Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	action_n	good_a	will_n	1,601	5	6.4879	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74998	Some baptismal abuses briefly discovered. Or A cordial endeavour to reduce the administration and use of baptism, to its primitive purity; in two parts. The first part, tending to disprove the lawfulness of infant baptism. The second part, tending to prove it necessary for persons to be baptized after they believe, their infant baptism, or any pre-profession of the Gospel notwithstanding. As also, discovering the disorder and irregularity that is in mixt communion of persons baptized, with such as are unbaptized, in church-fellowship. By William Allen.	Allen, William, d. 1686.	1653 (1653)	Wing A1075; Thomason E702_12; ESTC R10531	105,249	135

himself thereby as is most clear in the case of the Supper of the Lord he that in eating and drinking does not discern the Lords body eats and drinks Judgment to himself 1 Cor. 11.29 And because this qualification of discerning is not found in Children therefore they are not admitted to this Ordinance And how they should be uncapable of this Ordinance in this respect and yet capable of Baptism I understand not especially considering that they both represent the death of Christ Rom. 6.3 1 Cor. 11.26 both relate to the great benefit of remission of sins by him and tend to serve the important interest of men thereabout Mark 1.4 Matt. 26.28 Since they both then travel with the same blessing in the main how comes it to pass that the blessing of the one accrues not to the receiver but by his discerning the mind of God in it and yet the benefit of the other does without any such discerning if that were true which some imagine Certainly if plain Scriptures will satisfie hereabout they do inform us that it is by means of Faith and the answer of a good Conscience that Baptism becomes beneficial as to its ends as well as the Supper by a spiritual discerning as to its Colos 2.12 1 Pet. 3.21 But I shall not insist again upon that which I have already dispatched In a word the whole Ministration is denominated by Faith Galat. 3.23 25. because Faith from first to last from one end of it to the other is to steer all affairs under it on mans part to act every service to accompany every Ordinance to receive every blessing to render all actions acceptable and to make all parts of it beneficial Where this qualification therefore is known to be wanting as it is in Infants certainly there Baptism cannot be applyed without an apparent breach of the Laws and Rules of this spiritual Ministration And thus also have I made good the premisses of this third Argument the Conclusion will follow of it self without help c. AROUM IIII. MY next Argument shall be this If none ought to be baptized but such who appear voluntarily willing to be baptized in obedience to God then Infants ought not be baptized The reason hereof is because Infants Baptism cannot reasonably be supposed to proceed from any willingness in them to obey God therein they being no wise voluntary or active but altogether passive therein But none ought to be baptized Assumption but such who appear voluntarily willing to be baptized in obedience to God The reason hereof is this because without this obediential willingness Baptism will be unprofitable and fruitless to them and where we know the good of Baptism is not to be attained there it is not to be administred for in case we should it would be a profanation of the Ordinance a taking of Gods Name in vain Though the sowing of seed be never so necessary yet it would be no mans wisdom but folly to sow in such a ground or at such a season which he knows will render his seed fruitless That there is no reason to expect otherwise but that Baptism should be unprofitable to all such who do not take it up voluntarily willingly and in obedience to God appears upon this account 1. Because now under the Gospel this is the standing Rule or Law between Duties and Rewards between the using of holy Ordinances and the benefit that comes by them viz. That Duties be done and Ordinances performed willingly and in obedience to God 1 Cor. 9.17 where the Apostle speaking of his preaching the Gospel saith If I do this thing willingly I have a reward This saying of the Apostle though it were uttered upon one particular occasion yet doubtless it reaches all persons and all duties If any man do any duty willingly as unto God he shall have his reward But as Affirmatives use to include their Negatives by way of implication so it is here If I do it not willingly I have no reward For so the particle IF imports the condition upon which the reward is to be received or not received and you will spoyl the sence of the place if you suppose that if the Apostle did the thing he there speaks of he should receive a reward whether he did it willingly or no. Again 2 Cor. 8.12 If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that which a man hath and not according to that he hath not This also though it were spoken upon a particular occasion as many the great Doctrines of the Scriptures were yet it is a general proposition which reaches even all duties If there be first a willing mind that is an obedientious disposition God ward and this willingness of mind and obediential disposition is that both which puts a man upon doing his duty according to that ability he hath and which also renders the same acceptable and rewardable with God Here again this conditional particle IF If there be first a willing mind must needs imply that if this willing mind be wanting the man is not accepted his action not rewarded though he do the thing For so Paul speaking of the same duty of giving 1 Cor. 13.3 saith Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing Still teaching us that if there be an inward principle of a willing compliance with the Will of God wanting in any action which in it self is good and commanded of God yet for that very cause it becomes unprofitable to him that does it in which respect we affirm Baptism of Infants unprofitable to them 2. Promises made unto duty or upon condition of duty are rewards of that obedience which is yielded to God in discharge of duty when they are fulfilled thereupon Now it is no wise proper to say or rational to suppose that God rewards his creature man for that wherein he is only passive they being such actions which we call moral and which proceed from the motion of the Will governed by a divine Law that are rewardable by God And therefore unless Baptism be submitted unto willingly and in obedience to God which cannot be supposed in Infants the good things annexed thereto by way of promisory recompence of such obedience cannot upon any good ground be expected 3. I have proved before in another Argument That now under the Gospel-Ministration there is no benefit comes either by Baptism or any other Ordinance but by means of his Faith who partakes thereof Without Faith it is impossible to please God Hebr. 11.6 i. e. in any service to approve ones self acceptable to him For whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14.23 It then the benefit we speak of comes not without Faith then neither does it accrue without that willingness of mind and obedientious disposition God-ward we speak of because it 's impossible this should be separate from Faith I mean a