Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	church_n	member_n	1,786	5	7.7946	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05400	A treatise of the right way fro[m] danger of sinne & vengeance in this wicked world, vnto godly wealth and saluation in Christe. Made by Th. Leuer, and now newly augmented. Seene and allowed, according to the order appointed.	Lever, Thomas, 1521-1577.	1575 (1575)	STC 15552; ESTC S106915	50,750	138

clensing liuing mennes hearts by faith hearing and beleeuing the gospell why do they suffer any priestes in saying masses so dangerously and damnably to abuse the word of god and the churche and spouse of Christe contrary vnto the gospell of Christe yée that know that gods word is abused if it be not so plainly red preached or pronounced as may make men to vnderstand knowe and beleeue gods truth and that the séely soules and simple persones hated and contemned héer liuing in this world be the church and spouse which Christ hath purchased purified sanctified vnto him selfe by his owne bloud I beséeche you beware of those procters of purgatorie whiche by their masse bring themselues and all theirs into suche a madde mase as too imagine that their woords which cannot be heard and vnderstand to comforte the consciences of the liuing may in any wise serue to saue or deliuer the soules of the deade or that those landes and goods which be bestowed to replenish their temples with their owne idle bellies and with carued and painted images be any other things than the open and abhominable spoile robbery of the liuely stones members and ministers of the holie Churche and mysticall bodie of Iesus Christ. This sinfull abuse is like to cause England to be sore plaged especially bicause of suche men as did pretende a loue vnto Christes gospell to gette abbay Landes and churche goodes into their handes and nowe consent to expell and persecute the gospell to kepe the same in their hands and in the meane time neither be ashamed nor afraid of their manifest and manifold periurie in suche solemne othes for the purchase and possession of their lands goodes for the inheritance of the Crowne for the iuste authoritie of the king for the vsurped primacie of the pope for the profession both of godly religion and of vngodly Idolatrie and Superstition as by the woords of their owne mouthes taking God to witnesse they haue shewed them selues afore all the worlde periurers theeues and traitoures vnto their countrey vnto their king vnto GOD and vnto man vndoutedly these euill abuses bée sure tokens of sore vengeaunce Likewise all abused oblations and sacrifices do rather prouoke than appease the anger and wrathe of God towardes man as was wel séene in the sacrifice of Caine lacking faith and in the multitude of sacrifices offered of the Israelites with bloudie hāds of vncharitable gotten goods Wherfore the lord crieth saying that he is ouerburdened sore greeued and wearied with many sacrifices He sayth the hands of the offerers be bloudy he hateth al burnt offerings of spoile and robberie euery thing is spoile and robberie afore God that is gotten or kept vncharitably amongst men O howe vncharitably did the Pharisies catch and kéepe vnto themselues by their traditions the riches and releefe which yong men did owe vnsoo their olde impotent parentes by Gods commaundement They did pretend such a seruice towards god the father the church their moother as though al oblations cōming vnto their hands for the mayntenance thereof should best haue pleased god and most profited the people and their parents when as in déed by teaching such their traditions so contrary vnto Gods cōmaundements they did rob God of his honor the churche of holinesse the people of their riches and poore parentes of due and necessarie releefe and reuerence And much like or farre worsse is the manner of them which to maintaine masse as dayly sacrifice for the séely soules in Purgatorie according vnto mans imagination contrarie vnto Gods word do robbe the liuely members of Christ vpon earth ●f the comfortable light of the Gospell and of charitable reléefe of men pretending nothing to be so much vnto gods glory and all mennes profite as the masse which in deede maketh gods house of prayer a dē of theeues too rob God of his honor and gods people of much riches and of all godlinesse For pretending to honor God vpon the altare and to releeue soules in purgatorie by the sacrifice of the masse they dishonor God in heauen and dangerously blinde the mind and cumber the consciences of mē vpon earth with such doctrine and déeds according vnto the fantasie of man contrarie vnto the cōmandement of God as bée indéede afore God a stinking sacrifice of vile abhomination bycause they be vncharitable and vnfaithfull Nothing can be acceptable vnto god without fayth that worketh by charitie Fayth commeth by hearing of the worde of god So whosoeuer doth not learn by the worde of God to beléeue in God and liue in charitie but will presume vppon his owne ymagination to offer vnto God the sacrifice of his seruice according as hée seeth in the fashion of this world commonly hée cā not attaine v●to sa●uation by fayth in Chryste as Abel did but deserue damnation for his owne doings as Cain did He that liueth in idlenesse vpon other mennes labours or that is much occupied in anie other than in his owne office cannot offer his own body in diligent doin● of his owne dutie as a sacrifice holie liuelie and acceptable vnto God for hee hath no faith working by charitie according vnto Gods worde but some such wittie and worldly policie as by couetousnesse and ambition is framed alwayes according vnto the fashion of the worlde Such were the priestes pastors in Israell féeding thēselues not the flock Such were the prelates in Ierusalem voyde of humble diligence in godly doctrin full of arrogant businesse in ciuill matters Suche were the carnall Gospellers and couetous worldlings and painted prelates in England euer pretending such religion and reformation as best pleased the King the Quéene or highest in authoritie and neuer ceassing in shifting and séeking for their owne safetie profite and vainglorie to turne many things frō euill vnto worse vnto the great slaunder of godly religion vtter abolishment of all reformation Suche hauing no liuely faith in Christes merits desired and deserued the shadow of death vnder diuellishe abuses in a solemne Masse The grosse vices in manifest abuses afore were neuer so euill and abhominable as was in Christes time the fine coloured hipocrisy of those which once caused Christ to bée crucified at Hierusalem or of suche as yet take vppon them dayly to sacrifice Christ in all places Adā in Paradise abused an apple a small trifle neglecting many good gifts of God they in Hierusalem in al places teache kéepe mens traditiōs neglecting making of no force the cōmaundementes of God. Many men at other times abhominably sinned concerning godly Matrimonie and natural séed moued only by couetousnesse or carnall beautie to take wiues and kéepe whoores or otherwise vnnaturally to satisfie their filthie lusts these Priests through couetousnesse and ambition with vsurped authoritie did then in the Iewishe Synagoge and do nowe in the Romish churche abuse the amiable daughters of the holy citie the consciences of deuoute men in the spiritual Hierusalem also vnkindly conuey and corruptly abuse