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	sin_n	7,176	5	5.3331	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05380	Heauen and earth, religion and policy. Or, The maine difference betweene religion and policy. Written by C.L.	Lever, Christopher, fl. 1627.	1608 (1608)	STC 15536; ESTC S108517	29,500	128

and the infinite varietie of his creatures like a consort of so many conspiring parts yet hath the curse of sinne interrupted that vniuersall harmonie whereby the world is now in disagreeing parts and discord 3 For before that sinne made this alteration in the state of things there was no opposition but all things conspired the glory of God with generall consent and acclamation and then vertue was not bounded betweene two extremities neither had good any opposition of euill there being neither vice nor euill in the frame of Gods creation But with sinne hath this opposition entred and in the fulnesse of time and not before it shal be ended 4 From this first cause is deriued the wicked trade of euill Policie wherein many men exercise their best and most forcible indeuours with such appetite and pleasure as if the practise were honest holy and meritorious Neither doe these men trauel lesse in these vanities then the most painfull in their exercise of holinesse and Religion yet with much vnequall successe and with much diuers workings The maine difference is in their ends whereto they direct their labours Religion respecteth Heauen Policie the Earth There is great difference also in their meanes by which they worke and compasse their ends the one being tied to a necessitie of iustnesse the other not limited by any law taketh libertie vpon all occasions And to one of these two doe all the vnderstanding men in the world apply themselues either to Religion or to Policie either to be good or to bee great in the little number of their dayes here on earth 5 And though Gods sacred worship be ordered by most certaine directions from God himself yet haue men dared to touch this holy Arke with their prophane hands and to intermeddle their folly with the wisdome of God altering the most allowable formes of holy order whereby they iudge their Iudge of indiscretion and contradict the spirit and power of him who made them 6 These vngodly workings are caused by the vainglorious spirits of men who affecting popularitie and greatnesse haue not spared to violate the most holy ordinance of God wherby to aduantage them in their euill ends For the whole world is a general free-schoole wherein al Sciences and euery Art is both taught and learned The highest learning in this schoole is Diuinitie the whole number of the professors whereof make the militant Catholik church where there is continuall teaching and liuing in the rules of holy Religion Against this learning hath the world opposed it selfe and according to the order of schooles begun their enuie with sophistrie and cunning disputatiō And this was in the first yeres of the primitiue Church the which opposition being but weake yet valiantly resisted gained the Church a greater reputation though that enemie could neuer yet be silenced 7 The second attempt against the Catholique Church was persecution and this was in the time of the Tyrant Emperours the which was continued with such vehemence and furie as if the sacred fire of Religion had beene extinguished and the face of the Catholique Church for euer defaced These times were like the time of Ahab King of Israel when as Elias thought the whole bodie of the Church remained onely in his particular life A most wonderfull distresse that the most sacred spouse of Christ should for securitie flie to the holy Temples of the holie Ghost and there take Sanctuarie liue in the persons of some few particular men only It had beene most wonderfull had not the Lord Iesus himselfe done more wonderfully and suffered a greater extremitie euen death and a cursed death vpon the Crosse euen so Lord Iesus because it was thy pleasure But this extremitie did vanish with time and then againe the Church obtained the Garland 8 But the nature of euill which cannot be satisfied would yet again attempt against the Catholique Church and whereas before neither perswasion nor force could preuaile the last strongest practise is policie where with these euill ministers haue preuailed more then by all other maner of attempts whatsoeuer This is that secret iniurie who as K. Dauid saith eateth his bread at his table yet seeketh to destroy him For so doe many of these Polititians who liue by the profits of the Church yet betray the Church and spoile her of her highest ornaments 9 And though I be most far from that damned opinion of Athiesme that Religion is nothing but a Policie wherby the libertie of men is restrained from the violence of their natures yet I am most certainly perswaded that in the common exercise of Religion may be learned the highest vnderstanding of most dangerous practises And that the Catholike Church of God which in it selfe is most holy and without imputation hath indured the greatest violence that can be in any men of place and dignity in this holy order being men least affected to holinesse of life but most dangerous deepe practisers in this forbidden Arte of wicked Policie 10 Neither ought this to hinder the true worth and reputation of Gods Church that euill men worke their bad dessigne vnder the pretence of so sacred a presence For wee knowe that the very deitie of GOD is not free from mens presumptions the proud and the ambitious men of the world hauing dared to create manie deities and many Gods sometimes the starres sometimes stones