Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	cause_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	27	3	8.7514	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19461	A modest and reasonable examination, of some things in vse in the Church of England, sundrie times heretofore misliked and now lately, in a booke called the (Plea of the innocent:) and an assertion for true and Christian church policy, made for a full satisfaction to all those, that are of iudgement, and not possessed with a preiudice against this present church gouernment, wherein the principall poynts are fully, and peaceably aunswered, which seeme to bee offensiue in the ecclesiasticall state of this kingdome. The contentes whereof are set downe in the page following.	Covell, William, d. 1614?	1604 (1604)	STC 5882; ESTC S108881	174,201	234

an o●her mans seruant He standeth or falleth to his owne Master And yet as that morall wise man saith It little skillet● with what minde that is d●●● which is euill done because th●●●ede is seene but the minde is not It is no praise not to doe th●●●●ich thou canst not And if the best excuse bee allowed both to him and others which can be afforded in so euill a cause wee must needes say That centention in the Church is the hurtfull effect of indiscrete Zeale And howsoeuer men bouldly apply that to themselues which was spoken by our Sauiour Christ. The Zeale of thine house hath euen eaten mee yet they little consider that with this Zeale of Gods honor which eateth them they haue no warrant that Gods house should be eaten by them true Zeale saith S. Austine desireth in his place to amend what is a misse but if he cannot he doth tollerate it and sigh for there is a Zeale that proceedeth from rancor and malice but not from loue Extraordinarie Zeale which exceedeth the limits of our priuate calling is then only no sinne when it proceedeth from the power of the spirit and not a priuate motion the same spirit warranting that Zeale by giuing an extraordinarie power as also an vnresistable strength all which were found in our Sauiour in the sonne of Eleazer in the Sonnes of Leuie in Elias and diuers others And if the Pleader hath performed any thing either more powerfully or more effectually than other men we are readie to confesse that this newe Contention arose from a holy Zeale But under this colour daungerous attempts haue beene committed in Gods Church Thus Anabaptist in Germanie cut off his brothers head in the sight of his Parents perswading them that the holy Ghost was the Author of that fact But because he could not make the Magistrate to beleuee so much hee himselfe by their sentence indured the same death And it were fitt all these Zealous murderers of their bretheren by their hot contentions were examined by the Magistrate of their lawfull calling for it is great pitie that Religion and Zeale and sometimes peraduenture a good cause all which are most innocent should suffer the reproach of a shamefull Act but such Zealous persons haue beene in all ages who vnder pretense to reforme Religion haue been the worst mē and the greatest enemies that Religion had when Claudins Nero gouerned there were some that called themselues Zealatours and vnder that name were earnest for Religion vntil thēselues had brought fier to consume the Temple for which they stroue and surely if humane reason haue leaue to coniecture what is like to be the euent of these euils Atheisme propanenes and sacrilege must al enter at the dore of Contention to burnvp Religion to robbe the Church And howsoeuer peace be best built vpō redēptiō of wrongs for otherwise to make an Vnitie without repeting the causes of discord is but rather to please vs with the name than with equitie to compound the wrongs wherein if we had beene the first yet it may appeare that we are not willing to vrge the Authors of these Contentions too farre in giuing a beginning to his euill surely their fault must needes be the greater which will not suffer it to haue an ende alter principium malo dedit alter modum abstulit neither can we excuse the bitternesse of some whose paines were little required to haue laboured in this cause as the former in the impure cōtentions of Martinisme defaced the gouernment of the Church in the persons of Bishops and Prelates so the other sort did lead into contēpt the exercises of religion in the persons of sundrie Preachers disgracing as one well noteth the higher matter though in the meaner person we can be cōtent to thinke that in many the beginning of these euils was a detestation which they had to the Church of Rome But we wish such men to know that first they haue iniured greatly the Church of Christ by hindering that increase which Religion in this Land might haue had if these violently had not beene ouer willing to contend with all men and then that as there is nothing of more vse so nothing in respect can be of greater daunger in Religiō thā Zeale is for this if it be directed aright is mother of much ●olines but being mislead is the Adulterous stepmother of much Hypocrisie and doub●lesse the corrupt fountaine of the greatest and most daungerous contentions that haue troubled this Church ha●● bin the faise opinion of vndiscret Zeale and when our contentions growe strong they spoyle saith Solo●●● a house full of facrifices and lest they should thinke wee are willing and esteeme it an honor to contend with them we say we haue taught the truth the auncient and perpetuall gouernment of the Church we haue maintained the reformed discipline by the example of the first and best Churches after the time of persecution we teach nothing but the pure Gospell of Christ wee administer the Sacraments as wee ought we are and haue learned to bee obedient to those that rule ouer vs we wish and prouide that the Ministerie of England may be learned that men may be diligent in that honorable fruction committed to them that all Idolatrie and superstition may be banished in one word that the Church may be cured from all their infirmities by the hand of authoritie and those lawfull meanes prouided for her safetie that noe rayling and contentious speeches to the disgrace of any mans person may be vsed by vs and if any man teach otherwise and consenteth not to the wholsome words of the Lord Iesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to Godlinesse hee is puft vp and knoweth nothing but doateth about questions strife of words whereof commeth enuy strife raylings euill surmisinges froward disputation of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth which thinke that gaine is godlines for doubtlesse the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse God for where enuy and strife is there is sedition and all manner of euill workes but wisedome that is from aboue is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to bee entreated full of mercy and good fruits without iudging and without Hypocrisie and the fruit of righteousnesse is sowne i● peace of them that can make peace Wee therefore beseech you breathren by the mercies of Christ Let vs be all of one minde let vs seeke peace and ensue it let there be noe strife I pray you betwext you vs neither betwext your beardmē nor our beard-men for we are Breatheren But if they will needes proceede in this intemperat manner to nourrish the flame of these vnhallowed Contentions which both strengthen the aduersaries and weaken our selues we can but wish that authoritie may cause their writings to bee abortiue and not see the Sunne but if their policies in this doo preuent lawes

