Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	death_n	know_v	life_n	2,879	5	4.5653	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91883	Liberty of conscience: or The sole means to obtaine peace and truth. Not onely reconciling His Majesty with His subjects, but all Christian states and princes to one another, with the freest passage for the gospel. Very seasonable and necessary in these distracted times, when most men are weary of war, and cannot finde the way to peace.	Robinson, Henry, 1605?-1664?; Walwyn, William, 1600-1681, attributed name.	1643 (1643)	Wing R1675; Thomason E39_1; ESTC R20544	74,273	74

and Reply Answ none but coercive will prevaile if they had order to make use of them how can they be sure that forcible means would have better successe and how much more blameable are they that use them when they neither have commission nor assurance that they shall prevaile Our Saviour told his Disciples That if they were of the world the world Joh. 15. 19. would love his owne but he had chosen them out of the world and therefore the world hated them and lest this should not prove a sufficient item to them and us St. Paul tells us plainly How all that will live godly in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3. 12. must suffer persecution whereto that we may be the better induced our Saviour in his Sermon on the Mount amongst other blessings pronounces this unto them Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you Matth. 5. 11. 12. and shall say all manner of evill against you falsely for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you And lest such poor distressed Christians should be to seek how to behave themselves in so great a temptation and distresse the blessed Spirit of God by St. Paul to the Romans instructs Rom. 12. 14. Mat. 5. 44. Joh. 5. 16. 15. 20. 1 Cor. 4. 12 us to blesse such as persecute us so that in these and many other Scriptures we have the practise of persecution given us as a sign to know the Church malignant by and to be persecuted as a love token and most peculiar livery of Jesus Christ to distinguish true from false beleevers And if it be objected that then there must be no true Church amongst Christians and that all of them doe persecute one another more or lesse Object it wil notwithstanding follow that such Christian States and Churches as Answ persecute most are most corrupted and though I could hope for their sakes which still retaine it with lesse rigour that every smaller degree of persecuting Christians which differ from them in opinion may not hinder such to be true Christians though imperfect and failing in this particular yet my earnest desires are that all such as are causers counsellours or instruments promoting or not endeavouring and disswading persecution will seriously consider with themselves whether the thus persecuting one another by Christian Churches which differ in opinions though it should not hinder them from being true Churches yet if it may not be found at least an errour and exceeding great blemish in them all even those that use it seldomest and in milder manner expressely forbidden in so many places of Scripture and continually declamed against by the whole proceedings of our Blessed Saviour his Apostles and most conscientious and truly mortified Christians famous for greatest piety and devotion in their respective generations St. John saies That light is come into the world and men loved darknesse Joh. 3. 19 20 21. rather then light because their deeds were evill for every one that doth evill hateth light neither commeth to the light lest his deeds should be reproved but he that doth the truth commeth to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Methinkes we may well resemble the true professours of Jesus Christ to those that seek the light that the truth which they teach may be made manifest and contrarywise such to be false prophets and hypocrites that hate the light lest their beloved errours and counterfeit doctrines should be discovered reproved and forsaken Indeed many a man hath been over confident and delivered up his body to be burnt in a bad cause but this should make such as have a good one to gather so much more courage to themselves and not decline any lawfull triall or disputation whereby falshood would be vanquished and the light of truth shine out so much more amiable and bright as before it had greater opposition In the ordinary course of the world betwixt two which are at law together when either of them uses meanes to prolong the suit and prevent what possibly he can the comming to a judgement may we not say and that justly too that such a man hath a bad cause or else that he hath not all his proofes and evidences in readinesse especially if we suppose that he knew he had a Judge who both understood his cause fully and would infallibly do him justice surely the same may be said and that more warrantably concerning Religion and differences in opinion about any point thereof Confidence and boldnesse prevaile sometimes and that not a little even in a bad cause but never fail when they maintaine a good one we may see it in the Acts that both Peter and John with the cause of Jesus Act. 4. 13. Christ sped the better for their boldnesse which when the Scribes Elders Annas and all high Priests kindred saw and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men they marvelled and took knowledge that they had been with Jesus And beholding the man which was healed standing with them they could say nothing against it and how wonderfully the cause prospered hereupon appears in that fourth Chapter to the Acts which is well worth reading out and cannot by a heart truly sanctified be passed over without great admiration St. Paul confirmes it Eph. 3. 12 Phil. 3. 19. 20. 25. unto the Ephesians saying That through faith in Jesus Christ we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence And to the Philippians he hath yet a fuller expression where he sayes I know according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but that with all boldnesse as alwaies so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or death and having this confidence I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith Surely as all true Beleevers have the same good cause and Gospel so can they not possibly fare worse if they had but such a faith and confidence as Pauls was Now Jam. 2 2 true and lively faith cannot be without works and the most eminent and glorious worke of all is to seek the propagation of it in such means and manner as are most warrantable and likeliest by the precept and president of our only wise Saviour and his blessed Apostles to prove successefull Oh let us not then defer the practise of it any longer doe we suspect that errour should vanquish truth this is so vaine that no man will confesse so much but for their full conviction if they were so conceited let them take notice what St. Paul saith to the Corinthians We cannot do 2 Cor. 13 8. any thing against the truth but for the truth we may plot contrive and endeavour whatsoever our owne depraved natures will suggest us to against it but great is

