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
A87161	A glimpse of divine light, breaking through a cloud of errours. Being an explanation of certain passages exhibited by anonymus, to the commissioners of White-Hall, appointed for approbation of publick preachers, against Joseph Harrison Gospel-preacher at Lund-Chappel in Lancashire, for the supposed delivering of which, he was denied approbation. / Published by the said Joseph Harrison, and proposed to the consideration of all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.	Harrison, Joseph.	1655 (1655)	Wing H897; Thomason E841_7; ESTC R207225	67,448	83

the contrary hath been cleared in the explanation of the sixth Passage Secondly it is evident 2 Tim. 1.9 That God hath saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began Thirdly Christ himself professeth That he came not to call the righteous that is men that can act and do and think themselves able to perform such works or offer such sacrifices as can De congruo at least if not De condigno plead for the acceptance of their persons But sinners that are such as can neither act nor do but find themselves both unfit for and unworthy of any other recompence save the wages of sin which is death He called indeed all of all sorts outwardly {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to repent but these alone effectually {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to the thing repentance Mat. 9.13 That is unto an immediate and actual renunciation of all the works that they ever could and now fain would plead for themselves that loosing all they have of their own they may win the Kingdom of heaven not as their right in law according as the Pharisees laid claim unto it but violently at least in the account of all such men videlicet as sinners c. souldiers through the meer gift and absolute conquest of their Captain Iesus Mat. 11.12 13. Rom. 6.23 Nor thirdly as procuring causes of justification For as our own works are not the matter of that legal righteousnesse required in the old covenant So are they not the means of procuring that Evangelical righteousnesse which is held forth in the new Because first there is no Scripture that requireth them for that end but calleth mens labouring with that intent a seeking for righteousnesse as it were by the works of the Law and not by faith Rom 9.32.2 To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of Debt Rom. 4.4 So that if works were means to procure the new Covenant Justification we were not justified freely by grace but of due and debt It should not be said to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly His faith is counted for righteousnesse but to him that doth work and meriteth from him that justifieth the godly his work is imputed for it is righteousnesse 3. Those that assert works to be means or procuring causes say not that they are such Ratione valoris meriti propriè sic dicti By reason of any proportionable inherent worth But only Ratione pacti as they are conditions to some promise or other freely made by God and if that be true neither righteousness nor good works can be means or procuring causes of the the new Covenant Iustification because there is no promise thereof made to him that worketh or doth righteousness It is no where said in Scripture either ex pressely or implicitely that he that will work or perform such and such duties shall be justified by the blood of Jesus Nay though we read Acts 13.39 Whosoever believeth is justified yet it is no where said He that will believe shall be justified Fourthly and lastly Righteousnesse or good works are not profitable to me or other Christians either as the way through which we come as the means by which we shall get or as the condition upon which we may ground our hope of eternal Glory Not as the way For first not works but Christ alone is in Scriptures called the way Thomas saith unto him Lord we know not whether thou goest and how can we know the way Iesus saith unto him I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the Father but by me John 14.5 6. He hath consecrated for us a new and living way in opposition to the old dead legal way through the vaile that is to say his flesh Heb 10.20.2 Works cannot be the way because they are neither the truth that is the substance of the Law and ceremonies nor the life which was held forth in the promises for they being not the truth we who are unworthy must not pass that way and they not being the life we who are sold under sinne cannot passe So that though works were granted to be a way in themselves yet it is impossible that they should be a way unto us The Gulf is so great Luke 16.26 that there is no descending or ascending but by Iacobs Ladder which was put down by God and not put up by men and is of that length that the top reacheth as high as God in heaven and the foot as low as Iacob laid upon the stone Gen. 28.13 14.3 A way is a steady and immoveable thing mounted so high that the waters cannot overflow it and thence called a high-way but works are sandy and slippery soon overflowed and not able to bear us up in the time of Temptation Though we know nothing by our selves yet who dare stand upon this ground and plead not guilty before God 4. Faith might more probably be called the way to heaven than works Sith as the Apostle saith by faith we stand 2 Cor. 1.24 and have accesse by faith into the grace wherein we stand Rom. 5 2. And yet is faith only said to be a coming into the way as Ioh 6.35 and never called the way it self Let therefore works be called as they truly are viae Regni the wayes of the Kingdome or motions of those that are in the way not upwards to God for the good of themselves but downwards to men for the good of others or the going forth of Christians from God like the Angel Heb. 1.14 to do service for Christ in the world and not their coming to God by Christ as in faith and prayer to wait upon and converse with him in heaven Not as a meanes For first The Scriptures hold them forth as such 2. If the works of Christians be the means or instumental cause then are Christians themselves constituted the principal cause and consequently the Authours of their own salvation And then it shall not only be true that Christ is the Authour of eternal salvation to those that obey him Heb. 5.9 But that Christians are the Authors of their own salvation by their obedience unto Christ 3. Promises under the Gospel that seem most legal do not run like those of the Law of Moses He that doth these things shall live by them that is by them as means of life But simply thus He that doth such or such things shall live and be saved Scilicet by the mediation of Jesus Christ Nor as conditions upon which we may ground our hope of glory For first It is not works but Christ in us that is the hope of glory Col. 1.27 In all other grounds there is yea and nay a doubtfulnesse and uncertainty which occcasioned Bellarmines Tutissimum est c. and therefore no sure and stedfast

