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
A88870	The bramble berry: or, A briefe discourse touching participating in mixt assemblies at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, wherein is most full and cleare satisfaction given to every weak and doubting Christian, both by testimony out of Gods Word, and many invincible reasons and arguments for that purpose, grounded upon the same, wherein is first principally discussed and resolved these three maine questions following: I. Whether the Congregationall assemblies in England be true churches of Jesus Christ, yea or no? 2. Whether it be lawfull to participate at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper among carnall and prophane men? 3. Whether the admitting of ungodly men to the table of the Lord be sufficient warrant for ministers to desist the publike administration of the Sacrament, or for particular members to decline it, or separate themselves? Secondarily, briefe and satisfactory answers given to all the principall places of Scripture alleadged to maintaine a separation from our church assemblies, besides their arguments and allegations sufficiently resolved: set forth for the benefit of the tender conscience. By W. L. a faithfull petitioner and carefull practitioner for the peace and welfare of the church and people of God.	W. L., a faithful petitioner and careful practitioner for the peace and welfare of the church and people of God.	1643 (1643)	Wing L84; Thomason E56_8; ESTC R413	53,887	63

take heed of complying with sinfull weaknesses or neglect duties of so high concernement as on which salvation and soule nourishment depend though he be offended I ought rather to use meanes to reforme his judgement then to decline my duty Exam. If a man should be offended for my observing the Lords day for my praying in my family for indeavouring to keepe the commands of God must I neglect these weighty duties to humour his weaknesse nay rather I shall doe my duty to informe him what his duty is both by my exhortation admonition reproofe or practise Besides though it be his weakenesse to be offended at such duties of necessity to be performed yet I shall sinne against knowledge and conscience if I upon so slight grounds turne my back upon the Ordinances of God 6. Argument That that encourages wicked men in their sinnes a godly man ought not to doe but comming with them to the Sacrament encourages them in their sinnes therefore a godly man ought rather to forbeare c. This is spoken in the name of a beleeving worthy communicant An. 1. I do not encourage them in their sinnes by my comming to the Sacrament unlesse I lived as they doe in the like or the same sinnes and came unworthily and unpreparedly to the Table of the Lord as they doe then indeed I gave ill example and occasion of incouragement they see my life answerable to my profession but theirs clean contrary and it is impossible for a godly man to countenance wicked men this way for then he would cease to be godly if they come unprepared and with impenitent and unbeleeving hearts this is their sinne not mine 2. How doe I incourage them by comming when I doe the best I can to dehort them from it show my dislike of it nay reprove them and use all lawfull and necessary meanes to reclaime them or deterre them from it 3. What evill effects depend upon the performance of my duty I must not altogether so looke upon as to decline my duty for as I must not doe the least evill that the greatest good may come upon it so I must not neglect doing that which is good and enjoyned by God though some seeming evils ensue upon it For then by the same reason I must leave off professing Religion observation of the Sabbath praying in my family standing for the cause of Christ nay frequenting all publike and private duties and Ordinances because from hence wicked men take occasion to scandall the waies of God and reproach Gods people with nicknames as Puritan Brownist Round-head c. for the reason why wicked men hate Gods people is because they runne not with them to the same excesse of riot and Gods people it is their part and duty to suffer for the name of Christ the maine ground why Caine hated his brother Abell 1 Pet. 4.4 Luke 6.12.14 was because his workes were good and his evill for every one that doth evill hateth the light therefore it is my part to looke what God requires of me to performe John 3.20 that I must have respect unto and leave the successe and event to the Lord. 4. If my comming with them to the Sacrament barely considered encourage wicked men in their sinnes because they come also by the same reason my comming with them to heare the Word doth also encourage them and as much reason I have to turne my backe upon one Ordinance as another because of their frequenting them for though it be lawfull and expedient that they should heare the Word being the meanes of conversion and unlawfull for them to receive the Sacrament in the profanenesse yet they not discerning the difference may take as much encouragement in their sinnes by the godly hearing the Word with them as receiving the Sacrament among them and as much reason there is for one as the other the premises considered 5. As my prepared and worthy receiving can doe them no good that come unprepared and in their sinnes so their unprepared and unsinfull presumptious approaching the Ordinance can doe me no hurt that is