Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	call_v	church_n	truth_n	3,635	5	6.4889	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19411	A treatise against traitors Meete for all faithfull subiects in these dangerous dayes. Taken out of the 40. chapter of Ieremye, the 13, 14, 15, 16. verses, and 41. 1, 2, 3, 4. Made and published for the benefite of the Church and common wealth of England: by Samuell Cottesford Minister and publique preacher of the woord of God.	Cottesford, Samuel.	1591 (1591)	STC 5840; ESTC S116422	48,076	146

to haue obteyned a member of his bodie as the wordes of the text make mention in the 42. chapter of Genesis 36. Then Iacob their father saide to them yee haue robbed me of my children Ioseph is not and Simeon is not and yee will take Beniamin all these things are against me And although Reuben offered the pawne of his two sonnes euen to the sworde conditionally yet Jacob replyed saying My sonne shall not goe downe with you for his brother is dead he is left alone if death come to him by the way which ye goe then ye shall bring my gray head with sorrowe vnto the graue whose sharpe wordes of a father and a Prince too as hee may bee called in respect of the Church then had bin ynough to haue discouraged any had hee not beene bolde spirited and to haue caused the suite to fall vnto the grounde but the wayghtines of the matter being such and the preseruation of Gods Church in Jacobs house nowe requiring it Iudah also steps forth who in renewing his brothers sute receyued some further checkes at Iacobs hande as Ruben before had done and yet the extremitie of the daungers wherein Iacob and his whole house stoode beyng by him in the ende throughly wayghed the sute with much a doo at length was obtayned Vnto the which zealous and strict manner of proceeding in this or such a like discouerie wherein thou hast not thy liberty the perils and daungers whereinto the safetie of the Church Prince and Countrey by thy too remisse dealing in so serious a matter may bee an argument of sufficient wayght to draw thee But to leaue the manner of this earnest prosecuting the cause of so great a villany which yet may teach this age which in bad thinges and concerning priuate pleasure or profite is bolde enough but concerning publique affayres tending to the benefit of Prince Countrey are soone snybbed to be therein more bold and to proceede in the matter Moreouer Iohanan and all the Captaynes of the host came vnto Gedaliah vnto Mizpah and sayd vnto him Knowest thou not c. In the second place is to be weighed the phrayse of speech Knowest thou not the rather because herein he seemes to be rude vnciuile homely preposterous as though he knew not how to beare himself in Court in the presence of a Prince Knowest thou not whereas in deede it is a speech very forcible sent foorth from a vehemency of spirit studious both of the welfare preseruation of the Prince and zealous of the Princes not being sufficiently carefull for his owne safety as though he shold say it is a rumour cōmon in al mens mouthes concerning Ishmael his conspiracy and is it hid frō thee whom it most concernes is he so trecherous so villanous and of so murthering a spirit and dost thou as yet harbour in thy bosome the serpent that wil sting thee to death Knowest thou not sayth he art thou so blinded in him art thou so deceyued by his dissembling canst thou not at any time either by face or countenance or by his behauiour or priuate conference discry him for to say the truth it belongeth to Kings Princes although they according to Gods ordinance are by noble wise graue learned Counsellors to be aduised yet themselues are to carry knowledge wisedome in their own breasts wherby they may be able to discerne spirits and iudge causes and discrie countenaunces if it were possible In deede good Counsellors are the speciall props and pillers of Kings and Princes thrones and the onely preseruatiue of Countryes according to Salomon his speech in the 11. of his Prouerbes Where many Counsellers are there is health And againe in the 15. Prou. In the multitude of Counsellers there is stedfastnesse In the which most diuine sentences the holy Ghost in his seruant Salomon opposeth himselfe to a most diuelish conclusion of Machiauill to whom our age I feare is ouermuch addicted wherein yet hee would seeme to colour out the matter with some shew of truth within his booke intituled Machiauilli princeps he thus setteth downe Principi qui per se non sapit recte ei consilia dari non facile posse vnto a Prince not sufficiently wise of himselfe it is no easie matter rightly to giue counsell or aduise his first reason is this