Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	king_n	law_n	people_n	4,588	5	5.1230	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66602	The vanity and falsity of the history of passive obedience detected Wherein is briefly demonstrated, that the first reformers were far from maintaining it in the author of that history and his party's sence. As also it is plainly evinced that it cannot be deduced from the homilies, articles, injunctions or canons, liturgy and bishops of the primitive English Church. And all the specious pretences he makes for it are fully answered. By Tim. Wilson, M.A. and rector of the Kings Noth in Kent. Licens'd according to order.	Wilson, Timothy, 1642-1705.	1690 (1690)	Wing W2952; ESTC R217174	15,141	14

THE Vanity and Falsity OF THE HISTORY OF Passive Obedience DETECTED Wherein is briefly Demonstrated That the First Reformers were far from Maintaining it in the Author of that History and his Party's Sence AS ALSO It is plainly Evinced that it cannot be deduced from the Homilies Articles Injunctions or Canons Liturgy and Bishops of the Primitive English Church And all the specious Pretences he makes for it are fully Answered By Tim. Wilson M. A. and Rector of Kings Noth in Kent Licens'd according to Order Prov. XXIII 23. Buy the Truth and Sell it not Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World 1 St. John IV. 1. LONDON Printed by George Croom at the Blew-Ball in Thames-street near Baynard's Castle 1690. THE Vanity and Falsity OF THE HISTORY OF Passive Obedience c. THE History of Passive Obedience since the Reformation tells us That it was the Doctrine of all Ages To which I return this plain Answer Our Noble and Blessed Reformers and all Protestant Divines as we who oppose Passive Obedience do at this day declare that the King's Power is of God yea that all Power is of God that Kings are God's Ministers and Vice-gerents that they are God's Ordinance and are not to be Resisted but Obeyed not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake That God is the only Ruler of Princes that neither Heresie nor Infidelity absolve Subjects from their Allegiance and Duty to Kings This and the like is granted on all hands And this is all that I could ever Collect from the Homilies Articles Injunctions or Canons Liturgy and first Bishops of the Protestant English Church So that I shall premise these General Rules for the understanding of the Judgment of the first Reformers and of other later Divines by him mentioned First Either they speak against Faction Sedition and Rebellion in very large and general Terms as all Divines even those of our Perswasion do as a most heinous and unnatural wickedness without stating any particular Case Or Secondly They speak of Kings Ruling according to the Laws of their Country Suppose I should say in a Sermon Good Christian People ye must in no case or for no cause Resist King William for he that Resisteth shall receive to himself Damnation Would any Man who knows my judgment from such words conclude that I am for Passive Obedience Would they not rather conclude that I am zealous for obedience to the King and harbour no jealousie of my Governors but have a strong presumption that he will Rule according to Law do what is Right and that his Subjects may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty And doing their Duty may assure themselves of all the benefits of good Government The Apostle saith Whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that Resist shall receive to themselves Damnation The Homilies ●●y We must in no case resist and that it 〈◊〉 not Lawful for Inferiors and Subjects in any ●●se to resist and stand against the Superior Pow●●s I hope this Author will acknowledge that ●●e Homilies speak in the same sence with St. ●aul We say so too But the Question is whether Paul calls Defen●●ve Arms against Illegal Proceedings and Univer●●l Oppression Damnable Resistance We say ●hat it is not the Resistance of which St. Paul ●peaks And the Author brings no Reason to ●rove it is But we give Reasons for our Inter●retation And this is one Neither God nor Man gives Authority to Governors to Oppress Hear what a Learned Man and a grave Divine saith The Apostle doth not say expresly Whosoever resisteth the Highest Men shall receive Damnation but whosoever shall resist the Power Let every one be subject not to the will of the Highest Men but to the Higher Powers There is a great deal of difference between these two The Higher Powers that is that Authority that God and man hath put upon such a Man It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that must be Subjected to and not Resisted We profess against resisting Power