Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	authority_n	peace_n	power_n	2,673	5	4.5185	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63880	A sermon preached before the Lord Mayor and the Court of Aldermen at Guild-Hall Chappel on the 7th of May 1682 / by Francis Turner ...	Turner, Francis, 1638?-1700.	1682 (1682)	Wing T3281; ESTC R1763	16,172	40

have inflicted some terrible disease that should have wrought immediately upon any Pagan Emperour as immediately no question as Elijah could translate the Leprosy of Naaman to Gehazi Where is the difference then between St. Peter and these Sucessors of his for point of Ability to maintain the Rights and Royalties of the Church if this of subjecting Kings and Princes had been one of them But St. Paul though he was outrag'd then by that Mock-High-Priest for St. Paul understood sufficiently that there was really no such High-Priest upon Earth since Christ was ascended into Heaven yet that being no time nor place to argue that point the Apostle only pleads he did not reflect upon that allowing upon their supposition that if he were High-Priest or however as he was a Magistrate a Minister of Justice he had done ill to revile him and confirming it for a Christian as well as a Jewish Law for it is written thou shalt not speak evil much less then act Evil against the Ruler of thy People nay he was so far from declining or disputing the Heathen Emperours Jurisdiction over him that he enters his solemn Protestation and Appeal I stand at Caesar's judgment Seat by whom I ought to be judged And if the Heathen Emperours were so priviledg'd from any design of Resistance among the Christians have they now lost their Prerogative by turning Christians themselves That were but poor encouragement for the Royal Converts But did not the Primitive Christians pay equal and greater deference to Christian Princes or did the Ancient Bishops of Rome keep the Commission St. Peter had left them dormant for want of Forces Let the Apologies written by the Primitive Saints decide this question Whether they were subject for Conscience sake or no There they set forth how great a multitude of Christians there were in Rome how perfectly they had it in their Power if they were not extremely averse from such Devilish Practices to fire the City at any time about the Ears of their Oppressors yet still their Prayers and endeavours tended to this good end That they might lead a quiet and peaceable life And this should be our great labour in the sight of all men as well as our earnest petition to Almighty God that we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life or which is all one that we may enjoy a kind of lower Heaven upon Earth for Heaven it self is describ'd to us a place of rest and peace I am sure the contrary that is War and the dismal effects of it are an emblem of Hell For Hell is a scene of strife and gnashing of teeth at one another The sword of the Lord does like Behemoth that drinks up Rivers but they are Rivers of Blood when he bids it arise and go forth His glittering Sword of War is seldom drawn without his flaming sword of fire that goes along with it to lay fenced Cities in ruinous heaps But though nothing is more extreamly opposite to the mild and loving spirit that Christians are of at least that they should be of than calling for fire and sword though nothing disturbs their Devotions more than the Battle of the Warrior with confused noise and garments roll'd in Blood yet there is somewhat else in War that makes a good Christian tremble and frights him more that is the inundation of Vice which commonly runs along in the same chanel with that of Blood This consideration terrified him that durst encounter a Gyant the torrents of Belial the overflowings of ungodliness made me afraid says that man of renown And yet in the state of War it was necessary for him to set open a kind of sanctuary for all comers all that would follow his standard were welcome to him the light and the vain fellows as we read in his story He was fain to court and advance the Sons of Zerviah that were too hard for him because they were mighty men though Joab the eldest of them was flusht in the blood of several brave and good men yet still he must continue General of the Armies of the Living God But on the other side how invaluable is the blessing of Peace How well does the same gracious King David compare the Unity of Brethren among themselves to those two precious things the Dew that fell from Heaven and the richest Oyl that the Earth afforded Even Seneca the Heathen Philosopher apprehended and acknowledg'd the necessity of his being a good Subject if he would be a good Philosopher or a happy man Errare Epist 73. mihi videntur qui existimant Philosophiae fideliter deditos contumaces esse c. Sure says he they are mistaken that think such as give themselves up entirely to the study of Philosophy are proud and stubborn disobedient to Magistrates and Kings or those by whom the Commonwealth is govern'd for on the contrary none are more kindly obedient than they because they cannot receive greater advantages than from such under whom they may enjoy a quiet retirement Therefore says he those to whom the publick safety must open the passage before they can arrive at their end of living well they must needs reverence the Authors of that good as they would do their Fathers Again says he of his good moral man He loves those by whose means he may do this in security Under whose protection he may study useful knowledge thus the benefit of this Peace which appertains to all is more highly serviceable to such as use this Peace well He will therefore own himself indebted to those men by whose administration and care an entire repose and the free disposal of his own time is allow'd him Now if so much Love and Duty to All in Authority be so justly due from every Good Man that would follow after wisdom then how much more from every Good Christian but most of all from Us the Allow'd Professors of the Christian Philosophy I mean from Us of the Clergy how mightily are we concern'd to Pray for peace and quietness to Preach up this not only for Godliness for Honesty sake but also because the publick tranquillity does most particularly befriend and favour the privacy so necessary and delightful to our Profession we must needs reverence yours and make supplications for you and such as you who under the King are in Authority the great conservators of our Peace that execute Justice and maintain Truth the Oracles of the Law and Pillars of the Government the shields of the Earth that belong to God But God himself is the fountain of all this honour and power this peace and quietness for the Lord God is a Sun and a shield as the Psalmist entitles him a Sun to increase to enliven and add lustre to all we enjoy and a shield to guard and secure us in all assaults But then remember upon what terms he is so and upon what condition it follows in the Psalm that the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will