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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	king_n	prince_n	see_v	2,897	5	3.5419	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91906	The royal nursing-father; discoursed in a sermon preach'd at the cathedral in Norwich, on the 29th of May [B]eing the day of his Majesties birth, and happy return to his kingdoms. By Charles Robotham, batchelour of divinity, in Norfolk.	Robotham, Charles, 1625 or 6-1700.	1680 (1680)	Wing R1729C; ESTC R229944	25,565	82

are of publick and general concern not only to Peace and Tranquillity but to Religion and Piety to the due and regular profession of the common Christianity I know indeed there want not those who would oppose this either in whole or in part First some with the Donatists of old quite shut out the Magistrate from these matters According to the Sayings related by Optatus Quid Christianis cum Optatus C. Parmen L. 1. Regibus aut Quid Episcopis cum Palatio What have the Church to do with Kings or Bishops with the Court or Palace And again Quid Imperatori cum Ecclesia L. 3. What has the Emperour to do with the Church This was the Language of the first Fathers of Schism and too much of the like do we find in those Imitators of them who will not have the Ruler to interpose at all in matters of Religion They 'l allow him perhaps a Place in the Church as a Member but not as a Governour or Nursing-father no Laws to be made no Edicts to be passed for the setling of Faith and Order in opposition to errour and distraction But is this to be a Nursing-father to the Church or rather a meer Gallio only as an idle and careless Spectator to stand by and tamely to look on unconcerned upon the miseries and confusions of the Christian Body without stretching forth a Finger to heal help or prevent them How can they be said to discharge their Trust their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or what account can they give unto God of their Power who do not use it to the best advantage not only for the outward safeguard but also for the inward soundness purity peace and order of the Church Never any Classick Author whether a Deut. 17. 18 19. Josh 1. 8. Ezra 7. 16. sacred or b Aristot polit 3. c. 10 11. Tullius de legibus 2. Plato de leg Dion L. 52. prophane that touch'd upon this Subject but mentions Religion as in the Magistrates charge Never any State that profess'd Religion but did exercise an Interest in disposing matters of Religion Never any Instance to be given where Men were permitted in Point of Religion to do every one what was right in their own Eyes except in times of Anarchy i. e. Judges 17. 5 6. when there was no King in Israel no Tutor no Governour no Nursing-father to interpose and regulate things in Church and State But then secondly others there are neither small nor few who with the Church of Rome will allow the Prince defensionem Religionis Bellarm. L. 3. de Laicis c. 17. Et alibi but not Judicium no power of judging but only a Power or Obligation rather of receiving and defending whatsoever the Church determines They 'l grant you that Princes are the proper bearers of the Secular Ibid. c. 18. Sword but then it must be Gladius sub Gladio the Temporal Sword under the Spiritual for though it rest in the Scabbard of Kings yet must it not be drawn or used by them Nisi ad nutum patientiam Sacerdotis So Boniface the 8th in his Extravagant Tit. 8. de Majorit Obed. c. 1. This sure is not to make Kings Nursing-fathers but Vassals to the Church meer Butchers as it were to execute while their Prelates only are the Judges to hear and determine And all this against the grain both of Scripture Antiquity and Reason Princes indeed are bid to serve Christ Psal 2. 11. Serve the Lord with fear but not with an implicit Faith or blind Obedience but praeeunte judicio with judgment and understanding For so runs the tenth Verse Sapite erudimini Be wise O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the Earth and then follows Serve the Lord with fear 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is a rational reasonable Service that is required at their hands First understand and then serve 'T is the Service of a right judgment the thing which the Church prays for Psal 72 1. Give thy Judgments to the King and thy Righteousness to the Kings Son God who would have Kings among others to come unto the knowledge of the Truth 1 Tim. 2. 