Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	death_n	meritorious_a	sin_n	3,372	5	5.8966	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49107	An answer to a Socinian treatise, call'd The naked Gospel, which was decreed by the University of Oxford, in convocation, August 19, Anno Dom. 1690 to be publickly burnt, as containing divers heretical propositions with a postscript, in answer to what is added by Dr. Bury, in the edition just published / by Thomas Long ...	Long, Thomas, 1621-1707.	1691 (1691)	Wing L2958; ESTC R9878	172,486	179

same particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be used in both places yet the Apostle meant not to use it in the same sence in both the sence of it in the former is contrary to the later we rejoyce that our Sins are taken away by his Death but are sorry to have our Justification taken away by his Resurrection we are justified by his Blood because thereby our Sins are blotted out but we are justified by his Resurrection because thereon our Faith is built The inference which he makes is this So plain it is that the Faith which the Gospel requireth had its foundation in Natural Religion We see here how hard the Doctor strains to advance his Natural or Pelagian Religion he will not admit that the Apostle spake sence but contradictions in the same Period he speaks our sence not his own in the first part viz. that Christ died in our stead and we are justified by his Blood because thereby our Sins are blotted out but he speaks his own sence in the other part because he grounds our Justification on his Natural Religion and thereby evidently destroyeth the Evangelical Faith which we assert viz. That Christ by his Death made an Expiation or Satisfaction for our Sins In this the Doctor Yoaks himself with the Socinians for so Crellius speaking of the Propositions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says They do not alway signify a meritorious Cause but only a final C. 1. Sect. 6. i. e. That he died for the good of Mankind as St. Paul is said to suffer for the Church and we are to lay down our lives for the brethren Col. 1.24 1 John 3.16 But can this be the sence of those plain places 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ hath suffered for our sins the just for the unjust and 2 Cor. 5.14 He gave himself a ransome for all and to taste death for every man and Luke 22.19 20. This is my bloud which was shed for you and Mat. 20.28 The son of man gave his life a ransome for many And ought we not to interpret this of Rom. 4. by the Analogy of those other places wherein the Scriptures do abound as Col. 1. Eph. 1. 1 Tim. 2. Heb. 7.27 1 Joh. 1.7 Revel 1.5 against all these Socinus urgeth that in 1 Kings 14.16 where it is said God shall deliver up Israel for the sins of Jeroboam who did sin and who made Israel to sin where he contends that the same signification of the words for the sins of Jeroboam ought to be interpreted as we do interpret that of Rom 4. which would be a kind of Blasphemy to say That Christ was delivered for our sins because not only we had sinned but had made him to sin as Jeroboam made Israel to sin Chap. 3. He applauds that Faith which is a Duty in Natural Religion It is saith he a Cardinal Vertue Justice towards God that pays him his due this was taught before Moses brought the positive Law into the World and that the Gospel builds on that foundation read Rom. 4. This speaks of the Faith of Abraham which hath been already considered Another Commendation of Natural Faith is That it is a great Promoter of Obedience wherein the Old Testament being silent as he says he sends us to Heb. 11. in the New Testament But had not those worthies any notice of the promised seed Had they no knowledge of a future state Did not they look for a heavenly country v. 16. And for a city which had foundations v. 10. Did not Abraham receive his Isaac in a type v. 19. Did not Moses see him who is invisible and had respect to the recompence of reward v. 26 27. Did not he write of Christ Did not the rest suffer in confidence of a better resurrection And did natural Faith instruct and enable them to do and suffer all these things If all these were the fruits and effects of a Natural Faith I cannot see what need there was of the Gospel if Nature shewed the way to Life and Immortality which 2 Tim. 1.10 says was brought to light by the Gospel if it taught so much Obedience Constancy and Patience how can Christ say John 14.6 I am the way the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father but by me How is it said That grace and truth came by Jesus Christ in opposition to what was revealed by Moses John 1.17 The law was weak Rom. 8.3 through the flesh and what that could not do God did by sending his own Son c. and made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope Heb. 7.19 This it seems the Doctor would teach the Apostle for Gal. 3.3 This I would learn of you Received you the Spirit by the Works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith was this hearing of Faith the voice of Nature or the preaching of the Gospel It was the knowledge of Christ crucified which the Apostle so valued that he accounted all other vaine and ineffectual to Salvation P. 63. c. 1. And as our Author says What Devotion is there without Love and what Love without some knowledge of the Object And doubtless the more excellent the Object is the more will our love be increased when we consider that he who first loved us was the Eternal Son of God and that he so loved us as to die for us that we might live to and with him this will heighten our love to him above all things for what are Moses and the Prophets or the Apostles were they crucified for us have they redeemed us from the wrath of God They indeed taught us the will of God and gave us Divine as well as Moral Precepts but Christ only can write them in our hearts he only can pardon our sins having obtained Remission at the expence of his own Blood We therefore joyn with the Doctor in recommending the Duties of Natural Religion and say these ought we to do but by no means to leave the Duties of Evangelical Faith undone or disbelieved for though that hath done vertuously in many respects yet this excelleth them all In Chap. 4. he strikes again at the Foundation of Faith under the name of Credulity which he calls a Vice and the danger in this is when we pay that to a * Doth not this insinuate that Ch●●●t is a Creature Creature which is due to God only and mentioneth a Question of Mr. Chillingworth's to the Romanists Why implicit Faith in our Lord might not as well avail for Justification as implicit Faith in the Church By implicit Faith in the Church the Romanists mean to believe as the Church believes yet I do not believe the Papists think this implicit Faith will justify them without good Works And if by implicit Faith in Christ he means only a general belief of his Doctrines without obedience to his Commands neither is this available for Justification so that it was no such difficult Question but it might be

