Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	seem_v	zeal_n	zealous_a	44	3	8.8468	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01736	A short treatise against the Donatists of England, whome we call Brownists Wherein, by the answeres vnto certayne writings of theyrs, diuers of their heresies are noted, with sundry fantasticall opinions. By George Giffard, Minister of Gods holy Word in Maldon.	Gifford, George, d. 1620.	1590 (1590)	STC 11869; ESTC S114289	90,151	124

is written Ierusalem from aboue is the mother of vs all and is free with her children They boast of such freedome as that touching outwarde orders the Prince and Church hath no power to impose any thing by Lawes and Constitutions Which is one thing wherein they do not onely abridge the power of the Christian Magistrates denying them the authoritie to reforme the Church and to compell their subiects to the true worship spoyling the Church of that comfortable ayd but also condemne all reformed Churches which haue orders and prescript formes of prayers imposed which these Brownists tearme Idolatrie a tradition bringing Christian libertie into bondage and therefore a thing most detestable Moreouer they hold such a perfect freedome from all spirituall bondage of sinne that they affyrme S. Paule neuer consented to wicked thoughts after he was regenerate But in an other place they affyrme that all men be Idolaters and can keepe no one Commaundement where they are both contrary to themselues vttering that which ouerthroweth the whole Brownisme and also speake grosely For albeit there is no man perfect in any Commaundement yet the holy Scriptures do not call them Idolaters nor adulterers They boldly gayne say the holy Ghost by affirming that the Psalmes were not to be sung vnto God And touching the discipline which is the thing they most glorie of as if they suffered for it let all men know for certaintie that they be not only ignorant what it is but also do in their practise breake and ouerthrow the very pith and substance thereof in the chiefe rules For they take vpon them to abandon and cast foorth whole assemblyes which professe the Gospell and haue their estimation and dignitie among all godly Churches without obseruing the rule giuen by our Sauiour Christ Math. 18. They intrude themselues without calling beeing meere priuate men to the erecting and establishing of a publike gouernment forgetting that which is written I haue not sent them and yet they runne They cut off also the power of the Church in a great part of the discipline as namely in ordeyning constitutions in things that are variable Finally touching this poynt I may say boldly the Diuell can no way almost more disgrace Ecclesiasticall gouernment then he doth by them for it is the Sterne of Christes Ship and requireth men of the greatest wisedome learning experience and sobrietie that may be for to guide it Now when the common Artificer the Apprentise and the Bruer intrude themselues and they will guide the same being ignorant rash and headie what worldlie wise man will not take it that discipline her selfe is but a bedlem Who will aduenture himselfe in that Ship where presumptuous ignorance and bold frensie doth sit at the Helme Shall that Ship escape the rockes If it would please God to giue Browne the grace to repent and to speake the truth he could best declare this thing For when he had with certayne other drawne some both men and women ouer the Seas and there spread his Sayles how soone did his silly Boate dash vppon the rocke and was clouen in two or three peeces Let not men be deceyued with euery vayne shewe for vndoubtedly he that obserueth shall finde that the end of Brownisme is infinite Schismes Heresies Atheisme and Barbarisme For what other fruites can followe of the disgracing and condemning the liberall Artes of bringing the ministerie of Gods Word by which the religion and godlines that is in men hath been ●rought into vtter contempt What can followe from immoderate outragious rash furie wrath and bitter zeale and vainglorious contention which are earthly sensuall and diuelish If men could stay themselues but a while and see whether the same things spring not foorth which came from the Donatists and Anabaptists it were well For it is to be wondred at that any which professe the Gospell should be seduced and called away not only from the Ministers of the Church of England that haue taught them but from all the most worthy men and Churches vnder heauen and that by the voyce of the Deuill in such furious blinde Schismatikes In deede there be two speciall causes of it the one that sundry men receyue not the holy Word of God in humilitie with feare and trembling with conscience to practise but are puffed vp and swell with opinion of their knowledge as soone as they can vtter a fewe words and growe vnto vayne iangling yea vnto bitter zeale and contention in stead of being quiet as S. Paule willeth and medling with their own busines 1. Thes 3. and also in stead of following after righteousnes faith and loue 2. Timoth. 3. He that seemeth most zealous in religion and refraineth not his toong hath but bitternesse in steed of heauenly zeale For wheras in steed of gentlenesse meekenesse patience mercie and loue yee finde wrath fiercenesse intemperat rage vncharitable condemning and slaundering know for certainty that the true zeale is not there The other cause of mens seducing is that in this corrupt age there be many stumbling blockes and greeuous offences where indeed it is the part and duty of euery true Christian man beside the taking heede to his owne wayes most instantly to offer vp praiers and supplications to God to intreate him to shew mercie and compassion vpon vs by increasing all heauenly graces and giftes of his holy spirit in our most noble Queene and in all Gouernours both ciuill and ecclesiasticall that there may be feruent zeale to purge the house of God and to take away the causes of contention that we may not alwaies seeke to deuoure one an other but that vnity and concord may florish holding this withall that it is also euery mans dutie that will feare God to giue him hearty thanks for the inestimable treasures and blessings which he hath bestowed vpon vs by meanes of the happy raigne of our gratious Soueraigne and to take heed of that malignant spirite of Brownisme which would carry vs to this wicked opinion that she bearing the Sworde of God hath doone no more for vs then an Heathen Prince might doo For if we haue no word of God no ministery no Sacraments nor visible Church but all idolatrous and antichristian what hath she done what honor can she haue for defence of the Gospell This is no small dishonour and iniurie to a Christian Prince thus to diminish the loue of the subiects The Lord giue them repentance and grace to cease from such impietie and let all men with modestie reuerence and subiection and not with reproch and contempt seeke the redresse of abuses at their hands which be in Authoritie and not aduenture like Corah Dathan and Abiram to intrude themselues without calling and warrant from God They cryed out are not all the Lords people holy and therefore Moses and Aaron yee take too much vppon yee The Brownist proclaymeth that all the Lords people are free and therefore freely to deale and not to haue any thing imposed by any Be

