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	sin_n	will_n	1,909	5	6.8826	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01045	Funerals of a right reuerend father in God Patrick Forbes of Corse, Bishop of Aberdfne [sic]. Tou en hagiois reuenderendissimi in Christo patris, Patricii Forbesii a Corse, episcopi Abredoniensis, tumulus. A multis omnium ordinum collachrymantibus variegato opere exornatus.	Lindsay, David, 1565?-1627.	1631 (1631)	STC 11151; ESTC S102430	243,542	510

actions as a naturall and necessarie cause and not free it is false For Hee doeth nothing ad extra without Himselfe necessarilie but altogether freelie 2. If you say that GOD willeth not that which is formall in sinne this is not sufficient For by the materiall of sinne wherevnto they say GOD praedeterminateth they vnderstand the actions according to all the conditions and circumstances determining and making it individuall Nowe if GOD bee the cause of this inwardlie moving and praedeterminating our wills to consent therevnto Hee must needes also bee the cause of that which is formall Hence first God forbiddeth that in sin which is materiall as when He forbiddeth to commit adulterie or steale The sense is not Beware heereof that when thou takest another man's goods agaynst his will there bee in that action the privation of rectitude or meralitas malitiae for wee can not hinder this sequell of evill But the meaning is Take heede thou doe not this act wherevnto evill is necessarilie joyned If GOD forbid it and deterre from it can Hee effectuallie praedetermine mee therevnto before all inclination of my will and altogether independentlie from my libertie 2. Man is no other wayes the cause of tha● which is formall in Theft or the lyke sinne but by producing the positiue entitie and free act of taking another man's goods Hee willeth not the formall evill yea hee would that this action had beene without it yet doeth hee properlie a morall evill because evill necessarilie cleaveth vnto his action 3. Admitting that Praedetermination great and light temptations should not differ by vehemencie of the object or temptation of the Devill But all the danger should be from this Divine praemotion and impulse which beeing present wee should fall into the lightest and beeing absent should stand in the greatest assaultes All this is so absurd that even some of the Dominicans themselues though they mayntayne Praedetermination in good actions yet they denye it in evill as Franciscus Cumel Disputat ad primam partem primam secundae Thomae pag. 209. If it bee objected That the same absurdities follow vpon the immediate concourse of GOD to the act of sinne though there bee no praemotion or praedetermination I answere 1. That this praemotion is more absurd For 1. The praedeterminantes admit this immediate concurrence and the moving or impelling of the agent besides 2. Praedetermination hath a necessarie and determinate connexion with the act of sinne so that it can not bee joyned with the contrarie act and GOD they say frameth the decree of it of Himselfe and without anie respect to our will But the denyers thereof say That GODS concurrence though immediate is generall indifferent and indeterminate in so farre as the concurrence of GOD in actu primo that is GOD vt paratus ad concurrendum quantum est ex se ex munere causae primae according to His place is readie to cooperate to anie action of the creature whether good or evill This they meane by GOD'S indifferent concourse and not that the action is onelie from GOD secundùm rationem genericam as some doe chyldishlie interpret them And so probablie they teach though the act of sinne in respect of that which is materiall bee from GOD and the creature both yet considered as it is free and in respect of the moralitie founded vpon Libertie it is not from GOD. Vasquez Canus Scotus Vega Raynaud So in a vitall act of vnderstanding or loue though the vitalitie bee one with the entitie of the act yet the vitalitie of the action followeth not the same cause that the entitie thereof doeth For the act of vnderstanding is vitall by reference to that onlie principle from which it inwardlie ●loweth to wit the vnderstanding and yet it receaveth not the whole entitie or beeing from the vnderstanding alone but also from the species and habite which sometymes interveaneth Praedetermination therefore is much more repugnant to Divine Holinesse and innocencie Secondlie Some and those verie learned haue affirmed That the concurrence of GOD to evill actions is not immediate and as they speake identificatus or altogether one with the act it selfe So not onlie Durand and Aureol who denye this kynde of concurrence to anie act but also diverse others albeit saith Vasqu the opinion of Durand and Aureol taking it in the full latitude thereof hath no other patron tamen quod spectat ad actum peccati non videtur ita destituta For amongst the Schoole-men saith hee Antisiod L. 2. Summae Tract 27. C. 3. and Gregorius Arriminensis thinke it probable Diverse also in the tyme of the Master of Sentences were of this mynde as hee showeth Lib. 2. Dist. 37. where hee himselfe also dare not take