apprehensions of his Princely goodness and have our affections raised and hearts engaged by it so must we be sure this day to give unto God the things that are Gods by looking farther and higher than the King even to the King of Kings that hath put this into his heart who could have so infatuated his understanding and hardened his heart that he should have been quite deaf to all moderate Councils and taken such rash and violent Courses as would have proved destructive to himself and these Nations O let us see and acknowledge the finger and hand of the Lord in all this and in the words and with the spirit of holy Ezra let us say Blessed be the Lord that hath put such things as these into the Kings heart Blessed be the Lord that hath so wonderfully exercised his dominion not only over his heart but on the hearts of Parliament Army and Navy to joyn as one man in bringing this about He that should this day twelvemonth have said that what we now behold should have been and that without the effusion of the least drop of bloud would not have gained credit in any place That an Army engaged by Oath and Interest against it an Army whose valour and success had quite dispirited the Nation should have their hearts so awed and their hands so held that either they will not or dare not interpose O this is the Lord 's doing and it should be marvellous in our eyes Well then let us not rob God of the glory of these mercies yea let him alone be exalted by us We should not defraud the King General Council or Parliament of that honour and praise they have severally deserved