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	good_a	great_a	3,182	5	2.6384	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03347	The splendour of the spouse A sermon preached in the parish church of Ware, Anno Domini, 1638. By Augustine Hill, rector of Dengey, in the county of Essex.	Hill, Augustine, d. 1660.	1640 (1640)	STC 13468; ESTC S116585	15,346	25

furious spirits that seeke an immediate and uttereradication of the thorns and if it lay in their power would command fire from heaven to consume them doe not imitate these blessed examples show a great deale of non-proficiency in Christianity as Saint Austin Aug. decerpt sen Qui ideo neminem vult pati hominum quia ut arbitratur multum proficit per hoc ●psum quod alios non tolerat ostendit quod potius non proficit a great want of patience yea of Christian charity which still hopes the best judgeth nothing till the time come and hath alwayes a mantle ready to cover the infirmities of others 1 Thess 5.14 yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beare them up as a crouch doth a body that is lame or a beame a house that is declining whereas these are ready to discover the nakednesse of others and even to thrust their fingers into their wounds to make them greater and so in an unjust unchristian way separate themselves and while they relinquish the flock for the Goates sake crept in amongst them they leave the sheepe exposed to the rage of the wolfe whereas they ought to beare with the Goates for the sheeps sake Aug. Epist 48. Vicentio Non enim propter malos boni deserendi sed propter bonos mali tolerandi The good are not to be forsaken by reason of those amongst them which are evill but the evill are to be tolerated in regard of those amongst them which are good yea in forsaking them that Aug. tom 6. contra Faustum man l. 13. c. 16. be good they relinquish Christ himselfe cum isti relinquuntur iste relin quitur who accounts himselfe relinquished when they are relinquished which he accounts of that question of S. Austin is very fit for every one of them who precipitate Gods judgement Tom. 9 Hom. de ●vib c. 10. li. c. 5. Hanc tune Angelus eradicans zizania art thou the Angell which must pluck up the tares and in the same Homily Homo carne septus carnem portans aut fortè caro totus id est caro corpore carnalis animo audes usurpate officium alienum quod nec in messe erit tuum Dares thou being perhaps carnall at least clothed with flesh and a man of like passions with others usurpe that office which shall never belong unto thee but to the Angels and not be theirs till the end of the world and whereas thou shouldest supplicate for the further manuring and longer growth of the tree dost thou antevert a commission to cut it downe that it may comber the ground no longer rather ●oe thou say and desire as he destroy it not there is a blessing in it Isaiah 65.8 I will close this point wirh that of Saint Cyprian worthy to be written in letters of gold Etsi videntur in Ecclesiaesse zizania non tamen impediri debet aut fides aut charitas nostra Cyp. ep l. 3. ep 3. ut quoniam zizania esse i● Ecclesia cernimus ipsi de Ecclesia recedamus Nobis modò laborandum ut frumentum esse possumus ut cum caeperit frumentum Dominicis horreis condi fructum pro opere nostro labore capiamus The being of tares in the field the Church ought not to be a hindrance to our faith or charity nor is a sufficient cause of our separation from the Church we should rather labour to be good corne our selves that when the Harvest comes we may be gathered into Gods Barne there receive the fruit of our faith and obedience or further as he goes on There be in a great house vessels of wood and earth made for inferiour uses and others of gold and silver made for honourable services thus it is in Gods great house the Church we must labour to be vessels of honour fit for our Masters use and leave those of baser metall to his disposall who will at his own time breake them in pieces like a Potters vessell 3. Junius thinks it spoken of the excellency dignity of the Church in comparison of other Congregations Iun. in loc and of such as are not truly hers though mixed with hers Tantum superat Ecclesia coeteros omnes caetus quantum Lilium spinas The Church doth as far excell all other Congregations in worth as the Lily doth thorns Our Saviour speaks of the Lily that even Solomon in all his Royalty was not arrayed like one of them Mat. 6.29 if Solomon the most glorious Prince in the height of his glory attained not to the lustre of the Lily what a low ranke must the burre bramble a thorne be of to the spirituall Lily what is Bethaven to Bethel the house of Ammon to the house of God the Tents of Sedar to the Tabernacle of Testimony Abana and Pharpar the puddle waters of Damascus to the cleare waters of Israel the wells of salvation glorious things are spoken of the City the Church of God as glorious she is as the Sunne when he goes forth in his might Judges 5.31 nay more glorious then the other Sunne for she is clothed with the Sunne of righteousnesse