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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	call_v	father_n	son_n	3,252	5	5.6495	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91322	Dissertatio de pace, &c. Or, A discourse touching the peace & concord of the Church. Wherein is elegantly and acutely argued, that not so much a bad opinion, as a bad life, excludes a Christian out of the kingdom of heaven; and that the things necessary to be known for the attainment of salvation, are very few and easie: and finally, that those, who pass amongst us under the name of hereticks, are notwithstanding to be tolerated.; Dissertatio de pace. English	Przypkowski, Samuel, 1592-1670.; Biddle, John, 1615-1662,	1653 (1653)	Wing P4133; Thomason E1495_1; ESTC R203302	40,192	82

those things to be true which are false Truly we are very injurious to mortality if we suppose the errors and failings of our minde to be crimes You will say They sin of set purpose and fall not casually but by a voluntary slip But who told you so Or who hath discovered unto you their intimate counsels Certainly not charity which is an enemy to evil surmises but bitterness and malignity of spirit which is apt to make a sinister construction of anothers meaning Although they had no evident proof of their innocency yet in a doubtful matter and such as is known onely to the judge of hearts it became us not to make any sad decree against them How much less can they be condemned when there appeareth nothing that might invite and drive them to so wretched and dangerous malice we should at least here make use of that notable saying of Piso's For what advantage is this done For if they be neither seised with a longing after honours and riches nor with an itch of pleasures nor can have any hopes of earthly solace and if they conform their life to the prescript of that most holy Law where lyeth the incitement to so great improbity as that they should purposely procure to themselves so many troubles together with eternal destruction CHAP. IX An Answer to the Objection about rejecting the Consent of the Church for the Authority of the Scripture onely BUt you will say that they have been so daring as to question a Mystery for so many ages since received by all the Christian world with great applause venerable for its very antiquity and ratified by the authority of so many Holy Fathers and Councels and so are come to the very height of wickedness in attempting to discuss with sacrilegious curiosity such things as ought to be believed The reprehension then is this that they have begun to make a doubt of so certain a thing But what Is it unlawful to busie your wit about a thing of undoubted truth that after a more strict examination you may the sooner impetrate assent from your self Certainly it is a disparagement to the Truth if we suppose her to be afraid of mens judgments For neither is it unbecoming her to plead for herself at the bar of Reason that she may bravely overcome and draw the very judge to her side whereas if she decline the tryal of this court she suffers not a little in the confidence of her cause For though we may not enquire into the truth of the Divine Oracle yet we both may and ought into the true meaning thereof and they are slanderers who say that the Socinians believe not the words of the Scripture because they doubt of the received sense But what if they seem also to have just causes of doubting For they conceive that the Holy Fathers and the consent of so many ages do adde more dignity and veneration then stress to the doctrine of the Trinity How well grounded this conceit is I dispute not However certain it is that they are not the first who have charged the publike authority of the Church and the consent of many Synods and ages with the suspicion of most grievous crimes For since they see the foresaid authority in many other things of great moment not onely accused but also convicted of falshood what so hainous crime have they committed who dare not entrust their faith and opinion of Divine things unto her For of sixteen ages the twelve latter cannot warrant many things to the greatest part of Christians It cannot be denyed that the Socinians going farther then others do also reject the consent of the four former but especially of the third and fourth ages For since the Truth hath found little assurance in humane authority for so many ages of the lowest antiquity they thought that their opinions were to be squared onely by the rule of the holy Scripture Wherein truly they could not erre so greatly but that they had a far greater cause of erring For what could the faith of the Church being once suspected ratifie to them how could they know that the Christian world hath groaned under the darkness of errors no longer then for ten or twelve ages Or that those ancient times had any priviledge above the following ones so that they could not erre They saw them to be men yea such men as were alas defiled for a great part with vices and crimes Nor could they be ignorant of the factions amongst the Nicene Fathers nor of their evident ambition nor of the evil arts of sundry others nor of the shameful errors of men