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	suffer_v	suffering_n	2,047	5	9.4271	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85048	Some necessary & seasonable cases of conscience about things indifferent in matters of religion, briefly, yet faithfully stated [a]nd resolved wherein the the [sic] just bounds of imposing on one hand, and of obeying on the other, are truly fixed, / by an indifferent hand.	Fullwood, Francis, d. 1693.	1661 (1661)	Wing F2517; Thomason E2270_1; ESTC R209648	43,257	226

of a bare expediency or the trouble of the contrary God forbid Do not you fear forgive my plainness do you not say you fear that your Non-conformity may tempt the Conformists to lean to Popery for support If so my Brethren though others fear it not may not this endanger the Church of God among us yea all the Reformed Churches in the world which may somewhat depend upon ours to be swallowed up by the Common Enemy Is this the case my brethren do you indeed judge it so and will you be at no trouble to save them will you part with no convenience to preserve them is your own content and private liberty in so small a matter of greater moment then all the Churches Alas had our LORD vallued them at no higher rate they Certum e●● omnia licere pro Patria Quintill had hardly been the purchase of his Precious BLOOD What hope of expediency can repair the danger yea what expediency if obtained which yet is but our aim and can hardly be secured in the accident if the substance miscarry our admired expediency being equally hazarded by our Non-conformity with all the rest viz. the Peace of the Church our duty to God and Man the favour of the King the Gospel of Christ the service of the Church the salvation of souls the safety of the Kingdom and the Protestant Cause in the World Who can so fondly imagine that the God of all these can have any regard to the loan Sacrifice of our expediency with so much prodigality so little regard to mercy and charity and such dreadful hazards But to bring it closer to our selves I doubt not to affirm that our own private safety the safety of our persons our families and estates may justly challenge some influence when concerned upon our conformity in lawful things though somewhat inexpedient But seeing so many are preparing themselves to glory in such kind of sufferings though attended with all the hazards lately named we shall put the Case CASE Whether is it fit or lawful to expose our selves and ours to sufferings rather then conform in things lawful but inexpedient Resol TRuly to me it seemeth a strange prodigality neither fit nor lawful but more far more unfit and inexpedient then the very things that are scrupled at be they very inexpedient as some conceive if they be but lawful In such kind of sufferings to me appeareth little or no good but much evil 1. I see but little good in them because I can find no call unto them We are indeed invited to hazard yea to suffer the loss and pain of a●l things for Christ his sake and the Gospels and for Righteousness sake this is for the Testimony of Jesus this is the one thing necessary all other things are not necessary in comparison in competition with this Alas this is far from a bare expediency 't is the substance and more then the Accidents and Circumstances that God calls us to suffer for If we suffer for things expedient we suffer for our own apprehension of what is so and not for the Word of God that hath left it undecided what is so and consequently what ever we tempt our selves withall such Suffering is far from Martyrdome which lies in the Cause as well as the Occasion and Intention We find no command requiring no example of Christ his Prophets of Apostles foregoing no Promises encouraging us in such kind of suffering and how then can we expect any comfort in them support under them or reward for them Yea do not we meet with a check to the contrary for such zeal and forwardness from a prudent person Be not righteous over-much why shouldst thou destroy thy self before thy time 2. As little good so much evil appears in them for such causless call-less sufferings injure God the Church our selves 1. God on whom we father our private opinions for which we suffer as if they were his Cause usurping also the honour and dignity of suffering for Christ which he hath not yet given us 2. The Church thus denying her our Ministery putting our candle under a bushel or being thieves to her light sempting the weak that understand not our Reasons to suffer with us without a cause and doing our part to make such breaches and to raise such a storm as may shipwrack all 3. Our Selves from whom as one says God calls for the calves of our lips but we offer him our lives our liberties our wives our children c. before he requi●es them at our hands wherein I tremble to put it to a question Whether there be more of Martyrdome or Murther If my advice be any thing to be regarded rather obey as far as God and Conscience will permit and when they check you suffer and suffer cheerfully