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
A57540	Ohel or Beth-shemesh A tabernacle for the sun, or, Irenicum evangelicum : an idea of church-discipline in the theorick and practick parts, which come forth first into the world as bridegroom and bride ... by whom you will have the totum essentiale of a true Gospel-church state according to Christs rules and order left us when he ascended ... : published for the benefit of all gathered churches, more especially in England, Ireland and Scotland / by John Rogers ...	Rogers, John, 1627-1665?; Rogers, John, 1627-1665? Challah, the heavenly nymph.	1653 (1653)	Wing R1813; Wing R1805; ESTC R850	596,170	655

saith he if it be appointed you shall dye the Physitian cannot helpe you if it be appointed you shall live you doe not need him but shall live without him Nay Sir answered hee but if I be appointed to live I will use the means which are also appointed thereunto for such an appointment to take effect Now I say there is a strict and inseparable connexion betwixt Election and Vocation and Vocation is a comment upon Election The letter sayes Culverwel in his White-stone was dated from Eternity but the Superscription was writ in time viz. Vocation now though the Letter be writ first yet the Superscription is read first and then the other is unsealed and read the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that was in Election well becomes saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Vocation Doctor Twisse on the point of Predestination telling us how God is not guided by second causes in any of his Decrees and how nothing in us was the cause of his Decree concerning us be it what it will yet sayes he in the execution of his Decree which is in time there is another order for to instance in the Decree it selfe from Eternity glory is first Salvation is first ordained which produces grace and sanctification but in the execution of the Decree in tempore grace is before glory and sanctification before salvation as was said before of the Letter the Superscription is first read though last writ Wherefore I say for to this end I speake it that it is altogether irregular and anomalous and out of our order for any to pry and pore and peek first out for Election and that would first look into the Decree Now would the Church know so far as they are able in charity for they cannot on certainty and wouldst thou know whether thou art an elect received of God decreed to be saved it is not to search the records in heaven first but the records in thy heart first for what is bound on earth is bound in heaven and loosed on earth is loosed in heaven how is it with thy heart art thou called yet changed yet art thou holy hast thou left off thy ill courses companies conditions c. for where there is fire there is heat and where there is true vocation there is inseparably sanctification and holy life would we know if the Sun shine why we shall not need to climbe up into the clouds to clamber to the skies no! but look upon the beams shining on the earth That Astrologer sayes one was sufficiently laughed at that looking so intensely upon the Stars and staring with so much amazement at their twinkling tumbled unawares over head and eares into the water whereas had it pleased him to have looked lower in the water he might have seen them lively represented in that Christal glasse so many doe but undo themselves and are over head and ears that look so high at first as to search the secret will which they shall easily see in sanctification and regeneration revealed And as a Father that resolves one son shal be his heir which shal be he amongst many he saith not but keeps that secret yet so far reveals his minde that it shall be he that observes him in obedience to his commands so God though he hath kept secret who they be that shall bee saved and whom he hath elected he locks this up in his own bosome yet he hath revealed it thus far that such shall bee holy obedient to his Gospel beleeve in Christ Jesus these effects Election brings forth and we are not able to judge of the cause but by the effects So that when poore soules powre out their experiences and tell the means and shew the effects of their Call we cannot but in the judgement of charity beleeve the cause of this their Call their faith their holinesse is the Decree of Election Eph. 2.10 2 Pet. 2.8 9 10. and that they shall attaine to the end viz. Salvation Now I say in the powring out Experiences they acquaint the Church with the means and the effects And you will finde both these in the examples that follow where they tell their preparation and qualification In their preparation 1 When they came to be taken off of sin selfe world lusts or the like some at one houre some at another some in the night some in the day some at home some abroad some when younger some when older but that is most seldome And secondly how some more violently the Lord came in the thunders stormes fire on Mount Sinai and in frightfull flashes of lightning like a Ghost a Destroyer