Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	act_n	evil_a	good_a	1,399	5	3.9328	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32160	More wonders of the invisible world, or, The wonders of the invisible world display'd in five parts ... : to which is added a postscript relating to a book intitled, The life of Sir William Phips / collected by Robert Calef, merchant of Boston in New England.	Calef, Robert, 1648-1719.	1700 (1700)	Wing C288; ESTC R7219	167,192	172

unto you The Devil tho superlatively Arrogant and Proud nevertheless depends on the first cause for his Being and all his Powers without whose Influx he or any other Creature cannot subsist a moment but must either return to their primitive Nothing or be continually preserved by the same Power by the which they were at first produced therefore the Beings and Powers of all Creatures because they immediately flow from God are good and consequently the simple Actions as they proceed from those Powers are in their own nature likewise good the Evil proceeding only from the Rebellious will of the Creature wherefore 't is no Paradox but a certain truth that the same Action in respect of the first cause is good but in respect of the second is Evi● for instance the act of Copulation is in it self good instituted by God and may be explicitly willed and desired by the Soul which sinneth not for exerting the simple Act but for exerting it contrary to the Laws prescrib'd by God as in Wedlock and Adultery there is the same specifical natural Action which consider'd simply as flowing from a Power given to Man by God is certainly good but considered with relation to the rebellious will of the Adulterer who lieth with his Neighbours Wife whom he is forbid to touch is a very great Evil. We may say the same of all humane Actions the Executioner and the Murtherer do the same natural Act of striking and killing The difference consists in the rectitude of the ones and depravation of the others will These things premised what more reason have we to conclude that the Devil because he shews signs and wonders to gain belief to lyes which is very contrary to the will of God must be therefore an Independent Power than that the Adulterer the Murtherer or any other sinner because their Actions being Evil of which God cannot be the cause must be Independent Beings The deceit of the last is very palpable and I doubt not but you will readily acknowledge it for it is obvious from what has been said to the meanest Capacity to distinguish between the Action it self which is good and flows from God and the Circumstances of the Action the choice whereof proceeds from the Iniquity of the Will wherein doth solely consist the Sin the parallel is so exact that I cannot see the least shadow of reason why we ought not in like manner to distinguish whatever effect is produced by the Devil To whom as to Man God having given Powers and a Will to Rule them Powers is truly and properly the cause of all the Actions in a Natural but not Moral Sense that flow from the Powers he has given Therefore the Wonder-working Power of the Devil and the effects thereof considered as Acts of one of God's Creatures are not Evil but Good the using that Power which proceeds from the Rebellion of Satan to bear testimony to a lye is that one which constitutes the Evil thereof And now I have done with your Argument wherein you have indeed shewn great skill and dexterity in turning to your Advantage what being fairly stated makes against you as the Appearance of Angels c. observing nicely the rules of Art and particularly that grand one of concealing nay dissembling the same Art as when you quote that Scripture concerning vain Philosophy of which tho altogether foreign from the matter in hand yet you intend to serve your self with the Unthinking who measure the Sense of words by their Jingle not knowing how to weigh the things they signifie and truly herein your end is very Artificial for you intend both to throw dirt at them that differ from you and at the same time to cover your self with such a subtle web through which you may see and not be seen What follows is rather a Rhetorical Lecture such as the Patriots of Sects who commonly Explain the Holy Scriptures according to their own Dogma's and so obtrude humane Invention for the pure word of God use with their Auditors to recommend any Principle they have a mind to establish than an Impartial and through disquisition of a controverted point wherefore I do not think my self obliged to take any further notice of it especially seeing truth which for the most part is little regarded in such florid Discourses and not any prejudice of Education Interest or Party did set me about this subject I have never been used to Complement in points of Controversie therefore I hope you 'l not be angry because I have given you my thoughts naked and plain I have not the least motion in my mind of accusing you of any formal design to injure Religion I only observe unto you that your over eager contention to maintain your Principle has hurried you to assert many things of much greater danger both in themselves and their consequences than those you would seem to avoid which do amount to no more then that Men being in the ordinary course of Providence the Depositories of both Divine and Humane Laws may instead of using them to preserve pervert them to destroy which indeed is very lamentable But it is the inevitable consequent of our depraved nature and cannot be wholly remedied till Sin and the grand Author of Sin the Devil be intirely conquered and God be all in all to whom with the Son and Holy Ghost be Glory for ever Amen Sir Your Affectionate Friend to serve you Boston July 25. 