suffer for God suffer for Conscience and suffer comfortably but if you stop your course of obedience before God call conscience checks be your private reasons what they can I think there is cause to fear lest such hasty sufferings are of your selves and rather punishments of your inconsiderateness and disobedience then any degree of Martyrdom Give me leave to end in plainness as dealing with Conscience and aiming at the safety of my Brethren If we throw away the Talents that God hath lent us and pay him in Coin he will not own he may justly send us for our wages to those we have served our evil surmises I speak it soberly and the jealousies and fears of our brethren 'T is plain that a promise of outward prosperity gives just encouragement for obedience to Authority Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee CASE XIV What are private persons to do when things sinful are imposed Resol I Would not be mistaken I have not hitherto in and I trust never shall be an Advocate for sin or sinful impositions I have only pleaded for a just and peaceable self-denial and submission to the Laws of the Place where we live in lawful things We are descending to the lowest step from things Necessary Expedient purely Indifferent and Inexpedient all which have had their particular debate to the last object of imposition proposed viz. Things unlawful to consider what we are to do should Authority require conformity in things unlawful That I may speak fully and as I humbly desire satisfactorily to this doubt I shall take the liberty of distinction Things are sinful either 1. In themselves viz. such as God prohibits 2. Or To us such as we judge to be forbidden of God Or 3. Unto others such as others judge to be sinful when they are neither so in themselves nor judged so by us that are to use them according to which distribution we are further invited to the consideration of three Cases 1. What we are to doe when things sinful in themselves are required Or 2. When such things are required as appear sinful to our selves Or

things are cons●dered will be found to savour more of the stoutness and Magnanimity of an Heathen then of the meekness humility and self-denial of a Christian or a Minister of Christ 2. A good name indeed is a very pretious thing ●nd to blot and stain it with any thing that is sinful is to be abhorred more then death for a good name is better then life but to suffer therein without a cause or in a good cause to suffer therein for well doing as the Apostle speaks the more precious it is the more thank-worthy are such sufferings the more like Martyrdom 3. But if the things be lawful that are required the Authority be lawful that requires them and God commandeth you to obey them that rule over you in things that are lawful if the publique Peace the good of souls the safety of the Church as well as your own prosperity do truly depend upon your conformity and upon these or like respects of Peaaee Duty and safety you do conform and are therefore reproached and wounded in your Names I see not but that you suffer in a very good cause and your Names are Martyrs of the Church of God and the souls of the people in such a case doubt not to commit your souls and names into the hands of your God in well-doing as into the hands of a faithful Creator who will find a time and a way to wipe off the dirt from his Jewels and make your Righteousness shine as the light and your innocency as the noon-day When all men speak evil of you such a time there may be for Christs sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven 4. But let us take a more steady view of the danger which your reputation is really in by conformity in lawful things In order thereunto let us weigh the state and temper of the people with whom your credit and reputation lieth and whom you fear they are usually divided into three sorts two extreams and a middle more staid and sober sort of people the two extrams are the profane and the giddy i. e. such as are zealous but without knowledge 5. Now let it be seriously reckoned what our reputation with these two extreams is worrh further then it may help us to save their souls Again How difficult and almost impossible it is to have and keep a good Name and a good Conscience with either of these If we be faithful to their souls in reproof of sin and pressing the power of godliness will not the profane hate us and speak evil of us And let one put it home to you What considerable part of Reputation have you left if you have indeed been thus faithful with them to hazard or lose by your conformity Yea Whether you are not more certain to contract the reproach revi●ing of such persons by your Non-conformity and whether your Conformity may not afford you more opportunity by being a means of your continuing in your places and also more advantage bringing your practice nearer to their principles and desires of winning reforming and saving the souls of the profaner sort of your people then your Non-conformity throwing you out of