Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	witness_v	word_n	write_v	67	3	4.8684	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02916	The epistle of the blessed apostle Saint Paule which he, in the time of his trouble and imprisonment, sent in writting from Rome to the Ephesians. Faithfully expounded, both for the benefite of the learned and vnlearned, by Nicholas Hemming ... Familiarlie translated out of Latine into English, by Abraham Fleming. Heerein are handled the high mysteries of our saluation, as maie appeare by the table of commonplaces necessarilie annexed by the same A.F. Perused and authorised.; Commentarius in epistolam Pauli ad Ephesios. English	Hemmingsen, Niels, 1513-1600.; Fleming, Abraham, 1552?-1607.	1580 (1580)	STC 13057.8; ESTC S102723	176,886	270

and the hardnesse of our heart bringeth to passe that we are touched with no féeling at all of sorowe for our sinnes without which féeling the voice of the Gospell doth neuer waxe swéete vnto man but rather lie wide open and giue vp our selues to the committing of all filthinesse Now the word of God is a souereigne salue to heale vp these sores when the same is sincerelie taught and faithfullie learned Which thing that kinglie Prophet Dauid knowing well inough witnesseth saieng In quo mundam c. Wherewith shall a young man redresse his waie In taking heede thereto according to thy word which word doubtlesse he saith in the same Psalme is his delight and counsellers For this cause the same Prophet preferreth that verie word before all the riches of the world saieng Diligo mandata c. I loue thy commandements aboue gold yea aboue most fine gold Againe Laetabor ego super c. I will reioice at thy words as one that findeth a great spoile Againe Melior mihi lex c. The lawe of thy mouth is better vnto me than thousands of gold and siluer Dauid therefore confesseth that the word of God is the most pretious treasure in the world and that our life is vncleane and our waie filthie vntill they be cleansed by the word of God as with water of the clearest fountaine Which thing is then done when we obtaine faith by hearing and receiue the holie Ghost For then the mistinesse of our mindes is driuen awaie our vnderstanding is lightened and our heart which was hard before like a stone is made fleshie and soft so that the lawe of God maie bée written therein euen to be touched with the féeling of sin to defie and spit at sinne and to followe the counsels not of the flesh but of the spirit in framing and ordering our life Séeing the doctrine of Gods word bringeth so manie and great benefites that notable man whom euen now I named saith euen vpon iust cause that Among all the workes of men to teach and learne the word of God is the most excellent Now forsomuch as the word of God is a treasure so pretions to teach and learne the word of God a worke so excellent what shall we saie of the sincere true teachers of this word What shall we saie of them which deliuered the word of God as it were from destruction when it laie ouertroden with the horrible imaginations of men and deuises of diuels as in most filthie mire and made the same faire and cleane with their sound and sincere expositions We are greatlie indebted to them which sée to the prouision of such necessaries as belong to the maintenance of this life and without which these fraile bodies of ours cannot continue in health but we are neuer able to requite them with the like which haue restored and made doctrine pure againe béeing the verie treasure without the which we fall from all hope of euerlasting life and haue deliuered the same doctrine vnto vs both by word of mouth and in writing sound and sincere In the number of these I reckon M. Philip Melancthon our schoolemaster a man worthie of the first place next vnder M. Martine Luther than whom all Germanie neuer bred and brought vp one sharper in wit quicker in iudgement perfecter in knowledge greater in learning readier sounder in expounding the scripture roundlie yea more than that zealouser in godlinesse and earnester in religion In consideration of which notable and singular gifts he is had in great account and estimation not onelie of them which professe the same religion with vs but also of the verie enimies of true religion When Saint Paule wrote to the Philippians of his time concerning Epaphroditus saieng Excipite ipsum in domino Receiue him in the Lord with all gladnesse and make much of such the holie Ghost meaneth indéed thereby yea willeth vs to take them for Gods instruments openlie to confesse the benefits which wée receiue by the meanes of such men to be of God to reuerence them as our schoolemasters to loue them as our