Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	authority_n	king_n	parliament_n	1,836	5	6.6012	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88565	Illumination to Sion Colledge. Wherein, their calling to the Ministery (the foundation whereof not being built upon Christ) is dissipated, their arrogancy hereupon manifested, the extent of magistrates power in generall defined; the execution of the late King, and the seculusion of the late members of Parliament farther justified; the former declarations of Parliament and Scriptures which they cite, explained; their objections from the Covenant, removed in the grammaticall sense thereof; and the Parliament and Army from their aspersions in all vindicated. Being for answer, to the representation of their judgments, in a letter to the Generall, January 18. last: serves also to their vindication: and in part to a pamphlet intituled, Essex Watchmens watch-word: likewise in effect to a later libell (supposed Mr. Loves, intituled, A vindication of the ministers from the aspersions (alias the Etymologies) of Mr. Price, in his Clerico Classicum, &c. To which latter pamphlet, is annexed a briefe answer to what is not so fully hinted in that to the Ministers. / By J.L. as cordiall and fervent a thirster after the nations prosperity, as any.	J. L.	1649 (1649)	Wing L31; Thomason E558_4; ESTC R205842	44,054	37

sick yet is in order to the health of the Parliament in acting up to the fountain of their Priviledges let us not therefore imagine hardly of their proceedings since our cies have been witnesse of the justnes of them and the rather because they acted not alone very lawfull to do justly should none other appear thereto but contributed their assistance unto their solely lawfull authority which though for quantity the least yet for quality the best being in the right a minor Vote was then ●ver-powred by might a major Vote and yet this doth nor did not extenuate or lessen the equity of the minor part which to maintain as being bound in dutie thereunto the then appearance of the Armic must needs be justified in as much likewise as chusing the good and eschewing the evill is justifiable and therefore for farther confirmation hereof though the premises considered there needs none from Junius Brutus in as much as such reliques chiefely appear upon some upon the same subject cited by Mr Prinne in his book of the Soceraigne Power of Parliaments and Kingdomes pag. 198. line 1. to the 18 from whom I gather them viz The King swears that he will seek the safety of the Realm the Nobles swe●r every one the same by himself whether therefore the King or most of the Nobles neglecting their Oath shall either destroy the Common-weale or desert it being in danger ought the rest therefore to desert the Republique or at least but rather then especially they ought to shews their fidelity when as others neglect it be lesse bound to defend it as if they were observed from their Oath Especially since they were principally instituted for that end like the Epho●● and every thing may then be reputed just when it attaines its end whether truly if many have promised the same thing is the obligation of the one dissolved by the perjury of the other whether if many be guilty of the same sinne are the rest freed by the fraud of one whether if many co-guardians ill defend their pupill shall one good man be lesse bound with the burthen of the wardship through their default but rather neither can those avoyd the infamy of perjury unlesse they ende ●●our to satisfie their trust as much as in them lieth neither can those exempt themselves from the danger and judgement of a Guardianship ill administred unlesse they implead the other Guardians suspected when as verily one guardian may not ●uely implead the rest suspected and take care of those to bee removed but also remove them The application of this passage I need not insert seeing the words themselves are clear and easie to be understood and that in generall it holds forth thus much That a minor party are bound in duty to discharge their trust though in opposition to the major party neglecting or falsifying it And although you would seem to take off an objection from the Parliaments own example in opposing the late King by th●se your words And although both Houses of Parliament who are joyntly together with the King intrusted with the supream authority of the Kingdome saw cause to take up Armes for their owne defence against the attempts made upon them by the King and his evill Counsellors and for some other ends which you cite though doubtlesse experience will produce sufficient testimony of better effected yet it hath been amply and satisfactorily proved that the Army have not acted as private persons since they assisted the lawfull authority though the least part of the Nobles yet the Kings superiour and so supream it being most unsafe to leave the supremacy undetermined as is largely demonstrated by that Author Iunius Brutus quoted by Mr. Prinne in the 196 197. pages of that his prenominated Booke in prosecution of the end of their ingagements the peoples libertie since likewise they were not instituted the Parliaments servants to pursue their end but the peoples good in as much as the Parliament represents and are but servants thereunto also And therefore whereas when the Parliament first took up Armes you would page the 7. plead their intentions then was not thereby to doe violence to the person of the King c. yet I answer that this was not binding either to the Army or to themselves in case of greater enormities committed by him for I had thought you had known the distinction between intentions and illimited determinations or conclusions because a man at the same time when he intends a