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	nature_n	power_n	3,155	5	5.1866	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65924	A vindication of the doctrine of Gods absolute decree and of Christs absolute and special redemption. In way of answer to those objections that are brought against them by Mr. Tho: Pierce, in his treatise, entituled, The divine philanthropy. By Tho: Whitfeld, minister of the gospel.	Whitfield, Thomas, Minister of the Gospel.	1657 (1657)	Wing W2011A; ESTC R222306	60,986	90

purpose within himself whereby he hath determined that such or such things shall be That such a Decree as this cannot agree with the excellent Nature of God if we consider him in regard either of his Eternity Immutability Omnipotency Simplicity or other Perfections belonging to his Nature may thus appear 1. Argument 1 That which is absolutely Eternal hath nothing going before it for it is absolutè primum But all Gods Decrees being acts within himself and therefore not really differing from himself are absolutely Eternal Therefore they can have no condition or consideration of any thing without himself going before them As his Decree of Election was before the foundation of the world was laid Eph. 1.4 so also it is with all other of his Decrees 2. All Conditions are consequents of Gods Decree therefore they cannot go before it they are means fitted for the end now media sunt propter finem therefore the end must be first intended by the same act of Gods Decree whereby he intends Salvation to men he intends to bring them to it by Faith Repentance and other fit means therefore Salvation is first intended 3. Faith and Sanctification which are the principal conditions of our Salvation are the effects of Election He hath chosen us to Salvation through the sanctification of Spirit and belief of the Truth 2 Thes 2.13 We are chosen to be holy and without blame Eph. 1.4 Now these conditions being effects of the Decree cannot go before it for the effect cannot go before the Cause because it receives its being from it and as the effect in nature always follows after the cause so also it doth in Gods consideration for his consideration is according to the nature of the thing else it were not a right consideration To this purpose Learned Dr. Whitaker saith well Cygnae 1 cantio p 5. Cum gratia sit propter praedestinationem praedestinatio non potest esse propter gratiam If we receive Grace because we are predestinate we cannot be predestinate for fore-seen grace If God should choose men upon the fore-sight of Faith or any other grace where should he fore-see this he could not fore-see it in man before man had any being in the world or the world it self had any being therefore he must fore-see it in himself and his own will therefore he must first will mans Salvation and in order to that will to give him faith and other graces that fit him for it Besides true Love always flows from true Faith and by this true Faith and Love we chuse God to be our God therefore if he should choose us upon the fore-sight of our Faith he should choose us and love us because we had chosen and loved him which contradicts the Apostle who tells us that we love him because he loved us first 1 John 4.19 4. That which is absolutely Eternal hath neither beginning nor end but the doctrine of the conditional decree fastens an end and a beginning to Gods Decrees For that which they make the peremptory or absolute decree begins not till the conditional decree be at an end and so soon as that takes place this is expired As for instance God decrees mans Salvation upon condition they will believe and repent now when they have persevered in doing so then this conditional decree ceaseth to be conditional and becomes absolute and the absolute Decree touching mans Salvation begins not till he hath fulfilled the condition so that by this means Election must needs be in time and not before all time All Gods Decrees are immutable and unchangeable Argument 2 they being acts within himself are of the same nature with himself in whom there is no shadow of change Jan. 1.17 Hence it is said that the Foundation of God which is his Decree remaineth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 His Decrees are far more firm then the Laws of the Medes and Persians which could not be altered His Counsels stand for ever and the thoughts of his heart throughout all ages Psal 33.11 His Decrees are those mountains of brass the Prophet speaks of Zech. 6.1 which can never be removed but the doctrine of the conditional will and decree makes these to be mutable and changeable For 1. By this Doctrine his conditional decree upon fulfilling the condition becomes absolute and these cannot be both the same for they have differing objects by the one the Salvation and Damnation of all are equally intended upon condition of believing or not believing whereas his absolute Decree is peremptorily pitcht upon one of these onely with exclusion of the other 2. Every man in the world is under some Decree or other so long as he continues an unbeliever he is under the Decree of Damnation when he comes to be a beleiver then he comes under the Decree of Salvation when he falls from his Faith as by this Doctrine he may do then he falls again under the Decree of Damnation when he recovers again he comes under the other Decree and so