Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	act_n	king_n	law_n	2,065	5	4.8358	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91796	Plain dealing: or the unvailing of the opposers of the present government and governors. In answer of several things affirmed by Mr. Vavasor Powell and others: shewing, 1. That there is no reason to oppose or finde fault with the present government. 2. That there is not any scripture that doth justifie their opposing the present government. 3. That the word of God is for the present government and governors, and requireth us to own them and to be subject to them. 4. That the holy scriptures are against the opposition that is made against the present government and governors. 5. Reasons to prove that his highnesse Oliver Cromwell and the right honourable his councel ought to execute the legislative power. / By Samuel Richardson.	Richardson, Samuel, fl. 1643-1658.	1653 (1653)	Wing R1412; Thomason E865_3; ESTC R207618	24,991	24

but Gods owning the Government and Governors God hath testified his owning them and we are to follow the Lord which way soever he goeth therefore we are to own them and assist them with our persons and estates lest we sin and suffer for it as the Citizens of that great City of Constantinople did who refused to part with so much money as was necessary to oppose their enemies though they were besought with tears to do it they would not neither freely nor by force they stood for the priviledge of the subject it was not their priviledge to keep that money that the publick stood in need of though they thought so it was their ruine there not parting with some of their estates they lost that goodly City and lost all their money and treasure and their lives also the enemy seeing so great treasure and supply wondred at their folly The fourth is That the holy Scriptures are against the opposition that is made against the present Government and Governors This is proved 1. Because the Scripture saith Put them in minde to be subject to principalities and powers to obey Magistrates Tit. 3. 1 2. In resisting the powers they resist the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Rom. 13. 2. Object If so then ye sinned in resisting the late King and so resisted the ordinance of God 1. To this I answer three things the first is That our resistance was but a defensive war which a King of England approved of when against himself See Acts Monuments Church 3 book end pag. 74. 2. Also the late King in beginning the war became guilty of all the bloud shed in it if that had been all there was sufficient cause for that to cut him off 3. Also the King was one with Antichrist against whom we are commanded to make war 2. The opposers of the present Government c. sin in that they do not seek the peace of the Nation but in stead thereof they disturb and indanger the peace of it for if they who were in captivity in a strange land were to pray and seek the peace of that place Jer. 29. 7. then much more ought the opposers and we to seek and pray for the peace of our native Countrey where we are not captives but enjoy very great liberties and priviledges and that which is my duty to do I may promise to my power to do and if I seek not the peace of the place I sin the opposers are so far from seeking the peace of it that they are not willing that others seek it that they shoot their sharp arrowes bitter words at those that oppose their opposition 3. The opposers sin in that they neglect to own the work God is a doing in this generation which is a part of that generation work appointed for us to do some that now oppose have owned Gods work and now appear to leave following the Lord and cease owning the work God is now a doing and seek what in them lies to hinder God and man in that work 4. The opposers sin because in so doing ye nourish the works of the flesh which ye should mortifie and crucifie The works of the flesh are manifest in their opposition hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions Gal. 5. 19 20. One of them said in the pulpit he wondred women could lye so quietly by their husbands and not provoke them c which tended to the destruction of humane society Is this to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified or rather is that preaching that crucifie Christ They also shew us what lieth in the bottome of their hearts we see like end like means all is nought God is not with you herein to you it is not given what ye extraordinarily insinuate God with us and gards of Angels do ye think God will not take care of his great name will God leave his people and bring to nothing the many and great deliverances he hath given us He that hath begun our enemies ruine will if they repent not make an end Psal. 140. 4 8. 5. They sin in that they say against his Highnesse whether it be true or false if it be true ye uncover your fathers nakednesse this God condemns Ezek. 22. 10 He was cursed that saw his fathers nakednesse and told it and he blessed that covered it Gen. 21. 22 23 26 27. 6. Ye sin in that ye act contrary to the Word of the Lord Mat. 18. 15. but in stead thereof ye rail like mad men for so ye are judged to be by many that hear you 7. Ye sin in that ye speak and affirm many things which are untrue to carry on your design and to make the Government and those in authority and us odious 1. Ye say ye are persecuted for Christ and for Religion this I have proved false in my late Apologie and that in so saying ye persecute his Highnesse as Gal. 3. 29 30. Act. 22. 14. 9. 4. 5. 1. Mr. Feak saith the words of his Mittimus are to commit c. in order to the peace and safety of the Nation by which it appears it is not for Religion 2. So they say that the Saints are committed for their consciences this is untrue for they are imprisoned for their words that oppose the present Government and Governors is a thing of great concernment and indangering the civil peace to deny the authority under which we live to oppose the Government and civill Magistrate causeth debate debate causeth a difference difference causeth divisions and sidings of parties sidings of parties causeth envie and jealousies and condemning of each other and that causeth variance and variance greatly distracts mens mindes distractions of mens mindes maketh seditions seditions bring in tumults tumults work insurrections and rebellion insurrections make depopulations and desolations and bring utter ruine and destruction of mens states and lives and the whole N●tion The offence some of them commit tends to this every Governor is bound by the law of nature to use the means to preserve the peace and welfare of the people some of their words that oppose the Government c. strike at both and it were a great sin in those in authority to suffer it if the good man of the house will not suffer his house to be digged through much lesse is their practise to be suffered if a good man do ill it is so much the worse for so much as he is in esteem or eminent for knowledge or goodnesse so much the more evill and dangerous and taking is the evill that he doth and so much the more care and means is to be used to prevent the spreading of that evil and so much the greater punishment he deserves that commits the evill saints are to be under the temporall sword His Highnesse hath shewed great love patience and forbearance to those that oppose and abuse him and indanger all untill there appear no remedy or hope of gaining them

