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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	evil_a	good_a	work_n	6,191	5	6.9192	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29125	A compendious answer to a book called A brief survay of the judgement of Mr. John Goodvvin, and the Church of God walking with him, touching their reasons of dissenting from many of their brethren, in these imprtant heads of doctrine; 1. Election and reprobation. 2. The death of Christ. 3. The grace of God in and about conversion. 4. The liberty or power of the will, or of the creature man. 5. The perseverance of the saints. VVherein the absurdities of all their dissenting doctrines are clearly exhibited, by a loving friend to the truth it self, Ellis Bradshaw.	Bradshaw, Ellis.	1652 (1652)	Wing B4139A; ESTC R212996	33,087	46

both in the writings and oral discourses of the Patrons of the said decree of Reprobation such sayings and passages which we know not how to reconcile with this decree and consequently cannot but judge such a decree to be very disharmonious to the true strains and doctrins of the Gospel Answ The best patronage we have for it is the word of God and it is all that we dare cleave too to make it out But if your consequence and judgement be groundedly raised to wit That our doctrines are not harmonious with the Gospel then upon the same ground we may pass our judgement infallibly upon yours 1. For as hath been shewed you first agree with us that The Scripture expresly holdeth forth and asserteth both a decree of Election and a decree of Reprobation in God 2. And that these decrees were in God from Eternity or before the foundatiens of the world were laid 3. And that both these decrees as well as all others attributable to God are really and simply God himself 4. And that these decrees as all others in God are like God himself absolutely immutable and unchangeable c. And then in your very first particular of your dissent from us you quite contradict what you assented to as hath been argued before and represent unto us the counsel and decree of God as changeable as the Moon or as the mind of man as if the counsel of God were wholly dependent on the will of man as if the wisdome of God were not perfect and full for making his decrees absolute till he receive instructions from the actings of men how he should judge them you say it is possible notwithstanding his Decree of Election that his Elect should perish and notwithstanding his Decree of Reprobation of any particular person yet he may possibly be saved Now we shall freely accord that some particular persons which you or we think to be his Elect may possily perish or whom we think to be Reprobates may possibly be saved But to avouch it possible that the Decree of God concerning particular persons is changeable We dare not do it unless you can assure us that he did not foresee from the beginning who should be saved and who should perish But all his sheep all his Elect are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world that they should be holy and without blame before him in love Ephes 1.4 and they are also predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his sonne These all being the Sheep of Christ hear his voice and he knoweth them and they follow him and he giveth unto them eternal lise and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of his hand his father who gave hem to him is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of his fathers hand And he and his father are one See Jo. 10.27 28 29 30. And all the reason that Christ renders why others believed not is because they were not his sheep verse 26. they were none of his Elect. 3. Now your third particular head of doctrine wherin you say you dissent from us is That God hath not decreed the Reprobation of any infant dying before the commission of actual sin Answ I answer I was once of your mind in this particular and was so perswaded upon the same grounds that you here hold forth But through the grace of God was long since resolved that it was not true First I thought as in your fourth reason That the case of all infants dying before the commission of actual sin to be one and the same because I apprehended they were all alike and in a like measure by nature children of wrath one as well and as much as another and so either all saved or all damned But I could not believe they were all damned for such like reasons as you here allege therefore I concluded they were certainly saved But upon better consideration as it pleased God to give me to understand that though Jews by nature were children of wrath as well as Gentiles which is the proper scope of that expression Ephes 2.3 as will appear by the context and not that every particular child is by nature alike and in the same measure polluted with sin but though all were polluted in the sight of God Christ himself excepted yet there was great difference and disparitie amongst them in the sight of God which put me quite into another mind and searching the Scriptures I was presently confirmed