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	grace_n	work_n	1,598	5	6.0605	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52371	No popery, or, A catechism against popery wherein the heretical doctrins, idolatrous worship, and superstitious practices of the Roman Church are briefly yet plainly refuted, and the Protestant principles proved by testimonies of Holy Scripture, and evidence of reason / by a minister of the Gospell.	Minister of the Gospell.	1682 (1682)	Wing N1187; ESTC R19866	57,846	152

Alms c. 4. Above all he is free and at liberty to sin Q. Hath not an unregenerate man Free Will to Actions freely good and pleasing unto God such as Faith Repentance and Love to God A. No for Jesus Christ teaches us that Whosoever committeth s●n is the servant of sin John 8.34 and Matth. 7.18 that A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruits And S. Paul Rom. 8.7 tells us that The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be And the same Apostle says that Men before they are savingly called are dead in their trespasses and sins Ephes 2.1 Q. What think you of the brave Actions of Pagans and the heroick Vertues which shined in them A. That they were brave and splendid Actions but that they could not be pleasing unto God because they were not moved by the consideration of his Glory but by their own Ambition and that these great men not being in Christ and being destitute of faith could not please God as the Apostle teacheth us that Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Q. May not these civil Vertues which are in unregenerate men be saving dispositions to the Grace of God and merits of Congruity which may incline God to be merciful to them A. No For S. Paul says 2 Tim. 1.9 that God hath saved us and called us with an holy Calling not according to our works but according to his own Purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began And our Lord Jesus Christ doth not refer the Cause of his Disciples being called to the knowledge of God rather than the Pharisees to any thing but God's good pleasure Matth. 11.26 I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid those things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight Q. What doth a man then contribute towards his heavenly Callong A. No more than one dead to his Resurrection or Adam to his Creation or a Child to his Conception and therefore Regeneration is called in the Word of God a Resurrection Col. 2.12 You are risen through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised Jesus Christ from the dead And a Creation Ephes 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works A Generation James 1.18 Of his own Will begat he us with the Word of Truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his Creatures SECT XXVII Of Man's Free Will in a State of Grace Quest BVT After God hath called a man from a state of Sin to a state of Grace hath be not Free Will to apply himself to that which is good A. Yes For Jesus Christ saith John 6.36 If the Son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed even as when Jesus Christ had raised Lazarus from the dead he commanded that they should untie him and let him go So after God hath raised a man from the state of spiritual death and delivered him from the bonds of Sin he walketh freely in the paths of Righteousness and with gladness of heart willingly employs himself in his Service Rom. 7.22 Q. Do you think that after God hath called a man to Salvation he leaves him to himself and to his own conduct A. No For the same Grace of God which hath begun the work will accompany us Phil. 1.6 He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ And Chap. 2.13 It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure All the good motions of regenerate men proceed from the Grace of God 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God Q. This being so a regenerate man is not at liberty since it is not he properly that acteth but God in him A. This doth not follow for God worketh so in the Will of Believers that he taketh not away their liberty but on the contrary maketh it more perfect making them incline to good not constrainedly but with a willing and filial Obedience Psal 119.32 35. Q. How do you understand this Divine Co-operation A. That God doth not deal with Believers as Stones or Stocks which are moved and drawn without feeling but as with Creatures endowed with Reason he conducts and moves them to good by enlightning their Understanding and sanctifying their Will and Affections So that whereas they were refractory he makes them become obedient and by the efficacy of Grace and a force without constraint he so draws them that he makes them follow his Will and Conduct freely and with delight as the Spouse says in Cant. 1.4 Draw me we shall run after thee And the Prophet Jeremy Lament 5.21 Turn us O Lord and we shall be turned And John 6.44 Our Saviour says No man can come to me except the Father draw him We go then to Christ when it pleases the Father to draw us Q. Doth not this Doctrine make men negligent in good Works A. No On the contrary S. Paul Phil. 2.12 exhorts us to work out our Salvation c. because It is God that worketh in us to will and to do according to his good pleasure Q. Is this Free Will to do good in Believers perfect A. No For their Regeneration is yet imperfect and there remains something of their Bondage to sin which is the cause that they do not the good that they would but the evil that they would not as S. Paul speaketh of himself Rom. 7.15 Q. When is it then that Man 's Free Will shall be perfect A. When the Soul delivered from this mortal Body shall enjoy the presence of God in Heaven for ther the Soul being made perfectly holy shall be also perfectly free as the Angels are and the Spirits of the Just SECT XXVIII Of Justification Quest WHat doth this word Justifie signifie in the Scripture A. To absolve the Just and therefore it is ordinarily opposed to the word Condemn Prov. 17.15 He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord. And Matth. 12.37 By thy words thou shalt be justiised and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Q. Who is it can justifie and absolve us A. God only Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth Q. Wherein consisteth that Justification A. In the free Remission and Pardon of Sin which he giveth us as David says Psal 32.1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sins are covered Rom. 4.6 7. Q. Vpon what consideration doth God justifie men and pardon their sin A. Upon the account of Christ's Righteousness and full Obedience he hath rendred unto his Father which he hath particularly testified in being obedient

