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	see_v	2,173	5	3.3316	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02059	A good speed to Virginia	Gray, Robert, 16th/17th cent.	1609 (1609)	STC 12204; ESTC S105839	15,771	30

future expectation In those dayes this Kingdome was not so populous as now it is Ciuell warres at home and forreine wars abroad did cut off the ouer-spreading branches of our people Our coūtry thē yéelded vnto all that were in it a surplussage of all necessities it yeelded preferment in due correspondencie for al degrees sorts of men The commons of our Country lay free and open for the poore Commons to inioy for there was roome enough in the land for euery man so that no mā néeded to encroch or inclose from another whereby it is manifest that in those dayes we had no great néed to follow strange reports or to seeke wilde aduentures for séeing we had not onely sufficiencie but an ouerflowing measure proportioned to euerie man Religion and pietie taught vs that séeing our lot was fallen vnto vs in a faire ground and that we had a goodly heritage rather to be content with our own then either politikèly or ambitiously to vndertake vncouth enterprises vnto which necessitie did no way vrge vs. But nowe God hath prospered vs with the blessings of the wombe with the blessings of the brests the sword deuoureth not abroad neither is there any feare in our streets at home so that we are now for multitude as the thousand of Manasses and as the ten thousads of Ephraim the Prince of peace hath ioyned the wood of Israel and Iudah in one troe And therefore we may iustly say as the children of Israel say here to Ioshua we are a great people and the lande is too narrow for vs so that whatsoeuer we haue béene now it behooues vs to be both prudent and politicke and not to deride and reiect good profers of profitable and gainefull expectation but rather to imbrace euery occasion which hath any probabilitie in it of future hopes And seeing there is neither preferment nor employment for all within the lists of our countrey we might iustly be accounted as in former times both imprudent and improuident if we will yet sit with our armes foulded in our bosomes and not rather séeke after such aduentures whereby the glory of God may be aduanced the territories of our kingdome inlarged our people both preferred and employed abroad our wants supplyed at home his Maiesties customes wonderfully augmented and the honour and renown of our Nation spred and propagated to the ends of the world Many examples might be produced to mooue vs hereunto but because they were the practises of rude and barharous people they are no exemplarie presidents for christians but forasmuch as euery example approued in the scripture is a precept I thought good to handle this conference betwéene the tribe of Ioseph a family in the Israel of God Ioshua a faithfull and godly Prince ouer the whole commonwealth of Gods Israel which to my séeming is much like that plot which we haue now in hand for Virginia for here the people of Ephraim and of the halfe tribe of Manasses are a great people and so are we and by reason of the multitude of their people the land is too narrow for them and so stands our case whereupon they repaire to 〈◊〉 to haue his warrant and direction to inlarge their ●●●oers and so haue many of our Noble men of honorable minds worthy knights rich marchants diuerse other of the best dispositiō solicited our Ioshua and mightie Monarch that most religious renowned King Iames that by his Maiesties leaue they might vndertake the plantation of Virginia Lastly as Ioshua not onely giues leaue but also a blessing to the childrē of Ioseph in their enterprises so hath our gratious Soueraigne granted his frée Charter to our people for the vndertaking of their intended enterprise and aduenture so that from this example there is both sufficient warrant for our King to graunt his chacter for the plantation of Virginia and sufficient warrant also for our people to vndertake the same And therefore for the better satisfying of some and for the encoraging of all fortes of people concerning this proiect for Virginia let vs more fully examine the particulars of this discourse betweene the children of Ioseph and Ioshua First we gather from the text that the cause why the children of Ioseph desired to inlarge their borders was the multitude and greatnesse whereunto they were growne God had blessed them according to the prophesie of Iacob Gen. 48. 19. So that the portion which was first thought to be roomie and large inough for them is now too narrowe and little for them What should they do in this case should they prouide and establish lawes to hinder the increase of their people as we reade of Hyppodamus sometimes a law-giuer among the Miles●ans whose example in gouernmēt Aristotle in his 7. booke of Politicks and 16. chapter and Plato in his ● booke Delegibus haue drawne into precept and rule of policie should they decree against building and execting houses luniting a certaine number and no more for euery familie in their tribe as P●●do amongst the Corinthians sometimes did and 〈◊〉 ●●ey of Paris of late enacted taking order that old an● anciēt houses should be repayred but no new edifices erected Anno. 1548 should they haue pestered themselues with Inmates and one houshold haue receiued into it two or three families They put none of these in practise but with one consent they repaire to the Magistrate they complaine that their lot is not large inough theyshew the reason because they are a great people There is nothing more daungerous for the estate of common-wealths then when the people do increase to a greater multitude and number then may instly paralell with the largenesse of the place and countrey for hereupon comes oppression and diuerse kinde of wrongs mutinies sedition commotion rebellion scarcitie dearth pouertie and sundrie sorts of calamities which either bréed the cōuersion or euersion of cities and common-wealths For euen as bloud though it be the best humour in the body yet if it abound in greater quantitie then the state of the body will beare doth indanger the bodie oftentimes destroyes it so although the honour of the king be in the multitude of people Pro. 14. 28. yet when this multitude of people increaseth to ouer great a number the common-wealth stands subiect to many perillous inconueniences for which cause many Natiōs perceyuing their people to increase aboue a due and proportionable number they haue sent their ouerflowing multitudes abroad into other countreyes and prouinces to the ends they might preserue their owne in greater peace and prosperitie so we see the husbandman deale with his groūds when they are ouercharged with cattell he remooues them from one ground to another and so he prouideth ●ell both for his cattel and for his ground and so doth the maister of the bée-garden when he soe 's a hiue pesteted with multitudes of bées he driues the hiue so reapeth ● greater gaine by his ware and honie And herupon many

