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	king_n	name_n	1,874	5	5.0780	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04597	A spiritual chaine, and armour of choice, for Sion souldiers Which, whosoeuer weareth graciously, shall be sure of the best honour, comfort and safetie (whether he liue or die in the battell) that can come to a Christian souldier. Very necessary for these times.	Jones, Anthony, fl. 1622.	1622 (1622)	STC 14717.5; ESTC S114423	39,266	114

as his God in this instruction Our gracious God vouchsafeth to teach his seruants his souldiers how to fight Hee teacheth my hands to fight saith King Dauid Nay more then this so honorable is the profession of a souldier that God of vvarre by the pen of his seruant Moses professeth himselfe to be a man of vvar The Lord is a man of warre saith he You saw before that he called himselfe a Captaine of the Lords hoast here he is called plainly A man of warre As he took mens nature vpon him so taketh he mens names vnto him they men of warre he a man of vvarre they brethren he a brother they seruants and he a seruant yea and imparteth also his owne names to the sonnes of men he a father and men fathers he a King and men Kings nay he a God and men Gods And vvhat so great maruell is this for names sith it is his good pleasure to make men partakers also of the diuine nature in regard of qualities and to giue them an entrance here into his euerlasting kingdome where at his appearing they shall be like him yea one with God O wonderfull humiliation on the one side O wonderfull exaltation on the other side Warre then is ancient vvarre then is honorable If we respect the spirituall warre all the life of man is a warre saith Iob if we respect the corporall warre we may see that as our God will be called a warrier so he will haue his deputie Kings who yet aboue all other men ought to seeke peace and make peace and keepe peace if it be possible to be vvarriers also vvhen time and cause are offered Samuel did signifie thus much to the Israelites vvhen he told them that their King would chuse some of their sonnes to make instruments of warre and other some to be Captaines ouer thousands To this end for one also he gaue King Saul another manner of heart then that which he had when he sought his fathers asses a couragious heart for battell and made little Dauid a man of great courage as to take a Beare by the throate a Lion by the beard and a Giant by the eares yea and this prouident God of ours chargeth Kings to make war by counsel and teacheth them to be circumspect in war What King saith our God goeth to war against another King and sitteth not downe first Luke 14.31 and taketh counsell whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twentie thousand Moreouer we perceiue that all people of vnderstanding despise a coward and respect a man of valour whence it is that the name of a dastard is a base by-word of great reproch And hence also it comes that they who are to be chosen to offices of any eminencie in the Weale publike one speciall qualitie regarded in them is according to Iosuahs counsell that they be men of courage Lastly Exod. 18.21 we may see in all ages that the most worthy Kings and Princes haue highly preferred souldiers of fidelitie policie and prowesse yea giuing them titles and places so high as to be of their Councell such were King Dauids Worthies 2. Sam. 23.8 and from hence euen from courage in war proceeded that which greatly sheweth and setteth forth the ancient dignity of a valiant souldier namely Armes Souldiers are specially called Men of armes nay they onely are so called and haue had both Names and Armes giuen them as well as other honours for their worthy deeds of Chiualrie These things thus I will come to apply that which I haue briefly laid downe of the right worthy and ancient profession of a souldier concerning which this I say Sith the antiquitie dignitie estimation and vse of men of warre is so great what maner care ought true Christian souldiers to haue for ioyning heauenly cariage with earthly nay rather with heauenly courage heauenly armour with earthly armes Surely an exceeding great care thereby adorning a profession so princely with all eminent vertues and holinesse otherwise they do not only forset all their former titles ornaments and aduancements of sacred and worthy souldiers but withall they shame as much as in them lieth their countrey their Religion their Kings their Princes their Leaders their parents their teachers their kinsfolkes their alies yea and dishonor their God also Far be it then that a Sion souldier any one I meane who haue that name should in his deeds be found to be a swearer a drunkard a drone a tigre a peacock a lyer a bragger a Thraso a filthy doer a loose speaker a lasciuious liuer a quareller a cutter a cozener a shifter an irregulous Atheist a prophaner of the Sabbath or any way tainted with any other notorious sin No no a Sion souldier must be a Saint by life as hee is by calling Hence it is that I vse my best endeuour to perswade all Protestant souldiers to all maner holinesse and this not onely in peace but in warre also yea and then especially lest they lose the presence of God and his blessed Angels when they haue most need of them Will you see a precise commandement for a speciall regard of their holy cariage in warre his generall commandement to all the world that they be holy as he is holy Leuit. 