Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bear_v	end_n	truth_n	1,796	5	6.9490	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79437	The Catholick hierarchie: or, The divine right of a sacred dominion in church and conscience truly stated, asserted, and pleaded.	Chauncy, Isaac, 1632-1712.	1681 (1681)	Wing C3745A; ESTC R223560	138,488	160

if the Law be just and equitable a Christian is bound in Conscience to yield positive active obedience not onely for wrath i. e. fear of threat and punishment but for Conscience sake because the Law of God obligeth us to obedience to all the just Laws of men civil Government being his appointment as much as Oeconomical but it 's not mans Law that nextly and immediately bindes Conscience to obedience but Gods and mans Law bindes onely by vertue of and for the sake of Gods Hence a man that breaks the just Laws of man sins against God and eo nomine wrongs his Conscience As on the other hand he that obeys an unjust Law of man i. e. a Law no way warrantable by the revealed will of God breaks Gods Law and if his Conscience tell him so he sins against his Conscience which always aggravates any sin against God Hence if at any time he hath to do with any such Law he ought rather to run the hazard of mans displeasure than Gods God is to be obeyed rather than man if one must be disobeyed and obeying God indemnifies Conscience from the guilt of sin in our disobeying of man in the same act So if a Law of man lies before us which we doubt concerning the lawfulness of we are here at least to suspend active obedience while we seek for further information for whether the thing in it self be sin or no it 's not so much to us at present as whether we are satisfied of the nature of it and know what it is by the light of Truth shining in our Hearts it will amount to sin in us to do a doubtful action if the Apostles Doctrine be true But if the Precepts of men be found upon the best examination to be contrary to God's a Christian's Conscience is the most certainly disobliged his duty lies plain before him God's Law is to be observed and hence it is that some can joyfully suffer all wrongs from the hands of men in the case of refusal of active obedience unto their Laws because they are perswaded either from a truely-enlightned Conscience or from an erring which is binding as to present action for a man must walk by that light he hath or by none at all that such refusal of active Obedience and the sufferings of theirs is agreeable to the revealed minde of God and therefore most justifiable at God's and Man's Tribunal § 6. Here will fall in a great enquiry That although it be true that all Humane Power both Legislative and Executive be limited by a superiour Power yet there 's but few that have the felicity of keeping within prescribed bounds or having such Subjects that will not be excepting against the Laws of their Superiours as not agreable to God's Laws and this they will make the Plea for their disobedience Both Superiours and Inferiours will plead Conscience though never so unrighteously what should be done in this case Unto this Allegation many things may be said for it 's sufficiently known that though every Law primarily requires active Obedience yet upon a Transgression it is satisfied with the due execution of the Penalty but for the future expects active Obedience and a reiterated refusal of Obedience the Law looks upon as presumptuous and is really so if this continuation at enmity with the Law be voluntary and deliberate after sufficient Information and Conviction And if this refusal be conjoyn'd with resistance it is no better than Rebellion which we explode as unwarrantable for a Christian About Presumption we distinguish there is that which is really so and that which is onely called so by an unjust Law and mistaking Judge Persisting in refusal of obedience after conviction of our duty is presumption and a sin against God whoever the Law-maker is But if such persistance be justified by the light of God's Law in Conscience it is not a presumptuous sin or any sin at all against God however man may term it a presumptuous breach of his Law for a conscientious Christian can no more obey an unrighteous Law after suffering than before § 7. In all cases of voluntary deliberate refusal of active Obedience to a Law there is and must needs be a wrong done to the Law-giver or Subject To the Law-giver if his Power Law and Ends be good and they not answered for the first end of every Law is and ought to be active Obedience as beforesaid the Law of God first obliging us so to the just Laws of man and the end of the execution of punishment is for the reducing the sufferers to active Obedience and the exemplary restraint of others from Disobedience Hence it follows that a deliberate resolved and constant undergoing of Suffering in this way of refusal is a practical charging the Magistrate with the highest Usurpation and Tyranny in imposing Laws of that nature and therefore the greatest disparaging testimony born against his Law a great reputation in the judgement of the world to the Cause pleaded for let it be truth or errour and the most exemplary disappointment of the Magistrates Law-making ends whereby others are greatly emboldened to the same kind of refusal § 8. In all cases where Magistrates abuse their Power they do a wrong to the supream Judge in going beyond his Commission and intrenching on his Prerogative and do apparent injury to the Subject 1. In that an inferiour subordinate Law-giver hath bereaved him by a Law of those just Liberties and Priviledges granted to him by the Charter of his supream Law-giver 2. In afflicting and grieving his Subject by imposing an unjust Law and causing him to suffer by it when he pleads exemption by a Law in full force and a discharge from a higher Court and is praiseworthy for the said refusal not to be condemned no nor reproached as an evil doer or presumptuous for his permanency in non-obedience 3. In laying his Subject under a necessity of continued and reiterated sufferings he being obliged in Conscience or else to answer the default at a higher Tribunal constantly to persist in his refusal to yield such Obedience though he is to pass under renewed and reiterated penalties for a man to return to obedience after a deliberate suffering is a visible practical condemnation of himself for his former refusal which would greatly reflect on his honour both as a man or a Christian unless by the access of further light he findes his Conscience did erre and so be convinced of his duty then it becomes him both as a man and Christian to retract Humanum est errare beluinum in errore persistere § 9. Now seeing such inevitable wrong lights somewhere in cases of these deliberate refusals it will be enquired who or what must determine to the satisfaction of each party both standing highly on their Justification To which I answer An actual reconciliation is utterly impossible rebus sic stantibus because it will be as the greater overswaying earthly power will have it Deo