Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	babylon_n	church_n	zion_n	222	4	10.6009	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61120	Kaina kai palaia Things new and old, or, A store-house of similies, sentences, allegories, apophthegms, adagies, apologues, divine, morall, politicall, &c. : with their severall applications / collected and observed from the writings and sayings of the learned in all ages to this present by John Spencer ...	Spencer, John, d. 1680.; Fuller, Thomas, (1608-1661)	1658 (1658)	Wing S4960; ESTC R16985	1,028,106	735

upward or going downward with his shield And so slily do these Utrinquetaries carry their shield of Faith as the Apostle calls it Ephes. 6. that it justly may be doubted whether it be to defend us or our adversaries They have one foot within the gates of Sion another within the gates of Babylon one within the Church of England another within the Church of Rome one wing to fly to us another to fly from us upon the least advantage that may be To be carefull in the keeping of our Vow made in Baptism THe Romans in times past when they prest any Souldiers ministred an Oath of Fidelity unto them which they called Sacramentum militare the Oath of their military service without which Oath they made a scruple to bear arms And we when we take up Souldiers do not alwaies swear them but they receive Prest-money which binds them sufficiently What then is to be thought of a Souldier that after he is admitted into pay and enrolled in the Muster-book shall forsake the Camp without leave of his General or perhaps revolt and run to the Enemy or staying in the Camp entertain private conference with the Enemy and as opportunity serves betray the trust committed to his charge as divers in our times perfidiously and basely have done Or if he do none of these yet either out of cowardise or contempt never fights blow nor performs any duty commanded Do not such Souldiers deserve punishment greater then if they had refused to serve notwithstanding their Allegiance doth bind them So is it in the matter of Baptism We receive Gods Prest-mony then we begin to be his Souldiers and by that mystery do bind-our selves as fast as any Vow or Oath can tye us And being thus bound if we be desertores Militiae forsakers of our Christian profession and become Apostata's or disobedient Souldiers whose standing is in Gods camp but fight the Devills battels or such as carry Gods mark in their foreheads but are the Devills servants in their actions or such as under pretence of fighting Gods battels betray the whole Army to the Enemy then we are more guilty then if we had never contracted with God to serve him Men and Women to be knowing in the Scriptures IT is said of Angelus Politianus that he would not vouchsafe the reading of the Scriptures as not containing elegancies suitable to his wit and stile as if he meant to be saved by Criticisms and quainter phrases And St. Augustine whilst unconverted valued Tully above all compares as worthier of his study then any of the inspired Authors A sad choice God wo● But let all of us be heartily affected with the excellency of the Scriptures above all other w●itings whatsoever let us be such as Timothy to know the Scriptures from our youth such as Apollos mighty in the Scriptures much learned and versed in them even to the stopping of the mouths of all gainsayers and not to suffer our selves to be bewitched with such Authours with whom Aristotle is more frequent then St. Paul making them our solemnest and devoutest studies and the Bible onely read at some by-hours rather because we would not be altogether ignorant then that we should be very skillfull in it The vanity of an unguided Multitude IT was a good Emblem of Cardinal Farnese A Beechtree with the top off the Motto Ruina relinquor I am le●t in ruine For as that Tree withers when it is lopped so Multitudes vanish without leaders whose power being not directed is at the best but armed Folly so that they suddenly upon the first opposal become a burthen to themselves and a prey unto those that pursue them A Wife and no Wife AS a learned Man said sometimes of Rome having been some while there That a Man might seek Rome in Rome and yet not find it there Rome was so much altered from what it had been Or as the Orator said of Sicily after Verres had governed there that Men sought Sicily in Sicily it was by him so impoverished Or as a Reverend Prelate of ours said of Bellarmines latter works That many missed Bellarmine in Bellarmine they were so much unlike unto and came so far short of his former So may a Man find much want of a Wife in a Wife much misle of a Wife in a Wife if he maketh his choice amisse and so consequently do himself great wrong embracing with Ixion a cloud instead of Iuno or with Paris a shadow without substance a sorry help a cold comfort a Wife and yet no Wife in regard of any joy or comfort in her in regard of any help or assistance from her so that it were much better to be altogether without For what can be more miserable then to have a Wife as Covetous wretches have wealth to have the burthen of a wife and want the blessing of a Wife to have the care and not the comfort Whereas the Man that liveth single as he misseth of the one so he is yet withall freed from and eased of the other The bountifull goodnesse of God to his Children IT is said of Cyrus the great Monarch of Persia that he never sate down at the Table to eat but whatsoever dish liked him best he would send part of it to his Friends or such as deserved best of him semesos anseres semesos panes sometimes the meat off his trencher and sometime the bread that himself did taste of with this kind and loving salutation The King sends you this because he likes it best himself and holds it choice and dainty But God intreats his Friends his Children and servants after another manner he makes them eat and drink at his Table or rather makes himself their meat and drink who is the bread of life and Well spring of Salvation there is nothing so dear to him but they shall have part with him his own joy his own secret his own sweetnesse his own comfort his own robe his own justice his own cloathing his own Righteousnesse nay they shall have his very life and spirit as a seal and pledg of extraordinary Grace and favour Graces of Gods Spirit though seemingly lost yet found at last THere is a story of a poor Man that served God faithfully and yet was opprest cruelly having all his goods taken from him by an exacting Knig●● Whereupon in a Melancholy humour he perswaded himself that God was dead who had formerly been so faithfull to him and now as he thought had left him An● old Man met him and desired him to deliver a letter into the hands of his oppressour upon receipt and perusal of which the Knight was so convinced that immediately he confessed his fault and restored the goods which made the poor Man say Now I see that God may seem to sleep but ca● never dye Thus it is that God in the dispensation of his Graces may withdraw himself for a