Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	able_a	army_n	great_a	1,399	5	2.7165	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A83990	Englands remedy of a deadly malady: the vvise-womans saving the city Abel, by delivering the head of Sheba, who was a traitor to the common-wealth of Israel. Which serveth as a pattern, whereby the City of London may be saved, by the wise endeavours of the citizens thereof, like this wise-womans, (which are upon divine record both for our learning and imitation) even by delivering up to law & justice, the traitors to the common-wealth of England. ...		1647 (1647)	Wing E3028; Thomason E397_20; ESTC R201676	19,353	23

the City Abell ought first to offer peace to that City as is formerly observed of that Joab and his souldiers ought to have asked of the City Abell whether or no they would deliver Sheba and to have offered them peace upon deliverie of him and not to have broken down the wall without any such question or condition contrary to the Law of God common sense and custome which may be drawne from these words of her speech and so have they continued or that they should aske concerning the person Abel calling to mind his innocent blood alluding to the people in the City who had not procured such an assault by any misdemeanour proceeding from themselves either of which senses or interpretations may be pertinent enough to the scope of what she intended in her dispute or speech to Ioab And the reason why Ioab was so easily pacified from all his fury and getting justice onely against one Traytor though there were a number of others in the City he himselfe declareth in the Historie that the intent of his coming was to have justice onely against one man and the cause was formerly shewed even that he was the ring-leader to all the rest in rebellion according to the old true proverb which a Member of the Parliament for once repeating in the House where oftentimes truth hath no place nor admittance pereat unus potius quàm unitas it is better that one or a few perish then a multitude Corporation City or Nation was commanded to the barre and committed to prison where he continued for a whole yeare at least Now all that is to be inferred from what is here spoken doth briefly tend to this effect there are many opinions concerning the intentions of our renowned Army especially for their advancing to this City Why what 's the matter Doth it not consist of very rationall men And doe not you think but they have many strong reasons and both weighty and urgent causes for what they doe We not only know by report but feel by experience that there is not only one Sheba among us but too many ring-leaders of rebellion incendiaries of sedition and raisers of anew warre which the Army doe demand and persue that they may be delivered up to the law and tryed according to justice which is the first and most speciall and effectuall meanes to recover both our Lawes peace and liberties out of which all the free-born people of England are like to bee stript naked and so are in a most dangerous capacitie of slaverie and miserie And if there be such treacherous enemies to the Common-wealth and betrayers of there trust concerning the recoverie and defence of our Lawes and liberties detained sheltered and maintained in and about the Citie of London as that Rebell Sheba was in the Citie Abell is there so much as my shew or colour of reason to the contrary but that the whole people of the land as one man if it were possible should seek all lawfull and timely redresse for justice as in the case of the ten Tribes against that of Benjamin before cited and of Achan Iesabel and many others Therefore whosoever or how many soever shall oppose them in so lawfull and needfull apursuit will manifest themselves to be as great Traytors and enemies to the Commons of England as the other who are thus impeached yea and if it were in the way of revenge failing of ordinary justice as this act of Joabs pursuing Sheba may seem to be it is neither cruelty nor war but rather a seeking of justice and consequently of peace in so following after it One thing is to be feared and another to be wished the first is that the Citizens are not so diligent to treat with the Parliament for doing of justice as they are with the Army for yeelding to peace without justice for this woman was as carefull to deale with the Citizens as she was with Joab so soon as she knew his mind And the next is that neither Parliament not City permit their Clergie any more to preach war in the City and peace in the Army nor that such Incendiaries nor deceivers as those Priests and their followers be suffered any more to intice and poyson yea and undermine the weaker sort of the Army but be quite returned As this wise woman undertaketh begineth procedeth and prospereth in this great businesse as appeareth by Ioab and the Citizens both hearing and following her councells because they all attend to justice so by that most powerfull effectuall and commendable meanes which she useth it pleaseth God so to order the businesse that thereby justice is duly and speedily executed and so all is made quiet even as when Ionah was cast into the sea the powerfull raging thereof