Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	lord_n	people_n	sin_n	3,287	5	4.6566	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54006	Arrowes against Babylon, or, Certaine quæries serving to a cleere discovery of the mystery of iniquity whereunto are added endeavours for reformation in saints apparrell : with some quæries for the people called Quakers / by John Pendarves.	Pendarves, John, 1622-1656.	1656 (1656)	Wing P1136; ESTC R27463	44,087	53

things and nothing aileth us I shall not here meddle with that question What times to come may allow of onely let mee allude to the words of Haggai the Prophet Hag. 3. Is this a time for you O yee to dwell in your ceiled houses so is this a time for Saints to be decking themselves with costly ornaments whilst so many of their brethren abroad are wounded and lye as it were bleeding even to death (a) Mark how Moses reproves the children of Gad and of Reuben when they would sit downe before their brethren were put into their possession Shall your brethren goe to warre and shall yee sit here Numb 32.6 Might it not rather become a true hearted Israelite with a tender eye to these things to say with Vriah 2 Sam 11.11 The Ark and Israel and Judah remaine in tents and the servants of the Lord are encamped in the open field c. shall I then goe into mine house to eate and drinke c. May not this his saying shame many professors now who abate nothing of their superfluities upon the account of all the wants sorrowes and sufferings of the people of God (b) As those who are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph give thēselves great liberty to drinke wine in bowles c. Amos 3. So on the contrary they who are grieved for Josephs affliction are led to deny themselves to such things and all that reproach which is cast upon the glorious name and cause of God Thirdly Hath God blest his people in this Nation with the first-fruits of those promises should they first serve and adorne themselves and not rather honour the Lord and adorne his Gospel by relieving the poore Saints and others with the first-fruits of all their encrease (c) God required of his people of old that they should offer to him without delay the first fruits of all their encrease Exod. 22.29 With which compare that word in Ezek. 20.41 Which relates to latter or last dayes As for the late warre wherein the cause of Christ and his Saints was pleaded with such great resolution and wonderfull successe was it not at first promoted by the free offerings of the godly and well-affected people who brought in their money plate and jewells and kept not backe their lives when they were cal'd for (d) Did not the people as in the dayes of old offer themselves and their's willingly to the worke of the Lord asserting with their lives in their hands that the cause was the Lords The people went out as they were called thereunto to helpe the Lord against the mighty Let it be considered whether the rich spoyles gotten by such a warre should not have been brought into a publique treasury to be faithfully disposed of for the benefit of the cause and people of God (e) Joshua 6.18 19. the gold and silver taken from the enemy converted to private ends and use became a curse and a trouble to the Campe. the instruments imployed taking to themselves food and raiment convenient for them not laying up for themselves nor laying out for their lusts How well would such a course agree with that remarkeable word Isai 23.18 The merchandise of Tyre which in respect of her fornication with the Nations doth fitly resemble mysticall Babylon and her hire shall be holinesse to the Lord it shall neither be treasured nor laid up but it shall be for them that dwell before the Lord to eate sufficiently and for durable Cloathing (f) Doe not some to maintaine gay cloating binde heavy burdens on the backs of Saints And if these things ought to have been done and are not but that which is contrary to them may wee not conclude that the costly apparrell and the great treasures of many who are inriched by the late warres considering the state of affaires civill and spirituall in these nations (g) Fasting and prayer are commendable things but the breaking off hard yoakes is that which is more acceptable to God Isa 58.5 6. and the condition of thousands of Saints at this day in the world are more like Achans golden wedge Babylonish garment (h) Are there not some Achans to be discovered and punisht before the Lord will give his presence in the Campe Doe not his late dispensations speake with a voice like that Josh 7.13 There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee O Israel thou canst not stand before thine enemies untill c. Reade the 6 of Josh 18 19. and the 7th Chapter throughout and compare diligently the things that have been with the things that are and take heed of being taken with goodly Babylolonish garments gotten by the spoyles of the enemies Josh 7.21 then like the great riches Saints shall possesse and the golden ornaments as is supposed they shall put on in the day of Jerusalems perfect prosperity 5 Object Others say we feare least by forbearing to put on such ornaments wee should give occasion to the world to charge us with covetousnesse Answ By the exercise of your liberality in relieving the poore Saints by entertaining strangers and such like workes such censures may easily be prevented (i) Whether they who commit the keeping of their soules to God in well-doing ought in like manner to commit the keeping of their good names to him If any forbeare the wearing of costly aray in designe to reserve the gaine thereby for their covetousnesse they are justly serv'd if that reproach fall upon them Yet all this makes nothing against a conscientious reformation in apparrell which is a speciall helpe against covetousnesse an evill practised by most men to uphold their pride Wherefore let them both fall together and this objection will be gone 6 Object What say some wee feare least by leaving off our superfluous ornaments wee should bring our selves into danger of being numbred with the Quakers seeing they are observed to speake much against pride in apparrell Answ I answer First May wee not as well on the same ground cease to declare against false worship and to speake of the Spirit because they who are called Quakers doe such things and others who shall so doe are like to be so accounted Secondly Some men doe good things on evill grounds to promote bad designes wee may not therefore refuse to doe the same things on good and righteous grounds Thirdly (i) How few doe shew Gospel-faith by their obedience to that Command of Christ which bids them to rejoyce and leape for joy when men shall reproach them for his sake Luk. 6.22 23. If this thing be of God as hath been before shewed at large we ought not to be discouraged therein on any such account see Isa 51.7 But herein rather to rejoyce k if we be counted worthy to suffer that or any other shame for righteousnesse sake for Christ hath pronounced such sufferers greatly blessed Mat. 5.10 11 12. Luke 6.22 23. Fourthly Consider whether this peoples standing up to plead