Authority though abused If they who have power to make Laws shall make sinful Laws and so give Authority to any to force Obedience we say here there must be either Flying or Passive Obedience But if one that is in Authority commands out of his own will and not by Law I Resist no Power no Authority at all if I neither Actively nor Passively Obey No I do not so much as resist abused Authority This may seem strange at first but if you think of it you will believe it We distinguish between the Man that hath the Power and the Power of that Man and say though the Power must not be Resisted according to the letter and sense of the Text yet the Illegal Will and Ways of the Man may be Resisted without the least Offence against the Text. But of the Homilies I shall speak in due place Or Thirdly They speak of Personal Infirmities and Crimes of Princes of which God alone is the Avenger and Judge Or Fourthly They speak of Tyranny in Exercise when Laws enable Princes to Execute cruel Edicts or when wicked Laws are made and put in Execution which is called the Abuse of Power In which case we own Passive Obedience in Imitation of the Primitive Christians And so it was in Queen Mary's days Or Fifthly They hyperbolize in zealous Expressions from an abhorrence of ●ebellion and due Reverence of Sacred Majesty and Crowned Heads God's Anointed and Princes of greatest Merit and Renown As if I should say of His present Majesty in an Extasie of Joy upon Meditation of our great Deliverance He is the Earthly God and Saviour of England Could any from hence rationally infer that I den● Defensive Arms in some case Or Sixthly They Write in times wherein Arbitrary power and Innovations got footing And so out of blind Zeal and as I may say Superstitious Devotion to Princes or out of Prejudice or they were Court-parasites and Flatterers as Mountague Manwaring Sibthorp Parker Cartwright c. or possessed with some other evil Affection Or they wrote zealously against the Pope's Supremacy and his pretended power of Excommunicating and Deposing Kings and against the Assassination and Murdering of Princes justified by some Jesuits most Audaciously Or Lastly They have spoken their own Sentiments and private Opinions not the Doctrine of the Church of England and have been opposed by others in all times sometimes Secretly sometimes Openly of the same Communion and Church and by Men of as great Knowledge Piety and Loyalty both to King and Country And these have been both of the Clergy and Laity as far as with due Reverence to their Superiors they could But surely no man in his Senses can think that a whole Kingdom is to be made a Sacrifice to the perverse Will and Lust of a Tyrant who dispenseth

with all Laws and is resolved to Rule Arbitrarily and will hearken to no Petitions c. And thus having premised these general Rules for our plain Understanding I descend to the particulars of this History And first I will consider his Preface He begins thus Having always thought that the Doctrine of Passive Obedience or Non-resistance of our Lawful Superiors had been a Doctrine founded in the Holy Scriptures recommended to the Christian World by the Precepts and Examples of our Blessed Saviour and the Practice of his more immediate Followers which Copy the Church of England hath exactly Transcribed to whose Immortal Glory it must be said that she alone in contradistinction both to Papists and Dissenters hath asserted the Principles of Obedience to Princes as the best Ages of Christianity own'd and practised it Answ This Author's Thoughts are no Rule for us to live by And I make no question if he will lay aside Prejudice but that he will see reason to change his mind and to acknowledge that Passive Obedience in his sense is no Doctrine founded in the Holy Scriptures c. And that the Church of England hath transcribed no such Copy as he speaks of For it would be not the Immortal Glory but the Everlasting Shame of the Bishops and Clergy to justifie such Doctrine as must necessarily bring Slavery upon their Native Country As if Christ came into the World not to save mankind but destroy it and God had left all Political Society to be a Prey to Wolves For so Tyrants are called Obj. The matter of Fact as to the first Ages of Reformation is denied So the Author brings us in objecting while some affirm that the Tenet is no older than Arch-bishop Laud and was introduced by a few Court-Bishops the better to make way for the attaining and establishing of their own Grandeur Answ We say that the Doctrine of Passive Obedience in this Authors sense was not taught by the first Blessed Reformers and that it began about the latter end of the Reign of King James the First as we hope