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	people_n	write_v	2,724	5	5.9303	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48309	A discovrse concerning Puritans tending to a vindication of those, who unjustly suffer by the mistake, abuse, and misapplication of that name.	Parker, Henry, 1604-1652.; Ley, John, 1583-1662.	1641 (1641)	Wing L1876; ESTC R212712	47,271	67

shun this rocke of violent counsell against a people violently inraged and aggrieved Some men have interpreted the designes of the Scots to have been treasonable from the beginning and wholy bent upon the spoyle and havocke of the English Nation from their first stirring Others have wholly justified their intentions and proceedings hitherto as defensive only and inforced by necessity both these I conceive are too rash and head-long in their guesses In so great a body of men there must needs be variety of opinions and its likely contrariety of affections and therefore it behoves the King to be the more tender moderate and circumspect in his deliberations as well for the one side as the other especially since the Scots have not evidently and universally as yet declared themselves for the worse We may at once be charitable in hoping the best and wise withall in preventing the worst nay a charitable and sweet demeanor if it be not too fond may prove a great part of our prevention doubtlesse Rehoboam himselfe had he not been wilfully devoted to yong rash and violent Counsellors might have easily retained within his obedience many of his well-meaning Subjects and reclaimed others of more moderation and by that meanes have divided and dissipated the most obstinate headstrong and furious of all the rebellious party Some Princes thinke themselves bound in Honour to do unwise things and this was the error of Rehoboam his aged Counsellours advised him to that which was most politick concluding that to be most honourable but his Genius rather led him according to the advise of his young Gallants to conclude that most politick which to his haughty stomack seemed most honorable but what was the event to avoid the scorn of young men he incurred the scorn of old men to avoid the unjust censure of fooles he incurred the just censure of wise men to gaine the honor of appearing stout he purchased the dishonour of being rash to shew a contempt of danger he made himself a prey to it rather then to decline a blow by a gentle bowing of his body he yeelded himself to be inevitably oppressed by it At this time of revolt the Israelites were not so wicked as their revolt after made them it may be so with the Scots they are yet Protestants and perhaps may be retained so and who can thinke of Protestants that so great a body of them can at one fall so desperately tumble into the depth of mischiefe as to make Fasting Praying Oaths and Sacraments meere instruments and traines to commit murther theft sacriledge treason and the most unnaturall of all crying crimes But to returne to our owne Nation and what we suffer by our owne Divine Manwarings Doctrine is common at Court and 't is not long since a Byshops Chaplaine in Tearme-time challenged a Iudge of Treason for delivering Law according to conscience And this is now no prodigie for Pulpits are not publike enough to preach an unlimitable prerogative in 't is fit our learned Doctors should mount the Benches of Iustice also there to advance Logicke instead of Law for Law is growne injurious to Princes and smels ranke of Puritanisme Divines themselves will loose nothing to Princes but all other men shall that they may gaine the more and neither Lawyers nor States-men must direct them in any thing but both Lawyers and States-men must be directed by them in all things but let us a little examine how the conditionate and absolute formes of government come within the circle of Theologie The Israelites were governed by Monarchs but not all alike absolute The Patriarchs were not so absolute as the Iudges nor the Iudges as the Kings nor the Kings as those Heathen Emperours which at last made them tributary The due of Caesar and the due of Solomon and the due of Samuel and the due of Jacob was not the same as to all points of State or all degrees of Royalty and yet the nation was the same and the forme of government still remained the same viz. monarchicall It should seeme that God approved that degree of Soveraignty best which was by himselfe setled in the person of Moses for when that people afterwards desired a King of a more awfull and large prerogative in imitation of other Nations the thing displeased God Samuel also wrote a book of this subject shewing the just conditions of Regall power the losse whereof is much to be lamented for if it had been Gods will that all Kings should be equally absolute in all respects and free from all limitations and obligations alike Samuel needed to have written little thereof one word had determined all But in Scripture as it now remaines Samuels booke being not extant our chiefest light and guide now is by example not rule and example we finde very various The State and Soveraignty of the Jewish Kings in generall we find mild and gratious but much differing in particulars Solomon was heavy over his Subjects and under his Son they would not beare the like yet Solomons pressure was not upon the estates of his Subjects by taxes and impositions for He made silver in Jerusalem as stones for plenty nor did He vex their persons by Military hazzards and services for He was at peace with all the world Neither did He any way let fall or lessen their honour amongst other Nations He made them rather a spectacle of glory and prosperity to the world Solomons harshnesse was onely in imploying so great multitudes for his own pompous attendance and for the performance of such publike workes and structures as did tend to the Magnificence and beauty of the State Besides Scripture does not satisfie us neither by rule nor example whether Kings ought to be successive alwayes or elective or whether primogeniture of Males or unigeniture of Daughters ought to take place many things are left so uncertaine that it is not alwayes safe for Kings wholly to rely upon examples and for the rule of obedience it is generall and no more advantagious for free Monarchs than conditionate Potentates no more for supreame than subordinate commanders The Law of Nature best determines that all Princes being publike Ministers for the common good that their authority ought to be of sufficient latitude for that common good and since Scripture is not expresse concerning that latitude as to all people the same not being to all alike necessary the severall Laws of severall Countries best teach that certaine latitude I could wish therefore that Princes herein would not so much consult with Divines as Lawyers or rather with Parliaments which are the grand Courts and Counsells of Kingdomes for as Cotton saies Every man in particular may deceive and be deceived but no man can deceive all nor can all deceive one Ancient times are not precedentary to ours by any necessity for Lawes are now more learned exact and particular and Courts and Tables of Iustice and Policy are more wisely and methodically composed and elected then they were

