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
A16506	The true vvay of a Christian, to the nevv Ierusalem Or, a three-folde demonstration: first, of the excellencie of the true and sauing knowledge of Christ; and the meanes to attaine it: with the antiquitie, necesitie, and benefit of catechisme. Secondly, of our vnion and communion with Christ, and his Church. Thirdly, of our new creation in Christ, by the blessed Spirit. With diuers questions, and cases of conscience, most comfortable for a Christian. Deliuered first in briefe, in a sermon preached at Paules-Crosse, the first Sunday in the new yeere, 1617. And newly reuised and enlarged by Immanuel Bourne ...	Bourne, Immanuel, 1590-1672.	1622 (1622)	STC 3419; ESTC S106545	102,817	130

needle in a sunne-dyall looketh two wayes not onely forwards to my Text but backwards to the occasion in the verse before which is the ground from which my text is inferred and vpon which the whole frame is builded Occasion Beza annotat Gualterus Cornelius Cornelij a lapide S. Ch●ysost Vatabl. S. August lib. 9 contra Faust ca● 7 C●rnelius a lapide Henceforth saith the Apostle know we no man after the flesh that is we esteeme or approoue of no man that liueth carnally according to the corruptions of the flesh or according to the carnall observations and ceremonies of the old Lawe because we know that Christ is the end and fulfilling thereof Or we esteeme not carnall things nor of men according to these be they neuer so profitable or pleasurable riches beauty friends kindred or the like Our iudgements now are spirituall nor carnall as they were yea though wee haue knowne Christ after the flesh that is after a carnall manner glorying in him as our kinsman according to the flesh Chrysostom Theod. Synodus 7. General Act. 6. being of the same nation and stocke-with vs or esteeming of him but as of a mortall man subiect to infirmities yet now know we him so no more but spiritually as the Sonne of God and Sauior of the world and the reason is because we are changed our knowledge is changed and we are become new men in Christ So that hence doth appeare the excellency of the true knowledge of Christ The excellency of the true knowledge of Christ from whence the Apostle inferres our new creation Because ordinarily amongst other causes the true knowledge of Christ is a speciall cause and meanes thereof For our new creation is a fruit of faith God saith Peter put no difference betweene vs and them speaking of the Iewes and Gentiles which beleeued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purifying or regenerating their hearts by faith Act. 15.9 And so the word is vsed by Saint Paul Ephes 5.26 Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cleansing purifying or regenerating with the washing of water by the word this learned Zanchius Zanchius in Ephes cap. 5.26 Calvinus Institutionū lib. 3. cap. 3. Vtrumque fide consequamu● vita scil novitatem reconciliationem gratuitam neque tamen quū resipiscentiae originem ad fidem referimus ●patium aliquod temporis somniamus quo ipsam partutiat c. cōfirmeth interpeting the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our regeneration in his Cōmentaries vpon that Text indicious Calvin is a second witnesse to confirme this truth rightly averring that regeneration is a fruite of faith that we obtaine it by faith the spirit of God working by faith in our hearts that faith is before it in order not in time as he explaineth himselfe in the third booke of his Institutions chapter the third Now faith cannot be without knowledge How shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard Rom. 10.14 And therefore much lesse regeneration which is the the companion yea the fruite and effect of sauing faith Yea further as the blessed spirit himselfe is the internall efficient cause of our new birth kindling faith in vs and by the blood of Iesus apprehended and applyed by faith purging and washing our consciences from dead workes and framing in vs that image of Christ in the inner man as Saint Paul affirmes Titus 3. 