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	kingdom_n	part_n	5,398	4	4.2683	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86491	The holy harmony: or, a plea for the abolishing of organs and other musick out of the Protestant churches of Great Britain, and demolishing of superstitious and idolatrous monuments. With a plenary expression of the Parliaments piety, cities charity, countreys constancy.		1643 (1643)	Wing H2526; Thomason E105_11; ESTC R2064	6,331	10

loud expressions in which case if I mistake not was the holy Paul when he cried out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of death this is a holy harmony Questonlesse the still devotions are deepest which smoothly and strongly run in an unfathomed channell hasting with a strong current into the maine and uncircumscribed Ocean of Gods mercies then the whirling and shallow streames which publish their grumbling peace and are dammed up by boys in sport The Pharisee procliams his Plaudite when as the poore Publican dares hardly whisper his devotions yet makes up a more approved Harmony I dare avouch the Primitive times sent up speaking devotions with a little noise or pomp their holy melodie did not swell their cheeks but their hearts with sighes and eyes with teares they sought not to give that a sound which was dumbe for they knew they praied to him that was not deafe for men in publique to tie themselves to musicall ayres is to publish himselfe a uselesse fiddle that can make no musick till he be put in tune Such anthemes as those our Saviour used over Heirusalem to which holy harmony had they given regard they had not felt the Romane fire Which divine harmony is the greatest matter that hath kindled the holy Tapers of these times who had rather offer up the incense of sweet and heavenly prayer to almighty God knowing that the still or sweetely smelling though silent savour thereof is more acceptable to him then all the bellowing of beasts sacrificed These coares in our devotions doth the Parliament strive by all meanss to cut out as carefull confectioners from Apples or Peares or the stones from fruit that so they may preserve with the Sugar of reformation the fruit it selfe whith else would putrifie or like wise Chirurgions that embowell that body they intend to embalme t is much better to part with what we can spare and will hurt being kept then by keeping a snuff incense the owner to remove his candlestick this might justly be suffered by the Church and the Church not suffer by it I hold it as great an error in us to affect the Pompe of the Romish Church as for them to contemne the homely yet decent and holy dresse of the Primitive Christ chose a spouse that though shee was black was comely the wife attires not her selfe but in a modest and civill manner when as the whore useth garish flaunting painting crisping to insnare the silly beholder whom shee blindfold leades into the Chambers of death had not the pompe and policy of Rome prevailed beyond her shee had had as few Proselites as Crowns which whore and bawd our Parliament is wipping and carting for her many fornications and adulteries committed with the Kings of the earth Rev. 17.2 this is the way to produce a Holy Harmony Those watchmen of Israel or strongmenn about the bed of Solomon had rather our Church should be found in the seamelesse coat of Christ then arrayed in the royall apparell of Herod Act. 12. for they finde Christ arising from the hive of the worme in glory and Herod made living food for the worms so that now though I conclude not the same on our Church and theirs who in all their blinde though garish devotions looke not on God nor ascribe the excellency thereof if any to him but to the visibility and glory of their Church and Pope yet I say we may without sinn expect a happy resurrection of ours from the dead errors borrowed from them in which shee yet sleepeth and also to see her layd like Sodome a marke of divine vengeance to encrease our Harmony how have they already given proofs of these pious purposes having defaced those offensive monuments stopt and exiled by all possible means the course of her menstruousnesse and branded her with the marks of her prostitutions This then must needs be the basis of their endeavours for without some spirituall end no mortall men would ever involve themselves in such toyls or strive with Atlas to ease the groaning burden of a superiour an office not so painfull as unthankfull I find in that Apologue of Iotham Iudg. 9. that the Olive would not leave his fatnesse the Fig his sweetnesse the Vine his cheeringnesse to be a King Questionlesse in that honourable Assembly there are Olives Figs Vines which have declined the fat sweet and cheerings of their possessions and retirements to groan under constant incumbrances hazards threatned censures proclaimed and ruines without Gods infinite protection to be expected and all this for a Holy Harmony I find in that place above-cited a bramble that accepts the government which happily may be the reason that ever since there hath been such scratching about a Crowne for there be brambles that endeavour if not to be in the throne of Solomon yet to be as the Lions on either side so that their Soveraigne might neither ascend nor descend but the beams of Majesty must of necessity reflect upon them whose lustre is peradventure not desired for its own splendor but for that it affords them like the Salamander who loves not the fire because it is hot but in respect of the antipathy between him and the cold so I suppose such brambles regard not the royall gems belonging to the Crown because they are as fixed stars and cannot be disjoynted from the regall possessour they dearly adore those the Prince may spate ro gild their blackberries or if you will have it plainer they affect not the religious acts of a Prince which are the true imperiall gems but cherish any vice that may feed their luxury or avarice these be the kind Ravilliacs of a Prince and brambles in a Throne The pious and insupportable care the Houses undergo to produce this Harmony is inexpressible what depths of unknown troubles wade they thorow At Sea they stand at the helm by turns because the labour is great and only thought to be the businesse of one watch but in this task of theirs every man is at the helm the whole voyage being sothered indissolubly all mens labours are one and ones is every mans every Member being both the alarum that strikes and the wheeles also by which the alarum doth strike Argos is fained to have an hundred eyes and him Iuno set to watch Io from Iupiters imbraces which he did giving his eyes rest by turns but these cannot doe so for one motion keepes them all waking let who that likes unmantle this fiction by a farther application Now all these bees doe extreamly labour to fetch in the hony on their laded thighes from all parts of the kingdome into the hive of the Church and common wealth out of which to make one cake of pure wax of which may be made a blessed and divine light to guide us to a holy and heavenly Harmony In which Act as good as great this Citty hath not spared any encouragements that would possibly be given whose helps to this Cause

