Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	argument_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	12	3	7.8792	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62842	An apology for Mr. Toland in a letter from himself to a member of the House of Commons in Ireland, written the day before his book was resolv'd to be burnt by the Committee of Religion : to which is prefix'd a narrative containing the occasion of the said letter.	Toland, John, 1670-1722.	1697 (1697)	Wing T1761; ESTC R10393	18,667	54

of Scripture by the Vnitarians and attacking a few Paragraphs in Mr. TOLAND'S Book Christianity not Mysterious I know not what it was to his Lordship's purpose to fall upon Mr. TOLAND'S Book But if he would needs attack the Book he should have dealt fairly He should have discuss'd the main Argument in it and not carpt only at a few Passages and those too so mangl'd and deform'd by his Representation of them that I dare to affirm Mr. TOLAND does not know his own Book in the Bishop's Representation of it I do not perceive to speak truly but that Book still stands in its full strength if it has not also acquir'd a farther Reputation by occasion of this so unsuccessful nibling at it But suppose the Bishop had disarm'd the Gentleman what is that to us Do we offer this Book against the Trinity of the Realists Was it written with Intention to serve us Does it contain any of our Allegations from Reason against the Trinity of Philoponus Joachim and Gentilis We desire him to answer to the Reasons in our own Books against the Trinity of the Tritheists But to these he says not a word but only falls upon Mr. TOLAND'S Book in which or for which we are not in the least concern'd Nor do I think the Learned and Ingenious Author will hold himself to be interested to defend that Christianity not Mysterious with which his Lordship presents us So far that celebrated Vnitarian A good Temper and sound Iudgment usually go together and if the absence of the former be no Demonstration that the latter is also wanting yet questionless it creates a very reasonable suspicion of it for a bad Cause is generally supported by Violence and ill Arts while TRUTH establishes it self only by Lenity and Perswasion This is so certain that when an undiscerning Person happens to be engag'd on the right side and employs Force or Calumny in its defence we always find he does it infinitely more harm than good That such as receive Gain or Honour by any thing should oppose those who go about to destroy it tho with design to introduce a better in the room of it is no great wonder tho it be manifestly unjust Thus the Silversmiths of Ephesus headed by DEMETRIUS rais'd a mighty Tumult against the Apostle PAUL for ruining their Trade which was solely maintain'd by Lies and Impostures at the expence of the Peoples Credulity The Primitive Christians were represented by the Heathen Priests as Atheistical Rebellious Incestuous and in a word polluted with all manner of Wickedness and Impiety by which nefarious Artifices they procur'd those innocent Persons to be cruelly persecuted with Infamy Confiscation and Death it self in all its shapes The Waldenses Wicclifists Hussites and the first Reformers were treated after the same manner by the Church of Rome and when they could not seize their Persons they never fail'd to load 'em with horrid black and monstrous Aspersions that they might not be wanting to prejudice 'em all manner of ways as if this had been the very Method prescrib'd in the Gospel to reduce the Erroneous Thus we read such accounts of LUTHER and CALVIN'S Lives publish'd by the Monks of those Times as paint 'em worse than Devils and that make their Doctrine as different from what we know it to be as the Historians were from telling Truth I am sorry to observe among us any Remains of that implacable and bitter Spirit tho such as distinguish themselves by their eminent Vertues retain no tincture of so mean and base a Disposition The Character which that most excellent Person the late Archbishop of Canterbury has left on Record of the Socinians when he was strenuously arguing against their Opinions ought to be a Model which no body should be asham'd to imitate He did not think to lessen his own Reputation or to hurt his Cause when he frankly acknowledg'd them to be a Pattern of the fair way of disputing and debating matters of Religion without Heat and unseemly Reflections upon their Adversaries They generally argue matters with that Temper and Gravity says he and with that freedom from Passion and Transport which becomes a serious and weighty Argument and for the most part they reason closely and clearly with extraordinary guard and caution with great dexterity and decency and yet with smartness and subtlety enough with a very gentle heat and few hard words Vertues to be prais'd whereever they are found yea even in an Enemy and very worthy our Imitation Yet this great Man who so candidly represents his Adversaries was himself most scurrilously and unworthily handl'd by his own and the Enemies of the Government And here I must do Justice to Dr. PAYNE lately deceas'd who as he tells the World in his Letter to the Bishop of Rochester was desir'd by his Grace the present Arch-bishop of Canterbury to answer Mr. TOLAND and why should not every body that thinks him in the wrong take the same liberty of writing against him as he did to publish his Thoughts before Now if Mr. TOLAND'S own Judgment ought to be receiv'd in this case the Doctor has in his two Sermons said more against him than the Bishop of Worcester Mr. NORRIS the Anonymous Oxonian the Author of the Occasional Paper Mr. BEVERLY Mr. GAILHARD Mr. BROWNE or any other Answerer and yet instead of treating him like a Dominican Inquisitor he uses with some little warmth such Grave and Christian Language as shews his Metropolitan's Judgment and Moderation in pitching upon him as well as his own Skill and Sincerity in the management of his Trust. We must hold this Mystery of Faith says Dr. PAYNE speaking to his Auditory with a Christian good Temper and not lose that while we are contending for the other nor let our Contentions grow so warm and intemperate so fierce and cruel as to forget and violate the plain Morals of Christianity while we are over earnestly disputing for the Faith of it or perhaps only for some false and mistaken or at least some useless Opinions and over-nice and subtle Controversies about it This has been the fault of those who have contended more for Victory than Truth and more for their own Credit and Vain-glory than the Christian Faith who tho they may be in the right as 't is ten to one that they are not for Truth seldom dwells with such a Spirit of Rage and Pride and Passion but rather with a quite other Temper yet they greatly disserve the Cause they so unduly manage And as they are never like to convince their Adversaries so they give others just ground to suspect that they supply want of better Reason and stronger Arguments with weak and impotent Calumny with undecent and unbecoming Reflections This is as Criminal and as Unchristian as the Error or the Heresy they are so zealous against and 't is to be doubted 't is rather a false Fire and a hypocritical Zeal not for the Cause of God so