Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	know_v	speak_v	word_n	2,857	5	3.9757	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66711	Say on, or, A seasonable plea for a full hearing betwixt man and man and a serious plea for the like hearing betwixt God and man : delivered in a sermon at Chelmsford in Essex, at the general assize holden for the said county, before the Honourable Sir Timothy Littleton, one of His Majesty's Barons of the Exchecquer, July 8, 1678 / by Anthony Walker ...	Walker, Anthony, d. 1692.	1679 (1679)	Wing W308; ESTC R5261	13,981	60

All Virtues so ornamental to Tribunals that nothing can be more I proceed to the second Consideration that is of the Person to whom they were spoken that is to a Petitioner a Plantiff who came to plead her cause before him as her Judge And First they were dicta mulieri spoken to a woman whose Sex exposed her to some prejudice as not needing over much encouragement to speak yet he saith not She 'll talk enough without bidding and if I encourage her she 'll never have done No idle or frivolous pretences should debar those whose Lives Estates or other near Concernments lye at stake from a full and fair Hearing He saith to the Woman Say on 2. Dicta Viduae they were spoken to a Widow Widow-hood is a forlorn estate and Widow is a desolate name Had the Plaintiff been a great man no wonder that such an one should obtain a Full Hearing But to give leave and encouragement to a poor to a desolate Widow to Say on this was much to be wondered at but more to be commended 'T was such a piece of Justice in righteous Job that rendred him so eminent the words are so remarkable I cannot omit the rehearsal of them at large Job 29.11 12 13 14 15 16 17. When the ear heard me then it blessed me and when the eye saw me it gave witness to me Because I delivered the poor that cryed and the fatherless and him that had none to help him The Blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I caused the widows heart to sing for joy I put on righteousness and it cloathed me my judgment was a Robe and Diadem I was eyes to the blind and feet was I to the lame I was a father to the poor and the cause which I knew not I searched out and I brake the jaws of the wicked and plucked the spoil out of his teeth Than which words there can be no better Commentary upon David's saying to a desolate and poor widow Say on 3. Dicta Reo spoken to a guilty person For if it be true that in the eye of the Law Actor Reus eandem sustinent personam What is said to him or her that pleads the cause of the guilty is said as to the guilty To suspend prejudice and to hear out a presumed guilty party argues much candor and moderation The Law supposes every man honest and innocent and every man's cause just and good till it is found and appears otherwise and that cannot be without discussing it therefore no presumptive prejudices should stop their mouths or debar them their Plea Let even such therefore Say on 4. Dicta reo parricidii they were spoken to one guilty of Murder the worst of Crimes and Fratricide the worst of Murders The foulest offences cut not off the offender from liberty to plead his cause to defend and if he can to clear himself which minds me of God's own proceeding with Cain in the very same Circumstances when he had slain his Brother Abel Gen. 4. Where is thy Brother What hast thou done Which Questions imply a liberty to answer left him 5. Dicta consitenti to one who had confessed the Fact and in effect accused him whom she came to defend and plead for Circumstances oft alter the case very much and great alleviations may be urged which may extenuate the fault though they neither do or can deny the Fact therefore even confitenti reo say Say on 6. But lastly dicta humili supplicanti they were spoke to one who was humble and modest and made request for audience ver 4. She fell on her face and made obeysance She said Let thy handmaid I pray thee speak a word to my Lord the King She made supplication to her Judge she behaved not her self unseemly she did not extort an Hearing with noise and clamour nor like the other Widow Luke 18. weary him out with importunity and so teez the Judge that he did her Justice to be quiet and reliev'd her in his own defence no she sought it humbly and obtain'd it candidly 'T is infinitely indecent and a great desecrating and prophaning so sacred a place as a Court of Judicature and so holy a thing as Justice it self is to bawl and jeer and make a noise and is so far from being manly that this Woman may shame them to use their Tongues better And such procedure gives just suspicion that the merits of that cause are not very good which needs the raising so much dust to cloud them from the eyes of sober Reason When S. Paul pleaded before King Agrippa and Festus his Plea was words of truth and