the Ministry and farther from the way and affections of those people is likely to do 6. As for the zealous part I mean such whose knowledg is but small and their zeal much I confess your interest in them is deservedly prized because they mean well and in the main are many of them truly pious yet I judge it very unreasonable to prize your interest in their favour and aff●ction above the interest of their souls the interest of the Gospel and of God himself which is to set their good opinion of us falssy taken too above our Ministry and the publick Peace above our duty to God and man It is possible we may suffer from good people not on●y for well doing but for doing or endeavouring to do them good and a Peter through ignorance may act Satans part towards Christ himself but our Saviour hath encouraged us with his own example to sacrifice not only our Names but our Lives to save if possible the very persons that would take them from us 7. Besides when the Law for Conformity extends to the People as well as to the Ministry perhaps by their own necessity they may learn more modesty charity towards us And in the mean while these censures are far more obnoxious to the censure and reproof of their Ministers and all sober people for their rashness and uncharitableness then their Ministers can so much as seem to be by doing their duty in a just Conformity and if meerly to gratifie them we suspend obedience to our superiors wee seem to sacrifice Church and State our selves and all as far as in us lies to the very humours of our people 8. Our own experience many of us I am sure hath sufficienly reproached us already for our being so much lead by the foolish fire of the strange zeal of such kind of people wee have seen that there is no measure in their principles no bounds in their practises and many of us have once already by making them our guides lost our way our selves and our credits and reputation as well with our selves as with all sober and well tempered persons and shall we now take sanctuary there to save our credits where our reputation hath bled and our Names have suffered even to death already Is not the good of the Church the service of Souls the protection of the Laws and just obedience to God and the King a better refuge and of better reputation then the opinion of a few inconsiderate censorious persons Let it be wisely considered 9. Let us ponder a little the sentence of Calvin passed long agon upon such Galv Advers Anabapt Art 2. kind of people the truth of which much late experience hath sealed unto Cum sub specie studii perfectionis imperfectionem nullam tolerare possumus aut in corpore aut in membris Ecclesiae tunc Diabolum nos Tumefacere Superbia Hypocrisi seducere moneamur in which words he plainly fathers such blind rash and censorious zeal upon the Devil and upon the works of the Devil Seduction Pride and Hypocrisie 10. Now if we do indeed so highly value the love of such people have we not reason to answer their Love And how can this be better effected then by endeavouring to recover them out of the snare of the Divel both by Doctrine or good example I mean the rather for their sakes to yield obedience to those things that our people ought to know we judge to be lawful and that they may also be truly satisfied how ready we are to do any thing that is not sinful rather then to lay down the Ministry and service of their Souls a far better way I think to express our hearty affection to them then by indulging their prejudices gratifying their

and it is no doubt another great part of the said Liberty that the members of the same may without sin obey their Rulers in such determinations It is most worthily observed by the Apostle that is a part of our Freedom as Christians that we may be the Lords free-men in our 1 Cor. 7. 20 22. publick capacity and yet servants in our private our Christian liberty being not infringed by our outward duty Moreover that for the good of Society the preservation of our selves from legal penalties for our maintenance and livelihood we may be subject to the commands and laws of men I take to be a very valuable part of our liberty also provided nothing be required or acted against the Supremacy of our Lord Paramount in Heaven But let us a little more 1 Cor. 7. 