not deceyued but knowe for certaintie that they be full and rancke Donatists and Anabaptists in part I knowe it is complayned of that there be so many and so diuers Sectes and Heresies dayly springing vp where the Gospell is preached for it seemeth a foule disgrace both to the Gospell it selfe and to the Preachers There are say some at the least fifty seuerall sectes Behold say others how the people are lead without ground and haue no stay but are caryed without ende from one thing to another What is the cause is not the preaching is there any thing deliuered which is certayne are not the fruites of theyr Sermons factions and Schismes These speeches do so abash and trouble some that they are driuen backe and retyre into flat Poperie as into a safe hauen which yet in truth is the gulfe of all Schismes and abhominable heresies Others are so much displeased that they become Atheists and care not much for any Religion though of both they doo rather fauour the Poperie A third sort there be which did runne and now stand still and wonder they knowe not whether they were best to goe backe or forward Their loue and zeale is decayed and readie vtterly to be quenched It is wonderfull that there should be such blindnes in men and want of wisedome to consider rightly of all causes and effects The Scriptures are cleere that light is come into the world and men loue darknesse more then light because their works be euill And what followeth heerevpon because they receyue not the loue of the truth that they might be saued God doth send them strong delusion to beleeue lyes that they may be damned 2. Thess 2. It is the heauie iudgement of God vppon the wicked world that Satan is let loose to seduce and leade into error Men are worthie of such a plague and it doth come vppon them to the full for they be not able now to discerne the truth but do reproch and blaspheme it seeking the disgrace of such as do bring it Moreouer the Scriptures do shewe that God hath an other purpose in sending strong delusion and the efficacie of error and that is touching his elect for they be clogged with the fleshe slowe and dull to search out the truth they be readie to leane to their owne wisedome and seeke not vnto God When Schismes and Heresies arise it doth awaken them causeth them to search more diligently yea to seeke vnto God and to depend wholly vppon him for light and instruction It causeth them to feare and tremble in humilitie and to make precious account of the truth when they haue once found it seeing the Deuill laboureth so mightely to depriue them of it by quenching the light I heare sayth S. Paule that there be Schismes among ye and I do in part beleeue it for there must be Heresies that such as are approued may be made manifest 1. Cor. 11. When we see it come to passe that through the malice and craft of the Deuill and his instruments such confusion doth ouerspread all let vs not loue the Gospell the worse let vs not blaspheme it but knowe it standeth vs vpon to be more carefull The blessed Apostles themselues had to encounter with Heretikes and false Apostles and full cunningly did Satan winde in himselfe in their dayes When they were taken away what troups of Heretikes did he send foorth what blasphemies and detestable furies did he vtter and spread by them how were all the auncient Doctors and holy Fathers in the Churches set on worke to confute them and to defend the true Christian people from infection Why then should we nowe be daunted or why should it be any reproch to the holy Doctrine now more then of old that the Diuell where any light is shewed doth followe it by and by at the heeles to worke disgrace Let the ministers of Gods Word looke diligently to theyr flockes and teach them the wholesome pure Doctrine and the way of Sanctification Let true zeale spring afresh which nowe suffreth great contempt because there is a mad bedlem risen vp which nameth her selfe by her name There be diuers which cry out against zeale very naughtely when it is most certayne no man can haue ouermuch godly zeale especially in these dayes wherein who almost hath any hote loue for the glorie of God and the saluation of his people If Christ should speake what other sentence can we looke for but that which he vttered of the Church of Laodicea Reuel 3. Thou art neyther hote nor cold But let vs come to the matter in hand A breefe sum of the profession of the Brownists _1 WE seeke aboue all things the peace and protection of the most high and the kingdome of Christ Iesus our Lord. 2 We seeke and fully purpose to worship God aright as he hath commaunded in his holy worde 3 We seeke the fellowship and communion of his faithfull and obedient seruants and together with them to enter couenant with the Lord. And by the direction of his holy spirite to proceed to a godly free and right choise of ministers and other officers by him ordained to the seruice of his Church 4 We seeke to establish and obey the ordinances and lawes of our Sauiour Christ left by his last will and testament to the gouerning and guiding of his Church without altering changing innouating wresting or leauing out any of them that the Lord shall giuevs sight of 5 We purpose by the assistance of the Holyghost in this faith and order to leade our liues And for this faith and order to leaue our liues if such be the good will and pleasure of our heauenly Father to whom be all glory and praise for euer Amen 6 And now that our forsaking and vtter abandoning these disordered assemblies as they generally stand in England may not seeme strange or offensiue to any man that will iudge or be iudged by the worde of God we alledge affirme them hainouslye faultie and wilfullye obstinate in these foure principall transgressions 1 They worship the true God after a false manner their worship being made of the inuention of man euen of that man of sinne erronious and imposed vpon them 2 Then for that the prophane vngodly multitude without the exception of any one person are with them receiued into and reteined in the bosome and body of their Church c. 3 Then for that they haue a false and Antichristian ministery imposed vpon them retained with them and maintained by them 4 Then for that their Churches are ruled by and remaine in subiection vnto an Antichristian and vngodly gouernment cleane contrary to the institution of our Sauiour Christ G. G. 1 IN my former answer vnto these your articles which ye call A breefe sum of your profession I kept the same order in which they stand But now I begin first with your heauy accusation of the foure heinous transgressions for which ye condemne and abandon all the assemblies as they