Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	according_a	faith_n	work_n	1,745	5	6.1448	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50837	A false faith not justified by care for the poor prov'd in a sermon preach'd at St. Paul's Church, August 28th, 1698 / by Luke Milbourne ...	Milbourne, Luke, 1649-1720.	1698 (1698)	Wing M2031; ESTC R9394	18,941	32

The Poor whom I have fed The Naked whom I have cloath'd The Prisoners whom I have discharg'd out of my own or other Mens Estates and to satisfy my own Compassionate Temper are as dangerous Questions as Is not this great Babylon which I have built Dan 4 30. for the House of my Kingdom by the Might of my Power and for the Honour of my Majesty In such Cases a Man does what he does not out of Gratitude to God or as a Faithful Steward of his Treasures not out of real tenderness for the Distress'd or because he can't bear their Wants while himself lives in Plenty but he does it to impose upon the unobserving World to be Talk'd of to be Prais'd and to have flattering Memorials and Monuments rais'd to him after Death which may serve to encourage Atheism and Hypocrisy and make the Friends of Libertinism believe That it 's no Matter what their Faith is if they be but free Disposers of their own or Industrious Distributers of other Mens Bounty Men of this Humour are easily known They 'l not wait modestly for the Commendations of others but every where and on every occasion proclaim their own Good Deeds None need to take care to spread their Glories and few of their commendable Actions shall be done in a Corner This was the Pharisaic way they did all their Good Works to be seen of Men and with respect to that Way our Saviour gives that admirable Caution Mat. 6.1 2. Take heed that ye do not your Alms before Men to be seen of them otherwise ye have no Reward of your Father which is in Heaven Therefore when thou dost thine Alms do not sound a Trumpet before thee as the Hypocrites do in the Synagogues and in the Streets that they may have Glory of Men Docet hic Christus exemplo Beneficentiae non posse Deo probari quae ideò fiant ut aut Laus captetur aut Gratia Grot. in loc Here says Grotius Christ instancing in Almsgiving declares That God cannot approve those things which are done to curry Favour or to purchase Praise Not but that Publick Occasions will require Publick Liberality and according to a Man's Station a good Example may be of excellent use but even in such cases a wise or humble man will rather give others leisure to applaud his Bounty than begin the Work himself Philo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo de Cherub p. 128. E. of old had a just Notion of this way If says he you examine all things strictly you 'll see that Men cry'd up for their Liberality rather sell than bestow their Bounties and those whom we think Alms-Men are really Purchasers of what they get for when those who pretend to give hunt on the other hand for Honour and Fame expecting a Reward for their Bounty they sham us with a gaudy name and really strike a Bargain for none but Sellers take a Price for what they part with Aben. Ezra apud Grotium in Matt. 6. ● and R. Aben Ezra gives this for a Rule If any Man gives Alms to the Poor let him not do it to get Honour or that he may boast of it to others for he who does so shows That he values the Praise of Men more than the favour of God Indeed our Saviour assures us that even such Men have their reward but it 's only what they aim at empty Breath and fleeting Air while the modest Christian sound in Faith and acting upon that Principle obtains the End of his Hope the Salvation of his Immortal Soul Above all then he mistakes who thinks Almsgiving is that Charity which shall cover a multitude of Sins He who has that Charity will according as God has blest him give Alms but the Cause and the Effects of that Cause are very different things Alms are frequently enjoyn'd and he who seeth his Brother have Joh. 3.1.7 need You shall find many who have not the Fruit of true Faith who are not of the Flock of Christ and yet as it appears they flourish in good Works of Mercy you shall find them full of Pity Compassion and given to Justice and yet for all that they have no Fruit of their Works because the chief Work lacketh Hom. 1. Of Good Works and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from Him how dwells the love of God in him is a severe Question but infers what we have been asserting all this while That Bounty to the Poor unless it proceeds from Faith and Love for they are inseparable can do the Giver no service whatever advantage the Receiver may have by it The Reward of Mercy is great if it rise from a sound and sincere Faith or at least from a ductile Mind willing to be instructed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constit l. 8. c. 13. and to embrace it with all humility and readiness Thus in Clement's Constitutions we have that advice If you have wherewith give Alms with your own hands for the Expiation of your sins for by Alms and Faith sins are taken away Thus they go hand in hand and these things which God has joyn'd together no Man ought to put asunder A Man may give all his Goods to feed the Poor without Charity if he does so to support and bring Reputation to Heresy and so to propagate Disorders and Confusions in the Church of Christ As if only such a Faith as the Giver owns could be the Parent of such Works We have observ'd already how Julian by this means hop'd to have undermined Christianity and restor'd Paganism Marianae Rerum Hisp l. 4. c. 14. and 't was thus Lucilla made use of her great Wealth and Interests to encourage the Donatists And indeed it 's but reasonable that those who call themselves Christians and are none but have a design to break the Vnity of the Church of Christ should have or at least put on some very Popular qualities whereby to render their Heretical designs the less suspected For if I have once entertaind a great Opinion of a Man and his Conversation I shall be very unwilling to believe he intends ill or that his Opinions can be damning whose Person is so acceptable But when we talk of Heresy and Hereticks we are at a loss The Apostles sure by some mistake forewarn Christians often of Sacrilege Schism and Heresy as very great Sins The two former some who are touch'd too near have endeavour'd to lose in a Mist and would make us believe there are none guilty of such sins now a-days And for the last others who cry up one another for mighty Criticks reject the common Notion which the World has hitherto had of Heresy and it's Friends They tell us it 's not the Falshood of any Opinion that makes it to be a Heresy and the Person that holds it to be a Heretick Sermon on Mr. Firmin p. 110. but it 's the Clamour and Bustle made about it which makes both the first