Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	day_n	good_a	great_a	2,831	5	2.5730	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07825	A treatise of the nature of God	Morton, Thomas, of Berwick.	1599 (1599)	STC 18198; ESTC S101314	111,319	258

And so matter or materiall subsisting the which bringeth with it motion and time passion alteration limitation and impotencie shall bee the badge or cognizance which the creature shall weare that so it may appeare that he is not his owne man or maker but that he serueth and depēdeth on an other by whom he was made and is maintained And on the other side mere simplicitie and pure formalitie to the which eternitie rest identitie operation infinitnesse and omnipotencie are annexed is to bee accounted the royall diademe which aduanceth God in his Throne of glory aboue all creatures whatsoeuer With this simplicitie of the diuine essence we may ioyne the vnitie of it for as it is simple without partes so it is one without kindes neither can we imagin it to be moe then one for many causes For if we suppose two infinits wee make no insinit for each of the two is the limit of the other for it keepeth the other from comming into it selfe otherwise it becommeth one with it and is no longer two but onely one and so from extending it selfe into infinite Besides wee know that the diuine essence beeing the first fountaine from the which all things flowe and the last end to the which they tend must bee the absolute perfection of rest altogither voyd of motion for otherwise things should moue not to rest but to motion and the termini à quo and ad quem should be not fixt but moueable and so vncertaine but if the diuine essence bee many or moe then one there is not absolute perfection which is onely in vnitie as motion is in number So that as it is in ciuil states the which are neuer counted sure and setled in the absolute perfection of gouernment till the whole authoritie be deuolued from the people to many from many to a fewe from a few to one because where there are moe then one in autho●itie there is matter of continuall discord and disorder but in vnitie there is perfect concord for no man disagreeth with himselfe so much more we are to thinke that the soueraigne Monarchie of the world is not in motion or possibilitie tending to perfection but already and euen for euer established in perfect vnitie but we neede not insist any longer in proouing the vnitie of the god-head which of it selfe is manifest and therefore we will now shut vp this conference with the last of these external attributes which is the immoueabilitie if we may so speake of God Sect. 5. THis attribute giueth vs to vnderstand that god is not subiect to motiō which is the mutation of state or place but is in all respects immutable and immoueable he doth not shift his dwelling place wandring vp and downe like a Pilgrime this day in one countrey and to morrow in an oother at one time in heauen and at an other time on earth but continueth where hee is and where hee hath bene alwaies more firme and steadfast then the hugest mountaine or the whole earth like to a Rocke in the sea against the which though the waues do beate and so breake themselues yet they cannot either moue it in or remoue it out of the place where it is euen so it is with the creatures in the world the which doo continually tosse and tumble themselues from one estate to an other but the Lord remaineth the same for euer For why as we our selues must not sit downe but go on till we come to the end of our iourney euen so the creatures when they are in their best estate are not there to rest in thēselues as if they had made themselues for themselues but they must moue and go on towards God and his glory by performing those duties which do naturally belong vnto them and so continually better their estate But it is not so with God whose perfection is and euer was in complete act not in hope possibilitie and therefore hauing all the perfection that he can haue he need not stir for the obtaining of any more or mooue for any mans pleasure his last ende and cheefe good is in himselfe and in no other thing whatsoeuer and therefore hee need not by motion pursue that which he enioyeth already in rest or seeke that from an other which he hath in himselfe Yea it is needefull that God should be immoueable hee beeing the foundation whereon all things whatsoeuer do any way exist do stand and rely so that if it did moue and were fickle and wauering there must necessarely ensue vniuersall confusion disorder in nature in the which respect as was noted in the former attribute God being both terminus a quo and terminus ad quem all naturall motion motion is made must needs be supposed to bee vnmoueable for otherwise both disorder would ensue and also motion should be made to motion as it were in an endlesse iourney and with bootelesse labour Lastly how should wee suppose God to moue whom we know to haue no place whither to moue for hee himselfe is euery where and therefore whither soeuer he moueth hee moueth to himselfe or rather he moueth not at all because he is still where he was euen in himselfe Now sir I haue as I could endeauoured to satisfie your request neither can you require any more of me saue only thanks for your gentlenesse and curtesie in attending so patiently these simple and rude discourses your wisedome is such that I am perswaded you did not expect any perfect declaration of the nature of God especially at my hands and at this time in the which respect I hope that you will take in good part that which hath bene said how rudely and rawly soeuer Gent. If I should tell you how much I thinke my selfe beholden to you for this days worke you would thinke that I did but flatter you I know not when I learned so much good diuinitie in one day but I hope to haue ere we part better occasion and cause too of thanking you Sch. There is no such cause sir these are but ordinary matters Gent. Well I would giue any good I might haue had your company vp to London I would thinke to bee by your meanes a good diuine ere I came thither Sch. So you are already otherwise it were strange that I should make you a good diuine in halfe a score of dayes that could not make my selfe one in a whole score of yeares but to deale plainely with you my purpose is to trauell as farre as London though I tolde you not so much at first but I doubt that my litle weak nag wil not hold out and I am sure that hee cannot hold foote with your strong gelding Gent. I am right glad of it take no thought for your nagge I will assure him to London for the paines that you haue already taken in instructing mee and when wee come to our iournies ende if I might entreate you to go with mee to my house which is not farre off you should be as weleome as your seife could wish and command any thing I haue Sch. You may soone haue a bolde guest of me but we will talk of that sixe or seuen dayes hence In the meane time for that I perceiue y e you are a stranger in this countrey I will be so bold as to bid you welcome to this Northern Towne Gent. I thanke you heartely but doo you know of any good lodging in it Sch. No doubt sir but that we may in many places here in New-castle bee both heartely welcome and honestly vsed for our money but you know that the countrey is plaine and rude and therefore your entertainment will bee but course and homely in respect of that curious ciuilitie that is besouth yet their meaning is good and better then it seemeth Gent. You speake worse of your countrey then there is cause I like plaine dealing best let vs get on and I pray you lead vs to some honest house where you are knowne or acquainted FINIS

