Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A35407
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Morall discourses and essayes, upon severall select subjects written by T.C., Esquire.
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Culpeper, Thomas, Sir, 1626-1697.
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1655
(1655)
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Wing C7559; ESTC R13555
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55,194
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182
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their tongues speak Greek yet their manners savour of the Barbarian Much I confess they peruse but indeed read little Variety of imperfect Notions rendring their Judgement a meer Chaos and their Memories no better then a kind of Alphabetical Indâ—x You would imagine them to have dwelt rather in Caves then Colleges or Cities For the Commonwealth hath not more unprofitable Members then thâ—y And yet methinks I could afford to râ—cant or at least qualifie my invectives Certain it is That no Age hath more abounded with learned men then the Present which by Gourmandizing books is now Crop-sick of knowledge Those Arts and Sciences which were almost like terra incognita to our Ancestors have been in latter times exactly surveyed and are described as it were in Vulgar Mappes Those Notions which were then locked up like Jewels in a few brests are now grown as Common as the Elements But alas Even Moathes have eaten Folio's It is one thing I conceive to have Learning and another to be Learned All lay Claim to Art as Intercommoners but few as Proprietors Some select Persons I know there are worthy the Noble Order whose badge they wear But their handful is too much over-ballanced by multitudes of such as use the decency of the Long Robe onely to palliate their Nakedness and patronize their folly In the mean time they are promiscuously branded with the Vulgar which hath Leaâ—nâ—d to call every little Mountebanck a Doctor With the Vulgar indeed For with the Judicious Diamonds do not so diffâ—r from flints nor Batâ— from Eagles as men truâ—ly Learned from Pedante XX Of Peace AS Rest is the End of Natural so is Peace of Civil Motions Though whilst the former proceeding from Necessary Agents are commonly regular The latter being governed by Voluntary prove very Excentrick The Motion of Nâ—tural Bodies is mostly from outward Causes Whereby Philosophy hath so oft miscarried of its perpetuity Bodies Politick have a principle wholy intrinsecal to them viz. The restless spirits of men The everlasting mutinies of our Lusts. And these Lusts are the Causes of War both immediately by dividing the souls of men and mediately by provoking the Justice of God to make lust its own Executioner So that the Onely true foundation of Peace is Innocency and Obedience For why should he expâ—ct peace with man that is an Oâ—tlaw to tâ—e God of Peace But methinks I speak as in Plato's Commonwealâ—h Pâ—blike Reformation is indeed glorious but difficult and dangerous in its misconceptions For Minerals inflame and gentle Physick operates little He had need be very Eloquent that allays tumults with perswasion Wisemen therefore study inward Peace as the only haven that dâ—fies Shipwrack seeing that the best they are to expect from without is but a kind of truce or Intermission A short space for Champions by consent to take breath Perhaps no actual sickness Yet a crasie conftitution If any solid and durable Peace there can be We are to expect it from the Piety and prudence of Good Magistrateâ— the Guardians of Publick Peace and Tutelary Angels of Commonwealths Their Justice must enliven Their vigilancy preserve Their Power and Authority vindicate it A just Magistrate then will content himself with the just bounds of his Prerogative and lawful limits of his Empire He will do the work of Peace even 〈◊〉 War and pâ—â—fer one Olive-branch before many Lawrels He will remember that great Oppressions not onely cause Seditions but seem almost to justifie them and that mighty Conquerors commonly resemble such as in swallowing what they digest not are rather stuffed then nourished The Vigilant Prince will consider That sucking Vices fostered by his connivence will soon grow tall and National abuses That Lurking practices unprevented prove Open broyles And that a careless Monarch resembles a rich Travellor sleeping securely in the Company of Theeves The wise Emperor will value his Reputation as his Scepter He will rather chuse to reign by Lenity and Love yet so as to have Aw in the reserve Though he never draw his sword yet his hand will be alwayes upon the hilts That the subtle and turbulent may despaire to surprise him For unarmed Powers are already half deposed But few will be so hardy as once to attempt Authority seconded with Courage and assisted with Counsel XXI Of Conscience THe Crown of Jerusalem though indeed it was but a phautastick Diadem is observed to have had more pretenders to it than great and solid Empires scance any Prince that did not assume the Title that did not use its Arms to fill his Scutcheon Since none could possess each resolved to challenge it as knowing that therein he should not give jealousie to his Neighbours nor stir up any Rival Truly when I consider the throng of those that entitle themselves to Conscience even such as have scarce any colour of Conquest or alliance to it I should greatly marvail if I did not withall remember how easie and natural it is to claim where there is scarce any true property And how fit shâ— is to be every mans Prostitute that is no mans Spouse That indeed is a chearful Religion which sâ—rves our temporal ends which Courts our Appetites and whereof we are as it were our own Carvers Surely it suits with the best policy to comply with Conscience in appearance that it may bring us real advantages to humour it in professions and formalities that it may serve us in the main But who can away with Cynical Piety with the crabbed Doctrines of Self-denyal with such a Law as enterferes with all that is dearest to us and is as crosse to our projects and interests as if our enemies had invented it to countermine us Who would not be content with the King of Spain to hold the Realm of Naples by the yearly tribute of four thousand Crowns and a white Palfrey Who so bad a Catholick that he will not come to Confession where he is sure to purchase plenary absolution Who would not with Lewis the 11th carry an Agnus of Lead in his Cap under shelter whereof he may when occasion requires break his promise to man or Oath to God without further dispâ—nsation or satisfacation Alas How cheap is Conscience grown amongst the Grandees of the World They all ask it Iudas his Question Quid mihi dabitis What fruit may we expect from thee What advancement of our Affaires What colour for our unwarrantablâ— Actions What Cloak for our Ambitions Will it stalk to our Desigâ—es Will it make way or give way to our Interests Thus Piety is grown to be the greatest intriguâ— of State Any errour or crime must be committed rather than this mask unveiled There is nothing so politick as Conscience if we may believe History especially that of these latter â—imes XXII Of Frugality IT seems to be an Argument alone sufficient to perswade thrift that without it no man is rich or happy For Luxury as it tends to ruine at last so in the mean time it