Gods Decrees will be made as variable and changeable as are the mutable motions of mans will then which nothing is more unconstant and uncertain 3. When God seriously wills and intends a mans Salvation upon condition that he will believe when he by persisting in unbelief to his dying day comes to be actually damned then either the will of God touching his Salvation is changed into a will of Damnation or else an unbeleever is damned against Gods will If the former then Gods will is changeable if the latter then after a man is actually damned God doth still continue seriously to will and desire his Salvation though he never attain his will and desire Now how can this agree with his most perfect felicity and with the infinite perfection of his nature to be always crost in that which he seriously wills and desires Besides Is not just Damnation an act of Gods Justice and can any act of his Justice be against his Will The will of God is an omnipotent will Argument 3 whatsoever he wills with the will of his purpose that he works For who hath resisted his will Object But he wills their Salvation upon condition they do not resist Answ 1. How can it stand with the wisdom of God seriously to will and desire a mans Salvation in case he doth not resist and he knows certainly at the same time that he will resist yea can do no other if his will be not changed and he is resolved never to change it Or how can it stand with his perfection to subject his will to the perverse will of the creature and to make his most serious intentions and purposes to be subordinate to the various motions and mutations of mans will so that when he wills and intends one thing these should make him will and desire the quite contrary 2. If mans resistance hinders Gods willing of their Salvation how comes it to pass that he wills the salvation of any man or that any man

whit infringe the liberty of mans will or take away the contingency of the second causes to which he hath given no answer 3. If he hath forgotten or will take no notice of what was spoken of this subject in the Observations which Mr. Barly prefixed before his Book the same things shall be told him again with some addition That the Will and Decree of God doth not violate the liberty of mans will may appear upon these following grounds Christs death was decreed Argument 1 for he was delivered by the determinate counsel of God Acts 2.23 yet he died most freely for he saith that he laid down his life when no man had power to take it from him John 10.17 18. Besides if Christs death had not been voluntary it had not been meritorious if it had not been an act of most free and perfect obedience it could have merited no reward at the hands of God either for himself or us The firm standing of the good Angels is a free act Argument 2 they are not enforced to it yet this was decreed for they are called Elect Angels 1 Tim. 5.21 The obedience and service which the Saints perform in heaven they perform most freely and willingly without any constraint or necessity hence we are taught to pray that the will of God may be done on earth as it is done in heaven and when the Saints on earth repent believe and obey they do it freely they are not carried to it by any natural or violent necessity yet all these things are decreed for it is said he hath chosen us before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame before him in love Eph. 1.4 And that God hath from the beginning chosen us to salvation through the sanctification of the Spirit and the belief of the truth 2 Thes 2.13 In all our natural motions and actions Argument 3 in our eating and drinking sitting walking discoursing talking we act freely so also in our civil affairs in our journeying buying selling and all other businesses belonging to our several Callings we act freely without any compulsion or necessity this I suppose Mr. P. will not deny and will he deny that these things are appointed and determined by God What a kinde of Governor of the world will he make him to be when the greatest part of things that are done in the world all the actions of men and angels and all contingent events what ever are excluded from the compass of his Decree How doth this agree with Scripture-Doctrine which teacheth that mans goings are ordered of the Lord Prov. 20.24 That the way of man is not in himself Jer. 10.23 yea that in him we live move and have our being Acts 17. in all our natural motions and actions what we do he doth and what he doth in time he hath determined before all time otherwise he should not work by counsel Gods Decree is actus ad intra an act within himself Argument 4 and of those kinde of actions the rule holds true that they do nihil ponere in objecto Gods Decree alone never works any thing upon the creature till it comes to execution till he puts forth his inward purpose by some outward action Unless therefore it can be shown how God by some outward action upon man doth necessitate mans will his inward purpose and decree alone will never do it And we finde by dayly experience that we sin as freely as we eat or drink or do any other thing in the world Besides Gods inward purpose and decree is altogether unknown to a sinner and ignoti nulla cupido therefore this can never move him to any sinful act The Decree of God is so far from necessitating mans will and infringing the