Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	great_a	people_n	3,792	5	4.4298	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17085	The mynd and exposition of that excellente learned man Martyn Bucer, vppon these wordes of S. Mathew: Woo be to the wordle [sic] bycause of offences. Math. xviij. Faythfully translated in to Englishe, by a faythfull brother, with certayne obiections [and] answeres to the same	Bucer, Martin, 1491-1551.	1566 (1566)	STC 3964; ESTC S112812	21,795	56

Christian obedience defendith not the obseruinge of it and chargyth suche as do obserue and vrge it with breakinge of Godes cōmandementes for their owne traditions ypocrisie and blynd leadinge the blynd and so concludeth as euydentlye maye appeare that the obedience and auctoritie of Christians consysteth nether in commandinge nor observinge but rather rotyng vp all such plants not planted by his heauenly father ¶ Obiection ¶ Yf the Prince maye therto be persuaded all Byshoppes seame that they wolde be glade to abolish thes garmentes of the popishe blassphemous and ydolatrous presthodes but yf the Prince will force all Mynisters to receaue and retayne them or els putt them out of theyr lyvinges and mynisterie then yt seameth better to keape lyvinges libertie of syncere doctrine with this apparrell then without yt to lose lyvinge keape sylence and leaue the churche destytute of so manye good preachars yea so offend a godlye Prince by whom God hathe gracyouslie restored the prechars preachinge of Christes Gospell ¶ Answeare ¶ If all Byshoppes and Preachers resspectinge God the cause only haue wyshed and persuaded not to vse this apparell as Ioab not to nombre the people and yet respectinge the Prynces commandemente contrarye to theyr formall wyshinge and persuadynge shuld yelde in dedes as Ioab did Then weare to be feared suche sequell of plagues on the people with great greife to the Prynce nowe heare as was then there and as the Ismalites destroinge manye of the Ammorytes accordinge to Godes commandementt yet leauing some relyques of the same by they re owne neglygence or affection or pollycie weare continually corrupted polluted plagued with the Ammorytes so is it to be feared in Ingland that the abolyshinge of muche Papystrye accordinge to Godes will reueled by his worde and by reseruinge of some reliques of the same by humayn negligence affectione and pollycie shold cause this realme contynually to be polluted corrupted and plagued with Papistrie thes thinges well cōsydered moue many good preachars to be constantt zealous and syncere as in will and doctrine so in conuersacion and manners reprouyng and refusinge all thinges propre belonginge to Papistrie especiallie to the Idolatrous blashphemous and traiterous presthoode moste pestilent enemye to all Christyane auctoritye and princelie dignitie and therfor manye good preachers the rather dysposed for the preseruacion of the Prynce the people losinge lyuinge lyfe to confyrme they re doctryne preached then keapinge liuinges with flattery with danger of the Prynce the people to buyld bringe agayn that which by faythfull preachinge hathe bene destroyed reprouid refusyd so cā no such preachers be put to sylence theyr dedes declaringe confyrminge theyr doctryne nor suche be thought to be left destytute of those preachers by whose doctryne manners also the church is taught as to knowe and embrace true doctryne syncere rites manners so shall Godly faythfull doctryne cōfyrmed with lyke dedes by Godes grace gyue no offence butt vnfayned thankfulnes to a godly Prynce restoringe receauing true doctryne with syncere rites and manners to Godes glory to the Prynces honor the people edyfycation thorowgh Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ It is good for a man to be feruent in good thinges Galat. 4. A prayer mete necessarye for oure tyme and all tymes to be vsed OH Lord God maker of all thinges thou the art fearful glorious thou righteous marcyful Thou which onely art most gracious onely liberal onely iust almighty euerlastinge thou that of thyn accustomid riche mercyes deliuerydst thyn electe and chosen from all trouble vouchsaffe for thy Sonnes sake to delyuer and preserue vs from all euill and also from doynge of those thynges whiche thou in thy holye word hast forbidden Oh be gratious vnto vs and thinck vpon thy couenante made with oure forfathers of olde as Abraham Isaac and Iacob thy true and faythfull seruauntes And geue vs all suche hartes that we may vnfaynedly loue and serue the by true obedience to thy holye Lawes and Commaundementes Send vs inwarde peace in conscience that we maye be at one with the so that