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
A89341	The necessity of Christian subjection. Demonstrated, and proved by the doctrine of Christ, and the Apostles; the practice of primitive Christians, the rules of religion, cases of conscience, and consent of latter orthodox divines, that the power of the King is not of humane, but of divine right; and that God onely is the efficient cause thereof. Whereunto is added, an appendix of all the chief objections that malice it selfe could lay upon His Majestie, with a full answer to every particular objection. Also a tract intituled, Christus Dei, wherein is proved that our Soveraign Lord the King is not onely major singulis, but major universis.	Morton, Thomas, 1564-1659.; Jones, John, d. 1600.	1643 (1643)	Wing M2844; Thomason E62_18; Thomason E93_11; ESTC R571	28,546	41

cause of all Republiques therfore he is also the sole efficient cause of this power 6 Arg. 2. The Primary finall cause of Civill Societies as I have prov'd SECT 1. is divine worship which man could not prefix to himselfe as his end but he was created by God for and to that end and onely God prefixed that end to man Therefore this is a divine end which cannot be atchieved without a divine Power as I have also proved in the same Section n. 4. onely God then is the immediate Efficient cause of this power 7. And from thence it proceeds that Kings acknowledging themselves to have received this divine power principally for this primary end their Oathes at their Coronation are as the Observer very grutchingly granteth more precise in the care of Canonicall Priviledges and of Bishops and Clergy men than of the Commonalty and not from the reason which he gives viz. because they were penned by Popish Bishops For whether the Bishops were Popish or Protestant surely they are not to be blamed ex hoc capite but most highly to be reverenced that according to their profession and duty they put Kings in mind in the first place of divine worship and their owne and their peoples eternall salvation depending thereupon And I cannot understand why the Observer should give that reason but onely to seduce the Vulgar into a base and profane misconceiving and vilifying of the royal power of Kings and their sacred Oathes For Popish without all doubt in his Dictionary signifieth superstitious at least if not Idolatrous But if it be superstition for a man to be more precise in the care of Divine Worship and his soules everlasting salvation than of any other his temporall end or affaire see Section 1. n. 3. in vaine then have all Christians hitherto believed that they were in a true Religion Let the Observer consider what censure he deserves for thus finding fault with Kings Oathes and whether hee gives not just cause of suspicion that he is rather an Atheist than a Christian It is well knowne to all Christians that Quaerite primùm Regnum Dei justitiam ejus is no invention of Popish Bishops but our Blessed Saviours owne Doctrine and Rule not only to Bishops but to all Kings and people whatsoever as the principall to which as an Accessorium followes haec omnia adjicientur vobis Mat. 6.33 8. Arg. 3 When private families first joyned themselves into a Common body of society before any Condictum Paction or Agreement amongst themselves to enact positive Lawes for their government there was an inherent power in them to enact such Lawes For who can make a Law without a power But this power not being the effect but the most necessary cause of all humane pactions or positive Lawes cannot have its origen from man but onely from God Ergo God is the sole Efficient cause of this power 9. Arg. 4. When men first associated themselves into a Common-wealth they were all of equall Right and Power so that none I speake of severall families still as before could challenge superiority the one over the other For this divine naturall power viz. Se defendere vim vi repellere was inherent in every one of them and obligeing them The power then which accrewed to to the aggregation of the whole society was not made but brought as being no other than what was in all and every particular Member of that society before But that is a Divine power and the immediate effect of God Ergo. And indeed in the due mnnaging or excercising of this divine naturall law of se defendendo and vim vi repellendo consists totally the security and Salus Populi and the power of the Common-wealth to maintain it 10. Arg. 5. God Almighty is so solely the Legislator and Author of his owne Lawes without the concurrence or consent of any other Councell quis enim consiliariu●●●us fuit aut quis prior dedit ei Rom 11.33 That they have their establishment onely in and by his own will So that no power whatsoever of his Creatures can by any contraition against him invalid or annull those Lawes But non occides is a Divine naturall Law and precept expressed in the Decalogue Therefore no Pactions or agreements of men can give this power of putting a man to death no more than Cain could kill Abel But on the other side it is manifest that Republikes have a lawfull power of putting men to death without which they could not preserve their owne safety Therefore they have it from God And how soon God gave this power to men I know not nor cannot find untill after the floud when Gen. 9.6 we read this expresse positive divine Law and precept given to the Civill Magistrate Quicunque effuderit humanum sanguinem fundetur sanguis illius SECT 4. 