Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bear_v	end_n	truth_n	1,796	5	6.9490	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85418	Theomachia; or The grand imprudence of men running the hazard of fighting against God, in suppressing any way, doctrine, or practice, concerning which they know not certainly whether it be from God or no. Being the substance of two sermons, preached in Colemanstreet, upon occasion of the late disaster sustain'd in the west. With some necessary enlargements thereunto. / By John Goodvvin, pastor of the Church of God there.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1644 (1644)	Wing G1206; Thomason E12_1; ESTC R5086	47,494	57

ΘΕΟΜΑΧΙΑ OR THE GRAND IMPRUDENCE of men running the hazard of FIGHTING AGAINST GOD In suppressing any Way Doctrine or Practice concerning which they know not certainly whether it be from God or no Being the substance of two Sermons Preached in Colemanstreet upon occasion of the late disaster sustain'd in the West With some necessary Enlargements thereunto By JOHN GOODVVIN Pastor of the Church of God there HEB. 10. 31. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God MAT. 21. 44. Whosoever shall fall on or stumble at this stone shall be broken in pieces Imprimatur John Bachiler LONDON Printed for Henry Overton and are to be sold at his Shop entring into Popes-head Alley out of Lumbard-street 1644. READER WE have an English saying that the burnt childe dreads the fire I have oft been cast into the fire of mens zealous indignations by an uncleane spirit of calumnie and slander Some have reported that I deny justification by Christ i. that the Sun is up at noone day Others that I deny the immortalitie of the soule i. that I murthered my father and my mother Others that I have preached against the Parliament and Assembly i. that I am out of my wits and weary of my present life and carelesse of that which is to come I perceive there are more Sons of Belial then those that witnessed against Naboth that he blasphemed God and the King But having no vineyard to accommodate any man I cannot easily conceive what men and their tongues meane to be still up in such unchristian contestations with me except this be it Because I speak the truth and men are not able to beare it therefore they resolve it seems to make me speak such untruths that I my selfe shall not be able to beare I confesse I doe not much dread this fire made of the tongues of asps and vipers not because I have not been sufficiently burnt by it but partly because I have been a long time accustomed to such burnings and have found them rather purifying then consuming partly because the great Apostle informs me that the way by which he passed into his glory was through honour and dishonour through good report and evill report Yet neverthelesse I had rather give an account of mine own words then of other mens pretending to be mine and so to keep out of the fire as farre as the peace and safety of my own soule and other mens will suffer me And this is the true account Reader of the publishing of these Sermons which haply had not been an action so necessary otherwise Understanding that the soule spirit which hath for severall years haunted my ministery was beginning to practise upō 〈…〉 ●ermons also I thought it the safer course of the two to put my self into the hands of the Truth which yet perhaps will not much befirend me neither in the thoughts and hearts of men though with God I am certain it will then to expose both it and my selfe to be rent and torne by him What good or hurt they will or are like to doe now they are gotten abroad is not easie either for thee or me so much as to conjecture Be it in this as God and men shall agree When the danger of the disease runs high there is little hope but onely in that physicke whereof there is some feare We are under a bondage of much misery and it is onely the Truth as our Saviour saith that can make us free and yet such is our condition and misery that there is cause to feare lest the Truth which onely is able to make us free should increase our bondage and misery by being rejected and opposed by us when it comes in love and mercy to visit us and to blesse us out of our misery For this end I was borne as our Saviour saith of himself Joh. 18. 37. that I should beare witnesse to the truth not to the opinions or apprehensions of men In which respect I know I am like to have the harder quarter and service in the world but God hath made me a lover of men in such a degree that I can willingly consecrate my selfe unto their service through any sufferings from them If this world faile me I know God hath prepared another for a reserve which will stand by me and will not faile Reader take my prayers along with thee and an honest heart of thine own and so passe on to the Sermons before thee doubtlesse they will either strengthen thy hand in the way thou art in or guide thy feet into a way thou art not in or at least qualifie thy spirit with christian patience and respects towards such a way From my study in Colemanstreet Octob. 2. 1644. Thine with an upright and single heart in Christ Jesus JOHN GOODVVIN θεομαχια OR The Grand Imprudence of men running the hazard of Fighting against God in suppressing any Way Doctrine or Practice concerning which they know not certainly whether it be from God or no ACTS 5. 38. And now I say unto you Refraine your selves from these men and let them alone for if this counsell or work be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God yee cannot destroy it lest yee be found even fighters against God WHen the Children of Israel in the progresse of their Warres upon the Canaanites wherein God had promised to be with them and to give them successe and that a man of their enemies should not be able to stand against them notwithstanding they fought under the protection of many such promises as these yet met with a disaster and losse thirty six of them being slaine by the men of Ai and the rest of the partie ingaged in that service put to rout and chased by their enemies God himselfe upon the great dejection and solemne humiliation of the Elders of Israel and Joshua their Generall was pleased to make knowne unto him by speciall revelation what root of bitternesse it was that brought forth this fruit of death what sin by name it was amongst them that had separated between him and them in their late sad miscarriage yea and would separate still to their further and greater misery except they took a course to make an atonement for themselves by purging and clensing themselves from it Onely the discovery or finding out of the person that had committed the sin was put upon Joshua and the people wherein yet againe they were directed by God to such a method or means for this discovery that God himselfe may be said too to have discovered even the sinner also For he it was that by a speciall directing hand of his providence caused the lot to fall upon Achan who was the man that in taking the excommunicate thing had fin'd that great and speciall provocation which was fallen in this gust of wrath from Heaven upon the people These things you shall finde related more at large Josh. 7. From which passages by

