Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	evil_a	good_a	see_v	2,875	5	3.5208	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61830	Eight cases of conscience occasionally determined by the late Reverend Father in God, Robert Sanderson, Lord Bishop of Lincoln.	Sanderson, Robert, 1587-1663.	1674 (1674)	Wing S598; ESTC R37202	62,486	160

also of it self and in its own nature scandalous and of evil example Thus did Hophni and Phineas the Sons of Eli give Scandal by ●heir wretched profaneness and greediness about the Sacrifices of the Lord and their vile and shameless abusing the Women 1 Sam. 2.17.22 And so did David also give great Scandal in the matter of Vriah 2 Sam. 12.14 Here the Rule is Do nothing that is evil for fear of giving Scandal 3. The second way is when a man doth something before another with a direct intention and formal purpose of drawing him thereby to commit sin in which Case neither the matter of the action nor the event is of any consideration for it maketh no difference as to the sin of giving Scandal whether any man be effectually enticed thereby to commit sin or not neither doth it make any difference whether the thing done were in it self unlawful or nor so as it had but an appearance of evil and from thence an aptitude to draw another to do that by imitation which should be really and intri●secally evil the wicked intention alone whatsoever the effect should be or means soever should be used to promote it sufficeth to induce the guilt of giving Sca●dal upon the doer This was Ieroboam's ●in in setting up the Calves with a formal purpose and intention thereby for his own secular and ambitious ends to corrupt the purity of Religion and to draw the people to an Idolatrous Worship for which cause he is so often stigmatized with it as with a note of Infamy to stick by him whilst the World lasteth being scarce ever mentioned but with this addition Ieroboam the son of Nebat that made Israel to sin Here the Rule is Do nothing good or evil with an intention to give Scandal 4. The third way is when a Man doth something before another which in it self is not evil but indifferent and so according to the Rule of Christian Liberty lawful for him to do or not to do as he shall see cause yea and perhaps otherwise commodious and convenien for him to do yet whereat he probably foreseeth the other will take Scandal and be occasioned thereby to do evil In such Case if the thing to be done be not in some degree at least prudentially necessary for him to do but that he might without great inconvenience and prejudice to him●elf and any third person leave it undone he ●s bound in Charity and Compassion to his Brothers Soul for whom Christ died ●nd for the avoiding of Scandal to abridge ●imself in the exercise of his Christian Liberty for that time so far as rather to suffer some inconvenience himself by the not doing of it than by doing of it to cause his Brother to offend the very Case which is so often and so largely and so earnestly insisted upon by St. Paul Rom. 14.13 21. and 15.1 3. 1 Cor. 8.7 13. and 9.12 22. and 10.23 33. Here the Rule is Do nothing that ma● be reasonably forborn whereat it is like Scandal will be taken 5. The last way is when a man doth something before another which is not only lawful but according to the exegencies of present circumstances pro hic nunc very behoveful and in some sort prudentially necessary for him to do but foreseeth in the beholder a propension to make an ill use of it and to take encouragement thereby to commit sin if there be not withal a great car● had to prevent as much as is possible th● Scandal that might be taken thereat for Qui non prohibet peccare cum potest jubet I● such case the bare neglect of his Brother an● not using his utmost endeavour to pr●ve●● the evil that might ensue making him guilty upon which Consideration standeth th● equity of the Iudicial Law given to the Iew● Exod. 21.33 34. which ordereth that i● case a man dig a Pit or Well for the use of his Family and looking no farther than his own conveniency put no cover on it but leave it open whereby it happeneth his Neighbours Beast to fall therein and perish the owner of the Pit is to make it good inasmuch as he was the occasioner of that loss unto his neighbour which he might and ought to have prevented In this last Case the thing is not for the danger of the Scandal to be left undone supposing it as we now do otherwise behoveful to be done but the action is to be ordered and carried on by us for the manner of doing and in all Respects and Circumstances thereunto belonging with so much clearness tenderness and moderation and wisdom that so many as are willing to take notice of it may be satisfied that there was on our part a reason of just necessity that the thing should be done and that such persons as would be willing to make use of our example without the like necessity may do it upon their own score and not be able to vouch our practice for their excuse even as the Jew that stood in need to sink a Pit for the service of his House and Grounds was not for fear his Neighbours Beasts should fall into it and be drowned bound by the Law to forbear the making of it but only to provide a sufficient cover for it when he had made it Here the Rule is order the doing of that which may not well be left undone in such sort that no Scandal may through your default be taken thereat 6. I do not readily remember any doubt that can occur about the reason of Scandal which may not be brought within the compass of these four Rules and then the right applying some or other of these Rules will give some furtherance towards the resolution of these doubts The CASE of a BOND Taken in the KINGS Name Proposed Iuly 1658. R. C. Was seized in Fee of certain Houses of small Value with the Appurtenances and in the Year 1635. whiles Owner of the said Houses he entreated A. B. to be his Surety for One Hundred Pounds and continued the same at Interest till 1639. At which time he requested A. B. to discharge that Bond and in consideration thereof selleth the said Houses to A. B. and his Heirs for ever the said R. C. also buyeth of a Merchant a parcel of Goods the Merchant being a Receiver of some part of the late Kings Revenue and under pretence of a priviledge thereby taketh a Bond of the said R. C. for the payment of Two Hundred pounds to himself but in the Name of the late King as if indebted to the King and under that pretence procureth an extent upon the Houses sold to A. B. and maketh seizure thereof Was R. C. seized of the same when he entred into that Bond. The said King 1640. published a Proclamation wherein he declared That the taking of such Bonds was contrary to His Intention and an abuse of his Prerogative and prohibited all such crafty Courses as tending to the Oppression of his Subjects and

