Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	able_a	absence_n	bishop_n	20	3	5.6702	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15400	An harmonie vpon the first booke of Samuel wherein according to the methode obserued in Hexapla vpon Genesis, and Exodus, but more compendiously abridged, these speciall things are obserued vpon euery chapter: the diuers readings compared, doubtfull questions explaned, places of Scripture reconciled, controuersies briefly touched, and morall collections applied. Wherein aboue foure hundred theologicall questions are handled, with great breuitie and much varietie, by the former author of Hexapla on Genesis.	Willet, Andrew, 1562-1621.	1607 (1607)	STC 25678; ESTC S120031	271,285	362

vigilant ought the dispenser of things spirituall to be The Imperiall lawes haue prouided that Aduocates should not evagari stray out of the cities and places where they practised Cod. lib. 2. tit 7. leg 2. and for souldiers it is prouided milites non tractent aliena negotia They should not busie themselues with other mens affaires but attend vpon their owne calling and charge Cod. lib. 2. tit 13. leg 7. If they which doe but fight for mens bodies and such as plead for mens goods must giue such diligent attendance much more is the same requisite in those that are charged with mens soules But now a daies this at many hands is counted so ordinarie and easie a thing to be the Pastor of soules that a man will require more diligence at his seruants handes about his cattell then many doe performe in the feeding of soules God in his good time open the eyes of such that they may see the great danger which they by their negligence and carelesnesse cast themselues into and that they may feele the heauie waight of the burthen of soules that they may deliuer their owne soules 6. Lastly not to heape vp more arguments in so euident a matter This is not the least thing which should mooue Pastors to be resident among their people because they giue great offence by their vnnecessarie absence to the Church of God as seeking rather to feede vpon them then to feede them as the Prophet Esechiel complaineth of such idle shepheards Ye eate the fat and cloath you with the wooll ye kill them that are fedde but ye feede not the sheepe Esech 34.3 Saint Paul saith to the Corinthians I seeke not yours but you 2. Cor. 12.14 But such as care not for Christs flocke doe euidently proclaime that they seeke not them but theirs Of this kinde of scandall and offence Augustine had experience in his people of Hippo of whome he thus writeth Populus Hipponensis cui me deus servum dedit ita est ex omni parte infirmus vt pressura etiam levioris tribulationis poterit aegrotare eum modo cum regressus sum periculosè scandalizatum comperi de absentia mea The people of Hippo whose seruant the Lord hath made me is so altogether weake that a little trouble is able to make them very sicke I found them at my returne dangerously scandalized with my absence Epist. 7. If the people tooke offence at Augustines necessarie absence for without iust cause that holy man would not absent himselfe much more grieuous is the offence which is iustly giuen by vnnecessarie absence Of lawfull and iust causes of the Pastors absence Now whereas it hath been thus shewed that the presence residēce of Pastors is necessarie both in respect of the great danger which they incurre thereby the cause thereof the wāt of loue the inconueniences which growe vnto the people the vigilancie of the spirituall aduersarie the price and excellencie of their charge concerning soules and the publike offence and scandall yet are there some occasions which may lawfully draw the Pastor for a time from his people and especially these fowre 1. He may be absent for the publike seruice of the Church as in beeing present in generall or provinciall Councells in helping to settle and compound the variances and differences in other Churches and such like profitable employments As S. Paul when a man of Macedonia appeared vnto him in a vision saying Come and helpe vs tooke it for a sufficient warrant for him to goe into Macedonia to pla●● the Gospel there Act. 16.9 10. So although in this behalfe the calling of Apostles and Pastors is much different the one beeing not limited the other tied to a charge yet it is a good occasiō of absence when the necessitie of other Churches calleth for helpe at some Pastors hands As Ambrose saith Non dubito fratres contristari vos quotiescunque absentem me à vobis necessitas facit I doubt not brethren but that you are grieued when as necessitie maketh me absent from you Ser. 39. And in an other place Alterius Ecclesiae necessitatibus evocatus minime vobis solitum studium dependisse videor beeing called forth by the necessarie busines of an other Church I seeme not to haue bestowed on you my wonted care Ser. 28. 