otherwise most holy And though it were to be held that about the three hundredth yeer of Salvation the Church did still retain the primitive Truth yet in so many dissentions and so many adverse Councels they judged that at least the choyce of the truer opinion did pertain to themselves In chusing which they ought not to follow the judgement of the successive Church which had been already justly condemned in many points of fait● but the infallible rule of the holy Scripture For how could the Church warrant unto them the opinion of others when she was not able to make good her own Besides they called to minde the genius of that age and the dispositions of those Fathers concerning whom that great man Justus Lipsius in our age wrote that many did then so put-on Christ by an outward profession that in their minde they did not put-off Plato And therefore they not without cause suspected that in many heads of doctrine plain words were wrested to forrain and Philosphical senses whilst the Fathers did with ingenious comments tack the mysteries of their Philosophy to the word of God that they might not seem to have learned in vain For what should be the cause say they that touching the received explication of the holy Trinity Plato and Trismegistus speak more clearly then the sacred Scripture Or what reason should there be why the Scripture should more timorously and obscurely deliver so holy a Mystery then the foresaid Philosophers These and the like things though they do not acquit them of error yet do they clear them from the imputation of rashness For nothing is more certain then that the doctrine of Christ is not built on so weak a foundation as some constitute in humane authority Now did we heretofore wrest these arms out of the hands of Papists that we our selves might use them against others Certainly it becometh not us either to take their weapons or deliver ours up to them but when we are summoned to the tribunal of the holy Scripture onely we ought not to yield this p●aise to the Adversaries that they should seem to hope better then we concerning the equity and favour of so great a judge CHAP. X. An Answer to three other Objections a Comparison of Calvin 's Doctrine touching Fatal Predestination with the Doctrine of others BUt it will be further objected

herein which though it be not the cause of our Salvation yet is it at least the way and an evident argument and most certain signe thereof Now if it shall be made plainly to appear that they who are not able to extricate themselves out of those perplexed and craggie Questions whereof we have spoken may notwithstanding in the mean time love God and the Lord Jesus Christ with all the powers of their minde what cause will there be why we should not think that the same persons may be saved Logicians say that the next and immediate cause as they term it cannot be hindered but it will out of hand produce the effect Let us therefore in the first place consider the next cause of this Love and then we shall see whether it may be in men so erring The perfit Love of any one is bred in the minds of the lovers chiefly for three causes concurring together 1. From the firm and constant memory of such benefits as are past and from the sense of such as are present For gratitude also is a part of Love 2. From a certain hope and confidence of Supreme Happiness to be obtained from the beloved thing if you come to enjoy it For love languisheth without desire 3. And finally from a perfit apprehension as far as may be of the soverain beauty and excellencie of the object which is the true and principal cause of the Love it self Now forasmuch as neither the perfit Love of God nor the perfit perception of his Excellencie can fully happen to us in this life we mean not an absolute perfection of both but such as is the chiefest in its kinde namely as great as can exist in this state of mortality Nor do I understand what can be further required unto perfit love For who seeth not that our will can no more abstain from loving a perceived beauty then fire from burning stubble put unto it Which beauty if it be perfitly seen a perfit love also will arise but if no more then perfitly in its kinde a love also perfit it its kinde will arise Certainly if any one denyeth that soverain Love necessarily proceedeth from such a cause he subverteth the Principles of Nature which dictateth even to children that whatsoever seemeth good or beautiful will also prove very pleasing and so Love will be increased according to the measure of the apprehended beauty It remaineth that we consider whether such a perfit perception of the Excellencie of God and his Christ accompanied with those two helping causes may not be in them who comprehend not those hidden and abstruse Mysteries of the Divine Essence Which if it be in us who do not erre it may also be in them or it will be necessary to shew a reason of the Prerogative which we have above them in this behalf And first let us speak of God the Father As for the remembrance of his favours they acknowledge themselves together with us to be obliged unto him perpetually making mention of his infinite mercies the chiefest whereof consisteth in taking