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	know_v	reason_n	2,948	5	4.7939	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11532	A conference betvvixt a mother a devout recusant, and her sonne a zealous protestant seeking by humble and dutifull satisfaction to winne her vnto the trueth, and publike worship of god established nowe in England. Gathered by him whose hearts desire is, that all may come to the knowledge of God, and be saued.; Conference betwixt a mother a devout recusant, and her sonne a zealous protestant.	Savage, Francis, d. 1638.	1600 (1600)	STC 21781; ESTC S106433	62,438	140

made him thinke when he heard of Christ that Iohn was risen againe whome he had beheaded In the Acts of the Apostles certaine Iewes more then fortie men bound thēselues with an oath that they would neither eat nor drinke till they had slaine Paule 〈…〉 And must they needes either kill that blessed Apostle or pine themselues to death by refusing food because they had sworne God forbidde I assure my selfe you like better of the Apostles words we must obey God rather then men And god saith thou shalt do no murther Gehezy in the booke of the kings sware that he vvould followe after Naaman and take somwhat of him he kept that vnlawfull oath and by the feareful plague that fel vpon him you may see and satisfie your selfe howe it pleased God Dauid a man worthie following tooke another course as we reade in his storie when he had sworne to kill Naball and not to leaue a man of his house to looke vppon a wall yet meeting with his wife Abigail by the way and admonished by her of so hard a course he changed his minde blessed God that had sent her as a mean to saue him from shedding blood and thought so wel of the woman that after the death of her husband he married her Had Dauid said as deceiued soules nowe a daies doe I haue sworn and I must keepe mine oath greatly had he sinned against the Lord to his owne hurt This is an example chronicled vp of God in his owne booke to be followed of all those that feare him An oath is ordained of God to ende strife beeing lawfully taken and to strengthen truth Firma mentu veri●a●●on vinculum iniquitatis but in no case to be vniculum iniquitatis a bond to tie vs to iniquity Most worthily therfore answered Agesilaus when one said Thou hast promisea Yea if it be iust saith he otherwise loquutus sum non promisi I spake but it vvas no promise meaning that no promise should be vrged beyond right May we thinke that he by the light he had would haue stood vpon a wicked oath no no assuredly Non praestabit fides quod exhibuit infidelitas Faith may not performe vhat vvant of faith vnlawfully svvare and vowed By the commō law which is ●he Popes owne law who sware in his heat was to be enioined pennance because calor iracundiae non excusat à toto sed à tanto The heate of anger excuseth not from all fault but from so great a fault neither are they to be accounted periured who can shewe impossibilitie or impietie in their performāce your hart meant not to sweare to euill it then it prooue euil and so you change the fault is in the matter not in you M. What shall such do then S. Surely choose rather to aske god barrely mercy for a rash and ignorant oath thē by keeping the same to adde sinne vnto sinne yea a farre greater to a lesser for in presumption to offend is the next consin to the sin against the holy ghost Beware that saying in the Psalm 〈…〉 They encourage themselues in mischeife that is are bold and hardie to take heart to do euill after they are tolde of it and knowe that it is euill Remember that in Gods law there was a sacrifice appointed to make an attonement for one that had sworne to doe euill ●vit 5. sal 5● A sacrifice also remaineth now euen a troubled spirit sorrowful for mine vnaduised oath mine vnlawfull and wicked oath against my God against my prince against my country to obey a forrainer a straunger whome I neuer saw neuer am like to see against mine own soules health and to my endlesse woe O Lord O Lord a broken contrit heart thou shalt neuer despise and therfore strengthen thy poore creature to turne vnto thee and rather to lament one sinne then still still to sin and so by an imagination of constancy to perish eternally for their contumacy M. Amen sonne amen for sure it is plaine that you haue saide to this point and sweet is trueth when one doth tast it But the worlde is so full of prittle prattle when a man turneth that one will be ashamed to heare their speech 〈…〉 some are hindred euen thus S. No questiō mother but Satan vseth this amongest other meanes to keepe some backe frō the truth The pr●●● i● pratle of the world keepe some from t●● truth it is a known weaknes in our nature to shrinke at the talk of mē But the proverb is old a wonder lasteth but 9. nights folly will die and trueth get strength god is in this chaunge and it cannot doe ill Ang. de 〈◊〉 5. c. 1● To haue it verified of vs which Christ spake of his enemies is a fearefull thing namely that they loued the praise of men more then the