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	sin_n	world_n	1,507	5	4.7924	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70260	Several tracts, by the ever memorable Mr. John Hales of Eaton Coll. &c. Viz. I. Of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. II. Paraphrase on St. Matthew's Gospel. III. Of the power of the keys. IV. Of schism and schismaticks, (never before printed by the original copy.) V. Miscellanies	Hales, John, 1584-1656.; Hales, John, 1584-1656. Tract concerning sin against the Holy Ghost.; Hales, John, 1584-1656. Tract concerning schisme.	1677 (1677)	Wing H276A; Wing H280; ESTC R14263	61,040	260

not what to believe but finds a suspension of his Faith or trepidation of his understanding not knowing which way to turn This cannot be called a resisting of the Truth when the Truth is not known but doubted of Again some Truths there be though they be assented to by the understanding for Truths yet they are not desired as good for truth is one degree nearer the Soul of Man than goodness The Pharisees did apprehend the Miracles of our Saviour as true but not as good because they tended to the derogation of their Law which they esteemed a better Truth And for this cause they Blasphemed that Truth which in their hearts they believed for Truth For the truth of words or speech is as the Schools say nothing else but the sign of truth not truth it self for truth it self is seated in the understanding and not in the speech That Truth which the understanding assents to the speech may affirm to be false there are many things believed in deed which are denied in word but such a denial is not resisting but only making shew of resisting the Truth for resistance must be in the same place where Truth is Truth being seated in the understanding resistance must be placed there also the understanding can resist no Truth but by unbelieving of it If Mr Calvin had intended of the Truth only in word he had come one step nearer to the Truth of Scripture but he was not so happy in the expression of his meaning nay his terms of Incredulity Apostacy falling away c. relate to a real not verbal Apostacy and Unbelief It remains then to my understanding that Mr Calvin makes the resistance of the Truth to be a not believing of what we do believe which being a contradiction he defines the Sin against the Holy Ghost to be such a Sin as no Man possibly can commit And yet in the other extream in expounding his own definition he makes it such a Sin as no Man living but commits for by his Doctrine as I take it any Sin may be the Sin against the Holy Ghost His words are these Quorum convicta est conscientia verbum Dei esse quod repudiant impugnant impugnare tamen non desistant ill● in spiritum blasphemari dicuntur What Man is there that doth not daily in some Point or other for sake the word of God and ceases not to impugne it and is convinced thereof in his Conscience I know Mr Calvin was far from thinking that St. Paul did Sin against the Holy Ghost and yet St. Paul it seems was convinced in his Conscience that it was the Word of God he fought against and yet ceased not to fight against it when he saith he delighted in the Law of God yet another Law warring against the Law of his mind brought him into Captivity of the Law of Sin What dangerous consequences weak Consciences may draw to themselves out of this unbridled unlimited proposition of Mr Calvins let others judge There is a just cause I. presume to except against Mr Galvin and all others who in this concurr with him to omit the term of Blasphemy in their definitions for this is perpetually observed by our Saviour in his speech concerning this Sin by the Evangelists with one consent but instead of the word Blasphemy he hath brought in the word resist for a Genus of this Sin but by what Authority I know not I cannot find it or the equivalent to it in any of these places which are thought to touch this Sin I find only falling away mentioned Heb. 6. which phrase is used by Mr Calvin for resisting whereas falling away and resisting are no more alike than fighting and runing away which are little less than contraries The last point I shall touch in Mr Calvins definition is where he saith the Sinners against the Holy Ghost resist to the end only that they may resist and yet withall he tells they resist out of a determinate malice If they resist out of malice then the end for which they resist is for the satisfaction of their malice The Pharisees here condemned by our Saviour had an other end than bare resisting The defence of the Law of Moses was the end for which they Blasphemed and not any pleasure they could have in the bare and simple act of resistance We find three old opinions concerning the Sin against the Holy Ghost but they were long since exploded I will but only name them Origen thought all Sins committed after Baptisme were Sins against the Holy Ghost his reason was only a witless conceit of his own That God the Father was in all things the Son only in all reasonable Creatures the Holy Ghost in all regenerate Men. Therefore when