and lives means is to be used to prevent it this being one to inform reclaim and save them and so to discharge our duty to God and man 8. Lest our silence should be a consent or interpreted so and be an incouragement to them in their evill way to bear witnesse against their sin and clear our souls from guilt because these are the present truths we are to own every work being beautifull in its season Reasons to prove that his Highnesse Oliver Cromwell and the Right Honourable his Councell ought to execute the Legislative Power 1. Because his Highnesse and Councell is in a capacity to exercise the said Power which is ground sufficient for them to exercise it he who is able to do good without commission need no commission to do it if I were able to remove all the oppressions under the sun I would not aske neither leave power nor commission to do it power and commission is given to effect that good which cannot be effected without it there is no ground to think the poor man had a commission to deliver the City yet he did do it and was commended for the same Eccles. 9. 15 16. 2. God by his providence setting them in the highest place is Gods call to execute the highest power which is Legislative they are called Gods because they have a power to make and give forth Lawes for civill peace and welfare of the people the exercise of which is a chief part of their duty in that place and the reasons that justifieth their being chief Governors requireth and doth justifie their exercising of this power and that which will justifie and secure his Highnesse and Councell in that they have done will do the same for the exercising of his power 3. The sum and substance of the Law of the Land requireth their exercise of this power The safety of the people is the supreme Law so that whatsoever is for the safety and welfare of the people ought to be done whether it be by taking away bad Lawes or making good Lawes 4. The necessity of these nations is such in generall that it doth daily stand in need of the exercise of the said power also many greatly suffer by reason of the want thereof there being many grievances which cannot be removed without it some seeking relief in their severall causes are informed that it belongs to those that have the Legislative Power to relieve them therefore as great a necessity as there is of relieving the oppressed so great a necessity there is of the exercise of this power for without this their oppression cannot be removed and their necessities are such as cannot admit of any delay much lesse to stay till the next Parliament if they should who knoweth whether they will help or no I beheld the tears of such as were oppressed and they had no comforter on this side of their oppressors there was power but they had no comforter Eccles. 4. 1. So that his Highnesse and Councell knowing the necessity of this power should be convinced in conscience that it is their duty to exercise it God requireth to do as they would be done unto and to love their neighbour as themselves the argument for the exercising of the said power is the extreme necessities of others requireth it and there is not any thing that doth more tempt those that are for this power to be against it then the the not exercising the said power to relieve these grievances 5. The Law of God requireth the exercise of this power for it requireth that oppressions and things hurtful and grievous be removed that so the oppressed be relieved but this cannot be done without this power therefore the exercise of the said power is necessary and required by the Law of God 6. There is iniquity by a law there be some lawes unjust others ill framed there be tricks in the Law which cause great sufferings and iniquity in the officers that iniquity in stead of justice runneth down like a mighty stream and hath so continued a long time and there is no way to stop it but in the exercise of the said power in making a new Law to help the one and hinder the other 7. The end of power is to prevent evill and do good the exercise of this power would both prevent much evill and do much good and as this is the greatest among men so the exercise of it is able to effect the greatest good and in as much as there is not any great excellent and singular good thing can be effected without it so much the greater necessity there is that his Highnesse and Councell should exercise the said power 8. There is not any unwilling that his Highnesss and Councell should exercise the said power but those that are unwilling that they should exercise any power at all and also evill doers desire it not lest it should hinder their evill proceedings those that are for the having any power desire to have it in its greatest perfection 9. His Highnesse Oath expressed in the instrument is so far from hindring their exercise of the said power that it ingageth them thereunto for his Highnesse is ingaged to cause justice to be equally administred then he must of necessity exercise this power else justice will not be equally administred the 8. Article in the instrument refers to Article 30. his Highnesse is to make Lawes and Ordinances for the peace and welfare of these Nations where it shall be necessary which shall be binding and in force untill the Parliament meet and order shall be taken concerning the same therefore although the Parliament hath met yet in asmuch as they have not taken order concerning the same his Highnesse and Councell is to exercise the said power untill order be taken for the same also some say they were no Parliament because they made no Sessions 10. A course in it self singular and unjustifiable by reason of some circumstances falling in may not only become lawfull but a duty So Phinchas act was an exercise of power though he was no Magistrate Numb. 25. 7. 8. God commended it and rewarded it 11 12 13. Psal. 106. 30. 31. So David eat the shew bread which was not lawfull for him to eat Mat. 12. Necessity made it lawfull Some say the Law is against it and that it is not good to alter a law but to alter a bad law and make a new Law for the peace and welfare of the Nation is not ill but well God is pleased to alter and change some things in his own Law and make new ones and must the lawes of men admit of no change men and their lawes are not perfect times persons and cases alter and require alteration the late dispensations of God in these Nations have been carried on contrary to the letter of the Law the safety of the people of God hath lain in crossing the letter of the Law which hath occasioned his Highnesse to do that he hath done for the welfare of the people of God A serious and solemn Protestation I Samuel Richardson do take God to witnesse that I have not written any thing herein but that which I beleeve with all my heart is true and if I knew that this should be the last hour that I should live in this world and so were to have no more benefit by this Government nor of any thing in this world I do beleeve I should witnesse to the truth of these things and rejoyce that I had left this witnesse against the opposition that is made against the present Government and Governors and I beleeve that which I have written is just and necessary and that which is my duty to God and man to write of his Highnesse and Government as I have done I have the evidence and testimony of my conscience grounded upon the Word of God as I have expressed I am satisfied let men think and say of me and do to me what they please the will of God be done and that I speak the truth from my heart herein I appeal to him that knoweth all things that searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins and weigheth the spirits and actions of men So be it