Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	great_a	know_v	5,049	5	3.5427	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52941	Certain queries humbly proposed in order to a quiet Christian submission to His Highness the Lord Protector S.N.	S. N., Gent.	1658 (1658)	Wing N68; ESTC R7284	5,870	13

every understanding to reach or fadome but whether it be not more easie to be believed then refuted I leave to others for my own part I cannot but believe that there may be an election of some particular persons more then others Yet withal I cannot discerne from the Scriptures nor Reason how those terrible and doleful decrees of particular persons to be damned from eternity should be supported Now then if conscience be free and no restraint either to the weak or the strong in well doing In this have you not all or once would it not have been esteemed so Let every man then examine his own conscience and say plainly what 's it he wants saving the casting out of that unclean spirit of pride Arrogancie and Ingratitude and then doubtless he is either a man that is well or may be if he himself see cause 5 Whether the present taxes be any ground at all of the least discontent to any sort of men whatsoever Because First as to the Parliament Party and those under that head they have the greatest reason to sit down not with patience onely but with satisfaction for two reasons at least First because by the late quarrel they have not diminished their estates and treasure but I may safely say and speak no parable they have increased them and have with their blows received suitable encouragement yet those of that sort that staid by the stuffe have been best rewarded Therefore for these Gentlemen that have reapt so good a crop and so plentiful harvest to scruple the payment of their dues and to spare a little out of their abundance were high ingratitude to God and men Considering there is nothing in all these present transactions but what themselves have had some hand in to effect Secondly If there were nothing else but that peaceable enjoyment of their own minds in Gods worship and service it were sufficient because they would in time past have purchased it at a dearer rate when they were worse able to bear it And as to others as well as to the generation mentioned I mean all the Protestants of England as they are both Christians and English men have not the least ground of discontent For the quarrel now is become the old Protestant cause that ever was afoot since the Reformation it hath pleased God through his infinite wisdom to end all our private and national quarrells and settle it at that point of the compass where doubtless God Almighty expects we should all agree Although the charge hath been great and some mens lives have expired in the quarrel yet if men would be but ingenuous there is much done already toward the charge against the Romish usurpation viz. what think you of the peace with Portugal and the freedom from the Inquisition there whereof our merchants and seamen already feel the benefit and I doubt not but the King of Spain also will hearken to those most noble and Christian terms proposed by his Highness ere it be long Therefore having put our hands to the plough let us not look back but rather rejoyce that God Almighty still takes pleasure in England to produce such Worthies as shall be the worlds reformers as Constantine the first Christian Emperour borne at York and Lucius the first Christian King and who cannot but discerne as Constantine was a blessed Instrument of Gods to discharge the world from many of those gross Idolatries and superstitions of the heathens but that his Highness is a man exalted and raised on purpose to purge as by fire the corruptions Idolatries heathenish superstitions of the Church of Rome Considering also that God hath made many promises to extirpate all that is or may be called Antichristian now for us to be negligent and murmure at so good a work and not rather be thankful though it cost us our all is as much as to say to the Lord Depart from us for we would serve other masters would not this be to draw a sackcloth over the sun and to poure contempt and shame upon our own heads whom God and Christ would have lifted up and would it not make us like unto Ierusalem as a carcase without a soul so soon as the Lord had left them we know the eagles I mean the Romans whose ensigne was mottoed with an eagle soon made a prey of them And further were it any ignoble designe or personal quarrel or point of honor we might well say then what needs this wast but where there is not the least composition or ingredient that is not honourable but a common protestant cause and for the whole worlds reformation let us not grudge lest God repent 6 Whether it were not more Christian and better becoming the ministry to leave their obscure prayers as when they pray for the supreme Authority for the Chief magistrate for those in Authority c. and to pray in plain and intelligible English for his Highness the Lord Protector of England Scotland and Ireland and the territories thereunto belonging and for the Lords of his Councel and for his family c. for by the former termes of Art no man knows whom they mean whether his Highness or the vagator on the other side If I may be so bold I think they have as much reason as the Kings Clergy for they enjoy the same benefit with many an Augmentation besides