Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	death_n	life_n	see_v	3,263	5	3.5236	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48102	A Letter from Winchester, in answer to his lordship's time-serving query whether passive obedience is only a bugbear, and fit for fools, or a Christian duty?		1681 (1681)	Wing L1548; ESTC R16321	5,304	4

A LETTER FROM WINCHESTER In Answer to his Lordship's time-serving Query Whether Passive Obedience is only a Bugbear and fit for Fools or a Christian Duty Printed by the Command of the Noble Peer Praestat per virtutem mori quam per dedious vivere Sen. THis Query was delivered to me by the hands of honest Elk your Lordships Secretary and it will not be amiss in the handling of this Question to premise the worth and beginning of Monarchy which I conceive is as ancient as Time it self for the Obedience which all Subjects at this day yield to Kings is no more than the yielding of that duty which is due to the Supreme Fatherhood Adam the first Father had not only simply Power but Power Monarchical as he was a Father immediately from God for by the divine appointment as soon as he was created he was Monarch of the World though he had no Subjects And although there could not be actual Government until there were Subjects yet by the right of Nature it was Adam's due to be Supreme or Governour over all his Posterity though not in act yet at least in habit he was a King from his Creation And none doubt in the state of Innocency but that Adam had been Governour of all his Children for the Integrity or Excellency of the Subjects doth not take away the Order or Eminency of the Governour And although as long as men continued their state of Innocence they might not need the direction of Adam in those things which were necessarily and morally to be done yet in matters purely indifferent that depended meerly on their own free wills they might be directed by the Power of Adam's Command Eve was subject to Adam before he sinned and the Angels who are of a pure nature are subject to God For the Dignity of Monarchy these are the words of the Almighty By Me Kings Reign c. And again a Ec. 8.4 Where the word of a King is there is Power and who may say unto him what dost thou And holy Job put this Query b Job 34.8 Is it fit to say to a King Thou art wicked much less to expose them to violence But this Command c 1 Ch. 16.22 Touch not mine Annointed being uttered by the Majesty of Heaven renders the Persons of Princes Sacred and puts a Guard upon them which to violate though in our own defence is to proclaim open War against God himself by the breach of his Divine Command And as to the Power of Kings De Benefic lib. 7. c. 4. Ad Scapul c. 2. Seneca tells us Ad Reges potestas omnium pertinet ad singulos proprietas And Tertullian tells us Colimus Imperatorum sic quomodo nobis licet ipsi expedit ut Hominem à Deo secundum solo Deo minorem Hoc ipse volet sic enim omnibus major est dum solo vero Deo minor est Kings are only in the power of God from whom they are second after whom first before and above all others And our late Bishop of Lincoln in his excellent Discourse of Popery p. 4. says England is a Monarchy the Crown Imperial and our Kings Supreme Governours of this Realm and all other their Dominions c. In our Oath of Supremacy we swear That the King is the Supreme so none not the Pope above him and only Supreme so none not the People co-ordinate or equal to him The true Church of Christ hath always known no other Weapons to resist a Lawful Sovereign than Prayers Tears and Sufferings Else why do we bear the Sign of the Cross if we have not Courage Christian Courage of force enough to endure not resist with violence the most exquisite Tortures that can be imposed on us upon the score of our Religion by a lawful Authority St. Ambrose receiving Imperial Command to deliver up the Churches says Quid ergo turbamini volens nunquam vos deseram coactus repugnare non novi dolere potero potero flere potero gemere adversus arma milites Gothos quoque Lachrymae meae arma sunt If I be compelled I may not oppose I may grieve I may weep I may sigh Against Arms Souldiers the Goths also my Tears are my Weapons Such are the Guards of a Priest I neither can nor ought to make other defence But to resolve one doubt by the way Suppose a Prince should send his Officers to take away the Life of an Innocent man how far is he bound by his Christianity not to resist I do not believe that he is obliged to open his Breast to the Dagger No our Blessed Saviour tells us it is lawful for such an one to save himself by flight who bid his Disciples when they were persecuted in one place to fly to another It does as readily follow that for his own Preservation in this Case he may hide himself from their fury or otherwise make all the defence for his own Life that he can without violence For all this while he does but hinder the Officers from doing evil and keeps his Prince from the Guilt of Innocent Bloud and saves himself But whether this person hitherto Innocent may imbrue his hands in the Bloud of the Prince's Officers supposing there is no other way to save his Life but by their Deaths And in this Case I think he is bound by the Rules of Christian Religion rather to permit his own Bloud to be shed unjustly than shed any himself though some imagine that self-preservation in this case doth oblige him to resist even to Bloud For my part I could never learn either by the Doctrine or Example of the Son of God the Obligation of this self-preservation for albeit self-preservation would incline a man to kill in this Case yet I cannot find any dutiful Obligation so to do and though we have a right by Nature to preserve our selves yet in this case if he suffer death rather than resist Authority by Bloud no man will determine that he is thereby guilty of any sin And this is of more force when the Innocent man considers that he may shed Innocent Bloud for these Officers come in Obedience to their Prince and they may be ignorant innocently ignorant whether he be not an Offender that has deserved death Moreover if a man ought to suffer even to death as the Primitive Christians did when the Cause was purely Spiritual much more ought he in all Temporal Cases Now this as I think being the Case of every particular man it is the obligation of the People too Neither indeed can I see what Priviledges of the Subject what Rights what preservation of our Lives can compound for the least Sin unless we prefer this Life to Eternity To suffer meekly out of a regard to my duty is certainly no stupidity as some would have it but an excellent Virtue Nor do I think this passive Patience Phanaticks a piece of Cowardliness or want of mettle but rather