1694. Boston August 17. 1694. Worthy Sir YOURS of Iuly 25. being in some sort surprising to me I could do no less than say somewhat as well to vindicate my self from those many Reflections mistakes and hard sensures therein as also to vindicate what I conceive to be Important truth and to that end find it needful to repeat some part of mine Viz. Conclusion 1. That the glorious Angels have their Mission and Commission from the most High 2. That without this they cannot appear to mankind 3. That if the glorious Angels have not that power to go till commission'd or to appear to Mortals then not the fallen Angels who are held in Chains of Darkness to the Judgment of the great Day 4. That when the Almighty free Agent has a work to bring about for his own glory or Mans good he can imploy not only the Blessed Angels but evil ones in it 5. That when the Divine Being will imploy the Agency of Evil Spirits for any service 't is with him the manner how they shall exhibit themselves whether to the bodily Eye or Intellect only or whether it shall be more or less formidable To deny these three last were to make the Devil an Independent Power and consequently a God The bare recital of these is sufficient to vindicate me from that reitterated charge of denying all appearances of Angels or Devils That the good Angels cannot appear without Mission and Commission from the most high is you say more than follows from the premises but if you like not

Word if not to prove Doctrine yet as illustrations thereof Cases of Conscience concerning Witch pag. 25. Remarkable Providences pag. 250. This perhaps might be the cause that in England a people otherways sober and Religious have for some ages in a manner wholly refused the admitting those so educated to the work of the Ministry Such education and practice have so far prevailed that it has been a means of corrupting the Christian World almost to that degree as to be ungainsayable for tho' there is Reason to hope that these Diabolical principles have not so prevail'd with multitudes of Christians as that they ascribe to a Witch and a Devil the Attributes peculiar to the Almighty yet how few are willing to be found opposing such a torrent as knowing that in so doing they shall be sure to meet with opposition to the utmost from the many both of Magistrates Ministers and People and the name of Sadducee Atheist and perhaps Witch too cast upon them most liberally by men of the highest profession in Godliness And if not so learned as some of themselves then accounted only fit to be trampled on and their Arguments tho both Rational and Scriptural as fit only for contempt But tho this be the deplorable Dilemma yet some have dared from time to time for the glory of God and the good and safety of Mens lives c. to run all these Risques And that God who has said My glory I will not give to another is able to protect those that are found doing their duty herein against all opposers and however other ways contemptible can make them useful in his own hand who has sometimes chosen the weakest Instruments that his power may be the more Illustrious And now Reverend Sir if you are conscious to your self that you have in your principles or practices been abetting to such grand Errors I cannot see how it can consist with sincerity to be so convinc'd in matters so nearly ●eidting to the glory of God and lives of Innocents and at the same time so much to fear disparagement among Men as to stifle Consc●●nce and dissemble an approving of former sentiments you know that word he that honoureth me I will honour and he that despiseth me shall be ●ightly esteemed But if you think that in these matters you have done your duty and taught people theirs and that the Doctrines cited from the 〈◊〉 Book are ungainsayable I shall conclude in almost his words He that teaches such Doctrine if through Ignorance he believes not what he saith may be a Christian But if he believes them he is in the broad path to Heathenism Devilism Popery or Atheism It is a solemn caution Gal. 1. 8. But tho we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed I hope you will not misconstrue my Intentions herein who am Reverend Sir Yours to command in what I may R. C. To the Ministers in and near Boston Ianuary 12. 