Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A45233
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England's faithful monitor being the works of that suffering Protestant Mr. Stephen Husnance when under exile and confinement in the years 1685 and 1686 : wherein popery is briefly demonstrated to be a wicked religion ...
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Husnance, Stephen.
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1689
(1689)
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Wing H3811; ESTC R26070
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163,418
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252
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full Redemption From Sin and Hell without exemption They and only they the cause this The Lord knoweth all who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 This the foundation that standeth sure God will make his Elect in heart pure Will give grace to fit them for his glory By grace saves us Ephes 2.8 not like free will story By grace makes us run his Commands None shall pluck the Elect from his hands John 10.29 Once in Christ on whom Believers depend Christ loveth them still unto the end and 13.1 They are safe in Christ by Election And not like those men who by reflection Say a man may be now a Child of God In the morning yet in his life so odd Before night may be by sin so evil That he may be a Child of the Devil Reader consider understand and see What men make of God's Eternal Decree How erroneous men are and refutable Mal. 3.6 In making the Eternal God mutable Heb. 13.8 Which doth imply and also give a lift To man's free will and not as Gods gift To give grace and glory at his pleasure Psa 84.11 But as man acts at his will and leisure Eph. 1.5 Which is repugnant to Scripture clear Which by Grace I shall hereafter make appear To conclude this head with errors to deface God's general and also his special grace 2 Tim. 2.7 Are not inconsistent in their proper place Yet 't is special grace leads to eternal life Altho' some about it are still at strife How Pelagians Arminians do all flie To this the special grace of God deny Rom. 11.5 7. And that Christ did for all men die 1 Thes 5.9 With equal extent which Scriptures deny Which before is said if rightly them apply 2 Tim. 2.10 Yet those men were of great parts yet Misled their understandings wrong set Which I shall make more full appear 1 Cor. 12.31 As my Lines shall bring up the rear Sect. 4. Object SOme hold that God in 's Eternal Decree Hath not absolute appointed some to misery But that God electeth with some frequent All upon condition that they repent And believe which in effect implies still They may repent and believe if they will So consequently God rejecteth in 's station No man absolute from his salvation But that God suspendeth his determination Expecting man's repentance in his station Sol. I answer according to Scripture demonstration Prov. 16.4 That there is a particular and special reprobation Rom. 9.22 Therefore can't be an universal electation Jud. 4. That you may not in your generation Be misled Rom. 11.7 or drawn in your station To believe that God in 's eternal dispensation Hath chosen all men unto salvation Rev. 13.8 On condition leaving it wholly still To themselves to their own free will Either to ratifie it Jer. 10.23 or infringe it see What men make of God's Eternal Decree 2 Cor. 3.5 If men believe not then God's Decree's annoy'd If persevere not then Election is void Otherways if men believe and still pursue Holiness to the end then they affirm it true Election remains in full power and virtue That this Opinion may not take with you I 'll say something against it 1 Cor. 10.15 I hope true Consider what I lay before you new And that you may understand by reflections I shall endeavour to answer some Objections In which I shall follow Scripture directions According to free grace unto me given Gal. 1.11 I will lay Truth plain as my name 's Stephen Good works not the cause of Electation Tit. 3.5 Tho' sin 's the cause of reprobation Damnation is the fruit of sin's production But not why God ordains men to destruction 2 Pet. 2.1 3. God in all his determinations is free Mat. 11.26 Neither Election nor Rejection in degree Are of works God's Decree tho' by some torn Passeth on Children are not yet born Rom. 9 10. Having done neither any evil or good God is free in Election or Rejection understood Rightly 't is plain in Jacob and his Brother Chuse the one and did refuse the other Why God passeth some men by preterition I can't define the cause on no condition But only in God Eph. 1.4 5. of some to make choice And others to reject must be free grace noise God hath free mercy on whom he will And whom he pleaseth he hardeneth still Rom. 9.18 As God hath Elected some unto Salvation So God hath appointed others to Damnation God all things for himself made hath Yea the wicked for the day of wrath Prov. 16.4 As God ordains vessels of mercy 't is no story So there are vessels of wrath by preparatory To destruction on which Justice hath glory Rom. 9.22 This is very clear in the Scripture stated verse 13. Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated What other reason for this can be But his own pleasure and Eternal decree Mal. 1.3 Gods absolute power over man is intended Clear and free grace to the Elect commended Object But some may say unto me herein Don't you make God the Author of sin Sol. No for reprobation goes before sinment Jud. 4. Not as a Cause but as an Antecedent 2 Pet. 2.8 God by the decree of reprobation Don't infuse sin into man in 's station Eph. 2.5 Nor compel man to do any sin or evil Jam. 1.13 14. Sin is of 's own concupiscence and the Devil Yet God doth set sin's determination Not to confer on man a confirmation In grace to make man stand in 's station Deut. 29.4 But permits man of his own accord To commit sin Psal 81.12 as saith the Word In Scripture 't is very plainly so Ephes 4.19 Limits man how far in sin shall go 2 Kin. 19.28 Reprobation being an act of Gods power Hath no other cause but God to this hour Rom. 9.21 But sin 's the meritorious cause of damnation Hos 13.9 As Justice executed in mans condemnation Man is not condemned understand herein Because man cannot chuse but sin Ezek. 18.31 32. In regard of Gods decree of reprobation Jer. 9.14 But sins in regard of 's own inclination Tho' unregenerate men do nothing see But what God hath appointed in 's decree Acts 4.27 28. Yet understand man sinneth because still Doth all in obedience to his own will Mat. 23.37 38. And not in obedience to Gods command Whom God hath not ordain'd understand To save 1 Pet. 2.8 they from sin never depart But follow the imagination of their own Heart Till the measure of their sin is full 2 Cor. 4.3 4. Mat. 23.32 33. Then Justice on them all gives a pull Sect. 5. Some may bring forth this production Hard Object God should ordain men to destruction Shall not the great Creator be free Sol. To dispose his Creatures
