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	reason_n	see_v	2,645	5	3.6710	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26946	The judgment of non-conformists of the interest of reason in matters of religion in which it is proved against make-bates, that both conformists, and non-conformists, and all parties of true Protestants are herein really agreed, though unskilful speakers differ in words.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1676 (1676)	Wing B1293; ESTC R1374	14,946	24

THE JUDGMENT OF Non-conformists OF THE INTEREST OF REASON IN MATTERS OF RELIGION IN WHICH It is proved against Make-bates that both Conformists and Non-conformists and all Parties of true Protestants are herein really agreed though unskilful Speakers differ in Words LONDON Printed in the Year 1676. AMong the other Church-troubling Controversies of these times we find it is one and not the least How far Mans Reason hath to do in matters of Religion And deep accusations we find brought against each other on this account some suspecting others of Socinianisme as over-magnifying Reason and others insimulating such as they seem to differ from as guilty of making Religion seem unreasonable and some who go over the Hedge where it is low do lay this charge of unreasonableness in special on the Non-conformists We who do verily believe that this scandalous Contention ariseth from Mens unskilfulness in the Art of framing and expressing the notions of that same matter which they commonly hold and that really not only Conformists and Non-conformists but also all Protestant Parties are herein of one mind though some think otherwise who neither understand their Brethren nor are understood themselves do therefore take it as Peacemakers to be our duty to give our Reasons of this our Judgement that if it may be the Preachers of Truth and Peace may not tempt the People into unchristian disaffection by perswading them that we so widely differ when really we are all or generally agreed Qu. Whether understanding Charity can see any real difference between Conformists and Non-conformists or any other Partiss of true Protestants about the interest and use of Reason in Religion that is about Gods Doctrine of Faith and his Laws for Mens Desires and their Practice Neg. For the due handling of this it is requisite that we first explain our words and then truly state the Question and then prove the Negative and lastly add some applicatory Consectaries I. By understanding Charity we mean a Person indued with Understanding and Charity so far as he useth them in this Judgement By a Real difference we mean not real misunderstanding of one another or real contending about words but a difference in Judgement about the very matter of Doctrine it self when intelligibly opened and each Party is understood By Religion we mean only that which is truly Divine and not about what Man may superadd though on the by we may speak somewhat of that and as the Church hath ever summed it up in the Sacramental Covenant and explained the parts of it according to the three summaries the Creed Lords Prayer and Christian Decalogue so do we here mean 1. The Articles of Faith 2. The matter of Holy Love or Desire 3. And of Practice By Conformists and Non-conformists we mean qua tales whether this be any part of the Controversies which denominate them And ex abundante even Qui tales whether they that are Meerly Non-conformists differ from the Conformists herein the question not extending to Quakers Seekers Papists Antinomians or any such Sect which are more than Meer Non-conformists By Protestants we mean those that make Christianity as delivered in the Scriptures their Religion protesting against the Corruptions and Additions of Popery who are now commonly known by that Name and distinguished unhappily by their By-opinions into Lutherans Calvinists and other Names 1. We deny not that all Protestants differ greatly from the Socinians who reject the Doctrine of the Trinity though found in Scripture because they think that it is against Reason though in that they err 2. We deny not that Protestants herein differ from Enthusiasts or true Fanaticks who pretend Revelations which Reason cannot prove to be what they pretend them to be and are contrary to true Reason and Scripture it self and who think that the secret impulses of their diseased Phantasies and Passions are such motions of Gods Spirit as Reason must give place to 3. We deny not but Protestants differ from the great Fanaticisme of Popery which both buildeth Faith and exerciseth Religion upon the most stupendious Fiction of Miracles against Reason and Common sense that ever to our knowledge was entertained by any Sect or Heresie in the World viz. 1. In their holding that a Pope and his Council called General are the Infallible Judges of the Churches Faith from whose Authority it must be received though the Pope should be himself an ignorant Lad or a Heretick and most of the Bishops in Council should not before understand the matter which they vote for As if God by Miracles taught the ignorant and erroneous to vote contrary to their former Opinions or above their understanding and their miraculous Enthusiasm and Infallibility were the Foundation of the Common Faith As if God would enable a Pope and Council that understood not Greek or Hebrew Infallibly to Translate the Bible out of Greek and Hebrew into their Native Tongues 2. And they pretend that all the Priests in their Church perhaps many score thousands can work Miracles at their pleasure and do so in every Mass which they Celebrate even to the making Bread to be no Bread and Wine to be no Wine nor any sensible Substance and all the Sences of the World that see tast touch them to be utterly deceived which is farr greater Miracle-working than ever Christ or his Apostles wrought And to the Belief of this and this renunciation of all common Sense all Christians on pain of damnation must submit and Princes must exterminate those that will not or else their Dominions must be given to another by the Pope We say not that Protestants do either exalt Reason as the Socinians or renounce it as either of these two Sects of true Fanaticks By Judging we mean 1. Discerning our selves 2. Proving to others By Reason We mean I Ex parte objecti such evidence of Truth which humane Reason may discern This is three-fold I. Evidence of the Thing it self which is either 1. Sensible Evidence as the very thing is objected to the Senses and so as Sensate represented to the Intellect 2. Evidence immediately intelligible by which the thing it self is objected to the Intuition of the Mind so some say with Ockam that the Intellect knoweth its own Acts and Spirits see Spirits II. Evidence of the Medium from whence by Reason we may inferr the Verity of the Thing And this is 1. Of an ordinary Natural Medium as a Natural Cause is known by the Effects and the Effects by the Cause e. g. There is a Sun ergo there is Motion Light and Heat or There is Motion Light and Heat ergo there is Fire 2. Or of a Supernatural Medium such as is Divine Revelation by Vision Inspiration miraculous Attestation III. There is Evidence of Consequence that the Conclusion certainly followeth the Premises Of Reason in these Senses we may have occasion to speak II. Ex parte subjecti vel Agentis And so Reason is taken 1. For the reasoning Faculty 2. For the mental

