Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	chief_a	lord_n	plea_n	5,523	5	9.8646	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42543	A bridle for the tongue, or, A treatise of ten sins of the tongue ... shewing the nature of these sins ... with the causes and aggravations of them, and remedyes against them : together with many considerations, rules, and helps for the right ordering of the tongue ... / by William Gearing ...	Gearing, William.	1663 (1663)	Wing G432; ESTC R8445	179,256	504

Imprimatur Geo. Stradling S. T. P. Rev. in Christo. Pat. D Gilb. Episc Lond. sac domestic Ex Aed Sab. Jun. 22. 1663. A BRIDLE FOR THE TONGUE OR A Treatise of ten Sins of the Tongue viz. Cursing Swearing Slandering Scoffing Filthy-speaking Flattering Censuring Murmuring Lying and Boasting SHEWING The nature of these sins and how many wayes men may be guilty of them with the Causes and Aggravations of them and Remedyes against them Together with many Considerations Rules and Helps for the Right ordering of the Tongue Divers common places succinctly handled and divers Cases cleered By William Gearing Minister of the Word Solicitam ori tuo custodiam pone non enim est quicquam in nobis quo faciliùs peccare possumus quam linguâ Hier. Epist ad Demetriad London Printed by R. H. for Tho. Parkhurst at the Sign of the Three Crowns over against the Great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapside 1663. To the Right Honourable Sir Orlando Bridgeman Knight and Baronet Lord Chief Justice of his Majestyes Court of common-Common-Pleas c. and to the vertuous Lady his wife Right Honourable AS Man is a reasonable creature so is speech given to him by God to express his reason and a tongue to utter that expression Brute creatures can make a noise but man only can articulate his voice his mind provideth the matter his breath the convoy and his tongue frameth distinct and significant words and syllables and carrieth the sense of our minds from us by the ear to the heart of others The Tongue is the secretary of the mind and the Interpreter of the heart it is the great huckster by which we negotiate and traffique one with another Plin. nat histor lib. 7 cap. 16. The Teeth saith Pliny serve not only to grind our meat for our daily food and nourishment but necessary also they be for the framing of our speech the fore-teeth stand us in good stead to rule and moderate the voice by a certain concent and tunable accord answering as it were to the stroke of the Tongue and according to that row and rank of theirs wherein they are set as they are broader or narrower greater or smaller they yield a distinction and variety in their words cutting and hewing them thick and short framing them pleasant plain and ready drawing them out at length or smothering and drowning them in the end but when once they be fallen out of the head man is bereaved of all means of good utterance and explanation of his words Therefore God in Scripture threatens to strike the wicked on the cheek-bone Percutire maxillam figura quasi proverhiali significat poenam cum ignominia dedecore conjunctam Drus observ lib. 3 cap 5. and to break the teeth of the ungodly Psal 3.7 And to smite on the cheek-bone and break out the teeth saith Drusius signifieth in a proverbial speech a punishment joyned with reproach and infamy The Tongue hath no Rein by nature but hangeth loose in the midst of the mouth taking that hollow place as its appointed limits for the nimbleness thereof Man hath many importers his ears his eyes and all his senses in their several employments but only one exporter sc the Tongue and that finds work enough to utter all their reports The Tongue in Scripture is called Mans Glory but alas foolish man turneth his glory unto shame he hath no member more fit to honour God and edify his Neighbour and none whereby God is more dishonoured and Mankind more injured Most commonly when Gentlemen meet they talk of their Hawks and Hounds their Feasts and Banquetings their pleasures sports and pastimes when Gentlewomen meet they talk of their Attires and Habits new fashions and new fangles when Husbandmen meet their discourse is how the year will fall out what the price of Corn and Cattle is Neighbours can meet together to conferre about Town-business but God is quite forgotten Clara cum laude la●●it a. Gloss in Rom. 16. as a dead man out of mind Some indeed for fashion sake will a little talk of God but it is in a cold and dead manner without any life at all not talking of him with delight Men