Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	effect_n	nature_n	power_n	3,155	5	5.1866	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82070	A declaration by Congregationall societies in, and about the city of London; as well of those commonly called Anabaptists, as others. In way of vindication of themselves. Touching 1. Liberty, 2. Magistracy, 3. Propriety, 4. Polygamie. Wherein their judgments, concerning the particulars mentioned are tendred to consideration, to prevent mis-understanding.		1647 (1647)	Wing D561; Thomason E416_20; ESTC R204489	9,356	17

of it are not like to bee spirituall Because all proper effects are at most but commensurable to the nature and being of their causes That which is born of the flesh is flesh e John 3.6 sath our Saviour that is it is but flesh of a nature and condition answering its cause producing it And therefore the innate and intrinsicall property of the powers and authorities of this world being terrene and calculated only for the affaires thereof we conceive they are not to act but within their owne proper spheare or if they shall attempt to doe otherwise miscarriage and disappointment in the undertaking is the best that can rationally bee expected And as it would be no lesse then an usurpation for a State Ec●…sticall to impose lawes upon a State Civill and to ●…er●…●…ive power therein so likewise not to say what 〈…〉 doe in recommending to the people the things 〈…〉 irregularity for a State 〈…〉 Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall so as to exercise a coersive and worldly hower therein by inflicting a worldly and corporall punishmant on men for a non-observation of them But as the Apostles when they preached the Doctrine of Justification by faith alone excluding the workes of the Law as having no part nor fellowship in that matter were cryed out upon as destroyers of the Law though in other respects and such as were proper to the Law they were the great assertors of it even so while wee doe but goe about by way of debate and argument to keepe and preserve the Civill power within its due and proper bounds distinct and unconfounded with that power which is quire of another nature wee are exclaimed against by some who have the boldnesse to affirme or the weakenesse to believe as if wee were enemies to all Magistracy and Governement or as if we intended to throw downe those hedges that are set about mens estates and to lay both the one and the other common Though the truth is wee have been and resolve to bee as faithfull assertors and zealous maintainers to our power both of Magistracy and government and of the Liberty of mens persons and propriety of their estates to speake without vanity as any other men whosoever Magistracy necessary And therefore wee declare in the first place That man being fallen from that uprightnesse and perfection in which at first hee was created and being now so farre from being commanded by principles of love goodnesse meekenesse mercy sobriety and equity as that hee is filled with lustfull inclinations and dispositions to Fornication Adultery drunkennesse extortion fraud reviling these murther witchcraf●… perjury and to defile himselfe with man-kinde together with many other lamentable distempers unto the truth wherof both the word of God and daily experience will abundantly witnesse We cannot but apprehend an absolute necessity both of Governours and Government to bridle and restraine men from falling foule one upon another and from doing things destructive not onely to the honour and rights but even to the safety and beings of others d 1 Tim. 1.9 10. For whilst those noysome lusts doe rage and raigne in men what other thing can be Imagined sufficient to guard the persons the honour and estates of men from suffering violence but the sword of the Magistrate And therefore looke what necessitie there is for men to enjoy themselves in safety and honour the same necessity there is of Laws and Governours And as Magistracy and government in generall is the Ordinance of God which he in love to the world hath appointed for the good of men e Rom. 13.1,2.4 And as we doe not disapprove any forme of Civill government which hath a direct tendancie and subordination to its proper end so we doe freely acknowledge that a Kingly government bounded by just and wholsome Lawes is both allowed by God and a good accommodation unto men f Pet. 2.13,14 2 Sam. 23.3 And however it be a thing very desirable to have such to bee governours as feare the Lord in as much as together with their morall principles they are under the solemne engagement of Christianity to execute Judgement and Justice and faithfully to discharge their trust and will be more readie to protect godly men who generally are the hatred of world and to propagate the Gospell in their territories then other men will be yet whatever the Magistrate is in point of Religion he is to be reverenced and obeyed in all those commands of his which doe not intrench upon or rise up in opposition to the commands of God or fall crosse to the common interest of men the maintenace whereof is his charge And in as much as variety of actions and unanimity in endeavours are necessary in the management of publique affaires And since every man is not a like qualified for the same action nor hath that discretion and propension of his owne accord to fall into that place which is most proper for him and since also there is so much darknesse remaining in the mindes of men as to make them subject to call evill good and good evill and so much pride in their hearts as to make their owne wills a Law not unto themselves onely but unto others also it cannot but be very prejudiciall to humane society and the promotion of the good of Commonwealths Cities Armies or families to admit of a parity or all to be equall in power Because there being in this case a Liberty for every man to follow the dictates of his own understanding and to act as he pleaseth in reference to the Publique what can be expected but disorders confusions jealousies sactions yea Civill warres themselves For as mens apprehesinons of the common interest but especially their opinions of the conduciblenesse of means thereunto are almost infinitely various and contradictious to each other so is it naturall for them to indulge their owne opinions and violently to pursue even unto blood their own meanes which seeme only to themselves to be such and that in opposition to those means which in the eye of wiser men and in themselves are such indeed And therfore we cannot but conclude that the ranging of men into severall and subordinate ranks and degrees is a thing necessary for the common good of men as being the onely meanes to remove obstructions and to preserve order and agreement in all agitations tending thereunto Of. Propriety Touching propriety wee further declare that however the wants and necessities of men are a call from God to those that have wherewithall in their hands to minister to them and relieve them in their need and that where the love of God dwels richly in the soule it doth enlarge the heart of men in compassion and their hands in bounty towards their brethren in distresse who are as their owne flesh yet certainly for any man to urge such a community amongst men in the good things of this life as necessary which dissolves mens propriety in them is not only

