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	order_n	priesthood_n	51	3	10.7478	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93715	A modest plea for an equal common-wealth against monarchy. In which the genuine nature and true interest of a free-state is briefly stated: its consistency with a national clergy, mercenary lawyers, and hereditary nobility examined; together with the expediency of an agrarian and rotation of offices asserted. Also, an apology for younger brothers, the restitution of gavil-kind, and relief of the poor. With a lift at tythes, and reformation of the lawes and universities. All accommodated to publick honour and justice, without injury to any mans propriety, and humbly tendered to the Parliament. By a lover of his country in order to the healing the divisions of the times.	Sprigg, William, fl. 1657.	1659 (1659)	Wing S5078; Thomason E999_11; ESTC R203651	64,567	117

visible thing I humbly submit to serious consideration And if I am herein mistaken for I pretend not to Infallibility I should be thankful to any God shall be pleased to make use of as instruments to better inform me for I would willingly see and know my errours But if it be here objected that the Primitive times were times of persecution in which the Church was as it were under Hatches and Christianity in its Infancy and the Professors thereof forc'd to hide themselves in holes of the Rocks and Caves of the earth But now having gain'd ground upon the world and being in better plight and since it is come up out of Egypt from the House of Bondage from under the pressures afflictions persecutions and burdens of its Heathenish Task-masters under which it formerly groan'd ought according to the example of the Israelites be adorn'd with the spoil of the Heathen c. I answer That as the Kingdom of God comes not with observation so it consists not in any outward pomp and splendor Its said the Kings Daughter or Spouse of Christ is All-glorious within and by how much the more ground Christianity hath gain'd upon the world by so much the less need doth it now stand of the Wisdom and Learning of men to commend and propagate it then when it was to encounter with so great opposition and such potent Antagonists as under the Heathen Emperor it met withal And if the truth did then under all those disadvantages not onely make good its ground but so much gain'd upon the World when it had few other Champions than poor Fisher-men and illiterate Mechanicks how much less need it now fear brow-beating when the power of God hath subdued so many Nations to the knowledg and obedience of his truth and hath made Princes of the earth bow unto the Scepter of his Son Some dawnings of these truths began in a great measure to break forth upon that little Assembly which by way of scorn is commonly called Praise God Bare bones Parliament of whom many are able to bear this testimony that they were the first Power of this Nation that did most visibly own Christ in the purity and simplicity of the Gospel But Christs appearance in their meekness much like his riding to Jerusalem on an Ass was so far from being received with Hosanna's that it was utterly rejected and refused by the Policy and wisdom of this Generation which was unworthy of so great a mercy and indeed not ripe for that purity and simplicity of Reformation that they by a Spirit of Faith seem'd strongly carried forth unto Which eminently appear'd in their sudden striking at the root of two such potent Factions as the National Clergy and the Lawyers which they would hardly have done had they only consulted with flesh and blood or not steered the Course of their Counsels by something beyond the Compass of humane prudence And whether the Nation is yet willing to part with their Calves they have so long worshipped I know not but I am sure it hath pleased God to give them a great discovery of the corruption pride ambition and flattery of this sort of men how willing they could be to reap their own profit though sown in and springing from the ruine of the Nations liberty and felicity how willingly they could sell their brethren slaves into the hands of Tyranny and Oppression to purchase to themselves Dominion and Lordship I would not be taken for an Enemy to either the Magistracy or true Ministry as knowing they are the Ordinance of God and the very light and eyes of the world only that which I am chiefly mov'd to witness against is that unnatural divorce and seperation that is at this day found between them in Christian Common-wealths which I account no less contrary to the Maxime of true policy than the mind of God and precedent of its first institution And however it came to pass that the Civil Magistrate was thus trapan'd to have the Keys of the Church taken from him to be thrust out of the Temple as an unholy thing to be prohibited from Ministring at the Altar and so the better part of the blessing wrested from him to whom if any more than other it doth chiefly appertain and this by a company of Hirelings I know not but I think I may be bold to say it was not so in the beginning For first these two Functions of Magistracy and Ministry are united in their source and origen viz. Christ the supreme Head of the Church who is both King Priest and Prophet Secondly the Moral Law which we call the ten Commandments and the Judicial Laws of Moses given by God setting aside some Idioms and properties of them peculiarly relating to the Jewish Nation are the Rule and Standard for Civil Governours to rule by and the Equity of them is written in mens hearts by Nature and renewed by Christ Which being the common rule of our Obedience both towards God and Man plead much against that distinction of its Administrators viz. that of one Law there should be two Ministers especially in so great a distinction if not opposition as is found at this day Thirdly The two Functions were united in the ancient Patriarchs who were Kings Priests and Prophets in their several Tribes and Families which continued during the first Ages and more innocent time of the worlds Infancy during the time of Paternal the first and best of all Governments when if ever was that Golden Age so much mention'd by our Poets a time when Tyranny and Oppression were unknown But after the liberty of the world was invaded by Tyranny and Esau sold his Birth-right for a mess of pottage the Power of the two Swords became parted and to render the purchase of Empire more cheap and easie the ambitious Candidates of Dominion were willing to compound and part stakes permitting others to domineer in things of conscience so they would hold the stirrup for their ambition to get into the saddle of Civil rule and Empire by which means the Sword and the Keys might come first to be parted and so found in several hands which hath been the cause of most of those wars and deluges of blood that have been poured forth since the beginning of the world to wit by the clashing of the two Powers Civil and Ecclesiastick Now whether after the extirpation of Paternal Government and institution of the Order of Priesthood in Aarons family and the Tribe of Levi both Swords were retained in the same hand during the time of the Judges as also after that through the Jews Apostacy from God Kings were anointed is disputable Though this is certain they were not altogether excluded but did sometimes administer in spirituals as well as temporals for we often find the good Kings reading and expounding the Law unto the people according to the Obligation laid upon them by the command of God as also consecrating the Temple and blessing the people things