Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	love_n	love_v	4,041	5	6.5654	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33777	A sermon of conforming and reforming made to the convocation at S. Pauls Church in London / by John Colet upon Rom. xii, 2 ... writ an hundred and fiftie years since : to which is now added an appendix of Bp. Andrews and Dr. Hammonds solemn petition and advice to the convocation : with his directions to the laity how to prolong their happiness.	Colet, John, 1467?-1519.; Erasmus, Desiderius, d. 1536.; Hammond, Henry, 1605-1660.; Andrewes, Lancelot, 1555-1626.	1661 (1661)	Wing C5096; ESTC R26033	47,218	88

observation of all those laws that sound to any lucre setting aside and despising those that concern the amendment of manners What should I rehearse the rest To be short and to conclude at one word all corruptness all the decay of the Church all the offences and scandals of the world come from the covetousness of the priests according to that of S. Paul which here I repeat again and beat into your ears Covetousness is the root of all evil 4. The fourth secular evil that spotteth the face of the Church is continual secular occupation wherein Priests and Bishops now adays do busie themselves becoming the servants rather of men then God the warriours rather of this world then of Jesus Christ. For the Apostle Paul writeth to Timothy 2 Epist. ii 3. that no man who is a good souldier of Christ or that warreth for God entangleth himself with the affairs of this life is turmoiled with secular business The warfare of Gods souldier is not carnal but spiritual Our warring is to pray devoutly to read and study Scriptures diligently to preach the word of God sincerely to administer the H. Sacraments rightly and offer sacrifice for the people For we are mediatours and intercessours unto God for men which S. Paul witnesseth writing to the Hebrews Every Bishop saith he taken of men is ordained for men in those things that be unto God that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins Wherefore those Apostles that were the first Priests and Bishops did so much abhor all manner of meddling in secular things that they would not minister the meat that was necessary to poor people although it were a great work of vertue but they said It is not meet that we should leave the word of God and serve tables we will give our selves continually to prayer and preaching the word of God Act. vi 2 4. And S. Paul cryes to the Corinthians 1 Epist. vi 4. If you have judgements of things pertaining to this life set them to be judges that be most in contempt in the Church Many evils doubtless do ensue from this secularity when Clergie-men and Priests leaving all spirituality turmoyl themselves with earthly occupations I. First the dignity of Priesthood is dishonoured which is greater then either that of Kings or Emperours equal with the dignity of Angels But the brightness of this great dignity is sore shadowed when Priests are employed in earthly things whose conversation ought to be in heaven 2. Secondly Priesthood is despised when there is no difference between such Priests and Lay-people but according to the prophesie of Hosea As the people be so are the priests 3. Thirdly the beautifull order and holy dignity in the Church is confused when the highest in the Church do meddle with vile and earthly things and in their stead vile and abject persons do exercise high and heavenly things 4. Fourthly the lay-people have great occasion offered them of evils and cause to fall when those men whose duty it is to draw others from the affection of this world do by their continual conversation in this world teach men to love the world and by the love of the world cast them down headlong into hell Moreover in such Priests that be so employed there must needs follow hypocrisie For when they be so mixed and confused with lay-people under the garment and habit of a Priest they live plainly after the lay-fashion And through spiritual weakness bondage and fear being made weak with the waters of this world they dare neither do nor say any but such things as they know to be pleasing and gratefull to their Princes ears At last through ignorance and blindness when they are blinded with the darkness of this world they see nothing but earthly things Wherefore our Saviour Christ not without cause did warn the Prelates of his Church in this manner Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with gluttony and drunkenness and the cares of this world Luk. xxi 34. The cares saith he of this world wherewith when the hearts of Priests being sore charged they cannot minde the other life nor lift up their souls to high and heavenly things There be many other evils beside these that follow of the secularity of Priests which were long here to rehearse but I make an end These be the four evils that I have spoken of O Fathers O Priests by which we are conformable to this world by which the face of the Church is made ill-favoured by which the state of it is destroyed much more truly then it was in the beginning by the persecution of tyrants or afterward by the invasion of hereticks that followed For in the persecution of tyrants the Church being afflicted was made stronger and brighter in the invasion of hereticks the Church being shaken was made wiser and more skilfull in holy writ but since this secularity was brought in since the worldly manner of living crept in among Church-men the root of all spiritual life that is charitie hath been extinct which being taken away the Church can neither be wise nor strong in God In this age we are sensible of the contradiction of lay-people But they are not so much contrary to us as we are to our selves Their contrariness hurteth not us so much as the contrariness of our own evil life which is contrary both to God and Christ who said He that is not with me is against me We are also now adays troubled with hereticks men intoxicated with strange opinions but the heresies of them are not so pestilent and pernicious to us and the people as the naughty lives of Priests which if we beleeve S. Bernard is a kinde of heresie nay the chief of all and most perillous For that holy Father preaching in a certain Convocation to the Priests of his time had these words in his sermon Many men are Catholick in their speaking and preaching which are hereticks in their works and actions For what the hereticks do by evil teaching the same do these men by ill example viz. they lead the people out of the right way and bring them into errour of life And these men are so much worse then hereticks by how much their works prevail more then their words This that holy Father S. Bernard spoke with a fervent spirit against the sect of evil Priests in his time By which words he sheweth plainly that there be two kinds of heresies one arising from perverse teaching the other from naughty life of which two this latter is far worse and more perillous reigning now in Priests who do not live like themselves not priestly but secularly to the utter and miserable destruction of the Church of God Wherefore you Fathers you Priests and all you of the Clergy at last rouze and look up from this your sleep in this forgetfull world and being well awaked hear S. Paul crying unto you Be ye not conformed to this world Thus much for the

