Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A05689
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Cartain obseruations of that reuerend, religious and faithfull servant of God, and glorious martyr of Iesus Christ, Mr. Randal Bate, which were part of his daily meditations in the time of his sufferings, whilst he was prisoner in the gatehouse at Westminster
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Bate, Randal.
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1625
(1625)
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STC 1580; ESTC S117192
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109,500
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280
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Lord to anger That you sâould dare to send such a lâme and bl nde mâssânger to the Lord of Frosts and such sacrâfices withall comming from the drowned in ignorance and superstâtâon and that you should put the Lords name upon such a Mânister which is not sâât nor allowed by him Doe you nât depriue your seluâs of those excellent and pâecâous treasures in the Gospell of Christ because you want a man to preach them Epâes 3 Doe you not hereby ândanger and loose your soules which liue in ignorance 2 Thess 2. Doe you know the anger of the Lord will be upon you for this Hos 6. Would you chuse for the bodies sake such a Physitian as hath no skill at all nor any good report to haue cured any under his hand Or such a Counsellour as could not advise but reade you a statute or book-case at all adventures Would you trust your sheep with an Idoll-shepheard that cannot tend them And will ye make so small account of your soules thus to passe them over O return and seek the Lord ye haue hitherto sitten in ignorance and in the shadow of death you never knew what the Gospell meant nor what a God the Lord is witnesse the base and wicked conceiving of him and carriage towards him in publique and private Wherfore let this moue you to provide you a man of understanding that may be able to fâed you Turn you therfore from all your evill waâes that yee may be brought to Sion the place where the Lord will be found and seen of all his people Let none be so hardy as to maintain these in their Callings SECTION XIIII THe next sort of Minâsters wherof some doubt whether they may hear them or no are such as conforme to these ceremonies now controverted Which howsoever it come in them from an utter hatred of Popish devises and an heart carefull to keep themselues unspotted of the world yet without all questâon they erre Concerning thâs therfore that morâ clearly the truth may be boulted out we will propound some grounds to stay upon 1 The Ordinances of God remain pure and holy though men be corrupt that administer them and so are like the Lord. 2 Private men are bound to try the doctrine of Mânâsters and look to that rather then be examinâng of their entrance into that Calling they are in this all the Scriptures run upon 3 God doth good to his Church by the gifts he hath given to wicked men for his people For they are fâom the Holy Ghost given to restore the Saints and for the work of the Ministry These things considered it may appear upon sufficient grounds that men may lawfully hear 1 Such as are conscionable in their Ministery though they erre in judgement for the Ceremonies and be ordained according to the manner of the times For first these haue the substance of a lawfull calling electâon and approbation from the people 2 Dissention in lesser matters hath never hindred either Communion nor estâemâng one of another twixt the servants of God Phil. 3. 3 These are sent of God though not by this way they are not unlike to Iacob whose the blessing was though he should not haue sought ât by lying 4 Their sin in admission is their own personall sin and cannot hurt others not partaking with it 5 Men may and ought to receiue their sendâng not from men but from the Lord of the Harvâst Object It seemes to approue theiâ sinne since men pertake with them in their Ministery which they haue gotten unlawfully Is it not to communicate in stollen goods Answ No for they ought to be admitted and the Ministery is theârs and the Congregations choosing them onely it is their errour to come in by a wrong way Now to stâal is to take from men that which doth not belong unto them which cannot be applyed to them A second sort of Ministers are bad and corrupt in doctrine and manners these preaching many truths from God may be heard For 1 They sit in Moses chair Matth. 23.2 Moses chair is the doctrine of Moses otherwisâ they should haue sit in Aarons chair if he had spoken of the Calling 2 Otherwise we should not yeeld absolute obedience to the doctrine taught except it were Moses doctrine 3 The main cause why the people should hear these is manifâsted by our Saviour but this is not so much succession in Calling as succession in Doctrine 1 These Pharisies had corrupted their Callâng 2 They perverted the Law with their Glosses 3 Were ignorant of the righteousnesse of faith 4 Hipocrites in life and bitter enemies to the Kingdom of Christ 5 They preached the Word without authority coldly as did not stir affections 2 Arguâ Doctrine and gifts are the Churches who may take their own from a very theife Yet these Cautions must be observed 1 That we be able in some measure to discern and try the spirits 2 That wâ be compelled by necessity 3 That we bâ careful to get what pâivate and pubââque help possibly we can 4 That we hunger after other powerfull meanes and as soon as the Lord offers any we remoue and follow the light 5 Refuse private conversing with them 6 Contend for the truth in any paât oppuâned by them Object May not Popish Iesuits or the like then be heard Answ Thâse are the professed servants of the beast not of Chââst for they haue quite changed the Ministery into a Priâsâhood 2 We are quite separated from this false Church by the commandement of the Lord and the Magistâate and all Chuâches assenting to the same 3 Thâse doe plainly seek to seduce us and withdâaw us from the worâhâp of the true God all which cannot be found ân these of our own Church from which wee haue âo such warrant to seperate nor doe seeke to draw us quâte from Christ in fa th Yet thus far let me speak to you of the Ministry thus corrupted that are negligent and doe not sorwaân the peopâe of God of danger You that look to your own wayes and make your belly your God You that preach as they Ier. 5 that other Lords may âule over the flock of Chr st Considâr what you are Are you not men of God Should not you be holy that draw neer to the Lord Should you trouble the waters with your Tâaditions that none can drink almost w th a good conscâence Should you make the sacrifices of God abhorred by your dâssolâtenesse Should you smite with your tongues your fellow sârvants whose Minâstery and conversation you know is better then your own Should you use the flock of Chrâst as you doe never visiting of them many of you If woe be to them that joyn house to house what shall become of you that joyn Congregation to Congregation and to these prebenships Dâanries c. Should you be terrible to the humbled and afflicted soules Surely the Lord will judge for his people Hear you that force men to things against their