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
A91936	Mene, tekel, perez, or, A little appearance of the hand-writing (in a glance of light) against the powers and apostates of the times. By a letter written to, and lamenting over Oliver Lord Cromwell. / By John Rogers. In this woful howre of his temptation, and of Sions sore pangs, and solemne appeals; and of the precious saints imprisonments and persecution for this most glorious, betrayed denyed, and crucified cause of Christ Jesus King of Saints and nations.	Rogers, John, 1627-1665?	1654 (1654)	Wing R1811; Thomason E231_2; ESTC R7990	15,517	17

Mene Tekel Perez OR A little Appearance of the HAND-WRITING In a Glance of Light Against the Powers and Apostates of the TIMES By a Letter written to and lamenting over Oliver Lord Cromwel BY JOHN ROGERS In this woful Howre of his Temptation and of Sions sore pangs and Solemne Appeals and of the precious Saints imprisonments and persecution for this most Glorious betrayed denyed and crucified Cause of Christ Jesus KING OF SAINTS AND NATIONS There sin is written with a Pen of Iron and the point of a Diamond ungue adamantino 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiles there Children remember their Altars and Groves again Jer. 17.15 Why do ye persecute me as God and are not satisfied with my flesh oh that my words were now written oh that they were printed in a Book that they were graven with an iron pen in the Rock for ever For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand in the latter end upon the EARTH c. Job 19.22 23 24 25. c. Heu pietas ubi pri●●a pros●n● o tempora Mundi Fax Vesper prope Nox ô Mora Christe Veni Sinite Virgam Corripientem ne sentiatis Mailcum Conterent●● B●rn A word by the way to the Reader SInce the time that I was lately so illegally arbitrarily plundered without any Cause shown or known by this Vnrighteous self-created powers that is got uppermost I have with the words of Jeremy Ch. 20.8 9. cryed out violence and spoyl violence and spoyl because the word of the Lord is made a Reproach and Derision daily Then I said I will not make mention nor speak any more in his name But his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay But constrained in spirit wrote this Letter yet seeing by several Messengers I have assaied and that several dayes together to get it delivered and finding it so difficult that it is doubtfull whither it be safely conveyed to him or no you find it printed as the most probable means of having it presented to his eye for that many Flatterers are ready to run with the news to their Master as v. 10. REPORT say they and wee will REPORT it all my Familiars watched for my balting saying peradventure he wil be inticed and we shall PREVAIL against him and take our REVENGE on him Well if they do so welcome CROSSE of Christ for my next Petition to thy Kingdom come is thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven yet who knows but this weak word may awaken him a little For Aegros quos potus fortis non curavit ad salutem pristinam Aqua tepens revocavit warm water hath sometimes recovered men to their former health but whither this doe or not my Conscience is now so well satisfied my heart be refreshed and my spirit so warmed in the strength of our dear despised Christ that I hope to go on with Jerem. 20.11 For the Lord is with me who is the terrible one therefore my PERSECVTORS stall stumble they shall not prevail but they shal be greatly ashamed for they SHAL not prosper long and their everlasting Confusion shall never be FORGOTTEN this is the victorious overturning already triumphing Faith of 100ds Blessed be JEHOVAH besides JOHN ROGERS MY LORD VVHile the souls of many of the Lords dear Servants who sit weeping over you are in Travel and struggle for you in this hour of Temptation I most humbly beg as upon my knees for your own Soule and Family and for the poor afflicted Saints sake that you will but weigh these few Lines of our present Lamentation in the ballance of your heart and Conscience one part of an hour which you may best spare and be most serious in 〈◊〉 which if the Lord whom I serve require it I thinke I could as freely write with my Blood as with Irke in tears and gall of grief O our bowels our bowels our hearts ake and are pained within us to hear the dolefull groans and cryes tears prayers and solemne Appeals of godly people in the Nation round about to the Righteous Iudge of the whole Earth which doubtlesse will be Answered with a dreadfull Dispensation and severe Decree upon those that be found the Enemies to the Lord Iesus and his Exaltation The Apprehension whereof hath so ceased upon my Spirit that I should sinne if some way or other I gave you no notice thereof for that your own person is yet so deare in our very soules that Bowels of Affection are frequently seen to you in mourning praying and wrastling for you if possible to recover you out of those bottomlesse Snar●s wherein you are so deeply insnared by the evill Counsell of Parasites subtle and selfe seeking Flatterers Dawbers and Deceivers who have not that lively Sence to the Lord Iesus his poor Saints and Interest nor yet to your Soule so despately ingaged we humbly conceive as we who are counted enemies for the Truths sake as the Lord will witnesse have Of whom as 3 Phil. 18 19 I have told you often and now tell you againe even weeping that they are enemies to the Crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things