Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	action_n	good_a	sin_n	1,408	5	4.8951	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65556	The Protestant peace-maker, or, A seasonable persuasive to all serious Christians who call themselves Protestants that laying aside calumnies, and all exasperating disputes, they would pursue charity, peace, and union, as the only means (now left us) of safety and reformation of the publick manners : with a postscript, or notes on Mr. Baxter's and some others late writings for peace / by Edward, Lord Bishop of Cork and Ross in Ireland.	Wettenhall, Edward, 1636-1713.	1682 (1682)	Wing W1513; ESTC R38252	74,674	136

designs to make Beasts of one another much less deliberately do they drink to intoxicate their own Heads and forfeit their Reason yet if they beyond their intention do either the one or the other can we excuse them from Drunkenness or according to their Quality from having given scandal because we cannot conceive them to have been designedly drunk Genes XI 21 c. Noah's case was a singular one far I mean from admitting any of the ordinary circumstances of Excessive drinking yet who will acquit it either from Sin or Scandal Upon the whole then Sin is Sin notwithstanding our Ignorance or Honest intentions But for fuller and more satisfactory proof hereof I will set down what Particulars are necessary to make an Action truly and Christianly Good or warrantable and if when I have so done it shall appear that Honesty of Intention is but One of the Points requisite to the constituting any Action such I will then demand It ma● be acknowledged that mens Honest intentions do n●● justifie their engaging or proceeding in a bad C●use For otherwise where many conditions are required one should be all that is more than One. And the due stating this Question besides the Evidence which it will give to the Proposition in hand will further satisfie an important doubt which may arise upon the whole proof thus If my upright and Honest heart be not enough to justifie me in my engag●ments or in the course that I take What then further am I to look after that I may throughly approve my self to God and Man This case many a Conscientious person would be apt to put when the Truth contended for were demonstrated beyond all doubt and therefore I shall trust none will judge me extravagant if I make the Resolution hereof a second Proof of the Observation I made Now in Answer hereto I say First That any Action may be truly good or warrantable there is requisite an Intrinsecal Rectitude or Lawfulness in the Nature of the thing I take Rectitude here in a very large sense so as to exclude only all Obliquity or swerving from the Precept Now such Rectitude I affirm necessary and indeed the Matter needs not for it scarce admits any proof it approving it self to our very Reason Who can conceive that what the Eternal Laws of God have made unlawful any created or derivative Power can hallow or authorize Nothing hinders but in a Moral sense we may apply hereto that of the Royal Preacher Consider the work of God Who can make that straight which he hath made crooked Eccles VII 13. And such Rectitude there is 1. In all points which are matter of Command and made our Duties by the Law of God or Nature 2. In all points of Christian Liberty or such matters which being no wise forbidden unto us are left to our discretion or prudential choice And divers such Cases there are in humane life whatever some men pretend to the contrary in which what part soever we take we sin not To persons under certain circumstances says the Apostle even touching so weighty a concern as Marriage Let them do what they will marry or marry not in either they sin not 1 Cor. VII 36. Again in case of distinction of Meats under such and such circumstances Meat commendeth us not to God For neither if we eat are we the better or if we eat not are we the worse 1 Cor. VIII 8. Of one of these two sorts must the thing to be done be in case the Action be good or warrantable Secondly Though Honest intention do not justifie an evil Act or Cause yet can no Act or cause in which any man is engaged be truly just without such intention And great care ought to be used herein for that men are apt to flatter themselves and think better both of themselves and their Intentions than truly they deserve It is requisite therefore that we consider Honest intention may sometimes be such only Confusedly and in the General in which case it is much akin to the nature of Negative Righteousness when meerly we propound no Evil to our selves Such seems the Honest intention of these Two hundred men in the Text now this kind is too inform and immature to wear the Character of Virtuous Praise-worthy or truly good much less will it make our Actions such Intention truly good must be more distinct particular and positive And to that purpose it is necessary 1. That we be fully satisfied of the Right and Lawfulness both of our Cause and particular Actions which we go about 2. That we engage in them with a design to please God or to attain some considerable good in the getting or enjoying of which good we