Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	king_n	people_n	power_n	4,914	5	5.4287	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43755	The cause of God and His people in New-England as it was stated and discussed in a sermon preached before the honourable General Court of the Massachusets Colony, on the 27 day of May, 1663, being the day of election at Boston / by John Higginson ...	Higginson, John, 1616-1708.	1663 (1663)	Wing H1955; ESTC W37706	22,798	29

THE CAUSE OF GOD AND HIS PEOPLE IN NEW-ENGLAND as it was STATED and DISCUSSED IN A Sermon Preached before the Honourable GENERAL COVRT of the MASSACHVSETS COLONY on the 27 day of May 1663. Being the Day OF ELECTION at BOSTON By JOHN HIGGINSON Pastor of the Church of Christ at SALEM Mat. 22.21 And Jesus said unto them render unto Cesar the things that are Cesars and unto GOD the things that are Gods 1 Pet. 2.17 Honour all men love the Brotherhood fear God Honour the King 1 Chron. 12.32 And of the children of Issachar which were men that had understanding in the times to know what Israel ought to do CAMBRIDG Printed by Samuel Green 1663. Christian Reader THe Curse of God and his people which is the subject of this following Pious and Elabourate discourse never 〈◊〉 more ●●lp from Heaven nor more servant prayers from earth to be put up to the God of heaven for then a●●aming of it t●●● 〈◊〉 this time For some there are and not a sin that are so engaged to their own interests that le● the cause of God and his people sink or swim they care not so their own ●nds be compassed and their own designe projects may find sure foo●●ng and these are your self-loving worldly politici●ns that are of this world as Christ speaks and savour nothing but the things of the world and seek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that seek their own and not the things of Jesus Christ Others there are so dissolute and prophane are risen up to such as height of impiety that they do no more regard this Cause than the air● under then ●●et they are so around in drink other sensual deli●hts his and are so heightned in their Oaths blasphe●●● and other abominations tha● God and his peoples c●●se are not in their thoughts 〈◊〉 if at any time this c●●se come into them 〈◊〉 as it is only to cast the foulest pers●●●● they can upon it and to be spatter 〈◊〉 with the ba●●st obliquies and 〈◊〉 speeches that the Devil their own cursed hearts can invent and to persecute it wi●● tongue 〈◊〉 and heart hand to the highest degree of persecution even unto bloud and sl●ughter though when they have done all that ever they 〈◊〉 they shall not be able to 〈◊〉 the cause nor the faithfull servants of Christ that ●●●ck 〈◊〉 but as the Primitive believers said of persecuting Nero Nero may kill us but he cannot hurt us so may we say now Others there are that seem to own this cause and adventure much this way and may not only be willing to lose their liberty estates the favour of great freinds but go further also yet afterward turn away draw back and these are hypocrites which are either taken with the eye-lids of the aluring harlot the world in the profits pleasures honours of it or else are afraid of her frownes discouragements after all their former sufferings they have ventured so far but dare go no further and so lise all they have wrought and suffer in vain these are not true to the ca●se of God and his people and by their puting away a good conscience and wan● of self-denial make shipwrack of the faith and cause we speak of Only there is a very few sincere ones that hold their own and in the worst times deale p●●●ently and discern both time and judgment and are valiant for this c●●se All which duty weighed and seriously considered no wonder that this holy man of God being guided by his Spirit made choise of this subject to preach upon in that great Assembly at the Court of Election now in these dayes wherin so many turne their backs of God and set themselves so desparately against H●● his peoples cause I was to star● us all up to besiege beleag●● the ●●r●e of Grace now in th●se last and pe●il●us dayes and times to awake stand to maintaine this cause to shew forth his Almighty power in crushing all the designes and out-plotting all the plots of Sathan his instruments that undermine this cause and the Lord help us all to attend what God by his Spirit speaks to us and now if ever to pray give God no rest ●ll this cause be maintained against the faces forces of all its enemies The Sermon when preached was acceptable to all and found general approbation among all the wise-hearted and godly so far as we have heard Reader thou hast i● to peruse read it understand thy time according to it let the cause of God and his people lie neerer to thine heart then ever and let thy so●l awake more to be a Prince with God to prevaile that this cause may be main a●ed upheld against all the powers of darkness and all the conspiracies of men on earth and devills in hell that it may be victorious ride in triumph till Christ come who will own is before the whole world and them that have stood for it though it have cost them dear from those that have been the d●spisers of it We have no more to say but to desire from our hearts that the blessing of heaven may go along with the labour of his Servant in this work and that be we and whosoever read it may find this fruit that we may tread in this wise Kings steps who prayed so fervently that God would maintain his cause his peoples alwayes as the matter shall require Prayer of Faith opens all dores prevailes for all blessings hath such power with God that it never comes away empty but as that renowned Emperour said that he never sent any su●er ●●d w●● from his presence so we may be sure that the Lord will do to them that sue to him giving them all that they seek to him for especially in maintaining his own and his peoples cause which he cannot s●e forsaken and will not send his suiters and suppliants sad away from him they are bidden to come with boldnesse to ●he Throne of Grace One word more we have done Jesus Christ that great Favourite by whom both our persons and prayers are accepted and this cause comes to be maintained for the much Incense that he offers up with the prayers of all Saints prevailes ever for us this cause when it and we the honour of both are laid most in the dust To this Lord Jesus with the blessed Father and Eternal Spirit be Glory and Power everlasting Amen Thine in Him who is ●o● Love and Life John Wilson Senior Samuel Whit●ng THE CAUSE OF GOD AND HIS PEOPLE IN NEW-ENGLAND Stated and Discussed 1 King 8.57 58 59. The Lord our GOD be with us as He was with our Fathers let him not leave us nor forsake us That be may encline our hearts unto him to walke in all his wayes and to keep his Commandements his Statutes and his Judgments which he Commanded our Fathers And