Perhaps it may be sayth hee that a Prince may well bee gouerned that shall resigne himself fouer to some one of trust for that purpose But he were like to bee but a while quiet in the same because that protector of him will not sticke foorthwith by violence to thrust him out of that his seat of gouernment Likewise he improueth a Prince that shall suffer himselfe to be counselled of many for sayth he if an vnwise Prince shal admit into the counsell of his affayres more then one they will seeldome agree in counsell and hee himselfe will be farre vnmeete to reconcile them and againe sayth he they will be too studious of their owne commodities as though a Prince hauing some euill as amongst many some such often fall out to be must therfore abandon all others how good wise and faithfull soeuer and so in the end hee necessarily concludeth that good counsayles must proceede from the Princes owne wisedom and in any wise not the wisedome of the Prince to be deriued from good counsayle which conclusions of his though they seeme to be somewhat yet are they of no waight for alas what Machiauels pollicies are who that readeth may finde euen cōclusions abandoning all christian religion which consisteth in trueth without dissimulation they seruing to no other end but to puffe vp Princes with pride and self loue selfe lyking of their owne wisdomes though they do turn in th'ende to the ruine of thēselues and of the state of their whole Country Indeede as Salomon saith in the 25. Pro. The Kings honor is to search out a thing wherein his meaning is not as Machiauell in another of his speculatiue contemplations for th'auoiding of flatterers saith that Princes shall proclaime by publicke Edict that no one of his freendes or counsellers shall perswade him to any thing neither conferre with him of any matter vnlesse it be of that whereof he himselfe shall offer voluntarilye to speake Which opinion of his had his first originall in the very sinke of Hell and is contrary to the doctrine of Salomon before mentioned to the examples of all godly Kinges in the time of the Law and Christian Princes since the gospell who haue alwaies retained about them wise learned and good counsellers but rather Salomon ment that a King or sole gouernour should not so far adict themselues vnto their vanities and sensuall delights as not at all to examine the dealings yea of their Iudges and other inferiour powers towards their people but herein to spare some time wherin both diligently and seriouslye they ought to see into both the causes and

of faith in Christ of regeneration and new birth the effect of the spirite of God by the woord against whom may be iustified euen against the curious questionaries of our age the saying of Grigor Lib. 8. Moral Nonnulli dum plus exquirunt contemplando quam capiunt vsque ad peruersa dogmata erumpunt dum veritatis discipuli esse negligunt humiliter magistri erroris fiunt Many saith he whilste they ouerbusie their heads to seeke out more then they do either well conceiue or vnderstand they break out into peruerse opinions and in humility they neglecting to be disciples vnto trueth they become great Clarkes and master teachers of errors of whom whilest amongst many of their points they stand in this one of calling chusing and ordeining Ministers they omit in the meane time all teachers and teaching especiallye all other that are not of their owne choosing and so with Aesops Dogge whilste they snatche not that I speake it in contempt of the Church ordinance concerning that poynt after shadows in comparison J may say they leese the substance by whom J could wish that this one thing were considered spoken though by a Heathen Aliud estaliquid suadere quod faciun dum sit aliud ferre quod recte mutari non potest Jt is one thing to perswade a matter to be doone and an other thing to tollerate that which rightly or conueniently cannot be changed Other people there are whome our daies do breed whose eyes the God of this worlde hath blinded vnto whome the ministrie of the woord is but vile being in their eyes as dung which yet if we were as the fat dung is to the barren ground it were well and profitable for them and we could be contented so to be accounted conditionallye that our doctrine might make their barren harts more fruitfull these are they that can make some reckoning of the trueth so long as thier profit be not spoken against Neere they be of alliance to Lisander the Lacedimonian who affirmed by mouth that trueth was to be preferred before lyes but in the valuing of them together according to their worthines he made reckoning of them more or lesse according as they brought gaine to