Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prince_n	king_n	law_n	prerogative_n	2,294	5	10.0658	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46730	True religion makes the best loyalty discovered and recommended in a sermon, prepar'd for that Assembly which intended to meet at St. Michael's Cornhil, April 21, 1682, and afterwards preach'd at the New Church in Westminster, May 29, being the happy day of His Majesty's birth and return, and now published, at the earnest request of the gentlemen of that vestry / by Thomas Jekyll ...	Jekyll, Thomas, 1646-1698.	1682 (1682)	Wing J539; ESTC R3602	17,947	38

and convinced that God seeth and knoweth what he doth and will certainly call him to an account for it and therefore the first thing that wicked Men do is to banish this Principle from their Minds for as long as there are any impressions of it there the remembrance of their own Actions must needs be very uneasy to them and therefore hence it is that the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament lay every where so much stress upon 〈◊〉 and not only make it the Motive to but the Sum and Substance also of all true Religion and this it doth not only in general Terms when it speaks of God's immediate Worship and Service but when it descends to the particular Duties which we owe unto our Neighbour also they are often expressed by the same Phrase Thus for the Duty of Magistrates and great Men. Saith David in his dying words 2 Sam. 23.3 He that ruleth over Men must be just ruling in the Fear of God that is as becomes one who is not only in the presence but in the place of God 2 Chron. 19.7 with whom there is no Iniquity nor respect of Persons nor taking of Bribes And so for any others that are in any other inferiour degree of Power Levit. 25.17 42 43. Ye shall not oppress one another saith Moses but thou shalt fear thy God Nay if thy Brother be sold unto thee for a Bondman thou shalt not rule over him with Rigour but shall fear thy God i.e. shalt use him with that merciful regard which God requires and is well-pleased with And thus the Duty of Subjects towards their Magistrates is expressed in words to the same effect when we are required not only to be subject for Wrath but also for Conscience-sake Rom. 13.5 and what is that but in the Fear of God and therefore whoever resists the Power Vers 2. resists the Ordinance of God and what is that but to cast off the Fear of God! And thus also our Duty towards one another in all Affairs and Businesses whatsoever is expressed Psal 34.11 13 14. Come ye Children saith David hearken unto me and I will teach you the Fear of the Lord and what is that keep thy Foot from Evil and thy Lips from speaking Guile Depart from Evil and do good seek Peace and pursue it Thus saith the wise Man The Fear of the Lord is to hate Evil. Prov. 8.13 So that by the Fear of the Lord we are here to understand the sincere and hearty Profession and Practice of True Religion the doing the Duties of our particular Places with an honest Mind and as we will answer it to God And this I have been the longer upon because it helps us both to understand and practise the following Duty of Fearing the King which comes now to be exaamined and explained 2. What is meant by fearing the King And here we may easily understand the meaning of this Duty by comparing it with the former for according to the particular Nature and Extent of it it hath the same signification with that for as the one teacheth us what is True Religion so the other teacheth us what is True Loyalty for as the one consists in a rational sincere and dutiful Affection and Zeal for God and his Interest so doth the other for the King and his they only differ in Degree as the one is subordinate and must give place unto the other tho' to none besides for as we are to be obedient for Conscience-sake in the Fear of God so we are to be so according to the Will of God for if any thing is required that is contrary thereunto Acts 5.29 we all know that God is to be obeyed rather than Man Nor doth this at all derogate from the Duty of the Text but rather confirm and maintain it for if Kings are to be feared and honoured as they are God's Vicegerents then whatever doth dishonour God reflects also upon them and therefore those that are truly zealous to preserve the one do best secure and uphold the other nor doth this in the least eclipse their Power and Dominion but leaves them to the full exercise of it since it never alloweth us to rebel against it but rather to yield to it and to suffer by it which when we chearfully and willingly do we shew we are more tender of the King's Honour and Safety than we are of our own which is certainly the truest Principle of Loyalty and the best demonstration of the honesty of our Intentions in the practice of this Duty for tho' the Government may by this means be sometimes crossed of its Will yet it 's never in danger as to its safety 3. What is meant by being given to change The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifies Changers and so it 's rendred in the