Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	holy_a	scripture_n	word_n	2,805	5	4.1192	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73284	Profano-mastix. Or, a briefe and necessarie direction concerning the respects which wee owe to God, and his house even in outward worship, and reverent using of holy places. Shewing chiefly when, and how, wee ought to enter; how to behave our selves being entred, how to depart; as also, how to esteeme of Gods house at every other time. Written out of a true and sincere intent to reduce the disordered and factious, to a better order then either their neglect, stubbornnesse, or scrupulositie can purchase for them. / By Iohn Swan curate of Duxford S. Peters.	Swan, John, d. 1671.	1639 (1639)	STC 23513; ESTC S106202	33,675	74

thousand Protestants at that time more then there were Yet had he come into our ordinary parish Churches hee would have surely said There is much wanting in that reverent behaviour which is required of devout worshippers and more Protestants might bee in England if all places were alike ordered Give mee leave therefore to insist upon five things concerning our assemblies or worshipping of God in his house and one more to be regarded at all times else aswell when there is no Assemblie as when there is The five be these First that at the time of publick worship wee be not Late commers Secondly that we be not Ill Enterers Thirdly that our deportment at the time of our being there be reverent Fourthly that our departure be not till all be ended And then last of all that it be such as becommeth those who are going to their owne houses from the house of God I shall take them in order The first concernes our late comming which is an ill disease and a sore evill for they that bee backward in their service to God are a great way behind in the way to heaven and to preferre their owne fancies before godly orders is to decline the steps of pious leaders And of this they are guiltie who be dull in their approach to the house of God Psal 87.2 For as the Lord loveth the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Iacob so the Children of God delight to bee there as knowing that then they are come before him in a more speciall manner then when they were at home in their owne houses Yea and as they doe desire the heaven that is above So also to be one with those in the heaven beneath For that the Congregations of the Church militant is a kind of heaven upon earth is more then manifest and S. Iohn I doe beleeve hath an eye thereunto in that sacred booke of the Revelation Thus it was with David Psal 42.2 My soule saith he is athirst for God yea even for the living God Oh when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God And in another Psalme I was glad when they said unto me Let us goe into the house of the Lord. Psal 122.1 And in the Prophet Esay it is foretold as a token of the flourishing estate of Christs Church that many people shall say Esay 2.3 O come Let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob And in the Proverbs there is a blessing promised to them who seeke wisdome early Pro. 8.17 ●●● as also to those who watch daily at her gates and waite at the Posts of her doores And in the Acts the good Christians were altogether with one accord in one place Acts 2.1 ●● Acts 4 2● The neglect whereof is no signe of true zeale but a motive rather to stirre up the coactive power of Governours to compell them to come in when they are called that Gods house may be filled It was so in the Parable and must be so also in every particular Congregation I find it therefore ordered in the antient Church of Christ that they which came not in the beginning should be subject to censure as well as those who were absent or as they who departed away before all was ended To which purpose the authoritie of Cassian and forty seventh Canon of the Councell of Agatha is fitly alledged But besides that sloth which a slight regard of Gods house begets in many as well Sectaries as other carelesse Christians what doe I also heare Nothing more then that our prayers are common And what of that They are but as they ought The Church of God would never order that they should bee other Chrysost Hom. 18. in 2 Cor. cap. 8. Our prayers saith Chrysostome are common for all say the same prayer The reason whereof is given by certaine Councels Ne forte aliquid contra fidem vel per ignorantiam vel per minus studium sit compositum Lest perchance something might bee done through ignorance or earelesnesse which might be contrary to the faith as is expressed in the twelfth Canon of the Milevitan Councell in the yeare of our Lord 402. At which Councell S. Austin was present For among others that subscribed there was Aurelius Bishop of Carthage and Augustine Bishop of Hippo. Five yeares before which the third Councell of Carthage was * Viz. in the ●eare 397. celebrated there also was Augustine and in the 23 Canon thereof it was decreed that not any prayers should bee used in the Congregations but such as had beene formerly approved See Math. 6.7.8.9 Math. 23.14 Neither is all this but agreeable to