by such as live amongst them it is observed that though from one generation to another they have matched into Christian families yet they reserve and instill their Jewish principles so subtilly into their off-spring as the children though they have remaining in them not above one two and thirtieth part of a Jew are notwithstanding knowne by infallible presumptions to be Jewes in heart though outwardly they make profession otherwise In the Gospel according to St. John Jesus answered My John 18. 36. Kingdome is not of this world if my Kingdome were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered up to the Jewes What can be more opposite unto the intentions and proceedings of our Saviour who rather than resist chose to suffer persecution unto death than these that persecute others unto death If Christs Kingdome be not of this world but if it be mysticall and spirituall then must it necessarily be erected by powerfull preaching of the Word and by the Spirit When Peter smote off the high Priest servants care in defence of his Master our Saviour bids him put up Matth. 26. 51 52. his sword and instead of commending him and his zeal in rescuing the sacred Person of our blessed Saviour saies All they that take the sword shall perish by the sword And St. Paul exhorts the Ephesians Eph. 6. 10. 17. to be strong but in the Lord and in the power of his might not brandishing the sword of civill Magistrates but to take the belmet of salvation and sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and in another place he sayes that Faith comes by hearing and how shall they beleeve in him they have not heard and how shall they heare without a Rom. 10. 14. 17 preacher And yet if it had been as good a way Paul would doubtlesse have taught it them by saying how shall they beleeve unlesse you tell them and how shall they know what is to bee beleeved unlesse you impose it upon them But this was none of Pauls Doctrine both our Saviour and his Apostles not only taught and practised but sealed the contrary with their bloud The Spaniards are blamed and that justly by all other Nations for having massacred so many millions of West-Indians in their owne Country under pretence of Religion though it be evident it was only that they might the easier rifle them of their gold and silver and so it is in all persecutions pretended for Conscience sake for did we but a little consider with our selves we would easily conclude that few have been yet so mad to put people to death meerly for Religion sake I know that many in passion rage and fury will say it is pity such Hereticks should live but when such men are in a calme mood if another Nathan like him that came to David should say unto them there is such a neighbour of mine 2 Sam. 12. 1. charitable to the poore upright in his dealing courteous in his behaviour meek and lowly minded loyall to his Sovereigne true to his Country chusing rather to suffer than offer injuries beloved of all that knew him and never so much as tainted with suspition of any thing blame-worthy till of late being accused as a Separatist for seducing the Kings liege people unto his owne Religion the Jury finding him guilty he is condemned to dye will not a tender hearted Christian be ready to reply it is pity such a one should dye and though the Law condemne him the King is mercifull and doubtlesse would reprieve him if he knew he had been loyall to his Country and committed no other sinne then endeavouring by argument from Scripture to bring others of his owne Religion now though most men or every good man would be loth that a conscientious Christian should be put to death for doing nothing but what he is bound in conscience the winning Proselites to his cause his religion which amongst so many different sorts of Christins he thinks to be the right and himselfe no lesse obliged to publish it then Peter and John who when they were commanded by the Magistrate not to speake or Acts 4. 17. 10. teach in the name of Jesus answered We cannot but speake the things which we have seen and heard And when our Saviour sent out his Apostles he said unto them What I tell you in darknesse speake ye in light and what ye hear in the ear that preach ye upon the house tops and Matth. 10. 17 2● feare not them which kill the body cut are not able to kill the soule Now though Christians generally will not acknowledge that they put any to death meerly for Conscience sake yet so long as there is a Law whereunto such as differ from us in religion or any point thereof shal be more lyable then our selves as the Jewes when they could not resist and gainsay the spirit wherewith Steven spake stirred up the people suborned and set up false witnesses to accuse him Acts 6. 11. 13. So amongst us there will not be wanting one or other who for some private interest and by-respect will finde out one to accuse others to witnesse a Jury to give verdict and make guilty a Judge to pronounce the sentence and at last finde meanes to keep the King from reprieving all of them thus conspiring to put him to death by the advantage of such a Law whereas really it was not his Religion which they so much regarded and they may cleerly say they put him not to death for his Religion but it was their owne respective private benefit and ends which corrupted them to compasse his distruction by force and colour of such a Law But why what reason which is Scripture proofe can be given why a particular Gentleman should be put out of a Mannor whereof he hath the propriety by inheritance or purchase more than a whole Nation a Nation of Infidells and Pagans for Religion sake Perhaps it Object may be said the State hath enacted a Law whereby this Gentleman 's whole revenue or part of it becomes forfeited because he is not of the true Religion whereto I answer That Popery was enacted to be the true Religion in Queen Maries dayes and that which Protestants professe Answ in Queen Elizabeths yet they could not be both the true Religion however the Subject was not suffered to say so much of either so long as they had a Parliament protection but doubtlesse all just Laws have their grounds and rule in Scripture and more exactly such as concerne Religion which is the unum necessarium and if a Pagan Nation may not be invaded in their teritories because they will not be of our Religion nor a neighbouring Christian people differing from us in some opinions why should a particular man have his only lambe 2 Sam. 12. 4. his pittance taken from him for refusing only to be of a religion or of an opinion which would absolute

