Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	civil_a	law_n	matter_n	2,103	5	5.8530	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00278	VVhether it be a mortall sinne to transgresse ciuil lawes which be the commaundementes of ciuill magistrates. The iudgement of Philip Melancton in his epitome of morall philosophie. The resolution of D. Hen. Bullinger, and D. Rod. Gualter, of D. Martin Bucer, and D. Peter Martyr, concernyng thapparrel of ministers, and other indifferent thinges.	Melanchthon, Philipp, 1497-1560. aut; Bullinger, Heinrich, 1504-1575. aut; Gwalther, Rudolf, 1519-1586. aut; Bucer, Martin, 1491-1551. aut; Parker, Matthew, 1504-1575. Briefe examination for the tyme, of a certaine declaration. aut	1570 (1570)	STC 10391.5; ESTC S119567	38,613	108

many thinges happen to them especially which haue businesse why they can not alwayes obserue these orders Therefore this rule contayneth a profitable moderation whiche forbiddeth publique offences preserueth customes profitable for quietnes and priuatly deliuereth the consciences from daunger When the causes of these lawes and traditions are vnderstande good natures wyll the more embrace thē then is it fit that these thinges be knowen namely that these ordinances are appoynted by the Church for good and publique orders sake that the Church wyll not priuatly entangle any mans conscience And most morall it is to loue common quietnesse and order good men therfore wyl greatly embrace these ordinances seyng that to quietnesse and order they are auayleable in that they are deliuered from superstitious opinions and knowe that without daunger these ceremonies may be left no offence beyng geuen But here it is asked whether Ecclesiasticall ordinaunces and the ciuill lawes of magistrates do diuersly bynd I aunswere The bonde is vnlyke and although reasons may be asked yet the playnest way is to iudge these thinges by the euident cleare testimonies of scripture First therefore I wyll rehearse them then wil I adde the reasons and interpretation lest any absurditie may be taken by our opinion Touching obediēce due to the ciuil lawes Paul sayth we must obey not only for feare of vengeaunce but also for conscience sake This commaundement byndeth vs euen without matter of offence for we must obey the aucthoritie of God though no offence be geuen But touchyng Ecclesiasticall ceremonies Paul sayth Let no man condemne you for meate or drinke or a peece of an holy day And againe Stand fast in the libertie wherwith Christ hath made vs free and wrap not your selues agayne in the yoke of bondage And Christ sayth That whiche entreth into the mouth defileth not the man the apostle excuseth them whiche breake traditions Because it is nedefull that this doctrine be in the Church that those traditiōs touching meate and such lyke are no worshypping or ryghteousnes but thinges indifferent therfore the gospel teacheth that our consciences may not be burdened with the opinion of necessitie Notwithstandyng because this lyfe can not lacke ordinaunces ceremonies this moderation is needefull to haue them so obserued lest the doctrine of true worshyppyng and of the benefit of Christe shoulde be darkened Agayne lest our cōsciences should be burdened with infinite vexations which might cause shipwracke of fayth Therefore the Gospell wyll haue vs vnderstande that these rytes may be left out without matter of offence be geuen but for good order and for auoydyng of offences they ought to be kept This libertie beyng lymited by the aucthoritie of the Gospell can not be taken away by mans aucthoritie I haue shewed by the testimonies of scripture that the bynding is vnlike This is the playnest aunswere vnto this question but we wyll shewe the reason The firste is taken of the efficient causes or the ryght of power and this Gerson foloweth The Ciuill magistrate by Gods aucthoritie hath ryght to make honest and profitable lawes in those matters whiche parteyne to the defence of this corporall life and ciuil societie as of iudgements the penalties of offences contractes successions and suche lyke as Salomon sayth By me kinges do raigne and appoynt iust thinges But Ecclesiastical power is limited so as it hath a commaundement what it ought to teache and that it inuent no newe worshippyng neyther burthen the consciences with traditions of ceremonies For Peter sayth Why tempt you God laying on a yoake c. And Paul Why make you decrees touche not handle not c. Seing then that the right of eyther power is vnlyke the lawes also diuersly do bynde Second reason of the final causes of lawes Ciuil lawes are the bands of common societie therefore in breakyng them charitie is alwayes hurt for because euery one ought to vse his obedience as a seale to the defence of common quietnes also the common tributes and