Selected quad for the lemma: country_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
country_n	city_n	great_a	village_n	1,731	5	9.2720	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79930	The cleere sense: or, A just vindication of the late ordinance of Parliament; forbidding persons not ordained, or not allowed of, as intending the ministry, to preach, from such malignant interpretations as some ill-affected labour to fasten on it, therby to authorize their opposition against those other most warrantable duties of expounding scriptures, mutuall edification, &c. which the scriptures do require of every Christian within his own sphear and relations. Which may also serve for an usefull caution to those gentlemen of the magistracy, souldiery & committees in the severall towns, garrisons, places of strength, cities, counties, througout the kingdome, to whom the said ordinance is respectively recommended by both Houses of Parliament. Published according to order.	England and Wales. Parliament.	1645 (1645)	Wing C4621; Thomason E282_9; ESTC R200047	8,527	15

of plagues curses judgements upon whatsoever counsells or undertakings both of Church and State But blessed be God who yet hath left us one most pregnant and satisfying argument to evince that our renowned and reforming Parliament hath no intentions either in this or any other Ordinance to grieve the faithfull and thereby incurre the displeasure of that God who hitherto hath been intreated to continue a shield and buckler to our distressed England And to put the question out of all doubt be it known to thee Reader whosoever thou art That in the day when this Ordinance passed in the House of Commons it was then and there declared by the said House that they intended not hereby to discountenance much lesse forbid any man to reade Scriptures and expound them in his Family or any under his charge which they conceived to be every mans duty in the place God hath set him It had been well indeed if this Declaration had been printed with the Ordinance but since it is not printed what remains but that every man notwithstanding should go on in the practice of every Christian duty both in his Family and as just occasion serves amongst his honest neighbours being alwayes prepar'd for the Edification of himself and others You therefore Gentlemen of the Souldiery in the field though not intending the Ministery for reasons best known unto the State you are forbidden to preach as that which in their judgement belongs not to you yet doubtlesse you may both pray and speak too in the head of your Companies Regiments and Armies you may deliver the piety of your souls the wel-grounded confidence of your hearts the valour of your minds in such Orations in such Liberties of speech as may best enspirit the men that follow you with such a religious and undaunted animation as may render them unconquerable before the proudest enemy And to justifie you in so doing beside the examples already mentioned from Scripture and of many other Christian Kings and Generals which might be reckoned up to instance one for all the late famous King of Sweden the ancient custome of the very Heathens will plead for you witnesse the many memorable stories to this purpose in the learned Writings of Plutarch Xenophon Salust T●citus Julius Cesar and others who tell us and that very plentifully in their severall Languages what fluent Eloquence what Invocations upon their immortall Gods were used in the greatest and most renowned battels of the Romans Grecians Persians Lacedemonians c. Doubt not therefore but that not withstanding this Ordinance against Lay-mens preaching you may do as these your valiant Ancestors have done before you and that with the most religious and highest gallantry you can to the great content and complacencie both of Parliament and Kingdome And you the rest of Gods people of whatsoever rank and condition in whatsoever Countrey City Garrison strong Hold Town or Village raise not unjust feares to your selves from this Ordinance do not wilfully mis-interpret it to your own greatest disadvantage think not that you must now forsake the assembling of your selves together as the manner of some perhaps will be from unworthy and needlesse apprehensions of danger where no danger is never let this at all hinder you from your pious meetings either for prayer conference right use of Scriptures the Parliament and whole Kingdome have as much need of your prayers now as ever and God expects that in this time of the three kingdomes Reformation every one according to the Solemne League and Covenant should go before each other in all good wayes of propagating both truth and holinesse and if any man shall dare disturb you in so doing Provided you do it in such time place and manner as may no way prejudice the publike preaching of the Gospel or disturb the publike peace you may p●tition with assured confidence of finding a just reliefe remedy and protection from both the same Houses of Parliament that have made this Ordinance against the preaching of such persons as are not ordain'd in some reformed Church or intend not the Ministery FINIS