5. so are the Sacraments also as Saint Peter 1. Pet. 3.21 Yea and the word of God and true knowledge thereof For we are borne againe not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liueth and abideth for euer 1. Pet. 1.23 As the Poets feigned of Medusaes head Hesiod Ovid. Metam 4 Aug. lib. 18. de Civit. Dei cap. 13. Diodorus lib. 4. that it was of power to turne the beholders into snakes so much more true is it of the true knowledge of Christ reveiled in the word it is a powerfull meanes by the operation of the Spirit to metamorphize our natural deformitie to change our corrupt affections and to raise vs from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse Therefore our Sauiour calles this knowledge life yea and life eternall Iohn 17.3 This is life eternal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they know thee the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ That is this is the meanes and onely ordinary means to obtain happines For there is no other name vnder heauen by which we can be saued Acts 4.12 It is the name the faith and the true knowledge of Christ that bringeth that life vnto vs. Via ad Deum est Scientia saith Hugo Hugo de instructione nouitiorum The way to God is by knowledge by knowledge we passe to holy discipline by holy discipline to heauenly goodnesse by heauenly goodnesse to eternall blessednesse for euermore And Saint Bernard S. Bernard de ordine vitae well obserues that vntill a man by faith do know his Creator ignorance the mother of all vices possesseth his soule and thereupon he noteth a twofold knowledge necessary to saluation The first is the knowledge of God the second the knowledge of thy selfe Because as from the knowledge of thy selfe there proceedeth a feare of the maiestie of God and from the knowledge of God a loue of him who is the chiefest good so from the ignorance of thy selfe there springs forth pride and from the ignorance of God there floweth desperation And what Saint Bernard attributes to the ignorance and knowledge of God in generall is true also of the ignorance or knowledg of Christ in particular from the true knowledge of Christ there proceeds a loue of Christ yea a reciprocall loue not only of thee to Christ but of Christ to thee and from the ignorance of Christ desperation destroyeth the soule Si Christum benè scis nihil est si caetera nescis Si Christum nescis nihil est si caetera discis If thou knowest Christ aright it is nothing though thou bee ignorant of all things else And if thou be ignorant of Christ all other knowledge is nothing auailable to attaine thy wished felicitie Wouldest thou walke the way to heauen Christ is the way by which thou maiest walke in safety Wouldest thou not be deceiued in thy iourney Christ is the truth to guide thee Wouldest thou not faint or dye in thy way Christ is the life to comfort and strengthen thee to life euerlasting as Saint Augustine sweetly vpon those words of our Sauiour Ioh. 14.6 August in Ioh. cap. 14.6 And thus likewise Saint Ambrose Ambr. lib. de virginitate excellently in his booke of Virginity If thou desirest to cure the wounds of thy soule Christ is the Physitian that can heale thee If thou bee scorched with the burning feuer of thy sinnes Christ is that fountaine of liuing water that will refresh thee If thou bee

and the excellent meanes of diuine instruction 2. Grosse and carelesse Ignorance Secondly there is Ignorantia crassa supina A grosse carelesse and wilfull ignorance such as that of the Scribes and Pharises who although they did heare the preaching of Christ and saw his miracles yet would they not beleeue nor be instructed For the god of this world had blinded their eyes lest the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ should shine vnto them And of this one well obserueth Qui ex crassa supina ignorantia peccat D. Case in A.B.C. Moral Philos duplici poena dignus est vna pro voluntaria ignorantia altera pro scelere quod commisit He that sinnes of a grosse and carelesse ignorance deserues a double punishment one for his wilfull ignorance and another for the wickednesse he hath committed And this for the most part is that kinde of ignorance that reignes now in the world because they esteeme not of the ordinances of God nor desire truly as they ought to be instructed by thē Therfore they endeauour not to know God nor Christ as they should but delight rather in ignorance for which cause God oftentimes giues them vp as he did the Gentiles to a reprobate minde to doe those things which are not comely Rom. 1.28 and hauing their cogitations darkened they worke all vncleannesse euen with greedinesse Ephes 4.18 19. August Tom. 7. contra Iulian Pelag. This ignorance was the punishment of sinne and sinne it selfe and the cause of sinne as S. Augustine concludes out of the Scriptures And therefore there is no cause why men should delight in ignorance or in the light of knowledge couer themselues with the thicke clouds of ignorance as it were with a garment It is S. Chrysostomes S. Chrysost Hom. 9. in Epist ad Coloss obseruation That this is the cause of all euils that the Scriptures are vnknowne and it may well be verified of the want of this diuine knowledge this knowledge of Christ which is