1696. Christianity had been but a short time in the World when there was raised against it not only open prosest Enemies but secret and imbred underminers who sought thereby to effect that which open force had been so often basled in And notwithstanding that primitive purity and sincerity which in some good measure was still retained yet the cunning deceivers and Apostate Hereticks found opportunity to beguile the unwary and this in fundamentals Among others which then sprung up with but too much advantage in the third Century the Maniche did spread his Pestiferous sentiments and taught the Existence of two Beings or Causes of all things viz. a good and a bad but these were soon silenced by the more Orthodox Doctors and Anathematized by General Councels And at this day the American Indians another sort of Maniche entertaining thus far the same belief hold it their prudence and interest to please that evil Being as well by perpetrating other Murders as by their Bloody Sacrifices that so he may not harm them The Iron teeth of time have now almost devoured the name of the former and as to the latter it is to be hoped that as Christianity prevails among them they will abhor such abominable belief And as those primitive times were not priviledged against the spreading of dangerous Heresie so neither can any now pretend to any such Immunity tho professing the enjoyment of a primitive purity Might a Iudgment be made from the Books of the modern learned Divines or from the practice of Courts or from the Faith of many who call themselves Christians it might be modestly tho sadly concluded that the Doctrine of the Maniche at least great part of it is so far from being forgotten that 't is almost every where profest We in these ends of the Earth need not seek far for Instances in each respect to demonstrate this The Books here Printed and recommended not only by the respective Authors but by many of their Brethren do set forth that the Devil inflicts Plagues Wars Diseases Tempests and can render the most solid things invisible and can do things above and against the course of Nature and all natural causes Are these the Expressions of Orthodox believers or are they not rather expressions becoming a Maniche or a Heathen as agreeing far better with these than with the sacred Oracles our only rule the whole current whereof is so Diametrically opposite thereto that it were almost endless to mention all the Divine cautions against such abominable belief he that runs may read Psal. 62.11 and 136.4 Lam. 3.37 Amos 3.6 Jer. 4.22 Psal. 78.26 and 148.6 8. Job 38.22 to the 34. v. These places with a Multitude more do abundantly testifie that the Assertors of such power to be in the e●il Being do speak in a dialect different from the Scriptures laying a firm foundation for the Indians adorations which agrees well with what A. Ross sets forth in his Mistag Poetic p. 116. that their ancients did Vsurp the furies and their God Averinci that they might forbear to hurt them And have not the Courts in some parts of the World by their practice testified their concurrence with such belief prosecuting to Death many people upon that notion of their improving such power of the Evil one to the raising of Storms afflicting and killing of others tho at great distance from them doing things in their own persons above humane strength destroying of Cattle flying in the Air turning themselves into Cats or Dogs c. Which by the way must needs imply something of goodness to be in that evil Being who tho he has such power would not exert it were it not for this people or else that they can some way add to this mighty power And are the people a whit behind in their beliefs is there any thing abovementioned their strong Faith looks upon to be too hard for this evil Being to effect Here it

self-ends particularly because some men perhaps among all sorts of Christians have under pretence of Witchcraft coloured their own Malice Pride and Popularity we must not therefore conclude first that there are no Witches 2 or that Witches cannot be Convicted by such dear and undeniable proof as the Law of God requires in the case of Death 3. Or that a Witch so Convicted ought not to be put to death 1. That there are Witches is manifest from the precept of Moses Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live Exod. 22.18 for it is certain God would not have given a vain and unintelligible Law as this must be of putting Witches to death if there are no Witches But you object that this doth not answer our Case for we have formed another Idea of Witches than what can be gathered from Scriptures you quote four place viz. Deut 13. Mat. 24. Acts 13.2 Tim. 3. from all which you infer that Witchcraft is a maligning and opugning the Word Works and Worship of God and by an extraordinary sign seeking to seduce any from it and this you readily grant But then you say What is this to Witches now a days who are said to have made an explicit Covenant with the Devil and to be impowered by him to the doing of things strange in themselves and besides their natural course This you say does not follow and herein indeed consists the whole Controversie Therefore it is necessary that first of all we clear this point laying aside those prejudices we may have from the