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	nature_n	power_n	1,617	5	4.8157	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15403	An harmonie vpon the second booke of Samuel wherein according to the methode and order obserued vpon the first booke, these speciall things are obserued vpon euerie chapter. The diuers readings compared, doubtfull questions explaned, places of Scripture reconciled, controversies briefly touched, and morall collections applyed. VVherein neere fowre hundred theologicall questions are handled, with great breuitie, and much varietie, by the former author of Hexapla on Genesis and Exodus.	Willet, Andrew, 1562-1621.	1614 (1614)	STC 25680; ESTC S118200	222,462	162

disposeth that it shall not rage or raigne in all nor in all times nor further then he seeth it to be for his glorie But good actions the Lord willeth after an other sort not onely permitting them to bee done but effecting working finishing and perfitting in vs euery good worke 5. Further there are three things to be considered in sinne 1. The guilt of sinne which is nothing else but obligatio ad poenam a binding and tying of him that sinneth vnto punishment and this is an act of Gods iustice who after one hath sinned holdeth him guiltie of punishment 2. Then there is the act of sinne which is the subiect and this God is the cause of who giueth power to mooue to will to doe this or that vnto his creatures which power hee restraineth not but suffereth euerie thing which he hath made and enableth it also to exercise the naturall properties and faculties thereof Thus God is the author of the action but the euilnes of the action proceedeth from mans corrupt nature like as the soule and life in the body is the cause it mooueth but the lamenesse of the legge or other part affected is the cause of the halting thereof So God as an vniuersall agent giueth life and motion to his creatures as the soule doth to the bodie but the abusing and deprauing of these actions ariseth from the corruption of mans nature 3. There is in sinne the punishment to be considered So God is said to punish sinne with sinne as the Apostle sheweth how the Lord gaue ouer the Gentiles to a reprobate sense and to vile affections as a punishment of their Idolatrie Rom. 1. In this manner as hath been shewed how the Lord may be said to haue to do with sinne but he is no way the author thereof or properly the cause And that is no imperfection in God that he cannot sinne nor will sinne but it is his perfection who beeing perfect goodnesse it selfe cannot abide any thing that is euill for if he should will sinne to bee he should turne men from himselfe which were to denie himselfe which as the Apostle saith God cannot doe God cannot denie himselfe 2. Tim. 2.13 This th●n is the summe of all that God is not properly the cause of euill but 1. either by remouing and withholding his grace 2. by disposing in his infinite wisedome and power euen of euill actions to serue his glorie 3. by ministring occasion which the wicked may abuse and peruert to their further hardening 4. in permitting things to be done as farre as hee seeth expedient for the vniuersall good 5. the guilt of sinne in iustice he procureth 6. the generall action he causeth 7. as it is a punishment he inflicteth it c. 7. Now according to these conclusions set downe the former reasons which seemed to make God accessarie vnto euill may thus be answered 1. God is said to giue vp the Gentiles to vile affections because hee left them to themselues and iustly depriued them of his grace 2. God hardened Pharaohs heart and blinded the Israelites eyes occasionaliter by ministring the occasion which they abused Gods workes were an occasion of Pharaohs hardening and his word of the others blinding but not of themselues the other through their peruersnesse tooke occasion to doe euill where none was giuen and turned that which was good to be an occasion of euill 3. The Lord is said to lead into temptation because the deuill who is the tempter can doe no more then God permitteth God tempteth not to euill as hee is not tempted Iam. 1. And we of our selues are tempted of our owne concupiscence therefore our Sauiour saith to his Apostles watch and pray least yee enter into temptation Matth. 26.41 4. God is the creator of mans will but not of his corrupt will which is the cause of sinne and not his will simply as God created it 5. When God saith to the euill spirit goe and prosper that is to be referred to the ende which was the death and punishment of Ahab but the meanes which was by beeing a lying spirit God willed not nor commaunded to be done but hindred not the doing of it because the Lord knewe how to vse it to his glorie 6. It is not denied but that the subiect of sinne which is the action in generall is from God who is the moouer of all things but it followeth not that the euilnesse of the action therefore is from God 7. God is said to deceiue the Prophet and people not in respect of the cause thereof which proceeded from their owne corrupt heart but in regard of the euent because God vsed that seduction for their punishment 8. God is said to turne their