Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bishop_n	ecclesiastical_a	king_n	2,997	5	4.1467	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91796	Plain dealing: or the unvailing of the opposers of the present government and governors. In answer of several things affirmed by Mr. Vavasor Powell and others: shewing, 1. That there is no reason to oppose or finde fault with the present government. 2. That there is not any scripture that doth justifie their opposing the present government. 3. That the word of God is for the present government and governors, and requireth us to own them and to be subject to them. 4. That the holy scriptures are against the opposition that is made against the present government and governors. 5. Reasons to prove that his highnesse Oliver Cromwell and the right honourable his councel ought to execute the legislative power. / By Samuel Richardson.	Richardson, Samuel, fl. 1643-1658.	1653 (1653)	Wing R1412; Thomason E865_3; ESTC R207618	24,991	24

nor that they will be quiet and even then he dealeth friendly with them in that they are only secured and not put to no torture and that to prevent further danger for that man that hath spoken most against him and much abused him c. though he should not confesse his fault in so doing yet if he stould promise to be quiet and peaceable for the future he would freely forgive him and quickly set him at liberty which sheweth that all that is aimed at is the preservation of the peace and safety of the people this is no hard measure yet for this he is blamed if they say they detest the imprisonment of the Saints they plead it is their conscience to oppose c. and their testimony but that is no argument to exempt any from punishment if it were there should no one be punished for any fault whatsoever though it were insurrections adultery and murder that is some mens conscience and testimony 3. So they say men are committed for they know not what this is also untrue they and others know it is for speaking and indangering the civill peace or for not promising to be peaceable So Mr. Powell complains because they are not brought to their trial it 's well for some of them they are not brought to their triall if they should they might suffer the Bishop of Canterbury petitioned to be brought to his triall they granted his Petition and cut off his head but not without cause 4. One of them said that day the Government was proclaimed that it should not continue a year ye see it hath continued longer therefore it was from a lying spirit or at best from a mistake yet he will go on in opposing it 5. They say the Army fought against the late King because he was King if they did so they did ill but I do not beleeve they were so simple if the being a King is unlawfull why are we required to pray for Kings why should Christ and Saints be Kings he hath made us Kings Rev. 5. 10. I was never against Kingly government but against their coersive power in matters meerly religious 6. They say the King lost his life because he was King no it was for beginning the war and the guilt of the bloud shed in it c. 7. Mr. Powell saith we build again what before we destroyed this is also untrue for they have destroyed corporall punishments in matters religious and that is not built again also I know some call the triets Antichristian but I do not see them prove it So they say it was but a pretended necessity for the doing that his Highnesse hath done So they might say of David eating the shew-bread Mat. 12. So some of them had a hand in breaking up the first Parliament I aske them if they opposed the Parliament upon a pretended necessity there is ground to beleeve he would not have done some things that he hath done if absolute necessity of preventing evill and danger had not occasioned it how can they judge of the greatnesse of the necessity that are ignorant of the designers their designs their causes and their circumstances and tendencies Surely those who frequently judge of the measure of the necessity and so judge unwisely and unjustly of the necessity and censure and condemn others 9. Mr. Powell saith these men who now build what they did once destroy and justifie what they did once condemn witnesse their own writings particularly the Declaration of the Officers and Souldiers of the English Army August 1. 1650. pag. 7. 12. whereof the Lord Cro●well was Generall the words whereof are as followeth We are perswaded in our consciences that the late King and his Monarchy was one of the ten hornes of the beast spoken of Rev. 17. 13 14 15. and that we were called forth by the Lord to be instrumental to bring about that which was our continuall prayer unto God viz. the destruction of Antichrist and the deliverance of his Church and people and upon this single account we ingaged not knowing the deep policies of worldly states-men and have ever since hazarded our lives in the high places in the field where we have seen many wonders of the Lord against all the opposers of the work of Jesus Christ whom we have all along seen going with us and making our way plain before us and having these things singly in our eye namely the destruction of Antichrist the advancement of the Kingdome of Christ the deliverance of his Church and the establishment thereof in the use of his Ordinances in purity according to his Word and the just civill liberties of English men 1. Observe It saith the late King was one of the ten horns of the beast not as he was King nor as he was chief Governor but because he gave his power viz. his horn his strength to the beast the false Church of Rome may be called a beast for her beastlinesse the Lord Bishops and Popes Priesthood and so became one with Antichrist of whom they were the late King and his Monarchy was a mixt power Civill and Ecclesiasticall together he assume the title of Defender of the Faith which the Pope gave to Henry 8. King of England Supreme in all causes Civill and Ecclesiasticall head of the Church and so assumed the name and office of Jesus Christ to be a law-giver in matters of Religion for what the Bishops did herein was by and under his authority all which is proper only to Jesus Christ he is the head of his Church Col. 1. 18. Ephes. 4. 15. he is the only Law-giver in matters of Religion Jam. 1. 12. therefore it is blasphemy to give the titles of Iesus Christ to the King therefore it is said the names of blasphemy was upon the head of the beast 2. With his horn viz. power the late King pushed and goared the people of God persecuted the Saints for not yeelding subjection to Antichrists lawes he had an imposing spirit in matter of Religion which is the spirit of Antichrist and such a King and Monarchy is not set up nor desired 3. They declare Gods call to endevour the destruction of Antichrist and this they have done in part in destroying him and that wicked Government God requireth his people to make war with Babylon Antichrist the army of the Dragon to shoot at her spare no arrowes Ier. 50. 14. God ordaineth his arrowes against the persecuters Psal. 7. 13. they that are with the Lamb Rev. 14. 1. are to make war with the Dragon and his army and there is great joy in the army of the Lamb to wound a chief officer as a Major Generall as the late King was in the army of the dragon and I saw him wounded and fell I shouted for joy 4. It saith that they sought the destruction of Antichrist this they have done as for the outward part of it in England in separating Civill power and excluding the Ecclesiasticall 5. It saith they

