Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	believe_v	election_n	faith_n	1,811	5	6.4367	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47193	The universall free grace of the Gospell asserted, or, The light of the glorious Gospell of Jesus Christ, shining forth universally, and enlightning every man that coms [sic] into the world, and therby giving unto every man, a day of visitation wherin it is possible for him to be saved, which is glad tydings unto all people, being witnessed and testifyed unto, by us the people called in derision Quakers : and in opposition to all denyers of it, of one sort and another proved by many infallible arguments, in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit of truth, according to Scripture testimonies and sound reason : with the objections of any seeming weight against it, answered it, answered / by George Keith.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Furly, Benjamin, 1636-1714.	1671 (1671)	Wing K228; ESTC R13258	128,214	140

3. 35. and there is a more speciall giving which is onely applicable to the Saints Who are his children and these cannot but come unto him as Peter said Lord to whom shall goe but unto thee c. There are other places urged by them but these adduced are the most usuall and the answers given unto them will being rightly applyed suffice to any other so that who judge of this matter according to the witness of God in their hearts and do therein ponder the Scriptures will find the Doctrin of the Nationall Teachers concerning Election and Reprobation not to be according to the truth nor Scripturall but indeed a most pernicious Doctrine to the hindring of the growth and spreading of piety in the world as may appear from what is already said I shall now descend to weigh the few small Reasons they have and usually give for their adhering to so absurd an Opinion First then they say if election be according to faith foreseen then it is not free Answ. It followeth not at all for election is free though it be not without respect to faith even as justification is free which themselvs say is not without respect to faith They must then either deny justification to be free or say that it hath no respect to faith or confess that election is free not withstanding its respect to faith Secondly they argue if Election and reprobation be according to faith foreseen then something in the creature was the moving cause of Gods decree Answ. Nor doth this follow For though men beleeving be the object of the decree of Election yet they are not the moving cause thereof in like manner men unbeleeving are the object but not moving cause of reprobation Unbeleef is indeed a cause of the Destruction of the wicked which destruction is decreed so is also faith an instrumentall cause of the salvation of the Saints which is also decreed but not of the decree of God which hath no cause without himselfs And by these Answers any other reasons they bring may be confuted Object 13. If saving grace andilight were given unto all then all should be saued otherwise grace were not effectuall as not having its efficacy Answ. It followeth not grace is effectuall and hath its sufficient efficacy in that in its own nature it is able to save all who do not resist it even as Physick may be very effectuall to cure such and such diseases if duly applyed and yet if it be not permitted to have its due operation it may not onely not cure but kill But more over grace hath its efficacy in all in that it makes all inexcusable who do resist it and persist in their gainstauding And thus it tendeth to the glory of God in their condemnation But say some a morall suasion is sufficient to leave men without excuse Answ. I deny it For nothing can render men unexcusable but that which being improved can excuse which no morall suasion can doe Object 14. Saving light and grace is irresistible therefore it must have its effect to salvation Answ. That the Lord may work irresistibly in some we deny not but that he doth so work in all that are or may be saved is the meer brain-sick fancy of these men and contrary to the tenor of the whole Scriptures which complain of mens resisting the holy Ghost withstanding the truth holding it under in unrighteousness crucifying the Lord of glory in themselvs doing despite unto the Spirit of Grace oppressing and choaking the good seed c. What is more effectuall then the sun and then fire unto which Christ the word of grace and tru light is compared yet what more easily resisted then the light of the sun without all pains by the bare wink of the ey And fire though suffered to break out to a flame can be quenched To divers other naturall powerfull causes which have efficacy enough in them to procur their proper effects if not impeded is this word of grace compared Object 15. It s said of some that they could not beleeve Jo. 12. 39. Ergo c. Answ. True but no where is it said that from the begininng they could not beleeve Yea the very reason why they could not at that time beleeve is expressly rendred by Matth. 13. 