4. no doubt but he allows them exercitium Judicii a Judgment to discern what is truth and what is error that they may refuse and suppress the one and embrace and establish the other as shall be thought fit for the publick good and welfare of the Church The ancient Councels and Synods of the Church as Grotius Grotius de Imperio summarum potestat c. 7. p. 174 175 176. proves did ever tender both their definitions i. e. of Faith and Canons i. e. of Government 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the judgment of the Christian Emperour to be examined the one by the Laws of Faith the other by the Rules of Prudence and Expedience And sure 't is all the reason in the world that Kings be satisfied as Men and as Christians in the matters of the Church before they ratifie them as Sovereigns For as a Learned Man says Mr. Thorndike Epilog L. 3. Of the Laws of the Church c. 32. p. 385. Kings having a Right to make the Acts of the Church to become the Laws of the State by declaring to concur with the execution of them doubtless they must needs have a Right to judge whether they be indeed such Acts as Christian Powers may and ought to concur in and accordingly to bound and limit the exercise of them But then again thirdly There is yet a third sort behind that do oppose or at least much debase and diminish the Power of the Christian Sovereign that is such as would have them deal with matters of Religion only at the second hand in a remote consideration sub ratione boni civilis so far as the civil good and interest is concerned in them So that as Bellarmine would bring Bell. de Pontifice L. 5. c. 6. Princes under the Popes girdle Indirecte ordine ad Spiritualia so would these have Kings and Princes to meddle with Causes and Matters of Religion Indirecte in ordine ad politica only in reference to the civil Good Weal and Peace of the State But on the contrary seeing Kings and Princes are by God directly entrusted with the Church as Nursing Fathers to do him that Service in and for the Church by their Authority which none but Kings and Princes can do Since they have been always accounted Custodes Vindices utriusque Tabule the Guardians of both Tables since they are ordained says the Apostle for the punishment Rom. 13. 3 4. of evil Works i. e. of all sorts none excepted since the Law of the Ruler or Magistrate is made and set for the punishing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only of what is opposite to sound Reason and Polity but of what is contrary to sound Doctrine 1 Tim. 1. 9. Lastly since the end of their Place and Function

even of all that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not only Peace and Honesty but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the due and right Service of God 1 Tim. 2. 2. I say from all these Premises we may well infer that for any to confine the Cognizance of Princes to prophane Tryals and to set the faults or matters of the first Table as it were beyond the reach of the Secular Arm or to yield them only as the secondary Object of their Power is both to abase their Authority and to abridge them of their Right And so much shall suffice for the Inferences I shall now only add few Reflections from the Text upon our selves and duties and I have done First then Is this the Right and Title of Christian Kings Are they indeed set up by God as Nursing-fathers to the Church Then let them be so owned by us both in word and deed That is let them have the dues of Nursing-fathers As first That of Honour and Reverence to their Names and Persons Mal. 1. 6. If I be a Father where is mine Honour The Christian Sovereign by his Place and Station he is Pater Patriae the publick Father of his Country and a Nursing-father to the Church Justly therefore does he claim the Tribute of our special reverence and that in a degree next to God So the Scripture places him 1 Pet. 2. 17. Fear God Honour the King As having imaginem Dei sicut Episcopus Christi says St. Austin as Augustin quaest est veteri te stamento Qu. 35. having the Print and Image of God And therefore Contempt here though but in words in the Language of Scripture is called Blaspheming of Glories Jude Verse 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asecond Due owing to these Nursing-fathers is that of Submission Sujection to their Authority Tit. 3. 1. Put them in mind to be subject unto Principalities and Powers 1 Pet. 2. 13. Submit your selves unto the King 1 Chron. 26. 30 32. 2 Chron. 19. 8 12. as Supreme Supreme without any exception either of Causes or Persons The Romanists would fain exempt their Clergy or at least the Miter from this Subjection But what says the Scripture Rom. 13. 1. speaking of those Powers that bore the Sword Verse 4. And to whom Tribute a Si Tributum petit non negamus Agri Ecclesiae solvunt tributum Ambros Ep. 32. was paid Ver. 6 7. he says Let every Soul be subject to the higher or to the Supreme Powers This he wrote unto the Church of Rome and at such a time in such an Age when Souls were at the best and Powers at the worst And yet must every Soul be subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Chrysostome glosses upon the Place Be thou an Apostle be thou an Evangelist or Prophet be thou whosoever thou must be subject The Command is general the Injunction universal And so St. Bernard writing to an Epist 4● ad Archiepisc Senon Arch-bishop descants upon the word Omnis Si omnis etiam vestra Quis vos excepit ab universitate c. If every Soul then yours too he that goes about to exempt you goes about to deceive you And surely they that Vide Gregorium Epist ad Mauritium L. 4. c. 76. 78. must admonish others to be subject Tit. 3. 1. much more must they be so themselves Thirdly a third Due owing to these Nursing-fathers is that of Obedience Obedience to their Orders and Commands That is a ready and willing performance of what is prescribed by their Authority and that in a Josh 1. 