Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	aaron_n	moses_n	mount_n	179	4	11.0902	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76788	Endevors aiming at the glory of God, that peace & truth may meet together: wherein is contained the excellency, benefit, and necessity of good government and governors: a loving reply to Mr William Prynnes speech made to the House of Commons, and afterwards published. Some matters are propounded to the consideration of the ministry; and also to particular (and to all) opinions. The first, purest, best and most blessed form and manner of government, prescribed by God, (and recorded in Gods sacred word;) together with the way of entrance, or Gods calling of persons to places of chief government, the great consequence thereof. Wherein is shewed, that government by succession, from the father to the son, was none of Gods institution, in the first and purest times. And also the government by Judges is plainly proved to be the best form of government, being Gods immediate direction, most blessed and approved for Gods glory, and for a peoples greatest good, comfort, and safety. / By John Blackleach.	Blackleach, John.	1650 (1650)	Wing B3074; Thomason E590_5; ESTC R206330	147,760	171

so rest in peace because a good Shepherd is their watchman Was not this the very foundation and cause that David Ps 23. found such great comfort and refreshment namely from his Shepherd Dear Friends if God help us to obtain good Shepherds good Governors our strife will end our differences will be composed Corrupt Opinions on the one hand and desperate Blasphemy and Profaneness on the other hand will vanish as smoak before the winde The very presence of Moses destroyed the profaneness of Idolatrous Worship Dear Christian Friends if God help us in this matter then shall peace and truth meet together and as Moses and Aaron they shall kiss one another in the Mount of God Then shall we well provide for the comfort of our children and for their posterity Then shall the generations to come have cause to bless us Then shall the Name of the Lord be praised with joyful hearts Then shall the Lord bless us and we shall be blessed I shall endeavor to write in this ensuing Treatise without partiality without turning to the right or to the left hand without respect of persons further then in a way of righteousness accept of this my mite And let those men who have received more abilities and opportunity put more into the Treasury Dear Friends and Country-men I dare not say that for your sakes I could be content to have my name blotted out of the Book of Life Nor with Paul That for this cause I could be content to be a cast-away from the presence of God for ever For the thought of that would be more bitter then death But this I do say That so far as I know my own heart provided that the loss of my temporal life would be the means to procure this happiness to you namely that you might possess Judges as the first and Counsellors as at the beginning I could be content to lay down this temporal life that for a little season I do here enjoy Beloved Friends I considering that there is so great a distance at this time between Opinions but more especially there is a greater difference between the affections of many I shall desire leave of the courteous Reader that without offence I may propound some other matters to consideration My ends therein are that I may extinguish that heat if not wholly yet in some measure that is burning or smothering in the hearts of many For otherwise these will lie as a block or as a bar in the way to hinder that peace and truth should not meet together I remember Jacob his example herein he being intended and desirous to be reconciled to his brother Esau who had determined or threatned his death He labors to prevent and pacifie his brothers anger by sending presents and soft answers good words before him Such gifts as I have I offer to you Silver and Gold I have but little I desire that I may finde the like acceptance that Jacob did The first and great hinderance that I find laid in the way to hinder Peace and Truth from meeting together is the death of the late King the removing of divers Lords and some others from their present Being or acting as Members of that Court and the pretended wilful breach of a former Covenant I am not desirous to call back those things that are done and past I am not desirous to take abroad those imbers in which wherein hath been or may be contained coals of fire that might or may kindle such f●●●es as are not easily quenched It is better for peace sake to suffer some yea much wrong then to endeavor to right our selves in such a way as may turn to far greater loss Our Saviour counselleth us rather to suffer wrong then to contend in Law and rather to lose our garment then to contend too earnestly for it In those things wherein sin is committed by others and we no actors nor consenters in it we may in some cases especially then when by seeking revenge we may plunge and throw our selves ●●to greater dangers and temptations in such cases we may wait patiently and commit those cases to God that judgeth righteously Sin shall slay the wicked doer and God will bring down the evil and the deceitful men He that riseth up to right another mans cause must look well to his own calling and abilities Did not these lie as a bar in the way to hinder Peace and Truth from meeting I should be silent and commit the matter to him that judgeth righteously and so I desire to do I shall not use here any carnal weapons onely make some use of Truth so well as I am able that thereby we may find the way to Peace And first touching the late Kings death consider that we cannot recall that What then Are you resolved to set up the eldest Son upon the Throne of his Father Consider well of it Can you tell whether he will prove wise or foolish Can you tell whether he will care for the Flock Can you tell whether he will love or hate the Flock Can you tell whether you should obtain your desires or whether that the pursuance thereof may not be a means to ruine your selves and many others that desire to live in peace Are you nevertheless resolved to have such a Watchman such a Shepherd Will you expect grapes from thorns I have indeed to my sorrow heard this with my ears lately spoken That if a Turk or any other as bad almost should come hither and contend for the Government there would be a great party for him Oh horrible impiety that men should so far be transported beyond the bounds of Reason and Religion Indeed there is a generation too apparent that by their works by their swearing and prophaneness and hatred of those that love and fear the Lord declare evidently that they are Gods enemies It is therefore not to be wondred that God should give them over to strong delusions to believe lies What if Gods Word declare evidently That the Government by Judges be better more agreeable to his mind more useful and more comfortable to us will you nevertheless have a King consider of it Friends Countrymen Beloved I have no prejudice against a King but this I say I honour love worship and desire to cleave to the Precepts and Commandments of him that is the King of Kings of him who gave me life and is able to raise me up to life when this span of time is past when the King of Terrors hath done his utmost spite I was no actor in the Kings death I had taken a great journey above four years before the death of the King and was many hundreds of miles distant from this Land and returned hither very lately I speak therefore the more freely with more liberty I have endeavored with the greatest care I could to weigh mens words and passages in the ballance of the Sanctuary and I find many that speak loosely carelesly and many more prophanely Is