thing may prescribe to himselfe the intervening of some other thing that shall divert his intended act therefore intention cannot proceed so farte as determination or resolution could the Parliament then intend should the late King have acted never so high in tyranny to exempt him from accounting and so collude as the precited Author hath it and not be reputed in the number of Prevaricators or connive of desertors or not vindicate the Republick from his tyranny and not be traytors Now then 't is resolved upon the question That the intentions of the Parliament then could extend onely unto that present time wherein had he return'd they were willing to remit without as you term it violence to his person what he had then offended in viz. attempts upon their priviledges but the measure of his iniquity not being then full not unto that time wherein he prosecuted those attempts not onely on their priviledges but on the very foundation of Government the peoples liberties in the blood of thousands seeing they adjudged him by that their declaration you have precited no lesse then a publick enemy for practising such attempts might have justly proceeded accordingly but I say if then much more now are they to be justified in that justice o● frequently enjoyned in Scripture to be executed without respect of persons and so far from violence wherein therefore your accusation is very scandals us Again neither could the Parliaments intentions then as you affirm page 7. extend to the continuance of that government now for the constitution thereof must be considered either as good or bad if as good in the positive though the negative may be proved which I wave because the affirmative is indurable yet better or best is to be preferred before it Now then could the Parliament then intend or should they yet were it binding either to themselves or us the establishment of that or any other government when greater light in reference to the end for which government should be constituted viz. the peoples safety should be manifested nay could the accomplishment of such purposes be esteemed otherwise then a rejecting of the light and a loving of darknesse rather then light To instance this in one particular Episcopall government then constituted it 's likely in the greatest measure of light they had had it been binding either to future yeares or ages then your abolishing of it was illegall but through pretence of a greater light and so lawfully you have ex●irpated it therefore

up●n authority and your words are these It is already suffi●ien●● known besides all former ●is●●arriages what attempts of late have been put in practise against lawfull authority especially by your late Remonstrance and Declaration published in opposition to the proceedings of Parliament The practiz'd attempts you speak off are laying aside the common enemy who in this ca●c are not to be our Judges and indeed have forfeited so much as nomination only discerned by your faction of unifo●mists and consequently the lawfull authority you speak it can be but alike opinionated prevailing faction in the Pa●liament which upon just grounds being oppos'd is accounted an unparrallel'd attempt against authority by you when as such a faction is but joyntly int●usted by the Kingdome with the ●est now for them by vi●tue of a maj●● vote to ass●me irresponsible and incontrolea●le power to themselves is no l●sse usurpation ●h●● that of the late Kings was which is amply manifested in a book en●ituled the●●●●tion of the late King justified c. already published by m●● to the Crown by ve●tue of succession and therefore no l●sse but rather more because their trust is greater offensive and accordingly punishable which I shall further illustrate from your owne parties example in the Parliament when united with these from whom they and you now dissent both joyntly taking occasion in discharge of that trust was reposed in them by the Kingdome to exempt the Malignant party upon that forfeiture of trust they made from partaking in the priviledges of Parliament and likewise to exclude them the House And yet after this your faction in the Parliament which you call the only lawfull authority shall recede and indeavour to resigne up that into the Malignants power which themselves joyntly condemned as breach of trust in them for attempting viz. an i●thr●lling of the peoples liberties and therefore dispossessed them let reason the world judg whether the minor part in Parliament may not lawfully prosecute the samd forfeiture upon them though the major part breach of trust being the same in any only the higher the persons the greater their offence therein in cashiering them their trust which they conco●ded should be in the same case upon the first Malignants therefore what you charge the Army the interest of the minor party for attempt against the authority of your interest was only the same advantage necessarily and justly improv'd by them for the deposing of your Parties authority which both united took against the common ●ne●y for in that your party in the Parliament waving their late complying with the late King did only seek the advancement of their own Interest with pretence of good to the Kingdome when it could be so only to themselves and their complices they forf●●ted their trust by which they were ingag'd to indeavour the good of such that then assisted them in that cause as much as their own which good cannot extend to all that so ingaged with the Parliament unlesse established from common princi●les which were and are very wide of their and your ten●nts th●t est●em not that liberty which consists not in others opp●ession the Army and their party therefore being as greatly intrusted for and in er●ssed in the good of the Kingdome as those of