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	subject_n	4,008	5	6.9192	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85342	Good counsel in bad times, or, A good motion among many bad ones being a discovery of an old way to root out sects and heresies and an earnest desire for a complyance with all men to settle peace with justice : as also a relation of a remarkable piece of justice done by Duke William called the Good : likewise an epistle to the reader / by John Musgrave ...	Musgrave, John, fl. 1654.; Baudouin, François, 1520-1573.	1647 (1647)	Wing G1041A; ESTC R36608	23,472	37

yet they held it good and holy as the King holds his and it was the Religion which they received from their Ancestors above three thousand years past But wee finde also that Christian Emperours have endured alse Religions as it appears by the example of Theodosius Horatius and Arcadius who gave Temples to the Arrians and Nova●●●ns sometime within and sometime without the City as the necessity of the time and place required In the Ecclesiasticall History It is reported for a remarkable thing that Valentianus the Emperour was Orthodox and a good Christian yet he suffered the Arrians though he favoured them not so much as the others Vallens his Colleague or Companion in the Empire was an Arrian and would by no means suffer the Christians in his Government but did persecute them in all sorts whereby we may easily gather that in all well-governed common weales to avoid sedition and tumults it is sometimes necessary to grant Temples unto Hereticks not to the intent they should disperse their Heresies more but that the people hearing ●he truth confronted with falshood might without mutinies or tumults apply themselves quietly unto the true and right Religion But our Lord and Saviour saith that he came to bring war and not peace into the world so as in one house there shall bee dissentiou betwixt the Father and the Son the Brother and the brother How can we then maintain the Religion of Jesus Christ if they will reduce all the world to one faith and to one Law seeing that for the ordering thereof hee doth not command the faithfull to kill the rest but contrary wise he saith that the Apostles and faithfull should bee betrayed excommunicated and put to death for their faith and Religion and therefore he will have them win the field through patience and the vertue of his word So as I cannot wonder sufficiently at the impudency of these men who making a shew to be well read in all ancient Histories do maintain that there were never two different Religions in one Common weale for what will they say or answer to the diversity already alleadged betwixt the Pharisees Sadduces and ●●●sses without doubt they shall never finde that by reason of these Sects there was any great difficulty in the Government nor that Jesus Christ nor his Apostles did ever command to burne them for their Law What shall we say of the diversity of Religions that were among the heathen whereof one did not know anothers Gods No not the Names And some also maintained publiquely that God did not care for humane things And yet wee finde not that the Government of the Romanes was troubled for this cause But who doth not see at this day under the great Turk a great diversity of Religions so as among the Christians alone there are fifteen or twenty Sects and sundry Religions besides the Jewes Persians and Mahumatists all subjects to his Empire the which are more contrary the one to the other for matter of Religion then water is contrary unto fire Without doubt if these diversities were the true cause of seditions and tumults It were not possible that the Turks power should grow so great It is then a great ignorance to think that subjects cannot be maintained in quiet when they are of divers Religions for who so will look neerly to the spring and beginnings of tumults and seditions he shall find that they proceed not so much from the diversity of Religions as through private passions as through covetousness ambition revenge hatred and such like from the which small quarrels may grow and when the Magistrate prevents it not in time then by little and little they inflame and are cause of tumults and publike seditions witness the troubles and seditions in Italy betwixt the Guelphs and Gibellines the which continued four hundred years and was the cause of infinite murthers rapes wars and all sorts of violence and yet there was no difference in the Religion but all did grow for that the Magistrate did feed the private passions of their Subjects instead of suppressing them by Justice And as for controversies touching Religion it is not two hundred years since that the controversies betwixt the Franciscans and the Iacobines for the Conception of the Virgin Mary had caused great troubles throughout all Christendom Not that the controversie was of any great importance but through the negligence of the Magistrate who nourished these factions and became partisans Seing then it appeareth that whereas good order hath been setled people of divers sects and Religions have been quietly governed without any sedition or tumult and contrariwise whereas no order was not onely diversity of Religion but even small quarrels have bred horrible seditions and tumults any man of Judgement may gather thereby that seditions and tumults take not their increase from the importance of the quarrel whereupon they are grounded but rather through the want of good order for that the Magistrates neglect to punish them that entertain them or else themselves maintain one party the which is confirmed by many ancient and modern examples And who so will examine strictly the last troubles of France shall find that the greatest part have hapned for that some mighty men or Governours themselves having no regard to the publick good nor to the ordinances of the States have at their own pleasures plaid the Kings and insulted of their own authorities over them of the Religion I think no man is so ignorant but knows that the murther committed at Vassey by the Duke of Guise against the laws of the King and State hath been the true and onely cause of the Civil Wars which followed to the ruine of the whole Realm for whilest the Kings proceeded by their authority there was no newes of any sedition how grievous soever the persecution were but when as Governours of their owne authorities offered violence to those of the Religion presently all these tumults grew the which may serve us for a good example whereby we may learn to avoid the like inconveniences and take some good course for the benefit of the King and of all his good subject which seek onely to obey him It is then easie to resolve that good order would be setled if liberty should be granted to them of the Religion to assemble and exercise their discipline restraining and bridling them with such laws as shall be thought good and that the Kings Magistrates and Officers be careful to execute his Majesties intention foreseeing above all things that the people usurp not the autority of the sword under colour of the factions of great men so as above all things there must be a prevention that all violence be forborn on either side and that those which proceed by any other unlawful means as by taxing and slandring shall be well punished which doubtless will be a most assured means and the subjects shall live in good unity and concord together and will carry a perfect obedience unto his