wood and mettals sometimes the figures of beasts and sometimes a matter more vile themselues a deity worse then beastes all which though they were most horrible and damned in such as wrought them yet did not their impieties any whit detract from the Maiestie of God which cannot receiue violence from any mans euill practise 11 So the state of the true Catholique Church though men haue dared to offer iniuries to the most holy orders thereof to misinterpret misapplie hir most diuine mysteries to intrude among her sacred teachings positions and doctrines not onely diuers but aduerse to her orthodoxall and most ancient true principals nay to obscure as much as man may the verie diuinitie of that mother of vs all that true Ierusalem by making the state of that most sacred State the trauel of Policie and the exercise of most vngodly designes yet ought we not for this to condemne or iudge the Church but euill men who are the cause of these prophane iniuries the holy Church being of like diuine nature as Christ Iesus her most holy husband whom though his enemies place with theeues and malefactors yet was he most iust most innocent most meritorious And though the most precious mettall of Truth be intermingled with drosse and grosse mettals yet the Spirit of wisedome can diuide them and the triall of holy Scriptures like the touchstone will discouer all sophistication distinguish Truth from Error and Religion from Policie 12 Catholique Religion is the base or foundation whereupon the Catholique Church consisteth the Religious Policie is the supporter of that body of Religion but

in their seuerall kindes are men affected the good 〈◊〉 good in their intention though they faile in many particulars of their life the bad euer bad both in act and purpose And to one of those two doeth euery man conforme his life either to vertue or vice either to Religion or Policie for this distinction is in all estates of men and in euery quality and profession of people from the Monarch to the meanest of all men euery man in his estate and degree pressing to one of these two ends the which he aspireth with strong purpose and with all forceable indeauour 6 And because that prosperous fortune doth seeme to be the vtmost end of euery badde mans practise therefore is in of moment to consider the diuers natures of Religion and Policy in men of prosperous Fortune for it is not of necessarie consequence that because euill m●n affect onely the prosperitie of this life therefore prosperous Fortune is altogether to be despised or neglected and to be altogether out of the cares of good men for good men may care for that which euill men care for but they may not like euill men care onely for that but that God may be the main purpose of all their cares and that all other things bee onely so farreforth cared for as may administer to a mans Christian necessity 7 If I should discend to particulars and examine the seuerall degrees of men their estates their offices or whatsoeuer aduancement of their fortunes If I should search the secrets of Arts of Trades and mecha●icall labours whereby base and small beginnings in things swell to 〈◊〉 mons●●●●● largenes 〈◊〉 I should inquire ●●terallable meanes of aduancement and ●inde my selfe to declare the lawfulnes and vnlawfulnes of euery particular I should not only weary my self with ●uch busines but offend the well disposed with the knowledge of much misery Therefore I will sparingly deliuer my iudgement in this large theame being rather content to offend my selfe with silence then others with vnprofitable knowledge 8 Prosperous fortune if by honest and allowable meanes obtained and with regardful moderation spent and vsed is a blessing from the hands of God which hath some little resemblance to eternall happines though in comparison of their worth there is no proportion But if temporall blessings bee either vniustly gotte or vngodly spent they then nothing benefit their owners but are seruants of their shame and earnest causers of euerlasting torment 9 With this vnderstanding may men of all degrees iudge themselues and examine the particular of their owne Fortunes For the seuerity of conscience giueth no dispensation or libertie to any one but with one and the same eye beholdeth all men and euery action of euery man without all personall respect The Prince whom men dare not iudge is iudged by conscience and the meanest and most deiected whom men despise is regarded of conscience there being but one law of conscience for all sorts of men 10 And by this iudgement are men taught to know themselues and to haue true vnderstanding of their estates whereby they may know their present condition and thereafter either hope or feare the euent of future times This iudgement also can best determine the difference of Religion and Policie in prosperous fortunes their lawfulnes or not and whether Religion or Policie hath had preheminence in the getting or in the dispending of our fortunes 11 For it is needefully required in the fortunes of euery good man that he both purchase lawfully and spend honestly for men may not challenge interest in any part of Gods blessings without some maner of desert neither when he hath thē may he vse them at his pleasure but so dispose them as the great Master of all hath commanded because men of great fortune are but Gods officers to whose trust hee hath pleased to commit the imployment of some part of his benefits 12 Therefore both in the winning and wearing of temporall blessings there is a dutie of conscience which bindeth all degrees of men with impartiall and like seueritie The Prince may not ariue his