Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	believe_v	faith_n	life_n	2,319	5	5.0453	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57693	Catholick charitie complaining and maintaining, that Rome is uncharitable to sundry eminent parts of the Catholick Church, and especially to Protestants, and is therefore Uncatholick : and so, a Romish book, called Charitie mistaken, though undertaken by a second, is it selfe a mistaking / by F. Rous.	Rous, Francis, 1579-1659.	1641 (1641)	Wing R2017; ESTC R14076	205,332	412

saved who avoyd the mortall infection of these points and what caution must be used to preserve this Charity from crossing with Truth HAving discovered many Untruths in at least foure maine points of this Chapter wee are come to a fifth point whose truth is so powerfull that it overcomes mee and makes mee to acknowledge with the Author That it divides Protestants and right Romists so farre as salvation and damnation And I must cleere either side from uncharitablenesse in saying that these who faile in this point are in a state of damnation And it is very true that hee promiseth That this Reason strikes at the roote which is taken from the nature and propertie of Faith The point is this That whosoever doth give his faith and assent to all the Articles of Christian doctrine yet if hee doe it not upon the right and infallible motive hee hath no saving Faith Now hereunto wee subjoyne That true and right Papists or Romists doe not beleeve upon the true and infallible motive Therefore they can have no saving Faith And indeed though they have many and pernitious errors yet this is the great and generall error that makes up the Mystery of iniquity which wee call the Papacie and the Papists call the Church For the ordinary motive of faith in those who are the right and naturall members of the Head of that Mysterie is to beleeve the Articles of Faith because the Church whose mouth head and spirit is the Pope propounds and commands them to bee beleeved And this Author saith that the onely true and infallible ground is The Revelation of Almighty God and the proposition and direction of the Church Wherein first hee joyneth the Church with God in this ground of Faith and so gives as it were halfe of the ground of Faith to the Church from God and makes it halfe unsafe and damnable But even this halfe hee seemes elsewhere wholly to take away and so to leave men wholly to bee damned by a Faith wholly grounded on a motive which cannot raise a saving and supernaturall Faith for hee saith That if the Church hath not decided propounded and commanded a doctrine to bee beleeved by her children a man may thinke and doe as hee sees cause without incurring the crime of heresie Thus wee see that the Revelation of God is not a motive of Faith of it selfe but the Church is the motive of beleeving Gods Revelation so first wee see the Church to put God aside and to take place of him and knowing who is the Head Heart if not the Whole of this Church wee finde him just in his owne place and that is lifting himselfe up above all that is called God And secondly wee see the deadly motive and ground of Faith proposed by Papists to Popish soules even the word of a man and a Man of sinne on whom whatsoever Faith is finally grounded it can give nothing but damnation Neither are wee put by other Papists to lay pieces together to prove this their damning motive of Faith for besides the common voice of the people that they beleeve as the Church beleeves wee have before heard that the Rhemists acknowledge the Popes to bee an Order of Governors to whom wee are bound to cleave in Religion and to obey in all things And thereupon they infer that A Papist is a Christian man a childe of the Church and subject to Christs Vicar So the Christianity of a Papist and his being a child of the Church depends on his cleaving to the Pope and obeying him in all things But yet againe we may see it more acknowledged in their Writers Lorca brings forth Medina affirming that The Testimonie of the Church doth so farre partake of being the formall object or motive of faith that the utmost resolution of faith is into the authoritie of the Church and the proofes produced for it are to bee heard in the common language of Romists If it bee asked why thou beleevest the Trinity in Unity and thou answer Because God saith it It will then bee demanded of thee how thou knowest that God saith it thou hast no other Answer left but this Because the Church saith it and so are they taught in the Catechisme and so answer both the learned and unlearned Behold the common answer and common faith of Romists Now this object of faith being man and not God it cannot raise that supernaturall and saving faith whose object is the prime Veritie even God speaking to the soules of his servants And seeing this humane faith hath so possessed Romists that their Prophets doe make the obeying and cleaving to the Pope in his doctrine the very Character of a Christian and childe of the Church this Church consisting of these children thus adhering to the Pope is against such truely affirmed not to bee the Church and so may