Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bad_a	good_a	reason_n	1,431	5	5.5448	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A21109	The royal lavv: or, The rule of equitie prescribed us by our Sauiour Christ Math. 7.12. Teaching all men most plainly and briefely, how to behaue themselues iustly, conscionably, and vprightly, in all their dealings, toward all men. To the glory of God, and good of Gods church, explaned: by Ricaard [sic] Eburne minister of the Gospel at Hengstridge in Somersetshire.	Eburne, Richard.	1616 (1616)	STC 7472; ESTC S118399	52,023	78

Seneca must be briefe that it may the more easily be conceiued and remembred of the vnskilful or as a word from heauen vttered It ought to command not to discourse or dispute 2. They must haue asmuch perspicuitie and plainnesse as may be Perspicuitie is either in the words themselues wherewith the law or in the language wherewith the words of the Law are expressed If the one be such as is familiar and naturall to them and the other such as is plaine and easie to be vnderstood of them for whome the lawes are made If a trumpet giue an vncertaine sound who will make himselfe readie to the battaile 3. They must be needefull and necessary for the time and place wherin they doe liue for whom they are made The due regard whereof cannot but require many repeales and alterations many qualifications and exceptions to be made from time to time Legum etenim humanarum tanta varietas imperfectio instabilitas est ut singulapoenèiam non secula amplius sed lustra ferè novas leges restrictiones ampliationes modificationes novas c. ferant importent For saith one So great is the variety imperfection and vnstabilitie of humane lawes and affaires that not only euery age but also euery other yeare in manner they admit and require new lawes restrictions and extensions new qualifications c. to be had and made 4. They must be equall and indifferent And this aswell in respect of the persons indifferent to all not easing some and grieuing others nor respecting these and neglecting those as if they were aliis mater aliis noverca to some a mother to other some a step-mother as of the penaltie which must be such as may by the sharpenes seuerity thereof suffice to conteine those within their bounds whom precept alone cannot preuaile withall and not by the lacke or leuity thereof as if they were counsels rather then lawes open gaps and leaue way at will to those that will violate and breake them Salutaris seuerit as quam dictat communis ratio ordo publicus postulat inanem speciem clementiae vincit For Holesome Seueritie which common reason appointeth and publike order requireth easily putteth downe the vaine shew of Clemencie as saith that worthy Polititian Tullie Secondly as it is a precept the vse thereof concerneth 1. the executing 2. the vsage 3. the want 4. the ignorance and 5. the defects of humane lawes In executing lawes already extant this Rule of Equitie doth require That such fidelitie and sincerity be vsed that the lawes may haue their due course and effect which is to maintaine vertue and suppresse vice defend the good and correct the euill that the common good be sought and preferred that partialitie and respect of persons be auoided that the Law be not wrested nor true Iudgement peruerted that Iustice be not denied or delaied that none with vnnecessary suites or vnreasonable expenses be vexed and consumed c. Which courses if Magistrates if Officers and others to whome the managing of the lawes is committed doe not carefully and constantly obserue in vaine doe they pretend that they due to others as they would bee done vnto and they well deserue to bee numbred among those which as the Prophet saith Convertunt iudicium in absinthium iustitiam in terra relinquunt turne Iudgement into wormwood and leaue off righteousnesse in the earth For the vsage of Lawes by such as take the benefite thereof it is too truly obserued and too often seene that diuerse that doe goe to law doe egregiously abuse it in that albeit they know in their own consciences that they haue a bad cause yet will needs proceede or not respecting whether their cause be good or bad will not bee quiet and this either vpon a vaine desire and diuellish delight they haue to be quarrelling vpon which noxious humour they do feede themselues liue none otherwise then doth the Salamander by the fire as who be no longer well at ease in themselues then while they be at trouble variance which others or for that in the aboundance of their malice and hatred toward them for they can not goe to law but with a spitefull minde and malicious spirit they desire to plague the aduerse parties to vexe them extreamly to make them spend their mony and if they can do it to vndo them or for that trusting in their owne subtilties craftie heads they take a glorie that they are able by some or other indirect and cunning courses to make an ill cause seeme good to blinde the iudge cast a mist before wise mens eyes that they may not easily see what is truth right or finally for that counting themselues wronged and discredited if any cause good or bad go against them they resolue neuer to giue ouer while possibly they can finde any delaies any shifts or deuices whatsoeuer till they haue so worne wearied out their aduersaries that at length they must be enforced to forsake giue ouer their good cause and iust title But detesting such wicked vnconscionable and prophane courses too commō in these our euil daies we must know That then only in this respect we doe as we would be done vnto if we vse law which of it selfe is good and holy if a man vse it lawfully not as fooles and children do their daggers which are out at euery flie but as wisemen doe their armour that is as our last refuge when all other and easier helpes doe faile If we make it not a rigorous Iudge to reuenge our wrongs in the highest degree sharpest measure but an indifferent Arbitratour with all lenity and moderation to decide a cause or resolue a question twixt vs and our neighbour Lastly if we reckon him we contend and goe to law withall not our enimie but our friend considering as we should it is the cause and not the party the matter not the man wee must prosecute and haue to doe withall and accordingly therefore doe so deale with him and follow the suite that it may appeare we seeke not his trouble but our owne ease his losse but our right nor haue any minde or delight to vexe or hurt him but to quiet and benefit both him and vs him as well as ourselues For the want of Lawes If there fall out as oft there may and doth any new case in which there is yet no nationall no positiue law enacted till this be done for supply thereof wee must haue recourse to this Ground of lawes and in that case so doe and so deale as it doth informe vs Assured we cannot doe amisse so long as wee doe not decline from this A man may not thinke in such an Accident There is no law for it no statute no Act of Parliament therefore I will doe or I may doe what I list No If there be no statute or law for

