Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	king_n	people_n	5,231	5	4.6713	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77662	A paradox usefull for the times.	Browne, Edward.	1642 (1642)	Wing B5103; Thomason E126_21; ESTC R21739	6,693	10

A PARADOX Usefull for the Times Gentle Reader AS a preludium to the ensuing discourse I would intreate you to take notice that some Sheetes of printed Paper that flies up and downe the Streetes of this City in Mercuries hands are worthy of high estimation such are those Observations Protestations and Messages that truly passe betweene our gracious Soveraigne and his two Houses of Parliament and some of our eloquent Tullies and learned Demosthenes Orations and Petitions that adhere to King and Parliament but other Pamphlets that are against both are little to be regarded such is your lying Diurnals your absurd Passages your diabolicall newes from Heaven your horrible terrible and fearefull tydings and such like and to some of these I have seen an Order a Vote or the Clarke of Parliaments name inserted But I beleeve the Honourable House or Clarkes never did intend such things and therefore rather thinke that the covetous Stationers doth it to make their Bookes sell But such things being suffered and winked at I doe greatly feare will be a cause of ruine to this Kingdome In filling peoples mindes full of jealousies both against King and Parliament For the people of England being a free State feare as great a tyrannicall jurisdiction in an Aristocraticall or Democraticall government as they doe in the knowne Monarchicall State of the Kingdome In consideration whereof I having plaid the foole to print 36. Sheetes of Paper at my own charge being neither against King nor Parliement but for both I was bold to cast one shee●e of my diastrous losses into the Presse And having acted my part therein I thought good for the vindication of my reputation in this kinde of publique writing to let this Paradox passe the Presse likewise By which I will briefly and plainly prove That oftentimes good doth come of evill wisdome from folly and light out of darknesse Yet Truth it selfe saith That a good tree cannot bring forth evill fruit neither can a bad tree bring forth good fruit For answere whereunto It is true that a regenerate soule though some Leaves of his profession may wither for want of fervent zeale in the time of temptation and though some rotten branches of bad actions may remaine upon him for want of carefull diligence yet if he be sound at the heart these leaves may be driven away by the tempestuous windes of afflictions or pruned off with the sharp knife of Repentance and the tree will not be much the worse but rather the better for instead of these old branches and leaves there will spring strong sprigs and wholesome fruit Contrary though an evill man may make a glorious shew of his profession to God-ward and do some good workes of justice and charity towards his neighbour to be seen of men yet if they doe not spring from the roote of a true saving justifying faith he is but as the accursed Fig-tree that quickly withers away in the time of temptation or in the day of affliction But from hence let none judge rashly of any mans election or reprobation but judge charitably of all though you may know them by their fruits to learne to doe better or to imitate their vertues Yet notwithstanding this objection I will affirme my assertion to be true That God hath can will and doth daily bring evill out of good wisdome out of folly and light out of darknesse That God hath done this in former times I can prove by many testimonies but I will instance only in two The first shall be of our first Parents They did very evill in eating of the forbidden fruit in doing evill they committed folly and so did sin against the command of God and by that sin did walk in darkness according to Christs rule for they knew not whither to goe to hide themselves from the all-searching eye of omniscience Now for this evill God sends the promised Messias the seed of the woman according to the fulnesse of time In hope whereof the Fathers Patriarchs and Prophets lived a godly and religious life which by Divines is reputed to be a greater blessing than Adams being in Paradise for that was an earthly Lordship but by this he is heire ●pparent and joynt-heire with Christ of a heavenlie inheritance for there he was to be but a man but in heaven he shall bee as the Angels nay more as the Son of God Thus the wisdome of God the Father was given for the folly of man and for his sensuall blindnesse he had heavenly illuminations Secondly see this farther illustrated in the second Adam Christ did not that Traytor Judas very evill in betraying his Lord and Master with a kisse And for a few pieces of refined earth to sell a heavenly inheritance Did not the Jews as bad to seek the death of their Messias and exclude a murtherer Did not Pilate as bad as any in giving judgement against an innocent contrary to his owne knowledge and the counsell of his wife And were not the souldiers vile wretches to revile and spit upon a meeke and quiet Lambe in whose mouth was no guile found And were they not all fooles to put him to death that could only give them life Did they not walke in darknesse that blinded their eyes against the Son of righteousnesse Therefore it appeareth plainly they loved darknesse better than light and accordingly they had it for sure that was a dismall day to Judas when he went and hanged himselfe so that for very paine and vexation of spirit his bowels gushed out an example to all Traytors and was it not as black a day to Pilate when after he had caused many of the Jews and his owne souldiers to be slaine he went and killed himselfe and are not the Jewes ever since in a cloud and mist of darknesse knowing not whither they goe being vagabonds upon the face of the earth and dispersed and hated of all Nations Now see what good this evill brought It is plaine It brought forth the blood of Christ for the redemption of mankinde one drop whereof were able to save ten thousand worlds It is the beleevers lavor wherein he bathes his leprous soule and comes out as white as Snow for by the bloody death and bitter passion of Jesus crucified he doth as truly trample upon sin death and hell as if he had himselfe performed the same Now what greater benefit than the salvation of the soule None surely Againe out of their folly did arise wisdome to his redeemed even the best of all for the knowledge of Christ Jesus crucified is more and above all the wisdome in the world I desire nothing saith holy Paul but the knowledge of Christ Jesus and him crucified Is not here then great light for darknesse wisdome for folly and good for evill wee see it apparent it hath been so behold it in the second degree that it may and can now be so For God is as able and as willing as ever he was then consider the time wherein