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	jesus_n	lord_n	2,568	5	3.7300	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80328	A confession of faith of seven congregations or churches of Christ in London, which are commonly (but uniustly) called Anabaptists. Published for the vindication of the truth, and information of the ignorant; likewise for the taking off of those aspersions which are frequently both in pulpit and print unjustly cast upon them. The second impression corrected and enlarged. Published according to order.		1646 (1646)	Wing C5780; Thomason E319_13; ESTC R200559	20,602	25

them as considered Disciples being men able to preach the Gospel XLII Christ hath likewise given power to his Church to Rom. 16. 2. Mat. 18. 17. receive in and cast out any member that deserves it and this power is given to every Congregation and not 1 Cor. 5. 4. ● 13. with 12. 6 2 ● to one particular person either member or officer but in relation to the whole body in reference to their faith 2 Cor. 2. 6 7 and fellowship LXIII And every particular member of each Church how Mat. 18. 16 17 18 Acts 11. 2 3 1 Tim. 5. 19 20 21 excellent great or learned soever is subject to this censure and judgement that the Church ought not without great care and tendernesse and due advice but by the Col. 4. 17. Acts 15. 1 2 3 rule of faith to proceed against her members XLIV Christ for the keeping of this Church in holy and Act. 20 27 2● Heb. 13. 17. 2● Mat. 24. 45. 1 Thes 5. 2. 1 Jude 3. 20. Heb. 10. 34 35 12. 15. orderly communion placeth some speciall men over the Church who by their office are to governe oversee visite watch So likewise for the better keeping thereof in all places by the members he hath given authoritie and laid dutie upon all to watch over one another XLV Also such to whom God hath given gifts in the 1 Cor. 14. 3 c. Church may and ought to Prophecie according to the Rom. 12. 6. 1 Pet. 4. 10 11 1 Cor. 12. 7. ● 1 Thes 10 19 20 21 proportion of faith so to teach publickly the Word of God for the edification exhortation and comfort of the Church XLVI Thus being rightly gathered and continuing in the Rev. 2. 3. Chap. Acts 15. 12. 1 Cor. 1. 10 Heb. 10 25 Iude 19. Rev. 2. 20 21. 22. Acts 15. 1 2. Rom. 14 1. 15. 1 2 3 obedience of the Gospel of Christ none are to separate for faults and corruptions for as long as the Church consists of men subject to failings there will be difference in the true constituted Church untill they have in due order and tendernesse sought redresse thereof XLVII And although the particular Congregations be distinct and severall a 1 Cor. 4. 17. 14. 33. 36. 16. 1. bodies every one as a compact and knit b Psal 132. 3. Ephes 2. 12. 19 with Rev. 21. Citie within it selfe yet are they all to walke by c 1 Tim. 3. 15. 6. 13 14. 1 Cor. 4. 17. one rule of truth So also they by all meanes convenient are to have the counsell and helpe d Act. 15. 2 3. Cant. 8. 8 9. 2 Cor. 8. 1. 4. 13 14. one of another if necessitie require it as members of one body in the common faith under Christ their head XLVIII A civill a Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4. 1 Pet. 2. 13. 14 1 Tim 2. 1 2 3. The supreame Magistracy of this Kingdom wee acknowledge to be the King and Parliament now established freely chosen by the Kingdome and that we are to maintaine and defend all civill Lawes and civill Officers made by them which are for the good of the Common-wealth and wee acknowledge with thankfulnesse that God hath made this present King and Parliament honorable in throwing down the Prelaticall Hierarchy because of their tyranny and oppression over us under which this Kingdom long groaned for which we are ever ingaged to blesse God and honour them for the same and concerning the worship of God there is but one Law-giver which is able to save and destroy James 4. 12. which is Jesus Christ who hath given Lawes and Rules sufficient in his Word for his worship and for any to make more were to charge Christ with want of wisdome or faithfulnesse or both in not making Lawes enough or not good enough for his house surely it is our wisdome dutie and priviledge to observe Christs Lawes onely Psal 2. 6. 9 10 12. so it is the Magistrates dutie to tender the libertie of mens consciences Eccl. 8. 8. which is the tenderest thing unto all conscientious men most dear unto them and without which all other liberties will not be worth the naming much lesse injoying and to protect all under them from all wrong injury oppression and molestation so it s our dutie not to be wanting in nothing which is for their honour and comfort and whatsoever is for the well-being of the Common-wealth wherein we live it is our dutie to do and we beleeve it to be our expresse dutie especially in matters of Religion to be fully perswaded in our minds of the Lawfulnesse of what we doe as knowing whatsoever is not of faith is sin and as wee cannot doe any thing contrary to our understandings and consciences so neither can we forbeare the doing of that which our understandings and consciences bind us to doe and if the Magistrate should require us to doe otherwise we are to yeeld our persons in a passive way to their power as the Saints of old have done Jam. 5. 