Originall and Native beautie it would dazle the eyes of Angels daunt the hearts of devils ravish and chain fast the Affections of all the Saints I crave Leave to propound it thus Affirmatively It is 1. Reformation of Religion according to Gods Word 2. A Progress in that Reformation 3. The Union of Reformers 1. The Cause of God and ours it was and is Reformation of Religion according to Gods word There was Religion in the Churches from whence we came but New-Englands design in this vast undertaking it was Reformation i. e. the avoyding of some special corruptions and the Vigorous profession and practise of every thing in Doctrine worship and discipline according to Scripture patterne as in Heb. 8.5 when Moses was about to make the Tabernacle he was admonished of God saying see that thou make it in all things according to the pattern shewed thee in the mount And our Saviour said unto his disciples Mat. 28.20 teach them to observe all whatsoever I have Commanded This was and is our Cause that Christ alone might be acknowledged by us as the onely head Lord and Law-giver in his Church that his written word might be acknowledged as the onely Rule that onely and all his Institutions might be observed and enjoyed by us and that with puritie and libertie with peace and power This was the end of our coming hither this is our Cause hence I humbly conceive that the consent of the Synod here to the confession of Faith by the Assembly of Westminster and the platform of Discipline published in the year 49 these for the substance of them have carryed with them a declaration of the Faith and order of these Churches and are so looked upon by the reformed Churches abroad unto which may be added many other books of our divines of the same import and the practise of these Churches so farr as we have attained 2. A progress in Reformation I conceive our cause is not barely a Reformation but a progress in reformation it was the charge of our Saviour to the Church of Philadelphia hold fast what thou hast Rev. 3.11 it is also the duty of the People of God to go on unto Perfection Heb. 6.1 A conceit of having allready attained a perfect reformation should be farr from us a true endeavour after a full reformation in the sense of our many defects is the duty and Spirit of sincere Christians that advance the Word of God as the onely perfect rule not that we have already attained or are already perfect as the Apostle speaks of himselfe Phi● 3.12 but we are to press forward still unto this mark that we may in all be conformable to the perfect rule of the word of God Hence what we have attained in Doctrine Worship Discipline according to Gods Word we must hold fast and then go forward unto any of the things of Christ we are defective in we must go forward still but not backward I say not backward at for Instance Our Fathers fled into this Wilderness from the face of a Lording Episcopacie and humane injunctions in the Worship of God now if any of us their Children should yeild unto or be instrumentall to set up in this Country any of the wayes of mens inventions such as Prelacie imposed Leiturgies humane Ceremonies in the Worship of God or to admit ignorant and Scandalous Persons to the Lords Table this would be a backslideing indeed it would be a backsliding to the things which we and our Fathers have departed from and have openly testified against to be not of God as in the Platform of Discipline and many other wayes Instance againe if after such a publick witness as hath been given amongst us against a toleration of all Religions there should be a graduall yeilding to a toleration of any false Religion either by Law or against Law for want of the Execution of Laws this also would be a heinous backsliding which the Lords jealousy will not bear And for our Civil Government to put forth any act of consent unto either of the former would be a thing to be trembled at and Prayed against that the Lord would keep them from But on the other side it is our duty to press forward still to the mark and to make a progress in reforming what ever is amiss or defective amongst us as in those the late Synod hath pointed unto about the subjects of Baptisme and consociation of Churches That Baptisme be administred to the Children of Church Members who have right thereunto And that the Communion of Churches be better improved amongst us These are things we have been defective in and therefore should be reformed in a practicall way And that we be very carefull there be no superstition amongst us nothing supra statutum in discipline no more then in worship that nothing be Imposed as necessary unto Church-Membership which God hath not made necessary in his word that there be no arbitrary way of Judging according to the private satisfaction or dis-satisfaction of mens Spirit● and that no breach be made upon that order which God hath set in his Church between the Rulers and the Ruled That whilest we witness against superstition in some things we do not fall into superstition in other things but that the rule of Gods word be observed in all The People of God sincerely endeavouring Reformation yet through inadvertencie are subject to erre either in defect or excess and while they would avoyd one extream to fall into another the way of God in his word is a narrow way there are extreames on either side the Lord requires it of us that we neither turne to the right hand nor to the left that we neither add unto nor take from what he hath Commanded concerning the order of his house Prov. 4.26 27. Deut. 12.32 Heb. 8.5 Mat. 28.20 Hence it is our duty to use all circumspection that there be no additions to nor detractions from the Lords institutions but that all may be according to Scripture pattern that so farr as is possible in this our state of imperfection we may be compleat in all the will of God Col. 4.12 3. Vnto Reformantium the Vnion of Reformers I say the Union of Reformers belongs unto this cause for there is not any one duty more pressed by our Saviour Christ and his Apostles then this of a holy and close Vnion amongst those that profess his name Our blessed Saviour solemnly prayed for this in the seventeenth of John that his Disciples might be one The Apostle Exhorts unto this in Eph. 4.3 endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and he urgeth his Exhortation by an Argument taken from a seven-fold Unity wherein all sincere Christians agree verse 4 5. there is one body and one Spirit and one Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of us all Therefore endeavour to keep the Vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace And he beseecheth