Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	holy_a	lord_n	work_n	7,405	5	5.2371	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96752	Letters of advice: touching the choice of knights and burgesses.	Wither, George, 1588-1667.	1644 (1644)	Wing W3166; Thomason E15_9; ESTC R210017	13,122	17

at first hearing stumble at this but sure I am incurable Fooles and incorrigible Knaves will be mad at the motion and never condescend therunto For if they should put their preferments to God and their Country they would have little hope of advancement And therefore I neither expect their Vote in this Matter nor their approbation of this Letter for being an Instrument to offer unto consideration Proposition so mischievous to their constitution Howsoever the Overturn is now made and tendred in publike Valent ut valere potest Perhaps it comes forth in a good season if not God hath another time for it whereto I referre it and the effects thereof to his good pleasure I will now conclude these my Letters of Advise with that which must be the beginning of your Elections even with a heart lifted up in prayer to God the Father for a blessing on your endeavours and with an earnest desire that you may make choice of such men as may be fitly qualified with naturall abilities for the well discharging of that trust which you repose in them and by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the sanctification of his holy Spirit be so furnished and so separated for the work which they shall be called unto that they may be a means of bringing peace againe into our Borders even that Peace which passeth all understanding and which shall prevaile to the establishing of Truth and to the introduction of that Kingdome for which we patiently attend Amen The Postscript AS I was about to make up these LETTERS I remembred by what I have observed and by such complaints as I have heard how possible it is through the great hypocrisie now raigning that when your best indeavours have been used in these Elections many Members may neverthelesse be chosen whose performances of their duties will be wilfully unanswerable to your just expectations especially when by a long Session or Parliament the worst affected shall finde meanes how they may se urely know and serve each other by secret compliances for their private advantages to the publike dammage or by conceiving themselves so invested with an irrevocable Trust that they are above controule And when I called like wise to mande how many since this Parliament began seeming excellent Patriots at the first have after turned Faces about for want or right affections and good Principles to the great griefe and amazement of their honest Friends And how many accounted wise upright stout and religious yea and some after they had been deeply ingaged both by acting and suffering for the best Cause have afterward through sottish folly feare delusion or dishonestie ●●aggered and fallen totally from their first and just Resolutions I thought 〈◊〉 sitting upon these considerations to add by way of Postscript a line or waine touching your duties after choice made for the better prevention of ●hat generall destruction of our Liberties which is threatned by the spreading ●f that pestilent Gangrieve And my Advise to such purpose is briefly this When you have elected such as you conceive well qualified for the publike ●ervice you must aswell endeavour to keep them as to chuse them such by ●aving alwaies a watchfull-eye over their demeanours both in their private ●nd publike duties and actions so far forth as in civilitie and without inju●ie they can be pried into To that end you must observe their Associates with whom they most converse you must observe to whom they are most ●inde of whose affaires they are most zealous in whose defence they often●st and most readily appeare to whom they have hearest Relations of strictst obligements you must observe likewise what Fame reports of their affection or disaffection to those Courses or Propositions which concerne the Commonalty least you loose a Trustee before you be aware Moreover you ●ust take notice of their diligence prudence faithfulnesse or stoutnesse in ●our Service to cherish it by due thankfulnesse and acknowledgements and ●f their apparent negligence or failings that if they be not unpardonably de●tructive they might be awakned and lovingly admonished as there shall ●ecause by discreet and respective expresses from the Body of your Coun●ies or Corporations by whom they were chosen remembring them lovingly if they forget it that though they are above you being joyned to our whole Representative-Bodie yet being considered apart in their single capacities they are servants and inferiours to their respective Counties and Burroughs ●nd that by them they may be called to account for every omission or commission worthie questioning either before the present Parliament whereof they are Members or before the next that shall be summoned And doubt●esse that High-Court will commend and thanke you for so doing This is your priviledge by the supreme Law