Reprobates in Hell by this leaven Have as much reason as a Saint in Heaven To be thankful unto God he may say But not I am sure in a Scripture way God did as much for me a foolish Elf As him Gal. 2.16 but did not so much for my self Consider on the other side mind it well May not a Saint in Heaven say and tell God hath done so much for those in Hell As ever he hath done for me by reflection For they and I had all one Election Yea God assisted them as much as me Which implies there 's nothing in Gods decree Eph. 2.9 10. For he is to all alike which implies still They have not us'd their own free will As well as I have done 't is so crav'd The only cause are damn'd and I sav'd Therefore I will thank my own free will And not God Isa 65.5 at least I have imply'd still No greater cause to thank God than Those in Hell of all the damned men If any difference be between them and me 'T is not God made it 1 Cor. 4.7 nor yet his decree But my self see how free will doth strike For God did for them and me alike Tho' they not sav'd with me the reason Did not for our selves a like in season Rom. 11.6 Therefore they are all every way I cry As much oblig'd to thank God as I. Consider this Reader and understand see Here 's free will Psal 115.1 exalted in a high degree But from such a conceit Lord Dan. 9.8 9. deliver me And let me admire thy gracious love still free Sect. 7. If any man be sav'd by free will story Rom. 8.29 30. He may thank himself in 's self glory And not in God how do men deface Gods glory or the glory of 's free grace By exalting mans corrupted will so base God hath predestinated us in our race Eph. 1.5 6. By Christ to the praise of his free grace How so not by man's own inclination still But according to the pleasure of God's will To shew God works freely in our salvation Without any impulsion or any provocation Ezek. 16.6 From External causes in his dispensation In saving us freely in his salvation We must be sav'd according to God's will And pleasure not according to our own still God must have the first and great stroke 1 Cor. 10.22 In this mercy let 's not the Lord provoke Or despise the riches of his free grace still By advancing corrupted man's free will 2 Thes 1.10 Let us all rather God's free grace admire Not free will in us or any natral desire Why God hath chosen me and neglecting Others oh this should be heart-affecting That God should take me into his Decree Luke 1.6 Whence is it what did God see in me More than in others whom God passeth by Psal 8.4 Why God did chuse me is free grace I cry What 's man that God should mindful be Of such a brute a beast by nature is he Admire the goodness of the Lord of Lords That such free grace unto man affords Man that 's corrupted Clay yea worse by sin Isa 43.15 Oh! then admire the goodness of our King We were all alike to God by reflection In the act of his free eternal Election 1 Cor. 6.11 Lay together in the same corrupted mass Of sin how came it then so to pass That God should pitch on me for alas Ezek. 16.6 I was in my blood in the same gore Of sin admired be free grace for evermore When God came to chuse a little number 1 John 5.19 In comparison of those he left to slumber In sin and corruption oh what a mercy That God should pitch on thee and me Which if free grace had not so run We had been lost Ezek. 16.5 6. and for ever undone Had God ordain'd all to salvation compleat His mercy had been out of measure great But that God ordains any to salvation When on the contrary in men's generation He hath ordain'd millions unto desolation Mat. 7.13 Whose state by nature was no way worse Than ours and strength in a natural course Was as great as ours in their generation Ephes 2 3. Yet to exempt them from eternal salvation Whose care great as ours for reconciliation In any natural way or natural creation Till God was pleas'd in mercy to prevent Us Col. 1.12 13. should not this our thanks augment To God and raise our hearts in admiration Of God's free grace in chusing us to salvation Blessed be God's grace who hath chosen us Who deserv'd as others his eternal Curse Gal. 3.13 Were no better for 's choice than other But by nature were all as Brother Eph. 2 1 2 3. Yet us when many others are rejected Free grace and love hath us respected 'T is clear for of two grinding at the Mill One taken Mat. 24.40 41. the other left implies grace still And not in the acting of their own will God's will and pleasure is the only reason Why two men equally miserable in season Are made to differ the one from the other For by nature were both as Brother Therefore not the foresight of our will Or natural inclination in us Rom. 8.7 I say still In receiving or rejecting grace propos'd Altho' free grace be by some still oppos'd Zech. 12.10 Yet free grace free grace for ever I cry And blessed be God for his rich mercy Ephes 2.4 Nothing made a difference 1 Cor. 4.7 but say I Free grace 2 Thes 1.10 which Saints will admire to eternity SECT VIII Some say if God in his eternal Decree Object Hath appointed some unto eternal Misery Mal 3.14 'T is in vain for such to hear and pray And to use the means of Salvation's way Were as good do nothing in their Station If they be Reprobated ordain'd to Damnation There is no Man knows his Reprobation Sol. Tho' sev'ral marks of it in his Conversation 'T is God's secret and to us 't is very obscure Let 's follow the Scripture a rule more sure Secret things belong to God Deut. 29.29 let 's not flatter Our selves let 's do duty and pass this matter And know this whatever any pretend God appoints the means as well as the end For as God hath appointed Men to Glory Eph. 1.4 Consider it well don't think 't is a story So God hath appointed them to Sanctification And to the use of all in their Generation 2 Thes 2.13 14. Holy means to attain the end Salvation And accordingly live in their Conversation And for ought I know one reason may be Why God from Man conceals his Decree Of Reprobation for the Lord is independant Therefore Man should be still Attendant On the use of means Isa 40.29 30 31. as a Creature-dependant On God for though Man be weak in 's station Yet from God Man