Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	best_a	zeal_n	zealous_a	58	3	9.1151	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79995	The civil magistrates povver in matters of religion modestly debated, impartially stated according to the bounds and grounds of scripture, and answer returned to those objections against the same which seem to have any weight in them. Together with A brief answer to a certain slanderous pamphlet called Ill news from New-England; or, a narrative of New-Englands persecution. By John Clark of Road-Island, physician. By Thomas Cobbet teacher of the church at Lynne in New-England. This treatise concerning the christian magistrates power, and the exerting thereof, in, and about matters of religion, written with much zeal and judgement by Mr. Cobbet of New-England, I doe allow to be printed; as being very profitable for these times. Feb. 7th. 1652. Obadiah Sedgwick.	Cobbet, Thomas, 1608-1685.	1653 (1653)	Wing C4776; Wing B4541; Thomason E687_2; Thomason E687_3; ESTC R206875	97,858	126

corrupt Practises in matters of Religion mentioned in those severall worthy Laws Nor hath either State or Souldiery any cause to condemn their own renowned acts of Zeal for the Lord in some exemplary punishments which accordingly they have already inflicted upon some persons for such like offences but they shall assuredly find it good to be alwayes zealous in a good thing And as they have begun to shew themselves to be indeed with Christ and not against him so to continue and go on in despite of all false or malignant spirits or tongues And as for you most Noble Sir who in your Military way have had so many Military disputes for the Causes of the Lord if it be vile to be for Jesus Christ be you yet more vile only still keeping as through Grace you have done hitherto low in your own eyes so shall you at length after you have stood and in your way also have fought for Christ and his Cause com to receive that incorruptible Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give you at that day and not to you onely but to all those which love his appearing Which shall be ever his prayer who is Sir Lynne in New-Engl this 4th of the 8th 52. Your Excellencies humbly devoted Servant THOMAS COBBET To the Reader CHristian and Courteous Reader thou canst not but see if thou wisely observest the designs now on foot in these last and perillous days that Satan being disturbed and in a maner dethroned from his so large Dominions possessed under him by his eldest son the Great Antichrist he is now stirring up many petty Antichrists who being in pretence for Christ do some way or other oppose and undermine Christ in his Person Titles Offices or Truths And surely It is none of the least amongst those renowned Titles of his that he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords he under and for whom higher Civil powers do and must rule That Great Antichrists master-piece was in the first place to ham-string Civil powers from having any thing to do in matters of Religion or of the Church further than as servants and indeed vassals unto the Pope as visible Head of the Church or to the Mother Church of Rome or at least to Church Councils and Synods to execute onely their Decrees and Laws But since that Civil powers have broken those cursed bonds of Antichrist and shook off that tyrannical yoke of that man of sin and have through grace seen it their approved dignity from the Lord and duty to him to improve their Civil Authority to the utmost against that man of sin and all his usurpations and inventions Satan stirreth up others to prosecute the same design insubstance albeit under more specious pretences even to despoil Civil powers of that which is their glory and crown even as Civil powers to serve the Lord Jesus their Lord and to improve their Authority to establish his Laws and Government onely within their jurisdictions and to root out whatsoever opposeth and undermineth the same The Devils name is Belial one without yoke at least in his desire and indeavor and he breatheth that masterless licentious spirit in such as he effectually worketh They were children of Belial that sayd of Saul 1 Sam. 10. 27. How shall this man save us and they despised him and brought him no presents thence that Spirit and Speech of theirs of old Psal 12. Our tongues are our own who is Lord over us we will maintain hold and say what we please without controul from any this Spirit was in Corah and his Company who at once contemned and condemned those two main Ordinances of God Magistracy and Ministry they were Levellers they would have none in office above others in the Common-wealth or in the Church Num. 16. 3. They gather against Moses and Aaron saying unto them ye take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation is holy every one of them and the Lord is among them wherefore then lift you up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord the self same spirit Jude saith shall be in some licentious Preachers and professours who shall turn the grace of God into wantonness Jude 4. Walk after their own lusts ver 16. and ver 8. Despise dominion and speak evill of dignities namely not so much of persons in Office in Church or Common-wealth as of their very Offices and ver 11. They perish in the gain-saying of ●ore these have Corahs speeches up in substance what are not all the Lords people Saints and must one Saint be so much above another are they not all one in Christ Jesus is not the Lord among them as their onely Lord Judge King and Law-giver and must they have any other of these also Peter another witness testifieth 2 Pet. 2. 