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	see_v	2,875	5	3.5208	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B21237	A review of the Observations upon some of His Majesties late answers and expresses written by A Gentleman of Quality.	Diggs, Dudley, 1613-1643.	1643 (1643)	Wing D1459	24,210	32

necessarily follow if we take away the freedome of the Kings assent and dissent in Parliament or barre Him of the use of His Counsells advice therein I should little need to say any thing concerning that which the Observour so much pretends that Communities and universalities of men are voyd of corrupt affections and of private ends and that therefore their desires are alwayes lust and their councell faithfull and impartiall But when in the fallacy of this perswasion there lyes I fear a great part of the sinne for which Gods anger now so publiquely doth shew it selfe upon us I would be loath to passe it over without any touch at all I feare we are too diffident to rest upon the ordinance of God I feare we are too confident of our selves as if our owne naturall providence if we were left unto it were beyond any other meanes of safety although it were the ordinance of God unto us A word or two shall not therefore be unnecessary concerning the corruptions errors that even communities themselves are often subject to That Communities are lesse subject to private ends and affections then particular men are is true but it is also true that they are not absolutely free from them and when they fall into them they are more fatally violent and dangerous And though one would think it repugnant that an universality which conteines the whole publique should have private ends or that that should any way be counted private which they that conteine the publique doe pursue yet seeing it is not the number of agents but the capacity in which they act the quality of their acting and the coherence or incoherence of what they pursue with the publiques end and weale that makes the actions of men publique or private it must needs follow that if without authority or out of the way of the publique ordinance men pursue any thing though the whole community concurre in the pursuit yet is all of the nature of a private action done to a corrupt and private end for though the thing intended be to the present good of the publique yet being beside the ordinance and way it is in consequence against the good and weale of the publique so against the very ends of the publique And as in the body naturall a very few members that is none but the eyes have the sense of seeing but all the members have the sense of feeling so in Communities all have the sence of enjoying good or suffering evill but very few the faculty of discerning the cause and means of either Yet the major part of the Community more carried by sense then true discerning oft makes the judgement of the whole Community and brings it to act that that agreeth not with the intended weale of the Comity By this means at the best the whole universality of the Israelites contrary to their own finall good and prosperity forced their Priest to set them up golden Calves By this meanes the universality of them againe revolted from David their King by Gods immediate Ordination to Absolom an usurper By this means the universality of the tenne Tribes for redresse of their grievances rebelled against Davids Grand-child and set up Jeroboam who reviving their own affected false religion authorized that sinne which pursued them in their extirpation It is therefore an untruth to say that Communities can have no private ends and a belying of the Law and Truth to say as fol. 22. that ever there was such a Maxime But it will be said that though in Communities the body at large in which the vulgar is the greatest part may be subject to corrupt affections and ends yet the body representative which is the Choice of the Community is to be presumed free from corrupt ends and affections and therefore most wise faithfull and assured Truly we pray that since in this knot lye many scruples that wring the consciences of thousands in our Israel we may with modest freedom reason the things that tend to clearing the honour and observance due to representatives To whom we acknowledge the highest honour and observance that can be given to the body represented But the honour and authority of the representative will alwaies depend upon two things that is the quality and condition of the body represented and the quality of the representation it selfe for as that is more or lesse proper and lively so will it derive more or lesse authority and reputation If therefore the body at large be an absolute free soveraigne as is the Community of a right Republique the true representative of that body is then to be observed with all soveraigne honour and due subjection but if the body at large be it selfe a Subject the honour and authority of the representative cannot exceed the honour and authority of a Subject for none can make their image more then they themselves are Next then besides that all representations how plenarily soever authorized must ever be subject to the condition of the body represented The repute and authority of representatives will also follow the soundnesse or weaknesse exactnesse or imperfection of the representation it selfe For if throughout an whole Community the representers be equally and proportionably ordained according to the true relative interest that each part which sendeth them hath to the whole publique as in the united Provinces they are there will be all full acknowledgement of authority to the representative that possibly can be to the body at large and there will also be some presumption that the representers are authorized to determine soveraignly of those things that concerne the publique But if on the other side there be no equality in making representers observed but that some parts send as many as others that are an hundred times greater and more considerable both in power and support of burthen in the Commonwealth and if for some of the parts none are admitted to choose the representers but substantiall legall Freeholders and for other parts all are admitted of what condition soever And if the number of those that are unproportionably and promiscuously chosen doe three or foure fold exceed the number of them that are strictly chosen for the most principall part of the Community And lastly if it lye in the power of some other authority to give to some particular Townes the power of sending representers equall in number to the greatest Provinces of the Community These circumstances will not only detract from the repute and authority that a more exact representative of the Community might have but vehemently demonstrate that the institution and end of such a representative is rather to minister information of the state and condition of every of those particular places and advice and assistance to some other soveraigne and to consent with him then to determine soveraignly it selfe To come then to the Objection of the assurednesse of Representatives in their judgement and fidelity If in Kingdoms we by the representative body of the

