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	reason_n	see_v	1,402	5	3.3292	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17688	The mynde of the godly and excellent lerned man M. Ihon Caluyne what a faithfull man, whiche is instructe in the worde of God, ought to do, dwellinge amongest the papistes.	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; R. G.	1548 (1548)	STC 4435; ESTC S1842	38,846	152

wyse declared his will we contentinge our selues with his worde may haue sure knowledge of that that we ought to do This nowe concluded yf anye man will still to it replye let him go and pleade agaynste God to se whether he can wyn his processe against one so strōg a partye specially hauinge so euyll a matter First let vs remember that Iesus Christ doth learne vs al this lesson at the first entrance into his scole that yf we be ashamed of him or of his worde before men Mat. 10 of vs will he be asshamed whan he shall come in Maiestie with his angelles Beholde then how that our Lorde is not content when we do knowledge him secretly onely and in our hertes but he requireth straightly that we doo declare before mē by outward profession that we be of his he dothe not accept vs to be of his kyngdome but vnder that condicion And it is no maruell for that that sainct Paul saithe can not be false Rom. 10. that as with the hart a man beleueth vnto right wysnes so must he cōfesse with his mouth that he maye be safe Whereby he signifieth that can not be the fruyte of faith before God which bringeth forthe no confession before men Who soeuer nowe draweth backe he must go seke him a new master Now one wil demaūde whether euerye one muste declare him selfe openly or no yf he will doo his dutie thoughe no man enquire of him his faith I answer that it is not my meaning for in asmoche as it is a particular office to preache openlye / it is not conuenient that euerye man medle therewith / no neyther were it expedient nor conuenient I meane not thē that euery man shoulde go into the pulpet to declare their christianyte / or elles that we shuld publysh it in the stretes as the blowing of a trompet but that euerye one after their vocation in the which he is called to take hede that he geue god his glory Now for as moche as oure lorde hath not determyned neither the tyme nor the place neither yet the boūdes how farre we shall go we can not make any certayne lawes therfore But it is mete that euery one to his power doo applye him selfe faithfully to doo the same by all the meanes that he can consydering alwayes the state in whiche he is and the grace that god hath geuen hym bycause that we be al slouthfull and negligent except that we haue alwayes some spoure for to stere and pricke vs forth let vs haue these godly sentences printed in our hartes wherin it is commaunded vs to be ready to render a reason of the hope that is in vs vnto eueri one that axeth vs. 1. Pet. 3. Esai 2 In lyke wyse wheare it is sayd that thoffice of euery faith full person is to take his neyghbour by the arme and saye let vs ascende into the hyll of Syon in to the house of the god of Iacob and he wyll teache vs to walke in his waies we se now that there should be suche zeale in vs both for to exalte the kyngdome of God and also for to edifie our neyghbour and that we should geue all our strength and apply all our study to do the same But for as moch as we haue no certeyne rule to certifye vs how far how wide we should walke there is no more to do then but euery man to desyre our lorde to directe him in true wisdome that he may iudge what is moste expedient to be done And then afterwarde after his power accordinge to the measure of the vnderstanding whiche he hathe he do seke all the meanes and occasyons that is possible for to fulfyll his dutie to the intente that we haue all wayes the folowinge of Iesus Christ for our marke Psal 68 of whom it is spoken that the zeale of the house of god consumed hym that is to say he was inflamed with such loue and affection to build and interteyne the church of god that the same was euen as a burnynge fire in his herte whiche did neuer let him reste On the other side let vs note wel what is spoken of them which durste not confesse Iesus Christ after that they beleued in hym Ihon. 12. It is that they loued more the glory of men then the glorie of god Is it not a cursed and an ouertwarte choyse to preferre men before god Let vs take heade that we come not into suche cōdempnation But the thing which I haue taken chiefly to handell at this tyme is to knowe whether a Christian man being rightly instructe in the truthe of the gospell when he is among the Papistes do offende god or not yf he do as other do in going to the masse worshipping of ymages reliques vsyng such lyke cerimonies And to preuent the cauillatiō of some we entreat not now of this difficultie whether it be euyl done to dissemble but whether a man may feine and counterfaicte or fasshion hym selfe against the verite truth A man doth dissemble when he hydeth that that is with in his herte but he feyneth or sēbleth whan he feineth him selfe to be that he is not in conclusion loke what it is to lie with the mouth that same is to feine in the dede Now to defyne this questiō we must note that as there be two maner of honours that we owe vnto God that is to saye spirituall seruyce of the harte the external or outwarde worshyppinge euen so on the other syde be there two kindes of Idolatry the fyrste is whan a mā through a false fantasy whiche he hath cōceyued in his hart or spirite doth corrupt peruert the spiritual salues of one only god The other is whan a man for what cause so euer it be dothe geue or transfer the honor which belongeth vnto god onely vnto any creature As for an ensāple vnto an ymage let vs then begyn to speake of the duty which we owe towarde god to serue hym duelye Is it sufficient for euery man to holde god within hym selfe within hys harte for his sauyour and worshyp hym in secrete No he requyrethe more of vs saying that we must glorify him as well in our body as in our spirite he adioyneth the cause Because that both of them belonge vnto hym Now although we had not this commaundement yet it is euydent that it shoulde be so for in as much as our bodyes be redemed by the precious bloud of Iesus Christ What reason is it that we shoulde prostytute it before an Idoll Seing that it is the temple of the holy gost What an horrible synne were it then for to defyle it with such sacryledge Considerynge that it is predestinate to receyue the crowne of immortalite and to be partaker of the glory of god is it then conuenient for to corrupte and to foil it with such fylth let vs learne then that euen as our soules be consecrated vnto God euen