vpon him to define the contrarie illarum verò sententiarum judicium prudentis lectoris arbitrio relinquimus We leaue it sayeth hee to the prudent Reader to judge which of these two opinions is most true Scotus also thinketh this opinion probable Aristotle was of this mynd sayth Lessius But which is most of all holie Augustine seemeth to haue beene of this mynde concerning evill actions Saynct Hieron Dialog 1. contra Pelag. sayeth Vasquez in the place before cited seemeth to favour this opinion but farre more clearlic August for in his second Booke de Lib. Arbit cap. 20. hee sayeth that motus aversionis which is sinne is not from GOD Ad DEVM non pertinere ne dubites sayeth hee It belongeth no wayes to GOD but to our will Neyther speaketh hee onelie of the defect but also of the act it selfe So in his Booke de perfect justitiae hee sayeth sinne is not res but actus for hee granteth a distinction betwixt these two vnderstanding by res a substance as in diverse other places he doeth therevpon he admitteth that there must bee some other author even of the act of sinne than GOD esteeming it onelie absurd to admit an author alicujus rei that is of some substance beside GOD. So hee playnlie sayeth that the motion it selfe of the will whereby wee sinne is not from GOD. Thou toldest mee sayeth hee also with a strong voyce O LORD in my inner eare howe that it is thy selfe who made all these natures and substances which are not what thy selfe is and which yet haue their being and howe that onelie is not from thee which hath no beeing no nor the will that slydeth backe from thee that art eminentlie vnto that which hath an inferiour beeing because that all such back-slyding is transgression and sinne This I haue insisted so much in to show that there is no necessitie in this philosophicall argument to make vs admit anie thing contrarie to true Divinitie and praejudice of the Sanctitie of GOD. Leaving therefore more curiouslie to search in this manner of GOD'S working I conclude this poynct with holie Augustine speaking of this matter this to wit that sinne is not from GOD

as Hee is louelie and as great puritie is there in His loue as in the perfection of His essence Hee loveth the creature indeede but for Himselfe and therefore most holie in the loue of all in the which He doeth not stay or rest but in the infinite excellencie of His owne goodnesse 2. Extensiuelie● that extendeth it selfe to infinite thinges for all that Hee seeth in His essence Hee loveth all these please Him for Himselfe and for His glorie So His Holinesse is a perfection infinitelie lifted vp aboue ours superessentiall and the infinite fulnesse of Holinesse In regard of it all holinesse in the creature howe sublime soever is as it were nothing yea and as it were impuritie even as all power wisdome beautie and excellencie compared to His Power Wisdome c. is as nothing Hence His solemne Style is THE HOLIE ONE Esai 1.4.10.20.17.7.29.19.30.11.12.31.1 c. Hence the Seraphims cry Isai. 6. HOLIE HOLIE HOLIE and the foure Beasts Revel 4.8 rest not day and night saying Holie holie holie LORD GOD All-mightie which was and 〈◊〉 and is to come Which Song the Church from most ancient tymes most devoutlie hath vsed in her Service So sweete and so desirable a voyce is this that it could not breede loathing though it were vttered both day and night say the Fathers in an ancient Councell Hence appeareth howe wonderfull is His Goodnesse that anie wayes accepteth vs dwelling in tabernacles of clay and defiled not onlie with the dust of earthlie thinges but also with the filth of sinne The Heavens are not cleane in His sight and His Angels Hee chargeth with follie Iob 15.15 and 4.18 The Seraphims cover both● their faces and feete before Him Isai. 6. If those heavenlie spirites free from all bodilie tainture attaine not to the puritie which His service might require howe can wee so farre inferiour to them whose foundation is in the dust whose flesh is as it were a mothie garment who dwell continuallie as it were and are trayned vp in sinne as Gregor Nyssen speaketh be pleasant in His sight When all is sayde of the perfection of our holinesse that can bee truelie sayde when wee are propter excellentiam vitae Greg. lib. 12. moral cap. 17. called the Heavens ye● are wee not cleane in His sight infinitelie yet are wee distant from that most sublime Light whereof the most pure light heere is but a small ray beame It is much for anie created nature howe pure soever to drawe neare anie way to Him that is onlie bright and shyning and in puritie exceedeth all bodilie and spirituall nature whose Goodnesse is His verie Being as August speaketh Notwithstanding so marvelous is His goodnesse that Hee calleth vs vndefiled and fayre holie and without blame before Him in loue and maketh vs accepted in the Beloved Ephes. 