Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prince_n	earl_n	lord_n	viscount_n	3,048	5	12.2365	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70493	A vindication of the primitive Christians in point of obedience to their Prince against the calumnies of a book intituled, The life of Julian, written by Ecebolius the Sophist as also the doctrine of passive obedience cleared in defence of Dr. Hicks : together with an appendix : being a more full and distinct answer to Mr. Tho. Hunt's preface and postscript : unto all which is added The life of Julian, enlarg'd.	Long, Thomas, 1621-1707.; Ecebolius, the Sophist. Life of Julian.	1683 (1683)	Wing L2985; ESTC R3711	180,508	416

justifie resistance of lawful Powers having in effect not onely drawn the Sword but cast away the Scabbard We are told of one that was ready to kick an Emperour and of others that play'd with his Beard but this is little less than kicking at the Crown and striking a blow at the root to render the whole Family as glorious as they made the Father of it Unless he can give some other sence of it than this Rather than not exclude the D. we will exclude the glorious Family of the Stuarts And in what sence he calls it a glorious Family needs his explication But will the Exclusion of the D. as certainly prevent our misery as his Succession effect it Did you never read how zealous some Priests and Pharisees were for a Bill of Exclusion against a far better person John 11.47 48. What do we for this man doth many Miracles if we let him thus alone all men will believe on him the Romans will come take away both our place nation And did not the passing that Bill make way for the Romans to bring all their fears on their own heads And was not our late dear King excluded from Crown Kingdom and life upon such fears and was that a means of our Peace and Happiness I wish I could say our fears now are as false as they were then We have his R. H. Declaration for our Security viz. That the Members of the Church of England are the best supporters of the Crown Insomuch that if it fall to him to be concerned he will ever countenance and preserve them and it And p. 225. Why may we not suppose that a Popish Successor will defend his Regalia against the Pope Our Ancient Kings did so in the Reign of Rich. 2.16 c. 5. In a Statute of Praemunire the Parliament declares That the Crown of England against the Encroachments of the Pope hath been so free at all times that so hath been in no earthly subjection but immediately subject to God in all things touching the Regalty of the same Crown and to none other And God defend say they that it should be submitted to the Pope and the Laws and Statutes of the Realm be by him defeated and avoided at his will in perpetual destruction of the Soveraignty of the King our Lord his Crown Regalty and of all his Realm And I hope his Royal Highness will say as they did God defend Moreover the Commons say That the things so attempted viz. purchasing Bulls from Rome executing Judgments given in the Court of Rome translating of Prelates out of the Realm or from one Preferment to another be clearly against the Kings Crown and Regalty used and approved of the time of all his Progenitors Wherefore they and all the siege Commons of the same Realm will stand with our said Lord the King and his Crown and Regalty in the Cases aforesaid and in all other cases attempted against him and his Crown and Regalty in all points to live and to dye And moreover they pray the king and him require by way of Justice that he would examine all the Lords in the Parliament as well Spiritual as Temporal severally and all the Estates of the Parliament how they think of the Cases aforesaid which be so openly against the Kings Crown and in derogation of his Regalty how they will stand in the same cases with our Lord the King in upholding the rights of the said Crown and Regalty The like promises were made by the Lords Temporal and Spiritual and the default was to be punished by a Praemunire which is To be put out of the King protection and their Lands and Tenements Goods and Chattels forfeited to the King and that they be attached by their bodie if they may be found and brought before the King and his Council there to answer to the Cases aforesaid c. Now if these professed Papists did so resolutely and unanimously contest the Regalia against the Pope what greater zeal and resolution may we justly expect from a Protestant Parliament for such we may have if it be not our own fault if the Pope or any Agents of his should attempt to destroy the foundations of our established Religion and Laws Moreover in the days of Queen Mary we read how much time and what contrivances and largesses it cost that Queen to form a Parliament to lier liking though then the Nation were mostly Papists and how much they contended still for the Regalia against the Pope and reserving of Abby-lands c. to the Purchasers nor when all was done did any man suffer without publick process in form of Law there were no throats cut nor bloudshed by private Messengers