Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	government_n	king_n	monarchy_n	2,757	5	9.5091	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54150	The great question to be considered by the King and this approaching Parliament, briefly proposed, and modestly discussed, (to wit); how far religion is concerned in policy or civil government and policy in religion? ... / by one who desires to give unto Cæsar the things that are Gods.	Penn, William, 1644-1718.	1679 (1679)	Wing P1300; ESTC R7032	14,393	8

expectation they might inherit their Fathers Virtues greatly contributing thereto which laid the foundation of Hereditary Monarchy But when the Primitive simplicity and integrity of those first Ages began to wear out and that those Kings did extend and advance the Authority they derived from their Predecessors but lost their Equity and Justice and since the ancient and entire confidence put in the first Rulers had made their Government and consequently their Successors unlimited it depending upon Will and not qualified by any Laws whereof there were not written at that time Thus Monarchy degenerated into Tyranny as appeared in Nimrod and his Successors the Kings of Assyria which gave a rise as many judge to the ●●●●itution of Commonwealths amongst the Grecians and others Now during these times although the number of those that truly feared God and retained any 〈◊〉 of pure Religion were very few and for most part at least so far as is conveyed to us in the Family and Success●●● of Abraham yet that inward and Universal Testimony of a Deity implanted in the hearts of all men as all sorts of Christians acknowledge did so far influence men as to set their thoughts about Religion for as Cicero says Nulla Gens tam Barbara quae Deum aliquem non agnoscat since it is most certain that Justice will gain a Testimony in the hearts of the most barbarous the ancient Veneration and esteem to the great Justice and Equity of those Primitive Rulers being fixed in 〈…〉 and heighned by the depravation of their Successors and this compared with daily 〈◊〉 afforded to men in the course of Providence begot a belief that these things were the Gifts of these Good Kings 〈◊〉 in Heaven from whence they came to be prayed unto and reputed Gods 〈◊〉 And thus those things th●t did seem immediately to convey those 〈…〉 the Sun Moon and Stars came 〈◊〉 to be adored from whence sprung the Religion or divers Nations and thus 〈◊〉 any 〈◊〉 came to receive Power and Domination over others 〈…〉 became more universally to be received Now whereas Religion among the Gentiles had its rise so 〈…〉 hence so every Nation had their p●rticular 〈…〉 among this Roman● 〈…〉 which they were devoted to The 〈…〉 of Religion with 〈…〉 insensibly since all the Gentiles generally esteemed it a duty to worship the Gods of that place and Country they came to as judging they had a sort of distinct and peculiar Jurisdiction there so there was little occasion of observing here a distinct Interest because there was no man to claim the liberty of exercising it so far had blindness and Idolatry overgrown the World In which state things continued for many Ages until Daniel and the Three Children after the carrying a way of the Jews by Nebuchadnezzar gave a rise rightly to distinguish and clear the Marches b●twixt Religion and Policy and claim the liberty of the one without prejudice to the other for this making Religion necessary to Policy took its strength from the unlimited Tyranny of the Assyrian Monarchy and was the fruits of an Arbitrary Power standing and exercised in the superlative degree and it 's observable that where there is most of that sort of Government there this to this day most prevails this being most suitable to meer Tyranny and contrary to a solid and well-ballanced Government for such being the state of the Assyrian Monarchy as all well read therein know the Flatterers of these Kings possessed them with a belief that the Authority of no Power even in matters of Religion was to be acknowledged nor even the Counsel of any Deity sought to above or besides that of the King for they did not build the reason of Obedience upon the intrinsical verity of the thing commanded by the King as those that press the same thing now would seem to do or for shame pretend to do but meerly upon the Will and Command of the Prince whom they think ought not to be disobeyed whatever he commanded whose Will they would have to be the only rule of mens Actions in all things Hence came the fury of Nebuchadnezzar against the Three Children for not obeying him Dan 3. in falling down before his Golden Image and against Daniel for praying with the Windows open towards Jerusalem for neither of them are charged for doing any thing prejudicial to the State and except in this were found faithful Servants to the King in other things wherein they were imployed And as none will readily justifie the Assyrian King in his doings whereof himself greatly repented so the Imployments he bestowed upon those and other Jews and wherein they proved useful and faithful to him doth sufficiently shew that the distinct Interests of Religion and Policy under one Prince may well be found without prejudice either to Prince or People The like may be observed in the case of Ahasuerus who was influenced by Haman to give out an Edict for the destruction of the Jews the reason whereof urged by Haman was that they had Laws different from the Kings Laws and therefore it was not for the Kings profit to suffer them I need not bestow pains to refute Haman's reason since most men will condemn it The same thing took place for the same cause in Nero and the rest of the Emperors who persecuted the Christians for the piety and ancient equity and sobriety of the Romans wearing out and the corruption degeneracy and effeminacy of the Eastern Nations prevailing so as the Emperors would be reputed and adored as Gods thence came their endeavouring to oblige men to acknowledge no God but their Will and Pleasure and no Religion but what depended thereon thence they made Religion a necessary part of Government And thus I have briefly traced things until such time as Christianity came to be established by Law and Christians came to be Magistrates After that Christianity came to be received in the Courts of Princes and that the Emperors became Christians their honest zeal was soon abused by the corruption and covetousness of the Clergy who for their own ends first possess'd them with a belief that they ought to seek to settle and establish Christian Religion by their Force and Power and that it did much contribute to their Spiritual advantage to bestow large Revenues upon the Clergy and that as Supreme Magistrate he had a care and superintendency over the Church in meddling with which the Emperor Constantine found himself quickly not a little embarassed when he could not find a way to satisfie the Clergy when they came to quarrel among themselves and so each Party afterwards in the differences of these Times as they could draw the Emperor to their side made use of this Power of the Magistrate in matters of Religion for the destroying each other until at last by the growing of Superstition and other great shakings which hapned to the Roman Empire the Pope instead of being subject to the Emperor and appointed by him which he was for