the worlde is come vnto suche an vnshamefastnesse for to mocke with god so I graunte that their intent be suche as they pretend and I wyll no further inuey against theyr hipocrisy Let vs now examyne the dede it selfe for feare to offend say they we be constrayned to make a good countenance in fasshionyng our selues vnto the superstitions of the papistes Now to see whether it be so or no we must fyrst vnderstand what it is to offende for when S. Paul vseth thys worde offende he signifieth the troublyng of a conscience wherby it is letted to come vnto Iesus Christ or cause to fall or drawe backe from hym now whē he handeleth thys matter of whiche we speake of he commaundeth vs to be well ware that we offend no man well how is that Take hede sayth he that thou eatest not of the Offerynges made vnto Idolles in the presence of a weake person that is scrupulous 1 Corin. 8 for that is an offence Wherfore For sothe in as moche as hys conscience is therby edifyed to do euyll for he thynketh that such meate is defyled and yet neuerthelesse he styckethe not to eate of it folowing thine example Beholde nowe how thou art cause of hys ruyne or else if he absteyn he is troubled in his harte thynkynge that thou displeasyste god in so doynge and is by this meanes set as it were on fier and in daunger to giue ouer bicause he is not wel grounded in the truthe of god We see then from what offence Saincte Paul calleth vs backe it is whē we through our rashnes be the cause that a weake parson doth so stumble that he fall vnto ruyne or turne from the ryght way or else be hyndered and to be shorte When we plucke hym backe or be a let vnto hym to profyte in oure lorde in the steade of that we ought for to further hym In lyke maner to the Romayns Rom. 14. After that he had shewed that it was an vnfryndly thyng agaynste charite for to trouble a weake person bycause he maketh hys conscience to eate of all maner of meates and that he shoulde not constrayn hym not to be to importune agaynst hys conscience Fynally that he shold not dyscōfort nor dyscourage hym And when he wolde conclude hys purpose he sayth Let euery mā please hys neighbour in well doynge vnto hys edyfyenge Now we see the marke whervnto we must haue an eye whē we go aboute to auoide offence it is that we gyue not an occasion vnto our neyghboure to be edyfyed in euyll nor yet gyue hym any euyll example neither to say or do any thynge where by he myght euer the soner go out of the ryght waye Where vpon it is easy for vs to iudge whether that they whych bow them selues vnto Idolles and by their dissemblynge of theyr christianyte dishonour god do by thys meanes auoyde offendynge Fyrste they shew them selues that they haue no great zeale vnto the glory of god the whiche they do dishonoure so Then do they entyce other to doe the same I speake of the feble and symple oons whyche haue already some taste of the truth And where as otherwise they wolde make conscience to defile them selues with Idolatry they do take courage and boldnes through their exāple Fynally they confyrme the vnbeleuers and harden them in their errours If this be not to offende I confesse that I am oute of my wytte It is very trewe in dede that they do not offend the worldly people or do runne into their displeasure neither do they prouoke any person for to persecute them nor giue thē any occasion for to murmur or crye out againste them But in norysshyng of all Idolatry thorow their faynyng they be the cause that breaketh his necke other be greuously hurte some do fall some be caused to halt or else to wander out of the right way And by this meanes they altogyther euen from the fyrst vnto the last be blynde and leaders of the blynd for in folowing one an other lyke Cranes they doo seduce or leade an other oute of the ryghte way For as moche as neuer a one of them doth folow the worde of God whyche is the onely true rule Moreouer we muste note that when S. Paule byddeth vs to condiscende vnto the rudenes or infirmite of our neighbours that we gyue thē none offence he wolde not that we should do any euyll thyng for to do them pleasure with al or else vse any dissimulacion that is not lawfull for vs but that in all indyfferente thynges whyche God hath lefte in our lybertye and whiche of them selues be but good we shoulde haue respecte vnto them and not to trouble thē Wherfore the fyrst foundacion shulde be euer to consydre whether the thynge where of we entreate be letfe vs free that we myghte vse it in one sorte or other puerly with out offēdyng god that is to say to do a dede or leue it vndone to vse a thing or to absteyn frō it Now to include ydolatry in this row it is to no purpose Therfore in as moch as to counterfaict in such sort that one shuld cōmit all abhomynation is agaynst the expresse prohibition of god there is no reason at all to brynge forthe offence to be an excuse in this behalfe Now they that see me to be more indyfferente perceyuyng them selues to be voyde of all lawfull excuses do not wholely defende that thys is well done or that it is no synne to commit Idolatry for the feare of men but do alledge that it is a small faulte and easy to be pardoned whē the hert is not there wyth and therfore that it is to passe all measure for to reproue it so bytterly And for to gyue some shewe vnto theyr sayeng they doo obiect that there be many vices remaynyng in the world moch more greuous then that the whiche ought to be reproued fyrste of all And therfore men ought not to begynne at thys smal infirmyte as they do take it yf we wyll not folow the hypocrisy of the Pharyses which swalowed vp an whole Camel and strayned the lyttle pieces there of throughe a seife Mat. 23. I will begyn to Answere at thys last poyncte grauntyng that there be now a dayes very horryble faultes in the worlde agaynste whiche there is moche nede to crye I confesse also that when one passeth ouer them lyghtly to tary vpon this onely synne of outwarde Idolatry that he goeth not well to worke euen as now I should spare whores dronkerdes theues disceyuers periured personnes and that I should wynke at couetuousnes that I dissembled wyth extorcioners fynally the pompes and pryde or this world beyng only altogither set to reproue this vice wherof I speke now For then I shoulde not do well and also a man myght by good ryghte reproue me of lacke of discreatiō as one that lefte many secrete wondes alone for to be occupied aboute the healyng of one But for as