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	number_n	time_n	4,547	4	3.2983	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17315	A sermon preached at the generall assises in Warwicke, the third of March, being the first Friday in Lent. 1619. By Samuel Burton, Archdeacon of Gloucester. Seene and allowed by authoritie	Burton, Samuel, 1568 or 9-1634.	1620 (1620)	STC 4164; ESTC S107146	16,569	31

not take vpon me to iudge and censure that Epistle whether it tend not to too much lenitie and remissenesse yea or no. But if the manner of ancient Bishops was to intreat and begge for pardon it is not meete for vs to call for vengeance and bloud out of the Pulpit Besides I know the old Rule which tells vs It is better to answer God for mercy then for iustice and safer for a Magistrate to saue the liues of many malefactors then to cast away one innocent For if a malefactor chance to scape at one time the Hand of God is able to reach him at another but if an innocent die God may receiue him into his mercy and will if he die as a faithfull Christian ought but it lies not in the power of man to make him satisfaction for the wrong But notwithstanding all this they which are in authority had neede to take heede in what cases they shew mercy For by the example of Ioshua who destroyed Achan and his house for stealing the Babylonish garment contrary to the expresse commandement of God by the example of Moses who caused the men of Israel to take vengeance one of another and euery man to turne his sword into the bosome of his owne brother for their cursed Idolatry by the example of Phinees which slew the adulterer and adulteresse both together and pierced them through with his Iaueline in all which places the wrath of God was appeased towards the people so soone as the execution was done and not before I say by these and many other examples that might be produced it is plaine and euident that in horrible transgressions in haynous and crying sinnes there is no way to remoue the wrath of God and euill from a common State but by remoouing and taking away the euill and wicked persons from among the people Take heede therefore and beware and looke to thy selfe thou that art a transgressor of the Law If thou doe euill feare saith the Apostle for hee beareth not the sword in vaine like the picture of Saint Paul in a glasse-window or like an Image in a stone wall in whose fingers there be no ioynts and whose armes cannot be mooued For he will draw it forth for the punishment of wickednesse and sinne and smite through the loynes of the vngodly For as the great Romane Oratour could say of himselfe Natura me clementem respublica seuerum fecit So truely I make no question of our Magistrates generally through the whole Kingdome but that they haue hearts of flesh that their bowels are full of compassion that nature made them inclineable to mercy and pity Mollissima corda Humano generi aare se Natura fatetur Quae lacrimas dedit Wee see they giue iudgement vpon Malefactors many times with teares in their eyes and therefore no doubt their hearts are made of flesh but the necessitie of the Common-wealth and the zeale of Gods glory in rooting out sinne must make them sometimes seuere And so wee see they are wee cannot iustly charge them that they are any way defectiue in their duty for this point a great number of malefactors are cut off at these two times of Assises within this Kingdome And a great number at euery monethly Sessions in the City of London And yet notwithstanding wee see the Goales are no sooner empty but presently they are filled againe and the number of malefactors is great still though by no meanes any way so great as it would be if Iustice were wanting And therefore I could wish if it were possible that there were some course taken for the better breeding of this kinde of people that they were not suffred to liue in idlenesse nor lurke in Ale-houses which wee may call as well Pesthouses for in my conscience they are the very plague and bane of this Kingdome where all malefactors take their chiefe infection and that there were some course also taken to compell them to come to Church To which purpose because I find that such kind of people are seldome presented to the Ecclesiasticall Courts and because there is nothing of force sufficient to keepe people in order and obedience if the feare of God be wanting my desire and petition is that the Statute which layes a forfeiture of twelue pence a day on euery one that comes not to his Parish Church may bee reuiued and duely executed A matter giuen in charge I see and much talked of but as yet there is nothing done in it I am perswaded it would bee a very great and powerfull meanes to hinder the growth of sinne as S. Austen saith of the Donatists that though they were compelled to come to Church against their wils yet being once there they were many of them taken in the net of Gods Word and made good Christians so many of these idle persons being compelled to come in might also be taken and made profitable members which now for want of breeding and instruction proue nothing else but a burden to the earth that beares them a reproch to their parents that begat them and a plague to the Common-wealth wherein they liue And with this Petition I end FINIS