yours finding their liberties to be infringed by them could not but in discharge of their duty to the Kingdome clip their prevalency and obstruct their resolute prosecution of such an interest meerly satisfactory to their own party and therefore far from a ge●●rall good which to effect in the establishment of such a government whereunder as to your selves you may partake of as great benefit and freedome as the present prosecu●ors thereof the indeavours of the Army can be no oppression and therefore not unlawfull but expedient for them to attempt wherein your accusation of them is impertinent and scandalous Yet you still persist pag. 4. after severall attempts recited and esteem'd so by you which I have allready clearly prov'd in the negative to justifie your faction in the Parliament ●s the only authority and therefore condemn the Army though therein likewise you include the minor part of parliament for opposing them saying All 〈◊〉 sr●ilues we cannot but judge to be manifestly opposite to the lawf●ll authority of those Magistrates which God hath set over us and to that duty and obedience which by the loves of God and man and by our manifold Oaths and Covenants we stand obliged to render to them To which I answer that if God had immediately which your words would seem to imply instituted and appointed y●u● party in the Parliament to be sole with●ut others co●joyn'd Magistrates over us and had injoyn'd us universall in all cases for which we have neither precept nor president in Gods word obedience to them it would have been sin in the Army in resisting them but since God sets not all Magistrates in that h● sets not tyrants over us otherwise then by permission those are neer●st unto Gods ordination that receive their authority by his rule which is now only through free election and that not to an absolute power to govern as they list for then the people looseth their end viz. th●ir own good in their choice but to walk according to the rule that shall be prescrib'd them a great defect through the usurpation of predecessing Magstrates till of late days in our laws to discharge the end of their respective offices and to perform the conditions upon which they are chosen or at least for which they are intended Magistrates but now those that usurp authority respects none of these rules and therefore not lawfull Magistrates for a lawfull Magistrate cannot and knows not how to govern well in that every particular expedient for the peoples good in civill government is not written in his heart without a rule which the people only are best able to prescribe seeing they know best their own wants Now then in what yon charge the Army of disobedience as universal without exceptions to any your selves are guilty in the same by complying which I urge against you allowing it in your selves and yet reproving it in them as an example unto though just in hem but unjust in you in that you now all●dge universall ●bedienc● not to ye●ld obedience to all Magistrates Against the late King let your pretence be what it will viz. that you ingaged against his evill councell or the like in your then ingaging against them you ingag'd against him abetting and inducing of them thereto which is clearly testined by his approof in which he dyed as to all outward appearance of them therein and therefore to what you accuse the Army for opposing lawfull authority I ans●er that besides that preci●ed your own example they have the reason and righteousnesse of the act it self to justifie them in their opposition to your party which had then the major Vote in Parliament and by v●tu● whereof you call them lawful authority

the peoples liberties tending to subvert the end and cause of their trust an offence in any sole power much more in them who were but joyntly intrusted the feare of God did oblige them though the minor part as a happy and most desirable civill change from darknesse unto light communion wherewith we should most cover to enjoy free from discontent since we should rather secondarily admire the courage and magnanimity of the Army then trustfully to adhere to their authority The first man that preached at Alderman-bury on the 31. L●●●try last being then Fast-day when there was the lest yet lawfullest part thereof which I have shewed we must rather obey appearing to discharge their duty Now then that can be no plea though asserted by one of your * Brethren upon that subject of universall obedience to Magistrates seeing he made no exceptions the effect of it viz. that magistrates are of divine institution that they bear Gods image that God himself cals them Gods and therefore disobedience to them is an eternall dan mage whereas to disappoint the peoples safetie is but a temporall losse and so to be lesse esteemed then an eternall I say this can be no plea craving leave a little to digresse from your matter for satisfaction sake more formally though this is effectually already answered since that the office or duty of the Magistrate not his own person is onely of divine institution in the execution of which office viz. 1 Kings 10.9 to do equitie and righteousnesse in as much as therein consists holines he bears Gods image but when Magistrates shall act quite contrary to the cause which take away and the event will be nothing of their authoritative being by oppression injustice Covenant-breaking exaltation above their brethren subjects and all this with that great aggravation of self respect herein they deface the Image of God in reference as to holinesse so unto dominion which is to rule in righteousnes meeknes and mercy in which defect they cease to be either the ordinance of God or man and the people are disobliged from obedience to them and so by consequence and contrary may lawfully