2. An other cause of absence is when the Pastor personally is sought for and can not remaine among his flocke without perill of his life and when his sheepe are become wolues to rise vp against their own shepheard Dauid though accounted king ouer Israel beeing personally pursued by Saul with whome the Ziphims of his owne tribe conspired 1. Sam. 23. fled out of the land and S. Paul beeing sought for in Damascus was let downe in a basket by a window 2. Cor. 11.33 Athanasius whose life was sought for by his enemies the Arrians did leaue his Church of Alexandria and gaue way for the time hiding himselfe for the space of sixe yeares in a drie cisterne and fowre moneths in his fathers tombe And he himselfe maketh this Apologie Quis mihi mirabiliter divinitus erepto vitio vertat quod non in manus me quaerentium reiecerim c. Who can blame me beeing miraculously deliuered that I did not cast my selfe into their hands which sought me Tripart hist. lib. 6. c. 22. This occasion of absence is allowed by the auncient practise of the Church Si non suo vitio sed plebis contradictione aberit à parochia If he be absent not by his owne default but the contradiction and opposition of the people Antiochen can 18. Who doubteth therefore but that those holy Confessours in the late daies of persecution in England which fled out of the land seeing the life of the Pastors and Ministers was cheifly sought for therein were warranted to doe as they did beeing by this meanes preserued by Gods prouidence for the restauration of the Church afterward 3. A third lawfull cause of absence and discontinuance for a time is for recouering the health of bodie for many diseases are helped by the change of aire and in this case it is lawfull for a man if the place be such as agreeth not with the state of his bodie to leaue the charge altogether beeing called vnto an other This cause staied Epaphroditus from the Church of the Philippians whome as soone as he was recouered S. Paul sent vnto them that they might reioice when they saw him Philip. 2.25.28 The Ecclesiasticall histories make mention of Sylvanus who was made Bishop of Philippolis in Thracia by Atticus Patriarke of Constantinople but beeing of a thinne bodie and not able to endure the colde of that countrey was remooued from thence to Troas in an hotter climate Socrat. lib. 7. c. 37. 4. A Minister or Pastor may vpon his necessarie priuate occasions lawfully for a time be absent as in following necessarie suits of law to defend his right which require his personall attendance or in attending vpon some

the wordes are to be read with an interrogation as appeareth by the article ha prefixed not without an interrogatiō as D. Kimhi thinketh as though he neuer had asked counsell for him before but that time was the first 2. But it may seeme strange that Ahimelech made no mention of the excuse that Dauid made that he came about the kings busines which had beene a materiall point to cleare the Priest Iosephus thinketh that Ahimelech did expresse so much some thinke that all which Ahimelech spake is not set downe some that Ahimelech suppressed it of purpose least afterward if Dauid should haue beene reconciled to Saul he might haue fared the worse at Dauids hand Mar. But it is more likely that Ahimelech made some couert mention of it in saying he goeth at thy commandement which words might be so taken that euen then he knew none other but that Dauid was employed by the king 3. Ahimelech in this his Apologie partly sheweth his weaknes excusing himselfe by his ignorance that he knew not that Saul held Dauid his enemie and confessing in a manner that if he had knowne him to be in the kings displeasure he would not haue releeued him wherein Ahimelech should haue offended in refusing to helpe an innocent man beeing vniustly persecuted by Saul partly he bewraieth his simplicitie that falleth into such great commendation of Dauid giuing him the titles of faithfull and honourable whereas Saul beeing so much incensed against Dauid a prudent man would haue forborne so to haue extolled him Mart. 11. Quest. Of Sauls cruell sentence pronounced against Ahimelech 1. Though Saul had lawfull authoritie to conuent the Priests before him as also where he saw cause to censure them as all Princes euer had that power euen ouer Ecclesiasticall persons and causes as the Christian Bishops did accuse one an other before Constantine the Emperour and Iustinian the Emperour deposed Sylverius and Vigilius Bishops of Rome contrarie to the doctrine and practise of the Romanists who will haue their Cleargie exempt from the Ciuill authoritie yet Saul abuseth this power in this vniust and cruell sentence Mar. 2. And he further offendeth in the rash execution thereof taking no pause or deliberation but presently commaunding them to be put to death when Theodosius the Emperour in his rage had put diuers thousands in Thessalonica to the sword after beeing touched with griefe and sorrow for that bloodie fact at the instance of Ambrose made a law that there should be the space of thirtie daies betweene sentence giuing and the execution thereof which constitution is inserted into the Code among other Imperiall ordinances but Saul as he was hastie in his sentence so he doth precipitate the execution thereof Mar. 3. His rage was such that he cōmandeth the innocent Priests to be slaine beeing vnarmed and consecrate to the ministerie and seruice of God who vse to be spared euen in battell amiddes their enemies yea he spareth neither women nor children and as Iosephus addeth further