Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	break_v	france_n	king_n	2,681	5	4.1804	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56658	The epitome of man's duty being a discourse upon Mic. 6.8, where hypocritical people are briefly directed how to please God.	Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.	1660 (1660)	Wing P795; ESTC R203168	52,419	134

thrust out all the rest And first for Justice let us put away all iniquity if there be any in our hands and all covetous desires which we find lurking in our hearts First be more just Let every one say as the Psalmist doth Psalm 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting If thou hast wronged any man make him satisfaction Owe nothing to any man but to love one another Detain not the wages of the hireling Let no man go beyond his Brother or defraud him in any thing Let his relations and goods and every thing he hath be as an holy thing to thee which thou mayst not lay thine hand upon We are told of an heathen people who were so just Aelian var. hist l. 4. 1. that if they found any thing in the high-way they would not take it up thinking the owner would come ere long to seek it to whom it did of right belong I wish there were but half so much justice among Christians who not only cozen others when it comes in their way and have fair opportunities presented but use all sorts of circumventions and will go a great way about to seek an occasion to deceive them It is grown to be an art and a study how to cheat a neighbour and whereas those heathen boggled at an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they called it a thing which was found and thought it an injury to take it up Christians make no scruple of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I may phrase it an injustice which they seek for and are inquisitive to find wayes of bringing it to pass And sad it is to consider for how little men will venture to displease God and what a small gain will tempt them to do unjustly If a man could get all the world by one act of unrighteousness he would be a great loser by the bargain but there are such vile and cheap souls that will not stick for a small sum of money perhaps for no sum at all to do not one but many injurious acts to their neighbours A little consideration methinks would amend men in such a matter as this and the thoughts only of its folly might work a cure upon them without a Sermon against it Fear of losing all might make them carefull not to have a farthing that is got unjustly if they had but so much observation as little children who use to say that after they once cheat they never thrive in their games I know it is a desire of being rich and indeed of being rich presently that thrusts men forward into such base and unworthy courses But God doth so order it that nothing more hinders the accomplishment of their defire then the way they take to attain it There is a great truth in the Spanish proverb that He who will be rich in one year shall be hang'd at the half years end Exceeding greediness may make men do such villanous acts that they cannot be indured but are brought to ruine by them But howsoever in the Proverb of the wise man there is an infallible verity Prov. 28.22 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him See also v. 20. and chap. 20.22 Put away therefore all falsehood and guile all covetousness and violence if it be but to save the estate that you have and that you may get more and have it last longer But you will consult better for your selves if you do thus out of obedience to God and respect to your Brethren as it is a part of that duty which God and man oblige you unto And as for Kings and Princes they are engaged above all other men to do justly seeing they are the leaders of the people by whose examples they are inclined to live V. Cardinal de Ossat Epist 66. part 1. Epist 81. Les Roys autres primes Soveraigns se permettoient toutes choses qui tournoient à leur profit c. and by whose righteous management of things they live happily It was a most pernicious Maxime and altogether unworthy of a good man as one of his own party in express terms acknowledges which Pope Clement the eighth had often in his mouth viz. That Kings and Soveraign Princes may do any thing which will make for their profit And a shame it is to their religion that he could add in justification of this saying that matters are come to such a pass that it is not at all imputed to them nor redounds to their dishonour if they break their faith forswear themselves lie betray their allies and do any other thing of like nature But these wicked principles which he made use of on purpose to perswade the King of France to break his league with England are most excellently confronted by a golden speech of that Cardinal who reports these things Epist ●77 part 2. au Mons de Villeroy in which all such persons are much concerned At the foot of the account saith he speaking of King James his moderation when he came to the Crown of England You shall find that the better and more justly any man shall rule to the honour and glory of God and to the comfort profit and happiness of his subjects the more assured his estate shall be the more strong the more beloved and blessed shall he be of God and men in which consists the true and lasting grandeur and puissance of Kings and the assurance of their posterity Nay Agesilaus had better notions of Divine things in this particular then that Pope Plutarch in Vi● Ages in Apotheg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who when some told him the Great King i. e. the King of Persia would have it so answered How can he be greater then me unless he be more just and more sober Upon the mentioning of which Plutarch gives this excellent admonition By justice as by a royal standard we should take the measure of mens heights one above another If we were in a state of war and one should make a motion to such great persons to do justly perhaps he might receive such an answer as Antigonus gave a Philosopher who presented him with a treatise of this subject Thou art a fool to give me now a book concerning justice when thou seest I am besieging other mens Castles and making war upon their Cities But when things are setled and when it is apparent that violent dealing comes upon mens own heads then sure a man may be believed if he say that there is no other way to thrive nor can a Prince live by any such prosperous doctrine as that of Justice and piety Then sure if not at other times one may propose the example of an heathen Emperour to them Alex. Severus Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris Al. Lamprid.