was changed into a great calme But in regard the matter is historicall and needeth litle illustration or scarce any application it being so suitable to our present condition therefore I will adde a simile for conclusion this whole Kingdome at the begining of this Parliament may be parallelled with Gedions Army of two and thirty thousand when he went to battel against the Midianites not in regard of our greater quantity or number but rather of our quality and nature this Nation being a mixed people like Gideons Army of good and bad souldiers able and unable whereof the greatest part were the open enemies of our peace and so verie unfit to fight for our lives Lawes or Liberties at least whilest they were under that banner But those two and thirty thousand being fined and a party singled out from amongst them extending to ten thousand which were not altogether so timorous and therefore somewhat more likely to carry on the worke in the day of battell this party is like our mixed Parliamentary multitude being chosen by all sorts or rather several dispositions of people as appeareth by the fruit and effect proceeding from the cause and as every living creature doth naturally produce and bring forth others both of the same kind and similitude And these ten thousand of Gideons Army who were thus fined being still unfit for the intended businesse notwithstanding therefore they were refined to three hundred which may be accounted those military members of valourous and victorious Souldiers of our Army by whom as the Lord hath done great works to his endlesse praise so our hope is that the same God will do yet greater works against both our open and secret enemies yea and pretended friends to his owne glorie and all our comforts who trust in him either by them or others We blesse his divine Majestie that like this wise woman he hath made this City so wise as to send forth some of their Aldermen and other ancients to parle with that renowned Army concerning the present expedition of whose wisdome and fidelity both to the City Parliament and Common-wealth as they have had already very sufficient so shall they have no doubt abundant satisfaction yea and will we hope crown

their destruction though they were their brethren and that for their wicked obstinacy in that hainous sin without any repentance or godly sorrow so that of five and twenty thousand mighty and valourous men onely six hundred escaped to tell newes And if for want and refusall of doing justice in such a particular case the ten Tribes rose up and destroyed almost a whole Tribe and that by the Commandement of God himself seeing those who were guiltless took part with the guilty and so the whole lump leavened alike then how is a whole Kingdome engaged to take revenge of any part thereof which doth labour and maintaine notorious Traytors and malicious Enemies to the Common-wealth when justice is demanded of them For as God hateth all wickednesse injustice tyranny and oppression amongst particular or private men so how much more doth he hate treason and treachery against a whole Nation or Common-wealth But howsoever whether they either forbeare or doe their endeavour though hand joyne in hand the wicked shall not be unpunished such grievous designes doe never go scot-free but are revenged of God or his instruments without speedy repentance to prevent such deserved judgements and no Nation in the world can shew more famous examples in this kind then England it being so often attempted to be betrayed both by strangers and others but still preserved of God to his everlasting praise Insomuch that a famous man said of England Regnum Angliae Polydor. Virgil. Regnum Dei the Kingdome of England is Gods Kingdome for none taketh any true of reall care of preserving it but God only One word by the way the Author of this Dictaum living in England did well observe what a carelesse wicked and selfe-betraying State it hath ever been consisting of a mixt people gathered out of severall Nations and therefore he attributed to God alone the many and miraculous deliverances of this sinfull Nation as we have far greater cause now then he had then to acknowledge in all these seven yeares Occurrences especially by the miscarriage of that bloody Petition which should have been delivered by thrice forty thousand armed men for which the wars began the deliverance at Edge-hill Newbery Brainford when we should have been absolutely betrayed had not God onely been on our side and shewed himselfe to be the Lord of hosts and God of battells in so mightily rescuing and delivering us out of the jawes and clawes of all our mighty and strong enemies who were ready and bent at all those occasions to devoure and swallow us up from being a people any more But to adhere to our intended purpose this wise-woman taketh courage and speaketh to Ioab Was not this a wonder that there was never a wise man in this City But God who oftentimes saveth both by weake instruments and despised meanes was pleased to make this woman the instrument of thus using the meanes in saving a besieged city in Israel from all the power and forces of a great King even as he made that poor wise man spoken of by Salomon Eccles 9. the