fathers to estéeme of them as the builders vp of Gods Church and to make accompt of them as the most principall pillers of Gods Temple Thus much doeth godlinesse desire and their trauels deserue no lesse We must not therefore giue them anie place whose practise it is to deuise slauders reproches and foule speaches thereby doing what they can to put out so great lights of the Church who if they séems to haue done amisse in anie thing let vs make the best of it for Christian charitie and méeknesse sake It is a true saieng of Xenophon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which sound thus béeing expounded It is a hard matter for men so to do a thing that it be amisse in no point and it is hard for them also that do a thing in no respect blame-worthy not to light vpō some quareling findfault For the weaknes of men is great and manie escapes are made in a mans life which are rather friendlie fauourablie to be couered than maliciouslie and enuiouslie to be made worse There is also in manie a great lightnesse which maketh men to be sharper iudges against others that haue not offended at all As for our weaknesse let vs lament it and as for our lightnesse which is the cause that they are euill thought of whose labours are greater and their gifts excellenter let vs leaue it giuing God thankes who sendeth into his Church for the edification or building vp thereof such healthfull instruments And although verie great thankes as méete is are due to them which haue found out made redie the first waie yet notwithstanding others that haue followed after in their place and trie all the masteries they maie for the edification or building vp of the Church and the knitting together of the Saints are not to bée sette at naught but euerie one in his place is to be had in accompt Saint Paule was a worthie and chosen instrument of God than whom not one of the Apostles laboured more nor spread the Gospell of Christ further Titus also who remained in the Isle of Crete was lesser than Saint Paule both in giftes and labours and also in degrée of calling Héere I acknowledge and giue Saint Paule his title to be the great teacher of the Gentiles and as for Titus I reuerence him according to his place who learned at S. Paules mouth those things which afterwards he deliuered to his hearers In like sort I acknowledge and reuerence M. Martine Luther M. Philip Melancthon as the principall and chiefest teachers that euer Gods Church had in our age the like I doe also to all and euerie one of them in their place as the healthfull instruments of God in his Church by whose workes I set great store am also right glad that it was my lucke to be of

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am that good shepheard So héere also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am that same prisoner of Iesus Christ who haue the name euerie where to bee him that would make the Gentiles equall with the Iewes for which things sake I am now lead awaie to Rome and there kept prisoner Héere thrée places offer themselues vnto vs. The first That the preaching of the Gospell is ordeined for the building vp of the Church The seconde That the godlie preachers of the word must looke for nothing but trouble and persecution at the hands of the world The third That the preaching of the Gospell is a most assured token and vndoubted warrant of Gods fauour Verses 2. 3. 4. 2 If ye haue heard of the dispensation of the grace of God vvhich is giuen mee to you vvard 3 That is that God by reuelation hath shevved this mysterie vnto me as I vvrote aboue in fevv vvords 4 Whereby vvhen ye read ye maie knovve mine vnderstanding in the mysterie of Christ If ye haue heard of the dispensation or ministration of the grace of God which is giuen me to you ward to wit that God by reuelation hath made the Gospell knowne vnto me as I wrote vnto you before whereby when yee read ye may vnderstand my knowledge in the mysterie of Christ THis is a cause of the former reason taken from the cause efficient which he saith was not vnknowne to the Ephesians First he sheweth he was called of God to the office of an Apostle Secondlie he declareth y e manner of his calling Thirdlie he auoucheth that he learned the Gospell from aboue euen of God concerning which thing he wrote to the Ephesians before as he saith to the intent that they in reading might vnderstand knowe the certeintie of his doctrine and calling All these points pertaine to this purpose that we may be assured that S. Paule was an Apostle of the Gentiles by the appointment and commaundement of God so that wée neede not at anie hand to doubt of the certeintie of his vocation or calling testimonies whereof may bée read in the Actes of the Apostles in his Epistles to the Galathians and the Philippians Héere thrée things méet vs worthie of marking First How necessarie the certeintie of their calling is which teach in the Church The second That the Gospell is a mysterie vnknowne to mans reason flat against that most filthie and beastlie knaue which braggeth without shame that he forsooth by naturall reason found out the necessitie of the Gospell and the sending of the Messias into the world without the writings of the Prophets and Apostles The third That the certeintie of the Apostles doctrine is vnmoueable stedfast and vndeceiuable Verses 5. 