Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	work_n	worldly_a	zeal_n	30	3	8.6202	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09838	Against sacrilege three sermons / preached by Maister Robert Pont ...	Pont, Robert, 1524-1606.	1599 (1599)	STC 20100; ESTC S4419	43,712	129

him hitherto to preuaile But as the byers sellers were not cast out of the Temple of Ierusalem albeit Christ with his whippe preassed diuerse times to expel them So for al the crying out and preaching of the faithful messengers of God with threatnings vsed against such persones yet they cease not bur adde daylie more and more aswell they of the nobilitie as others following their ensample to robbe spoyle buye conquest occupy the kirk-rents Herefore if the Iewes might justly be accused by the Apostle who being contented to haue a bare knowledge of the Law of God liued no better then they that lacked a law How much more we who bragge of a sincere knowledge of the Gospell as being needfull to order our liues thereby not onely liue otherwise licenciously but also many amongst vs so far as in vs lyeth stoppe and hinder the propagation of the kingdome of Christ In so farre that they holde him a man of no accounte hauing any power in these corrupted dayes who hath not polluted his handes with some spoyle of the Kirk-goods And as to the doctrine of the worde it is so become loathsome to these men that if they heare it they heare it with deafe eares are no more mooued at the rebuke of this their sacrilegious dealing nor if they were stupide blockes or Idols without al sense of hearing For they cease not still to maintaine and advance this detestable sinne And daylie inuente new practises and coloured titles of the law to augment and foster the same both in hearte and deede Notwithstanding that such deuourers of Christ his patrimonie are reckoned by the godly Fathers to be murtherers of the poore for it is a certaine kinde of murther indeed And to this purpose I will here cite certaine of the authorities of the auncientes that it may bee knowne how odious this sinne of Sacrilege was in their eies AVGVSTINE vppon IOHN speaking of IVDAS the traitour writeth this IVDAS is amongst the Sain●…es IVDAS is a thiefe yea a sacrilegeous thiefe not a thiefe of the common sorte A thiefe of purses if criminall persones of all kinde of thieft be damned in judgement more of that thieft which is called peculatus For peculatus is the thieft of publick things And thieft of priuate thinges is not so judged as publick thieft How much more detestablie is a sacrilegious thiefe to be judged Who dare be bolde to steale euen from the Kirk of God Who stealeth any thing from the Kirke from that foorth is compared to one that is lost This farre AVGVSTINE In an other place calleth the teindes the tribute of needy soules And that so manye poore as dye in default of paymente thereof by famine they that with-holde the same and apply them to their owne particular vses are to bee holden guyltie before the justice seate of God of so many murthers AMEROSE likewise willeth that the goods of the Kirke be giuen to the vse of the poore rather then the sacrilegious enemie to spoyle and carry the same away And HIEROME writeth thus To bereaue any thing from a friend is thieft but to defraude the Kirk is sacrilege To reserue that which is to be bestowed vpon the poore and hungrie is ether craftines or fearefulnes but to with-draw any thing from it is a most manifest impiety and passeth the crueltie of all robbers I might cite many auncient Cannons of councelles to this effect besides the cannons authorities of Bishops of Rome which are innumerable others mentioned in the decrees collected by GRATIAN but for shortnes I remit them that list to reade of this matter to the seuen eight Cannons of the councell called Gangrense holden about the yeare of Christ. 324. Item the Councel of Carthage-4 cap. 31. 32. And of Antioche cap. 25. Item the Councell called Agatheuse holden about the 440. in diuerse Cānons thereof with many other to the like purpose Yea the Ethnike PLATO writeth in his lawes that of all haynous doings it is to be counted on of the greatest that is done against holy things And further he saieth the sacrilegious holde one of three thinges either that God is not or that he regardeth not the thinges done by men or at leaste wilbe easily reconciled when such impietie is committed with sacrifices and such ceremonies as were vsed amongst the Gentiles But now to take vp this matter for the presente it is expedient to declare howe this Idole of sacrilegious avarice first begouth to take roote amongst vs and by what meanes it was increased and nurished And finally what great and hydeous branches it hath spred through the whole cuntrie The beginning indeede was small in respect of the increase For at the first reformation of Religion amongst vs they who tooke the worke in hand which were an few part mooued of a pure zeale to Gods glorie and advancemēt of the Gospel of Iesus Christ stood not to hazard life lands and whatsoeuer they had to promoate the good cause and according to their zeales the Lord granted them a good issue of their enterprise Yet a great many not onely of the raskall sorte but sundry men of name and worldly reputation joyned themselues with the congregation of the reformers not so much for zeale of religion as to reape some earthly commoditie and to be inriched by spoyle of the Kirkes and Abbey places And when the Preachers told them that such places of Idolatrie should be pulled downe they accepted gladly the enterprise rudely passing to worke pulled down all both Idoles places where they were found Not making difference betweene these places of Idolatrie and many Parish-Kirks where Gods word shuld haue bin preached in many parts where they resorted as in such tumultes and suddainties vseth to come to passe namelye among such a nation as we are So their persones I meane so manye of them that had more respecte to the spoyle of Kirks no●… to religion I count to haue bene the first sacrilegious amongst vs. With these I joyne an other sorte both of Gentlemen and labourers of the grounde that were put in hope to haue their ●…eindes al-to-gether discharged And in that respect rather then any zeale of religion did assiste the reformation Nowe albeit they were frustrate of their expectation yet their intention being to appropriate the Kirk rentes to their own vse they cannot be excused at leaste of a sacrilegious meaning An other thing fell out at that time which may be excused by reason of necessitie when as the Lordes and some of the Nobilitie principall enterprysers of the reformation hauing to doe with the French men and many their assisters of our owne Nation enemies to these proceedings were forced not onely to ingage their owne landes and bestowe whatsoeuer they were able to furnish of their owne patrimonie for maintenance of men of warre and other charges but also to take the Lead Belles with other Iewelles and ornaments of