Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	great_a	motion_n	1,570	5	7.5462	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66762	The modern states-man. By G.W. Esq	Wither, George, 1588-1667.	1653 (1653)	Wing W3172; ESTC R218029	60,150	275

Touchstones to convince the world of the purity of thy metal and on their own shoulders advancing thee above an ordinary height that the World might take notice of thy growth and stature and as with thee so hath she done with others even with all all those whom she intended to advance examples of which both divine and humane histories abundantly offer to our veiw Thus was it with Israel in their conquering the promised land Sihon king of the Amorites first sets upon them then Og king of Baashan came out against them c. thus we find it with divers others in other Authors which to avoid prolixity I shall passe by instancing in one and that so well known that few if any therebe but have heard thereof and that the Common-wealth of Rome which from a small beginning grew up into so vast a body that her Eagles-wings spread over the greatest part of the then known world CHAP. VI The beginning of the Common-wealth of Rome and the causes of its growth THis City or rather Town of Rome being founded by Romulus and inhabitants gathered together from divers places was no sooner built but it was threatned with ruin in its very infancy and the best it could expect was but an ages duration for the greatest part of the inhabitants being single all hope of issue was cut off which onely could afford it a longer life Wives thus wanting and none to be obtained by consent so contemptible were they in the eyes of their neighbours they attempt what craft and force would do and their Plot succeeded to their minds for having proclaimed publick plays and invited their neighbours they suddenly provided themselves wives of the Sabine Virgins which came with their Parents to be spectators Yet this remedy seemed as dangerous as the disease for the Sabines were a great and war-like nation and a Colony of the Spartans after whose manner they lived in Towns without walls reputing themselves safe in their own valour and the Romans could not but expect they would resent the affront But see how fortune which we Christians truly tearm Providence gave them assistance by giving let to the conjunction of their enemies though of one nation and alike interessed in the quarrell First the Caeninenses come against them whose King being slain by Romulus in fight hand to hand and their Army defeated were compelled to leave their old habitations and go and dwell at Rome by the Conqueror who by this means encreased his strength as well as reputation and became the better able to deal with the rest This war done the Fidenates Crustimini and Antenates begin another and run the same fortune and likewise being incorporated with the Victors still encrease the Roman Stock The rest grown wise by these examples unite and put the Romans to such a plunge that it was easie to conjecture what have would have been the issue had they taken this course at first but by the intercession of the women running in between the armies a peace was made and both Nations joyned in one the City keeping its old name of Rome from Romulus the people being called Quirites from the chief Tribe of the Sabines the Roman and Sabine Kings jointly reigning Now could the wisest among the sons of mē have judged that a rape should have begot an union but there is an hand above disposes of things above our suppositions which continued its favour till Rome grew of perfect strength This was he that withdrew Porsenna and changed his enmity into love and admiration that restrained any warlike Marcian or Lucan any Mulius Silo or Telesinus with the joint forces of Italy from falling upon her untill she was able to bear the storm that out supplies off from Hannibal when he had almost born down all before him and made the envy of his own Citizens instrumental to their own ruin that made Antiochus sit still until Philip was brought under and Tigranes look on until Mithridates was beaten out of his kingdom yea that provided work by the Sarmatians for Mithridates till the Marsian war was over that divided the Cimbri and Teutones so that Marius when he had overthrown one party had time to joyn with the other Consull to help destroy the other and suffered not three hundred thousand fighting men in one body to attempt Italy and in like manner the slaves and fencers giving Crassus opportunity to defeat them who had ranged Italy and oft put the Roman Armies to rout that by a few Geese saved the Capitol and caused the unjust banishment of Camillus to be a means to preserve Rome CHAP. VII A Parallel ANd hath not Providence in the same manner dealt with this Common-wealth which was no sooner established in England but it was threatned from Ireland where Dublin Derry and a few forces under Generall Monk were onely left us two being besieged and the third in an incapacity to afford them relief when things were thus desperate God divided the Rebels and made O Neal instrumental in the relief of Derry neither could they be pieced untill Ormond was totally broke and the other party under the Popish Bishop of Clogher fought and routed The Irish cloud almost dissolved a Scotch storm threatens us which yet came not on so suddenly but that we had time to provide shelter Providence causing them to trifle away much time in their treaties and other mockeries insomuch that the greatest part of it fell in their own Nation the tayl only besprinkling some parts of this where it totally vanished And here we can never sufficiently admire Gods goodnesse to this Common-wealth who when the enemy had given our Army the slip and left them so far behind them suffered them not to march up to London but to empound themselves at Worcester and so over-ruled the hearts of this Nation that notwithstanding the malice and hatred of many to the present Government yet not any considerable person or number joyned with the enemy even marching through the most discontented and disaffected Counties The North being cleared the Dutch jealous of our encrease who have found the sweetnesse of a State Government endeavour to clip our wings and to usurp our long held soveraignty of the seas having undermined our Trading a long while before but they may put what they have got by it in their eyes without any danger unlesse of making themselves weep notwithstanding their treacherous and base attempt upon a small squadron with one of our Generals in the time of Ttreaty and before denouncing a war and that even upon our own coast whilst we besides the honour and repute gained abroad are grown more potent at sea in one year than we had like to have been in many ages had they let us been at quiet and even thus the Carthaginians compell'd the Romans to become Masters at sea by their injuries provoking that stout nation to adventure a sea fight though so ignorant that the Consull taught them to row by sitting

