Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bishop_n	church_n	power_n	2,820	5	5.0653	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34096	An exhortation of the churches of Bohemia to the Church of England wherein is set forth the good of unity, order, discipline, and obedience in churches rightly now, or to be constituted : with a description premised of the order and discipline used in the churches of the Brethren of Bohemia / by J. Amos Commenius.	Comenius, Johann Amos, 1592-1670.	1661 (1661)	Wing C5507; ESTC R27266	107,538	185

Leprosie Numb 17.10 11. King Vzziah again on the other side casting off the Authority of the Priests usurps their office and he is also punished by the same hand with Leprosie 2 Chron. 26 16. Now then whilst among Christians both these offences are committed shall we wonder if those of both the extreams be avenged with a spiritual Leprosie and other plagues Would to God the Roman Aaron with his Miriam his Regulars would confess their errour and render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's contenting himself with that which is allotted to him the spiritual charge and care of Christ's Flock John 21.15 But behold in Aaron and Miriam some hopes of pardon Numb 12.15 which comfort we finde not for the Imperial-Papacy for it is written The Leprosie cleaved unto Vzziah the King unto the day of his death 2 Chron. 26.16 I would therefore they would make haste to get them out of the Church v. 15. i. e. to restore the power of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven which is given to the Church from above but by the corruption of men and the policy of the Devil now taken away from it Verily 't is high time to repent and repair the impaired Order of the Church 3. I pass on to Discipline as the Mean Ligament and Bond ordained from heaven to keep the Church in Unity and Order Christ calls it Salt Mark 9.50 because as salt resists putrefaction and makes food savoury and wholsome so the Discipline of manners heals corrupt manners and makes us careful to keep our selves within the bounds of our duty and therein to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling It was not without cause that our Lord said Every man shall be seasoned with salt and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt v. 49. and it must of necessity be understood of the Discipline to be extended to every man which offers himself up a sacrifice unto God For the command of God is strict Lev. 2.13 Whatsoever thou offerest to the Lord thou shalt season with salt Thou shalt not with-hold the salt of the Covenant of thy God from thy gift in every offering thou shalt offer salt I would those Imperial Papists which would have their Churches to be without all Discipline and their sacrifices themselves without all salt would seriously consider how in despight of God exempting themselves from all Discipline they affect a most dangerous licentiousness of spirit But who shall administer this Discipline Who shall apply this Salt to the Sacrifices of God to sanctifie all souls to God Christ makes the answer to his Apostles You are the salt of the earth Matth. 5.13 They are then to be the Pastors of the Church the Successors to the Apostles in their Office They therefore that wrest out of their hands the Church Discipline would have them to be salt without all savour What is it to deceive a man's self if this be not it To have food sweet rather then wholesome After Christ had said Ye are the salt of the earth he addes immediately but if salt shall be as if were not rendred insipid or lose its savour wherewith shall it be seasoned it is henceforth good for nothing but to be cast away to be trodden under foot Consider I pray which of you would have your Salt your Apostles to be without salt such as yet you do what in you lies to make them to be in the sight of God O how deserving these things be of our utmost consideration But granting the necessity of Discipline in the Church of what kinde would we have it I answer Such as Christ instituted and the Apostles observed Watchful strict and severe wholly spiritual and for edification Watchful to be extended to all that are exorbitant though yet according to the degree of the offence Mat. 18.15 Severe to be exercised without respect of persons even them that are dearest to us or them which are the principal members of the Church and seem to be most necessary Concerning which very remarkable is the Order which Christ gives that no man is to be spared which gives a just cause of offence If any shall be to thee as thy right hand saith he to the Church directing and governing all thy actions viz. the Presbyter himself or Bishop or Pope or as thy foot bearing thee up as the Magistrate and those in Power or as thy Eye giving thee light as all the sublime Doctors whosoever cut off both those and pull out this saith he for it is better for thee maimed lame and with one eye to be preserved unto life then to perish with all thy members full and entire v. 8 9. It is better then that by the vigour and strictness of Discipline the Church preserve it self from scandals should be small obscure and lame than tolerating scandals and enormities to advance her self to never so much largeness wealth honour and glistering pomp in the world Finally the Discipline of the Church ought to be proportioned to the Kingdom of Christ which is altogether spiritual and therefore revilings banishments pecuniary mulcts prisons stocks gibbets or capital punishments which are the kindes of Civil punishment are not the weapons of our warfare but admonitions shame terrour and last of all delivering up to the Divine judgement and to Satan the Executioner thereof Yet all these things not without an holy designe viz. That others in the Church may fear 1 Tim. 5.20 and they themselves which offend may be snatched with fear out of the flames of sin and death Jude v. 23. It remains only that and how the body of the Church being well united well ordered and well knit together with the bands of reverence must over and above this be all filled with the Spirit of Christ This is yet a further matter and differing from the former For any Philosophical Colledge or Secular Commonwealth the Lacedemonian or some other yea and Ants and Bees too and the Synagogue of the Pharisees may be a company well united and well ordered and knit together and yet not be the body of Christ the Church being destitute of his Spirit For if any have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 What then is the Spirit of Christ Even the Spirit of the life of God quickning them that are dead in Adam 1 Cor. 15.45 i. e. turning to God them which are turned from God and them which are transgressors of the Law to be obedient to the Law and they that are fierce to be milde humble patient in a word making men new brought off from Satan the world and the flesh and offering themselves up to God alone to do and suffer all his Will This verily is the meaning of that which Christ speaketh If any man will come after me he must deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Matth. 16.24 and whoever cannot or will not do so he denies that he can be his Disciple Luke 14.26.32 Because