see if it be possible to suppress their assemblies And doubtless if we look unto experience the perfect mistress of all things we shall find it is as impossible to hinder it as it is impossible to keep them from believing of that which they think fit and agreeing with the word of God Have we not I pray you seen the great power of the most victorious Emperor Charles the fift of famous memory who made all the world to tremble Have we not seen his most incredible diligence to suppress this Religion Have we not seen the rigorous edicts which he made and whereto tended it but to hinder the preaching of this new Religion and that they which made profession thereof should forbear their Assemblies For he knew well their hearts could not be forced and yet he prevailed nothing notwithstanding all his prohibitions It may be they assembled in some strange Country where they had greater liberty No no but contrariwise all the Princes of Christendom together with the Pope were resolved to root them out and to give them no place of retreat but all was in vain How do we then think that the Kings power the which out of doubt is not greater then the Emperors can hinder it seing that now France England Germany Scotland and all the Countries about are open unto them to retire themselves and to use the liberty that is here denied them whereas they have so many Kings and Princes on their side whereas the number is multiplyed by many and infinite thousands without doubt they which gave his Majesty this counsel shew plainly that either they want judgment or else they seek to settle their own greatness to the prejudice of the King and the ruine of the Countrey Let them examine all the Histories of the world and they shall find that when any new Religion hath been grounded upon the inward perswasion of the word of God that all the striving in the world could never hinder but the exterior discipline thereof would have its course The Romane Emperors could never force the Jews to receive their Statues into their Temples nor hinder the Christians from their Assemblies who desired rather to live like savage beasts in caves and rocks then to abandon the exercise of their Religion I will not examine whether their quarrel be like unto this so it is that they are as well perswaded in their hearts that they follow the word of God and that they are commanded to assemble and preach as they were which perswasion can never be wrested from them by any violence for they say among themselves that if they should be allowed to believe what they would so as they would forbear to teach and assemble were as much as if they should suffer a man to live so as he would take no refection and nourishment for they maintain that faith is entertained by the preaching of the word even as the life of the body is by the nourishment of meat But admit it were possible to forbid their Assemblies they must proceed either by rigor and force or by gentleness and perswasions that is they must either corrupt them or else force them to do against the testimony of their consciences and so falsifie their faith which they owe unto God It is most certain that the constant and vertuous will rather choose a thousand deaths then to do any thing against their Consciences so as with them there were nothing to be gotten As for the rest who for fear or hope would deny their faith First they should grievously offend the divine Majesty and damn their own souls by this falshood and dissimulation for that they should sin doubly first to have embraced the error and afterwards more to have falsified sified their faith and testimony of their Conscience and to have dealt doubly whereas God requireth sincerity and plainess so as they that should force them thereto should be the cause of their more grievous damnation They then which counsel the King to force or corrupt his subjects to the end that they should dissemble and make shew of any other Religion then that which they believe in their hearts are the cause of the disloyalty which they commit against God and the King for without he shall carry himself disloyally to God either for fear or hope it is to be presumed that by the same passions he will carry himself as disloyally unto the King when as time and occasion shall be offered Constantius father to Constantine the Great although he were a Pagan yet he called Christians into his Court and admitted them to favour whom he did see ready to abandon goods and honours yea their own lives rather then to be disloyal unto the God whom they did worship yea he held them worthy of his friendship and did impart unto them most of his important affairs And in-truth the King hath no Subjects more faithful then those which obey him for Conscience that is to say because God hath so commanded it they which falsifie their conscience to please the King or for any other private respect shew that they do not obey the King for Conscience onely but for some other particular affection and if they make no difficulty to falsifie their Consciences in the service of God without doubt it is to be feared that when any passion or affection should move them either the fear of death or the losse of goods and credit or some such like thing they would make no great difficulty to falsifie their faith which they owe unto their King so as they which give this Counsel unto the King shew their ignorance for that they seek to root out them which in simplicity and sincerity of heart yeild obedience unto God and the King And as for those which proceed disloyally and against their Consciences they are not onely content to suffer them but also to advance them unto honour as we have seen by some examples of those who before having made profession of this Religion have afterwards without being condemned of error onely to aspire to honour and credit turned their Coats To conclude Although it were a thing possible to force or corrupt the Protestants to abandon their Religion and to doe against their Consciences yet were it not expedient for the good of the Common weal. But as I said It is not possible to hinder them unlesse they will ruine them and put them to death the which were hard to compasse for in the place of one they should put to death ten others wouldrise and those which dy so constantly rather then remove their faith are held for good men by the common people who have more regard to the constancy then to the cause which they maintaine whereupon they have desire to examine the Cause and come to fall into the same opinions so as this must needs cause them to multiply and encrease wherefore they that advise the King to this means are much abused for besides that they frustrate