Jeremiah 9 vers 1.2 Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a Fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the slaine of the Daughter of my people that I might leave my people and goe from them for they be all Adulterers an Assembly of treacherous men I cannot speak with you in person therefore I beseech you read these words which our tears and prayers are the Embassadors and Fore-runners of Mittamus pre●es lachrymas cordis l●gatos Cyprian for that we havenot the least grain of ill will hatred or malice as some suggest and say against any perso● but only against the sins and evil of this change of government which God wil and if Righteous we are sure must Judge and then as once you said in your Letter to the Ki●ke of Scotland God who knoweth us will in his due time 〈…〉 manifest whether we doe multiple these things as men or doe we them for the Lord Christ and his poor peoples sake Wherefore 1 Be pleased we beseech you with weeping tears to compare a little present transactions with former Ingagements and with the Armies Declarations c. as that of Iune 14. 1647. in page 6. declaring that you tooke up Armes in Iudgement and Conscience for the peoples Iust Right and Liberties Your own Declarations and Resolved to assert and vindicate them against all Arbitrary power violence and opposition and against all particular parties and interests whatsoever So page 7. that it is no resisting of Magistrary to side with those just Principles being these upon which you assi●●ed the Parliament And that the glory of God was not wanting in such cases to set

but how hard it is to keep it within the circle we know the common old Plea is necessity which with sound Christians cannot now satisfie as a competent Apology for that Machivil hath ever made that a Cloak for his exorbitant actions Necessity no good Plea yea the Jews to crucifie Christ pretended thus O 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but as one said there is no NECESSITY to sin but against it and the Saints necessity in a civill reference as well as spiritual is to exalt Christ and his Kingdome But for this we onely flie to your own words again Remonst St. Albans page 5th He that ingageth upon pretences for publick ends and that upon publick necessity or extremity all which say you must concur to their full satisfaction therein he will first try all honest ways possible with due regard to and concurrence with the preservation of the Magistracy and Government under which God hath set him before he will flie to any ways of extremity neither will he when ingaged therein proceed further or longer in that way against or without the Magistracy then that first necessity or some other emergent upon the proceeding does justly lead not driving the pretence of Necessity further to serve or advantage himself or perpetuate those ways of extremity but when the necessity or danger is over wil return again to Magistracy Order i.e. now by Parliam as before we desire no more then your own words But seeing some of your Court do cast in Reason of State as well as necessity for this Alteration Reason of State dangerous we wish in the travel of our souls for them that their eys were opened to seethat this hath been wil bethe ruin of al States Governors now in the world viz. their Reason of State carnall or worldly Policie and Wisdome this brought the blood of Iezreel on the house of Jebu though he executed Justice on the King and his house according to Gods command yet he walked in the same wayes gat up upon the same Throne and into the same Kingdome and kept up the same Interest and Idoll worship his Predecessors cut off by the hand of Justice did and did the worke but by halfes and all by reason of State This Reason rejected Saul and made him disobedient this was that Reason that led Pharaoh and his Host into the bottome of the Sea in his bitter heat against the worke of God in that day and this was that principle that made Sihon King of the Amerites and Og King of Bashan Num. 21. oppose Israel and the worke of God in that Generation to their lamentable ruin Yet this was the Wisdom principle and light that lead the grave Councell John 11. into that cursed Vote of crucifying Christ And is not this warning enough for us Then see in all Ages how the results of the purest reason of state have proved dangerons yea destructive to Governors and Governments ever oppugning the present worke and desigue of God in these ages Therefore O my Lord let not this principle deceive you lest it destroy you May I speak Luthers words to you in Epist ad Melanst Sed scribe hee frustra si tu secundum Philosophiam vestram has res ratione regere hoc est cum rations insanires perges occides to ipsum c. I write these things in vaine if you will resolve to Rule by Carnall reason and according to the corrupt Dictates and the Philosophy of Sophisters about you which if you do will fall inevitably sad to you one day and too too probably will prove your Ruin which we beseech our God in mercy and time forbid Ergo certe are prote dol●● te meas preces si● irritas facere Oh! make not our daily prayers for you of no effect to you and because many Good men as well as Great were prestr'd by the pernicions Counsels and Suggestions of some Ambitionists and selsish Teachers and Schollars in Luthers days he was wont to pray a doctore gloriese a pastere contentiese libera nos dominus the Lord deliver us