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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	judgement_n	lord_n	sin_n	3,017	5	4.8345	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67550	The pious mans practice in Parliament time. Or A seasonable and necessary tractate concerning the presages, and causes of a common-wealths ruine, and the wayes, and meanes to preserve a church, and state, in prosperity, plenty, purity, and peace. By R. Ward, utriusque regni in Artibus Magister; and preacher of Gods holy word at Stansteed Mount-Fitchet in Essex.	Ward, Richard, 1601 or 2-1684.	1641 (1641)	Wing W804; ESTC R218413	102,562	298

lastly the maine cause of the destruction of a Nation is sinne and spirituall rebellion Now when I consider the nature and number the quantity and quality of our sinnes in this Land I cannot but acknowledge that if the Lord should enter into judgement with us hee might justly bring a totall subversion and desolation upon us for our many great and clamorous sinnes And therefore this branch concerning us so nearly and in so high a nature I will crave leave of my Reader to enlarge my selfe therein a little more than in any of the former And let me intreat every Christian who reads this to observe with mee that when I say Sinne is the cause of the subversion of a State it may either be understood of sinne in generall or of particular sins First 4 Sinne. this may be understood of sin in generall or of a generall sinning and herein wee must note that a generall impiety or an universall iniquity or an epidemicall maturity and ripenesse in sin is the cause signe and sure Fore-runner without true and unfained repentance of a generall and totall destruction Iohn 4.39 And therefore it doth stand us in hand to consider how this belongs and how neare it comes unto us in this Land certainely Rev. 14.16 the Region is white unto harvest and wee have cause to feare that the Lord will command his destroying Angel to thrust in his Sicle and to cut us downe For let us look which way we wil or to whom we will and we shall find sin in full weight and measure First Wee have sinned against all the Command●… if wee looke unto the Law of God and compare our selves with his commands we shall returne but a wofull reckoning For 1. If wee looke upon the first Commandement we finde little or no love in us towards God but every one following his owne affections and loving his owne Helena some making their craft their God and some their gold their God and some their pleasure their God and some their belly their God and some their drunkennesse their God And 2. If wee looke upon the second Commandement wee shall see the Papists labouring with tooth and naile to raze it out of the Decalogue and superstition creeping into the bosomes of many Protestants who long with the Israelites after the flesh-pots of Egypt Exod. 16.3 Ier 44.16 Act. 7.39 and desire againe to sacrifice to the Queene of Heaven and to submit their necks once more to the tyranny of Rome And 3. If we looke to the third Commandement Isa 58.13 we shall heare swearing in young and old rich and poore high and low And 4. If we loke to the fourth Commandement wee shall see the Lords day prophaned slighted and despised by many and truely sanctified onely by a few And 5. If wee looke to the fifth Commandement wee shall see the Magistrates despised those who are in dignity and authority blasphemed and every mans will serving for a Law And 6. If we looke to the sixth Commandement wee shall see charity waxen cold yea amongst the most starke dead and instead thereof ariseth injuries revenge and hatred towards equals and hard-heartednesse against the poore And 7. If wee looke to the seventh Commandement wee shall see an Ocean of sinnes viz. in some pride of apparell in some gluttony in many drunkennesse in as many fornication and uncleannesse and wanton and lascivious words and all manner of filthinesse And 8. If wee looke to the eighth Commandement we shall see how it condemnes some of oppression some of covetousnesse some of usury some of injustice some of thefts some of fraud and deceit and some of undermining and over-reaching of others And 9. The ninth precept will convince infinire many of us of lying equivocating and teaching our servants and children to lie And 10. If wee looke unto the last precept of the Law wee shall finde that wee all yea the best of all are most miserably faulty for internall concupiscence is every where and few or none any where are content with their condition but every one thinkes other to bee happier then himselfe Now Secondly All degrees and orders of men have sinned if wee looke unto the orders of men or unto their severall degrees rankes and qualities wee shall finde that sinne hath every where deceived many For 1. If wee looke into the Court we shall see many transported with flattery ambition coverousnesse pride swearing and divers other sinnes 2. If we looke into the Citie wee shall see many mis-led by worldlinesse deceit in weights and measures swearing drunkennesse hypocrisie lying and what not 3. If wee looke into the Countrey we shall see in the most a kinde of Atheisme and contempt of Religion 4. If wee looke upon old men wee shall see them for the most part to bee more intent upon temporall things then spirituall to regard gold more then grace and earth more then heaven and to refuse to bee taught as though they were too old to learne Religion though not to