Men Sin against the Divine Person which is in them if they be Heathen they Sin against God the Father or Son if they be Christians they Sin against God the Holy Gost but this opinion is false The Novatian Hereticks agreed with Origen in opinion for they denied remission of Sins to any that fell thinking all falls of Christians to be Sins against the Holy Ghost but this opinion is false else all Sins were unpardonable to Christians Yet we find St. Paul to remit the Sins of the incestuous Corinthian Our Saviour also chargeth the Pharisees with this who were no Christians St. Austin thought final impenitency to be the Sin against the Holy Ghost but final impenitency is no Blasphemy but only a general circumstance that may accompany any Sin besides our Saviour intends that this Sin may be found in this life And the Pharisees were alive when they were accused of it Pet. Lumbard and Tho. Aquinas thought Sins of Malice to be Sins against the Holy Ghost and Sins of infirmity against the Father and Sins of ignorance against the Son This opinion is false because the Sin against the Holy Ghost must be a Sin of some certain Blasphemy but malice is no certain Sin but a General and 't is not always a Blasphemy The six differences the Schoolmen make of the Sin against the Holy Ghost are these 1. Envying of our Brothers Graces 2. Impugning of the Known Truth 3. Desperation 4. Obstinacy 5. Presumption 6. Final Impenitency In this determination of the point of Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost and the inquiry made into Mr Calvins and others new definition I hope I have delivered nothing contrary to the Articles of the Church of England FINIS A TRACT Concerning the SACRAMENT OF THE Lords Supper By the ever Memorable Mr. JOHN HALES of Eaton-Colledge c. Printed 1677. A Tract on the Sacrament of the LORDS SUPPER Kind SIR IN perusal of your Letters together with the Schedule inclosed no Circumstance did so much move me as this that so ordinary Points as are discust there and that in a bare and ordinary manner should amuse either your self or any man else that pretends to ordinary Knowledge in Controversies in Christian Religion For the

Isles shall wait for his Law When He comes to preach this Law or to shew forth this Judgment saith the Prophet He shall not strive nor cry that is He shall discover no sign of anger or discomposure in his mind neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets saith the Prophet that is He shall cause no Tumult or popular Hubbub He shall not expose the vices of Men to the knowledge and censure of the World of whom He hath but the least Hope that they will amend A bruised Reed shall he not break saith the Prophet that is the mind which is afflicted He shall not afflict more and the smoaking flax shal he not quench that is where he does but see a little smoak He will look for some fire He will so comply with the weaknesses and infirmities of all Mankind that he will not be out of hope to cherish them up into Virtues And all this he will do saith the Prophet Till he send out Judgment unto Victory of which words whatsoever the sense or meaning be this is plain that they contain the success or event of that Meekness Gentleness and Quietness which went before Now taking it for granted that there is nothing left out in these words as St. Jerom does suspect I can imagine but two senses that can be put upon them and those two senses arise out of the two several acceptations of the word Judgment For First If by Judgment in this place be meant the same which was meant by Judgment in the 18th verse going before then the sense of the words is this He shall preach the Christian Law with all Meekness and Mildness maugre all opposition and malice of those that do oppugn it till that Law have prevailed or gotten the victory that is till the greatest part of all the World embrace it and this sense is no improper sense if we look no further But then Secondly If by Judgment be meant the disceptation or discussion of a Cause in which sense it is often taken in the Scriptures then the meaning of the words is this He shall use so much Meekness and Gentleness in working upon the minds of all Men in the World that let any Man sit in Judgment upon that which he hath done and he shall carry the Cause or bear away the Victory To this purpose saith the Psalmist of God that He is clear when he is judged Psal 51. 6. And in this sence God saith of himself O ye men of Judah judg ye I pray you between my Vmeyard and Me Isa 5. 