hearts to hatred because the prosperitie of the Hebrewes which God caused gaue occasion of enuie and hatred to the Egyptians the hearts of the Canaanites were hardened non emolliendo because God mollified them not And so God gaue them which beleeued not the truth strong delusions as a iust iudge punishing their hardnes of heart and vnbeleefe with blindnes peruersnesse 9. God willeth the meanes but after an other manner his will is that persecutions should be not simply but as they tend to his glorie and to the propagation of the truth 10. It is crueltie in man if he suffer one to fall and helpe him not because a man is bound in charitie to doe it but God is bound to none many graces he giues vnto the wicked which they abuse he is not bound to giue all he may doe with his owne as it pleaseth him 11. God is the author of the action which bringeth forth euill but not of the euilnesse of the action 12. Concerning the death and suffering of Christ God willed it in respect of the ende which was our redemption the meane● as the treacherie of Iudas the malice of the Iewes he ordained not but disposed he willed not but vsed them 8. Quest. How Gods prouidence and mans will may stand together Here are two errours to bee taken heed of in two extreames Some doe so hold Gods prouidence as that they exempt some thing● from it some on the contrarie do ascribe all things to the diuine prouidence as th●t they impose a necessitie vpon the will of man depriuing the same of the naturall libertie and freedome thereof 1. Of the first opinion was Plato affirming that there are many things in the world which God is no wayes the cause of Lib. 2. de Republic as of euill things which is true if he speake of the proper efficient cause of sinne but yet euen in such things Gods prouidence sleepeth not directing ordering and disposing euill things vnto such ende as seemeth best vnto himselfe 2. Damascene also in some sort impugneth Gods prouidence when hee saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that onely those things which are not within vs not the things within vs Lib. ● de fide c. 29. are subiect to Gods prouidence whereas

himselfe by that vow Mart. 2. And whereas Dauid voweth that hee will not sleepe nor climbe vp into his bed till hee had found out a place for the Lords house the meaning is not that Dauid would alwaies thinke of it and haue it in minde for otherwise his naturall infirmitie and frailnesse could not so long endure without sleepe and rest Mart. But he voweth that he will not take possession of his new habitation and dwelling place which hee had made vntill he had found out an house for the Lord Iun. 3. But notwithstanding this vow the Lord forbiddeth Dauid to goe forward in this purpose he therefore reuoketh and reuerseth his vow Controv. Whether rash vowes may be broken for if the father may call backe the vow of his daughter and the husband of the wife Numb 30. much more may the Lord dispense with the vowes of his seruants which are rashly or vnaduisedly made therefore we hold that all rash vowes as of single life voluntarie pouertie and such like which are made without warrant of Gods word by the authoritie of the same word may be reuersed as God here doth rebuke the hastie vow of Dauid 5. Quest. Wherefore the Lord would not haue Dauid build him an house v. 6. 1. The first reason which the Lord vseth is in respect of himselfe that he had dwelt in no house since he brought Israel out of Egypt and yet he was present with Israel and contented himselfe to dwell in tents he was all this while notwithstanding their Almightie God therefore in respect of himselfe there was no cause why Dauid should be so carefull to make God an house 2. Againe in respect of Dauid himselfe there was iust cause seeing there were many Princes and Gouernours before him vnto whom the Lord gaue no such commandement neither was he angrie with them for not building the Lord an house Dauid therefore should not thinke that it concerned him more then any of the rest which went before him 3. An other reason is yeelded by Salomon 1. King 5.3 why it pleased not God that Dauid should build him an house because he had warre with the nations round about and therefore he had no leisure nor opportunitie to enterprise such a great worke 4. And beside Dauid himselfe sheweth that the Lord forbad him to build him an house because he was a man of warre and had shed blood 1. Chron. 28.3 not as though it had beene vnlawfull for Dauid to fight the Lords battels or that he had beene defiled therewith but because the building of the Temple was a type of the spirituall building of the Church by Christ the Prince of peace it was requisite that the Temple should be built by peaceable Salomon that the figure and shadow might be correspondent to the bodie 5. But this was no cause as the Romanists imagine because Dauid by shedding of blood and waging of battell became irregular for then many of their Popes which haue beene warriers and warlike men should haue beene irregular yea and many of the founders of their Abbyes which had beene murtherers should haue much more incurred the same censure for Dauids warres were iust but they killed vniustly Mar. 6. But in that God would not suffer Dauid to build him an house we see that ceremonies are of no vertue or force but as they haue their strength from the word of God and therefore Ieremie reprooueth the hypocrites of his time for hauing such confidence in the materiall Temple who thought whatsoeuer sinnes they were guiltie of that they were deliuered in comming to the Temple Ierem. 