learne new sinnes 5. If we looke upon young men we shall finde the most to bee men in sinne but very babes yea blocks in Religion 6. If we looke upon women the weaker vessels we shall finde many of them to bee strong in brawling scolding cursing adultery drunkennesse and what not except in discretion and religion 7. If wee looke upon little children wee shall finde them to bee froward averse crosse and learning to ly and sweare assoone as they can speake Now Thirdly The degrees of sinne if wee looke upon the degrees of sinne we have good cause to tremble For 1. All sinne and that in many things and many times And 2. To continue in finne is the fault of the world for how few every where are turned from their sinnes by the preaching of the Gospel Esa 5 3.1 3. To bee hardned in sinne is both the staine and bane of the world for wee are now like deafe Adders which will not heare and wee harden our hearts against God having neither any sense of sinne nor of his wrath 4. How many are there amongst us who deride and contemne the reproofes of the word and the Ministers of the word yea the Law of God it selfe while they excuse plead for and stand to maintaine and justifie their sinnes Let us all in this Land confesse our sinnes and give glory to God Let us acknowledge that many sins are committed amongst us and that often and with a high hand and by some of all rankes degrees qualities sexes and ages that wee may the more readily and willingly turne generally unto the Lord lest for our generall and universall sinnes he inflict upon us some generall and universall plagues And thus I have done with the first particular viz. sinne in generall Secondly when I say that sinne is the cause of the subversion of a State it may bee understood of particular sinnes The particular sinnes which hasten

purity and zeale both in Church and Common-wealth For wee having not onely ten but many true many fifties of righteous men inour Land and the Lords Name being truely called upon by us and his true worship maintained amongst us wee may bee certainly assured that if we joyne in faithfull and fervent prayers unto him for this our Church and Land wee shall be heard 2. Sinne being the cause of the deprivation of good things and the infliction of evill wee must therefore with strong cryes beseech the Lord of glory to pardon the many and great sinnes of our Land and to turne away from us ah those many and great evils and plagues which wee have deserved for our wicked deeds Orig. tract in Ma●… and to give and continue those blessings unto us which we stand in need of but have not at all deserved And 3. Wee should pray for unity and concord 3 Wee must pray for unity and coacord For as Musicke doth not delight the hearers except there be concord so God is not delighted with any Common-wealth or Church except there be unity and consent among them When there was a confusion of languages the building of Babel was of necessity given over so when dissention discord schismes and rents raigne in a Church or State then neither can Religion prosper or florish nor can the Lord be pleasingly worshipped or that Church or State it it so continue be preserved from confusion and ruine And therefore wee had need pray that love unity concord unanimity and a sweet accord may be planted and rooted in us and be so firme and fixt amongst us that with one heart one mind one soule yea one end vour wee may seeke the glory of God the peace of the Church the advancement of Religion and the prosperity and good of the Common-wealth And 4. Wee must pray unto God for preservation from our foes 4. For preservation from our foes both domesticall and forraine Isoerates prayed god to save and keepe him from his friends rather then his enemies saying That he could be aware of his enmies Psal 127.1.2 Psal 90.11 because he trusted them not but be could not be so of his friends because he relyed much upon them I dare not say thus because I know Except the Lord keep the bouje and City the watchman watcheth but in vaine and all humane helpes and means are vaine but this I may safely say That as we ought to pray unto God to preserve us from relying and depending upon any feigned friends who do not cordially affect our Church or State but in their hearts wish cry Down with it downe with it even to the ground so we ought also to pray unto him to protect defend us from all our proffessed foes who wish and intend evill unto and against us And 5. 5 For the preaching of the word We should heartily and zealously pray for the continuance of the preaching of the Gospell unto us and that it may be encouraged promoted advanced and propagated more and more Wee must rememoer that the preaching of the word is 1. rofitable to teach us our naturall condition and the condition and contamination of our nature Preaching is profitable in many regards and the estate and condition wherein by nature we are The word let us see our sinnes and sinfulnesse and move us both to acknowledge our iniquities and to grieve for them and to repent us of them and truly to turne from them Esa 58.1 Iercm 4.9 Ezech. 3.4 and 33.1 and 2. Timoth. 