The Holy Harmony OR A Plea for the abolishing of Organs and other Musick out of the Protestant Churches of Great Britain and demolishing of superstitious and idolatrous Monuments WITH A plenary Expression OF The Parliaments Piety Cities Charity Countreys Constancy ECCLES 4.11 12. Also if two sleep together then shall they have heat but to one how should there be heat And if one overcome him two shall stand against him and a threefold cord is not easily broken LONDON Printed by R. Austin and A. Coe 1643. The Holy Harmonie SOlomon the wisest of Kings did so love the peace of the Church that he charged the daughters of Jerusalem not to awaken the Spouse of Christ untill she pleased Cant. 8.4 and when he built the Temple of the Lord you shall observe greater noise at the dedication then erection for there we heard Solomons prayer the peoples submission and acclamation 2 Chron. 7.3 but in the building of this holy pile not the noise of a hammer it is a Holy Harmony when the King and people joyn in prayer and sacrifice for I find it no prejudice to holy David in descending to the poorest though holy expressions of his people the Crown and Scepter is not prejudic'd in the observation of the meanest acts of devotion the King of Niniveh prescribes not a fast to man and beast but himself also Monarchy were miserable if it had this exemption I find in this pious union between the King and people a notable zeale wherein it had been no point of treason for the subject to have been more devout then his Soveraigne 't is true the Levites were there with their instruments of musick which David made to praise the Lord which I conceive he was forced to do to comply with the people who were but newly exept from under the Judges in which time having no King they did every man as he listed and therefore were not fully reduc'd to civility so that David happily suffered these plausible things whereby to attract the peoples recourse to the Temple nature ever aiming at somthing that may please or profit and a holy policy is tolerated for God grants that nation a Bill of divorce because of the hardnesse of their hearts but we must know that our hearty devotions are the only musick for the house of God Psalms and Prayers are not the heavenlier for Copes and Vestments not the louder for wind-Instruments Indeed I observe at the dedication of Nebuchadnezzars image the Cornet Trumpet Harp Sackbut Psaltery and all instruments of Musick Dan. 3.7 were alarums appointed as Vshers to the adoration of those living statues to a dead image as if the eare must be rouzed before the heart or as if mens devotions were like Bucks Bores or Hares not to be rouzed without hollowings hornes and hounds or as if men had slept all night in a strange lodging and were to be awakened the next morning by the Weights of the towne with good morrow to your Worship certainly that zeale is halfe dead the six dayes that must have all that stirre to awaken his nap the seventh certainly this is no holy Harmony Me thinkes I affect that holy pastime and devout derision of Eliahs used to the Priests of Baal when he was by the convincing and converting of Isreal to confound them 1. King 18.27 Crie aloud sayes he for he is a God either he taketh or pursueth his enemies or is in his journy or it may be that he sleepeth and must be awaked but this would have been one of the devils sheetings a great crie and no wooll Lazy and sluggish devotion is cold in operation holy duties have their life and vigour without such secondary assistance as is borrowed from leatherne bellies what needs such horrid shouts unlesse it bee to confound the sweetnes of a hymne t is hard for the vulgar sort to know the Psalme which is cleerely lost by the Organs and the Quire well may they admire the art of the Musician but not edify themselves yet many I suppose have gon to see the praiers but th●y could not distuiguish by the sound they were so yet was this applauded by the unholy for the holiest harmony The soule should appeare to God as God to Moses in a soft and a still winde the holy and sweet sighes or silent expressions of the soul are most acceptable Paul knew the sweetnesse of this still Musick these heavenly breathings and would have preferred one of them before a thousand crouds of sackbutts this is the holy harmony I find the ancient Romanes had a kinde of Vergers that went before their solemne processions to proclaime silence that so there might be no disturbance to their devotions for indeed me thinks it had been absurd for a people to speak to their God who must of necessity hold his tongue but the new Romans being emptier of zeale have their Organs to rouze theirs least like those in a swoune they should die in a qualme of ardency t is the organs of our selves we should imploy in that service Poore Hanna obtained a sonne for never a word speaking 1 Sam 1.13 for Hanna spoke in heart he lipps did move only but her voice was not heard but marke she that conceived a prayer in her heart forthwith conceives a son in her wombe such accesse to the heavenly throne hath the silentest prayer they shall be fertile that are faithfull but as if the loudest prayers were the highest Eli tells her shee is drunke which shee devoutly disproves nay my Lord c. even like him more impotent and holy they are in their censures for they think all congregations drunke whose organs they heare not but hee that prayes to be heard of men men shall never heare that that mans prayer is heard but we hope to have our desires heard granted and our sterile wombs opened by those sound but not sounding expressions of our foules which is the holy harmony Christ when he was to raise the daughter of Iairus Mat. 9. would not worke his miracle of mercy till he had excluded the minstrells though a bedchamber be a fitter place for such a pack then the house of God our dumpish soules find small solace in such society nor can they be raised from their slumbers in sin nor receive the benefit of Christs consolation whilst they suffer themselves to be transported with the raving raptures of their foolish jollitie t is thence happily we are deprived from the blessed operations of the spirit of life wee approaching the tents of Iacob rather to heare the noise of such instruments then the devine voice of the charmer who spake as never man spake T is worth the observation that Sauls evill spirit was driven away with Davids harpe which we know was the stillest instrument amongst the Iewes for I conceive that not only much babbling but loud is discommended though I know that deep sorrowes or strong sence of sin doth frequently make choice of violent zealous importunate and