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
A48597	The Earle of Lindsey his declaration and iustification who is now prisoner in Warwicke Castle: wherein he declares the iustice of His Majesties cause in taking armes for the preservation of His royall person and prerogative. Being a patterne of loyalty, and mirrour of obedience, for all His Majesties loving subjects to be rightly guided by	Lindsey, Montague Bertie, Earl of, 1608?-1666.	1642 (1642)	Wing L2330; ESTC R222190	4,038	10

THE EARLE OF LINDSEY HIS Declaration and Iustification Who is now prisoner in Warwicke Castle Wherein He Declares the Iustice of His MAjESTIES cause in taking Armes for the preservation of His Royall Person and Prerogative Being A patterne of Loyalty and Mirrour of Obedience for all His Majesties loving Subjects to be rightly guided by Printed in the Yeare M.DC.XLII A DECLARATION AND Iustification of the Earle of Lindsey now prisoner in VVarwicke Castle where he makes apparent the justice of His Majesties cause in taking Armes for the preservation of His Royall Person and Prerogative MY LORDS IN the distresse wherein I doe remaine it doth bring great comfort unto me to heare of the continuance of your health and of the good successe of His Majesties Armes there is no happier newes that can arrive to turne my fetters into freedome or my sorrowes into hopes or which can prefer them sooner into the absolute possession of joy In this apprehension mee thinks I am not the person which I was and the more close my body is restrained the more enlarged and noble is my mind This is the happinesse which I have gained by the solitude of my thraldome and whiles my enemies have endeavoured to afflict me they have befriended me In this only I have just reason to lament that I cannot enjoy that immediate influence from His Majesties aspects which you doe and I have those his incomparable vertues in contemplation only which you really doe behold and daily doe derive from them more glory by the full observation of their admirable working His Majesty like unto Him whose second he is gives restlesse Demonstrations of Religion Justice Prudence and Moderation unto all and constant in His owne goodnesse offers mercy unto those whose swords have taught Him to be mercilesse And by a high example of wonderfull pietie to avoid the effusion of their owne bloud the King stoopes unto His Subjects and the Conquerour unto the conquer'd I would willingly fall a martyr in this cause and I am sorry that I have not lost my life rather then my liberty for the justice of it I have a long time beene detain'd a prisoner for who can charg me of any other crime my adversaries would make the world beleeve that they do me some great favour when they leave it to my free election whether I will be so or no. Do they beleeve that any is so in love with fetters that he would not change them for his freedome were the conditions equall and proportionable to them Some of my freinds have told me and would perswade me to a beliefe that my liberty may be gained It may be gained peradventure indeed but how As from Merchants that value it at so high a rate that my fidelity honour and all that is deare unto a noble mind must be the price to purchase it If I refuse what they propound the losse of goods of lands and by the length of my restraint peradventure the losse of life it selfe must be the price that shall pay my ransome This is a hard choice it is in my power to be a freeman they do alleadge but how if I will be a slave fall off from the example of my noble Father and Predecessors who laid the foundation of their first honours on their loyalties and their obedience to their Prince If I will abandon His Majesties service in the warr and enter into a new covenant and Protestation with them to take up Armes on their side as if treason were nothing unlesse I made it Sacramentall I have already given my faith unto my Prince upon whose head this Crowne is by the law of Nature and of Nations justly fallen shall I falsifie that faith and joine unrighteous hands with theirs to trouble the peace and the splendor of it Heaven forbid But they alleadge againe that in this cause of theirs Religion the priviledges of Parliament the Liberty of the Subject and glorious hopes and shewes are pretended Dare not all Rebels cloake their purposes with such goodly titles Hath not His Majesty in whom alone the cheife power doth consist given many and strong assurances to maintaine the same hath He not taken Protestations too sacred to be profaned by the jealousies or misconstructions of any whatsoever that He will preserve the Protestant Religion in that forme and purity as it was in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth and His Father of blessed Memorie Hath He not with true zeale and justice complained of the great scorne and disregard that is cast upon the Service of God in the Booke of Common Prayer and that while Religion is pretended to be reformed it is destroyed Truely my Lord they are much deceived who think that Religion and rebellion can be companions or that God will favour their attempts that strike at himselfe through the Princes sides In that very word the King there is such a Deity inclosed that who wounds them wounds the Divine Nature Why then should the sword be so rashly drawne under so holy a vaile was Religion ever built on bloud 'T is true indeed the bloud of the martyrs hath bin the foundation of the Church But my Lord we must know againe that it is not their bloud but their Cause that made them martyrs and that the best Martyrs were so far from opposing the authority of Princes that they willingly did submit their lives to their commands I can never read that they made any one insurrection to oppose their Prince or any inferiour Authorities derived from Him Tertullian and St. Hierome to whom I am beholding to my imprisonment for our best acquaintance doth informe me that in those ancient times of elabourate Persecution when invention lived almost altogether on the bloud of Christians and cruelty grew witty to torment them that they only contended against them in the Prayers for their conversion and in the holy examples of a virtuous life whereby they so much multiplied that in few years the army of the Christians were the best protection and Lifeguard of their Emperours although Heathens And thus the Primitive Christians did ever propagate the Gospel with no other then their owne bloud which at all times they did shed not only to God but to their owne Princes although Pagans but never against them As the Devill was the first Rebell so Iudas was the first traytor amongst the Apostles and shall we rank our selves with such hated Examples of Disloyalty and Treacherie But were the cause good Are the armes of the Parliament to be preferred to the Army of His Majesty are they able to contend with Him when have we fought with them but they have beene beaten At the battel of Keinton where my Father lost his life and my selfe my liberty although in my owne particulars I have small reason to speake of the successe of that day yet I believe in that field was tried to the uttermost what the courage or the numbers of our Adversaries could performe We observe that