Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	attend_v	zeal_n	zealous_a	23	3	8.6885	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52421	A discourse concerning the pretended religious assembling in private conventicles wherein the unlawfullness and unreasonableness of it is fully evinced by several arguments / by John Norris ...	Norris, John, 1657-1711.	1685 (1685)	Wing N1251; ESTC R17164	128,825	319

example of our Saviour Christ nor of his Apostles can be brought to justifie or allow any such practice ARGUMENT VI. THAT which God in his word hath branded with a black mark forewarning and commanding his People to avoid cannot be his ordinance or means of grace For it is not God's manner to stygmatize or disgrace his own ordinances or to forbid or discourage any in the use of them but to dignifie advance the honour and strictly to enjoin the use of them as knowing that the Devil and his instruments will sufficiently vilifie and disgrace them and that there will be enough in all ages who will disuse and forsake them Yea God hath so far dignified his ordinances of the word and sacrament which he intends to make use of as means of grace that when he might have wrought it in mens hearts immediately by his own spirit yet he hath put them off to his Ministers to doe it which is no small honour The case of the Eunuch in the Acts makes this plain The Spirit bad Philip join himself to the Chariot Yea when God himself hath begun the work yet he would not perfect it himself but hath handed it over to his Ministers to be completed by them This he did at the Conversion of St. Paul He sent Ananias to him who entered into the House and put his hands on him and said Brother Saul the Lord even Iesus which appeared to thee in the way as thou camest hath sent me that thou shouldst receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost What greater honour than this could God have put upon his Ordinance of the Ministry But he hath set a black mark and brand upon the Persons and Ministry in question and commanded a withdrawing from them Now I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not the Lord Iesus but their own bellies and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple The Emphasis of the Apostles words is worthy our observation Mark them signifying such a diligent wary and circumspect care as Watchmen use that stand on an high Tower to descry the approach of an Enemie They mark diligently all Comers and give notice according as they apprehend any danger for the preservation of the City And avoid them as dangerous Persons hurtfull to Christian Society And how sweet and fair soever their words seem to be yet they will eat as doth a Canker They give not their poison but wrapt up in Honey Their smooth Language is their net wherewith they catch many a simple Soul that is not exceeding carefull lest any man should beguile him as Ioab did Amasa with enticing words Their flattering speeches and specious pretenses of Purity and Doctrine and tenderness of Conscience tend to no other but to deceive the simple and unwary to get themselves a maintenance and to fill their own bellies they are like the false Apostles in the Church of Corinth who transformed themselves into the Apostles of Christ yet were but deceitfull workers to bring that People into bondage to devour them and to take of them How guilty the persons in question are of causing Divisions amongst People whereever they come of renting the Unity of the Church and disturbing the peace thereof of giving offence to Rulers and Governours by their constant and wilfull violation of all Ecclesiastical and Civil order and discipline is too notoriously known by sad experience in all places And whether the other Character in the text belongs to them that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and seek not so much mens Souls for therein they may spare their pains as needless where there is a preaching Ministry established as their purses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making merchandize of the word of God their hearers and followers are best able to tell and will I think in a while be weary of it In the mean time we that are Pastours of Flocks find by experience in those places where these persons intrude themselves that the People are ready to pull their own Ministers bread out of their mouths to feed those their new Masters live we never so blamelesly and take we never so much pains amongst them for the good of their Souls Yea they hate those their Ministers most who best deserve their love and lay most obligations on them According to that of the Philosopher Leve aes alienum debitorem facit grave inin●icum A bad Debtor when he owes but a small summ will be contented to look towards you but when it is great more than he can well pay or as much as he thinks he can get then he will be glad to be rid of you Again The Apostle foretells that towards the latter end of the World and surely those days are come upon us Perilous times shall come and there shall be many that shall creep into houses and lead Captive silly Women from such turn away And whom do the men we are speaking of most prevail upon and draw after them but easie and unstable souls such as have itching Ears always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth well meaning People that are spurred on with zeal and want judgment to hold the reins many times an over vehement bending into some way of our own chusing doth not onely withdraw us from the left hand way the way of Idolatry and Superstition from which we should all withdraw but from the middle way too in which we should all walk And then the danger is great The Devil doth many times make zeal and religion his instrument to drive men on to incredible extremities of impiety For if he cannot take away mens faith yet he will quench their Charity to others even to those to whom they owe it most For zeal except it be ordered aright when it bendeth it self to conflict with things either indeed or but imagined to ●e opposite to Religion useth the razor many times with such eagerness that the very life of Religion is thereby hazarded through hatred of tares the corn in the field is plucked up So that zeal needeth both ways a sober guide Zeal against Poperty saith another learned Authour who conceals his name except it be bridled by discretion and attended by equal pace of strength is not the way to protect but to betray a cause Those that were lately zealous for the good old cause lost it and the King had not better friends than his most implacable Enemies Fury is as bad in a Champion as torpour it is an even temperature of wisedom and valour that doeth the execution A sober Protestant though he rageth less shall prevail more on a Papist than a mad Fanatique The greatest part of zeal against Popery that is found amongst the Nonconformists is like that of one frantick who wounds himself