13. because they had closed their eys and in seing did not see for which cause the Lord being provoked gave them up read v. 14. 15. to hardness of heart that they could not beleeve Object 16. God so hardned Pharoahs heart that he could not obey the Lord and let the people goe Answ. True again but where is it said that Pharoahs heart was so hardned from the beginning of the time that he was capable of understanding no where Pharoah had provoked the Lord by his cruell oppressing the Israelites causing their male children to be killed a just provocation of the Lord thus to give him up to obduracy of heart so that he could not obey Now we never said that all men may beleeve and obey the Lord at all times but onely at such times and seasons as the Lord breaths and moves upon them within the day of their visitation Object 17. It s said of the People of Israell Deut. 29. 4. The Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive and eys to see and ears to heare c. Therefore he had not given them all saving light and grace Answ. It follows not for the perceiving heart seing eyes hearing ears are the effect of this saving light and grace onely in those in whom it is not resisted Now God had given his good Spirit to instruct them Nehem. 9 v. 20. but they rebelled against and vexed his holy Spirit Isayah 63 verse 10. But some would fain limit these words only to those who prophesied or at least to the faithfull unto whom God gave his good Spirit to in struct the people which they rebelled against not in themselvs but in the faithfull who did instruct them Answ. This cannot be for it had been to no purpose to give his good Spirit unto the teachers to instruct the people if no measure of the same had been given to the people to learn For as none can sufficiently teach the things of God without the Spirit so can none can truly learn them without it Again so far as any man resists the Spirit of God in another he first resists it in himself yea it is said expresly they tempted God in their hearts Psa. 78. verse 18. And it is already proved that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall Object 18. Some are said to have no light in them Isayah 8. 20. Answ. According to the Hebrew even as the margent intimates it is thus because they have no morning in them Now its true all have not the morning light in them which imports the day star to be arisen but with many it is as it were midnight for darkness yet the light

run thus God so loved the Elect that whosoever of them Elect beleevs should not perish which is void of sence forasmuch as none of the Elect but must beleeve and yet the Particle whosoever distributeth those who are understood here by the World into Beleevers and Unbeleevers shewing that God so loved all that hee gave an opportunity unto them to be saved by beleeving and if they did not beleeve their perishing was not for want of the Love of God towards them but because they did not beleev in him whom God had sent 3. In that he sayes God sent not his Son into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved And yet many are condemned it is manifest that even these who are condemned had an opportunity once to be saved and so the Love of God reached once towards them or elce it might be said God sent his Son even mainly and principally to them for their condemnation Againe in that hee sayes This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and man loved darknes rather then the light These two things are plainly held forth 1. that whoever are condemned it is for loving the darknes rather then the light 2. That the light is come and hath appeared unto them all who are condemned for how can any be condemned for not loving that which never came nor appeared unto them Againe it is plaine that every evill Door hath had the light appearing unto him becaus hee is said to hate it Now hee could not hate that which never appeared nor was manifest and that is the light which reproveth his evill deeds Moreover it is also evident that the light did come unto them in a way wherin they could have been saved becaus their condemnation was that they did not beleeve in his Name but loved the darknes rather But they could not be condemned for not beleeving in that which coms not in a saving way Againe If every one who beleeveth not is condemned for unbelief then they have had a Law commanding them to beleev for wher no Law is there is no transgression which Law could be no other then the Law according to the Grace of spirituall and saving Illumination and not according to a meer Naturall enlightning for no light of a mans owne nature can ever give him a Law to beleeve And farther This Illumination can shew if a mans work be wrought in God therefor it is spirituall and sufficient to salvation Againe Iohn 8. 