1. There were false Prophets among the people even as there shall be false teachers among you who shall privily bring in pernicious Heresies and ver 10. some of their black marks are that they despise Government Civill or Ecclesiasticall Presumptuous are they self-willed they are not afraid to speak evill of Dignities and ver 19. they promise their fellows Liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption Seducers and erring spirits they know well enough that under Christ there is no ordinary means left to restrain and punish their extravagancies but Government in Church and Common-wealth therefore it is wont to be a constant concomitant of Errour and Heresie to become a back friend to Magistracy and Ministry to civill Jurisdiction and to Church Discipline common experience in these dayes witnesseth this when Magistracy and Ministry both are either wholly cryed down by too many erring spirits or so enervated and dispoiled of their proper worth and power by others that they have little left but the bare title and name of such if the Magistrate be allowed by some his power in matters of the second Table yet the other half of his politicall power in matters of the first Table he may not assume Religious States may not they think in wisdom tolerate State errours and the ventings of them but if dangerous errours in Religion are scattered and spread they must let them alone As if civill maxims were more near and dear to Christ under whom Magistrates rule than the matters of his own sacred truth or that matters in politiques were more blisfull or fatall to their Christian subjects than those in Religion or that Christian regulated Magistrates should leave that at a loose end even matter of sound doctrine which is the very bond of Christian societies under their power bodily murtherers they will yield must be capitally punished but if the Wine of Intoxicating and Infatuating doctrine of errour vented and broached by corrupt members of Deut 32. 33. the Church be the Poison of Dragons and venom of Aspes if whosoever eateth of those Cockatrice Eggs which they hatch dyeth spiritually if they commit a thousand soul murthers yet Isa 59. 5.

THE CIVIL MAGISTRATES POVVER In matters of Religion Modestly Debated Impartially Stated according to the Bounds and Grounds of Scripture And Answer returned to those Objections against the same which seem to have any weight in them TOGETHER WITH A Brief Answer to a certain Slanderous Pamphlet called Ill News from New-England or A Narrative of New-Englands Persecution By JOHN CLARK of Road-Iland Physician By Thomas Cobbet Teacher of the Church at Lynne in New-England Take us the foxes the little foxes which spoil the vines c. Cant. 2. 15. Rulers are not a terror to good works but to the evill c. Rom. 13. 3. This Treatise concerning the Christian Magistrates Power and the exerting thereof ' in and about matters of Religion written with much zeal and judgement by Mr. Cobbet of New-England I doe allow to be printed as being very profitable for these times Feb. 7th 1652. Obadiah Sedgwick LONDON Printed by W. Wilson for Philemon Stephens at the Gilded Lion in Paul's Churchyard 1652. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE OLIVER CROMWEL Captain General of all the Forces of the Commonwealths of England Scotland and Ireland Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplied THrice noble Sir whom not Man alone hath honored with greatest dignity of highest Military Command but the God of Glory also hath dignified as with peculiar Interests in his speciall Grace and Favour in Jesus Christ and with an abundant measure of the saving Graces of his blessed Spirit so with a glorious and prosperous success in all your weighty undertakings let it not seem overmuch boldness in me who am a stranger to you by face that I send forth this following Discourse into the world under the shadow of your Lordships Name It seemeth according to our best intelligence here that the subject of this Discourse beginning to grow the great controversal business of these polemick times your Honour with some other of the Lords Worthies in England have expressed some desire of yours that something might be spoken thereunto Now I having begun to do something that way formerly and though the most unworthy of any such respect from such choice Favourites of the Lord being often moved by some of our honoured Magistrates and reverend Elders here to present it to publique view I began to conclude that it might be now seasonable so to do And although I were a very babe in comparison of others for abilities and wisdom to manage so weighty a cause of the Lord yet I remembred him that said Out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength that thou mightest still the voice of the enemy and the avenger so that I was incouraged not alone to put forth this discourse but to make use of your Lordships Name therein Besides we receiving certain information Renowned Worthy of your dear respects to the Churches here as also to our Civill State which