resist their evil practices Nay lawfull magistrates enjoining things that may ordinarily in themselves be lawfull in all extraordinary cases may sometimes erre and lawfully be resisted therein in as much as they obstruct a greater good let all remember therefore that as of two evils the least so of two goods the greatest is to be chosen but the example of David may more fitly insert hereafter at present I therefore wave it and proceed to your fifth page and there your words are Wee have not forgotten those declared grounds and principles upon which the Parliament first took up Arms and upon which we were induced to joyne with them c. Which though you say you have not declined yet will prove the contrary for the grounds that the Parliament first did or at least should have done take up arms upon was not so much their own priviledges as the peoples liberties and therefore their * Iaintry 17 1●●1 Declaration which you instance for confirmation will prove the confutation of all your matter upon that attempt which the King made upon their Priviledges putteth such an assault as an offence against the liberty of the Subject before a breach of their own priviledges whose priviledges to preserve indeed were the instrumentall cause of our first taking up Armes but we not you unlesse you confirm this truth rested not here this was not our end the onely thing we aimed at but we had respect to some thing beyond and yet then through the priviledges of Parliament viz. the Peoples liberties the very end wherefore they sit and the grounds of our assistance to them was not so much though our liberties were apparently because we had no other power to appear for us and whose miscarriage would have been ours not subordinately wrapt up in their Privileges as our own liberties therefore consonant to this is the conclusion of the precited Declaration wherein they declare the Person that shall so Arrest any member or members of Parliament to be a Publique enemie to the Common-wealth which clearly shews that such members must be acting for the good of the common wealth or else the Person or Persons so arresting them will be so far from enemies as that they will bee friends to the Common-wealth in so doing therefore from hence this flows clearly by way of use that those are no Priviledges but usurped of Parliament that are inconsistent with the Peoples l●borties As likewise this undeniable conclusion that to arrest or seclude as was then endeavoured by the late King any Person or Persons in the Parliament acting for the peoples liberties is contrary thereunto and a breach of the priviledges of Parliament But the Army with the consent of those onely lawfull ones and so the house left behinde secluded the late members of Parliament for infringing the peoples liberties Therefo●● it was no breath of their Priviledges But it is most manifest by all your precedent arguments and quotations that you would make the people the Packhorse to all your imposed burthens and slaves to no lesse then three powers the King his Honour and Prerogative the Parliament their Priviledges which you make distinct from though if they are so they must concu● in the peoples liberties above them and you your Ecclesiasticall government above all but your complying with the two former from all evidences is onely that they may assist in advancing yours when in truth though you indefinitely enjoin obedience in all cases at all times upon all occasion all three would center in the peoples liberties they being ordained for the people and not the people for them but herein you preferre the Box before the Ointment the Raiment before the body and you are blinded with self yet confidently you say you see but therefore your blindenes remaineth and no wonder if you occasion your own fal● Now in what you would have prohibited the Army from acting because in your 6 page 25. line you say that in reference to the power of Magistracy they are but private Persons it seems strange that you should so forget the priviledge that both you and we when united in a then thought just cause against the King by suing out our liberties took notwithstanding the contrary numerous party both of Nobles and Subjects in the kingdom to esteem our selves the kingdom as witnes your own words in the 5 p. of your pamphlet line 12. upon the attempt of the late King destructive to the good of the Kingdom and shall the Army and their party which in comparison to yours are more numerous then both of us then were to the Kings be esteemed as private Persons and lesse justifiable in the prosecution of the same end against the proceedings of your Party onely and can this be a breach of the Priviledges being onely a Purge which though it makes

of God in executing justice especially since the people are the root of the Kings and all other Authority and he their servant to act for their good and therefore accountable put in trust by them and therefore their Steward and so required to give an account of his Stewardsh as to God in the things he hides from men so to his people in publick neglect of his trust I need not further amplifie the disparity of our Covenant with his since it is cleare that therein we had an end above the preservation of King or Parliament which to endeavour can be no violation of the tye of the Covenant of which Zedekiah was guilty and therefore I believe as to the merit of such a sinne we shall not partake of his judgements Now then my serious and therefore let it not be rejected advice to you is That you would consider and conferre you covenant with what I have dilated thereupon and confesse and revoke your mistakes and breaches thereof in those severall particulars whereof and as I have cleared you are guilty in our publick assemblies that