cannot take the benefit of the Ordinance from me the cautions of dislike of them formerly observed c. 7. Argument He that sees a man murder himselfe and is present with him is guilty of his sinne if he hinder him not but godly men in the Sacrament see wicked men murder themselves and hinder them not therefore they are guilty of their sinne Answ I referre the answer of this Argument to that first Argument of seeing wicked men crucifie the Lord Christ in the Sacrament and the conclusion upon it this Argument being of the same nature is there sufficiently spoken to 8. Argument That that brings judgement upon the Church and people of God Gods people ought to avoyd and shunne but the comming with profane men to the Table of the Lord brings judgement upon the Church and people of God therefore they ought to avoyd and shun this evill 1 Car. 11.30 Ans 1. It is not my comming preparedly and worthily that brings judgement upon the Church but the disorderly and profane comming of profane men 2. The judgement that fell upon the Church of Corinth of sicknesse and death doubtlesse was upon the profane and unworthy not upon the guiltlesse for saith the Apostle they eate and drinke Judgement to themselves for though the Apostle say for this cause many of you are sicke and many sleepe he meaneth certainely many of your publike Assemblies which by their profanenesse have provoked God and by reason they were members of their publike Assemblies he saith many of you and not for that they were Saints that suffered the disorders divisions drunkennesse and profanenesse of many of the Assemblies in comming to the Lords Table was punished in some that belonged to the election of grace with temporall chastisements in some that were vessels of wrath with death and eternall vengeance and therefore notwithstanding these abuses in the Church he gives no toleration to separate but laies downe what our duty is even every man to be more watchfull over his own heart and life and more diligent in the work of self-examination and so to eat and drink with comfort and this is the onely remedy he prescribes he saith not if such and such offendors be not cast out separate your selves nay he speaks not at all of casting out any but the incestuous person but if neither the other offenders nor the incestuous should be cast out he I say saith not separate but be humbled you in whose power it is not to cast out c. mourne for it at least rejoyce not in it examine your owne hearts prove your selves and so eate of this bread and drinke of this cup and gives them a reason why they should not depart the Assemblies or decline their duty For as often as yee eate this bread and drinke this cup yee show the Lords death till he come So that I conclude

we admit none to that ordinance but such as by baptisme are admitted visible members as they were by circumcision and if no stranger should enter into the sanctuary Ezek. 22.26 Lam. 1.10 should not they enter in that were of the same nation and under the same covenant yea doubtlesse and if strangers were admitted by the neglect of the Priests as they were often did this cause the other to separate this is absurd Seventhly Ezek. 22.26 her Priests have violated my Law in that they put no difference betweene the holy and prophane Answ This was the Priests sinne but this gave not the people warrant to separate no more than that of Elies sonnes Eighthly Jeremiah 15.19 If thou take away the precious from the vile Answ That is if thou separate or cast out the vile persons from the precious for there is a twofold separating one when wee cast out the party from whom we separate another when we cast out our selves from them but the first of these is here meant First because the precious have right to the ordinances and ought not to be cast out Secondly because of the words following in the close of the verse Let them returne to thee but returne not thou to them viz. Let them upon repentance or entring into covenant come againe to thee and to the ordinances but doe not thou decline the ordinance to suite with their sinfull manners Let them returne to thee implies the vile were once with him and were cast out Ezek. 22.26 Eighthly Ezek. 44.23 They shall teach my people the difference b tweene the holy and prophane Answ True this was the Priests office so to doe to show who have right to the Ordinances who not and so doe our Ministers now or ought to doe but I can heare no Text say yet if the Priest put not di●ference betweene the holy and prophane doe thou separate thy selfe and come not to the publique ordinances Ninthly Numbers 19.20.22 Whatsoever the uncleane person toucheth shall be uncleane Answ We have not now under the Gospell to doe with such shadowes and Leviticall purifications as then were in use wee are all cleane through the blood of Christ 1 Ioh. 1.17 Luk. 11.41 Ioh. 15.3 wee may now touch a grave a dead person a Leper and yet come to the ordinances we now speake not of such legall ceremonies but of godlinesse and holinesse of life besides these uncleane persons had their cleansings as appeares in the cited Scripture many men of vicious lives frequented the sanctuary and yet were not counted uncleane besides to the pure all things are pure but to the impure all things are uncleane Lastly we mistake if we thinke that the uncleane person touching the ordinances of God can mak them unclean in themselves or to any other then to themselves also it is to be noted that the uncleannesse spoken of in this Text is the uncleannesse of the body whereby such a one was made uncapable of humane society and this uncleannesse kept him no more from the ordinances then from common society it is the corruption and the depravity of the inner man makes men uncapable of the Sacrament not any defect or uncleannesse in the body other then as it is contagious This Text of Scripture hath no relation at all to a religious separation but a Civill 10. 