Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	day_n	great_a	people_n	16,100	5	4.4671	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30550	To the Parliament of the common-wealth of England who are in place of authority to do justice, and in present power to ease the oppressed nation from its bonds : councel and advice unto you / from a friend that seeks after truth and righteousness from you ...	Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662.	1659 (1659)	Wing B6039; ESTC R36304	6,296	8

TO THE PARLIAMENT of the Common-wealth of ENGLAND who are in place of Authority to do Justice and in present power to ease the oppressed Nation from its Bonds Councel and Advice unto you from a Friend that seeks after Truth and Righteousness from you and alwayes faithfully desires the Nations good and that the Government thereof may be established upon a Just and Equal and Right Foundation that the Lord God may possess his Right and all men their Right in our Land and that men of Truth and sound Judgement may be set to Judge the people in outward things and the Exercise of good Conscience in Faith and Worship left unto God that Blessings and Mercies true Freedom Peace and Vnity may run down as a stream in the Land of our nativity and that all the contrary may be cast out and removed far away from us and for this Cause these things following do I propound unto you that you may read and consider to the end that Righteousness alone may be established in the Nation both in the Foundation and Practice of Government FOR as much as this Nation the Land of our Native inheritance as we are members of it hath long been held under great bondage and captivity and the free-born people have born the heavy yokes of tyranny and oppression both in respect of the foundation of Government and also in respect of practice thereof for not onely the practice but also the very foundation of Government and the choosing of Governours also hath been out of course and not rightly laid nor established in Righteousness by reason of that darkness that hath been over all people in the dayes of the reign of Antichrist whose kingdome and government hath been in dominion in all Nations ever since the falling away from the Faith once delivered to the Apostles and then came the earth to be subjected under the tyranny and oppression of that fourth Beast Dan. 7. And while thus it hath been in our Nation that our Kings have attained to the Throne of Government hereditarily and by succession of Birth and our Parliaments and Rulers have attained to the place of Judgement over us by such a way of traditional choise as hath been the custom in our forefathers dayes that knew no better being in the dayes of Apostacy great ignorance themselves and thus it hath continued for many Ages whereby the Inhabitants have been alwayes suffering under and lyable to great oppressions vexations being subjected under such a Government falling as aforesaid from Parents to Children after the manner of the Heathen Nations and being subjected to such Laws made and executed by men not truly called and ordained of God thereunto insomuch that nothing hath been perceived nor intended by men of the hand of the Lord and of his good Spirit in the calling of our Kings and choosing of our Rulers but these things have com'd to pass and been after the Traditions of men and not after the Order and Councel of the Lord God And our Nation hath been under the bonds of slavery in this respect even because men have governed that ought not and while the great and rich men hath been set to rule over the poor and while men for earthly honour and for riches sake in birth and breeding have claimed to be Princes over us successively and to be chosen our Rulers according to custom without respect to their vertue and goodness and without true calling from the Lord or any certain Testimony from him and thus it hath continued for many ages because of which the free born people hath deeply suffered the cruel oppressions of proud and ambitious and self-seeking men who hath long ruled for themselves and not for the Lord and have com'd into the place of Authority over us otherwise then by appointment and right calling from the Lord as I have said and thus the Government of our Nation hath been out of course and not as the Lord requireth it even until this day while great darkness hath remained upon the hearts of the people which hath so blinded them that they have not known their own bondage nor yet how to be redeemed into perfect liberty while they have subjected themselves through ignorance to be ruled by such men as had no right from God to that place of Rule and Government But now in as much as the Lord God our deliverer hath begun to appear for the freedom of the Nations and hath shewed us the captivity and bondage which our forefathers have lived under and we our selves been subject and lyable too by reason of the Government standing in a single person successively and we being forced to live under the Authority of such men as had no right from God thereunto as I have said And now our eyes are opened to behold better things and we are in good expectations that the Lord will suddenly so appear as to free us from future oppressions in this respect for we look for a New Earth as well as for a New Heaven according to the Lords promise to us which is to be fulfilled in these latter dayes and that we shall have Judges as at the first and Councellors as at the beginning and that all our bonds of oppression shall be broken that have lain upon us by unjust men who have made Laws and executed them for us without true calling to such a work And the Lord alone will appear to be the King and Judge and Law-giver over all and will commit the giving forth and execution of good Laws into the power of faithful and just men ordained of God who will Judge for him altogether and not for man neither will be perverted by earthly honour and riches but will regard the Cause of the Poor and the Afflicted and these things we are waiting for to be brought to pass in their season and the hand of the Lord will accomplish it if not by you then even contrary to you Wherefore I am moved in Spirit and in love to you and to this Nation to lay it before you and to desire it of you in whose hands the Liberties of this Nation yet remaineth that you will so prepare and allow the Foundation of Government in this Nation that the Lord may be the chooser of our Rulers to give and to execute righteous Laws for us and that men that fears God and hates covetousness and every evil way that Just men and Righteous men men of Truth and uprightness men of humility and soberness men that are Constant to good Principles and such whom the Lord hath blessed with the Spirit of sound Judgement and with understanding who may truly discern of Causes and equally Judge thereof men that are for the Just freedom of all and for the General good of all and men that in all things will seek the glory of the Lord be they rich or poor high or low in birth or breeding yet let such be Rulers among us and Judge this