liberty of the second causes Argument 5 as it is the ground and foundation of all freedom and liberty for he doth not onely decernere rem ipsam sed modum rei he doth not onely determine the thing it self that shall be done but the maner how it shall be done for the modi rerum are not really distinguished from the things themselves but so nearly conjoyned as they cannot be severed as therefore some things come to pass necessarily because God hath decreed they shall come to pass necessarily so other things come to pass contingently because he hath decreed they shall come to pass contingently for he hath decreed that all things shall come to pass either necessarily or contingently and the effect of his decree must be as certain in the one as the other Necessity and contingency arise from the intrinsecal nature of the things and not from any thing extrinsecal Argument 6 In things that come to pass necessarily there is such a near and strong connexion betwixt the cause and the effect that if the cause go before the effect must needs follow after as if fire be fire it must needs have the property of burning if a stone be a stone it must needs have the property of descending but in contingent effects though the thing shall certainly come to pass upon supposal of Gods Decree yet there is no such necessary connexion betwixt the cause and effect but in regard of the nature of the things they might have been otherwise then they are It is said The Lord holds the winds in his fist Prov. 30.4 therefore the motion of them is according to his appointment when he caused a strong East winde to blow upon the head of Jonah Jon. 4.8 this was according to his appointment and decree yet this was not out of any natural necessity planted in the winde for that was equally disposed to have blown out of the West or any other quarter if it pleased God so to order it for the winde bloweth where it listeth John 3. Object But if things may come to pass otherwise then they do then Gods Decrees may be frustrated Answ It follows not because as before was shewed he hath decreed that they shall come to pass in the same maner that they do namely that necessary things shall come to pass necessarily and contingent things contingently and his Decree can no more be frustrated in the one then in the other For though it be necessary that what God hath decreed should come to pass yet it is not necessary it should come to pass necessario modo necessariis mediis God had decreed that Christs bones should not be broken therefore it was necessary this should take effect yet the Soldiers were not hindred by any necessity from doing it but did as freely abstain from breaking them as they did freely break the Thieves bones God had decreed the birthright and blessing to Jacob yet this came to pass by as contingent means as might be for there was no necessity that Esau should come hungry from hunting that Jacob should have his pottage in a readiness that he should propound them as a price for the birthright that Esau should accept of the bargain that Isaac should

in those that are saved but in those that are lost 2 Cor. 2.21 Mr. P. boldly asserts That there is an intention in God to save all men without exception if by the wickedness of their wills they did not frustrate his intention But doth not this exceedingly derogate from Gods omnipotency and infinite wisdom Cap. 3. Pag. 81. From his Omnipotency in that he seriously desires that which he is not able to effect from his Wisdom in that he seriously intends that which he knows shall never be effected AN EXAMINATION AND CONFUTATION Of the Doctrine of Conditional and Vniversal Redemption NOt onely the old Arminians but some who seem to disclaim their Doctrine yet hold That Christ hath died for all mankinde and by his death hath made satisfaction for all and purchased pardon and salvation for every particular man and woman in the vvorld upon condition they vvill believe That this Doctrine is not agreeable to Scripture may thus be proved IT hath been already proved Argument 1 That there is no Conditional Election of all Novv if there be no Conditional Election of all there is no Conditional Redemption of all for both these are commensurate and of equal extent one vvith another having one and the same adequate object Christ hath redeemed none but those vvhom the Father hath Elected Redemption being the proper effect and fruit of Election and the effect cannot exceed the vertue of the cause If therefore the Father hath not elected all upon any condition neither hath the Son redeemed all upon any condition vvhatever That Redemption is the effect of Election may thus be proved 1. Our Savior saith That the Father had given him power over all flesh to give eternal life to those whom he had given him Joh. 17.2 this giving must be understood either of giving by election or effectual calling but it cannot be understood of calling because that follows election as a fruit of it Those whom he predestinated those he hth called Rom. 8.30 And our Savior saith afterwards that he had declared his Name to those whom the Father had given him verse 6. and hereby called them As this must be understood as of the elect so of them onely otherwise our Savior would have said Thou hast given me power over all flesh to give eternal life to all flesh but he saith not so but to give eternal