Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	according_a	faith_n	work_n	1,745	5	6.1448	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29671	The sacred and most mysterious history of mans redemption wherein is set forth the gracious administration of Gods covenant with man-kind, at all times, from the beginning of the world unto the end : historically digested into three books : the first setteth down the history from Adam to the blessed incarnation of Christ, the second continueth it to the end of the fourth year after his baptisme ..., the third, from thence till his glorious coming to judgement / by Matthew Brookes ...	Brookes, Matthew, fl. 1626-1657.	1657 (1657)	Wing B4918; ESTC R11708	321,484	292

which hath been said concerning faith The Covenant diversly administred bringeth us directly into the way of our sacred History For that Covenant which God made with Adam and with all his posterity was diversly administred At this time thus at that time so at divers times in divers manners according as God was pleased to speak unto the fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at sundry times Heb. 1.1 and in divers maners saith the Apostle And according as God was pleased to invest it as it were with divers Robes excellently set forth in the type Gen. 37.31 by Josephs coat of many colours dipped in the blood of the Kid which his brethren had killed The times are distinguished into two Periods The times d●stinguished into two Period● the first is of the promised seed to be exhibited when the fulness of time should come The second is of that promised seed exhibited when that fulness of time was come for so St. Paul himselfe distinguisheth the Periods of the times Gal. 4.4 saying When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Sonne Concerning that first period of time the Covenant was administred Concerning the first Period of time how the Covenant was administred Geneb Chr. lib. 2. p. 447. in divers manners For the space of two thousand forty and six yeares or thereabouts for I scuffle not with Chronologers concerning the exact Computation of yeares seeing that of Genebrard is very true that as touching the number of the yeares of the world a man shall finde as many opinions as writers Neither will I have to doe with that vast difference betwixt the Greeke and the Latine writers occasioned by the corrupted Septuagint utterly inconsistent with the Hebrew verity I follow those Latine writers and Chronologers among whom I finde but little difference and they who differ but a little seem no tto differ at all I say for the space of two thousand forty and six yeares or thereabouts from Adam to Abraham and to the ninety ninth yeare of Abrahams age the Covenant came forth naked and was administred under the forme of that blessed promise which God made unto man after his transgression in these words saying unto the serpent in whom the Devill was I will put enmitie betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele This was the Originall promise the Covenant of Grace Gen. 3.15 the sum and substance of the Gospel which promise all the righteous faithfull from Adam to Abraham though they knew no more of Christ did believe that they might be saved For as learned St Augustine saith None of all the righteous faithfull could attaine salvation but onely by the faith of Christ to them Christ was knowne and had he not been knowne to them saith he they could not have prophesied Christ to us sometimes more darkly and obscurely as did the former sometimes more plainly and perspicuously as did the latter Prophets Enchir. Cap. 118. The faith of the ancient righteous Fathers The faith of the ancient righteous Fathers was the Catholike faith even the same which we have though otherwise dispensed and revealed to them more obscurely to us more plainly They were Christians as well as we for they did believe in Christ and Eusebius proveth by invincible arguments that the very names of Jesus and of Christ were known from the beginning of the world and had in honour by all the Prophets of God Ec. Hist Lib. 1. Chap. 1. And in the Revelation of Saint John Christ is plainly said to be slain from the foundation of the world It is because by vertue of his death which was to come Rev. 13.8 they were saved even as we I know not whether it were more impiously or ignorantly averred by the Servetani that the Fathers of old time and before the comming of Christ did want both true faith and spirituall life Sure I am it is against the truth for those righteous Fathers who had nothing more but the originall Promise had thereby the true justifying and saving Faith according to all that which hath been laid down before concerning faith for they gave assent or credence unto that promise and did apprehend and apply it to themselves in particular to Gods glory and to the salvation of their owne soules The efficient cause The efficient cause of it primarily was God himselfe whose gift it was instrumentally and internally the Holy Ghost by his speciall working while that he did dispose their understanding to the saving knowledge of Christ and did move their wills to assent and adhere thereunto Instrumentally and externally it was the Gospell it selfe administred by Tradition before they had the Word written or any Sacrament for the obsignation of that Promise whereby the Holy Ghost as by the then ordinary means did form and confirm the work of faith in them The matter The matter of their faith considered subjectively was the understanding and the will so far forth as each faculty was regenerate by the supernaturall power and grace of the Holy Ghost whereby the understanding did discern those supernaturall benefits of faith offered in that promised Seed to be true and the will did apply them assuredly to be good and saving But the matter of their faith considered objectively in respect of the understanding was divine verity and in respect of the will it was the sole singular grace of God promised in that seed both which were contained and circumscribed in the originall promise all which and only which their faith respected and embraced as its adequate object and therein that Seed as its first next and proper object The matter of their faith in respect of the understanding and divine will it was knowledge and assent knowledge whereby they understood the promise for the measure of grace revealed Assent whereby they took it for granted and were firmly perswaded in their hearts that the promise was true and therein found setled rest In respect of their will the principall and primary part of their faith was confidence whereby they did appropriate the generall promise of grace to themselves in particular which also produced a two-fold effect whereof the first was a sure ground or foundation upon which their faith stood in opposition of all dangers internall and externall The second was a sure trust in God to depend upon him that they might be saved which sure trust in God was the testimony of his Spirit Heb. 11.4 whereby as the Scripture saith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice then Cain The forme The forme of their faith likewise did consist in relation whereby that promise or covenant of grace which was made unto Adam and to all his posterity every believer did apply and appropriate unto himself by a firme perswasion viz. that that Seed should come and for him and for his redemption should break the Serpents head