4. And thrice happy shall he be that shall lose his life for witnessing though but for the least tittle of the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 5. Gal 5. Magistracy is an Ordinance of God set up by him for the punishment of evill doers and for the praise of them that doe well and that in all lawfull things commanded by them subjection ought to be given by us in the Lord not onely for wrath but for conscience sake and that we are to make supplications and prayers for Kings and all that are in authoritie that under them we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty XLIX But in case we finde not the Magistrate to favour us herein a Act. 2. 40 41 4. 19. 5. 28 29. 41 20. 23. 1 Thes 3. 3. Phil. 1. 28 29. Dan 3. 16 17. 6. 7. 10. 22 23. yet wee dare not suspend our practice because we believe we ought to goe on in obedience to Christ in professing the faith which was once deliver'd to the Saints which faith is declared in the holy Scriptures and this our confession of faith a part of them and that wee are to witnesse to the truth of the old and new Testament unto the death if necessitie require in the midst of all tryals and afflictions as his Saints of old have done not accounting our goods lands wives children fathers mothers brethren sisters yea and our owne lives deare unto us so wee may finish our course with joy remembring alwayes that we ought to b 1 Tim. 6. 13 14 15. Rom. 12. 1. 8. 1 Cor. 14. 37. obey God rather then men who will when we have finished our course and kept the faith give us e Rev. 2. 20. the Crowne of righteousnesse to d 2 Tim. 4. 6 7 8. Rom. 14. 10. 12. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Psal 49. 7. Psal 50. 22. whom wee must give an account of all our actions and no man being able to discharge us of the same L. It is lawfull for a Christian to be a Magistrate or Civill Acts 8. 38. 10. 1 2. 35. 44. Rom. 16. 23. Deut. 6. 13. Rom. 1. 9. 2 Cor. 10. 11. Jer. 4. 2. Heb. 6. 16. Officer and also it is lawfull to take an Oath so it be in truth and in judgement and in righteousnesse for confirmation of truth and ending of all strife and that by rash and vaine Oaths the Lord is provoked and this Land mournes LI. Wee are to give unto all men whatsoever is their 1 Thes 4. 6. Rom. 13. 5 6 7 Mat. 22. 21. Tit. 3. 1 Pet. 2. 15. 17. 5. 5. Eph. 5. 21. 23. 6. 1. 9. Tit. 3. 1 2 3. due as their place age estate requires and that we defraud no man of any thing but to doe unto all men as we would they should doe unto us LII There shall be a * Acts 24. 15. resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust and every one shall give an account of himselfe to God that every one may receive the things 2 Cor. 5. 10. done in his body according to that he hath done whether Rom. 14. 12. it be good or bad The Conclusion THus we desire to give unto Christ that which is his and unto all lawfull Authority that which is their due and to owe nothing to any man but love to live quietly and peaceably as it becommeth Saints endeavouring in all things to keep a good conscience and to doe unto every man of what judgement soever as we would they should doe unto us that as our practice is so it may prove us to be a conscionable quiet and barmlesse people no wayes dangerous or troublesome to humane Society and to labour and work with our hands that we may not be chargeable to any but to give to him that needeth both friends and enemies accounting it more excellent to give then to receive Also we confesse that we know but in part and that we are ignorant of many things which we desire and seek to know and if any shall doe us that friendly part to shew us from the word of God that wee see not we shall have cause to be thankfull to God and them But if any man shall impose upon us any thing that we see not to be commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ we should in his strength rather embrace all reproaches and tortures of men to be stript of all outward comforts and if it were possible to die a thousand deaths rather then to doe any thing against the least tittle of the truth of God or against the light of our own consciences And if any shal call what we have said Heresie then do we with the Apostle acknowledge that after the way they call heresie worship we the God of our Fathers disclaiming all Heresies rightly so called because they are against Christ to be stedfast and immoveable alwayes abounding in obedience to Christ as knowing our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. PSAL. 74. 21 22. Arise O God plead thine own cause Remember how the foolish man blasphemeth thee daily O let not the oppressed returne ashamed but let the poore and needy praise thy Name Come Lord Jesus come quickly FINIS

what persons they were that disturbed the publick peace it 's fit such persons should be taken notice of and accordingly punished So we are blamed because we frequent not their Temples we dare not Acts 7. 48. trust in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of Act. 17. 24 25. 1 Cor. 3. 16. 1 Cor. 6. 3. 19. 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. Joh. 4. 20. c. the Lord are these we know the most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands and that wee are the Temple of the living God and that our bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost and that Christs Church is not built with dead stones And because there are but a few of us some conceive we are in an error and that the least number should yeeld to the greater then it seemes if the number of the Papists or Atheists Acts 14. 16. Exod. 23. 2. 1 King 22. 6 7 c. exceed the number of the Protestants they must forsake their Religion God in times past suffered all Nations to walke in their own wayes there was but one true Prophet to 400 false After three yeares preaching and working miracles by Christ there was but a small number Christ cals his Acts 1. 