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	way_n	2,901	5	4.3688	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67913	The free-born English mans plea for justice: or, A cry against post-fact laws. Being a survey of the controversies touching the late purchased titles through the true perspective of justice. By William Jackson, one who hath lived to see the famine of justice removed, and hopes to see it continue as plentifully amongst us; as food in Samaria; after the flight of these Assirians: 2 Kings, 7.	Jackson, William, 1636 or 7-1680.	1660 (1660)	Wing J93; ESTC R207910	14,659	20

make one harmonious body of people and not be yeilded up to any severity more than others I answer first that not one of a hundred interressed in any such unjust acquests had the least good liking to this revolution but as much as in then lay both with body mind endeavor'd all such meant to hinder it as was possible for them to contrive by which the Parliament and Nation are not so obliged to them in point of gratitude as some of them pretend And farther though that consideration were eminent enough to obliterate all past disaffections though visibly it be far otherwise yet ought not far greater merits than they can plead for to priviledg them more than the rest of their fellow-subjects for if they be continued in such Possessions as the Common Laws of the land wil not Justifie them in are not they made above Law to their advantage and others whose right the Law saies it is oppressed against Laws so that if it should pass thus breach of Laws Peace Justice c. would be rewarded with privildges above and against Laws and Duty Obedience Conformity to Laws Honesty good Conscience and loyalty which let me tel you is no smal virtue in any Member of a body politicko ppressed contrary to Law and equity which were a pestilent perverting of the very essential constitution of al Governments and a poyson beyond al Antidotes for as Justice is the greatest maintainer efficient cause of the wel being of a Nation so injustice the greatest poyson destroyer that can be permitted but that Government that shal prescribe so broad a way for the propagation of it like a dispairing man provides the readiest instrument for its own destruction that may be and renders it self highly guilty of self murder All this pleads still with the most equitable moderation but for equity on all parts that we may have all the same Laws nor is it my drift to urge rigor at all against the greatest offenders whatsoever but shal while I breath desire so much Justice that Laws may be equally general to all and that upon so little deserts the worst of subjects might not have their unjust actions countenanced nor the truest subjects for their duty and love both to King and Laws Country and Justice be injur'd by post fact laws such things as no honest man that made Conscience of his actions would ever need No modest man that did not arrogantly seek to priviledg his unjustifiable actions could ever have impudence to demand So barbarous are they that there is but one Nation or rather herd of wolvish Tartars that even own'd them These are those Spiders Webs that catch only the laboring Bees but let ravenous Waspes and Hornets go free and since they have been and are still endeavored to be made so mischeivous to this Nation we have as much reason to insert them into our lettany as the Plague Pestilence or Famin and indeed the Judgment that such Laws are like to bring upon us may give all good men just cause to say From Post-fact Laws and the contrivers of them good Lord deliver us Now for the last Asylum Or resuge that those Law breakers have for themselves to say that others are wicked themselves good others profane themselves holy others Devils themselves Saints and many expressions of like Nature first let me tell them t is an ill signe for people to speak well of themselves and no Law either of God or man in any Nation ever accepted of a mans testimony in his own cause and Christ himself denies it of himself though the transcendency of his person might have priviledged him without being an example of the like to us but belike he foresaw of how il consequence it might be to leave such an example therefore saith If I bear witness of my self my witness is not true Mens own words are no testimony in their own cause next let me tel them t is so Pharisaical a trick that though perchance it should proove true it wil make others Judg of them as the Gospel censures the Pharises alwaies joyning the Name of Hypocrites Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for self Justification when not necessary to vindicate a man from some imputation laid to his charge is a common badg of Hypocrisie and next this as is before mentioned is no Justification of a wrong Nay 't is a notable return that those that intrude upon such specious holiness unjustly are more wicked in such an extortion than all they can object to the wronged party wil render him guilty of and are so very justly disrobed of their own holy Cloak that cover'd their covetousness Such Boasters are very wel resembled by the Peacock which gives a glorious shew with his spread traine forwards sees it himself and walks stately with the conceit of his glorious appearance But to them that veiw him round behind his Feathers are dark colord and unseemly and his Feet black and uncomly which is not so easily discover'd when he gives not standers by occasion to observe him by his pride If therfore these men did not so much cry up their own holiness and others Prophaneness their imperfections might pass less noted but to cure such arrogancy there is no way but to let them see the blackness of the feet they stand on that Peacock like they may let fal their boasting with shame I mean to give them a remembrance of the unjust extortion which they conceald under the specious covering of reformation and zeal for whilest they make these gay pretences they rob others contrary to the Laws foment the divisions of the Nation to the procuring of much effusion of blood and much more mischeif that might be reckoned now if they would look upon these deformities sure they would never boast of their Saint like appearance T is not for a man to boast of godliness and urge breach of Laws or to say they feed the flocks that rob the true Shep-heards put in by the Laws of the Land St. Peter and Paul both give other Ruls Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supream or unto governors as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers c. So that t is not mens guilded behavior but their obedience to the Laws of the Land is to give us direction to judg of their goodness this makes a man a good subject without which what ever he pretend to he can never be a Saint indeed Obedience saith Samuel is better than Sacrifice and St. Iames Shew me thy faith by thy Works Appearances are good if they be joyned with inward righteousness for Christ commands it Let your light so shine before men but he adds That they may see your good Works Now the work of obedience to the Laws of the Land is the great and weighty work as is shewed before out of Peter

