Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	great_a	king_n	people_n	9,166	5	4.4099	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53080	Usurpation defeated, and David restored being an exact parallel between David and our most Gracious Soveraign King Charls II. In their dangerous dissettlement, and wonderfull restauration. Laid open in a sermon on II Sam. XIX. 14. Preached on the publique solemn day of thanksgiving, May 24 1660 in the Collegiate Church of Manchester in the county palatine of Lancaster. By Henry Newcome Master in Arts, and minister of the Gospel there.	Newcome, Henry, 1627-1695.	1660 (1660)	Wing N900; ESTC R217830	24,271	67

him in his former troubles that then he promised to serve the Lord So that it is not only the pretext of a meer Vow for that time or of so much Religion only as might be expressed in what accompanyed a Vow but he would make this Vow not only a part of his intended religiousness towards God but an Introduction into a more strict course then heretofore He would thus begin and henceforward be very strict and serious in the Lords service And now how much might this take with the people not only to get them into his Conspiracy but to tye them to him when they were in They might a little startle when they heard him declare to Usurp the Kingdome but then this would sway much with the people He is known to be a great Favourer of the publique Liberty and a man that we see owns the service of God and sets out Religiously and therefore we may the better venture with him He doth not declare against the Temple not threaten to cast off the true God and to introduce Idolatry but in his very entrance into his work pretends more then ordinary piety and devotion It is easie in our parallel to finde out an Absalom that had a design to aspire that never shewed much Religion till it would advance a wicked design On the suddain he is religious the only popular man all for devotion and the Lords service Oh! say the poor people this cannot be murther and rebellion and usurpation and perjury that such men as these are engaged in They are not prophane notorious sensual men but men of the greatest profession of the strictest life c. In nomine Domini incipit omne malum A Proverbial speech first taken up from the Popes Murtherous Bulls and Edicts that used to come out thus in Christs name It hath been one of the designs of the Devil since the Church was Christian to bring in his greatest persecutions under the disguise of some great profession the matter else would want Complices to carry it on A vile man in esteem with a good design would have a few followers and a seeming good man hath a great advantage in his hand of betraying many to a bad business if he dare lead in it Men are too apt to follow men and can hardly keep out of Errour if a tolerable person undertake their conduct It is hard for the vulgar to distinguish between good men and bad actions as if it must cease to be evil when such men dare engage in it Whereas men should judge men by their actions and not actions by men Oh! what pretenses of Religion and godliness hath there been in the late mischiefs that have been perpetrated calling upon God appealing unto God to decide the controversie nay perpetrating villany upon impulses pretended from the Spirit of God security of Religion liberty for tender Consciences c. This hath been cryed up as their Good Old Cause that had the blood of Kings and Prophets at the bottom of it like that Mic. 2.10,11 They build up Sion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us Nay their unheard of villanies are made the fulfilling of their Vows no return for their deliverances and victories so proper as to rase our Foundations murther our King pull down the Ministry c. as no doubt it was in design yet all along to advance Religion too None so cruel among the Turks as a Renegado Christian and so none more like to ruine Religion then the Apostate Professor and much the more if in truth an Apostate and yet a Professor still Absalom we know not what a King he might have proved he was never tryed ours have had time enough to have shewed some of their great good they seemed to be big with but we never could see a reality in them to this end to this day But thus we agree in this second particular in the introduction of the design with high pretenses of Religion and the Liberty of the people 3. The manner of the management and advance of this design several things are considerable in that 1. Many drawn into the businesse that meant well the liker to be more resolute in the undertaking Absalom he knew what he intended by his Vow there were 200 followed him from Jerusalem in the simplicity of their hearts 2 Sam. 15.11 meant nothing less then treason or murther to their King and his Father but when in the business cheated and drawn hoodwinkt into this design help'd it forward And so all over Israel he had his Agents who were privy to his design and they at the sign given drew in the people in like manner Many a time desperate businesses are carried on under other pretences upon the secret design of a few A sad unnatural civil War is kindled is carryed on a great way too far if it had been the will of God parties engaged declare themselves defensive they protest and vow and Covenant they had no design against his Majesties Royal person or just honour and greatnesse The business goes on the victory falls to their side Now the Absaloms appear and they shew what their design was The people went in their simplicity meaning no other then what was declared to them which hath sufficiently appeared in that the business could not be effected till force was put upon the Houses of Parliament the Lords clearly dismissed near 300 Commoners pull'd out and kept out of the House of Commons many hundreds in the Nation would never say a Confederacy with them and have suffered according to their first declared Principles and innocent intentions upon occasion all along under these Usurpations But yet many were drawn in no doubt in their simplicity to go on further with them If this had been known at first to have been the design it might in all liklihood have been never advanced one step but they take their advantage the common people and some good people of midling capacities others seduced and infected in their Principles are gotten on further into the business decoy'd and cheated into the design to follow that cursed Absalom to the Throne They pretend it is the Parliaments cause still and the people generally make no great difference between a Parliament consisting of Lords and Commons treating with the King and upon the matter agreed with him and a bit of a Parliament the Lords removed and the best and greatest number of the Commons forcibly secluded and to destroy the King too Alas many went in wickedness and many in simplicity meaning no hurt not foreseeing the guile nor understanding the treachery 2. There was a great multitude engaged in Absaloms businesse against David The text sayes v. 12. The conspiracy was strong It was strong 1 In that the whole body of the people were gotten into it 2 David the rightfull King was forced to flie from the Royal City

