Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bring_v	great_a	king_n	3,018	5	3.5536	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62049	Men are gods, or, The dignity of magistracy, and the duty of the magistrate as it was presented in a sermon at the assize holden at Hertford for that county on August 2, 1653 / by George Swinnocke ...	Swinnock, George, 1627-1673.; Hall, Thomas, 1610-1665. Beauty of magistracy.	1660 (1660)	Wing S6278A; ESTC R18061	67,270	101

a Magistrate that neglecteth his duty herein is like a Winters Sun glorious for Majesty but yielding no warming or refreshing influences to them that are under him or like the Kings head on a sign-post only for shew The God of heaven doth not cast away the perfect man nor help the evil doer Job 8.20 He beholdeth the righteous with favour he woundeth the heads of sinners Psal. 68.21 He cutteth off the workers of iniquity He killeth and maketh alive with him is the fountain of life Psal. 39.9 as waters flow from Fountain so doth life from God And he can easily slay men Job 4.9 By the blast of God they perish To save and kill is a God-like priviledge The power of life and death is in the hands of these earthly Gods they enliven with their smiles their favour or the light of a Kings countenance is life they kill with their frowns The wrath of a King is the messenger of death Prov. 16.14 15. Herein their dignity and civil God-ship appeareth that they can give by reprieve or pardon or take away a life which is forfeited to the Law Caesars speech was high when he was opposed by Metellus in his takeing away the mony out of the Romane Treasury Let me alone or I will kill thee presently and then to qualifie his threat and magnifie his strength he told him Young man thou knowest it is harder for me to speak it then to do it But this is certain Rulers are not for nothing called Powers Tit. 3.1 It is in their power though not to Tyrannize at their pleasure yet to execute the Laws even to the death of the offendor 2. Magistrates are called Gods not only in regard of ther dignity but also in regard of their duty They ought to resemble God in their execution of Justice amongst men God administreth Justice impartially and so should the Gods The Judge of all the earth doth right and the Judges that are on the earth should do right God doth judge the world in righteousness and ministreth judgement to the poor in uprightness Psal. 9.8 And they who rule over men must be just ruling in the fear of God 2 Sam. 23.3 Justice and Judgement are the habitation of Gods Throne Psal. 89.14 The holy Ghost alludeth to the Thrones of earthly Princes which were under-propped with Pillars as Solomons Throne with Lions 1 Kings 19 20. that were both a support and an ornament to it Now saith the Psalmist Justice and Judgement are the Pillars upon which Gods Throne standeth or as Calvin expoundeth it the Robe and Diadem the Purple and Scepter the Regalia with which Gods Throne is adorned Thus Magistrates ought to make good their pattern and to take heed what they do because they judge not for man but for the Lord who is with them in the Judgement 2 Chron. 19.6 Magistrates are therefore called Gods because they should as God doth do impartial justice without respect of persons protecting the godly as being the Ministers of God for their good Rom. 13.4 and punishing the wicked which are malignant enemies to God and them Now the impartiality of the Gods as of God in executing justice appeareth in these three particulars First in not favouring any for their neerness Magistrates must imitate God in this who is no respecter of persons but judgeth every man according to his works 1 Pet. 1.17 Though Coniah be to me saith God as the Signet on my right hand yet I will pluck him thence Jer. 22.24 That is though he were as near and dear to me as a Kings sealing-ring which is most carefully kept and tenderly preserved worn commonly yea continually on some finger yet I would do justice in plucking him off and casting him from me Nay when Gods own Son who was the Son of his infinite love and choicest delight became liable to the lash of the Law as being a sinner by imputation God would not spare him in the least but made him bear the curse of the Law Rom. 8.32 Zaleucus the Law-giver having enacted that every person guilty of adultery should lose both his eyes did yet when his own Son was found guilty of that fault put out one of his own eyes and one of his Sons But the great God was more just when his Son was a Surety for sinners he caused him to pay the utmost farthing he suffered the law to have its full stroak at him O how just was God that rather then violate the least Tittle of his Law would sign a warrant with his own hand and confirm the Commission with his own Seal for his dearest Sons execution Thus should Magistrates hear and determine without any respect to friends or relations Prov. 24.23 To have respect of persons is not good yea it is very evil Magistrates must hear the cause not the person and mind not the man but the matter which is brought before them David was faulty and he smarted sharply for it in sparing Amnon guilty of Incest and Absolom guilty of Murder because they were his Sons But Levi did nobly who said to his Father and to his Mother I have not seen him neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor knew his own children Deut. 33.9 Pompey aspiring to the Roman Empire and perceiving that Cato was against him sent his friend Minucius to Cato to demand his two Nieces One for himself the other for his Son But when the Messenger had delivered his errand Cato gave him this Answer Go tell Pompey Cato is not to be won by women as long as Pompey shall deal uprightly I shall be his friend and in a greater degree then any marriage can ever make me Surely this Moralist will condemn many Christian Rulers of whom it is said that the Sun might assoon be hindred from running his race as he from doing what was just and upright God will not upon any pretence whatsoever have his own person accepted Job 13.8 much less the persons of men Secondly In not sparing or fearing any for their greatness Rulers ought to be men of courage Exod 18.21 The fear of man bringeth a snare Prov. 29.25 and is often the cause why justice is perverted Pilate feared Caesar John 19.12 13. and therefore against his conscience condemned Christ The great God of heaven feareth none spareth none for their glory or greatness He putteth the mighty out of their Seats Luke 1.52 He bindeth Kings in chains and Princes in Fetters of Iron Psal. 149.8 The day of the Lord shall be upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oaks of Bashan and upon all the high Mountains and upon every high Tower and upon every fenced Wall Isa. 2.12 13 14. He is the Almighty Al-powerfull God and therefore cares not for any might or power of man Thus the Gods on earth should do justice on all great as well as small fearing none but the God of heaven Deut. 1.17