soberness Act. 26.25 The King 's presumed present in his Courts and a greater than He the King of Kings He judgeth amongst the Gods the judgment is the Lord's Therefore all things should be carried as becomes such a presence gravely modestly soberly seriously for though every good Judge will say to such with David here Say on I suppose no wise Judge will say in earnest what Job once said in Irony Job 21.3 Mock on 3. Quo fine for what end intent or purpose did he give her this leave and encouragement to Say on Certainly for many wise and great and good ones to suggest some of which may be useful and exemplary First To find out the truth and right The Tongue is the Hearts Interpreter and other mens Informer and truth is often bolted out by the moving of the Lips A plain Story innocently told that comes freely without pains disguise or artifice that is coherent and self consistent is a good argument of honest simplicity When on the other side fair liberty of Speech being granted if they shuffle hesitate and stick contradict themselves and have little or nothing to say 't is a shrewd presumption all is not right and so though it be uncomely in this place to name the Proverb 't is like occurs to all your thoughts offenders are oft ensnared by their own lips and their tongues fall upon themselves and they are judged out of their own mouths For nothing is easier than to tell a true Story plainly as the matter is truth being always consistent with it self and to defend a just and honest cause which carries with it it 's own evidence So nothing is harder than to make a false matter appear true and a foul cause to appear just and clear to a discerning mind Let them therefore Say on 't is the way to clear the innocent to convict the guilty and bring truth to light 2. To preserve the honour of Judicial Proceedings which is of great Concernment While the Judge judges the Criminals or between the parties litigant all the Assembly will be sure to judge him and therefore 't is not enough to decree what is just but to make it manifest that he proceeds justly even God himself whose nature secures him from all unrighteousness and makes it impossible for him to do

injustice yet takes care to make it apparent that he proceeds justly that he may be justified when he speaketh and clear when he judgeth As we have it Psal 51.4 or as the Apostle turns the words Rom. 3.4 That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged God himself cannot escape the censure of the world and therefore for the honour of his Righteousness he will manifest his proceedings to be just that no place may be left for cavil or reproach 3. To put an end to strife and contention What is the reason of bringing the same cause so often over but pretence of not having had a fair Hearing at the first Wh●●'s well done is twice done And trying Causes well once would prevent the trying of them it may be twice or thrice 't is not only for your honour therefore but for your case to let them Say on 4. To prevent clamour We have a Proverb Losers will have leave to talk and they often talk so much when they have lost because they had not leave to talk to prevent their losing Let them therefore Say on before the Sentence and they will have nothing to say after Yea the condemned Criminals will yield their lives more silently and calmly and submisly to the Law when Condemnation was not awarded till they had liberty to make their best defence 5. To restrain the violence of proud oppressing Men. Nothing so much emboldens great Men to oppress and wrong and grind the poor as a confidence that their complaints will not be heard or regarded Now if the Magistrate will consider the cause of the needy and afflicted the Fatherless and Widow the poor and helpless when they cry to him this will be a mighty restraint that the man of the earth shall no more oppress The one would not dare to lay on so unmercifully as oft they do if they knew the other should obtain so merciful a Say on when they make complaint 6. Lastly that true sentence may pass according to the merits of the Cause and as shall appear just upon a Full Hearing This is the Life and Crown of all for of the two it were better and more tolerable to huddle up a business and precipitate a Sentence though this be a very great fault than to pass Sentence against and give Judgment contrary to the merits of a Cause and what hath been made appear upon a Full Hearing to be just and righteous Therefore that a sacred Court may not be branded with the prophane name of a fortuitous Lottery let the Pleader Say on and let his so doing be crown'd with the Reverend Judges saying in his Sentence what is Just and Right according to the apparent merits of the Cause And thus far briefly of the Words as they have an aspect on the Assize But I may well suppose you are not