Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	acquire_v	act_n	act_v	26	3	8.0064	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85397	Impvtatio fidei. Or a treatise of justification wherein ye imputation of faith for righteousness (mentioned Rom: 43.5.) is explained & also yt great question largly handled. Whether, ye actiue obedience of Christ performed to ye morall law, be imputed in justification or noe, or how it is imputed. Wherein likewise many other difficulties and questions touching ye great busines of iustification viz ye matter, & forme thereof etc are opened & cleared. Together wth ye explication of diuerse scriptures, wch partly speake, partly seeme to speake to the matter herein discussed by John Goodwin, pastor in Coleman-street.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.; Glover, George, b. ca. 1618.	1642 (1642)	Wing G1172; Thomason E139_1; ESTC R15925	312,570	494

description of this cause given of Iustification is God himselfe Father Son and Holy Ghost considered is one and the same simple and intire essence though this act of justification as that of creation and some others besides is in special manner appropriated to the first person of the three the Father as other acts are to the other two persons Redemption to the Son Sanctification to the Holy Ghost c. in both which notwithstanding all the three persons being but one and the same int●re and undivided essence must needs be interes●ed Thus Rom. 8.33 where it is said that it is God that justifieth it is meant by way of appropriation of God the Father because there is mention made of Christ the second person immediately it is Christ that is dead c. Now that God is that kinde of cause of Iustification which hath bin attributed to him and no other is evident from the description of this cause formerly layd downe Sect. 4. of this Chapter For 1º that he is a cause of Iustification is the consent of all men without exception besides the Scripture lately cited Rom. 8. is full and pregnant this way It is God that justifieth 2º that he is neither the matter nor the forme of Iustification is sufficiently evident of it selfe neither did ever any man affirme either the one or the other of him and besides we shall cleere this further when we come to inquire after these causes 3º that he is not the end or finall cause of Iustification appeares from that property or condition of this cause mentioned Sect. 3. viz that it is to be atteyned or receive it's being by meanes of that thing whereof it is the end which cannot be verified of God or his being in respect of Iustification inasmuch as these no way depend upon it This likewise will further appeare when we come to lay downe the finall cause Therefore 4º and lastly he must of necessity be the efficient cause of Iustification there being no fift kinde of cause whereunto he should be reduced Secondly SECT 10 that he is the principall efficient cause and not instrumentall is evident also because he is not assum'd acted or made use of by any other in or about the justification of a sinner but himselfe projecteth the whole frame and cariage of all things yea and manageth and maketh use of all things instrumentally concurring or belonging thereunto It is God that justifieth the Gentiles by or through Faith Gal. 3.8 so Rom. 3.30 c. God maketh use of Faith and so of his word and of the Ministers of his word to produce Faith in the hearts of men and consequently to justifie them but none of these can be said to act or make use of God in or about this great effect Thirdly that he is the Naturall efficient cause of Iustification according to the notion and description of this cause given Sect. 5. is evident because in the exercising or putting forth this act of Iustification he acteth and worketh out of that authority and power which are essentiall and connaturall to him and not out of any superadded or acquired principle of art or otherwise whereof he is wholly uncapable It is true he is moved to the exercise of this act of ●ustifying men by somewhat that is extrinsecall and not essentiall to him viz. the intercession of the death and sufferings of Christ yet the act it selfe in the exercise of it proceeds by vertue of that authority and power which are estentiall to him as hath bin said No creature can be said to justifie or forgive any man his sinnes no not by Christ but God alone Who can forgive sinnes but God onely Mar. 2.7 Fourthly SECT 11 the Morall or internall impulsive cause of Iustification as it is an act of God is that infinite love goodnesse mercy sweetnesse and graciousnesse in God himselfe towards his poore creature Man looked upon as miserable and lying under condemnation for sinne This was the moving and procuring cause of the guift of Christ and his death and sufferings from him and consequently of that justification