nowadayes count it a shame to them to read the Scriptures to pray to entertain one another with holy discourses for fear of being talkt of by others so carrying the light in a Theeves Lanthorn Whereas wisdoms Maidens of honour will cry in the Market-place Prov. 9.3 and whosoever hath the Law of God in his heart cannot but speak of him and not be ashamed But alas if ever mens tongues were set on fire with hell it is in this age and if prophaness slanders revilings lying blasphemies scoffings oaths and execrations were taken out of mens words how few would remain but pertinent and profitable speech that savoureth of grace and godliness is as rare as the other aboundeth Physitians take great notice of the tongue judging thereby of the health or sickness of the body so our words shew plainly the qualily of our souls and as a vessel is known by the sound whether it be whole or broken so are men proved by their speech whether they be sound or rotten at heart Holy tongues are alwayes desirous to be speaking good to speak of Gods name which to do is truly to sanctify it Polan Syntag. cap. 10. de lege saith Polanus This is the practice of the glorified Saints and must be ours A Father takes most delight in his child when it can talk of him and with him so God loveth to hear us praising him and making him our song And as the Bees mingle nothing in their little mouths but honey so should our tongues be alwayes honied with the love of God and to feel no pleasant sweetness but to hear the praises of God pass thorow our mouths with so daily thankfulness for all our blessings that some honey-dew may pass into the hearts of the hearers 'T is good to speak of God reverently not to shew our own eloquence but with a spirit of humility to distil the precious balm of true devotion sometime into the ears of one sometime of another which must be done sweetly by way of inspiration for marvellous it is how much a sweet and amiable perswasion to any good is of force to attract the hearts of men unto it Words are not to be affected by us for curiosity or vain glory to what end saith St. Augustine is a golden key if it open not what we desire and what hurt if the key be of wood so it do the deed which the other cannot seeing all that we expect from a key is but to open what before was shut up therefore all painted and gawdy words must be avoided that edify not A good man had rather his words go forth in a plain dress then in the garb of an Harlot But albeit our words are to be without vain affectation yet Rhetorical and Hyperbolical expressions are

exhorted to harken to that dehortation of the Apostle Before all things my brethren swear not neither by Heaven nor by Earth nor by any other oath Jam. 5.12 Let us therefore consider the great miseries and judgements that are threatned against vain and prophane swearers in the word of God Swearing is a sin that brings upon men all miseries in this world and in ●●e world to come 1. The Lord will not hold such men guiltlesse though thou hast not ●worn by any false God nor sworn to 〈◊〉 lye yet by ordinary oaths thou hast ●aken his name in vain and that guilt ●hall stand upon Record against thee until thou hast been seriously humbled for it and truly repented of it and art acquitted from it and if this be not in this life Hell fire will shew the greatness of this sin Great reason there is God should take the avenging this sin into his own hand because most men are eager in avenging every taunting and reproachful term against themselves and will not digest the Lye but give the Stab yet can be contented to hear Gods name blasphemed and reproached and never shew any discontent at it 2. God will come as a swift witness against such Malac. 3.5 it may be thou wilt deny it and thy Companions will deny it and not witnesse against thee but God will be a swift witness against thee The Trope is a Metaphor and the affection of the Metaphor seems to be a Catachresis witness being put for Judge that is in effect thus much I will soon upon the evidence of the Fact give judgement against you Bodin de Republ. lib. 6. Gratiam Caus 2. qu. 1. 