it would tend much to a through setling and a quenching of foolish and vain hopes I hope there is no such root of bitterness as to imagine they want incouragement and men of other minds are tolerated c. to be the cause of this strange kind of obscure uncouth and cloudy prayers Alas his Highness is the father of us all a father of a family doth not discourage or upbraid any for not being so straight so tall so good memory so quick of discerning no more can his Highness to the people of several and various minds if he should it would render him unnatural for it is much for any magistrate to keep himself free from the charge in the poet Dat veniam corvis vexat censura columbas which I doubt not his Highness will have regard unto as hitherto 7 Whether the inflicting the severest punishment upon traitors conspirators c. be any cause of dissatisfaction to any but rather by far of the greatest content and submission for have not those Gentlemen that have been known by the name of the Kings party been favourably dealt with considered as conquered their penances for their faults have been very tolerable and I know upon good grounds that many are so ingenuous as to acknowledge it and will say they believe they should not have shewn so much favour as is received his Highness in this imitates God Almighty in such a demeanour of himself for if mercy forbearance patience nay and long-sufferance will not do then he poureth out his wrath and indignation upon the disobedient Now all that seems hard is that so many worthy Gentlemen who its believed hath had neither intention heart nor hand in any Treasonable Act should be secured and kept under restraint the equity and reason of that is plain because a plot or conspiracy being discovered concerning a party and many known to be guilty which in appearance seemed as harmless much more also then many of the rest what would they themselves do but think and be very jealous of the whole and so secure the nation and free the persons if innocent from a temptation and keep them out of harms way Now if his Highness should hearken too much to his own clemency in such cases whether he would not first sin against God in not inflicting punishment secondly against the Nation thirdly against himself 8. Whether that any people in the world to speak without any flattery have Magistrates so free from all manner of corruption as we have what Prince spends so many hours in prayer and devotion as ours what King hath a Councell so free from vice no debauchery no luxury is to be heard of amongst them but are all examples of a holy religious life to the nation round about how impartial in justice I have not heard so much as one amongst many thosands that can say justice is denied him And the Court governed according to Davids pattern not a man that is a lyar must abide under his roof or any that have dependency upon him now then if so can we hope to be better to have more justice under any other way or person doe you think we shall have better examples better Counsellors easier Access freer from bribery justice more equally distributed if we do it must be when the Millenary kingdom comes to pass for my part I expect it not 9. Whether there be any cause for the plea of inheritance to the Gentleman on the other side so as to disturb the thoughts of any you know that the entail of an estate may be cut off and is amongst us daily so God and men have agreed to cut off his though I think there was enough in all equity and reason to cut off his father yet some do surmise and many believe that there was a greater judgement followed him then the things he died for therefore I could wish that no man would be so daring and presumptuous as to think otherwise then that the justice of God and the justice of men met together to cut off that line as he did concerning Eli he promised he and his should be priests for ever yet we see for sin and transgression the line was cut off Now its true the seed is escaped with their lives I am apt to think the reason is they are not of so sanguine a constitution though in justice by the wise dispensations of God thought meet to undergo the misery of being vagators upon the face of the earth FINIS

Certain QUERIES Humbly proposed In order to a quiet and Christian submission To His Highness the LORD PROTECTOR And to the present Government BY S. N. Gent. Ordinem non dari nisi cum ratione ad aliquid primum Averroes Mihi pax omni cum civibus bello civili utilior videtur Cicero It is to be noted in a controverted case that a private man by no means ought to take upon himself to judge but follow the possession so did Christ command tribute to be paid to Caesar because the money bare his Image that is saith he because he was in possession of the Empire H. Grotius LONDON Printed for P. L. and are to be sold at any Booksellers shop in London and Westminster-Hall 1658. Querie I. VVHether that good and sober men of any Nation may not be too apt and ready through their own incogitancy and unadvisedness to murmure and repine at their Governors and Government and that without a cause The reason of this Querie is grounded both upon president and experience the presidents are to be found amongst the people of Israel As that saying of theirs unto Moses who made thee a Ruler and a judge over us And again when Moses smote the Egyptian he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God by his