have no suspicion at all we shall displease him If it be otherwise with us Whatsoever is not of faith that is from a Conscience fully satisfied touc●ing the goodness or lawfulness of the means used or ends designed whatsoever I say is not thus of Faith is Sin It will therefore become every man in matters of moment not to trust too much an Extemporary good intention as I may so call it but to examine all and to be careful that as there is no evil in his Intentions so there be due and particular good Thirdly I must add To constitute any Action just or warrantable is requisite the Integrity at least harmlessness of the Circumstances as of Person Place Time Manner and the like For not only may that be lawful to one man but also in great strictness his Duty which in another would be gross Sin To take an instance familiar at such seasons as this namely the Executing nay even the impleading and arraigning Malefactors To give evidence against them to accuse and charge them is the Duty of Witnesses and of particular Officers but in other Persons that is in the generality of the People present who know nothing or little of their cases or are not by their place called to intermeddle it would be sin and an Exceed●ng their Calling at best all would judge it abominable impertinence Again To execute them when condemned at least to see they be executed is the duty of Sheriffs and such Legal Officers but if a Private person or other by Law not authorized should presently upon their having received Sentence kill them in the place he could next come at them I know not how he could acquit himself of Blood-guiltiness And then even those very Officers to whom it belongs are bound not only by Law but Conscience to observe as near as may be done Manner Place Time and like Circumstances Otherwise the very Execution of what they think Justice may prove unjust But more particularly to our present Business As to the Manner of Doing such things which in themselves are Good or Lawful there are two considerable Points which the frequency perhaps of Good mens miscarriages makes necessary to be pressed 1. That all Duties be performed without Ostentation and vain glory Though the

Matter of fact be most Obligatory or of the Divinest and most Excellent nature in the World yet if the Affectation of Applause or of the popular Eye and Vogue interpose in its performance it unhallows the Action and deprives us of the Reward This our Lord teacheth as to Alms and Liberality Matth. VI. 2. As to Prayer and Devotion ver 5. As to Fasting and Humiliation ver 16. And by parity of reason 't is true of any other otherwise good works 2. That Liberties or things free be ever used without scandal By Scandal I mean with the Scripture generally the Drawing or Encouraging others to do what they are not in Conscience convinced they may do Which notion we shall do well to take notice of as well for the satisfying and confirming our Consciences against unreasonable scruples and fears as for the guiding our Practice For this being admitted to be the nature of Scandal it is not then every one which is capable of administring matter of Scandal by the use of his Liberty but only such Personages by whose examples others are apt to frame their lives Nor again is it every one that is apt to be scandalized or receive scandal but only the Weak People who understand not duly the rule of life or are not able to distinguish betwixt Duty Liberty and Sin But if it so come to pass that any of us being persons of reputed prudence and piety and so of authority and considerable remark in the world use such freedom in words or deeds before unskilful Judges of things that they clearly are drawn in or likely to be drawn in to do what they doubt lawful or believe unlawful be the matter of fact on our sides never so just or innocent and our hearts never so sincere therein yet we by becoming thus a stumbling-block to others are not only sinners against them but also against their Lord and ours Christ himself For 1 Cor. VIII 12. When ye sin against the Brethren and wound their weak Conscience ye sin against Christ Upon the whole then that any Action be good and warrantable we see it is necessary That the Matter be Right or Lawful That our Intention be truly Honest and both these points to us distinctly known to be so That lastly in our management such Integrity or Harmlesness of Circumstances do concur as that by or in none of them we violate any Law of God And particularly Duties must be performed without Ostentation Liberties used without Scandal And now to sum up our Evidence If good Intention change not the Nature of things but Impiety be impiety still injustice Injustice still and so as to all Acts of Uncharitableness Intemperance Impurity and whatsoever is of like nature none of them all are sanctified by a good intent however real not pretended If to constitute any Cause or Action there be diverse other Material points requisite besides the sincerity of our Intentions any one of which points failing the Cause or Action good according to the nature of the failure partakes of true and proper guilt and all these things are