happinesse of the godly in the life to come both which wee cannot doubt but that God that hath spoken it will accomplish and make manifest vnto vs. Sect. 4. Gent. I Was alwaies I thanke God of that minde yet you haue resolued me of diuers poynts whereof before I doubted Now that you haue taken away these doubtes and scruples and weeded out these bitter rootes of vnbeleefe which make many depart away from the liuing God it is meete that you should sowe some new seeds of faith in the minde by setting downe some manifest proofes demonstrations and euidences of God by the which he may be certainly knowne yea in a manner seene and felt Sch. That is no hard mater to doo for somuch as there is nothing in the world which doth not affoord vs an euident testimonie of God who euen in the least things much more in those which are by nature excellent is most wonderfull and most apparant But to auoyde confusion as welin my speech as in your memorie we wil reduce the infinit testimonies of God to these fiue heads the first are the creatures the second is the light of nature the third is the word of God the fourth is his spirit and the last are his miracles or extraordinarie workes All these togither will be vnto vs a cloude of witnesses euen an infinit number compassing vs round about and so by their huge multitude in a manner darkening the sunne or rather so inlightning our mindes that there cannot any darke cloudes of doubting or distrust remaine First then to beginne with the creatures in the which God did first manifest himselfe who can either denie or doubt but that the heauens declare the glorie of God the firmament sheweth his handie worke and that if God made not them yet they made their maker whosoeuer he were to be most iustly and woorthily called and accounted God in that they most plainly witnesse his surpassing power wisedome and maiestie If the creatures themselues as namely the sunne moone and starres yea many earthly creatures which in respect of these are base and contemptible yet haue been taken and worshipped for gods are in thēselues so glorious that they haue extorted from many nations the names titles and worshippe of God it cannot be but that they should euen lead vs by the hand to acknowledge the glorie and God head of him who was their deuiser and maker and doth still continue their preseruer Nowe if wee descend into this lower worlde wherein wee dwell and there beginne with our selues called by the Philosophers not without cause litle worlds we shall finde both without in our bodies in the most cunning and curious forme and frame of them and within in our mindes and soules in their manifold faculties and effects so plain and pregnant arguments of so great wisedome and power that wee shall cease to maruell how Alexander the great and Nabuchadnezar the proude came to that passe to suppose thēselues to be not men but Gods and shall beginne to maruell why all the men in the world are not of their opinion vntill we be thinke our selues that men see plainely both in themselues and in others that they did not make themselues but were made by an other Yet may not man boast or brag that this prerogatiue of bringing in euidence for the deitie of his maker is peculiar to himself he must be faine to admit into the participation of this praise all the other creatures in the world not onely those which excel himselfe in greatnes strength swistnes sharpnes of sence and in many other respects but euen the basest silliest worme that scrawleth vppon the ground yea which may make him lay downe his peacocke taile and bee quite out of conceit with himselfe hee must in this respect giue place euen to sencelesse things as to hearbs trees and stones the vertues and operations whereof hidden in the causes to the sharpest wittes of the most subtile Philosophers yet manifest in the effects to the bluntest sences of the most simple ideots if they bee as duly considered as they are daily seene will in a manner turne men into stones so amazing them that they will bee constrained to renounce all naturall reasons and to acknowledge that it is the finger of GOD. And so for conclusion of this poynt not onely they that go downe into the deepe secrets of naturall Philosophie but euen such also as do onely swimme and floate aloft in the superficiall consideration of the frame of the whole world and of the particular creatures therein contained doo manifestly beholde and must of necessitie acknowledge the wonderfull power and wisedome of God And no maruell when as the very heathen who are purblinde if not stone-blinde in respect of God haue in this cleare Christall glasse of the creatures easily descried and plainely discerned the portrature and image of God Against whose testimonie which now in the second place is to bee produced although there might exception be takē in respect of the particulars for that in matters of religion heathen men are of no credit or account both deceiuing others and beeing deceiued themselues by following lies and illusions yet in respect of the vniue●salitie of it it hath some waight and may well bee admitted I am sure you haue often heard and read that Vox populi much more then Vox mundi est vox Dei many may bee deceiued but that is taken for trueth wherein all generally do agree for such things are not deuised by this or that man but ingrauen in the minde of man by nature her selfe and therefore are to bee accounted true and certaine especially by Atheists who make Nature their God Yea besides the ordinarie meanes of the light of nature by the which all men naturally and generally attaine the vndoubted perswasion of this trueth it hath pleased God in all ages and places to maintaine it and put it out of all doubt by extraordinarie workes of the which all prophane stories affoord plentifull examples But wee haue a clearer light to direct vs in this and in all other cases of controuersie then is the dimme light of nature to wit the word of God contained in the bookes of holy scripture so full of diuine wisedome that wee cannot once imagine it to haue beene hatched by the braine of man angell or other creature whatsoeuer To let all other arguments passe which the scripture doth affoord vs for this purpose let vs but consider in it how God hath dealt with his Church from time to time alwaies preseruing it in some one corner or other y●t neuer suffering it to bee generally receiued throughout the world yet bringing it into euerie part of it at one time or other euen as he suffreth his sunne to shine vpon all the parts of the earth not at once but successiuely and by peece-meale one part beeing inlightned after another howe God hath trained vppe his Church from one estate to another from the