instrument of delivering another City who therefore declared that wisdome was better then weapons of warre and yet no man regarded much lesse rewarded that poore wise man As Abigail the wife of Nabal was a happy instrument to pacifie the fury of King David and all his followers against her husband for his churllishnesse 1 Sam. 25. so was this woman to asswage the fury of Ioab the chief Captain of all his forces here against this city and it pleased God so to blesse the means which those two women used that both the King and Ioab hearkened to their good counsell and were contented to depart in peace without offering injury or violence to any So that it is good not to sleight the wholsome advice of an inferiour more then an equall or a superiour If Naaman the Syrian had despised the good counsell of his own wise servant and not washed himselfe in Jordan 2 King 5.19 according to the direction of the Prophet rather then in the rivers of Damascus he might have returned home and died in his leprosie yea and besides he had not been so well confirmed and perswaded in his faith against his former ignorance and impiety which he confessed upon his cleansing and thankfull returning to the Prophet who cured him If King Ahab had not hated Micaiah and prejudged his wise and good counsell 1 King 22. against his going up to Ramoth-Gilead he had not lost his life and kingdome but he following the wicked advice of false Prophets who stirred him up to make a new warre was one cause both of his owne and his posterities ruine As false Prophets are known by many other bitter fruits so chiefly by these two speciall marks First they are alwayes eager and thirsty after blood both like their father the Devill that murderer from the beginning and that Whore mentioned in the Revelation And next they are no wise so hot for just peace as for unjust warre Was not Jerusalems destruction the more deserved because they hearkened to false Prophets that spake lies in the name of the Lord and despised the true Prophet Ieremiah who spake as the Lord immediately directed him And did not that zealous King Iosiah himselfe after all his matchlesse reformation receive a mortall wound for going out inconsiderately to battell against Pharoah Neho king of Egypt as is likely without advice either of God 2 Chron. ● 34 35. or Ieremiah the Prophet yea and distrusting that Pharoah came not forth against him but his enemies the Assyrians and though his intention was just and good even to defend his own Land yet for this his trespasse of temerity and rashnesse he was punished with temporall death but being so worthy a King there was more mourning and greater lamentation for him then any King that ever was in the world Oh for such a good King as Josiah and such a grave Parliament as the Elders of Judah and Jerusalem were in his daies then we should have a blessed and glorious Reformation not only in word and shew but in deed and substance to some purpose But to proceed this woman is not like too many now adaies who claime unjust titles for she well deserveth her title to be called wise because she is so indeed in that she thus loveth a just peace and hateth an unjust warre which is the main end and scope of her parle with Joab and is she is very excellent in the pacifying of Joabs furie by forcible arguments so is she no lesse active and resolute in perswading the people of the City by sound reasons to yeeld to her just desires both for their own safety and that which is their bound duty even to deliver the head of Sheba that Traytor who so troubled the Common-wealth of Israel And therefore as God blessed her as a peace-maker in prevailing with Joab so also with the people for they

King and Kingdome with our Armies Ingagements Declarations Petitions and Remonstrances concerning Sir Thomas Fairfax's Commission in his so faithfull service to the Kingdome of England now in this our extreame necessitie they will find that hee hath a better Commission then Joab had in this his pursuit for as the one prosecuted with zeale for the weale safety and recovery of that Kingdomes Liberties against all adversaries he onely knowing the mind of the better party so with the like zeale doth our valiant Captaine prosecute for the weal safety and recovery of this Kingdomes Liberties against all adversarie powers knowing the mind of the well affected and at the earnest requests and fervent desires of many distressed and oppressed Commoners Prisoners Widdowes Fatherlesse maimed Souldiers poore and others And whereas it may be alledged that our Generall is out of his office and the Army ordered to be disbanded by the Parliament who both gave him his office them their power for the use they were at first appointed It is answered what the Parliament gave either him or them or took from him and them they neither gave the one nor tooke the other as they are an entire Corporation or State by themselves alone but as the representative Body of all the Commons of England and so in that respect but their agents and servants even as some Bishop or Minister after the example of Samuel the Prophet doth annoint a King being so ordained by the Kingdome yet it doth not follow by any good consequence that such a