he rased the citie and burned it and left the Tabernacle of God as much as lay in him without Priests to minister Thus this hypocrite which before against the Amalekites offended in too much clemencie hauing the word of God to the contrarie now hauing no word of God sinneth in crueltie and tyrannie Mar. wherein his fault was so much the greater that then he seemed to be touched with some remorse but here his heart is hardened Mart. 4. Iosephus maketh this morall application that in Saul we see the condition of such who while they are in lowe and meane estate seeme to be good and vpright men because then they haue no opportunitie to shew their nature who when they are aduanced to honour and attaine vnto wealth and power then hauing chaunged their apparell as players their habit on a stage they make no conscience either of diuine or humane lawes sic fere Ioseph lib. 6. cap. 14. 12. Quest. v. 17. Whether Sauls seruants did well in disobeying the Kings commandement 1. R. Selamo thinketh that these ministers and sergeants of Saul whome the Rabbins held to haue beene Abner and Amasa refused to obey so bloodie an edict remembring that answer of the people to Ioshuah that they would obay Ioshuah as they had obeied Moses Iosh. 1.17 But whether it were this or any other place out of the law of God that mooued them they did well to choose rather to obey God then man which was the Apostles resolution Act. 5. Osiand 2. Some thinke they refused because Sauls proceeding was against the law which will haue none condemned without two or three witnesses Borr. But it seemeth that the horrour of such a detestable and cruell fact rather kept them from doing it then the fayling in the circumstance and manner 3. Here further a question ariseth whether the Iudge is bound against his conscience to condemne or put any to death whome he knoweth innocent for the deciding of which doubt it must be considered whether he be a superiour or inferiour Iudge before whome such innocent person is condemned if the superiour the law is in his hand and so he can not be forced to doe against his conscience if the inferiour he is to referre the matter to the superiour iudge there to plead for the innocent or els if he be not heard to giue ouer his place of iudgement rather then to consent to the condemnation of the righteous So by no meanes is he to commit any act against his conscience Mar. If by oath he be bound to giue sentence according to the euidence brought in whether it be true or false in this case such an oath beeing not in truth righteousnes nor iudgement doth not bind him 13. Quest. v. 18. In what sense the Priests that were slaine are said to weare a linnen Ephod 1. Osiander thinketh that at that time they had their linnen Ephods vpon their backes when they were slaine but that is not like for the Ephod was a sacred vesture vsed onely in the time of their seruice in the Tabernacle they are said to weare a linnen Ephod because they were of that age to be admitted to the seruice of the Tabernacle Vatab. they were actuall ministers and seruitours in the priestly function Mar. Iun. 2. It is called a linnen Ephod to make a distinction betweene the Ephod with the brestplate and pectoral which was peculiar to the high Priest and the common linnen Ephod which all the Priests vsed Mart. which is called a linnen coate or tunicle Exod. 28.40 3. The principall Priests which were slaine were 85. there were more beside slaine in the citie Iosephus according to his vse in altering the numbers expressed in the Scripture saith that there were 385. slaine beside those which were put to the sword in the citie some thinke that all the inhabitants of Nob were not put to the sword but onely the Priests Mart. But it seemeth by the text that the whole citie of

the Philistims beholding and bound vnto them with whome he knew when he should be king he was to haue warre Therefore it must be confessed and yeilded vnto that Dauid in comming vnto the Philistims for succour therein committed a great ouersight for herein it is not expressed that he consulted with God as at other times but he herein tooke counsell of himselfe and of the rest of his companie as Iosephus writeth But this ouersight of Dauid is excused by his necessitie as a theefe stealing to satisfie his hunger is more to be pitied then he that stealeth of wantonnes such was Dauids extremitie at this time Martyr 2. Quest. v. 2. Why Dauid fleeth againe to Achish of whome he was afraid before c. 21. when he fained himselfe madde 1. Some thinke because Achish is here called the sonne of Maoch that he was an other king of the same name and that this was a generall name to all the kings of Gath. Osian 2. The Rabbins thinke that Dauid sent messengers before vnto Achish and so he was receiued fide publica faith beeing made before for his safetie Iun. which is not vnlike 3. Adde hereunto also that whereas before he went priuily and by stealth now he goeth with a band of men able to doe the king seruice and for that cause he is entertained as Xerxes receiued Themistocles the Lacedemonians Alcibiades and the Volscians Coriolanus Mar. 3. Quest. v. 5. Why Dauid desired to be remooued from Gath. 1. Some thinke that