Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	word_n	work_n	workman_n	39	3	10.3394	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28368	A remonstrance against the non-residents of Great Brittaine, or, Non-residency condemned by Scripture, by strength of arguments, by fathers, councels, canon-law, by the iudgement of reverend and learned divines	Blaxton, John.	1642 (1642)	Wing B3177; ESTC R4482	34,053	62

tamen operarii nequaquam sumus fructus Ecclesia in quetidiano ftipendio percipimus pro Ecclesia in pradicatione non laboramus pensemus quid est sine labore percipere mercedem laboris Hath God given you gifts fit to teach b● not negligent idle and slothfull be not like faithlesse Captaines who receive continually the Lords pay and yet never fight the Lords battailes let not your knowledge be wrapt up in an idle braine without practise as Goliabs sword in cloth without use If the people curse him that withdraws his corne from the market how much more shall they be cursed who by keeping the corn of Gods Word from the Congregation of his people bring upon themselves so fearefull a sin Who when as they should by preaching distill on the people as the dew upon the grasse and as the raine upon the hearbes like Clouds which sweate themselves to death vanish away in vanity like breasts without milk and clouds without water who when they should in the wombe of the Church beget many children to God deserve to be fin'd of our Governors as the old and single men of Rome were by their Censors cast out because they brought no children to the Commonwealth Respect is due to Ministers t is true but not to those of whom it may be said as our Saviour speakes of the Lilies Mat 6. 28. they labour not they only are worthy of double honour who are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} labourers in the Word and Doctrine maintenance is their due but t is the labourer is worthy of his hire High esteeme is their due {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but for their works sake What is the cause of late the calling of Ministers hath fallen into such contempt Is it not for not shewing themselves workemen rightly dividing the Word of truth What is the cause so few subject themselves to Christs Scepter Is it not because Non-Residents draw not out the sword of the Spirit the Word but the sword of the Magistrate for which they never had any Commission from Christ Some of our carelesse Non-Residents have a cure of soules in one place and live in another like fugitive Captaines forsake their Ensigne and Company at Barwick and flee to Dover who being with Jonah commanded for Nineveh flee to Tarshish being placed in the Countrey they run to the Cathedrals they leave their charge as the Ostrich doth her eggs in the earth and sands forgetting that either the foot may crush them or that the wild beast may breake them or at the best they leave their Congregations as the Cu●kow doth her egs to be hatched of a Sparrow or some other bird Is their unnecessary absence excused because their places are supplied What then is the election of Ministers but a scorn and mockerie as Dominicus Soto speaketh writing hereof at large if a man may take a Benefice and discharge it by another man and seeing Christ sendeth them as labour●rs teachers not ordainers of labourers and teachers in their places what is it as Parisiensis speaketh writing much to this purpose but as if a man should mar●y a woman under hope to obtaine issue of her but by another man What is this but a crosse practise of the Samaritan and of Christ of whom the former did not commit the care of the wounded man to his Inne-keeper till he was to depart himself the Lord did not commit his sheep to Peter nor his mother to John till he was now ready to commit his soule to God and his body to the ground as Alphonsus de Castro discoursing hereof at large speaketh If Non-Residents shall still thinke that their Curats presence can excuse their absence then let th●m go to the Prophet Ezekiel put their fingers in the print of the Prophets speech that they may not still be unfaithfull but bele●ve that it fully concerneth them You have not kept the charge o● my holy things saith the Lord God but ye have set keepers of my charge in my Sanctuary for your selves Thus doth the Lord plainly reprove them for substistuting others under them and therefore they may justly feare that which Claudius Espencaeus a Papist is bold to write which I am even afraid to speake that God shall serve them hereafter as they serve him now they shall be saved by their Vicars but damned in their own persons Humbly therefore I beseech our carelesse Non-Residents if there be any place for beseeching left that the cōmandement of Gods Word might move them which willeth them to look to their callings and abide in them who * himselfe came to seeke the lost sheep and finding it put it upon his shoulders and himselfe brought it home Let the example of the Levites and all good Over-seers excite them Let the sight of those of the Romish Clergy in every corner who travell sea and land to make their Proselites whet their resolutions to be more industrious let the ignorance of the people and dread to murder their soules which Christ hath purchased with his own bloud provoke them Yea let the care of their own quiet and the peace of their owne Consciences which shall grievously torment the negligent Pastors in hell enjoyne them and let the assured perswasion of Gods goodnesse who hath promised to honour those that honour him constraine them to redresse all unfaithfulnesse and to take heed to the Ministery which they have received in the Lord that they fulfill it Col. 4. 17. A PRAYER NOw thou that art the good and faithfull Shepheard of Israel be mercifull unto all our carelesse Non-Residents and give unto them increase of Knowledge give them Faithfulnesse give them Zeale that they may teach thy people in thy truth and Reforme or remove those Ministers that either for Ignorance cannot or for Negligence will not or for Fearefulnesse d●re not or for Wickednesse and Vngodlinesse ought not to Preach thy Word that true Pastors being placed in among thy People which may feed them with Knowledge and Vnderstanding thy Church may grow up in perfect beauty to the glory of thy Name Amen And let this be the Prayer of all faith full people and of men Thy most unworthy servant IOHN BLAXTON GREG. lib. 4. Epist. 8. SAcerdotum nomina accepimus non ad quietem sed ad laborem ut inveniamur in opere quod signamur in nomine VVee have received the names of Priests not to rest but to labour that we may be found in work that which we are sealed in name Errata PAge 3. line 5. f. that have r. that they have l. 10. f. Armenianisme r Arminianisme p. 12 l. 18. for albreed r. allowed p. 15. l. 11 f. exalteth r exacteth l. 15. r. frame p. 32. l. 24. r. receive p. 33. l. 120 f. or r. of p. 34. l. 11. r. affect l 26. r. desire to be

