Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	ghost_n	holy_a	sin_n	3,325	5	4.9847	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A72851	Via devia: the by-vvay mis-leading the weake and vnstable into dangerous paths of error, by colourable shewes of apocryphall scriptures, vnwritten traditions, doubtfull Fathers, ambiguous councells, and pretended catholike Church. Discouered by Humfrey Lynde, Knight.	Lynde, Humphrey, Sir.	1630 (1630)	STC 17095; ESTC S122509	200,884	790

Lind. lib. 2. Strom. c. 2. c. they are dead characters a killing letter without life a matter of contention a wood of theeues a shop of heretiques imperfect doubtfull fall of perplexities not to be permitted to the common people Laicis lectionē scripturarum permittere esset sanctū dare canibus Margaritas antè porcos proiicere Hos de express verbo Dei for this were all one saith Hosius as to giue that which is holy vnto dogges and cast pearles before swine Nay more Cardinall Bellarmine assures vs that the people will not onely reape no benefit but detriment by reading them for they would easily take occasion to erre both in manners and doctrine Populus non solum non caperet fructum ex Scripturis sed etiā caperet detrimentum Bell. de verbo Dei lib. 2 cap. 15. Bell. ibid. And for confirmation of his assertion among other proofes he giues this instance If an ignorant lay-man should reade of the adultery of Dauid of the incest of Thamar of the lyes of Iudith and many such like things conteined in the Scriptures either it would cause him to imitate their examples or hee would thinke them to bee lying inuentions or being not able to resolue them would be in danger to beleeue nothing at all These the like examples which in trueth concerne the liues and manners of men not the doctrine are registred by the will and mercie of that good God to preuent despaire in others who may vnhappily fall into the like sinnes and yet that no man might presume to commit the like sinnes by their examples hee who reades of the adultery of Dauid shall read likewise of the punishment allotted to his sinnes and hee that reads the particular examples of Thamar and Iudith shall finde such seuere and fearefull iudgements in generall denounced against those sins that he shal haue little cause or comfort to follow their examples in such particulars but from hence rather we may obserue the sinceritie of the Pen-men of the holy Ghost who impartially set downe the vices of the best men and greatest Patriarkes as well as their vertues and by this declaration of the sinnes of the regenerate and best seruants of Christ wee are taught to humble our selues and to flie to our Sauiour for mercie and grace that euery tongue may confesse to thee O God Thou onely art holy And certainely from hence I meane from these the like examples Saint Austen Saint Hierom and the ancient Fathers confuted the Pelagian Heretikes who with Bellarmine and his associates maintained the perfection of righteousnesse in this life But admit these and many such like places were hard to be vnderstood in Scriptures Est fluuius planꝰ et altus in quo agnus ambulet et elephas natet Greg. ad Leand. praef Ioh. cap. 4. yet there is milke for babes as well as stronger meate for stronger men there is depth saith Gregorie for the Elephant to swimme and shallow fords for the lambe to wade in Hee that gaue a heart and wisedome to the Apostles to preach that heauenly word opened the heart of Lydia a poore ignorant woman to vnderstand it and for that purpose saith Chrysostome the Spirit of God hath so ordered and disposed the Scriptures Chrys in Conc. 3. de Lazaro that Publicanes and Fishers and Tent-makers and Shepheards Apostles and vnlearned men should be saued by those bookes and to that ende no ignorant man should pretend obscuritie for his excuse it is ordained that the labourer and seruant the widow woman and the most vnlearned man by hearing them should reape some benefit Nay more saith he to whom are the Scriptures obscure who is there that heareth the words Blessed are the meek Blessed are the merciful Blessed are the pure in heart and the like that shall need an Expositor Besides the words the Miracles the Histories they are knowne and euident to all and lastly he concludes that the difficultie and obscuritie of the Scriptures which the Romanists pretend at this day Is but a vaile and pretext to cloake idlenesse Praetextꝰ est et causatio pigritiaeque velamentū Chrysost Nos libē●èr f●emur tūc tēporis Laicos in Scripturarum lectione fuisse versatos Azor. Tom. 1. Moral li. 8 cap 26 Ita prouidit dulcis paterneminē esse tam rudē et imperitum quin si humilitèr legat multa illie vtilia veraque intelligat neminem tam doctū quin illic multo plura ignoret quā sciat A● of l. 2 de Christo Reuel c. ● This doctrine was so frequent generall among the Ancients in the Primitiue church that Azorius the Iesuite is inforced to confesse We willingly grant that in those dayes the lay people were conuersant in the reading of the Scriptures And if we looke vpon the lay persons of their times Acosta his fellow Iesuite ingenuously professeth that Our gracious God hath so prouided in holy Writ that there is none so rude and ignorant but by reading the Scriptures in humility may vnderstand many things both profitable and true as likewise there is none so learned but hee may still bee ignorant of more then he knowes nay more saith hee I haue seene some men vtterly vnlearned Vidi viros prorsus illiteratos c. Idem cap. 5. and scarce knowing Latin haue gathered out of the Scriptures such profound knowledge that I haue wondred at them But the spirituall man iudgeth all things Heere is a free confession and a faire euidence from two learned Iesuites the one testifieth that the scriptures were vsually read by the Lay people in the Primitiue Church the other witnesseth of his owne knowledge that an ignorant man hath receiued great benefit and likewise that great profite may redound to the people by reading them in these daies But put the case a Lay man should not vnderstand those things which are contained in the Scriptures notwithstanding ex ipsà Lectione out of the very reading of them there will arise great holinesse and sanctitie of life Admit many things are hard to bee vnderstood in the Scriptures which neuer any Protestant denyed yet saith Hierome Hiero. in Epist ad Paulinum there is the Booke of Genesis most plaine for euery mans vnderstanding therein you may see the creation of the World the beginning of Mankind the confusion of Languages plainely described and as touching the booke of Iob there you may learne a patterne for Patience and there you may see the Resurrection plainly deciphered Magna vtilitatis est ipsa obscuritas eloquiorū Dei quia exereet sensum vt fatigatione ditatetur c. Greg. lib. 1. Hom. 6. in Ezek. nay more The obscuritie of the Scripture is very profitable saith Gregory for it doth exercise the senses whereby one may vnderstand that which otherwise hee would be ignorant of for if the sacred Scriptures were easie and familiar in all places they would be neglected which obscure places by study and industry being