and beating poles on the sand and truely little better sea-men were our Redcoats at first CHAP. VIII Of Providence and Vertue and the concurrence of second causes ANd sure now no Christian but will acknowledge a divine hand over-ruling in these actings for Englands preservation which even the Heathen observ'd by their dim light in Romes advancement Thus we find that ingenuous moralist Plutarch affirming that though there hath been a great and continual war and feud between Fortune and Vertue yet it is probable they made a truce and united their forces for Romes assistance Again as they report Venus passing over the River Eurotas laid aside her looking-glasse attire and girdle and took a spear and a shield to accompany Lyeurgus so Fortune having deserted the Assyrians and Persians hovered over Macedon suddenly shook off Alexander view'd Egypt and Syria seemingly advanc'd Carthage at last past Tiber laid aside her wings and set up her residence in the Capitol And as He so the Romans themselves were sensible of this divine aid as the multitude of Temples dedicated to Fortune may demonstrate there was the Temple of Fortunae virilis Fortunae muliebris Fortunae primogeniae obsequentis Fortunae privatae Viscatricis Fortunae virginis Fortunae bonae spei Fortunae masculae Fortis Fortunae c. Yet did they not attribute all to Fortune and neglect Vertue of which they were as great admirers and honourers as they were adorers of the other and Plutarch gives it a due place Rome was saith he conducted and encompassed with whole troops of Citizens brandishing bloody weapons enobled with scars received before bedewed with blood and sweat and leaning on half-broken Trophies such as her Fabricii Cimilli Cincinnati Fabii Aemillii Marcelli Scipiones c. And let us but consider and we shall see that Providence works by instruments and God expects the use of means we cannot suppose a victory without a fight lying still and wishing will do nothing D●i munerasua laboribus vendunt it was not hid from the Heathen that the active onely were to expect a blessing the hand of the diligent makes rich and vertuous actions advance States and Persons to honour and dignity For though scientia Dei the knowledg of God be the Cause of things yet being but the Remote cause it takes not away Contingency God himself perceives that some things will evenire contingenter for he doth not onely cognoscere res sed ordinem et modum rerum know things but the order and manner how they shall come to passe He knows there are causae intermediae which are impedibiles et defectibiles as the Schoolmen say and from the wavering of these Second causes the whole rise of Contingency flowes thus in a Syllogism let the Major be Necessary if the Minor be Contingent the Conclusion will be so too though the First cause be certain yet if there be obstructions in the Second no man can assure himself what will be the effect though the spring of motion cannot fail yet if the wheels break the progresse will be very uncertain to all but God who knows whether they will break or no He knows whether such a Nation will use the means or no whether it will improve his blessings or abuse them whether it will imploy the Peace Plenty Wealth Power and Strength it hath received for his glory and the common good or for Pride Luxury and riot so that we only are in the dark yet not altogether are we blind but where we see Vertue on the throne in a Nation there we may foretel a blessing to that people and where Vice predominant that its attendant Ruin is not far off and for this the before-mentioned Common-wealth of Rome affords us an example in both kinds which as it grew up by Vertue to an unparallel'd height so by Vice was its strength broken and its renown turned into shame that Dalilah betraying this mighty Sampson into the hands of his enemies who have fettered him and pulled out his eyes It will not therefore I suppose be a work unworthy our labour to take a veiw of those vertues by which that as other Nations have become renowned and set them for our example for though Heathens they attained to a great height of morality yea such an one as may put most that wear the stile of Christians to the blush CHAP. IX Of the Piety of the Romans the Evill and Danger of Mock-thanksgivings ANd first let us behold their Piety which is not onely the cheif but the file-leader and indeed the ground of all the rest this is that which bridles the most unruly and strikes an aw where reason cannot persuade let this be taken away and with it all fidelity justice purity vanish yea humane society cannot subsist without it as Cicero observes in his first Book de Nat. Deor. Never did they begin any businesse without frequent supplications Civitas religiosa in principiis maximè novornm bellorum supplicationibus habitis obsecratione circa omnia pulvinaria facta Ludos Jovi donumqui vovere Consulem jussit Livie dec 4. l. 1. Supplicatio à Consulibus in triduum ex Senatus-consulto indicta est obsecratique circa omnia pulvinaria Dii quod bellum populus jussisset id bene ac foeliciter eviniret Idem in eodem Never did they obtain a victory or receive a deliverance but publick thanksgivings were decreed and those for one three or more dayes according to the greatnesse of the benefit Magna victoria loetitiaque Romae fuit literis allatis supplicatio in triduum decreta est 40. majores hostiae immiolari juss● Livy Thus when Hannibal was forced to leave Italy after sixteen years war they no sooner heard of it but they ordered solemn and publick thanks Decretum ut quinque dies circa omnia pulvinaria supplicaretur victimaeque majores immolarentur centum viginti Never shall we find them mocking heaven giving thanks for a victory when they had received a losse A practice so superlatively impious that any lesse than an Atheist must tremble but to think on for what is this but to abuse God that man may be deceived making the divine power may it be spoken with reverence as it were a stalking-horse to drive the befool'd people into their nets What is this other than a profest Declaration that their sole confidence is in the arm of flesh not caring how they undervalew Gods glory so they may maintain their own reputation how they provoke him so they may but keep up the spirits of their own party Flectere si nequeunt superos Acheronta monebunt Sith God hath forsaken them they will try what the Devill will do sith Heaven refuses they will try what help Hel will afford them poor wretches not at all considering that whilst they endeavour to rally and patch together a poor routed and broken party of frail men they make omnipotency their foe defying the Almighty himself in so