Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	bind_v	law_n	obligation_n	1,168	5	9.4651	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96785	Vox pacifica a voice tending to the pacification of God's wrath; and offering those propositions, or conditions, by the acceptation, and performance whereof, in some good measure, a firme and continuing peace may be obtained. It is directed to the King, Parliaments, and people of these islands: By Geo. Wither Esquire, (a commander in this war) heretofore their unheeded remebbrancer [sic] of plagues and deliverances past; and their timely forewarner of the judgments now come. He hath disposed it into six books, or canto's, whereof foure onely are contained in this volumne; and the other deferred to be hereafter published, as there shall be cause.	Wither, George, 1588-1667.	1645 (1645)	Wing W3210; Thomason E1242_1; ESTC R202399	111,848	215

From thy free favour and preventing-grace It doth proceed that our despised Host Fled not before their Adversaries face Or fell not by them who the field have lost And that the Joyes which now our Citie hath Are not this day in Askalon and Gath. But what will these prevailings be at last If Grace thou likewise give not to pursue Those victories which thou bestowed hast And to improve the mercie thou didst shew What will our sad rejoycings at the length And bloudy enterchanges prove O LORD But an impairing of our native strength To make a passage for the Forraine-sword And what from our divisions and the spoiles Torne daily from each other can arise But utter devastation of these Iles And which is worse than forraine enemies Selfe-murthers Or perhaps a Dearth so great That men shall kill each other for their meat Such things have been and such for ought I see May here befall us ere these wars be done If thou permit our cruelties to be As wilfully pursued as begun Thy judgements teach us therefore LORD to feare So make us thy forbearances to weigh So let thy kindnesses our hearts prepare That we no longer foole our Peace away Let not the sighs the prayers and the cries Of thy afflicted children be in vaine Behold how desolate their dwelling lies Look on their wounds observe how they are slaine How many of their Fathers are bereft How many widowes desolate are left Or if this move thee not mark how the Foe Blasphemes thy Name See with what height of pride Against thy Truth his malice he doth show And how thy holy things he doth deride Mark what damn'd Oaths and curses forth they roare And with what lyes and slanders they do wrong us Mark how they scorne the counsels of the poore And to betray us how they lurk among us Mark how they play the hypocrites array'd Sometime like Bosome-Friends sometime disguis'd With outward Sanctitie while snares are layd That unawares thy Saints may be surpriz'd And let not us who in thy Truth have joy'd By those who persecute it be destroy'd If not on us yet LORD compassion take On those that shall out of our loynes descend If not for our yet for thine Honour-sake To these destroying times impose an end Ev'n for the sake of thy Beloved-One Who through our sides is wounded by our Foes Behold what spoyles what mischieves they have done And help us ere our sorrow helplesse growes Teach us to see and know how miserable We are and may be if we persevere As we begun informe us how unable We are to save our selves from what we feare And to consider too how worthlesse we Are of that mercie which I beg of thee Vaine is the help of Armies Foot or Horse Vaine is the pow'r of Nations and of Kings Vaine is united policie and force Vaine is the aid of all terrestriall things Thou makest War thou only makest Peace And out of nothing canst create the same Nay out of that which discords doth encrease An everlasting Concord thou canst frame Although the people like huge waters rage The mountaines yea these Islands moved be Thou in a moment canst the storme asswage And make all quiet when it pleaseth thee O LORD command a Calme command a Peace That our unnaturall debates may cease To us be reconcil'd and to begin That reconcilement let us so endeavour To breake the league which we have made with sin That Thou and We may now be friends for ever Make for us an Atonement with our King Let him perceive in what his course will end What Mischeeves evill Counsellours do bring What Vengeance doth on Tyranny attend Give him both sight and sense of that huge floud Which threatens daily to o'rewhelme his head That roaring torrent nay that sea of bloud Which in these Iles hath wilfully been shed And with his wronged and enraged Nations Make thou for him his Reconciliations His heart is in thy hand and if thou please Thou canst returne him to us wholly changed Thou canst yet make us mutually with ease As deare as if we had