Margent and it is sometimes taken in a good fence and sometimes in a bad 1. It is sometimes taken in a good sense for those necessary Changes and Alterations that are made in things that are amiss which it is every Man's Duty in the place wherein he is set by all honest and just Ways and Means to endeavour but this cannot be Solomon's meaning here Therefore 2. It is taken sometimes and here more especially in a bad fence for those that rather endeavour to disturb those things that are well and therefore it is properly translated by being given to change that is Persons of unsetled Minds govern'd by no Principles either of Religion or Honesty whose Profit or Lust is the only thing they are guided by and which no Government can have any certain security against fickle and unconstant Men that always turn with the Times meer Weathercocks both in Religion and Government and therefore true neither to God nor the King whose Religion is only Reason of State and whose Loyalty is either Interest or Humour and to speak according to the present Distemper of our Times Protestants to day Papists to morrow any thing the next and yet all this while nothing at all And therefore well doth the wise Man caution us against such as these as the most dangerous Company we can keep for they that have no honest regard to the Interest of True Religion can have none to their King and Country he that every day makes bold with Almighty God and sets him at defiance in the manifest breach of his Laws for the sake of his Pleasure or of his Profit can never give his Prince any tolerable security that he will not serve him so upon the like occasion and this is the reason why Princes are many times so unfortunate in the choice of their Ministers because it is an hard matter to find a great Politician to be as good a Man one who always makes the Laws of God and his Country the constant measure of his Actions let what will happen to him which if they did but truly fear God

True Religion makes the best Loyalty Discovered and Recommended in a SERMON Prepar'd for that Assembly which intended to meet at St. Michael's Cornhil April 21. 1682. And afterwards Preach'd at the New Church in WESMINSTER May 29. being the Happy Day of His Majesty's BIRTH and RETURN And now publish'd at the earnest Request of the Gentlemen of that VESTRY By THOMAS JEKYLL M. A and Preacher at the said New Church in Westminster LONDON Printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCLXXXII PROV 24.21 My Son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change THo' Solomon was himself a Sovereign Prince whose Honour and safety consisted as much in the Loyalty and Faithfulness of his Subjects and People as ever any Kings did yet these words are not spoken by him to serve a Turn and to support or enlarge his own particular Power and Greatness but as a necessary Means and Rule to establish that Peace and Tranquillity in which the Happiness and Welfare of any Nation or Kingdom doth consist Had we indeed none but Kings and Rulers to recommend this Duty to us we might possibly suspect it guilty of too much Partiality and Design but we find it quite otherwise for the practice of it hath been in all Ages still urged upon us with as much Zeal and Faithfulness even by those who have been the most oppress'd by it as ever it was by those who have had the largest share or Interest in it The greatest Princes and Monarchs upon Earth cannot well desire a larger Power and Dominion than what the Scriptures give them and all good Men own and acknowledg to belong to them nor can the wisest Politicians and Statesmen in the World either invent or desire more firm and solid more strong and certain more cogent and convincing Arguments to Loyalty and Subjection than what are given us by St. Peter and St. Paul And it 's very well known how much their Actions were agreeable to their Doctrines since all those Hardships and Pressures which they laboured under could never provoke them to make any Attempts whatsoever against the Government they were either born or liv'd under It 's true there was a general Clamour rais'd against them and the rest of the Apostles as Men of dangerous Spirits and Principles Enemies to all the Civil Governments in the World and therefore not to be endured amongst Men but we never find any such thing prov'd upon them bring them but to the Test and the quite contrary appears Acts 24. as it did by St. Paul when so solemnly arraign'd for such things before Felix the Governor and so fiercely charg'd with them by Tertullus a flattering Orator of those Times And this was the constant Doctrine and Practice of the Primitive Christians for above three hundred Years together making no manner of resistance against their Tyrannical Persecutors tho' they wanted neither for Strength nor Numbers as Tertullian who liv'd a little before that Time in his excellent and learned Apology for the Christians makes it plainly appear till the Bishops of Rome began to insult over their Fellow Bishops and to affect a Tyrannical Supremacy in themselves over the whole