19.2 might serue for all sorts yet it is his good pleasure very remarkable to informe their care of holinesse in the very time of warre Deut. 23.9 When thou goest out saith our God against thine enemies keep thee from all wickednesse Will you moreouer see the exhortation of a most valiant godly Captaine to this See it in Iosua a little before the destruction of Ierico The very day before their miraculous passage through Iordan Ios 3.5 he called them together and said Sanctifie your selues For your better and more full consideration yet what a great respect our glorious God hath to his peoples holinesse in warre ponder I pray you deeply of the grieuous state of Gods armie yea and of good Iosuah himselfe especially at their fight with the men of Ai. How came this Ios 7.1 Because there was one wicked man in secret among them Behold this turned to their great discomfort Consider then with your selues how fearfull the standard of any campes must needs stand in all ages if there be many notorious wicked men in them horribly infected like lepers with many contagious vices Our good God I know both can and may spare such campes for his owne names sake for his owne childrens sake but I am sure that the case of such camps shall for euer be desperate for ought that man can see How so Because the true and powerfull word of our most true and powerfull God whose reuealed will belongeth to vs and our posteritie hath shewed it Reade and consider If thou shalt obey diligently the voice of thy God Deut. 28.1.2 3. and obserue and do all his commandements which I command thee this

compelled to war in a cause apparently knowne to be vnholy and vniust Most true it is that he must go to war sometimes when wel he knoweth the cause nay more then that when he is vtterly ignorant thereof For souldiers may be iustly pressed by their gouernours to take weapon way and ship towards some exploit which as yet is hidden and vnfit to be opened for a season If it be hid continually then they must beware of suspition and iudge louingly of their Prince Loue is not suspitious 1. Cor. 13.5.6.7 but hopefull rather rest fully perswaded that the cause is good Their diligent search to know the goodnesse of the cause Pro● 5.3 and their desire to fight in a holy cause when by any secrecie in the Princes heart which is deepe and vnsearchable or by any suddennesse of combat it cannot be reuealed is accepted by our good God who searcheth the herat Now if he cannot come to an euident truth of the iustnesse of the cause yet a Centurion souldier so I call the obedient at a becke must go with all speed Math 8.9 labouring to fight with as much courage as if he knew the cause to be euer so iust and then our gracious God who seeth his holy purpose will take this good hope conceiued of his Deputie in good part and take his due obedience giuen to his Deputie as done to himself Beware then of false whisperings which many times bring disobedient murmurings Gods Vicegerent must not be denied aide no nor so much as grudged at vpon surmises and rumors so they might haue no heartie vse at all of subiects for maintaining their wars Howbeit that serious enquirie that full purpose that heartie desire to fight in a good cause abhorring the contray should be in all Sion souldiers Therefore those souldiers shew themselues to haue ignorant blockish and wicked hearts who care nothing at all in what cause they venture lims and life much more they who hazard themselues when the cause is plainly discerned to be bad If hope of gaine be their principall motiue then haue they hearts possessed with the roote of all euill 1. Tim. 6.10 Here mercenarie souldiers are greatly to be reproued who runne to and fro like greedie wolues and flie hither and thither like hungrie Eagles where they may haue most wages whether they fight for God or for the Diuell they care not so they may haue mony and spoiles Such as these can looke for no good successe in the battell God forbid that any Protestant souldier should be of this mercenarie mind Hence it is that I aduise all godly souldiers to vse all good meanes to be throughly perswaded of the goodnes of their cause that so that good God and mightie defender of right may stand for them and that they may stand to him with true courage in the field And yet again I aduise a gracious souldier to iudge the best of the cause if by those occasions which I haue named or the like he can neuer find the depth of it for he must in no wise contest with his gouernours about the cause by standing vpon nice termes shifts and euasions Thus might vnwilling souldiers find store of starting