7.10 Mart. 6. Quest. Whether Dauids desire to build God an house were simply in it selfe acceptable 1. That Dauid did well therein and that the Lord was well pleased with his intent and purpose Salomon sheweth 1. King 8.18 so that generally in it selfe it was a good purpose and desire but yet failed herein because hee had no particular direction from Gods word to doe it for God may approoue some acts which notwithstanding he will not haue done at all times and seasons 2. True it is that the Lord purposed to haue an house built as is euident Deut. 12.11 but the circumstance of time and place beeing not expressed they were to waite for further direction and warrant from God for it is not in these ceremoniall precepts as in morall for where any morall precept is generally propounded it must be executed without expecting any other commandement as the Apostle saith Philip. 4.8 Whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeur things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust c. thinke of these things but ceremonies and sacraments must haue a particular institution from God of which kind the building of the temple was 3. And though Dauid here be inhibited to build Gods house yet the Iewes in Haggies time were worthely reprooued for their negligence therein not that God is contrarie to himselfe in forbidding and commanding the same thing but the reason of the difference is because Dauid had no word of God to warrant this enterprise but the Iewes were commanded by the Prophets and so had the word of God which they stubburnely disobeyed 7. Quest. v. 7. Whether these words are well translated spake I one word with any of the tribes 1. Most of the Interpreters so translate the word shibtez tribes as S.L.C.V. with the rest 2. But it is better translated by a Synecdoche Iudges or gouernours the word properly signifieth scepters where the scepter beeing an adiunct of the gouernment is taken for the gouernours themselues Iun. And that this reading is best these reasons may show because it is so expounded 1. Chron. 17.6 where this place is rehearsed thus spake I one word to any of the Iudges of Israel c. 2. And beside the words following here confirme the same sense whom I commanded to feede my people but they were the Iudges not the tribes whom the Lord commanded so to doe 3. v. 11. the Lord also saith since the time that I commanded Iudges ouer my people 4. And there is great affinitie and similitude in the words betweene shibtee and shophtee 8. Quest. v. 8. Why the Lord maketh mention that he tooke Dauid from the sheepcoate The Lord to a diuerse end remembreth this here then afterward when he had committed that sinne in the matter of Vriah where the Lord rehearsing the benefits which he had done for him as how he had anointed him King ouer Israel and deliuered him out of the hand of Saul c. 12.7 vpbraideth Dauid for his vnthankefulnesse But here 1. the Lord by putting Dauid in mind of these benefits he thereby doth incourage him not to thinke that this inhibition to goe forward in his purpose to build God an house proceeded from any disfauour seeing he had heaped so many blessings vpon him but that the Lord had another meaning in it Mart. Osiand 2. And beside hereby the Lord doth stil keepe him in hope that he will haue an

was the captaine of the rest Kimhi thinketh that he is not named among them because he was the cheife captaine but it is so much the more like that he was not omitted And whereas Osiander coniectureth that he is not set downe because he had disgraced himselfe by those two treacherous murthers of Abner and Amasa and made himselfe vnworthie of any memorie that was no let why his valiant acts should not be remembred for here is mention made of Achitophel whose son Eliam was one of Dauids worthies And beside honourable mention is made of Ioab v. 18. Abishai is said to be the brother of Ioab Therefore seeing Ioab is named in this chapter and there is no other found to make the number of 37. and Ioab was also a valiant and worthie man it is most probable that he is included in the number Iun. CHAP. 24. 1. Quest. v. 1. Wherefore the wrath of God was kindled againe against Israel 1. RVpertus thinketh that the anger of God was kindled against Israel because of the iniurie done to Vriah who is named immediately before in the last verse of the former chapter but it seemeth by the words of the text that it was some generall sinne of the whole land for it is said the wrath of God was kindled against Israel 2. Some thinke that the people had at diuerse times before sinned against God in the dayes of Saul and in ioyning with Absalom and last of all in following of Shebah c. 20. and that the Lord doth now punish them for all But it seemeth it was some newe prouocation whereby the wrath of God was againe and a fresh as it were kindled against Israel 3. There may therefore be two causes assigned specially of this great wrath first the Israelites liuing now in ease and tranquilitie abused it defluebant luxu and gaue themselues to riotous liuing Mar. likewise hauing obtained so many victories against their enemies they might grow insolent and secure Borrh. 