THE FREE-BORN English Mans Plea FOR JUSTICE Or A Cry against Post-Fact LAWS Being a survey of the Controversies touching late Purchased Titles through the true perspective of Justice By WILLIAM IACKSON One who hath lived to see the Famine of Justice removed and hopes to see it continue as plentifully amongst us as Food in Samaria after the flight of these Assirians 2 Kings 7. Themistocles postulanti a se Simonidi ut sententiā quādam injustam ferret Neque tu inquit poeta bonus esses si praeter numerum caneres neque ego princeps probus si contra Leges judicarem Plut. in vit. Themist Leges Sapientū causà positae non ut injurijs abstineam sed ne eis afficiamur Epicur ex Stob. Serm. 41. LONDON Printed by Edward Cole Printer and Book-seller at the Sign of the Printing-press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1660. To the Right Honorable and truly Noble Henry Hastings Lord Loughborough Commissary General of England under his Majesty May it Please your Lordship ESteeming it the greatest Honor I ever yet had that I have served under your Lord-ship not only in the General cause that those true English Spirits in Colchester were embarqued in but also under your Lord-ships particular command in the store subjected to your Lord-ship as Commissary General I have presumed emholdened by that Nobleness wherewith your Lord-ship then obliged not only me but all that knew you to present your Lord-ship with this smal discourse Being a sum of what your Lord-ship and those Heroick spirits then joyned in command with you labor'd for The observation of Laws and Iustice is a cause no man need ever be ashamed of but what those Heroick endeavors then missed of God hath now given us hopes may be obtained in a more peaceable manner having opened a way to us for reason to be heard and reduced us from the use of barbarous violence to the force of arguments fitter Weapons for human societies T is with such my Lord that I have endeavor'd here to be still an assertor of that general cause of Englands liberty to the utmost of my Capacity And t is my hopes your Lord-ship that were then a strenuous defender of this cause by your valor in that Bellum Martiale wil now grant your Protection to him that by this submits himself your Servant whilest your Lord-ship in Parliament are now managing this Bellum Mercuriale Bellum I cannot but term it because stil there appears many opposers of Iustice it self which is our cause having no argument but their fucated pretences to Saints-ship to cover the great injustices they have done but my Lord when like paint on faces these are melted off by the impartial scrutiny of Iustice there appeares nought but Rapines and meer Wolves under the Sheeps Clothing which disguise since it hath occasioned the devouring of so many Lambs I hope for the future our Shephards will so defend us by the pale of Iustice that we may hereafter be secure and every man admitted to that which Law calls his own Of the want of which pale your Lord-ship hath been as sensible as any by the injuries you have suffered both in Estate and Liberty If the meanness of my performances cause your Lord-ship to censure me Presumtuous in perfixing your Name to so smal a discourse my Petition is that my zeal both to Iustice and your Lord-ships Service may beg pardon for my Lord Your most Humble and Devoted Servant William Iackson THE FREE-BORN English Mans Plea FOR JUSTICE THere have bin of late many Papers Published under the names of Pleas As the purchasers Plea the sequesterd clergies Plea and the Plea of them that are in the benefices of these and the Plea of them whose Lands the others have purchased these latter written in answer to the former but in my opinion at a time of so general a concernement when all are interressed and all expecting a general satisfaction to the whole nation these Pleas are too much restrained to particular interests to terminate in a general union of all which were the only blessing to be wished for by all which have the least pretence to Christianity or any spark of the hope of a comfortable satisfactory conscience which I shall alwaies esteem the greatest temporal blessing men can wish for These Pleas are likewise a very ill example for every man to seek his own interest which perhaps may make men draw divers waies and therefore likelier increase divisions of which this Nation hath had too much than compose them That therefore a more charitable way may be found it behoves every man to ponder such things in his minde and if he acts at al to excite others to endeavour the promoting of such interests wherein al are equally concern'd and which have such rootings naturally in every mans conscience that though he should with the bryers and cares of this world intend the stiffing of that good seed he can not at least wil not before men gainsay the motion for t is seldom seen that a man is totally good or absolutely wicked Because of some sparklings of that inward self accusing light which should he impudently out dare would render him odious even to his own accomplices seeing him lay aside all thoughts of shame First Therefore mans life being a race through this world to another his chief aim is how he may run that race most to his own peculiar benefit for we are all by nature lovers of our selves to which purpose mankind being now grown numerous if we were without order as wild beasts we should be a pray one to another so as to have many unquiet interruptions in our race and not only so but to be without those mutual conveniences which we might have one of another now to rectifie these inconveniences it hath pleased God to send into the world disciplines to defend men in societies from the aforesaid abuses and direct them in their race with comfort these disciplines are two Eclesiastical to direct them to the end of their race and civil or political to direct them in their race and to fit men for these orders in their societies he gave that general tie of Justice for a rule and planted in us a sparkling beam of his truth to witness unto us this Justice and be as our magnetick ballance to fit us to act his will the more conformably under his ordinances this is that diamond of Conscience that excuses or accuses every man and alwaies tels our Souls the truth if Lusts be not the perspective Medium through which we see which often dazels our understanding by which means we are often led into the more tempting way leaving that which our conscience tels us to be the more Just Now for regulating such deviations and depravations of our apprehensions it was requisite that provision should be made by discipline leaving therefore the Eclesiastical discipline and its unity as not any branch of this discourse to