deceiued and whose hands will not be bribed euery man shall answere for himselfe They for doing ill to vs wee for doing the like vnto them againe Our Sauiour doth not say As other men doe to others so doe you to them likewise Example though it be a common yet it is not alwaies a currant rule Viuitur legib non exemplis We ought to liue by Precept not by president Truth it is men are much addicted this way so that hardly will many bee perswaded that can be ill done of any which is ordinarily done of many or they walke amisse which follow the mightie Tutumest peccare autoribus illis There can be no danger in going ill if such goe beforevs still But the Scriptures are plaine and peremptorie to the contrarie The gate is wide and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many goe in there at therefore wee must not follow the most Doe any of the Rulers beleeue on him Christ Therefore followe not the greatest if the great bee good and the most be best we may follow both otherwise Better is good company vnto heauen then great company vnto hell and safer to fast with Lazarus alone then feast with Diues and all his brethren Numerus pusillus non obest vbi abundant Pietas nec multiplex prodest vbi abundat Impietas The smalnesse of a number that fauour a cause nothing hurteth where Pietie doth abound saith one nor doth the greatnesse of the number any thing helpe when as Impietie beares the sway His reason is Non multitudo sed causa damnationem vel iustificationem adducit It is not the number but the cause it selfe that doth either iustifie or condemne Wherefore to conclude our point howsoeuer others deale with other men yet must we not make that a President for vs vnlesse we beassured they haue so dealt with them as of right they should And then is not so much their example as that whence they tooke their example our direction According whereunto he said well and worthiethe obseruatiō that said thus Non exempla aliorum quaerenda sed consilium est eorum a quib exempla nata sunt obseruardum Wee are not so much to looke vpon other mens examples as to obserue their purpose and intent from whom the examples are taken or drawne Neither doth our Sauiour say Whatsoeuer others would or say they would you should doe to them so doe to them This also is not the right sence nor rule For though euery man should best know what is good for himselfe yet since as women troubled with the disease Pica doe often long for things scant wholesome or naturall and regard little meates good and nourishable so men and women both surprized with passions of feare loue c. with the affections of couetousnesse licenciousnesse c. may either will and desire or at least being asked or vrged say they doe will desire that which indeed either they doe not or should not Their will or their words may not therefore be our warrant By examples I shall haply bee more plaine Potiphers wife is willing Ioseph shall come into her companie but Ioseph notwithstanding her offer end desire cannot be perswaded it may be lawful for him to condescend therto Naaman is very desirous to bestow vpon Elisha for curing him of the leprosie talents of siluer and changes of rayment but may it bee a question whether as his man did the Prophet also might not haue taken them A drunkard is content thou shalt make him drunke but yet I beleeue his consent cannot free thee if thou doe it from the curse which God hath threatned to such beasts The old Rule Volentium fit iniuria No force no harme in such cases holds not Such voluntarie consent can neither rectifie nor iustifie the Action when there is nothing but viciousnesse and corruption in the intention Nor doth our Sauiour say As you haue beene accustomed to doe to others so doe to them still Euen as you and your forefathers haue hitherto vsed them so continue Vse them no worse then heretofore you haue done and then though you vse them no better it is no matter Not so neither This also is no safe nor sound course many things may bee customable which yet are not commendable and vsed to bee done which often were fitter and better vndone Such practise is rather Heathenlike then Christian-like and drawes neerer the doctrine of the Pharisies of old and of Antichrist of new then either of Christ himselfe once or good Christians since For what is it else that the Pharisies did so much stand vpon vnder name of the traditions of their Elders and what did they censure our Sauiour and his Disciples so hardly for but their customes And what was it that our Sauiour did again so deepely taxe them for whē he saith Full well yee haue cast away the commandements of God to obserue your owne traditions but the obseruation of their superfluous or superstitious customes The pretence whereof may carry a shew with men but with God is of no force and may preuaile In soro communi in the temporall court but in soro conscientiae in the truly spirituall Court the Court of Conscience can not stand The Fathers of the Church that had many a fight with the heathenish customes and foolish fashions vsed in and before their daies bee most plaine and pregnant in this point Veritate manifestata cedat consuetudo veritati After the truth is manifested saith S. Aug. let custome giue place to truth and a little after Nemo sit qui ausit Consuetudinem praeferre veritati Let none presume to preferre custome to verity So S. Cyprian Omnis consuetudo quantumuis antiqua cedat veritati Let any custome how ancient soeuer it be giue place to verity His reason is Consuetudo sine veritate vetustas erroris Custome without truth is but an old errour Quae quò magis obtinuit tanto magis grauat which the longer it hath held the more it doth hurt The Lawyers likewise both ciuill and common be also of the same Iudgement Consuetudo non valet quae rationem vincit That custome is of no worth which is against reason Consuetudo absque ratione non habet vim Custome without reason is without force The Gregorian Decretals tell vs thus Consuetudo non derogat iuri naturali seu divino Custome doth not preuaile against the law of nature or Gods law For Christus dixit Ego sum veritas non consuetudo Christ said I am the truth not I am the custome Further yet Mandamus quatenus huiusmodi consuetudinem vel potius corrupte iam curetis extirpare We command saith he speaking of some vnreasonable custome that yee endeauour to roote out such a custome or corruption rather And againe Tenore Praesentium declaramus vos non teneri ad huiusmodi consuetudines obseruandas By the tenour