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	word_n	2,098	5	4.2654	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44658	A twofold vindication of the late Arch-bishop of Canterbury, and of the author of The history of religion the first part defending the said author against the defamations of Mr. Atterbury's sermon and ... : the charge of Socinianism against Dr. Tillotson consider'd ... : the second containing remarks on the said sermon ... : and a word in defence of the ... Bishop of Sakisbury, by another hand.	Howard, Robert, Sir, 1626-1698.	1696 (1696)	Wing H3006; ESTC R9361	74,122	190

affirm of the Jews in his Life of Pythagoras that they mix'd many things borrowed from the Egyptians with their own holy Rites I have said enough to justify what the Arch-bishop hath taught concerning the Original of Sacrifice and who is there now that will not be amaz'd at the Impudence of the Libeller who in his first Libel against the Arch-bishop is not asham'd to vomit up this ignorant false and inconsistent Charge p. 5. This Author meaning the Arch-bishop would perswade us that the Devil was the Author and first Inventer of it i. e. of Sacrifice and that God came in but at the second hand in imitation of the Devil to graft upon his Stock For as I have shown the truth is the Arch-bishop leaves it in doubt whether Sacrifice took its Original from Natural Reason or Divine Revelation and might without any Injury to the Cause of Religion have determin'd the former and he asserts but this that when the sacrifical and other ritual way of Worship came to be grosly corrupted God purg'd it from all its gross Corruption and because the Jews were incorrigibly fond of it God having purg'd it from all its gross Corruption and order'd and dispos'd it wisely he then in pity to the Infirmity of his People indulg'd it to them but always signified that he had no pleasure in Ritual Services for their own sakes and that what he most esteem'd was Obedience to the Laws of Righteousness Generally base Men do either find or make some Umbrage for their Calumnies but never did wicked Wretch with Case-harden'd Conscience vouch such notorious odious Lies such broad and bare fac'd Calumnies as the Libeller It 's plain to me if the Devil be a worse Creature 't is only because he has the greater Power 'T is a Note of Varro's which one would think could not but be true neque in bonâ segete nullam esse spicam nequam neque in malâ non aliquod bonum in the best Field of Corn some bad Ears in the worst some good ones But the Libeller's Supplement is a Field which throws up plenty of wild Fancies gross Mistakes malicious Reproaches false Imputations yet wherein he quarrels the Arch-bishop or Sir R. H. not one honest probable or pardonable Saying arises How this comes to pass is to me pure Amazement if it be Fate the Libeller is doom'd the most severely of all the Sons of Men if Free-will none e're worse us'd his Liberty no not the Traitor Judas for 't is true he betray'd a better Man but I do not read he so belied him On two more Heads viz. the Death of Christ and the Eternity of Hell-Punishments great Out-cries are rais'd against the Arch-bishop but his Grace's Reasonings are not consider'd nor answer'd that 's not the Libeller's way On the former both the late Arch-bishop and the present Bishop of Sarum speak to this purpose We know no reason but that God might if it had pleased him have brought about the Salvation of Mankind by another way than the Death of Christ his Justice did not necessarily oblige him to redeem the World by the Blood of his Son I must confess I think that the Modern Unitarians have more carefully judiciously and exactly handled this Subject than either of these two very learned and good Bishops but in Defence of what the latter teaches these things are plain and obvious That Lord who punishes his Vassal without a Cause or more than the Cause offer'd does deserve is unjust That Lord who exacts the utmost Penalty of the Breach of a just Law is just but he is not oblig'd to exact it because then he were oblig'd not to be merciful this Argument is close plain and must conclude the Dispute unless Justice according to the Dream of John Calvin be one thing with respect to Man and another with respect to God I will prove that the Notion of the word Justice is one and the same let it be consider'd with respect to God or Man We read of no other measures of Justice in Scripture than never punishing beyond Demerit the Punisher if a Supream always having the Power not to punish so far Indeed Inferiour Officers are absolutely bound to exact the utmost Penalty of the Law transgress'd unless their Commission leaves some Cases to their Discretion but the supream Governour of a Nation and the great Governour of the World may if they please forgive much and be never the less just they may so for all that we read in Scripture they may so for all that we can discover by Reason A constant unrelenting Execution of Justice leaves no room for Mercy but wise and gracious Acts of Mercy in proper time and place dispens'd are no Blemish at all to Justice But if we suppose God to be just by other measures of Justice than Scripture and Reason acquaint us with we mispend our time in talking about his Justice Again if we suppose Justice with respect to God to be something which we can't understand or rather something contrary to that which we do understand and that it always requires full Satisfactions for Sin the Consequence of this will be that God can forgive no Sin so that what the Libeller disputes for is the eternal Misery of Mankind Let him dispute for his own Soul as being unworthy of the Mercy which he blasphemously reproaches but 't is an odd Opinion for one that calls himself a true Son of the Church that neither God nor the King can be just while he is on this side Hell and the Grave To urge Authority here is an Argument little worth that is as to the Merits of the Cause but it will sly in the face of the Libeller who vends his unintelligible Whimsies for receiv'd Opinions wherefore I will cite him one or two Antients and Moderns of that Class who might hope for his good word if it be possible for any such to come from his Lips Athanasius Tom. 1. Serm. contra Arianos p. 239. Edit Commel Aug. l. 13. de Trin. c. 10. Calvin Instit. l. 2. c. 12. § 1. Zanchius l. 11. de Incarnatione c. 3. quaest 1 I spare the Reader the trouble of long Transcriptions and refer him to Grotius against Ravenspergerus in defence of his Book De satisfactione Christi who has collected many more Authorities for the very same Doctrine which our two Bishops teach concerning the Death of Christ. When I have replied a few words in Vindication of the Arch-bishop's Sermon on Matth. 25.46 I shall leave the doing him farther Right to an abler Hand The Arch-bishop propos'd to explain how it can stand with the Justice and Mercy of God to punish Temporal Sins with Eternal Punishments Rejecting the common weak Solutions which pass'd in an Age less inquisitive and wicked than ours this is the chief thing on which the Arch-bishop insists Tho he that promises does thereby pass over a Right to another and is oblig'd in Justice and Faithfulness to make good