the love and reverence due by the people to draw it to themselves To bring these things to passe they have newly invented a doctrine that talks of nothing but Ecclesiasticall greatnesse liberty immunity and jurisdiction This doctrine was unheard of till about the year 1300 then it began to be written scatteringly in some books but till 1400 there were not written above two Bookes which treated of nothing else after this such Writers increased a little but after 1560 there were scarce any Bookes printed in Italy but in diminution of Secular authority and exaltation of the Ecclesiasticall And now the people have scarce any other Bookes to read nor have the Confessors any other doctrine or need any other learning Hence comes this perverse opinion that Magistracy is a humane invention and to be obeyed for policy onely not for conscience but that every intimation of Ecclesiasticall persons is equivolent to a divine precept there want not in Italy pious learned men which hold the contrary but they are not suffered to write or print Neither are forraine Books permitted or ancient Authours left ungelded of all which serves for Temporall authority as appears by a book printed 1607 called Index Expurgatorius and Clement the Eighth in 1595 published a rule in his Index that all Catholike Writers Bookes since 1515 might be corrected not only by expunging but also by interlining and this hath beene practised though not publikely above seventy yeares Thus we finde the Court of Romes but not the Authors meaning and finally wee are sure to have no book true I have hitherto cited this egregious Politician for these purposes First That we may see how easie it is for Clergie-men to wrest all authority out of the Temporalties hands if Princes will be so easie to be hood-winkt and deluded by them and to resigne their judgements to them in such cases as concern their profit and advancement Secondly That we may take notice how far the learnedst of Papists themselves doe discover and detect the errours and tyranny of the Court of Rome and that mysticall way of deceiving whereby all hope of remedy is cut off I observe this also the rather because our Prelates in England at this day assume to themselves almost as vast and unquestionable a power of stifling and repressing all adverse disputes and of authorizing and publishing all arguments whatsoever favouring their cause as the Court of Rome does Thirdly that I might produce the same Author against himselfe in those points wherein he taxes Protestants Wee will yeeld that for the space of nine hundred yeeres the See of Rome did not usurpe over other Sees but did acknowledge equall subjection to the Canons and that the division and separation of the Easterne Churches happened when Rome arrogated above Canons but withall we must have it yeelded to us that those Canons had been composed only by Clergy-men and that in too much favour of Clergy-men and too much abridgement of Temporall Rights and Priviledges and that they did concerne matters more then meerely spirituall and speculative and things known by meere revelation So that though one Prelate did not usurpe over another yet all Prelates had usurped over the Laity from the times of Constantine almost It is true the Church had Bishops before in its times of persecution but of what power or pompe It is said of Calvin that in regard of his sway in Geneva he wanted nothing but the Name of Bishop and it may be as truly said of the Bishops before Constantine that they wanted all but the Name The power of Bishops before the installment of Christian Princes was rather like that of Arbitrators then of Judges and that held in all cases alike Civill and Spirituall but in case of disobedience they did not intrench so farre upon the Lay power as to inflict any pecuniary or corporall punishment but they did deny the Sacrament and eject delinquents out of the Congregation and this was then an abscission from Christ being done Clave non errante that is whilst God did inspire according to his promise a miraculous power of binding and loosing infallibly The Priestly function was then an Office not a jurisdiction of sacred dignity not power but the Function of a Prince was ever sacred both for honour and power for dignity and command Constantine the Great was the first Prince which tooke upon him the care and protection of the Church after that it had suffered contempt and poverty for 300 yeares and now did even that authority and protection cease and devolve into his hands which the poore persecuted Bishops had but feebly managed before but such was the extraordinary indulgence of this pious Emperour as well to religious persons as to Religion it selfe that taking little notice what the Church had gain'd by him as its Head and Governour He heaped up greater Titles and Honors upon Bishops Archbishops Patriarchs and Popes as if some other supreme Ruler more sacred and competent then himselfe were necessary Neverthelesse it is thought that this was as poyson poured into the Church and not Balme for from that very time Clergy-men began to be more glorious but lesse gracious more rich outwardly but more poore and vile inwardly Within a little space after Constantine there was just cause of complaint that excessive Honours had corrupted the Church and that Religion had prospered better in former times when it had wooden Chalices and golden Priests then now when it had golden Chalices but wooden Priests It is remarkable also that soon after Constantine the temporall power being too much restrained and abased and the spirituall as much inlarged and exalted the whole face of Christendome began to be imbroyled with wars and poysoned with heresies so that the Historians of those times have almost nothing else to write of but the forcible investing and devesting by armes of such Bishops and Patriarchs and of the oppositions of such and such Councels and Synods and of the Appeals Iars Schismes Excommunications and Commotions of such and such Priests and Monks Nay such were the ill effects of those ages which were certainly more zealous then politike that they cannot yet be wholly rectified and purged in these our latter times which are growne too too contrary being more politike then zealous Thus did the Church fare for 900. yeares till the Romane Bishops began to Empire above all and then did the greatest part of the Clergie themselves especially East from Italy make their departure and separation Neither did the Romish Vice-god after this great rent and division in the world hang his head for shame or seeke any re-union by letting fall his pompous painted plumes but audaciates himselfe rather to mount higher yet and to detrude the Western Emperour quite out of the bounds of Italy And in this his industry failes him not for after much bloud-shed in many cruell conflicts Hee gaines in Italy a Temporall and in all Europe besides a spirituall Monarchy making a triple