Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	church_n	doctrine_n	great_a	1,556	5	2.8753	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94352	Demetrius his opposition to reformation. A sermon very necessarie for these times. As it was delivered (this last vvinter) before a great assemblie in the city of London. by John Tillinghast, sometimes rector of Tarring-Nevill, now rector of Streate in the county of Sussex.	Tillinghast, John, 1604-1655.	1642 (1642)	Wing T1169; Thomason E151_26; ESTC R12132	52,893	59

would have k Calv. in loc sit quietly at home and neither have taken thought for the worship of Diana nor yet have troubled others but because they were afraid of povertie and hunger they raise this tumult and for their own gain sake are not afraid to trouble a whole City with sedition 2. It questions their credits those places and offices which formerly they enjoyed either in Church or State though with much corruption yet gained a popular applause a reputation of greatnesse and power of which being now deprived by the reformation their abuses are made obvious and that to those who before durst not take notice of them this makes them impatient to rage and to rave that a whole kingdom can scarce contain them they endeavour to set all in a combustion as l Diodor. Sic. Bibliothec● lib. 12. Pericles who being not without desert put out of his office by the Athenians and called to yeeld an account turned Rebell and so plunged them into a grievous war 3. By this means their lives many times are brought into hazard their treacherie which formerly they were guiltie of being now discovered is justly punished with death as in the reformation in Hesthers time m Hest 7.10 Haman was hanged and in Daniels time his accusers were n Dan. 6.24 devoured And therefore it is no strange thing that wicked men do labour to oppose the Reformation Reas 4. Reas 4 Last of all the devil who as the Apostle saith is o 2 Cor. 4.4 the god of this world because as a God he reigneth and ruleth in this world and the men of this world do subject themselves unto him as to their God he would have it so and that for these reasons 1. Because hereby he hopes to maintain his own kingdom he is loath to be cast out and therefore rages and foames when he perceiveth any reformation in the Church to this purpose like a bad Tenant when a Writ of ejection comes against him and he sees that he must out he will fire the house about his eares see how he took on when he was to be cast out but of one man in the Gospel no wonder then if he rage much more when he is to be cast out of the whole Church then he stands to it with all his strength with all his power as the p Nova glossa in Matt. 16.10 Glosse understands that place in Matth. 16.8 by gates Omne robur omne munimentum all power and all fortification and by hell Omnem vim contrariam Satanicam omnem hostis impetum the devil himself and all his Angels all the power that they have the wicked world all tyrants and seducers which are the devils instruments these strive vi armis against the Church in her reformation 2. Howsoever he knows that by this means he shall disturbe the peace of the kingdom of Christ bring the members thereof into great straits hinder the free passage of the word and scatter the doctrines of his own invention and for the greater strengthening of this opposition will unite the hearts of the Churches enemies together joyn them in one though otherwise at variance cause q Isa 9.21 Ephraim and Manasses to be both against Judah r Act 4.27 Herod and Pilate both conspire to crucifie Christ the Epicures and Stoicks men as opposite as gluttony and sobrietie to agree in one for the persecuting of Paul and so disturbing the peace of the Gospel 3. At least he doubts not but hereby to stop the happie proceedings of the Church in her reformation perswading himself that with greater ease it may be supplanted in the rising then destroyed when once setled upon the foundation this makes him to bestir himself most at the first and to take the opportunitie of the Churches infancie when t 1 Cor. 16.9 a great doore was opened then were there many adversaries Hence in the primitive Church those bloody persecutions and plentie of heresies wherewith the world was pestred So at the first rising of Luther those sundrie uproares and manifold distractions spread abroad throughout all the Churches of Christendome and stil where the Gospel of Christ begins to be preached and the more purer estate and condition of Gods Church endeavoured great tumults and outragious stormes are more frequently raised And thus you see the reformation opposed on Gods part on mans part on the devils part God suffreth man raiseth and the devill furthereth this opposition The use that we are to make of it is divers affording plentie of matter either for reprehension information instruction or exhortation all which are very requisite and necessarie to be applied in our times Vse 1. First for reprehension and so it may serve Vse 1 To reprove all such as are the main instruments and proper causes of this opposition u Matth. 18.7 It must needs be saith our Saviour that offences come but wo to that man by whom the offence cometh Opposition hath been and ever will be against the Church of Christ but beshrew them who are the authors of it Would time permit us to insist upon all particulars there might a list be taken of sundrie severall vices whereof men being guiltie are justly to be censured in this Use of reprehension as great enemies to the Reformation I will onely name some one or two As 1. The covetous whose heart is so infected with his private gain and desire extended to an insatiable wealth that like to our Monopolists he neglects all publike good tell him how our kingdom groans for a Reformation Church and State is in great danger without amendment he minds it not like Balaam his thoughts are so fixed on the gold of Moab that though miraculously he should hear a beast speak he will not regard it In x Ezec. 33.31 words he will tell you that he loves God well wisheth the peace and prosperitie of his countrey and desires that all that is amisse may be reformed but in his actions it may easily be perceived that he prefers his gain before all what part with a certaintie for an uncertaintie If he can keep both well and good but if not what ere betides him he will keep his money the which by his good will he would carry with him into his grave and so as the storie mentioneth of Hermocrates in his last Testament make himself heir of his own goods he must needs be an enemie to reformation for indeed he y Anacharsis is hardly capable of good counsell and instruction as one of the wise men of Greece hath observed he will sooner take upon him to correct God then to amend his life Call upon him to leave his covetousnesse he will either laugh at you as the z Luk. 16.14 Pharisees did at Christ or else think you do but mock him as Elisha did the Assyrian Armie a 2 King 6.19 This is not the way neither is this the Citie and say you do