from such glorions Rabbies and selfe-seeking contentions Teachers And must we not pray that you may be freed from such as have subtilly insuared you Our Weapons of war far our adversaries what they are and doe Prelate like possesse you and others against us that we are Fanatique mad men Fools and heady enemies to Magistracy Ministry and all c. for which our hearts are pained within us whiles we ponder these things our spirits greived that men of so much former Merit and Eminency should so sinfully and unchristianlike condemne and accuse us of thing our hearts abhorre and loath within us And call for severity under the name of Justice and 〈…〉 Persecution against us in the matters of our Faith and Consciences meerly and alone for the exalting of Jesus Christ in the things which they themselves have formerly preached and professed to others yea which the whole Army have frequently declared for many years together till it came into Fashion to hold an Epheram religionem a Court Religion which will turne with the times but the Lord humble and break us for it But wisdows sayes Solomon is better then weapons of war Ecclesiastes 9. and as we have so we desire no other weapons but Gods owns word and spirit having our Loines girt about with Truth and having on blessed be our God for it the Brest plate of Righteousnesse in this busines wherein our Brethren are against us But my Lord may the presented Truth or poor crucified Jesus beg this favour to give it as much liberty as his adversaries have for their gross lies and falsities in printing or otherwise therefore will you be pleased though but for a little time a moneth or two to release those laws that hinder the liberty of publishing the Truth Let our Brethren or any that wil oppose us convince or corquer al they can with the good word of God we shall be satisfied to try it out with them so but not with the weapons of the world as they have them now all on their side to imprison persecute or put to death c. for that is Antichrists not Christ way of warfare In this sense saies Luther in Epist ad Erph. consider with what sword I have conquerd sin and overcome errors and subdued policy I have never touched you with a finger but with the spirit of Christs mouth viz. the Word of his Gospell so Z●inglius resp as Sirothin to●… 2. fol. 302 declares the Word of God the mely instrument to overcome with onica ●a que viasola est c. The word is the onely way to subdue errors therefore saith he we suffer all the writings of the Papists to be spread and read for the sword of the spirit shall destroy them all what cause then saith he is more suspicious then ours who would have even the Adversaries Doctrines publishea that we

may overthrow them with the word or your who reproach us as hereticall and will not suffer ours to be published this is our case now Therefore as Luther wrote to the Dukes of Saxony Epist Tom 7. fol. 209 so do we humbly to you my Lord I would not saith he but all have free Liberty yet if any transgresse Gospell bounds and would raise up seditions or wars against you then you may suppresse them So my Lord if we stir up people ●o ●…sings tumults or carnal warfare as men falsly charge us then punish us a● you please for it is contrary to our principles so to do but to the spiritual works and warfare wherein we are now ingaged viz faith and prayer Furthermore O 〈◊〉 that you would not beleeve every report of the Rontis●ous or Fire-blowers of these our new troubles against us For as it was once said the way to get preferment and places is to write or rail against Luther as Eccius Coccius c. found it Pauper Lutherus multes ficit divites so do many Mony Merchants and Mercenarians see it at this day the way to get prefermeus is to be forward against us and the poor despised Remnant Now my Lord let not your ear be open to all their lies and not once open to the Testimony of Truth on our side will you be pleased to peruse a little those writings taken out of my S●udy and satisfie your self concerning the truth of them oculo irretorto and not beleeve those bits and parts which some Sycophants probably will acquaint you with on purpose to irritate and inrage you against the truth and Asserters of it Too too many such Flatterers are about you my Lord which makes our hearts to bleed for you that justific the wicked for reward and take away the righteensnesse of the righteous from him Isayah 5th But if we have no hopes left to prevail with you yet our heares are filled with hopes and sure we are to prevail with God our Appeal is in heaven and the faith and prayer which are up as high as ever since the world stood either will bring forth your conversion for Luther saith the Church converts totunmundum sanguins oratione or your confusion For the death and destruction of the Persecutors was as it was said of the death of Arrius precationis opus non morbi But if it be asked what we would have you do our present or Answer is first advise with the Lord by faith and prayer about your former Declarations and the good peoples expectations in your Closet a little for it is said of Carelus Magnus oh that the like might be said of you Plus cum Deo quam cum hominibus lequitur he loves more to be taking with God then with men or any of his Court 2. And then Proclaime Fast or solemae day of humiliation for the errors and sins past as 1 Kings 21.27.29 it came to passe when Ahab heard those words he rent his clothes and fasted and