abound to his glory Rom. 3.5.7 Or if fifthly and lastly we say that out of the evil we do God many times bringeth good they will not stick to affirm that we say Let us do evil that good may come thereof whose damnation is just Rom. 3.8 The Eighth Passage Righteousnesse or good workes are to be done by me but are not profitable unto me but unto others THis Passage seemeth to contain three Positions the first Assertive Righteousness or good works are to be done by me The second exceptive But righteousness or good works are not profitable unto me The third Restrictive But righteousness or good works are profitable unto others For the first of these that it is true in Thesi is unquestionable and however it is already proved in the explanation of the fifth Passage If any take occasion from the Pronoun me and question it in Hipothesi 1. Whether righteousness or good works are to be done by Ministers 2. Whether by such as me whom those that style themselves able godly and Orthodox represent as Libertines and enemies to all good works Then first not only good works of piety such as preaching praying and the like are to be done by Ministers and sins of another nature Acted Cum privilegio Mat. 23.14 But works of righteousness and charity For first the Apostle saith Let ours also that is Homines nostri ordinis as Beza learn to maintain good works for necessary uses that they be not unfruitfull Tit. 3.14 And expressely requires these as well as those 1 Tim. 3 2 3. Secondly Paul enjoyneth Timothy to be an example to the Believers in word in conversation in charitie 1 Tim. 4.12 And Peter chargeth the Pastors in general to be examples to their flocks 1 Pet. 5.3 not to stand like posts only pointing out the way unto others but to walk in it themselves Thirdly Peter dehorteth them from false lucre from Lordlinesse and Domineering 1 Pet. 5.1 2 3. And Iohn wrot against Diotrophes who loved to have the preheminence and challenged him for prating against poor christians with malicious words and that not content therewith neither did he himself receive the brethren but forbad them that would and cast them out of the Church Ioh Epist. 3. vers. 9 10. Fourthly Melancthon who continued forty years at Whittemberg and yet was alwayes expecting a removal before the end of fourteen dayes found special need during his time both of exhorting and reproving the men of his own order and thence often cried Ab odio rabie Theologorum libera nos Domine and it is to be feared that in these dayes of ours there is not only need of reproving and censuring the Antinomian Ministers for neglecting works of piety But likewise of exhorting and admonishing the Ministers counted Orthodox to perform works of righteousness and charity to deal tenderly with religion And beware of offending the little ones Mat. 18.6 For first what Mr. Baxter saith of the humane nature in Magistrates without blemish to Magistracy I think may as truly be said of the humane nature in Ministers without blemish to the Ministrie That for the most part it can as ill bear a high estate as a mans brains can endure to stand on the pinacle of a Steeple never more subject to mis-judge of things than when advanced by the Magistrate to sit in Cathedrâ Secondly Saul I meane the blind zealot beginneth already to breath out threatenings as if he had letters in his pocket and were in hopes to mount to Damascus Thirdly if any enquire Quid rerum nunc geritur in Angliâ The answer is Consulitur de religione And I learned in a Sermon preached by the right worthy Vice-Chancellor at Oxford in my way betwixt Lancashire and London that Nunquam pejus de Religione consulitur quàm cùm incidit inter Reverendissimos 2. Righteousnes or good works are to be done in a special manner by such as me First That with well doing we may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 1 Pet. 2.15 Secondly That we adorne the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things Tit. 2.10 And make it evident to all that we are not redeemed to sin but from sin Nor that we turn the grace of God into wantonnesse but are turned from wantonnesse by the grace of God which hath not onely brought Salvation but Sanctification freely and effectually teaching us what the law can onely tell to and in appearance force from them Scilicet That denying ungodlinesse and worldly lust we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Titus 2.12 Thirdly To heap coals of fire upon the adversaries heads coales I mean Amoris to destroy the sinne if possible for the persons sake which is the Gospel-way Not Furoris to destroy the person if God will permit for the sins sake which is the legal way knowing that it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord Rom. 12.19 20. For fourthly we are not only accounted by others but really know and acknowledge our selves to be of the number of those Bankerupts to whom much is forgiven and that therefore there is much reason of our loving much Luke 7.39 43. The debt-book is frankly crossed without our paying of one farthing and therefore it is not meet that we of all men should take our fellow-servants by the throats saying to any Pay what thou owest but be tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us Eph. 4.32 And hence fifthly I cannot but admire the furious blindnesse of some zealots in these dayes that will maintain good works to be the cause if not of acquiring yet at least of continuing and not loosing Iustification and yet dare pull their fellow-servants by the throats that owe them I am confident under the value of an hundred pence Mat. 18.28 contrary to that very Scripture upon which they seem mainly to ground this their assertion RIghteousnesse or good works are not profitable unto me or other Christians First as procuring causes of election for which opinion soever be embraced whether that which presenteth man as the object thereof qua condendum qua conditum qua lapsum or qua credentem as to be created as created as fallen or as believing it matters not as to this all implying the works we now speak of to be subsequent as fruits and not antecedent as causes or conditions of election And however the Apostle saith That it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 The children being yet unborn neither having done any good or evill that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that calleth it was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger as it is written Iacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Rom. 9.11 12 13. Nor secondly as the procuring cause of conversion or vocation For first