Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	act_n	kingdom_n	parliament_n	5,978	5	6.9475	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85664	Axinē pros tēn rhizan. = The axe at the root, a sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at their publike fast, April 26. 1643. By William Greenhill.	Greenhill, William, 1591-1671.	1643 (1643)	Wing G1848; Thomason E103_2; ESTC R17567	41,085	62

it will be an Argument of your wickednesse but if you hew them in pieces and make a generall slaughter of them it will be an Argument of your righteousnes and may produce the good and safety of the whole Kingdome I beseech you therefore in the name of Christ spare not one Achan one lust that one may be the ruine of all one sinner destroyes much good Eccles. 9. 18. and any sinne may hinder much mercy Ier 18. 10. Now the Axe is laid to the root of every Tree we must therefore lay it to the root of every sinne sinnes of constitution sinnes of custome sinnes against heaven and earth God and man the least the greatest let them all feele the sharpnesse and strength of the Axe He that spares any sinne doth what lyeth in him to ruine Parliament Army Citie Kingdome King and all Ion. 3. 8. 10. When every one turned from his evill way so that there was no way of wickednesse left unturn'd from then God turn'd away his fierce anger and spared their Citie if we turne every man from his evill wayes and all those wayes we may certainly and suddenly expect Gods turning from his fierce wrath and his walking in wayes of peace and mercy with us Peace is a desirable thing yet not that peace will whet the Axe sharper and make it cut deeper such peace we desire as will keep the God of peace with us we take the wrong course for peace if we go on in our sinnes Es. 57. 21. Ps. 68. 21. He that cries for peace with his lips and destroyes it with his life he maintaines the Warrs divides betweenethe King and Parliament and widens the breaches of the Kingdome If we will fast and goe on in sinfull wayes we may have a dubious and dangerous peace with men but it 's impossible we should have any with God I shall shut up this point with that of Samuel to the people 1 Sam. 12. 24 25. Onely feare the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart for he hath don great things for you but if you shall still do wickedly yee shall be consumed both yee and your King progresse in wickednesse produceth not peace The true product of it is destruction to people Parliament King and Kingdome If we would therefore have all safe peace be in our Borders and the God of peace be propitious to us let us depart from all iniquitie Hitherto I have spoken to all give me leave now Honourable and worthy Senators to commend some things to your considerations My first and humble request is that the Axe of your power may not ly still but that Justice may be done God is a God of Justice he makes it knowne to all the world he layes his Axe to the root of the Tree shew your selves a Parliament of Justice let the world know it lay the Axe to the root of Delinquencie Neglect of Justice as you heard before indangers a Kingdome Iudah was layd wast because there was no Judgement executed Es. 5. 67. Suffer not a Kingdome to perish upon that ground It brings your Authority into contempt and renders you despicable in the eyes of many whereas if justice were done Authority would be more dreadfull and your persons more Honourable 1 Kings 3. 28. when Judgement was given between the two Harlots its said all Israel heard and feared that act struck feare into a whole Kingdom We do not read what became of the Harlot which took away the Child from the true mother but it is conceived and very probably that she died for it according to the Plagiarian Law of which you may read Exod. 21. 16. Deut. 24. 7. It a man did steale an Israelite or the Son of an Israelite any soule and the party were found in his hand he was surely to be put to death whence we may conclude the Harlot suffered the whole Kingdom feared and Solomon was honoured for that act of Justice it's execution of justice makes Authority to be regarded and a Kingdome to feare when your justice fell upon that great Cedar above a yeare and halfe agoe did not England tremble did not it make many feare and flie Justice secures a Kingdome but neglect of it makes Courts contemptible and Kingdomes hazardable Againe the neglect of Justice enboldens men to goe on in wicked practises Eccles. 8 11. because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the Sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe evill they are void of all feare saith one a Translation b fild with boldnes saith another and the c French is fild to doe evil Impunity fills the sailes of wicked men and drives them against Parliaments Kingdomes and Heaven it selfe When great Delinquents go unpunished d divine providence is brought to the Bar and questioned men upon it become Atheisticall heady outragious dissolute Who knowes it not saith e Tullie that impunity is the greatest incouragement to impiety The Heathen with his dark Lanthorne could see the truth of this and shall wee Christians that have the light of life Iohn 8. 12. not see it f Augustine long since saw it and said take away Justice and what are Kingdomes but Dens of theeves and places for plunder wee find and feele the realty of this truth at this day and are like to lye under guilt till Justice be done Lastly want of justice increases the number of Delinquents Iudg. 17. 6. there was no Justice and now they were all delinquents every man did what he list The words are there was no King in Israel and yet they were all Kings in Israel They had not then had any King in a a stricke sence Judges were their Governours and because they did rule and execute Justice they are stiled Kings and now they had no Judge no King and yet they were all Judges all Kings their lusts were their Lawes and b every man did what was right in his owne eyes Nature is corrupt nothing sweeter to it then liberty and where Justice is suspended there is a c Commission to be wicked but where is most Justice there are fewest Malefactors and least mischiefe The d Turkes are severe and speedy in their Justice which prevents increase of Delinquents and danger Those Nations are remisse in Justice besides the sadding of those are innocent they abound in Delinquents and dangers it s our case at this present Englands dangers are many because Englands Delinquens are not a few and it s not like to be better with us till the justice of a Parliament be so feared that no Delinquent may expect safety in any part of our Kingdome Let Justice therefore O you heads of Israel run down as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame we have mighty sinnes and mighty sinners which make mightie dangers and if there be not * tor●ens iustitia a streame of Justice yea a mighty streame that