the Homily of our Church clearely bee interpreted which denyeth the Church of Rome that is the Pope and his Adherents to bee the true Church for thus to adhere unto the Pope and to lay beliefe on him is so farre from making a true childe and member of the Church that it makes a member of the Papacie and so of Antichrist it makes a Synagogue for Sathan and Hell and not a Church for Christ and salvation And whereas this Author both in this Chapter and the beginning of the eighth objects it to us that wee condemne their doctrines and account the Church of Rome to bee the Seate of Antichrist and the Synagogue of Sathan Hee hath here seene one reason of it and it is a reason of his owne and his fellowes even because the Romish Doctors and Champions tell us that the Church of Rome is made of those children which beleeve in the Pope And this faith being humane cannot make a Church to Christ but to the Pope and thus the Pope stands in the place of Antichrist for putting Christ out of his place and stepping into it whiles thus hee makes his sheepe to heare his voice before Christs yea both herein and often otherwise against Christ. But a second Reason may bee given of their calling the Church of Rome the Synagogue of Sathan the Church of Rome being taken in a larger sense even for all those parts of mankinde that have reference to Rome For they finde this Church of Rome overspred not onely with this false and Antichristian faith but with other mortall errours and abhominations such are grosse and almost universall Idolatry in the worship of Images and especially of the Sacrament confidence in workes for justification and merit and a grosse ignorance even a not knowing of Christ which before hath beene touched Now many seeing a field overcome with these deadly and killing weeds and so overcome that they seemed to cover the face of the field they tooke it to bee a field of Weeds and not of Corne And because the usuall manner of speaking is to say that a horse is blacke and

the Man of sinne Secondly for that Idolatry which giveth divine worship to Images though it be an evill that hath too largely overspread the Romish dominions and the denyall of it in Spaine hath beene censured for heresie Yet there are divers of the Romish communion that have not thus bowed to Baal in so much that Papyrius Massonus thus writes in his Preface before Agobardus and of him Hee manifestly discovers the errors of the Greeks concerning Images and Pictures and denyeth that they ought to be worshipped which opinion all Catholicks doe approve So it seemes hee thought it a Catholick opinion not to worship Images and those not Catholicks which doe approve this worship And Pamelius dares tell the Pope himselfe That if the question bee proposed concerning the use of Images How they are forbidden in the Decalogue which is that they bee not worshipped Tertullian sheweth it in his Booke against Marcion and after in his Notes upon Tertullian's Apologetick Tertullian saith not that Christians did hate Statues and Images but that they did not worship them which certainly as the Fathers of the seventh Synode Damascen and Jonas doe often inculcate none of us ever attempted I meane not with the worship of latria which is due to God alone But though his speech be somewhat too large when hee excludeth all Romists from giving this worship as hereafter in another Chapter will more plainely appear● yet it is possible that this all might 〈…〉 l●●arned ones wherewith hee 〈…〉 for I doubt the common 〈…〉 understood the distinction betweene doulia and latria yet thus it is likely wee may finde some at least of the Learned that are cleere also of this pestilence In this ranke also of Idolatry may bee mentioned the worship and adoration of the Sacrament which is likely to bee the more universall because it seemes back'd with a Councell which some thinke universall But indeede all doe not take it to be universall as the Author of the Examen Pacifique doth plainely shew And of this Idolatry wee may well beleeve that there are some free in the Romish Territories For wee finde that because without the Priests Intention Romists doe acknowledge that the Bread is still but Bread and withall that the worship of bread is abominable Idolatry It h●th been thought safest by some to direct all the Sacramentall worship to Christ Jesus sitting at the right hand of God where hee is sure to be found This is the doctrine of Vasques and I could name a Lady in England who professed so to worship Christ in the Sacrament and I hope shee is not without followers Another Romish Idolatry is turning merits into Saviours This we have seen is too common among the vulgar yet by some they are removed from this office and especially at the time of death for even persecuting Gardiner thought it good doctrine for them that were dying to put their whole trust in the merits of Christ. And Cardinall Bellarmine in his last will desires to bee crowned by God not as a Regarder of merits but as a Giver of mercy And Bernard Thomas de Kempis Cassander and Ferus who have many Readers and I hope herein some beleevers appeare sound in their