and to go over Jordan to save his life and therefore the waters rose very high against him We need not apply this It is evident the whole Nation were either consenting or forced ro acquiesce in the Usurpation David gone over Jordan to escape for his life 3. There was cruel policy and craft to the height used in the businesse Absaloms party was much strengthened by Achitophel the Gilonite joyning in the business chap. 15. v. 12. Two great things there were in Achitophels counsell First in that he was a man of such vast abilities for Counse 2 Sam. 16.23 The Counsel of Achitophel which he counselled in those dayes was as if a man had enquired at the Oracle of God so was all the Counsel of Achitophel both with David and with Absalom His counsel had such authority in the Councel it was so profound and this counsel was gotten to Absaloms side Secondly in that he had been Davids Counsellor and so understood the affairs of the Nation the Arcana Imperii knew Davids way of counsel and so could better undermine and prevent his restauration and always give Absalom the way into the strength of the Nation by this his experience This was a great blow to David and advantage to Absalom Certainly the design here that was so strong was laid in deepest policy We had a man that had Absaloms pride and ambition and Achitophels head-piece Men laid their devices as low as Hell but that their counsels were defeated by him who taketh the crafty in their own craftinesse and whose counsels must stand their policy was very formidable and a great while successefull That there were those that joyned what they could contribute to this work that had been of his Majesties own Servants c. I need not here assert There was wisdome treachery and utmost ingratitude concentred to keep our David down 4. And lastly to mention no more of this kinde Absoloms design was secured in a desperate peece of wickedness and this was no small strength to his party and disadvantage to David The politick peece of wickedness was from this Achitophels counsel and that is 2 Sam. 16.20,21,22 Absolom must go in to his Fathers Concubines in the sight of all Israel on the top of the house And what would this do why sayes he Then all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy Father then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong How would this strengthen the hands of all Israel with him why these two wayes 1. It would assure the people that Absolom must stick to them as well as they adventured with him for they might sometimes doubt of the business there may be mysteries between the Father and the Son and David recover a little strength why Absolom offended him once afore and he got his favour again The King may be tender to his Son upon his submission It may prove but banishment or keeping from Court a while as it did before the fault may then fall heavily upon many of us as Instigators and Abetters of this rash young man in his Enterprize and he may happen let us fall to the Kings mercy in hope of his Fathers pardon for any thing that yet is done Therefore sayes Achitophel Do some odious thing that the people may be sure of thee Nay may the people now say We may venture with him for he dares never leave us when he hath so unnaturally defiled his Fathers bed 2. It will make the people firm to Absolom by making them see they can now no longer dally in the business The cause is declared by this open villany of Absolom we are gotten in we have advanced him have brought him to Jerusalem and he hath now under our countenance and assistance perpetrated this villany There is no hope of ever being pardoned either for him or us that are so far engaged with him when such a thing as this is done who can hope the King should forgive us when we have provoked him on this manner The policy was devillish to linke Absolom and his Forces by such a villany Themistocles would make a golden bridge for his Enemies to retreat upon at any time counting it no wisdome to force an enemy to fight whether he would or no. When there is no hope of mercy men will sell their lives as dear as they can This was the design in Absoloms case to make Absolom and his party desperate that hopes of Indempnity might never spoil their resolution He puts it past hopes of pardon that that might never make them indifferent in the undertaking nor mar their valour A device if one would rake hell for one you cannot finde one more devillish and yet serving to this desperate design How must David ever get over this when his enemies are so united and engaged to stand against him Ours was of the same brood and from the same father no doubt the Devil that Achitophel fetcht this To keep David out we murder the Kings Royal Father and in a horrid manner If some few Assassinates had done it they might have made them to have born the blame but it is done in the sight of all Israel and the Sun in the Kings Royal City before his own Gates in the crowd of his people on purpose to make as many partakers of the thing as might be that they might have the more Abetters to cleave to them now for very protection Most of the great Officers are made Judges that these might to prevent the like Judgement and sentence on themselves stick together to the last man Any thing but the Murther of his own Father a King may upon principles of honour and prudence pardon But here many engaged to be desperate now against the Heir of the Crown those that were not Judges and Actors they have another device to get many of them engaged too And that is by taking possession as well as Killing and so by disposing of the Kings Lands for small value they raise money at present but they do more to their design they strengthen their party unspeakably thereby There is now an interest in the Nation that must be respected under this very notion which shews how there wanted not villany to make their party strong and secure Matters had in all likelihood never held so long as they have done if men had not been choaked with Purchases Many men ivolved in so much guilt as that they have justly despaired of pardon and many so deep in estates none of their own as loath to think of restitution And thus the hand of the people is made strong with them Absolom carried on his business but a while and though it was notably laid yet being unsettled more easily brought down Aegrius ejicitur quam non admittitur hostis But ours got settled an Usurpation of almost a dozen years standing the channel quite turned Estates gotten and improved and so men more loath to part with them And therefore in