and love throughout the Nation by exalting one way of Discipline of Church-Government for the treading downe and trampling under foot all others If Ephraim be against Manasseh is it any wayes like but that Manasseh will be against Ephraim And God himselfe prophecying of Ishmael told his mother that he would be a wild man and that his hand should be against every man and every mans hand against him Undoubtedly that way whose hand shall be against every way will find that the hand of every way will be against it and then what manner of peace can reasonably be expected under the predominancy of such a way That way which shall be able to out-reason not that which shall out-clubbe all other wayes will at last exalt unitie and be it selfe exalted by gathering in all other wayes unto it Solomon tells us that all that is taken in hunting is not alwayes roasted and that an inheritance may be hastily gotten and yet the end thereof not be blessed and the Prophet Habakk 〈…〉 denounceth a woe against him that shall build a towne with bloud But 5. I would gladly know what the plaintiffe in the objection means by distractions rents divisions in relations families Congregations c. If he means onely this that the father goes to heare one Minister in one place and the son another Minister in another and that some within the same parochiall line goe to this Minister or are members of this Church others to another Minister and are members of another Church and the like c. I answer That in this case I know no more occasion at least no more necessitie of any distraction rent or division then when the father being free of one company as suppose of Merchant-taylors shall still upon occasion of the meeting of this company repaire to the hall belonging to it and the son being free of another as perhaps of the company of Grocers shall upon the like occasion repaire to the hall appertaining to them Who knows not that the members of all the severall Companies in London dwell scatteringly and promiscuously up and downe the Citie with the greatest irregularitie of intermixture that lightly can be and without any observation of their relations to their respective Companies sundry members of twenty severall Companies it may be inhabiting within one and the same parish and yet without any complaint or inconvenience of rents distractions or divisions Or if by rents distractions and divisions he means distances or alienations in affections nor can these with any face of reason be charged upon that way whose cause we plead because it is a maine principle and maxime in this way to hold terms of love and Christian correspondence with all persons of what judgement soever in point of Government if they be godly as well as with her owne children as hath in effect been argued formerly But in this case the Roman proverb it seems must be verified Aemilius fecit plectitur Rutilius Or 3. and lastly if by rents distractions ● he means the shaking or troubling of mens judgements raising doubts or scruples in mens consciences concerning the way they went peaceably in before I answer 1. That if they were built upon sure and cleere foundations in their former way there is not the least ground or reason why they should be troubled or shaken in their judgements because they see another way acted and practised by others or 2. if they were but at peradventure in their former way and it was not the knowledge but the ignorance of the truth that both put them into it and kept them in it they have no cause to complaine of being awakened out of so sinfull and dangerous a sleep though it were never so sweet and pleasing to them But 6. and lastly S 〈…〉 pose that all which the objection chargeth upon the way we speake for be granted for truth that where this Way comes and is entertained Congregations are torne families rent relations distanced c. Yet this maketh much more for it then against it because such figures and characters as these are the knowne impressions of the Gospel upon the world where it comes in power and is entertained in truth Thinke yee saith our Saviour that I am come to give peace on earth I tell you nay but rather debate For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided three against two and two against three The father shall be divided against the son and the son against the father the mother against the daughter and the daughter against the mother the mother in law against her daughter in law and the daughter in law against her mother in law Nor is it to be conceived that these divisions in relations and families foretold by Christ as the common and ordinary effects and consequents of the Gospel for in different respects they may be either are to be limited onely to such either relations or families wherein the ground or occasion of the division should be the receiving of the Gospel in the maine truth and substance of it by the one partie the other partie absolutely rejecting it as if they were onely to take place in such cases as this but they are to be extended to such both families and relations also where some particular and speciall points or truths of the Gospel are intertained by one partie and rejected by another though both agree as well in the beliefe as in the Profession of the Gospel in the generall Experience shews that rents divisions take place in both as well yea and that with as much heate and distemper of affection in the latter case and upon the latter occasion as in the former Now if the question in this latter case be Whether the occasion of the division be rather to be imputed to the truth held and practised by the one partie or to the error held and practised in opposition to the truth by the other The answer is that where all were before bound up in unitie and peace by a common band of error there the occasion of the division must needs be imputed unto the truth comming amongst them Therefore were it granted that the way so much contested against did indeed occasion rents divisions distractions in relations in families in Congregations where it comes this would rather turne unto it for a testimony and assert its originall from God then otherwise The Gospel 〈…〉 elfe works no otherwise then thus where it is preached and intertained And as Aristotle supposeth that in case any piece or fragment were broken off from the maine body of the Heavens it would move circularly according to the naturall motion of the maine body in like manner any particular opinion or practise which moves acts and works according to the manner and tenor of that motion acting and working which are genuine and proper to the Gospel is so much the more likely to be a parcell or branch of the Gospel