Nation that all that do well may have praise and be justified and all that do evil may be afraid and punished and hereby shall the whole Nation be refreshed and comforted with the Mercies of the Lord and his Name shall be the greatest among us and Truth and Righteousness should run down when Justice sits in the Throne And not men for greatness sake in Titles or Birth or otherwise Chosen in Tradition and not by Appointment of God but men for Vertues sake and not for earthly honour which perisheth not Covetous nor Ambitious men not proud and vain-glorious men not such as seeks the honour from below that respects vain titles flatteries of men not such as will seek themselves and be perverted by gifts not such as are Persecutors for a good Conscience sake that are Zealous but not according to knowledge not wilful and heady men not unconstant and changeable men not Traitors that have turned for self-advantage and will change with the times to any way of Government for earthly honour for such will Judge for man and not for God not ignorant men that wants the Spirit of sound Judgement nor such as are prophane and without the fear of God nor such as these be they rich or great let not such be our Governours nor Judge over us to make Laws and execute them for us in our Nation let all such men be cast out from among you and disenabled by certain Just restrictions from ever receiving Trust or Authority over us for while such men have been in power and sate in the Throne Justice and true Judgement have been perverted and our Land hath groaned under oppre●sions and the Inhabitants mourned for very grief of heart because of the abounding of injustice and cruelty through their Rulers and the Lord hath been vexed with them while ini●uity hath sate upon the Throne and wilfulness Judged the people and mercy been wanting and just Judgement neglected and the whole Land hath laid desolate because hereof And therefore I call unto you on the Lords behalf make way and prepare for Righteousness to sit as Judge that men alone that fears God and are ordained of him thereunto of what Profession or Birth soever they be men of truth and justness that have the Spirit of a good understanding and are called of God may have Authority in our Nation to give Laws and execute them for us such being brought into a capacity by you to be chosen for to such men appointed of God and fitted for that end and truly called of him being qualified as aforesaid do we give the Authority and Power in our Nation to Judge and to Govern in the things pertaining to this World and over us as we are Members of this Nation and over the outward man and in the things between man and man even to be a terrour to such as are without the fear of God and to punish such by Just Laws without as breaks the Law of God within though to the Lord God alone we give the Authority and Power over us to Rule us and to Judge us in that Relation as we are Members of his Kingdom and over our inward man and in the things pertaining to our Consciences in all things related to his worship and service and faith and practices in Religion And for as much as in the late dayes of darkness through the unjust practice of Government in the hands of uncalled and ungodly men the exercise of our Consciences hath been violated by men not ordained of God who have not known the perfect station nor cause and end of Civil Government nor how to Rule and Govern over us as men and over our outward man which is onely the end of outward Rule and Government but have assumed unjustly the Seat and Throne of Christ Jesus and have ruled over our Consciences and oppressed our inward man with false Judgement imposed upon us through limitting of us from and compelling of us to such or such a way of worship and Religion even contrary to the Spirit of God taking upon them without any call from God at all but as Vsurpers to be Judges in matters of Faith and Doctrines and Worships which pertains unto the One God and not unto men and unto the Spirit of Christ we give the exercise of our consciences in our duty to God in all things pertaining to worship and faith towards him and not unto you nor any man upon the earth but I say because the civil Magistrate hath judged where he ought not in matters pertaining to God onely and not to him and so hath abused his Power and exceeded the measure and line of his Authority hereby have we been wofully oppressed in our consciences and for the very pure exercise thereof have we been accounted great offenders and even righteousness hath been punished as a haynious crime and the most innocent as great transgressors even while the civil Magistrate hath compelled to and limmitted from such wayes of worships and practices of Religion and so been as Lord over our consciences we have been an oppressed People and killed all the day long and our oppressions because hereof hath reached unto heaven and entred into the ears of the Lord and hath overturned and confounded Powers and Authorities men and Lawes even because of this thing to wit oppression of good conscience which may be to you examples for good who cannot give his glory to any other neither the exercise of his Peoples consciences to any saving his own Spirit that onely leads into all Truth in worship and practice Wherefore it is upon me to lay it before you even you as the first Asserters of and contenders for Englands Liberty and whom the Lord hath honoured in beginning to remove Tyranny and oppression and reaching after our long lost Liberties that you will learn wisdom from the God of heaven to be ordered to his glory and to order others in Righteousness that you may escape the pits and snares that many are fallen into in such pathes of oppre●sing tender conscience And particularly that you will leave unto God alone the exercise of Peoples consciences in Faith and worship and clearly devide and distinguish between Rule and Government over the People of this Nation as they are Men and Members of the Nation and as Members of the Kingdom of Christ and worshipers of God in Spirit and that you will put a difference between the civil Government of our Nation in the things pertaining to mens bodies and Estates and their outward carriages as men one towards another and between Church Government and the things related to the worship and service of God and in faith and practices of Religion towards him in which relation we give the Government over us to Christ as I have said for he alone is true Judge concerning faith and worship and Religon and men are but to Judge over men in those things that pertains to this world and over the outward