Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	accusation_n	accuse_v	accuser_n	114	3	10.1625	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09339	A golden chaine: or The description of theologie containing the order of the causes of saluation and damnation, according to Gods word. A view whereof is to be seene in the table annexed. Hereunto is adioyned the order which M. Theodore Beza vsed in comforting afflicted consciences.; Selections	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605.	1600 (1600)	STC 19646; ESTC S114458	1,329,897	1,121

whersoeuer was thunder or earthquakes seditions or tumults or any disquietnesse or trouble Christians were accused as the authors thereof Such enemies haue they had in all ages and in these our daies the same is practised and will bee to the worldes ende Nowe when the first witnesses could not agree among thēselues then two other false witnesses came forth which auouched that Christ said I will destroy this temple made with hands within three daies will build another made without handes Indeede Christ said some such wordes for saith he Destroy this temple and within three daies I will build it vp againe But he spake this of the temple of his bodie whereas they malitiously did interpret him to haue spoken of the temple in Ierusalem And againe they change the wordes for Christ said Destroy this temple c. but these witnesses affirme he said I will destroy this temple made with hands c. And thus they change both words and meaning and therefore the Holy Ghost calleth them false witnesses By this we must be aduertised to take heed howe we report mens wordes for if wee change the meaning though in part we retaine the wordes we may soone become slanderers and false witnesses and as this dutie must be performed towards all men so especially towards the ministers of the Gospel and the neglect of this dutie procureth many slaunders to thē in this our Church whereof indeede the re●orters are the cause and not the ministers themselues Now at this false accusation Christ was silent so as Caiphas asked him why he answered nothing Herein we are to consider many things I. why Christ was silent The causes be two first he was to shewe himselfe a patterne of true humilitie patience therfore euen then would he be silent whē he was most falsely accused of his aduersaries Secondly he is silent that standing before the iudge to be condemned the sentence might proceed against him and hee might suffer the death appointed which was due vnto vs and so become our redeemer And in Christs example we must note that it is a speciall dutie to knowe when to speake and when to be silent The ordering of the tongue is a rare gift and few attaine vnto it Some will peraduenture aske what rule wee haue to direct vs herein Ans. The general rule for the ordering of the tongne is the lawe of God We are commanded to seeke the glorie of God in the first table and in the second the good of our neighbour when thy speech therefore will serue either for Gods glorie or the good of thy neighbor then thou must speake if it serue for neither then bee silent Againe if thy silence bee either for Gods glorie or the good of thy neighbour then be silent if it wil not then speake And because it is hard for a man to knowe when his speech or silence will serue for these two ends therfore we must praie vnto God that hee will teach and direct vs herein as Dauid doth Set a watch saith he O Lord before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lippes and againe Open thou my lipps O Lord and my mouth shall shewe forth thy praise Thus much for the false witnesses produced Now followeth the third point which is the adiuring of Christ for Caiphas the high priest charged him to tel him whether he were the Christ the sonne of God or no. To adiure a man is to charge and command him in the name of God to declare a trueth not onely because God is witnesse thereof but also because he is a iudge to reuenge if he speake not the trueth Thus Paul adiured the Thessalonians charging them in the Lord that his epistle should be read vnto all the brethren the Saints And the like doth Caiphas to Christ. And hea●e is a thing to be wondred at Caiphas the high priest adiureth him in the name of God who is very God euen the Sonne of God And this shewes what a small account hee made of the name of God for hee did it onely to get aduantage on Christs wordes and so do many nowe adaies who for a little profit or gaine make a matter of nothing to abuse the name of God a thousand waies Christ beeing thus adiured though silent before yet nowe in reuerence to Gods maiestie● answered and said first Thou hast said it and in Saint Marke I am he In this answer appeares the wonderful prouidence of god For though Caiphas take hence the occasion of condemning Christ yet hath he withall drawne from him a most excellent confession that he is the Sonne of God our alone Sauiour And by this meanes he proceeds to shut heauen against himselfe and to open the same for vs. Thus we haue ended the first inditement of Christ before Caiphas Nowe followeth the second which was before Pontius Pilate in the common hall at Ierusalem The historie of it is set downe at large in all the Euangelists In this second inditemēt of Christ that we may referre euery matter to his place we are to obserue foure things I the accusation of Christ before Pilate II. his examination III. Pilates pollicie to saue Christ. IV. Pilats absoluing of him and then the condemnation of Christ in both courts Ecclesiasticall and ciuill of these in order In Christs accusation we must consider many points The first is who were his accusers namely the high Priest the Scribes and Pharisies and Elders of the people and the common people all these conspired togither to accuse him The cause that mooued the Pharises and Elders of the people hereunto is noted by Saint Matthew who saith of enuie they deliuered him Enuie is nothing but a sadnesse in a mans heart at the prosperitie of his better And it raigned in the Scribes and Pharises and the occasion was this Christ had taught most heauenly doctrine and confirmed the same by most wonderfull miracles and did greatly exceede them all and was in more account among the people and for this cause the Scribes and Pharises high Priests repined and grudged at him Now their example serues to admonish vs to take heede of this sinne as beeing the mother of many mischiefes And we must rather follow the example of Moses who when Iosua desired him to forbid Eldad and Medad to prophecie answered Enuiest thou for my sake yea I would to God all the lords people were prophets And we must be of the same minde with Iohn Baptist who hearing by his disciples that the people left him and followed Christ said his ioy was fulfilled for Christ must increase and he must decrease And so we must be glad and content when we see the prosperitie of our neighbours any way Now the cause why the common people ioyne with them was because the chiefe Priests and the Scribes Elders had perswaded them to a bad conceit of Christ. Hence it appeares that it is most requisite for any people