Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bring_v	good_a	work_n	2,437	5	5.8344	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77499	The false--teacher tried and cast. A subject useful at all times, and but too seasonable for the present. / By John Brinsley minister of the gospel at Great Yarmouth.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1658 (1658)	Wing B4714; Thomason E1821_2; ESTC R209775	32,187	84

Which that none of you may be 2. Use 2 Christians exhorted to try Teachers By way of exhortation in the second place let me desire you to propound this Angel as a pattern for your imitation See that you try before you trust This will you do in matters of civil concernment How much more then in spirituals in things which concern the welfare of your souls your eternal salvation Herein you cannot be too wary And therefore take heed what Teachers you hearken to Yea though haply they be of great name and note much cryed up by many what ever their parts and gifts be yea what ever their life and conversation be yet do not so far make your selves servants to any of them as to pinne your faith upon their sleeve be not over credulous especially if they be such as these in the Text such as pretending to an extraordinary calling shall hold forth new doctrines such as the Church of God hath not been acquainted with Now bee jealous of them fearing what you have just cause to do that they are not what they pretend to be They say they are Apostles but are not Therefore bring them to the trial A thing which Christ himself commendeth Argument 1 A thing commended So he doth in this angel here among whose good works hee reckons up this for one his trial of such Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not This tended to his praise Now this is one of the things which the Apostle willeth Christians to have an eye unto Phil. 4.8 If there be any vertue any praise any thing truly praiseworthy from men much more if commended by God think on these things so think of them as to do them Now were there no other Argument this alone should be sufficient to induce Christians to this practice doing this in a conscientious way with a respect to the honour of Jesus Christ which questionlesse this Angel here did for the asserting and vindicating of his name and truth whatever they meet with from men they shall have his approbation and commendation But secondly Argument 2 Commanded this is not onely commended but also commanded Those forenamed Texts are expresse being not onely counsels but precepts Try the spirits whether they be of God Prove all things So as this is not onely a Liberty but a duty a thing not onely expedient but requisite not onely what may be done but must be done Teachers especially if suspitious they must be tryed Quest But who shall try them and How shall they try them Two useful questions Take the resolution of each 1. Quest 1 Who shall be the tryers of these teachers Who are to try them Answ 1 Answ 1 To this I answer First Generally all Christians Generally all Christians To them are those forenamed exhortations directed of trying of spirits and proving all things General Lessons for all Christians who being spiritual are made judges of all things So 1 Cor. 2.15 He that is spiritual judgeth all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spiritual man not the Pope to whom some of his Parasites apply that Text. Nor yet onely the Clergy as they have been called the Ministers of the Gospel to whom custom in former ages hath appropriated that Title calling them spiritual persons in way of distinction from the so called Laity But every Christian who is enlightened and regenerated by the spirit of God He is this spiritual man who judgeth all things understanding and discerning the truth of God so much as concerneth his own salvation And being thus qualified he not onely may but ought to exercise this his judgement upon those whoever they are that bring doctrines contrary to or diverse from that truth trying them This are private Christians to do according to those abilities that measure of the spirit of discerning which God hath given them But Secondly Ans 2 This are the Ministers of Christ after a more special manner to do Specially the Angels of the Churches the ministers of Christ As it is in trying of gold if any pieces be suspicious every one before hee receiveth them will try them for himself having his scales for that purpose but the Gold-smith doth this after a more exact manner having not onely his scales for the weight but his touch-stone for the mettal Thus though all Christians are to try suspicious teachers doctrines yet the Ministers of Christ are to do it after a special manner Ministers Tryers by office they being tyrers by Office Such were the Apostles in their times Such were the Apostles and Evangelists who exercised this power upon divers trying and discovering them to bee what in truth they were nothing lesse then what they pretended So did Simon Peter upon Simon Magus the father of Hereticks as he is called a broacher and maintainer of divers blasphemous and damnable Heresies Peter tryeth and discovereth him to be what in truth he was not what he gave out himself to be and was by many taken for as you have the story Acts 8.21.23 And the like did Paul to Hymeneus and Alexander whom as he saith he delivered to Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme 1 Tim. 1. last proceeding against them by Ecclesiastical censures for the Heresie which they held forth in denying the Resurrection of the dead to whom Philetus also as it seemeth was joined whom upon the same account he taketh notice of 2 Tim. 2.18 19. And what himself did he willeth his Evangelist Timothy also to doe the like If a man teach otherwise saith he to him 1 Tim. 6.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preaching other doctrine then that which the Church had already received from Christ and his Apostles and consent not to wholesom words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godliness from such saith he withdraw thy self have no communion with them whether Ecclesiastical or Fraternal but look upon them as they are as contagious persons not fit for Christian societie And the like he requires from Titus A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition reject Tit. 3.10 Thus did Paul set himself against the whole generation of false teachers willing all the Ministers of Christ in a special manner to do the like This did our Apostle and Evangelist Saint John whose zeal against that infamous Heretick Cerinthus is famous with whom he would not so much as enter into the Bath least the houses should fall on his head Vide Danaeum in August de Heres Chap. 8. and at whom he is conceived to strike as elsewhere in his Gospel in his first chapter so in those two places of his first Epistle 1 John 2.22 and 4.3 And the like did this angel here in the Text the minister or ministers of this Church of Ephesus To him or them it is that this commendation is here given for dealing with these false apostles