Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	authority_n	bishop_n	church_n	2,934	5	4.3576	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87806	Five seasonable sermons. As they were preached before eminent auditories, upon several arguments. / By Paul Knell Master in Arts, of Clare-Hall in Cambridge. Sometimes chaplain to a regiment of curiasiers in His late Majesties Army.	Knell, Paul, 1615?-1664.; Knell, Paul, 1615?-1664. Israel and England paralelled.; Knell, Paul, 1615?-1664. Looking-glasse for Levellers.	1660 (1660)	Wing K678; Thomason E1766_2; ESTC R209658	76,872	199

he may gain a Baylonish garment two hundred shekels of filver and a wedge of gold Saul will spare the spoile of Amalek if he may gain good store of rich plunder Gehazi will tell an arrant lie to Naaman if he may gain two talents and new clothes Iudas will betray his Lord and Master if he may gain thirty pieces of silver The Souldiers will say that Christ was stollen out of the grave if the chief Priests will give them large mony Iezebel will plot Naboths death if she may gain his vineyard she proclaimed a fast yet knew no other godlinesse but gain and this likewise set the chief Priests awork to conspire the death of Christ Come say they let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours That we may be no longer dressers but possessors of the vineyard that there may be no Superiour no Lord over us but that the Church may be ruled and governed as we list that the doctrine and discipline of it may be what we see good nay that we may have dominion as well over mens free-hold as their faith that their consciences and coffers may both be at our command This was the end that the cheif Priests aimed at when they conspired against the Heir come let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours And herein the Bishop of Rome looketh very like them who stileth himself Christs Vicar St. Peters successour he saith that he is the right Heir the Head of Christs whole Church he arrogateth the title of Vniversal Bishop he chalengeth as it were the Wardship nay the Lordship of the Church whatsoever he saith must go for Gospel meerly because he saith it he taketh upon him more than Apostolical authority even that which is Gods peculiar To forgive sins for which cause fall the silly people unto him and thereout he sucketh no small advantage it is a masse of money that his Pardons annually bring in to him And other stratagems he hath but all to enrich himself he will release men out of his pretended Purgatory if they will give him money enough he will warrant they shall be heirs of Heaven though herein he contradict himself for sometimes he telleth them that they can never be sure of heaven til they come thither yet thus he befooleth the people he will warrant them an inheritance in heaven if they will make him their Heir on Earth His whole Religion indeed is nothing else but a politick project to get money he feedeth not the flock of Christ but feedeth upon it he keepeth the people in ignorance seeking not them but theirs He and all his Cardinals Monks and Abbots they seek their own profit and preferment their own gain and greatness like these cheif Priest in our Text whose aim was to get the inheritance Come say they Let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours And so I have gone thorow the several parts of the Text a few words of application and I have done Our Text is a plain conspiracy against our Saviour And the conspiracy of Levellers against our Soveraign will match it right Our Saviour let out his vineyard to Husbandmen so our Soveraign did as it were let out his Kingdome to States-men he gave them power to prune and dresse it to take off superfluities to rectifie enormities he gave them their hearts desire and denied them not the request of their lips he granted that which none but a most indulgent Landlord would ere have granted they asked a lease of him and he gave them a long lease longer than any of their Predecessours ever had he made them no Tenants for yeares much lesse at will but reserving his fee-simple I mean his Negative voice he gave it under his hand that he would not re-enter till they themselves consented to it O fortunatos nimium bona si sua n●rint Agricolas What men were ever so happy as these might have been How might the glory of their God of their King of their Country and even of themselves have been advanced by them But neglecting the three first they aimed chiefly at the last at their own glory For assoon as their unlucky lease was sealed they straight way thought themselves free-holders taking Regal power upon them as if the Militia the Kings Inheritance had been theirs they devested their Soveraign of it and invested themselves with it making the Heir of three Kingdomes though no child in any thing but malice to differ nothing from a servant when he was Lord of all For without him they took upon them to un-make and to make Lawes saying we have the Legislative power who is Lord over us And that they might the better enjoy the Crown they entred into Covenant against the Miter resolved to abolish the excellent government of Bishops root and branch And because the King against his oath and conscience would not yeeld to this Come said they let us compell him to it by force of arms they set the people awork first to mutiny then to fight against him as who should say we have no part in Charles neither have we inheritance in the son of James every man to his tents O England they proclaimed open war against Him and his Adherents giving out Commissions to kill and slay all persons that should oppose them their Soveraign Lord the King was not excepted for bullets cannot distinguish between a Scepter and a Shovel the sword as David said devoureth one as well as another But seeing they could not kill him in the field they have since attempted it in prison it is too apparent that the Ring-leaders of this rebellion had an hand in that late conspiracy against him Nor is it only Carolus but even Rex that they strike at going about not only to kill the Person but the very office of the King Come say they Let us break his bands asunder and cast away his cords from us Come let us make no more addresses to him but let us make our selves a Free-State that the name of Monarchy may be no more in remembrance And to effect this they have made the Kingdom not only a field but even a sea of blood breathing out nothing but slaughter against all loyal Subjects killing and slaying butchering and murthering their brethren whose blood they have shed like water on every side like that woman in the Revelation drinking themselves drunk with the blood of Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus It is no marvel if these blood-hounds will not have God's Commandments read in Churches for one of these telleth them expreslly they must do no murther and as almost all the rest so most especially that sixth Commandment they count Apocryphal for murdering of men is their profession and a great part of their Religion as if Mars were their god and Mahomet their Messiah Let them usurp the name of Christians while they will I am sure their bloody practises proclaim them arrant Turks Christianity is for the