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	church_n	reason_n	1,519	5	4.9993	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15991	Three partes of Salomon his Song of Songs, expounded The first part printed before: but now re-printed and enlarged. The second and third partes neuer printed before. All which parts are here expounded and applied for the readers good. By Henoch Clapham.; Bible. O.T. Song of Solomon. English. Clapham.	Clapham, Henoch.	1603 (1603)	STC 2772; ESTC S116334	255,503	332

added taken away altered For their Popes voyce reade their Platina and other their owne writers and it shall appeare to be the voyce somtimes of an heretike many times of an Atheist the Dragons mouth of blasphemie opened against the heauenly places and the Saints therein To seeke for the olde way at the mouths of these who frame new deuises euery day it should prooue but folly and frenzie Some here will demaund if so the old way be not to be found amongst the ancient fathers Greeke and Latine I answere yes the old way at least for the substance thereof it is by GOD his watchfull prouidence preserued amongest them For as we were to belieue that they were holy lampes in their age so we are to belieue and these which are conuersant in their writings can proue that howsoeuer with themselues somtimes one with another they dissented yet in the Foundation and Substance of Religion they consented But seeing this substantiall truth as the lillie among the thornes it is not onely too vneasie of many Christians to bee selected but is also knowne to be truth by some other example patterne before them it remaineth wee examine which is the old and perfect way In one word it is the very Word of God contained in the Canonicall scriptures A word and will so perfect as Iohn sealeth it vp in Reuel 22. with a curse to him that addeth to it or taketh from it Yea it is so perfect a word as Perfection was in it before Christes Incarnation which causeth Peter to say We haue a most sure word of the Prophets to the which ye doe well that ye take heed as vnto a Light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and arise in your hearts Nor was it other scripture then the Old Testament which is commended to Tim●thie for able to make the man of God absolute and perfect vnto all good workes Nay which more is it was so perfect in Salomons time as nothing was to be put vnto it Prou. 30.6 But which dooth more magnifie the scriptures sufficiency it was perfect in Moses his time that is the perfect rule of f●ith is contained in the fiue bookes of Moses Deut. 12.32 This word of God so perfect in Moses perfect in Salomon perfect in the Prophets as I may say by way of resemblance perfect in Father perfect in Sonne perfect in Holy-ghost sacred Trinitie in Vnitie It then will be demaunded what vse is there so of the new testament I answere vnspeakable much As Salomon did comment on Moses and the Prophets on both so the newe Testament is a commentarie on all Such paines the holy-ghost hath taken for causing the way of truth to be easie as indeede it is easie Pro9 8.9 to such as will vnderstand That causeth Isaiah to send his people To the law and testimonie Chap. 8.20 and this caused Christ to send the people to the olde Testament which saith Search the scriptures in Iohn 5.39 and this for their further conuiction for he knew that they had not the will to come vnto him Some late Romanists vrge the word Indicatiuely thus You doe search c. because they would debarre lay-people from reading the Scriptures and for the Indicatiue sence they produce Cyrill Against which one I oppose Tertullian Origen Chrysostome Augustine c. Rupertus Aquinas Gerson Albertus Magnus and who not Christ saith Chrysostome sent not the Iews backe to the simple and bare reading of the scriptures but to the very diligent search thereof He saide not Reade the scriptures but Search He commaundeth to digge more deepely that so we may finde the things which are hidde in profunditie And for such profound search it is that S. Luke so highly praiseth the Beraeans To leaue Gods Rule for Mans Rule it is to forsake triple perfection for more imperfection and to vse Ieremies speech it is a forsaking of him that is the fountaine of liuing waters for digging to mens selues pits broken pits that can hold no water Chap. 2.13 When Augustine dealeth with the Donatists he saith Let vs not heare I say this thou saist that but let vs heare haec dicit dominus this saith the Lord. The Lordes bookes are certaine to the authoritie whereof we both consent Ibi quaeramus ecclesiam therein let vs seeke the Church by them let vs