praise of God The blessed Apostle saith Ioh. 1● ●● Goe I about to please men surely If I should doe so I were not the servant of Christ And why Our Sauiour Christs words giue one reason Gal. 1. ●0 because such cannot be tru beleeuers For how can they beleeue saith he which receiue honour one of another and seeke not the honour vvhich commeth of God alone There is extant in print a little booke containing the recantations of William Tedder and Anthony Tyrrel sometime two seminarie priests of the English colledge in Rome as they were seuerally pronounced by them at Pauls crosse in the yere 1588. wherein they both shew what letted thē in their times to be reformed first W. Ted saith one great cause was this we now speak of the feare of wordly shame temporall discredit but saith he I did not consider then or I cared not for that sentence of our sauiour Every one that confesseth me before men him vvill I confesse also before my father vvhich is in heauen 〈◊〉 10. and whosoeuer shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and a sinfull nation the sonne of man shall be ashamed of him 〈◊〉 8. ● when he commeth in the glory of his father with his angells This was the cause that made me take a preposterous way turning all things to mine owne credit when I should haue turned them to the glory of God according to our Sauiours councell seeke first the kingdome of God c. So thinking to get credit by mine obstinacy 〈◊〉 6. I did loose saith he the fauour of God the loue of my soueraigne and the good will of all true subiects The other cause saith he was the tickling of vainglorie and this I am sure doth hold most of the contrarie side in their peruerse obstinacy howesoeuer they bragge that they seeke nothing by their dealings but the glorie of God I thought it a goodly thing and worthie commendation to defend an euill cause by probable reasons yet I know it was a hard thing for Anaxagoras to prooue that snow was blacke or incke white

that good woman Lydia the purple seller 〈◊〉 16. whose heart was also opened This blessed gift doth the Apostle think of when he wisheth to the Ephesians the spirit of wisdome and revelation that the eyes of their vnderstanding might be opened ●hes 1.17 lightned that they might knowe c. So to the Philippians and to the Colossians and of this speaketh Elihu in the booke of Iob ●lip 1.9 ●lost 1.9 There is a spirit in man but the inspiration of the almighty giueth vnderstanding Iob 32.8 This did king Dauid knowe and therefore asked this heauenly gift by earnest prayer often saying Teach me O Lord teach me thy statutes teach me thy waies open mine eyes that I may beholde the wonderfull things in thy lawe Origen saith Orandus est Deus vt aperiat librum obsignatum we must beseech God by prayer to open the booke that is sealed The Lord is no respect of persons but as he hath done he will doe and heare the desires of his children that wish to know his will This is the way mother this is the way that neuer failed any who vsed it neither will it faile you But you shall see by it the true and right applying of the scriptures howsoeuer others abuse and mis-construe them In a worde therefore marke I beseech you that we doe not affirme all cases of doubt to be by manifest and open wordes plainely expressed in scripture for so there should neede no exposition but we say and affirme that there is no case in religion necessarie to Gods worship or mans salvation so darke and doubtful but it may necessarily be either prooued or disprooued by true collection and conference in scripture M Sonne I marke your speech well and your words fall not to the ground yet I hope you will confesse that our men doe well in regarding the doctours as they doe S. Surely mother I doe confesse the doctours of the Church worthy of more regard then is giuen them sometimes by Romish Catholickes Doctoures And you see by my alleadging of them that I greatly regard them But seeing you haue mentioned this matter I doe hartely intreat you to marke a fewe things in that behalfe First that they are not Domini sedduces nostri Not our Lords but our leaders And therfore S. Augustin saith Other writers or fathers besides the holy scriptures I read in this sort that be their learning or holinesse neuer so great I wil not thinke it true because they haue thought so but because they are able to perswade me so either by Canonicall writers or els by some likely reason Likewise againe This kind of writings meaning the holy doctoures must be reade not with necessitie to beleeue each thing but with libertie to iudge each thing For we may not consent to the bishops notwithstanding they be Catholike ●nit Eccl. c. if they iudge contrarie to the holy Canonicall scriptures This is the right credit of holy fathers they are not the trueth of God it selfe but onely witnesses vnto the trueth no more haue they they thēselues euer desired no lesse ought we euer to giue them Heare I pray you the words of the same father againe we receiue not the disputations or writings of any men be they neuer