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	law_n	power_n	2,481	5	4.8394	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81982	Davids three mighties: or Sovereignties three champions: being the three prime reformers of the Protestant religion, Luther, Calvin, Tindal. Faithfully cited, and affectionately presented to all the misled people of England, for their instruction and direction, how to deport themselves in the unhappy division betwixt the King and them. That yet at the last by the light of these three glorious professors of the Gospel, they may the better discern both their owne errors, and the impostures of their false teachers. Other renowned worthies since the Reformation have done honourably in the defence of sovereignty, howbeit they attained not unto the first three, 2 Sam. 23. v.18.23.		1644 (1644)	Wing D378; Thomason E42_1; ESTC R11742	28,856	41

from ought which that honoured Divine hath there spoken let me also which is one of the greatest curses my sorest enemy can wish me be reputed a Rebell for ascribing so much honour to him who derogates so much from the just honour and power of Sovereigne Princes For first you see that he speakes as doubting whether there are now any such populare● Magistratus any such Magistrates on the behalfe of the people constituted for the moderating the lust of Kings such as in old time were the ●phori that were s●t against the Lacedemonian Kings c. or not And well be might make doubt of it when as if we examine but the power of the Ephori over the Lacedemonian Kings and the T●ibunes of the peo●le amongst the Romanes were in a manner the same saith Lalius Laet Antiquit. lib. 18. cap. 26. we shall finde it to have been such as it is not to be parallelled so far as ever I could read or heare by any popular Magistrates in any Kingdome whatsoever throughout the world at this present to be sure not in ours of all others as in these respects amongst many The Ephori though they were often chosen out of the lowest and poorest s●rt of people yet they did grow to that height that that power which had been estated upon the people they usu●ped to themselves Arist Polit. 2. cap. 9. They had the power of waging or ending wars and their Kings were bu● as their Generalls and at their command either to ●dva●ce or re●i●e with their Armies Th●y not only cal●ed their Kings to an account but also killed and imprisoned them They allowed their Kings the bare name and title of Kings but all Regall Rights they tooke to themselves They might put any man to death without shewing any cause There and divers other particulars of the power of the Ephori inconsistent and incompossible with the power of Kings if any desire further to be assured he may finde collected to his hand out of Ze●ophon Plato Aristotle Plutarch ●nd others by Henni●gus Arnisaeus de Republica lib. 2. cap 6. It seems to me a very strange thing and such as Parliaments themselves should not well relish that any should compare the power of the three Estates with that usurped impious tyrannicall power of the Ephori And for the Tribunes of the people which were set against the Roman Consuls and the Demarchy which were set against the Senate of Athens Me thinks the resembling of the power of the three estates in Parliament to their power should be as little pleasing t is more then probable I forbeare to instance in the Romane Tribunes they being in a manner as I but now told you from Calvin the same with the Lacedemonian Ephori but for the A●henian Demarchy I care not much if I afford you a fuller description of them and their power together with their managing of it it being done to my hand by that learned Historian and judicious observe of men Sir Walter Rawleigh in his third booke of the History of the World cap. 9. sect 2.3 The thirty Governours commonly called the thi●ty Tyrants of Athens were chosen at the first by the people to compile a body of their Law and make a collection of such ancient Statutes as were meet to put in practise the condition of the City standing as it did in that so sudden alteration To this charge was annexed the supream Authority either as a recompence of their labours or because the necessity of the times did so require it wherein the Law being uncertaine it was fit that such men should give judgement in particular causes to whose judgement the Lawes themselves by which the City was to be ordered were become su●j●ct But these thirty having so great power in their hands were more carefull to hold it then to deserve it by faithfull execution of that which was committed to their trust Therefore apprehending such troublesome fellowes as were odious to the City though not punishable therefore by law they condemned them to death which proceeding was by all men approved who considered their lewd conditions but did not withall bethinke themselves how easie a thing it would be u●to these thirty men to take away the lives of innocents by calling them perturbers of the peace or what else they listed when condemnation without due triall and proofe had been once well allowed Having thus plausibly entred into a wicked course of government they thought it best to fortifie themselves with a sure guard ere they brake out into those disorders which they must needs commit for the establishing of their authority wherefore dispatching two of their owne company to Sparta they informed the Lacedemonians that it was the full intent of the thirty to keep the City free from all rebellious motions to which purpose it behoved them to cut off such as were seditious and therefore desired the Lacedemonians to send them a garrison which they promised at their owne cost to maintaine this motion was well approved and a guard sent the Captaine of which was so well entertained by the thirty that none of their misdeeds could want his high commendations at Sparta Hereupon the Tyrants began to take heart and looking no more after base and detested persons invaded the principall men of the City sending armed men from house to house who drew out such as were of great reputation likely or able to make any head against this wicked forme of government whereby there was such effusion of bloud as to Theremanes one of the thirty seemed very horrible and unable to escape vengeance His dislike of their proceedings being openly discovered caused his fellows to bethink themselves and provide for their owne security and his destruction lest he should make himselfe a Captaine of the discontented which were almost the whole City and redeeme his owne peace with their ruine wherefore they s●l●cted three th●usand of the Citizens whom they thought meet●st and gave unto th●m some part of publicke authority the rest they di●armed And havi●g thus increased their owne strength and weakned their opposites they began afresh to sh●d the bloud not only of ●heir private enemies but of such whos● money or goods might inrich them and enable them for the payment of their guard and to this purpose they concluded that every one of them should name one man upon whose goods he should cease putting the owner to death But when Theremanes uttered the detestation of so wicked intent then d●d Critias who of all the thirty was most tyrannicall accuse him to the Councell as a treacherous man and whereas one mai●e pr●viledge the three thousand was that none of them should suff●r death at the appoi●tment of the Thirty but have the accustomed tryall hee took upon him to strike off that number the name of Theremanes and so reduced him under the ●ryall and sentence of that order It was well alleadged by Theremanes that his name was not more easie to be blotted