fatal application of this Doctrine to some who were in your judgment really at least in Law and before Men Innocent In a word we are seeking after truth and truth shall and will be truth in spite of Men and Devils I do not repeat this caution to forestall you to believe the Doctrine of Witchcraft as it is above defined without inquiring into the reason and truth of it only I desire you to enquire into it as a thing doubtful For no Man can be certain of a Negative unless either the Affirmative imply a contradiction or he can prove it by certain testimony to neither of which you pretend only you alledge it cannot be proved by Scripture i.e. you cannot prove it nor have seen it proved by any other you have read on that Subject I am not so vain to think I can do better than the Learned Authors you have consulted with tho I know not what they have done for I had no other Book but the Bible to make use of on this occasion but because I am satisfied my self I am willing to communicate my Reasons which I divide into Three heads 1. The appearance of Angels 2. The nature of Possession 3. And the Scripture notion of Witchcraft 1. Good Angels did appear to Abraham and did eat Gen. 15. it seems he wash'd their Feet it is certain he saw and heard them therefore there is no impossibility in Angels being conversant with men God is true and whatever is contained in Sacred Writ is true If we poor shallow Mortals do not comprehend the manner how that argues only our weakness and ignorance in this dark Prison of Flesh wherein we are inclosed during our abode in this vale of misery but doth not in the least infringe the verity of the Scripture it is sufficient that we undoubtedly know they have appeared unto Men in bodily shape and done their Errand they were sent on from God Now if good Angels have appeared why may not bad Surely the Devils because fallen and Evil have not therefore lost the Nature of Angels neither is there any contradiction in their appearing in a bodily shape now after any more than before their Fall But you will say you must allow of the appearances of Good Angels because of the Scripture testimony but not of bad seeing there is no place of Scripture that clearly proves it Mat. 4. The words in the Gospel do as plainly signifie the Devils outward appearance to our Saviour when he was tempted as can be express'd and when the tempter came to him he said but he answered the same from St. Luke useth to signifie the appearance of Moses and Elias in the transfiguration And behold there talked with him two men for what follows v. 31 who appeared is used to signifie not their appearance but the manner of their appearance in great Glory But you 'l urge that 't is very easie to be understood that Moses and Elias did appear because they had human bodies but that it is unintelligible to you how the Devil being a Spirit can appear a Spirit i.e. a substance void of all dimensions therefore the words in the History must not be taken in a literal Sense Do not mistake tho some Philosophers are of opinion which whether true or false is all one to our present Argument that a Spirits substance is extended and hath besides length breadth and depth a fourth dimension viz. essential spissitude yet the same do not say that pure substance is perceptible by our bodily Senses on the contrary they tell us that Spirits are cloathed with vehicles i.e. they are united to certain portions of matter which they inform move and actuate Now this we must not reject as impossible because we cannot comprehend the forma● reason how a Spirit acts upon matter For who can give the Reason that upon the Volition of the human Soul the Hand should be lifted up or any ways moved for to say the Contraction of the Muscles is the Mechanick cause of voluntary motion is not to solve the Question which recurs why upon Volition should that Contraction ensue which causes that motion all that I know the wisest Man ever said upon this head is that it is the will of the Creator who hath ordered such a species of thinking Creatures by a Catholick Law to be united to such portions of matter so and so disposed or if you will in the vulgar Phrase to Organiz'd bodies and that there should be between them and the several bodies they are united to a mutual re-action and passion Now you see how little we know of the reason of that which is most near to us and most certain viz. The Souls informing the Body yet you would think it a bad Argument if one should as some have done include from this our Ignorance that there was nothing in us but matter it is no otherways to deny a Spirits acting a Vehicle The plainest and most certain things when denied are hardest to be proved therefore the Axiom faith well contra principia c. There are some certain truths which are rather to be explained to young beginners than proved upon which yet all Science is built as every whole is more than his part and of this sort I take these two following 1. That there are two substances Cor●us Mens Body and Spirit altogether different for the Ideas we have of them are quite distinct 2. That a