Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	father_n	ghost_n	holy_a	5,369	5	5.6194	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92661	A letter concerning confession and absolution: written to a friend som yeers since. And now proposed to the consideration of the gathered churches in London. Imprimatur, John Downame.	T. S.	1650 (1650)	Wing S167; Thomason E596_4; ESTC R206943	10,779	15

that they did so understand him their own practice with the generall tradition of the Catholick Church East and West Greek and Latin down till this present presumptuous age doth testifie For till this last century it was scarse ever questioned or in any disrespect 2 Cor. 2.6 See Saint Paul sending an absolution by the hands of Titus and Luke for the incestuous person who before had been before excommunicated See the Apostle demonstrating his Authority received from Christ V. 10. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment For your sakes I forgave it in the person of Christ or in Christ stead or name he forgave him What can be more plaine than this example in the first Epistle of binding here of loosing there of punishing here of pardoning there of retaining sins here of remitting them Moreover as our Lord forgave the sins of the man sick of the Palsie Mat. 9. So saith Saint James If any man be sick let him send for the Priests of the Church For I have seen it so translated which translation by moderate learned men is said to be the truest and most consonant to the honour of God and Holy Scriptures For if an originall word about holy things should beare in English two significations the one common and profane the other more sacred shall not the servants of God render it in the most sacred As under the name of an Elder in those times were contained Priests Magistrates and old men to which of these do we think Saint James sends us for the recovery of bodily health by ghostly meanes that we should confesse our sins unto them and they pray over us and in Christs name anoint us with oyle Surely not to Magistrates nor old men but Priests except we will apply this to our Church-wardens or late made lay-elders which experience shewes are as little concerned in this as either Magistrates or old men Therefore let us read it as the Church hath alwayes done and common reason and experience sheweth if necessity constraines that the word must be rendred either Priests Magistrates old men Church-wardens or lay-elders for so the learned affirm it may be Englished of all The word Priests is most proper and consonant both to the matter to which it relates and also to Gods Honour Therefore if any be sick let him send saith Saint James for the Priests of the Church For them it is most proper to pray for the sick to have confession made to them and for them in Christs name to remit sins and to anoint the sick with oyle in the name of the Lord. Besides the late English Church which ever stood at so great a distance from the Roman did allow of the title or word Priest And if she could have had but some handsome colourable ground of an utter rejection of confession and absolution she would not for the advantage it gave to the Roman cause have inserted it severall times in her Liturgy using the very same forme as the Romanists do at the visitation of the sick viz By that authority which our Lord Jesus Christ hath committed unto me I absolve thee from all thy sins in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost Amen And besides but for some reasons best known to themselves they would have established Confession Penance and Absolution in another manner then at that time they did The words at the beginning of the Commination before Lent are these Brethren in the Primitive Church there was a godly discipline that at the beginning of Lent such persons as were notorious sinners were put to open penance and punished in this world that their souls might be saved in the day of our-Lord and that others admonished by their example might be more afraid to offend Instead whereof untill the said discipline may be restored again which is much to be wished mark that it is thought good that these Scriptures should be read c. By this we may see as in a glasse what opinion the Church of England had of these things And God forbid we should be such enemies to our own souls as spitefully to cast off that which is consonant and not against old or new Testament that which our Lord for our speciall benefit did constitute his Apostles officiate the Churches universally till this present age practise with a full approbation of the English Church scarce ever any contradicting I mean private Confessions and Absolutions for the quieting of consciences It is true that private sins being publickly confessed did occasion scandall to some which was by the Church in that Age forbidden Socrat. l. 5. c. 19. which place with some others of like nature some persons for the hatred they generally bear to all Confession make a ground of writing and disputing against it but such are not sensible of the evils that insue upon the omission of Confession for by this the ordinary means both of the forgivenesse and purgation of sins is rejected and how salvation may be had in a Church which hath so done is very doubtfull This donation of our Lord to his Apostle was a great mercy an high prerogative to the Apostles as ever was given to the sons of men To what men on earth Angels or Arch-angels in heaven did he ever say Whose sins ye remit they are remitted what ye binde on earth shall be bound in heaven what ye lose on earth shall be loosed in heaven yet to his Apostles and their successors was this grace given Wherefore I pray such as tender their soules safety seriously to think and consider on what the wisdome of God hath appointed for mens sins namely 2 Courts one in Heaven and another on earth Of that in Heaven our Lord is the onely judge for the Father hath committed all judgement to the Son But that on earth our Lord hath delegated and put over to his Ministers or Priests given the Keyes to them and hath promised that what sins they bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and what they loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven he seems to give them the precedency and promise to confirm in Heaven what they do on earth Then what art thou O man that darest deny or presume to contradict the blessed trinity The Father authorizeth the Son and the Son authorizeth his Apostles and their successors to forgive sins to which end they had the Holy Ghost given them and therefore what they do is done in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and wilt thou venter to go time after time to the blessed Sacrament and at last to death and so to judgement without a penitential preparative by confession presuming of a pardon from God the Father without his substitute because thou didst beleeve and fancie such a thing Dost thou think that he will be pleased with thy presumption Thou wilt not except of a pardon from his Ministers but wilt have it from himself Oh the soule is pretious and the