Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	day_n	law_n	sabbath_n	3,352	5	9.6183	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19267	An admonition to the people of England vvherein are ansvvered, not onely the slaunderous vntruethes, reprochfully vttered by Martin the libeller, but also many other crimes by some of his broode, obiected generally against all bishops, and the chiefe of the cleargie, purposely to deface and discredite the present state of the Church. Seene and allowed by authoritie.	Cooper, Thomas, 1517?-1594.	1589 (1589)	STC 5682; ESTC S118522	145,211	254

comparison of that perfect rule of a Minister that S. Paul requireth It is wel knowen as it is before recited that there be a number of parishes in this Realme the liuings vvhere of are so small that no man sufficiently learned will content himselfe vvith them In some one meane shire there bee aboue foure score Chappels to be serued onely by Curates with very small stipends To place able men in them is vnpossible For neither sufficient number of learned men can be had nor if there coulde woulde they be contented to bee to such places appoynted And to leaue those parishes and places vnserued of common prayer and administration of the Sacraments were an inconuenience as great on the other part For it bringeth men to an heathenish forgetfulnesse of God To ease this matter by combinations and ioyning of many parishes together as some deuise besides other inconueniences the thing is not in the Bishops authoritie nor possible for him to doe Euery parish hath a sundrie patrone which wil neuer bee brough to agree to that purpose and to forgoe their patrimonie and heritage Nowe to attempt the matter by making a law for that purpose woulde be occasion of so great troubles and alterations as would draw with them more inconneniences then would stand with the safe state of this common weale as the wiser sort doe see and were easie for me to declare if it were pertinent to this matter here to lay them downe in writing The only remedie that necessitie beareth is to tollerate some of the meaner sort of Ministers hauing carefull consideration so much as diligence can doe that the same may be of life behauiour honest and godly and such at the least as may bee able to instruct the parish in the Catechisme And surely I hope by the care of the Bishops that they haue alreadie vndertaken this thing will be either altogether or in a good part brought to effect ere long time passe Obiection But some will say that all this is but a cloake of colourable reason to hide an vnexcusable fault For that no necessitie can excuse a man to breake the law of God and Gods holy commandement is vttered by Saint Paul that among other properties a Minister shoulde bee Aptus ad docendum that is able to teach and therefore no Bishop can bee borne with in making an vnlearned Minister For he may not doe euill that good may come thereof Answere For answere hereunto it cannot bee denyed but the rule which Saint Paul giueth is an exact rule and such an absolute description of a Minister as is according to Christian perfection and therefore that all Ministers ought to bee correspondent to the same And so much as they want thereof they lacke of their perfect state Yea and ecclesiasticall gouernours shoulde carefully see so much as humane frailtie and the miserable state of this worlde will suffer that al Ministers of the Church of God be such And when they doe faile heerein they offend and goe from that perfection that the worde of God requireth But yet I doubt not but God of his great mercie in Christ our Sauiour will gratiously consider that he hath to doe with flesh and blood and that euen his best children liue not here in an heauenly state but in a miserable and wretched world and specially when hee seeth that they offend not of negligence or malicious wickednesse but are carried with the necessitie of this earthly frailtie For if GOD shoulde measure all things done in his Church by the perfect rule of his word who should be able to stand before him We may not therefore either condemne other or esteeme our selues condemned before God if through the frailtie of the worlde we be not able to frame all things in his Church to such perfectnesse as his holy word appoynteth As the description of a Minister deliuered by Saint Paul to Timothie and Titus is perfect so doth it containe many branches properties to the number of I thinke twentie or aboue As that he must bee vnreproueable the husband of one wife watching temperat modest not froward not angrie one that loueth goodnesse righteous holy harberous apt to teach holding fast the wholesome worde according to doctrine able to exhort with wholsome doctrine and conuince them that say against it not giuen to much wine no striker not giuen to filthie lucre gentle no quarreller not couetous one that can rule his owne house keeping his wife and children in honest obedience not a yong scholler least hee be puffed vp with selfe liking well reported of graue not double tongued holding the mysterie of the faith in a pure conscience If they will admit no Ministers as lawful but such