of God by doing that which is more like to expose others also to the same stroke then any wayes to comfort or relieve them But whatsoever she can reasonably conceive or judge to be a means any wayes likely to save a soul from death to translate men from darknesse unto life she girds her self to minister unto the world both farre and neer in every such thing She cordially prayes for the conversion of the unconverted she mourns over them she causes her light to shine before them she bears their burthens she intreats them gently she feeds their hungry and cloatheth their naked as she is able she recompenceth evill for evill unto none of them with all such exemplatities of life and conversation which are sanctified and appointed by God for the winning of those without the Word who refuse to obey it 1 Pet. 3. 1. And besides all this that which is the first-born means of conversion she preacheth the Gospel with as much diligence and faithfulnesse and power and with as much libertie and freedome unto all to partake with her in this her ministration as any other way whatsoever yea as readie and forward she is as any other to contribute her proportion to the full whether in counsell purse or otherwise for the furnishing of all the candlesticks in the land with burning and shining lights I mean for the erecting and setting up a faithfull preaching Ministery throughout the Land yea if it were possible throughout the whole world Therefore Fifthly and lastly to the main objection whereas this way with the permission and sufferance of it is burthened with this jealousie and fear that it is so highly displeasing unto God that he is not like to turn in mercie unto the Nation untill it be removed and all the factors for it taken away I answer First that this jealousie and fear is of the same inspiration with that wherewith Rabshakeh of old sought to possesse the heart of the good King Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem that so upon the discouragement they might be the more willing to compound for their City But if thou say to me ●● trust in the Lord our God is it not he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away and said to Judah and Jerusalem ye shall worship before this altar That which Hezekiah had done in destroying Idolatry with great acceptation in the sight of God and which consequently was in it self a pledge and confirmation unto him and his people that God was and would be with them to save them and their Citie out of Rabshakehs hand this doth this deceived ambitious man contrive into an argument of jealousie and fear unto them that God was offended with them and so represents their hope and confidence in the shape of diffidence and deep discouragement unto them He that perswaded the woman that God knew how that in the day wherein they should eat of the tree i● the mid ●●st of the garden their eyes should be opened and they be like gods c. hath it seems possest many amongst us with this semblable apprehension that from the day wherein they shall destroy that way we speak of out of the Land and suppre●●e all those that walk in it God will be gracious unto them and remember their iniquities no more as if to sacrifice the children in the Fathers sight were the onely means of making atonement with him But Secondly how doth this carrie any shew or shadow of reason or truth in it that God should turn away his face from a State or Nation for not hating his people or for refusi●g to persecute his anointed ones God sometimes said That Nation whom they shall serve I will iudge Gen. 15. 14. Is his mind so far altered in this point that now he should say the Nation who shall give them libertie I will iudge The generall rule of restraint which God hath charged upon States Kingdoms and Nations is this Touch not mine a●●i●ted and do my Prophets no harm and hath he anywhere made Independencie so called an exception from this rule or hath he anywhere made Presbyterie a distinguishing character of such of his anointed ones who must not be touc●'d from others of them who may be crush'd and whose bon●s m●y b● broken Surely circumcision and unci●cumcision differed as much as Presby●erie and Independencie can do yet the Apostle tels us Gal. 6. 15. that in Jesus Christ neither circumcision av●ileth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature If Independents be new creatures and born of God their Brethren need not fear any displeasure or anger from their Father for suffering them to dwell in peace by them in the same Land but have cause to rejoyce in such their neighbourhood and societi● as being pillars of the s●me strength with themselves to support the State and Nation wherein they dwell But Thirdly and lastly when mens table becomes a snare unto them and their welfare a trap it is a signe that God is about to bow down their backs if not to make their habitations desolate When the Jews began to reason after this manner and to act accordingly If we let him thus alone all men will beleeve on him and then the Romanes shall come and take away both our place and nation it was a presage that the Romanes indeed would come and take away both which they did not many yeers after Make the heart of this people fat saith the Lord by his Prophet concerning the same people and make their eares heavie and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their eares and understand with their heart and convert and be healed I say no more in this but onely pray with all mine heart and with all my soul that the people of this Kingdom may see with their eyes and hear with their eares and understand with their hearts that they may convert and be healed The Heathens were wont to say Jupiter quos vult perdere dementat Another objection leavied against the Way is this If this way be let alone and suffered to take place it will still undermine the credit and comfort of many worthy and conscientious Ministers in the land For as fast as they through the blessing of God upon their faithfull labours in the work of the Ministery shall convert souls unto God this Way will allure them away from them unto it self whereby their hand must needs be enfeebled and discouraged to their work But to this also I answer First that if that way of Government and worship wherein those good Ministers shall walk who are supposed to convert people unto God be indeed and in truth the way of God there is little ground or cause of fear that any other way should separate between them and their converted ones For first the verie grace of conversion being dispensed unto these by their hand is a great and solemne ingagement upon them to love and