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	faith_n	word_n	3,386	5	4.6780	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75582	The just mans defence, or, The royal conquest being the declaration of the judgement of James Arminius, Doctor of Divinity in the University of Leyden, concerning the principall points of religion, before the States of Holland and VVestfriezland / translated for the vindication of truth, by Tobias Conyers, sometimes of Peter-house in Cambridge.; Declaratio sententiae de predestinatione. English	Arminius, Jacobus, 1560-1609.; Conyers, Tobias, 1628-1687.	1657 (1657)	Wing A3700A; ESTC R208013	52,267	187

as to the four heads above-mentioned chiefly urged in this Doctrine not once touched upon by them no Confession of any Reformed church delivering the doctrine of predestination as before propounded by me The Bohemian Confession the confession of the Church of England that of Wittenberge the first Helv●tian confession of the foure Cities Argentorate Constantia Memminga and Lindavia make not the least mention of it The Basilian and that of Saxony do onely point at it in three words The Augustan confession is so darke that it stands in need of annotations to preadmonish us of it as they of Geneva have thought the last Helvetian confession which hath the consent and subscription of the greatest part of all reformed churches doth so speak of it that I would gladly see how it is consistent w th it as before represented though the Sabaudican and that at Geneva have approved it Sixthly Without all strife and 6. Arg. contention this doctrine may be justly cald into question touching its concordancy with the Belgick Confession and Heydelberg Catechism as I shall briefly demonstrate Artic. 14. Confes Belg. you have this passage Man knowingly and willingly subjected himself to The Author proves the disagreement of this doctrine with the Belgick Confession being that of his own County rather then any other sin and by consequence to Death and Malediction whilest he inclined his ear to the words and impostures of the Devil Whence I conclude Man sinned not by any necessity of the preceding Decree of Predestination which is diametrically opposite to the Doctrine thereof Again Artic. 16. speaking of the Eternal Election of God God shewed himself mercifull by saving and freeing them from damnation whom in his everlasting and unchangeable counsel for his gracious goodnesse without any respect of works he chose in his Son Christ Iesus our Lord and also just in relinquishing others in that their fall and perdition whereinto they had precipitated themselves How these words are consistent with the forementioned Doctrine I plainly see not In the Heydelberg Catechism Quest 20. Salvation is not given to all those by Christ who perished in Adam but to them onely who are ingrafted into him by faith and embrace his benefits Whence I conclude God to have fore-appointed none absolutely to Salvation but those beheld in his Decree as believers which is in open defiance with the first and third head of this Predestination So Quest 54. See pag. 26. I believe the Son of God out of all Mankinde doth from the beginning unto the end of the World gather a chosen company consenting in the true faith unto Eternal life Where Election to life and consent in Faith are mutually placed together and the latter not subordinate to the former which according to the nature of this Doctrine ought necessarily to have been and the words run thus The Son of God calls and gathers by his spirit and word a company chosen unto life everlasting that they might believe and agree in the faith Things being thus there is no cause why the maintainers and promoters of this Doctrine ought with that violence contend to obtrude the same on their Complices or the Church of Christ or take it in such ill part when any thing is taught either in Church or University not consenting or at variance therewith Seventhly This Doctrine 7. Arg. fights against the very Nature of God especially with those Attributes of his Divine Being by which he worketh and manageth all things viz. With his Wisdom Justice and Goodness It opposeth his Wisdom three waies 1. In that it asserteth God to decree something for that end which neither is good nor can be made so such is Gods creation of some persons to eternal Perdition to the praise of his Justice 2. In that it averreth God by this Predestination to have proposed to himself the demonstration of the praise of his Mercy and Justice which he could no way do but by an act contrary to both such is that decree whereby he determined that man should sin and become miserable 3. It changetk and invert's the order method of the twofold Wisdom of God manifest in Scripture in that it asserts God absolutely to have fore-appointed the salvation of men by the Mercy and Wisdom comprehended in the Doctrine of the Cross of Christ without foreseeing 't was impossible that man and that through his own default should be saved by Wisdom perfected in the Lavv and infused into him by Creation vvhen the Scripture avers the contrary 1 Cor. 12. 