so Catholicke or praise-worthy Fortunat. ●●t 111. as we receiue the Canonicall scriptures but that sauing their reuerence we may well reprooue or refuse some things in their writings if it happen we finde they haue otherwise though then the trueth may beare them out such am I in the writings of others and such would I wish others to be in mine He writeth to S. Hierom againe to the same effect Non puto frater ep 19. c. My brother I doe not thinke you would haue vs so to read your bookes as if they were written by the Apostles and Prophets To the like purpose writeth Tertullian of himselfe and the rest wherein their holy modestie is worthy great praise for euer they tooke not vpon them to be Lords but leaders and to that ende the Lord hath giuen thē as excellent lights to his church So of Counsels S. Austen telleth vs that the former are reiected by the later c. Likewise Panormitan saith vve ought to giue more credit to on lay man then to an whole councell and to the Pope if he bring better authority and more reason This is my first obseruatiō in this matter of the doctours My secōd is this which I humbly pray you to marke that as scriptures haue beene abused by heretiques so haue fathers and therefore if we must giue ouer the one for mis-applyings so must we the other also for the same reason The Arrian heretiques alleadged Origens bookes for their defence and safegard Socr. l. 4. c. Concil Ch act 2. p. 732 the heretique Eutiches saide I haue read the writings of the father Saint Cyprian as also of other holy writers and of the holy father Saint Athanasius Another of his sect cryed this is my faith according to the exposition of 318 fathers The Nestorian heretiques alleadged the Counsel of Nice p. ●●7 and not to weary you with many Dioscorus the heretique cried out in the open Councell of Chalcedon 〈◊〉 1. p. 767. Ego habeo testimonia sanctorum patrum I haue the testimonies of the holy fathers Athanasius Gregory Cyrill I varie not from them in any point I am thrown forth and banished with the fathers I defend the fathers doctrine I haue their iudgement vttered not by chaunce or vnaduisedly but remaining expressed in their bookes Therefore you see good mother that heretiques haue cried as well fathers fathers as scriptures scriptures and yet neither the one nor the other for this cause to be reiected My third obseruation might be of counterfeit and young yesterday fathers alleadged by papists and of small credit or reuerence giuen to fathers by them that boast thus of fathers when they please whereof I assure you we haue notable examples with many things moe but that I feare to be troublesome vnto you M. Yet sonne seeing our faith was long before yours me thinks the fathers should rather make for vs then for you S. And why say you not so of the scriptures which were many yeares before any of the fathers Surely if your faith were before ours Old faith as well scriptures as fathers would giue on your side and indeed both would make for you New faith the fathers desiring to holde nothing but that they iudged agreeable to scripture which euer they make the rule and ground of faith and trueth and not their own writings as you haue seene But good Mother they abuse you and many moe that tell you your faith that is as nowe you meane the Romish faith was before ours for I assure you it is not so but very newe and younge in comparison of ours M. What our faith newe Sonne yours old Alas I see these

boast of disputation or say they haue prospered by it for we neede not to feare them God be blessed nor they to bragge of any winning There neuer wanted yet neither euer shall want both learned and vnlearned on our side whose spirits they shall not be able to resist writing preaching disputing they are the Gospels weapons and waies to build by Popery must take sōe other course as yet in all times they haue done which holde that plough O that for further proofe of this point mē would be content without preiudice to read the Acts monuments of this our natiue countrie and English Church where we liue marking with a minde desirous of trueth what answers haue beene made by simple women maides and girles vnto great Bishops and Doctoures in causes of religion faith to the great astonishment of their aduersaries the high glorie of God seene in their weaknesse so strengthened by him But nothig can bee more grieuous to that Church then to graunt leaue to doe this which surely bewrayeth they are afraide Hence come their lies and slaunders invented against that book which would full soone be discried of vs woulde we reade it If any haue beene in Westminster ball at tharraignment of a misdoer we willingly heare him a whole day to tell vs the manner of it what was obiected what answered what replyed and what concluded yet we will not read with our owne eies hauing it so notably penned for vs the conventings of holy Christian men and women before their iudges for matter of faith and saluation We wil talke of disputation disputations and ô that men might be allowed to speake