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	power_n	soul_n	2,506	5	5.3976	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60972	Davvnings of light wherein the true interest of reformation is opened in generall, and in particular, in this kingdome for the establishment of weaker judgements, and many other things impartially hinted, to a further discovery of truth and light in many of our present controversies : with some maximes of reformation / by John Saltmarsh ...	Saltmarsh, John, d. 1647.	1646 (1646)	Wing S477; ESTC R40634	39,746	130

administrations God took up for such seasons and how far such administrations were intended to be answerable to each other both before the Law and under the Law and how the Law is fulfilled in the Gospell and whether there be not a fulfilling by way of eminency and if so then whether there be any such speciall or particular relating in the Ordinances under Christ Abraham and Moses and this done the subject and circumstances of one Ordinance which fals under so peremptory a precept I mean Circumcision will sooner clear up to the weaker judgements And in this it would be observed what latitude such proof allows whether Papists can take any of the same shadow to sit under for proving any thing of their Hierarchy Ceremonies and musick to be a fulfilling of that part of the Law the Priesthood and Service All these things deserve large and powerfull discourses because from these such consequences spring up as may trouble our ages more then they yet have done especially we being now laying our corner stones and beginning to build and this I should recommend to the pens of the most godly learned of our age by way of speciall advancement to the cause of God at this present The contemplation of this Interest very strengthening and the higher the more safe I Intend at this time but to let out a glimpse of this Interest of Reformation to awaken us into a closer pursuit and enquiry after it for I know not any that have taken pains in this except godly Bucer and he hath not pursued this Interest under this notion nor higher then into the next organicall part of it concerning the Kingdom of Christ in its severall administrations and believe it if this part were rightly and supreamly discussed and held forth in such ages as this when God is casting out new beams every day to the world till at length all be on a pure light and our day be like the first day of the Creation when God said Let there be light as if all the stars and luminaries of heaven were disbanded and let out from their Orbs when the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun as the light of seven dayes If this part I say of the the Reformation were methodically heightned and drawn into principles and Aphorismes it would raise up the soules of Gods people in all seasons and would be a subliming and strengthening to faith even the very substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things that are not seen and such a spiritualizing to the soul that we might live in the same region with the Apostle whose conversation as he sayes was in heaven in the same region with Enoch who walked with God and with all the blessed Saints Patriarchs who studied the science of this interest more then any and therefore it is that they stood firm higher then all the lower regions of Providence even in a serene firmament all the time of losses and tempests and miscarriages declinings as seeing him who is invisible and looking for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God But this is not the interest we look so much after in this age men are carried by lower and more naturall interests which draw and entice the soule into the senses and so incarnates the contemplations and graces of the soul and when we should live a life even hid wi●h Christ in God we are hiding our life in the things below rising and falling ebbing and flowing with the ordinary Providences not being able to attain to that spirituall consistencie of soule which the former agents in Reformation had Nay you shall see that even the holy men of God while they let themselves down into these outward Providences they would often decline some degrees as David I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul and as Paul Sirs I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage not only of the lading of the ship but also of our lives but when he had conversed more above and had seen a vision from God he then could say Sirs I now exhort you to be of good cheer for there shall be no losse of any mans life among you for this night there stood by me the Angel of God whose I am and whom I serve The reason that there are so many doubtings and despondencies and discouragements is only this Many look too much upon the naturall interest of Reformation not upon the supernaturall and that which is the more hidden and secret which though it be invisible and not so discernable to a carnall eye yet it is the only unchangeable eternall sure interest hid and involved in God himself and in his power and wisdome but the soul and spirit of man being in union and correspondencie with something more corporeall then it self the body inclines after interests that are corporeal too as outward power and forces and successe and excellencie of agents and instruments and strength of contributions and auxiliaries and whatsoever may conduce to the advancing and propagating the cause below and if once they look about and see not the workings the relations advantages contextures and fulnesse of things below as they expect and saw usually before they are presently cast down and never on the wings of comfort but when things have a strong and naturall interest and are on wing too as the weak Spouse could then only delight her self abroad when she could see the floures appeare on the earth and heare the singing of birds and the vo●ce of the turtle and see the figtree putting forth and the vines with the tender grapes These puttings forth and blossoms and outward appearance and visibility of things is the support and only comfort of the Spouse thus she was raised too when she saw but her lover putting in his finger at the holes of the door So it is with the Spouse now with the Church and people of God now they can only delight themselves abroad in the Providences of God then and to look about towards Reformation then when the grapes appear and the fig-tree putteth forth and the singing of birds is come when there is any chearfull budding and blossoming providence and any musick of successe and advancement this was Gideons errour an overlooking and neglecting the spirituall and supernaturall interest and fixing his eyes too much on the naturall Oh my Lord sayes he 〈◊〉 God be with us why th●n 〈◊〉 all this befallen us and where he all the miracles our fathers told us on But now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites and yet we know even then the Divine and supernatural interest was working most strongly for their deliverance from the Midianites But I shall set down before I take off my pen my Observations concerning the naturall and politicall interest which