life to those whom thou hast given me 2. It is said that we are elected in Christ Ephes 1.4 In Christ not the cause of our Election but of our Redemption this being in effect the same with that 2 Thes 3.9 We are appointed to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ So that not onely our salvation but Christ also the Author of it are made subordinate to our election and as our salvation so also the giving of Christ and all those benefits which he hath purchased are made the effects of our election and therefore can reach no further nor be extended to no more persons then to the objects of Gods electing love 3. It is said that by Christ we have Redemption through his blood according to his rich grace Ephes 1.7 which rich grace is the same which before he called the good pleasure of his will He hath predestinated us to be adopted through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will verse 5. Election therefore is the first fountain whence all the benefits belonging to our salvation do flow and both Adoption Redemption and all the rest are included in that 4. Our Savior saith That God so loved the world that he gave his Son John 3. Here Gods love is made the cause of his giving his Son and that this must be understood of his electing love appears 1. Because it is more then a common love it is a special peculiar love for it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he so loved and this particle denotes a peculiar special love as when it is said if God hath so loved us 1 John 4.11 if he hath so loved us more then others we ought to love one another And when he tells the Israelites that he had given them his Statutes and Ordinances and had not dealt so with any Nation Psal 147. last here is something held forth peculiar to them above other Nations 2. It is such a love as tends to eternal life therefore electing love 3. Such a love as caused Christ to lay down his life and this is the greatest love John 15.13 therefore elelecting love Object But the world is here made the object of this love therefore it cannot be understood of electing love Answ This place is indeed usually made to be one of the strong holds for the Arminian Doctrine but being rightly examined it shall I hope appear to be otherwise 1. If the world be taken in a general sense we shall make every particular man and woman living in the world to be objects of Gods special love which crosseth that which the Apostle saith of Esau that he was an object of hatred and denies that there are any vessels of wrath in Gods everlasting purpose 2. There is no necessity at all why this word should be taken in a general sense including all the men and women in the world For 1. The world most properly signifies the whole work of Creation the frame of heaven and earth as when it is said that God made the world 2. All mankinde living in the world so it is said God will judge the world yea thus it includes not onely men but spirits 3. It signifies not onely the whole but a part of mankinde and because the worst part is the greatest part it is frequently taken for the worst part thus Christ tells his Disciples that the world would hate them because he had chosen them out of the world John 15.19 And if the worst part be often called the world why may not the better part be sometime so called We usually call that a heap of Wheat wherein there is more chaff then Wheat Doth not our Savior speak of a world to which he gives life John 6.33 Doth not the Apostle speak of a reconciled world Rom. 11.15 of a world that shall not have their sins imputed to them 2 Cor. 5.19 If Satan be called the Prince of this world may there not be a world whereof Christ is Prince Why may there not be a world of godly as well as a world of ungodly 2 Pet. 2.5 as there is a whole world that lies in the state of wickedness 1 John 5.19 Why may not there be a whole world that is brought into the state of righteousness Why may not the better part though the lesser be called the world as well as they are called all flesh Joel 2.28 Luke 3.6 All nations Psal 72.11 All the earth Tract 87. in Johan Zech. 14.9 Mundus Ecclesia est totus mundus perditionis odit mundum redemptionis saith A●stin The world is the Church and the whole perishing

mistake Jacob for Esau and his savory meat for Esaus Venison there was no necessity in any of these things but all was done most freely yet all was guided by a secret and certain providence so as the event should not fail to come to pass as God had determined Every necessary truth is an eternal truth for it is a true rule Quod necessarium est semper verum est nec falsum esse potest A necessary proposition is that which is alway true and can never be false That Cain should kill his brother was no necessary truth before the thing was done that man should be a reasonable creature was a necessary truth before man was created It was no necessary truth that Adam should eat the forbidden fruit before he had eaten it and though then it was a truth yet no necessary truth for no circumstance can change the nature of things so as to make a necessary truth to become contingent or a contingent truth to become necessary True it is that when a thing is done it cannot be undone for a thing cannot be and not be both at one time but it was not necessary it should be done if it be a thing of a contingent nature