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_v	world_n	zeal_n	24	3	7.3243	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33935	Liberty of conscience asserted, or, A looking-glass for persecutors being a plain deduction from scripture-history of the original grounds & pretences for persecution : the methods taken to put the same in execution : together with the sad consequences thereof, or, the reward that attends persecuting-spirits.	Care, Henry, 1646-1688.	1687 (1687)	Wing C528; ESTC R31288	50,834	33

the Kingdom and that it could not be sure to him or his Son if David lived was the great cause of his envy and malice against David and his pursuing of his Life altho David had fully evidenced his Duty and Loyalty to Saul all along and eminently in that when Saul had been twice in the power of his hands that he might have slain him he would not hurt him not revenge himself yea and rescued him from those with him who would have done it all which Saul himself acknowledged as it is at large 1 Sam. 24.4 5 6 17. Chap. 26.8 9.10 11 25. After the same manner did Herod the King against Christ in those days and from the same cause or ground Mat. 2. He having heard that Christ was born and that some had come to him to worship him v. 1 2 3. He was troubled and all Jerusalem with him He now began to be jealous that this Christ the King of the Jews might possibly take away his Power or lessen him and he thereupon resolves to prevent it and v. 8. sends to enquire after him under pretence that he would worship him but as is evident by the Sequel it was that he might kill him for v. 16. it is said That when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men he was very wrath and sent forth and slew all the Children which were in Bethlehem and the coasts thereof from two years old and upwards according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men Here rather than he would endanger his Honor and Authority which he had causelesly feared if Christ lived he that he might be sure to his Christ shed the innocent Blood of many Children Upon the same grounds went the Chief Priests and Pharisees in John 11.47 48. in their envy against and persecuting of Christ said they in their Council What do we do for this man doth many miracles If we let him alone all men will believe on him and the Romans shall come and take away both our Place and Nation Here were they jealous that if Christ did go on he would get such Esteem and Honor that it would endanger their Honor and Authority too that they should be lessened among the People and this set them at enmity against Christ and upon persecuting of him and using of all means to render Him and his Doctrin contemptible and not to be endured Upon this account too the Adversaries of the Jews dealt so with them Ezra 4. They hearing that the Jews were building the Temple v. 1. presently in the 12 13. and following verses conceived a causeless Fear that these would Rebel withhold the Kings due and dishonor the King and so did they tell the King in these words The Jews are come unto Jerusalem building the rebellious and bad City c. Be it known unto the King That if this City be builded c. they will not pay Tole c. and it s not meet for us to see the King dishonored which Letter of theirs begot the like jealousie in the King and thereupon he commanded their Work to cease v. 20 21. So also 't is recorded of the Jews themselves that they suspected Christ because he was called King of the Jews that he would grow too great and vail their Glory and therefore did they persecute and hate him therefore did they tell Pilate thus John 19.12 If thou let this man go thou art not Caesars Friend for whosoever maketh himself a King speaketh against Caesar and v. 15. when Pilate said to them Shall I Crucifie your King they answered We have no King but Caesar So did their fear of their own falling into Infamy and Disgrace amongst the People cause them also to hinder the preaching of Christ to be the Messiah and to have been risen from the Dead by all the means they could and to persecute the Preachers of the Gospel for they knew well that if the People should once believe that indeed he was the Christ the Son of God all those who had had a hand in persecuting and slaying him would have been judged murtherers of him as the Apostle Act. 5. did affirm they were v. 30. and so all their Honor and Credit among the People that this was upon their Heart the Holy Ghost in the same Chap. notes v. 24. 't is said When the Chief Priests and the Captain of the Temple had heard what the Apostles had preached and done in this Name of Jesus they doubted of them whereto this would grow and v. 27 28. They took them and brought them before the Council and the High Priest asked them saying Did not we straitly command you that you should not teach in this name and behold you have filled Jerusalem with your Doctrin and intend to bring this mans Blood upon us of which tho they had been guilty of yet would they not that notice should be taken of that wickedness lest they should fall into disesteem amongst the People Upon this ground also was it that Haman hated Mordicai at that rate and sought his Life he thought that Mordicai clouded his Honor and further feared that Mordicai might get some favor at Court because he remained still in the Kings Gate and would not bow to him therefore did Hamans jealous Heart work how to destroy him as is expressed Hester 3. it is said there v. 5. That when Haman saw that Mordicai bowed not nor did him reverence then was Haman full of wrath and thereupon in the following verses he attempts both his and his and all the Jews destruction Here the fear of the deminution of his Honor or obstructing of the heigth he aspired too put him upon hating of Mordicai and endeavoring his ruin as is yet more plain from his own words Chap. 5. after he had given an account to his Friends there throughout the beginning of the Chapter of all his Honor and Favor at Court and other his Advantages he v. 13. spake thus All this availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordicai the Jew sitting at the Kings Gate strongly did his Jealousie work within him lest Mordicai should be in Favor and check his that all he had availed him nothing therefore makes a Gallows to hang Mordicai on in the next verse Thus was this noted to have been one cause why Men wicked Ones have hated and persecuted others in those Ages of the World 6thly A sixth ground of their wrath and violence against good Men and Things in those days and of which the Scriptures giveth an account was the blind Zeal of some for the Heathenish and Idolatrous Worship others for that Religion they were born and bred up in the Traditions Ceremonies and Customs of the Jews of which they were so tender and so jealous of loosing or altering that they could not bear with the appearance of any thing which looked that way but presently did fly out into rage and violence against all Men and Doctrins that seemed