states-men haue thought nothing more profitable for populous common-wealths then to haue forreigne and externe warres to the ende that thereby the superfluous braunches might be cut off This was the cause why Scipio when he had conquered Carthage would not haue it vtterly ruinated least saith he the Romains hauing no warres abroad mooue ciuill warres amongst themselues at home others séeing the multitude of their people increase haue planted Colonies with them others haue banished them into remote countries and the children of Ioseph here being pestered with multitude come to Ioshua to be directed and relieued This should teach vs of this kingdome and countrey prudence and prouidence the Lord hath blessed vs and we are growne to be a great people so that one lot is not sufficient for vs Our multitudes like too much bloud in the body infect our countrey with plague and pouertie our land hath brought foorth but it hath not milke sufficient in the breast thereof to nourish all those children which it hath brought forth it affordeth neither employment nor preferment for those that depend vpon it And hereupon it is that many seruiceable men giue themselues to lewd courses as to robbing by the high way theft cosoning sharking vpon the land piracie vpon the Sea and so are cut off by shamefull and vntimely death others liue prophanely riotously and idely to the great dishonour of Almightie God the detriment of the commonwealth Now our case standing thus it behooueth euerie one to deuise a remedie for this misery When there was no bread in Chanaā Iacob and his familie sought into Egypt for corne to relieue themselues And Iacob séeing his sonnes destitute of counsel in that extremity did sharply reprehēd them for the dissolute managing of their present state saying Why gaze ye one vpo another Behold I haue heard there is food in Egypt get ye down thither and buy vs food thence that we may liue Euen so may it be said to a companie of people in this land which doe nothing but gaze one vpon another destitute of counsell aduise and meanes how to prouide iustly and honestly for their maintenaunce They heare of honourable proiects abroade they heare of employment and preserment they heare of plentie and abundance of many good things of which a fruitful country largely makes offer vnto them they heare of gaine and profite both to them and their posteritie they heare many honourable men many worthie wise men many valiaunt and couragious men many rich and wealthie men aduenture their persons their mony their ships towards the accomplishing of so godly and memorable a dsigne and yet they sit still folowing their intemperauncie incontinencie and other their luxurious and riotous courses to the high dishonour of almightie God to the great hurt of the common-wealth and to their own euerlasting shame and ignomie If an honourable death were set before a vertuous minde it would chuse rather to die heroically then liue opprobriously What then shall we thinke of those persons who hauing an honourable life set before them doe yet chuse rather to liue in idlenesse dishonestie obscenitie surely they are of degenerate and dunghill minder neither are they worthy to be nourished in the bosome of a wel gouerned common-wealth It was for euer a blemish to the honour and credit of Vlisses because hée feigned himselfe mad and sowed salt in sreed of corne in his field onely that by such a shift he might kéepe himselfe at home and not go with the Grecians to the siege of Troy So let perpetuall shame and dishonour attend vpon all those which doting vpon their wealth or suffeting vpon their pleasures finde delaies and deuise shifts either to saue their purses or their persons from such honourable and profitable designments as offer probable likelyhoods of future good to this our countrey or common-wealth Thus we haue heard the dutie of the people which is prudently and prouidently to consult with the magistrates concerning the disburdening and discharging of such vnnecessarie multitudes as pester a commonwealth and also to further such enterprises either with their purses or their persons as make to the same ende Now that in next place we are to note the direction of Iosua vpon the aforesaide complaint of the children of Ioseph which is to enlarge their territories and dilate their borders by destroying Gods enemies the Perizzites and Giants which inhabited the valleyes bordering vpon mount Ephraim which were most abominable Idolaters and had no knowledge of the true and onely God from whence we may learne how odious those people are in the sight of God which hauing no knowledge of him and his worship giue that honour to the insensible and vnreasonable creature which is onely due to the omnipotent and almightie Creator For this cause hath almightie God ouerthrowne the mightiest Monarchies in the world for this cause did hée disperse his owne Israel among the Nations neuer vouchsafed them to returne againe into their owne land Dauid by way of prophecie doth promise a blessing to those that shall take the children of the Idolatrous Babilonians and dash them against the stones and they that haue taken armes against such people are said to fight the Lords battells Saul had his kingdome rent from him and his posteritie because he spared Agag that Idolatrous king of the Amalechites whom God would not haue spared so acceptable a seruice is it to destroy Idolaters whom God hateth but forasmuch as God doth not delight in bloud but rather that a sinner should conuert and liue agréeable vnto which is that speech of our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell There is ioy in heauen ouer one sinner that repenteth It is far more commendable and out of doubt more acceptable vnto God to reclaime an Idolater vnles we haue a speciall commaundement of God to the contrarie as Saul had then to destroy him to win him to the faith then to depriue him of life and to bring him to the knowledge of God whom he hath sent Christ Iesus rather then to kill them in their ignorance and so to bring them into daunger both of bodie and soule for they that turne many vnto righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for euermore Dan. 12. 3. Paul calls those whom he had won to the faith of Christ his crowne his ioy his glorie 1. Thessa 2. 19. 20. As though they were the matter of his ioy of his crowne and of his glorie Happie therefore is he that hath an hand in turning any vnto God And he that will finde delaie whereby so gratious a worke may be hindered is not with God but against God for asmuch as he hinders the building vp of the kingdome of God And surely so desirous is man of ciuill societie by nature that he easily yéelds to discipline and gouernment if he sée any reasonable motiue to induce him to the same For we reade of certaine people in Affrica inhabiting the mountaine Magnan which offentimes do constraine