us for his children As for the certain expectation of a very great benefit what vaster hope what lavisher wish can be fained then that which they together with us desire and expect from the most high God There remaineth behinde the contemplation of his beauty and majestie I confess there is nothing in humane matters so exact that can lend a shadow to the image of so great a Majesty Nevertheless as touching God the Father they do in a maner agree with us For we are able to conceive nothing so great and sublime touching him which they also do not conceive Nor doth it follow that because they do not reach the curious subtilty in the received distinction of Persons therefore they cannot according to their capacity conceive the beauty of the Divine Countenance not to be seen by profane mindes and consequently dedicate and worship the image of that unspeakable Majesty within the Sanctuary of their breast As if it were a hard matter to have all maner of high conceptions touching him whom you certainly know and continually think to be the source and original of all goodness and beauty although you do not comprehend doctrines snarled and entangled with so many knots Enough seemeth to be already spoken touching God the Father But what if they have like yea the same causes with us of Love towards the Son of God will any thing hinder them from being as capable of this love as we our selves are Let us begin from Hope Do not they expect the same bountiful right hand of the Lord Jesus which will hereafter reach out a heavenly reward to all the faithful Do they not luxuriate in this wish And who can chuse but feel his heart wounded with the love of Christ who setteth Christ before his eyes as giving him the pay of his warfare But you will say that in making an estimate of his favours they seem to be injurious to him whilst they affirm that the Fathers anger towards us was appeased without the entermise of Christ and that no price properly so called was paid for our sins For I perceive that almost all who in the article of the Holy Trinity dissent from us are of that opinion I defend not the opinion of the men nevertheless I perceive that they judge a Redemption properly so called to be both absurd and impossible What derogation therefore is it either to gratitude towards the Lord Jesus or to the holy memory of his merits if they imagine that he did not those things for our sakes which could at no hand be done when in the mean time he abundantly performed all other things which might proceed from him toward us For no other thing is required to the most strict obligation of a benefit then that the benefactor do for ones sake all that he is able But they acknowledg that the Lord Jesus did for our salvation spare no pains yea not his very life And though they do not think that his blood was spilt to appease God and therefore not so rigidly to make satisfaction for our sins yet do they hold that it was spent and given for our sakes so that although they assert another special scope and effect of his death then we do nevertheless they seem to acknowledge the same merit in general And who would not be imbued with a most tender affection towards him whom he supposeth to have undergone a most bitter death for his life's sake who would not most ardently love him whom he thinketh perpetually busied in conferring benefits upon him To which if you adde an expectation of Supreme Happiness from his hands it cannot now happen otherwise but that the minde should melt in the resentment of a most delicate flame I come now to the excellency of the Lord Jesus which being imperfitly conceived by them seemeth unable to excite a perfit love of it self For how great a diminution is it of his

concerning the reality of his Words To whomsoever he hath promised any thing he hath truely and sincerely promised it nor will he circumvent any ones credulity with any slights and put-offs Nothing drove him to the indulgence of so great a benefit but his own good will towards mankinde Wherefore he is favourable to his own gifts and leaveth no impediment to them so that now nothing can be wanting on his part to the attainment of them which he doth not willingly impart to all Whereby it cometh to pass that the gift of Faith and whatsoever God conferreth to the office of believers although it be like the very Salvation it self free and voluntary and no ways deserved yet is it denyed to none who having heard the conditions of the New Covenant doth willingly assent to them and is not wanting to himself in so great mercy of God which I would have also understood concerning all spiritual gifts without which his promise cannot be acquired For I will not deny that there are some to the promiscuous bestowing whereof he hath engaged his faith to none which lying out of the direct road that leadeth to the kingdom of heaven are not pertinent to the thing in hand But the conditions which are on Gods part required to the nature of the New Covenant are already or shall certainly be fulfilled by God all that remaineth is that the other party will be mindful of so holy a stipulation and both believe and obey this Covenant Which latter since it may agree to this