Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	call_v	great_a	place_n	10,107	5	4.1120	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44218	A modest plea for the Church of England by Richard Hollingworth ...	Hollingworth, Richard, 1607-1656.	1676 (1676)	Wing H2495; ESTC R7010	76,028	182

notwithstanding all those threats denounced against us for conforming to the superstitions of the Church I do not doubt but we shall find as fair and ready acceptance at the last day as any of these hot-spurs can promise to themselves But this is not all that I have to plead for my self and this present undertaking I had continued and lived in that famous City of London for many years and received very considerable marks of kindness from many of the inhabitants thereof and therefore thought my self bound in gratitude to do any thing that might contribute towards its happiness and welfare And upon a just survey of the influence of Fanatical Principles upon the minds of many men I could not wind my self out of a perswasion but that these practices would sooner or later be the occasions of much mischief to that ancient Metropolis It was the custome of the free Denizons of that place formerly to attend those publick Ordinances which were administred in their own Parish Churches by their own legally settled Ministers and gravely to the admiration of all strangers who either out of curiosity or business visited that place to walk to those places in the head of their Families and the subordinate Members thereof in their several ranks and orders following after and all of them using the same decorum in their returning home Now besides the reputation this gave to the City there was a bridle by it put into the mouth of youth and whilest in their Masters eye they were obliged to carry themselves in those publick places of Worship as became the Solemnity and with that reverence and attention that such approaches to so great a being as God is called for at their hands A custome certainly which was the foundation of great proportions of vertue and goodness and very instrumental to season the minds of young ones with such principles as might give very great hopes to their Parents as well as others of their future well doing in the World of their being Ornaments to the City as well as Comforts to their Relations But since every man who could not live in the Countrey hath had confidence enough to set up for a publick Teacher in the City and every corner almost of the Streets hath tempted men with new faces and new voices alas this excellent custome hath been very much laid aside and what will be the noisome and pestilent consequence of it I dread to think For when the Master runs one way and Mistress another and every Servant hath the liberty of gratifying his own humour and pleasing his own fancy 't is impossible there should be order kept under that roof or that an house so divided against it self should long stand in peace and from hence must needs proceed pride and censoriousness quarrelling one amongst another about the best man and the best way and sometimes contempt of the Master on the Servants side because he is not so fully enlightned as to hear and savour such a precious man as he himself does I and it may be making for Morality is a sorry thing with many of these men the next bargain in his Masters shop pay for his last Sabbaths profiting by the savory doctrine of such a searching Preacher But these are not the only impeachments I design against these courses We all know very well that that part of a mans age in which usually he is a Servant is a part wherein the proritations of nature begin to be strong and violent and young mens inclinations very eager after such objects as are suitable to their senses and depraved desires And now what if these young men in their journeys through those several streets with purpose to hear this or the other man should be invited into a Tavern or a worse house by idle companions nay what if some of them should make it their pretence to their Masters purely to get opportunities to indulge themselves in such brutish and sensual enjoyments would it not be far better to have seen them safely lodged in their Parish Churches I surely this is without dispute And though it may be some may say this is an uncharitable and irreligious suggestion of mine own yet let them not provoke me too much lest I prove it by plain instances And alack when Youth before they have entred into serious consideration of things before they have had time to make such observations as would be helpful to their future carriage and deportment in the World before the Notices of Religion which they received in their first education be fetched from the brain and settled in the Heart when youth I say by such carelesness of their Masters have worn off the modesty of their minds and contracted habits of sin what will be the end of it but dishonesty to their Masters grief to their Relations and ruine to themselves I know this thing will be very grievous to many whose purses as well as meeting-places are fill'd by such company but I will assure them the reflection upon it hath been every way out of that passionate esteem I have for that famous City as burthen some to me and my private complaints of it to several worthy Citizens hath raised in them a fear suitable to mine own of the inconveniences of such a liberty to youth And therefore let me conclude this with this assertion that I have not published this upon the score of any spight or malice I have against any particular man who differs from the publick Constitution but purely out of pity to those young men who are committed to the care and government of such Masters who by vertue of their very Principles put their Servants under the temptation of being ruined for he that gives leave to such raw persons to carve what spiritual food they please for themselves whose years call for authoritative restraints and prudent boundaries does I am sure lend an helping hand to their destruction And further I heartily desire these Masters to consider whether their constant disobedience to Authority and violating the known Laws and statutes of the Realm be not a greater encouragement to and plea for the Servants rebelling against them than any wise man would put into their hands and withal whether the justice of God may not be provoked to chastise this their contempt of his Vicegerents by wicked and treacherous servants But these are not all the Articles I have to draw up against these ways of separation and consequently not the whole vindication I can make of this undertaking I found by the unworthy reflections of many of the Nonconformists upon the present establishment of the Church both in their Prayers and Preachings that Sacred and separated Order of men who by a divine commission are dedicated to serve at the Altar brought into a general dislike nay contempt among the populacy And though most of them are men of generous educations and admitted to a freedom of converse with men of the best rank and sort even