1.4.6 And thus much of Holinesse belonging to GOD as considered in Himselfe I come nowe to the second Branch which is Holinesse belonging to Him considered in His workes and wayes If wee consider GOD in His wayes Holinesse belongeth most perfectlie to Him PSAL. 145.17 The LORD is righteous in all His wayes and holie in all His workes We shall lay this open to you in some measure in these foure degrees The first whether wee consider His workes done by Himselfe alone or with vs there is no blot to be found therin Psal. 5.4 Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickednesse neyther shall evill dwell with thee Saynct Basil in a Homilie of this subject sayeth that it is as great an impietie to affirme GOD to bee the cause of evill as to say with the foole There is no GOD PSAL. 14.1 They both deny GOD to bee good For if Hee bee the cause of evill sayeth hee Hee is not good and if not good then not GOD. GOD and Good are not so neare in name as in nature Therefore sayeth hee in both these there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a denyall of GOD. Hee is not the author of those thinges whereof Hee is the revenger To affirme the contrarie is feralis opionio a detestable tenet sayeth Ambrose It is a most horrible injurie agaynst GOD sayeth Eusebius Therefore Plato commanded that none should bee permitted in the Common-wealth young or olde in sport or earnest to say that GOD is the cause of evill All that Hee made was good GEN. 1.31 And all that Hee maketh is so Hee neyther doeth evill nor desireth it to bee done neyther giveth Hee strength and concurrence for that ende neyther anie way approveth Hee it when done Habak 1.12.13 Art not Thou from everlasting O LORD my GOD my Holie One Thou art of purer eyes than to beholde evill and 〈◊〉 not looke on iniquitie And this is verie true not onelie of actuall but also of habituall evill False and absurd is it which some of the Schoolemen say that GOD may immediatelie and withou● concurrence of the second cause infound a vitious habit● into the mynde of man For such an habite should be an habituall impelling and inclyning to an evill act in respect whereof GOD might bee sayde to impe●● and vrge vs to sinne which is 〈◊〉 contrarie to His HOLINESSE The second degree is GOD willeth no Vnholinesse in anie condition or for anie ende Evill actions if proceeding from GOD could not bee allowed for anie ende howe good soever For a good ende is not sufficient to make thinges lawfull which are of themselus evill and vnhonest Ro● 3.8 Evill may not bee done that good may come And this is so true that the good which praesupponeth sinne is not desired by GOD of it selfe It is not the finall cause of permitting of sinne but causa sine qu● non If sinne bee necessarie to the execution thereof it can not be desired nor intended before sinne Such a good is the remedie of sinne repentance the chastisementes of sinne whether medicinall in this lyfe or of meere revenge in the lyfe to come the exercyse and patience and humiliation of the Sayncts the manifesting of mercie in pardoning or of justice in punishing All these and the lyke which cannot be had without the interveaning of sinne GOD desireth not of themselues neyther seeketh Hee occasion of doing them before sinne Yea of Himselfe Hee desireth that there were never occasion of anie such good though sinne beeing supponed Hee desire and intende them for then they haue rationem boni and are desirable and the execution of them may bee without sinne Hence Hee is sayd to will them not voluntate antecedente but consequente which taketh occasion of vs. Bee it farre therefore from vs to say with some that Hee made our first Parentes hoc consilio vt laberentur of purpose that they might fall because otherwayes say they Hee could not attayne to those principall endes the manifesting of his mercie in saving some and justice in punishing others since Hee could not haue mercie but on the miserable nor justlie condemne

That noble and valorous Earle ROBERT DEVEREUX Earle of ESSEX who suffred in the yeare 1601 for his rebellion and died verie Christianlie as Historicians report being desired by the Pastors who were present at his execution to laye aside all feare of death ingenuouslie confessed that although hee had beene in manie extreame daungers and consequentlie had looked death oft tymes in the face yet hee had never looked vpon it without much horrour and feare But our worthie Prelate was so wonderfullie assisted and strengthened by the Spirit of GOD agaynst the terrours of death that in all these conflictes and wrastlinges which in his bodie hee had with death hee seemed rather to bee a spectator than an actor And this his more than ordinarie carriage continued still with him vntill hee breathed out his Soule into the Bosome of his Master To conclude then I haue spoken somewhat of this most Reverende Praelate but much short of his worth graces If any of you think that I haue said too much of his vertues truelie I will professe to you that I thinke farre more of them nor I haue sayde neyther dare I speake all that I thinke lest my speaches seeme to these who know him not or loue him not to proceede from a flattering humour I will not say of him as VELLEIUS PATERCULUS sayde of SCIPIO AEMILIANUS that in all his lyfe hee neyther did nor spake nor thought anie thing but that which was prayse worthie a speach not hyperbolicke onlie but impious but as Metellus Macedonicus sayde of the same man to his sonnes when they were going to his Buriall Goe my sonnes and celebrate his Exequies you shall never see the Funeralls of a greater Citizen so I will saye nowe to you Goe celebrate the Funeralls of our Venerable and moste worthie Bishop you shall never see the Funeralls of a worthier Praelate whyle you liue And so I ende beseeching God to giue to vs all as hee gaue to him grace to liue in the LORD to the effect that we also may die in the LORD AMEN A FVNERALL SPEACH In commemoration of the right Reverend Father in GOD PATRICKE FORBES of CORSE late Bishop of ABERDENE Chancellour and Restorer of the Universitie thereof one of his Majesties most honorable Privy Counsel a jewell both of Church and State Baron of ONEIL c. Delivered Apr. 12. 