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
A52167	The covenant acknowledged by an English Covenanter, and the manifested wants of the common prayer, or divine service, formerly used, thought the fittest for publique worship by one vvhose hearty desires are presented to all the lovers of peace and truth in these nations, and shall be the prayers of a wel-wisher to both, and a very much obliged servant to all the promoters of this just cause, E.M., Mason.	E. M., Mason.	1660 (1660)	Wing M913; ESTC R7635	12,716	22

deliverer prayes and receives whilst divers are at gaze to see what others do more than seriously I fear to consider the great work we are about which brings life or death Truly I like not the new way though performed by able men but will have none but their select permitted when they cannot see into the hearts of men more now than the inspired Apostles could who charged us to examine our selves upon great penalties The people would indeed go up to Jerusalem to worship after the accustomed manner and Jeroboam would devise a new way to restrain their old way of Sacrificing but it became a fault I pray God it may be none to our Restrainers from the usual Sacraments Likewise I have wondred why the Birth of our blessed Saviour should not be solemnized as formerly it was by as wise and learned men as are now to keep in memory a day for his birth since God so miraculously and of his own goodness hath been pleased to discover how our God was made man and that holy born man made God to redeem us and therefore in my weak judgment fit to be kept in perpetual memory to all generations of Christian men until the Resurrection when there will be no distinction of Gods At last I did conceive it was the old enemy of mans happiness that would obliterate the great Gods Birth-day under some reforming pretence that in time he might bring in Infidelism and by degrees damp the light of the holy Scriptures the great work he is now about the Lord prevent him with the birth of our dear Saviour whom he would have forgotten Then let him alone to bring several gods amongst us as Ashteroth Molech Mahomet or any of those heathenish Baboons but God who is alwayes good to his is now raising up one instrument or other to keep the memory of his holy Childs birth on foot as may be spoken to his glorious honour and the immortal praise of that vertuous Lady Parthenia Lowman who hath given to St. Dunstans west and two or three adjacent parishes 100 l. apeece the improvement whereof she hath ordered to be given to glad the hearts of the Poor upon the Birth-day of our blessed Lord with a commemoration-Sermon also to continue his sacred memory to all succeeding generations What offence likewise to any did that soul-ravishing Emphasis and general applause of all the Congregation to the honor of our most endearing God Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Ghost c. fit to be acknowledged and used by all the sincere Worshippers of God throughout the whole world And this interlocutory Doxology holy David did allow and sure his judgment was right being by testimony of holy Writ A man after Gods own heart when he breaks forth into holy raptures in Psal. 67. Let all the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee and with this promised blessing ver. 6. Then shall the Earth bring forth her increase and God even our God shall give us his blessing To speak the very truth there are so many holy sentences and heavenly ejaculations and divine prayers for all occasions that it makes my amazed soul to wonder and tremble that we should neglect nay with contempt slight and cast out such a well-framed form of publick worship that instructed the simple and unlearned to rightly worship God by her constant rules of publick worship But I have done This is a work indeed for some Angelick Orator to let us ignorant know the heavenly use might be made of such a mercy we once enjoyed though now slighting that Manna so wisely provided for us Having thus cast in my two poor inconsiderable Mites the one for the Liberties of my native Country the other for my dear Mother the distressed Church of England in these troublesom times I hope my friends will sparingly censure the weak smoakings of this smothering flax and for my foes to this just cause and me the good Lord forgive them and pardon me in time of greatest need if any trouble come for thus discharging my Conscience as being a Covenanter and loving well-willer to the Church and State Pardon me also I pray you ye great learned lights of the Church for thus presuming to offer with my roughhewing hands and unpollished Pen in touching things so far above my feeble reach and with the greatest accept of the will for the deed you know the poor widow would cast into the Treasury all that she had and it was the poor Shepherds inconsiderable persons I humbly conceive that had the happiness to see that heavenly sight of the blessed Quire of Angels when they proclaimed Glory to God in the highest on earth peace good will towards men yea their poor ears had the honor to hear that unexpressible soul-ravishing mirth that that Hierarchy of Angels made at the birth of our dear mothers new-born Bridgroom And we poor weaklings would heartily rejoyce to hear and see the Church again comforted therefore I hope you will excuse me poor despicable worm and with humble reverence I 'le but remember you A Carpenter was dry Nurse to the holy Son of the most high God and divers mean men have had a hand in repairing of Churches though they could not perfect them and I am confident the Church with her decencies and truths will again be in high esteem with moderate men when these foggy mists of our misled understandings are dispers'd as God hath already begun to manifest his divine power after his own way without one blow strucken by man as yet and many of the opposers of Church and State nonplus'd or amazedly astonished and vanished and a great part of that prophesie uttered by the late King performed and all the rest of it hasting by divine justice to be made known to all the world as in the Kings Book of his Prophesies is foretold Nor will he suffer those men long to prosper in their Babel who build it with the bones and cement it with the bloud of their Kings I am confident they will find avengers of my death amongst themselves the injuries I have sustained from them shall be first punished by them who agreed in nothing so much as in opposing me Their impatience to hear the loud cry of my bloud shall make them think no way better to expiate it than by shedding theirs who with them most thirsted after mine who have cause to fear that God will both further divide and by mutual vengeance afterwards destroy A great part of which Prophesie hath already been manifested to the observers of it and the rest expected But let us the lovers of Sion and her sacred-truths that have had the hateful names of Malignants c. cast upon us move like sober men that truly fear God and desire no revenge but the love of our Brethren that have been too much misled by Phanatick humors for love covereth a multitude of sins whereof we are all guilty and remember it is said 2 Sam. 24. The anger of the Lord was moved against Israel and he movedDavid to number Israel and Judah and Israel was punished but the holy-hearted King when he saw the people in perplexity cried out Lo I have sinned and I have done wickedly but these sheep what have they done let thine hand I pray thee be against me and my Fathers house And how did our dear slain Sovereign that meek Christian and tender-hearted King imitate that holy forespoken-of King when he said pag. 142. After-times may see what the blindness of this Age will not and God may at length shew my Subjects that I chose rather to suffer for them than with them Haply I might redeem my self to some shew of liberty if I would consent to enslave them I had rather hazard the ruine of one King than to confirm many Tyrants over them from whom I pray God deliver them what ever becomes of me Here was his Christian Charity shewed indeed whose blessed Soul I confidently believe is crowned in eternal bliss and enjoyes that full happiness there that was but promised To be be made Glorious here But his Martyrdom will make his Name renowned to all generations to come and his Murderers as infamous to all succeeding Ages FINIS As the Covenant is in our Churches Judges 5. 23. Exod. 14 11. Gen. 18. 25. Acts 12. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wicked fly when none pursue {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} page 179.