4.1 And 2. Ioh. 17.3 1 Cor. 2.14 and 2 Cor. 6.6 The preaching of the word is profitable for the attaining unto the knowledge of God Wee are by nature ignorant of the knowledge of the true God or at least of that true knowledge of the true God which is life eternall But by the word and the preaching thereof we are instructed in the knowledge of him 2 Cor. 5.19 And 3. Preaching is profitable for the publication and demonstration of our reconciliation with God by Christ the Mediator of this our reconciliation And 4. It is profitable for us in crosses and afflictions for by the word we are directed how to beare afflictions how to be eased under them and releated from them Psal 19.9 And 5. The preaching of the word is profitable for the instruction and teaching us our duties both toward God and men whether supericurs inferiours or equals And 6. It is profitable for the bringing of us unto heaven and the obtaining of life eternall Psal. 1.2 and 1 Timoth. 4.16 And therefore I may safely and dare holdly conclude That whosoever is no friend to preaching is neither friend to Church nor Common-wealth and the lesse friend that a man is to preaching the lesse cordially stands hee affected either to Church or Common-wealth and whosoever endeavours to put powne and silence preaching doth endeavour as much a in him lyes to put out the eyes of Church and Common-wealth and to make both blind and miserable The Papists say Ignorantia mater devotionis Ignorance s the mother of Religion Wee say of Rebellion and we know that it is the powerfull and plentifull preaching of the Gospell which holds men in obedience both to God and Governours And therefore let us pray fervently for the long continuance and pure preaching thereof amongst us and for grace to practise what is preached and then our Church Commonwealth shall certainly long flourish And 6. 6. Wee must pray for peace August Wee must in the behalfe of our Church and Common-wealth pray for peace it being as Augustine saith in a Stte like harmony in Musicke When Bees hum most or make most noyse in their Hives and seeme most tumultuous then they are in best case but it is not thus with a Church or Common-wealth for they are best when they are most quiet and peaceable Plutarch Plutarch maketh mention of a maid who had many suiters who fell to such contention amongst themselves for her tha● they did teare her all in peeces And thus Nimium altercando admit●…tur veritas many disputations andiscentions in a Church or State doth quickly teare it in peeces and therefore it is necessary to pray for the peace of both That is to wish and desire in our selves and to beseech of the Lord that 1. Neither the devill nor any of his instruments may hinder either the progresse of Religion or the preaching of the word And 2. That we may by his power and providence be saved and preserved from all persecutors enemies and externall foes And 3. That neither our Church nor Common-wealth may be corrupted with any superstition or by any sinne but that our Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall Rulers may so smite with the sword of Discipline and Excommunication and our Civill and Politike Governours may so use the sword of Justice that sinne superstition and schisme may be supplanted and restrained and vertue Religion and

City set upon a hill seene by others famous amongst and before many others and for our peace and prosperity envied almost by all others To some men their Countrey is their shame and some are the shame of their Country Wee need not be ashamed of our Nation it being for the circuit of it I thinke in all things second to none or very few under the coape of Heaven and therefore take heede that wee doe not by our lewd lives and corrupt conversation become a shame unto our Nation a Cleobulus illam Rempublicam maxime dixit bene compositam esse ubi Cives magis infamiam quam legem metuunt Plutarch in convivio 7. Sapient Oh let us never turne our glory into shame our reputation into reproach our fame into infamy and disgrace our sincerity into superstition and our true profession and profession of truth into Popery or any other erroneous religion lest that we which have long beene an admiration and rejoycing unto our friends and an emulation and envie unto our encmies become through the judgements of God effused upon us a griefe and cause of sorrow to those who love us and an exultation for our misery to those who envie us An Italian Traveller reported that he had seene in England Pulchrū Regē a goodly King in France Pulohrum Regnum a goodly Kingdome In Spaine Pulchrum Senatum a goodly Counsell Let us adde a fourth and make it good namely Pulcbrum populum let us be in the eyes of all who see us and in the eares of all who heare of-us not onely a goodly but a godly people and then wee shall bee the beautie of the whole earth and as the apple of the Lords eye and as the fignet upon his right hand So be it The second Proposition being thus briefly finished I proceed unto the third to wit Proposition 3. That all changes chances mutations maladies alterations ruines and eversions which fals upon any Church or State Countrey Kingdome or Common-wealth come not by chance but from God himselfe the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and Supreme Governour of all the world If we would see how that point ariseth from the Text How the Proposition springs from the text wee must then observe these five things therein namely 1. What the Prophet David doth He prayes 2. For what For preservation and deliverance out of distresse 3. For whom For himselfe and his people or for the Israelites 4. To whom he prayes To the Lord verse 1. And lastly why hee prayes unto him Namely because their misery calamity and distresse came from him As the Poet saith Nam qui mihi