1. The Finall Cause of Regall power must of necessity be the same that is of the Common-wealth because the King is the administrator of the power of the Common-wealth to the same end no doubt for which it was first ordained of which having spoken largely before I have no need to say any thing here 2. The maine question is who is the efficient cause of Regall or Monarchicall power Which the Observer boldly averres to be not God but the people And upon this false ground he vents all those swarmes of false inferences throughout his whole discourse 3. But before I lay down the true Resolution of this question I must desire my reader to mark with good heed the great difference that is between the power it selfe of a Common-wealth and the authority to administer that power for the people may be the Efficient Cause of this second though not of the first As for example the Aldermen of London may elect nominate and constitute such or such a man to be their Lord Major to administer the power that belongs to the Corporation of that City and herein they may be the Efficient cause of his Authority to administer the power of the City but not of his power because that is the gift of the King by his Charter of which his Majesty therefore is the onely efficient cause and not the Aldermen nor all the people of that Corporation whatsoever 4. I have proved all along in the precedent Sections that the Civill power of a Common-wealth is not a humane but divine power of which not the people but God onely is the Efficient cause It is true indeed that it is in the voluntary election of the people to authorize one or few or more with the administration of this power And as long as this Authority is still elective in the people they may by consent of the major part alter their forme of Gubernation into Democraticall Oligarchicall Aristocraticall or Monarchicall as they please And herein the Observer saith truely that God is no more the Author of Regall than of Aristocraticall power for whether this power be in many or in one

it is still the same divine power of the Common-wealth though diversly administred of which God onely is the efficient cause But when the people have once resigned up all their authority into the hands of one and his heires for ever so that now it is not any longer elective in them but hereditary in him then not onely the power but the authority also to administer that power is solely inherent in him and his heires unalterably and irrevocably for ever 5. This then is my first Assertion The Efficient cause of Regall or Monarchicall power is not the people but onely God I speak in this Assertion not of conditionall Princes but onely of absolute Kings and Monarchs My first proofe then is When the people create a King they elect his person and authorize him with the administration of the absolute power which is inherent in the whole Common-wealth to governe it selfe otherwise he is no absolute King of whom onely I speak and so doth the observer also But this power as I have proved is not an humane but a divine power of which God onely is the Efficient Cause Therefore God onely and not the people is the Efficient Cause of Regall power 6. My second proofe God saith expressely Prov. 8.15 Per me Reges regnant c. Then their Dominion or power by which they reigne is immediately from God Christ saith to Pilate Joh. 19.11 Non haberes potestatem c. nisi tibi datum esset desuper Then this power is not from below from men but from above from God St. Paul saith Rom 13.1 Omnis anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit non est enim potestas nisi à Deo And qui resistit Potestati Dei Ordinationi resistit And non sine causa gladium portat For what cause Dei enim minister est v●ndex in iram c. Then Regall Power is Divine power and the Ordinance of God wherein the King is not the peoples but Gods Minister as being invested and annoynted interiorly in his person by him with a Divine power of which the exteriour Vnction is a sacred Ceremonous Commonefactive and solemne Testimony And for this cause Gyrus though a Heathen King is called by God himselfe Isay 45.1 Christus meus Gods own annoynted The holy King Josaphat saith to those whom he had constituted Judge 2. Paralip 19.6 Non hominis exercetis judiciam sed Domini Then it is not a humane power but a divine power by which the King doth judge and rule his people From hence I infer two Corollaries 7. The first That there is a two-fold trust in the King The one of his power The other of the administration of his power The first is Gods trust unto him to exercise his divine judgements The second is the peoples to administer it Propter salutem populi But if he swerve herein seeing that the power is divine and residing and inhering onely in him and not in the people he is not liable