32.18 19. as Wine that had no vent or as naturall corruptions in carnall men become more sinfull when restrained by the commandement so love to the truth in Gods children should grow more fervent when the Devill and wicked men labour to oppose it And this is the third Use A fourth and last Vse 4 may be for Exhortation and so it may serve 1. To encourage us to stand fast in the times of opposition and to think never a whit the worse but rather the better of our profession accounting it an honour that wee are the true members of the Church of Christ though others who are contemptible doe cast contempt upon us for it Things of good esteeme are neither easily kept nor yet attained unto and were there not great worth in the sinceritie of our profession it would never meete with such opposition the Devill and wicked men would never so much band against it Shall wee then loose our hopes of so blessed a Covenant because there be so many enemies strive against it Shall wee betake our selves into the Wildernesse and there live a Monasticall Hereticall life alienating our selves from our worke and labour because wee are afraid of opposition Oh farre be it from us how unworthy shall wee shew our selves of so glorious a priviledge that will not stand to it and for it when the Devill and wicked men oppose it b Theodoret. Eccles lib. 4. c. 24. Theodoret reporteth in his Ecclesiasticall Storie that when Valens the Emperour with his Arrian heresie had bepestred the Christian world and struck a deepe wound in the white bosome of the Church by which meanes the flocke of Christ stood in great danger Aphraates a certaine Monk a holy man of that time contrary to his order came forth of his vowed and confining Monastery to succour the endangered truth and being asked by the Emperour who was offended at him what he did out of his Ce●l● I would saith he have kept it and did keepe it so long as Christs sheep were in peace but now that tempests doe come on and stormes bring them in danger I cannot be coop'd up and suffer them in hazard of ruine every stone is to be turned every means is to be sought to free them from this perill He further addes If I were Daughter to any man whatsoever and were confined by my Father to a Closet or some secret chamber and 〈◊〉 part of the house yet if my Fathers dwelling were on fire should I not be very carelesse if I would not then come forth to helpe to quench it or give direction for it So if now I should not helpe to teach true faith in Christ by comming out of my Monastery I should doe much amisse A resolution very fitting for these times wherein the affayres of the Church call us forth God forbid wee should now keep our selves within our Cloysters and be terrified with the spightfull looks of our daring adversaries He that would weare the wreath of Victory must not like a coward either absent himselfe or run out of the field though he see much bloud to be spilt before his eyes Israel had never gotten the promised Land of Canaan had they been afraid of the sonnes of Anak the more and the greater the oppesition is the stronger should our resolution be It s recorded of Saul that when c 1 Sam. 11.2 6 7. Naash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh-Gilead and there indenting with the people to enter into Covenant with them upon a base and deadly condition to the great disparagement of Israel It is said the Spirit of God came upon him when he heard those things and his anger was greatly enkindled insomuch that although the Ammonites were many in number great and terrible and the case desperate having but seven dayes respit yet so much the more strong was the Spirit of God in Saul and he tooke a yoake of Oxen and hewed them in pieces and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of Messengers saying to this purpose that even so should their Cattell be dealt withall whosoever would not follow him in this just quarrell It was valiantly done and like a worthy Captaine Such undaunted Spirits there have beene who in the Churches cause have stood it out against all oppositions our blessed Apostle St Paul when he came to Athens a place full of Idolls yea I may say of Devills in every corner were Temples set up for that purpose It is said that his Spirit was d Acts 17.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In●●●abatur Vulg. Irritabatur Aug. Erasm Tremell Beza stirred in him incited exasperated as the word will beare in so much that he was as it were without himselfe to see that horrible blasphemie against God and did he not here at Ephesus adventure himselfe in this uproare when he would have e Acts 19.30 entred in unto the people hazarding his owne life as well for the maintenance of that truth which was opposed as for the defence of his friends which were then surprized The like worthy resolution was in that holy man Martin Luther who having stirred up the whole world against him and perceiving little or no hopes but that the doctrine of the Gospell should have been stifled in the Cradle endeavoured the maintenance thereof against all opposition and hearing that the Divines of f Massaeus Chron. 20. p. 27 3. Lovaine and Cullen had burned many of his Bookes by the command of the Pope he openly burned the Popes Lawes Decretalls and Bulls saying I have done to them as they to me and so heroycall was his Spirit that he dared to professe that he would enter into that fore-warned Citie of g Fox Martyroll Anno. 1521. pag. 977. Wormes though there had beene as many Devills in their streets as Tyles on their houses to answer for himselfe before Charles the fifth of that name against Cekius and others Thus naturall it hath ever been to true Spirits that are guided by the Holy Ghost not to be daunted with perill nor to hang downe their heads for the opposition of the Devill But what speake I of the noble Champions of Christ the very Heathens were so undaunted in their Heathenish Religion that they feared no danger while they were about their superstitious rites As Numa Pompilius sometime King of the Romanes when newes was brought him of his enemies that they were at hand ready to surprise him put the Messenger off with this memorable Speech h Plutarch Apotheg in vita Numae What tell you mee of dangers or enemies doe yee not see that I am sacrificing to my God What a shame were it for us if the true Religion should not beger in us a more noble resolution for the maintenance of it against all opposition since we have God bound by promise to deliver us when wee faithfully crave his succour and assistance and since it is almost all one as Fulgertius