a judge in flaming vengeance roaring like a Lion robbed of whelps to many In afflictions crosses losses dangers frights threatnings of Law terrors of Hell and the damned roaring in their ears in such dispensations as cut to the heart pierced to the quicke sharp and fetched blood from the soule wounded the conscience with a thousand stabs as Act. 2.37 such Sermons Mr. Rogers of Dedham Fenner preached c. But secondly others more gently were won in by love cheries promises warme tenders of the blood of Christ lively openings of a crucified Christ which melt their soules and make their hearts bleed and mourne to look up unto him whom they have pierced by such Sermons as Sibbs Crispe c. preached Thus they were brought low wounded in spirit broken in heart and with fresh bleeding wounds weep though some more some lesse for a Christ their Lord but they know not where he is laid Joh. 20.15 and know not where to look for him but sometimes are afraid and flye off and on and up and down and here and there under a thousand temptations being in a holy preparing desperation and utterly undone in their own sight and sense till by some Ordinance Promise or other Providence or other the Lord ministers comfort and by his secret Spirit whispers pardon and peace and joy abundantly and brings them to Jesus O then they say with Mary Rabboni My Lord have I found thee Oh what sweet claspings and closings and ravishing embracings and kisses of love and banquets and flaggons are betwixt Christ and such soules then none can expresse it O but it is best knowne by enjoying It is said in Samuel●f ●f many multitudes in Sauls Army that onely a few bankrupt undone beggars came to David in the Cave of A●u●●am and indeed it is true here none but a few undone soules poore beggars that have spent all lost all wounded Cripples broken-hearted Publicans troubled Hanna's weeping sobbing sighing and yet seeking Maries and sin-feeling soules that come to Christ and that are cast in upon him through meer misery and want and thus prepared for him are received of him Joh. 6.37 Mat. 12.20 Mark 5.26 and none can bee put by that thus come The second is Qualification In their

they know what is good for them and will not eat any thing but consider first what is before them yet Israel doth not know my people doth not consider They are said to be more brutish and foolish and void of understanding because they did not consider what was before them whether it was good for them or no but that would swallow downe any unwholesome trash or trumpery superstition or Idolatry and so like as one who hath surfeited with unwholesome food and trash breakes out into scabs botches and boiles So Israel broke out into rebellion and sinfull stinking soares verse 6. This same consideration so pressed imports and takes up the truth of the intuitive part and property of the soule and requires a clear understanding to be actuated and put forth with a sound and authentick judgement Whence it is that the defect of a faithfull and regular judgement oftentimes arises from rashnesse and precipitancy and inconsideration whilst a man omits those things which produce a right and sound judgement wherefore a serious consideration is a most necessary injunction laid upon all that are entring into the Lords house for otherwise how can they be fully satisfied and safely perswaded of the verity and vertue of this way of worship the Queen of Sheba was fully satisfied of Solomons building and of the truth of the report that ran abroad of him of the Temple when she saw him and his house and the order thereof and then no more spirit was left in her in the least to doubt or question the truth And so it will bee with us therefore with a serious eye let us observe what wee are about and not leap before we look In this point of consideration for satisfactions sake these four ensuing things will occur in order First you must eye the essentiall parts of this Church or building of the Lord whether it be of God or no for if it bee it will stand Act. 5.39 else it shall bee rooted up Matth. 15.13 and fall Psal. 127.1 Now for this I refer to the former Book But Secondly consider how all these parts agree in one to make up one compact building in unity and order being aptly disposed according to the word of God and rule which Christ hath left us behinde him The third consideration arises from the excellent vertue and efficacious faculty and ability ad operandum ad causandum which this Church-way of Christ hath in her as to build us up in grace and holinesse to strengthen us in the faith to establish us in the truth to edifie exhort instruct and provoke to love and good works to exercise gifts and graces and to bring forth fruits in due season 4. Consider this Gospel-order and Church-state secundum habitudinem quam habet ad causata according to the sweet care habitude and disposition it hath to those gracious holy effects which are produced by it as to faith love holiness gifts graces and the like O how tender is she of them the Hen hath not