1. It pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save those that believe i. e. By the Word of the Cross after that in the Wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God 2 It wars against the Justice of God which represents him not only as a Lover of Righteousness and hater of sin but as having a perpetual and unshaken will of giving every one his right Against the first of these in that it makes God precisely to will the salvation of singular men and decree the same without any intuition or respect to righteousnesse or obedience and become a lover of those men more then his own Justice Against the later in that it stateth Gods vvillingness to entail misery upon the creature which is onely the punishment of sin not beholding it as peccant and so a culpable subject of Wrath and Punishment and so is made to impose upon the creature both that which belongs not unto it likewise that which is in conjuction with its greatest evil which is abhorrent from his Justice According therefore to this Doctrine God first detracts from himself that which is his right and attributes to the creature that which appertains not unto it to the making of it miserable 3. It is in open defiance with the goodnesse of God which is an affection in him of communicating good according to that fitnesse and congruity judged and permitted by his Justice But in this Doctrine of Predestination God is set forth unto us induced of his own accord without any external Motive to will and ordain the greatest evil to the Creature and that by an eternal preordination preceding any determination in him of indowing it with the least good this Doctrine being a declaration of Gods will to damn which that he might execute he purposed also to create now Creation is the first egresse of Divine goodnesse How discrepant are these things from that bounty of God whereby he doth good not only to the undeserving but also evil and guilty persons and which we are commanded to imitate in our heavenly Father Eightly It oppugneth the nature 8. Arg. of man consider'd in his being created after the Image of God in knowledge and righteousnesse in freedom of will with aptitude and affection to the enjoyment of Eternal life These three things may be concluded of him out of of that short sentence Do this and live in the day thou doest Rom. 10.

but lightly divulged this way would greatly prejudice my innocencie and the Articles be imposed upon me which I there openly professed never issued from me neither did they agree with my judgement neither as far as I could judge with the word of God Things thus passing 'twixt him and me in the presence of two Witnesses I judged it requisite to mention the same in the Convention because of these persons being present who had read the Articles supposing them to be mine as some of them confirmed to mee which accordingly I did The Convention being about to dissolve their acts and proceedings register'd and some of the Members injoined to give an account thereof to the Lords the States General I moved the Brethren they would be pleased to stay a little having something to offer to them which they consenting to I told them the five Articles then in my hands the tenor of which I briefly read to them I had certainly found to be sent abroad into several Provinces as Zealand and the Diocesse of Utrecht by some of this Assembly and read by some Ministers in their publike Meetings and look't upon as comprehending my Judgement I there solemnly with a good conscience in the presence of God and before all that Convention professed that these points of Religion were not mine neither did they contain my judgement and this I repeated over and over again humbly beseeching the brethren they would not so easily credit those flying reports of me neither so lightly entertain that as coming from me dispersed so much to my prejudice To this answer was made by one of the Convention I should do wel to signifie to the brethren what I approved or disliked in those Articles whereby they might come to some knowledge of my judgement which motion was seconded by some one But I returned this Convention was not summoned for any such end that we had sit long enough and that the Lords the States expected an answer And thus we dissolved no man urging it any further or testifying their joynt-consent by any perswasive to the reasonableness of it Nay some there present gave out as I afterward understood that they had it in special command not to enter a debate of any Doctrine which if it had fallen out they would presently have deserted the Convention and therefore the soliciting of me herein was far from being the minde of the whole Assembly This is a true relation Most Noble and Potent States of my brethrens solicitation and my refusall whence in my opinion its clearly manifest if respect be had to their request and the manner of it to my deniall and the ground thereof together with my Presentments herein there was no cause for this my accusation Their request leading to a Declaration of my self in the matters of faith was not in my apprehension grounded upon the least reason having never administred cause to them by teaching that at any time oppugnant to the Word of God the Confession or Catec●isme of the Belgick Churches why they should desire this of me more then any other having often avouched my readiness to give way if any fruit shal be judged likely to come thereof that this should be inquired into in a Synod either Provincial or National that a further knowledge may be had thereof The manner of their Desire by Deputies did manifestly dislike me being much oppressed with the prejudice of the Synod which is not presumed to solicite any man to a conference by their Deputies without cause given them so to do therefore 't was not safe to admit of any such thing lest by that means I should confess my self guilty of teaching something contrarie to what was right Reasons of my refusal were these First not being under the Synod of South or North-Holland but having