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	power_n	spiritual_a	1,510	5	6.4164	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31366	The testimony of a cloud of witnesses who in their generation have testified against that horrible evil of forcing of conscience, and persecution about matters of religion ... / composed together, and translated into English, by ... William Caton.	Caton, William, 1636-1665.	1662 (1662)	Wing C1520; ESTC R34418	41,021	63

Heaven unto Wrath and Indignation and it wounds and oppresses the Immortal Soul unto Death and Damnation Surely It is contrary to the very purpose of God in Order of Creation who made and Ordained Mankind free from Bondage and never brought him forth into the World to be a subjected slave to the will of another man in things Temporal much lesse in things Spiritual and relating to Eternity and this work of Imposing by force in matters of Faith Worship and Duty to God of one man upon another or of some Persons over all is certainly an Act of Bondage and Slavery laid as a grievous yoak upon the necks one of another and subjecting one another in Oppression not unto the good Will of the Creator but unto the evil will of mortal perishing and sinful Creature and this differing from and contrary to the pure and perfect Order and Decree of Creation which was blessed altogether and whatsoever is degenerated by Corruption and Erred through Temptation from that Pure and Holy Order of Creation either in things Wordly or Divine is in the Curse and Oposition against the Holy Creator and so is this thing of which I am now Treating Imposition upon Conscience in matters Divine and Temporal Force exercised in Spiritual Cases is the highest Product of Degeneration and the greater degression from the Holy Order of Creation for without Controversie the Creator himself reserved and retained in his alone onely Power the Priviledge of Supremacy in and over the inward man in all the matters Immortal that he might be the onely Lord in that Case and give Spiritual Law to Command and force thereby to exercise the Soul and heart in Fear Love Faith Worship and Obedience to himself that he might be served as the Lord over all most chiefly in respect of the Inward Spiritual and Immortal man This Power of Supremacy I say he reserved and retained in himself in the Creation to exercise over Mankind and did not commit this Priviledge to any other wherefore without Controversie it is an Usurpation of the Creators rightful Dominion it is a robbing of him of his Dignity and Prerogative it is an Act of Violence done against his Soveraignty an audacious intruding into his proper right and a violating of the Law and Decree of Creation for one Person or one People to assume to themselves Power Authority and Government over other Persons and Peoples in Commanding and Imposing in matters Spiritual over their Consciences in the Worship and Service of God and it is such an abomination against the Creator both in the Cause and End of it That he will arise and take Vengeance upon it and he will ease himself of all such his adversaries Again It is contrary to the Law of Love Unity Fellowship and Concord among the sons of men by order of Creation which God appointed to be among them and by Imposing in matters of Spiritual concern as aforesaid that Love Unity Fellowship and Concord among men decreed in Creation is broken and confounded and disannulled among them by reason of the same and Nations and Kingdoms hate and contend one with another Neighbors and Brethren cannot agree but fall into strife one against another Kings and their Subjects Rulers and their People are in discord debate Disobedience and Rebellion one contrary to another by reason that Liberty of Conscience in Worship and Duty to Godwards is wanting in the World and Impositions and force by outward Authority in that Case are prevailing and in Power And thus the Law of Love Unity and Concord Decreed in Creation is violated despised and made voyd and hatred divisions strifes and discords intraduced in its room and abounds in the Spirits and visible actions of the sons of men through the World to the woful effects of killing persecuting and destroying one another Nation of Nation Neighbours of Neighbours and Kings of their Subjects occasioned and grounded upon this thing as the Foundation of the same to wit Imposing by force upon Conscience in matters Divine Wherefore not onely against God is this evil extended to dishonour and disgrace him as is shewed but against man also is this evil and mischief in the effects of it reached forth as ye have seen and the Law of Creation is violated both in respect of Creator and Creature It is in its cause and ground so evil in its works and effects so wicked and mischievous and in its end so provoking and damnable and all this both in respect of God and man that I have not yet Comprehended the height and depth thereof though my Spirit from a Child hath often entered into the serious Considerations of this thing with mourning and sorrow because of it and with testimony and abhorrance against it and at this hour I am a sufferer in body and Spirit because of the same Carnal Imposition upon Conscience in Spiritual things wo unto it my Soul hates and my God will Plague in his season If I should study in searching to find out and to discribe all the evils mischiefs and wofull Inconveniences and effects of this Gulf out of which they ascend I might make this Epistle a large Volumn but since that I have elsewhere written about this matter I shall now Contract this with the saying of the Apostle This Mistery of iniquity doth work untill he be taken out of the way Yea this Imposition upon Conscience opposite to perfect Liberty in the exercise of the same is the onely Main Material Support Prop and Defence of the Kingdome of Antichrist throughout the World at this day and whomsoever as are friends hereunto they are friends to him and they love his wayes and are subjects of his Kingdome and are rebellious against Christ and to his Kingdome they are Enemies Wherefore my heart and soul saith within me would to God I had such a gift of Demonstration by Pen or Tongue and that the same were so forcible and Efficacious to awaken every soul to an abhorrance and dislike of that Spirit Principle and Practice of Imposition upon Conscience that there might be a total turning from the Kingdome of Antichrist which Consists of Falshood Darkness Sin and Enmity of Bondage Oppression and cruel Impositions to the Kingdome of Christ Jesus which Consists of Truth Light and Righteousness of freedome and perfect Liberty in Soul and Spirit Which Kingdome and Government the Lord of Heaven and Earth will promote and Exalt in the Kingdomes of this World which must become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of His Christ according to Promise It hath ever been my Iudgment That want of Liberty and free exercise of Conscience in Spiritual matters and the Contrary Imposed by worldly Power and it remains still with me That this is one main Cause of the woful Distractions in Kingdomes of the unsetledness in States and of many evil Consequences abounding in the Governments of the World and also the Cause wherefore the God of Heaven is angry and provoked