as shall haue fully all these properties Surely they will cut from Churches the greatest part or all the Ministers that they haue Euen that one propertie which they so greatly call vpon as of all other most necessarie that is that hee shoulde be apt to teach that is as Saint Paul expoundeth himselfe to be sufficiently able to teach them that bee willing and to conuince the aduersarie If it be pressed to the extremitie and rigour thereof it comprehendeth so much as it will exclude a great many of Ministers and Preachers which in their measure doe good seruice in the Church of God The best writers that euer I did reade vpon that say That to the performance of the same a man must haue readie knowledge in the Scriptures the vnderstanding of the tongues the reading of the ancient Fathers and histories of antiquitie If a great many of them woulde looke into their owne bosomes and measure themselues by this rule of sufficiencie they woulde not iudge so rigorously of other nor be so rash to condemne them Wee see in the Scriptures that God sometime beareth with breach of his cōmandement falling by the necessitie of our fraile life God gaue in charge as before is sayde that none shoulde eate of the Shew-bread but the Priestes And yet in necessitie Dauid did eate of it though he were no Priest The Machabies fought on the Sabboth day contrary to this commandement Thou shalt keepe holy the Sabboth day and yet it is not read that God was therfore displeased with them or tooke punishment of them though the Scripture mention that one without necessitie gathering stickes on the Sabboth day was stoned to death Christ himselfe may seeme to giue the reason for their defence when he saith The Sabboth was ordeined for man and not man for the Sabboth Yea in a morall cōmandement of God touching mariage we see God to vse a maner of dispensation in respect of the frailtie of mans nature The Scripture saith precisely Quos Deus coniunxit homone separet and yet in the lawe wee finde this dispensation or qualifying thereof When a man hath taken a wife and married her if she finde no fauour in his eyes c. then let him make

them vvil not vse the old pulpits but haue nevv made they wil not accept a collect or praier be it neuer so agreeable to the vvord of God I maruaile that they vse the Churches them selues then which nothing hath bin more prophaned with superstition and idolatrie They should do that Optatus Mileuitanus writeth that the Donatists were wōt to do that is when they obteyned a Church vvhich before had bene vsed by Catholikes they vvoulde scrape the walles therof and breake the Communion tables cups But it may appeare that the learned father August vvas not of that opinion For in his epistle vvritten to Publicola a question was mooued vnto him whether in destroying the idoles temples or their groues a Christian might vse any part of the wood or water or any other thing that did apperteine vnto them His answere was that men might not take those things to their priuate vse least they run into suspicion to haue destroyed such places for couetousnes but that the same things might be imploied in pios necessarios vsus But I recite not this to defend that law whereby mariage for a time is forbidden For I thinke it not a matter of such necessitie neither is it so greatly pressed as they pretend I thinke there is no lawe remaining that is so little executed as that is The other law of forbearing flesh on Fridayes in Lent and other dayes for the state of our countrey I thinke very conuenient and most necessarie to be vsed in Christian policie I woulde to God those men that make so small accompt of this lawe had heard the reasons of the grauest wisest and most expert men of this realme not only for the maintenance of this Lawe but also for some addition to be made vnto it How God hath placed this land there is no reasonable man but seeth The Sea are our walles and if on these walles we haue not some reasonable furniture of ships we shal tempt God in leauing open our countrey to the enemy and not vsing those instrumēts which God hath appointed There is no state of men that doeth so much furnish this realme with sufficient numbers of mariners for our nauie as fishers doe And how shall fishers be maintained if they haue not sufficient vtterance for those things for which they trauell And howe can they haue vtterance if euery daintie mouthed man without infirmitie sickenesse shall eate flesh at his pleasure They cannot pretend religion or restraint of Christian libertie seeing open protestation is made by the lawe that it is not for conscience sake but for the defence and safetie of the realme Therefore this crying out against this lawe is not onely needelesse but also vndiscreete and factious Obiection But there bee other matters that more nighlie touch the quicke and if they be true can receiue no face of defence They make lewde and vnlearned Ministers for gaine they maintaine pouling and pilling courtes they abuse the Churches discipline c. Answere As touching the first if they make lewde Ministers it is one great fault if they doe it wittingly it is farre a more heinous offence if