abundantly proved then is it evident that no mans good intention will warrant or justifie either his engaging or proceeding in a bad cause Nay if we will be just to our own Sense and Reason it is further ex abundanti and beyond what we in the beginning propounded conclusible from what has been evinced That good Intentions will not warrant mens ingaging and proceeding even in a good Cause it self under any undue Circumstances It remains now that I bring all home to bear upon the design I laid down in the beginning and that I press upon all sorts practice suitable to the Truths I have asserted I shall only have time for a double Exhortation 1. And the first of them shall be That we all of us again and again consider every Cause which tempts our espousal before we engage our selves or if already without due consideration engaged before we further proceed therein It is not enough that our Intentions in the General be good We have heard they may be generally good when they want maturity of praevious thought and consideration to make them distinctly such Besides there are other points of great moment to be looked after I will not be troublesome in recapitulations I will only put the Case in short to all our Consciences We are haply most of us zealous in our ways and for our own Party But have we to full resolution and satisfaction of Conscience weighed the present state and interest of the Common Christianity Have we stated the Causes upon which we mutually Separate Are they such which we judge in good earnest will bear us out And then do we withdraw from one another no farther nor affect or maintain any greater distance than these Causes will warrant Finally in the whole have we no by and sinister ends no design but sincerely of Conscience and such which we dare carry to and own before God's Tribunal Happy were it for the Christian World would our Divisions endure this Test or had Christian men generally considered or would yet consider these things as they ought But alas even in Religion it self the far greatest part walk at a meer peradventure At least they are carried along with that Current into which their Interest Condition or Genius happens to cast them And being once engaged Vestigia nulla retrorsum almost as few return from their respective Zealotry as from the Grave They rather rush on like the Horse into the Battle and the Similitude holds also farther than it were to be wisht they are rid too often even to their own destruction My Brethren if we have any of us been unhappy in rash and inconsiderate Divisions or in addicting our selves to any so divided Parties yet let us not perpetuate and as far as in us lies eternise our own and the Churches miseries If either our Reason or our Christianity or our own or the Common safety be significant to us Let us gird up the loins of our mind and be sober Let us recollect and summon together our considerative powers and endeavour to judge like Men and Christians Where we are and how we stand And if upon the whole all be clear and Conscience fully satisfied yet let us remember we owe somewhat to the World and the least that can be will be by all honest means to endeavour its quiet And verily he is unworthy of his own quiet at least will not long enjoy it who is not content a little to deny himself of his own fancies for others and the Publick satisfaction To bring this Exhortation a little nearer to our present Circumstances and Condition Let us remember we here are not Law-givers nor are therefore to consider what is our own will and pleasure what we would have Enacted nay not perhaps what is in our judgment fit to be injoyned but what actually is already injoyned and what it is lawful for us

Office of the Visitation of the Sick that much in that Particular is referred to the discretion of the Minister Then shall the Minister exhort the sick person after this form or other like says the Rubrick He is not then tied up but may vary and I scarce ever knew but in ordinary practice we do so Again Then shall the Minister examine whether he repent him truly of his sins and be in Charity with all the World exhorting him c. viz. to forgiveness satisfaction to men for wrongs done disposal of his goods Charity to the Poor all which says the Rubrick may be done before the Minister begin his Prayer as he shall sée cause And for all this there is no form at all prescribed consequently then it being left to the Ministers prudence he he may put what Interrogatories and make as narrow a search as he shall think fir and he is required plainly to judge because to exhort and admonish as there appears cause Now it is to be considered these Exhortations and Admonitions may and most frequently do take up divers Visits However all this being supposed to be done Then and not till then Here shall the sick person be moved to make a special Confession of his sins if he féel his Conscience burdened with any weighty matter After which Confession the Priest shall absolve him if he humbly and heartily desire it after this sort Rubr. Where to be short I only desire two things may be noted 1. That after all this the Minister is not