Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	abraham_n	lord_n	way_n	1,660	5	5.7908	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93064	The dignity of kingship asserted: in answer to Mr. Milton's Ready and easie way to establish a free Common-wealth. Proving that kingship is both in it self, and in reference to these nations, farre the most excellent government, and the returning to our former loyalty, or obedience thereto is the only way under God to restore and settle these three once flourishing, now languishing, broken, & almost ruined nations. / By G.S. a lover of loyalty. Humbly dedicated, and presented to his most Excellent Majety Charles the Second, of England; Scotland, France and Ireland, true hereditary king.	G. S., Lover of loyalty.; Searle, George, attributed name.; Sheldon, Gilbert, 1598-1677, attributed name.; Starkey, George, 1627-1665, attributed name.	1660 (1660)	Wing S3069; Thomason E1915_2; ESTC R210007	99,181	247

Father of many Nations and his seed should be innumerable like the stars of Heaven or the sand upon the Sea-shore but at last and upon the change of hi●●ame he assures him that Kings should come out of him not only that his seed should be many his posterity innumerable but as an addition of happinesse they should be advanced to the Majesty of a great and mighty Kingdome all which was fulfilled in Gods due time With what face Mr. Milton can you brand that estate with the base titles of Slavery Bondage Vassalage and Servileness which God added unto Abraham as a corollary of temporall blessings faecundity even to innumerablenesse as the Starres of Heaven or as the sand upon the Sea-shore he had promised him before yet still he remained Abraham but when he ads this to his former blessings that his posterity should flourish into a Magnificent Kingdome then he alters his name into Abraham Whose other Sonne Ishmael when Abraham groaned out his desires to the Lord Oh that Ishmael may live before thee God answers him likewise concerning him Of him will I make a great Nation I will multiply him exceedingly and for an addition or rather fulness of his earthly blessings Twelve Princes shall he beget So concerning Esau the brother of Jacob from whom sprang the blessed seed the Scripture mentioning his temporall felicity for Isaack had blessed him also with the fatness of the earth records what Dukes sprang out of his Loyns and what Kings reigned over Edom before any King reigned over Israel Which makes it evident that Kingly Government is the most honourable majesticall Government and argues a greater portion of Gods blessing powred forth upon the Nation that injoyes it then where any other inferior and more Contemptible Government is had It is a poor Sophisme that you use Sir that God gave Israel a King in wrath and imputed it a sin to them that they asked one if it be certain that God had before blessed Abraham with the promise of Kings to come out of his loyns and the Government of the seed of Jacob was to be by a Scepter and this to spring out of Judah and the King of Kings God for ever blessed was to be cloathed with humane flesh from one that lineally descended of King David and his Grandfathers to be a continual succession of Kings It argued only that they asked unseasonably and in unbelief for whoever believes makes not haste but patiently waits the accomplishment of Gods Promises in his time they asked also upon a wrong principle and for a wrong end not to have the blessed Promise of God accomplished but to be like other Nations Nor did they consider that then God was their King Samuel ruling over them and judging them who was known from Dan unto Beersheba to be a Prophet of the Lord and to have frequent Dialogues with his Maker This was their sin and God to convince them of it gave them their desire a King in his wrath whom he after took away in his displeasure 'T is strange that God should make his Covenant with David even an everlasting Covenant which was so inviolable that sooner should the Covenant of the Day and of the Night be broken then it had he adjudged Kingship a Government not so well-pleasing to him as that of a Common-wealth Yet at that time and before the Sanedrim or grand Counsell of the Seventy Elders were in being neverthelesse of none of them nor of any of the Priests though the order of Aaron was Sacred and Noble would Christ vouchsafe to come but only of the Kingly stock of the house of Judah Two of whom David and Salomon were immediate Types of him and Prophets Divinely inspired Certainly Mr. Milton this will argue something for Kingship or Kingly Government But to proceed orderly in what I intend I shall recapitulate some things and then proceed through the whole History of Gods People the Jews urging what may be necessary to my present purpose and this very briefly afterwards I shall come to the times that have been since Christ and shall take notice of some instances both modern and ancient which have been delivered us by Historians concerning other places especially Republicks or Common-wealths First let us begin with Abraham the Father of the Faithfull the first to whom the promises which in his seed were extended to all Nations were made This Abraham was a great Prince as was acknowledged by the Sons of Heth so great that when the five Kings of Sedom Gomorrah Admah Zeboim and Zoar were overcome by the four Kings who came against them and Lot among the rest was taken Prisoner he with his Confederates Aner Eshcol and Mamre went out gave them battle overcame them and rescued Lot This Abraham was so absolute a Monarch that God testified of him I know that he will command his Family and his Children after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement See here absolute command and absolute subjection without tyranny on one band or Vassallage on the other The same power descended from him to Isaac and successively to Jacob and by him being Divinely directed it was intayled upon Judah and his Offspring over all their brethren untill the coming of Shiloh which Promise was accomplisht with the blessing thereof in the Anoynting of David especially when he was confirmed King over all Judah and Jerusalem During which interval of time for the space of four hundred and thirty years they were Sojourners and in Bondage in Egypt But when the time of deliverance came God sent them a Captain and a Redeemer even Moses who was a Prince in Jeshuron or Israel concerning whom God said That Aaron should be unto him as a Mouth and he should be unto the people as or in the stead of God What was this but a KING or Chief Ruler or Judge as Stephen expounds it in the Acts This Moses saith he whom they refused saying Who made thee a Judge or Ruler over us the same did God send to be a Ruler and Deliverer He under God immediately conducted gave Lawes to yea he judged and determined Controversies between them And when the Seventy were chosen by the advice of Jethro Moses Father-in-law it was for his case that he might not be worn out by sitting all day to judge between them to hear and determine their Controversies with a Reserve still or an Alwayes provided as our Lawes have it that the greater and more difficult and weighty matters be brought unto Moses by which it appears that he under God was their Supreme Judge Captain Leader and Conducter After Moses death Joshua succeds him of whom first it is testified that the Spirit of Moses rested upon him that is he was the Peoples Chief Captain and Judge though the Sanedrim still continued for that remained an Ordinance in Israel till the coming of the Messiah although perhaps with some variation yea it is further added that

