Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bring_v	great_a	reason_n	1,648	5	4.3830	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89619	Divinity-knots vnloosed or a cleare discovery of truth; by resolving many doubts, according to scripture, orthodox divines, and sound reason, so as weake capacities may receive satisfaction therein. To which purpose, a number of points are explained by familiar simile's. A treatise intended specially for the instruction of young Christians in Rothstorne parish in Cheshire: but published for a further extent of the benefit thereof, to the Israel of God. By Adam Martindale, one of the meanest labourers in the Lords harvest.	Martindale, Adam, 1623-1686.	1649 (1649)	Wing M856; Thomason E1352_2; ESTC R209407	38,259	96

be if one beleeving Parent should so sanctifie the other that the Seed should be internally holy Not the second Viz. Conjugall or Marriage holinesse and if the Apostle had onely meant such Children were lawfully begot in Wedlock not adulterously or in Fornication for he makes such an opposition between uncleanesse and this holinesse as will not admit this interpretation Else saith he were your Children uncleane but now they are holy Uncleannesse and holinesse are here opposed so that if by holy he meane onely lawfully begotten uncleane must needs signifie unlawfully begotten And then the Apostle saith thus much in effect that when neither party beleeveth they live and beget Children in adultery or fornication but this cannot be his meaning for it is not true Marriage being honourable and a bed undefiled not to Belevers onely but to all men a Heb. 13.4 It remaineth then that they be Covenant-wise or federally holy or set apart to God For the Lord having taken a beleever and his seed into Covenant with himselfe b Gen. 17.7 as before though his Wife be an unbeleever her infidelity cannot make Gods Covenant ineffectuall For further proofe let us view againe that Scripture in the second of Acts Vers 39. The promise is to you and TO YOVR CHILDREN This is spoken to Evangelicall repenting Parents and agrees to all such Add hereunto that many absurdities and those no small ones will follow if we deny Children because such to be uncapable of the externall Covenant as Absurdity 1 First That we have lost by the comming of Christ for before he came in the flesh if a Gentile had joyned himselfe to the Jewish Church he had taken hold of the Covenant for himselfe and his Seed but now onely for himselfe and is not a mans tenure much worsned if he formerly held to him and his heyres for ever and now onely for terme of life Surely the clearenesse of dispensation and freedome from burdensome Ceremonies appertaining to the Covenant of grace cannot make nmends for this losse A man had better undergoe many inconveniences with his owne Land then to have a morec ommodious piece for terme of life only Absurdity 2 Secondly The whole blessing of Abraham should not then come on the Gentiles according to Gal. 3.14 but onely part of it for his priviledges were not personall only but hereditary i.e. belonging to his Seed Absurdity 3 Thirdly Christ should be lesse kind to his Church now then when he was on the Earth for then he acknowledged that Infants were not debarred for their infancy from the Covenant but saith Of such is the Kingdome of Heaven c Mat. 19.13 Mark 10.14 Luk. 18.15 I know some may answer when Christ saith of such he meaneth not Children but such as they are Viz. such as are harmelesse humble and meek like them But the reply is easie that he intended to take in both for the Originall word * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here translated such when it is referred to a patterne doth not exclude but include it I can give you many instances where the word must needs be so taken where Christ sayth Who so shall receive one SVCH Child in my Name receiveth me d Mat. 18.5 were it not ridiculous to say Christs intent was to tell them that if they received any other Child like that in his Name they received him but if they received that very Child which he shewed them they received him not It is sayd John 4.23 That the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh SVCH to worship him Here the word such cannot signifie such as are onely like to them that worship in spirit and truth for such counterfeits are hypocrites whose service God abhors but they that doe so worship Compare also the first Verse of the second Chapter to the Romans with the second Verse of the same and you shall see that such things are the same things In the same sense this word is taken in sundry other places e Mat 9.8 Act. 16.24 Gal. 5.23 Thinke withall what reason you can give why Christ should be so angry as Mark telleth us he was f Mark 10.14 The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth indignation or grievous vexation of spirit and so is used Mat. 20.24 26.8 Mark 10.41 14.4 Luk. 13.14 when his Disciples rebuked them that brought Children to him that he should pray over them g Mat. 19.13 Was this the sole cause Viz. that they were like those that belong to him in conditions Then wheresoever the like vertues are found they that hold them forth must also be admitted and Christ would have been displeased had they been rebuked And upon this ground as Master Cotten rightly affirmeth Christ might as well have sayd Suffer Doves and Lambs to come to me for of such that is such meek and harmelesse ones as they are is the Kingdome of Heaven But surely that opinion would savour strongly of the idle that should set Christ in a posture of readinesse to receive Doves or Lambs to pray over them and to be displeased with his Disciples had they rebuked such as brought them which yet he must have done had he been uniforme in his working according to reason * This is cleare to him that understands the axiome A quateus ad omne valet consequentia and those imitable vertues the sole cause why he received them 65. Doubt There is a great deale of reason in that which you say and I acknowledge my selfe much engaged to you for condiscending to my capacity in avoyding tearmes of Art as much as may be But I observe you made much use of Acts 2.39 and I doubt whether it can carry all the weight you lay on it for there be no lesse then three strong exceptions against it Exception 1 First All to whom Peter spake were Jewes by Nation to whom indeed this promise belonged Keepe you to Beleevers in Abrahams line and you may say to them The promise is to you and to your Children but you cannot affirme the same of others for there is no such promise Exception 2 Secondly Others expound the place thus The promise is to you if you repent and to your Children and to those that are afarre off that is Gentiles even so many as the Lord our God shall call if they repent Or thus whosoever God calleth be it your selves your Children or any of the Gentiles to them the promise belongeth Exception 3 Thirdly Some affirme this is no the promise of Gen. 17. as you seeme to take it but of Joel 2. which the speech concerneth all along this Chapter and the sense is The promise Viz. of extraordinary gifts of the spirit to speake to people of strange languages in their Mother tongues as wee doe this day is to you and to your Children and to as many as are afar off even as many as the Lord our