Christian World before which tho' there might be some fierce Bickerings amongst Christians yet no such open and rebellious Practices against the Civil Government were ever allow'd of as were afterwards too too commonly seen amongst them And if any such things have been ever at any time acted since under the specious pretences of Conscience and Religion we know to whom we are beholden for the first Contrivance and how far the Hand of Joab is in them still And indeed what could be otherwise expected from such beginnings when Christianity was turned into a secular Design and made to promote a Temporal Greatness and that but basely gotten too for the first that ever established that Doctrine was an Adulterous Assassine and Bloody Rebel that murder'd his Master and the first that made his Markets of it wanted neither for Pride nor Covetousness to make the most of it And from hence it is that we may date those bold and daring Attempts to Dethrone and Murder Emperors and Kings which the Histories of the latter Ages of the Church have been and are 〈◊〉 clogg'd and loaded with for tho' it 's true 〈◊〉 this many little Attempts were made against the Sovereign Powers by Excommunications and Censures yet this never grew so rampant and outragious as afterwards when Pride and 〈◊〉 bore so great a sway amongst those Ecclesiastical Usurpers And no wonder if they who had so fairly begun to cast off all Religion given themselves up to Villany and Lust soon learn'd to cast off all Allegiance too He that can prove false to Heaven and rebel daily against his God can never be truly loyal to his Prince nor a Cordial Friend to any Government and therefore we shall always find the best Men make the best Subjects none doing more real Honour and Service to the King than they who truly love and fear God and therefore the one is still made the Motive to enforce and encourage the other My Son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with their that are given to change In the handling of which words I shall endeavour I. To explain the fence and meaning of them II. Consider the Nature of the Duty contained in them III. By way of Application endeavour to enforce this Duty upon our Practice 1. For the meaning of the words in which I shall shew in what is mean by the fear of God 2. What by fearing the King 3. What by being given to change 1. What is meant by fearing God Fea● thou the word This is sometimes put for the whole Business of Religion and domain the 〈◊〉 and substance of that Duty which we owe to God the chief part of which consists of eight Apprehensions of him because where such are every other Duty will certainly follow He that sets God always before his Eyes can never do amiss and the before the Psalmist makes the want of this the cause of all other Mischiefs and Oppressions in the World The Wicked Psal 10.4 saith he through the pride of his Countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts And then followeth ●ers 7 8 9. His Mouth is full of Cursing Deceit and Fraud under his Tongue is Mischief and Vanity He sitteth in the lurking places of the Villages in the secret places doth he murder the Innocent He lieth in wait secretly as a Lion in his Den he lieth in wait to catch the Poor and tho' he cannot but sometimes think of these things with remorse and 〈◊〉 yet then he flyeth unto his old Refuge that either God doth not see Vers 13. or will forget and so never Require it For no rational Man can commit a deliberate Act of Sin that is fully persuaded

's the bane of all Society a dangerous Civil War even in the midst of Peace since it sets every Man's Hand against his Fellow and yet no Enemy appears Now True Religion provides a Remedy against this by presenting the God of Truth unto us as more concern'd for it than for any thing else because he himself is always made a Party to it for every Lye we tell is a bold and impudent denial of his Being whose very Essence is Truth and every false Oath we take is to ' vouch his Authority against the plainest Declarations of his Nature and Will and therefore it is better for us to cease to be Men than to cease to be true for no Government can need our Persons so much as our Truth and Honesty 4. True Religion teacheth us that Sovereign Princes are not to be resisted by force of Arms much less to be Depos'd and Murder'd you see how careful it is to secure the Persons and Rights of private Men that none may be wrong'd and injur'd in either and if so much more doth it take care of the Prerogatives of Princes And there 's nothing more plain and evident than this even from the Doctrine and Practice of our Saviour and his Apostles and of all good Men in all Ages affixing a Sacredness to their Persons equal to the Greatness of their Power What can be more plain and full than the Apostle's excellent Discourse to this purpose Rom. 13. and his charge to Titus to preach the same Doctrine afterwards Tit. 3.1 so far is True Religion from giving the least countenance to Disobedience and Rebellion And that this proceeds not from weakness and want of Power is