thou neuer forsake vs in the tyme of trouble be vnto vs in all oure nede and necessytye as a suer rock defence buckler and shyeld that vnder the winges of thy deuine maiestye we maye be saffly kepte and couetyd that Sathan and his wicked imppes neuer preuayle agaynst vs by anye cruell tyranny or oppression But graunt good Lorde for thyne owne glories sake yea for thy Sonn Christe Iesus sake that we in the tyme of tryall maye shewe oure selues as valiaunt warriours firmlye constantly to fyght vnder thy banner and not lyke cowardes at euery blast of winde be redy to rune away starting back and slyding from the felowship of Godes sayntes Thincking here in this wicked world for a longe tyme to enioye the riches and pleasures therof the whiche tyme yf we consyder is but as one drop of rayne comparid to the hole sea yea yf for this short and momentanie tyme we might gete the hole worlde and loose oure owne soules what shuld it profit or what is there oh Lorde to redeme our soules agayne with all In euery souldyer that in this world takethe in hand vnder his Capitayne to fight there is requyred in hym that he be stoute valiaunt and manly that when the pinche of the battayle cōmith he may then surely stand and fighte in hope of victory Euen so lyke wyse oh good Lord it is required of euery one of vs whiche professe thy holy ghospell that we shew our selues manfullye to fyght for the defence of the same that when the brunt of persecution by Godes prouidence to vs is mynistred we may then shew our selues as true and faythfull Christyans to fyght that good fyght for an eternall tryumphe victory in geuing offring vp oure owne bodies for a sacryfice vnto the Lord our God who is euer ready to strenghthen them that put theyr full trust in hym Oh good Lorde graunt for thy names sake vnto vs suche plentie of thy grace that when time requirethe as we do beleue in hart to iustyfication euē so by mouthe we may make true confession to saluation that the frute of the same may be to vs in the latter daye ioye comfort and eternall consolation thorough Iesus Christ by whose deathe merytes we are made inheretours of hys euerlastinge kingdome To whome with the Father Sonne and Holye Ghoost be prayse glory and dominion world without ende AMEN OH Lord destroy all the workes of sathan confort thyne that are in adversytie helpe those that be in troble for thy names sake haue mercy vpon vs and make vs thy true faithfull obedient thankfull sernaunts Lorde inclyne oure hartes into thy testimonies and not into any vnlawful luste Oh turne away oure eyes that they behold not vanytie but quycken thou vs in thy lawe bestowe vpon vs thy worde oh Lord so that we

vnderstande that of the second kynde of offence in that he vsinge his libertie peruersely by his example drawing hym that is more weake to do the same is to hym as a snare whyles he geueth hym an occasiō to eate that thinge against his conscience which he iudgeth not to be lawfull And where he saith or els is made weake I iudge that to be spoken of those men who seing their brother do that thing which as they are yet ꝑsuaded is against the lawe of God do not turne so farre backe that they will fale to variaunce and contention with them neither do they follow that with they thynke to be euyll and vnlawfully done but yet they are greued in the meane tyme and beare lesse zeale and loue to the gospell and the mainteyners therof especially such as then vse the liberty therof and this in dede is to be made weake Nowe a godly and a charitable brother rather then he would that this should come to passe ought to auoyd the vse of all vnnecessarie thinges because the kyngdome of God is not meate and drynke but righteousnes peace and joye in the Holy Goste Much more ought he then rather neuer to eate fleshe then by his libertie to geue occasion to his brother so to stumble that he should therby either fale in to an hatred contempt of hym or elles contrarie to his fayth and conscience should attempte to do the same thinges that he doth In deede S. Paul in the first epistle and .8 chapt to the Corinth speakinge of this later kynde of offence concludeth in this maner Wherfore if meate offende my brother I will neuer eate fleshe whiles the world standeth But we must note in all these thinges that he cōtinually vseth the name of a brother For of that plante whiche the father hath not planted that is of the reprobate we muste haue no regarde Whom in dede the more godly you are the more you shall offende This therfore muste be our cheife entente and purpose so to do and order all thynges that they make to the edifyeng of our brethren So shall it come to passe