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	effect_n	nature_n	1,689	5	5.4122	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93348	Great Britains misery; with the causes and cure. Described first, as it is from the justice of God the authour, who is now in controversie with the inhabitants of the land for sin: especially for eight capitall crimes, all which are aggravated by sundry circumstances. Secondly, the injustice and malice of the instruments of this misery, Satan and his agents: their main aime, and particular ends, moving them therunto. Vindicating, plainly and fully, (by way of answer to severall objections) the lawfulnesse and necessity of raising arms by the Parliament, and kingdom; for the defence of the King, kingdom, religion, laws, and known rights of the subject: against that viperous generation of papists, atheists, delinquents, and licentious men, who have at once invaded all. ... / By G.S. Gent. Imprimatur Ja. Cranford.	Smith, George, 1602 or 3-1658.	1643 (1643)	Wing S4037; Thomason E250_4; ESTC R212534	90,980	68

be no Peace when God calleth for War nor shall there be any War when God calls for Peace When he gives quietnesse who can make trouble and when he hideth Job 43. 29. his face who can behold him whether it be done against a nation or against a man onely War and Peace are at Gods beck so is all other calamities If he call for Pestilence or Famine in a Kingdom City or Family it shall come and cannot be hindred He hath now called for War upon the inhabitants of Isa 25 19. Great Britain and hath begun to bring evil upon the Kingdoms and Cities tha● are called by his Name and who but he can call the Sword back from us If God wound who can make whole when he troubles a nation who can give quietnesse if he have purposed to destroy us the whole world cannot deliver us out of his hand Every War is in its own nature destructive but a sedicious unnaturall War such as God hath now called for upon us is most miserable and most destructive one of the forest of all Gods Judgements and yet may prove more miserable in respect of the effects if God should as we have just cause to fear call for Famine and for Pestilence both which are the usuall companions of such a War So it was in Jerusalem as their seditious War increased Famine and Pestilence the companions of Civill-War Ios J●ws wars 1● c 11. Ios Jews wars l. 7 c 8. Euseb Ecclesiast hist l. 7 c. 21. so the Famine raged as a double fire it waxed hot that as Josephus reports the rich by stealth exchanged all their wealth for a measure of wheat the poor all they had for a measure of barley The Seditious Robbed Racked and killed those that had any food and hid it from them the mothers snatched the meat from the Infants mou●hes yea did slay and eat their own children And Eusebius relates the misery of Civill-Wars in Alexandria accompanied by the Plague of Pestilence so miserable that all houses were annoyed by the dead bodies no house free raging and infecting one another And thus it was in Germany by their late and still continued War Yet this doth not alwayes fall out because sometimes God forbids these two latter Plagues to enter when his hand is seen and acknowledged in the first and that he finde the hearts of men to se●k out the true remedy of cure for God brings not the first but when he is provoked nor will call for the latter if his anger be appeased by removing the causes For God openeth the ear to Discipline and commandeth to return from iniquity and the● who can say it shall be when the Lord commandeth it not Job 36. 10. Lam 3. 37. Job 12. 23. He increaseth the nations and destroyeth them he enlargeth the nations and straitneth them again The mightiest Monarchs Kingdoms and Cities have their Ebbs and Flows and their ●e●iods too God hath appointed their times of change and of ruine Ninevie once at the Preaching of Jonah was spared but Ninevie whose walls were in compasse 60 miles in height 100 foot the breadth able to receive three carts one meeting the other having 150 Towers of great height and strength yet was destroyed by the Caldees And that famous Citie of Jerusalem whose walls was trebble and bulwarks invincible was made an heap of stones And the Kingdoms of Judea destroyed by the Romanes Proud Nebuchadnezzar when he had felt the all disposing hand of God confessed That God doth all things what soever he will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants Dan 4 35 of the earth n●ne can st●y his hand or say to him What doest thou Thus much of the efficien● Cause In the next place we are to consider of the meritorious cause of all misery The meritorious cause is sin Rom. 6. 23. and of the misery of Great Britain at this day The meritorious cause is sin The wages of sin is death There was no misery no affliction no sorrow till there was sin Where sin entred it made way to misery by Adams sin all men became sinfull and by sin all men became obnoxious to all misery Sin is no creature God made it not nor is God the authour of sin nor of any evil except the evil of punishment which is the reward of sin nor is God delighted to punish or make his creatures miserable In the midst of Judgements Psal 73. 