2 Chro. 6.14.17 Thou showest mercy to thy servants that walke before thee with all their hearts If this Text have any thing in it to warrant a separation from the ordinances of Christ let the indifferent judge if any thing concerning Sacramentall communion were here meant it would rather be a silent reproof of them that decline the ordinances for they cannot be said to walke uprightly with all their hearts before God 11. Exodus 19.5 If yee will obey my voyce yee shall bee a peculiar treasure unto me This is a generall promise made to all the nation of the Jewes and so to us under the Gospell that upon condition of faith and obedience the Lord will gratiously accept of us in his Sonne to bee his what there is here to countenance separation from the publique assemblies of Gods worship I understand not 12. Psalme 135.4 For the Lord hath chosen Jacob to himselfe this Text shewes how according to the election of grace he hath chosen the promised seed the children of the faithfull out of the world to himselfe as well under the Gospell as under the Law These places of Scripture therefore should encourage us to walke with God in the frequent use of the Ordinances not to turne our backes upon them I hope considering what hath beene formerly said no man will doubt whether the Word and Sacraments in the Church of England bee the Ordinances of God though there may be some miscariage in the dispensation of them if they should make any such scruple First let them remember they are of the Lord Christ his institution Secondly by experience wee see the Lord graciously found present in them as appeares by the daily fruite proceeding from them so that as our Saviour saith concerning himselfe My works testifie of me and The tree is knowne by its fruits for men gather not grapes of thornes nor c. even so the heat life and nourishment which is attained in these ordinances declare manifestly the presence of God in them by his Spirit making them effectuall to all that belong to the election of grace and so consequently that they are the ordinance of God ordained for the converting and building up of his people in the wayes of God 13. 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are wasted but ye are sanctifie the Apostle here declares the different condition of Gods people what they were before conversion what they are after what they are by nature what by grace it is very strange logicke to draw any conclusion from hence to countenance separation from the Church true hence we ought to gather that Gods people after conversion ought not to live in that ungodly and uncleane way that they did formerly nor frequent the societies of uncleane and lewd livers nor run to the same excesse of riot with them as they did before conversion but rather now apply themselves to the society fellowship with godly and holy men 1 Pet. 1.22 Titus 3.3 4 5. and frequent the ordinances of God with all due care and diligence that they might be more and more built up in the wayes of God Ephe. 4.15 16. Ibidem 14. Col. 2.19.20 And not holding the head from which all the body by joynts and bones having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God wherfore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though living in the world are ye subject to ordinances The Apostle in these words sheweth the errour and vanity of such as were led away by Jewish and heathenish observations as new Moones Sabbath dayes meates

4.15 whilst Gods people by an even and peaceably walking following the truth in love and by keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Ephe. 4.3 might adorne the Gospell and by their godly conversation incourage others to come in And now in all that I have said having declared my owne judgement which I shall ever carry in my hand and lay at the feet of him that shall give mee further light though I desire not to meddle with too many doubtfull disputations my time nor abilities affording it I beseech the Lord to perswade our hearts what is good and acceptable to him and how to walke in all well pleasing before him to whom be all honour and glory for evermore Amen A Postscript AMongst many friendly solicitations I had for the publishing this Treatise I met with one whom I made acquainted with my intentions that thought it not convenient at this time by reason as be conceived it would give some advantage to our wicked Malignants to cherish in themselves their evill thoughts of the Chur●h and people of God for their division by reason this booke also in diverse p●aces of it reprehendeth the like misdemeanours in the Church which the Papists and our prophane ones so much cast in the face of our Religion and truely before I brought it to the presse I debated the businesse with my selfe whether the premises considered I ought rather in conscience to bring it forth for the benefit of the Church and people