20 21 23. distinctly consider the Apostle Let every one abide in the same calling private wherin he is called that is to be a Christian Art thou called a servant c. Whence briefly note 1. Are not all that are called to be Christians called to the liberty of Christians 2. Doth not the Text assure us that this liberty to which we are called is truly consistent with the Condition in which we are called otherwise why should we abide in it 3. Is not the state of all persons called to be Christians except supream Magistrates a state of subjection and servitude 4. Doth it not then most cleerly follow that Christian liberty consisteth with and obligeth unto all kind of duty to all kind of Governours to Fathers Masters Husbands as the very Quakers acknowledg Pastours Kings and to God himself as all good Christians have cause to glory and that upon the firmest bonds and ties imaginable of Wrath of Conscience and the Lords sake Nam etsi conscientias proprie solus Deus ●ig●● c. For saith Beza although Bez. ep 20. God alone can properly bind the conscience yet so fat as the Church with respect to Order and Decency and thereby to Edification doth rightly enjoyn or make Laws concerning things Indifferent those same Laws are to be observed by all pious Persons and they do so far bind the conscience as that no man Sciens prudens rebellandi animo wittingly and willingly with a purpose to disobey can either do what is so forbidden or omit what is so commanded absque peccato without sin CASE III. What are we to do in case such things are commanded us as though we judg them lawful yet others judge them sinful and will be offended at our doing of them Resol VVE have already considered what is to be done if things sinful in themselves or judged so by us be injoyned We are arrived to the ultimate scruple touching the offence that others may be likely to take at our practice who conceive those things which are injoyned to be unlawful and that we shall sin if we do them And the Question is What is to be done in this Case The scruple is evidently grounded in the Apostles Directions about scandal the sum of which is that we must not use our liberty in indifferent things to the offence of our weak brother For satisfaction to this great and present doubt we must have liberty a little to distinguish 1. We must distinguish of the object of scandal it may be such as offends only one way and it may be such as offends both ways that is first the doing of a thing may offend some when the not doing of it offends none This was the Case in the Apostles time the taking of meat offered to Idols was apt to offend the weak brethren but the not eating of such meat was not likely to offend any body In such a Case 't is evident we ought not to eat to the offence of our brother But in some Cases there is a necessity of offence whether we do the thing or whether we do it not as in case of Conformity our very case some you say that are weak will be offended if we do conform and you cannot say but that some whom you judg weak also will be offended if we do not Now in this case there is no remedy seeing I must do one or other conform or not but to fly to that excellent Rule of Polanus and to consider the persons offended on both sides and to weigh the nature of the offence Hereupon we must rest satisfied in this issue where most and of most consideration are offended and where the nature of the offence is most haynous there we must forbear to use our liberty and either do or not do the thing in question and so on the contrary Let us then apply and faithfully answer our selves whether the doing a lawful thing enjoyned by Authority that will offend our weak brethren be likely to offend more persons and persons of more consideration and give offence of a more heinous nature than the not doing of that lawfull thing against the command of Authority Here seem to be three branches of the Comparison 1. Where more are likely to be offended 2. Where more considerable persons 3. Where the nature of the offence is foulest Truly I soberly think that Conformity in such lawfull things need not fear to compare with Non conformity in any one of these three 1. If the Question be Whether Conformity or Non-conformity be likely to offend most individual persons in the Nation it will not be difficult to answer It s possible the imposing of such things 〈◊〉 offend many more then t●● not practising but when things are once imposed so wise a Nation will I conceive leave little room for the comparison betwixt the extent of scandal by Obedience and by Disobedience 2. And much more if the Question be touching the considerableness of the persons offended on both sides 'T is too true that Obedience in such a case is likely to stirr up trouble envy discontent murmuring in the mindes of many of the ordinary sort of people but whether as to the great ends of the peace and good of the Church the ordinary sort be the more consi●●●able will hardly brook 〈◊〉 inquiry Whereas our Disobedience besides the offence of ordinary people is too likely to offend the King the Court the Councell the Parliament the Bishops the Lawyers the Nobility the Gentry or beyond controversie the greater part of them all but even thus farr the Argument is invincible à Minore ad Majus If we must forbear our liberty in case of offence to our weak brother much more in case of offence to Authority 3. Especially if we consider the nature of the offence also on both sides Where first we may compare the offence on both sides with the offence the Apostle mentions and then weigh them one against another 1. First comparing the scandal likely to happen upon our obedience with the scandal of the weak mentioned by the Apostle there seems to be this great difference the scandal mentioned