See Gothofrede p. 46. Chap. 8. p. 34. The Doctor amuseth us with the variety of Creeds published by Councils under the influence of the Emperor Constantius whereof I shall give the Reader this brief account After that Athanasius fell under Constantines displeasure and was banished it is said he never saw his face more though it is reported that Constantine did it out of kindness to secure him from the Attempts of such as sought to take away his life and Constantine his Son declared as much and that it was his Fathers mind to recal him and some say he would have put it on his Will had not Eusebius of Nicomedia hindred it Athanasius himself was of the same mind and evident it is that his Son Constantine recalled him soon after his Fathers death and sent Letters to the people of Alexandria on his behalf A Synod at Alexandria vindicate him and write to Julius Bp of Rome on his behalf but a Synod being met at Antioch which had the favour of Constantius they coyn new Creeds in opposition to the Nicene Faith there are in Ecclesiastical History fower sorts one is of a larger size which hath this Preface We are not the disciples of Arius yet they consented to the Condemnation of Athanasius who made his Appeal to Julius Bishop of Rome who summoned the Eastern Bishops intending a hearing of Athanasius his cause in a full Synod but they refusing to come the Synod acquitted Athanasius and condemned Photinus Constans befriended Athanasius so far as to write to his Brother Constantius on his behalf not without threatning to restore him by Arms if it were denyed They therefore agreed that there should be a general Council summoned at Millan but that requiring a long time there was a Synod held at Sardica where the Arrian Party thought that Athanasius durst not appear but he deceived them and came so provided that they thought not fit to revive their accusations against him though a Party of the Arrians decreed to omit the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and without hearing condemned Julius Bishop of Rome Hosius of Corduba and Athanasius But the Council of Sardica confirmed the Nicene Faith acquitted Athanasius and found the Arrian Party guilty of divers Tumults which had occasioned much shedding of blood they Condemned George who had intruded to the Bishoprick of Alexandria as a person not worthy of the name of a Christian and wrote their Letters to Julius to confirm their Decree for the restoring of Athanasius which was agreed to by more than Three Hundred Bishops and sent Letters also to the people of Alexandria to receive their Bishop and it hapning that George the Intruder having been slain in a Tumult Constantius himself fearing the consequence of such Tumults wrote to the Citizens on the behalf of Athanasius And thus that Church injoyed some respite Constantius being employed in a War against Magnentius In his March towards Mursa where the Battle was fought he made a stop at a Church under the Jurisdiction of Valens the Arrian Bishop waiting the Success of the Battle in which retirement Valens carest the Emperor and as Sulpitius Severus relates the matter Valens had provided some Messengers to attend the Army and as soon as they saw to which Party the Victory inclined to bring him the News with all possible speed designing that if the Emperour was overcome he might secure himself by flight if he conquered Valens might ingratiate himself by giving the first Intelligence of a Victory which accordingly fell out for Magentius was totally routed and the News came when the Emperour seemed much dejected but on hearing of it by Valence the Emperour could scarce believe it demanding to speak with the Messenger but Valens told him He might be confident of it for it was revealed to him by an Angel and shortly after the Messenger entred to confirm the News of the Victory This so ingratiated Valens with the Emperour that he was wont to say The Victory was owing more to the Merits of Valens than to the Valour of his Army Sulp. Sever. l. 2. p. 143. Edit Amstel 1641. After this Battel Valens having regain'd the good Opinion of the Emperour which he had almost lost by his inconstancy declaring sometimes for and other times against the Nicene Faith And now was a fit opportunity to mind the Emperour of his Promise for Summoning a General Council at Millan the Emperour being then resident there and the Council being met Valens pursues his design against Athanasius requiring Subscriptions for his Condemnation but the Orthodox Party perceiving many Arians there desired that Matters of Faith might have the precedency and so propounded the Nicene Creed to be first subscribed which Valens opposing it was cast in his teeth That he had formerly subscribed it more than once and therefore it was hoped he would not refuse it now yet when Dyonisius Bishop of Millan took his Pen ready to subscribe his Name Valens snatcht it out of his hand and bid him forbear until Athanasius 's Case was decided and then was an Arian Creed read and Subscriptions required thereunto which the Catholiks refused and thereupon arose a great Tumult among the People insomuch that the Emperour fearing the event adjourned them to meet at his Court where the Accusations against Athanasius being renewed the Catholicks pleaded that they had been adjudged to be false viz. in the Synod at Tyre Anno 335 where the Woman that was brought to accuse him for Incontinency was convicted of a false Accusation for Timotheus who accompanied Athanasius stood up as if he had been Athanasius and asked her Whether he ever used any force or other temptation to deprave her which she confidently affirmed and thereupon that sham was detected So was the Second Accusation about the Death of Arsenius who being deprived by Athanasius and denied Communion with the Church at Alexandria the Arian Party perswaded him to withdraw and lie hid for a while and in the mean time they gave out that Athanasius had been the cause of destroying him but there were two sufficient Witnesses produced to prove that Arsenius was alive and that they saw him lately in good health They accused him also of several other Crimes but wanting sufficient Evidence the Emperour being present stood up and said That he himself accused Athanasius and knew him to be a turbulent and seditious Person and demanded who would refuse his Testimony Liberius Bishop of Rome was the first whose Subscription to the Condemnation of Athanasius was required who stoutly refused it and argued against the Emperour and others who urged it and still refusing was banished by the Emperour then Hosius Bishop of Corduba was assaulted sometime by Promises and then by Threats and being of great Age and overcome by Reproaches as if he alone withstood the Emperour's Pleasure and the Church's Peace and having suffered in his Body as well as his good Name at last to save his Carcase as the Historians say