man meerly for his so officiating or discharging the duty of his Office is King Lord or Master of such a King so annointed by him but rather still a subject or servant to him because he is so ordained by the people as by a greater power then his owne to performe that point of duty as well as the rest belonging to his Office And upon this consideration he may neither justly say nor in any respect dare avow as Cardinall Weolsey presumptuously wrote to the Pope I and my King doe such and such things so that both the Armie and the Parliament or the Parliament and the Army which of them soever may justly at this time have the first place as the case now stands the one having the bare word and the other the sharp sword yea and the King himselfe though he were set as high as Solomon on his throne are all but the Commons of Englands Servants and they onely ordained for the weale and better being but never for the woe and worse being of the Common-wealth whereas the Common-wealth was never ordained for the better nor worse being of them in any regard but as they are servants to it or as shepheards and watch-men in keeping it in peace order and tranquility both from forraigne and intestine enemies and the other as speciall instruments both of defending them in the discharge of their offices and for that end of maintaining them in their authorities Needfull Queres to the Parliament Right honourable and truly noble at least should be like the men of Berea NOt to speak of the crying sins and great abominations whereof the Kings Parliaments Priests and People of this Nation are guilty even surpassing the sinnes of Sodome and Gomorah Tyrus and Sydon in so long injoying and yet never receiving nor obeying the glorious Gospell of Christ which if they had had as our Saviour said of Capernaum and Bethsaidah might possibly have brought forth better fruits then ever England did neither to insist of the innocent blood which cryeth from heaven against this Nation by our betraying under the colour of helping that worthy and strong City Rochell as well by cheating them of their provision in their extreame famine when they were so straightly besieged as by advancing their enemies with eight great ships to their utter ruine starving and desolation nor yet of the oceans of the guiltlesse blood spilt and treasures spent of late daies amongst our selves to small purpose yea and much thereof by your corruption carelessenesse double-dealing and other indirect and counterfeit meanes Did ever any Nation give better assistance to any Parliament then this distressed Nation have everie manner of way given unto you Was it all done to make you Lords and Knights and our selves but servants and slaves Was it to set you all in Coaches and on horse-backe and our selves but to run at your feet Was it not meerely that ye should redresse our grievances and recover our Liberties abolish wicked Lawes and establish good Lawes But have ye performed to us either one or other of these your duties Have ye not rather made the cure more grievous then the disease and the last errour worse then the first Have ye so often protested vowed sworne and declared before God and the world that you would deliver us from all oppression and tyrannie and yet are not ye your selves become greater oppressors and tyrants then ever we had Have ye not against all Law justice reason conscience and profession both done many things ye ought not and left abundance of things undone which according to the same grounds ye were bound to doe Did either Petitions Informations or Admonitions ever prevaile with you by word or writing but rather did you not hearden your hearts more and more like Pharoah Have ye not alwaies sought rather to be revenged on such as shew you your hainous sinnes then any wise except in hypocriticall Fasts to amend your faults Yea and I appease to your owne consciences Are not all these but meere shewes which now ye make to rectifie some of the innumerable things that are amisse by your owne meanes even rather for slavish and guilty feare of the Armies sword then out of any dutifull respect or true favour to the Commons of England who choosed and trusted you and whom as yee are bound ye should both serve and respect if ye made any conscience of Gods VVord A faithfull Advice to the Armie Renowned Brethren MAny of you know better then I can expresse what wise course Josuah that valiant Captaine Generall who for a long time fought the Lord of Hostes Battells in the behalfe of his peculiar people the Jewes did take when he saw the Lord shew himselfe so angry at the sins of the people though it was but of one man that he made them both fall and fly before their enemies he searcheth diligently either by lot or otherwise according to the custome of those days throughout all the twelve Tribes in which Tribe or person of the Tribe the fault was and finding it in the royall Tribe of Judah and in Achan by name through his covetousnesse which is the root of all evill did punish him according to the nature of his fault Ye have both begun and run very well hetherto yea and win one part of the prize praised be God but I pray who lets you that yee will not obey the truth but seem to be weary of