or Assassinates as we are taught to expect from every Justice of Peace and Tything man p. 85. and by I know not what Janizaries and that we shall be slain to see what Grimaces we make p. 89. Besides the number that suffered in her five years were not comparable to the number that have been slain in one hours fight during the Rebellion nor indeed to those that were Martyred for their Religion and Loyalty by illegal proceedings in the Mock-Courts of Justice during that Vsurpation the number of the Marian Martyrs being not above three or four hundred though they were too many Now a Wise man should look back upon the mischiefs that have befallen the Nation by resisting the lawful Prince and the endeavours to alter the Succession from the right Heir as well as forward upon the mischiefs that may never be and which upon a supposition of a Popish Successour are aggravated almost beyond a possibilitie of being effected Remember what it cost the Nation when the Succession to the Crown was disputed between the Houses of York and Lancaster There perished in that War as Historians do account two Kings one Prince ten Dukes two Marquesses twentie one Earls twentie seven Lords two Viscounts one Lord Prior one Judge one hundred thirtie nine Knights four hundred twentie one Esquires and of the Gentrie and Commons an incredible number So that in such cases the Remedie is generally worse than the Disease I have not said this God is my witness to abate the just and honest care of the Nation to keep out Poperie by such timely provision as his Majestie and his great Council shall see most probable but to allay the inordinate Hearts which may set the whole Kingdom in a sudden flame onely to prevent the fear of the suffering a Trial of our Faith if God should call us to it And I cannot consider without some horror what sore and long Wars and Devastations may follow upon a Bill of Exclusion as well as on a Popish Successor And if of two evils the least is to be chosen I should rather if the Will of God so be submit to my lot how hard soever under such a One than that the whole Nation should be rent in pieces again either by a Rebellion at home or Invasions

should be certainly true And every good man yea every reasonable man may have as great confidence that no such Case will really happen as can be had concerning the future state and condition of any thing in this world For which he there gives many Reasons to which I refer the Reader and proceed P. 80. In this case says our Author all Protestants cannot flie and many may be perswaded not to flie And men are taught that the Gospel doth prescribe no other remedy but slight allowing no other means between denying and dying for the Faith It is certain this is the special remedy prescribed by our Saviour though there be other means which may be as effectual as this Prayers and Tears and Fasting and Humiliation have done mighty wonders When God by Joel cap. 22. threatned his People with an Enemie great and strong there hath not been ever the like neither ever shall be even to the years of many Generations the chief means prescribed by God himself you may see was this vers 12. Therefore now saith the Lord turn ye unto me with all your heart and with fasting weeping and mourning who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him And vers 17. Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy people O Lord and give not thy Heritage to reproach that the heathen should rule over them Wherefore should they say among the heathen Where is their God Then will the Lord be jealous over his Land and spare his people I hope our Author will not deride such Lachrymists if he do Solomon tells him who will laugh at him when calamitie comes on him Prov. 1. Again Supplications and Petitions to our Kings may have the desired success for hitherto the Kings of England have been merciful Kings nor have any of them taken delight in shedding bloud or designed the general ruine of their people their own interest being bound up in theirs Magnanimo satis est pros●…asse Besides it is the duty of the Chief Clergie to reprove them with meekness and lowliness to mind them of a Superiour Potentate who will judge all men without respect of persons which is excellently done by Gregory Orat. 17. You govern together with Christ and reign with him you are the Image of God and should imitate him in shewing mercie and not the Devil in exercising crueltie but should remember that he hath a Master in Heaven who will so judge him as he doth the people committed to his charge That whole Oration is worthy your perusal When Theodosius had made a great slaughter among the Thessalonians to the number of seven thousand and coming afterward to the Church St. Ambrose shuts the doors against him and minds him of his Cruelty and tells him That from dust he came and to dust he shall return Let not therefore the brightness of thy clothes hide from thee the weakness of thy flesh that is under them Thy subjects are of the same metal with thee and serve the same Lord wilt thou with those hands