our Saviours meaning who because hee delighted not in vaine bablings taught his Disciples to make use both of a short and set forme And also how unfitting it ever was to give way to private fancies in a publike assemblie S. Paul declareth For when yee come together how is it saith hee that every one hath a Psalme 1 Cor. 14.26 hath a doctrine hath a tongue hath a revelation Let all things bee done to edifying Long before which times it was the counsell of Solomon Eccles 5.2 Let thy words bee few for God regardeth not our prayers according to their length but according to their strength and pithinesse And indeed to have short formes and often ejaculations shewes the eagernesse of the spirit and is to be truly instant in prayer to aske to seeke to knock Dare any therefore be so bold as to vilifie the short and pithy prayers of the Church and thereupon perswade the simple that they have just cause to bee rardie commers Dare they affirme that they are but shreds and pieces and not worthy the name of prayers and that in the Letanie is a kind of conjuring Prophane wretches as they are to bee thus disordered They might easily perceive if they were not blind that the Church goes piously to worke according to the rule of Gods holy word and may be no more blamed no not for her Lord have mercy on us Christ have mercy on us Lord have mercy on us and the like short eager requests no more I say then our Saviour blamed the good woman of Canaan devout Bartimeus or told us that the humble Publican displeased God when hee said no more but See Math. 15.22.15 Mark 10.48 Luke 18.13 God be mercifull to me a sinner An admonition yet I hope may come in time Let these people therefore take heed that God wipe not out their names out of the Booke of life for scorning that Booke which containes the services of the living God in which I know nothing contrary to his holy Word Nay rather this I know that it well agreeth to the holy Scriptures and in the substance forme and order thereof to the formes of the ancient Church containing things not only of excellent use but of absolute necessitie For that I may the better invite thee let mee plead the cause a

at which they might not offer except they were in perfect love and unitie one with another For in that Sermon where this dutie is commanded the Precepts given were not legall but Evangelicall it being a degree above the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees to seeke such peace as was then preached upon the Mountaine No tradition of the Elders or other Law being knowne to urge any such direction as was there delivered Whereupon considering one thing with another it may bee concluded as in a plaine case that by both names that sacred seate of the body and bloud of our Saviour as Optatus stileth it hath beene promiscuously and indifferently called from the first beginning of the Christian Church They goe wrong therefore who will be led by vulgar opinion and astonished by popular reports of they know not what Rome indeed hath made many things offensive to ignorant eares But it is neither vulgar opinion feare nor heare say that can disprove a truth For as shee seekes no corners so being suffered to display her colours shee cleares her selfe against all sorts of opposites bee their temper what it will To returne then to the matter in hand Antiquitie and that grounded upon Scripture takes from it as well as from what is appendant to it all and every just aspersion of innovation And verily those Sainted times loved the great God of Heaven and Earth too well to love any thing like him They knew him to bee a jealous God and therefore did not adore the thing or place toward which they worshipped but God alone to whom this homage is due Just Mart. ad Orthod quaest 118. See also Ter●ul Apol. c. 16. Orig sup Nū Hom. 5. Basil de spirit sanct c. 27. Aug. de Serm. Dom. in Mont. lib. 2. c. 19. cum mul●is aliis It cannot bee saith Iustin Martyr that at the time of our Prayer wee should looke at all the parts of heaven at once therefore we worship looking towards one part viz. the East Not that that is only of Gods making or that hee hath chosen that only for his dwelling but because it is the place appointed for that worship and service which wee performe to God Adding moreover that from whom the Church received the custome of praying from them also it received where to pray that is from the Apostles Thus that godly Father and blessed Martyr who was famous about 117 yeares after Christs Passion expresly witnessing that this order came first from the Apostles viz. that Christians direct their aspect towards the East when they pray or worship Tertullian witnesseth the same order and so doth Origen Athanasius Basil Gregorie Nissen Saint Austin Damascen with many others Nor can the Centurie writers but affirme it most of our Churches excepting some of late being built for scituation accordingly From which direction thus delivered was clearely shewed that albeit in the Iewish Tabernacle and Temple the Westerne part thereof was chiefe yet not so in the Christian Churches for in ours the Easterne part must be preferred