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A44786 The dawnings of the gospel-day and its light and glory discovered by Francis Howgil. Howgill, Francis, 1618-1669.; Hookes, Ellis, d. 1681. 1676 (1676) Wing H3157; ESTC R24063 864,209 776

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the Shambles was lawful but that which was Sacrificed to Idols ver 12. there he mentions the restriction himself and so Luk. 1.3 It seemed good to me also having perfect understanding of all things from the very first the subject matter whereof he writes and the things are exprest and the exceptions in the 2 Chapter and in Mat. 12.31 All manner of Sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven unto Men but the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be for given there in the same Verse Christ makes the exception and restriction and Exod. 20.10 Thou shalt do no manner of Work it 's abundantly expressed elsewhere in the Law where the Priests service on every Sabbath are appointed them and the exception of dressing what every one was to eat and was expressed and the exception of doing good and of works of Mercy in saving the Life of Man or Beast was to take place ever against the Typical Sabbath I will have mercy and not Sacrifice and that of Luk. 8.47 and the Woman that was healed by touching the border of Christ's Garment she declared unto him before all the People what saith A. S. before all the People of the World or before all the People of the Land no there is none so ignorant as to understand it for Mark. 5.21 manifest the exception before all the People only that were with him nigh unto the Sea when he returned from the County of the G●darens or before all the People of his own City that came out to meet him Mat. 9.3 Mat. 8.34 many more I might add to what A. S. hath instanced that Christ uttered many Truths in general terms which must admit of exception Luk. 13.10 all the Sinners Christ spoke to about him in the general terms ye shall Perish but this was not without exception of such as should Repent but that exception was not without expression viz. except ye repent again he said unto his hearers Ye cannot enter the Kingdom of God that was not without exceptions nor these exceptions without expressions viz. except ye be converted yea in the verses immediately before this Universal prohibition Swear not at all Mat. 5.30 31. Christ sayes 't was said of old if any put away his Wife let him give her a Bill of divorce but I say whosoever shall put away his Wife causeth her to commit Adultery But this admits of an exception and that exception is thus exprest viz. saving for the cause of Fornication but though all this be granted even these and many more Universal terms admit of exceptions and restriction yet we cannot grant that these two Texts admit of any such exceptions or restrictions as A. S. would interpret them My reason is this because in this general term and Universal prohibition Swear not at all it cannot in Equity be taken and limitted in that sense which A. S. puts upon it nor with that restriction for that sense would make it short of the subject matter where all Swearing is forbidden as well as any because Swear not at all by Heaven Earth c. Because there is not only no Expression made any where after of any such Exception or Restriction but a fuller Amplification of it by such Particulars as are enumerated and are more particularly exclusive of all kinds of Oaths and of all Oaths of any kind not only of those that they used to wicked Purposes but even those they solemnly used sometime to good Purposes before the Seed Christ was revealed and the Apostle James 5.12 neither by Heaven neither by Earth neither by any other Oath which is a Re-inforcement and redoubling of the said universal Prohibition whereas if Christ had intended any Exception here he might as easily have exprest and would as assuredly as he did immediately above in the Cause of Divorce by except in the Cause of Fornication and have so said Swear not at all except it be solemn and sacred Oaths and by the Lord to good Purposes in Courts where ye are call'd to swear before a Magistrate so James if he had intended as A.S. will needs inforce yet without any Ground a Limitation and Restriction Above all Things my Brethren Swear not neither by Heaven neither by Earth neither by any other Oath except ye swear solemnly by God to good Purposes in Courts or before Magistrates but as I said instead of excepting any Exception he adds that which more strengthens and clears beyond all Exception the Universality of his Prohibition and if all vain Oaths by God were forbidden before and all Swearing by Creatures so that there was no need either for Christ or James to speak of them again as A.S. sayes then this is still matter for the Argument on our Part that some Oaths were prohibited by Christ and James which were not prohibited before and of which there was Necessity for them to speak as there was indeed not only about those Oaths and other Things which the Law before had prohibited but even of those Things that it had allowed and indulged because of the Hardness of their Hearts so we say there was a Necessity of Christ and James not only to mention those Things again which the Law had spoken of before and disallowed which we have instanced before and is manifest in that Chap. 5. which the Pharisees had perverted and loosened by their false Glosses and Traditions but even those Things which were permitted indulged and commanded under the Law and suffered to be because of the Hardness of their Hearts and Strifes Unbeliefs Insecurities and therefore Christ teacheth and informeth his Disciples as it was in the Beginning before those Things entered and in this Cause about Oaths among the rest prohibits all Swearing without Limitation not only that which was once forbidden but even that which was once permitted and commanded and indulged and therefore it hath been said of old Time thou shalt not forswear thy self under the Law where in Numb 30.2 Deut. 23.21 but I say unto you Swear not at all neither by Heaven nor Earth nor Jerusalem nor thy Head which is manifestly an exclusive Prohibition of all Oaths without Exception or Restriction or Limitation and still will stand good notwithstanding all A. S. and others opposing among his Disciples and true Christians in whose Hearts he hath put it to speak the Truth and confess in any Cause wherein they are concerned to the Glory of God the Father and to keep the Commands of his Christ and to glorifie him by abiding in his Doctrine Swear not at all And then A. S. concludes Here the grand Objection falls of it self which is Either all kinds of Swearing is forbidden or else Christ notwithstanding his Words But I say unto you forbad nothing which was forbidden before which is utterly improbable and the Reason is saith he because God formerly had forbidden all false and vain Oaths and all Swearing by Creatures all which I grant to be true saith he but the Pharisees had taught the