to the people but onely to God 8. The second Corollarie As God is the sole efficient cause of Regall power so the instrumentall cause which conveighes this power is the divine naturall Law obliging men to unite themselves into Civil societies For God gives a power to men to govern themselves by obliging them to unite themselves And consequently the election of the people with all the Observers pactions and agreements is but Causa sine qua non by way of approximation that this divine power may reside in those few or more or one rather than in any other As in my former example n. 3. The efficient cause of the Lord Majors power is onely the King The instrumental cause by which this power is derived unto him is the Charter of the City granted to them at pleasure more strictly or more largely by the King And the Aldermens election of this or that particular man is but the approximation that the Kings power may reside in him to governe the City rather than in any other 9 My second Assertion Every absolute King invested and annointed with a divine power by God himself to exercise his judgements through the election of the people to be sole administrator therof is in power super totam Rempublicam Superiour absolutely over the whole Common-wealth And therefore is not only Major singulis but Major Vniversis and super omnes simul This Assertion is evident out of the former For the power that was inherent in the whole Common-wealth to exercise Gods judgements and to governe and preserve it selfe was a divine power not only super singulos but super omnes simul and therefore Major Universis But this power is now totally and absolutely inherent in the King only Ergo he is super totam Rempublicam and Major Universis 10. In confirmation of this argument I argue thus Either the whole power of the Common-wealth is in one or no. If no then he is no absolute King or Monarch contrary to our supposition But if he be a Monarch I aske againe if there be a powet in the Common-wealth which is not in him is it subordinate to his power or no if it be subordinate then his power is above that power and so super totam Rempublicam and Major Universis If it be not then there are simul semel two supream Civill powers in a Common-wealth two supream contrary Masters at once to be obeyed one and the same individuall Kingdom and Gubernation and yet divided against it selfe which are most absurd and impossible 11. From hence it is evident that his Majesty sayd most truely and most learnedly that the administration of the whole power of the Common-wealth being committed in trust absolutely and irrevocably to him and his heires for ever it is impossible that a power above that trust should be committed to others 12. This the Observer in effect plainly confesseth But relapsing into his wonted Paroxismes of strong malice against Regall Power he labours by his most false erroneous Principle Rex est minor Universis and tires himselfe in vaine to answer it And because the strength of all his long tedious and farraginous discourse depends wholly upon these two false grounds viZ. that the people is the efficient cause of Regall power And that Rex est minor Universis and I have manifestly confuted them both I presume I have also sufficiently confuted all the rest and therefore conclude in those sacred words Data est a Domino Potestas Regibus virtus ab Altissimo Power is given to Kings of the Lord and Soveraignty from the highest Sapient 6.3 FINIS

OXFORD 1643. CHRISTVS DEI OR A Theologicall Discourse wherein is proved that Regall Power is not of Humane but of Divine Right and that God only is the Efficient cause thereof and not the People Preface 1 THere is a Book come forth of late barely intituled Observations upon some of His Majesties late Answers and Expresses without any name of the Author or place where it was printed Wherein the Observer so I must call him not knowing him by any other name aimes chiefly and directly to prove that the Hereditary Regall and Monarchicall power of our now present dread Soveraigne King Charles is inferiour and subject to the power of the now present Parliament 2 Which to evince he undertakes to lay down the originall foundation of all Regall power whatsoever according to the efficient finall causes thereof And having made the finall cause to be the safety of the people together with their Civill or Politicall happinesse he also makes the efficient cause to be not God but only the people and the instrumentall cause of conveying and deriving this Regall Power to be not any divine law nor nothing else amongst Christians but the meere humane pactions and Agreements of the Politick body of the people And then arguing by a rule in nature that quicquid efficit tale est magis tale he issueth out this just infe●ence as he calleth it that though the King be singulis major yet he is universis minor and therefore inferior and subject in power to the Parliament 3 Having perused this discourse and finding it to be most injurious to Regall Power or Monarchy contrary to the true principles of State and Divinity or Orthodox Christian Doctrine I thought I might do