16 17. Obedientiam promittit populus in omnibus Grot. all things except where obedience to Man is rebellion or transgression against God Coloss 3. 10. Children obey your Parents your Fathers in all things much more our Nursing-fathers whose Authority is higher than that of the Parent and whose Power is Supreme This is that the Apostle joyns and couples with Subjection Tit. 3. 1. Put them in mind to be subject to Principalities to obey Magistrates And indeed the prime and principal part of our Subjection to Governours is Positive Obedience Conformity of Practice to the Orders and Establishments of Authority 'T is that that all Laws and Power and Government asks and looks for aims and drives at in the first place the obedience of the Subject and as for Penalties they are only for the terrifying of Disobedience The latter is but the Sanction that guards the Law the former is that alone that satisfies the demands of the Law And so much shall suffice for the Rights and Dues owing unto Nursing-fathers Unto which in the next place we must also remember to subjoyn the Dues owing unto God in their behalf the Dues of Joy and Praise Prayer and Thankfulness for the Gift and Blessing of these Nursing-fathers which brings me to that special Duty that is reflected on us at this time not only from the Text but from the Day The Day that we now celebrate 't is a Day pregnant with Mercies even the Mercies of the Text. In which respect 't is more than a single Festivity Like St Simon and Jude or St. Philip and James it comes with Twins in the Womb of it A double or rather a triple Holy-day as being the Memorial of a Triple Blessing First as it is Natalitium Regis the Birth-day of our Christian Sovereign and therefore to be celebrated by us Mos ille vetustus per se improbari non potest says Calvin of Herod's keeping of his Birth-day 'T was an ancient Custom and of it self not to be condemned For its Antiquity we find mention of it in the Kings of Aegypt Gen. 40. 20. The Birth-day of Pharaoh solemnized with a Feast to all his Subjects In the Kings of Israel Hos 7. 5. we read of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dies Regis the Kings Day i. e. of his Birth says Arias Montanus Dies natalis ejus In the Kings of Persia their Nativity was a yearly Festival even as far as throughout all Asia So Vide Brisson de Regno Perfico L. 1. p. 27. Plato in his Alcibiades 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Roman and Christian Emperours we read an intimation of the like Festival Et si in nostrum Ortum aut Natalem celebrandum solemnitas inciderit differatur Says the constitution of Leo and Anthemius de die dominico Yea and amongst private Christians we find the like practised even by Christian Bishops in reference to themselves 'T is evident from the Epistle of St. Ambrose unto Bishop Foelix they L. 1. Ep. 5. were wont to keep the Days both of their particular Nativity and of their particular Installment Much more then may the Birth-day of our Sovereign and Nursing-father claim this celebration at our hands Especially if we consider it in the next place as it was also Natalitium Regni 'T was not only Dies Regis but Dies Regni the Dan. 4. 36. Requisierunt me Scl.

pertaesi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inde sequentis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grotius Kings and the Kingdoms Day the Day of His Return and Royal Restauration the Solemn Day that put a Blessed Period to the long and sad confusions of a Civil and Intestine War and to the manifold and multiplied calamities violences oppressings tossings and distractions of a Twelve-years unsettlement and usurpation O let the remembrance of those days Stobaei Serm. 42. verba Selini endear the enjoyment and celebration of this It was the Custom among the Persians says Brissonius that Brisson de Regno Persi●n L. 1. p. 27. when ever their King died they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justitium quinque dierum a certain vacation or ceasing of all Laws Order and Government for five days together And all to this end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that they might be the more sensible of the benefit of a King and Laws returning after such a time of disorder and licentiousness God was pleased to exercise us of these Nations with a longer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sad and disorderly Vacation not of five days but of more than twice five years as the Israelites of old without a King without a Prince c. Hos 3. 