taken are binding in Respect of Creatures Relation to the Creator and Christ reckons them among sinful Oaths and teacheth them to use only bare Affirmations or Denyals in their Communication And this is the very Sum of his Judgment and the Words of Christ are only to be limitted to this Sense and no further that is not to swear at all by Creatures in their mutual Converse or Communications and this he hath repeated over and over in his Book and this is the furthest latitude that he will allow unto Christ's Prohibition Swear not at all and this Interpretation before-mentioned he looks upon to be the genuine meaning thereof and is the Judgment of Doctor Gauden also who hath contended as hard for some Swearing as A. S. hath and I perceive that A. S. hath read the Answer to Bishop Gauden published by that precious Servant of the Lord Samuel Fisher who finished his Life in Bonds for the Gospel-Truth against all Swearing whose Answer stands firm and his demonstrative Arguments of Force and are yet unanswered though A. S. hath a little here and there carped at and hath bitten at the Heel but hath not made void at all his Answer which will live as a living Testimony in Generations to come as consonant unto Christ's Doctrine wherein he prohibits all Oaths under the Gospel Reply Though there be some Truth in the different Authors that are alledged and also in A.S. his Words that swearing by Creatures as Heaven and Earth Jerusalem and vain Oaths is forbidden and customary Oaths and the corrupt Glosses of the Pharisees and the false Interpretations yet all this comes short of Christ's mind and of the true genuine sense of the words the scope of Christ's Sermon as is manifest in the Chapter and in his Testament and all he hath said will not help him to carry on that Work he hath undertaken viz. the Justification of any or the lawfulness of any Swearing or the defence of that limited sense he would put upon the Universal terms in the 2. Texts wherein Christ and the Apostle forbids all Swearing And though A. S. often tells us Christ did not forbid what the Law had commanded neither gave any new positive Law before his Death he sure hath forgot himself much what will become of the two great Ordinances still upheld as Baptism and breaking of Bread and whether was this a new Institution of Christ or was it an Institution in the Law and if it was an Institution of Christ as the Church of England doth hold and not of the Law nor of Moses as indeed it was not then A. S. his Argument is fallen to the Ground that he gave no new Commandment neither instituted any new Ordinance and then what is become of these two great Mysteries as they have been called but he hath ravelled out and spun out his Threed so long that he often runs off his Legs and though A. S. does often urge that he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it and therefore hath said falsly that Christ Sware before the High Priest after he had given forth this Commandment Swear not at all which if it had been true it had been no more president for Christians then eating the Passeover and though he sometimes urge that such Oaths as were commanded under the Law are not forbidden by that Text Mat. 5.38 because it was spoken sometime before his Death and the Ministration of the first Covenant was not ended till his death and therefore he concludes That all Oaths would not be forbidden by Christ in this Text for saith he Christ did not forbid what the Law commanded but though this prohibition was given out before his Death yet with reference to the Gospel-times after his Death It is evident by the Texts before it and behind it viz. of divorce and of deportment towards injurious Ones and Enemies so in this of Oaths Christ prohibites and condemns not only those gross Abuses of those things that they had a Dispensation for under the Law and that by Divine indulgency which abuses crept in by the Pharisaical false Glosses too much loosing the meaning of God's Law by Moses by their depraved examples or popular Customes but Christ condemned and prohibited those very things which in regard of the hardness of their Hearts distrust and wicked Cruelties God himself in that very Letter of the Law indulged them in and gave them both a dispensation and a precept for in the Law for the Law said of old time before the false gloss of Scribes and Pharisees came in some things so as it was not said from the beginning when Man was in Innocency and was merciful as his Heavenly Father was merciful and the Law said Deut. 24.12 whosoever shall put away his wise let him give her a Bill of divorcement then she may go be another man's Wife but I say whose putteth away his Wife causeth her to commit Abultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth Adultery Mat. 5.32 So that not only the corrupt Glosses and irregular Practices of the mis-informed Jews are forbidden but even that which the Law not only permitted and allowed and dispensed with but commanded is for bidden and another thing injoyned and in cause of injury as he hath done so shall it be done unto him ye have heard it hath been said an Eye for an eye and a Tooth for a tooth this was the Law Exod. 21.44 Levit. 24.20 Deut. 19.20 and this was commanded But Christ saith I say unto you that ye resist not Evil whosoever shall smite thee on the one Cheek turn the other also and if a Man sue thee at Law and take away thy Coat let him have thy Cloak also and whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him twain Mat. 5.39 40 41. So here is not only a further thing but even another thing commanded by Christ. Further the Law said Exod. 20.14 thou shalt not commit Adultery but Christ the wisdom of God saith Mat. 5.28 whosoever looketh upon a Woman and lusteth after her hath committed Adultery with her in his Heart again ye have heard that it hath been said that thou love thy Neighbour and hate thy Enemy though A. S. sayes That is not found in the Law but a corrupt Gloss of the Pharisees I say that is found which amounts to as much as hath been shewed for the Jews that were of the Law might and did spoyle their Enemies the Gentiles and Canaanites and Egyptians and Amalekites and had a command so to do and kill them and Root them out and yet to help his Enemies Oxe or Asse under a burthen if he were belonging to a Jew that personally hated him and not an Amalekite one of that cursed race but this is a ridle to many But I say unto you love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you and