evident enough for our Saviour had a greater Power at his command than all the Powers of the Earth and the same might have been as easily communicated to his Church had it been any ways essential to it Nor did there even at that time want either for Opportunity or Provocation to resist had it been at all consistent with it for the Magistrates that were then were as barbarously tyrannical and cruel as ever were nay they had usurp'd their Power but a little before and were then so odious by the savage exercise of it that there was indeed a very fair Opportunity offered thereby to shake off that heavy Yoke for the Romans were weary of and groan'd under the Oppressions of their inhumane and bloody Emperors and the Jews were always forward enough to shake off a Forreign Jurisdiction and there wanted not a considerable Party even amongst the Christians to run up Christian Liberty to a very great and formidable height and yet even then the Apostles all with one consent preach'd Obedience and Subjection to the Civil Powers as being an Ordinance of God upon which score Religion it self obligeth them to have always a very great veneration for it Nay 5. True Religion teacheth that even it s own Interest is not to be propagated and established by Violence and Blood There is nothing certainly dearer to good Men than their Consciences and there 's nothing that they desire more than the free Exercise and Enjoyment of them and therefore there is nothing so apt to provoke them as restraints therein because nothing comes so near to them the Arguments are at first sight so plausible and fair the Cause it self so honest and good and the Success so inviting that it requires a more than ordinary resolution of Mind to forbear from Resistance and certainly nothing but the Power of that Religion it self which is so dear to them can do it and therefore to prevent such things it presents it self to them as a mild and good-natur'd Thing whose greatest Force lies in its Sweetness whose Arms are Convincing Reason and Almighty Truth and therefore the Weapons of whose Warfare are not Carnal 2 Cor. 10.4 but suitable to the Enemies it fights with which are Spiritual It wages no War against Men's Persons but against their Lusts captivates their Minds and not their Bodies beats down only their towring Imaginations and not their other Castles and Forts And of what use now are Swords and Guns for such Service What do they signify to the Reason of Men's Minds They may be strong but they are very absurd Arguments to rational Creatures they may compel to a complyance but they 'l never prevail to a Conviction for no Man can judg of any thing in the World otherwise than his Reason and Understanding directs him A Man may speak and act contrary to his Judgment as God knows too too many of us do but he can never think otherwise if he would never so fain A Man that sees the Sunshine at Noon-Day may say it is Midnight and grope about as if it were so but it 's impossible for him to think so A Papist may say That the Bread in the Lord's Supper is transubstantiated and made real Flesh but whilst he sees and feels and tasts all the Qualities and Properties of Bread it 's as impossible for him to think it so as it is for his Priest to make it so and therefore he hath need of a very lusty Faith indeed to make it out A Man may will and desire a thing that 's contrary to his Reason but he cannot change his Opinion about the nature of it till his Reason and Judgment are fully satisfied in it Besides True Religion presents it self to our Affections as an amiable and lovely Thing that designs our real Good and Welfare now that which raiseth Wars and Commotions in the World is both frightful and destructive and begets Hatred and Detestation How can we believe that Man desires God's Glory and our Good that with an implacable Fury and Malice which is the true Image of the Devil is still doing us all the mischief he can Fire and Faggot Blood and Slaughter are strange ways of making Love by and wholly unknown to Christianity till the Romish Incendiaries first invented them The Primitive Christians knew not the way of firing Men's Houses to root out their Heresies of plundring their Goods to convince their Consciences of tormenting their Bodies to beget Faith in their Souls nor of absolving Subjects from their Allegiance to their Princes and thereby raising Rebellions and Wars for their own Interest and Advantage no nor for their own Safety and Preservation they were still taught to commit God's and their own Cause to him who was best able to protect and defend both and to keep themselves always within the bounds of Modesty and Meekness and by no Oppressions or Provocations whatsoever to take up Arms against a Lawful Authority by which disposition and temper it gives certainly the greatest security that any Government can desire But yet it goes farther still For 2. It cuts off all occasions of Rebellion and Disloyalty it not only lops the Tree but it digs it up by the Roots fights with the Small as well as the Great as truly knowing what great and