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	lord_n	sin_n	3,005	5	4.4939	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02793	Two godlie and learned sermons, preached at Manchester in Lancashire before a great audience, both of honor and vvoorship. The first, containeth a proofe of the subtill practises of dissembling neuters, and politique worldlings. The other, a charge and instruction, for all vnlearned, negligent, and dissolute ministers: and an exhortation to the common people, to seeke their amendment, by prayer, vnto God. By Simon Harward, preacher of the woord of God, and Maister of Arte, late of Newe Colledge in Oxfoord.	Harward, Simon, fl. 1572-1614.	1582 (1582)	STC 12924; ESTC S112568	108,746	262

of good workes with vncorrupt doctrine with grauitie and integrity and with the wholesome word which cannot be reproued that he which withstood him might be ashamed hauing nothing against him to speake euill of and for this cause there was placed in the breast Plate vpon Aarons heart Vrim and Thummim that is Exod. 28.3 light and perfection to signifie that he should not only haue light in knowledge but also integrity in conuersation for this cause also God giueth the Lawe in Leuiticus that Leuit. 21.7.14 18. the Priest shall in no case take to wife an Whore neither mary any woman that is polluted but that he shall take a Maide to wife and so be holy vnto his God and in the same Chapter he will haue his Priests to haue no blemish in their body neither any mishapen mēbers whereby is foreshadowed and signified the perfectnes which ought to be in their liues and conuersations for otherwise if they preache the worde of God and haue no care to reforme their liues thereafter then are they not gatherers Luk. 11.23 Psal 50.16 but scatterers and God will say vnto them as he saithe by the Prophet Dauid What hast thou to do to declare mine ordinaunces that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy mouthe seeing thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my words behinde thee When thou seest a Theefe thou runnest with him and hast been partaker with the adulterers thou giuest thy mouthe to speake euill and with thy tongue thou forgest deceipt thou sittest and speakest against thy brother and slaunderest thine owne Mothers sonne and therefore what hast thou to doo to preache my lawes or to take my couenaunt in thy mouthe A Wall hath on either side great squared stones and in the midst small pibbles grauell if one of the great stones which vpholde the building doo slip away then all in the midst will soone clatter after The square stones of the Wall of Gods building are on the one side the Magistrates and on the other side the Ministers if one of these doo fall away then are they guiltie not onely of their owne condemnation but also of the bloud of as many as perish by their fall and euil ensample and therefore we ought all to pray vnto God continually that he will giue vs grace so to reforme our lyues that we may euery one of vs say vnto our flockes as Saint Paul said vnto the Phillipians Brethren Phil. 3.17 be ye followers of men and looke on them which walke so euen as ye haue vs for an ensample for many walke of whom I haue tolde you often and now I tell you weeping that they are enemies of the crosse of Christ assuring our selues that although we talke neuer so much yet vnlesse with our talking we ioyne walking and so by our liues and conuersations giue ensample to our flocks we are nothing but enemies of the crosse of Christ we cause the Gospell of Christ to be euill spoken of we drawe from Christ bothe our selues and others and throwe bothe them and vs into the pitte of perdition and then are we like vnto that Idiot which standing on the Sea shore and seeing straungers passing by dooth crie aloude vnto them away away the tide is at hande The Trauaylers looking backe and seeing the Foole to stand still they begin to say amongst themselues Surely the man dooth but iest if this were the time of the tide he would surely pack away himselfe we neede not to make any such haste but by and by the Tide commeth indeede and ouerwhelmeth bothe the negligent foole and the carelesse Horesemen Euen so if we say vnto the people The Tide commeth doo this or thou canst neuer be saued doo this or els thou art damned for euer and in the meane time stirre no foote our selues the common people séeing our carelesse negligence they straight way murmure amongst themselues If these heauie iudgements of God were true they would amend them selues and thereupon they beginne to be carelesse also and so in the end bothe are ouerwhelmed Apoc. 21.8 Isa 30.33 not with the waues of the Sea but with the Lake burning with fier and Brimstone which is the seconde death and with Tophet the burning whereof is fier and much woode and the breath of the Lord like a Riuer of Brimstone dooth kindle it Then dearely belooued If we teach well and liue wel Chris in Math. 23. we are become Iudges of all men but if we teache well and liue ill we are become condemners Rom. 2.1 bothe of our selues and others for by teaching well and liuing