sort of men whereof we speak as hath been made evident from the precedent discourse what is there lacking unto them being comprised in this transaction of God with men to the full freedom and property of all the gifts and promises For the errors of the understanding especially in things not concerning the very nature of the Covenant cannot hinder them from reaping the fruit thereof in that as we have Already shewn the knowledge of those things is out of the conditions of the Covenant that is lively Faith and Obedience and therefore may be absent and depraved whilst in the mean time those conditions remain entire But of these things we will more largely treat in the ensuing Chapter CHAP. V. That nothing but Disobedience and Unbelief exclude a man from Eternal Salvation and that such as erre are free from these Whether bare Errors of the Understanding damn a man WHat it is lawful for almighty God to do towards mankinde is questioned by none that is not ignorant of his absolute dominion What he is willing and wont to do and how he ordereth and guideth his commands and the whole commonwealth of the world with rewards and penalties is a thing right worthy to be taken into consideration Certainly we are all born in a Kingdom which is by the goodness of the most high God made so milde and pleasant to us that all the sweetness of liberty is sordid in comparison thereof But he sheweth himself a Father in stead of a Lord and Prince unto a great part of men of which alone we will at present discourse For we who have heard the voice of his Promises are all called from the meanness of our rank to the condition of the Divine Adoption To enjoy so great felicity as it is happy so to mis● it is very wretched and calamitous It therefore very much concerneth men to foresee by what steps they may be tumbled down from so great a height And they who have already got-up so high that they have a hope of Eternal Salvation upon the conditions of the New Covenant cannot be pulled down from their station but by unbelief and disobedience For since in this last Covenant nothing is required of us besides a lively Faith concerning which we have formerly spoken certainly we can by no other means violate the Holy Engagement of that compact then if we become destitute of that very faith which cannot be done without the crime of manifest disobedience For it is enjoyned and commanded us unless we had rather perish And what else is faith then obedience to God under a certain hope and confidence of his promises As Abraham being called obeyed by faith Heb. 11. ● wherefore if this one rock of disobedience be avoided we have no cause to fear the shipwrack of our salvation It now remaineth to be considered whether bare errors of the minde are disobedience That they are not so is even from hence apparent because they consist in the mistaking of the understanding but this in the pravity of the will Again since God regardeth not the actions themselves but the minde of the agents who seeth not that they who desiring from their hearts to obey yet through error and imprudence do not so cannot be justly accused of disobedience A servant doth not refuse his service if not rightly apprehending his masters will he fulfilleth it according to his understanding much less may he be punished for disobedience and that with eternal punishment Nor doth God so much regard the effect as the decree of our counsel And if you look to the event of the thing neither did Abraham indeed obey God commanding to sacrifice his son Isaac yet did he obey in his heart and minde For he was willing to obey God and did all he could being prohibited by the Angel to do the rest Gen. 22. Suppose it to be commanded that we believe the true explication of the Holy Trinity Such as simply erre do not indeed obey this precept for they dissent from such as are orthodox yet do they obey in their minde and heart because they are willing to believe and do believe all that which they think to be true although they do not hit in all things the genuine sense of that which is true And so they do what they are able being hindered by ignorance from doing more But you will say that ignorance is gross and affected I excuse not that which is affected such as was in them who whilst the Apostles were living or their successors did erre willingly and of set purpose For this was meer malice But they who after so great darkness had bespread the Church do not discern the rising light from counterfeit torches cannot be said to sin out of malice and through their own fault as shall also hereafter be more largely handled But what if it hath been shewn that it is not commanded nor pertaineth to the nature of our faith and obedience Shall they presently be disobedient who do not fully understand a mystery which is nowhere commanded to be fully understood In short whether they who are called Socinians do sin out of a bare error of minde we shall see hereafter It is sufficient for me at present to evince that bare errors of minde are not punished by God with eternal punishment under the New Covenant Elegant is that of Bernard Nothing burns in Hell but our own will For it onely is capable of receiving the