other Superiours of my owne to whom I stood bound to give an account of my actions I could not consent to any conference with their Deputies unless with their consent and an express command from them especially it being incumbent not as a private duty upon me the Deputies themselves clearly enough intimating the Conference not to be of a private nature in denying to lay aside the Title of Deputation and proceed in their owne names with me And therefore I had sinned against my Superiors if I had not refused the same I wish their Brethren would remember there was never yet any of our Ministers subjected as a Member to their respective Synod durst at any time enter a conference without the advice of the Magistrate neither ever any particular Magistrate permit the Minister under his Jurisdiction to undertake a conference with the Deputies of the Churches unless they had first consented to it which they would often do by being present themselves by their Deputies Let them onely recollect what was done at Leyden in the cause Nomina Locorum Gouda Horna Medenblicus of Colhasius at Gouda with Hermannus Herberts at Horn in the case of Cornelius Wigyer and Medenblich in the cause of Taco Second Reason disswading me from the conference was the great inequality thereof equality being a necessary qualification in personal debates 1. They came against me with whom all things stood in a private capacity arm'd with publick Authority Now I am not ignorant how greatly they are under-propt who do any thing by vertue of this power 2. They were three in number besides the two deputed from the Synod of North-Holland with them I was alone not onely destitute of help but also of witnesses to whom as they likewise I might safely commit my affairs 3. They were not at Liberty being compelled to hang upon the judgment of their Superiors therefore strictly obliged to contend to the utmost for that opinion in Religion they were of insomuch as 't was not safe for them to admit of my reasons or arguments though never so cogent and insoluble which considered I did not see what fruit or advantage could mutually result from this conference as in equity should and which on my part was likely to do being free in my self and able by bringing my conscience in without the ppejudice of any to the examination to admit of that which my conscience convinced of the Truth should dictate to be right Of how great concernment all these things are your Highness's had known more fully if you had been present by your Deputies in that Preparatory Convention Third Reason Their own relation after the conference to the Synod could not but be divers wayes prejudicial to me whether absent or present if absent it might easily happen either by omission addition or dislocation of words by inconsiderateness in defect of understanding or imbecility in the want of memory or by the prejudice of disaffection a Narrative should be made otherwise then the truth of the thing required If present 't were difficult to escape or correct this inconvenience better credit being likely to be given to their own Deputies then to my self

dry tree draw neere to this communicative and diffusive love of God that thy soule may be drenched therewith I am very well assured by the blessed word of truth there stands no decree of Reprobation like the Cherubim in the garden of Eden with a flaming sword in it's hand to keep the way from the greater part of men to the tree of life God is not contributory by any voluntary purpose or act to the perdition of any of his Creatures yet is he so great a lover if righteousnesse and justice that he will punish sin unrepented of where ever he finds it Above all things pursue peace with all men if 't be possible and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord take not up any thing cantained in these papers for contention strife and debate O flee vaine janglings which defile the judgment corrupt the heart and tend not to edification The church of God is too too much made an Amphytheater Religion a meere digladiation the severall opinions the combatants the weapon● carnall and not Spirituall and the prize I fear Self-glory and selfe-advancement If thou knowest these things happy art thou if thou Joh. 13. 17 doest them let thy knowledge looke to practice as the fruit and thy practice to knowledg as the guide and be assured they will both lead to hapinesse as the end But not to swell this Epistle beyond its proportion let me tell thee thou must vouchfafe this peece a diligent pervsall if thou wouldest reap any profit by it expect not Rhetoricall flourishes to court thee with entic●ing words of vanity into the Authours judgment or the soft strains of Eloquence to touch thee with delight this the mind of the Authour the nature of the thing and the translation it self forbids thee Try all things by the test of the Scriptures hold fast that which is good Phil. 3. 15 16. Never the lesse whereto we have already attained let us walke by the same rule let us minde the same things and if in any thing thou he otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto thee June 5. 