lay in sack cloth c. and the Lord said seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe because he humbleth himselfe before me I will not bring the evill in his dayes And in 1 Sam. 12.19 The people said Samuel pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God that we dye not for wee have added unto all our sins this evill to aske a King and why was this so great a sinne see Sam. 8.5 they said make us a King like as all the Nations about us have And the Lord said vers 7. They have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not Reign over them this was their great sin seeing the Lord himselfe would have ruled them and redeceived the alone Absolute Government over them upon which account Gideon good man refused it Iudges 8.23 saying I will not rule ever you but the Lord shall rule ever you 3. Furthermore let a solemn day and duty be set apart to seek the Lord for advice and Councell what to doe which good Princes and people alwayes did upon straits and emurgencies of old as Iudg. 7.23.27 shall we goe forward or cease say they so 2 Chron. 20 3. Iehosaphat feared and set himselfe to seek● the Lord did proclaimed a Fast throughout Iudah so Ezra 8.23 the want of this makes so much complaint by the Lord as in Amos 6.13 Yee rejoyce in a thing of nought saying have we not taken to us horus by our own strength And Hosea 8 4 They have set up Kings but not by me and Princes and I know it not that it without so much as asking it at my hands or consulting with my word or my Seers as they should doe but of their owne heads they have done this Therefore let the Lord be sought to about these things What to be done in order to return seeing other things were justly expected from them that professed Christ but the Summer is ended yea the Harvest is past and we are not refreshed O my Lord trust not to such Flatterers as alwayes speak smooth Things to you and prophesie deceitfully O hear a little the Lords own Seers via the Ministers of the Vnction from an High●… And therefore let out the Lords Prisoners whom the Churches are robbed of viz. Mr. Feak and Mr. Simpson that they may open to you the present vision of God given them in these things according to the dispensation of the spirit O hear them once at last preach to you in the power of Iesus ●or whom alone they suffer infirmities excepted and by the word of the Lord try the spirit whither of God or no for we are perswaded as long as they be in Prison you will be in blindness to the Truth Tanquam ad doctrinam peregrinam Therefore let them have though but for a moneth or two and though but half so much Liberty to open the word of the Lord to you as your Chaplains have if they preach not the very Truth and prove it to be so before all men imprison them again Let out the Lords prisoners M. Feak M. Simson Han. Trapnal now in Bridewel for Christ us too with them in this cause though hitherto we may say as Luther said Fideliter praedicare nihil alind est quam furorem mundi in se derivare our Faithful preaching hath raised up fury against us O my Lord think of these things these are the swords that pierce thorow our very souls we sue not for our own lives but for yours herein did not Pharaoh send for Ioseph out of prison to interpret his dream Gen. 41. and Belshassar send for Dan. chap 5. to open his vision yea and preferd him too though Daniel declared his ruine according to vision Surely surely you wil find it then the wisdom of God is more excellent then the arts sciences of the wise men about you But if you wil yet go on adexitium potius quam ad exercitium after all our bleeding intreaties and be hardned up by the dangerous counsel of your own Reason or them about you then my Lord our souls shal mourn in secret for you as for one desperately lost indeed and we shal proceed to bear our testimony against the sins of the times for our appeals hangs in heaven and we cannot recall it yea as Luther once said Quo magis illi furunt eo amplius precede the more men rage the more resolute we hope to be in our Appeals saith prayer to our JEHOVAH continuing up the Altar ED for a witness between us and our Adversaries yea come if need be as the Christians did by whole Troops to Arrius Antonious proclaiming themselves Christians Our Resolution and offering themselves up to the death for the Truth Being assured in our very souls though we now mourn we shall rejoice with joy unspeakable and ●ull of glory Luctus in laetitiam convertetur lachrymae in risum sa●cus in sericum cineres in corellas unguentum jejunium in epulum et ●anuum retortio in applausum In the meantime I beseech you my Lord pardon infirmities for God hath pardon'd them own what God owns that 's truth For potius in ardentem regum in siluere quam ullum peccatum in deum commisero as one said I had rather the Lord knows I think leap into a bonfire then wilfully commit wickednesse or sin against God yea mallem obedire quam miracula facere as Luther said I had rather be obedient to my God then work miracles and surely my Lord will you be a little serious you will say that it is Conscience to our duty which doth altogether prompt us to this present contest for the truth Cause and interest of our dear Lord Iesus the King of Saints and Nations wherein I am heartily desirous to be ready to live or die which my Master whom I serve will have me herein without the least tit●le or compound of Fraud or Flattery So far as I may Your True Sincere Servant JOHN ROGERS