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	true_a	visible_a	3,262	5	9.6634	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82001	Historie & policie re-viewed, in the heroick transactions of His Most Serene Highnesse, Oliver, late Lord Protector; from his cradle, to his tomb: declaring his steps to princely perfection; as they are drawn in lively parallels to the ascents of the great patriarch Moses, in thirty degrees, to the height of honour. / By H.D. Esq.	H. D. (Henry Dawbeny)	1659 (1659)	Wing D448; Thomason E1799_2; ESTC R21310	152,505	340

thing upon tender consciences and indeed amongst all the weighty affairs of this Nation which he like another Atlas so happily bore about him the dear indulgent care he alwayes exprest in the favour of such Christians who laboured under any scruples of conscience was as glorious and remarkable as his undaunted courage to pull down his proud and stiff-necked enemies and this is most evident likewise by what it pleased his most Serene Highnesse to hold forth in the same Speech afore-cited in the last Ascent which most heavenly words I thought necessary likewise to insert here When you were entred upon this GOVERNMENT raveling into it you know I took no notice what you were doing if you had gone upon that foot of Account To have made such good and wholesome Provisions for the good of the People of these Nations for the Settling of such matters in things of Religion as would have upheld and given Countenance to a Godly Ministry and yet would have given a just Liberty to Godly men of different Judgements men of the same Faith with them that you call the Orthodox Ministery in England as it is well known the Independents are and many under the Form of Baptism who are found in the Faith onely may perhaps be different in Judgement in some lesser matters yet as true Christians both looking at Salvation onely by faith in the blood of Christ men professing the fear of God having recourse to the Name of God as to a strong Tower I say you might have had Opportunity to have setled Peace and Quietnesse amongst all professing Godlinesse and might have been instrumental if not to have healed the breaches yet to have kept the Godly of all Judgements from running one upon another and by keeping them from being over-run by a Common Enemy rendred them and these Nations both secure happy and well satisfied Are these things done or any thing towards them Is there not yet upon the spirits of men a strange itch nothing will satisfie them unlesse they can put their finger upon their Brethrens Consciences to pinch them there To do this was no part of the Contest we had with the Common Adversary for Religion was not the thing at the first contested for but God brought it to that issue at last and gave it into Us by way of Redundancy and at last it proved to be that which was most dear to us and wherein consisted this more than in obtaining that Liberty from the Tyranny of the Bishops to all Species of Protestants to worship God according to their own Light and Consciences for want of which many of our Brethren forsook their Native Countries to seek their Bread from Strangers and to live in Howling Wildernesses and for which also many that remained here were imprisoned and otherwise abused and made the scorn of the Nation Those that were sound in the Faith how proper was it for them to labour for Liberty for a just Liberty that men should not be trampled upon for their Consciences had not they laboured but lately under the weight of Persecutions and was it fit for them to fit heavy upon others is it ingenuous to ask liberty and not to give it what greater Hypocrisie than for those who were oppressed by the Bishops to become the greatest Oppressors themselves so soon as their yoke was removed I could wish that they who call for Libery now also had not too much of that Spirit if the power were in their hands As for Prophane Persons Blasphemers such as preach Sedition the Contentious Railers Evil Speakers who seek by evil words to corrupt good manners persons of loose conversations punishment from the Civil Magistrate ought to meet with them because if these pretend Conscience yet walking disorderly and not according but contrary to the Gospel and even to natural light they are judged of all and their Sins being open make them subjects of the Magistrates Sword who ought not to bear it in vain O words worthy of the spirit of so great a Prince and Prophet which I could dwell upon to admire but I am called now away from that admiration Yet in the mean time I must desire leave to wonder at another Prodigy With what face these uniformity men be they King Court and Council Prelate Dean and Chapter President Superintendent and Consistory be it Convocation Synod or Assembly could prescribe Rules to other mens faiths unlesse they could make clearly out that very Junto of theirs call it what you will to be the onely true Throne of Christ and that they could demonstrate all the lineaments of their Discipline and Government to be truly and naturally derived from the pure Fountain of Gods word otherwise methinkes such tyrannous impositions should rather affrighten than satisfie mens consciences and make them disclaim such a Religion for a monster than accept it for a well-shap't child of the Church Is it reason for me to run out of my wits to satisfie a company of unreasonable men met together and shall I lay the head of my faith upon the block of any Assembly to be cut and mangled into what form and fashion they shall please God forbid But yet I hold it much more madnesse to persecute any man because he is not of my opinion I may as well sure quarrel with those that resemble me not in outward complexion For since we lost perfection in Adam whatever knowledge we attain to now is either Moral by the improving of those natural endowments God has given us or else Divine which comes by an immediate influence from Heaven upon the soul therefore when we see any weaker in judgement than our selves we should look upon them rather as objects of pitty than punishment rather deplorable than damnable Vain man what made the difference betwixt thee and thy weak brother Was it not free grace for what hast thou as the Apostle demands of thee that thou didst not receive and that God may reveale to him also in his due time Is it not a barbarous thing for people to be stript of their lives and goods for difference in opinions onely though our brethren still in Christ Nay to lie under so rigid a persecution that poor Christians should be made accountable for the very goods that have been violently pulled from them and tributary for the onely shipwrack of their poverty Nor is this course of cruel proceeding in points of Religion more against Piety than common Policy for first it is as impossible to root out any Religion by a persecution as to put out a fire with blowing of it the suffering party alwayes gaining credit to his cause if it be a matter of Conscience and therefore we find the Christian Church has alwayes fructified by the blood of Martyrs and indeed had no other visible seed-plot but the places of their executions Then it is not a more common than true Rule that Malus custos diuturnitatis metus frequens vindicta paucorum odium