they do it for gaine it is of all other most wicked and horrible and indeede shoulde directly proue deuilish simonie to be in them That some lewde and vnlearned ministers haue bene made it is manifest I will not seeme to defend it I woulde they had had more care herein that the offence of the godly might haue bene lesse And yet I knowe all their faults in this are not alike and some haue smally offended herein And in them all I see a certaine care and determination so much as in them lyeth to amend the inconuenience that hath risen by it Which thing with professours of the Gospell shoulde cause their fault to bee the more charitably borne least they seeme not so much to haue misliking of the offence as of the persons themselues for some other purpose then they will bee openly knowen of But if they shoulde doe as they be I trust vniustly reported of that is to make lewde and vnlearned Ministers for lucre and gaine truly no punishment coulde be too grieuous for them Which way that should be gainefull to Bishops I see not The Clarke or Register I knowe hath his fee allowed for the writing of letters of Orders but that euer Bishop did take any thing in that respect I neuer heard neither thinke I that their greatest enemies be able to proue it vpon many of them Therefore this may goe with the residue of vncharitable slanders Or if there hath bene any one such euil disposed person that hath so vtterly forgot his duetie and calling that eyther this way or any such like in making of Ministers hath sought his owne gaine and commoditie it is hard dealing with the reproch thereof to defame the innocent together with the guiltie and to distaine the honestie of them that neuer deserued it There is no Magistrate in this land so sincere and vpright in his doings but that by this meanes his honesty and good name may be defaced Obiection It will bee sayde that all this is but a glose or colour to hide and turne from you those great crimes that you are iustly charged withall For the worlde seeth and all men crie out against you that you to the great hurt and hinderance of the Church vpholde and maintaine an vnlearned ministerie and wil not suffer any redresse or reformation to be made therein Hereby commeth it to passe that the people of God bee not taught their duetie eyther to God or to their Prince but by their ignoraunce are layde foorth as a pray to Sathan For by that occasion they bee ledde away to euill with euery light perswasion that is put into their heads either against God or their prince so that it may bee iustly thought that all those mischiefes that of late haue fallen foorth haue sprung out of this onely roote aswell in them that haue slidde backe and reuolted from religion as in those that haue conceiued attempted the wicked murthering of our gratious Prince and bringing in of a stranger to sit in her royall seate You are therefore the principall causes of all these mischiefes Answere This is surely a grieuous accusation but God I trust will iudge more vprightly and regard the innocencie of our hearts in these horrible crimes laid to our charge These accusers to satisfie their misliking affection towarde our state not onely suffer themselues to bee deceiued with false and captious reasons but dangerously also seeke to seduce other Logicians among other deceitfull arguments note one principally A non causa vt causa that is when men either to praise or dispraise doe attribute the effects of either part to some things or persons as causes therof which indeed are not the true causes Which false reasoning hath done great harme at all times both in the Church of God and in common weales After the

owne free heart and liberalitie and saith Hee neuer set his heart vpon Gold nor saide to the wedge of Golde Thou art my hope nor reioyced of beeing rich nor because his hande had founde abundance c. Abraham also was riche and God had blessed him with great possessions and yet surely his heart was farre from the loue of money Ioseph had no small possessions and was in place of honour and yet fewe in the meanest state or degree did euer keepe a more humble heart or put lesse delight in honour and riches then hee did I might say the same of Dauid though a king and of Daniel though in very high estate and in great authoritie and as it may bee thought in liuing proportionable to the same When Christ in the gospell had saide that it was as vnpossible for a riche man to enter into heauen as for a Camell to goe through the eie of a needle and his Disciples had wondered at that saying hee aunswered That which is with man impos-sible is possible with God Albeit mans corrupt nature as it is generally giuen to all ill so it is chiefely inclined to couetousnesse and delight of the worlde Yet the good grace of Gods holy Spirite doeth so guide the heartes of his faithfull that in the middest of greatest abundaunce of his plentifull blessinges they can retaine the feare of God and contempt of the worlde Wherefore it is great rashnesse and presumption to condemne all them to bee giuen ouer to couetousnesse and delight of the worlde whome they see by the state of the Commonweale or by the