hand would deliver them yet we see they did not the experience hath been in our own land how have we admired both Governors and Government nay we have been like unto those S. Paul speaks of that would have pluckt out their own eyes and have given them unto him even so we counted not our lives too dear to be sacrificed for them and yet we have seen our selves disappointed in our expectations Now then if those high and confident thoughts of heart concerning the goodness and benefit of Governors and Government have suffered a frustration then by the same Rule may the too mean and hard thoughts either of Governor or Government receive the like check shame and disappointment as the Israelites did concerning Moses and according to that maxime Contraria contrariorum sunt consequentia 2. Whether that the sedition and division daily sown and fomented be not fruits of the flesh and the seeds-men thereof render themselves exceeding culpable both before God and all considering men and whether such persons may not claim the titles or at least be justly conferred upon them mentioned in the Epistle of Iude 8.2 Pet. 2.10 2 Tim. 3.3 4. viz. to be murmurers complainers traitors high-minded who despise Government presumptuous self-willed and also not afraid to speak evil of dignities now all these several transgressors are doubtless very offensive unto God yet the last seems to carry a greater emphasis in it As not to be afraid to speak evil of dignities it is a certain kind of boldness to blaspheme for every kind of Authority hath a divine stamp upon it and the greater and higher any Authority is the greater is the sin and the nearer to blasphemy indeed now for a man to be bold and daring in a wickedness imports a strange kind of estrangement from God and of a prostituted conscience therefore men versed in this evil occupation had need to consider whether according to our Saviours saying the word above mentioned will not judge them at the great day and before also for commonly they have part in hand until the whole be paid Now whether the sin be not yet greater being done and and perpetrated i the name of God and many times in places where better things should be both spoken and heard and whether that makes it not more abominable as then old saying is In nomine Domini incipit omne malum 3. Whether that God Almighty the King of Kings hath not manifested and declared as with an audible voice from heaven that amongst all the son of Iesse this is that David that he hath chosen to be King of our Israel else what is the meaning of all those defeats and disappointments of Treason War and Bloud and of all those signal preservations even to the admiration of all that love him and to the terror of those that seek his hurt if that the Lord that preserved Daniel in the Lions den was not with him His enemies they neither wanted will nor power nor subtilty to bring it to pass but God kept an opportunity out of their way I confesse there is a wicked mind amongst many which say now adays as the Jews did by our Saviours miracles that either they were not at all or else done by an evil spirit whether such men had not need to be careful lest they fight against God as they also did To whom did God Almighty ever do more or give greater testimony unto then unto the present Lord Protector hath not God crowned him with as many signal tokens of his favour as ever he did any the Kings of Israel much less doubtless did he ever take pleasure in any of the Kings of England after such a manner now then if that God Almighty hath owned and peculiarized him from amongst so many Worthies and hath made him to tread upon Scorpions and suffer no deadly thing to hurt him and hath poured contempt disgrace and ruine upon all his adversaries why then should not any mans conscience give him leave to say this is Gods Anointed and him will we obey and pray for 4. Whether the principal ends of freedom and liberty formerly engaged for be not in the letter and by interpretation fully answered in the present Government The first and main end was the liberty of conscience which the late King and Bishops did infringe that was the pad in the straw which did so disease there was ship-money and some other extra-legal taxes but that which made those mole-hils seem mountains was that they must not onely prostitute their purses but their consciences also as likewise it is apparent that upon all turns and breaches both with the Scots and with the Parliament it was because the one did absolutely desire rule and domination in things Ecclesiastick and the other was at least suspected to have an itch that way which could not be born at any hand had it not been for this great thing called liberty of conscience a hundred things would not have been so much insisted upon and would have been easily swallowed without those various combustions and stirs Now then in this our mouths may be wide open and say what is wanting to any or who can justly complain except it be in liberty to sinne There is no lowing of the Oxen nor Bleating of the sheep in this case to any that is so much as morally civil but all at perfect peace and liberty as if God was come down among men onely the Arminian party complain they are brow-beaten which is a little too apparent I confess in some cases but blessed be God they may notwithstanding say their lot is fallen in a good ground Doubtless the controversie is not for