that some tymes we shall see cause to vse oure libertie and some tymes not to vse it For when wordes are to be approued by deedes the libertie that is preached must nedes be confirmed with examples This dyd Peter and Barnabas with certeyne other Iewes very godly at Antioch And therfore when they dissembled the same agayne for feare of such as came from Iames Paul withstode Peter openly and blamed hym vehemently Gal. ij This example ought to be well consydered For if Peter in this slypperye place tooke a fale what is he that ought not herin to be carefull take good heede of the lyke daunger They that came from Iames were brethren and therfore it semed that it was better for them not to touch any fleshe for euer then to giue them an occasion to stumble or to be offended or at the least made weake Therfore Peter semeth not without good cause to dissemble hyde from them his libertie for whose sakes he dissembled But if you will haue respect vnto them for whose sakes Paul was zelous carefull you will then say that Peter dissembled without cause and that he was worthely reprehended of Paul For he had preached vnto them that by Christ alone all men are iustifyed and therfore the ceremonies of the Lawe were not necessarie Which thynge he had confirmed before by his owne example eatynge indifferently all maner of meates and that both godly profitablie But when for feare of those which came from Hierusalem he dissembled agayne cloked this libertie he sore offended the Gentyles causynge them to doute of this doctryne that by Christ only we be iustifyed and saued of the Gentyles there were manye but of those that came from Hierusalem there were but fewe Moreouer the offence geuen to the Gentyles was such as myght haue caused them vtterly to fale away from Christe whereas yf the Iewes had ben offended it myght peraduenture haue ben a cause only of some discorde where by some emonge them might haue ben weakned or elles through weaknes of conscience might then have defiled them selues but yet they should not haue ben so cleane alienated from Christe but that some of them might haue ben won̄e agayne to sounde and perfecte faith when Peter according to that his example which he had before geuen them should diligentlie and soberly haue declared vnto them the cause of his libertie as Paul afterwardes dyd To conclude seyng we should continuallie presse forwarde towardes the perfection and fulnes of fayth there should more regard haue bene had of the Gentyles which were already come to a cleare knowledge of Christ then of those which as yet dyd sticke to the ordinances ceremonyes of the world which also through longe custome obseruation might haue bene the more confirmed in theyr errour This dyd Paul cōsyder when he wold not circumcise Titus And he reioyceth that he gaue no place to those that contended for that matter not for an houre And this dyd he that the veritie of the Gospell myght continue Furthermore we must consydre whether they be true or false brethren whiche goe about to diminishe impaire the Christian libertie for we must haue onlye a regard to the true brethren For albeit we ought at all tymes to haue such a consyderation of all men yea euen of the professed enemyes of the truthe that we geue occasion to none to speake euill of our welldoynge for that cause also we must forgo and forsake euen much of our libertie yet ought we this alway to do in such sorte that the truth of the Gospell be not hyndred thereby As for example If a man would at this daye for the obstinate enemyes of the Gospelles sake which do abhorre and blaspheme all that cōmeth from vs he applieth this doctrine of offences by exāple of outward thinges to our time state of religion seyng they abhorre blaspheme Christ hym selfe and his Gospell styll dissemble the libertie of outwarde thynges whiche the false churchmen haue taken from the people of God by subtiltye and tyrannye he in so doyng should not only make them nothyng the better but rather more confirme them in euill greatly offende those whiche haue receaued Christ whiles he shoulde still preache vnto them the naked truth and vtterly voyde of examples For there is no smale numbre whiche will hardly be perswaded that all thynges are layed vppe for vs in Christe alone when there is so much attributed so much credit geuen to mans inuentiōs Out of dout there is great faulte cōmitted herin nowe a dayes not onlye of the common people but euen of the head cheif standard bearers of the Gospell nowe revyuinge and springinge vppe agayn In dede I confesse that what so euer hath ben ordeyned against the libertie of externall thynges Emonges these are to