Gods attributes He hath a Mercy-seat to note that he sitteth at ease when he is shewing mercy Whereas judgement is his strange work Isa. 28.21 we read likewise that mercy pleaseth him Mica 7.18 Thus the God should be mercifull men your hearts should be full of mercy and pitty to the sinner when your hands are executing justice against the sin The Bee doth not sting till provoked God doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men Lam. 3.33 There should be bowels of compassion in him than pronounceth sentence of condemnacion Ille dolet quoties cogitur esse ferooe Augustus never pronounced a deadly sentence without deep sorrow Our Laws forbid Butchers to be Jurors because it is supposed they will be hard-hearted Among several qualifications which the Jews required in their Judges these were two 1. That they should be Fathers of children hoping that their paternal affection would incline them to commiseration 2. That they should not be Eunuches for they concieved such very cruel It is a bestial cruelty to delight in blood The laws of Draco are generally condemned for they were written in blood and the offender was sure to die of what nature soever his offence was A. Gell. Our English Deborah Queen Elizabeth did not without cause exceedingly prize Seneca's first book of Clemency because it treated of that which is so needfull to a Prince It is the Devils work to be Abaddon a destroyer It is Christs work to be Goel a Redeemer Mercy and truth preserve the King his Throne is established by mercy Prov. 20.28 Mercy sometime to them that sin through weakness may be as profitable as severity to them that sin through wilfulness It was certainly a cursed speech of that man or rather Monster whom the Italian Orator mentioneth that being a Judge said To hang many is my Jubile and a great execution is my great recreation The expression of the Roman Emperour is worthy of imitation That he had rather save the life of one of his Subjects then take away the lives of a thousand of his enemies Life is a precious jewel more worth then all this world Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life Job 1. It is not therefore to be taken away for every trifle I do not now dispute the question Whether any Theft may lawfully be punished with death but I am sure every Theft ought not The Romans had their Axes and Rods carried before their Consuls to shew that if the lesser punishments as of the rods would serve the greater of the Axe should not be used And they did justly lament the cruelty of those tribunals where the cheap prescription of lives made the Judgement-seat differ little from a Shambles 3. Work as Gods among men in promoting piety to your power The great design and work of God is to promote holiness in the world This was his aim in his internal work or his decree Ephes. 1.4 This is the great end he drives at in his external works As in the work of redemption Tit. 2.14 Luke 1.92 In bestowing his word The precepts in it are the perfect rule of godliness Gal. 6.16 the promises are pretious encouragements to godliness 2 Cor. 7.1 the threatnings are like the Angel with a drawn sword in his hand to deter men from the way of ungodliness Rom. 1.18 And his works of providence are to the same purpose Afflictions are like the fire to consume the dross and purifie the gold Heb. 12.6 Mercies are like the warm influences of the vernal Sun to draw forth the Sap of grace and hasten mens growth in holiness Thus should the Gods promote godliness as the chief business which the most high God hath given them to do Other things of what nature soever which come within the reach of their care are questionless much inferiour to this And this they should do Partly by their patterns in being examples of godliness to their people Their lives should be so exact that they should be able to say as Gigeon Judges 7.17 Look on us and do likewise or as Paul Walk as ye have us for an example Partly by your precepts your edicts and commands should be like those of Asa 2 Chorn. 14.2.4 Asa did that which was right in the sight of the Lord He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their Fathers and to do the Law and the Commandment Mark upright Asa did not leave men to choose their religions nor to live as they listed but he commanded them to obey Gods Law He did not strictly enjoyn the payment of Taxes or Customs and such civil things and leave it as a matter of indifferency whether men would mind religion or no but his Laws did enforce and confirm the Laws of God as far as he was able Partly by countenancing maintaining and providing able Ministers 2 Chron. 19.8 1 Cor. 9.13 for the Church as also by taking care that they discharge their trusts faithfully 2 Chron. 29.3 4 5.1 Chron. 16. It is observed of Julian the Apostate that to root up Christianity he disgraced the Orthodox Ministry took away Church maintenance and forbad Christian Schools and places of learning so Sozomen lib. 5. cap. 5. This very course is now cryed up the Lord prevent it The Prince indeed is not called to be a publike Preacher but he hath a call to see that none abuse that calling to the hurt or poyson of his people Partly by suppressing and discountenancing them whose doctrines or lives hinder godliness Suppressing evil is necessary for the promoting good Holy Asa removed his Mother from being Queen upon this very account 1 Kings 15.12 13. The toleration of any in such sins is an intolerable sin And the jealous God will one day make Magistrates know that they shall bear his anger for bearing such evill doers as blasphemers and Hereticks are I speak not against a true Christian liberty in things that are indifferent or in things that are not fundamental but I cannot but speak against this Antichristian licentiosness which is though under other terms so much pleaded for It may well make a dumb child speak when his Father is so deeply wounded in his Word Honour People and Ordinances as he is in our dayes If State-reason compel men to suffer it they must know that it will prove State-ruine Shall it be treason and death to speak thus and thus against men that are mortal weak Gods and shall it not at all be penal to blaspheme the Almighty and Everliving God in denying his Truths which are more worth then the whole world Surely Blasphemies Idolatry and Heresies sins against the first Table are greater as being more directly and immediately against God then sins against the second Table and therefore deserve punishments vide 1 Kings 18.18 Exod. 21.17 Levit. 24.10 to the 17. v. Job 31.25 26 27. Deut. 13. per totum though care should be first