which is procured and purchased by Christ and his sufferings So God loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life viz by Iustification through him Ioh. 3.16 Fiftly the externall Morall or impulsive efficient cause of this act of God is the Lord Iesus Christ himselfe in or through his death and sufferings or which is the same the death and sufferings of Iesus Christ God looking upon Christ as such and so great a sufferer for the sinnes of men is thereby strengthened and provoked to deliver those that beleeve in him from their sinnes and that condemnation which is due unto them i. to justifie them The Scripture is cleere in laying downe this cause Even as God for Christs sake freely forgave you viz. your sinnes i. justified you Ephe. 4.32 Those words for Christs sake are a plaine and perfect character of that kinde of cause we now speake of This with the former i. both internall and externall impussive or moving causes are joyn'd together Rom. 3.24 And are justified freely by his grace here is the inward impulsive cause of Justification through the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus viz. by meanes of his death and sufferings here is the outward moving cause we speake of Neither can the Death and sufferings of Christ with any shew of reason or with any tolerable construction or congruitie of speaking be referred to any other cause in the businesse of justification but the impulsive only He that would make Christ the instrumentall cause of Iustification (a) Mr. Walker Socinian discovered c. p. 138. discovers himselfe to be no great Gamaliel in this learning and had need thrust his Faith out of doores as he doth in many places and not suffer it to have any thing at all to doe about his Iustification least his Christ and his Faith should be corrivalls and contend for preheminence therein And yet more repugnant to reason is it to make either Christ himselfe or any righteousnesse of his whatsoever either the matter or materiall cause of Justification which yet the Socinian Discoverer doth (b) Ibid. p. 139 or the forme or formall cause thereof which is done by some others But that is a streyne of unreasonablenesse above all the rest to make either Christ or his righteousnesse both the formall and materiall cause too of this great act of God we speake of the Justification of a sinner these causes being of so opposite a nature and different consideration as hath bin described and yet even this conceit also hath found enterteynment with some To this kinde of cause we now speake of must be reduced also the active or personall righteousnesse of Christ as farre as it hath any influence into or any waies operates towards the justificatiō of a siner For though it be not satisfactory

God in their working towards the effect having other efficients under it which worke likewise towards the same effect but depend upon it the principall cause in their working and these are causes lesse principall or instrumentall The Carpenter is the principall efficient cause of the house his Axe Saw and Hammer c. are but instrumentall efficients because though these conduce and contribute somewhat towards the building of it yet they are assum'd and ordered in their working by the Carpenter and would do nothing if they were not acted and moved by him whereas himselfe worketh independantly being acted and guided in his worke by a principle within himselfe It is true in a sense the Carpenter may be said to depend upon his instruments in working viz. as being unable to worke or build without them but in point of causalitie that only is counted a dependance when a thing is either assumed supported or directed by another in it's efficiencie none of which can be verifyed of the Carpenter in respect of his instruments wherewith he worketh Againe of causes efficient whether created or increated principall or lesse principall some are naturall some artificiall and some morall By the efficient naturall I meane that cause which hath it's efficiencie or contributes towards the effect by the exercising or putting forth● of some power that is naturall and essentiall to it Thus the Sun is the naturall efficient cause of the light in the ayre and of all other sublunarie effects which it produceth because it produceth them all only by the exercise and putting forth of such principles as of light motion influence c. as are naturall to it In this sense that kinde of efficient which otherwise is called voluntary i. that workes freely and with the knowledge of its owne working and is contradistinguished to that which is purely and simply naturall may sometimes and in respect of some effects be termed naturall also as viz. when it acteth towards any effect by any faculty principle or power that is naturall to it In this sense David may be called the naturall efficient cause