38. Lam. 3. 23. God remembers Mercy He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men but is afflicted in all their afflictions But God who is essentially Isa 63. 9. and eternally just rendreth punishment as the wages and due reward for sin All sorrow sicknesse pains pestilence famine war c. are the effects and rewards of sin Sin makes a separation between God and a sinner Isa 59. 2. Psal 66 13. it causeth God to turn away his face from him that he will not hear his prayers though he make many prayers yea the prayers of such a man as Isa 1. 15. Pro. 28. 9. allows himself to live in sin is abomination to God Sin is that onely thing that God hates and why he is angry with his creatures Sin cast the Angels down from heaven to hell and Adam out of Paradise For sin the old world was destroyed by water Sodome and Gomorrah by fire The earth opened and swallowed up Corah Dathan and Abiram for sin And for sin Herod was Num. 16 32. eaten with Worms In a word By sin we war against God and for sin God maketh war against us Sin sets open a wide flood-gate for all judgements to enter and break in upon kingdoms and people Particular sins let in particular judgements Nationall sins nationall judgements Now if any ask What is sin The Apostle gives the answer Sin is the 1 Joh. 3. 4. The description of sin what it is transgression of the Law of God Whosoever leaves undone any thing that the Law of God commandeth or doth any thing that the Law forbiddeth he sinneth the sum of this Law is contained in the Decalogue or Ten Commandments Cursed is he that continueth not in all things that are written in the Gal 3 10. Book of the Law to do them This curse comprehendeth all misery in this life and in the life to come though but once committed The Angels sinned but once and that but in thought and were delivered to chains of darknesse to be 2 Pet. 2 4. Gen. 3 13. Levit. 10. 1 2. reserved unto further judgement Adam for our sin was punished in his own person and in all his posterity Nadab and Abiram consumed for once offering strange fire and the sword never departed from Davids house for one 2 Sam. 12 10. act of Adultery and Murder Now if any one sin but once committed deserve the whole wrath of God how much more when often itterated But there are some

encouragement to be zealous for God then England yet England blind naked poor miserable England is grosly ignorant or carelesly formale How shall God but spue thee out of his wouth for thy Lukewarmnesse that art neither hot nor cold for this sin the wrath of God is gone out against Rev. 3 16. us we have revolted from him We have pleaded for Popery as Israel for Baal we have swarved from the Covenant of our God and are not zealous for his Truth nor will not contend for the faith once given to the Saints And therefore because when wee knew God we glorified him not as God Rom. 2. 12. c. Therefore God hath given up our Lukewarme Gentry in every County with their Followers to vile affectious and a reprobate minde to be deluded and beleeve a Lie that while they professe to defend the Protestant Religion they 2. Thes 2. 7. c. lose their lives in the offensive War against it It is a strange mistery that Papists should Jeopard their lives to defend that they most hate but such is the mistery of iniquity that now worketh with the deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse in our Lukewarm though Learned Centry God hath for this sin given them up to a reprobate mind filled with all unrighteousnesse fornication Verse 10. wickednesse coveteousnesse maliciousnesse envy murdering debate deceit malignity haters of God c. to their own ruine and their lasting infamy to Rom 1. 29. 30. Posteritie to come consider it Oh ye Inhabitants of great Brittane for Gods hand is heavy at this day for this sin repent therefore and be zealous or God will spue us out of his mouth and seperate us from the Congregations of his people if for his own name sake he will preserve his Church yet he will dispeople the Land if we be not zealous in time Thus much of the second cause and of particular sins The third thing to be considered is the instrumentall cause of great Brittains Satan is the efficient cause of sin and the Instrumentall cause in punishment misery and that is either inward or outward The inward Instrumentall cause is the Devill working upon mens corrupt nature and drawing them to sin The Devill is the efficient cause of sin but the instrumentall cause of punishment He casts into mens hearts the seeds of all sins and sin as is before shewed brings all misery Why hath Satan filled thy heart saith Peter to Annanias Satan fills the heart with sin either by suggesting Acts. 5. 3. thoughts into the heart or bringing objects to the eye or eare By thoughts hee brought David to number the people and so brought misery 1. Chr 21. 1. hence it is that the Apostle bids that we give not place to the Devill that is to Eph. 4. 27. evill thoughts By objects to the eye he brought David to commit adultery and so brought misery By objects to the eare he tempted Eve by the voice of 2. Sam 11. 