I trust New-England doth not nor ever will forget even your cordial appearing for us who are so much subject to the reproach of tongues at so great a distance together with your charitable frequent expressions of the good opinion you have of us This also Right Honourable the rather moved me as a Member of this Polity even in way of Gratitude to dedicate to your Excellency this Apology for Civill Christ an Governments why they ought in their Civil and Political way to restrain and punish abuses and enormities even in matters of the Lord of the Church You truly noble and valiant Sir have quit your self like a man of God in managing your Military weapons in defence of the Civill State in England against all opposers of them for their exemplary acts of Justice which they did both upon delinquent Statesmen and as they are called Churchmen too even the Prelates and their retinue Yea you have to your utmost in your Military way managed that cause at first covenanted by the State which was not alone the bringing of all sorts of Delinquents to their condign punishment but the reforming of matters of Religion in Engl according to the Word of God the pattern of the purest Churches wherfore right worthy Sir what you have fought so many bloody battels for in the field now stand couragiously and plead stoutly for it in peace Israels General Joshuah was not more famous for his prowess victories over the Canaanites in the field than for his care of setling Religion in the people acding to Gods mind when the War was ended witness those memorable passages that way recorded Josh 23. chap. 24. King David is renowned for the like care who after the inhabitants of the land were given into his hand and the land was subdued before the Lord and his people 1 Chr. 22. 14. Now saith he set your hearts and souls to seek the Lord your God and arise and build his Sanctuary c. And chap. 27. he gathereth the chief Civill and Military Commanders before him and ver 8. he chargeth them all in their severall places callings and conditions to keep and seek for all the Commandements of God and he joyneth with him in special the chief Commanders of the Army in a Civil way to help on the Work of Religion and of the Church mentioned 1 Chr. 25. 1 c. Let not therefore the least thought arise in your Noble breast Right honorable Sir that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for you to meddle in such matters or to maintain things of that nature But let Holiness and the defence and maintainance thereof be written upon your hors bridle as it will be upon theirs whose Conversion we are even waiting for Zach. 14. 20. Who will be presently up in arms for Christ and his cause against which they were so long hardened That returning Shulamites Portraiture is represented by the company of two Armies Cant. 6. last of whom more also is spoken Zac 12. 5 6 7 8. Jesus Christ himself is represented as the Generall of the Field and owning the godly Souldiery as his Army who in a cause of Religion shall by the dint of the sword be instruments to bring Antichrist and his Abettors to their deserved ruin Rev. 17. chap. 19. Yea but could not Jesus Christ destroy them by his own immediate hand and is not his Truth and Word of force to overthrow all that is contrary to it Yea verily yet is it the will and pleasure of Jesus Christ by humane externall forcible means to restrain and punish such offendors in matters of Religion wherefore neither the State nor Souldiery of England have any cause to repent of their Covenant Ingagements in their several respective ways to endeavour the bringing it about that Religion there may be reformed according to the Word of God and the best patterns of the purest Churches Nor hath the State of England any cause to retract any wholsom penall Laws which they have made the 2. of May 48. or since against so many blasphemous and false Doctrines and

they are and the objection supposeth them to be the dictates of Conscience though erring for then according to this supposall they are made to be according to Gods rule and so not irregularities not sins 5. This were to make God the Author or allower of that which too often proveth fatall in the issue For be it that sometimes such evills mentioned be no other then such as are right in the eyes of a Christians minde judgement and conscience yet God saith There is a way which seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death Prov. 11. 12. and 16. 25. 6. This were to cut off all ordinary wayes of conviction and conversion from such as goe astray thorough an erring conscience For their errours and corrupt wayes being according to conscience are by this supposition according to Gods allowed rule And would you convert men from following a rule of God 7. Then in case of a more then ordinary conversion from errours and heresies and corrupt practices thereof held in and acted in conscience formerly yet are not those errours to be bewailed or that conversion to be looked at as of grace since before that conversion such walked according to Gods rule as it 's here supposed namely consciences dictates though erring the contrary whereunto is evident in the former instance of Paul who Acts 26. 9 10 11. confesseth that to be his madnesse and 1 Tim. 1. 