4. Let us at least make this use of it as to prize the worth of these things by the past want of them and to value our returned Enjoyments by the experience of our former miseries But then again thirdly There is a third Consideration that adds to the Solemnity of this Day in reference to the Church as well as to the State i. e. As it was in a sence Natalitium Religionis the Birth-day of our Religion too i. e. of the publick reviving and restauration of it as to the publick Rights form and settlement of it The Wounds of the Church in our late confusions were as deep as those of the State and as many convulsions in the one as of distraction and dislocation in the other Nothing but In and Out was the Game plaid in Matters of Religion nothing acted upon the Stage but the strife or struggling of Rebeccaes Twins Jacob supplanting Esau the younger Religion catching at the heel of the elder and striving to come into its Place and Birth-right In a word as there was Jus vagum incertum in the State so there was little else but Fides menstrua in the Church one way of Government and Religion thrusting and shoving out the other nothing but Overturning overturning overturning till he came whose Right it was to be our Nursing-father But now blessed Ezek. 21. 27. be God there is some Fixation The Staves of Bands and of Beauty Zech. 11. 7. that were broken begin to piece up again The Wall and Tower of the Vineyard that were trodden down begin to rise again The Ark that had been either Captive or Ambulatory fetch'd home again and set up within its own proper Tabernacle In a word all things brought to such a degree of settlement that we may now once more say unto the Men of Rome that shall ask us Ecce Ecclesiam Loe this is our Church this the Doctrine of it this the Order of it this the Service and Liturgy of it All which since we owe it next under God to the Return of our Nursing-father this is that that should enhance the memory of this Day as bringing with it together with our Laws and Liberties the re-settlement and re-establishment of Religion too The finishing of the second Temple rebuilt by Herod the great says Josephus fell upon the Kings Birth-day which made both the Joy and Day the greater The like may be said of this our day Our Temple was concerned in the Mercy as well as our King the Ark and the Order of Levi as well as the Tribe and Scepter of Juda. And therefore where so many signal and eminent Causes meet as in one constellation it should render the Festivity of the Day the greater What remains then but that we summon up our Hearts and pour out our Souls before God in such Sacrifices of Joy Thankfulness and Prayer as may testifie our due resentment of so great a Mercy First Let 's Rejoyce in this Mercy Let 's meet the memory of this Day with the same thoughts relish and warm affections as we did the first and freshest News of it Remember we the greatness of our then miseries and dangers the smallness of our hopes the sadness of our fears and after all the seasonableness the suddenness the fullness and remarkableness of our deliverance And then if we be not blind we shall see reason to break forth with the Church and say The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad Psal 126. 3. And then secondly Let our Joy and Gladness proceed and beget Praise and Thankfulness in Word and Deed. God has ever shew'd a special care of this our Land and Nation We may say as St. Peter in the Vision unto Brightwood Monk of Glascowe Regnum Angliae Regnum Dei We have Polydor. L. 8. been Gods Hephzibah Gods Darling a Crown of Glory a Royal Diadem in the Hand of God a Isa 62. 3. 4. Land and Stage of Mercy especially of this Mercy and Benefit promised in the Text Kings to be our Nursing-fathers and Queens our Nursing-mothers A Happiness which we enjoyed with the first and earliest in the World The first King that ever embraced the Faith of Christ was a King in this Island His Name Lucius from light or brightness as if God in him meant to fulfil the Prophecy in the very sound of the Letter Isa 60. 3. The Gentiles shall come to the Light and Kings to the brightness of thy Rising The first Emperour that ever became Christian was by Birth a Brittain Constantine the great born at York The first Kingdom that cast off the Romish Yoke and usurpations and by Law setled the Reformation was this of England First in Henry the Eighth and so down successively excepting the bloody Parenthesis of the Marian days down to the present Monarch And blessed be the God of Heaven that the English Scepter is still joyned to the Faith of Christ the Royal Branch married to the Vine of Christ the Rose and Lillies of the Crown still subject to the Cross of Christ that we have still a Prince not only of the ancient Blood but of the true and ancient Faith one who has been tried in his time in the Fire of Affliction in the Forreign Furnace of Temptation and yet himself abides not only a firm Professour but a gracious Defender of the True Ancient Catholick and Apostolick Faith Which that he may so long continue let us in the third and Sacrificamus pro salute Imperatoris purâ prece Tertull. ad Scapulam last place add unto all the Sacrifice of our Prayers and Supplications at the Holy Table That God who has the Hearts of Kings in his Hands would so guide his Heart by the Princely Spirit of Grace and Wisdom that He may be now and ever still and more a Nursing-father to this our Israel that so He living and ruling in the fear of God and commanding for the Truth and Honour of God and procuring the good and well-fare of the Church of God after a long and happy Reign here upon Earth He may be finally possessed with a Crown of Glory and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God and of Heaven hereafter The END