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A12472 The doctrine of praier in generall for all men, that is, vniuersally for all mankind: Proued 1. By the true sence of the words if the Apostle 1. Tim 2. 2. By the reasons, why all men in that since should be praid for. 3. By the doctrine establishing such praier. 4. By the practises of churches, concerning that kind of praier. 5. By the obiections, ansuered. Against the position of those that say and preach, that all men are not to be praid for. By I. Smith, minister of Gods word at Reading. Smith, John, minister at Reading.; Smith, John, 1563-1616. 1595 (1595) STC 22797; ESTC S102599 80,671 127

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it were so many tyrants oppressors and euen sworne enemies of Christ and of the professors of his holie name The Apostle therefore euen meeteth with this scruple bidding them also to pray for them For surely the wickednesse of men can not cause or worke any thing but that neuerthelesse the ordinance of the Lord is to bee loued and praied for And kings and magistrates are ordained of God For euerie power is of God yea euen the wicked Rulers and gouernors are giuen for the sinnes of the people and his iudgements hanging ouer their heades Now in that he saith For kings and for al that are in authoritie might be good matter found and arguments drawne for the defence of the cause and Praier as wee haue set downe For I doe not thinke that verier Reprobates haue liued since the ascention of the Lord then haue beene some contained in this clause where it is said Kings and all that are in authoritie whome the Church from time to time hath praied for And yet as most wicked rebels and apostataes haue fallen away or haue quite renounced or neuer receiued or more cruelly persecuted or more feare●ully beene blinded from the waies of the truth and the light of the Lord which liueth and lasteth for euer But because the matter hereof is comprehended in this That praier is to be made for All mankind vniuersally and that such like arguments are comprehended therein Therefore I surcease vpon such occasions and goe forward to my prefixed article and point which is to shew the Reasons why praier should bee made for all men in generall beginning with the Apostle Saint Paule in the third verse aboue who giueth this reason For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour who will that All men shall be saued and come to the acknowledging of the truth This reason conteineth two thinges The one that this kind of praier for mankind and for all men is pleasing to God the other thing is a consequent thereof shewing that it is his will that all men should be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth And therefore such a praier is pleasing vnto God and agreeable vnto his will The first part For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour A good God is not pleased but with good things he is pleased with this praier this praier therfore is a good worke a good thing Early in the morning will I direct my praier vnto thee and will looke vp for thou art the God that hast no pleasure in wickednes neither shall any euill dwell with thee truely hee is kind and louing vnto Israell euen vnto such as are of a cleane heart Bee thankfull vnto him therefore and speake good of his name for the Lord is gracious his mercie is euerlasting and his truth indureth from generation to generation It is also acceptable that is wel pleasing yea it pleaseth him better then a bullocke that hath hornes and hoofes Thinkest thou that I wil eat buls flesh and drink the blood of goates Offer vnto God thankesgiuing Who so offereth me thanks and praise he honoreth me Thou delightest not in burnt offerings the sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit The Lord said vnto Salomon ask what thou wilt that I may giue it thee Salomon said giue thy seruant an vnderstanding heart c. And this pleased the Lord well That he had desired this thing For it was to discerne righteously between brother and brother for the setting vp of iustice and iudgement and for the preseruation of his people So intreat God for his people yea and for all mankind count it not a charitie in praier more then God requireth say not it is a superfluous and foolish charitie to doe it For it is the Lords commandment and such kind of praier is good pleasing and acceptable in his sight and he shall heare it and it shall returne into my owne bosome And this much for the first clause or part The consequent of the reason is a describing of the will of God to be applied vnto thy praier wherby thou shalt know that thou seruest him For hee that calleth vpon him according to his will serueth him And the words be these Who will that All men shall be saued and come to the acknowledging of his truth Some take these words and make them absolute of themselues and apply vnto them sundrie significations according as they may bee taken in diuinitie or according as in some sence and in some respect this way or that