Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	effect_n	good_a	work_n	5,591	5	6.3844	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77243	A practicall discourse concerning Gods decrees. In two parts. The first concerning mans unfitnesse to dispute against the decrees of God: out of Rom. 9.20. The second tending to assert and cleare Gods absolute election of a limited and certaine number unto eternall life: out of Acts 13:48. By Edvvard Bagshavve st. of Ch. Ch.	Bagshaw, Edward, 1629-1671.	1659 (1659)	Wing B420; Thomason E965_3; ESTC R18103	27,770	46

chose him And the Apostle John 1 Ep. 4.10 sayes this is love not that we loved God first but that he loved us and for that reason sent his Son not as foreseeing our Affection but as pursuing the Intent and procuring in us the Effects of his own And the Apostle Paul doth every where assert Faith to be a Fruit and not a Cause of Election that we are chosen unto Good Works not for them i. e that they who are Predestined shall certainly Believe not they who Believe were therefore Predestined which is the summe of his Discourse Eph. 1. So that in the Act of Election men are to be considered as meerly Passive i. e as Creatures not as Believers as such who were liable to be disposed by God how he pleased but had no Possibility of meriting any thing from him This is affirmed of the Israelites in Generall Deut. 7. that God chose them not because they were better or more Righteous then other People but because he set his Heart upon them And lest they should perhaps pride themselves with a Conceit that for their own worth and Excellence this Priviledge was given them they are expressely told there was no such matter for they were a stiffenecked and Rebellious People Deut. 9.6 Able rather to thwart and if possible to undoe Gods Election then to procure it Thus we find Math. 11. that Christ preached the Gospell to Bethsaida and to them of Capernaum who were so far from meriting that our Saviour affirmes of them Sodom and Gomorrah had they enjoyed the like Favour would have been much more repentantant then they And to conclude in Particulars the Apostle Paul handling this very Argument and intending for ever so far as Scripture evidence will reach to silence the Disputer of this World that God alone may have the Glory of his Grace he instances in Jacob who was by Virtue of this Absolute Election preferred before Esau the Temporall Condition serving to shadow out the Eternall for lest any Imagination should arise as if Jacob in himselfe were the more deserving of the Two he saies it was done before any of them had done either Good or Evill Rom. 9.11 And if it should be Asked how it came to passe that one was taken and the other left what did induce God to put such a Difference between Two who were Morally Equall and Naturally Esau was to have the Advantage the Apostle addes that it was done to this End that the Purpose of God according to Election might stand not of Workes but of him that calleth Wherein the Apostle pleading the Cause of Gods Honour and being Jealous of his Prerogative resolveth all things into Gods Purpose and referres us thither to seek the Ultimate Difference of men's either Temporall or Eternall Condition And he that will not acquiesce when he thus finds it written but will bring his Wit to strive and Wrestle against the Will of God he cannot alter that but onely does unhappily evince to himselfe that while he continues that Humor he is not of the Number of Gods Elect for all that are a Willing Humble and Obedient People Against this which hath been urged there is that I know of but one Considerable Objection and that is if the Number of those which shall be saved be limited and Certaine so that there is no Possibility for more how comes it to passe that the Prophets and Apostles are so Importunate with all indifferently to Come in and Repent that they might be saved and God himselfe is often brought in in Scripture chiding and Expostulating with Sinners for destroying themselves and for refusing Salvation which seems to be a Vain and Ludicrous thing if the Number be so Set already that there is no Roome for more This Objection is yet made more Tragicall by the many Heavy charges and Enditements which are drawn up against this as some stile it Partiall and Cruell dealing from the Common Places of Gods Justice and Mercy which men who love themselves are very willing to Enlarge and therefore easily hearken to those who dare declaime upon such Subjects But these Vaine and Empty Flourishes however insoluble they may seeme to some who are guided by the first Impression and sound of Words are of no Importance if we fix Election onely upon Gods Will for this will presently cut off all Witty Cavills if we can prove that God will indeed have it so and therefore I look upon the former Objection as their maine strength because it immediately tends to Practise and seemes to beget this Opinion that Gods Secret and Revealed will do Thwart Contradict each other Therefore I answer 1. That though few shall be saved and those Few determined yet because they are unknown to us we are to look upon all as in a saveable Condition Thus the Prophets and Apostles did in their so frequent and Repeated Instances with those to whom they preached and their Example we are to follow For peremptorily to conclude against any and to deny them the meanes of Salvation because they are not Elected is an Uncharitable Presumption in us which we shall more heavily account for then they will do for their Disobedience and Unbeliefe 2. There is no other way for those who are Elected to come to the Knowledge of the Truth but by a Generall Proposall of it Indifferently to all which is our Saviours meaning in those many Parables which intimate a Promiscuous Call from whence he concludes that though many are Called yet few are Chosen and we may invert the Proposition thus though Few are Chosen yet many must be called In this World the Tares and the Wheat must be equally Tended and though they grow together with some discernable Difference yet it is not the Ministers businesse to make a Finall Sepatation Lastly There is a Twofold end in Preaching the Gospell the first and principall is to bring in Gods Elect but Secondarily it serves to condemne the Reprobate and to make their Damnation Just .. For what can they pleade at the last day to Justifie their Unbeliefe since when they were Called as it were by name yet they did willingly exclude themselves and thereby as the Apostle sayes of the Jewes here judged themselves Vnworthy of Eternall Life Thus the Apostle saies that Gods Divinity and Spirituall Being was discovered in the Creation and if it was asked to what Purpose since so few did either Believe or Worship him as they ought he answers that it was for this End 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.20 That they might have nothing to Pleade no quirke nor Apology left to Excuse their Atheisme and Idolatry And if our Gospell be hid saith he it is Hid to those which are lost 2 Cor. 4.3 discovered to them but hid in them because they do not take paines as they should to search out its inward and Spirituall meaning So we are saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sweet smelling Sacrifice to God 2 Cor.