to prove in the following Discourse And we fear Temporal Interest and somewhat of the humour of Diotrephes who loved to have the Preheminence more than Zeal to propagate the Truth of the Gospel brought into the Church this and some other like Doctrines to which we say our first Reformers were wholly Strangers Obj. The Doctrine of Passive Obedience cannot be unseasonable since no Government can be safe without it Answ Some Men have a great fondness for their own Opinions Is there any Kingdom State or Government in Christendom that thinks as this Author Writes And must his Ipse Dixit suffice For he offers no Reason Is there no way to avoid Faction Sedition and Rebellion but by teaching Men to deny their Senses and be calm like innocent Lambs while the most Barbarous Papists would cut their Throats and ruine their Posterity What if Lewd Libellers as Parsons the Jesuit Milton c. Traduce the best of God's Anointed And what if Rebels Murder the best of Kings must not therefore the Innocent defend themselves Was David Wicked for defending himself by force of Arms against the Tyranny of Saul because Absalem was a Rebel and exposed his Fathers admirable Reign It is the Cause makes a thing Just or Unjust Every Sophister may see the Fallacy of such Arguments I am sure Passive Obedience was so unseasonable in our days that it had almost Ruined the most Glorious National Church upon Earth and threatned Laws Liberty and Property Such advantage had the impudent Jesuits made of it Obj. Did we seriously study the Laws of Providence and consider the indispensible Obligation said on us of taking up the Cross Did we remember that Affliction is the Churches Portion and that not the least Evil may be done to procure the greatest Good this Doctrine would be more easily Believed and more readily Embraced Answ God's Providence and Human Prudence are not Inconsistent But God requires of us the use of Means to deliver our selves out of Affliction And we say in some case it is so far from being Evil that it is a most Heroick Vertue when God inspires the Nobles of a Nation to throw off the Yoak of Universal Oppression And though Affliction is the Churches portion yet if God gives us Halcyon days or in our Distress we have opportunity to free our selves from Aegyptian Task-masters it is both Sin and Folly to continue in Bondage Obj. This is the Doctrine of Hobbs and Parsons the Jesuit That Power is Originally in the Body of the People that the Foundation of all Government is laid in Compact and that the breach of Conditions by one Party dispenseth with the Duty of the other though confirmed with Sacraments Oaths and reiterated Promises Answ That all Government is a Trust and founded in Covenant I have elsewhere proved And though we say that all Power is of God yet the Limitation Qualification and Designation of the Person or Soveraign and the Form of Regiment is an Ordinance of Man And we affirm that if our Prince suffers in a good Cause as in a Rebellion we are bound to Suffer with him And this is not Hobbism But if Hobbs owns some Truths that we and all wise Polititians and most Reformed Divines own is Truth the worse What if the Devil said Jesus thou Son of God must not we say so likewise Leave off these foolish Imputations As for the Papists as a Learned Divine hath observed they hold and practise against this and for this and beyond this as they see they may serve their own Turns In their Practice especially of late they have laboured to infuse into the People yea and into Princes an opinion of their Absolute Power as conceiving it for the present most conducing to their ends who have preached up that all is the King 's that his Will is our Law that all Grants are but Acts of Grace that whatsoever he Commands must be obey'd either by Doing or Suffering Of a like nature is that childish Insinuation if not willful Calumny that we are not obedient to our Soveraign because he is God's Vice-gerent and because God hath obliged us to be subject not only for Wrath but for Conscience sake And that we are Obedient and Loyal only because our Compliance advanceth our Designs c. This is a Machiavellian trick and unworthy of a Disputant Sir I beseech you consider that we are about a case of Conscience of greatest concern to the whole Kingdom and use Arguments or relate Authorities and do not act the part of a Slanderer instead of an Historian For we take our selves to have as good a Conscience in this matter as you be you who you will And if we know our own Hearts had no design in this great Revolution but delivering our selves and our Posterity from Popery and Slavery So much for the Preface Let us go on to the Introduction And here I agree with