13 14 15. magnifieth Gods rich grace as shewed in his conversion 8. Then persons dying for the maintenance of the most horrid blasphemies which an Arrian and popish conscience may hold unto the death they dye for Righteousnesse sake as following as is here supposed an allowed Rule of God conscience 9. Then corrupted deserted christians consciences pressing thorough strength of temptation to contradictings of what hath formerly been spoken effectually to them and done for their souls are rules of God whereby to conclude their estates according to God and so not blameworthy or to be crossed or curbed by the Saints contrary to that Psal 31. 22. where David blameth such like conclusions as rash and sinfull I said in my hast I am cut off from thy sight and Psal 116. 1● I said in my hast all men are lyars albeit in a case wherein they held forth no other promise of God then formerly himselfe had beleived and professed vers 10. To which purpose it is that David chideth his soule for such like disquieting thoughts and conclusions Psal 42. 5. Why art thou O my soule so disquieted within me If then it appear by these reasons that the bare dictates of conscience without their due and just grounding upon the word are not an approved rule of God we have what we would otherwise these absurdities must needs follow the contrary Concl. 6. Albeit there be some binding nature in conscience though erring so that in that estate of conscience not to omit a thing in it selfe good from which erring conscience disswadeth would become to that person an offence against conscience and a present resolution never to doe something in it selfe evill to which the erring conscience doth perswade would be of the like nature to him yet may regulated civill Authority yea they must restrain and punish both manifest neglect of weighty duties in matters of God or man required by God and under God enjoyned by man and likewise evidenced commission of any forbidden evils both by God and man committed by the outward man in any scandalous manner and yet therein such Authority doth not restrain any from doing or punishing for doing their duty or for not sinning and we shall in confirming this Conclusion Answer the weight of the Objection Now the First Reason hereof is Because Civill regulated Authority doth restrain and punish sins against either Table not under that notion as the dictates of Conscience which are secret and as such passe mans view scaning or censure but as the outward mans neglect of what God himselfe immediately and by his Ministers Civill Magistrates mediately and as the outward mans commission of evills forbidden first by God and then by Civil Authority from and under God also as evils infringing the civill power and crosse to the end for which Civill Authorities and societies are appointed Likewise as hurtfull to Civill States and bringing many mischiefes upon the same if they are not thus restrained and punished 2. Because that together with their coerceive Lawes binding to Civil punishments they doe provide for all due means of conviction of persons pretending Conscience for what they either refuse to doe or for what they actually doe contrary to God whether it will appear at least interpretatively to them as well as others such punishable acts of theirs arise not from conscience regulated but stiffned against its duty Nor 3. Doe such persons in such omissions or commissions their whole duty but many wayes contrary to their duty in regard of some of which contrary walkings to their duty they may be justly punished for them In some sence it is a part of duty to doe nothing against conscience and to doe what one doth according to conscience yet the stresse and force of that duty lyeth here because conscience it selfe by duty is to be subject to the word and bottom all its dictates upon the word and to attend to all as well as any of the rules of the word to all which each man therefore is in conscience bound to attend so that such erring and corrupted persons they doe not their whole nor doe they their maine duty in that they doe not therein what is according to the word but contrary rather to the word both as requiring first such and such duties of them as for instance to swear by the name of God to goe out to War and the like when called to it under paine of Gods displeasure and then in a second part requiring obedience out of conscience to such or such things as lawfully required by his Civill Ordinance and Ministers even higher Civill powers and in case of doing contrary leaving them to the dint of his sword in their hands Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5. compared 2. Since in that condition mentioned of their erring consciences whilst erring they offend their conscience if they should then resolve against the doing of something in it selfe evill they may and should take a middle course rather at present namely to use all the best means of better information of their erring minds that so they may refuse to act or hold not where an erring conscience requireth or on the other hand may doe not what an erring conscience then forbiddeth but what the same conscience upon better sight seeth cause to refuse to doe or else to doe as in the former instances of taking an Oath going to War to which we may add putting away a wife upon a slight cause or the like they will not stiffly refuse an Oath or to goe for a souldier when Authority