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	law_n	parliament_n	2,185	5	6.6353	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69048	The speach of the Kirk of Scotland to her beloved children	Calderwood, David, 1575-1650.	1620 (1620)	STC 4365; ESTC S107176	43,447	131

name profaning of the Lords day and contempt of his sanctuarie and service so universally overflowing this land not onely in the persons of poore ignorants in a manner tyed to these horrible crimes by a cursed custome beggerly necessitie but even in the more honourable sort whose damnable example encourages their followers to sinne without feare with such additions as may represse and restraine these crying abhominations in all without respect of persons 2 A safe liberty to enjoy the profession of our religion as it is reformed in doctrine sacraments and discipline and hath been openly professed by Prince Pastors and people of all rankes your predecessors of worthy memory your selves us all yet living these threescore yeares by gone and above 3 A full deliverance from and a sufficient defence against all novations and novelties in doctrine sacraments and discipline and specially such as by constitutions of the Kirk confessions of faith louable lawes of the countrey and long continued practise hath been condemned and casten out as idle rites and Romish formalities under what soever pretence they plead for re-entry 4 That no act passe in derogation or prejudice of the actes already granted in favour of Reformation liberty of Assemblies convenient execution of Discipline c. or for corroboration of new opinions against the same concerning whether Episcopacie or ceremonies the shadow thereof which for the peace of the Kirk by heavenly wisedome should bee rejected before they be ratified 5 That all ministers provided to Prelacies and admitted to vote in Parliament be urged to observe the Act granted in their favours to that place especially the provision expressed therein 6 The happinesse to live under his Majesty and his highnesse ordinary Iudges and Rulers established by lawes and custome and that our cause he lawfully cognoseed according to order and justice before any sentence passe against our persons places estates In the name of Iesus Christ intreating and commanding all worldly and personall respects set apart yee look with a single eye upon the matter controverted not suffering your faith in Iesus Christ to bee blamed with partiality ye try all with the touchstone of the Temple and ballance of the Sanctuarie Consider the example of Moses when hee saw the Israelite Egyptian fight He spent no time in rebuking them for the strife but drew his sword and slew the Egyptian But perceiving a debate betwixt two Israelites he sayd Ye are brethren why strive yee If the intended novelties be Israelites then may yee say Why strive yee but if they be of that Egypt from the bondage wherof the Lord your God miraculously hath set you free then may they not be reconciled to the truth but being slaine by the sword of the Spirit must also bee proscribed by your authoritie Vse the triall of Elias against Baals Priests albeit without the miracle of Eliah take my bullockes and theirs that is the urged novelties and the possessed liberties or alas the liberties that I once possessed for now whether I possesse them or not it is uncertaine lay their peeces on the altars and on which God sends the holy fire of zeale in the powerfull preaching of the word and consuming of sinne let that bee received When no man was able to discerne betwixt Alexander the sonne of Herod before put to death and a certaine craftsman like unto him who gave himselfe out for Alexander as though hee had escaped by favour of the executioner the noble and wise Augustus by griping his hand tried him to be an Artificer and punished him for his falshood Would it please your honours whilst so many learned and wise are deceaved with the counterfeit face of these novelties but to gripe their hand a little and to try what hath beene their frootes where they have been admitted from the beginning ye shal incontinent finde that they have been voyd of the sap of grace and that their best workes evidently declare that they never were begotten nor blessed by the father of peace Their own maintainers confesse that the controversie about them hath brought confusion breach of the second command of love rent my body into divers parts divided my people into divers sects and the sheep to despise their Pastors and estranged them from the love of their flockes It hath confirmed the prophane in their impieties and given way to the common enemies distracted the mindes of the multitude and shaken their faith who for the most part knew no other difference betwixt Christ and Antichrist but that which consists in externall shewes and formalities It hath brought the ruine of Christs kingdome and increase of Satans partly in superstition and partly in impiety And in a word generally hath put out the life of true religion and brought in Atheisme Bee not satisfied with a fashionable and superficiall triall but examine them from the very root and from the ground rip them up As wise Nehemiah tried who had right to the Priesthood by searching their lineall descent from Aaron It was not sufficient for them to cleare their genealogie by writ from Levi and Coath for so the childrē of Habaiah and Barzillai had been admitted had brought the wrath of God with them Men may alledge and perhaps prove by writ some such customs as they urge for some hundreth years in my neighbour kirks but except it can bee cleared that they have their pedigree frō Christ or his holy Apostles they ought to be esteemed uncleane and should not be receiued as belonging to me or my ministers All these and many moe have vexed me before and being mans inventions in the matter of Gods worship waxed old and weak As it fareth with every errour contrary to the course of verity which groweth ever greener and stronger and at last dying were cast out of my habitations as vile and stinking carrion that now the opening of their grave raiseth a noysome fleur in every spirituall and exercised sense and if they bee taken up againe shall make many poore soules of weake constitution to perish through their pestilent contagion It cannot be denied but they have been defended by some and digested by others by way of Interim till opportunity of further reformation in the Kirks and countries where they had place But before this time we dare be bold to say never any kirk countrey or cōscientious Christian did so much as enter in deliberation whether they should have been repossessed where they have been displaced Let the two renowmed maisters of English ceremonies profound Hooker and fordward Saravia be heard in this poynt The one sayes In as much as they goe about to destroy a thing which is in force and to draw in that which hath not as yet been received and to impose that which we think not our selves bound unto and to overthrow things whereof we are possessed that therefore they are to take them to the opponents part which must consist in one of two