some and the Apostle guided by Gods holy Spirit rejoyced to behold the Order of the Churches of God God is the God of Order And the rather now I put you in mind of it because now you have an opportunity to do it do it therefore circumspectly and speedily because such precious times of Reformation as now you have are not ordinary And the rather now do it because the Government I doubt not is ready to support and strengthen you in this great and excellent work of Reformation One matter more Beloved Fathers I humble desire you to take into consideration If you should discourage this present Government being men that do desire affectionately to do Gods will I am verily perswaded and if you should labour again to bring a Government over us by Kings which God forbid weigh well these two matters I pray you first concerning Kings You are both uncertain of obtaining a King and also unlikely and what effects and fruits such endeavors will produce in the issue who can tell It may occasion much trouble to those that desire to live in peace Can you tell whether the King you desire or labour for if you should do so be wise or foolish whether he be godly or ungodly what experience have we of it Doubtless it is a matter of high and exceeding great concernment who we receive to rule over us But what if he should prove a persecutor both of you and Gods people Is it not very hazardable For in Government by Kings we must take the next of kindred by birth though we should evidently see that he were an evil person or else we must endure another War But suppose we should obtain a good King yet we know that they are set in slippery places he may soon be taken away What then his next of kin or his next successor may be a persecutor We have had many experiences in this kind to teach us and yet I fear we have profited too little King Edward a hopeful King quickly gone the next Queen Mary persecuted his most beloved friends Search the Records of holy Writ and there God plainly sheweth which God plainly foretold the bitter fruits that the people should reap by having Kings We may behold what miserable fruits the people reaped by Kings Solomon heavy Taxations Jeroboam Idolatry It would be too long to reckon up Ahab and others and some in the streets shed the blood of innocents But amongst all the Judges there was not one man but he was blessed of God and was a blessing to the people if he were called and entred into his place by Gods Appointment Indeed when people will not consult with and enquire of God to know who God seeth meet to govern them then God may justly leave them to their own choyce to chuse a King Abimelech that may prove a scourge to them But secondly I pray you consider That this is one motive why you should rather adhere unto and desire a Government by Judges namely because Moses and Aaron were neerer in relation neerer in kindred It was not in vain that God did in the very first Governors that he did in mercy appoint to govern his first born Son his Church and peculiar people order it so that both did spring from one root Moses and Aaron were brethren they were very familiar Such God gave to the people Which holdeth out That God saw such a Government to be most for his Glory and the peoples good namely such as were most neerly related such as were brethren such as came from a low condition But when God was angry with the people God appointed one of another Tribe a mighty man the son of a mighty man in power and in wealth to be their King 1 Sam. 9.1 To my apprehension it is more agreeable to have Judges and Ministers then Ministers and Kings It is observeable That the first King put to death Ahimelech the Priest and all his fathers house the Priests that were in Nob 1 Sam. 22.11 16. And further Vers 19. Nob the City of the Priests Saul smote with the sword Did the Judges any of them such an act And did not the Kings many of them do worse acts Consider of these things I pray you and the Lord give you to see aright Dearly beloved Fathers you that are the Ministers of the Lord of hoasts you are men that I highly esteem of for your works sake therefore be not offended with me I hope in the following part of this little Treatise you wil see cause not to be offended that I labor for Gods glory principally and that Peace and Truth may meet as Moses and Aaron met in the Mount of God and kissed each other nor for that I desire that we may have Judges as at the first for then shall we be called a City of Righteousness And now men and brethren you that are different in judgment or in practice suffer I pray you a word of Exhortation I desire Peace and Truth if your desires be the same I hope we shall more neerly accord I humbly entreat That no man may lust to be contentious It is the Apostles counsel 1 Cor. 11.16 We have no such custom neither the Churches of God But as the Apostle counselleth 1 Thes 4.11 We beseech you brethren that you study to be quiet Remember I pray you That through pride cometh contention Jam. 3. Doth a Fountain send forth sweet water and bitter Ephes 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths When we consider that happy condition in which man was created and consider how far we are degenerated we may justly take up the Prophet Jeremiah's Lamentation O that our eyes might be a fountain of tears that we might weep day and night for our iniquities It is recorded in the Word of God That all mankinde proceeded from one root we have all one Father and one blood runneth through all our veins one Law of God is or ought to be our rule and guide we have one and the same promises of Grace we have one Judg that must judg us all and there is but one way of good hope God telleth us That whatsoever shew of godliness we have or pretend yet that without Love all profiteth us nothing This is that new Commandment that God gave to man namely That we should love one another without this we shall never see God with comfort And yet we see That man that is in honor is like to the beast that perisheth Psa 149.12 20. Which occasions the Prophet to say Isai 29.13 This people come neer to me and honor me with their lips onely Nay may not I say That their condition was far better then ours for we depart far from God too many men do and from his Rules prescribed in his Law and do behave our selves as if there were no God to controul us David gives that as a brand or mark of a wicked man Psal 12. He saith in his heart