Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	election_n	good_a	work_n	4,641	5	6.8470	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01739	Tvvo sermons vpon 1. Peter 5. vers .8. and 9 Wherein is shewed that the diuell is to be resisted only by a stedfast faith, how soeuer he commeth either against soule or body: and that whosoeuer hath once attained the true and liuelie faith, it can neuer be vtterly lost, but he is sure to get the victorie. By M. George Giffard, Preacher of the worde of God at Mauldon in Essex.	Gifford, George, d. 1620.	1597 (1597)	STC 11871; ESTC S112185	45,095	88

of the spirit hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God Ioh. 3. vers 5. The seed of God then is the graces of the sanctifying spirit the liuely word Those men that say a man may lose his faith and the spirit of sanctification doe in flat speech contrarie that which the holie Apostle heere speaketh The seed of God saith Saint Iohn remaineth in all those which are borne of God and therfore they doe not sinne that is to say they do not sinne that deadly sinne of falling from God or of being separated from Christ which is not true if their saying bee true for there remaineth no seed of God in those that doe wholy lose their faith and in whome the sanctifying graces are vtterly extinguished It may be they wil here again adde their vaine cauill that the seed of God remaineth in them so long as they bee borne of God and hold the faith and stand in grace As it Saint Iohn should say thus the seede of God remaineth in them so long as the seede of God remaineth in them Is not this a very wise speech to be ascribed to the holy ghost He speaketh absolutely that whosoeuer is borne of God the seed of God euer after doth remaine in him therefore he sinneth not Let them go with their ridiculous distinction the feed of God remaineth in them so long as it remaineth in them for that speech they must be forced to vtter vnlesse they will confesse that when he saith his seede remaineth in them we must take it remaineth in them for euer If the seede of God remaine for euer in the regenerate then doth saith and the sanctifiing spirit remaine in them for euer For will they separate these But to put all out of doubt and to minister sound comfort or as the holy ghost speaketh strong consolation to all that haue the true and liuely faith euen to let them knowe indeed and vnderstand for certainty that they can not perish that they cannot be ouercome by Satan in the battel he addeth Neither can he sinne confirming it with this reason because he is born of God What can they say vnto this How will they auoide this Will they say that Saint Iohn meant heere some other matter Is it not clearer then the Sunne that the regenerate cannot wholy bee depriued of faith nor of the spirit of sanctification when he saith they can not sinne Can they wholie loose their faith and all the sanctifying grace and yet can they not sin O how happie and blessed is the state and condition of that man which hath attained to the true liuelie faith who hath the spirit of sanctification by which hee is led euen the spirit of adoption that beareth witnesse with his spirit that he is the child of God seeing he may be tempted and sundrie times be led a wrie into some sinnes but it is vnpossible that he shuld fall from God And what is the reason by which he prooueth that hee cannot so fall Because saith he he is borne of God Consider where the force of this reason lieth Men are mortall their seede is corruptible and that which is borne of man is corruptible and mortall God is incorruptible and immortall and so the seede of God is called incorruptible seed and immortal whereupon it doth follow that the birth which is of God is incorruptible and immortall Where the life of God is it cannot bee be extinguished Thinke it not strange then that Saint Iohn saith he cannot sinne because he is borne of God Except they will denie the manifest and cleare testimonies of the word of God except they will affirme that the seed of God is corruptible and so decayeth and doth not abide in those that are begotten of God except they will also make the testimonie of the spirit of adoption deceiueable false finally except they will make the seale of God and the pledge which he giueth of none effect denying that men are to make their calling and election sure and so to haue strong consolation Let them renounce this Popish errour that the true and liuely faith and the sanctifying spirit may be in the reprobate and that the same liuelie faith quickening grace may be wholie put out for a time in the elect It may bee demanded that seeing the word of God is so euidēt that men are to resist the diuel stedfast in the faith as being fully assured that he which hath once attained the liuely faith can neuer be ouercome nor perish what shuld be the cause that some do hold that true faith the spirit of adoption may be had lost again What should cast them vpon such rocks or driue them into such absurdities Surely they be driuen into these while they do as they suppose eschue more dāgerous rocks greater absurdities They would haue it to be somwhat in mans own wil power to receiue faith the whole work of regeneratiō They wold haue it be in the power wil of man to retain the same faith sanctifying spirit to lose thē Why are they of that mind Is it because they enuy that god shuld haue the whole praise glory of mans saluatiō as man being not able to doe any thing the grace is wholy of God We cannot say so But it is another thing that driueth them hereunto that is this they take it that vnles it be in mans wil power to receiue and to retain faith it wil follow from an higher cause that is this namely that such as God hath chosen vnto life to those he giueth faith worketh in thē by his spirit the new birth Then the other sort if there be no power in mā cānot attain to the faith regeneratiō they be before ordained vnto eternal destruction Thē wil it follow that there is predestinatiō euē an eternal decree of God by which he hath chosen and ordained some to life euerlasting and appointed others to eternall destruction This doctrine they say chargeth God with iniustice with crueltie For what is more cruell then of purpose to create and make any of his workes or creatures to be condemned vnto eternall torments Where is then say they the infinit mercie iustice and goodnesse of God To charge the Lorde God with any crueltie or iniustice is most wicked blasphemous and abominable And therefore they hold this the most safe course for the defence of the iustice and mercy of God where the word of God speaketh of election to take it thus that GOD hath chosen vnto life eternall all those whome he did foresee would receiue the faith walke in obedience and continue to the end and so their faith good works and perseuerance which God foresaw is the cause that mooued the Lord to choose them On the other side that he hath not reprobate any but hee hath foreseene that they either woulde not receiue the faith at al or els after they haue receiued it of