goodnesse of the Prince or by any other lawfull and iust meanes to haue landes and possessions or wealth and riches according to their state Such persons as so rashely deeme of other may seeme rather to bewray the sicknesse and ill disposition of their owne mindes then to iudge truely of them whome in such case they condemne It is the pouertie and humblenesse of Spirite and minde it is not the pouertie and basenesse of outwarde estate and condition vnto the which Christ imputeth Gods blessings If couetousnesse be a desire to haue for feare of want and scarcitie as some learned men haue defined it then is a poore estate to a corrupt minde a greater spurre to couetousnesse then lands and plentie of liuing can bee Before that bishoppes and Ministers had any Landes assigned vnto them yea when they were yet vnder the Crosse of persecution in the time of Cyprian wee reade that he findeth great fault with many bishoppes which leauing the care of their charge went from place to place vsing vnlawful meanes to get riches practising vsurie and by craft and subtiltie getting other mens lands from them In like manner complaine Hierome Augustine Chrysostome Basile and other auncient Writers and Histories of their time Yea in the Apostles time wee see some giuen ouer to the worlde and ledde away with couetousnesse when Ministers as yet liued onely vpon the free beneuolence of the people Wherefore it is not pouertie or a lowe and contemptible state in the face of the worlde that can bring a satisfied and contented Spirite And surely I am of this opinion that a poore and straight state of liuing in the Ministerie especially in these dayes woulde be a greater cause of euill and inconuenience in the church and a more vehement temptation to carrie away their myndes from the care of their Office then nowe their ample and large liuinges are I could and will when God shall giue occasion declare good reason of this my opinion which for some considerations I thinke good at this time to lette passe If our bishops and other chiefe of the Cleargie beeing nowe in the state of our church by the prouidence of God singular goodnes of our Prince so amply prouided for be so vnthankfull vnto God and so giuen ouer to the worlde as they are bitterly accused to bee surely their fault must needes bee the greater neyther will I or any other that feareth God in that poynt excuse them but praie to God if there bee any such that these odious reportes spredde vpon them may bee a meanes to put them in remembraunce of their duetie and to amend But vndoubtedly good christians I speake it with my heart me thinketh I doe foresee at hand those dayes and that time when GOD of his iustice will both condignly rewarde our vnthankful receyuing of his Gospell and contempt of his Ministers and also giue to them iust occasion to declare vnto their aduersaries and euill speakers that they are not such bond-slaues of the world nor bee so lead away captiue with the lusts of the flesh as they are defamed Yea I thinke this crosse of contempt slaunder and reproch that now is layde vpon them is Gods fatherly admonition to warne them and as it were a meane to prepare them to that day that is comming which day vndoubtedly will bee a day of wrath a day of trouble and heauinesse a day of vtter destruction and misery a darke gloomy day a cloudie and stormie day a day of the trumpet of the alarme against the strong cities On that day will the Lorde search Hierusalem with Lanthorns and visit them which continue in their dregges and say Tush the Lorde will doe no euill Therefore their goods shal be spoyled their houses shall bee layd waste they shal build gay houses and not dwel in them they shall plant vineyardes but not drinke the wine thereof In that day the Lorde will visite the Princes and Kinges Children and all such as weare gay cloathing and all those that leape ouer the thresholde so proudly and fill their Lordes houses with robberie and falsehoode On that day God will bring the people into suche vexation that they shall goe about like blinde men and all because they have sinned against the Lord and contemned his worde Wherefore I most heartily pray vnto God that we altogether both Prince and people honourable and worshipfull ecclesiastical and lay persons preachers and hearers may ioyne together in the faithfull remembraunce of that day and to consider that it can not bee farre from vs and therefore that it is full time and more then time to turne vnto God by hearty repentance and faithfull receiuing of his worde For surely the sentences of the Prophets of some men partially and affectionately applied to the Clergy and ministers only do in right true meaning touch vs al of al states and conditions But I will returne to my matter againe The testimonie of Malachie vsed of some to like effect as the other before I haue purposely left to this place because it speaketh particularly of priestes and therefore will they haue it more nighly to touch our bishops c. And nowe O yee Priests sayth the Prophet this commandement is for you c. And a litle after making comparison betwene Leui and the priests of that time The lawe of