anointed of the Lord that I should lay my hand upon him because he is the anointed of the Lord. Againe who shall lay his hand upon the anointed of the Lord and shall be innocent So sure as the Lord liveth unlesse the Lord strike him or his day be come that he dye or he goe downe into battell far be it from me that I should lay my hand upon the anointed of the Lord. Sect. 29. Finally we owe this affection of reverence yea and devotion to all our Rulers of what sort soever they bee which I doe therefore the oftner repeat that we may learn not to search what the men themselves be but take this for sufficient that by the will of the Lord they beare that personage in which the Lord himselfe hath imprinted and ingraved an inviolable Majesty But thou wilt say Rulers owe mutuall dutyes to their Subjects that I have already confessed but if thou thereupon conclude that obediences are to be rendred to none but to just Governours thou art a foolish reasoner for husbands also are bound to their wives and parents to their children with mutuall duties let parents and husbands depart from their dutie let parents shew themselves so hard and unpleasable to their children whom they are forbidden to provoke to anger that with their peevishnesse they do unmeasurably weary them let the husbands most despitefully use their wives whom they are commanded to love to spare them as weak vessells shall yet therefore either children be disobedient to their parents or ●ives to their husbands But they are subject both to evill parents and husbands and such as doe not their duty yea when as all ought rather to endeavour themselves not to looke behind them to the bag hangi●g on their backe that is not to enquire one of anothers duties but every man set before him that which is his owne duty this ought chiefly to have place among those that are under the power of other wherefore if we be unmercifully tormented of a cruell Prince if we be ravenously spoy●ed of a covetous or riotous Prince if we be neglected of a slothfull Prince finally if we be vexed for godlinesse sake of a wicked and ungodly Prince let us first call to minde the remembrance of our sinnes which undoubtedly are chastised with such scourges of the Lord thereby humility shall bridle our impatience let us then also call to minde this thought that it pertaineth not to us to remedy such evills but this only is left for us that we crave the helpe of the Lord in whose hand are the hearts of Kings and the bowings of Kingdomes he is the God that shall stand in the assembly of Gods and shall in the midst judge the gods from whose face all Kings shall fall and be broken and all the Judges of the earth that shall not have kissed his anointed that have written unjust lawes to oppresse the poore in judgement and doe violence to the cause of the humble to make widowes a prey and rob the fatherlesse Sect. 30. And here both his marveilous goodnesse and power and providence sheweth it selfe for sometime of his servants he raiseth up open revengers and furnisheth them with his commandement to take vengeance of their unjust government and to deliver his people many wayes oppressed out of miserable distresse sometime he directeth to the same end the rage of men that extend and goe about another thing So hee delivered the people of Israel out of the tyranny of Pharaoh by Moses and out of the violence Chusam King of Syria by Othoniel and out of other thraldomes by other Kings or Judges So he tamed the pride of Tyrus by the Egyptians the insolence of the Egyptians by the Assyrians the fiercenesse of the Assyrians by the Chaldees the boldnesse of Babylon by the Medians and by the Persians when Cyrus had subdued the Medians and the fulnesse of the Kings of Judah and Israel and their wicked obstinacy towards his so many benefits he did beat downe and bring to distresse sometime by the Assyrians sometime by the Babylonians albeit not all after one manner for the first sort of men when they were by the lawfull calling of God sent to doe such acts in taking armor against Kings they did not violate that Majesty which is planted in Kings by the ordinance of God but being armed from heaven they subdued the lesser power with the greater like as it is lawfull for Kings to punish their Lords under them but these latter sort although they were directed by the hand of God whither it pleased him and they unwittingly did his worke yet purposed in their mindes nothing but mischiefe Sect. 31. But howsoever the very doings of men be judged yet the Lord did as well execute his work by them when he did break the bloudy Scepters of proud Kings and overthrew their intolerable governments Let Princes hear and be afraid but we in the meane time must take great heed that we doe not despise or offend that authority of Magistrates full of reverend Majesty which God hath stablished with most weighty decrees although it remaine with most unworthy men and which doe with their wickednesse so much as in them is defile it for though the correcting of unbridled government be the revengement of the Lord let us not by and by thinke that it is committed to us to whom there is given no other commandement but to obey and suffer I speake alway of private men for if there be at this time any Magistrates for the people constituted for the moderating of the lust of Kings such as in old time were the Ephori that were set against the Kings of Lacedemonia or the Tribunes of the people against the Roman Consuls or the Demarchy against the Senate of Athens and the same power also which peradventure as things are now the three Estates have in every Realme when they hold their principall assemblies I doe so not forbid them according to their office to withstand the outraging licentiousnesse of Kings that I affirme that if they winke at Kings wilfully raging over and treading down the poore Communalty their dissembling is not without wicked breach of falth because they deceitfully betray the liberty of the people whereof they know themselves to be appointed pro●ectours or defen● ours by the ordinance of God This ●estimony I co●●eive to be as compleat an● opposite as can ●e desired only for me●s perve●ting the l●●ter part of the last ci●ed paragraphes from those words I speak alway of private men c. to the end of that Sect ha●h 〈…〉 both the honour of that teste● amongst loyall subjects and the validity of that testimony in so honourable a cause as t is now produced in but with Gods assistance I trust I shall vindicate both by this candid explication of those words and cleare manifestation of their true sco● e and intent I speake alway of private men saies Calvin but in what case and of