freely without daunger of lawe what they are able and when the time was for theirs to speake what they would or coulde and wee stoode at the barre in bolts and yron to answere their obiections and profound learning we will not nowe reade what was then done said on both sides Surely I will say of that booke what I wish tried that after the ground of holy scriptures it will yeelde the greatest contentment Men shall see men women shall see women age shall see age and youth youth brought to the triall howe they answered howe they suffered howe flesh startled howe the spirit conquered and in a worde howe God shewed his mercie and power infinite waies If we finde they speake well we may embrace it if otherwise leaue it The Lord hath giuen vs wisdome and reason and of his grace also I trust to be able to discerne if we would reade O why should our enemies hoodwincke vs so that we must neuer see but with their eies If the charge of this book be to much for one an whole parish might ioyne together and vse it by turners as leisure serued M. Sonne I see you are ready for eueuery way and therefore hauing gone thus farre in triall of what you could say and now being come to our iourneys ende I will goe no further with you at this time but reserue the particular pointes of controuersie till wee haue some fitte leisure and opportunity againe S. Good Mother when and howe you please But nowe ere we part I beseech you let me speake something to you with out offence I will not say much M. Speake on you shall doe more Then as yet you haue done if you any way offend me S. 〈◊〉 religious ●●ite or a ver●ous child to 〈◊〉 mother My suite is then most deare mother with a melting heart of an humble childe that you would vouchsafe to thinke of that which hath nowe beene spoken as also of this feare full course which you haue to long liked of in not comming to Church not receiuing the sacrament not hearing Gods word not obeying the lawes of your dread and gratious Soueraigne and of your natiue countrie It woundeth your credit and estimation with the best it hurteth my father daunteth your children blemisheth your house and wrongeth your friendes both neare deare most grieuously But ô father I say againe my heart bursteth and bleedeth to see howe he is eclipsed by it in comparison of others to whome he is no way inferiour either in birth in liuing in wisdome and experience or in any gift in body or minde neither hath his countrie that good from him or he that good from his countrie that might be had if you were reformed For how may he be thought so fit to rule others abroad that cannot be obeied of his owne at home His children therefore want him his friends want him his seruants want him yea he himselfe wanteth himselfe many times to his griefe Other things also I could name that better may be conceiued in your tender loue towardes him then by me expressed at this time O mother pardon your owne flesh in speaking thus boldly to you and knowe that it is but a part of your selfe that speaketh to your selfe in tender louect dutie When first my father matched with you he hoped of strēgth countenance euery way to be increased to him both by your selfe and your excellent qualities wherewith God hath indued you and by your friendes and house to whome by this marriage he should be vnited not of any abashment and abatement in al these to him and his poore children the pledges of loue betwixt you And thus might it be it you would but alas thus is it not because hitherto you would not A fewe false charmers haue sunke deeper into your heart with their deceits then all your best friendes can with their faithful aduertisements And what is this els in you and others of your perswasion but that which euer hath bin done by the olde serpent the head and guide of these charmers In the Acts of the Apostles we read that the Iewes hating deadly the trueth of the Gospell preached by the Apostles and desirous to vexe them for it deuised this as the best means to stirre vp certaine honest and devout women against them which women should vvork with their friendes to expell such preachers from amongest them Nowe why women but because Satan hath euer had his aduātage against this weake vessell why devout women but becavse a religious minde meaning well yet wāting knowledge is both quicklyer deceiued with shewe of religion and hottelier pursueth what it once beginneth doing more hurt in that false deuotion then many others not so well thought of And why honourable women but that might being added to blinde zeale both by power and example Satans cause might goe forwarde These charmers saith the Apostle againe shall still be creeping into houses lead captiue simple women By which often repeated name of women in the scripture all good women are effectually warned to beware Were there cause for you or any others thus to doe it no way could stand with religion to diswade you and in my selfe to you Mother it should be a double sinne because I am yours and aboue all wordly fauours ought to wish your eternall