Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	apostle_n	faith_n	justification_n	1,402	5	8.9969	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96265	A discovery, and confutation of the opinions, and practises of some false brethren, betwixt Bridge, and Lincolne: shewing how they agree in their opinions, with Pelagians; Papists; Arminians; in their practises, with Anabaptists. Wherein univerall redemption is confuted; and Gods absolute decree confirmed. / By John Wetherall, minister of Spridlington, near Lincolne. March 22. 1651. Imprimatur. John Downame.	Wetherall, John, minister of Spridlington.	1652 (1652)	Wing W1523; Thomason E661_1; ESTC R206761	53,660	88

persevere to the end whilest they are yet alive The Minor is true for they are the words of S. Luke and S. John ut suprà and I could prove it out of a hundred places therefore the Conclusion cannot be false Perseverance can be no condition in the Object of Election They even all of them Universalists Papists Arminians defend falling away from Grace and they prove it de facto by a fearfull Argument for they themselves have faln from the Faith and the Reformed Churches Arg. 2. They who were given to Christ antecedenter ad Fidem that they might be Faithfull they were Elect antecedenter ad Fidem that they might have Faith and Perseveranee not because they were such but some are given to Christ that they might have Faith and Perseverance therefore they were elect that they might be Faithfull not for their Faith the Major none can deny and the Minor may be proved out of Ephes 1. 4. Hee hath chosen us before the foundation of the world that wee should bee holy and without blame before him not because we were holy the Apostle saith the same Ephes 2. 10. Faith is the fruit not the tree the Effect not the Cause of Election we are elected to faith not for faith antecedenter ad fidem as I said not propter fidem there is no other Cause of our Election but only the Will of God Nay more the mediation of Christ is not the Cause of Gods Decree but Gods Decree è contra is the Cause of Christs mediation he Predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his owne will Ephes 1. 5. The Jewes were rejected for their unbeliefe the Gentiles were not elected for their Faith but they stood by Faith Rom. 11. 20. We never read that any People or particular Nation was elected for their Faith the contrary we often read as Deut. 7. 7. 8. Ezek. 16. First the Lord saith this is my People before the People can say the Lord is our God Zach. 13. 9. Vera Electio non invenit sed facit fideles true Election finds us not but makes us faithfull Qui enim de mundo mundum eligi fecit quod eligeret non invenit saith Augustin in Joh. 15. God chose a World out of the World for nothing that was in the World Indeed Arminius stands to it stoutly that Faith in Gods Decree of Election doth in order goe before not follow Election But yet that old Axiome is and will be truth when Heresies and Hereticks are dead with the Devill their Father Deus in negotio Predestinationis non egreditur extràse God in Predestination goes not out of himselfe Arg. 3. The Scriptures teach us that on some God will shew Mercy on others his Justice Exod. 33. 19. Rom. 9. 22. 23. of his owne Free Will or good pleasure which proves that Election is neither for Faith nor of all Of the same Clay the Potter maketh both the Vessels that serve for cleane uses and likewise also such as serve to the contrary but what is the use of either sort the Potter himselfe is the Judge Wisedome 15. 7. O house of Israel can not I doe with you as the Potter saith the Lord Behold as the clay is in the Potters hand so are ye in mine O house of Israel Jer. 18. 6. And if any man will strive against God for doing with us as he pleaseth the Prophet Isaiah pronounceth a woe against such an one Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker Let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth shall the Clay say to him that fashioneth it what makest thou Woe unto him that saith to his Father what begettest thou c. Isa 45. 9. 10. God hath got the upper ground doe not contend against him Arg. 4. Christ saith hee had sheep among the Gentiles Other sheep I have that are not of this fold John 10. 16 Therefore God had much people among them that had not heard of him now this cannot be by Election or in the Decree and Eternall Counsell of God therefore there is a singular Election even of such as never had Faith Arg. 5. Our Adversaries might remember Christ sayth But many are called and fewer chosen Matt. 20. 16. 22. 14. From which words it followes there is neither an universall Vocation nor an universall Election but I touched these things before and shall heereafter when I come to prove Gods absolute Decree Their Universall Vocation is of the same stampe with their Universall Election as counterfet coyne I proved it before and I may adde further This Opinion necessarily implies that God gives grace and means sufficient for salvation to all men and supposes that there is no mortall man old or yong Christian or Pagan from the beginning of the World unto the end thereof but God reveales to him the means of salvation and at least in some instant of his life he sets him in such a state that he may enjoy the means if he will and be saved the Consequence is thus proved because if God will onely save such as use the means of salvation well and damn such as use them ill and that consequently because they use them well or ill then he must in justice reveale and exhibit these means unto them because no man by himselfe can recover them and hee must reveale and exhibite them to man when he is in such a state that he hath the use of his Free Will as a King that wills the safety of his Subjects on condition that they keep his Lawes is bound to publish and make his Lawes known unto them else if he execute any of them it must be upon a new point and not upon their not keeping his Lawes so also it is impossible that God should reprobate any for the ill use of his grace and contempt of the means of salvation that never had those meanes nor ever heard of his grace as many millions of people in all Ages have beene and now are The first sort whereof are Infants that either die in the womb or unbaptized or reach not to years of discretion and the use of reason and Free Will now Predestination is of no other reason in Infants then in Old folke but upon the same grounds and in the same maner that God wills the salvation of the one he wills the salvation of the other then let the Universalist tell me how the means of salvation is applied to Infants or how they can make use of the means The second sort that never had or heard of the means of salvation are Idiots such as are born Naturalls without the use of Reason of whom the same may be sayd that is of Infants that for want of Reason and the use of Free Will they cannot be said to have sufficient means for to the sufficiency of the meanes must concurre not only the perfection of the helpe revealed but also the ability of