way they may be interpreted but that is not much pertinent to this matter For the words are respectiue and are the cheife clause and weight of the reason giuen by the holy ghost establishing that praier For the exhortation concerning this rule of praier consisteth of three parts A proposition the end and effect and a reason The proposition Let praier be made for all men The end and effect That we may lead a quiet life in all godlines c. The reason Thou wilt say Why so and wherfore the holy ghost informeth thee For that is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour And he confirmeth that by his will who will haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth as if he should say Therefore is it good and acceptable in his sight because he would haue no man cast away but be saued because he would haue no man ignorant of him but all to come to the knowledge of his truth he will not the death of a sinner but rather that he should conuert and liue We need not be afraid to vnderstand the Apostles words I doubt not but the Apostle knew what he wrote for he had a good teacher Let vs therefore take them according to the mind of the teacher And since his mercie stretcheth vnto All men let vs hope and pray that we may be of that number that may receiue and enioy such his mercies laid vp in store for them that loue him But least I may seeme to speake some vnnecessarie thing let me shew by other places of scripture my further meaning and whether the reason of any doctrine or scripture be so necessarie or no or whether I haue spoken cleane from the purpose First then we read in S. Mathew While thoughts did arise in the heart of Ioseph it was said vnto him of the Angell Feare not to take to thee Mary thy wife the reason wherewithal he is confirmed is for that which is conceiued in her is of the holie ghost Againe thou shalt call his name Iesus The reason For he shal saue his people from their sins againe He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit The reason For without me can ye doe nothing Againe the true worshippers shal worship the father in spirit and truth The reason For the father requireth euen
actiones Giuing of thanks when we praise the Lord for his benefits renounce our owne strength confesse all from him and his goodnes Thus then the Apostle saith I exhort aboue all things that publike praier be made in the church and congregation that is praiers intreating the Lord for deliuerance supplications for the increase of Gods gifts both spirituall and temporall postulations intercessions for conuersion sauing health and deliuerance giuing of thankes for the Lords great kindnesse shewed Let these be made in the congr●gation for all men Thus far then we see plainely who commaundeth the Apostle of the Lord a sure maister builder from and by the spirit of God What he commandeth publique praier to be made For whom For all men Now yet for all this we are not thought to haue gotten any great furtherance or aduantage towards that state in this question which we looke for if we remember our selues For although the Apostle say Pray for all men yet it may be in some certaine phrase of speeche And though it bee pronounced All men yet in some speciall sence it may be particuler inough And so to pray for all men may be no more to say Then to pray for some men or for some men of all sorts c. For this phrase All men is taken sundrie waies and it may be S. Paul meaneth some one of those particuler waies And therefore we will speake of them first and shew which all men we meane In the treatise before spoken of there is sundrie distinctions of all men as in this phrase of speech Such a man teacheth all the towne grammer Al men go in at this gate when as yet he teacheth no more then such as come of the towne and no moe passe at the gate then such as goe in Againe this word All is not put alwaies in the scripture for euery particular man woman and child but sometime for the greater part as all the Aegiptians came to Ioseph that is the greater part And sometime for the elect as As by Adam all die so by Christ shall all be made aliue that is all the elect c. Sometime it is taken also for the wicked as thus Ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake that is of all the wicked For the auoiding therefore of these and such like manner of speeches I set downe in plaine words after this sort That S. Paul when in this rule aboue specified commanded to pray for All men that he meant that wee ought to pray for all men that is all people vniuersall mankind And for the auoiding of cauilles in this sence doe I take his words through all this whole discourse and therefore I will proceed after this sort 1. First I will shew the interpretation of the words Al men to that effect out of holie writers 2. Secondly the reasons why all men in that sence should be praied for 3. Thirdly the doctrine establishing such praier 4. Fourthlie the practise of Churches concerning that kind of praier 5. Fiftly the Obiections against it Forasmuch as a holie