through your hearty sorrow for the same and such a reall testimony of your illumination the Parliament and Army may be again induced to invite you to their Consultations And whereas you have been instruments of sedition you may be so now of inlightning and composing the spirits of those you have seduced and incensed against the publick good and that hereby you may redisplay what excellencies hath been all this while under a cloud of self-interest in you that so you may recover our hearts helps and prayers that the blessing of God may be upon you and that you may relinquish revilings and invectives with mixtures of self esteem in your preachings that so the Gospel in the simplicity purity and truth thereof may be dispensed by you to the comfort of all those whom now you undeservedly oppose and that by your serious and cordiall application of this matter you may become their professed friends in one day to the terrifying of both your enemies that yet rejoyce in your dissention But in your tenth page you still brand the Army as being your greatest eye-sore and heart-sore with Disobedience to Magistrates which indeed were a great sinne as by the examples of Gods judgements which you cite upon it did you rightly apply it But because your particular designes are obstructed and prevented therefore you will unpreach what ever formerly with vehemency you have conjured the people unto I cannot but reply since you are conscious of the frequent commands in Gods word to yeeld obedience to Magistrates doth not include tyrannicall Magistrates or lawfull ones in all cases which hath been sufficiently proved yet the example of Jehu remaining for our instruction in the like case doth more confirm who though a private person yet was commanded from God 2 Kings 9.7 to avenge the blood of the Prophets upon the House of Ahab by whose authority or connivance they were destroyed which accordingly he executed as in the 24 verse upon Jehoram that had an hereditary right to the Crown and succeeded in his stead You know the word of God frequently enjoynes universall and unpartiall justice without exemption and respect of persons and yet you speak contrary to your knowledge by seeking to impell totall obedience in the Army to Magistrates when through some defaults from Scripture-warrant they may be exposed to a condition of punishment and then very incapable either to command or be obeyed And then you practise otherwise then you speak when your own interest is uppermost and obstructed by the Magistrates as now none more forward to oppose them and excite others thereunto then your selves as witnesse your resolution against tyranny in the King in the seventh page of that your Book and your groundlesse impudent opposition to the Parliament now But to your exhortation page your 11. and 12. for the Army to examine themselves whether they should not have opposed those proceedings there largely recited by you in others if done by them which they did approve of and esteeme as a vertue in themselves I answer that one and the selfe same act done by distinct persons may become just or unjust according to the cause or end thereof for which the party acts it Now then 't is just and unjust to seclude a Major part of Parliament just in them that secluded your party their trust when they were apparently acting against the end thereof the good of tho●e that intrusted them and therefore I cannot but remember how when the Army was first before the Citie they voted in the King and proclaimed to make humble addresses to him for peace without any conditions and how easily if excepted against at all by them in the treaty with the late King they let slip his negative voyce though the chiefest ground of so long a warre if I am not mistaken Again it would have been u●just in your party from their principles of self-interest to have secluded any other though a minor part in Parliament endeavouring onely their own liberties not prejudiciall to others when indeed they might as now they doe better extend freedome to the whole Nation And lastly it would have been more unjust in malignants from their superlative principles of tyranny to have attempted the seclusion of either It was Ichu's unjust end in his act not the ●ct it selfe which was just that brought a judgement upon his posterity And in 2 Chron. 25.2 Amaziah did those things that were upright in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heirs Hypocrisie in a duty makes the manner of its performance become abominable in the sight of God it makes the manner which God most respects in a duty become the object of his hatred and greatly inferiour to the matter of the duty Now then the reproofs in Scripture that you alledge against the Army as disobedient to Authority may most fitly and deservedly be repl●ed upon your selves Therefore give me leave a little to urge your own interpretation of the Scriptures upon your selves The first is Tit. 3.1 Put them in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers and to obey Magistrates You kn●w Sirs where the Powers are since you make Pulpit-confessions of them though not as a Parliament most intolerable contempt in you of no lesse th●n the ordinance of God waving the justnesse thereof as from Man because larg●ly p●●d●m●nst●ated for that the Apostle Rom. 13.1 2. commands Let every sou●e of yo● be subject to the higher powers for there is no powers but of God Here are the reasons of your obe●i●nce The power that be are ordained of God and they thu r●sist r●si●● the Ordinance of God c. Mark Sirs the Apostle speakes it in the present tense or time The powers that be are ordained of God as being the word of God that is everlasting yesterday and to day and the same forever firm and effectuall in all generations