States or Christians and how far Christ who is protector of his Church is to be trusted with the defence of his own government in such cases and yet the true evangelicall latitude is not found out Some plead upon such principles as would bring in an universall toleration and while they would open a door only for themselves they set in all promiscuously Therefore it would be enquired here if all must be tolerated for fear of persecuting the truth through ignorance then whether doth not this ground argue for a plenary Liberty for all to propagate their interests equally with that which is the commonly received truth of that place for a truth I conceive may be no more suppressed ignoran●ly then it may be persecuted ignorantly and it was as great a sin if not greater in that Councel to charge the Apostles they should not teach the people in his name as to whip them for the doctrine they taught Again it would be further enquired if such a Liberty be the Gospel way what use of the reserves of martyrdome and persecution which Christ hath made into such a glorious condition as if he intended it as a blessed supplement to that of Liberty and it would be enquired whether such a m●lky way as that of Liberty be always consonant to the estate of the Church being a Lilly among Thorns And it would be enquired too whether such a Liberty be fully Christs minde because the enemies of the truth heathen Empires and popish States as well as others are and have been abe●tors of it and so it be rather a State principle tolerating only those which either the necessity of some evill consequence or some State expedients or the experienced innocency of the tolerated Religion hath produced and yet on the other side it would be enquired further whether they that desire this Liberty be not such as are on the same fundamentals with us and brethren in the Lord and may be brought to meet with us in certain common principles walking by the same rule minding the same thing in that whereunto we have attained and may not let out themselves unto mutuall peace and edification their dissentings having a certain orbe or spheare allowed them wherein they may move that still upon occasion we may all fall into one common society against the publick enemy of the Gospel as Abraham and Lot who though they lived other times at distance yet were ever ready to relieve one another and here I desire to know whether such severall motions as this which agree in the same unity of faith of mutuall edification and contribute together to the same publick preservation may not be with as little prejudice to the grand spirituall sphear as in the naturall wherein we see nature abounding in severall motions orbs and yet all these as occasion opens mutually assisting the interest of the universe or whole And here me thinks we should study the latitudes of Christianity more then we doe especially when the Scriptures holds it out to us both in principles and practice yet this caution I must lay down that all our dissenting Brethren be as carefull o● their parts to study things that make for common peace as they would have Authority carefull in acting against their particular peace There is much arguing now against compulsive authority in case of Religion and the arguments run thus 1. That it is a note of Persecution 2. That it drives on the Popish and Prelaticall designe of Vniformity 3. That it distracts and wounds tender doubting consciences 4. That it armes the enemies of the truth in their tyranny from the Magazine of true Professors 5. That it assumes dominion over the consciences 6. That it intrudes into the place of God and his Ordinances which immediately influence on the soule 7. That it was but judiciall and politicall to the Jewes 8. That it runs an hazard of fighting against God 9. That there is no expresse command nor example in the Gospel for such compulsion 10. That it is a means of keeping out truths that are yet to be revealed 11. That the authority of the Magistrate in Scripture reaches onely to Moral and Civil transgressions and to spirituall as they come forth into the outward man and so trouble the civill peace or government of the State 12. That it makes Formalists and Hypocrites Yet here it would be enquired further whether there be not the same morall and and judiciall equity for the Magistrate to assist God in the designe of his Church now as there was before 2. Whether Heresies and Schismes do not naturally bring forth such divisions and distractions as dash so on the power of the civill Magistrate that they justly raise up that power against them 3. Whether the pleaders for this compulsive power do not over argue it through indulgency and the opposers argue it but half way through jealousie the one having it on their side at present and the other against them and whether a more moderate way be not the more Scripture-path viz. That the compulsive power may be found in the Gospel-principles stated with such Cautions and Rules from the word as the Enemies and opposers of truth may neither triumph in an unwarrantable liberty nor the weaker Christians have cause to complain of an unwarrantable authority whose doubtings are experienced to wound their own soules more then the soule of States the Government Establishment of Reformation IT hath not yet been far enough argued according to the principles in Scripture of what nature the establishments ought to be under the Gospel sure we ought more properly to advise with him that hath the keys of David and knowes best how to shut and open for else we may shut so fast that we may be forced to have our doores broken open from Heaven as of late under Prelacy we sadly experience who had shut up all with so sure an establishment that a truth could not get in but by violence and thus Rome and those Princes of Bondage under her as the Spaniard c. make use of their keyes in all their dominions for shutting out so as the Gospel-truths have no visible entrance but by force unlesse God bring them in at some other door yet unknown to us as he seems to intend now whether the establishment ought to be such under the Gospel as may universally except all but what is received or such as may contrive some holy prudentiall way for trying any new revealed truths if such be offered clearly from heaven by the hands of men we finde that in Arts Sciences the Sistemes are not such as will admit of no advancement the profoundest agents in nature are led daily on to new experiments and the Aristotelian magistrality hath been found no little hinderance to young travellers in the regions of nature And that which may carry us on further in this enquiry is the possibility of not seeing all at once strenghened by