but Gods owning the Government and Governors God hath testified his owning them and we are to follow the Lord which way soever he goeth therefore we are to own them and assist them with our persons and estates lest we sin and suffer for it as the Citizens of that great City of Constantinople did who refused to part with so much money as was necessary to oppose their enemies though they were besought with tears to do it they would not neither freely nor by force they stood for the priviledge of the subject it was not their priviledge to keep that money that the publick stood in need of though they thought so it was their ruine there not parting with some of their estates they lost that goodly City and lost all their money and treasure and their lives also the enemy seeing so great treasure and supply wondred at their folly The fourth is That the holy Scriptures are against the opposition that is made against the present Government and Governors This is proved 1. Because the Scripture saith Put them in minde to be subject to principalities and powers to obey Magistrates Tit. 3. 1 2. In resisting the powers they resist the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Rom. 13. 2. Object If so then ye sinned in resisting the late King and so resisted the ordinance of God 1. To this I answer three things the first is That our resistance was but a defensive war which a King of England approved of when against himself See Acts Monuments Church 3 book end pag. 74. 2. Also the late King in beginning the war became guilty of all the bloud shed in it if that had been all there was sufficient cause for that to cut him off 3. Also the King was one with Antichrist against whom we are commanded to make war 2. The opposers of the present Government c. sin in that they do not seek the peace of the Nation but in stead thereof they disturb and indanger the peace of it for if they who were in captivity in a strange land were to pray and seek the peace of that place Jer. 29. 7. then much more ought the opposers and we to seek and pray for the peace of our native Countrey where we are not captives but enjoy very great liberties and priviledges and that which is my duty to do I may promise to my power to do and if I seek not the peace of the place I sin the opposers are so far from seeking the peace of it that they are not willing that others seek it that they shoot their sharp arrowes bitter words at those that oppose their opposition 3. The opposers sin in that they neglect to own the work God is a doing in this generation which is a part of that generation work appointed for us to do some that now oppose have owned Gods work and now appear to leave following the Lord and cease owning the work God is now a doing and seek what in them lies to hinder God and man in that work 4. The opposers sin because in so doing ye nourish the works of the flesh which ye should mortifie and crucifie The works of the flesh are manifest in their opposition hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions Gal. 5. 19 20. One of them said in the pulpit he wondred women could lye so quietly by their husbands and not provoke them c which tended to the destruction of humane society Is this to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified or rather is that preaching that crucifie Christ They also shew us what lieth in the bottome of their hearts we see like end like means all is nought God is not with you herein to you it is not given what ye extraordinarily insinuate God with us and gards of Angels do ye think God will not take care of his great name will God leave his people and bring to nothing the many and great deliverances he hath given us He that hath begun our enemies ruine will if they repent not make an end Psal. 140. 4 8. 5. They sin in that they say against his Highnesse whether it be true or false if it be true ye uncover your fathers nakednesse this God condemns Ezek. 22. 10 He was cursed that saw his fathers nakednesse and told it and he blessed that covered it Gen. 21. 22 23 26 27. 6. Ye sin in that ye act contrary to the Word of the Lord Mat. 18. 15. but in stead thereof ye rail like mad men for so ye are judged to be by many that hear you 7. Ye sin in that ye speak and affirm many things which are untrue to carry on your design and to make the Government and those in authority and us odious 1. Ye say ye are persecuted for Christ and for Religion this I have proved false in my late Apologie and that in so saying ye persecute his Highnesse as Gal. 3. 29 30. Act. 22. 14. 9. 4. 5. 1. Mr. Feak saith the words of his Mittimus are to commit c. in order to the peace and safety of the Nation by which it appears it is not for Religion 2. So they say that the Saints are committed for their consciences this is untrue for they are imprisoned for their words that oppose the present Government and Governors is a thing of great concernment and indangering the civil peace to deny the authority under which we live to oppose the Government and civill Magistrate causeth debate debate causeth a difference difference causeth divisions and sidings of parties sidings of parties causeth envie and jealousies and condemning of each other and that causeth variance and variance greatly distracts mens mindes distractions of mens mindes maketh seditions seditions bring in tumults tumults work insurrections and rebellion insurrections make depopulations and desolations and bring utter ruine and destruction of mens states and lives and the whole N●tion The offence some of them commit tends to this every Governor is bound by the law of nature to use the means to preserve the peace and welfare of the people some of their words that oppose the Government c. strike at both and it were a great sin in those in authority to suffer it if the good man of the house will not suffer his house to be digged through much lesse is their practise to be suffered if a good man do ill it is so much the worse for so much as he is in esteem or eminent for knowledge or goodnesse so much the more evill and dangerous and taking is the evill that he doth and so much the more care and means is to be used to prevent the spreading of that evil and so much the greater punishment he deserves that commits the evill saints are to be under the temporall sword His Highnesse hath shewed great love patience and forbearance to those that oppose and abuse him and indanger all untill there appear no remedy or hope of gaining them