to you as there to them O! O you Corinthians that are wise that are rich that raign without us ver 4 8. For truly the things for which you contend are only of this life Rank Eminency Possessions Revenues Authority Repute and the like Prerogatives but how small a thing is all this for you which shall judge the world v 2. 3. which are in expectation of the Throne of Christ and his blessed Kingdom to Eternity Apoc. 3.21 So that whilst you that are so great contend about things so small behold God sets before you some that are contemptible and of the lowest form that you may begin even of them to learn to do better Those I mean which groaning under Christ's Cross may thus address to you that shine in glory God hath set forth unto you us as appointed unto death for we are made a spectacle unto the world to Angels and to men we are fools for Christ and you are wise in Christ we are weak but you are strong ye are honourable but we are vilified to this very time we both hunger and thirst and are naked and buffeted and have no certain dwelling place and labour working with our own hands being reviled we bless being made as the filth of the World and the off-scouring of all things c. 1 Cor. 4.9 c. Thus Paul minds them of these things in 1 Epist to Cor. and what heed they gave to him herein appears in the second Epistle where he once and again reproves them that they despised his Apostolical meanness and suffered themselves to be led away from the simplicity of Christ by them which were addicted to pomp and great swelling words and full fed with large fat morsels and no wonder for so it was with the Lord of the Prophets and Apostles that by reason of this meanness and meekness ● Jsa 42.1 2. his cross and afflictions he was so contemned that he was counted unworthy to be lookt upon Jsa 53.2 3. the World alwayes looking after nothing but power pomp and splendor doth so love to deceive it self and let the Godly take heed and beware of it For the foolishness of God is wiser then men and the weakness of God is stronger then men I God making choice of those things which are base to the world and nothing worth yea even those things which are not to abolish those that are that no flesh might glory in his sight 1 Cor. 15.28 29. However then I heartily wish you O! you great Sticklers in the great Churches some great Joseph which may bespeak his brethren with authority why fall ye out in the way of Heaven Gen. 45.24 or a Moses to cry out to you men and brethren why do ye wrong to one another Acts 7.26 or an Hezekiah to charge you as he did with royal Majesty the Levites and Priests My sons do not swerve any more for God hath chosen you c. 2 Chron. 29.11 Or else a great Constantine who gently reproving his Bishops the Ministers of Christ burned all the books of controversies Yet what forbids that I should not tread in the footsteps of Christ and setting before you great Apostles a little child in the midst and shew you what lesson you must learn of him What hinders also but that the Apostles counsel may be urged that quarrel being arisen among you about those things which concern this life only the judgement hereof may be committed to them that are the lowest in the Church This will be of Divine right whatever otherwise reason of State may suggest to them which understand not nor will understand the State of the Kingdom of Christ In confidence then of this Divine right the Bohemian though the least of all Churches and oppressed intreats You the Churches of greater Magnitude to supersede your contentions about matters so small so fading and of no value What will you contend for the Prerogative of Place and dignity when Christ did so straightly forbid his own all desire of honour and commanded that he that affected the primacy should be thrust back to the last place Mat. 20.26 23.11 12. for titles when the meekest Lord condemned the Phylacteries in the Pharisees as a piece of stinking pride ib. 5. and would have his own count themselves sufficiently honoured with the mutual compellation of Brethren ver 8. Do you strive about the higher understanding of the Mysteries when we are here all but infants scarce understanding the least part of that which by the goodness of God we shall know when we come to the state of Perfection Why may not the one of them that have an imperfection in speech have a good understanding of the other or at least bare with him Doe you contend for the right of Prebends when Christ affirmes it better to give then to receive Act. 20. and interdicts all his own which he sent forth to preach the Gospel the charge of the purse Math. 10.9 subjoyning this rule ye have received freely give freely And verily that was matter of glorying to the Apostles that they preached the Gospel gratis even to the richest Corinthians that they might not be burdensome to any 2 Cor. 11.7 9. and it was the Character of a mercenary Preacher to strive to be rich of the Gospel ib. 20. and elsewhere often Let the sincere Servants of Christ then imitating Christ and the Successors of the Apostles treading in the steps of the Apostles glory in the Lord. If you still stick at our smallnesse we must say with Syrac The Bee is small among winged creatures yet the fruit thereof is the beginning of sweetness Syrac 11.3 What more despicable then the Aunt yet how often are we sent to her as the Mistress of Prudence And may not a little Common-wealth be in greatest Order and so a mirrour to another which is greater Be the boat greater or less I am only but one still and the same as any understanding man will say Verily bigness is of no vertue unless happily to sink with its own weight all action flowes from the forme My Predecessors did adventure in the contentions of the Brethren of the Evangelici in Germany Helvetia Polonia in a brotherly way to interpose and by the assistance of God did there doe some good Why may not we the relicts of them cry out against the Relicts of contentioners They durst move Maximilian the Emperour to a Reformation of the Church Hist 108. why may not we the last reduced to the last entreat the same Our blessed Martyrs Hus and Hieron in the midst of the flames sung Psalmes unto God in confidence of the goodness of their Cause Why may not we be as them which inherit the same Cause to the last man being to triumph with Christ by his power not only in the Bab●lonian flames but beyond them also and the last flam●s of the World in the Judgment day But what would you have may some say I answer compassion Compassion I