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	natural_a	nature_n	4,625	5	5.6875	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39277	Clavis fidei, or, The key of faith written in Latine by John Ellis ... and propounded by him in publick lectures upon the Apostles Creed, to the students of Harts Hall in the University of Oxford ; faithfully translated into English by W.R. for the good and benefit of the ingenuous reader, as an help to build him up in his most holy faith.	Ellis, John, 1599?-1665.	1668 (1668)	Wing E585; ESTC R40476	36,379	109

future events the end and profit of all things the impossibility of the progress of causes without end It may be proved likewise out of Scripture well-nigh by infinite testimonies by divers apparitions by stupendious miracles by the writings of the Prophets and by the admirable event of things He therefore that denies that there is a God is not void onely of reason but sense also as Avicēna is reported to have said It is manifest therefore that there is a God now let us see what he is God cannot be defined because he is immense he may be described Philosophically and Theologically Philosophically God is a Spirit sufficient of himself and the cause of all good Theologically God is the most perfect being one in essence three in Persons The Theological description differs from the Philosophical first in perfection for it adds something unknown to nature concerning the Trinity and unfolds or explains that which is known to nature Secondly in effect natural knowledge renders men onely inexcusable Rom. 1.20 but supernatural knowledge is saving hence then the true God differs from the gods of the Gentiles in Attributes Persons Works In Attributes because they are not rightly and entirely understood by them that are without the pale of the Church In Persons because the Gentiles are ignorant of the Trinity In Works because the wonderful works of God and especially that of the Redemption are not perceived by them who are out of the Church But now omitting other proprieties which amongst Schoolmen are handled at large I will first shew that God is one the Lord he is God there is none else besides him Deut. 4.35 Furthermore chief Majesty is competent to no more but one None can be the most perfect unless he be but one but God contains in him all possible perfection by reason of the latitude of his essence Yea there can be but one onely Omnipotent And if there should be more Gods they are all imperfect or the rest are superfluous both which to say is absurd Besides that which is Infinite can be but one onely neither can there be but one first cause of all things and to conclude it is most necessary that the onely chief good be but one God therefore is one and the onely one as Saint Bernard saith Object Yet there are many that are called Gods Answ But this is done improperly either by reason of a certain similitude or likeness or according to the opinion of vain man First by a certain similitude as either for eminency of nature and wisdom as Angels or for excellency of office as Magistrates or for exceeding great power as the Devil or for the ●oo too much indulging of it as the belly Secondly out of a false opinion of men Idols are called Gods It appears therefore that God is one now we are to shew that he is three in Persons Tho. Par. 1. q. 32. art 1. ● Sent. dist 3. The Trinity cannot be proved by the light of nature as Thomas teacheth against Scotus Yet Lumbard fetcheth some footsteps of the Trinity from the creatures especially from the three faculties of the soul the understanding memory and will But these do onely produce a confused knowledge not a distinct God is three but not threefold for he is a most simple being of himself and we use the name of Trinity not because the Scripture saith so but because it doth not contradict it and for the thing it self it is in the Scriptures though not the very word that being implied this not expressed and you may interpret Scripture in convenient words especially by reason of the deceit of Hereticks concealing their heresies for the most part under Scripture expressions In many places of Holy Writ it doth evidently appear that there are three Persons Matth. 3.16 The Father proclaims it This is my beloved Son The Son is baptized and the Holy Ghost descendeth in the likeness of a dove 1 Joh. 5.7 There are three that bear witness in heaven The Father is of himself the Son from the Father begotten from eternity The Holy Ghost proceedeth from both The Father is distinguished from the Son but not another essence and so of the rest But in this matter better is a faithful ignorance then a rash knowledge I conclude therefore with Robert Holcot Quaest 10. a most famous Professor in our University of Oxford who as Gabriel Biel relates it Quaest 10. Determ 1. sent dist 13. qu. 11. saith thus modestly Dignè loqui de Personis Vim transcendit rationis Excedit ingenia Quid sit nasci quid processus Me nescire sum professus Thus Englished To speak condignly of the Persons three Transcendeth reason in a high degree It doth exceed all wits What it is to be born what the a Aliàs proceeding process I understand it not I do profess Some one perhaps may say Obser that the three Persons are not essence Answ But this is true of a finite essence onely Object Moreover that where there are three and one there are four but in God there are three Persons and one essence Answ yet they are not really distinct Object But it may be objected that their essences are distinct whose operations are distinct Answ We answer that this is to be affirmed onely of persons that have a finite being The first Person then of the Trinity is called the Father The name of the Father is taken sometimes personally by way of distinction from the Son and sometimes essentially in reference to the creatures for the whole Divine essence The first Person is called Father either in respect of Christ or in respect of us Or like as Durandus sheweth he is the Father of all generally the Father of Christ singularly and the Father of the elect especially Credo in Deum I beleeve in God It refers not onely to the Father but also to the Son and Holy Ghost and the Father is called omnipotent not excluding the other Persons God is omnipotent because he can do all things what he pleaseth all things that do not imply a contradiction and which are not repugnant to his nature and because he doth all things without difficulty or by his beck onely because he alone hath power of doing all things and for that he is the Author of all created power If it be said that God cannot die sin Object lye We answer Answ God can do those things which imply power but nothing that argues impotency or weakness for this would not stand with his perfection And if it be said that he cannot do those things which are contradictory We answer that this would be inconsistent with his immutability I pass by niceties This is the most principal thing seeing that God is omnipotent he that feareth God hath not any thing beyond that he need to fear and if God be with us who can be against us It follows in the Creed that God is the Creator of heaven and earth that is of the whole