1655. TO THE Noble and Potent STATES OF Holland and VVest-friezland My Supreme Lords AFter the conference betwixt M. Gomar and my self at the Hague by the command of your Highnesses before the Lords Counsellors of the Supreme Court four Ministers being present and relation made thereof to your Highnesses intimating the weight and moment of the Controversie betwixt us it afterward was thought requisite by your noble Highnesses to call both of us together with the four Ministers before you into your honourable Assembly to signifie to us all this way what you should judge most expedient for that time So it fell out Mr. Gomar confirm'd the debate a foot betwixt us to be of that grand importance that he durst not joyn issue with such an opinion as this of mine in the presence of God and more then that if it were not presently stopt 't would set the Provinces Churches Cities and Citizens together by the ears and every mans hand against his brother To all which I answered nothing at that time save that I knew not my self guilty of any such cruel opinion in Religion being confident I should never administer any just cause or ground for Schism or dissention to build upon either in Church or State in testimony whereof I was ready openly in all truth and sincerity to declare my mind in the whole matter of Religion when ever I should be commanded thereunto before this Assembly and that before I removed from the place where I then stood Upon which motion it was judged convenient by your Highnesses that I should be called before you now to make good the proffer in these Sessions and therefore it is that I now appear in this place faithfully to discharge it But in as much as a sinister report of mee hath for so long a time spread it self not only at home but abroad in forrain parts and no little evill hath ensued thereupon as if I had hitherto altogether refused being often required thereunto to declare my judgement in the business of Religion Wherefore I make it my humble request that you 'l please to give me leave ingenuously to open my self in this matter before I proceed to other things In the yeer 1605. June 30. There came to me at Leyden three Deputies of the Synod of South-Holland viz. Francis Lansberge Libert Fraxim and Daniel Volege of happy memory Ministers of their respective Churches at Roterdam the Hague and Delph being present with them two Ministers of the Synod of North-Holland namely Iohn Bogard of the Church at Harleme and Iames Roland of the Church at Amsterdam telling me in their Classical Examinations of some Students in the University of Leyden in order to their entrance into the Mininistery they received some new and unusual answers to the questions propounded contrary to the received Doctrine in the Churches which they confirmed as having been disciplined into them by me which things being so they desired a friendly conference with me to know the bottom of this matter whereby for the future they might better consult the affairs of the Church To which I answered I could no way approve this manner of process which would necessarily ever and anon multiply conference upon conference even as oft as any Student should give any new answer pretending to have learn'd the same of me therefore 't was better in my judgment when any Schollar should frame any new Responsory in his Examinations confirming the same from me which should bee judged by the Brethren contrary to the Confession and Catechism of the Belgick Churches they would send for us both together being ready upon this account at my owne charge to come whereever it should please the Brethren to appoint and this course being taken once and again the calumny or truth would plainly bee evinced And further to Mr. Lansberge urging the conference in the name of the rest answer was made that as yet I saw not how I could admit of any such thing with them appearing as Deputies from the Synod to whom they stood bound to give an account of all things done by them unless my Superiours were likewise privy and consenting and also commanding me hereunto besides it 's being joyned with no small hazard if so be I should wholly cast my selfe upon their faithfulness in their own relation of the event of our conference to the Synod And further that they had no cause why they should require any such thing of me not conscious to my self of delivering any Doctrine either at Leyden or Amsterdam contrary to the Word of God Confession or Catechism of the Churches in Holland That hitherto not any such thing was ever objected to me being confident it would not easily be effected if the Objector should be obliged to make good his Objections by proof and in default thereof to bear the blame himself Notwithstanding if they would

follow if such Explications as these were once permitted in the Church of God It admits of no excuse that the Son of God should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither is it proper to say that the Essence of God is common to the three persons when it 's said to be communicated one from another From what I say it 's openly manifest how much we can tolerate in him whom we suspect not of Heresie and on the contrary how greedily we snatch up any thing to burden him whom we have in suspition the first is conspicuous for the later this example is the least Concerning man's justification before God I am not conscious to my self of teaching or thinking any thing which is not the unanimous sense of the reform'd and Protestant Churches and at very good accord with their judgements herein Some controversie of this nature indeed there was afoot betwixt Piscator the Nassovian Professor of Divinity and the French Churches stated thus Whether the obedience and righteousness of Christ imputed to Believers and in which they are righteous before God were only the passive obedience of Christ according to the judgement of Piscator or both active and passive which in his whole life he yeelded to the Law of God and that holiness wherein hee was conceived