the Inke passively and brings nothing of its owne to the writing but being written on it becommeth an Instrument with me of the writing so is it in the Will of man at his Conversion It is God only that doth justifie Rom. 8. 33. For it is he onely that forgiveth sins Esa 43. 25. It is he only that can by makeing us righteous in Christ gives us right and title to the Kingdome of Heaven It is no action therefore of our owne or of any Creature neither is it wrought by our owne Preparations and Dispositions For although every man is bound to use all Meanes to attaine to Justification Yet it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9. 16. For if God bee the Agent in justifying us then are We the Patients and for that cause we are never in the Scriptures exhorted to justification or to the parts thereof which are not our officia or duties but Gods beneficia or blessings as we are to the duties of sanctification whereunto we being already justified and regenerated doe cooperate with the Spirit of Grace If the Sonne have made us free wee shall be free indeed Rom. 8. 36. We are made free for of our selves we are the servants of sinne Rom. 6. 18. 20. Better is it to ascribe too little then too much to Free Will if I offend be it rather in giving more to Gods Grace Absur 7. Seventhly hence it follows that Predestination is mutable all things being forelaid which are necessary sufficient for perseverance it remaineth still in the power of man to persevere or not to persevere saith Bertius in his Booke of the Apostacy of Saints and he endeavoureth to prove this bold I had almost said blasphemous Assertion by divers Texts of Scripture Non esse hominum alios ad vitam alios ad mortem aut perditionem deputatos sed de salute ad perditionem de perditione ad salutem transire posse there are not any particulars appoynted to life or death but they may passe from either state to the other sayd Pelagius and numerus Electorum potest augeri ac minui the number of the Elect may be lesse or more sayd G●evincho Thes exhibit pag. 137. Then Paul may or may not be saved and whosoever is Predestinated is but contingently Predestinated if he persevere then the Authour to the Hebrewes is out where he saith the Counsell of God is immutable Heb. 6. 17. Then the Papists may say there is no Predestination of the Reprobate they are onely fore-knowne which is true in sano sensu but not in their sence Absurd 8. Eightly hence it followes all men are disposed and ordained of God so as they may obtaine Eternall Life if they will their Predestination being like unto an Hypotheticall Proposition Absurd 9. Ninthly hence follows falling from Grace that the Seale of Gods Election is not sure that some who were given to Christ may be lost Or as if after our Regeneration there were as at our Creation a posse mori we might die from God woe to man if his condition were the same in the second Adam that it was in the first Indeed sides quae creditur may be forsaken but from or a side qua creditur we cannot fall away It is contrary to the sixteenth Article which is against a totall and finall falling from Grace for the Article speakes of falling into sinne after Baptisme and rising againe by the same Grace Now he that falleth finally cannot rise againe and he that falleth totally from Grace cannot rise againe by the Grace he had received because he is supposed to have lost all the Grace he received The Reformed Churches all of them united disclaime the Doctrine of falling from Grace Indeed the Righteousnesse required by the Law may be lost and it is of that the Prophet speakes Ezek. 18. But the Righteousnesse promised by the Gospel cannot be lost Card. Bellarm. himselfe speakes truth sometimes in this particular touching the Apostacy of Saints it is true saith he that the Predestinated or Elected are in no danger of losing Eternall Life and that the terrifying threats used by the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures are to this end to stirre up the Elect to watchfulnesse and diligence Lib. 3. de Justif cap. 12. so that Motives they are to and Meanes of Perseverance no Arguments at all to prove the Saints Apostacy Absurd 10. Tenthly hence Justification by God onely is utterly overthrowne even in the Nature of it which signifies justum facere to make just not invenire to finde us just for Justification is the Action of God without us To the Faithfull there belongeth a two fold Righteousnes the one of Justification the other of Sanctification the former is the Righteousnesse of Christ and therefore the Righteousnesse of God because it is the Righteousnesse of him that is God and is imputed onely to the Believer The latter is ours because inherent in us though received from God as all our good things are of this second there is no question and the first being ab extra cannot be from our fore-seene Faith or Workes Absurd 11. Eleventhly hence it followes that God cannot tell who are his till they persevere to the end and therefore Arminius was forced to make the Object of Gods Decree onely qui vixerunt quoties fideles statuimus objectum Electionis toties nos fidem perseverantiam in fide conjungimus saith Grevinchovius Our Register Bookes must first be given in such a man dyed such a day before his name can be written in the Register Booke of God contrary to Act. 9. 15. where Paul is called a chosen Vessell even whilst he was a Persecutor and was going to Damascus with that intent and contrary to Act. 13. 48. where in the first instance of their Conversion it is sayd As many as were ordained to eternall life did believe Absurd 12. Lastly Universall Grace or Universall Redemption was the opinion of that wicked Heretick Pelagius condemned in a Generall Councell held at Malta about the yeare 425. against the Pelagians and Donatists at which Augustine was present and 214. Bishops and at a Counsell in Affrick where all the Provinces came together in the time of Boniface and Celestine Bishops of Rome to condemne Pelagius Prosper in an Epistle which hee writ to Augustine de Reliquiis Pelagianae Haereseos hath these words Hane Pelagianorum definitionem professionemesse Universis hominibus propitiationem quae est in sacramento sanguinis Chriti sine exceptione esse propositam pro Universo humano genere mortuum esse Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum neminem prorsus a Redemptione sanguin●s ejus exceptum etiamsi omnem hanc vitam alienissimam ab eo mente pertranseat that is the Pelagians professe that the propitiation into or by the bloud of Christ without exception is common to all that Christ died for all mankinde and none is excepted although he be all