not been estranged Thou that restor'dst Manasseh canst restore Him to Himselse to Vs and to thy Grace And it may glorifie thy goodnesse more Than to advance another in his place Yea and for us it shall be better too If with a true forgivenesse of each other We that have lately been divided so Shall lovingly unite againe together For what more sweet than when unkindnesse ends In reconciling of divided friends Thou know'st O GOD that we have no desire To take from Him or His the Royall Throne Or pull it lower but to raise it higher And set him rather faster thereupon Thou know'st that though his courses we abhor We love his Person and would faine prevent That mischiefe which he seemes to labour for By hunting after his owne detriment If by his wilfulnesse that bloud be spilt Which we would save of them require it LORD Who make him to be Patron of their guilt Or bring him within danger of the Sword And keep us and our children ever cleare From all the bloud that shall be spoyled here And as for me whom our Opposers blame As having my first principles forsaken Because I now against the Royall-Name With Reall-Majestie a part have taken Thou know'st my heart had never an intent The Shadow for the Substance to adore And that if I so foolishly had meant Discretion bids me so to think no more A Single-Person or a Factious Rabble The King by Armes opposing acteth Treason But Kingdomes joyn'd by Counsells-warrantable Against a Tyrant do the work of Reason Yea 't is the hand of GOD that strikes him then Although he doth it by the sword of men Thou know'st O GOD that not a hand of our Is rais'd against his Person or his Seed Or to diminish any Royall pow'r Which to discharge his Office he may need Or for due honour But we rather fight As he would know if undeceiv'd he were To save his Dignitie to do him right And keep him from Destructions drawing neare Thou know'st we no offensive War intended Nor armed came for any private Cause But as our dutie binds to have defended Thy Truth our Countrie 's Liberties and Lawes And to remove the wicked from the Throne That he may rule with righteousnesse thereon And though to fright us from this dutie LORD The sons of Belial whom we pursue Cast termes on us which better do accord With their proceedings as to them most due Yet thou canst witnesse that we called are And come in true obedience to that Pow'r Of which He but the name doth only weare Whilst he abuseth his owne Rights and our Thou know'st his Wilfulnesse doth us compell Since nor his Parl'aments Thy Lawes nor His Nor other course prevailes now to appeale In that which at this time depending is To thy Arbitrement and that the Sword May to our differences an end afford Wherein we pray

daily by the Dragons-Taile Are smitten or affrighted from their Spheare That you may those Elected-Ones be sound Who cannot by Deceivers be deceiv'd That with those Conquerours you may be crown'd Who shall not of their Garlands be bereav'd That of the Kingdome seizure you may take Which GOD on Perseverers doth bestow And not be shut from thence by looking back When you have set your hands unto the plough In this Back-sliding some already are Some nearer to it than they are aware For so imprudent are Men discontent That to avenge their personall neglects Complaints for private injuries they vent As Nationall-affronts and dis-respects Whereas it is apparent ev'rie day That many members of each sev'rall Nation Do suffer by their owne as much as they In Person in Estate and Reputation And that both Nations mutually have showne Vnlesse perhaps among the baser sort As loving a respect as to their owne And therefore let not Prudent-men retort Mistaken wrongs or quarrels be begun 'Twixt them for that which Fooles and Knaves have done Let not those jealousies which were perchance Devis'd by them who in your spoiles delight Make you imprudently their ends advance And you to their Advantage dis-unite If some of them discourtesies have showne To some of yours or injuries have done It is no more than you unto your owne Have offred oft since first this War begun An Army cannot possibly be free From all Injustice and yet oftentimes Ill-will and men who dis-contented be Will make complaints much larger than the crimes But cursed be their malice and their tongues Who Nations would divide for private wrongs Your Fathers felt and some of you have heard The Deadly-Fewds betweene you heretofore Which if your owne well-being you regard Would make you glad it might be so no more And entertaine and cherish with all dearnesse The brotherly Affection which that Nation Hath late exprest and with a true sincerenesse Be carefull of your mutuall preservation Yea if the sons of Belial and of Blindnesse On either Partie rightly understood How greatly to perpetuate this kindnesse