Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
hand_n	begin_v	left_a	right_a	4,317	5	6.4948	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39063	An Expedient for peace perswading an agreement amongst Christians &c.		1688 (1688)	Wing E3872; ESTC R25075	27,763	15

raise Bugbears and use all the little Shifts and Artifices which their reputed Enemies in much worse Circumstances formerly used and then were objected to them as Crimes So that in Conclusion after all the noise and talk of Loyalty and good Principles by every Party I find none of them good but when they are pleased which they say the Devil is and none much worse than another but when they are are provoked But here I know will come in an Objection and that is 〈◊〉 the Papists by their Principles are so for from thinking it a sin to destroy their Innocent Neighbours which are Heret●cks as they call them that they think it matter of Merit and Duty so to do Here is an Objection with a Witness Pudet haec opprobria nobis Et dici potuisse non potuisse refelli If this could be prov'd which I never yet saw and if they clear not themselves from this and give the World satisfaction I am so far from extenuating such a wicked Principle that I think what Opposition their Adversaries have already or hereafter may make against them is all but too little and I think it my Duty and ought to be the Duty of every Ho●ew Man to extirpate such a Race of Men from the face of the Earth and to respect them as a sort of wild Beasts that would devour and Prey upon Mankind God forbid I should argue fo● such a sort of Men. What I argue for is only for an Indulgence of Thought in things of an indifferent Nature and Principles which terminate in Speculation and produce no wicked Action And I here declare again as at first That 't is an unreasonable thing that any sort of Men under what Denomination soever should have the benefit of any Government much less be admitted as a Member or Administrator in it un●ess he do his endeavour to Encourage and Protect it and give Security for his quiet and peaceable Living under it But then as our Saviour commended the Vnjust Steward so I cannot but commend all our Parties and must needs say They do wisely in their Generation abating their Honesty and Integrity For to begin with the Church of England Her Sons Act as Prudently as can be imagined for they have got all into the●● own hands all the Spiritual Preferments in the Nation if any of them should turn Papists that is madness for they have got all already and the Papists have nothing to give them They know that if either they move to the Right Hand or the Left they shall be Lessened since they are craving needy People on both S●des them Therefore their Interest consists in being obstinate and standing out against the Kings Demands They may be made less but cannot be made greater Therefore by all means possible they endeavour to keep those under that would come in Snacks with them also on the score of their Abuse for they are Conscious of the Injury they have done and are afraid of Retaliation Then as they cannot be blamed to keep their Wealth and Power so on the other hand the Endeavours of others must not be blamed in getting what they can And who in Conscience or Equity can accuse them who being Poor Indigent and ready to be Starved do endeavour to supply their Wants and come in Partners with the Possessors 'T is natural for every Man that has been Oppressed to rid himself of his Yoke and endeavour to secure himself for the future and that Man deserves to be hang'd who standing condemn'd by an unjust Law and gets a Reprieve will not endeavour to get so unjust a Law to be Repealed But then the Injustice of the first or the irregularity of the Methods of the Last I cannot consent to commend And it grieves me to consider how Religion is made a Stalking-Horse and is taken up for a Pretence and Cloak to cover Mens base Designs and indeed as far as ever I could observe two thirds of that which Men call by that venerable Name is nothing else but a Trick to get Money And the Holy Scriptures are like Original Deeds by which any Man that has but a little more Wit than Honesty may lay claim to an Ecclesiastical Possession But least I should be thought to speak irreverently of those Holy Books I acknowledge That if a man be sincere and honest and look for Truth as if he had a mind to find it and have no other ends in his Search but to please his Maker and save his Soul he may easily find enough to make him both happy here and hereafter But as far as I can see men seem to understand most of the Scriptures backward For whereas the Prophet saith He hath shewed thee O Man what the Lord requireth of thee to do Justice and love Mercy and to walk Humbly with thy God. And the Apostle tells them That True Religion before God and the Father consists in visiting the Fatherless and Widows in their Affliction and to keep themselves unspotted from the World also another That they should follow Peace with all men and Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord By their Actions and Living they seem to understand them clear contrary as if it had been said thus He hath shewed thee O man what the Lord requireth of thee to do Injustice to love Persecution and to walk at Enmity and Defiance with thy God. True Religion before God and the Father is this To neglect the Fatherless and afflict the Widows and to conform themselves to the Fashions of the World and follow Contention and Strife with all men without which no man shall go to Heaven Truely men's Actions seems to favour this latter Interpretation rather than the former And many other places of Scripture I could quote which exhort to Love and Peace and mutual Condescention which men either do not or will not understand and 't is a deplorable thing to consider how partial they are in understanding the Scriptures Some Texts are great Favourites when they seem to countenance their Interest or Designs and others that will not Vote for them are cashier'd and a hundred Objections raised against them That of Contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints I warrant you at this time o' th' Day is a precious one for here peevish Nature is gratified and here if I have a mind to keep any thing that is dear to me I have a Cover for my Dish 't is but calling my Faction my Passion Humour Prejudice Interest c. by the Venerable Name of True Faith and then I have a Commission to contend earnestly for it Contend earnestly with us for our Livings and Benefices once deliveus by the Laws would not look well But Contend earnestly for the Faith that 's plausible and goes down glib I will readily allow the Objection which I see is ready to come upon me that is That men are obliged in Conscience to contend for the Faith or that which they think to be true yet this Contention ought not to proceed further than to Edification and if any other Methods be used besides calm Reasoning and Argument that destroy Charity an Indifference is better than such Contention And when men exhort their Auditory to Contentions however innocent their Meaning and Intentions may be yet their Discretion must be blamed and they will never be able to clear themselves of publick Censure if they do not qualifie their Discourse with all the Limitations and Restrictions imaginable for men are too apt to Contend without Exhortation But to Conclude SINCE in so many Ages no Humane Art or Industry nor all the Powers on Earth together by either Force or Stratagem neither hitherto have found nor hereafter can possibly find an Expedient or make it possible amidst so many various and all incompetent Mediums That all men should be of one Mind or that they should not Disagree not be Deceived or not have Differences and Contentions I say since these things are impossible to be done Salva veritate and allowing Liberty of Judgment the Attempt is Vain and Foolish and not to be prosecuted but by Fools or Mad Men. And since it is so the next thing which naturally comes under Consideration is How to make all things as Innocent and Easie and Suitable to Government as possible All which things His Gracius Majesty having duly Weighed and Considered out of Great Experience Deep Wisdom and Princely Compassion towards His miserable contending Subjects hath found out and pitched upon the only Expedient in order thereto I mean a Great Pacifick Charter which though it cannot subdue mens Ill Nature and Will yet will put it out of the Power of any one Contending Party to hurt another 'T is this Instrument and only this with God's Blessing can make our miserable Contending Nation Happy And he either does not truly understand his Interest or is no True English-Man who doth not heartily desire it and by all honest means endeavour to promote it And I doubt not maugre all the Opposition of Interested and Vnreasonable Men but that His Majesty will duly Effect it The Almighty all Good and Wise God who put it in his Heart no doubt but will assist him in it and if so Gamaliel's Advice is pertinent in the Case To strive against the Almighty will be to no purpose They but in vain promise themselves success against the King of Heaven and Earth It seems to be an Honour and a Blessing reserved by Heaven on purpose for him and is an Action and Performance truly worthy of so Judicious so Just so Couragious a Prince and will raise Him a Name and a Monument not to be Defaced by the Spight of Time or Succession of Ages FINIS London Printed for the Author 1688.