3. And in this Judgment Christ got the Victory when with all Patience and Long-sufferance with all Gentleness and Meekness He endured the perverse and crooked dispositions of the People of the Jews and spared no Time or Labour to reform them if they would have hearkned unto him Sch. Sir I confess there is much reason in what you say but methinks it seems a little strained sense to be put upon those words as you read them Till he shall send forth Judgment for according to your sence we should read them thus at least Till he shall carry away the Judgment with Victory or to Victory Mast. You have judged very right and so indeed should we read them For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render shall send forth is of the same signification with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth signify to carry away But you must bear with more faults in the Translation of your Testament than this and I hope you will bear with me if I tell you plainly of them when I meet with them Sch. I beseech you do for though I have a very great opinion of those Men who did translate the Testament yet I would be loth to be a loser by my reverence But if you please I will proceed in framing my Objections Mast You shall not need for I foresee whither you are driving even towards the great Scruple that affrights the World the Sin against the Holy Ghost of which there is mention in this Chapter upon the occasion of Christs healing of the blind and dumb man possessed of the Devil in the 22 Verse of this Chapter Sch. I was indeed and therefore if you please let us come unto that Story Mast With all my heart And first I must let you know that so soon as the Pharisees saw that great Miracle which Christ had done they said that he casteth out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils in the 24th verse of this Chapter and truly this was no unusual practice amongst the Sorcerers and Magicians as is evident by many of the ancient Poets when they could not prevail any other way to use the help of the great and chiefest Devil whose name they would threaten him to publish if he did not help them to expell or cast out other less Devils that possessed Men In Iamblichus there is mention of that Form in which they threatned him and Porphiry says that his name was Serapis But our Saviour sufficiently refuteth that calumny several ways First By a common and known Axiom amongst themselves Every Kingdom divided c. and the meaning thereof is this That the Devils are wise there is no question but they that are wise will rather seek to establish Themselves and their own Power which is done by Concord and Agreement than to distract and dislocate it which is done by Faction and Division therefore it is not likely that the Devils will so differ and disagree as the one to expell the other as they would perswade the World Secondly By Retortion in these words If I by Beelzebub do cast out Devils by whom do your children cast them out vers 27. And the force of Christs Argument is this In a like Cause Equity will that men give a like judgment when your Disciples do cast out Devils do not you think that they cast them out by a divine Power Therefore so should you even think of me if you thought aright But I should take this to be an Ironie rather Sch. I consess I did partly conceive the Scope of these two Arguments before but that which follows I do not understand But if I cast out Devils by the Spirit of God then is the Kingdom of God come unto you Pray make me understand it that is First What is meant by the Kingdom of God Secondly What is the meaning of this Consequence If I by the Spirit of God cast out Devils then is the Kingdom of God come unto you For I see not how it follows Mast By the Kingdom of God is meant the Time of the Messiah's being in the World as in Dan. 4. 29. and Dan. 7. 14. And the Consequence there inferred is this That as God by sundry Works and Miracles gave his people of Israel a Sign of their instant Deliverance out of Egypt So the great Miracles of Christ were ordained by him to be a Sign unto the World of a

these three ways either upon matter of Fact or matter of Opinion or point of Ambition For the first I call that matter of Fact when something is required to be done by us which either we know or strongly suspect to be unlawful So the first notable Schism of which we read in the Church contained in it matter of Fact For it being upon Error taken for necessary that an Easter must be kept and upon worse than Error if I may so speak for it was no less than a point of Judaism forced upon the Church upon worse than Error I say thought further necessary that the ground for the time of our keeping that Feast must be the rule left by Moses to the Jews there arose a stout Question Whether we were to celebrate with the Jews on the fourteenth Moon or the Sunday following This matter though most unnecessary most vain yet caused as great a Combustion as ever was in the Church the West separating and refusing Communion with the East for many years together In this fantastical Hurry I cannot see but all the world were Schismaticks neither can any thing excuse them from that imputation excepting only this that we charitably suppose that all Parties out of Conscience did what they did A thing which befel them through the ignorance of their Guides for I will not say their malice and that through the just judgment of God because through sloth and blind obedience Men examined not the things which they were taught but like Beasts of Burthen patiently couched down and indifferently underwent whatsoever their Superiours laid upon them By the way by this