soueraignetie either by power or Policy if he haue not iust cause and rightfull claime Great men ought not purchase honourable name with dishonest action but rather winne the garland of honor by their noble deseruing The rich ought not to pursue the possession of wealth with such vehemence and strong appetite imbracing the exercise of euery sinne that may aduantage but rather to possesse wealth with feare because that God will require at their hands a iust discharge of their stewardship and so in euery other degree of fortune there is a lawfull proceeding to be regarded whereby may bee knowne whether men aspire their prosperous fortunes by good or euill meanes by Religion or by Policie 13 The like care is required in the disposing of temporal blessings that such to whom God shall please to giue them may so imploy them as that Gods husbādry be not idle but in profitable imploiment that seeing God hath made them Stewards ouerseeres in the world which is Gods house and hath giuen them place and authoritie ouer the rest of their fellow seruants it is most reasonable that they spend Gods gift to Gods glory and like men faithful prouident supply to all such Christian necessities as may any way distresse their fellow seruants lest otherwise the Master of the family God call them to a rekoning and so both depriue discharge them 14 And let all men remember how great how rich or how noble soeuer they be that it is better to be good then to be great and that holy men how poore soeuer haue a higher place in Gods fauour then the most mighty on earth if they be not holy for these are but stewards and seruants but the other are children and inheritors of the kingdome of God for whose sakes the world is made rich with temporall blessings 15 Let them remember also that if God giue them the blessings of his hands honour riches prosperity c. he hath also giuen them duties and lawfull imployment for their gifts of which they must bee carefull and onely carefull auoyding both improfitable and dishonest expence 16 But before all let them most carefully remember that God is a father of many children and that his sonnes and daughters here in his earthly house passe their time thorow many difficulties and many hard extremities and that God hath made the noble and the rich his officers and houshold seruants to distribute his temporall blessings in conuenient proportion to all but especially to the children of Faith and therefore how detestable to God would their negligence bee who seeing the children of God indure the extremities of hard Fortune somtimes the very cause of God Religion disgracefully reputed are notwithstanding content to be lookers on and rather to loade the burthen of their miseries then any way to supporte or ease them whereby the true owners are depriued the benefit of their owne and whereby the Treasurers of Gods wealth purchase to themselues a greeuous damnation debasing and impouerishing the sons and daughters of God to rase and inrich their owne bastards that is their wicked and base affections Therefore in all the degrees of prosperous fortune there is a dutie of conscience with bindeth all men to God in strict obligation the which bond whosoeuer shall forfet doth dangerously hazard the destruction of his soule and doth declare against himselfe that he is not Religious but meerely Politique The Conclusion THVS I haue according to my vnderstanding deliuered the true natures of Religion and Policy how they may how they neuer can conspire in any one particular which is onely then when they meete in the line of Truth and both of them intend one purpose in their passage For lawfull and vnlawfull practises are like Heauen and Earth betweene which there is an immense space and a most full opposition of Nature For neither can the Heauens and the Earth ioyne their substance before the generall destruction of the world neither can Religion and vnlawfull Policy conspire friendly in any one act but where there is a destruction of truth and a persecution of orderly proceeding But like the enmity of fire and water these enemies Religion and Policy quarrell wheresoeuer they meete and triumph in the spoyle of one another This knowledge I haue thought good to publish to euery mans vnderstanding because of the generall abuse of lawfull Policy growne common in the traffick of most base imployments men of all sort and of euery disposition of Nature saue the best making vnlawfull Policies the steppes of their reputation whereby they ascend the dignitie of high place and prosperous Fortune and whereby they vse those temporall blessings of God to most vngodly purpose euen to the dishonour of God who gaue them and to the disgrace of Religion Gods cause and the Religious Gods children to whom all the gifts both of Grace and Nature doe most properly belong I haue forborne to giue particular disgrace to any man or to any profession of men because I would not offend but rather admonish and remember all men what that duety is which is almost forgot to be a duty for to make particular application is not my office but the office of conscience which hath a greater authority and doth perswade and preuaile in euery mans affections that hath the least-indument of grace To whom I onely direct my selfe in this charitable office and for whose good my Christian name shall euer make me a seruant which hath made mee enemy to godlesse and wicked people and to their vnlawfull and damned Policies FINIS Errata Pag. 11. lin 18. r. they p. 22. l. 20. r. enemy p. 23. l. 15. r. many p. 27. l. 12. r. are p. 40. l. 23. r. danger p. 79. l. 23. r. hence p. 93. l. 18. r. Rhodes