well we teach other men how they shall liue but by teaching well and liuing ill we teach God how he shall condemne vs and therefore let euery one of vs endeuour to follow not the ensample of the Pharisies which binde heauy burthens Math. 23.4 and laye them vpon other mens shoulders but they them selues will not so much as put too one of their least fingers but the ensample of the holy Apostle Saint Paule 1. Cor. 9.27 to beate downe our bodies to bring them into subiectiō least by any meanes after we haue preached vnto to others we our selues become reprobates 1. Pet. 5.3.4 that we may be ensamples to the flocke as Peter saith that when the chiefe Sheepeheard shall appeare we may receiue the incorruptible crowne of glory which Christ Iesus hath prepared for them which loue him I speake not this good brethren to accuse any man nor yet to excuse my selfe the Lorde is my witnesse For I acknowledge my selfe aboue all others to be a most miserable and wretched sinner the Lord be merciful vnto me and to vs all and giue vs all grace héereafter so to a mend our liues that by our euill ensample none be compelled to start back from the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ But howsoeuer we of the Ministerie are not able fully to expresse our doctrine in our liues and conuersations as we are not Angels but men and therefore béeing flesh and bloud may fall and doo fall and haue sundrie imperfections yet good people this ought to be no cause why ye should challenge vnto your selues any more liberty to wallow in sinne and wickednesse For although the Minister were most wilfully bent to worke all vncleanesse euen with greedines yet if he sit in Moyses Chayre Math. 23.3 Chris in Math. 23. if he be called to be your Pastor ye must follow the exhortation of Christ himselfe to obserue whatsoeuer by Gods worde they commaund you but not to doo after their workes For as Chrisostome saythe vpon that place Si bene vixerent c. If they shall lyue well it is their owne gaine if they shall teach well it is your gaine then take ye yours and doo not curiouslye meddle with that which appertaineth vnto others The Earth is vile the Gould is precious wil any man despise the precious gould because the earth

and chafing with him selfe and accoumpteth them but fooles dastardes ignoraunt beastes and men of no iudgement in the Lawe because they haue tolde him the trueth and foorthwith he séeketh other Aduocates and Procters which shall better satisfie his honour At the last be lyghteth vppon such a one as hath no conscience nor feare of God neither serueth any other God but golde and syluer He séeeth that the man is wilfullie bent to be reuenged of his neighbour whatsoeuer it cost him and to d● him a displeasure he followeth his affection and telleth him that his case is good although it be the shamefullest matter that can be deuised Then is he glad that he hath founde such a one as he woulde haue and he accoumpteth him the learnedst and the wisest man in the world But what commeth héereof in the ende when the matter is come to be tried the sentence of iudgement is giuen not by the aduocate nor by the Procter nor according to the affection and appetite of the plaintiffe but it is giuen by the Iudge him selfe according to equitie and lawe And when the man is ouerthrowne maister Procter goeth his waye and leaueth him in the myer he hath his desire he hath pluckt the goose he hath his money paide and then he hath no more care neither of the Client nor of the cause and so the man hath lost his will and also his paines and charges Euen so it fareth with this corrupte flesh of ours in matters of Faith and Religion If we heare any reasons which flatter vs in our sinnes we are straight way ready to embrace them and we accoumpt them forcible learned profound argumentes But if we heare any reason which tendeth to the beating downe of this flesh of ours then we let it passe by our eares as the winde we iudge it to be but a foolish argument and to no purpose and we make no accoumptes thereof not considering that the Lord the righteous iudge at the last day when the secretes of of all hearts shall be opened shall not pronounce the sentence of iudgement according to the reasons which we haue framed as procters to cloak and couer our sinnes nor according to the corrupt affections of our flesh but according to the equitie and iustice of his most holy blessed woord as Christe sheweth vs that the woord which he speaketh vnto vs Iohn 12.48 shall iudge vs in the last daye For if we would call to minde the iustice equity of the righteous iudge it could not be that we should so foolishlie set our affections vpon the flattering reasons of such wicked procters Let vs take héede then that we doo not cloake or couer our sinnes with the examples of Naaman the Sirian of Paule or of Nicodemus béeing wrasted against the trueth but let vs sée what is euidentlie and plainly commaunded vs by the woord of God and there we shall finde that a liuelie faith and open confession are vnseperable in a true Christian As the Soule and lyfe as fyre and heate as the Sunne and bryghtnesse