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	reason_n	time_n	3,502	5	3.2649	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97108	Tolleration iustified, and persecution condemn'd. In an answer or examination, of the London-ministers letter whereof, many of them are of the synod, and yet framed this letter at Sion-Colledge; to be sent among others, to themselves at the Assembly: in behalf of reformation and church-government, 2 Corinth. II. vers. 14. 15. And no marvail, for Sathan himself is transformed into an angell of light. Therefore it is no great thing, though his ministers transform themselves, as though they were ministers of righteousnesse; whose end shall be according to their works.	Walwyn, William, 1600-1681.	1646 (1646)	Wing W692A; Thomason E319_15; ESTC R200561	14,731	18

Matthew 44. Love your Enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which hurte you and persecute you What were all our London Ministers forgetfull of t●eir Saviours instructions Does their fury so farre blinde their understanding and exceed their piety Which seems to be but pretended now since in their practice they would become Jews and cry out an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth Whosoever meddles with them it seems shall have as good as they bting Was ever so strange a reason urg'd by a Sect of men that say they are Ministers Christs Ministers Reformers too that would make the world believe they are about to reduce all matters Christian to the originall and primitive excellency of Christ and the Apostles and yet to speak and publish to the world a spleenish reason so expressely contrary to the precepts to the practice of Christ and his followers To Christ I say that bids us love our enemies that we may be the children of our Father which is in heaven who makes the Sun to shine on the evill and the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust The Ministers should be like the Master what a dispro●ortion is here As if the title were taken up for some other end we know the Apostle speaks of Ministers that could transform themselves ●s though they were the Ministers of Righteousnesse I pray God our Ministers do not so I would willingly suppresse those fears and suspitions which doe what I can arise in me from their words and practice Sure they had approved themselves better christia●s if upon the discovery of so bad a spirit in any of the Independents as to persecute had they power though I beleive there are not any such I say it had been more Christ-like in our Ministers to have disswaded them from s●unmanly so much more unchristianly a vice then to have it made an argument for practice in themselves They might by the same rule be Jewes to the Jew or Turke to the Turke Oppressours to the Oppressour or doe any evill to others that others would doe to them if other mens doing of i● be an argument of the reasonablenesse thereof But I hope our Ministers will be so ingenious as when they see their weaknesses forsake them it will be both more comfortable to all other sorts of men and in the end more happy for themselves 2. Again I suppose your suggestion to be very false namely that the Independents if they had power would persecute the Presbyters though let me tell you of all s●cts of men those deserve least countenance of a State that would be Persecutors not because of their consciences in the practice and exercise of their Religion wherein the ground of Freedome consists but because a persecuting spirit is the greatest enemy to humane society the dissolver of love and brotherly affection the cause of envyings heart-burnings divisions yea and of warres it selfe Whosoever shall cast an impartiall eye upon times past and examine the true cause and reason of the subversion and devastation of States and countries will I am confident attribute it to no other then the Tyranny of Princes and Persecution of Priests So that all States minding their true interests namely the good and welfare of the people ought by all meanes to suppresse in every sect or degree of men whether Papists Episcopalls Presbyters Independents Anabaptists c. the spirit of Domination and Persecution the disquieter and disturber of mankind the offspring of Satan God being all Love and having so communicated himselfe unto us and gave us commands to be like him mercifull as he our heavenly Father is mercifull to bear with one anothers infirmities neither does reason and true wisdome dictate any other to us then that we should do unto others as we would be done unto our selves that spirit therefore which is contrary to God to reason to the well-being of States as the spirit of Persecution evidently is is most especially to be watcht and warily to be circumscribed and tied up by the wisdome of the supream power in Common-wealths I speak not this to the disgrace of Presbyters as Presbyters for as such Isuppose they are not Persecutors forasmuch as I know some and I hope there are many more of them that are zealous and conscientious for that form of Government and vet enemies to a compulsive power in matters of Religion But for this end only namely to beget a just and christian dislike in all sorts of men as well Presbyters as others of forc●ng all to one way of worship though disagreeable to their minds which cannot be done without the assistance of this fury and 〈…〉 3. And partly to grant to them and not to other Sectaries who are free born ●s well as they and have done as good service as they to the publick as they use to plead will be count●d injustice and great partiality but to grant it to all will scarce be cleared from impiety To the former part of this argument I gladly consent that Sectaries have as good claimes to Freedome as any sorts of men whatsoever because free-born because well-affected and very assistant to their country in its necessities The latter part of the argument is only an affirmation without proof the Ministers think sure it will be taken for truth because they said it for such a presumption it seems they are arrived to In the mean time what must they suppose the people to be that do imagine their bare affirmations ground for the peoples belief I would the people would learn from hence to be their own men and make use of their own understandings in the search and beleif of things let their Ministers be never so seemingly learned or judicious God hath not given them understandings for nothing the submission of the mind is th most ignoble slavery which being in our own powers to keep free the Subjection thereof argues in us the greater basenesse but to the Assertion that it will be impiety to grant it to all Sectaries I answer First that the word Sectary is communicable both to Presbyters and Independents whether it be taken in the good sense for the followers of Christ for such all Presbyters Independents Brownists Anabaptists and all else suppose and professe themsel●es to be or in the common sense for followers of some fewmen more eminent in their parts and abilities then other And hereof the Independents and Presbyters are as guilty as the Separation and so are as well Sectaries Now all Sectaries whether Presbyters Independents Brownists Antinomians Anabaptists c. have a like title and right to Freedome or a Toleration the title thereof being not any particular of the Opinion but the Equity of every mans being Free in the State he lives in and is obedient to matters of opinion being not properly to be taken into cognisance any farther then they break out into some disturbance or disquiet