Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	contingent_a	effect_n	necessary_a	2,565	5	7.4523	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40891	XXX sermons lately preached at the parish church of Saint Mary Magdalen Milkstreet, London to which is annexed, A sermon preached at the funerall of George Whitmore, Knight, sometime Lord Mayor of the City / by Anthony Farindon.; Sermons. Selections	Farindon, Anthony, 1598-1658.	1647 (1647)	Wing F434; ESTC R2168	760,336	744

And these his Precepts are defluxions from him the proper issue of his naturall and primitive desire of that generall Love of good-will which he did beare to his Creature and the only way to draw on that love of Friendship that neerer Relation by which we are one with him and he with us by which he calls us his Children and we cry Abba Father his first will ordain'd us for good his second will was publisht and set up as a light to bring us to that good for which we were made and created But we are told there is in God voluntas permissionis a permissive will or a will of permission and indeed some have made great use of this wo●d permission and have made it of the same necessitating power and efficacy with that by which God made the Heavens and the Earth for we find it in Terminis in their writings positâ peccati permissione necesse est ut peccatum eveniat that upon the permission of sinne it must necessarily follow that sinne must be committed They call it permission but before they winde up their Discourses the word I know not by what Logick or Grammar hath more significations put upon it then God or nature ever gave it Tert. in vit Agr. Romani ubi solitudinem faciunt pacem appellant say the Ancient Britons in Tacitus The Romanes where by Fire and Sword they lay the Land waste and Turne all to a Wildernesse call it Peace so here the word is permission but currente rotâ whilst they are hot and busy in their work at last it is Excitation stirring up Inclining hardning permittere is no lesse then Impellere permission is Compulsion by their Chymistry they are able to extract all this out of this one word and more as That God will have that done which he forbids us to doe God doth not will what he tells us he doth will That some are cast asleep from all eternity that they may be Hardned and all this with them is but permission And to make this Good we are told That God hath on purpose created some men with an intent to permit them to fall into sin and this at first sight is a faire Proposition that carries Truth written in the very forehead but indeed it is deceitfull upon the weights one thing is said and another meant God hath created some and why some and not all for no doubt the condition of Creation is the same in all And why with a purpose to permit them to fall into sinne did he not also create them with a purpose that they should walk in his Commandements Certainly both and rather the last then the former for God indeed permits sinne but withall forbids it but he permits nay he commands us to doe his will Permission lookes upon both both upon sinne and upon Obedience on the one side it meets with a check on the other with a Command That we may not doe what is but permitted and Forbidden and that we may yeeld ready Obedience to that which is not permitted onely but commanded It was a Custome amongst the Ancients 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to number and cast up their Accounts with their fingers Naz. Or. 3. as we do by Figures and Counters whence Orontes the Persian was wont to say Eundem digitum nunc Decem millia nunc unum ostendere that the same finger with some alteration and change did now signifie Ten thousand and in another posture and motion but one The same use some men have made of this word permission which they did of their fingers In its true sense and naturall place it can signifie no more then this A purpose of God not to Intercede by his Omnipotency and hinder the committing of those sinnes which if he permitted not could not once have a being but men have learnt so to place it that it shall stand for Ten Thousand for Inclination and excitation and induration and all these Fearfull expressions which leave men chain'd and Fetter'd with an Inevitable necessity of sinning and so make that which in God is but merely permission infallibly effective and so damne men with gentler Language and in a soster phrase he permits them That he doth that he must doe but their meaning is His absolute will is that they should die and let them shift as they please and wind and Turne themselves to slip out of reach after all Defalcations and substractions they can make it will arise neere to this Summe which I am almost afraid to give you That God is willing we should die For to this purpose they bring in also Gods Providence To this purpose I should have said To none at all For though God rule the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by this Law of Providence as Nazianz. calls it though he disposeth and ordereth all things and all actions of men yet he layes not any Law of Necessity upon all things Aquin. pri●… part q. 22. Some effects he hath fitted with necessary causes that they may infallibly fall out saith Aquinas and to other effects which in their owne nature are contingent he hath applyed Contingent Causes so that that shall fall out Necessarily which his Providence hath so disposed of and that Contingently which he hath left in a Contingency and both these in the nature of things necessary and Contingent are within the verge and rule of his Providence and he alters them not but extrà ordinem when he would doe some extraordinary worke when he would work a Miracle The Sunne knoweth his seasons and the Moon its going down and this in a constant and unchangeable course but yet he commanded the Sunne to stand still in Gibeon Josh 10.12 and the Moon in the valley of Ajalon But then I think all Events are not as necessary as the change of the Moon or the setting of the Sunne for all have not so necessary causes unlesse you will say to walk or stand to be rich or poore to fall in battell or to conquer are as necessary effects as Darknesse when the Sun sets or Light when it riseth in our Horison And this indeed may bring in a new kind of Predestination to walke or stand to Riches and Poverty to Victory and Captivity as well as to Everlasting life and everlasting perdition But posito sed non concesso Let us suppose it though we grant it not That the Providence of God hath laid a Necessity upon such Events as these yet it doth not certainly upon those Actions which concerne our everlasting welfare which either raise us up to heaven or cast us downe to destruction It were not much material at least a good Christian might think so whether we sit or walke whether he predetermine that we be rich or poor that we Conquer or be overcome what is it to me though the Sun stand still if my feet be at Liberty to runne the wayes of Gods Commandements what is it to me if the Moon