examine our cause I will not that the Church be shewen by humane documents but by the diuine oracles Herevpon it was that Chrysostomes Riual considering the church all in confusion from Mat. 24. he cryeth These that be in Iudaea Let them flie to the mountaines namely such as are in Christianitie Conferant se ad scripturas let them betake themselues to the Scriptures Because from the time that Heresie inuadeth the churches there can bee no probation of true Christianitie nor for such as are willing to know the truth of faith can there be any other refuge but the sacred scriptures Before such time by many meanes it might haue beene manifested which was the Church of Christ and which was Gentilisme but now to such as are willing to know which is the true Church of Christ there is no way but tantummodo per scripturas only by the Scriptures Thus together with the ancient Church of God I conclude from Scripture that in the word of God is contained the Old way wherein the faithfull are to walke Of the Prophets and Apostles therefore we are to learne with them to consult But here the Romanists do obiect thus the Scriptures are a a waxen Nose a shipmans Hose which euerie heretike can turne to his purpose the Scriptures therefore how perfect soeuer to saluation yet not sufficient for Instruction I answere first let them graunt vs saluation and let them take the destruction to themselues Secondly how it is possible they should be sufficient for saluation but not for instruction seeing howsoeuer instruction may be without saluation yet saluation cannot be without instruction Thirdly if the word of the Creator be insufficient what Diuell is that dare say the worde of any creature can bee sufficient Fourthly no Heretike can turne the scripture to his heretical purpose He may labour so to turne it he may contend to make it a Pandor but such it neuer can be for as an Ancient well saieth it is not the Scripture but their collection or sense of scripture that maketh the heresie Fiftly I answere that though the Old way be manifest in the scriptures yet onely seene of these that haue the eyes of the scriptures Colours cease not to be colours though the blinde cannot iudge of them Men are Men though the halfe blinde in the Gospel saw them a farre off to be but as trees The insufficiencie is not in the word but in our vnderstandings and therefore stand need with the Emmauites in Luke 24. to haue our vnderstandings and cies opened of Iesus When we are come to the scriptures wee are come to

innocencie to the very death Iob 27.3 4 5 6. howsoeuer in some other things and respects our owne mouth shall condemne vs and our owne garments make vs filthy Iob 9.20.30 31. For to make euill good and good euill it is the worke of the diuel and the building of Babel a Tower of confusion Touching the comparison drawne from Kedars tents and Salomons curtaines it may well be conceiued that shee vnderstandeth both of them to be amiable and loue-some For Salomons curtaines none doubts it but else for Kedars tents diuerse take them to be a demonstration of her blackenesse as the other of her comlinesse and this is their reason the Kedarites dwelt in tents and open fieldes where all was exposed to the parching Sunne therefore more like to set forth her blackenesse True it is that they dwelt in tents pitched in the desart exposed to Sunne and all other weather Yet take this withall it was Arabiaes desart and they were very rich and glorious For this doe consider these places Ezek. 27.21 Ier. 49.28.29 Isa. 21.13.16.17 besides humane histories who largely treate of the excellent precious things of Arabia deserta and of the plenty thereof Solinus Polyhistor feareth not to say Aliena non emunt vendunt sua They buy not of others but sell to others All which weighed I rather thinke that besides blackenesse matter of desire is also vnderstood q.d. True I am blacke as Kedars tents yet is there in mee precious things for the which I am to be desired euen as Kedars tents haue beene desired not for their outward hue but for the precious gemmes gold and pleasant odours that be couched in them Arabia looked rudely yet by searching it regularly there was to be found precious stones excellent odours c. Yea in it was the Phoenix If so God created such a creature as is onely Male or onely Female or else an Hermaphrodite who because she is euer but One might also well resemble Messiahs Church who after in this Song is saide to be Alone Who may with the Phoenix be burned when she hath finished her testimonie but else out of her ashes ariseth a new seede like vnto Dauid and Christ at first A Worme and no Man which holdeth out the former testimonie through the worlds-desart worse then that of Arabia But to passe by that let vs here learne not to iudge peremptorily vpon outward appearance For if the Naturian could say truely Wisedome oftentimes is couered with a base garment wee may much more say by spirituall Canon that as Christ in outward appeerance had neither forme nor beautie Isa. 53.2 and yet were couched in him all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coloss. 