you may plainly see the danger of our appeal unto Antiquity for resolution in controverted points of Faith and how small relief we are to expect from thence For if the discretion of the chiefest Guides and Directors of the Church did in a Point so trivial so inconsiderable so mainly fail them as not to see the Truth in a Subject wherein it is the greatest Marvel how they could avoid the sight of it can we without imputation of extream grosness and folly think so poor spirited persons competent Judges of the Questions now on soot betwixt the Churches Pardon me I know not what Temptation drew that Note from me The next Schism which had in it matter of Fact is that of the Donatist who was perswaded at least so he pretended that it was unlawful to converse or communicate in holy Duties with Men stained with any notorious Sin For howsoever Austin and others do specify only the Thurificati Traditores and Libellatici and the like as if he separated only from those whom he found to be such yet by necessary proportion he mustrefer to all notorious Sinners Upon this he taught that in all places where good and bad were mixt together there could be no Church by reason of Pollution evaporating as it were from Sinners which blasted righteous Persons who conversed with them and made all unclean On this ground separating himself from all whom he list to suspect he gave out that the Church was no where to be found but in him and his Associates as being the only Men among whom wicked Persons found no shelter and by consequence the only clean and unpolluted Company and therefore the only Church Against this Saint Augustine laid down this Conclusion Unitatem Ecclesiae per totum Orbem dispersae propter nonnullorum peccata non esse deserendam which is indeed the whole sum of that Fathers Disputation against the Donatist Now in one part of this Controversie betwixt St. Augustine and the Donatist there is one thing is very remarkable The Truth was there where it was by meer chance and might have been on either side any Reasons brought by either party notwithstanding For though it were de facto false that pars Donati shut up in Africk was the only Orthodox Party yet it might have been true notwithstanding any thing Saint Austine brings to confute it and on the contrary though it were de facto true that the part of Christians dispersed over the Earth were Orthodox yet it might have been false notwithstanding any thing Saint Austine brings to confirm it For where or amongst whom or amongst how many the Church shall be or is is a thing indifferent it may be in any Number more or less it may be in any Place Country or Nation it may be in All and for ought I know it may be in none without any prejudice to the definition of the Church or the Truth of the Gospel North or South many or few dispersed in many places or confined to one None of these either prove or disprove a Church Now this Schism and likewise the former to a wise Man that well understands the matter in Controversie may afford perchance matter of pity to see Men so strangly distracted upon fancy but of doubt or trouble what to do it can yield none For though in this Schism the Donatist be the Schismatick and in the former both parties be equally engaged in the Schism yet you may safely upon your occasions communicate with either so be you flatter neither in their Schism For why might it not be lawful to go to Church with the Donatist or to celebrate Easter with the Quartodeciman if occasion so require since neither Nature nor Religion nor Reason doth suggest any thing to the contrary For in all publick Meetings pretending Holiness so there be nothing done but what true Devotion and Piety brook why may not I be present in them and use Communication with them Nay what if those to whose care the execution of the publick Service is committed do something either unseemly or suspicious or peradventure unlawful what if the Garments they wear be censured as nay indeed be superstitious what if the Gesture of adoration be used at the Altar as now we have learned to speak What if the Homilist or Preacher deliver any Doctrine of the truth of which we are not well perswaded a thing which very often falls out yet for all this we may not separate except we be constrained personally to bear a part in them our selves The Priests under Eli had so ill demeaned themselves about the daily Sacrifice that the Scriptures tell us they made it to stink yet the People refused not to come to the Tabernacle nor to bring their Sacrifice to the Priest For in these Schisms which concern Fact nothing can be a just cause of refusal of Communion but only to require the execution of some unlawful or suspected act For not only in Reason but in Religion too that Maxim admits of no release Cautissimi cujusque Praeceptum quod dubitas ne feceris Long it was ere the Church fell upon Schism upon this occasion though of late it hath had very many For until the second Council of Nice in which conciliable Superstition and Ignorance did conspire I say untill that Rout did set up Image-worship there was