of the motion of the stone wherewith Goliah was slaine Yea the increated efficient cause himselfe God I meane who in other respects is termed the supernaturall efficient may in this sense be called the naturall efficient or producing cause of the world and so of all other effects whatsoever produced by him viz. as he effecteth them either by that power or by that authority which are naturall or essentiall to him Secondly the efficient cause artificiall is that which produceth its effect by the exercise of some acquired or superadded principle or habit of art But of this kinde of cause we shall have no use in the businesse of Iustification therefore we passe by it Thirdly and lastly the morall efficient cause is that which contributes towards an effect by inclining or moving the will or desire of the naturall efficient cause capable of such motion towards the doing or effecting of any thing Thus first the wages for which a workman contracts to build an house or the like and secondly the hope he hath of receiving this wages upon the performance of this work and thirdly the inward disposition which is in the workman to undertake such a worke in consideration of such wages with the like may all be called morall efficient causes of that worke or effect whatsoever it be that is performed by him So the love and kindnesse which Ionathan in his life-time shewed to David were the morall e●●●cient causes of that favour which David shewed to Mephibosheth his Sonne With this kinde of causa●ity the greatnesse of the sinne of Sodom and Gomorrah together with the severity which is in the nature of God against such sinnes and sinners was the cause of that horrible destruction that came in fire and brimstone upon it and the sinne of Achan the cause both of his owne ruine and of his whole Family with infinite more of like consideration For that likewise is to be knowne and remembred for our better understanding of the businesse of Iustification when we come to it that this impulsive or morall efficient cause is of two sorts or kinds First that which moves the naturall efficient from within himselfe to doe such or such a thing which Logicians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly that which from without moves or inclines him accordingly which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As for example when a man upon the knowledg or sight of another mans miserie in any kind is perswaded to administer comfort or reliefe to him the miserie of the man being knowne to him is the latter kinde of cause of that comfort or reliefe which he administers and the inward tendernesse or compassionatnesse of his nature towards those that are in miserie is the former Of both these kinds of efficients there may be many in respect of one and the same effect some more principall i. more effectually moving and some lesse as will cleerely appeare in the ease of Iustification Thirdly SECT 5 of the efficient causes some are more remote and mediate others againe more neere and immediate The remote cause of a thing is that which contributeth towards the effecting of it but yet doth not reach the effect it selfe but by the interposall and mediation of another The next and immediate cause is that which produceth the effect without the interveening of any other cause betweene Thus a mans eating and drinking are the remote causes of his health and strength by meanes of a good digestion distribution and incorporation of what is so digested into the severall parts of the body coming betweene which latter are the neerer and more immediate causes thereof So the capacitie and diligence of an Apprentice in learning his Trade are remote causes of that estate or subsistence which afterwards he raiseth by working upon it and consequently of all that good which he doth in any kind with his estate so gotten So that abstinence or temperance which the Apostle speaketh of 1 Cor. 9 25. in him that striveth for masteries is the remote cause of all those victories and prizes which he obteyneth and carrieth away by running wrestling c. And generally whatsoever prepares or qualifies the naturall efficient for the producing or accomplishing of any effect may properly be called a remote cause of the same And in this respect the personall holinesse and the active obedience of Christ to the Law may be called the efficient causes of Iustification but causes remote not immediate because they qualifyed him for such sufferings whereby this great effect of justification was procured but had no immediate influence thereinto Onely that is briefly to be remembred concerning this division of causes efficient that as there may be many remote causes of one and the same effect so there may be many immediate and conjunct causes also though some great Artists conceite otherwise (a) Keckerman System Logic. l. 1.