in allegiance to their representers as to the only Soveraignes of their obedience Of that it may please the two honourable Houses to take into a serious consideration how repugnant these positions are to the loyalty of a true Christian how hard it is for a pious conscience to perswade is selfe that they that broach such Doctrines intend nothing but the defence of the King of the lawes of the Land and of the true Protestant Religion how much the name and Maiesty of God himselfe is blasphemed when in a Christian Kingdom that boastes it selfe of the knowledge and true profession of his word such Doctrines so derogatory to Christianity should so audatiously be maintained And lastly how much it must needs reflect upon their own honour in poynt of jealousie and distrust as if some ill-affected factious persons had too great an influence and power over their votes when such impious assertions so desperatly misleading the soules and consciences of men are so licentiously divulged without any condemnation check or discountenances from them though earnestly desired by His Majesty at their hands I suppose there remaines not in the observations any thing materiall that is not already answered As for the design of changing Religion into Popery which the observer perhaps glances at in speaking of Popish Prelaticall and Military Courtiers If a Christian can in his conscience find any other ground for such beleife then only the opinion of a judgement that would be beleived rather for authorities sake then for any thing prooved or discovered he then may well listen to it But if instead of presumptions that way he findes presumptions of intended change to the contrary Corruption of Religion a good Conscience will not be so Popishly affected as for the infallibility of any judgement to beleive contrary to what his heart telleth him the most apparent presumption must incline him For besides that it is easier to bring in a corruption in extremity contrary to an old exploded corruption then to recover that that hath been once exploded as Popery hath been and is We have His Majesties often solemne attestation of God imprecating the prosperity of Him and His if he do not maintain the true Protestant Religion established in the Church of England against all Popery We have not the like on the other part against Schismaticall innovations Yet our Schismatiques are thrice as many as our Papists and whereas our Papists are God be thanked disarmed awed and in feare our Schismatiques are bold armed and in authority and therefore licentious and tumulting in every place God will require an account of our Oathes and Protestations for defence of the true Protestant Religion aswell against Schismaticall corruptions as against Popish And an account of our solemn Oathes of Supremacy and of observance of the Law as well against popular insolences and invasions of Soveraigne power as against regall Tyranny Let us take heed that when because of Oathes the Land already mournes we through an universall breach of Oathes make it not for perjury mourn more greivously Least when with our solemn Oathes we have brought the animadversion of our observance of Law of right and of Religion before the presence of God as Iudge and Revenger of it and with out own hands kindled a fire for the triall of it we our selves be found guilty of a breach or of halting in it Let us weigh well the cause the ground the way and the end of our taking Armes that the horror of unjust and causelesse blood-shedding may not lye upon us let us see what it is that we would have which we may not already have without it May we not after some provision made for forbearance of such Ceremonies as by the Iudgement of the Church shall be thought fit to be spared have the authorized service of the Church established And after purgation and regulation of some enormities in Church government have the discipline of the Church of England in a good condition setled with severe penall provision against connivers and Innovators in the one or in the other Hath not His Majesty declared himselfe ready and willing to consent thereto Againe to make sure the abolishing of all grievances already supprest and to regulate Armes and some other extravagances in government not yet provided for may we not have fit provisionary lawes with severe and penall damning of all practices to the contrary Doth not His Majesty to that also freely offer His consent what can be wanting to the setling of as sound and well a governed Church and State as any Nation under Heaven hath ever lived in For if by a severe Law the persons of them that shall attempt any thing prejudiciall to the setled practice of Religion or to the declared liberty of the Subject be exposed to exemplary punishment no feare of Innovation to the prejudice of either can remaine Nor can we feare His Majesties tolerating of offenders when besides his imprecating in that case himselfe and His he has in case he so violates the Law with His owne mouth dispenced with His Subjects obedience As for Our Parliaments it can no way be in the power of the King to take away the least Right much lesse the being of Parliaments for whatsoever a King can doe to the prejudice of Parliaments and how soever averse He may be from them yet alwayes the necessity of State will at last enforce the calling of a Parliament and when it is called it is presently repossessed and re-invested of all the Rights and Priviledges that doe belong unto it For nothing but a Parliament it selfe or so much of a Parliament as in the peoples opinion shall have the authority of a whole Parliament can any way destroy the being of Parliaments or deprive them of the least right or priviledge belonging to them To conclude therefore if they that devised and broached the new State principles doctrines published in the Book of Observations have in them dealt truely and faithfully with the Subject Then let the Author of those Doctrines reioyce in them that receive and maintaine them and let the maintainers of them reioyce in them that were the authors But if they have dealt unfaithfully and deceiptfully with the soules of the Subiect to cause the blinde that cannot Iudge to erre thereby to bring to passe their own designed innovations Then let it please the just and all-seeing Supream Iudge of Iudges in mercy to so many thousand soules in this our Jsraell who in the darknesse of these difficulties know not the right hand from the left to send as once he did at Jothams instance Iud 9.16 a fire from the malitious authors of them to bring to confusion and shame the malignant maintainers and defenders of them and a fire from them to bring to confusion the malitious authors And let the Throne of our Soveraigne Lord the King with us the only supream Vice-gerent of the great and Supream Iudge be in righteousnesse in Iudgement to true Religion and in Peace for ever established over us The Printer to the Reader THis Summary Answer good Reader having it seemes lyen long upon the way to Oxford happned to come to the Presse before Christmas last where by reason of our full imployment ever since Is could not be dispatched till now FINIS