Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	call_v	court_n	judge_n	1,450	5	7.1812	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51447	Themis avrea the laws of the fraternity of the Rosie Crosse / written in Latin by Count Michael Maierus, and now in English for the information of those who seek after the knowledge of that honourable and mysterious society of wise and renowned philosophers ; whereto is annexed an epistle to the fraternity in Latine, from some here in England.; Themis aurea. English	Maier, Michael, 1568?-1622.	1656 (1656)	Wing M287; ESTC R21726	55,939	168

why his name hath been hitherto concealed It is most certain that a Prince who is as it were an Head to his Subjects that are his Members it is indeed a thing ●●questionable but that he hath full power of making and ratifying of Lawes For chiefly it belongs to the Emperour then to each King because they have right to govern Lastly it concerns any Princes or Civil Magistrates But Lawes that are brought in by Inferiours extend onely to those that have a particular Relation to them neither are they long lived nor do they excuse from the Lawes of Superiours being onely obligations which respect Time Place the Person and Subject Amongst the Antients those men who were of best repute for their Wisdome Learning Authority Sincerity and of greatest Experiences might set up Lawes in any City or Nation Thus we see that Moses was made Ruler and Cheiftain amongst the Hebrews and amongst the Heathen the first Law-givers were called Zephyrians after them Zaleueus in imitation of the Spartanes and Cr●tians who were thought to have received Antient Lawes from Minos wrote severe Lawes and found out sutable punishment he left rules whereby men might try their actions so that many afterwards were fr●●●ted into good manners for before him Lawes were not written but the sentence and state of the cause lay in the Judges breast Afterwards the Athenians received Lawes from Drac● and Solon upon which they proceeded in all Courts of Judicature from whom the Romans who lived after the building of the City three hundred yeares had their Lawes of the twelve Tables published by the Decemviri and these in processe of time being enlarged by Romane Magistrates and the Caesars became our Civil Law which at this time is used amongst us Other Nations also had their respective Lawgivers as Aegygt had Priests and Isis who were taught by Mercury and Vulcan These were golden Lawes and such as owed their birth to the fire Babylon had the Caldeans Persia had Magitians India had Brachamonds Aethiopiae had the Gymnosophists amongst the Bactrians was Zamolsis amongst the Corinthians was Fid● amongst the Nilesians was Hippodamus amongst the Carthaginians was Charonda lastly amongst the Brittaines and French the Druides From what hath already been said there may be gathered thus much viz. That any one hath liberty his Companions complying and faithfully engaging to prescribe Lawes to himselfe and them especially if such Lawes are founded upon Reason and Equity For as the Comedian hath it amongst the good ought to be transacted just and honest things but as the combination of the the wicked is unlawful so are those bands that oblige them damnable whose trust and fidelity are but true cheats and sure deceits their constancy but obstinacy their oaths cursings their rules methods of villany their lawes are commands to wickednesse Our Author indeed was a private man and no Magistrate but in his particular relation he was invested with much Authority whereby he might oblige and binde others be both Lord and Father of the Society and the first Author and Founder of this golden Medicine and Philosophical Order If any one shall attempt to usurpe jurisdiction over any against their wills and consent he shall finde his labour to be in vaine for he must needs suppose them to have a prejudice against such designes since he playes the Bishop in anothers Diocesse But certainly the case is different here because by a faire resignation they devoted themselves to his command Surely for confirmation we may take notice of the Time They have been kept and observed for many Ages and this doth not a little strengthen the first Authority for if you prescribe Lawes to any who were not under such before and and such Lawes continue a long season unviolated it will follow that those Lawes being just and good may yet endure for that nothing hinders but that this private Legislative power may be in force being neither contrary to Divine or Civil Statutes the Lawes of Nature any positive Law or Custome of Nations To some it may seeme a strange thing that our Authors name should not be known to which we answer Our Father indeed hath lien hid as being long since dead and his Brethren although they live and retaine in Record and Memory his Sacred Name yet because of some secret and weighty causes are not willing to have his name or person known Besides they have a continual succession and genealogy from him to themselves and they received afterwards a Lampe from a known confederate and colleague of their Fraternity They can read the Authors soule in his Bookes view the true Feature in the picture judge of the truth of the cause by the effect whose actions confirme their goodnesse and sincerity their hands are set with eyes so that their beliefe goes beyond their sight what other men foolishly and ignorantly think incredible and vaine they know to be reall and possible Shall we deny that those men who were chosen and selected to be of the Fraternity were unacquainted with our Author Surely they were most intimate and familiar with him and performed with alacrity what ever he commanded or enjoyned them To those indeed to whom the knowledge of him was no benefit he was not neither was it necessary that he should be known unlesse such persons over curious pryed into matters which concern them not for as it belongs not to us to have intelligence what designes are in agitation within the walls of Troy or who in India doth administer justice or give Lawes so likewise ought they not to intermeddle with this Author and his Brethren altogether unknown to them If we behold smoake breathing out of an house we presently conclude that there is fire within And why should not we although the Father and the Fraternity have not been seen by outward eye yet because of their workes by the eye of our mindes discern and satisfie our selves concerning them We can passe a judgement upon a Tree by the fruit although the fruit be plucked off it sufficeth to the knowledge of a man if we heare him speake Whence Socrates spake thus to a young vertuous man but one that held his peace speake said he that I may heare thee A Dog discovers himselfe by his barking a Nightingale by her sweet chaunting notes and we judge of all other things according to their actings And why then cannot we distinguish this our Author from cheats by his Positions and Lawes since it is the others whole designe to delude they make gain of their tricks that which would be iarksome to another they take pleasure in and make a sport of dangers and hazards Our Author is namelesse but yet worthy of credit unknown to the vulgar but well known to his own Society And some may ask the reason of his concealment We know that the Antient Philosophers counted themselves happy in a private life and why may not Moderns enjoy the same priviledge since necessity may put these more

