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	life_n	sin_n	9,880	5	5.5192	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97024	A comment on the times, or, A character of the enemies of the church. Written by Thomas Wall, Mr. in arts and minister of Jesus Christ.	Wall, Thomas.	1657 (1657)	Wing W477; ESTC R186183	24,470	92

in war First When they attempt it upon fained causes Secondly upon frivolous causes Thirdly When they attempt it against the rules of that faith which they profess Fourthly Out of pride and vain-glorious ends Fifthly The cruelty with which they manage it Answerable hereunto there are five things which in the spiritual application of it will make up these men of blood Bloody Brains Bloody Consciences a Bloody Religion Bloody Affections and lastly Bloody hands 1. When it attempted upon fained causes There be bloody brain'd men who are witty in nothing more then in picking quarrels It was a wise argument of a wicked King of Israel concluding a quarrelsome intent in the Syrian King in the request of a thing beyond the compass of humane power the cure of Naamans leprosie Am I in God's stead that he should seek occasion against me The Syrian did not but the conjecture yet was grounded upon good reason There is a generation saith Solomon that seek rebellion that is do all that they can to provoke that out of enforced justice they may seek occasion of revenge and then like Jonah they dare out-face God and his word that they do well to be angry They seek offences that they may commit them and oft times nothing grieves them so much as when they can find no occasion to be provoked which when they find not they fain if they meet not with they make What black comments do they write upon the fairest actions All offers of peace they translate into the language of suspition and measures others intents by their own guilt David's piety in talking to them of peace is but policy in their gloss they had no mind to believe what he spake that had no mind to that of which he spake and the preparations which they make to offend him they pretend but a necessity to defend themselves While I speak to them of peace they make themselves ready to Battel saith he but let them subtlely insinuate necessary defence sure enough the preparations they make shew a delight in war Nor are they more crafty in laying the grounds of their hostile designs then in managing the prosecution of them So far as piety may advance them they can counterfeit innocence while they oppress it But when it comes to gross wickedness they can both defie and practise it And this is the first thing that make up these men of blood bloody Brains that plot out occasions of commotion The second mark is When they attempt it upon frivolous causes Bloody Consciences Men that out of conscience can make those quarrels deadly which indeed deserve not to be quarrels Consciences that can swallow down whole draughts of Christian blood to the effusion where of a wretched scrupulosity in things of indifferent nature prompted them Estridge Consciences that can digest iron but not straw Consciences that startle at doing of what God forbideth not but without remorse or scruple can fall upon those inhumane practises which God abhors as if a superstitious nicety in smaller matters could by way of commutation expiate the guilt of such bloody outrages which needs must damn These are the second mark 3. The third mark of the delight they take in war is when they attempt it contrary to the rules of that faith which they profess Bloody consciences beget a bloody Religion Christ will own ●o Religion but what is christned in his own blood It is the divel 's of whom Mahomet learn'd it that is dipt in the blood of men Our Saviour came indeed to bring a sword but Peter must not use it Hear O ye Christians mistake not your Saviour meddle not with this sword Nec●ssary it is that offences come but wo unto them by whom they come Christ came indeed to die but they were never the less wicked that killed him Can the necessity of his suffering justifie that malice cruelty and injustice by which he suffered God bringeth good out of evil because otherwise he could not permit it a moment in the world without destroying it But doth God allow the evil for the good Permission is no allowance Or can he make that which is evil in it self to be good He may not impute a sin to a man yet cannot but repute it for a sin he may remit the guilt of sin but not alter the nature of it But it seems these men can do more then God they can legitimate any wickedness with a fiat from the unerring Court of their own Consciences for if they cannot those actions surely which caused the death of Christ can never give life to his cause He suffered through injustice for our fakes but does he require we should do it too for his sake Oh the mystery of this new light for the mystery of it is as dark as the pit out of which it came It was once Thou shalt suffer wrong of others for his sake but now it seems we may do it too for his sake It was once you shall be persecuted for my cause but now we may persecute It was once ye shall be killed for my sake but now we may kill Nay so many the most inhumane cruel bloody actions such which no generation but this ever did the like and at which the ears of all posterity shall tingle have been done and yet a cause we have can make them lawful a light we have can justifie them nay more none truly enlightned none zealous for the cause of Christ but such who either act or side with the actors of them But O my soul Come not thou into the secrets of this cause and by this light my better be not thou directed For that cause or that Religion which is planted by sedition watered with blood that brings forth pride feeds ambition maintains sacriledge nourisheth hatred malice uncharitableness and injustice and is upholden by lying however strength of conceit may seduce the judgement hath no author but some of those wicked spirits who have broke loose from their chains of darkness and transformed themselves into Angels of light that they might range a land to seduce the minds and pervert the ways of a people whose hearts pride self love and self conceit had prepared for their entertainment In a word 't is a wicked Religion especially professing it self Christian that dares justifie proceedings contrary to the rules of Christ's Gospel and they are men of brazen brows and reprobate sense that shall presume to divide Christ himself as well as his coat I mean to enforce a belief upon us that he would teach us one thing by his Gospel and his Gospel another thing by them Or that that Religion which tolerates the worst actions should demonstrate the best Christians Or that that Religion which teacheth us to supprese sacrilegious and unjust actions should tolerate the same actions though in its own defence is a riddle to men and Angels And thus much of their Religion 4. When they attempt it for proud and vain-glorious ends