against them and for which Cause he will smite and wound confound and overturn Kingdomes Powers and Authorities even till he Reign whose Right it is who onely and alone will Rule in the free exercise of Soul Spirit and Conscience through the teachings of his own Spirit And though much Opposition and great Contention have been made against this in the World in which men have striven against their own good and welfare yet there is a day and it hastens to come in Power when Imposition upon Conscience by outward worldly force in Cases Divine will be banished the whole Fabrick of the Creation and exiled into the pit of never-rising obscurity and darkness and then shall the Sons of men be delivered from the Violence of it and from all its miserable and mischievous Consequence Then shall the heritage of the Lord rejoyce in Ioy unspeakable being delivered from the oppression under which she hath long mourned travelled and groaned in deep distresse Then shall Nations delight in amity one with another then shall Neighbours rejoyce in Society one among another and then shall Kings and Rulers love their Subjects and People freely and People shall Obey and serve their Rulers with a willing and chearful heart and mind Hereby the God of Heaven should be Glorified and all People become Blessed Amity Love Unity and Concord and the first Creation order and Decree would be restored between God and his Creatures and also between man and man in holy Covenant And this matter to wit Concerning Liberty of Conscience in the free exercise of Godliness hath been of these late years in great Debate and Contest among men in these Nations and some have been of one Iudgement and others of a contrary about this matter and the Contention hath arisen very high even unto Blood and losse of all and is yet remaining undetermined in the minds and Spirits of many people which ought to be resolved in every heart through conviction by sound Arguments of Truth and Divine reason and men ought then to obey the same according to inward Spiritual Conviction and this Case ought not to be determined by Carnal weapons forcibly Compelling people in the Case by the Impositions of Conquest in a Violent way of outward Power And since that This is a Case dubious whether free Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Worship or Imposition about the same is most worthy I therefore upon this necessity calling upon me with my willingness to assist in such a work would add my mite and grain of Knowledge and Wisdome towards the resolving of such a dubious and needful Case And have taken this opportunity and occasion thus to declare my mind and shall leave the effect hereof to the purpose and Providence of the Lord who onely is Wise to work whatsoever he will by whomsoever he pleases for he never yet limited himself to any one Instrument in the bringing forth and accomplishing his purpose however no man is to dispute the Leadings and Commands of God nor yet to measure his obedience to him by either objected or real Consequence in the fruits and effects of his obedience And this is that warrant to wit the leadings of God under the Commission of which the Servants of God do Act in their Obedience and disputes not the Authority nor the Consequence but leaves the Issue of all things to him that Commands The total sum of this matter to wit Liberty of Conscience is very large and requires multitude of Words and many arguments to unfold the Truth of it the vertue of it and the Evil Causes Works and effects of the Contrary but at this time I shall contract the sum into state it in this total head Whether it is not perfect Reason Justice and Equity and that without all Exceptions that every man upon the Earth be permitted in the free exercise of Conscience without any kind of Force put upon him by any man to the contrary to follow that Religion and to live in such Faith and perform such Worship to God as he dares trust his own Soul withal and give account thereof before God in the day of dreadful Judgement My Iudgement is on the affirmative Part in answer to this Question and it is my Iudgement in the Fear and Spirit of the Lord that 't is perfectly reasonable Just and Equal that every man in the World be permitted his Liberty in the free exercise of his Conscience and that without any force imposed upon him to the Contrary to follow that Religion and live in that Faith and perform that Worship to God with which he dares trust his own Soul to the Salvation thereof and the contrary is Unreasonable Unjust and Unequal and this might be amplified in a large manner upon occasion And this is not only my Iudgement alone nor the false Fancy of a single Person but it is the Faith and Judgement of many more and that not of Fools altogether but of the Wise not only of some few men of our Age but of many Ages past whose Principles were for the Toleration of Liberty in the exercise of Conscience in matters Spiritual as in this smal Treatise following more at large appears to which for proof of this Particular and to second the Truth of my Iudgement I do refer the serious and well considerate Reader in which small Piece he may find the Iudgements of divers Persons asserted by their own Sayings concerning the very Case of Liberty of Conscience and what esteem some Kings and Princes and Religious Men have had of the same for this following Piece to which I am now prefacing is no other than a certain sum of brief Collections of the Sayings of Emperors Kings and Potentates of former Ages contracted into this short method for the better Intelligence of all that are inquiring about this occasion and such is mine affection to the present Contraction collected that I wish that all the Rulers and Princes of our Age through the World would seriously read and rightly study the same and improve it to their own advantage in practising the Sayings of their Grave and Wise Progenitors and oh that they would engross this small Piece in their Records and enclose it in their Closets and use the same as Counsel and Instruction to themselves in the Premises the effect of it might prove happy to them if their present Practise would be answerable to the Intimations of the Antients And this small Piece happily ariving the harbour of my hands through the tedious industry of the Collector and through other passages of tempestious Dangers which it lay liable unto I have transported it over a serious view and am affected with it unto my Commendation and approof first of the matter it self and secondly of its Author's pains and Industry in forming of it into this method in which it now appears both of which I cannot but commend and do also herewith recommend to the View Consideration and Instruction of