so much care to hatch up her chickens nor the fond Mother to nurse up her darling babe but this way of Christ hath as much yea more to nourish cherish and perfect up Faith Love Peace Purity Humility Holiness and such like fruits as are brought forth hereby in abundant measure both for quantity and quality Now for your satisfaction let your eye I say be set seriously on these things and be fully perswaded saith the Apostle Rom. 14.5 in your own mindes and so let every man be for in Vers. 23. he that reason 1 doubteth is damned a smart Aphorism which is here rendred for a reason of the necessity of being fully perswaded in your own hearts That you are in the way of Christ In your own minde not by anothers mans opinion be he ever so able learned wise godly yet man is but man therefore be thou careful Christian for thy self look to thy own conscience and let other men alone to walk according to their light other mens opinions or conceits or doings are not to be thy rule but let every one understand what he doth whether he goeth and be fully perswaded or have his heart filled with perswasions that he is according to the Word of God in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the way For he that doubteth i. e. dijudicare that is alternantibus sententiis secum disceptare is double-minded Jam. 1.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath a heart and a heart halts between two opinions as to be now for the Presbyterians another time for the Independents Now of this minde and resolves this then of that minde and inclines to that Such a one is unstable in all his ways 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in the Septuagint stands but upon one leg a little thing will throw him down and that is another reason reason 2 to ratifie this truth viz. That you must be fully perswaded and satisfied in thy heart that thou art in the right way else thou wilt never stand long but the least wind of doctrine will throw thee down in the dust and thy fall will bring a foul scandal upon the truth and raise the dust But he that doubteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he still puts a difference and is at variance with himself and knows not fully freely certainly or absolutely what to do but as Budaeus saith is at no certainty with himself whose understanding is confounded and judgement is divided into divers parts as when one of two or three ways knows not which to take is damned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is condemned of his conscience and adjudged guilty of sin The reason of this is taken saith Par from the procreant cause of godly actions and motions as they are holy and of God which is Faith For whatsoever is not of faith is sin this is the confirmation of the former Aphorism and Maxim reason 3 And from another Maxim or general Rule which is yet an undeniable truth and which makes me up a third Reason in order for to doubt a thing and yet to do it is a great sin and against the first Table it takes away faith for how can one believe he pleases God or God accepts of him that doubts whether he does or no that which pleases him and is his will By faith is here meant a full perswasion a sweet plerophory which makes the way sweet that we are in and the work sweet that we are about when we know and are perswaded of the lawfulness of it and that it is the Lords and according to his minde and will reason 4 Furthermore Thou wilt never be able to contend for the truth lustily and lively Jude 3. yea against all opposers to thy very heart-blood Heb. 12.3 4. 10.32 33. No nor be so much as able to maintain the truth by the Word or to

we differ from them in their cutting the bread and so in distributing it which destroyes the nature of an ordinance of breaking bread Acts 2.42 46. Acts 20.7 as it is properly called in Scripture seeing they who will have some of their humane inventions in it and will be medling though not mending doe slice or cut it ready to be given about but this ordinance of mans make and mixture I confesse the poore people have had and been gull'd with for many a year whilest they are kept and continued in ignorance as to the Ordinance of Christ to the Ordinance of breaking bread and scoffe at it not knowing what it is Thus the poore people as long as they are without are caged up under Antichristian darknesse and discipline 4. The Presbyterians and Papists agree much about their Doctrine of works which I shall instance in some particulars As first of the necessity of good workes The Papists say that good workes are necessary to Salvation not onely necessitate praesentiae but efficientiae as efficient causes together with faith of our salvation Bellarm lib 6. de justificat cap 7. The Presbyterians I mean the rigid amongst them have affirmed and yet doe the like necessity of good workes to qualifie us and prepare us for Christ viz repentance tears confession of sins c. But we dissent from both and say with Mr. Rogers in his Right way to be saved pag 54. there be no works of ours which