Writings both from this and other Idolatries Briefly the catholick Apologie brings forth divers Authors of theirs that have taught their Readers Doctrine contrary to the mortall and damnable errors which wee complaine of for massacring soules in the Kingdome of the Pope So that though a pestilence hath generally over-run his Territories yet there are some healthy and living soules therein though there may bee millions that bowe unto their many Baals yet there may bee thousands that bow not unto them And though wee bee not of one Religion with the Idolaters yet with those that serve God in spirit and truth and keep themselves from Idols wee have one Religion in Essentialls and Fundamentalls and so both may be saved Let us conclude in the words of one of them upon the conclusion of S. Iohns Epistle and in him see what saving Religion is taught and I hope learned by some of them Babes keep your selves from Idols This Corollary S. John not unfitly nor without cause annexed to this Epistle For seeing he had taught that there is one onely God who hath manisted himselfe in his Sonne and hath taught us by him that the true worship of God consisteth in faith hope and love and in purity and sanctity of life hee doth now necessarily admonish us that we remaine in that faith and true worship of God and beware of all Idolatry So John in this whole Epistle would teach us two things That there is but one true God And one true Religion Iesus Christ with the Father and the Holy Ghost is that and one true God and Christian Religion is the onely true worship of God For this Religion g●veth all glory to God by Christ and by the same Christ bringeth to us life and salvation Behold that one Religion which we all so professe Yet for a caution to be annexed to the conclusion I thinke that true zeale and charity though they take such for living soules which are safe in fundamentalls yet they pity other grosse errours which make the soule sick though they kill not and a true lover of soules resembles the head both of soules and of love and desires to present unto God soules without spot and blemish And because they love them as on the one side they acknowledge the life that is in them so they desire to add growth to this life and to bring it onward toward perfection They doe not tell them that they are well enough because they live for that is rather to build their contentment on their owne safety then on the full pleasing and serving of their Saviour Therefore they call on them for the washing away of other errours which are blemishes in the eye of the Heavenly Bridegroome that thus the Bride being all glorious within may bee ready and prepared for the day of her gladnesse even her marriage in eternall and consummate felicity CHAP. IX Wherein divers objections are re-inforced against the Romists concerning those divisions amongst them which the Cavalier in vaine seekes to reconcile in his seventh Chapter SECT I. Wherein is shewed First that Protestants in submitting to the holy word and spirit of God have therein a true ground of unity actually in those things wherein they agree intentionally in other things wherein they differ Secondly that their Romish submission to the Pope though it produce a seeming unity in many points yet it leaves divers irreconcileable differences amongst them THe Cavalier in his last chapter hath rid on much out of his way and in this he rides apace and the faster the more out of the way He was out of his way when hee travelled to free Romists from want of charity by proving Protestants and Romists not to have one saving faith seeing Protestants

having that saving faith the Romists shew want of charity in damning those who are saved Hee was againe out of the way in bringing his owne Romists into schisme and damnation by dividing them from Protestants which have that one saving faith And now he goes further out of the way in removing the reasons that may make for unity though by unity with Protestants Romists may avoid uncharitablenesse schisme and damnation so it seemes hee is so earnest for division and dis-union that to attaine it he will hazzard both charity and salvation to his owne fellow Romists as a high price and farre above the value of that which hee would purchase though it were the richest jewell in the world Yet on hee goes upon this adventure And whereas differences amongst Romists are brought forth to make Romists more equall to differences among Protestants or to some differences betweene Protestants and Romists and likewise to make Romists thinke there may be a spirituall unity notwithstanding some differences because notwithstanding their owne differences they affirme there is an unity among themselves this the Author thinkes too peaceable and therefore strives to take it out of the way Toward this he is willing to deny that there are such differences amongst Romists and he strives to shew that they agree even in those things wherein they differ But differ they doe and strong evidences wee have for it which may hereafter be produced Neither indeede their Poeticall Heade of unity the Pope nor any one man on earth can make