2.3 euen so it befalleth his Church and members thereof namely to be oftentimes lacking in the externall appearance and yet otherwise all glorious within for which our Salomon taketh pleasure in her Psal. 45.11.13 And indeede this Kings daughter is rather glorious within then without howsoeuer Papist and Brownist would haue vs to measure it rather by outward appearance the first by player-like paintings the second by supposed Saintings Besides hir egreging the same by allusion to Salomons curtaines which in all probability must be passing worthy answereable to the rest of his glory she teacheth that the graces of Christ Iesus in his Church they exceede all ordinary glory Yea that the gifts of Messiahs spirit they are the Tabernacles curtaines the deckings of the Church the Couert ouer Salomon-Messiah represented by the Douish wings couering Iesus at his baptisme Luke 3.22 Lastly seeing neither the glory of Kedars tent nor Salomons Bed could be discerned otherwise then darkely till the curtaines and vailes were remooued it may put vs in minde of Messiah and the excellent things of his spirit which vnder sacramentall signes and shadowes lie couched darkely yet neuerthelesse by the eye of the soule a beleeuing minde are truely discerned And from hence groweth this diuine axiome The law a shadow the Gospel an Image the substance in heauen For as Ambrose could well say The Emperour being absent his Image hath authoritie but being present it hath none Lect. VII Verse 5. Respect me not because I am blacke for the Sunne hath looked vppon me The Sonnes of my mother haue fumed against me They put mee for a keeper of the Vines My Vine which was to me I haue not kept THe Church of the Gentiles vnto the Synagogue of the Iewes doth herein offer vp first a Petition and then secondly a reason of her Petition The Petition is this Regarde me not because I am blacke q.d. Let not my blacke hew be so much in your eie let not my swart colour be a cause why therfore yee should condemne me wholy and conclude me vtterly vnfitte for Messiah Where wee may obserue not onely her aduersaries forme of Argumentation which was from a parte to the whole from the Accident to the Subiect and so reason our aduersaries The Part is euill therefore the Whole is euill The Accident is discommendable therefore also the Subiect but also we may note the Churches humility euen in her innocencie Shee knoweth her cause to be good and her aduersaries to be bad yet she fretteth not railes not but in all holie meeknesse doth petitionate and humblie intreate her aduerse Sister to iudge rightly of hir Such humility was in Iob being falsly charged by his kinsfolkes such humilitie was in Abraham towardes Lot when Lot should rather haue supplicated to his vnckle his Elder the great father of the promise sealed vp to the Gentiles As Loue wil couer a multitude of transgressious specialy in zealous Brethren so the Soule that is humbled in the owne eies it will not stand vpon these tearmes I am Elder I am Better I haue the better cause c. but for edification sake where hope of edification is not barred vp it will cause a soule to vse soft words to desire reconciliation Yea for maintaining and procuring peace it will cause good Iaakob to present giftes and sweetely to salute Esau. Follow Peace we ought not it to follow vs and that with all men specially with the houshold of Faith Nor can this be followed if wee follow not the meanes Flie from meeke and soft termes flie from intreaties flie from humble gestures and then Peace will flie Vnity will not be Anger will rise Enuy will enter Wrath and Fury will set all the house on fire Thus wee see how Pride is enemy to Peace but Humilitie an appeaser of Wrath a quencher of Enuy a mother to peace and sacred vnion The reason of her Petition lieth in the other part of the Verse and that is drawen from the cause of her Blackenesse And that cause is two-folde the first is externall the second internall The externall cause of her blackenesse is first the Sunne secondly her mothers sonnes inforcing her to forraine workes The internall cause is her owne negligence in not keeping her owne