1635. by ALEXANDER SCROGIE Doctor in Divinitie and ordinarie Minister of Gods word in the Cathedrall Church of ABERDENE THE beholding of this place over-shadowed with a darke and dolefull countenance vpon this vnacceptable occasion GOD so ordering and disposing the wayes of men by his providence giveth vs just cause of heavines for the losse of that Graue and Reverend Praelate and ever worthie Diocesane a Man of eminent and best place amongst vs whom albeit wee had cum necessitate amittendi and haue lost him cum spe recipiendi and so are comforted with the will of the LORD that must be done yet not to haue feeling of that which so nearlie concerneth vs were not patience but blockish stupiditie contrarie the example of Heathen and Sayncts and the Lord IESUS mourning for Lazarus the destruction of Hierusalem and hard heart of the Iewes This is a praecursorie judgement and punishment So God maketh a way for his judgementes to come vpon a Church or kingdome when insensiblie and graduallie hee eateth out the heart and strength of a State and so by degrees weakeneth and praepareth it for a fatall blow that so without resistance hee may ruine it as pyking out and taking away nowe a prudent and experienced Counsellour and then another out of the way and those that pray for the welfare of the Nation and wrastle mightilie with God for the peace of it the Charets and Horse-men of the land the staffe and the stay and pillars of the house and so by degrees departing himselfe a new judgement in his anger entereth in rowme thereof Then Trueth and Holinesse commonlie depart and Ministers begin to bee corrupt the Prophet is a foole and the spirituall man is mad the power and puritie of the trueth and the good and olde way departeth and so idolatrie groweth and Sects encrease and a perilous desolation and change of all things enseweth What mischiefe followed the death of Samuel David Salomon and Iosias The Gothes after the death of Ambrose made in that same place irruption and setled the seat of their kingdome When Augustine ended his dayes in defence of the grace of GOD the Vandales crueltie and errours succeeded And after the death of blessed Martin Luther the bloodie Spaniards invaded Germanie and tooke Wittenberg And shall wee not wit when GOD departeth but bee as Sampson GOD by death hath taken away within this short space a great number of rare and worthie men both for wisdome and learning which were Ornamentes and Lightes in this Diocie and wee see no great evidenes howe to fill vp this gap It is an ancient proverbe Vivorum oportet meminisse and why then should there not bee made an honourable mention of them who haue died in the Lord because they liue to God Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Sayncts and shall it seeme vnto vs superfluous at such tymes as these are to heare in what manner they ended their lyues he hath so exactly recorded in Scripture in what sort they haue closed their dayes on earth that hee descendeth even to their meanest actions as what meat they longed for in their sicknesse what they spake to their Children or Friendes howe they framed their Testamentes where they haue willed to bee buried yea the verie turning of their faces to this or that side the setting of their eyes the degrees whereby their naturall heate departed from them their cryes groanes breathinges panting and last gasping hee hath solemnlie commended to all generations And GOD by the Prophet hath for ever commended to the Church David his Epitaph and Funerall Song of wicked Saull and Ionathan his sonne He decoreth them as if God from Heaven had said that the Captaynes of the Armies of Israell should not bee convoyed to the graue without honour and teares And no lesse they who haue deserved well of the Church and Common-wealth who haue put to flight the enemies with the sword of their mouth and of the Spirit than they which haue slayne them with the mouth and edge of the Sword and by Armies God maketh an honourable commemoration of them that did assist his service and cause and giveth them their glorie that doe any thing for him Which Christ applyeth to the woman that anoynted him So that it is not onlie lawful but also profitable that the godlie lyfe manners and vertue manner and forme of the death of the faythfull servands of God worthie of aeternall prayse bee recommended to future ages that they may bee acquaynted therewith So the care of the