Revel 12.11 and the Moone under her feet They say the Pope is greater then any Prince of the earth by so many degrees as the Sunne is greater then the earth let Parasites say what they will we may truly lay the comparison that the true Church of Christ doth infinitely excell that Antichristian Synagogue of Satan and all prophane Congregations though they assume to themselves never so many vaine titles of honour as Sancta Ecclesia Catholica Romana and so forth and Musselmanni as the Turkes title themselves true beleevers yet are they all thornes to the pure Lily the Church If it be referred to the Daughrers such as I have mentioned that live within the pale of the visible Church yet are not the peculiar Spouse of Christ The truly Christian soule as farre exceeds them as the Lily doth the thornes what comparison is there betwixt the gold and the drosse the wine and the lees the faithfull Spouse of Christ and the filthy harlot of the Devill surely one little spot of ground Goshen that hath light in it is worth all Aegypt full of darknesse grosse and palpable Learne we highly to esteeme these Lilies and to prize these choyce jewels and in whomsoever we see true grace sanctity and justice which two are the candour and odour of the Lily to value them though they be beset with never so many thornes of infirmities or adversities let us account of them as they are indeed the heires of heaven the nobles of the world for Generosa Christi festa nobilitat viros cui quisquis servit ille vere est nobilis and the pledges of our peace it may be the fire had beene before this time sent into the thornes but that there are some Lilies amongst them to be preserved and for their sakes God doth spare the thornes so long Our later

Divines have observed many other reasons and respects why the Church may be said to be a Lily among the thornes I will onely rub some few of their eares of corne and leave the harvest to some other choyce worke-man his gathering A Lily among thornes 4. In regard of the multitude of afflictions she suffereth in this life for the Church hath ever beene like Abrahams Ram held in a thicket of adversity Christianus is Crutianus as Luther was wont to say a man of crosses The servant is not above his master God had but one only Son and he was sine peccato yet not sine stagello Aug. in Psa 31. Luc. 9 23. Beza Therefore let us take up our Crosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a day by day ut dies diem sequitur ita crux crucem accipiat every day we must expect sufficient travell and with patience let us possesse our soules for it resolve that through many tribulation and afflict on s we must enter into Gods Kingdome if we will have Christ his Crowne of glory Acts 14 22. we must be content to weare a crowne of thornes For the Church is a Lily among thornes 5. In regard of the manifold impediments she hath to hinder her spirituall growth namely First Satan is a blacke thorne in his temptations alwayes pricking and wounding the children of God yea biting at the very root of the Lily like the worme at the root of Jonahs Gourd and the Lily would as soone wither as that Gourd did was there not a soveraigne power from above to preserve it pray we then unto God to rebuke Satan in all his assaults that our Lily may flourish in despight of him Secondly naturall corruption which God hath left to be pricks in our eyes and thornes in our sides Sa●nt Paul that choyce vessell of grace complaines of them Rom 7. I cary about me a body of sinne and death he calls it by the very terme in my Text the thorne in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me take we his course even to solicite God by frequent prayer 2 Cor. 12.7 till we have the same answer which he obtained my grace shall be sufficient for thee and begge of him who comes with healing in his wings to heale our nature that it may not be so fruitfull in bringing forth these pricking thorns S. Bernard particularizeth these to be Amores seculares immoderate earthly desires worldly cogitations which brings a barrennes of goodnes to the soule Math. 13. and choak the seed of the word O munde munde saith St. Austin Fallax proditor impure world a traitor to us and a deceiver of us It glues our wings that we cannot soare upwards and as he that hath a thorne in his foot is utterly unfit for travell so he that hath these thorns of worldly cares stick in his soule is unmeet for his journey to heaven Let us therfore pluck out this thorne and if riches encrease set not our heart upon them Psal 62.10 Thirdly the perverse and sinfull conversation of wicked men which are thornes in our way to heaven the sons of Belial shall be as thornes thrust away 2 Sam. 23.67 because they cannot be taken with hands but the man that shall touch them must be fenced with Iron Cant. 1.6 and the staffe of a Speare The Church complaines that her mothers sons made her the keeper of the Vineyards but her owne Vineyard she kept not and hath not every member of the Church cause to complaine with David Psalm 119.61 Bern. in Cant. Ser. 48. the bands of wicked men have robbed me Saint Bernard is seasonable for a close of this point Si Lilium est inter spinas videat unaquisque anima quam vigilem solicit ámque esse oporteat super custodia sui septa undique spinis hinc inde aculeos intendentibus The Church is like a Lily beset round about with thornes that seeke to wound and teare her therefore let every soule be watchfull and carefull for the preservation of it selfe that neither the thorne within doe impoison her nor those other without doe pierce her to hinder her growth in grace here or to deprive her of glory hereafter 6. In regard of the small number of those that are the true members of the Church in comparison of forreine Congregations without and false brethren within one Lily many thornes Plures mali they which are evill Byas are the greatest number There is much mold whereof earthen vessels are made but little dust that gold commeth of 2 Esdras 8. many trees are planted but few like that good tree bring forth fruit in their season much seed is sowne but three parts thereof miscary Saint Augustin gives a good rule Aug. in Ps 39. Noli numerare sed appende stateram affer aequam non dolosam Doe not take them by number but consider well of them weigh them in the ballance of the Sanctuary or else thou mistakest then afterwards Noli imitari Doe not imitate them that be the most or in words of holy writ Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe evill the reason is given by one Seneca Est turba semper argumentum pessimi the worse goe by heapes and troopes the least are oftentimes solitary of twenty Kings of Israel not one good that cleave to the Lord with all his heart of sixe hundred thousand Israelites but two came into the Land of Canaan It was a remarkeable folly and punishment of Radbodus King of Frisia who asking whether there were most in heaven or hell and was answered that in hell was the greatest number withdrew himselfe from holy baptisme and professed plainely that he would goe to hell where the most company was but he injoyed his madnes and contempt of Gods Ordinance but a short space for the third day after he dyed suddenly It is better to be with Noah his small family in the Arke then with the whole world to be drowned in the deluge to be planted in Gods garden with the Lily then to be throwne into the fire with a whole wildernes of thorns 7. Lastly the Church is as the Lily among thornes in respect of her unity and their divisions and distractions being torne in more pieces then the Prophet Ahjiahs garment was 1 Kings 12. for that was onely into twelve but these are infinite parted into as many severall conventicles are there be men of deepely corrupt minds who doe partes facere as Saint Augustin saith of the Donatists and gather disciples unto themselves Aug. de unitate Ecclesiae c. 3. Quis possit singulas quasi haereses enumerare gentium singalarem saith Saint Augustin who is able to reckon up all the heresies of every severall Nation Aug. de unitate Ecclesiae c. 3. Daniel ● yea the severall Sects that are in one Nation these hold not the head Christ and are as those beasts of Daniel diverse one from another yet all against the Church as the enemies to the Lily and folded together to doe more mischiefe as the thorns are Nahum 1.10 they have unitatem contra unitatem as S. Augustin saith I am sure contra veritatem a unity against truth for our Saviour tells us not onely of many false Prophets but of false Christs But there is but one true Christ the head and beleevers are the severall members of his mysticall body united by faith to him their head and in Christian charity one to another and though there be threescore Queenes and fourescore Concubines and Virgins without number yet is Christ his Spouse una unica Cant. 6.9 one and the onely one of her mother And S. Paul tells us that there is but one body one spirit one hope of their spirituall calling one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all our through all Eph. 4.4 5. Iohn 17. and in all his children therefore they ought all to be one as our Saviour prayed for them five times in one Chapter the very thornes will lesson us in this duty shall they be folded together to doe hurt and shall not the Lilies hold together to preserve one another It is unity will make our colour more candid out odour more fragrant and fruitfulnesse Aug. ep 15. Hieronymo more seasonable and aboundant For omnis pulchritudinis forma unitas unity is the forme of beauty and uniformity is the forme of unity where there is cor unum and viauna one heart and one way the carriage of things will be prosper●us the end comfortable I will close then with that prayer of Saint Paul for the Thessalonians 2 Thess 3.15 Now the Lord of peace himselfe give us peace us alwayes by all meanes and that for Jesus Christ his sake the Prince of peace who dearely bought our peace by his precious blood to whom with the Father and the holy-Ghost be given all glory dominion might majesty and thankesgiving from this time forth and for evermore Amen FINIS