And as with them the Westerne part was chiefe because the Mercie seate was there so with us the Easterne part because the Holy Table is placed here And for the scituation of both these there was just cause why they should bee rather so then otherwise For the Iewes wee know were in the times of darknesse in comparison of our times of light Their Tabernacle therefore and Temple had the place of highest Majestie in the West towards which they looked for want of the Sunnes appearance Christ was then unborne But wee are in the dayes of a better light the Sunne is risen and visiteth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●s the Day or Easterne light from on high Luke 1.78 Wee therefore in acknowledgement thereof turne our faces toward the East have there the place of highest Majestie and by turning thither professe our times to be the times of light To which may be added that of Damascen Damas de Orthod fid lib. 4. c. 13. affirming that when Christ hanged upon the Crosse hee was placed so as that his face looked into the West and therefore could not be seene but of those whose faces were directed towards the East Which together with the former was also a reason why the Christians had cause to preferre the Easterne part of their Churches before the Westerne and to place the Altar of their commemorative Sacrifice rather there then else-where Yea and further because the Divell is Gods Ape the Pagans looked into the West as well as the Iewes That therefore in opposition to the one as well as the other wee may renounce the Divell whom they served in their heathenish Idolatrie as well as the religion of the Iewes who denie Christ to be come wee turne to the East and so enter a covenant with the Sunne of righteousnesse And of this last Saint Ambrose among other of the Fathers speakes after this manner Thou art turned to the East because hee who renounceth the Divell is converted to Christ and beholds him directo obtuitu with a direct aspect Vnto which custome as is probably supposed Saint Iohn seemeth to allude in Revelat. 7.2 For there the Angell ascends from the East to meet and embrace them that looke towards him and seale them with the safetie of that Sacrament by which Christians seale their service unto him as in Master Yates is well observed Here therefore wee are to seate the Holy Table as in its proper place Nor was it ever otherwise among Christians when they might bee suffered to doe as they would except in some particular Churches which can be no fit president to be opposed against a generall practise And thus as I can see no reason why any should bee offended at a decent and holy reverence when wee come into the House of God which all Religions have beene carefull to performe so much lesse that they should grudge against it when wee doe it towards that place where the high and heavenly Mysteries of our salvation are to be consecrated and celebrated with all the solemnitie and devotion wee can possibly imagine Here it is that wee have our perfectest communion with God It begins indeed in Baptisme but ends in the Lords Supper for higher wee cannot goe till wee come in heaven and they are the best Saints that are admitted to it at the least wee judge them such because such they should be For though all may come to the Word and be present at our ordinarie Service yet when this commeth all but the faithfull must bee gone Ite Missaest was that which was said of old yea and still the unworthy are not to bee admitted but the rest invited to come and draw neere that they may receive this Sacrament to their comfort and have that high advancement of being fed at Gods owne Boord with the body and bloud of his beloved Sonne Say not therefore any longer Why are not the Font Deske or Pulpit

crucis for the death of the Crosse For whereas the chiefe Priests Scribes and Elders at the time of his death * Math. 27.37.40 mocked him in allusion to his name saying Hee saved others himselfe he cannot save and whereas the Iewes and wicked Miscreants have alwayes ever since derided the Christians with their crucified Iesus it pleased the Lord in his wisdome to exalt his Name so much the more by how much it was debased and vilified by wicked men And this hee would should be expressed by some externall gesture thereby to shew the inward obeysance and subjection which is due to Christ Against which whilst some object that it cannot be meant of any actuall bowing of the knee because Angels Soules departed Divels and damned soules have no knees to bow they doe but deceive themselves For the Apostle speaking unto men speakes after the manner of men giving us to understand that as wee are to shew our reverence and subjection by bowing of the knee so they by some such gesture as is truly correspondent to this of ours Wee know that in * 1 Cor. 13.1 another place hee gives the Angels tongues And therefore may as well in this place give them knees They have the one as well as the other And so in their kind doe what is here commanded us They their way wee ours for there be many passages in the * Rev. 4.10.2.5.8 c. 14.7.11 See also Heb. 1.6 Revelation which