Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	church_n	civil_a	commonwealth_n	1,637	5	9.2456	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57460	Divine meditations and contemplations upon severall heads of divinity by G.R. compiled for his owne private use, and published for the common good.	G. R.	1641 (1641)	Wing R17; ESTC R25600	72,461	276

Vocations COme you into one of their shops whose wits are said to dwell in their fingers and you shall wonder to see the store and variety of tooles and how it may be possible that one hand should use them all and yet not one but hath his use likewise look you into the state of some greater society and you shall see a world of men yet not one idle because every man is appointed by the gifts naturall or above nature and called out as it were to apply himselfe unto that kind of life for which he is most fit It is strange that amongst so many sundry vocations as there are some high some low poore rich noble base of body of mind there is notwithstanding such an excellent harmony of them all that as wee say of the bodily members that they serve both for one anothers turne and for the good of the whole body so it may be said of these And as the taking away or adding of a mēber overthrows the shape of the body so is it in this case to a State if necessary Vocations bee wanting or unnecessary used All men are not fit for all Vocations and therefore as there are diverse abilities in men so are there diverse Vocations about which they should bee imployed Neither is it enough that all Vocations bee in use but by such for whom they are most fit There is one most necessary generall and honourable Vocation and is the rule of all others which calleth us out of the world to professe Christian Religion and after which wee are called Christians God grant wee may well consider what this calling requireth of us and wee shall be the more forward in the duties of other callings for there are also callings speciall and these must not only be lawfull in themselves but lawfully used We should become our callings but wee think it enough if our callings become us whereby there fals out so great ods betweene both that all men see how unfit wee are for them and they for us Some are not called but doe call themselves and that is not for love of the calling but some circumstance as credit or gaine and these doe as little good in a calling as any If a man passe by a dignity or title and put himselfe into a place where he may doe more good this man no doubt loves his calling and may well bee commended for his modesty In a calling there is both an office and a maintenance and I wonder that in those callings which are the weightiest the office is oft times divided from the maintenance and men reckon not much of it whereas in other callings of lesse importance they must goe together and if there be a faulty neglect men sooner complaine If one be appointed a Judge he must sit himselfe in Court to heare Causes else hath he not his allowance if a Counseller he must bee present at the Barre to plead for his Client or else he hath no Fee If Captaine of a Castle hee must abide the assault else he loseth his pension If I appoint one to keep my Sheep and he look not unto them I withdraw his wages yet one hath the Benefice and another hath the cure there is a Parson but no Preacher there is neither Parson nor Preacher but there are their Proctors There bee two vertues which helpe a Calling and there be two vices which pull it downe It is an excellent rule when wee have used our meanes so to feare God as wee depend on his blessing this breeds comfort and cheerfulnesse againe to use patience though the successe be otherwise then wee look for this will rid us of vexation How ill doe they provide for their businesse which deale falsly a thing which God will not blesse or envy others so farre that they lose their owne content whereas God hath ordained all callings to depend so on one another that there is no gift or benefit which a man hath but must turne to the good of his Neighbour and instead of envying his prosperity wee would rejoyce at it were our eye single If one were to bee chosen for a calling among a thousand who might seeme more fit then a busybody for his readinesse to meddle where no man desires him for his diligence to do more then ever he hath thankes for for his ability no matter seemes too hard for him and yet in truth he is the only unfit man of all others in his talk he is ever from the matter and in his dealings knows better how to begin then end he is taken up with every tale hee heares and he hath businesse with every man he meets his memory is as weak as his apprehension is quick and though in duty he will take much on him yet in curtesy you are to leave him at his liberty and to looke for nothing from him till all his businesse be ended and that will never bee fit a calling for this man and fit a fashion for this age But to returne to our purpose and descend more lower into those callings amongst which some are publique others private The publique callings are appointed for the order and safety of the private and the private used for the maintenance of the publique The publique hath more honour but lesse quietnesse more wealth but lesse content the private hath more contempt but lesse envy more wrong but lesse danger Of all publique functions none are more worthy then those which pertaine to the Church the Civill I deny not are as necessary consider their subject and end they deale with the Soules of men to bring them to Heaven in this the Church is subject to none but Christ though in respect of the persons that use them shee is subject to the Magistrate as the Magistrate in that he is a Christian is subject to the Church The world will say that the Common-wealth is before the Church and that there may be a Civill state though no Church but the Church cannot be without a Civill state But what saith Christ Seeke the Kingdome of God first he would have us build a Church before wee erect a State and our first Parents Adam and Eve were a Church before there was a Common-wealth and as a Church had the blessing from God to erect a Common-wealth saying unto them Increase and multiply but then when the Common-wealth was increased the Church was neglected and so is it ever But I would not have the Church Guelphes and the Common-wealth Gibellines Oh what an harmoniall hierarchy is it when the Church and Common-wealth doe not only dwell and converse together but so incorporate themselves one into another that they may seeme but one body yet without confusion of their Vocations and rights Therefore doe I dislike the monasticall life which hath beene so much in request as the next way to Heaven all that they could say was that they prayed for others which is the common returne of all idle rogues and