vulnera fecit Solus Achilleo tollere more potest Those who were wounded by Achilles could bee cured by none but by him so the Prophet here knowes that the Lord that cast them downe and it is hee that must raise them up hee hath broken them and hee must bind them he hath scattered them and he must gather them he hath plagued them and it is hee who must pitie them or else no mercie deliverance or reliefe can bee shewed unto them And therefore our Princely Prophet doth thus petition the Lord. Vers 2.3.4 Oh God thou hast cast us off thou hast scattered us thou hast beene displeased with us Thou hast made the earth to tremble thou hast broken it Thou hast shewed thy people bard things thou host made us to drinke the wine of astonishment And therefore seeing all our maladies and miseries come from thee and that for our evill of sinne committed against thee thou inflictest this evill of punishment upon us Save us oh God with thy right hand aud heare mee I must say of this point as the Stagge saith in the Embleme Inopem me copia fecit plenty of proofes will make me poore of proofes For the Scripture experience and all Histories do so abundantly testifie the truth thereof and all Christians so undoubtedly and readily assent and subscribe thereunto and this very Psalme verses 1.2.3.6.7.8.12 so clearely confirmes it that I should but light a Taper to the Sunne at high noone to spend time to prove it The point proved by Scripture and Examp. If proofes should not readily accurre to the memory of any Reader then let him view and confider these few for many Psalme 74. the whole Psalme and 75.7.8 Ierm 27.5 Daniel 4.25 Acts 17.26 and withall marke well these examples to wit of the foure Monarchies Daniel 2. 31. c. And of the cutting off and casting out of the Canaanites Hittites Hivites Moabites Jebusites Perizites and the rest mentioned in Numbers Deuteronomy Ioshua and Iudges And of the division of Israel 1. King 11. and desolation thereof 1. King 17 and of the captivitie and destruction of Iudab 2. Chron. 36. And these testimonies and examples may sufficiently suffice for the proofe of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the point that it is thus That all changes and chances mutations and maladies which fall upon any Chnrch or State come from God Now for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thereof the Poet saith well Felix qui potuit rerune cognoseere causas that is He is a happie man who doth not onely know the things which are done but the causes why they are done But I will not now much enquire wherefore the Lord doth thus change crosse and afflict Churches Kingdomes and Common-wealths For that we showed amplie in the prosecution of the former proposition but I will now principally show the signes and symptomes and externall and moving causes of the decay ruines and desolation of a Common-wealth First Fahar in Psalme 60. 135. Nine causes of the decay of a Common-wealth Fabritius showes and proves that the causes of the translation mutation and maladies of a Common-wealth are these nine namely 1. The contempt of the worship word and Ministers of God and contrarily the love of lyes and lying Prophets And 2. Idolatrie and superstition And 3. Tyranny injustice and unjust taxes and exactions in Magistrates And 4. Pride in apparell And 5. Covetousnesse in Superiours And 6. Sedition and seditious practices against the ordinary Magistrate ordained and appointeed by God And 7. A generall supine carelesnesse and carnall security in all And 8. An inundation of iniquity i.e. when all of all sorts are so wicked that one winkes at anothers faults And 9. The prophanation of the name of God Secondly Plautus saith Plantus in Persa Ten causes of the ruines of King domes that there are these ten causes of the ruine of a Republicke to wit 1. Treachery 2. Theft 3. Covetou snesse 4. Envie 5. Ambition 6. Back-biting and slandring 7. Perjurie 8. Idlenesse 9. Injuries and wrongs 10. Notorious wickednesse or an impudent audaciousnesse in sinning Thirdly Cyprian saith Ex Anton. part 1. tit 5. cap. 3. Sect. 8. Twelve things Pernicious to a people and land that there are twelve abuses in a Common-wealth whereby it is endangered and harmed as namely

ranne at him and slew him in the midst of the presse for not regarding to doe him justice when he complained unto him of an injury done by one of the Peeres of the Realme And therefore if Magistrates would not make themselves guilty of the peoples sinnes if they would not aimate and embolden people to sinne if they regard the credit of their Countrey or their owne oath or safety then they must execute the Lawes upon transgressors Now 3. As Magistrates must execute the Lawes 3 They must be just in judgment so they must be just in judgement administring the Law equally and justly without respect of persons As there were two Pillars before Solomons Temple viz. 1 Kin. 7.21 2 Chr. 3.17 Iachin id est God will establish nad Bohaz id est Strength which two Pillars were set up to behold the porch of the Temple So there are two Pillars which uphold our Church and State viz. Religion of which by and by and Iustice true Religion upholding the Church Psa 122.3 4 5. and Iustice the Common-wealth and therefore they may more fitly be learned The sword and buckler of the Common-wealth then Fabius and Marcellus were The King saith King Solomon By judgement and justice establisheth the Land Prov. 29.4 Ps 72.1 For which cause his Kingly father