his followers to express both the cleanliness of body and unspotted innocency of soul Nature hath so befriended some birds that they change both voice and feathers in the Winter and thereby being not known are safe from other ravenous birds In some Counteries Hares become white in the Winter but in Summer keep their wonted colours The Camelion by being like no every thing shee comes neer doth often escape the Ants and many Insects have wings and can scarcely be known what they first were so happy is that change which guides to safety Shall reason withstand the lawfull dictates of Nature where necessity compells custome forces shall men run upon the one and to their damage slight the other The Brethren being in all points careful will neither violate Natures Commands nor contemn civill rights though they alter their apparrell their mind is unchangeable CHAP. XIV The third Law enjoynes each Brother to appeare on a particular day and at a certain place every yeer that they may all meet together and consult about their affairs EVery Society hath Lawes and rules binding them to some Duties so that the Governour or chief when he pleaseth and thinks it necessary may summon all to one place to consider what is most fit and convenient to be done on some immergent occasions for if a company be separated their minds and Councells are disjoyned the one cannot be helpfull to the other either in example or advice who knows not that most intimate familiarity and the neerest friendship is broken off by absence and want of visitation so that they who were not long since highest in our thoughts are utterly forgotten besides wherein can a friend profit who is distant from another even Brethren become as it were unnaturall when thus separated we confess that letters may supply this defect yet writing doth not so much delight and enliven as discourse papers are mute if any doubt arise they cannot frame a ready answer but where a man appeares he can resolve all Questions satisfie all scruples Wherefore the Brethren of the R. C. thought it most expedient if not altogether requisite to meet at least once in the yeare in a certain prefixed place This Law as it is the third in order so also in Dignity by which the true Pythagorian assembly is obliged to appearance neither is their meeting vaine and to gaze upon each other for they do imitate the rule of Pythagoras who enjoined his Schollers every day to examine themselves where they had been and what good memorable act they had performed so the Brethren of the R. C. at their convention relate what rare cures they have done what progress they have made in the Arts and Sciences and observe how their practice agrees with their principles and if any new knowledge confirmed by often experience comes to them they write it in Books that it may safely come to the hands of their successors Thus true and certain learning is encreased till at length it shall attaine to perfection This Schoole is not like to Aristotle for there were frequent wrangling disputes one opposing the other and perhaps both the Truth however they have no Questions free from debate not contradicted by some of the same sect for example What is the soul of man whether the First Act or something else whether {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} whether born generated or infused given from heaven and many Thousand such fobberies and at length they rest in Opinion They have therefore framed a Methode to regulate disputes and supply termes whereby they more darken knowledge and willingly shut their eyes Let them discuss to weariness the nature and original of Metalls and whether there can be a transmutation and who will be better informed and satisfied Thus idle Disputation is a sport of Wit and onely a recreation of Fancy no solid and real Truth is to be found out by it A certain Philosopher hearing some dispute What Vertue is made answer that as they could not come to an end of the Question so neither to the use thereof if any one professes hemselfe to have skill in Physicks why then doth he not let the world see what he can doe and laying aside vain bablings perfect the great work of natural tincture but by chance he will utterly deny that there is any such thing to be found out and hereby gets a cloak for his ignorance for he will censure all which he knowes not But who will call him an horsman who yet did never ride who will call him a Smith who never wrought in that Art and why should we esteeme him a Philosopher who hath never experienced his philosophy but hath onely uttered some foolish and fantastical words But some may here object that one part of Philosophy is contemplative to which Mathematicks and Metaphysicks doe relate the other consists in Action to which Ethicks and Politicks doe guide Plato was displeased that Mathematicks were brought to sensible Subjects as Arithmatick to Numbers Musick to Sounds Geometry to Measures but we must acknowledge that he in this was envious to mankind and in his passion prevailed over his reason For what profiteth it any man by meer speculation to view the misteries of God and Nature is it a more commendable thing to thinke well then to be good the same holds true in Physicks for barely to contemplate of it is as unusefull so absurd and ridiculous how can you call that a true Cause of which you never saw an effect There hath been some ancient Philosophers who have searched after experimental knowledge and studied more Nature th●n Art more the thing then the signification and Name as the Magitians amongst the Persians the Bracmanes amidst the Indians and the Priests in Egypt and now the Brethren of R. C. in Germany Thus wee see plainly they meet for a good end for each Court hath its appointed time in which justice may be duely executed and no wrong● further heightned The Brethren assemble to vindicate abused Nature to settle Truth in her power and chiefly that they may with one accord return thanks to God for revealing such mysteries to them if any man is promoted to an high Office and neglects or contemnes the Ceremonies and circumstances of admission the Prince will immediately put him out as one sleighting his favours and scorning of Him so since God hath been pleased to honour these Brethren with such rare endowments and they should not appeare to shew their gratitude He might justly take from them His Talent and make them subjects of His wrath This Law hath a Limitation if they cannot appeare they must either by others their Brethren or by letters tell the cause of their absence for infirmity sickness or any other extraordinary casualty may hinder their journey Wee cannot set down the places where they meet neither the time I have sometimes observed Olympick Houses not far from a river and