inhereth or whereby it is supported in being the righteousnesse of Christ hath no dependance at all in respect of the being of it upon Iustification Not in the latter because that act of God whereby he justifieth a sinner is not acted or exercised upon or about the righteousnesse of Christ nor terminated in this neither is there any change or alteration made in the righteousnes of Christ by that act of God whereby he justifieth a sinner which yet must be if it were that matter we now speake of that is the object of Justification Because Iustification being a transient act in God it must of necessitie make some change or alteration in that upon which it falleth or is acted whatsoever it be the truth is that the righteousnesse of Christ being as hath bin proved the efficient impulsive cause of Iustification rather acteth and worketh upon God then he upon it when he iustifieth any man Therefore doubtlesse the righteousnesse of Christ can in no sense agreeable to truth and ordinary construction of speech be called the matter of Iustification Wherefore in the last place concerning the matter of or materiall cause of Iustification SECT 16 it can be none other but either the subject or the object of ●ustification that is either God himselfe or the person that is to be iustified For as for that kinde of matter which we called ex qua matter properly so called Iustification being an act or action is altogether uncapable of it as hath bin already said Neither hath any action whatsoever any materiall cause at all in this sense It remaineth therefore that the matter of Justification must be of that kinde of matter which is lesse properly so called whereof there are but these two species or sorts as hath bin said the matter in qua and the matter circa quam i. the the subject and the object If we take the subject of Iustification or him on whom the act it selfe of Iustification in respect of the production and being of it dependeth and will call that the matter of it then God himselfe must be the matter we inquire after because the act of Iustification in respect of the raising and bringing forth of it dependeth only upon him But this I confesse is a very uncouth and proper expression to call God the matter of justification neither hath the tongue or pen of any man I conceive ever taken any pleasure in it Or if by the subject of Iustification we understand the subjectum recipie●s that is the subject receiving and wherein the act of Iustification is terminated which is as proper a signification of the word as the other the old tried rule being that actio est in patiente tanquam in subjecto then the subject and the object will prove but one and the same viz the person that is to be iustified that is the beleeving sinner Thus it is in all other actions likewise the subject receiving the action or impression of the Agent and the object upon which the Agent acteth or worketh are still the same And for any other matter of Iustification besides that which hath bin now assign'd viz. the sinner who beleeveth I verily beleeve there is none to be found who though he be both the object and subject in the sense given of Iustification yet may he more properly be called the matter of Iustification as he is the object then as the subject thereof because the notion of matter better agreeth of the two to that which is called circà quam or the object then to the other which is the subject And this for the matter or materiall cause of Iustification the person to be iustified or beleeving sinner Fourthly and lastly to make forward towards the consideration and inquirie of the formall cause of Iustification SECT 17 about which the tongues and pens of men are turn'd into the sharpest swords First for the Popish opinion which as Bellarmine describes it from the Counsell of Trent subscribing himselfe also with both hands unto it (a) Certe concilium causam formalem justificatio●● in ipsi us justitie infusione constituit c. Bellarm. De Iustific lib. 2. c. 2. versus sinem placeth the formall cause of Iustification in the infusion of inherent righteousnesse I shall not make it matter of long confutation The opinion is built upon another opinion as rotten as it viz. perfection of inherent righteousnesse for if this be found to be imperfect and it will never be found other till this mortall hath put on immortalitie the credit of that other opinion is lost and that by consent of their owne principles who teach that in Iustification men are made perfectly and compleately righteous So that any one sinne little or great veniall or mortall proceeding from any one of their iustified ones utterly overthrowes the opinion of their Church touching the formall cause of Iustification It stands them in hand if they desire to build up this determination of their Councell with authority and honour to raise the levell of another enterprize of theirs and to prove not only a possibilitie but a necessity also of a perfect observation of the Law of God by those that are iustified and regenerate When they have quitted themselves like men in this and have layd the foundations of such a necessitie firme and strong we shall haply then consider further of their Doctrine touching the formall cause of Iustification in the meane time we shall be at libertie to make inquirie after a better Yet Secondly SECT 18 I conceive the Doctrine of the late Socinian Discoverer touching the same businesse to be no whit better but rather at a farre deeper defiance both with reason and truth The formall cause of Justification saith he (a) Mr. George Walker Socinian Discovered p. 139. is that communion betweene Christ and us and that reciprocall imputation of our sinnes to Christ and of his righteousnesse and full satisfaction to us which communion ariseth and floweth from the spirit which God sheds on us through Christ which spirit dwelling in us in some measure so as he dwelleth in the man Christ from whom he is derived to us doth make us one spirituall body with Christ and workes in us Faith and all holy graces and affections by which we adhere and cleave to Christ and apply and inioy his righteousnesse c. Doubtlesse here is a great deale too much matter to make a good forme The essentiall character of a forme or formall cause is to be a single simple and uncompounded being whereas that which is here presented to us for the forme of Justification is rudis indigestaque moles an indigested heape of compositions Surely this forme is so deformed that the Author need nor feare any corrivall or competitor with him for it Quin sine rivali seque et sua solus amabit For 1º if the Iustification we speake of or the forme of it stands in that communion which is betweene Christ and us then Christ