If so then 4. Whether is it not the duty of all Gods people in this Nationall Church and in the Parochiall pretended Churches to seperate from that false Church-state and their professed Church worship in all the exercises thereof together with their Church-Ministry as they stand and act on the account of office in that false Church And whether the Commands of God to his people to come out of Babylon Rev 18. To flee out of the midst of her Jer. 51. To depart thence and touch no uncleane thing Isa 52.11 Let such as 〈◊〉 at the Word read and weigh those Scriptures quoted in this Quaery be not a sufficient Scripture-warrant for their so doing And whether Gods people neglecting to come out of Babylon doe not thereby doe great disservice to the cause of Christ against Antichrist and expose themselves by their disobedience in this thing to the danger of receiving of her plagues by pertaking of her sins Rev 18.4 v. This Quaery with the two following may afford some help to discerne the times and to resolve the 〈◊〉 Question what is the work of the day 5. Whether the strange and wonderfull providences of God in the late Warrs in England Ireland and Scotland have they not in their courses not in one single act onely agreed with his word to cleere the call and open the way to his Saints to come out of Babylon Hath not the Lord eminently appeared against King Bishop and Scotch-Presbyter who refused to let Gods Israel goe free from the hard bondage of a forced Conformity to the Nationall Church-worship And did not God who put it into the heart of Cyrus to give liberty to the Jewes to goe up to Jerusalem to build Gods house Ezra 1.1 put it also into the hearts of our Rulers after great and signall successes given their Armies to grant liberty to his people to walke according to their light without restraint and confinement to the Parish-Churches And was not the hand of God strong upon them to vouchsafe that release from our bondage notwithstanding the uncessant provocations of some to compell us to their way If wee aske our Fathers can they shew us our Elders can they tell us of such a deliverance wrought out with so high a hand for Gods people in this Island 6. Whether if wee look at inward impressions on the hearts of Gods praying people which when they agree with the word and providences of God are speciall helps whereby to judge of our dutie and the season thereunto belonging may we not observe how the hearts of Saints have during the late warres Let such as have lost their first zeale against Babylon remember from whence they are fallen and repent The people had a minde to the work as in the dayes of Nehemiah Neh 4.6 Such are more like the Children of Hagar the bond woman then Sarah the free mother Some are so filled with prejudice against Seperation that they will not heare a word of it Doe not such speak and thinke evill of the things they know not Is it because they have no need of this Ordinance or because they have not living enough to bury their dead Are not many theeves murderers adulterers such as are publickly convicted of such offences harboured in the parochiall Churches without any Church censure upon them And if this be so there is little cause why they should blame those who leave such a company of corrupt men O horrible hypocrisie Do not some Parish-Ministers act as if they were willing to slide out of their old way not fai ely taking their leave taking to themselves the shame of their abominations Let such as speake against Babylon take heed that they doe it in a right spirit Rev. 18.6 Jer. 15.14 Shall not the steps of the poore 〈◊〉 downe the lofty City Isa 36.6 Even the steps of those who walke by the footsteps of the flock been stirred up to a great zeale against the whore of Babylon Hath not God cast that false Church state and worship roote and branch out of the hearts and affections of very many of his people who being dead to mens traditions minde a pure way of worship cleerely discovering to them the confusions and corruptions of that way causing them to protest against it and forsake it though to the hazard of their credit and profit suffering great opposition on that account from their neere relations Have not few yeares brought out of that way many thousands in this Land who have turned their back to Babylon with their faces towards Syon enquiring the way thitherward And of those who remaine behind are not many held back by worldly interests and slavish feare of man The more ingenious of them blush to affirme being driven to it in defence of their staying there that their Congregations are true Churches either in respect of matter or forme yet some there are who are so affrighted with feare of errour that they are not free to enquire after the truth in this thing 7. Whether the zealous and tedious labours of the Parliament and Synod for reforming of the Nationall Church-Discipline hath not proved like the washing of a Blackmore and answer not to that saying Wee would have healed Babylon but shee is not healed What followes as the Saints duty then but to forsake her Are not the people in their Parish-Congregations so incorrigible that their Physitians despaire of the cure In stead of cutting off the corrupt part have they not even rejected for some yeares that Ordinance of Excommunication which serves to keepe a true Church pure If one wicked person must be cast out with his wickednesse least a little Leaven might leaven the whole lumpe may wee not thinke their lump is long since leavened who have in their Congregations so long retained as members without rejection so great swarmes of prophane ones Is not their Nationall Church if wee denominate them ought with respect to the greater number rather a Cage of uncleane birds and a hold of every soule spirit then a true visible Church of God a spirituall house consisting of lively Stones Some indeed exclude the rude rabble from partaking in the Supper which is but one act of Church-worship but Doe not many professing to be Ministers of their Churches make large shew of zeale for Ordinances as if they strained at a gnat and yet in this thing easily swallow downe a Camell taking no notice in any way of practise of so great an Ordinance which being duely practised by a true Church tends to the destruction of the flesh and the saving of the soule in the day of the Lord 1 Cor 5.8 If men take not to themselves the shame of these their abominations in the matter of worship what grounds have they or their followers to beleive that God will shew them the patterne of his house the goings out and commings in thereof c. Ezek. 43.11 And if these things be so 8. Whether then the Saints