which yet drop with the bloud of Innocents receive the bodie of the Lord Depart and refuse not this sentence which the Lord doth ratifie in Heaven This wrought so with him that he repented and with much ado obtained Absolution The Church of Liege wrote an Epistle to Pope Paschal when he perswaded Robert Earl of Flanders to rebel against the Emperour and invade his Dominions wherein they told the Pope That Princes must be admonished and reproved gently and if they will not amend are to be left to the just judgment of God Omne sub Regno graviore Regnum Reges in ipsos imperium est Jovis To the Assertion of an unnamed Doctor That the Gospel prescribes no other remedy but flight against the Persecutions of a lawful Magistrate our Author answers p. 80. It is one thing what the Gospel prescribes what it allows another As if the Gospel did allow any thing contrary to its Precepts This is that the Author would be at for none ever questioned but things in their nature indifferent and expedient are allowed by the Gospel without an express command But that which this Author contends for is Resistance of a lawful power in case of persecution which is against many express Precepts of the Gospel The Gnosticks held it lawful for the avoiding of persecution to deny Christ and to comply with either Jews or Gentiles And to resist the Ordinance of God rather than to suffer persecution will be interpreted a denial and betraying of our Religion i. e. of Christ himself An Argument of so low a Spirit as falls beneath the courage of a Heathen or the hearty professors of any Religion Seneca says of his wise man Placebit ei ignis per quem bona fides collucebit That he will embrace the Fire rather than betray his Faith And the Stoick says Tormenta à me abesse velim sed si sustinenda fuerint ut me in illis fortiter animosè honestè geram optabo How is the valour of a Souldier known but by following his Commander with a generous contempt of death and shall the Christian Souldier that hath so good a Captain be the onely coward and follow his Master at a distance and utterly forsake him when any Conflict is at hand When therefore he demands by what Law we must die I answer By the Law of God rather than resist a lawful Power we must submit to the Will of God and our Saviour who have promised that he that loseth his life shall preserve it Luke 17.33 and if we suffer we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.12 And herein Christ himself hath given us an example 1 Pet. 2.21 that we should walk in his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth yet when he was reviled he reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously And to such a Passive Obedience we are called saith the Apostle And it is not our calling onely but an act of Grace and good will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given to us as to believe in Christ so to suffer for Christs sake Phil. 1.29 which they that refuse to do are said to deny Christ So that there is little difference between resisting the Command and Ordinance of Christ and denying him the sin is the same and the punishment also which St. Paul says is Damnation P. 82. As for the Kings Prerogative I dare not be so bold with that as you are the Disputes between that and Priviledge have cost us dear already if it were as well known as other parts of the Law are you would not make so bold with it though you set light by some other Laws But even other parts of the Law which are very well known and approved are yet disobeyed despised and opposed as well as the Kings Prerogative and

God himself erected from the beginning giving to Adam a Patriarchal which is tantamount to a Monarchal power This he granted to Israel and continued to the coming of Christ To this power in the Romans Christ and his Apostles submit themselves and command every Soul to follow their examples and all the Primitive Christians did so till the Pope of Rome to the great scandal of Christianitie invaded the Thrones and usurped the power of their lawful Emperours Gregory the Seventh Pope Vrbane and Paschal were the first that stirred up Subjects against their Princes and the Son against his Father We are taught saith Polycarp to yield Obedience to all Principalities under God except in things destructive to our Souls Therefore do as you please cast me to wild beasts or the fire which is not to be compared to that eternal fire prepared for the ungodly In the Constitutions of Clemens it is declared a hainous sin to resist the Prince and the Councils for 1200 years taught no other Doctrine And when those Popes first turned Rebels and proceeded so imperiously as to Excommunicate the Bishop and Church-men of Liege for adhering to the Emperour and stirred up Robert Earl of Flanders to destroy all that Clergie they wrote a most excellent Epistle declaring That they never had heard of any such Doctrine or Practice from any of the Fathers and that they had observed fearful Judgments of God falling on such as did rebel against their Princes And so it fell out for all the Popes