comprehended in the Scripture as the pearle is closed in the shell Ignorance is the mother of errour saith Fulgentius Fulgentius Episcop lib. 1. fol. 29. Concil Tolet 4. can 24. Ant. in Meliss part 1. ser 50. Max. serm 17. To whom the fourth Toletan Councell agrees canon the 24. Socrates being asked what was the most beautifull creature hee answered A man decked and garnished with learning And Diogenes being demanded what burden the earth did beare most heauy He answered An ignorant and illiterate man If these Philosophers did thus iudge of the excellencie of knowledge and the vilenesse of ignorance how should Christians blush for shame that hauing liued so long in the Schoole of Christ they may yet be found ignorance of Christ and of the way to happinesse For this without question will prooue to be true if they should be Catechized euen in the beginnings of the doctrine of Christ But as the Lord by the Prophet demands the question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is the cause of so much ignorance in the light of the Gospell What is the defection Quest 1 the failing or transgression of Jacob or as it is read in the old translation of Pagnine What is the cause of the failing or preuarication of Iacob so may some man demand here What is this ignorance of Christians or rather what is the cause of this want of the knowledge of Christ since by the grace of God the light of the Gospel shineth so clearely amongst vs And I answer First that the cause is in the learners Answ 1. In hearers the first cause of ignorance is idlenesse want of meditation and prayer for some there are who although the meanes of getting this knowledge be offered vnto them yet will they not seeke nor labour to obtaine it they lend onely their eares to the preacher for the time of the Sermon but they are so idle they will neyther spend any time in meditation to increase and better their knowledge nor pray for the blessed Spirit to assist them therefore they heare but they vnderstand not they are alwayes learning 2. Tim. 37. but neuer come to the knowledge of the truth Non-proficiency in the schoole of Christ is their sin and a Non noui Mat. 25.12 I know you not shal one day be their punishmēt except they repēt Otium stultitiam labor scientiam generat saith Hugo Hugo de Claustro animae Idlenes breedes folly but it is labour and industry that begets vnderstanding As there is no fruite to be loooked for vpon that tree where buds and blossomes haue not first appeared so ordinarily no divine and spirituall knowledge of Christ where labour and industry and the grace of God haue not first beene the vshers Therefore when Demosthenes was asked how hee came to be so eloquent an Oratour he answered St●laeus serm 27. Plus olei quàm vini mihi consumptum est I haue spent a great deale more oyle then wine intimating thereby that hee had not gotten his eloquence without labour and study both day and night But many men now adayes spend more wine then they doe oyle and that is the reason why they want this excellent treasure of diuine knowledge they are like those who refuse the nut because they will not take paynes to breake the shell Simil. or like a man who loseth a rich treasure because hee will not labour to digge it out of the earth or like him who neglects a pretious Diamond or Orient pearle because he will not stoope to take it vp But this man shall be marked with the brand of folly and ignorance shall for euer dwell in his forehead when those who are industrious shall obtaine knowledge and delight themselues with vnderstanding 2. Note And here you may soone espie the cause why so many students in the Vniuersities and Lawyers at Innes of Court come so vnfurnished the one to the Pulpit the other to the Barre the one to feede the soules of their flockes the other skilfully honestly to pleade the rightfull cause of their poore clyents They spend more wine then oyle hence we so oftē heare words without knowledge without matter without method light as vanity full of weakenesse ignorance and indiscretion because they are laborious in sowing the seeds of folly and idle spending little or no time for this diuine and most excellent knowledge But as it is related of Bion the Philosopher Max. serm 1. that meeting with one of his friends who was curiously busied to haue his picture in stone cut like vnto him but carelesse for the study of learning he reprooued him on this manner Tu vt tibi similis lapis fieret curasti ac ipse ne lapidi similis fias non curas Hast thou beene so carefull that the stone might be made like thee and art thou not carefull that thou by ignorance be not made like vnto the stone so may