Between the Nations it concernes their good Ev'n in those outward things which they respect They would not your dis-union so project Believe it this is not the way to Peace But rather to an never-ending war And likelier new troubles to increase Then set a period unto those that are And they who willingly shall tind such flames Or wilfully foment them merit well To be esteem'd to their perpetuall shames The Plagues of earth and Fierbrands of hell For of your Scottish-Brethren wherefore now Yee English-Britaines are ye jealous growne Who have exprest more faithfulnesse to you Then you your selves unto your selves have shown Or wherein have they seemingly abus'd Your trust whereof they may not be excus'd They would appeare to be confided in With lesse distrust if ever you had heard On what conditions they allur'd have bin To be dishonourable for reward For when the Prelates-War had them constrain'd To arme themselves against the superstitions Intruded on them when they had regain'd Their Peace with honour and on good conditions And when your Army could have been content Vonat'rally on promise of reward To turne their Swords upon this Parliament And so had surely done had they not fear'd The Scots then on their Rear they were the men who kept you from the mischeef purpos'd then Had they been trustlesse or had aim'd at ends As base as many of your own have had Your Foe e're this had done what he intends And you and yours perhaps had slaves been made For to allure them four brave Northerne Shires Should have annexed been to Scottish-ground To beare expences and to pay Arreares A paune to be three hundred thousand pound In Jewells was design'd York should have had The Soveraigne-Seat of royall-Residence The Scottish Generall should have been made The chiefe of both your Armies and the Prince In Scotland should have had his education All which together seem'd a strong temptation Yet more was offred For to each Commander Revenue Office yea and Honour too Was promis'd and th'unvaluable plunder Of London to both Armies What to do To force the Parliament to make the King A Monarch absolute and you and your Into perpetuall slavery to bring By an ill-gotten Arbitrary power But these temptations their brave minds abhor'd Of which their noblenesse this VOICE shall be An everlasting Trophee and Record Wherein these times and times to come shall see How we to sale were offred and how these Disdain'd to thrive by base advantages If they be faithlesse and you shall be true GOD will with shame and vengeance send them home If you unfaithfully your Vowes pursue Possessors of your Land they shall become In spight of all your policies and power Here they shall settle whither they were set To do the work of GOD as well as your Who will requite the kindnesse you forget But if without hypocrisie and guiles You Brethren-like shall strengthen one another In setting up his Throne within these Isles By and in whom you seem now kn●t together Both shall thereby that happinesse enjoy Which all the powers on Earth shall not destroy Look therefore well about you and persever In your vow'd union For the maine designe Is to divide you and to that indeavour Your Foes withall their Faculties combine Yea and of such like projects there are other Through levitie or malice so promoted As if to ruine these three Realmes together It were almost unanimously voted No Chronicle hath showne no age hath seen An Empire so divided and yet stand Or that a Nation so corrupt hath been Whose desolation was not near at hand And if you shall escape it be it knowne To all now living and that shall be borne A greater Mercie never was bestowne On any Kingdome since a Crown was worne And that no Nations who so much professe In outward show did ere deserve it lesse Although by vowes and dutie you are tide Yet you are carelesse in pursuing either And play at fast and loose on ev'ry side Fair seeming friends to both but true to neither He that 's within your Covenants and conceives Himselfe ingaged by those Obligations To bring to triall those whom he believes Injurious to the safety of these Nations Oft into greater danger thereby falls Of secret mischiefs of reproofs or troubles Then they whom justly to account he calls And by this meanes your Foe his power doubles Takes courage and accomplisheth his ends By making you to ruine your own friends T is oft more safe to let the Commonweale Be ruin'd or betraid then to oppose A Traytor or with freedome to reveale That which your vowes oblige you to disclose Your personall immunities of late Are so insisted on that many feare The Publike-Priviledge to vindicate Least they Infringers of the first appeare And if there be not some provisions made Whereby free-men their minds may freely say When probable suspitions they have