doe thus farre Bishop Bilson with whom accord many other Reverend Bishops and Divines see the margent When there were buyers and sellers in the Temple our blessed Saviour made a whip of small cords and drive them out I wish with all my heart that our Non-Residents that neglecting their calling thrust themselves into the calling of the Magistrate may be whipt out of their holes and dennes where they hide themselves and by violence be forced to feede their sheepe and if they will not feed them with the Bread of Life and give unto them the Waters of Life to drinke let them be removed ipso facto for all such wicked errours MAny Divines have beene zealous in preaching against Non-Residency and yet afterwards have beene Non-Residents themselves Ergo upon second thoughts Non-Residency is not to be condemned Answer Saint Paul tells us that Demas hath forsaken him and embraced this present world yet Demas did not well to forsake the truth neither doe they THe Lawes of the Land allow us in some cases to be Non-Residents Ergo it is lawfull Answer This permitting of Non-Residency argues that Non-Residency in it selfe is evill and the rule of conscience must bee fetched not from the Lawes of men but from the word of God The Non-Resident is herein like the Iewes who said Wee have a Law and by our Law hee ought to die Iohn 19. 7. when they could not say by Gods Law he ought to die they said by our Law hee ought to die so when the Non-Resident cannot say by Gods Law I may bee a carelesse Non-Resident he saith by mans Law I may rob the Parish of their Tithes and give a miserable allowance to a poore substitute this is the poorest defence of all the rest for if Gods Law forbid thee can the Lawes of man excuse thy negligence and sacriledge SOme of us deny their people their due namely of spirituall inspection and instruction that they might follow their studies in the Universities and so bee the better fitted for their charge Yet Timothy for the Churches behoofe forsooke Pauls company his deere Master with whom hee had abode still neglecting the Church hee wanted not this pretence that he did it to furnish himselfe with greater store of knowledge for Paul might have beene instead of many Universities unto him take notice therefore of the deceitfulnesse of our hearts which shewes it selfe in forging of idle reasons to s●tisfie and beare out Non-Residents in the neglect of such duties as are required at their hands by the word of God The Apostle desired to see the Romans {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} I long to see you It signifies such a desire as is impatient of delayes whence note the affection of a true Pastor towards his people how holily impatient their desires are of detainment from their people pressed partly by necessity laid upon them partly constrained by the love of Christ partly commiserating the state of their people to which might bee added the knowledge of their people severall estates for their better fitting to divide the word aright 2 Tim. 2. 15. To which patterne how sutable their practise is that under pretense of fitting themselves to the worke of the Ministery wilfully absent themselves from their charges I would they themselves would rather seriously consider than give others cause to complaine I know it 's true that a Pastor ought to labour for fitnesse to discharge the great worke hee hath undertaken but this I marvell how men can thinke themselves sufficiently fitted to take upon them care of soules and yet by their absence under pretence of study acknowledge their present absolute unfitnesse ●o teach and exhort their people or secondly how they can imagine by private study in schooles of the Prophets better to furnish themselves for pastorall performances than by diligent imployment of their talents already received amongst their people IT is in vaine to write against Non-Residency for first this will bring you hatred secondly they will in one word confute you and say 〈◊〉 thirdly they will not be reformed Answ. First my friends shall know that I love them by hating their vices if they love themselves they will love those that hate their sinnes if they love not themselves it matters not though they love not me Secondly it is an easie matter for Non-Residents to con●ute mee in one word as some of the 〈◊〉 Residents that are most carelesse Non-Residents conf●●ed Doctor Twisses Booke against the Arminians with such like words as these did ever man write so simply and yet many millions of these Non-Residents are not worthy to carry his bookes after him Thirdly if they will not be reformed yet they may be vexed in their consciences and perswaded not to open their mouthes so impudently in defence of their idlenesse as usually they have done CHAP. V. Propoundeth certaine Questions to bee answered by Non-Residents Quest 1. VVHether they can say with the Apostl● I seeke not yours but you Quest 2. Whether by their idlenesse they have not lost their abilities to preach there being no life nor power in their Ministerie for the most part no more than when a little child saith grace Quest 3. Whether they use to make mention of those that are under their charge in their prayers praying for their establishment and profection in grace as Paul did 1 Thess. 2. 3. Quest 4. Why doe they acco●nt such precise Puritans as say to them as Saint Paul commanded the Colossians to say to Archippus Take heed to the Ministery which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfill it Quest 5. Are you not more carefull to enquire whether your Curats be conformable to the Ceremonies of the Church than whether they bee diligent in preaching and doe you not diswade them from preaching twise upon the Lords day and discourage them from taking so much paines for the soules of the Flock which your poore Substitutes feede and you fleece Quest 6. Doth not the Apostle by these words who is sufficient for these things give us to understand that the Ministerie is a heavy burden but if you may lay the burden upon the shoulders of poore Curates is it not to you an easie burden Quest 7. Does not your Non-Residency declare that when you desired the Office of a Bishop or a Minister you desired not a good worke as you should have done but a good dignity good riches good revenewes Quest 8 Doe not Non-Residents give entertainment to the sinnes of Sodome viz. to Pride fulnesse of bread abundance of idlenesse and doe they strengthen the hands of the poore and needy Quest 9. May not Non-residents thinke that the gaine got by spirituall promotions joyned with spirituall destructions are more shamefull and infamous than the gaines of the Vsurer a●d Promoter Quest 10. Are there not in Hell already who curse the day that ever carelesse Non-Residents were