the cofers vnto these of so many sortes so diuerslye minded if a man should seeke to frame himselfe in euery respect in attempting any thing that might make either to the glory of God or the benefite of his Church it would cause him to giue ouer his trauaile euen in the very mid way To omit therfore the consideration of all sortes of people with whome your grace in experience is better acquainted then my selfe I hauing already borne the burden of their reproches and to leaue them if so be they will vouchsafe it to the Treatise it selfe which I to this ende in a louing affection to all if it may be so accepted haue presumed to publish that all degrees of persons might thence learn how to beare themselues towards their Soueraign especially as also towards all other inferiour powers and then how euery one is likewise to wa●k● to the help and mutuall comfort eche of other which woorke of mine in this vocation of my ministrie not so publiquely profitable being the first fruites of my labours if not vntimely I hope I haue referred ouer to the protection of your graces name and honorable credite presuming thereupon in regarde of the greatnes of your late honorable kindenes offred for my good To omit to speake of other your vertues of learning knowledge and wisdome together with your great care loue and affection towards the learned in all artes especially in the ministrye of the woord of God approuing themselues painefull in their callings studious of the good peace of the Church Of these I spare to speak least J be affirmed to flatter wherin J wish not Dionisius his medicine prouided for Democles that notable flatterer in his Court but also with Dauid as it is in the 12. Psalm 3. ver The Lord cut of all flattering lips and the tungs that speak proud things The which in most humble manner I craue at your graces hand to accept according to a true meaning and as a testimonie of my thankefull hart the argument is of the discouerie of treason the manner of it is historicall in the which wherin I haue fayled I referre my selfe ouer to your graces censure not doubting but whatsoeuer ouersight either in the matter or manner hath passed me it will please you to make therof a charitable construction Thus desiring God who hath vnto the principall place of our Church in respect of gouernement aduaunced you by and vnder her highnes vpon her speciall fauor whom God long continue that according to the riches of his grace you may bestowe all your knowledge wisedome power and auctoritie in setting vp the kingdom of Christ Iesus by the preferring of the ministrye of the woord amongst his people to the beating downe of the kingdome of Sathan by supplanting all errours and corruptions yet remaining in the church to the vttermost of your power that therin God being glorified the church being bettered corruptions reformed ecclesiasticall censures rightlye and vprightly executed all controuersies in causes of the church through Satans mallice first begun and yet continued amongest vs by your grace as the cheefe meanes therof and the rest of the reuerend Fathers of our church if it might please God in his mercy so to woork it being at the last yet determined and then your owne conscience before God and men freely discharged Finally that name honor credit glorye and beauty of this worlde being so ended you may reape increase of true glorye and that euerlasting in the saluation of your Soule to your endlesse felicitie in the world to come Woodgrange in Westham in Essex the 6. of November 1591. Your graces most humble to commaund in the Lord Samuell Cottesford Preacher To the right honourable W. Webbe L. Maior of the Cittie of London the right worshipfull Sir Richard Martin Knight and to all the rest of the Aldermen of the sayde Cittie Samuell Cottesforde wisheth increase of all spirituall and temporall blessings in this life and euer lasting happines in the world to come RIght honourable and beloued in the Lord hauing had the greatest part of my maintenāce or my studies in that your houourable Citie as also spent some time of my publique ministery there in carrying therefore some louing affection therunto could not otherwise satisfie my selfe being held in conscience bound in some dutie to some of the same place of gouernement in your Cittie but shewe forth in outward appearance some token of thankfulnes thereby to remoue that cōmon blot of ingratitude which to be guiltie off I account it with him that saide Omnia dixeris stingratu dixeris The cause that moued me to this from whence in no wise I could be remoued was the matter in this treatise which concernes most those places where greatest assemblies are