desires the Lord to give these unto the King And therefore Magistrates must administer just judgement without respect of persons Anacharsus said that Lawes did rightly resemble the Spiders web because they take hold of little Flyes and Gnats which fall into them but the great ones will breake and runne through them at their will But indeed this is neither the fault of the Law nor Law-giver but of the Magistrate who doth administer it with partiality and respect of persons which should not be For as the Sun is not one to a poor man and another to a rich but common alike to all So a Prince and Magistrate ought not to respect the person but the matter Tatius the fellow King of Rome with Romulus Plutarch for not doing justice in punishing certaine of his friends and kinsfolkes and had robbed and murdered certaine Embassadours which came to Rome was so watched by the kindred of the slaine that they slew him as he was sacrificing to his gods because the could not obtaine justice at his hands Malum consilium consultori pessimum as evill counsell is often worst unto him who gives it so is neglect of justice to him who should administer it And therefore all Magistrates who desire the safety of themselves and the preservation of the State ought to judge with righteous judgement And 4. 4 They must be magnanimous As Magistrates must be just and upright in the execution of the Lawes so must they also be magnanimous and couragious in the administration thereof For it behooveth a Prince or Ruler to be of such zealous and godly courage that hee alwayes shew himselfe to be as a strong wall for the defence of his people Religion and Lawes Yea it is requisite for all those who have rule and governance in a Common-weale under their Prince to know the bounds of their State and the full effect of their dutie Lactantius that by a couragious and undaunted executing of justice they may be feared and by shewing mercy they may be loved Magistrates must be so magnanimous that they omit not the execution of the Lawes for feare of any and so resolute that nothing may hinder them from the administration of Justice The Naturalists observe that although the great Owle bee in shape like other Owles yet in bignesse and in sharpe talents she ressembles the Eagle but no withstanding her bignesse and talents shee wanteth courage and is a very cowardly bird And such are evill and timerous Governours who being armed with authoritie doe not or dare not bend their force for the suppressing of evill and resisting of common enemies Magistrates must not onely have a good inclination but also a religious resolution in the executing of their places For otherwise 1. Importunity of friends and suiters will overcome them if they be mutable weake in resolution And 2. Rewards gifts and bribes will corrupt them if they be covetous And 3. Love or hatred or anger will blind them if they be passionate and partiall Judges And therefore it is necessary that being armed with authority they should be also with magnanimity courage resolution and constancy and adorned with purity equity moderation impartiality and circumspection and free from all vice avarice and impurity And 5. 5. They must governe according to the word As Magistrates must be couragious and resolute so they must rule and governe according to the word and will of God Here observe that there are two sorts of lawes namely permissive and preceptive Now although humane lawes often permit those things whch are not warranted by the word of God as Moses permitted unlawfull divorces and our Land permits usury for the avoyding of some great inconveniency yet they must never command any thing to be done whch is contrary to the word and Law of the Lord. Caius a Romane Emperour sent Petronius into Syria with commandement to bid battle unto the Jewes Iosephus if they would not receive his image into their Temple which they refused with these words They had rather die then turne from the Lawes of God And as all godly Christians should say thus That they had rather die then doe any thing contrary to the Law of God so all good Magistrates should thus say That they had rather die then command subjects to doe any thing contrary or not according to the will of God or not governe according to that rule which is the square and patterne of all pious and perfect government And 6. 6. They must defend Religion Talmud Cholin 62.1 As Magistrates must be carefull to governe according to the Lawes of God so they must carefull protect and maintaine Religion and the true worship of God The Iewes in their Talmud say That the Grapes in Babell sent upon a time to the Vine leaves in Iudea desiring them to come and overshadow them otherwise the heat would consume them and they should never come to maturity And thus if Religion be not sheltred by those who are in place of government or if they cast not their sha●dow over it it will soon decay but where they favour and protect it it prospers Licurgus reformed the State of the Lacedemonians Numa Pompilius of the Romans Solon of the Arhenians and Deucalion of all the Grecians generally by making them devout and affectionate towards the gods in prayers oathes oracles and prophecies through the meanes of feare and hope of the divine nature which they imprinted in them And certainely if all our Christian Magistrates would make it their principall care to advance Religion and to compell men to worship and serve the Lord both by their precepts