Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	king_n	law_n	read_v	3,266	5	6.5822	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90788	The plot discovered and counterplotted commended in a letter to a private friend, / from a true-hearted well-wisher to great Britains happinesse.	True-hearted well-wisher to Great Brittanes happinesse.	1641 (1641)	Wing P2593; Thomason E171_25; Thomason E171_26; ESTC R16974	12,786	31

call to mind that Septemfluus Amnis the River Nilus which swel'd and overflowed all EGYPT Yet if it please his Majestie and this high and honorable Court of Parliament that three sorts 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 sufficiently 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