A DECLARATION BY Congregationall Societies in and about the City of LONDON as well of those commonly called Anabaptists as others In way of Vindication of themselves TOUCHING 1. Liberty 2. Magistracy 3. Propriety 4. Polygamie WHEREIN Their Judgments concerning the particulars mentioned are tendred to consideration to prevent mis-understanding 1 COR. 9.3 My answer to them that examine mee is this PSAL. 35.11 False witnesses did rise up they layed to my charge things that I know not Printed by M. Simmons for Henry Overton in Popes-head Alley 1647. A DECLARATION BY Congregationall Societies in and about the Citie of LONDON as well c IT is no new thing for the people of God to be through malice mis-represented by some and through weaknesse mis-apprehended by others as touchching the principles of their profession and opinions about matters of Religion And it cannot be denyed but that the erroneous opinions and irregular practices of some particular persons making profession of the same way and passing under the same denomination with the servants of God themselves have from time to time ministred occasion to the ignorant and weake to mis-conceive and opportunity and advantage to the malicious to mishape the state and temper of the judgments wayes of the generality of people fearing God and walking before him in ●…uth with all their hearts And in as much as we finde it in these our dayes to be the policie of adversaries to cloath us in the skins of Savage beasts that is to father such opinions and fasten such imputations upon us to engage the world against us and to provoke all men to fall upon us as in which if there were matter of truth answerable to pretence would indeed render us unworthy the society of men And for as much also as there are some sad examples in the Land of the vanity and wickednesse of somemen who having professed the same way of worshiping God been called by the same name with our selves have so farre fallen from the grace of God and the principles of their profession as not onely to doe things inconvenient and unworthy the name of Christians yea of men but also to justifie themselves therein as well-doers to the great reproach of the Gospell the breaking of our hearts and the offence of the world before whom they have laid the stumbling blocke of their iniquity ' wee cannot but judge that both in relation to the Gospell it selfe the honour of which is in great part involved in the innocency and honour of those people that hold it out unto the world and accordingly suffers in their reproaches as likewise in relation to men of the world strangers to God who harden themselves against the way of God and his servants upon the fore-mentioned occasion the undeceiving and enlightning of whom lyes upon us as a duty to be endeavoured yea and in relation to our owne innocency and integrity the which we are bound to vindicate on this behalfe a necessity lyes upon us to doe some act by which the truth and reallity of our judgements and principles touching those things wherein we so undeservedly suffer in the thoughts of men may be brought out into an open light to be beheld and known of all men which then we doubt not will be found to bee nothing lesse then what many have fancied them to be We are very sensible that some men have even filled the world with the noyse of their out-cryes against us as if wee were the advocates of all licentious liberty disorder and confusion but how unjustly will one day appeare to their shame What liberty is pleaded for It is true we have asserted that as belonging unto men which in some respect and consideration may be called a liberty But what liberty Not a liberty to harme any man in word or deed nor a liberty for any man to be corrupt vaine loose or inordinate in judgment or conversation for such a liberty as this can doe no man good And God that knowes our hearts knowes that we desire not any liberty for any but in order to the good of all We have indeed thought this but reasonable That while men behave themselves peaceably and justly as touching civill conversation making no encroachments upon the Civill power nor any breaches upon the names and reputations the estates or bodies of men nor doing things inconsistent with morall principles they should not suffer in their names bodies or estates from the hands of the Civill Magistrate or any other men whosoever meerely for what they conscientiously do in things pertaining to the worship of God And when we so say wee doe not all exempt from correction any such offences or miscarriages of men as are about matters meerely Ecclesiasticall and which are committed against the power and Scepter of Christs Kingdome onely provided it be by power and meanes suitable to the nature of such transgressions The which power and meanes wee conceive to be the Word of God and Divine Censures which as they are proper in kinde to correct and cure such inordinacies and delinquencies as these so are they mighty in power and efficacy to effectuate the same Being able through God who hath appointed them for that purpose to pull downe strong holds to cast downe imaginations and every high thing that exalts it selfe against the knowledge of God to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ and to revenge all disobedience c. e 2 Cor. 10.4,5,6 And God who hath made nothing in vaine having once found one kinde of meanes fit for his hand to accomplish his end by is not wont to constitute another for the same purpose Upon which principle of truth the Apostle builds a great assertion accompanied with an asseveration For saith hee if there had beene a law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse should have beene by the Law f Gal. 3.21 If the Law had beene given by God for that end that men might bee justified by it hee would then never have instituted another way and meanes such as is that which is by faith for the same purpose And therefore wee conceive that with the same reason and truth it may bee asserted that if God hath instituted and made a spirituall power spirituall engines and instruments both proper and effectuall remedies against such evills as oppose a spirituall power and state only the affirmative whereof is before proved then hee hath not superadded another power and meanes and that of an inferiour nature such as is that which is but secular for the same end And as there is both suiteablenesse of proportion ●nd sufficiency of strength in the Evangelicall and spirituall power to heale such distempers in men as these are so wee conceive the Civill power to bee deficient in both For that being in its nature only such as it is in denomination viz. secular or worldly d 1 Pet. 2.13 the direct and proper operations and effects