to thwart it or like to disgrace or disparage it as it was said of Israel of old 2 Chron. 36. v. 14. That the chief of the Priests and the Prophets transgressed very much after all the abominations of the Heathen and polluted the house of the Lord c. and they had habituated themselves so to do that this was the effect v. 15. That when God had sent to them by his Messengers because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place They v. 16. mocked the messengers of God despised his word and misused his Prophets Their custom to worship in that false way made them now not able to bear with a reprroof or persuasion to return to worship again after the way which God himself had prescribed so zealous were they for that which they had been used to in those days therefore did they persecute and misuse the Messengers whom God had sent to have turned them from their Heathenish way of worshiping which also the Psalmist noted in his time Psal 2. He prophesied that which should come to pass in Christs time Why saith he there do the heathen rage and the people imagin a vain thing The Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his Anointed saying Le ts break their bands assunder and cast away their cords from us When the Lords Anointed should come he would by his Laws alter the Jewish ways of worshiping according to their old Law Traditions and Customs and introduce a new as the Law of God before did contradict and forbid the Heathen Worship which neither the one nor the other could bear with while unconverted therefore would they rage imagin and take counsel against God and Christ how to break their Bands and to cast away their Cords they would none of Christs Government or Laws of which also Christ himself in his days spake to his Disciples John 16. v. 2. that this blind Zeal should put them upon killing of the Opposers thereof The time cometh saith he there that whosoever killeth you will think he doth God good service Their opinion of their own false Way should be so strong that it should prompt them to destroy any who should preach or practice the contrary as for instance it came to pass Such was Pauls Zeal before his Conversion Act. 8. 't is said of him v. 3. That he made havock of the Church entring into every house and haleing men and women and committing them to prison the cause of which was his zeal for his Religion as himself acknowledged Act. 22.3 4. in these words I was zealous towards God as ye all at this day and I persecuted this way unto the death c. All this as the consequent of his mistaken Zeal as he said Acts 26. v. 9. I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus which things I also did and the particulars he named in the next verses Being exceeding mad against them I persecuted them c. And again Gal. 1.13 he declared it in these words Ye have heard of my Conversation in times past in the Jews Religion that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God and wasted it The grounds and reasons stirring him up hereto was his mistaken Zeal as he himself saith in the next verse in these words And profited in the Jews Religion above many of mine equals in mine own Nation being more exceeding zealous of the Traditions of my Fathers Here his blind Zeal he verily thought he ought to do as he did he having been bred up in the strict observation of the Law and of the Jewish Traditions and Customs made him so exceeding mad against all such whose Doctrin or Practice was otherwise could not bear with any alteration or turning out of his accustomed way nor with any who did walk profess or teach otherwise therefore was he so violent in persecuting of Christians and in his endeavors to hinder the spreading of the Gospel till Christ met with him and convinced him to purpose of his mistaken zeal Another instance of this is noted by Daniel in his days Dan. 3. When the King there had set up an Image v. 1. and dedicated it v. 3. and in the following verses proclaimed that all should at such times fall down and worship And the Caldeans great zeal for this Idolatry put them upon accusing Shadrach Meshach and Abednego c. for not worshiping this Image as the Caldeans did worship this also set the King into a great rage too against them such was his zeal also yea to such a degree too that when they had utterly denyed to worship the Image he commanded the Furnace to be heat seventy times hotter and they to be cast in which was executed v. 21. So hot was he for his Image-worship that the Non-complyers must die for it Upon the like ground also did the Scribes and Pharisees quarrel with Christ and his Disciples in those days Mat. 15. Why say they there to Christ do thy Disciples transgress the Traditions of the the Elders for they wash not their hands when they eat Bread v. 2. Their Heat and Fervor for their Religion and Traditions put them upon this Cavelling tho Christ had told them that they by their Traditions had made void the Law of God this Tradition and Custom of theirs is set forth in Mark 7.3 4. thus That the Pharisees and the Jews except they wash their hands oft eat not holding the Traditions of the Elders and when they came from the Market except they washed they would not eat and many other things there be which they have received to hold as the washing of Cups and Pots Brasen-vessels and of Tables or Beds Their Heart engagedness to these Ways and Traditions received of their Father made them quarrel at Christ and his Followers for not observing of them So again for not observing the Sabbath Mat. 12. they said Behold thy Disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day v. 2. And this put them upon endeavoring to ensnare Christ by questions and take counsel against him how they might destroy him they could not bear with such who did not as they did in these matters in those days The Philosophers were so addicted to their Idols Act. 17. that they despised Paul and his Doctrin and said v. 14. What will this babler say he seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods and v. 19 20. they said May we know what this new Doctrin whereof thou speakest is For thou bringest certain things we would know therefore what these things mean These could not bear with the preaching up the true God they being worshipers of Idols the true God was a strange God to them and what Paul had preached were strange things because contrary to what they had been bred up in and their zeal was so hot for their false Worship that they despised