Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	call_v	nature_n	1,452	5	5.1884	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58583	Act ratifying the confession of faith and settling Presbyterian church-government Edinburgh, the seventh day of June, 1690.	Scotland.	1690 (1690)	Wing S1157; ESTC R34034	26,464	30

And being united to one another in love they have communion in each others gifts and graces and are obliged to the performance of such duties publick and privat as do conduce to their mutual good both in the inward and outward man II. Saints by profession are bound to maintain an holy fellowship and communion in the worship of God and in performing such other spiritual services as tend to their mutual edification as also in relieving each other in outward things according to their several abilities and necessities which Communion as God offereth opportunity is to be extended to all those who in every place call upon the Name of the Lord Jesus III. This Communion which the Saints have with Christ doth not make them in any wise partakers of the substance of his God-head or to be equal with Christ in any respect either of which to affirm is impious and blasphemous Nor doth their Communion one with another as Saints take away or infringe the Title or Propriety which each man hath in his Goods and Possessions CHAP. XXVII Of the Sacraments SAcraments are holy Signs and Seals of the Covenant of Grace immediatly Instituted by God to represent Christ and his Benefits and to confirm our interest in him as also to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the Church and the rest of the World and solemnly to engage them to the Service of God in Christ according to his Word II. There is in every Sacrament a Spiritual relation or Sacramental Union between the Sign and the Thing signified whence it comes to pass that the Names and Effects of the one are attributed to the other III. The Grace which is exhibited in or by the Sacraments rightly used is not conferred by any power in them neither doth the efficacy of a Sacrament depend upon the Piety or intention of him that doth Administer it but upon the work of the Spirit and the Word of Institution which contains together with a Precept authorizing the use thereof a promise of benefit to worthy Receivers IV. There be only two Sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the Gospel that is to say Baptism and the Supper of the Lord neither of which may be dispensed by any but by a Minister of the Word lawfully ordained V. The Sacrements of the Old Testament in regard of the Spiritual things thereby signified and exhibited were for substance the same with those of the New CHAP. XXVIII Of Baptism BAptism is a Sacrament of the New Testament Ordained by Jesus Christ not only for the solemn Admission of the Party Baptized into the Visible Church but also to be unto him a Sign and Seal of the Covenant of Grace of his engrafting into Christ or Regenerations of Remission of sins and of his giving up unto God through Jesus Christ to walk in newness of life Which Sacrament is by Christ's own appointment to be continued in his Church until the end of the world II. The outward Element to be used in this Sacrament is Water wherewith the party is to be Baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost by a Minister of the Gospel lawfully called thereunto III. Dipping of the person in the Water is not necessary but Baptism is rightly administred by pouring or sprinkling Water upon the person IV. Not only those that do actually profess Faith in and Obedience unto Christ but also the Infants of one or both believing Parents are to be Baptized V. Although it be a great sin to contemn or neglect this Ordinance yet Grace and Salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it as that no person can be Regenerated or Saved without it or that all that are Baptized are undoubtedly Regenerated VI. The efficacy of Baptism is not tyed to that moment of time wherein it is administred yet notwithstanding by the right use of this Ordinance the Grace promised is not only offered but really exhibited and conferred by the Holy Ghost to such whether of age or Infants as that Grace belongeth unto according to the Counsel of God's own Will in his appointed time VII The Sacrament of Baptism is but once to be administred unto any person CHAP. XXIX Of the Lord's Supper OUr Lord Jesus in the night wherein he was betrayed Instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood called the Lord's Supper to be observed in his Church unto the end of the World for the perpetual remembrance of the Sacrifice of himself in his death the sealing all benefits thereof unto true Believers their Spiritual nourishment and growth in him their further ingagement in and to all Duties which they owe unto him and to be a bond and pledge of their communion with him and with each other as Members of his mystical Body II. In this Sacrament Christ is not offered up to his Father nor any real Sacrifice made at all for Remission of sins of the quick or dead but only a Commemoration of that one Offering up of himself by himself upon the Cross once for all and a spiritual Oblation of all possible praise unto God for the same So that the Popish Sacrifice of the Mass as they call it is most abominably injurious to Christ's one only Sacrifice the alone Propitiation for all the sins of the Elect. III. The Lord Jesus hath in this Ordinance appointed his Ministers to declare his word of institution to the people to pray and bless the Elements of Bread and Wine and thereby to set them apart from a Common to an Holy Use and to Take and Break the Bread to Take the Cup and they communicating also themselves to give both to the Communicants but to none who are not then present in the Congregation IV. Privat Masses or receiving this Sacrament by a Priest or any other alone as likewise the denial of the Cup to the people worshipping the Elements the lifting them up or carying them about for adoration and the reserving them for any pretended Religious use are all contrary to the Nature of this Sacrament and to the Institution of Christ V. The outward Elements in this Sacrament duely set a part to the use ordained by Christ have such relation to him crucified as that truly yet Sacramentally only they are sometimes called by the name of the things they represent to wit the Body and Blood of Christ albeit in substance and nature they still remain truly and only Bread and Wine as they were before VI. That Doctrine which maintains a change of the substance of Bread and Wine into the substance of Christ's Body and Blood commonly called Transubstantiation by Consecration of a Priest or by any other way is repugnant not to Scripture alone but even to common sense and Reason overthroweth the nature of the Sacrament and hath been and is the cause of manifold Superstitions yea of gross Idolatries VII Worthy receivers outwardly partaking of the visible Elements in this Sacrament do then also inwardly by