the whole Church to bee inwardly of one minde and soule but onely that Lord and maker of Spirits by his owne Spirit his true and onely Vicar For that one Spirit enlightning and guiding the spirits of men with one faith of one word delivered by the ministery directed and enabled by the same one spirit can onely make a true reall internall and spirituall unity And accordingly S. Paul leading us to the unity of faith thus rightly ordereth his words toward unity One Spirit one Lord one Faith And thus hee goes on and sheweth how this one spirit of one Lord which inwardly workes this unity of faith in the Lords body outwardly also concurres to the working of it by the gifts given to the ministery For this working without in the ministery and inabling them to teach one and the same doctrine of saving faith and inwardly working in the hearts and soules of Christs members these members are brought into the unity of faith and so into one body of Christ and as in this body of Christ there are different members of different measures and capacities by the different gifts of the spirit so these different capacities doe not reach or containe one measure of divine truth Christ the Foundation and Head is made knowne to all his members for by this knowledge they become his members and so have they all unity in so much divine truth as knits them to Christ But by reason of their different measures some attaining such holy truths of which others are short there must needs bee a difference in the apprehension of those truths to which some attaine and others doe not come yet in all is a settled desire and purpose to beleeve the whole truth revealed by God if it be also revealed to them that it is the truth of God And so whatsoever force was in the Champions speech That true spirituall faith beleeveth the whole Body of divine doctrine makes not against us but for us and much more for us then for them For we upon the right motive which is God speaking in his word doe beleeve plainly whatsoever we conceive and what we doe not conceive wee beleeve in purpose and intention And thus have wee perfect unity while in the fundamentalls we have an actuall unity of faith and in the lesser points an unity of purpose and will But in this true and kindly unity one Spirit not one Pope doth cause inwardly one faith And againe that one spirit giving gifts to men not to one man outwardly bringeth to the inward unity of faith And indeede that none but the spirit the true vicar of Christ can make this solid spirituall and internall unity it appeares by the confession of the very Romish craft which hath coyned the Pope to be the head of unity For that they might make and prove him to be such they have put him into the place of the holy Ghost and made him the Vicar of Christ accordingly they say that the holy Ghost speaks by him and so the speech of the holy Ghost being infallible verity is a right ground of unity A foule errour and without ground of Scripture which never since the departure of Christ from earth tyed the holy Ghost to one man so that from him the whole Church should fetch Oracles and resolutions But indeed it is a high and blasphemous imposture which puts the Pope in place of the holy Ghost And when this man speakes it pronounceth of him as the people of Herod The voice of God and not of Man And how little this differs from Montanisme I wish Romists would consider who reduced the promise of sending the Comforter Christs Vicar as Tertullian cals him to be performed in Montanus And the very same place doe the Romists apply to the Pope which was applied to Montanus but yet thus it appeares That even they that erre in the application yet hold truth in the position That the holy Ghost is the true root of union though erroneously and blasphemously they put the Pope into his roome and make the voyce of the Pope to bee the voice of the holy Ghost And surely the Pope himselfe plainely shewes that hee doubts his owne spirituall power of making unity and therefore hee flyes to the grosse and materiall instruments of unity the Sword and Faggot And so calling downe fire on those that obey him not if he have any spirit it seems it is not that spirit which Christ said was the Evangelicall spirit of the Apostles but rather of him which is called the Destroyer And indeed this device of man to make unity of faith by one man called the Pope being thus thrust into the place of the Spirit of God as it proceeded from the spirit of errour so hath it made unity in errour as the last best of Popes Gregory the Great did in a manner prophecie but it never will make unity in solide and universall Faith and Truth for the beleevers in this counterfeit head of unity have both gotten from him an unity in many errors and have beene left in many great and weighty differences whereof there is little hope of resolving them into union the sight whereof turnes our eyes from this humane and fictitious Head of unitie to the true roote and meanes of unity set forth by the Apostle And because this Author strives to put away from mens eyes the differences which arise under this false Head of union let us shew him