holes to auoide all skirmishes To conclude a Sion soldier must be zealous for a good cause and not iealous of a good Prince he must vse all good inquisition and auoide all euill suspition And thus much for the second worthy sink namely a worthy cause Thirdly sith all men though vertuous 3. Worthy Courage godly and prudent are not endued with courage fit for war for courage is a speciall gift of God it behoueth a true Christian to consider how God hath stirred him vp that way and not offer himselfe to war vpon a sudden heate or mood in euer so good a cause but stay till he find that the God of battell hath bestowed a firme couragious heart vpon him without which he is able to do small good nay rather much harme Faint hearts may sooner discomfort others then performe any acceptable seruice at all Yet this I say in the case of courage when any goeth to warre voluntarily vpon a deceiued heart and then findeth his courage faint or when any that is pressed to war by his Prince is oppressed with feare of the enemie then let him do that to obtaine courage which men ought to doe for obtaining wisedome Iam. 1.17 both these descend from the Father of lights Iam. 1.5 Therefore as Saint Iames saith If a-man lacke wisedome let him aske it of God which giueth to all men liberally and reprocheth no man so say I if any Christian souldier want courage let him aske it of God in faith and for his glorie not for by and bad respects and if then our most wise God doth not vouchsafe vpon earnest petitions to bestow this gift vpon him surely he should do well to confesse his faintnesse and then such gracious Captaines as shall haue full notice thereof shall do well also to send him backe for some other emploiment at home I make no way here for dissemblers to wind out of their Princes seruice our God can giue holy Captaines discerning spirits to iudge of things in wisedome but I speake of such souldiers whose dastardly feare is apparently seene Here I suppose that old rule of our good God is to be remembred and practised for euer which saith Let the officers speake vnto the people Deut. 20.8 and say Whosoeuer is fearfull and fainthearted let him go and returne vnto his house lest his brethrens hearts faint as well as his heart yet I determine nothing hereof but leaue it to the godly wisedome of religious Captaines To go forward now in speaking more fully of courage I must put you in mind that this courage which here I write of hath alwayes a holy and noble resolution from the first houre to the last What resolution A Christian resolution full of magnanimitie A heart a soule a bodie fully resolued and prepared for all kinde of extremities yea death it selfe which endeth all a heart a soule which makes the will and testament at home in such sort as if the man were neuer to returne to his short home but to go as our phrase of speech is to his long home a heart a soule prepared to leaue all in all and to beare all brunts for Christ his sake When the person of a souldier is once accepted of his God in that most worthy Sonne of his that Lambe I say who is worthy to receiue power and riches and wisedome Reu. 5.12 and strength and glorie and praise then with this resolution which is vnseperable from that acceptance the Sion souldier defieth all Gods enemies despiseth all dangers and after a heauenly maner denieth all friends and himselfe also for Christs sake Then he saith Life I looke not for thy continuance Death I feare not thy sting Wife father mother sonne daughter brother sister friend

neighbour fare you well I am resolued of my course if I neuer come againe to my house I haue a house not made with hands prepared for me By a little shadow of this couragious resolution viz. that it was the most glorious and blessed thing that could be to die for ones country O praeclara mors quae naturae debita patres est redita Cicero in Philip. the old Romanes who were like old wine which is better then new became a kind of Lords ouer their owne liues not caring for death and thereby at length a kinde of Lords also ouer the knowne parts of the world If they could thus resolue vpon so poore weake and sandie a ground what maner of resolution may Sion souldiers make vpon the most faithfull promise and oath of the God of truth Heb. 6.13 to the end 1. Cor. 2.9 1. Pet. 1.4 touching those surpassing ioyes which the eye hath not seen nor the eare heard nor the heart of man conceiued laid vp and reserued in store by our good God for them that loue him Math. 9.29 Math. 10.34 lose any friends for his sake yea and especially for them that die in his cause If mortall Princes and gouernours hold it their renoune to requite their Captaines and souldiers for their constancie and courage how will the immortall God performe this to his worthies If the Romanes could giue their Torquatus a chaine of honour and a name of dignitie which remaineth to this day euen the name of a chaine what will our God giue his valiant men Surely both palmes and garlands and chaines and a celestiall crowne