12. He hears a Testimony to the same Truth I am said hee the light of the World he that followes me shall not walk in darknes but shall have the light of life Now that he is the light of the world lighting it according to a spirituall and saving Illumination is hence manifest and not according to that which is but naturall onely for hee alone that followes him as hee doth spiritually and savingly enlighten hath the Light of Life or is saved And as to their evasion that by the World is meant only the Elect that which is aforsaid doth refute it and besides Christ said to the Jewes many of whom did perish and so were Reprobats While yee have the light beleev in it that yee may be the children thereof But that I may overturne the foundation of this evasion I say none are the Elect of God but in relation unto beleeving in the light and loving thereof and none are Reprobate but in Relation unto their unbelief hating and rejecting it for the Lord never reprobated or rejected any but who rejected the Gift of his Love offered unto them so that whoever are elected they are elected according to the foreknowledge of God who did foreknow or foresee that they would beleev and embrace the offer of his love which is Iesus Christ and whoever are Reprobated are Reprobated according to the foreknowledge of God who did foreknow or foresee that they would reject the offer and not believe yet I doe not say that either the Faith of the one or the unbelief of the other was the cause of Gods Eternall decree which hath no cause without himself but this I say men beleeving are the Object of Election and men disbeleiving and rejecting Iesus Christ are the Object of Reprobation not the moving but the terminating so that their unbelief is not the cause of Gods Decree but the cause of their Condemnation and destruction which is decreed And so in Scripture this gift of the Fathers love the Lord Iesus Christ is said to be disallowed or rejected of men Now they could not have rejected him if hee had not come a light unto them and been truly offered for none can reject that which is not offered And if hee was offered hee could be offered under no lesse Terms then making salvation possible to them for the offer of the Lord doth proceed from a true and reall willingnes to give that which is offered who-ever dare say the contrary doe charge the Lord with hypocrisy and dissimulation which is blasphemous but if the Lord hath a true and reall willingnes to give his Son unto all who reject him Then it was possible for them at sometime to have received him for the Lord willeth nothing that is Impossible and it is below that infinite Goodnes and Nobility of the Lord to offer unto poor men that which it is Impossible for them to receive as now it were below all Ingeunity and Humanity in us to offer Alms unto a poor man in such a way as hee could not receive it as if he were bound in fetters and we should stand at a distance and hold it forth unto him but so as hee could not reach it Argument 3. From Rom. 1. v. 18 19 20 21 c compared with Col. 1. 23. THe Apostle Paul whose Ministry was mostly unto the Gentils and therfore is called the Apostle of the Gentils doth in this Epistle hold forth many things concerning the Gentiles both as touching the Priviledges which they had received from the Lord and also the use that they made of them some improved them to advantage but others and that for the most part did misimprove them for which the Lord was provoked against them to give them up to a Reprobate mind And this hee doeth according to the Wisdome given him of God to make way for the more abundant Reception and spreading of the Faith among the Nations which becaus of the want of these outward Priviledges that the Iewes had wer looked upon by the Jewes as out-casts and rejected of God to whom the preaching of the Doctrine of Salvation did not belong which was even the error of Peter and his brethren generally till the Lord convinced him thereof by a vision from Heaven Acts 10. Now in this Epistle among divers other things of importance hee declareth these two things 1. That though the Iewes had Priviledges in the outward above the Gentils as the Law and

is the Word of faith in men answers to the things of Faith and therfor the true Ministers of the Gospell offer Faith unto all men there being in all men some measure of illumination by which they are capable to receiv it Now Iohn saith further hee was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not by the World it is manifest hee understandeth Men for that hee maks it a culpable thing that hee being in the World yet the World did not know him and so it cannot be understood of the outward frame of Heaven and Earth which are not in a capacity to know him Therefor according to Iohn hee was in men who knew him not and so in them who did not beleive in him nor receive him He came to his owne and his owne received him not viz. Those who wer his owne 1. by the Right of Creation 2. by the Right of Donation all men yea and all things wer delivered unto him of his Father and they to wit all men wer given him that hee might enlighten them as hee is given unto them for the same and so distributeth unto them their severall Talents that they might putt them to usury and at his coming to Iudgement might give an account of them Now here some reply That by these words in the 10. 