Dauid desired to goe from the kings Court and citie least he might haue beene enuied of the Philistims and because he could not away with the vices superfluitie and excesse of the Court or most of all because of the Idolatrie of the citie Borr. 2. Some least he might haue bin chargeable to the king Pellican 3. But it is most likely least he might haue beene vrged to fight against his owne people Mar. and to be emploied against them Mar. And Dauid did see that he could not maintaine that great companie without liuing vpon the spoile and therefore he desireth to be further off that he might pray vpon the bordering nations without any controlment Osiand which his counsell Dauid wisely coloureth with a shew of modestie that it was not for him beeing a stranger to dwell with the king Iun. Also this fell out well in this respect that Dauid should haue a citie assigned him whether came vnto him a great number of Israel till they made a great armie like the host of God 1. Chron. 12.22 By this occasion Ziklag which was allotted to Iudah Iosh. 15.31 and vniustly deteined by the Philistims was restored to the right owners Iun. 4. Quest. v. 7. Of the time of Dauids aboad among the Philistims 1. Some read the time that Dauid dwelt c. was foure moneths L.S. but here somewhat is omitted it is in the originall daies and foure moneths R. Selamo thinketh that he was there but foure moneths then daies beside moneths should be superfluous in the text 2. Some read foure moneths and certaine daies B. G. V. but here the words are transposed which stand in this order daies and foure moneths so Iosephus thinketh that he was there foure moneths and twentie daies 3. Chimhi thinketh he was there seauen moneths for so many moneths were betweene Samuel and Sauls death 4. But the sounder opinion is that Dauid was there a yeare and foure moneths as it may appeare by these reasons 1. Because chap. 29.3 Achish saith he hath beene with me these daies or these yeares that is one full yeare and going vpon the second for in the space of a few moneths the king could haue no great experience of his seruice 2. In so short a time all those things could not well be done which are set downe from this chapter to the 31. 3. iammim daies is taken in this sense as c. 1.21 a sacrifice iammim of daies that is a yearely sacrifice and the order of the words shew as much the greater number is vsed to be placed first we say not daies and moneths but moneths and daies but to say a yeare and moneths agreeth well 5. Quest. v. 8. Of the Geshurites and Girzites whome Dauid put to the sword 1. These were a remnant of the Cananites the Geshurites were those that dwelt in Geshur Iosh. 12.5 in Gilead and the Gizrites in Gezer which belonged vnto Ephraim Iosh. 16. v. 3. who at the comming of the Israelites left those places and went and dwelt among the Amalekites but at the beginning they dwelt in that land that is the Geshurites and Girzites in Canaan Iun. 2. These Cananites were ordained of God to destruction and therefore Dauid might safely inuade them Osiand 3. But it is like that Dauid as he did this exploit of a zeale to roote out the enemies of Gods people so also he had at this time a respect vnto his present state and tooke the spoiles of them for the maintenance of him and his for God many times vseth mens infirmities to accomplish his will Martyr 6. Quest. v. 10. Whteher Dauid offended in making such an excuse to Achish as though he had inuaded the Israelites 1. Some thinke that it was lawfull for Dauid to destroy those nations without sinne so he might without sinne colour it with a shew of inuading his owne people Osiand but that is not so for not onely the lawfulnes of the thing which is done must be considered but the manner also that it may be done without offence now howsoeuer for the present Dauid cōtented Achish yet was it an offence vnto good men which might take Dauid to haue done as he spake Mar. 2. Some thinke that Dauid dissembled not but spake the truth not that he put the Ierahmeelites which were a familie of the Iudah to the sword 1. Chron. 2.9 or the Kenites but onely smote the south coasts which of right belonged vnto the Israelites but were possessed by other nations But it appeareth in that Achish was contended with Dauids answer that he vnderstoode him to speake of the Israelites whome he had inuaded 3. Others say that Dauid here plainly mentitur telleth an vntruth Mar. but I rather thinke with Iunius that Dauid speaketh here doubtfully and ambiguously not vsing that plainnes which became such a good man that he might either be taken to speake of the Israelites inhabiting Iudah or of the nations which bordered vpon the South coasts 4. Achish was very credulous and readie to beleeue Dauid Iosephus giueth this reason because it was easie to perswade him to beleeue that which he greatly affected and desired CHAP. XXVIII 1. Quest. v. 2. Whether Dauid promised his aide vnto Achish and whether therein he did well 1. SOme thinke that Dauid had no purpose at all to fight against Israel but onely he would haue defended the Kings person who saith he would make him keeper of his head for euer but this agreeth not to Dauids owne words that seemeth to be