Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	husband_n	marriage_n	wife_n	3,594	5	7.6210	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35232	Female excellency, or, The ladies glory illustrated in the worthy lives and memorable actions of nine famous women, who have been renowned either for virtue or valour in several ages of the world ... : the whole adorned with poems and the picture of each lady / by R.B.	R. B., 1632?-1725?	1688 (1688)	Wing C7326; ESTC R21134	117,568	206

I might not enter the bed of a Pagan the first night of my Nuptials but that I may imbrace a Christian for my Husband and Soveraign than which nothing can be more desirable to your most obedient Wife The King a little surprized told her It was not yet time to think of that matter though he would take the first opportunity to consider seriously of it and act accordingly his thoughts being now too much imploy'd in admiring her perfections to think of any thing else but however she need not scruple in the mean time to converse with a Pagan Husband since her own Law taught her That the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife Clotilda somewhat doubted whether she should imbrace his company till he had fulfill'd his promise but fearing to exasperate and make him quite reject Christianity she resolved to render him all marriage duties and endeavour to gain him by her prayers and good example The King observing her discreet carriage was very much pleased and respected her the more who finding she had an absolute Empire over his heart used her power with all kind of sweetness and complasance exercising her devotions with the greatest sincerity and constancy so that her Apartment seemed rather like an Oratory or Chappel than a place dedicated to vanity or pleasure which the King having very often observed it bred in him a very great inclination and reverence to her Religion and caused him more highly to honour her Person But upon occasion he would be objecting to her some difficulties that appeared in the Christian Religion as beleiving the Trinity and the Doctrine of a Crucified Jesus The threats of Judgment and promises of mercy in another life And therefore he thought it better to continue in his own Religion wherein he was educated and did not doubt but God would have mercy upon him since he practised to the best of his knowledg To this Clotilda answered That he ought not to be deterred by such seeming difficulties fince God who created the Soul of man hath made it capable of beleiving things above the reach of human reason and whose small understanding must submit to the Divine Wisdom and his finite knowledge must not think to equal that which is infinite since God alone is the immense Fountain of Goodness Wisdom and Knowledg That if his Majesty should promise a Servant what to his reason might seem impossible and incredible yet he is bound to beleive it without any reply as depending upon the Kings infallible word now if one smful mortal man doth thus exact faith of another why should you doubt says she what the Soveraign Lord of Heaven and Earth has declared to be true Why should we not believe there are three Persons and one only God fince we dayly find our memory understainding and will make but one Soul Why should we scorn to adore a Crucified Man since nothing can more confirm our believe than that Consideration For if our blessed Saviour had come to subdue the World by Legions of Horses Armies as your Majesty conquers Kingdoms it would not have appeared so great a wonder but when only by sufferings and the cross he hath brought the greatest part of the World yea many Crowned heads under the Dominion of his Laws and Precepts this makes it appear that all is done only by the Almighty power of God since so little of man is seen in it I would therefore humbly beseech your Majesty no longer to defer your Baptism that you may be one of the most glorious Kings on earth that France ever enjoyed and happy in Heaven to all Eternity Clovis replyed that her persuasions and arguments were unanswerable and that his soul was convinced of the truth of what she had affirmed but Policy and Religion being different things he ought maturely to confider whether forsaking the Gods of his own Countrey who were worshipped by such a multitude of his Subjects might not occasion some rebellion or disturbance among his people in defence of their Old Religion Clotilda who found this one of the main obstacles of his Conversion briskly answered That his Nobility and People were already sufficiently convinc't of the falsity of their Idolatrous superstition and wanted nothing but his example and incouragement to declare their belief of the truth of the Christian Faith but that if it were otherwise yet he ought to encounter all difficulties and venture all dangers for the salvation of his Soul. These earnest sollicitations of the Queen being often renewed the King at length began seriously to consider the reasonableness of them and soon after Clotilda being delivered of a Son he permitted him to receive Christian Baptism but the Child dying soon after he told her Shewas too vehement in her Religion and that he feared the health of the Child was impaired by its being so soon Baptized The Queen answered that life and death were in the hands of God and this Infant was not so much to be lamented having now changed this vain life into that of Angels and that God if he pleased could yet bless their Royal Bed with a numerous issue and she was sure Baptism was no prejudice to him since it was an Ordinance and Appointment of Heaven and therefore being delivered of a second Son she conferred Baptism upon it as well as on the former which likewise dying soon after Clovis was more offended than before saying He believed that that water was fatal to Children and she should take care never to move him for the like liberty again Clotilda with a resolved mind alledged that if God should have made her barren he ought to have been contented and adore the divine providence and not to reflect upon the Baptism of Christians but upon her sins as the cause of the loss of her Children The King was fully pacified with this prudent return and at length became resolved to profevs Christianity which was hastened upon this occasion The Swevi a People of Germany passing the Rhine under the command of several Princes with design to root out the Gauls or French and ruin their new erected Monarchy Clovis with the assistance of some of his neighbours resolved to oppose their numerous Forces and a great Battel was fought near Collen where the King commanding in chief he was suddenly surrounded by his Enemies and in great danger of his life and though he performed the duty both of a great Captain and a valiant Souldier yet terror had so seized his flying Army that his affairs were in a very desperate posture when by the perfuasion of one of his chief Favourites he made a solemn Vow to God That if he returned victorious he would perform his promise made to the Queen and be Baptized a Christian and then calling aloud upon the God whom Clotilda worshipped for assistance and deliverance his Forces rallied and his Foes seemed to decline whom he so vigorously prosecuted that the Fields were all covered with dead bodies