father saith our praier is a speech and talke with God and that he hath taught in his word what manner of persons we should be and how instructed vnto whom we come and what to aske therefore the counsell of Chrisostome is good to be followed who thus teacheth Oratio ergo continua instans predicatio necesse est vt habeat mentis vigilantiam vt agnoscat quis oret quid oret ad quem orat Continuall praier and instant talking vnto God it is needfull that it haue a watchfulnes of the mind to discerne who praieth what he praieth and to whom he praieth Of the three circumstances this is to be considered here namely what a man praieth and whether it may bee according to the mind of God or no. For a man to pray for himselfe necessitie compelleth saith another but to pray for others brotherly loue exhorteth but more sweet is that praier vnto God not which necessitie sendeth forth but which brotherly loue commendeth Let therefore as the Apostle counselleth brotherly loue continue And let vs see what we are to pray for concerning men and mankind and our brethren in brotherly loue One saith Hac de causa veteribus crant litae vel litania quibus pro populo pro regibus pro episcopis pro Repub. alijsquè periculis orientibus deo supplicabant Deus enim praedicationem functionem ministrorum secundat For this cause in the old churches they had their lites and litanies wherwithall they made supplication vnto God for the people for their kinges for the Bishops for the common-weale for other dangers like to arise and spring For God doth prosper and giue a blessing vnto the preaching and function of ministers S. Augustine speaking of the manners of praying in his time saith Oramus etiam non solum pro nolentibus verumetiam pro repugnantibus oppugnantibus Quid ergò petimus nisi vt fiant ex nolentibus volentes ex repugnantibus consentientes ex oppugnantibus amantes à quo nisi ab illo dè quo scriptum est praeparatur volūtas à deo We pray saith S. August not only for the vnwilling but also for such as resist and for such as fight and set themselues against the truth then what require we But that of vnwilling they may be made willing of resisters receiuers and embraces of the truth and for such as fight against that they may bee made louers of the same Of whom but of him concerning whom it is written The will is prepared of the Lord. Chrisost. likewise Nam quarè pro pace mundique tranquillitate nos iussit orare Quare prò omnibus hominibus cum hic vbique sint latrones fures ac sacrilegi infinitis pleni facinoribus tamē pro omnibus precamur forsitàn aliqua fiat eorum mutatio For wherefore hath God commanded vs to pray for peace and tranquillitie of the world Wherfore for all men When as of all sides there are theeues and robbers and sacrilegious persons and full of infinite wickednes And yes we pray for al happely there may be made some change of them And againe Si verò non prò fidelibus tantum sed etiam prò infidelibus orare iubemur cogita quantum mali sit contra fratres imprecari If we bee commanded to pray not only for the beleeuers but also for the infidels thinke with thy selfe how great an euill it is to giue forth cursings against the brethren Now then that which we here haue said teacheth vs this much That wee ought to know what to pray herein That in brotherly loue dutie we ought to cōmend others vnto God That ancient churches haue had their letanies for the people for kings for bishops for the common-weale That God blesseth the work of the ministery in such a case That in S. August time they praied for the
segregari quibus cōmunis erat vocatio That they were both alike companions of outward calling I meane Esau and Iacob whereby it is plaine That they were separate by the secret counsell of God vnto whom yet the calling was common But after manie his wicked fruites Let vs yet see againe the iudgement of the Church and how Iacob and his people intertained him Iacob saith to his messengers Thus shall you speake to my Lord Esau c. Thy seruant Iacob saith thus And in his praier Deliuer me from the hand of my brother Esau. And againe For I haue seene thy face as though I haue seene the face of God c. And oft he calleth him My Lord. Now then we see he was not reiected of his parents the children had one calling outward alike Iacob knowing the fruits of his life disdaineth him not calleth him not Reprobate reiecteth him not Hee tearmeth him Lord Brother as the Face of God intertaineth him as one would intertaine a brother in the Lord sheweth the kindnesse of Christian to Christian Yea and I doubt not praied oft that God would turne his heart For why should not hee shew that kinknesse towardes his brother towards whom he gaue such gracious wordes And why should not he in charitie doe that towards his brother which Abraham his grandfather had done towards the Edomites and was accepted of God To conclude In all his discourse concerning Esau I see no cause suppose he were a Reprobate why the Church should deale otherwise in these dayes then these Fathers did or should reiect him