circumcise the hearts of men according to that of Moses Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy Seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul that thou maist live 6ly The drops of blood that were shed in circumcision did give them to understand the blood of the Messiah who was to be of the circumcised Seed and that his blood it was which should be shed for the remission of sins 7ly The great paines and forenesse of circumcision did represent as well the sufferings of Christ for us as also that they who will be his servants must be nothing curious to suffer all paines and persecutions and if need be to shed their blood for the name of Christ 8ly The day of circumcision which was the eighth day did set forth in a mystery the Resurrection of Christ for like as Christ rose again from the dead upon the eighth day according to the Jewes account who begin to reckon their week upon the Sunday even so that they who were circumcised had an eight day to look for the day of his Resurrection by vertue whereof they should rise again from the dead being first risen with him unto newnesse of life that is to say from a death of sin to a new and spirituall life Lastly that same opprobrium circumcisionis that shame and disgrace which the Jew had by reason of his circumcision among the Gentiles for which he was mocked despised reproached and scornfully termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apella Verpus c. did set forth the shame and scandall of the Crosse giving the People of God to understand thereby that the way to Heaven is not a way of popularity and honour but rather of ignominy reproach and worldly contempt Moses had learned that lesson by his circumcision Esteeming saith the Scripture the reproach of Christ greater riches Heb. 11.26 then the treasures in Egypt So great and excellent was the Mystery Most important was the use of this great Sacrament For The use of Circumcision first it was sigillum foederis the seal of the Covenant which God had renewed unto Abraham and to his Seed and did therefore serve greatly to confirm their faith for in that God had set to such a seal they needed not to doubt the performance thereof on his part Once God did make his covenant with Mankinde and with all his creatures that he would no more destroy them from off the face of the Earth by the Waters of a flood for confirmation whereof he placed his Rain-bow in the cloud as the seal of that covenant concerning which seal he speaketh and promiseth saying It shall come to passe when I bring a cloud over the earth that the Bow shall be seen in the cloud Gen. 9.14.15 and I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh that the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh Such was the use of Circumcision when God should see the circumcision in the flesh of the fore-skin then would he remember the covenant that he had made with Abraham and with Abraham's seed to be the God of Abraham and of his seed after him And so was circumcision signum confirmationis Circumcision signum confirmationis a signe or seal of confirmation as well of the covenant it selfe on God's part as also of their faith in that covenant on their part 2ly It served to admonish them of their duties all their lives to the end that as often as they should look down upon them selves and see the signe or mark of circumcision in the flesh of their foreskin they might remember their covenant with God to be an holy and a peculiar people unto him and to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of their life They did wear Gods badge or mark in their flesh whereby he had set his stamp or mark upon them for his own people to give them to understand that they must not defile themselves or suffer themselves to be defiled according to all the abominations of the wicked Heathen nor lead an unclean life according to the fleshly lusts of their owne heart And for this cause God was pleased that they should receive names in circumcision so when Abraham was circumcised Gen. 17.5 his name was changed from Abram into Ahraham And Saint John the Baptist S. Luc. 1.63 S. Luc. 2.21 though sanctified from his Mothers wombe and our blessed Lord himselfe because he would fulfill all righteousnesse had their names in their circumcision It was a note of that subjection and perfect obedience which they did owe unto the whole Law and so it was signum admonitionis Circumcision Signum admonitionis Jer. 4.4 a sign of admonition giving them alwaies to understand their duty and that they must on their part performe the conditions of the Covenant to God-ward Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skins of your heart 3ly It was a meanes ordained by God wherein and whereby to conferre his grace upon them and to conveigh his grace unto them For God doth not jest or toy with men in the outward signes but like as he doth make a sure performance of all that which he promiseth in his vocall word the Scriptures even so doth he make a sure performance of all that which he promiseth and setteth before the eyes of men in his visible word the sacred Rom. 4.11 and mysterious Sacraments And therefore St. Paul saith That Abraham received the signe of circumcision a seale of the righteousness of faith which he had yet being uncircumcised to what purpose that he might be the Father of all them that believe though they be not circumcised Circumcision Signum praebitionis that righteousness might be imputed to them also And thus it was signum praebitionis a signe of praebition wherein he performed that which he had promised Lastly Circumcision was an externall signe of the visible Church and made that outward distinction whereby the servants of God were to be known and distinguished from the idolatrous Heathen so that they who were not circumcised had not the visible character nor were to be reputed as visible members of the visible Church And unto this alludeth St. Paul when he saith Phil. 3.2 Beware of Dogs beware of evill workers beware of the concision The Dogs were the unbelieving Heathen the evill workers were the miss-living Christians the concision were those Iewes who after the abolition of circumcision by some instrument which they had did draw up the prepuce as men ashamed of their circumcision But the true circumcision is of the Christian For saith the Apostle We are the circumcision which worship God in spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh And thus was it signum distinctionis 3. Circumcision Signum distinctionis a