prepare us for Christ and such as look for something to ground on in themselves mistake grossely and are lost Like one that does not set the young tree but lets it lye on the ground till he sees what fruits t will bear as we said before O no! but let it first be rooted and grounded and then you shall see what fruits so must you be grounded in Christ and then bring forth fruits and workes from Christ then your repentance is in Christ Acts 5.31 32. your faith in Christ Col 2.20 which is the work of God John 6. Fac Christi opera c. sayes Bernard in Paschal Serm 2. Doe Christ's workes good workes we grant but not as our owne but as Christs for as Augustine on John 15.5 sayes sive parum sive mullum sine illo fieri non potest in Tract 82. nothing little or much can be done without Christ for Phil 2.13 4.13 he worketh in you both to will and to doe Est deus in nobis agitante calescimus illo and I can doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth me sayes the Apostle and in this sense is that negative assertion of Dr. Twisse's quod homo nihil boni facit nisi deus in illo efficiat ut faciat Therefore we must not be puzzled and perplexed about works de nostro of our owne to fit us for Christ for whilest men think they must doe something themselves or else they cannot be justified and doe nothing for it or in it but onely believe and whilest they think God cannot but approve of their workes and accept of their services they run a great hazare with the Papists 1 Sam. 16.7 Psal. 62 9. and are with perplexible anxiety of spirit spying out for good works of their own make whilest the Apostle sayes Ephes 2.10 we are all his workmanship in Christ Jesus and tels us plainly our new works arise from this new creation for that no flesh might boast in his sight seeing Christ is not ours therefore salvation is not ours by any act of ours but of God in us and of grace teaching us Tim. 2.12 13. within hence is vocation 2 Tim. 1 ●9 Sanctification 2 Thes. 2.13 faith love repentance Rom. 2.4 every good woorke Ezek. 36.27 and everlasting life Rom. 6.23 all given by grace Therefore no good works of ours qualifie us for any of these thus sayes Mr. Perkins upon Galat. pag. 159. the Gospel offers and gives life freely without any condition of workes and requires nothing but receiving Object Yes on condition of faith Answ. Faith saith he is mentioned in the manner of a condition but it is of free grace and the meer gift of God as well as life eternall So that Faith brings forth workes but not workes faith for good workes sayes one followes Christ in us by faith as the fruits of the tree follow the growing and grounding of it a woman first is marryed then conceives then brings forth or else the children are illegitimate and so are those works illegitimate which flow not from the conjunction and conception of Christ in the heart but if they be before wee may blush at the sight of them and be ashamed of them and cannot boast of any credit or comfort of them Opera sunt secundum principium a quo sunt and till Christ be in us we say our best works are but dead workes two wayes 1. effectivè as sin 2. privativè without grace or the Spirit of Gods working But furthermore in the formal cause of justification the Papists affirm an inherent righteousnesse in us to make compleat the formality of justification Trident. concil sess 6. Can. 11. Rhemist Rom. 2. Sect. 4. Bel. lib. 2. de justif cap. 3. many Clergy men unguibus dentibus doe cry up an inherent righteousnesse too to make up compleat justification which we deny and abhor allowing the alone righteousnesse of Christ to justifie us before God and fully able to doe it without any addition of ours or any inherent qualification as to that See Rom. 8.2 Rom. 4.56 Rom. 5.24 2 Cor. 5 21· Phil. 3.9 for Christ's righteousnesse alone hath fulfilled the Law which is ours by imputation for our justification Rom. 8.4 being absolutely justified by that Christ's righteousnesse alone as our good workes doe not justifie us any thing so our evill workes doe not unjustifie us and so it is the weakest Saint is as absolutely righteous in the sight of God and as fully justified in the righteousnesse of another as the strongest And as most of the eminent Presbyterians are now come in to be one with us in this point so some of the Popish speciall Champions upon a parley have laid down their arms and doe join issue with us herein as Pighius de fide justifi● Cont 2. p. 45. who grants that we have no other righteousnesse to rest upon then that which Christus imputat nobis sine operibus nostris Christ imputes to us without works so Vatablus in Psalm 18.23 and the Author of Antidid●g Coloniens as Bell. confesses c. besides aboundance of famous writers which prove it at large Now lest I should be misconstrued by Criticks know that we affirm an inherent righteousnesse wrought by the Spirit in all such as are justified by faith in Christ but we say that it is rather a sanctification or the fruit and effect of justification then any wayes to be accounted of