Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	numb_a	zeal_n	zealous_a	12	3	8.8494	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08356	Eight sermons publikely preached in the Vniversity of Oxford the second at St Peters in the East, the rest at St. Maries Church. Begunne in the yeare 1595. Decemb. XIIII. Now first published by Sebastian Benefield ...	Benefield, Sebastian, 1559-1630.	1614 (1614)	STC 1868; ESTC S101614	129,711	164

* Exod. 32.27 28. Levites to kill all them which worshipped the golden Calfe did so please God that he turned the curse of Iacob against Levi to a blessing Deut. 33.8 c. But once take away a good cause from zeale and the very absence of it shall make zeale iniquitie If Ioshuah in zeale desire Moses to forbid Eldad and Medad to prophecie Moses will tell him that his zeale is envie Numb 11.29 And let not Peter in zeale desire Christ to pitie himselfe vnlesse he will be called Sathan for it Mat. 16.23 Though Saule never so zealous as he thinks in Gods cause breath out threatnings and slaughter against Christs Disciples yet in the ende hee shall receaue a reproofe from Gods owne mouth It is hard for thee Saul to kicke against the pricke Act. 9.5 I can easily perswade my selfe that all such men as these were of whose forwardnesse in taking vp their owne and voluntary crosses you haue already heard are very zealous in their sufferings yet because their zeal is not accompanied with a good cause because they doe whatsoever they doe in this with a misconceit of Gods word I must needs say that their zeale is not worth commendation it is superstition it is abomination Although Martyrdome be an excellent worke and the gift of God and howsoever Polycarpus did very well to giue thankes and praise to God when he was put into the fire as Eusebius specifieth Lib. 4. Eccles hist cap. 15. yet hence it cannot be proued that a man should voluntarily endanger his life or any way torment himselfe Let Marculus fling himselfe downe headlong from a rocke and let Donatus in like sort cast himselfe into a pit both with intent to end their liues yet shal they not therefore be called Martyrs saith St Austin Trac 11. in cap. 3. Iohannis Dost thou deserue to be called c Ier. 6.30 reprobate silver because the LORD hath reiected thee or art thou to bee compared to the d Esai 57.20 raging sea whose waters cannot rest but must cast vp mire dirt Be thou never so wicked yet thy death may be like to the death of a Martyr e Aug. conc 2. in Psal 34 There were three at once on the crosse one the Saviour of the world the second a repentant sinner which was to be that night with Christ in Paradise the other a theefe farre from repenting who was to bee rewarded with damnation All these three had like punishment howsoever their causes were altogether different Wouldst thou be coūted a Martyr at thy death saith the same father in his 71. Ep. which is to Dulcitius be thou then a good Christian in thy life assuring thy selfe that it is not the punishment but the cause that maketh the Martyr Eor saith he Lib. 1. c. 17. contra ep Parmeniani if punishment without due regard of the cause be sufficient to eternize a Martyr then let Pagans bee Martyrs as oft as they are lawfully punished for their superstitiō which in their opinions is holy religion yea then let the devils bee Martyrs too for they also in a sort suffer persecution at the hands of Christians when their temples all the world over are overthrowne their Idols broken their sacrifices prohibited their worshippers punished The consideration of the absurdity hereof maketh him in the same place to conclude Non ergo ex passione certa est iustitia sed ex iustitia passio gloriosa est A man is not therefore righteous because he suffereth but his suffering is therefore glorious because it is for righteousnes And therefore the Lord hath not said in generall blessed are they which suffer persecutiō but he hath restrained it blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake Mat. 5.10 It is the righteous cause then that maketh the persecution glorious if our death be for righteousnesse sake blessednesse shall attend vs yet with a caveat that we be not the procurers of our owne persecutions that we be not the causes of our own deaths For if we are such the goodnesse of our causes cannot excuse vs. Christ his counsell is when they persecute you in this citie fly vnto another Matt. 10.23 So farre is hee from willing vs to vndertake needlesse crosses Wherevpon Clemens Alexandrinus in his 4. book of his Stromata discourseth thus Christ perswades thee to fly not as if it were ill for thee to suffer persecution or as if thou shouldest feare death but that thou mightest not be author of any ill either to thy selfe or to thy persecutors Wilt thou not obey him then art thou presumptuous over rash running vnadvisedly into manifest dangers Thou canst not be ignorant that it is sinne against God f Exod. 20.13 to kill a man Knowe this then that if thou dost not fly in time of persecution but dost offer thy selfe to be apprehended by the persecutors thou killest thy selfe as much as in thee lyeth thou giuest assistance to effect the wicked intents of such as persecute thee What then Is it lawfull to fly in time of persecution Hee that flyed not but stood to it and suffered death for vs all telleth vs that the good shepheard giueth his life for his sheepe Ioh. 10.11 but an g Ioh. 10.12 hireling and he which is not the shepheard neither the sheepe are his owne seeth the wolfe comming and hee leaueth the sheepe and flyeth and the wolfe catcheth them and scattereth the sheepe h Ioh. 10.13 so the hireling flyeth because he is an hireling careth not for the sheepe If then the shepheard ought to put his life in ieopardy for his sheepe and if all that fly be not shepheards but hirelings how is it that the shepheard may flie St Austine in his 180. Epist which is too Honoratus is of opinion that Christs flocke purchased and gotten with his owne blood may not bee forsaken and made destitute of the necessarie ministery Wherevpon this is his resolution that the Pastor when and where there is none to supply his room so that in flying his sheepe may bee brought in danger of destruction ought not to fly but with a bold minde to abide and sustaine persecution evē vnto death if need be When S. Paule fled from Damascus let downe through the wall in a basket Act. 9.25 the Church was not left void of the necessary ministery but the thing which ought to bee done was accomplished by other faithfull brethren which remained there all which willed and egged him forward that he should preserue and keepe himselfe to the vse and profit of the Church and therefore he addeth let the servants of Christ the ministers of his word and sacraments doe that which he hath commanded and permitted let them fly at all times i Mat. 10.23 from city to city when any of them specially and personally is sought of the persecutors so that the Church be not left desolate of others which are not so persecuted that their fellow servants