2. the Serpent and by the report of the Spies drew the people to murmour in the Gen. 3. 4. Wildernesse and so brought misery the Devill hath no power over the will of Num 13. 28. any man to compell him to sin his power is onely by such delusions to blind the mind and darken the understanding and his power is great by these meanes upon them that believe not the Gospell of Christ hence it is that hee is called 2. Cor. 4. 4. the God of this World and a Spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience Ephe. 2. 2. The Devill is the father of all Sedition the originall of Envy and all contention he is the tempter to all wickednesse first he set man at variance with Gal. 5. 20. lames 3. 15. his maker and so all the creatures one against another for this cause God hath put an everlasting enmity between him and the seed of the woman and the same Gen. 3. 15. enmity is between wicked men and the godly By the seed of the woman is meant Christ and his children therefore in Scripture those that are of Christ are called the Children of God and all wicked men they are called the children 1. Joh 1. 12. Iohn 3. 44. of the Devill and his works they do Wicked men are the Devills souldiers to make War against the Children of God against all the seed of the woman who keepe the Commandements of God and have the Testimony of Rev 12. 17. Jesus Christ So then the outward cause is wicked men the seed of that old serpent the The outward cause of our misery is wicked men Devill These are naturally stirred up to envy and hatred against the godly they hate purity and holinesse as that which is contrary to their very being there is a direct Antipathy between their practise and holinesse as contrary as darkenesse is to light They are therefore called the children of darknesse and Ephe. 5. 8. 3. Thes 5. 5. the godly Children of light then what agreement between light and darkenesse between God and Belial These are the Devills instruments that at this day warre against us and cause our misery some act by violence some act by 2. Cor. 6. 16. counsell all are doing and will do till God take them off some are like Achisopbell when he counselled Absolon to lye with his fathers Concubines some 2. Sam. 2. 621 like the counsellors of Rehoboam set the King against his people some like the Ziphits to flatter with Saul they make complaints and use treachery against 1. King 12. 20. 1. Sam. 26. 1. innocent David some by wicked actions as the Prophet told Ahab that he 1. King 13. 18. troubled Israel by forsaking the Commandements of God Thus Athalia the Queen daughter to idolatrous Ahab she insinuated into Joram the King and Vide Iosep an tiq lib. 9. ●ha 1. taught him to do many mischiefs among the rest to adore strange gods and afterward she her selfe slew all the seed Royall We see the words of Solomon verified the things that hath been is that which shall be and we see no ne● 1. King 11. 1 thing under the sun We cannot say this is new c. Besides all this the Devill Eccl. 1. 9. 10. hath other instruments to make Gods people miserable by robbing spoyling killing c. Thus the Sabeans and Caldeans were his instruments to afilict Iob Iob. 1. 12. 14. so soon as he had obtained Commission to afflict he presently hath his instruments to act it the Devill worketh in them at his will so he hath the winds Ephe. 2. 2. and the waters the ayr fire c. which he can use for his instruments to afflict Now that it may clearly appear who they bee that are the instruments of Britains misery I will divide them into seven sorts when devided they may be easily known First a woman it is pitty it

must now bestirre our selves and quit our selves like men Tenthly consider that delayes are dangerous we see what misery many have suffered which might have beene prevented if we had beene more forward to make resistance and not suffered our selves to be deluded by Proclamations and Protestations Besides if we deferre any longer our corne will be destroyed and taken from us with our cattle and all provision and famine will come quickly among us but by our speedy and unanimous resistance we may by Gods blessing quickly establish our peace and happinesse which the enemie unjustly doth annoy I have beene much larger in this discourse then I intended when I first set Pen to paper and now want time and phrase to abreviate it therefore I send it as it is among friends and foes intreating the Reader to excuse all errours or mistakes by haste and accept the uprightnesse of my intentions I will conclude with a story I remember mentioned by Plutarch concerning Marcus Otho who was by the souldiers Elected Emperour of Rome and opposed by Vitilius Cecenna where upon a Civill war began and one battle fought for the Empire the Souldiers pressed Otho to go on and continue the warre assuring him of victory offering him the last drop of their blood in the cause Marcus Otho replyed I account this day more happy to me then the day I was pronounced Emperour seeing your reall affection unto me and I must dow shew it in not sparing my life for the good of my Country this warre saith he is not a warre against Haniball nor Pyrrhus but against the Romans