for a Reprobate till the Lord had reuealed him and reiected him as wee shall see of Saul Seconly concerning Saul as if he were aliue Was he not intertained by Samuel after this sort Did he not feast him set him in the highest place Said he not vnto him Whose shall the beautifull things of Israel be belong they not to thee and to all thy fathers house powred hee not oyle vpon him signifying the gifts of the holy Ghost Did he not kisse him and said Hath not the Lord appointed thee to bee the captaine ouer his inheritance Did not Saul prophesie with the Prophets and was he not changed into an other man Said not Samuel to him Doe what thou hast to doe for God is with thee and I will come to thee to Gilgal to sacrifice whole burnt offerings a●d peace offerings and did not God giue him another heart Did not also Samuel say to the people See ye not him whom the Lord hath chosen and how there is none like him amōgst al the people and did not al the people shoute pray for him and say God saue the king and did not a band of men follow him whose hearts God had touched And were they not the children of Beliall that despised him Adde herevnto all the kindnesses of Dauid It were too long to set downe all c. Now looke here what prince of Israel could be better receiued and that which ●as done was done according to the mind of God and that which was perfourmed towardes him was of the Prophet of God was of the people of God and that not in policie but in Religion He was anointed kissed feasted he prophesied was with the Prophets was at the seruice of burnt offerings and peace offerings the people showted they praied for him the good ones followed him the sonnes of Belial despised him hee is cherished and reuerenced for the Lords anointed And what more would they haue done to Dauid himselfe So Saule is receiued and intertained as is before as the instrument of God the man that shall reigne ouer my people hee is now changed into another man the people shew their cause to him and the tidings of the men of Iabes And the spirit of God came vpon Saule When he heard these tidings he heweth the oxen in peeces numbreth his people came vpon the enemies in the morning watch slue the Amonites til the heat of the day The enemies are scattered the people greatly reioice and are knit to their king Samuell and the people goe vp to Gilgall made Saule king there before the Lord offered peace offerings before the Lord and there Saule and all the men of Israell reioiced exceedinglie And thus far we see the acceptation of Saule his commendation from the mouth of God the prophet of God approuing him God hims●lfe assisting him with his spirit by the hand of God he and his people obtein a noble victorie Lastly wee find Samuel and the king and the people seruing the Lord together and offering peace offerings before the Lord and all Israel and they reioicing and triumphing exceedingly Samuel also declaring his integritie and innocencie speaketh before the Lord and his annointed Thus here is Gods hand and assistance the prophets approbation and counsell the king discharging his function the people gladly obeying Saul is the king and Saul the Lords annointed All reioice in God No reiection No contempt of the king No name of Reprobate And therefore no cause but that he was fauoured and taken as the good instrument of God for their defence for a good man for a captaine and companion in Gods busines and so reputed amongst them And thus Saul had now beene king one yeare and he raigned two yeares ouer I●raell that is as some interprete he reigned this long lawfully Not reiected of the Lord nor forsaken of his spi●it and as other some say hee reigned in his goodnes and innocencie this long though in his corrupt and malicious mind he reigned moe yeares and this much of his estimation and proceedings in his kingdome and herein not reuealed as a castaway or reprobate But now of his fall and reiection Saule had great experience of the goodnes of the Lord who chose him when he was little in his owne eies and adorned him with his gifts knit the people vnto him blessed his handiwork gaue him victorie Now then he must be tried whether in aduersitie in the falling away of the people whom before he saw stand to him In this streit the people being scattered whether hee will trust to the Lord stand to him or depend on flesh on the helpe of man on the strength of his host of the people or no. And for that Saul had destroied a garison of the Philistims Israell was an abhomination vnto them the Philistims come vp against them as the sand of the sea Israel is in distresse and hide themselues in rockes and holes c. Some went ouer Iordan all that followed Saul were dismaied and afraid he tarried the seuen daies the time appointed by Samuell and without Samuell which hee should not haue done calleth for the burnt sacrifice and peace offeringes and offered a whole burnt sacrifice For this worke what reasons soeuer he alledged Samuel said vnto him Thou art become a foole thou hast not kept the commandement of the