Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	concern_v	zeal_n	zealous_a	35	3	9.0896	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61593	Reformation of manners the true way of honouring God with the necessity of putting the laws in execution against vice and profaneness : in a sermon preached at White-hall / by the late Right Reverend Father in God, Edward, Lord Bishop of Worcester ; and published by Their Majesties special command.	Stillingfleet, Edward, 1635-1699.	1700 (1700)	Wing S5629; ESTC R27503	14,697	44

Apostle supposeth the Sword is born in vain ver 4. when the Magistrate is not the Minister of God in this respect a Revenger to execute Wrath upon him that doeth evil It was the Great and Just Honour of Princes of Old that by their means Mankind was reduced from a rude and disorderly kind of Life to the Practice of Civility and Good Manners and it is as great a Foundation of Honour still when Men are so much Apostatized from them to bring them back again to the due Order and Decency of Living The Case is much harder of those who are Degenerate under Laws than of those who were so without them For they have learnt to despise their Remedy and by Arts and Subtilties to avoid the Force of that which was intended for their Good But however none ought to be discouraged from so Excellent a Design which Recommends it self to all Wise and Good Men and will never want the Assistance and Prayers of all that are so and God himself will in an especial Manner give Honour to Those who thus Honour him in his own Way by using the most Effectual Means for the Reforming the Manners of Men. But what are those ways which may be called Effectual It 's true that depends upon the Favour and Blessing of God but it is no hard Matter for us to judge what are the most likely Means to be Effectual Such as 1. An Universal Discountenancing of all sorts of Vice and Profaneness be the Persons of what Rank or Quality soever For if those of the House of Eli be suffer'd to transgress the People will follow their Examples although the Good Old Man did not like their Doings but he did not take Care enough to Restrain them 2. An Even Steady Vigorous and Impartial Execution of the Laws against Looseness and Debauchery so that it may not look like a sudden Heat or Design of Popularity but proceeding from a due and well-temper'd Zeal for God and Religion 3. A Wise Choice of fit Instruments to pursue so Good an End I mean such as Jethro recommended to Moses Men of Courage and Integrity Fearing God and hating Covetousness Exod. 18. 21. And such I hope are to be found in the several Parts of the Nation 4. Lastly A diligent Inspection into the Behaviour of those who are the proper and immediate Instruments for carrying on so good a Design For if there be no Inspection afterwards it will be look'd on as a meer matter of Form or an Order given out to satisfie the Importunities of some and the Clamours of others It were to be wished that all who are Imploy'd in such a Work had an Equal Mixture of Wisdom and Zeal but it is not possible to hinder some from having unequal shares of these And it is great Pity so Good a Cause should Miscarry through the Indiscretion of any who are Zealous for it On the other side It is possible that some who pretend to an Equal Zeal for it in general may Use such Artifices and Fair Pretences as may effectually baffle and undermine it while they seem to be concerned to promote it So that what through the Intemperate Heats of some the Coldness and Indifferency of others and the certain Averseness all bad Men have to any real Design of Reformation there is a Necessity for such an Affair to be often look'd into and an Account taken of the Management of it if any great Advantage be expected by it And surely no greater Advantage can be expected as to this World than from such a Design managed as it ought to be For what can we propose to our Selves that can tend more to promote the Honour of Almighty God which we ought above all other things to be concerned for For the Righteous God loveth Righteousness and he abhors all kind of Wickedness What then can be more Pleasing to him than to have all sorts of Impiety and Profaneness discountenanced punished and if it be possible rooted out What can tend more to the Honour of his Vicegerents than to shew so much of a Resemblance to Him as to Love what God Loves and to hate what he hates and to imploy their Power for the same End which God himself doth his viz. to Advance his Glory and to do Good to Mankind What can tend more to the Honour of our Church and Nation than to let the World see by such Good Works as these what the Reformation is which we aim at Not meerly of some disputable Points as to Doctrine and Practise which we have earnestly contended for and with great Reason but a true and serious Reformation of the Hearts and Lives of Men without which all our other Pretences will fall infinitely short of what God expects from us and the very Name of Reformation will be a Reproach to us II. I now proceed to the second Particular viz. the Rules and Measures which God observes in distributing Honour among Men Them that honour me I will honour but they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed Which may be understood two ways I. As to the Societies of Men which have one Common Interest II. As to the Interests and Honour of Particular Persons I. As to such Societies of Men which have one Common Interest And so it implies that the Welfare and Reputation and flourishing Condition of such depends upon their Zeal and Concernment for God and Religion But here we meet very great Difficulties for Reason and Experience seem to contradict each other about it On the one side it seems most agreeable to the Justice of Divine Providence to Reward and Punish those in this World who will not be Capable of being rewarded or punished in another for there will be no Communities in another World But on the other side we cannot deny matter of common Experience for how long have the Turkish and Papal Monarchies to name no other flourished when the seven Churches of Asia and the Churches of Africa have been long since destroyed How strangely hath Mahometism spread in the Eastern Parts of the World And what a Check hath there been upon the Reformation in these Western Parts With what a mighty Torrent did it prevail at first Then it stood at a stand and hath of late Years gone so much backward and suffer'd so very much in many Parts of it And yet we think and that very justly that the Honour of God is concerned in all this What shall we say to the Insolent Oppressors of Mankind who make no Conscience of ruining Cities and Countries and offering Violence to the Bodies and Consciences of Men to Advance and Support their own Grandeur and yet have been suffer'd to prevail so far as to be made an Argument against Providence by Atheistical Men It is to be hoped that God in his own time will vindicate his Honour and clear this point to the Satisfaction of all reasonable Men but yet we cannot penetrate into the Wisdom and Secrets