al his trauayle must thereto be applyed when this thei do not thei deceaue the rest enioy other mēs offices imploying nothing of their owne vnto it euen as he whiche to a common banket geueth not his money beguileth the gestes The example also in breaking it doth hurt and troubleth common quietnesse therefore in ciuill lawes respect of charitie and offence is alwayes of force But most part of ceremonies are priuate domesticall obseruations the breach wherof hurteth not others Then seyng in them is no hazarde of charitie nor offences chaunce the aucthoritie of these lawes is vnlyke ▪ ●or of these also we haue spoken that then they are necessary neither can they be broken without sinne when as the breach breadeth offences that is hurteth others mens fayth and maners or rashly troubleth the quietnesse of others And although it be profitable to consider these reasons causes and to vnderstande the degrees of lawes yet is it more sure playnelye to geue iudgement out of these sentences of scripture before recited for the reasons haue many doubtes do not sufficiently stablishe the conscience And wyse men may seeke and inuent many darke matters on both sydes if that we shall iudge only vpō reasons not out of the scriptures But here young men are to be warned that although it be needefull to knowe that these indifferent thynges are no worshippyng of God yet they must learne that the case of offence is large and with diligent care they must beware of it for in the breache of traditions two thynges are hazarded discipline and tranquilitie or the agreement of the cōmon wealth It is fit for vs to vnderstande cheefly the greatnesse and force of eyther of these beyng occupied in the studies of lea●nyng and vertues Firste for discipline sake there neede certayne ordinances for vnskilful persons must be accustomed to ceremonies and rites to holy dayes to certayne readinges to pr●uate and publique exercises for that cause Paul calleth the lawe a schoolemaister for these ceremonies are certayne institution● necessarie for young yeres And although the Gospell doth bryng a higher doctrine yet it wyll not haue discipline and institution to be abolished but it commaundeth that men be restraygned ruled and taught with suche instructions What profite this discipline hath I haue shewed els where for God is effectual in the whiche are tractable to be taught and resist● not his word Wherfore the example hurteth in the breache of traditions for the common people which naturally hateth the bands of lawes willingly foloweth these examples and therof taketh contempt of the whole discipline and of all the lawes These ordinances beyng abolished there can be no discipline neyther can youth and the vnlearned people be taught Then of necessitie must folowe exceedyng barbarousnes and destruction where youth the common people can not be instructed Howe great a wickednes and murther is it to geue suche examples whereby this

restored again● And we also beseeche that you D. Horne ou● good lorde and deare brother that as soon as these my letters may be deliuered ye cau●● them to be sent to the Bishop of Norwiche to communicate them to D. Iuel to D. Sandes to D. Pilkinton to whom also I purpose to write at the next mart at Franckfort by gods grace These I haue writtē in haste aswel in maister Gualters name as in myn● owne sendyng them to Basile from thenc● to be conueyed to Antwarpe And we hartily desire you to sende vs word whether ye hau● receaued them or no. Fare ye well ryght reuerende fathers The Lorde blesse you and your labours From Tigurine this third of Maye M.D.Lxvi H. Bullinger your very frende To maister N. and M. THE Lorde Iesu blesse you right worshipful and welbeloued brethren and preserue you from all euyll I haue receaued your letters in the whiche you ● seeme to complayne that my aunswere ●nto your question was ouer short and brief ●erily my brother I saw no cause then ney●her do I see any yet why I shoulde haue ●ritten those letters any larger For you on●y required to knowe my iudgemēt touching ●he matter of apparrel for the which ye now ●ontende in England Vnto which question ● thought I should answere in few wordes ●or so muche as in fewe wordes I coulde de●lare my iudgement And then also I vnder●toode that D. Peter Martyr of most happie ●emembraunce handled the same question at Oxforde and heare to many tymes at large whereto I could say no more And I remember also that in my letters vnto you brother M. I made mention of my opinion herein And that I may nowe speake a worde or twaine what I thinke hereof Surely I like not in any wyse that yf ye were commaunded ye shoulde say seruice at an aulter rather burthened then beautified with the image of a crucifixe in massing apparrell that is in ●albe in a vestment which hath the pict● of Christ crucified hāgyng on the backe 〈◊〉 ●o farre as I cā perceaue by my letters rec●ued out of Englande there is no content● now of any such garment But the question VVhether it be lawfull for Mi●●sters of the Gospel to weare a rou●● cap or a square or to put on a wh●●● robe called a surplesse whereby t●● Minister may be decerned from t●● vulgare sort And whether a Mi●●ster ought rather to leaue his hol● callyng then to weare such apparre● Touchyng whiche question I wrote 〈◊〉 mynde the last mart vnto the reuerende f●ther my lorde R. Horne B. of Wincheste● briefly repeating D. Martyrs wordes M felowe minister and welbeloued Kynsma● D. Rodolphe Gualter wrote vnto hym al● not long before a coppie wherof I sende he● inclosed vnto you and to the rest of our br●thren Wherfore yf ye wyll heare vs and 〈◊〉 desirous to know our iudgement concernin● this matter of apparrell as you signified v●to me the last mart you were loe you hau● our iudgement in that Epistle whervnto y●● wyll not agree we are heartily sorie and ●ng we haue none other counsell we moste ●artily and incessantly pray to god who is 〈◊〉 all thynges and at all tymes to be called 〈◊〉 that he vouchsafe by his holy grace and ●wer to comfort and helpe our miserable ●ate You brother N. proposed a fewe such que●ons but our brother M. heaped together a ●eat many more of the same argument Al●t I according to my simple skil did neuer ●owe to haue matters distracted into so ●●ny questions and to be entangled with so ●any doubtes which otherwyse being more ●gle by them selues myght be more easyly ●solued yet notwithstanding I wyl write ●wne a lytle to euerye one of them that ●rein also I may satisfie you my worshipful ●●d deare brethren as muche as lyeth in my ●nder vtteraunce rather dull then quicke ●●d sharpened wit. And I beseeche you that ●●u woulde accept in good part this my do●●g as of your brother one that vnfained● loueth you to iudge therof with a quiet ●ynde voyde of all affections For my part vtterly abhorre all contentions and de●re nothyng more humblye of almyghtie ●od then that it might please him to remoue all dissention strife farre from his Chur●● whiche from the first beginning hath ma●ueylously hurt true godlynes and as it w● torne and rent the Churche in peeces w● it neuer so quiet and florishing VVhereas it is demaunded wh●ther lawes ought to be enioyned 〈◊〉 Ecclesiasticall persons for weary 〈◊〉 apparrell that thereby they may 〈◊〉 knowen from the lay people I au●swere that there is ambiguitie and doubt● the worde ought for in case it be vnd●●stoode for that whiche is necessarie and a●parteynyng to euerlastyng lyfe I supp●●● the lawmakers them selues do not so vnd●●stande or meane it But yf it be sayde that may be done for comlynes and decencie a●● for dignitie and orders sake that it should 〈◊〉 but a ciuill obseruation or some suche ly●● thyng as is that wherein the apostle wy●● haue the minister or Bishop κόσμιον that i● modest or comlye I do not see howe he o●fendeth which weareth suche a garment 〈◊〉 is commaunded to weare it VVhether the ceremoniall attyr● or worshippyng of the Leuitica●● priesthood be to be brought agayne into the Church I aunswere That yf a cap or a seemely garment without superstition be commaunded to be worne by a minister no wyse man wyll saye that right Iudaisme is brought in agayne Moreouer here I repeate the same that I see Peter Martyr hath aunswered who when he had shewed how the sacramentes of the olde lawe were quite abolished which we ought not to bring agayne into the Churche of Christe hauing nowe Baptisme and the Lordes Supper in steede of them thus he sayth There were notwithstandyng in the Leuiticall lawe certayne actions of that nature whiche coulde not properly be called sacramentes for they serued to decencie order and some commoditie which as agreeable to the lyght of nature and also profitable for our commoditie I suppose may both be brought in and also reteined Who seeth not that for mainteining peace and for that the faythfull myght the better lyue together the Apostles commaunded the Gentiles to absteyne from that is ●●rangled and from blood No doubt these were thinges belongyng to the Leuiticall lawe Furthermore no man is ignoraunt ●●at tithes are appoynted at this day to susteyne ministers It is euident that Psalmes Hymnes are now songe in holy congregations and meetinges whiche notwithstandyng the Leuites also vsed And that I le● not this passe neither we haue holy dayes in remembraunce of Christes resurrection an● suche lyke Shall all those be abolished because thei are tokens and reliques of the old● lawe You see therfore al thinges of the Leuitical lawe are not so abrogated that non● of them may be vsed Thus farre P. Martyr VVhether we maye weare suche apparrell as the papistes do I aunswere We may so