Selected quad for the lemma: land_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
land_n	lord_n	pay_v	tenant_n	1,537	5	9.6349	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84893	Light vanquishing darknesse. Or a vindication of some truths formerly declared, from those aspersions which have been (by reason of some misapprehensions) cast upon them; now published for the satisfaction and benefit of others. With a preambular epistle to all sorts of men. As also a parcell of good counsell, if you can take it. / By Captain Francis Freeman, a late member of the army.	Freeman, Francis.; Fairfax, Thomas Fairfax, Baron, 1612-1671.	1650 (1650)	Wing F2129; Thomason E615_7; ESTC R206543	58,771	68

2.8 And so all things else that are given proceed from him but this gift of faith in a more special manner because Christ is given in it by believing but I shall shew you that there are degrees of faiths manifestation in believing according to the apprehension some degrees more weake some more strong Yet if thou hast but faith as a grain of mustard-seed thou shalt be able to remove Mountains which is the next particular to be handled But a word or two more touching the highest degree of faith which is faiths assurance assurance being the proper act of faith proceeding from the reflect act of faith which causeth a man to know and see that he beleeves and this assurance is from the immediate testimony of the spirit of God in the conscience of him who is already a believer and causeth the soul to know that it believes The spirit it self beareth witnesse with our spirits c. Rom. 8.16 But so much shall suffice for this point the next in order is that mountain to be removed according to the main drift and scope of my argument First a mountain in Scripture is taken divers waies as you may find in Isa 2. Mark 11. c. But I shall shew you first Negatively What a mountain is not Secondly affirmatively What it is And according to the reall drift and scope of my meaning at the discourse and it so be the Magistrates with patience could have heard me make it forth I should have cleared it but that they would scarce suffer me to speak for my self but searcht the statute-book to see what punishment was fit for blasphemers in that case provided taking his accusation for truth not knowing how or in what manner I had declared my self neither could they understand my meaning touching this mountain here spoken of Therefore I shew you 1. Negatively that I did not mean such a Mountain as that great hill neer Taunton called by the name of black-down according to the question propounded unto me Neither did I mean that great round Cob-hill call'd by the name of Glastonburytor Nor that great mountain of Saint Taffies in Welchland Nor had I any thoughts of removing that great hill of Taunton out of his place who was then Major pro tempore and committed me to prison when as neither of them knew a mountain from a mole-hill But I speake this but by the way and therefore desire to be excused 2. Affirmatively There are mountaines within us as well as mountains without us there are mountains of sin and there are mountains of opposition there are mountains of power and there are mountains of pride and self-loftinesse there are mountains of oppression and Tyranny c. An indeed every thing is a mountain that exalts it self or is exalted high in opposition to truth As you may see in the aforecited chapter from verse 10. and so forwards but yet all these mountains shall be lay'd low when the lofty looks of men shall be humbled and the haughtinesse of men shall be bowed down and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day Which is the day of Gods power But what flesh shall abide his coming When he shall come as a refiners fire and like fullers sope when all corruption shall be burnt up and be destroyed or at least be cleansed and purified from the drosse Mal. 3. These things are and shall be trans-acted in us but the end is not yet And now friends although I have not handled every particular circumstance of this matter in hand yet every material point of any moment is cleared Therefore I shall now give a word or two in general to the Nations and chiefly to Magistrates and Governors and such as are placed in authority over us which shall be by way of good cuncel if you can take it But if so be you do not take it it will be because you cannot Yet neverthelesse I have thought good to give you a cautional hint of some special observations which I have taken touching the several greevances of the people who ly under many greevous pressures and burdens and expect relief and comfort from you which will be by prescribing wholesome laws according to the present constitution of this Nation and a due execution thereof as it was before the Norman Conquest For you know that the people have lived under a Kingly power many hundred years and have been held in bondage and slavery ever since the conquest under those lawes which were prescribed by an Usurper And have been still kept under the Normand yoak by reason of an absolute arbitrary power domineering over them raised up by William the Conquetor when he had subdued this Nation by the sword Then those who were his Creatures his favourits he created them to be Lords of Mannors and so divided and distributed the Land amongst themselves and the poor people to become tenants unto them and to pay a small rent at first to bring them under the yoak and so to acknowledge them to be their Lords and masters and hence came in that which we call propriety as derived from the Norman Conquest Now after this these great Lords of Mannors by marriages matching their Sonnes and daughters together joyn'd house to house and land to land and so became greater Lords then ever and exhausted greater rents from their poor tenants by degrees and all to uphold them in their pride and so to maintain them in their pomp and vanities and Lordly dignities And so the poor people comes to be meer slaves to their Lords and Masters their rents being continually raised and set upon the rack and tenterhoocks of their wicked consciences and are not able to maintain themselves and families though at a pittyful poor low rate both in food and rayment notwithstanding all their labour and pains-taking both early and late But I must tell you that the maintainance of propriety in this way and by such lawes will be the destruction of it and me thinks I see it already destroyed and you know that the stander-by sometimes sees more then the gamester And truly for my part I see an exceeding unequal distribution of things some all and some nothing at all and the poor daily crying out for bread bread bread for the Lords sake and few or none laying it to heart when many of your great Lords have ten fifteen twenty thousand pounds per annum which is more then two hundred thousand families have and yet they can spend all in rioteousnesse and wantonnesse and in superfluity of dainties and in the delights and pleasures of this world and truly I do beleeve I speak with the least though I speak it with much grief that for every one that hath but ten thousand pounds per annum there are two hundred thousand families and more that have not so much and so proportionable of all the rest I speak from experience of my late travels in the North where I have seen multitudes of