commanded to absolve him They must be absolved in Mr. Baxter is then false but if he see fit to absolve him he is to absove him after this sort It is very well known divers of us have refused and daily do to absolve such persons touching whose Penitence we are not sati●fied 2. Those words if he humbly and heartily desire it do import the discovery of such a sense of sin to to the Confessour at least suppose him in Consc●ence judge as may well be conceived to bear him out in giving Absolution certainly they do exclude Cursing and Swearing and railing at an holy Life at that time Which things being so apparently thus it would almost tempt a man in charity to think Mr. Baxter writes against the Laturgy without having duly read or considered it otherwise he would not so falsly accuse it or traduce our Church for it His last imputation is but little better than this which we have now dispatched Namely that the Discipline of the Church is managed by one Lay Chancell●r and his Court with some small Assistance The Archdeacons of which in most Dioceses there are divers in that of Exon from whence I came four throughout England generally have their Courts and neither are they Lay-men nor for the most part do they Act mainly by Lay-Officials and their Courts in many places are weekly Besides these in Every Deauery i. e. ten Parishes or thereabouts there are Archypresbyters or Deans Rural whose Duty and Oath binds them to enquire into the Conversation as well of the Clergy as of the People within their Precincts So that if Ministers and Church-wardens will but do their Duty the Provision of Discipline is sufficient in Mr. Baxter's language for the keeping clean the Church I will be still so charitable to him as to believe he is not verst in our Exercise of Discipline but I could also have wish't that he had no more censured it Only I will conclude this Particular by appealing to his own Sense and the sense of Mankind if such undue and prevaricant Charges as these be the way to peace 9. And now I am speaking of Prevarication his reckoning Hooper Latimer and Cranmer pag. 228. amongst the Nonconformists to conciliate thence credit to their Cause and detract from us is a kind of Art which Ingenuity and much more Christian Veracity would blush to own I will allude in this regard to the words of the great Apostle I wish not only Mr. Baxter but all the Dissenters were altogether such as they excepting their Bonds and Sufferings 10ly and Lastly For I will not run the number up to Mr. Baxter's beloved number of 20 or upwards though I might There appears to me in him a great Inconstancy to himself and that not only in smaller points and lapses of memory or attention as may seem that pag. 10. I never came near them that is the People of Kidderminster nor except very rarely sent them one line yet within five lines after I sent them says he all the Books which I wrote but even in his Resolutions and Matters of great moment is there with him Yea and Nay Sometimes he seems against all Subscribing as pag. 60 113 c. At another time he is for Subscribing to the Doctrine of the Church in the 39 Articles and Books of Homilies pag. 12 167 c. and other terms of Peaceableness Again pag. 128. The 39 Articles are a wholsome Doctrine yet pag. 122. They are not intelligible they have contrary meanings to fit the use of every Subscriber they are hot to one and cold to the other By the way sometimes it is no fault in the Books to be subscribed that they are so worded as to allow men to abound in their own sense And we are sure our Articles are in this no more guilty than most Confessions which have been penn'd for Concord as the Augustan it self witness therein the Article and Clause touching the Presence of Christ's Body in the Sacrament In sum when a Proposition evidently admits of two or three senses and each of them is known famous and held by divers Doctors of the same Church and that Church framing a Rule or Mean of Concord for her Sons shall in that Rule set a Proposition which takes in the several Opinions of these Doctors in such sort as to tye them up as far as is necessary and to leave them otherwise at their liberty is this Proposition justly to be called unintelligible or have Mr. Baxter and the Dissenters any cause if they will be constant to themselves to say 't is Unreasonable For my own part I wish sincerely for their sakes some more of the Articles and perhaps Rubricks too were penned with ampler Latitude But to the Point again That is a very unkind inconstancy unkind not only to us but to the Design of Peace that so often in pag. 16 17 18 c. he says They take it to be their Duty in the Exercise of their Ministry to take heed of any thing that tendeth to the Division of the peoples minds or the hinderance of the lawful publick Ministry or to their just Discouragement Again to take heed lest any dishonour or murmuring against their Rulers arise or be cherished by reason of their sufferings or to subvert or perplex the hearers by aggravating the faults of others or other mens worshipping of God or breeding in them distast of the Publick Worship for all which Expressions