Order c. And if they will call any Lawful Assemblies of Pastors or orderly Associations by the Name of humane Churches so they will but distinguish them from Churches of proper Divine Institution and take away none of those Rights from such as Christ hath given them in Scripture we know no Party of Protestants that differ de re against them though many wish that the Name Churches were not made common to those of Divine and of Humane Institution lest it obscure the great difference of the things named and lest as in the Papacie Societies and Matters of Divine Institution should be thought to stand in a direct Subordination to those of Humane Institution and the Churches which Christ hath Instituted should be thought to be but as Parishes to a County Streets or Houses to a City Cities to a Kingdom meer similar parts of the Churches of Mans making which conceit is the strength of the whole Roman Kingdom called a Church Object 3. But some say that only the Spirit can assure us that the Scriptures are the Word of God Ans So we say all not excluding but including the Means and Evidence and Use of Reason That is 1. The Spirit in Christ and his Apostles and Prophets hath Imprinted Gods Image of Power Wisdome and Love on the Sacred Scriptures which is their intrinsick Evidence 2. And the same Spirit by that Word doth Powerfully Wisely and Gratiously Imprint an answerable Image on our Hearts 3. And he helpeth us by this effect and impulse to discern that it is Gods Word that did it And giveth us as the new born Babe to his Milk a discerning of and Appetite to this holy Word as Connatural or suitable to our Souls The Spirit giveth us such Reasons for our Religion as else we should not have and also helpeth our Reason actually to understand it and also maketh us Habitually more Rational herein And do not all agree in this Object 4. But some say that the Scripture is known propria luce Ans So say all but not by that alone Reason must discern the Divinity of Scripture partly by the evident Impulses of Divinity which are in it which are its proper Light and partly by extrinsick attestations in the due use of the means which God hath appointed Reason to make use of II. Our second Proof of our Common Agreement shall be by an Induction of the particular Points which we are all agreed in where if the enumeration be sufficient our Proof will be clear And if we seem to over-do in naming more than needs it is to avoid the charge of an insufficient enumeration 1. We are all agreed that all true Religion objectively taken is the effect of Gods Wisdome and subjectively taken also is the Gift of the Father of Lights 2. We are agreed that as Gods Wisdome is the first efficient so the Impress of Divine Wisdome by which it is eminently wise and reasonable is its very Constitutive Cause its Form and the proper Light by which it is to be known 3. We are agreed that objective Religion is to be received by Mans Reasonable Intellect and is when so received the light and guide the advancement and perfecting of our Reason And the most Religious are the most truly and nobly rational 4. We are agreed that it hath Intelligible evidence which sheweth it to be of God and true And that Mans Reason must by discerning this evidence know its Divinity and truth Seeing nothing is an Object of the Intellect but by Intelligible evidence as nothing is an Object of sight but Light and things by Light made visible 5. And as our own receiving it is by receiving the said evidence and knowing its Divinity and truth thereby so our Teaching it to others and proving it against Gain-sayers by defence must be by our manifesting the same evidence 6. The Reason or Intellect of Man in Innocency was apt to understand both the natural and supernatural manifestations of Gods governing Will and so to be Actively Religious and to increase herein by exercise and Divine help 7. The Reason of fallen Man before gratious Illumination is still the same essentially in the Faculty but is dispositively depraved called Blindness disposed to Judge carnally falsly and malignantly of things spiritual and holy and undisposed to discern savingly the truth and goodness of Religion 8. There are found in all Man-kind at Age some Natural notices which are an advantage to the Reception of Religion and make Men more capable of it than otherwise they would be And Grace giveth Men usually a common sort of external aad internal Light which is preparatory to that which is specially saving 9. The Christian Religion consisting of things partly naturally and partly supernaturally revealed the natural part of it hath its natural evidence either Rei ipsius or Medij naturalis by which without supernatural Revelation it may be known but is not without Gods illuminating Grace effectually and savingly known 10. The natural part of Revelation or objective Religion is in order of Time before the supernatural part and natural evidence and Religion is more common than supernatural We are Men before we are Christians in order of Nature at least 11. There is no Contradiction between the natural and supernatural Revelation or parts of Religion for God contradicteth not himself He therefore that thinketh that he findeth a Contradiction is deceived and must Correct the error of his own understanding and not accuse the Word of God 12. Things equally true are not equally evident and revealed and sure to us some things in Nature are much clearer than others and some parts of Scripture farr more intelligible than some others and so more evident to us 13. Ceteris paribus things sensible and the Common Natural notices have greater evidence to us and are of easier belief than Prophetical Revelations But some supernatural Revelations have extrinsecally and intrinsecally more ascertaining evidence than many Natural Revelations or Verities no small Number of these are very obscure 14. When the Understanding once discerneth a thing to be a Divine Revelation it hath therein a certain Medium from which it may infer the thing revealed to be true All known Divine Revelations are so far ascertaining as they are known For God cannot Lye Divine Veracity is the formal Object of Divine Belief 15. If we doubt of the evidence of any Revelation Natural or Supernatural whether it be indeed Divine we must hold that with the strongest affiance or belief which hath the clearest assuring evidence that it is Divine 16. Prophets and Inspired Seers had such Internal satisfying evidence whether by Intuition or abstract Species or internal Sense which no Man can formally and clearly conceive of but he that hath it But the Reason of others may know it by the effects and concomitant or consequent Proofs 17. Those that heard the Voice and saw the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles had sensible evidence thereof And those at