of God or to conceale it for this supposed disadvantage and being very willing to remove all scruples from their tender conscience I thought good briefely to set downe the reasons and arguments which inforced the birth of that which otherwise had beene buried in oblivion First I considered many had laboured with mee to have it made publike and but one onely that objected any thing against it and that onely for the time present be thought not convenient Secondly I considered the fuller of distractions the Church and State is the more need is there to hasten forth such a subject as this is Thirdly that we ought to have a farre more high esteeme of the satisfying the conscience of the weake Christian and to have a greater care to settle the divisions which are in the Church then to trouble our selves with the evill constructions of the wicked Fo●rthly there is nothing made knowne herein either to Papists or Ma●ignants that they can take the least advantage but what they already know they know too well by our rents and schismes in the Church that wee are divided whether any man should indeavour the unitie thereof yea or no surely w●e should not be ashamed to make peace betweene neighbours though some others doe thereby take notice of the difference betweene them much lesse ought wee to neglect to indeavour the quiet of the Church and people of God although even hereby some men take notice of the distractions in it Fifthly the best way to convince the adversaries of truth is to side with them so farre as they speake the truth neither ought wee to bee ashamed to speake that which is a truth although the prophanest wretch in the world sh●uld speake the same for by the same reason because the Devill acknowledged Christ to bee the Sonne of God the Disciples should have denied him Sixthly men of prophane and malignant spirits never trouble themselves much with bookes of Divinity especially in these times wherein nothing sells but State matters I dare presume where there is one malignant buyes this Booke to abuse it twentie honest men will buy it for their benefit Seventhly the neglect of treating upon this and the like subject is a maine cause of the divisions of the Church there not being one of a hundred that spend their time in publike or private by word or writing this way and if the consciences of Gods people bee satisfied in this point there will consequently be more peace in the Church and lesse ground of scandall the cause being removed the effect must needs cease Eighthly if every man should be silent this way it would be a tacit justification of the preposterous proceedings of them that make such disturbances in publike assemblies which no honest man dare doe Ninthly whatsoever truth of Gods Word there is that concernes his glory and his Churches welfare to bee declared this ought not to be smothered for some seeming disadvantage 10. If we must write nor speak no truths that wicked men will carpe at and draw false conclusions from truely many precious truthes would lie in obscuritie as that of free Grace of Predestination and many other of like concernment nay wee see by experience in generall how the standing so much for a reformation hath caused many malignants to spend their wits wealth time and strength to oppose it 11. There is not a word of encouragement in all the Booke to countenance wicked men in their sinfull approaching the Lords Table although Gods people may warrantably participate notwithstanding 12. If Christians would rest satisfied in this point and waite upon God in the use of the meanes of grace till the Lord by a lawfull power perfect the worke of reformation this would be both a great forwarding to the worke and the best way to stop the mouth of the adversaries of peace and truth 13. So long as the divisions of the Church are continued and especially if countenanced by silence it gives the enemy cause to blaspheme the name of God and speake evill of his wayes farre more then such indeavours for peace as this is or any way can doe 14. The worst they can say or see from hence is that the Church is divided this they say and see too apparent the more neede of a speedy reconciliation 15. If bookes of this nature give advantage to Papists and malignants to cry out upon the divisions of the Church how much more those hundreds that maintaine a separation and so occasion division 16. If this Booke maintaine malignant Tenets so doth the Author and as farre as it doth and then it can be no scandall at all to the people of God it will be conceived the worke of a malignant but I see no cause if it have Jacobs voyce why it should have Esaues garment put upon it it may peradventure meete with the like entertainment from some particulars as the Sunne and Moone doth in their course there is a kind of bird that loves not the Sunne and a kinde of beast that will barke at the Moone yet the Planets themselves of admirable use to the whole Creation even so some one or other may bee offended hereat that is no true friend to light truth or peace but I am comforted in this what I have written is well bottomed upon God Word intended for his glory and the peace of his Church And I am confident of this that while wicked men like Serpents sucke poyson out of the purest grape Gods people like the Bee will draw bony out of this Bramble Berry for whose sakes I have published it the Lord make it successefull FINIS