them whatsoever himself pleaseth In his sight all things are open and manifest his Knowledge is infinite infallible and independent upon the Creature so as nothing is to him contingent or uncertain He is most holy in all his Counsels in all his Works and in all his Commands To him is due from Angels and men and every other Creature whatsoever Worship Service or Obedience he is pleased to require of them III. In the Unity of the God-head there be three Persons of one Substance Power and Eternity God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost The Father is of none neither begotten nor proceeding The Son is eternally begotten of the Father The Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son CHAP. III. Of God's Eternal Decree GOD from all eternity did by the most wise and Holy Counsel of his own will freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass yet so as thereby neither is God the Author of sin nor is violence offered to the will of the Creatures nor is the Liberty or contingency of second Causes taken away but rather established II. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions yet hath he not decreed any thing because he foresaw it as future or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions III. By the Decree of God for the manifestation of his Glory some Men and Angels are predestinated unto everlasting life and others fore-ordained to everlasting death IV. These Angels and Men thus predestinated and fore-ordained are particularly and unchangeably designed and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished V. Those of Mankind that are predestinated unto Life God before the foundation of the World was laid according to his eternal and immutable purpose and the secret Counsel and good Pleasure of his Will hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting Glory out of his meer free grace and love without any foresight of Faith or good Works or perseverance in either of them or any other thing in the Creature as conditions or causes moving him thereunto and all to the praise of his glorious Grace VI. As God hath appointed the Elect unto glory so hath he by the eternal and most free purpose of his will fore-ordained all the means thereunto Wherefore they who are Elected being fallen in Adam are redeemed by Christ are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season are Justified Adopted Sanctified and kept by his power through faith unto salvation Neither are any other redeemed by Christ effectually Called Justified Adopted Sanctified and Saved but the Elect only VII The rest of mankind God was pleased according to the unsearchable counsel of his own Will whereby he extendeth or withholdeth mercy as he pleaseth for the glory of his Soveraign Power over his Creatures to pass by and to ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sin to the praise of his glorious justice VIII The Doctrine of this high Mystery of Predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care that men attending the will of God revealed in his Word and yielding obedience thereunto may from the certainty of their effectual Vocation be assured of their eternal Election So shall this Doctrine afford matter of praise reverence and admiration of God and of humility diligence and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the Gospel CHAP. IV. Of Creation IT pleased God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for the manifestation of the glory of his eternal Power Wisdom and goodness in the beginning to create or make of nothing the World and all things therein whether visible or invisible in the space of six days and all very good II. After God had made all other Creatures he created Man Male and Female with reasonable and immortal souls endowed with knowledge righteousness and true holiness after his own Image having the Law of God written in their hearts and power to fulfill it and yet under a possibility of transgressing being left to the Liberty of their own will which was subject unto change Beside this Law written in their hearts they received a command not to eat of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil which whiles they kept they were happy in their Communion with God and had dominion over the Creatures CHAP. V. Of Providence GOD the great Creator of all things doth uphold direct dispose and govern all Creatures actions and things from the greatest even to the least by his most wise and holy Providence according to his infallible fore-knowledge and the free and immutable counsel of his own will to the praise of the glory of his Wisdom Power Justice Goodness and Mercy II. Although in relation to the fore-knowledge and decree of God the first cause all things come to pass immutably and infallibly yet by the same Providence he ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second Causes either necessarily freely or contingently III. God in his ordinary Providence maketh use of means yet is free to work without above and against them at his pleasure IV. The Almighty power unsearchable wisdom and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in his Providence that it extendeth it self even to the first fall and all other sins of Angels and men and that not by a bare permission but such as hath joyned with it a most wise and powerful bounding and otherwise ordering and governing of them in a manifold dispensation to his own holy ends yet so as the sinfulness thereof proceedeth only from the Creature and not from God who being most holy and righteous neither is nor can be the Author or Approver of sin V. The most wise righteous and gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a season his own children to manifold temptation and the corruption of their own hearts to chastise them for their former sins or to discover unto them the hidden strength of Corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts that they may be humbled and to raise them to a more closs and constant dependency for their support upon himself and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin and for sundry other just and holy ends VI. As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God as a righteous Judge for former sins doth blind and harden from them he not only withholdeth his grace whereby they might have been inlightned in their understandings and wrought upon in their hearts but sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasions of sin and withal gives them over to their own Lusts the temptations of the World and the power of Satan whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves even under these means which God useth for the softning of others VII As the providence of God doth in general reach to all Creatures so after a most