Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	evil_a	good_a	reason_n	2,746	5	5.3703	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67833	Two assize sermons preached at Winchester the first Feb. 26, 1694, James Hunt of Popham, Esq. being sheriff of the county of Southampton : the second July 14, 1686, Charles Wither of Hall, Esq. being sheriff, &c. / by E. Young ...	Young, Edward, 1641 or 2-1705.	1695 (1695)	Wing Y70; ESTC R3087	24,328	64

to Judge in Effect besides him who pronounces the Last Sentence For as in a Clock though the Hand only indicates the Point of Time yet the Weight and Spring and every subordinate Wheel influences the Motion to that Point which the Hand does Indicate so in the Administration of Justice they that Inform and Testifie They that Inquire and Report they that Colour and Represent what is alledged do all judge in Effect i. e. They have all a necessary Influence upon the Issue and the Sentence of the Judge is no more than the Index of a Judgment which Remoter Agents do move and direct to To All therefore that either do or may Relate to Judgment The Words offer these two Propositions I. That the Judgment is for the Lord and II. That This Consideration is of great Importance to make Men act as they ought to do in that Affair Take heed c. I. The Judgment is for the Lord By Judgment I mean suitably to the Notion of the Text that Business which this Honourable Assembly is by and by proceeding upon viz. The Administration of Justice in all its Acts and Offices whether Punitive Coercive or Decisive Concerning which Judgment the Vulgar Opinion is that it is indeed the Great Civil Affair the Prime and most important Business of the Government And this Opinion is True but it is Short For my Text alledges that this Judgment is moreover a Religious Affair and the very Business of God Ye Judge for the Lord And the Truth of this Assertion I shall clear to you in these Four Positions Each of them bringing in a several Instance for the Proof of it viz. I. That the Power of Judgment is Gods Right II. That the Matter of Judgment is Gods Cause III. That the Issue of Judgment is Gods End and IV. That the Formal Judgment that is The Sentence of Judgment is Gods Sentence The first Position is this that the Power of Judgment is Gods Right None may doubt but that every Supreme Magistrate is vested with a proper Judicial Power which Power He may either Exercise Himself or else Delegate it to any Others whom he shall think Fit for the Exercise of it But this I assert That no Supreme Magistrate can pretend to the Right of this Judicial Power from any Human Title or manner of Acquisition It is a Prerogative above any Station or Character that One Man can advance Another unto And Every one that has it has it derived to him from God in as real a Sense as he can be said to derive it to any Inferiour and Deputed Minister or Judge Our Saviour has told us what we are to believe in this Matter from his Own Case Who upon the Insinuation of Pilat the Roman Judge that He was One who had Power either to Condemn or to Release him makes this Reply I know thou couldst have no power over me unless it were given thee from above 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not from Rome but from Heaven from Cesar indeed Immediately but Fontally and Originally from God And so Sacred a thing is the Exercise of this Power that not only Princes themselves but even their Deputed Ministers of Justice are therefore honoured in the Scripture with the Style of Gods as sustaining Gods Person in Judgment and acting in His Right The Evidence that the Holy Scripture brings in to this Assertion is Abundant And He whose Curiosity seeks for Conviction of another kind let him Consider this Instance viz. The Magistrate Bears the Sword as S. Paul expresses it which is the Ensign of the Judicial Power and imports a Jurisdiction extending over Life and he Bears it not in vain says the same Apostle that is He has Right to use it But now let any one Consider by what possible Human Right the Magistrate can acquire a Jurisdiction that extends Over Life For no Man has this Right in Himself no Man has Power over his Own Life and How then can any confer it on Another I know any Man may forfeit his Life by his Crimes but when he has so done no Other Man can take that Forfeiture without Gods Claim And therefore after a Man has deserved to Die never so Justly it is not Lawful for him to Execute that Judgment upon himself Nor yet can he by his Own Act render it Lawful for any Other to execute It upon him And therefore the Magistrate which bears the Sword for that purpose and has the Only Right of Executing this Judgment is for that very Reason call'd by S. Paul in the same place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Minister of God as Invested with Gods Authority and acting in His Right who as he is the only Author so therefore He is the only Lord of Life II. The Matter of Judgment is Gods Cause I call the Matter of Judgment such Matters and Cases as properly fall under Judicial Cognisance And they for the greatest part are such as are Intrinsically Moral involving Good or Evil in their Own Nature such as are all the Concerns of Truth Right Equity Mercy and all the Contrary Violations that proceed from Maiice Falshood or Unfaithfulness Now All these are properly Gods Cause For they were the Matters of His Law before they were of Man's and Human Laws in Respect of those are only the Transcripts of that which is Divine and Eternal And that is the Reason why the Just Determination of all such Cases which is the Executing of True and Righteous Judgment is said in the Holy Scripture to be the Direct and Proper Service of God and is required of Magistrates under that Notion And this is the Reason why the Heathens though they knew not the True God were yet interpreted to honour and serve the True God by the Offices of Justice and Judgment For so the Fathers doubt not to assert that God prospered even Idolatrous Nations for this Reason and particularly that the Romans extended their Empire to that height of glory by Gods blessing upon their Eminent Justice For as the Author of the Book of Wisdom argues on the other hand concerning Perjury in those Idolaters that when they swore falsly though it were by False Gods yet they were punished by the True because the sin was against Him Meaning that every Deviation from the Natural Law or the Dictates of our Consciences is a sin against that God that planted these Dictates in us in order to this that they should be our Law So likewise on the contrary so long as those Idolaters did observe these Natural Dictates and assert and maintain them in their Publick Judgments they pleased and served the True God though to them Unknown and were accordingly prospered and blessed by him for it It is no Doubt but that in Cases where the Matter under Determination appertains to Natural Right the Cause is Gods and an Equitable Determination of them is His Proper Service But we must allow that there are many Cases of Judicial Cognisance