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	rome_n	separation_n	2,430	5	10.6947	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66997	Law-power, or, The law of relation written in the heart of ministers and people by the finger of God, is mighty through Him, to prevaile with both : to live as a people separated to their God, and from the world, specially at the Lord's Table.	Woodward, Ezekias, 1590-1675.	1656 (1656)	Wing W3496; ESTC R25194	60,431	76

c. Ames in pe religione potentissimum Idolum the belly swayes most in every religion though where that is served Christ is destroyed and they who make their belly their God makes the Lord Christ but an Idol And this be spoken to bid you beware of the world if with full purpose of heart ye would worke for the Lord or have a thought of joyneing with Gods people or of their joyning with you ye will breake the staffe of beauty and bands quickly and away ye will goe as Demas did having embraced the present world Secondly Is it not because ye doe not stand in Gods Counsell ye doe not aske at His mouth Therefore your Judgement is so mistaken in the matters which doe concerne the glory of His house and manner of His people in all times specially those which were as ours have been yea are fierce and perillous reforming times A godly man lookes fixedly up to His God and then downe to His Word he will goe as far towards peace with all men as his light will guide him and take Holines with him he dare not step one step in the darke for then he certainly falls into sin more cannot be desired and lesse ye cannot doe if you doe your Duty in great matters and in small looke to have a word for what you doe so shall you doe things decently and in order else all will be out of order as now they are SECT III. BUt this making a difference and separating between the pretious and the vile is the stone of stumbling and gives great offence It doth so and so it ever did and so it will and it must so doe To take away this offence we say first First Holy Paul speakes fully to this we thinke doe I now perswade men or God that is doe I endeavour to perswade with you in the things of men or in the things of God and the Lord Jesus Christ doe I plead His cause or mine owne or doe I seeke to please men would I endeare my selfe to you or Him to you and His matters of so neare concernment to your pretious soules This I know and would have you to know If I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. It is not possible in these matters but ye must offend God and His little ones or ye must offend men who cannot possibly be pleased But where and when God is highly offended which of these will ye offend when ye can no more please both than yecan serve two Masters you can remember who said it The Lord God is a glorious Friend and as dreadfull an enemie Therefore He had rather offend the whole world than Him for what can the world doe to please or quiet the Creature when God is displeased or to disquiet displease or discompose him when God is pleased with him when He giveth quietnes who then can cause Job 34. 29. trouble and when He hideth His face so we may understand it who then can behold him Who can endure the hideing of Gods face we may safely understand it too If God hide the face of a man that is condemne him passe sentence of death upon him of which hideing or covering the face was a symbol Esth 7. 8. who can behold Him who can see His face have communion Mark 14. 65. with Him whom God hath put from Him having separated him to destruction It is not then to be regarded what offends men but what offends God Feare we God and desire we of Him That He would strengthen us with All might according to His glorious power to walke worthy of Him unto all well-pleasing being fruitfull in every good worke and encreasing in the knowledge of God Ye will need all Might to enable to all pleasing and to fence you against the feare of men when ye are upon this separating worke So true is that of the wise man The feare of Prov. 29. 25. a man bringeth a snare but who so putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe or set on high Secondly Observe what God Commands and buckle-up to the obedience of it and know ye have warrant sufficient for this Have not I commanded you Come out from among them and be 2 Cor. 6. 17. ye separate and touch not the uncleane thing and I will receive you Ye say this is not meant of separating from a Church we say so too And that no such profession of separation is required from this or that or any Church but onely a separation from the world especially at the Lords Table The Church is that from which the rent is Haeresie divides from the head S●hisme from the body Apostacie from both Schisme is a renting from Churches and from Saints Separation commanded by God and practised by good men is onely from the world and that which is of the world that they may Cement and sodder together being united to Christ their Head and by charity one to another so this separation is not for want of Charity but in all love and humility together which makes them goe stooping one towards another that they may advance one th' other Heaven-ward The Godly cannot joyne with the world in their worship for then they must joyne with them in their sin so they are not so much drawne from the world as driven from the world su●ati non fugitivi The blame of Schisme saith Voetius must not be upon those who forsake those that have forsaken Christ and His Truth Therefore as not the punishment but the Cause makes the Martyr so non decessio sed causa facit schismaticum not the departing but the c●use makes the schismaticke he or she one or more that is a true separatist can say calling God to record upon their soules That love to God To their owne and others soules is the cause of their separation not want of love to their Neighbour which may remind you of what that Excellent Italian Divine Zanchi said separating from the Church of Rome I now seventy yeares old testifie together with my whole family to the Church of Christ to all Eternity That I separated from Rome with no other intent but to turne againe to Communion with her so soone as she is turned to the Lord and is become as that Church was whose praise is in the Gospell Beloved of God called to be His Saints Rom. 1. 7. So they that are followers of God as Deare Children can say from whom soever they separate now to them they will gladly returne anone when they shall be turned to the Lord which they pray-for without ceasing Thirdly In the last place This fellowship of the Saints one with another at their private meetings hath a very ill resentment with Godly Ministers and Gods people also so we have heard and so indeed we find it to be And it should be surely is of a sad resentment to all the Godly in Christ Jesus all over the Nation