14 15. Luk. 12. 32. Mat. 7. 13 14. Rev. 13. 7. 16. 17. a little flocke the Scripture declares the greatest number followed after the beast Also those that preach amongst us are esteemed as the Apostles were to be unlearned and ignorant men Apollo was instructed more perfectly in the way of God by Aquila a tradesman and Priscilla his Acts 4. 13. Acts 18. 1 2 3. 26 wife but the Scripture saith As every man hath received the gift 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. See 1 Cor. 14. 3. 26. 31. even so minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God Also some say of us that wee be of severall sects and Luke 23. 12. Ioh. 9. 22. See 1 Cor. 1. 10 11. that wee cannot agree among our selves Pilate and Herod agreed together to crucifie Christ wee dare not agree as the Jewes did that if any did confesse that Jesus was the Christ he should be put out of the Synagogue The union Christ prayed for we desire and for such an agreement as Iohn 17. 21. agreeth not with the truth we may not agree unto therefore we desire it not yet the Paedobaptists differ more among themselves then we doe and if this Eph. 4. 3. to 17. their reason have any strength in it it is against themselves the severall sects of Paedobaptists be Papists Arrians Nestorians Pelagians Donatists Eutychians Grecians Lutherans Arminians Episcopans Nicolaties Calvinists Zuinglians Hussites● and above twenty other severall sects which are all baptizers of infants and notwithstanding for other points are all asunder and have all rent one from another therefore we send Mat. 7. 3 4 5. them to follow the counsell of Christ As the Watchmen dealth with the Spouse of Christ in her seeking her beloved Song 3. 2. 5. with 5 6 7. so they deale with us they finding us out of that common and broad way themselves walke in they smite us and take away our vaile and vaile us with reproaches and odious names to incense all both good and bad against us that wee may appeare vile in the eyes and hearts of all that behold us or shall heare of us which they indeavour to doe both in Pulpit and print Acts 16. 19. not fearing to charge us with holding free-will falling from grace denying election originall sin childrens salvation the old Testament and mens proprietie in their estates and censuring all to be damned that are not of our judgement and practice all which wee disclaime because they are untrue And as for the other things whereof wee are accused wee referre those who desire further satisfaction to the answers of them * In a small Treatise intituled Briest Considerations on Dr Featly his Book intituled Tho dipper dipt by Samuel Richardson yet by reason of the many accusations that are cast upon us although they cannot prove the things whereof we are accused yet the generalitie of the people are incensed against us and are incouraged and set on by such to seek out the place of our meetings which are the more private not because they are private but because wee have not any more publicke places but if any shall please to procure us more larger places to meet in wee are willing to imbrace them with thankfulnesse and joy although no man should speak for us to those in an thoritie from whom one word were enough to protect us from the violence we should be subject unto but as it was then Acts 17. 5 6 7. so it is now yet must Act 17. 5 6 7. wee beare all the blame but our God will in his time cleare our innocency although now many stand looking upon us as a people holding such things not worthy to live and are in danger by the rude multitude gathering together to stone us and had it been against our persons onely we would have held our peace and committed our cause to God but considering it is the truth that we professe that suffers we may not nor dare not be neuters in matters of so high a nature but come in and speak to the help of the Lord against the mighty Therefore to free our selves and the truth we profess from such unjust aspersions that it may be at liberty though we be in bonds wee have published a briefe confession of our Faith which we conceive most void of contention in these sad and troublesome times the thoughts of our hearts as in the presence of God wee here declare that it may appeare to the consciences of them that feare God what wrong we suffer from some who have ability to cast mists Jude 14. 15. and dark clouds which overshadow the glory of the truth and them that professe it And although they acknowledge with us that the truth is not fully discovered yet they will tie all future discovery to a former light and conceive they doe well in so doing But God will by his truth shew their error and exalt Jesus Christ the chiefe corner-stone which the builders so much reject And lest this should be thought to be the judgement of some particular persons this is done by the consent and appointment of seven Congregations or Churches in London with the names of some of each of them subscribed in the behalfe of the whole And although wee bee distinct in our meetings for conveniency yet are we one in faith fellowship and communion holding Jesus Christ for our Head Law-giver under whose Rule and government we desire to walke and to follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth that when our Lord and King shall call us to account we may be found ready and worthy to be received into our Masters joy Vntill which time we