of their Salvation but it follows not that other Believers must have such Assurance A. It doth follow since that these Saints had not this Assurance by an extraordinary Revelation of their Salvation but that it was built upon the goodness of God the stability of his Promises and upon the efficacy of the death and intercession of Jesus Christ which are Motives and Considerations common to all Believers Q. Have Believers always this Assurance A. No For Faith hath its weaknesses and distempers and according as Sin and the Flesh predominates Faith and Assurance diminishes but at last Faith becomes victorious Q. But may not one be deceived in this Assurance and take carnal Security for true Faith and Assurance A. I grant some may deceive themselves but from thence it follows not but that true Believers may know they have a true Faith otherwise S. Paul's Exhortation was in vain 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith if it cannot be known by Examination Q. By what marks do you certainly know true Faith A. By its effects as a Tree by its Fruits Matth. 7.16 If it worketh by love Gal. 5.6 If it produces in us the love of God and disesteem of the World Ardour and pleasure in praying to God and Zeal for his Glory And besides these Testimonies a Believer hath The spirit of God which beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God Rom. 8.16 Which sealeth us unto the day of Redemption Ephes 4.30 and Who is the Earnest of our Inheritance until the Redemption of the purchased Possession unto the praise of his Glory Ephes 1.14 Q. This Doctrine seems to incline men to be licentious for every one may say If I have assurance of Salvation what need I employ my self in good works A. This is the thought of a prophane person and not of a child of God for none can promise themselves Salvation without good works We know not our Election by Election but by the examination of our Consciences therefore S. Peter 2 Epist 1.10 compared with vers 5 6 7 8. would have us give diligence to make our Calling and Election sure by good works And the Holy Ghost who is the Spirit of Adoption in the hearts of Believers is also the spirit of Holiness And in witnessing to them that they are the children of God he giveth to them also such holy Motions and Affections Q. Yet in the Scripture we are often exhorted to fear and trembling Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling And Phil. 2.12 S. Paul would have us to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling And 1 Cor. 10.12 Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall A. By these words we are not exhorted to distrust but to a reverend fear and to walk before God with an holy care and fear lest we should offend him And this fear of God is so far from being prejudicial to the Confidence we ought to have in the goodness of God and to the assurance of Salvation that on the contrary it is an effect of Faith and a most assured indication that our Assurance is not a carnal Security but sincere and right and in this fear Believers walk on to the Salvation that they wait for Jer. 32.40 Acts 9.31 SECT XXXIII Of Sin and if all Men are Sinners Quest WHat is Sin A. Whatsoever is contrary to the Law 1 Joh. 3.4 Q. Are all Men defiled therewith A. Yes except only Jesus Christ who is the Lamb without blemish 1 Pet. 1.19 For if we say we have no sin we are Lyers and the truth is not in us 1 Joh. 1.8 In many things we offend all James 3.2 Q. Yet the Scripture gives testimony to many Believers that they have walked without reproach in the Commandments of God that they have been holy and righteous and have loved God with all their heart as David Job Zacharia and Elizabeth A. These things are not said of them because they were without sin for the Scripture it self gives us an account of great sins committed by them as of David's Adultery Zacharia's Distrust Job's Murmuring but because they walked in the integrity of Conscience and gave themselves with all their heart and power to serve God Q. In what sense then are Believers called just and holy A. They are called just and righteous because the Righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to them Rom. 1.17 and they are accepted of God as righteous themselves Secondly They are called righteous in opposition to the wicked which the Word of God calls Workers of iniquity Thirdly They are particularly called holy because God sanctifies them by his Spirit and consecrates them to his Service and calls them to be Saints Rom. 5.17 and 6.17 Q. Why doth David say then Psal 18.24 that God hath recompensed him according to his Righteousness and according to the cleanness of his hands A. He speaks so to maintain the innocence of his Carriage in respect of Saul and his other Enemies which persecuted him without cause but when he speaks of his Righteousness before God he prays that He would not enter into Judgment with his Servant for in thy sight says he shall no man living be justified Psal 143.2 and Psal 130.3 4. If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquity O Lord who shall stand But there is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared Q. Notwithstanding S. Paul speaks of perfect men Phil. 3.15 Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded A. S. Paul calls not them perfect in respect of their fulfilling of the Law but in respect of the perfection of their growth and Advancement in the knowledge of God and therefore he opposed 1 Cor. 14.20 perfect men to children Be not childrin in understanding but be ye children in malice but in understanding be ye men in the Original be ye perfect And the Apostle Heb. 5.14 says that Strong meat that is to say Solid Doctrine belongeth to them that are of full age even those who by reason of their use have their Senses exercised to discern both good and bad SECT XXXIV Of Venial and Mortal Sins Quest WHat doth Sin deserve A. Death The soul that sinneth shall die Ezek. 18.4 Q. Yes indeed for mortal sins but there are venial sins which are of so small importance that it would seem that they merited not to be punished with death A. The Word of God makes no such distinction it shews us indeed that some Sins are more grievous than others and that he who knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes but it shews us likewise that all Sins without exception are by nature worthy of death Rom. 6.23 The wages of Sin is death And our Saviour tells us Matth. 12.36 That for every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement and Matth. 5.22 That he who call'd his Brother Fool is