7. Bocerus de jurisdict Cap. 6. Sect. 34. Weemes Exercit. Vol. 2. Lib. 2. Cap. 17. that of Bodinus is generally received If a Fact be onely known to the Judge he may be a witness of it but a Judge he cannot be and the Canons speak positively that a Judge is to give sentence secundum allegata probata Great reason it should be so among men but God being omnipresent an eye-witness of evey fact infinitely wise and not subject to the least errour and infinitely Holy out of all danger to be corrupted may be and is both Witness and Judge and often cometh as a swift witnesse against prophane swearers I have read of a Mariner that was greatly given to swearing and cursing and upon a day the Sea being very calm he leapt into the water to swim and although he was very skilful in swimming yet by Gods permission he sunk and was drowned Serafino Razzi but being afterward found by his friends a due search being made about his body there was nothing found wanting but his wicked tongue onely In Mantua divers gamesters playing at Tables and abusing the name of Christ their eies presently fell out of their heads upon the Tables as they played 3. Everlasting woe hangs over the heads of prophane swearers St. James tells us they shall fall into condemnation Jam. 5.12 and that for eternity though such men may escape the wrath and punishment of men yet shall they not escape the wrath of God therefore let as many as have any fear of God before their eyes any care of their own Salvation any desire to escape endless condemnation beware of it and take the Apostles counsell swear not at all lest ye fall into condemnation SECT 6 The objection of those that deny the use of all kinds of oaths answered how oaths must be qualified shewed in three things Object BUt from that Text Jam. 5.12 before mentioned and from Mat. 5.34 the Manichees of old the Anabaptists long since and the Quakers of late do deny all kind of oaths and affirm swearing in any case to be utterly unlawful because it is said swear not at all For the Manichees Chemnitius out of Austin Chemnit ex August Hieron Theophilact and other approved Authors saith that they disproved of the old Testament because it approved of oaths Yea Jerom and Theophilact as he saith thought oaths unlawful in the new Testament Resp But if they make their full point at Ne juretis omninò Swear not at all they alledge the Text in both places as honestly as the Devil did Psal 91. to perswade Christ to throw himself down headlong from the top of the Temple Mat. 4. But let both places be well weighed and you will see the scope both of Christ and his Apostle was either to forbid common and causeless oaths or else swearing by the creatures So saith St. Augustine In novo Testamento dicttum est Ne juretis omninò non quia jurare est peccatum sed quia perjurare est immane peccatum in the New Testament it is said swear not at all not because all swearing is sinfull but because it is a grievous sin for a man to forswear himself and again Admonitio non jurandi est conservatio à peccato perjurij Christs admonition not to swear at all is a preservation from the sin of perjury and Calvin saith Christi Scopus Calvin Instit lid 2. cap. 8. nòn fuit legem laxare aut restringere sed ad veram genuinam intelligentiam sensum reducere quia Scribarum Pharisaeorum Commentis valde erat depravata Christs scope was not to slacken or restrain the Law but to reduce it to its true and genuine sense and understanding because it was much depraved by the false Glosses and Comments of the Scribes and Pharisees Now that there were lawful oaths appeareth Exod. 22.11 where it is said that if a man deliver any thing to his neighbour to be kept and it perish or be lost no man knowing how the party to whom it was committed must cleer himself by an oath and that shall put an end to the controvesie Praecipuum vinculum ordinis Politici Melanct. Bonavent Centiloq part 1. cap. 12. There is a great use of oaths to be taken now as was heretofore the end theref being the manifestation of truth and the stinting of strife Heb. 6.16 it being as Melancton calleth it the chief Bond of civil order hereby right and justice is maintained truth and verity is preserved peace and concord is established discord and dissention ended saith Bonaventure To this end in the first place Reasons must be used when these fail then by witnesses must the matter be established when witnesses fail then oath must be used and this is the end of strife and therefore it must be done but sparingly and in weighty matters when necessity requireth and the truth not otherwise to be cleered and that before a Magistrate c. You may read Exod. 18.22 that great matters of weight and moment were onely to be brought before Moses and for the deciding of smaller matters inferiour officers were appointed and shall God be troubled and called to witness for every trifling cause Calvin saith well to this purpose Laeditur Dei Majestas omnibus