Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bear_v	end_n	truth_n	1,796	5	6.9490	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28589	Observations on the animadversions (lately printed at Oxford) on a late book, entituled, The reasonableness of Christianity, as delivered in the Scriptures by S. Bold ...	Bold, S. (Samuel), 1649-1737.	1698 (1698)	Wing B3483; ESTC R20782	75,321	132

in the Pages this Author hath chosen to Animadvert on in this part of his Book The true Reason of Christ's coming into the World I think was the Father's Appointment A very true and excellent Account is given in the Reasonableness c. of the great End for which Christ came into the World though not in the Pages to which this Author doth here confine himself In these Pages the Author of the Reasonableness c. takes notice of the Occasion of Christ's coming into the World and of what Men are restored to by Iesus Christ. These Benefits may perhaps be properly enough called collateral or concomitant Ends of his coming into the World because particularly intended but they comprehend not the whole End of his coming into the World It is agreed on both sides that Bliss and Immortality were lost by Adam 's Fall Immortality the Author of the Reasonableness c. saith is restored by Christ to all Men but Eternal Bliss is not restored by Christ absolutely to any Man I meddle not with the Case of those who dy in their Infancy and what is absolutely necessary in order to any Man 's obtaining by Christ a claim of Right to Eternal Bliss is the Subject of a great part of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. The Obedience and Sufferings of Christ cannot I conceive be properly called the Reason of his coming into the World nor the End thereof any otherwise than a Means is called a Subordinate End But though I said Christ's restoring Immortality to Man was agreed on both sides yet this Author seems to be dissatisfied with the Account the Author of the Reasonableness c. hath given of it and if I apprehend him aright because he doth not include Bliss in his Notion of Immortality Now this I think is the Truth of the Case Immortality as lost by Adam's Transgression is restored to all Men by Christ in that he will raise them all from Death And he hath purchased Eternal Bliss for them on the Terms the Author of the Reasonableness c. hath given a large and full Account of from the Testimony of Christ and his Apostles That is that all who heartily take Jesus for their Lord and Faithfully obey and follow him shall at the Resurrection be everlastingly blessed The great and famous Athanasius who was never reputed an Enemy that I know of to Christ's Satisfaction hath more than once declared it was his Judgment that Christ came into the World to purchase Immortality for Mankind I have not his Works by me and therefore can neither relate his Words nor refer particularly to the Places but I think I may depend upon it that my Memory doth not fail me as to his Notion But without laying any stress upon his Authority I ask what can be pretended for Mens being Immortal any other way than by Christ by those who acknowledge that Sin hath brought Death upon all Men If the Resurrection be the Fruit of Christ's Undertaking and Performance how could it have been possible for guilty Man to suffer after he was dead if Christ had not come The Discourse is concerning Men not concerning separate Spirits This Author p. 57. makes the Reasons of Christ's coming into the world and the End of his coming to be the same and saith It was to make Satisfaction for the Sins of the whole World and to restore Mankind to the Favour of God by suffering in our stead and being made Sin for us Satisfaction it self was not the ultimate End of his coming into the World His Sufferings and Death were parts of the way and means by which he was to obtain what was the End of his coming into the World His Death and his Resurrection too had a Relation to a further End viz. his being Lord both of the Dead and Living Rom. 14. 9. In his Sufferings and dying he had an Eye and Regard to what was the great End of his Undertaking Heb. 12. 2. that his Death had a Relation to this is most evident from Phil. 2. 7 to the 12th He hath purchased Immortality for Mankind absolutely But he hath not purchased Pardon and Bliss for Men absolutely but upon certain Conditions viz. their believing in the True God and in him as sent by him so as to take him unfeignedly for their Lord and King So that the true End of Christ's coming into the World was to obtain to himself a Kingdom or to be a King and to have a Right to dispence and confer Pardon and Eternal Blessedness on those who should become his sincere Subjects which I think is as plain as can be if we will take his own Word for a Proof of it Pilate therefore said unto him art thou a King then Iesus answered thou sayest that I am a King to this End was I born and for this Cause came I into the World that I should bear Witness unto the Truth every one that is of the Truth heareth my Voice Th. 18. 37. In p. 60. This Author hath these Words concerning Christ's satisfying for our Sins We do not mean that Christ suffered the same Punishment which we should have done but only that the Dignity of his Person made his Sufferings equivalent to the Eternal Punishment of a whole World of Sinners Answ. Christ's Satisfaction is a very great and weighty Point But either I or many who have writ concerning it are under some Mistakes with Reference to it I conceive Christ did not satisfy the Law for Sinners which they had broken For had he suffered the same Punishment which they should have suffered that would not have satisfied it because it required Personal Punishment alone and did not run that the Offender or another should suffer it And Equivalent Sufferings could not satisfy it because there was no such Proviso in the Law Christ's Satisfaction I conceive did not consist in his Sufferings being equivalent to the Eternal Punishment of a whole World of Sinners by reason of the Dignity of his Person For if the Dignity of his Person made his Sufferings equivalent to the Eternal Punishment of a whole World of Sinners the Degrees of his Sufferings could not signify any thing to his making Satisfaction the Dignity of his Person was the same whether his Sufferings were greater or less and could confer the same Vertue to one as to many Degrees The laying the whole Stress of Christ's Satisfaction on the Dignity of his Person I suppose was that from whence some took occasion to vent that ungrounded dangerous Notion which still infects too many That one Drop of Christ's Blood was sufficient to save many Worlds of Sinners Which makes the greatest parts of Christ's Sufferings utterly useless as to Satisfaction and in the natural and just Consequences of it throws most horrid Aspersions both on God and Christ. I conceive the Satisfaction of Christ consisted in his perfect fulfilling the Law that pertained to him as Mediator here upon Earth antecedently to his