4. Thus as before in the rebellion of Abshalom there fell of the people 20. thousand and they felt three yeares famine for the sinne of Sauls house so now the Lord sendeth vpon them the third plague of the pestilence Pellican 5. Here also it may be obserued as the prayer of the people helpeth the Magistrate so by their sinnes occasionem dederunt principis lapsai they giue occasion of the Princes fall and therein as they are partakers of the sinne so they are of the punishment Mart. 2. Quest. v. 1. Who it was that mooued Dauid to number the people 1. D. Kimhi and R. Levi Ben Gerson vnderstand that Dauids owne concupiscence mooued him to number the people but thereof no mention is made before 2. Some referre it to some wicked counseller that mooued Dauid to doe it Vata but this sense is refused for the same reason 3. Iunius interpreteth this place by that 1. Chron. 21.1 that Sathan stood vp against Israel and prouoked Dauid which is certaine that Sathan did here principally tempt Dauid vnto euill but in this place the nominatiue case is rather to be sought in the words going before 4. But seeing the Scripture else where ascribeth as much vnto God as Isai. 19.14 The Lord hath mingled among them the spirit of errors and the same Prophet saith c. 63.17 O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes we need not be afraid to speak as the Scripture doth that the Lord stirred vp Dauid as before c. 16. Dauid saith that the Lord bid Shemei curse him 5. Wherefore after this manner God is said to haue mooued Dauid 1. in permitting and suffring Sathan to put it into Dauids heart to number the people Osiand 2. God was causa remouens the remoouing cause in not giuing vnto Dauid at this time the direction of his spirit 3. The generall vertue and power of moouing is from God but the euilnes of the ●ction is of our selues 4. God vsed this fall and slip of Dauid and turned it to an other end thereby his iustice shewed it selfe in punishing his people Mart. and it was an occasion of greater good by this meanes the place was pointed out where afterward the Temple was built Rupertus 3. Quest. Wherein Dauid sinned in causing the people to be numbred 1. Iosephus thinketh that Dauid offended herein because he had forgotten in numbring the people to leuie the summe of halfe a sickle vpon euery one according to the law Exod. 30. but this was not the reason for the people were numbred againe by Moses Numb 1. and yet paied not that halfe sickle 2. Some thinke it simply vnlawfull to number the people wherein the Lord promised to be innumerable as the starres of the skie and the sand of the Sea and therefore it belonged vnto God onely to number that which was innumerable but this is not so for they were there numbred by Moses Exod. 38. Numb 1. Numb 26. 3. Some iudge that Dauid purposed to haue imposed some taske vpon the people and so he sinned in coueting as Dion writeth of Augustus Caesar that he appointed a taske ouer all that pertained to the Romane Empire But Ioab brought Dauid the summe of the people yet no such imposition is mentioned so much as to haue beene intended 4. Dauids fault was then first in entring into a needelesse action wherof there was no cause but onely Dauids curiositie he would haue it done that I may know saith hee the number of the people v. 2. for the mustring of the people was vsed among the Romans which custom was first taken vp by Seruius Tullius the King for these foure ends 1. To know who were fit for warre 2. to know euery ones substance to make indifferent rates 3. that the people thereby might acknowledge their subiection 4. and that a view might be taken of the peoples faults But Dauid here propounded none of these ends 1. Warre he had now none in hand 2. Neither intended he to make any collection 3. And they needed not by this meanes professe their subiection seeing he was taken and acknowledged of all for their King 4. And they had other magistrates to watch ouer the peoples faults the Leuites to instruct them and the Elders to correct them 5. So then it is cleare that Dauids heart was lifted vp to reioyce in the number and strength of the people for the which the Lord was angrie with him and sent a plague among the people 6. Rupertus maketh this numbring of the people a liuely shadow of the carnall Iewes who trusted to the workes of the law as Dauid here reioyceth in the multitude of men and in the arme of flesh 4. Quest. Of Ioabs disswasion to the King not to number the people 1. Hee sheweth that it belonged to God to increase the people and that it was Dauids part thankefully to acknowledge Gods blessing therein and not as it were to take vpon him Gods office as though the people by beeing numbred could be increased