all concern'd in the peculiar business of the day and the special occasion of this Solemn Appearance and so my Discourse hath hitherto not reached many of you and I would be loath that any man should wholly lose his labour of Attendance here especially by my fault I shall therefore borrow a short liberty for a double improvement of these Words Say on in a more spiritual manner and so as may be of an universal influence and use First Give God a fair Hearing interrupt him not let him Say on when he pleads his own cause to provoke you to your Duty or to convince you of your neglect of it Secondly Bethink your selves what you have to say make your Plea ready against God's calling you to account When he shall say to you why do you or why did you so or so and what canst thou say for thy self why thou shouldst not be condemned Say on thou shalt have a fair Hearing say what thou canst for thy self take heed your ways be not so unaccountable that you must then stand mute and have nothing to say for your selves when God bids you Say on First As to what God hath to say to you grant him a fair Hearing cut him not short interrupt him not but say unto him Say on And that this may appear less forc'd yea proper and pertinent I may argue thus If it be incumbent on the Judge to bid the Prisoner the Pleader the Plaintiff or Defendant Say on 't is much more necessary equal and becoming that they should hear the Judge and most of all that we should hear him that is the Judge of all men the Judge of all the earth But nearer yet if the Judge must hear the Pleader Man must hear God for he vouchsafes oh astonishing condescension to make man judge and to plead his own Cause before the Tribunal of Man's Reason Isa 1.18 Come let us reason together And 5.3 O men of Judah judge ye I pray you betwixt me and my vineyard Where God's Plea is managed with such strength of Reason such convictive evidence such unanswerable clearness that Interest it self cannot bribe man to forbear giving sentence on God's side So the Prophet Samuel on God's behalf 1 Sam. 12.7 appeals to themselves while he pleads God's cause Stand still that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord which he did to you and your Fathers So Jer. 2.9 I will yet plead with you saith the Lord and with your childrens children will I plead See also Ezek. 20.35 36. See also that full place to this purpose Mich. 6.1 2 3 4 5. Hear ye now what the Lord saith for the Lord hath a controversie with his people and he will plead with Israel O my people what have I done unto thee testifie against me That you may know the righteousness of the Lord. Now is it not all the reason in the world that when God appeals to Man and makes him Judge and pleads before him that he should allow him a fair Hearing and let him Say on But to make all sure that we proceed pertinently we have an instance in terminis S. Luke 7.40 where Simon the Pharisee useth this very word to our Lord Christ himself Master Say on Now I most earnestly exhort and adjure you to do likewise See that ye refuse not him that speaketh Turn not away from him who speaks from Heaven Heb. 12.25 To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts Say with Samuel Speak Lord thy servant heareth Resolve with David I will hearken what God the Lord will speak Psal 85.8 and with Simon Lord Master Say on Now God speaks once yea twice Job 33.14 yea thrice 1. God speaks to thee by the voice of thy Conscience 2. God speaks to thee by the voice of his Word 3. God speaks to thee by the secret voice of his Spirit 1. He speaks to Man by the voice of his Conscience The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord Prov. 20.27 So 't is also the Tongue and Voice of the Lord. Conscience is

for which he cannot give a good reason And I know no reason good but this or what is reduceable to this God commands me or at least allows me so to do I appeal therefore to the Consciences of all that hear me this day whether you can give this reason for all the actions of your lives God commands me or allows me to do what I do If you can 't is well happy Congregation blessed Assembly are you But this is a thing rather to be wished it were than hoped it is If therefore there be any who comes to bear false witness against his Neighbour who comes though he gilds over his malice and violence with pretext of Law to vex to wrong or to oppress his Brother or to defend what he knows to be an unrighteous Cause to the ruine of the poor and innocent can he say so Can he that swears falsly by the God of Truth or customarily by the name of him who is a God of Holiness say so Can the Drunkard the Lyar the Adulterer the Thief the Despiser of Holiness say God commands him or allows him to be such I beseech you deal uprightly and venture not to do any thing of which you cannot give a good account