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	word_n	1,525	5	4.2834	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11256	The key of David that openeth the gates to the citie of God also, of faith and repentance, and how they are wrought, and brought to passe, and whether faith be commanded in the law or not.	T. S.	1610 (1610)	STC 21520.5; ESTC S4869	26,727	88

then it signifieth either the doctrine of the Gospell it selfe or the faithfull discharge of their office that preach the same or else some speciall gift which the holy ghost vouchsafeth vnto vs Now of those gifts of the holy ghost there are but three onely which are intituled by the name of faith For sometimes the knowledge of that great mysterie which the holy ghost reuealeth and the certaine vnderstanding of the truth of GOD is called faith which may fitly be named either historicall Faith or the faith of knowledge Now for this Faith although al the Saints haue it in some measure yet is it not peculiar to them alone for vsually many wicked and filthy doe excell in this yea euen Satan himselfe doth goe farre beyond all others in this kind of Faith For hee beleeueth that God is the creatour of the world that hee is Lord ouer all and acknowledgeth himselfe vnder his dominion And that God made all things by his word as it is written Gen. 1.3 Psal 33.9 He spake the word and they were made he beleeueth this word to be that which is both called the Son of God and is so indeed by whom and for whom all things were made begotten before all time the immortall and wise God alwaies blessed for euer and euer Who after diuers maners appeared to the fathers and spake by the Prophets Hee beleeueth that the same Word in fulnesse of time came downe into the Virgin by the power of the holy ghost was made flesh and of her was born that annointed Sauiour thence-forth called Iesus Christ that the same wrought great miracles preached that hidden mystery of the will of GOD which beeing at that time almost buried in obliuion was long before foretold by the Prophets and hee likewise sealed and confirmed it by his Apostles Hee beleeueth furthermore that the same Word or sonne of GOD Christ Iesus after all this was nailed to the crosse dead and buried according to the Scriptures the third day rose to life againe and was taken vp into heauen sitteth there at the right hand of the Father which hath put all things vnder bis feete Because hee alone is worthy Hee is also most vndoubtedly perswaded that the Lord Iesus Christ did for supplying his own place send down from heau en the powerfull efficacie of his holy spirit to guide and gouerne his Church which past question is nothing else but the company and societie of his holy ones in all places here and there scattered ouer the whole world And hee beleeueth that this companie of Gods owne people is sanctified by the lauer of repentance and the word of faith to bee an holy nation for euer to the Lord himselfe Hee beleeueth moreouer that the same Lord Iesus shall at the last day come in the clouds with greatest power and shall then take vp the Saints to receiue reward of eternall life and to enioy the promises of heauen But as for the vngodly and wicked his comming shall bee to condemne them vnto euerlasting fire yet both sorts shall in that day receiue their fleshly bodies with restauration whereof they shall from the first death returne againe And with thus much faith the very skirmigers of Satan Bribers promoters hypocrites witches heretickes reprobates couetous persons whoremongers and filthy fellows of which kinde of beleeuers at this day the whole world is full betwixt whom and Infidels this is all the difference the one by not beleeuing like wretches as they are doe come vnto perdition the other by beleeuing in such wofull manner as they doe bring themselues to most damnable destruction This kinde of faith if any one would define he may well expresse his minde in saying that it is nothing else but a sure knowledge and a setled assent of the minde by which any man most vndoubtedly beleeueth such things to bee reuealed for the saluation of mankind Secondly that gift of the holy ghost by which any one causeth great admiration to be amongst the people at his great signes and wonders is very often in holy writ called by the name of faith which not vnfitly wee may call miraculous faith But this faith neither haue all the sanctified nor they onely For Iohn wrought no miracles although on the contrarie Iudas did excel therin And with this faith are sometimes notably indued and made famous those witches deceiuers and Iuglers which Rome that head of abominations both calleth Saints and worshippeth them also with altar praiers and Images of whom our Sauiour hath foretold saying And they shall doe great wonders Math. 24. works of great power so that they would deceiue if it were possible the very elect And this kinde of faith may one sitly define in this manner namely that it is a certaine vndoubted confidence whereby one beleeueth that God will by him doe this or that miracle Thirdly that the gift of the holy ghost which any one receiues to eternall life is called by the name of Faith and that most often of all the rest which very same the scripture calleth the Faith of God The faith of the son of God The faith of Abraham The faith of Iesus The faith of Christ and the faith of Iesus Christ The professors of diuinitie haue significantly named it Iustifying Faith Now for this kinde of Faith both all the Saints and they onely haue it for this kinde of faith cannot befall any but such as are sanctified This faith if wee will wee may fitly define in this manner Namely that it is a certaine full and firme confidence engrauen by the power of the holy Ghost in the heart of such a one as is penitent whereby hee assuredly beleeueth that all his sinnes are remitted and that hee is reconciled and made one with God in an euerlasting loue through Christ Iesus See now B. this is the Faith which sanctifieth him that hath it and of one miserable maketh him Blessed as it is written Psal 32.1 Belssed is the man whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose God is the Lord Iehouah Behold B. this is the Faith which Iustifieth the wicked and by which the Iustified liueth as it is written The iust shall liue by Faith Abac. 2.4 This is that faith which ouercommeth which excelleth and which the diuine writer to the Heb. setteth forth with such ornament and inuironeth on euery side with such a multitude of praises this is the faith vvhose worth and fairenesse so cleerely shineth throughout the scripture that as it is to bee wondred how euer it could be so grossely darkned by the vnskilfulnesse of some wise diuines of this our age so much more maruellous is it that the ignorance of such a great benefit especially in this cleare light of all things should not hitherto by Gods most righteous iudgement be seuerely punished And this is that faith concerning which is all the controuersie this day betwixt me and B. which also the Apostle commendeth to the Romans in these words