What I now speak or write is necessary should be thus spoken or written but before it was not necessary I should speak or write any thing these being acts of liberty and freedom so it is in all actions of like nature in all contingent actions This for the second Objection Object 3. A third thing objected against the Absolute Decree is That it is against Gods Justice for if the Decree of Reprobation go before the foresight of sin then the innocent creature is designed to destruction which cannot agree with the Justice of God Answ For answer of this Two things are needful to be proved 1. That it is no injustice in God to punish the innocent creature 2. That by the Decree of Reprobation no innocent creature is designed to destruction For the first it may be proved these ways Argument 1 Mr. P. asserts Infants to be innocent creatures Cap. 4. Page 25. because they never did hurt any man in thought word or deed and these are subject to death and he cannot deny death to be a punishment for it is the wages of sin Rom. 6.23 And though death differs in degree from damnation yet it is a punishment and God cannot be unjust in any degree It may be Mr. P. may finde out some answer to this therefore we add further Christ Jesus was the most innocent person that ever was in the world Argument 2 one that knew no sin neither was any guile found in his mouth one that fulfilled all righteousness one in whom the Father was well pleased for he had done all his pleasure yet he laid on him the iniquities of us all he was wounded for our iniquities and broken for our transgressions Isa 53. The just suffered for the unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 Yea he suffered such a measure of his Fathers wrath as was answerable to that which all those who are saved by him should have suffered in hell for he being their surety it was necessary that he should fully discharge their debt by making full satisfaction in paying that which they should have paid Mr. P. knows well that many innocent creatures dayly suffer for his sake Argument 3 and are put to divers kindes of deaths some have their throats cut some are strangled some are knockt on the head according to the will and pleasure of those by whom they are killed and these are such as never offended or deserved any ill at his hands and may not God use the same liberty with creatures of his own making as man doth with those creatures which he never made He would think it ridiculous if any should clamor against him for cruelty and injustice when he treads a worm under his foot or crusheth a fly sitting on the wall yet there is not so great a disproportion betwixt him and the smallest worm as there is betwixt him or the greatest King in the world and the great Creator Man compared with God being but as a drop that hangs on a bucket or as the dust that cleaves to the ballance which swayes it neither one way nor another Argument 4 Isa 40.15 May not the Potter do what he will with the vessel which he hath made without any imputation of injustice yea though he breaks it in pieces or puts it to the basest uses the Apostle makes Gods power over his Creature to be full as large as the Potter hath over the Vessel that he hath made and gives this answer to the like Objection Rom. 9.21 God was not bound to preserve man in his being after he was made for he might have annihilated him as he made us of nothing so he might bring us to nothing and some deaths are less then annihilation Neither was he bound to preserve man from a sinful being as he did some of the Angels but he might suffer him to fall as he did some of them and then deal with him accordingly Thus we see it is no injustice in God to inflict sufferings upon innocent creatures 2. That by the Decree of Reprobation innocent creatures are not designed to destruction appears Because Reprobation is that everlasting purpose of God Argument 1 whereby he hath decreed to glorifie his justice in the just condemnation of sinful men here sin goes before condemnation though it goes not before Gods Decree for condemnation is the execution and is in time whereas the Decree is before all time It is a true rule that Deus vult hoc esse propter hoc sed non vult hoc propter hoc the one hath reference to the execution the other to the decree though there be a cause of the being of a thing yet there is none of Gods will It is the Tenet of the Schoolmen Nullamdari posse causam decreti divini ex parte volentis sed tantùm ex parte volitorum There can be no cause given of the Will and Decree of God as it is his act but onely of the things willed by him none of the Decree but onely of the Execution Mr. P. seems sometimes to grant this and if he would stand to it the controversie might soon be at an end for nothing is needful to go before the effect but the cause that which hath efficiency in some kinde or other in producing it and if there can be no kinde of cause going before Gods Decree his Decree may be without it God doth condemn no man in time but for sin Argument 2 therefore he determined to condemn no man but for sin for he doth things in time in that maner and order that he determined to do them before all time He actually condemns no man but for sin actually existing till after men have sinned but sin exists in time therefore if he should determine nothing touching mans everlasting estate