Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	court_n	defendant_n	plaintiff_n	3,417	5	10.5128	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14975	Two sermons of assise the one intituled A prohibition of reuenge, the other, A sword of maintenance : preached at two seuerall times, before the right worshipfull iudges of assise, and gentlemen assembled in Hertford, for the execution of iustice, and now published / by W. Westerman ...	Westerman, William.	1600 (1600)	STC 25282; ESTC S2384	63,408	150

complaints to their superiours or teares and prayers to the Lord in such a case Peter must put vp his sword or else Peter must perish Math. 26. 52. with the sword Although Symeon and Leui seeme to haue a iust cause of their violent course against Shechem and aske if hee should Genes 34. 31. abuse their sister as an whore yet theyr father layeth a brand of Gods wrath vpon them for being Genes 49. 5. brethren in euill and slaying the man though an offender in their cruell rage Iudas and Theudas started vp in a time of tyrannie and oppression when the people were mightily racked with the Romane exactions and pretended Actes 5. a deliuerance but their enterprise being not of God came to naught with all the partakers The like successe had the Anabaptists in Munster who made a religious shew of repressing Sleidan lib. 5. the tyrannie and vngodlynesse of the gouernours of their times And what other end had our Ket of Northfolke or such like vpstarts who swelling to a head by the confluence of many poore wretches crying out reformation at length burst themselues like a botch and declared their corruptiō But we are otherwise Prou. 24. 21. taught to feare God and the king and not to meddle with thē that are seditious to remoue our matters from our owne affection to the Lords iudgement not to auenge our selues but giue place vnto his wrath not that wee should make the lawe being his ordinance an engayne to serue our lusts as the foxes troublesome suitors doe of whom wee shall speake heare after but that it may be a refuge to keepe vs in peace to defend our innocencie which if it doth not performe yet patiently we are to expect the wrath of our God that can still the enemie and the Auenger in his good time Now as many reasons were raised from the louing title to keepe vs from reuenge so is this restraint Foure reasons against selfe-reuenge 1. Reason frō the action of auēging full of matter to disswade from that sinister course If we consider first this action of auenging what is it but to repay euill with euill to punish vice with sinne and to imitate the wicked in his workes and waies of mischiefe Qui malum Lactant. Improbitati opposita impatia en●ia magna● concitat tempestates imitatur bonus esse non potest he that imitateth the bad cannot be good himselfe He shall haue as good as he brings sayest thou he brings the fruite of iniustice and thou payest him with the thornes of impatiencie Because thine enemie is vniust wilt thou be vngodly because he is an oppressor or a slaunderer wilt thou be froward and a murtherer Ne vtaris inimico praeceptore saith Basil let not thine enemy be thy scholemaster to tech thee that which thou detestest in him Shuldest thou be a glasse to resemble the fury madnes of the wicked in his angry moode or should thy voice be the Echo of his vngracious speach or thy hand the iustrument to bandy backe againe his balles of fire and mischiefe No rather ouercome theeuill with good fire quencheth not fire but rather settes all on a flame neither can euill represse euill but increase it rather and one iniury linked to another as Samsons foxes fastned with firebrands at their tailes disturbe the quiet and destroy the fruit of whole societies But he that rendreth good for bad heapeth hote coales vpon his enemies head not to consume him by his will but to kindle and stir him to charitie againe or at the least to a cōfession against himselfe such as Saul made to Dauid Thou art more righteous than I. This is the victory that ● Sam. 24. 18. Christians which are the heires of blessing should content themselues withall Contrarywise Barnard admi●lites templi Infelix victoriaest in qua hominem superās vitio succūbis It is an vnglorious victory when conquering a man thou art foiled by a beastly vice Secondly if we note the person here discharged 2. Reasons frō the person reuenging from reuenge it is our selues How absurd it is that one man should be plaintiffe witnesse Iudge and executioner al himselfe in his owne cause the lawes of God of men of nature and cōmon sense can teach vs. He that is first in his Prouerb 18. 17. owne cause is iust that is telleth a sound tale for himselfe till his neighbour come and controll it If the plaintiffe goe no further then the court of his owne affections he shall haue all the fauour that may be for he is Amicus curiae and the defendant shall haue neither audience nor aduocate there but all extremitie for what other thing can be expected whē a man is plaintiffe witnesse Iudge and executioner all himselfe but that the action should be rashly cōmenced the witnesse corrupt the iudgement partiall and the execution both sodaine and violent In regard whereof our priuate matters are dismissed from our owne partiall hearing wee are inhibited as Iudges in competent to deale for our selues And although Christians should cary a court of conscience about them wherein there is no corruption nor partiality no hard measure intended to others but such as they desire to be returned to themselues yet to auoide the slander suspition of iniustice they are to abide the publike triall to submit thēselues to the cēsure of the Lords appointed ministers in no case to defile their hands with the base execution of their owne reuenge 3. From the direction a reasō against reuenge A third reasō is drawen frō the direction made to send vs where we should seeke may finde remedie of al enormities Giue place vnto wrath Wherin is thus much implyed that although thou haddest the sword the law in thine own hand and mightest be thine owne caruer ●and Chāpion yet thy hands might faile thy heart though thy priuate anger be curst yet hath it but short hornes the strongest reuenger meeteth with his match Therefore that auncient tryall by combat is growne out of practise with Christians because therein the innocent partie is as farre endaungered as the offender the weake truth is made a prey to strong falsehood rather then a punishment And the Lord hath ordained diligent inquisition to sift out offences and an oath to be the end of controuersies and girded his magistrates with power and maiesty to suppresse the mightie hath not left the defence of the innocent or the reuenge of the wicked to one mans valour or to the hazard of a thing vncertaine or the exercise of a priuate mans wrath which hath no warrant from the Lord but is rather a tempting of God then a due course of tryall in matters punishable by the sword It is not for the weakenes of mans anger to preuent the power of gods ordinance Fret not thy selfe against sinners to doe euill but trust in the Lord and hee will care for thee