and reason to God and your own Consciences for if your heart condemn you God is greater than your heart and will condemn you much more Lastly I pray consider well what Plea thou wilt make at the day of Judgment 't is an awful and awakening thing to name it or to think on 't But it will be a most dreadful thing then to stand mute not as some do at the Bar through sullenness or stomach but as the man who thrust in to the Wedding Feast without a Wedding Garment to be speechless and have nothing to say when God bids them Say on And I most earnestly entreat you and adjure you not to satisfie your selves in any Pleas which will not be allowed or hold good at that day 'T will not serve your turn then to say I neither believed nor thought of such a day if I had I would have prepared better for it nor to say I knew indeed and sometimes thought of that day and resolved to be prepared before I died but that I was prevented by dying sooner than I made account I should No nor to say I was baptized and kept my Church and sometimes said my Prayers and only did what I saw others do before me who were my Betters and wiser men than I and though I often did what I fear I should not I was resolved to say I am very sorry and cry God mercy when I came to die He that hath no better stuff than this no wiser Plea to make will have little list to Say on when God shall bid him do so But you will ask me what Plea will then hold I answer I find none in terminis in all the Bible and 't is not wisdom to be wise above and beyond what 's written I find one indeed made for them by the Judge Matth. 25. I was hungry and ye fed me c. But none made formally by any man as for himself I will not therefore assume the boldness to prescribe a form to any man to plead his cause then nor in express words can formally conclude what I would my self then say yet for the matter and substance I would be glad to be able with confidence to say when God shall bid me plead my Cause and answer for my self O Lord who knowest all things thou knowest I lov'd thee sincerely though not perfectly And that I earnestly desired to know thy whole will and seriously endeavoured to fulfil it and unfeignedly repented of my transgressions of it Thou knowest Lord I thankfully accepted the Grace offered in the Gospel Covenant and then did and still do most earnestly desire to be found in Christ not having my own righteousness but that righteousness which is of God through faith in Jesus Christ whom God hath sent forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Such a Plea made up of the conditions of the New Covenant Faith and Repentance love and universal new obedience in some measure performed by the assistance of Divine Grace would I be glad to be provided of against that day And I doubt not but whoever can make such a Plea in truth will have great boldness to Say on when God shall bid him and shall hear God say to him Well done good and faithful servant inherit the kingdom prepared for thee before the foundation of the World For which Blessed Sentence he of his infinite Mercy prepare us who hath by his Blood purchased that Kingdom for all that love him and wait for his Appearance Amen FINIS

God's Deputy what that speaks he speaks that accuses or excuses according to the Law his own Finger hath written on thy heart Therefore stop not its mouth stifle not its checks put it not to silence but hear it out and say unto it Say on 2. He speaks to thee by his Word This is beyond controversie with all but downright Atheists that what the Scriptures speak God speaketh This teacheth thee to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously soberly godly in this present world There 's not a sin against the Law of Nature or Grace which this forbids not under pain of eternal death nor a duty of either to which it encourages not with the promise of eternal life This shews the equity the reasonableness the excellency the necessity of every Duty Virtue Grace and the iniquity unreasonableness baseness danger of every Corruption Vice and Sin Hear consider weigh well what it saith And dare not to go on where God's Word bids thee stop nor dare to stand still where God's Word bids thee go forward Time will not give me leave nor will the Text well bear it to plead God's Cause I may only admonish you to hearken how he pleads it in his Word himself where you shall meet with all the cogent Arguments Right Reason can be moved by in the behalf of Virtue Temperance Justice Charity and universal Holiness and against Vice Prophaneness Debauchery Dishonesty and Irreligion drawn from his authority over thee and Benefits to thee from all the Attributes of his Nature from all the Methods and Instruments of his governing the Rational World His Promises and Threatnings his Rewards and Punishments c. So from Christ the example of