may cleare this doubt And albeit some of these of whom the Text speaketh be of a different quality from the saints and Angels and are therefore obstinately bent against Christ Iesus and will not for the present do their Reverence nor be willing to shew any outward token of subjection or obedience yet seeing Christ must reigne till he have put all his enemies under his feet 1 Cor. 15.25 the time shall be sure to come when the strongest opposites shall bee brought unto it and whether they will or no be made to stoope and to do open reverence to that blessed name which hath bin so often scorned and derided by the Devils and wicked And therefore let every one that liveth bee afraid even how he leanes to perversnesse lest he come at last to be accounted guiltie of a desperate evill For when we have done the best wee can it is no whit more then Christ hath merited For worthy is the Lambe that was slaine to receive power riches wisdome strength honour glorie and blessing Revelat. 5.12 Besides were it so that this were not spoken properly in respect of us who have knees it may as well bee granted that neither is it required of us that wee should confesse for the one is mentioned in the text of Saint Paul as well as the other So that if wee take away the proprietie of speech from the one wee take it also from the other and then wee are as little bound to confesse as to bow which were a tenet directly opposite to a knowne truth For as with the heart Man beleeveth so with the tongue he confesseth as the Scripture elsewhere speaketh viz. Rom. 10.9 10. Nor againe is there cause to feare that although wee bow at the name of Iesus and not at the name of God that wee doe thereby advance the Sonne above the Father For first this honour of Christ begins with the Father hee was the cause of it by Him was his Sonne exalted both in his person and his name which hee would should bee acknowledged and therefore saith the text every knee shall bow and every tongue confesse And secondly as it began with him so it ends with Him also for saith the text againe It is unto the glorie of God the Father And no marvell for it redounds much to His glorie that wee should thus honour his Sonne It is no will-worship taken upon our owne heads but such as even the Father himselfe both desireth should bee done and is not only well pleased that it be done but also glorified in regard that it is done From whence it appeareth that this bowing to the Sonne is in effect a bowing to the Father also at whose command and unto whose glorie we doe it And although it be in it selfe a dutie of the text yet hath the Church also interposed her authoritie for the more strict and decent observation of it Canon 18. Injunct 52. In which neither doth our present Canon nor that Injunction of Queene Elizabeth cause more to bee done then what had formerly beene observed in the Church of God in those ancient times which had beene before For when they speake of reverence done at the name of Iesus these words are also mentioned viz. as it hath beene accustomed Nor was it a late custome among the Papists for even in the dayes of Saint Hierom. the Christian Church was carefull to observe it His words bee these Hier. in Isa 45.23 Moris enim Ecclesiastics est Christo genuflectere quod Iudaei mentis superbiam demonstrantes omnino non faciunt For it is saith hee the custome of the Church to bow the knee to Christ which the Iewes shewing the perversnesse of their mindes altogether refuse to doe Thus it was then but how long before I cannot tell Only this I observe from hence that the ancient Church understood that text where this dutie is taught in the same sense that we understand it now And therefore how they can bee acquitted from enemies of the Orthodox veritie who feare not to stand against it no man I suppose is able to declare And sooner by farre may they bring forth an argument of spight then an evidence of the spirit who speake against it The people must use the Answers of the Liturgie The next dutie that I shall mention is that being in Gods house and at his service care must bee had to use all the Answers of the holy Liturgie and that cheerefully and aloude not whispering or betweene the teeth nor as some doe silently and not at all For tell me I beseech you where is the eagernesse of your Prayers and Prayses if in a publike Assemblie yee bee as mute as fishes Revel 14.2 I heard a voice from heaven saith Saint Iohn as the sound of many waters and as the sound of a great Thunder and I heard the voyce of Harpers harping with their harpes Like unto which should bee the voyce of the Church on earth in all her severall Congregations when shee uttereth her Prayers and Prayses to the God of heaven For first wee are to come joyntly to the place of publike meeting like the concourse of many waters whose voyce stands to signifie the voyce of a numerous and full multitude being met together Secondly to bee earnest in our devotions like the sound of a great Thunder And then thirdly shall this loude voyce of ours bee musicall like unto those heavenly Harpers harping with their harpes It may be Multa vox ex