Majesty though above my capacity yet is it not above my concernment for in the latter I am concerned both as a man and as a Christian especially if I pretend at all to either discretion or conscience as a Christian it is my duty and I stand ingaged to pray for the peace of the place I live in and by consequence to study and endeavour it else my Prayers are but idle Prayers Also what I pray for I am exhorted to as a duty and commanded as a Christian to observe Gods dealing in the Return of Prayers else my praying is but mockery I am engaged then though I yet see nothing but war and confusion to be instant and urgent with God for peace and settlement and consequently I am bound to take notice how farre my prayers are answered that I may be thankfull how far they are denyed that I may finde the cause and be humbled for it and as much as in me lies help and remedy it This also discreet policy will teach me to endeavour and hope and pray for the peace of that place in which I intend with Gods help to settle my self and my Posterity of which if there be no hopes it is but indiscretion at best if not madnesse there to settle Let no man therefore blame me for enquiring after the state of affairs that I may see the cause of our present unsettlement and confusion and so far as advice will goe to apply if it lies in me a Remedy If the Cause be as most certainly it is the want of a true and proper Government and Governors let us enquire how far the defect extends and every man in his Calling those who are called thereto by action others as far as God hath given wisdome by counsell do what we can to supply that defect and help that want Adde to this that we are to pray for Kings to obey and honour the King and that by divine command and if so then no man can blame me if I enquire into the Case if or no I have by Divine Right a King to pray for to honour and to obey and whether or no active or barely passive obedience be due from and required of me as a Christian to those who in exclusion of him have exercised the Power of the Nation in which I live for these severall years But concerning this Subject I shall have occasion to enlarge before the end of this Discourse it may suffice here what I have more briefly touched only for the anticipating of such an Objection which may be made What matters of this nature concern me and which if unsatisfied might prejudice many Readers and preingage their spirits against what I shall hereafter write Hoping then that I have impartiall Readers now to deal withal who casting off all respects of Persons either comparing one with another and taking for granted that one in regard of his eminent abilities and learning and judgment hath the surer safer and better side or accounting the Subject of this Enquiry aliene from my employment and so condemning the discourse without perusal of the same I shall come soberly and modestly to take a view of Mr. Miltons ready and easy way to establish a Free Common-wealth c. Which I shal shew not only to be the farthest way about but an improbable way to our Ever settlement an impossible way to our present or speedy peace and therefore to be rejected as a crooked and unsafe path to walk in And in contradiction to his groundless position I shall evidence cleerly and undeniably that Kingship is our only sure and safe remedy under God to settle our distractions Make up our breaches secure our tottering foundations unite our divisions cure our distempers and in a word to save us from otherwise utter and inevitable misery and ruine And here judicious Reader let me crave thy attention and beg thy candor for the Subject of the ensuing discourse will be not light and trivial but such as concernes thy present welfare and the future good and welbeing of posterity Lord what English man that can without sighs and briny tears consider and recollect in his mind what this Nation was formerly and what now it is once the glory of Europe flourishing in prosperity and happiness the pride of her allyes the terrour of her Enemies the releif of the distressed the succour of the oppressed the ballance as I may call it of the neighbouring powerful Princes France and Spain turning the scale either way by its friendship or enmity How were our paths then anointed with Butter and our hills dropped fatness untill being filled with good things our soul began to loath the honey combe or like an horse provender prict we kict against our Rider and have gained to our selves a nominall liberty but reall slavery accompanyed with infamy and are now become the scorne of our neighbours and the Common by-word of Christendome Once we had our Kings not made but born whom at once the sunne beheld both men and Princes who by a long continuall descent were ennobled and both by affinity Consanguinity and mutual benefits bestowed and received were endeared reciprocally they to the Nation and the Nation to them We had a splendid Court persons of honourable extraction and excellent accomplishments a learned and renowned Clergy flourishing Academys and Schools of Education for youth A high spirited gallant Gentry Rich Yeamon and farmers and Citizens Wealthy and numerous A royall and powerfull Navy a plenteous and expert Souldiery and in a word we wanted nothing to make us happy at home and renowned abroad We wanted only thankful hearts to God for these unvaluable blessings and wisdome to esteeme and value them and improve and make use of them as we ought Now we find not only the want of but the contrary unto almost whatever before we enjoyed having scarce any thing left of our former happiness but the memory which only serves to aggravate our present miserie Dolet hoc meminisse fuisse Beatos and that which makes our condition more deplorable our hopes of recovery are in a great measure cut off only our eyes are to the hils from whence commeth our help And for the perpetuation if possible of our maladies and to make our wounds incurable our diseases desperate and our miseries irrecoverable I meet with many Mountebanks of State who wilfully mistaking our disease call that which is our without Gods great mercy mortall malady a State of happy Liberty only take notice of some troublesome Symptomes which Luscus cannot but see by twilight and for these they prescribe a cure more dangerous yea desperate then the disease it self and this they call a Free Common-wealth Among many that shoot at this Mark I find severall sorts some are fantastically absurd as Mr. Harrington with his Oceana the answer to which will be only ridiculous pastime by a winter fire others are religiously foolish as he who in imitation of Gods work of creation would make