6. 5 Which in other ages vvas not opened vnto the sonnes of men as it is novv reuealed vnto his Apostles and Prophets by the spirit 6 That the Gentiles should be inheritours also of the same bodie and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospell VVhich in other ages or times was not knowne to the sonnes of men as it is now opened vnto the holie Apostles and Prophets by the spirit that the Gentiles are coheires and of the same bodie and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospell THis is an amplification or enlargment by comparison wherein a reason is rendered why the Gospell of the calling of the Gentiles is named A Mysterie to wit bicause it was vnknown to the world till such time as it was opened by heauenlie reuelation that it was not made manifest to all the Gentiles indifferentlie one with an other that the knowledge of this mysterie was not so euident to the olde Prophets as it was to the Apostles For although the olde Prophets prophesied much of the calling of the Gentiles to the Gospell yet notwithstanding the time and the manner thereof were not so cléere to them as to the Apostles Nowe what kinde of mysterie this is of the Gospell which hee hath in hand he declareth in saieng That the Gentiles should be inheritours also and of the same bodie and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospell The mysterie of the Gospell therfore is this That the Iewes and the Gentiles are made ioint-heires of the heauenlie inheritaunce that they all make one bodie in Christ and that the promise of grace which is offered by the Gospell pertaineth vnto them both alike This equalitie or making of the Iewes and Gentils all alike ouerthroweth the prerogatiue or title of excellencie whereof the Iewes maie séeme to vaunt For saluation is a méere frée gift which is also offered fréelie to the most vnworthie Gentiles and to Idolaters but is receiued by faith alone For when the Apostle saith Of his promise in Christ and when he maketh the Iewes and the Gentiles euen and equall what else doth he but exclude and harre out all degrées of worthinesse in merites and requireth the faith of the promise The specialties of this place followe in order The● first That the Gospell is a mysterie which mans reason cannot of it selfe by anie meanes reach vnto The second That the mysterie of the Gospell is reueled by the holie Ghost in preaching with liuelie voice and sounding vtterance For outward preaching auaileth and profiteth little vnlesse there be present within vs the true teacher namelie the holie Ghost which is effectuall and forceable in the worde and with the word The third That all Christs faithfull ones are heires of one and the selfe same inheritaunce members of one and the selfe same bodie and partakers of one and the selfe same saluation by one and the selfe same Iesus Christ The fourth That the dignitie of the ministrie of the Gospell is excéeding great and the necessitie thereof is not smal For by the same the promise of saluation which is to be receiued by faith alone is offered vnto all in Christ Iesus Verse 7. 7 Whereof I am made a minister by the gift of the grace of God giuen vnto me through the vvorking of his povver VVhereof I am made a minister according to the gift of Gods grace giuen vnto me according to the working of his power SAint Paule méeteth them in the téeth which would charge him with arrogancie for that he doth so highlie aduance his ministerie he vseth a certaine shifting off from himselfe to an other For he doth not make his owne merit or vertue but Gods grace the cause that hée was called to be an Apostle Againe he ascribeth it to the working of Gods power that by his Apostleship it pleased God to build his Church For séeing God is able to bring to passe that things which are not maie bée why then might he not of a bloudsucker make a●● Apostle why then might he not of an arrogant person make a wise preacher why then might he not of a weakling make a Champion Let euerie one of vs set before his eies this example of