Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prince_n	law_n	power_n	sovereign_a	3,887	5	9.6410	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62643	The unreasonableness and mischief of atheism a sermon preached before the Queen at White-Hall on Friday the 30th of March, 1694 / by W. Talbot ...	Talbot, William, 1658 or 9-1730.	1694 (1694)	Wing T127; ESTC R10300	17,166	33

from what is their Neighbours but what the Law lays upon them no restraint but want of Ability or Opportunity does throw down all the Fences and lay open ever Man's Property to the invasion of as many as hearken to his Suggestions whenever they are out of the view and reach of the Law and have Power and a fair Occasion favours the Attempt There 's no Conspiracy so dangerous to Sovereign Princes as a Combination of Atheists to spread abroad their desperate Opinions and make Proselytes in their Kingdoms and they whom Necessity drives to rob Houses or upon the High-way are but puny Offenders against particular Men's Properties and the Peace of the Community in Comparison of them for they teach Men whenever they can securely be so to be Traitors Thieves and Murderers upon Principle 2. If the Character of a Fool does so justly belong to the Atheist that whoever says a Man is an Atheist says at the same time he is a Fool this Consideration I should think if nothing else should be of force to keep all those whom their Birth and Estate Quality and Circumstances as to this World have raised above the common level from being Atheists at least from owning themselves such and boasting of it These are generally more jealous of their Reputations and sensible of any thing that touches their Honour than other Men and commonly they are not more tender in any thing nor do feel any reflections more quickly than those that are made upon their Understanding To be called a Fool is an affront they cannot bear nor is it to be expiated with less than the Blood of him that gave it and can they be content to do that And is it a thing to be gloried in which will prove them the greatest Fools according to the infallible Oracle pronounced by him who cannot be deceived and with whom 't is to no purpose at least to no good purpose to be angry Which will also render them so in the Opinion of all wise Men who are the only Men capable of Judging And this Atheism effectually does How industrious and zealous then should any that have unhappily laboured under it be to clear themselves from so foul an Imputation And with what Scorn and Indignation should all that value their Reputations reject the Proposals and Persons of such perfidious Wretches who by infusing A theistical Principles into them are robbing them of their Honour and treacherously betraying them into the greatest Scorn and Contempt He does not injure a Man's Reputation half so much that calls him Fool as he that persuades him to be one 3. Lastly If it be Folly for those who are not convinc'd of the Being of a God and Providence and Future Judgment not to believe those things practically How great must their Folly be who being convine'd thereof yet live as if they were not If speculative Atheism be Folly practical Atheism is Phrenzy and Madness Let us not then be wise only in belief and Fools in practice let us not contradict but shew our Faith by our Works We profess to believe that there is a God and we do well let us not give the Lye to our Profession by disbelieving what he has reveal'd by ridiculing his Word abusing his Name profaning his Day despising his Worship and disobeying his Laws but let us evidence the truth of our Faith by paying a religious Reverence to every thing on which his Name is call'd by making it the business of our Lives to promote his Honour and by endeavouring what we can that his Will may be done by us and by all Men. We profess to believe a Providence that sees whatever is done throughout the whole Earth even in the most dark and private Recesses without the appointment or permission whereof nothing falls out and which takes care of all things here below let us not deny it by encouraging our selves in Wickedness and crying none shall see us by being guilty of Deeds of Darkness and saying Peradventure the Darkness shall cover us by misimputing the Good or Evil that happens to us to wrong Causes by forgetting or repining at the Hand from whence they come by desponding anxieties for the future as if there were none that took care of us by using indirect Methods to gain or keep sufficiency our selves But let it appear that we are in earnest persuaded of a Providence by always acting as in the view thereof by doing every thing as in his Presence with whom the Darkness is no Darkness and the Night as clear as Noon day by looking whenever the Rod is upon us up to him as the wise Manager of it humbly submitting to and kissing it by thankfully acknowledging him as the Author whatever is the Instrument of all the good we enjoy by doing our Duty and then faithfully in every Condition depending and casting all our Care upon him who careth for us We profess to believe that we have some nobler Principle than Matter in us even spiritual Substances which cannot die Let us not contradict this belief by making our Bodies the chief Objects of our care and spending our time and labour in looking after carnal and sensual Delights which no more belong to immaterial Souls than Sound● do to the Eye or Colours to the Ear but let u● justifie it by raising our selves above the little satisfactions of Sense to a Contempt of all those Pleasure● which Brutes may share with and excell us in an● by resolving to lose the whole World rather than no● save our own Souls We profess to believe that God has appointed a Da● wherein he will judge the World in Righteousness by tha● Man whom he hath ordained who shall come in the Cloud● of Heaven in the Glory of his Father with his Angels● to take an account of and render to every one according to his Works to those who by patient continuance i● well doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality● Eternal Life but to those who obey not the Gospel Eternal Tribulation and Anguish and Pain Let us no● betray the Hypocrisie of our Profession by neglecting to provide against the coming of our Judge by acting as though we never expected to be call'd to a● account by saying with the evil Servant Our Lor● delays his Coming and by smiting our Fellow-Servants and eating and drinking with the drunken or by sleeping with the foolish Virgins and slumbring while th● Bridegroom tarries but let us prove the Truth of it by being upon a constant Watch by behaving our selve● like Men that wait for their Lord being continually employ'd in his Work and Service having our account● always stated and our Lamps burning that at wha● Watch soever he comes he may find us ready an● we may enter into his Joy Amen FINIS ADVERTISEMENT TWO Sermons lately Published by the same Author One at th● Cathedrol at Worcester being a Fast-Sermon The other A Len● Sermon at Whitehall