his Holy Life the love and design of his Bloody Death c. Now when thou art moved to any Duty or tempted to any Sin before thou refuse the one or yield to the other hear fully what God in his Word saith for it or against it Let God make his full Plea before thou yieldest and givest sentence for the World the Flesh the Devil do not precipitate and because one reason prevails not resolve to hear no more but hear him out Master Say on If his bare authority prevail not try what the obliging sense of his Benefits may do If Thus saith the Lord be not enough hear him saying O foolish people will ye thus requite the Lord If his love constrain thee not try whether his fear and the terrors of the Lord may not restrain thee if the promises and hopes of going to Heaven be too light put in the wrath revealed from Heaven and the consideration of eternal Burnings If Gods Glory move thee not hear what he saith of thine own interest if the declaration of the promises and threatenings suffice not hear what he saith of the fullfilling and exemplifying of them upon others to give thee warning I suggest these few Instances transiently which may teach you to make many more and I beseech you do it hear all God saith for Duty and against Sin before you reject the one or yield to the other and remember that the sinfulness of the world and their final condemnation is chiefly ascribed to their not hearing what God saith to them in the Word Peruse with greatest seriousness that awakening place Prov. 1.24 to the end which if you mind as you should do I hope you 'll give God a Fuller Hearing for the future and when he speaks to you in his Word will let him plead his Cause at large and Say on 3. He speaks to you by his Spirit whispering secretly and silently to your Hearts There is an intimate converse betwixt God's Spirit and Man's of which the standers by can take no notice Thou shalt hear a voice behind thee saying this is the way walk in it Isa 30.21 Hear him therefore as a spirit of conviction pleading with thee to convince thee of and bring thee to repentance for thy past Sins As a spirit of excitation stirring and quickening thee to present Duty as a spirit of restraint to withdraw thee from thy sinful practices or purposes Oh do not this abominable thing which I hate As a spirit of Application setting home general truths to a man's particular case this concerns thee Thou art the Man Generalia non pungunt therefore the spirit in the reading or hearing the Word uses to infer from Generals and apply in this or the like manner If the wrath of God be revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousness then against mine If every one be accursed that continues not in all things that are written in the Law then so am I. If every one that repents not must perish then must I if I repent not the spirit and the bride say come and whoever will let him take of the water of life freely then I may take it 't is as free to me as to any other God hath not excluded me if I exclude not my self sic in caeteris in the general threats promises precepts Oh therefore when the spirit stands at the door and knocks open to him when he calls answer him Resist him not provoke him not quench him not grieve him not put him not to silence treat him not rudely turn not a deaf ear but say unto him What wilt thou have me do Speak Lord thy servant heareth Blessed Lord Say on The last improvement I shall make of the words is to mind you to get ready a good Plea against the time God shall call for it and give you the liberty to use t. There is a day approaching nay in some degree now is in which we must appear at God's Tribunal and though we must expect a strict yet we may assure our selves of a Fair Trial. God will hear us out he will give us leave to Say on all that we can say with reason for our just defence Isay 41.21 Produce your cause will the Lord say bring forth your strong reasons saith the king of Jacob. Resolve therefore with the Prophet Habbak 2.1 To watch to see what he will say to you and what you shall answer when you are reproved or argued with Now God hath two Tribunals one in this world the other in the world to come The first erected in every man's Breast his Conscience enlightened by the word which is magni judicii prae judicium as a private Sessions preparatory to the general and grand Assise which is the second the judgment seat of Christ at which we must all appear to give an account of all we have done in the flesh whether good or evil I beseech you therefore bethink your selves before hand provide your Plea for God will certainly call for it First What hast thou to say when God shall summon thee to appear before his Deputy thy own Conscience and shall demand a reason of thy ways O man why dost thou do so or so I am ready to hear thee Say on A wise man should do nothing