together with an euerlasting name in heauen What is it then to lose our country or friends for such a King such a God What is it to lose a lim for him nay what is it to lose life it selfe for him Surely it is no losse but great aduantage And they who in this sort lose a mortall life shall find an immortall life Therefore you Sion souldiers take this linke of courage together with the rest for making vp a chaine of honor here which will procure you a better chaine then the Romanes could giue their Torquatus O prepare to come from home with resolued couragious mindes And therefore prepare to come also with resolued hearts to behaue your selues so as becommeth Christians in all maner holinesse otherwise doe not loo●e to obtaine true resolued courage from our God For this heauenly resolution can neuer enter into the heart of a wicked man because our God hath threatned yea and assured him the quite contrary euen euerlasting punishment with the Diuell and his Angels except he repent except he amend except he be new borne except he present his bodie a liuing sacrifice Rom. 12.1 holy and acceptable to God which things if by the grace of our most gracious God he performe then shall he be more valiant then any giant then shall he not feare the face of any enemie but strike and dash to peeces the iaw bones of Gods foes flee at them like a Dragon and teare them like a Lion Reu. 5 8. because the Lion of the Tribe of Iuda is with him Such souldiers as these haue no cause to feare any enemies because they feare God and haue him for their friend If they die they die in great honor because they die for God and in God and to God if they liue they liue in great honour both for their good life and for their true valour True valour I say that is stirred vp by a calme and religious minde to fight for the truth Desperate resolutions proceed not from Christian fortitude but from rash furie It is not brainsick venturing in mad moods drunken veins and furious fits that makes a worthy souldier a noble souldier in life and death by such venturing thou maist venture vpon and enter into hell As it is in Martyrdome so it is in battell The cause not the torment maketh a Martyr Right so a good life lead in peace not a bad life lost in warre makes a blessed souldier at his death in the fields Let Sion souldiers therefore be resolued vpon true valour then may they stand to it with courage because they stand vpon a certaintie They shall be certaine either of a glorious victorie in life or of a more glorious victorie by death Such souldiers are far more resolute for Sion then euen the ancient Romanes were for old Rome or the new ones can be for new Babylon Such warriers are indeed more excellent conquerers then euer the most excellent Romanes were For by Christ Iesus their Captaine they become spirituall conquerers of the whole world yea of the flesh and sin and death and diuell and hell These be truly couragious and truly resolued souldiers Thus much for the third worthy namely a resolute courage 4. Worthy Mercie The fourth worthy thing to be considered of Sion souldiers is Mercie Albeit a sacred souldier must be couragious and valorous and that in such sort as to lay about him most manfully without respect of the life of any whosoeuer rather then put his owne life and his countries and his cause in danger yet on the other side there are times when and persons to whom mercy must be shewed I pleade not here for Agags 1 Sam. 15.33 Iudg. 2.21 nor for Zeba's and Zalmunna's whom the Lord will haue destroyed principall irreconcilable enemies such must find no fauour the blood which they haue mercilesse spilt crieth out for their blood without mercie Benhadad 1. King 2. Sam. 15.11 But the thing which I would say is this Such as are mis-led ignorantly like those two hundred whom Absalon abused mercie is due to them Such as before haue shewed mercie to others mercie is due to them If Zeba and Zalmunna had been mercifull vnto Gideons brethren Gideon saith Iudg. 8.29 he would not haue slaine them Babel was commanded to leaue her throne and sit in the dust because she shewed no mercie to the Israelites but laid a very heauie yoke vpon the ancient Isai 47.6 Deut 20 10. 2. Sam. 20.18 Psal 137. Obed. The like is said also of the children of Edom Such as yeeld in due time without resisting mercie is due to them Such captiues as may be spared without any danger of present or future harms through their trechery or multitude it is better to shew mercie there then rigor Matrons and virgins vnlesse they haue bin like Iesabel it is good in sacking of townes to shew mercie to them whom to handle in the least vnchaste maner let the thought thereof be far from all Sion souldiers The great huffing Harlot mother of the Stues leaue villanie to her sonnes fie vpon such filthinesse let it not once be named among Protestant souldiers but rather giuing of thanks for the victorie Moreouer yong children if there be any kinde of hope to stay them by the word it is pitie to slay them by the sword