called Salus Populi which ●s the most ancient and most undeniable Charter yea the summe of all the Charters in the world tending to the preservation of humane Society and whosoever goes about to take from you the benefit of this Law is not onely 〈◊〉 Traitor in the highest degree but against him so endeavouring doth make ●lso every thing without exception to be lawfull which is necessarie to the establishment and preservation thereof By this Law the Parliament humbly requires of the King that which pertains to it owne and our safety 〈◊〉 the preservation of those Priviledges which are essentiall thereto and b● the same Law you may freely petition for and boldly claime from all Parliaments whatsoever is necessary for the generall safety and from this Parliament in particular without feare of deniall For I can witnesse their incouragement hereunto by their cheerfully accepting of and by their open return of thanks for Petitions in that kind Now therefore to crown your Elections and to secure your own safety if there be any of your Knights or Burgesses whom you know or probabl● suspect to be unfaithfull in their Trust by holding intelligence with your ●nemies by doing his duty negligently or not at all by complying or pl●●ting with Malignants as in the conspiracies and apostacies of Waller H●tham and such like by protecting countenancing or concealing dangerou● Delinquents by cunningly obstructing the course of Justice or Proposi●●ons tending to the common welfare or advance of Piety and good manne● by distracting or dividing the Ministers or Agents of Parliament in their ex●cution of their Ordinances by discountenancing opposing or displacing those from imployment in the publike service who have given eminen● proofs of their uprightnesse fidelity and good affection to their Countrey If I say any whom you have chosen shall have by these or by any such li●● courses justly caused jealousies to arise let according to equity and you● late Covenant information be speedily exhibited against them with such proofs and probabilities as you have thereof that such may be purged or removed and others if need be elected in their steads for the abating 〈◊〉 your feares and for the prevention of your detriments either of which 〈◊〉 considerable motives By this Course you shall make those perhaps who will grow over-bo●● with your Trust to act more honestly for feare if not for Conscience An● every faithfull Knight and Burgesse in the House will be both advantage● and well pleased to have this band applied to keep their loose companion● closer to their dutie yea they will think themselves the safer in their work when they perceive your eyes are open to watch for them and to take care that they be not undermined and betrayed by those whom you have sent 〈◊〉 among them If the rest be offended you need not care and for my part 〈◊〉 do not though I know they will be vext at my Advice and do me what secret mischiefe they can If you neglect this course this care over-long the Malignant Partie wi●● perhaps be as prevalent in the Houses of Parliament as they have been in the Kingdome and either peremptorily cast forth your just Suits and Com●●aints or els make them miscarrie or be quite stifted by Committees neg●cting them or els prepared and mis-informed to make them tedious if not mischievous to the Petioners Such things have been possible heretofore and see no such amendment among us but that such things may be as possible ●ereafter Therefore practice according to this Counsell and do it quickly ●efore it be too late and yet better too late then never For if we must perish is more noble and more manlike to sink discharging our duties with cou●●ge then to shrink from them and fall sneakingly with fear Much more I have to say but Sin and Pride Yet cannot well the voice of Truth abide So wicked or so good we are not growne To heare that said which must ere long be knowne Nor will selfe-love take warning care or heed By what is part to help what may succeed Nor will I further urge it till I see My labours will to better purpose be Malignant Falshood and Detraction too Have parts to play and some black works to do Which must be done and undone 〈…〉 With profit publish that which must befall And then though nev'r so wise our Charmings are The Scorners and Deafe-Adders will not heare But scoffe and persecute me till their spite Have scowr'd off all my rust and made me white Gods violls powred-forth yet makes not them So ready to repent as to blaspheme His Hammer doth not soften but obdure The Bile must break before the Cere-cloth cure For while the Plague-sore swells the Patient growes So mad he takes his friends to be his foes And will not be advised till he leaves His ravings and Gods-marks on him perceives But when my houre is come will be bold To speak what I am prompted to unfold For therefore was I borne yea therefore yet I live to tell men that which they forget And though but few regard what now I say Some do and most men will another day Your true-speaking and faithfull Servant and REMEMBRANCER Geo. VVither Printed by R. A. 1644.