the statute required in this kinde It is like he rather desired to tell the world that he was an actor in the troubles of that time then to giue reasons for that which he and they did or to craue with submission pardon of the Church for that which they did not Aboute the yeere saith one 1571. subscription was inforced vpon the Ministerie for which cause in that time certaine men wrote an admonition to the Parliament opening diuers things worthie of reformation whereupō arose great volumes of prouing defending c. But in the middest of these fiery contentions a goodly space of quietnes about the time that the reuerend father Maister Grindall was Archbishop of Canterburie c. after the said archbishops death there came forth a new fresh assault of subscription vniuersally imposed and againe inforced vpon all the ministers in three articles first of the Queenes maiesties soueraigne authoritie ouer all persons c. secondly that the booke of common prayer and of ordayning Bishops Priests and Deacons containe in it nothing contrarie to the word of God c. thirdly to allowe and approue all the articles of religion agreed vpon by the Archbishop and Bishops c 1562 and to beleeue all therein contained to be agreeable to God The Ministers offered freely and willingly to subscribe to the first article of her Maiesties most lawfull authoritie and for the other two they refused to doe any further then by law they were bound and namely according to the statute made for that purpose Anno 13. Hereupon many in diuers shires were suspended from the execution of their ministery and some depriued And in another place We cannot tell whether we might by the lawes and order of this realme subscribe although it were otherwise lawfull by Gods word it concerneth the whole state aduisedly to consider that the holy ministers of God be not oppresse lwith an vniust subscription This the author calleth in another place the first great storme that fell vpon them and in another place this he maketh to be the fruites of subscription that the unpreaching minister and the non-resident are both warranted by it and in another place it is meaning subscription against many good and learned ministers and some it thrusteth out Others before this author both for time and worthines haue stifly but I doubt scarse considerately refused obedience in this point The some of all their reasons tending to this end that many obscure vntruthes were contained in those things whereunto they required that they should subscribe all aiming at this that nothing was euer so greeuous in the Church to the humours and dispositions of these men as to giue by subscription their allowance vnto that which the lawes had done One of them to the Lords of the councell speaking of subscription when D. Whitgift was made Archbishop and set forth his vnaduised deuise of subscription it seemed as a strong pot of brasse that would soone haue broken in peeces all the power of poore ministers and made discipline in vtter contempt I will only put the reader in minde that though it were no dishonor vnto his grace to be the author of so wise an order for the Church yet the same by their owne confession was a lawe before her Maiestie had called him to be a Bishop another for it were endlesse and of little vse to alleage the reasons of Iohnson preacher at Northhampton of Grayer and many besides published to this end being more learned yet in my opinion lesse religious thē the rest hath set downe some reasons why the Bishops doc vrge subscription t● her Maiesties authoritie in causes ecclesiasticall first for a hope of a more sure setlednes to themselues and their followers that none may hereafter preach against the lordlynes of prelates that none may preach against ciuill offices in a preiate that none may speake against baptisme by women that none may preach against an vnlearned ministerie that none may preach against any corruption yet established whatsoeuer A strange collection thus to aime at the intention of making lawes But we say no otherwise of him then a father did in the like case His words showe vs wholy what he is and if we therefore know him not because we haue not seene his face neither doth he knowe himselfe because he doth not see his face But these doubtles and such like are but as Saint Hierome calles them the hissings of the old serpent For wise men would haue thought that these had had nothing to haue spokē vnlesse they had propounded this to thēselues to haue spoken euill But seeing the tenor of them all is all one an vnreuerent estimation and speaking of men in authoritie and lawes that are made by them a fault surely not small nor easily forgiuen if the cause were vertuous I must needes before I answere them giue them this aduise which I hope some will follow they that do as Gennadius reporteth of one Seuerus seduced to bee a pelagian acknowledge their loquacitie with him and keepe silence vnto death that they may recompence by their silence what they haue offended in speaking Now before we answere this which they haue alleadged against subscription the consideration of the nature of that doubtles must be fittest which in all reason ought to be accounted the best warrant to excuse them both in this and the rest which they doe refuse a reason which cannot be the same to all and in those in whom it is found without deceite they are rather to be pittied and instructed then to be vrged to that which how lawfull so euer their conscience gainesaying they doe make a sinne For though the conscience of man allowing cannot make that to be no sinne which the lawe doth yet the conscience forbidding may make that to be a sinne which the lawe doth not And therefore amongst men of wisedome and vertue there is no Plea that ought to be heard with so much attention as when men for that which they doe or doe not truely and sincerely doe alleadge their conscience Now as the coullorable excuse for refusing to subscribe must be the weaknes of such mens conscience who were perswaded in themselues the things to be vnlawfull whereunto they were required to giue allowance so surely a double fault must lie vpon them if there be any such who making no conscience of those things pretend only the greatest bond vpon earth to be the lawfull warrant of refusing of that which they would not doe And surely where feare and humilitie are both wanting there it is ouer much charity to thinke that they make a conscience All men vnderstand not aright what that is which they alledge for themselues when they say their conscience There is naturally ingrafted in the heart of man that light of nature which neuer can be put out that telleth him that no euill is to be done Now reason according to the knowledge that it hath