as the Gallick Churches believed For my part I never durst sink into this question or assume the examination thereof being satisfied the Professors of the same Religion may dissent from one another herein salving the unity of Faith and Christian Peace the Adversaries one to another seeming to be of the same minde in mutual toleration and brotherly forbearance although in our Countrey some be of another judgement A Question is mov'd from the words of the Apostle Rom. 4. Faith was accounted for righteousnesse whether it be understood properly so that faith as an act done according to the Evangelical Precept be imputed before God to or for righteousness and that by grace in as much as it is not the righteousness of the Law or whether it be to be understood figuratively and improperly that the righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith be imputed to us for righteousness or thus whether Righteousness into or for which faith is imputed bee the instrumental work thereof as some assert I have followed the first opinion in the Theses of Justification disputed under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me Non praecisè not rigidly yet simpli itèr plainly as elsewhere in a certain Epistle For this I am judged unsound in the doctrine of mans Justification but this wil be more clearly manifest in a mutual conference in its due season For the present briefly thus I believe the justification of sinners by the sole obedience of Christ and that his Righteousness is the onely meritorious cause for which the condonation of sin is granted to believers and reputed as just as if they had fulfilled the Law perfectly but inasmuch as God imputes this Righteousness of Christ to believers only I judg in this sense it may be well and properly said that faith is imputed for Righteousness by grace to him that believeth God having set forth his Son Tribunal Gratiae a Mercy-seat or propitiation by faith in his blood But however my judgement is the same with Calvins whom none of us reprehends as unsold in this point and am ready to subscribe to what he layes down in the third booke of his Institutions concerning it And these are the chief Articles most noble and potent States at the command of these Sessions I judged necessary to declare my sense of I have made some annotations upon the Confession of the Belgick Churches and Heydelberge Catechism but of these a debate will be most seasonable in our Synod which with your consent and evocation we hope for by the first opportunity only give me leave to add a word or two concerning a certaine Claufe under which the Noble and Potent States Generall consented to a Nationall Synod in this Province which was this that in it the Confession and Catechism of the Belgick Churches should be subjected to Examination This hath displeased many who judged it not onely unnecessary but very unmeet to be done and who should procure this from the Lords the States Generall but a person of quality and my selfe But neither of these upon any ground for the later we were so far from being the authors of it that eleven or twelve years ago at the great importunity of the Churches for a Nationall Synod the States of South-Holland and Westfriesland could not judg it otherwise requisite to yeeld thereunto by their decree then that in it the Confession of the Belgick Churches should be brought under Examination we not promoting any such thing at that time either by advice or endeavour yet really if we had we had done nothing but our duty and what was agreeable both to Equity and Reason and the necessity of our present Estate First that it might appeare to all the world we bear that honour to the word of God alone as becomes us that it onely is determined to be without nay above all dispute beyond al exception and worthy of all acceptation Secondly these book 's being the writings of men Errour may be contain'd in them whence it behoves us to be inquisitive yet lawfully in a Nationall Synod whether there be any thing that stands need of Correction and emendation in them 1 Whether they have an agreement of parts with the word of i. e. An exact agreement thoroughout God as well according to the words themselves and manner of speaking as the genuine sense thereof 2. Whether or no whatsoever is Comprehended in them be necessary to be believed unto salvation so consequently saving health ascribed to those things to which it is not Competible 3. Whether the Confession doth not containe and comprehend too many things as necessary to be believed unto salvation and that saving health according to that rule be refused to be given up to what it appertaines 4. Whether the words and form's of speaking made use of in them are not of ambiguous acception administring an occasion of contention for Example 14. Art●● Confes you have this passage Nothing is done without Gods ordination if by ordination be meant Gods appointing that something be done the Proposition is false in that it follows that God is the Author of sin but if the import of it be his Ordination to a good end it s rightly understood 5. Whether there may not be found things repugnant one to another Ex. Gr. A person much honoured in the Church writes to Piscator the Nassovian Professor wishes him to adhere to the Heydelberge Catechism in his Doctrine of Justification cites to this purpose three places which he thought at variance with the judgement of Piscator The Professor returns For his part he did stedfastly abide in the sense of the Catechism alledgeth for his proof eleven or twelve places thence Now