Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	bishop_n	king_n	people_n	2,823	5	4.7589	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30419	A sermon preached on the fast-day, Decemb. 22, 1680 at St. Margarets Westminster before the Honourable House of Commons / by Gilbert Burnet.	Burnet, Gilbert, 1643-1715.	1681 (1681)	Wing B5874; ESTC R19858	25,524	46

But it is observable that those Nations whom he has more specially favoured are more signally punished when their Sins have been so notorious that it seemed necessary to give publick Evidences of the impartiality of God's governing the World You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth therefore will I punish you for your Iniquities The whole History of the Jews till their final and almost total destruction is one continued Instance of this The Roman Empire when it turned Christian but was not much reformed by that Light was given up to be wasted by swarms of Goths Vandals Huns and other Northern Nations who for near two Ages together laid it so wast that what by the Destruction they made and the Famine that followed upon that which brought after it unheard of Plagues the History of that Time contains a Succession of the most terrible Miseries that can be imagined The African Churches that were the best regulated of any then in the World yet having fallen from their first Love and being rent in pieces by Schism and becoming generally corrupt in their Manners notwithstanding the excellent Bishops that were among them St. Austin in particular who was the last of those that were sent to warn them of the Jugments they might look for which he did faithfully but nothing prevailing they were first destroyed by the Vandals and then so totally by the Saracens and Moors that the Name of Christ is called on no more in them except it be in their Dungeons by those miserable Captives that are kept in such slavery among them that it should tear every Christian's Heart to think on it The Eastern Empire was first by the Goths then by the Huns and the Avares afterwards by the Saracens and finally by the Turks so wasted that the small Remainders of Christianity among them serve only as the Ruins of some great Fabrick to shew what once it was The City of Antioch once among the noblest of the World in which that glorious Name of Christian first began was by a frequent return of most terrible Earth-quakes and devouring Fires so ruinated that it is now but a small inconsiderable Village Sardis in my Text is no better These Seven Churches here writ to are now under the slavery of Mahometans and indeed retain little but the Name of Christian some of them are so entirely destroyed that it is not so much as certain where they stood When we hear of these things we ought wisely to consider of these Works of the Lord Why should we hope to escape if we are as guilty as they were But to turn your Eyes to what is nearer you After the Gospel was planted here in Britain while we were under the Roman Yoke and was watered with the Blood of many Martyrs that suffered under the Heathenish Persecutions The Britons being blest with Peace and Prosperity did soon forget God and fell from their first Love Then what Judgments fell on them The Northern People being more Warlike broke into the Southern Parts who were soft and luxurious These hiring the Saxons to their Assistance were thereby brought under a much more cruel Bondage and those either rooted out the Christian Religion or drove it up into the mountainous parts of this Kingdom What the Sins both of the Clergy and Laity were is set out by Gildas that lived not long after that Time and they resemble our present Condition so much that it gives us cause to fear the parallel shall be as equal in our Judgments as it is now in our Sins When the Reformation began first in England many run into it rather out of hatred to the Clergy and love to their Lands than out of Zeal for the Truth So that the Bishops in King Edward's Time did by some Letters which they sent about among their Clergy call upon them to warn the People of the heavy Judgments of God ready to fall upon them but they went on in their Sins with a high hand so that the Land was full of Oppression and Injustice Adultery and Sensuality God visited them for these things and took away that blessed young King and left them in the hands of a superstitious and bloody Princess who fearing her own Power was not strong enough to alter the established Religion married the Prince of Spain and by a vast Treasure which he brought over into England corrupted the great Men and the Publick Councils of the Kingdom so that all that had been building up in twenty five years was overthrown in a little more than one by Parliaments over whom Spanish Gold had greater influence than the Sense of their Trust or their Regard to God and their Country Shall I put you in mind of the terrible Judgment of God that broke out lately on our neighbouring Island where the Barbarity of the Natives being sharpened by the Cruelty of their Religion and the Practices of their Priests a Massacre and Destruction did almost wholly consume them How near were we brought to utter Ruin and how long were we ruled by the Sword during the late Wars Are all these things forgotten Or do we remember them only to furnish out Discourse with them We at present are all sufficiently apprehensive of our ill condition we see the great danger we are in of Popery's subduing us we see an overgrown Neighbour ready to break in upon us or at least upon that which is but a step from us There is a Fermentation among our selves so high that it is like to involve us in great Confusions The things that belong to our Peace seem to be hid from our eyes Is not all this of the Lord Most of the Evils we either feel or apprehend are the natural effects of our Sins and Vices as well as of the Judgment of God punishing us for them The Vices too common amongst us have corrupted the Minds and darkned the Understandings of many and are like to become their own Punishments All these things are but the beginnings of Sorrows which seem to be coming on us What do we then Do we sit crossing our hands accusing one another or it may be faintly condemning our selves We perhaps imagine if we were rid of Popery all would be well it is certain we should be much better than we are but if the Root of our Distemper remains the carrying off one Symptom will but dispose the way to another God can either plague us by delivering us up to a forreign Enemy who shall have no pity on us or can again send his Arrows among us a Pestilence to sweep away our Inhabitants or a Fire to burn down our Cities He can leave us to bite and devour another till we are consumed one of another And if he come upon us what can we do to withstand his mighty Arm Can we restrain his Thunders or be Proof against his Arrows Oh how weak are all Devices when God blasts them If our Distractions continue we are like the Builders of Babel so divided that nothing but utter and irremediable Confusion is like to be the end of them if we once fall in pieces Well we are yet in Peace we rise up and lie down in quiet how long it will be so we cannot tell We seem to be near great Convulsions we have no reason to desire them We are now full of Wealth our Trade is free and much spread we have a Concurrence both at home and abroad of many things that might yet make us a great and happy People but want the Power to improve it What shall the end of these things be It were too great a presumption in me nor proper for this place or occasion to enter into Particulars but one thing I may adventure on which is If you of this Honourable Assembly who have now bespoke the Prayers of the whole Nation upon your Consultations would frequently address your selves to God and set off such Hours as your Business can admit of for earnest Prayer to God to direct and bless your Councils and to bend all your Hearts to that which is both most for his Glory the Establishment of his true Religion and the Security Peace and Happiness of the Kingdom we might justly hope that God even our God would give his Blessing to Endeavours so begun and so managed Then should the Light of the Gospel which is our Glory still dwell in our Land Mercy and Truth should meet together and Righteousness and Peace should kiss one another Then should the Lord give us that which is good and our Land should yeeld her encrease O that there were such an Heart in us that we might fear him and keep his Commandments always that so it may be well with us and our Children after us for ever To God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost be all Honour and Glory both now and evermore FINIS Jon. 1. 5. Isa. 59. 1 2. Isa. 58. 1. Vers. 2. Vers. 4. Phil. 2. 15. Vers. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 13. 20 21. Gal. 5. 7. Gal. 3. 3. Gal. 4. 15. 1 Cor. 11. 17 18. 1 Cor. 1. 12. Phil. 1. 15 16. Esth. 4. 13 Psal 127. 1. 2 King 24. 4. Ezek. 14. 14. Amos 3. 2.