God shall call to wit to Preach to such people as he hath called us Resol 1 Exception taken off Admit they were all Jewes by Nation although I see no necessity to grant it Is not the partition-wall yet broken downe Eph. 2.12 13 c. Acts 10.34 35. Gal. 5.13 14. Rom. 2.26.27 28 29 4.9 1 Cor. 7.19 Gal. 6.15 What then signifie these Scriptures in the Margent If it be what mean learned men to cumber us with such distinctions or restrictions as Beleevers in Abrahams line and Beleevers out of his line 2. 2 Exception removed The limitation Even as many c. limits onely the immediate clause And to all that are afarre off not the whole sentence the sense being this The promise is to you and to your Children absolutely but not to you and your Children alone but to such also are afar off if the Lord call them to repentance nor doe I speake this for mine owne advantage but the scope of the place proves it for else Peter might better have sayd the promise is to all that repent then to proclaime the Covenant of God to repenters and their Seed and when all is summed up there is no promise to the penitents seed at all were not here a faire slourish about nothing to say so much of mercy offered to their seed and yet their seed receives no benefit at all Yes you will say their seed may also repent and then have the priviledges the Parents had But I would faine know under what notion the Child of a Beleever becomes capable of these Covenant-priviledges whether as a Beleever or as the Child of a Beleever If it be sayd as a Beleever then it cannot be as the Son of a Beleever for had all his kindred been Turkes or Heathens he might yea ought to be received when it appeareth that himselfe beleeveth If as the Child of a Beleever why may he not be received in infancy For he can never be more the Child of a Beleever then he is the first minuite of his life 3. 3 Exception replied unto This promise cannot be that of the second of Joel though I grant that is insisted on in this Chapter for it runs not in the same tearmes That in Joel is to the Sons and Daughters immediately this to the Parents and secundarily to the Children like Gen. 17.7 Much lesse will the coherence allow it For when the poore creatures were pricked in their hearts crying out Men and Brethren what shall wee doe Was it suitable to tell them the must repent and be baptized all of them and then if it should please God to call them to be Preachers they might expect the extraordinary gifts of the spirit inabling them to Preach to people of strange languages or if he called their Children or any of the Gentiles to the like worke they might expect the like assistance Were this salve for a wounded conscience groaning under the burden of sin If there were no Women amongst them which yet is to me very doubtfull we may neverthelesse suppose upon good probability 1. that many of them if not the most were never called to be Preachers 2. On the other side experience tels us that in some places as New England for example Ministers that have been sent to people of strange tongues as appeares by the blessing of God upon their indeavours have not attained to their speech by immediate inspiration but in time acquired the knowledge thereof by industry and conversing among them Nor 3. can ministeriall abilities appease an awakened conscience but the revelation of free pardon and so must Peters speech be expounded Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins and yee shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost a gift frequently bestowed on ordinary hearers in those dayes h Acts 8.15 16 17. 10.44 45 46. 19.2 cum 6. and his maine argument to of grace is to you and to your Children Thus move them to repent and be baptized is this The promise i.e. the externall Covenant I hope these objections have received their full answers I would onely add this more concerning them though they be brought by one party and for one cause they doe vehemently interfere and fight one against another insomuch that no two of them can stand together For the first supposeth the promise to be the Covenant of grace advanceth Jews above Gentiles in the injoyment of it making the Priviledges of the Jews hereditary but of the Gentiles meerly personall The second likewise supposeth it to be the Covenant of grace but utterly quasheth the pretended difference between Beleevers in Abrahams line and Beleevers out of his line which the first exception urged The third denyeth it to be a Covenant of grace So then take which you will and it overthroweth the other two and yet these multiformous creatures must all be drawne in one yoak though they looke so many severall wayes to the prejudice of the truth but it is impossible a cause should prosper under so many and manifest contradictions Serpentes avibus geminantur Horat. tigribus agni 66. Doubt How can an Infant be in Covenant with God when as it doth not consent to its owne baptisme and a Covenant requires the consent of both parties Resol 1. It is a mistake to thinke that baptisme brings a soule within Covenant whereas it is an evidence of a mans being in Covenant with God externall I meane all along before he was baptized i Acts 2.38 39. 8.37 cum 38. 16.14 15. as Circumcision also was k Gen. 12.1 2 3. cum Chap. 17.7 Josh 5.3 cum Jer. 31 32. 2. Gods Covenants doe not need a restipulation on the creatures part He made a Covenant with Abrahams seed while yet he had no child l Gen. 12.15 17. Chapters Acts 7.5 yea he did not onely Covenant with Noah and his seed but with every living creature m Gen. 9.9 10. and yet these could not restipulate When men Covenant both parties must consent because else the one knowes not the others mind nor hath power to worke him to his purpose but God performes all he becomes their God and makes them his people n Jer. 31.31 32. Heb. 8.10 67. Doubt How can Children be lawfully baptized seeing Faith is required o Mark 16.16 which Infants have not Resol Things must be understood according to the capacity of the persons spoken to Paul saith if any would not work neither must he eate p 2 Thes 3 10. Must therefore Infants and they which are disabled by sicknesse or age either worke or perish In like manner Christs words which you quote seeme to import that he which beleeveth not must not be baptized but looke at the precedent Verse and you shall see such are pointed as as can heare the Word Preached which Infants cannot Infants beleeve in their Parents as Levi payd tythes in Abraham and Parents