my King and Country good service to confute these desperate and more than dangerous Positions by declaring and proving the true Originall foundation according to the finall and efficient causes of Regall or Monarchicall Power which with Gods good helpe I hope to do perspicuosly in the few ensuing Paragraphes SECT 1. Of the Primary Finall cause as also of the efficient cause of all Civill Societies or Republiques Because whatsoever is done is done for some end or purpose without which it should not have been done nor had a being therfore it is the constant Doctrine of all Philosophers that the end is the chief and Principall of all causes and therefore for methods sake I will begin with it Now to find out the Primary end of all Civill Societies or Commonwealths we that are Christians must reflect attentively upon those words of the holy Ghost Pro. 16.4 Universa propter semet ipsum operatus est Dominus By which we are ascertained that God Almighty created not only all other Creatures but all man-kind also as for their Primary end for himselfe and his own Praise and glory And as for man in particular God created him to his owne image and likeness endowing him with an understanding and a wil that he might know how to honour and love his Creator and by such love honour might finally become happy in the fruition of his eternall unspeakable and inestimable glory in heaven for means whereto first God dictated certaine Divine precepts and principles unto man imprinted them with his very creation upon his natural reason for which cause they are called divine natural Laws written in every mans heart saith St. Paul Rom. 2.15 that every man might be equally capable to know them and equally obliged to obey them Secondly God infused into him Faith hope and Charity and other supernaturall virtues all tending to this conducement that man following them as his guides might through his obedience to God attain to his owne salvation Thirdly to binde man more strongly to his subjection and to make it appeare more illustriously unto him that therein principally consisted his Welfare as the very End and Center for and to which he was created He gave him an expresse divine Law not to eate of the tree in the midst of Paradise upon pain of death Fourthly by Revelation he instructed him in many particular sacred formes and Rites of exteriour divine worship as sacrifice and other for though we read not any where in holy Writ that Adam offered Sacrifice no more than we doe of Isaac yet we read there that Cain and Abel did and that Abraham and Iacob did But it cnnot be imagined that Cain and Abel were the first Inventors of this most religious and divine worship no more than that Isaac dd neglect it but by Paternall tradition and example they received it from Adam 3. All which duely considered it will appeare evidently that the primary end for which all men are created is to serve honour love obey and worship God From whence it followes that this being mans highest and principallest concerne it ought also to be his highest and pincipallest care to attend to it But most certaine it is that men living divided and scattered over the face of the world without the instruction and assistance one of another cannot possibly performe this for every particular mans behoofe as is requisite And therefore from this finall cause arose primarily a necessity amongst men to unite and combine themselves into civill Societies and Common-wealths This end could not be prefixed by men but men were created for this end by God And therefore this is the primary spirituall supernaturall and divine finall cause of all Republikes to which every other end must be but secondary subordinate and subservient 4 And from hence it followeth further that since on the one side no naturall agent can by it's naturall power compasse the attaining of a supernaturall end and on the other side Civill Societies ought not to be instituted in vaine we must needs conclude that the Primary efficient cause of all Common-wealths is only God PARAGR 2. Of the Secondary finall Cause and also the only Efficient Cause of all Civill Societies and Republiques 1 Every Creature in the world strives to preserve its own kind We see what paines and Care Beasts and Birds take to reare their younglings Trees and Plants beare fruits and seeds to produce the like when they are perished Yea the inanimate Creatures according to their predominant Element and mixture strive every one to obtaine and enjoy their Center And all this not only for their own particular but also for the harmonious Accommodation and preservation of the Vniverse the great and most excellent work of nature wherein she doth nothing in vaine But in vaine had man been if he also had not been provided of necessary meanes towards the Preservation of his kind For which cause God said it was not good for man to be alone and therefore gave him a Woman to be his Helper that so by meanes of generation he might propagate his ofspring to the worlds end 2 This Preservation then of mankind is the maine naturall and secondary end of man And to ths end God gave him his blessing