Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	israel_n	lord_n	people_n	2,601	5	4.8657	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79717	A declaration from the Commissioners of the Generall Assemblie of the Kingdome of Scotland, concerning the Kings Majesties royall person, and his due rights and priviledges. With their sense and resolution touching the lawfulnesse of Soveraignty, and the proceedings of a disloyall and perfidious party, who formerly pretended to fight for the King. This declaration from the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland, was ordained to be forthwith printed and published, and to be read in all churches and chappels throughout the said Kingdome. Signed, A. Ker.	Church of Scotland. General Assembly. Commission.	1648 (1648)	Wing C4212; Thomason E428_5; ESTC R204604	4,348	8

us so long as we live The true and reall causes of our backsliding are to be sought amongst our selves If all the Watchmen of the house of Israel had been faithfull and zealous in discharge of their trust then had the Lords people better known the excellency of the Gospel and stuck closer to the profession of the same because of the negligence and perversnesse of some of those many have halted for want of instruction and lack of knowledge but from the corruption which men have harboured in their own breasts hath mainly issued all the degrees of their Declnation There be amongst us many rotten and hollow hearts who though though the joyned wit us through subtility or fear did still abide in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity and wished nothing more then the subversion of our cause What wonder though such took advantage of a prevailing party to disclose their envy wherewith they were now grown big almost unto bursting And there is a generation whose ignorance and sloath hath detained them that they have not sufficiently examined nor rightly considered Zions controversie with those that plead against her because of her love to the truth They conceive the debate to be about things Civill at least not to go so high as the hazard of any thing important in Religion And such is the negligence of those that they despise the meanes of instruction largly offered and holden forth in many Warnings and Declarations c. What though it be lawfull in some cases to capitulate yea with Turks and Pagans shall it therefore be lawfull to do that which may argue subjection and imply submission unto a perfidious enemy who are going about to drive the People of the Land from their former duty c. In this case all and every one are called unto the asserting of the Confession of their Faith and of their owne innocency and righteousnes touching the Realm of England Neither can we judg any better of protections from such an enemy because they do imploy the authority of one who is forfeit by the State excommunicate by the Kirk and doe either expresly of taci●ely ingage the Receivers if not to joyn yet to resist they lay a stumbling block before all the Inhabitants of the Land to make them forbear action or decline suffering by following such a course If all had done so it may soon be fore-seen what should have beene the end though happily they who were the doers were not so apprehensive as to reach the depth of the evill yet the end of the worke in it selfe and in the intention of enemies was to make them Masters of all the lives and estates within the Land Capitulations and protections howsoever accounted of by those who walke after the wisdome of the flesh are destructive to our Covenant almost in all the heads and Articles thereof They tend unto the corrupting of Religion in this Land and obstructing the Work of Reformation in England unto the countenancing and strengthning of the Popish and Prelaticall party unto the subversion of the due rights and priviledges of the Parliaments and diminishing of his Majesties just greatnesse and authority unto the withdrawing of Incendiaries and Malignants from condigne punnishment unto the overthrow of the Union betwixt the Kingdoms unto the deserting of our brethren following of divisive motions and denying to hazzard or suffer the losse either of lives or estates in the defence of the cause and them that adhere thereunto We see not not any strength of reason in that seeming necessity unto which many pretend themselves to be redacted If men could not have retired from the fury and violence of the Enemy or had not some probable way of resistance and defence against the same they should have taken it as an evidence of the will of God calling them to suffer and give a testimony unto this Truth Our Covenant doth no lesse oblige us to suffering then to doing and it is the ignorance or ineffectual consideration of our duty that makes us thus to wipe our mouths as if we had done nothing worthy of rebuke Neither yet doth it excuse that some were not active to ob ain protections the receiving of them was to prostitute the chastity of that affection which wee owe unto the cause of God and could be no better then a bribe that blinds the eies of the wise hinders from doing judgement unto to afflicted The deep apprehension of their souls danger moves us seriously and in the bowels of Jesus Christ to intreat all Temporizers and Back-sliders to remember whence they are fallen and to repent Let it not be a light thing unto such that they have dispised the Oath of God undervalued the pretious Truth of the Gospell and drawn upon themselves the guilt of their Brethrens-bloud by forsaking them in their just de●ence If the due sense of their sin shall bring them to lament after the Lord they may hope to find him gratious and mercifull to forgive their iniquity and heal their back-slidings But if they shall harden themselves and continue in their provocation they have cause of fear that the Lord of Hosts shall avenge the quarrell of his Covenant upon them who have sworn falsely by his Name THe Estates of Parliament conveened in the first Session of the triennall Parliament of Scotland having heard the Declaration presented unto them by the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly read in their audience received the same cheerfully and Ordered the same to be forthwith printed and published SIGNED Alex. Gibsone Cler. Registri FINIS