11. vers is understood his coming outwardly in the land of Iudea but I answer as hee came there and was a light in the outward which shined gloriously and yet they did neither know him nor receive him so hee did come in the inward in some measure both then unto them and to all others yea and from the beginning forasmuch as hee hath ever beene the light of the world enlightning every man that coms into it therefore Iohn bears testimony unto him not only in what hee was at present but in what hee had been from the beginning both what hee then was and what hee was to be afterwards So by his being in the world and coming unto his owne cannot be simply understood his coming in the outward excluding his inward coming And b●…sides his coming IN THE OUTWARD excluding his inward coming could not so enlighten them that they might beleev But hee came enlightening them so that they might beleve Therfore his coming outwardly is not simply nor principally here understood For to his outward coming the following verses doe rather relate Morover John bare testimony of him saying The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ by which it is evident that Iohn is here preaching Christ as an universall Light unto all not according to a naturall illumination but according to that which is saving and spirituall Grace and Truth saith he cometh by Iesus Christ. And of his fulnes said hee have we all received Grace for Grace Now what ALL is this only the Saints and Beleevers No for if Saints and Beleevers only received Grace from Christ then no Unbeleevers could ever become Saints and also no Saints ever were Unbeleivers which is false For now when Grace first cometh unto men from Christ out of his fulnes it findeth them Unbeleevers and it is given them while they are such to the end that they may be converted from their unbeleef So then Unbeleevers receive Grace that they may beleeve and Beleevers receive it that they may beleeve more and more yet now some yea many and most Unbeleevers suffer not this Grace which they have received to have its operation in them which would change them and make them Beleevers but like the slothfull Servant hide their Masters mony in the earth in a napkin therefore it doth not encrease nor bring forth the fruits of Grace which it doth in them who yeeld submitt unto its operation But some may say if they had received Grace they had received him and so they should have become the Sons of God according to vers 12. I answer the Word receive hath divers significations 1. If a thing be put in such a place it is said to be received as if Seed be sowne in barren earth So the slothfull Servant which hid his Masters mony in the earth is said to have received it Math 25. 24. But 2. a thing is said to be received when it is suffered to have its due operation in that wher it is put and if not it is said to be rejected so the Earth may be said not to receive the Seed which though sowne in it yet it suffers it not to spring up and the Body which receivs good Physick into it yet resisting the operation thereof it may be said not to receive it but reject it And thus many words in Scripture have divers significations which in one is true in another false and so all men of his fulnes received Grace but some recei●…e it no otherwise then the barren Earth or Womb receivs the Seed or as the slothfull Servant his Talent and so it proves their condemnation even as the body which receiving good Physick resisting it and working against it is killed thereby Others receive it so as to yeeld to its operation and so they are as the good Ground which receiving the good Seed bringeth forth fruit some 30 some 60 and some 100 fold Argument 2. From Ioh. 3. vers 16. 17. c. to 22. compared with Ioh. 8. 12. IN these words Joh. 3. from v. 16. to 22. Our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ doth from his owne mouth bear a large and plaine Testimony unto this Truth God said he so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Wherby hee doth shew forth the cause of mans perishing and misery to be from mans owne selfe and not from the Lord for the Lord so loved men that hee sent his Son to save them but men did not beleeve in him whom the Father had sent Now that this love of God is universall towards all men and that the Son is come into all to be a Saviour unto them is manifest in that hee saith God so loved the World that whosoever beleeved in him should not perish But here also they have sought out an evasion to darken and corrupt this clear Testimony by the World say they hee means not all men but only the Elect. In opposition to which I say 1. It s but a meer allegation without any ground for they can shew us no place in all the Scripture wher only the Elect are called the World Indeed evill men and unbelievers are oft called the World and sometyms all men are called the World but no wher the Elect alone But 2. supposing the World wer sometyms understood to be only the Elect yet it cannot be so understood here for that it would render these words of our blessed Lord void of sence and nonsensicall which were blasphemous to think For according to that acceptation the words would