is the choice love of God the precious bloud of the Sonne of God in it is the Spirit of grace and glory the exceeding great and precious promises all spirituall excellencies and eternall life if you refuse these you provoke God to lay the axe unto the root of the tree you provoke Christ to say Bring him and them hither and slay them before me that would not have me to reigne over them The Gadarenes preferred their Swine the Capernaites their Loaves the Jewes Barabbas before Christ but it cost them all deare when the axe came Let not a Gadarenish a Capernaiticall a Jewish spirit be found amongst us let us say Pereant porci pereant panes pereat Barabbas regnet Christus let all goe so Christ may reigne The Jewes stucke so to Moses and Mosaicall things so to the Temple and the Rites of it so to superstitions and the traditions of their Fathers that they would not receive Christ and the truths of the time present and therefore God dealt so severely with them as to cut them downe by the Romish axe There be truths of Christ reserved for some times and when those truths are discovered wee should examine them and labour to bee established in present truths 2 Pet. 1. 12. as the Apostle speakes Are there not truths now on foot concerning Christs Kingly Office and his government in the Church hath hee not powred out his Spirit upon men eminently and brought light out of darknesse Shall wee reject truth and light it 's feared we stick too much to Mosaicalls Prelaticalls and Trditionalls Let us prove all things and hold fast that is good let us receive the truth with the love of it lest we be given up to strong delusions 2 Thes. 2 10. 11. and strange judgements Acts 2. 13. 17. 28. when the Spirit was given choice truths presented and they not received there is mention of turning the Sunne into darknesse and the Moone into bloud which notes some dreadfull judgements that should darken and imbitter their best comforts The like may we feare if we refuse any truths of Christ Thirdly observe that God doth premonish before he doth punish Now the Axe is laid to the root of the Tree Iohn tells them there was an Axe laid the newes of the Axes comming was heard before the noise of its cutting The Lord tells Delinquents before he strikes them Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed Men are close their designes are underneath they oft storme surprize and plunder Towns without giving the least notice but when God intends judgements he sends his Heralds to warne Kingdomes and Nations Hath not God given warning to all Nations hath he not within these hundred yeares given us 100. warnings have not the Heavens seemed on fire have not there bin foure or five blazing Stars Herlicius Stargardensis held that the influence of the Comet 1618. upon the christian world would last to between 20 30 yeares which is already verified at last is blaz'd over England and expired intimating that England should take warning by it Besides these have we not had Earth-quakes great frosts deep snowes unseasonable weather and is it not fresh in your memorie how God had a quarel with your Steeples and Churches for the corruptions and Innovations in them when divers of the● were smitten broken and burnt by thunder and lightning not onely by prodigies hath God warned us but by his Prophets also Ezek. 33. 3. they have bin telling you of a stroak that would come Elishahs sword hath bin drawne and brandished before us and because we would not take warning by that Iehnes and Hazaels swords are in the midst of us It s undeniable the cocks have crowed and told us of this storme of bloud above this thirty yeares all exceptions are taken away none can quarrell with God he hath warned us he is just and will overcome in Judgement he hewed Ierusalem by his Prophets before he cut it downe by his Axes Ier. 1. 10 The Prophet did root up by his Prophecy after that Nebuchad cuts down by the sword Further God hath warned us by his judgements on others Germany these 20. years hath bin a Beacon to us Scotland was lately a Land of darkenesse and Ireland is still a Land of wrath and must England be secure Awake awake O England there be Armies within thy bowells Parliament Citie Kingdome are all in danger God hath long threatned and is now upon execution Use of the point Amos 4. 12. Thus will I doe unto thee and because I will doe this prepare to meet thy God It s dreadfull to heare God is in a way of Judgement especially when we are not in a way of repentance If I whet my glittering Sword and my hand takes hold of Iudgment I will render vengeance to mine enemies and will make mine Arrowes drunke with bloud and my Sword shall devoure flesh c. Deut. 32. 41 42. When God whets his Sword and shoots his arrowes he will make them eate flesh and drinke blood yea be fild with blood and grow fat with fatnes Esa. 34. 6. Now God hath given a Commission to the Sword to eate English flesh and drinke English blood and I feare the Sword having bin starved a long time will now eate to purpose it comes hungry and is like to eate much flesh it comes dry and is like to drinke much blood before it be put up again Let us therefore meet God in this way with sighs and teares let us take warning in time praemoniti pr●muni●i men that are forewarned should be fore-armed In these times men are arm'd to goe to battle with men but are you arm'd to meet God have you on the girdle of veritie the Breastplate of righteousnesse are you shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace is the helmet of salvation on your heads is the shield of Faith on your hearts and the sword of the spirit in your mouthes If you be thus arm'd you may meet God marching in flames of fire and that without prejudice The Lord of Hosts is come if we bee not prepared wee cannot stand in the evill day read Ezek. 22. 14 but the soul that takes warning shall deliver it selfe Ezek. 33. 5. Let us all then lay it to heart that the sword is drawn hath dranke the blood of our friends and may drinke ours The Axe is laid to the root of the tree and threatens the downfall of Church and State if we do take warning and meet God the right way we may deliver our owne souls the souls of those that belong unto us and probably the whole Land Fourthly God begins with lesser judgements and afterward with greater Now the Axe is laid to the root of the Tree First there was Culter pota●orius the pruning hooke and when that would do no good then comes the Axe Gods Judgements are graduall not superlative at the first upon Kingdomes and families Sodom was first plundered by