Rom. 3.28 Therefore wee conclude that a man is Iustified by faith Whilst B. is inquiring and searching for the originall or beginning of this faith First of all he is reckoning vp the causes thereof but hee doth that very vntowardly for hee speaketh of the Efficient cause and of no more but that one He might haue dealt more exactly in all mens iudgements if hee had put downe all the rest of the causes But at once to rid the silly man of that trouble for as it seemeth he sticketh fast hereat we say that the matter of this faith is a sure full and vndoubted trust or confidence the forme is the fauour or grace of God the Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ The efficient cause is the finger of God Viz. the holy Ghost who alone imprinteth this confidence of Grace in the hearts of the elect The end subordinate is the saluation of the Saints but the maine and cheefest end is the glory of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and the holy spirit one God blessed for euer be all power praise honour throughout all times and ages Amen Now then wee vnderstand what faith is as also the causes and essentiall parts wherof it consisteth viz Confidence or trust and grace or fauour Therefore let vs thus passe ouer these things yet so as although wee haue dispatched them aforehand neuerthelesse wee will that they remaine still in minde for our help in those matters that follow after that wee may haue an eie as it were backe againe vnto them as occasion shall require One thing onely is yet behinde yet the greatest of al euen that wherin the summe of the whole controuersie is placed Namely that wee discusse this point How this so precious faith is wrought and ingrafted in men and by what degrees wee must attaine vnto it In the setting foorth whereof if our Diuines had walked so vprightly as they ought to haue done in so waightie a cause peraduenture wee might haue had this powerfull faith vpon earth the true nature whereof being now as it were vtterly lost wee doe retaine nothing of it but the bare shadow onely First let vs see what B. holdeth concerning this point and then wee will establish the truth it selfe Whilest B. goeth about to proue vnto vs the petigree as it were of Faith or whence or how it commeth he teacheth that the whole substance or nature thereof ariseth and issueth from three effects or workes of the holy Ghost the first of which hee saith is knowledge the second as it were an increase of the former he calleth assent and the third beeing the end and perfection of al the rest is trust or cōfidence Now in asmuch as hee saith these are three effects or works of the holy Ghost that doth hee well enough But in this that hee teacheth them to be essentiall parts of faith therein hee is much amisse But let vs discusse these things seuerally and in order This first worke therefore of the holy Ghost B. with moe doth call it the gift of illumination or the faith of knowledge And hee teacheth that the same is incident to vncleane spirits and wicked men into whom the Faith of Abraham can no way come For which cause I do the more exceedingly wonder at the man that when as hee perceiued these differing natures of Faith and knew them to bee as sundry specials of one and the same generall and so diuers gifts of one and the same spirit yet for all that hee maketh one an essentiall part of another for indeed howsoeuer this faith of knowledge doth necessarily goe before the faith of Abraham yet doth it not thereupon follow that it is an essentiall part thereof for many things may bee of such necessitie that some worke cannot bee dispatched vnlesse they be had before yet were it a very improper speech to say that they be of the essence or parts substantiall whereof such worke is made and consisteth it is most necessarie that a man should be born before hee can be an Arithmetitian is birth therefore a part of Arithmetick It is necessarie for him that will deale iustly first of all to consider the case prudently is prudence therefore a part of Iustice But euen like stuffe to this is that also which presently hee inferreth in tearmes forsooth iumping trimly with Aristotles Philosophie Viz. that the end of this good being once knowne is to desire it to follow after it and to apprehend or lay hold vpon it viz. that we may speake according to sobriety The end of this faith of knowledge is to enioy GOD and his righteousnesse euen the grace of Iesus Christ which to affirme vvithout setting downe any due and reasonable difference is an impious falshood for God vouchsafeth not this faith of knowledge to Satan and to reprobates to this end that he may bring them vnto his Christ viz. to righteousnesse of life But euen as the bountifulnesse of God doth grant the benefit that commeth from earth and heauen together with the fruit of that benefit which is growth and increase as well to the Tares as to the Wheat equally and indifferently yet not to this end that the Tares should be made wheat In like manner God very often granteth the benefit of the word and the fruit of that benefit which is to beleeue the truth euen to those that perish yet not to this end that hee may sanctifie them but that insomuch as they would not obey the knowne truth which they plainely vnderstoode he may take vengeance vpon them in greater rigour of his Iustice and seueritie for he that knoweth and doth not shal be beaten with more stripes and to whom more is committed of him more shal be required The second effect or worke of the holy Ghost B. sometimes calleth assent sometimes a certaine putting forward of the will or a kinde of loue and good liking of this happinesse which is offered But what strange boldnesse is this ô B. that thou in things appertaining to God shouldest thus platonize or rather play and deceiue the people of God for the scripture speaketh farre otherwise and ealleth this 2. worke of the holie ghost which is the beginning of our regeneration by the name of Repentance euen the thing whereby wee are prepared to receiue the sanctification of faith For not one beleeue mee either of the Prophets or Apostles hath at any time called it assent or a forward inclination of the will or a loue of the cheefest good beeing offered vnto vs neither doe I thinke indeede that any other durst euer so call it besides thy selfe I let passe this that thou so wantonly hast deuised a twofold loue one called the former which forsooth is before faith and another tearmed the latter which followeth after faith which all of vs with one consent doe say is the effect of faith and called Loue or Charitie But what shall wee say that former loue of thine