can not be seperated so can wée not seperate a true Fayth from the confessing of the Lorde Iesus For if wée beléeue in the heart then Christe dooth dwell in our heartes by Faith Ephe. 3.17 and if Christe be there it is not without his holie spirite and therefore Paule sayeth That if any man haue not the spirite of Christe Rom. 8.9 he is not of Christe Nowe where the zeale of the spirite is there must néedes be confession For howe is it possible that God should be in the heart and the Deuill in the tongue the hands and the other parts of the body which take their life from the heart and are gouerned thereby Saint Iames speaking of the nature of the tōgue sayeth Iam. 3.9.10 That out of the same fountaine there can not come sweete water and bitter nor out of the same mouth blessing and cursing By the tongue we blesse God the Father and by the same we curse men which are made after the Image of God Howe can this be so Euen so may I say also by the tongue we confesse that we are redeemed by the blood of Christe and with the same we blaspheme his most holie and blessed name How can this be so It cannot be that faith in the heart should be constaunt vnlesse the tongue also do constauntlie continew in confessing praysing and glorifying the Lord Iesus For faith is not a dreame or an idle fancie or a lyght imagination conceyued in the braine but where soeuer it is it sheweth it selfe accordinglie as appeareth notably in the exsample of Ieremie who was wearie of forbearing and could not forbeare as he sayeth I am had in derision euerie daye and euerie one mocketh me Iere. 20.7.9 for since I spake and cryed out of wrong and proclaymed desolation the woorde of God was made a reproche vnto me and I was had in derision daylie then sayde I I will make no more mencion of him nor speake any more in his name but his woord was ●n mine heart as a burning fyre shut vp in my bones I was wearie of forbearing and ●ould not forbeare If then the woorde of God be as a burning fire shutte vp in our bones howe is ●t possible but that it should sende foorth ●he lyght and heate of open confession 〈◊〉 speake not this good brethren to fauour ●nd allowe a number of rash and enraged ●pirites which without wisedome and dis●retion will counterfeyt them selues to be ●ealous professours of the Gospell which will crie out against they can not tell what without kéeping any measure with●ut searching the occasions without con●dering the circumstaunces which doo ●nelie serue to trouble and offende the weake and to hazarde and put in daun●er those which truelie serue God And ●o cullour their phrensie and furour they alledge the zeale of Ieremie which was wearie of forbearing and coulde not forbeare But these are more like the glorious Elihu the Buzite then the zealous Ieremy the Anatothite for Elihu the Buzite one of the comforters or rather discomforters of Iob crieth out Beholde I am full of matter Iob. 32 18. and the spirite that is within me compelleth me beholde my bellie is as the wine that hath no vent and like the bottelles that burst therfore will I speake that I may take breath c. Euen so many nowe are lyke the newe wine which must breake the vessell vnlesse it haue issue But we must learne that as the spirite of God can not be idle in the heart of man so dooth it not compell any man to passe the lymittes and bondes of Christian modestie It dooth not allowe the zeale which is without knowledge and spirituall wisedome Rom. 10.2 And therefore the Apostle sayth That the spirites of the Prophets are subiect vnto the prophetes 1. Cor. 14.32 As he him selfe shewed by experience for although he was most excellent in the giftes of

of God not onely with the inward calling but also with the outward I speake this of the publique office of the Ministerie Gen. 18 1● Iosu 24.15 Isa 38 19. Ephe. 6.4 for otherwise euery Christian is bound priuatly to instruct his brother and especially euery parent houshoulder is bound by the word of God to be a Bishop in his owne family hath charge not onely of the body but also of the soule But in the publique office of the Ministery there is required an other manner of outwarde calling first Hebru 13.17 1. Thes 5.11 to be approoued and allowed by the iudgemēt of the Church especially of those whome the Apostle doothe call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which be ouer the people haue the ouersight of the people therefore Paul wil haue in the Church a Seniory or Eldership which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he saith to Timothy 1. Tim. 4.14 Despise not the g●if● that is in thee which was giuē thee by prophesie with the laying on of hands of the company of the eldership Actes 6.2 whē the Deacons were chosē the twelue called the multitude of Disciples together For the which cause good people ye see how my lord at this time hath done nothing of his own priuate iudgement but hath ioyned with himselfe a Seniory of the Preachers round about you who haue altogether in this church examined these which are now to be admitted for the space of these two or three daies and for that the consēt of the common