Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	work_n	world_n	worth_n	64	3	8.3220	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02534	Epistles the first volume: Containing II. decads. By Ioseph Hall; Epistles. Vol. 1	Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.	1608 (1608)	STC 12661.7; ESTC S103637	49,336	198

EPISTLES The FIRST VOLVME Containing II. DECADS * ⁎ * By IOSEPH HALL AT LONDON Printed by H. L. for Samuel Macham E. Edgar are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Bull-head 1608. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE HENRIE PRINCE OF GREAT Britaine Sonne and Heyre Apparant to our Soueraigne Lord IAMES King of Great Brit. c. all glorie in either world MOst gracious Prince IT is not from any conceit of such worth in my labors that they durst looke so hye A lower Patronage would haue serued an hyer work It were well if ought of mine could bee worthie of popular eyes Or if I could wring ought from my selfe not vnworthie of a iudicious Reader I knowe your Highnesse wants neither presents nor counsells presents from strangers counsells from your teachers neither of them matcheable by my weakenesse Only duty herein excuses mee from presumptiō For I thought it iniustice to deuote the fruite of my labour to any other hand beside my Maisters which also I knewe to bee as gratious as mine is faithfull Yet since euen good affections cannot warrant too much vilenesse in gifts to Princes lest while my modesty disparages my worke I should hazard the acceptation heere shall your Grace finde varietie not without profite I hate a Diuine that would but please and withall thinke it impossible for a man to profit that pleaseth not And if while my stile fixeth it selfe vpon others any spirituall profite shall reflect vpon your H. how happie am I who shall euer thinke I haue liued to purpose if by the best of my studies I shall have done any good office to your Soule Further which these times account not the least prayse your Grace shal herein perceiue a new fashion of discourse by Epistles new to our language vsual to others and as Noueltie is neuer without some plea of vse more free more familiar Thus we do but talke with our friends by our pen and expresse our selues no whit lesse easily some-what more digestedly Whatsoeuer it is as it cannot be good enough to deserue that countenance so the countenance of such Patronage shall make it worthie of respect from others The God of Princes protect your person perfect your graces and giue you as much fauour in heauen as you haue honour on earth Your Graces humbly-deuoted seruant IOS HALL EP. 1. TO IACOB WADSWORTH Lately reuolted in Spayne Ep. 1. Expostulating for his departure and perswading his returne HOw vnhappily is my stile changed Alas that to a friend to a brother I must write as to an Apostate to an aduersary Dooth this seem harsh you haue turned it by beeing turned your selfe Once the same walls held vs in one louing society the same Diocess in one honourable function Now not one Land and which I lament not one Church you are gone we stand and woder For a sheep to stray through simplicitie is both ordinarie and lamentable but for a shepheard is more rare more scandalous I dare not presume ouer-much vppon an appeale to a blinded conscience Those that are newly come from a bright candle into a dark roome are so much more blinde as their light was greater and the purest yuorie turneth with fire into the deepest black Tell vs yet by your old ingenuitie and by those sparks of good which yet I hope ly couered vnder your cold ashes tell vs what diuided you Your motiues shall once bee scanned before an higher barre Shame not to haue the weake eyes of the world see that which once your vndeceiueable Iudge shall see and censure What sawe you what heard you a-new that might offer violence to a resolued minde make it either to alter or suspend If your reasons be inuincible informe vs that we may follow you but if as they are slight and feeble returne you to vs returne and thinke it no shame to haue erred iust shame to continue erring What such goodly beautie sawe you in that painted but ill-fauored strūpet that should thus bewitch you so to forget your selfe and contemne the chaste loue of the Spouse of your Sauiour I sawe her at the same time in her gayest dresse Let my soule neuer prosper if I could see any thing worthie to commaunde affection I saw and scorned you saw and adored Would God your adoration were as farre from superstition as my scorne from impietie That God iudge betwixt vs whether heerin erred yea let men iudge that are not drunke with those Babylonish dreggs How long might an indifferent eie looke vpon the comicall and mimick actions in those your mysteries that should be sacred your magicall exorcismes your clericall shauings your vncleanly vnctions your crossings creepings censings sprinklings your cozening miracles garish processions burning of noone-daie christning of bells marting of pardons tossing of beades your superstitious hallowing of candles waxe ashes palmes chrisme garments roses swords water salt the Pontificall solemnities of your great-master and what-euer your new mother hath besides plausible before he should see ought in all these worthy of anie other intertainment then contempt Who can but disdaine that these things should procure anie wise proselyte Cannot your owne memorie recount those trulie religious spirits which having sought Rome as resolued Papistes haue left the World as holie Martyrs dying for the detestation of that vvhich they came to adore Whence this They heard and magnified that which they novv savve and abhorred Their fire of zeale brought them to the flames of Martyrdome Their innocent hopes promised them Religion they founde nothing but a pretence promised deuotion and beholde idolatrie they saw hated suffered and now raigne vvhiles you wilfully and vnbidden will lose your soule where others meant to lose and haue found it Your zeale dyes where theirs began to liue you like to liue where they would but die They shall comfort vs for you they shall once stand vppe against you While they would rather dye in the heat of that fire then liue in the darkenesse of their errors you rather dye in the Egyptian darknesse of errours then liue in the plesant light of truth Yea I feare rather in another fire then this light Alas what shall wee looke-for of you Too late repentance or obstinate errour Both miserable A Spira or a Staphylus Your friends your selfe shall wish you rather vnborne then either O thou which art the great shepheard great in power great in mercie which leauest the ninetie nine to reduce one fetch home if thy will bee this thy forlorne charge fetch him home driue him home to thy fold though by shame though by death Let him once recouer thy Church thou him it is enough Our common Mother I knowe not whether more pitties your losse or disdeignes thus to bee robb'd of a sonne Not for the neede of you but her owne pietie her owne loue For howe many troupes of better informed soules hath shee euerie day returning into her lap now breathing from their late Antichristianisme and embracing