themselves and whether I conquer or am conquered I shall offend my Country I would rather sacrifice my life for the peace and unity thereof which said he fell upon his owne sword this was his love to his Country But God be praised there is no such cause of a warre in Great Britaine nor cause why there should be such an end of it we desire but our rights and are ready to defend and maintaine the Right Crowne Life and Honour of the King to the last drop of blood yet we cannot have peace but his Majestie is pleased to heare wicked Councellors and give them leave to War against us his faithfull Subjects to destroy us though with the hazard of his owne life and Kingdomes which needlessely he hath and doth expose to danger The whole passages of the late Treaty shew the Parliaments desire of Peace so it might be with securitie there is nothing the King desires but they Grant except the delivering the K●yes and strength of the Kingdome and all our lives into the hands of them that thirst after our blood The maine thing of difference is Whether the King by advise of Parliament shall appoint what persons shall be trusted or whether the King shall appoint contrary to Parliaments advise such persons as his Councell shall choose in these times of danger now if this were not to betray the Kingdome our lives and lawes to the hands of destroyers let the world judge especially if we See the Treaty and Letters will but take notice who and what persons they have long since pitcht upon for the chiefe places as is made knowne to us by the letters that have beene intercepted traytors to the State Now the Parliament is bound in Conscience to God and in Faith to the King and Subject to secure the Kingdome the King and Us from Treason therefore we are bound in Conscience to God in faith to the King and to the Parliament to assist the Parliament with our lives and estates to the last drop of blood and the last penny we are worth against all desperate enemies evill councellours and destroying murderers and robbers Seneca saith There is a King among the Seneca in Cl●● lib. 1 chap. 19. Bees and he hath no sting Nature hath denyed it to him because he should not be cruell to seeke revenge nor hazard his life and therefore tooke away his weapon and disarmed his wrath all Kings and Princes saith he ought to consider this excellent example for it is the Custome of Nature to discover her self in little things I might adde other motives but if we looke upon the horrible cruelties of the Rebels in Ireland and consider the rise of that Rebellion set forth in the Parliaments late Declaration that alone is motive enough being in it selfe more horrid and in the consequence much more dangerous to us than that act of the Benjaminites in abusing the Levites Concubine was to the other Tribes of Israel Iudg. 19 25. This being every ones case which we are all bound to vindicate Me thinkes that Declaration from the Parliament is sent through all Britaine like the divided See the Declaration intituled the rise of the Grand Rebellion in Ireland peeces of the Concubine into all the Coasts of Israel and I cannot but say of it as they said of that Consider it take notice and speake your minde Iudges 19. 29. 30. if we have not more reason and juster cause then the Israelites to gather together as one man from all parts of Britaine and resolve never to returne to our owne houses till those miscreants those men of Belial be delivered up to the hand of justice see the place Iudg. 20. 8. 13. and withall consider that place Proverbes 25. 5. Take away the wicked from before the King and the throne shall be established in righteousnesse Now to close up all let me give you some Reasons of my confidence if you thus doe that God will prosper you and give deliverance in his due time to his Church and to his people in this Kingdome and for that take briefely these grounds following First it was the especiall hand of God and his Providence that brought this 7. Reasons or grounds of confidence that God will deliver his Church and people in this Kingdome at this time if we use the meanes before prescribed Iohn 11. 10. 51. Parliament to sit the King was the Instrument and after to establish it for some continuance of time contrary to the expectation of all men and opposite to the long continued purposes and designes of Malignant councellors whom God as strangely infatuated at that time as at another time in another case he as strangely inspired Caiphas to Prophesie that Christ should dye for the Nation Secondly Gods wrath was never kindled against any people or Kingdome but for sinne especially for the sinnes of Idolatry Sabboth-breaking and publike injustice nor hath his wrath continued to desolation but for non-reformation But God hath called this Parliament to purge sinne to overthrow Idolatry to suppresse Sabboth-breakers and to reforme publicke injustice arming them with Soveraigne Authority by his owne power and by the Authority of the King to which worke they have wholly devoted themselves and for that very cause they are at this time so strongly opposed by the powers of hell and earth Therefore God will maintaine his