Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	account_n	act_n	act_v	47	3	7.3892	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A83948	Englands apology, for its late change: or, A sober persvvasive, of all disaffected or dissenting persons, to a seasonable engagement, for the settlement of this common-vvealth. Drawne from the workings of providence. The state of affaires. The danger of division.		1651 (1651)	Wing E2943; Thomason E623_12; ESTC R201917	29,152	43

ENGLANDS APOLOGY for Its late CHANGE OR A SOBER PERSVVASIVE Of all Disaffected or Dissenting persons to a Seasonable ENGAGEMENT for the Settlement of this COMMON-VVEALTH Drawne from The Workings of Providence The State of Affaires The danger of Division LONDON Printed by Matthew Simmons and are to be sold in Aldersgate-street 1651. Impartiall Reader I Intend not to make a Preface that may swallow up this short Treatise Epistles are commonly but the clogges and burthens of Bookes and expresse little more then the Title page Others have spoke enough to the argumentative part of our Affaires and have proved by reason what God hath acted by providence this discourse is rather directed to the consciences then the fancies of men and may serve as a serious memoriall of what God hath done for us and an aviso to men in their rash and bitter censures that this state and change which though it be new that it may not seeme strange God hath ushered it in with the greatest ceremonies of providence and put extraordinary characters of his presence and glory in it I have no more to trouble thee with but the reading of it which yet may be profitable if not perswasive which is the end of the discourse ENGLANDS APOLOGY FOR ITS LATE CHANGE THough it is not probably to be expected that any argument or reason should be forcible to perswade the hearts of men when so many wonderfull providences and glorious appearances of God have made no impression or that words should prevaile where things are undervalued Yet because every Christian ought to endeavour to make his owne heart and others sensible of publique miseries or mercies and seeing the intent of this discourse is to unite not divide and that it is high time to leave off quarrelling with persons and actions it is possible this paranetick may not be in vaine if either the miseries of a civill warre which hath almost ruin'd this Nation or the horror of dead carkasses lying alwayes in our way if the cry of bloud which hath been powred out not from one but every veine of this Nation if the desolation● of Townes and Cities the mournings of widdowes and Orphanes in every corner the mischiefe of factions and d●visions in our own families if lastly the effectuall workings of the very finger of the Almighty if all or any of these were fit to work on our affections to thirst after a settlement of this State and to perswade m●n to acquiesce in what God hath done for this Nation and to comply with the Parliament in securing this Common-wealth wee needed no paper-exhortation and this might well have been spared But it s to be feared and lamented that Gods workes among us as his Word hath had different and sometimes contrary effect some are hardened under the dispensations others softned and that most of this Nation are under a judiciall blindnesse and stupidity which will hardly be remedied but by the ruine of this generation who have so highly provoked God in opposing his great designes in the latter dayes for though God hath walked up and downe in garments of bloud for this almost ten yeares and hath not spared the flesh of Princes and great men and hath shewed himselfe directly against that royall party which at first began these miserable warres and shewed forth most eminently his indignation against that person and family with all that have adhered to them yet which is most sad not onely are their hearts hardned and their necks stiffe against the Lords work but in any who acted at first with vigour and vehemency against that party have turned their faces and have been of late the most dangerous opposers of this Parliament and Army and are become the hopes of the common enemy yea many lost in prejudices and discontent have wholly espoused others are courting that interest as if they would unravell all these lines of providence whereby wee have been blessedly led into a Common-wealth And like the children of Israel would rath●t turne back to eate Garlick and Onions under Pharoahs bondage then be led by providence under the conduct of Moses th●ugh to Canaan It is from these secret quarrells and murmurings and disaffections among godly men which have though they had their first rise from private animosities yet they have been formed and aggravated by close and subtile enemies from these are the foundations of our ruine and of our enemies designes and hopes who while wee are discontented among our selves for trifles are preparing engins to cut us off both at once many essays have been used to that end which had not God from heaven disappo●nted had tooke effect ere this and occasioned the sad repentance of the mistaken actors And doubtlesse among all the hardships this Parliament and Army hath gone through either in opposing the common enemy or working out their owne distempers they have met with nothing more sad and dangerous then the slightings and disrespects of these who were once and should be still friends who have but one and the same common enemy still how ever wee may subdivide into severall parties rather by the delusion of names then reality of differense But it s better to bewaile these distempers with our teares then expresse them my intent is not to open our wounds but to cast in some Balme to heale them wee have too long been petting and objecting while God hath been acting and doing us good without our observance or notice the great designe of this paper is but to minde us what God hath done for us to presse all honest hearts to an improvement of our mercies with sence of the worth of them And to perswade honest and inquiring men to a compliance in time with this Common-wealth least they come to unite with the common enemy who is yet acting in both Nations in one more visibly to ruine us by our divisions It s worthy consideration what wee have been doing all this while and why we are disquieted with the present State seeing these things have been brought forth among us which have not been the events of long contrived plots but of speciall administrations of Gods wisdome and respect to this Nation and meerely acted by God beyond the policy and engagements of the wisest men yea the whole series of workings in these affaires hath been demonstrative that it was not of men nor of their wills but of Gods And how ever particular observances may judge of things yet if the whole be viewed and the harmony of every part in this great worke all dissenters must needs have their consciences under conviction while their interests are unsatisfied Let us take a short account onely for to helpe our memories of our first principles and Gods actings to improve them and wee shall see that few of us have eyed what wee first undertooke or what God hath beyond our thoughts done for us Our first principle wee acted from and from which wee stated our Cause from which wee had