Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	abandon_v	church_n	image_n	83	3	9.4064	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02930	The curtaine of Church-povver and authoritie in things called indifferent Drawne and laid open, to shew the many infectious sores and maladies they bring in, and cover. Together with sundry infallible reasons, proving that the service of God, and the generall good of the Church and common wealth require that they should be abolished. By Ia: Henric	Henric, James.	1632 (1632)	STC 13071; ESTC S111374	72,115	112

ornaments of the Ministers and Altars it appeareth not by bookes onely but by statues and pictures that they are so changed that if the Ancients should returne into the world they could not know them Therefore he concluded that to bind all to approve the Rites which the Church of Rome used might be reprehended as a condemnation of antiquity and of the use of other Churches His discourse displeased but the Bishop of the five Churches justified him If English Bishops would but with the Friar consider the consequences that follow their inforcing of their Rites they would not bee so extreame in them And indeed in those wherein they differ from the Reformed Churches they doe but mocke the Christian world while with the Papists they hold that they ought to be so strictly received and reverenced and yet abrogate others more necessary Pag. 163. seeing as one saith of the Papists they grant not to the people the election of the Minister which certainly was an Apostolicall institution continued more then eight hundred yeares but deny it to them with as good right as the Papists doe both that and the use of the cup which had beene continued as long It is a seemly thing to see the Temples where Christians use to meet in good repaire frequented with grave devout humble and religious behaviour in the worship of God the table covered with cleane linnen when the Sacrament is administred the cup decent and not of the basest metall But these and the like things are the more acceptable to God when the Church is not spoiled of her better ornaments diligent preaching and hearing soundnesse in the faith knowledge zeale and holinesse of life For if the Temples be never so glorious in structure the table of the finest wood and workmanship the cup of gold the Ministers in glorious vestments the service full of grave and devout ceremonies and all things else in the most plausible manner for outward ornament God is but mocked for all these if those better ornaments be neglected and despised When the Church of Rome began to abound in wealth and authority to have pluralities to maintaine their dignities to leaue poore hirelings in their cures to neglect soundnesse in doctrine knowledge and the like graces that they might seeme no lesse religious they began in stead thereof to be exercised in new manners of devotion See Plessis myst of iniquity pregress 24. looking out of relickes traditions and ceremonies to erect stately Temples Organs and Altars to guild and adorne them with images of Saints to have golden Chalices and wooden Priests to multiply feasts and holidayes to invent new orders and formes of will-worship to use all severity in bodily worship devout posture and demure cariage and to make all men conformable in those things to ordaine a world of superfluous constitutions But how was God mocked in all these while they did eate out religion For people being taken up in those his ordinances were the lesse regarded and while the stately Temples were erected in Cities Rev. 12. the Church was faine to flee into the wildernesse while the beauty of the outward stones were maintained 1 Pet. 2.5 the living stones were trodden under feet and despised while lights were set up in Churches people sate in darknesse and ignorance while traditions were observed Gods word was the lesse respected and in time could neither bee obeyed nor heard while the tables and Priests were adorned men of knowledge and other the best gifts were least esteemed while dead images of Saints were set up in the Church beautified and worshipped the true and living Saints such as the Waldenses Hussites and Calvenists were persecuted and martyred and the very faith it selfe called heresie Looke now a little upon the Church of England see how they abandon the cause of religion abroad and at home despise and persecute such as seeke that the ordinances of God may be restored Elders received Popery Arminianisme pluralities and non-residency excluded the true faith preached and maintained in Sermons and Lectures knowledge faith zeale and other graces nourished and increased and in the meane seem no lesse religious fall to building Temples Organs Tables Altars to satiate if it were possible the Clergy with titles of honour jurisdictions vestments revenues and riches and because a Bishop precedes a Baron to thinke that nothing is too much to maintaine his state that is not too much for a Baron and so for Deanes and Doctors according to their degrees and places which are the nurseries of pluralities and non-residency To call for observation of ceremonies canons fasts holidayes externall gesture and devotion and whatsoever else is commanded or practised in their constitutions and customes wherein though they doe not yet abound so much as the Papists yet it is the only religion in credit and fashion and as if Christ had ordained Bishops to looke to nothing else it doth and will eate out true religion and sincerity Howsoever while Prelates and others having pluralities to maintaine their dignities and leaving poore hirelings to serve their cures those better ornaments are neglected and persecuted are not these tokens that God is mocked by them I know well it is most irksome to Prelates to heare of these things they thinke no man should dare to manifest them and especially that the Eldership ought to be restored according to Gods ordinance They live as if they shunned no other plague nor feared any other purgatory then a reformation This fils their soules with Fiery indignation and makes them to be redeemed from it breake out into threats inquisitions and persecutions that they may overcome their tormentors by censures imprisonments exemplary punishments fines and torments Howsoever if they can but by flatteries invectives whisperings and other shifts keep the King and Councell so ignorant and blinde in those things that they may remaine firme on their side they care for no more But may not a man protest as plainly for God and his Church as the French Ambassador did for the priviledges of France and the French Churches in the Councell of Trent that protestation angred the Prelates but he defended it saying That those were ignorants Hist of the. Councel Pag. 771. 774. who having seene nothing but the Decretals lawes of 400. yeares did thinke that there were no Ecclesiasticall lawes before them that if any would reforme the King by the Decretals he would reforme them by the decrees and leade them also to more ancient times not onely of S. Austen but of the Apostles also Wherein the King justified him Now as the hierarchy and ceremonies make not for the true service of God but serve to eate it out by degrees as the Romish did so neither doe they make for the service of the King and State but are against it and very pernicious for every Nobleman and Ruler as appeareth 1. Because while they are by them kept from the knowledge of Gods truth in matter of the