Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	aaron_n	father_n	levi_n	13	3	10.9717	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14710	An hundred, threescore and fiftene homelyes or sermons, vppon the Actes of the Apostles, written by Saint Luke: made by Radulpe Gualthere Tigurine, and translated out of Latine into our tongue, for the commoditie of the Englishe reader. Seene and allowed, according to the Queenes Maiesties iniunctions; In Acta Apostolorum per Divum Lucam descripta, homiliæ CLXXV. English	Gwalther, Rudolf, 1519-1586.; Bridges, John, d. 1618.	1572 (1572)	STC 25013; ESTC S118019	1,228,743	968

all maner wisedome of the Aegyptians and was mightie in deedes and in wordes ALthough God taught our first fathers the fayth and waye of saluation which is founded on the merite of Iesus Christ onely and therefore his doctrine onely is most auncient and most true yet euery where it is accused of noueltie and falshoode The cause is that men more regarde such outwarde signes and shewes as spring of their owne deuyse and brayne than the worde of god Therefore it commeth to passe that whyle they looke onely to these externall things they take them for authors of newe opinions and enimies of Gods religion which teache the contrarie and labour to bring agayne the way of salu●tion and true religion that God hath ordeyned and instituted This thing came to passe in Steuen who teaching the gospell of Iesus Christ at Ierusalem and sending the people from the ceremonies of the lawe vnto Christ was by and by accused as one that deadly hated the temple and true worshipping of god He excuseth himselfe not in wordes onely but also in deede For gathering togither an hystorie of the fathers he declareth that they followed none other waye of fayth and saluation than that which is in Christ. He bringeth his historie from the verie origine and beginning of the nation vntill the comming of Israell into Egypt and the death of the Patriarches Nowe he beginneth to declare the increasing and deliuerie of the people wherin he vseth great diligence bicause the deliuerie out of Egypt was a figure of the redemption made by Christ whereby we are also taught what state the Churche hath bene in in all ages of the worlde and shall be still Now the verie same scope and ende aswell of this part as of the things aboue rehearsed is to shewe that the Iewes were delyuered through no merite of their workes or obseruaunce of the lawe but through the singuler benefite of Gods fauour and grace according to his former promises Whervpon he gathereth that the meane of true religion and saluation consisteth not in outwarde ceremonies but rather in fayth which taketh holde of the grace and promises of god But bicause we shall intreate of all these things in theyr place at thys present we will speake of the increasing of the people and of Moses their delyuerer both which things Steuen toucheth in the wordes alreadie read The multiplication of the people in Egypt he prooueth by two arguments ought not to be ascribed to anye counsell or industrie of man but vnto the goodnesse and fauour of god The first argument he taketh of the cause efficient the seconde of the state and condition of the time Assoone sayth he as the tyme of promise drewe nighe which God had sworne vnto Abraham the people grewe and multiplyed in Aegypt But that this promise was of fauour none will denie for as much as it was made vnto the Iewes being not yet borne and is manifest that Abraham was chosen of meere fauour and called out of Chaldea Whereby is gathered that this people was preserued by the grace of God and grewe to such a multitude as other wheres Moses reporteth It is verie worthy the consideration that the godly Martyr appointeth a certayne time to Gods promise whereof he knewe mention was made in the worde of god Where in the fourth generation Abrahams posteritie is promised to be delyuered from the yoke of seruitude The hystorie agreeth verie fitly with the promise where it teacheth that Moses the Captaine of the people was the fourth from Iacob For Iacob begat Leui Leui begat Cahad and of Cahad was borne Amram who as it is written was Moses and Aarons father We are taught by thys place that not only the effects of things comming to passe among men but also the causes and the circumstances are comprised within the prouidence of god For what can that euerlasting minde neglect which both numbreth the heares of our heade and hath also most exact knowledge of the flowers of the fielde and byrdes of the ayre That he compriseth also all tymes and seasons Christ himselfe testifyeth where he reprehendeth hys Disciples bicause they were inquisitiue of thinges such as his father had reserued in hys owne power onely The consideration of these things must serue for our consolation when we be in great distresse or trouble and see God so deferre his helpe that it might seeme he had both forgotten vs and his promises Then let vs remember that God hath appoynted a certayne time when to perfourme his promises which God will neuer let so to ouerpasse but he will helpe them that trust in hym It is our dutyes in the meane whyle to wayte and abyde for the helpe of God and to appoint him no time or order when or howe to doe hys pleasure Tarie thou the Lordes leysure sayth Dauid put thy trust in him and he shall comfort thine heart Yea it is sayde in other places they haue tempted the Lorde that haue prescribed him anye time to shewe his power or will in suche as were those in the desert that durst aske fleshe and the Nobles of Bethulia which sayde they woulde wayte but fiue dayes for the helpe of god Let vs vse this Tryacle and Conserue against the impaciencie and waywardenesse of our fleshe and thinke that God bringeth his affayres about in their certayne times and places and yet in the meane whyle forsaketh not such as put their hope in hym The other argument is taken of the state of the tymes wherein the people was increased For it would haue seemed no great marueyle if the people had multiplied among them which remembring Ioseph and hys benefites would haue cherished them and done for them as it appeereth the former kings of Egypt did But the people of the Iewes grewe and multiplied euen agaynst the willes of the chiefe rulers and they stryuing all they coulde agaynst it For there arose a newe king which knewe not Ioseph and had no regarde of the benefites before done vnto them Thys king not onely neglected the people of Israell but let all others misvse them and craftily set vpon them and made all Egypt to hate them and suspect them and vsed such crueltie and tyrannie against them that not contented to bereaue them of libertie alone and to oppresse them with bondage he caused their children at their birthe time eyther to be kylled or else after they were borne to be throwne awaye or else to be sought for by the ministers of hys crueltie and other wayes to be made out of the way See Exodus the first chapter Yet this notwithstanding the people grewe and increased exceedingly lyke a palme tree rose vp despite of the tyranny that oppressed it and kept it downe Who therfore doth not acknowledge this to be a certayne singuler worke of Gods goodnesse and that it ought not to be ascribed to anye ceremonies seing there are none at thys tyme as yet appointed