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	time_n	world_n	2,761	5	4.2527	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26448	Advice to a souldier in two letters, written to an officer in the late English army when the war with France was expected, and one to a commander in the fleet in the last Dutch war, proper to be exposed at the present time while the peace of Christendom (if not the liberty of it) seems to be very short-lived.		1680 (1680)	Wing A642; ESTC R25836	11,263	21

his Life grave in his deportment fixed in his principles and faithfull to his Prince one that will not be abashed when fools deride him one that will not be afraid to exhort and reprove as occasion requires One that is patient enough to endure scorn and reproach and bold enough to oppose himself against the greatest Torrent of impiety And then you ought to shew him respect as unto the Messenger of God and to see that the Marshall Laws relating to Religion and good Order be put in Execution which truly of late have been just so observed as if they had been purposely made to be broken If you begin the good example you shall hardly need to compel your Men to follow They will be ashamed to be vicious if their Commander be virtuous And shame is a more effectual way to reform Vice then pecuniary penalties or corporal pains By this means the lives of many Men will be saved who otherwise to support their vices neglect their duty commit Thefts and Robberies and Rapes and the like and bring themselves under the lash of Martiall Law great punishments and ignominious Deaths You should be as frequent and regular at your publick Prayers as time and your affairs will permit especially neglect it not before a Battle or other great undertaking For Prayer by a strange and secret influence which none can tell but they who use it brings from Heaven new Life and vigour and courage to the most weak and timerous And now I have happened to speak of courage that necessary qualification in a Souldier I will give you my opinion what it is and whence it usually arises Courage is either Active or Passive and both are as usefull for a Souldier as a Sword and a Target Active is that which does prompt and excite a Man to the undertaking and attempting great and hazzardous Enterprizes And passive is a certain even temper and frame of minde which dangerous accidents cannot discompose or divert from his intended purpose On the contrary fear amazes and distracts and disappoints the wisest Councells and most deliberate Designs hurrying Men into the danger they think to avoid or into greater as the Hart in the Fable to escape the Doggs sought shelter in the Lyons Den so it commonly happens in Battles that those Men are kill'd in flight who by keeping the Field might have won the victory and 't is frequent for a Coward who runs away from a Sword to stumble upon a halter Inconsiderate rashness is by some Men call'd courage when it produces the like effect but is intruth no better then madness and I intend only to speak of that courage which is the product of reason True courage springs from a contempt of Death or an opinon that one shall not dye Contempt of Death arises from a confidence in Gods Mercy or a consideration of Honour or both Confidence in Gods Mercy will naturally grow as the fruit and effect of a good and virtuous Life and those 〈◊〉 will be afraid of ●●●king who are and who believe themselves 〈…〉 under the sacred Protection of Almighty God And 〈…〉 Honour or the thirst after Publick Fame for well ●●ing is added I think there is all which is necessary to make a man truly couragious Honour by it self I mean a great Title or publick applause is but an empty Name not valued by wise Men save only when it comes as the just reward of virtue the fruit of worthy performances and the apprehension of Death and Damnation are two weighty things when nothing but that empty Name is put in the ballance against them Now there are but a few Atheists in the World so through paced as to have totally extinguished the fears of a future being however they may boast of it when no danger seems to be near them I have seen some of those Gallants who talk nothing but Honour in the middle of a Sea-Fight look as silly as Sheep and sneak themselves behind the Main-Mast But the far greater Number of those who go to the Wars are perswaded they shall not be kill'd and that opinion is the cause of their courage which having a foundation so liable to uncertainty is easily overturn'd by a little adverse fortune For when the Battle grows hot when Death presents it self in diversity of shapes when one looses a Leg and another both his Arms and a third is shot off in the middle When Men and Horses confusedly come tumbling down together and a Mans best friends ly bleeding by his side then that confidence which was groundless vanishes of it 's own accord and quickly follows disorder and rout and down right running away No Man can promise himself before a Battle that he shall be alive afterwards and every prudent man should be provided not only for that which must but as near as one can for that which may happen I mean every prudent Man should think it may be his turn to be kill'd as soon as another and therefore should endeavour before hand to keep himself from all horrid flagicious enormous crimes such as hinder one in times of greatest danger from asking or hopeing for Gods Mercy and make a valiant Man turn Coward I have insisted the more on this particular because we have lived to see the best King having the best cause in the World ruined by his own rebellious Subjects towards which ruine I have been told of the irregularities of some of the Loyal Party did in a great measure contribute And because it is reported by some and believed by many that Piety and Devotion Virtue and Religion are only to be found amongst those who are dissenters from or Enemies to the Church of England I would perswade you my dear friend by your own practice to endeavour the contradicting that wicked assertion I would fain have you as eminent for your Piety as your Native bravery and let one add reputation to the other King David among the Jews Scipio Affrican among the Romans and King Henry the Fifth among the English were in their times the most Pious and most prosperous Generals in the World It is very convenient I think I may say necessary that your Men be possessed with the Justice of the Cause they Fight for Let them be told by your Chaplain this truth that they are doing Gods work by endeavouring to restore those to right who suffer wrong to bring an Universal Peace to Christendom and preserve it from falling into the slavery wherewith at this time it seems to be threatned to put an end to that blood and slaughter ruine and devastation which it has for several Years past suffered under You may also do well at convenient times to relate to your Officers and Men the great things their Ancestors formerly performed in France and be stirring them up to alike Emulation But I cannot by any means approve of their policy who perswade their Men to despise their Enemies Instead of that I would have you let them