great Instruments Radolphus and Herman and Egbert were cut off and gave the World magnum Documentum a severe Caution not to rise up against their Princes no not for the sake of an Infallible Pope This was the sence of the Primitive Fathers Irenaeus proves it by Scripture and concludes By whose command they are born men by his command they are made Princes So Tertul. Inde Imperator unde homo inde potestas unde Spiritus It is God saith Origen who setteth up Kings and removeth them and in his own time raiseth up such a one as is useful to the State Contra Celsum Theophilus Bishop of Antioch I will honour the King not adoring him but praying for him knowing that by God the King is ordained So Athenagoras of Aurelius and his Son Commodus says They had received the Kingdom from above St. Basil also on Psal 32. The Lord setteth up Kings and removeth them and there is no power but what is ordained of God And to conclude with Greg. Nazianzen concerning the Power of the Governor of his Province Orat. 17. to the Citizens of Antioch That together with Christ he did rule the people committed to his charge that from him he had received the Sword and was to be accounted as the Image of God So S. Chrysostom And if we reverence those Officers that are chosen by the King though they be wicked though they be Thieves and Robbers not despising them for their wickedness but standing in awe of them for the dignitie of him that elected them much more ought we thus to do in the case of God and the King chosen by him Serm. 1. of David and Saul So that even wicked Princes have a Charter from God So our Saviour said of Pilate Joh. 19.11 Thou couldest have no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 authoritie or power against me except it were given thee from above And St. Paul of the Roman Emperors There is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God and he that resists resisteth the Ordinance of God And that St. Peter says the same though in other words hath been made evident Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether to the King as supreme for so is the will of God 1 Pet. 2 13-15 St. Augustine de Civitate Dei l. 5. c. 21. Regnum terrenum dat Deus piis impiis Qui Mario ipse Caio Caesari qui Augusto ipse Neroni c. God gives an Earthly Kingdom both to good and evil Princes He that gave it to Marius gave it to Caius Caesar he that gave it to Augustus gave it to Nero he who gave it to the Vespasians Father and Son most mild and loving Emperours gave it likewise to that most cruel man Domitian And not to recount them all he that gave it to that Christian Prince Constantine gave it to that Apostate Julian These things without doubt that one and true God doth rule and govern as he pleaseth although for secret causes yet not for unjust So the Prophet Dan. 2.37 Thou O King art a King of kings for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom power strength and glorie And chap. 5.21 The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will chap. 4. And as God setteth them in the Throne so he rules by them and over-rules them guiding all their actions to his own just and wise ends If all the Princes of the World should conspire they can do no more than what Gods hand and counsel have determined before to be done Acts 4.28 God knows how to effect good and gracious ends even by wicked Kings He made Cyrus an Instrument to build him a House in Jerusalem 2 Chron. 36.23 and calls Nebuchadnezzar his Servant Jer. 25.9 The heart of the King is in the hands of the Lord as the rivers of water he turneth it whithersoever he pleaseth He can restrain the spirits of Princes as he did Abimelech and not suffer them to touch his People He can cause the wrath of man to turn to his praise He stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to deliver the Jews from the Captivitie of Babylon Ezra 1.1 He made Darius and Artaxerxes instrumental in building and beautifying the House of the Lord Ezra 6.22 and chap. 7.27 Wherefore as the Psalmist says Psal 97.1 The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of the isles be glad thereof For though Clouds and Darkness are round about him and we cannot see the reason or end of his Providences yet Righteousness and Judgment are the habitation of his Throne v. 2. Were the Almightie like the Epicureans God that could not intend the affairs of the world without great trouble and therefore retired himself and left all to Chance we might then think it fit to chuse for our selves but when every Choice and every Chance is ordered by the Almightie and wise God when it is said Sam. 18.18 The people had chosen Saul chap. 10.24 it is said The Lord had chosen him And if the Magistrate be chosen by Lot yet as Solomon says Prov. 16.33 The Lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposition thereof is of the Lord. We may not say therefore as that Prince did 2 King 6.33 when God had sent a Famine in Samaria This evil is from the Lord why should I wait on him any longer much less should we resist the established Ordinance of Heaven