His Majesties last Declaration in that behalf having put it past Disputation I say then 1. For the Thing That no man can reasonably condemn the moderate use of lawful Recreations upon the Lord's-day as simply and de toto genere unlawful 2. For the Kind Albeit there can be no certain rules given herein as in most indifferent things it cometh to pass by reason of the infinite variety of ●●rcumstances to fit with all particular cases but that still much must be left to private discretion yet for some directions in this matter respect would be had in the choice of our Recreations 1. To the Publick Laws of the State Such games or sports as are by Law prohibited though in themselves otherwise lawful being unlawful to them that are under the obedience of the Law 2. To the condition of the Person VValking and discoursing with men of liberal Education is a pleasant recreation it is no way delightsom to the ruder sort of people who scarce account any thing a sport which is not loud and boysterous 3. To the effects of the Recreations themselves Those being the me●test to be used which give the best refreshing to the body and leave the least impression in the mind In which respect Shooting Leaping Pitching the Bar Stool-ball c. are rather to be chosen than Dicing Carding c. 3. For the Vse That men would be exhorted to use their Recreations and Pastimes upon the Lord's-day in godly and commendable sort For which purpose amongst others these cautions following would be remembred 1. That they be used with great moderation as at all other times so especially and much more upon the Lord's-day 2. That they be used at seasonable times not in time of Divine Service nor at such hours as are appointed by the Master of the house whereunto they belong for Private Devotions within his own house His Majesties Declaration limiteth mens liberty this way till after Even-song be ended 3. That they be so used as that they may rather make men the fitter for God's Service the rest of the day and for the works of their Vocations the rest of the week than any way hinder or disable them thereunto by over-wearying the body or immoderately affecting the mind 4. That they use them not doubtingly for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin He therefore that is not satisfied in his own judgment that he may lawfully and without sin use bodily recreations on the Lord's-day ought by all means to forbear the use thereof lest he should sin against his own Conscience 5. That they be severer towards themselves than towards other men in the use of their Christian liberty herein not making their own opinion or practise a rule to their brethren In this as in all indifferent things a wise and charitable man will in godly wisdom deny himself many times the use of that liberty which in godly charity he dare not deny to his Brother The CASE of Marrying with a Recusant SIR YOurs of Iuly the 2d I Yesterday Iuly the 6th received In Answer to the Contents whereof desi●ing that my Services may withal be most humbly presented to my very much Honoured Lord I return you what my pr●sent thoughts are concerning the particulars therein proposed First for Marrying a Daughter to a professed Papist considered in Thesi and as to the point of Lawfulness only I am so far from thinking the thing in it self to be simply and tot● genere unlawful that I dare not condemn the Marriage of a Christian with a Pagan much less with any other Christian of how different Perswasion soever as simply evil and unlawful inasmuch as there be Causes imaginable wherein it may seem not only Lawful but expedient also and as the exigence of Circumstances may be supposed little less than necessary so to inter-marry But since things lawful in the General and in Thesi may become by reason of their inexpediency unl●wful pro hic nu●c and in Hypothe●i to particular persons and that the expediency or inexpediency of any action to be done is to be measured by the worthiness of the end the conjuncture of present Circumstances and the probability of good or evil consequents and effects prudentially laid together and weighed one against another I conceive it altogether unsafe for a Conscienc●ous person especially in a business of so great concernment as the Marrying of a Child to proceed upon the General Lawfulness of the thing without due consideration of Circumstances and other requisites for the warranting of particular Actions Now as for the Marriage of a Daughter with one of so different Perswasion in point of Religion as that they cannot joyn together in the same way of God's Worship which is the case of a Protestant and a Papist it is very rare to find such a concurrence of Circumstances as that a man can thence be clearly satisfied in his Judgment without just cause of doubting the contrary that it can be expedient to conclude upon such a Marriage and how dangerous a thing it is to do any thing without a doubting Conscience we may learn from Rom. 14.13 For the evil consequents probably to ensue upon such Marriages are so many and great that the conveniences which men may promise to themselves from the same if they should answer expectation as seldom they do to the full laid in an equal ballance there-against would not turn the scale and in one respect the danger is greater to marry with a Papist than with one of a worse Religion for that the main Principle of his Religion as a Papist is more destructive of the comfort of a Conjugal Society than are the Principles of most Hereticks yea than those of Pagans or Atheists for holding that there is no Salvability but in the Church and that none is in the Church but such as acknowledg Subjection to the See of Rome it is not possible but that the Husband must needs conclude his Wife to be in the state of Damnation so long as she continueth Protestant whence one of these two great inconveniences will unavoidably follow that either he will use all endeavors engins and artifices to draw her to the Church of Rome as indeed who can blame him to bring his Wife into a capacity of everlasting Salvation the restless importunity whereof together with the ill advantages they of that party can make from the sad Confusions that are amongst us in these times it will be very hard for one of the weaker ●ex perpetually to resist or else in case she stand firm in her Religion against all Assaults and Attempts to the contrary whatsoever he may be towards her in outward carriage he cannot but in his inmost thoughts pass judgment upon her as an obstinate and desperate Heretick and so living and dying an accursed and damned Creature These are sad things both and it is not conceivable how a Woman so matched should live with any comfort or ever hope to see a