people is not to be neglected for before the Deacōs were chosen the whole multitude was pleased Actes 6. ● therfore there is none at this time admitted but he is approoued cōmended by the letters of sundry worshipfull and others which are best thought of testifying bothe his good godly conuersation also the good liking which the people haue of him in that place whereunto he is already called And as for the rest if any in those parishes can alledge any cause why any of these are not to be admitted if they will speake they shal be heard if they speake not then their silence is to be taken for a consent especially seeing they haue had knowledge so longe before as this businesse is not now taken in hand of a sodayne but longe before knowne to all the Countrey And héere as in Matrymonie the congregation standing by is déepely charged that If any man can shew any iust cause why the partyes that are to bee marryed maye not lawefullye be ioyned together that hee nowe speake or els for euer heereafter houlde his peace Euen so that I maye as it were aske the Banes betwixte these that are to be made Ministers their charge and office I most earnestly request you all as you will aunswer before the Lord Iesus Christ and as ye tender the Church of God that If any of you can laye any thing to any of their charges or shew any iust cause why they may not be receiued into the office of the Ministerie that he speake now or els for euer heereafter hould his peace from speaking any ill of theyr admission Now after their election ther must follow their ordering which that it may be according to the worde of God there are two things required Luke 6.12 Actes 1.24 6.6 First fasting and prayer and therefore our Sauiour Christe before that he sent foorth his Apostles he went into the Mountaine to praye and spent the night in prayer to God The Apostles in the choosing of Matthias and in the appointing of the Deacons made their prayers vnto God Actes 13.3 14 23. Paul Barnabas were sent foorth with fasting praier And the second thing is Acts. 8 1● 13.2 14.22 the laying on of hands wherby they are as it were seperate from priuate men and sent foorth vnto the worke wherevnto the Lorde hath called them which manner of ordeyning as it is plainely commaunded and appointed by God so is the number vncertaine by whom it must be done for that the Scriptures doo make mention sometymes but of one 2. Tim. 1.6 1. Tim. 5.22 Actes 6.2.6 13.1 1. Tim. 4.14 althoughe no do●bt there were no more adioyned sometimes of the twelue sometimes of certaine Prophets Teachers and somtimes of the Seniorie or eldership which seemeth moste to appertaine to the state of the church now present But héere a question may be mooued how the calling of the first reformers in the Church in this last age can be good seeing they had no imposition of hands but onely of Popish Priestes which are no true Seniorie I aunswer that the manner of calling must be considered according to the visible estate of the Church which is either altogether corrupt or els abiding safe and sound If it be pure then is the ca●ing ordinarie but if it be altogether corrupt thē an extraordinary vocation may haue place euen according as it shall please God to rayse vp his seruaunts and to imploye thē to reforme the Church and to bring her to her olde purity God is not alway bound to ordinary meanes 1. Reg. 18 19. for when the ten Tribes of Israel were altogether corrupted thorow their Idolatries God did extraordinarily raise vp vnto them Elias to reforme them and to endeuor to bring thē vnto the right seruice of God who notwithstanding was not a Priest neither had he in that respect any succession That this generall corruption shall be in the Church in the last age and that God shall rayse vp witnesses to speake against it it is sufficiently shewed in the Apocalips Reuel 11.2.3 Againe I may aunswer that the most part of the first reformers of the Church in this last age had after a sort an ordinary vocation as they count a vocation for they were called by the Priests and by them established and setllin their charges and therefore by consequent had authoritie and right to goe vp into the Pulpit and to teach in the Church as Luther Zwinglius Ecolampadius Bucer and before them Wicliffe and Iohn Hus and so many Bishoppes in England Scotland Denmarke and els where which haue receaued and do preach the Gospell of Christ haue succeeded the Popish Priests in succession of the Chaire and place although in Doctrine they haue onely succeeded our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ And therefore as we allowe their Baptisme so also their imposition of hands vntill the time came that the Lorde in his mercie tooke away the corruptions of them bothe And thus you see how by the word of God Ministers are to be publiquely ordeyned with laying on of hands and with prayer not with shauing and besmearing with Oyle not with Tapers Basins Towels Chalices singing Cakes Wine and Water Flower Crosses Linens bands not with breathing on them as though it were in mans powre to giue the holy Ghost not with Amicks Albes Sto●les Girdles