his Majesties intention they thrust the Countrey into great desolation and almost apparant danger of a ruine yet it is plainly to bee seene that the Arts Occupations and trades by meanes whereof this Countrey was wont to flourish above the rest do now decay and are transported to their neighbours the ancient enemies to the house of Burgoign and Austria It is almost incredible what prejudice the persecutions have brought within these forty yeares to the making of Cloth and Sayes and Tapestry which trades being as it were proper and peculiar to the Netherlands they have chased away by this means to the French English and other Nations I forbeare to speak of an infinite number of other good and profitable trades which are retired into forraigne Countryes to enjoy the liberty 〈◊〉 ●●eir Consciences For in generall all the trafique of Marchandize hath been wonderfully interessed as many good men can witnesse In Antwerp Lillee Torney Valenciens and other such Townes and this hath beene one of the chiefe occasions why of late years the English have beene perswaded to leave Antwerp and goe to Embden that is to say from the flower of all Marchants townes full of infinite Commodities to a petty Towne obscure and of no commoditie Yea they are grown so proud by reason if this Drapery the spoiles of his Majesties Netherlands as they seeme to have no care to compound thinking that we have more need of them then they of us The French in like sort bragg that they are clothed with our spoils by reason of the Marchants that are fled for Religion so as that which did serve them as a bridle to bring them the sooner unto reason in time of warre will now make them more proud and untractable Besides It is well known that within the Countrey there be many sufficient Marchants which upon this occasion refuse to contribute in time of necessity fearing that this question of religion will be a subject unto their enemies to make them confiscable But above all It is to be considered That the profession of Armes and Warre which hath beene flourishing in these parts hath and will be greatly interessed if it be not other wayes prevented I will not speak of many Gentlemen good and faithfull subjects which might doe good service to his Majesty which are now retired to their houses fearing for this onely occasion to employ themselves in any occasion whatsoever Neither will I say that many others who desired to doe the King good service yea even of those which knew the seats and scituations of Countries are forced to leave their native soyle and to retire to their enemies prefering the liberty of their Consciences before all things in the world Without doubt there must a care be had for if any war should happen either against the English French or any other neighbour Countrie wee know not whom to trust and without doubt the enemies will not forget to make their profit upon 〈◊〉 occasion by all manner of practises to the great prejudice of his Majesty and all his Countrey and it is to be feared that among so many men there will bee some which under colour to seeke their Liberties will bee perswaded to attempt some Innovations The desire to live and serve God in Liberty of Conscience is of so great force as it makes men forget all other affections and passions how vehement soever for it not only maketh the subject neglect the duty which he oweth to his naturall King and Prince but it doth even estrange the hearts and withdraw the affections of Fathers and Mothers from their Children yea it maketh them forget themselves so as they make no difficulty to expose their bodies to the burning flames and to all sort of torments and to abandon wife and children leaving them nothing but poverty and famine rather then to lose this good in regard whereof there is nothing in this world that they esteem So that it is no wonder which some report for a truth that many among the Gascoignes and Provencials during the persecutions in France for matter of Religion have treated to yeild themselves tributary to the Turk hoping that by that meanes they would suffer them to live in liberty which they valued above all things and it may be they had put it in execution to the great prejudice of all Christendom if one onely respect had not restrained them which was that they held it too grievous to give their first borne children to the great Turk to be bred up in Mahomet's Religion for this affection is incredible and exceedeth all others the which being well considered with the great diversity of humours and conditions of men it were no strange thing if in so great a multitude of them that are persecuted for their Conscience some should be found more suddaine or more revengefull or impatient then the rest who would make no difficulty to attempt such exploits yea if it were but to revenge the grievous wrongs and injuries that were done for that Cause unto their kinsfolks and friends wherein it is greatly to be considered that there are no forts nor castles that maintain Kings in their greatnesse so much as the faithfull love of their subjects So contrarywise the King doth but provoke their hatred against his Majesty yea who otherwise are good and wel-governed men and live without reproach If the Inquisitors and their adherents feare not the Hugonots for that as they say they have not the wit to revenge themselves who maintain that they must do good for evil yet they may well have heard the common Proverb that patience too much urged in the end turneth to fury And if they be not void of all sense they must thinke that all the Kinsfolks friends and allies of them that they persecute are not of one minde and equall patience that they can so easily passe over the wrong which they thinke they have received so although there were no danger they should attempt any thing against his Majesty or his estates yet will they carry an irreconcileable hatred against his Officers whereby there will grow bad intelligence amongst his subjects which is a matter as every man knowes of very great importance as we may well see by the troubles of France the which partly took their beginning from such occasions and it is most manifest that if King Henry or his Father King Francis had in their times granted free exercise of Religion restraining them with good Lawes and Ordinances without doubt they had left their Realme much more happy and flourishing and had prevented so many calamities which have ensued I know there is some will say the like is not to be feared here considering the small numbers there is and therefore it were no reason that for a handfull of men and of the baser sort they should bring in any innovation But they that use such speeches discover their grosse ignorance or their unsupportable malice If there be any question to