world Creation is the producing of something out of nothing it is either immediate of the first lump or mediate of things produced out of that lump This power of creating belongs to God alone it appertains not to the creatures because there is nothing presupposed in that work part 1. quaest 45 art 5. which is capable of disposition by the action of the instrumental agent as Thomas sheweth touching the manner of the emanation or proceeding of things from their first principle And assuredly Suarez in his Metaphysical disputations and Pererius in his book of Natural Philosophie prove this thing very notably It may be demonstrated out of Scripture that the world was created by God and by natural reasons also for there is no infinite progress of causes and effects in nature and the world is the first and most excellent effect therefore it is from the first and most excellent cause The Philosophers err therefore who either with Aristotle dream of the worlds eternity or suppose with Plato an uncreated matter or with Democritus Leucippus Epicurus bring in atoms and a concurring of them by chance Hermogenes errs who affirmed the world to be coeternal with God and the Stoicks who feigned two beginnings But the Philosophers object Object if the world be not eternal God did not always govern it therefore he was sometimes idle We answer Answ He was not therefore idle But what then did he do It may be said that he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world Eph. 1.4 or as S. Austin answereth For them that do too curiously enquire After such things he made th' infernal fire But every thing that hath a beginning hath his end the world hath no end ergó Here is a distinction to be made between things that have their beginnings by a natural generation and such as have them by creation both which those as well as these God may either preserve or reduce them into nothing But it may be said again that he who is lord and governour actually is more happy then he who is such an one potentially therefore either the world was from eternity or God is made more happy by the creation We answer that no felicity can accrue to God from the creature who is most perfect and happy in himself The world was created of God the Father by the Son and the H. Ghost All things are created out of nothing not out of the substance of God nor out of any preexistent matter But out of nothing comes nothing Object This is true in a natural way or course Answ or as proceeding from men But man is not created out of nothing It is true in respect of the next matter but not in respect of the first He created all things most wisely and very good But the Prophet saith Object There is no evil in a city that God hath not done Amos 3.6 Answ This is to be understood of the evil of punishment not of the evil of sin Besides the world was created not of a sudden but in the space of six days In the beginning Gen. 1. In the beginning of the universe or generality of things so Basil and Ambrose Hom. 1. Hexam l. 1. de gen ad literam c. 1. Before all created things saith S. Austin And it was created for the glory of God and the profit of men Under creation the providence of God is comprehended God doth still work by preserving but not by creating things As there is nothing made but by his creating essence so nothing thrives without the power thereof keeping and preserving it In Monol c. 12. Tom. 3. as Anselm saith For providence is Gods action or working whereby he doth liberally wisely well and powerfully preserve and govern all things for the glory of his Name and the salvation of the godly It is the action of God for it is not an idle intuition or looking on but an effectual administration of things The most minute or least things are subject to Gods providence as sparrows hairs worms God is all eye because he seeth all things yea the most abject of them And excellently saith S. 1 Offic. cap. 13. Ambrose If it be not an injury and disparagement to God to have made the most small things much less disparagement is it to him to govern them being made God doth act most freely God is not subjected to necessity but necessity to him The Stoicks err who tie God to a fatal necessity of causes God doth all things wisely to certain ends contrary to that of the Epicureans who affirm that all things come to pass by fortune Chance and fortune are words used by the unlearned saith S. Basil Conc. 8. in Psal 32. Lib 1. Retr c. 1. nothing comes by chance in respect of God but in regard of us and S. Austin doth acknowledge that he did ill to use the name of fortune so often in his writings God worketh powerfully and cannot be hindred by any might bound by any law wearied by any impotency or weakness God doth all things well because he is the best out of the most evil things he bringeth good and maketh use of evil things to a good end But the providence of God is either universal or particular That of the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.9 Doth God take care for oxen is not spoken absolutely but comparatively that God hath not the like care of beasts that he hath of men his care towards men is greater Object Neither is it any obstacle that many things are so confused Answ Confused things are governed by God but not confusedly and in the seeming confusion there is some order Neither doth the inconstancy of weather hinder any whit for snow hail ice they do his will It becometh us to admire the works of God but not to search too curiously into them Neither do monsters and natural defects hinder These are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the transgressions of nature according to Aristotle his fourth book of the generation of animals They forsake not the order of the universal cause but of the particular onely or according to Thomas they fall short of the ultimate or last end which is the perfection of the thing generated but not of their nearest end for nature still worketh and formeth somewhat at the least And if any one doth speak concerning sins We answer that sins are not actions but are accidental to actions which are good of themselves and from God likewise But some one may say sins happen by the providence of God It is true by the providence of God permitting determining directing them to the best ends but not effecting or being the procuring cause of them Let them be confounded who do think or imagine God to be the Author of evils or wickedness Lib 4. de Orthod●xa fide c. 20. this is the vote or wish of Damascen And if it be said that the same evil work is attributed both to God and the