their owne wickednes fall from it vtterly and finally and so he hath before ordained them in his foreknowledge vnto damnation This they say standeth with reason the other they hold to be repugnant to reason What shall we say to this shall wee heere enter for to discourse at large by the scriptures touching election and reprobation I haue no such purpose But only so farre as agreeeth with our present matter namely to make it appeare that the stedfastnesse of our faith and the full assurance of our saluation dependeth vpon the knowledge of our election As namely if wee finde in vs the true and liuely faith which goeth with the spirit of sanctification wee may then rise vp to that high cause and be assured that the Lord hath in that his eternall and vnchangeable decree chosen vs in Christ to be his children so that wee cannot perish To come then to an answere to those men Is not this a strange thing that they will comprehend by reason how God could decree the choise or election of some of his creatures vnto life and the reprobation of others vnto eternall destruction for their sinnes and yet not vniust If wee alleage the sentence of the Apostle But who art thou O man that pleadest with God They aunswer that they doe not pleade with God but they stand for the defence of the iustice and mercie of God least that shuld be imputed vnto him which is vniust and cruell No Is not this to plead with God or against God when hee shall bee iust hee shall be good hee shall bee mercifull no further than thy reason can comprehend He must yeeld a reason vnto thy vnderstanding and capacitie with what right or equitie he could doe so or so or els thou wilt reiect it Is not this I say to plead against God Saint Paule after hee hath disputed of the reiecting of the Iewes and the calling in of the Gentiles breaketh foorth into this exclamation O the deepnesse of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgments and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11. To this agreeth the Prophet in the Psalm saying Thy iugdments are as the great deep Let it be demanded what iudgementes of God are those which be vnsearchable or which bee as the great deep Are they not those iudgmēts which he executeth vpon his creatures and especially vpon his chief creatures Angels and men If these his iudgments be as the great deep euen vnsearcheable incōprehensible both vnto men and Angels then is it so in the highest matter namely that hee hath ordained by his eternall decree to bestow eternall life and glory vpon some and to appoint other some vnto eternal ignominie torments which they shall endure iustly for their sinnes For if any iudgementes of God bee vnsearcheable or any where it is in predestination It may bee rightlie said that if the counsels and wayes and iudgements of God be not vnsearchable in that eternal decree then is there no iudgmēt of god vnsearchable which is to denie not only the saying of the Apostle and of the Prophet but also after a sort to denie God for he that will make his iudgmentes to be searchable maketh also God himselfe to be searchable Wilt thou measure and comprehend the counsels the decrees and the iudgementes of God by reason Then measure and comprehend God himselfe euen that eternall and infinit maiestie with thy reason Nowe if it bee so that God hath chosen some for this cause that he did foresee that of their owne wil and power they would be faithfull do good works continue to the ende And on the other side that hee did foresee who would be vnfaithfull wicked and rebellious euen to their death and those in his foreknowledge he saw to be iustly damned Here is nothing incomprehensible in these iudgmentes For thy reason doth find out and thy vnderstanding doth comprehend all causes and thou canst shew a reason how God hath done euery thing and yet is iust yea all the causes of his counselles he open vnto thee if it bee so Why then did Saint Paule crie out How vnsearchable are his iudgments Why faith the Prophet also That they be a great deepe The Prophet was dull of conceipt it seemeth and so was Paule for thou hast entred into this great deepe and hast with the light of thy reason searched out all things and whatsoeuer is not agreeable to the same thy reason thou doubtest not to dash it out of Gods decrees Thou wilt haue nothing to stand higher then thy reason can reach vnto and comprehende Thou saiest that whatsoeuer is contrarie vnto reason is absurde Well but take heede that thou doest not extoll reason too much It doth indeed comprehend the principles of logicke but that it will from thence rise vp to comprehend God and his eternall decree it is extreame folly If wee looke a little in particulars we shall find it to bee so VVe do beleeue and confesse that the Lord God by his eternall power infinit wisedom created heauen earth al things which are in thē both visible inuisible Of the inuisible creatures in heauen the Angels some sinned fel whom he hath condēned vnto eternall fire they be now diuels Others whom the holie Apostle calleth the elect Angels neuer sinned neither shall euer any of them sinne as they bee well assured but shall remaine verie glorious and blessed for euer Tell me nowe were not all these the creatures of God and created in the same estate and conditiō How commeth it that some of them stand others do fall Will ye not say that of his infinite goodnesse and loue hee had decreed to stay vp the one parte so that they should neuer sinne nor be in danger of falling and that he had also decreed to leaue those other to their owne will and power why did he not shew the same goodnesse and loue towards all whie did he set so glorious creatures in such estate as that they should fal from the heauenlie glory into diuels torments was he not able to support them and to retaine them in glory with the rest He created man in great dignitie euen after his owne image whie did he not keepe him in that estate why did hee suffer the diuell to enter in vnto the woman and to tempt her why did hee not forewarn the man and the woman that such an enemie woulde set vpon them or why did he not giue thē strength to get the victorie in that tēptation O wilt thou say God did only suffer those thinges to bee done by the diuell hee did not ordaine that any such matter should fall out for that cannot stand with equity or iustice it agreeth not with mercy Wel thou hast a childe and when it is in thy power to let yet thou wittinglie doest suffer a terrible Lyon to enter in vnto him and to deuour him who will say that this