first part Now let us come to the second II. Of Reformation But be ye reformed by the renewing of your minde THe second thing that S. Paul commandeth is That we be reformed by the renewing of our minde that we may prove what is that good will of God well-pleasing and perfect Let us be reformed in those vices which be in us contrary to those vertues I mentioned even now that is to meekness to sobrietie to charity to spiritual occupation that as the said S. Paul writeth unto Titus Denying all 〈◊〉 and worldly lusts we may live soberly 〈◊〉 and vertuously in this present world This reformation and restoring of the Churches estate must needs b begin of you our Fathers and so follow in us your Priests and in all the Clergy You are the heads you are an example of living to us upon you we look as upon marks of our direction In you and in your lives we desire to read as in lively books how and after what manner we ought to live wherefore if you will consider and pull out the motes that be in our eyes first cast out the beam out of your own eyes 'T is an old proverb Physician heal thy self Let me beseech you spiritual Physiclans first to take your selves this purgation of manners and then afterwards offer us the same to take Now the way whereby the Church may be reformed into a better fashion is not to make new laws there be already laws enough if not too many Nothing is new under the sun as saith Solomon Eccl. 1.9 For the evils that are now in the Church were before in times past and there is no fault committed among us for which our fore-fathers have not provided very good remedies There are no trespasses but there be remedies against thē in the body of the Canon law 'T is not needfull then that new laws and new constitutions be made but that those which are made already be well kept and put in execution Wherefore I pray you let those canons and laws which are made be called for and rehearsed before you in this your assembly those canons I mean that restrain vice and those that further vertue First let those canons be rehearsed that do warn you O Fathers c not to lay hands suddenly on any man not to be too facile in admitting into holy Orders For here lies the original and spring-head of all our mischiefs that the gate of Ordination is too broad the entrance too wide and open every man that offers himself is admitted every where without putting back Hence comes it that we have such a multitude of priests who have little learning and less piety In my judgement it is not enough for a priest to construe a collect to put forth a question to answer a sophism but an honest a pure a holy life is much more necessary approved manners competent learning in holy Scripture some knowledge of the Sacraments But chiefly and above all things the fear of God and love of heavenly life Let the canons be rehearsed which command that d benefices of the Church be given onely to those that are worthy that promotions be made by the right balance of vertue not by nearest q kinred or carnal affection or acception of persons whereby it happeneth now adays that boyes and fools and ill-livers do reign and rule in the Church in stead of old men and wise and good To this end let the canons be rehearsed which forbid and oppose the dirt of e Simony Which corruption which infection which cruel and detestable pestilence doth now creep abroad like a canker in the minds of Priests so that in these days many are not afraid by 〈◊〉 and servile attendances by rewards and promises to procure to themselves great dignities Let the canons be rehearsed that command personal f residence of Curates in their Churches For of this many evils grow because all Offices now adays are performed by Vicars and Parish-priests yea and those foolish and unmeet oftentimes wicked that seek nothing among the laity but filthy lucre whereof cometh occasion of evil heresies and ill christendome in the people Let the canons be rehearsed which concern the lives of you Fathers and the honesty of us Priests which forbid a clergie-man to meddle in g merchandise that he be no h usurer no i hunter no common k gamer or player that he bear no l weapon The canons that forbid clergy-men to haunt k taverns that forbid them to have suspected familiarity with women The canons that command sobriety moderation in m apparel and temperance in adorning the body And to my Lords these Monkes Prebends and Religious men let the canons be rehearsed which command them to go the straight way that leads to heaven leaving the broad way of the world which command them not to turmoil themselves in business neither n secular nor other which command that they do not * 〈◊〉 plots sow in Princes Courts for earthly things For it is decreed in the first Councel of Calcedon That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Can. 4. 7. Monkes ought onely to give themselves to prayer fasting and to the chastizing of the flesh and observing of their rules Above all things let the canons be rehearsed that appertain to you my Reverend Fathers and Lord-bishops laws concerning your just and b canonical election in the Chapters of your churches calling upon the holy Ghost For because those canons are not obeyed now adays but Prelates are chosen oftentimes more by the favour of men then by the grace of God hence truly it comes to pass that we have not seldome Bishops who have little spirituality in them men rather worldly then heavenly savouring more the spirit of this world then the spirit of Christ. Let the canons be rehearsed of the o residence of Bishops in their Diocesses which command that they look diligently to the health of souls that they sow the word of God that they shew themselves in their Churches at least on great holy-days that they officiate in their own persons and do sacrifice for their people that they hear the causes and matters of poor men that they sustain fatherless children and widows and exercise themselves in works of vertue Let the canons be rehearsed concerning the right bestowing of the p patrimonie of Christ the canons which command that the goods of the Church be spent not in costly building not in sumptuous apparel and pompes not in feasting and banqueting not in excess and wantonness not in q enriching of kinsfolk not in keeping of hounds but in things profitable and necessary for the Church For when S. Augustine the Monk once Bishop of England asked Pope Gregory how the Bishops and Prelates in England should spend their goods which were the offerings of faithfull people the said Pope answered and his answer is put into the decrees cap. 12. quaest 2. That the goods of the Bishops ought to be divided into four parts