damne him because he doubts so long Rom. 14. 23. as he lives peaceably and gives unto Caesar the things which are Caesars In Genesis we finde that Hamor and Sechem told the men of their City that Jacob and his children were peaceable and therefore moved that they might dwell in the land and trade therein but when Simeon and Levi had treacherously slaine Hamor Sechem and all their males whilst they were sore after their late circumcision though it was in revenge that Sechem had first defiled their sister Dinah yet Jacob reproved them saying ye have troubled me and made me to stinke amongst the inhabitants Gen. 34. 2. 21. 25. 30. So when the Protestant Princes made intercession to the Emperours of Germany or Kings of France in behalfe of such as professed the reformed Religion nay when any Christian Prince made meanes to Turke or Persian that their subjects might live within their jurisdictions enjoying Liberty of Conscience doe we thinke they used any other arguments then that such Christians were peaceable harmlesse men medled not with the State or Government and desired only that they might be permitted to recide there and enjoy the freedome of their Conscience where they had their revenues friends or best meanes to get a livelihood they moved not that such poore Christians might not be persecuted because they were of the true Religion for every man thinkes his owne to be the truest and though he take advice of never so many will not let another be finall judge thereof for Turkes have as much reason to persecute Christians as Christians have to persecute Turkes but for Christians to persecute one another and yet blame one another for the same persecution how can they chuse but thinke St. Pauls reprehension was not so sutable to the Romans as themselves and how can they expect to avoid Gods judgements mentioned in the Text so long as they perish so wilfully condemning others for what they doe themselves the words are these Therefore thou art inexcusable O man whosoever thou art that judgest for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that judgest Rom. 1. 1. 3. doest the same things And thinkest thou this O man that judgest them which doe such things and doest the same that thou shalt escape the judgement Might not St. Paul if he were now living say Thou Protestant sayest thou a man a Calvinist should not persecute and doest thou the same Thou Calvinist sayest thou a man a Protestant should not persecute and doest thou the same Since it is most true that they must mutually justifie or mutually condemne each other and though it will be by both sides alleadged that none are put to death amongst Note them meerly for Religion sake I feare me it may be found upon due scrutiny how many have dyed on both sides as well for exercising their owne Religion as seeking to convert others and in regard that both Calvinists Lutherans and all others of the reformed Religion have received and acknowledged our Saviours command to love their neighbours as themselves and doe to others as they would be done to and Mat. 19. 19. Luke 6. 31. and 22 32. thinke they are no lesse bound then St. Peter when he was converted to convert his brethren and this being a doctrine and point of Faith which all reformed Christians make profession of such of them as have been imprisoned fined banished or put to death for no other cause but what this point of their faith obliged them to cannot be said otherwise then to have beene thus persecuted meerly for Religion sake And there is this more of aggravation that for the most part these fierce and persecuting Christians esteem each other in a damnable condition so long as they perish and dye therein and yet either of them being by the other condemned to death shall have his pardon if he become a convert which is a destroying of the spirit that the flesh may be saved just opposite to St. Pauls doctrine but if he refuse they proceed to execution which according to their owne opinion sends them irrevocably to hell whereas in Christian charity they ought rather to reprieve them that there might be a possibility of their conversion and were we not besotted with most supine carelessenes or ignorance wee should not chuse but see that persecuting and putting to death the body of such as differ from us in religion or opinion cannot possibly be out of charity to their soules but must needs acknowledge that either we are guilty of their perishing both body and soule if they dye in such opinions or else condemne our selves on the other side for putting them to death because they were of such a religion or opinion as accompained them to heaven If St. Paul to the Corinthians prescribes all 1 Cor. 5. 5 Christians a way of proceeding against sinners for destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus and if hee tels Timothy that a servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all 2 Tim. 2. 24 25 26. men apt to teach patient in meeknesse instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the Divell what art thou O Christian who contradicting the Holy Ghost in these places of Scripture thus puttest Christians to death after such a manner and in such a time as that according to the faith whereof thou thy selfe makest profession the spirit of such Christians cannot possibly be saved but must inevitably be damned in the day of our Lord Jesus consider of it I beseech thee in the feare of God and be humbled endeavouring to redeem thine owne misdoing by the grace of God in earnestly petitioning his divine Goodnesse to dispose the King and Parliament for repealing some lawes and enacting others whereby the people may be free hereafter from so dangerous a temptation as this power and colour of persecuting others for Religion sake leads them unto But I must not yet leave St. Paul without making a little more use of so bright a light who reproving the Corinthians in that they suffered such as committed fornication to live amongst them though absent by virtue of his Apostleship judged such offenders to be taken from them and by the same authority commanded the Church of Corinth to 1 Cor. 5. 3 4 5. put it in execution that when they came together in the name of the Lord Jesus they should deliver such a one unto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Now either this delivering up to Sathan was a present putting to death with a blasphemous inference that the sudden putting to death is a saving of the soul or else it is only some Ecclesiasticall and Christian censure whereby the