quite the contrary I shall therefore hold forth such Scriptures and reasons as confirmed me and gave me full resolves in any question that could be proposed concerning this doctrine of Election and Reprobation And first then for proof that all children when new born are not in the same measure flesh nor alike fleshly nor that they are all alike and in the same measure sinful or vessels of wrath or in the State of wrath nor alike beloved or hated of God nor alike unclean or clean in his sight It will evidently appear from the word of God Though I do not say I can make this difference appear unto men whiles they are unborn yet it will appear that there is then such difference in the sight of God 1. As first I argue If God loveth one thing and hateth another there is certainly a difference and disparity betwixt those things in the sight of God Rea. For he loveth the good and hateth the evil and cannot both hate and love the very self same thing nor as he cannot chuse but hate the evil so he cannot but love whatever is good for every good proceedeth of God And it were no less than blasphemie to say he loveth the evil or hateth the good as it may well be said of some wicked men who alwaies do so Nor we may not say that the love or hatred of our wise God is without a cause and that just and clear to his own comprehension though not ours Assum But he loved Jacob and hated Esau when they were in the womb and had neither of them done either good or evil Conseq Ergo there was difference in the sight of God when they were in the womb one was then a vessel of wrath in fitting for destruction and the other was doubtless a vessel of mercy in preparing for glory Arg. 2. If children were all alike by nature after their propagation from the loines of their parents and that there were no difference but as all are polluted and all are defiled either less or more Christ himself excepted so all were alike polluted and a like defiled by means of generation being conceived in iniquitie Conseq 1. Then it would follow that the just Lord who will doe no iniquity and who is Judge of all the World should not doe right In visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him And shewing mercy unto thousands

to them that love him and keep his Commandements Conseq 2. And then it would likewise follow that it were all one and no greater disparagement to be the children of fooles and children of base men that are viler than the earth than the proper seed of such as love God and keepe his Commandements See Job 30.8 Conjeq 3. And then it would follow that the Apostle said not true when he said Else your children were uncleane but now are they holy 1 Cor. 7.14 If it be so that all children being new borne be alike uncleane or alike holy and in the same measure Conseq 4. And then it would follow that it is all one whether we possesse our vessels in holinesse and in honour or in the lust of concupiscence like such as know not God If by that meanes our seed when propagated should not be the better and the more holy and honourable in the sight of God See 1 Thes 4.4 5. Conseq 5. It would follow that there were unrighteousnesse with God in that fevere exclusion of Ammonites and Moabites and Bastards likewise from entring into the congregation of the Lord to their tenth generation Deur 23.2 3 4. Conseq 6. Then it were all one to be as Ishmael borne after the flesh as to be borne as Isaac a child of promise to wit At such a time will I come unto thee and Sarah shall have a sonne See Gal. 4.23 28. and Rom. 9.8 9. Gen 18.10 Conseq 7. Then it would follow that the fruits and operations of the Spirit are all alike good in the sight of God with the fruits and effects and operations of the flesh if we must expect to reape the same fruits or the like effects And then it is no matter of walking in the spirit that we might not fulfill the lusts of the flesh And so adultery fornication uncleannesse lasciviousnesse evill concupiscence and inordiuate affections are all one in effect with love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance as Gal. 5.16 19 20 21 22 23. and Eph. 1.2 3 4 5 6 c. to 13. Col. 3.5 6. Then it were all one to walke after the spirit or to be drawn away by our owne lusts and entised and so when lust hath conceived saith the Apostle Iames it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death whereas every good gift and every perfect gift cometh from above Jam. 1.14 15 16 17. and Chap. 3.17 Whereas all other affections are but from beneath earthly sensuall or devilish vers 15. Yea then it is all one to sow to the flesh as to the spirit yea to make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof as to sow to the spirit if we may expect the same fruits Gal. 6.6 And so all these Scriptures untrue and vaine See also Rom. 8. to 15. Conseq 8. Then it would follow that it might as properly be spoken of the Elect as of the wicked Psal 58.3 4 5. to wit The wicked are estranged from the wombe they goe astray as soone as they be borne speaking lyes Their poyson is as the poyson of aserpent they are like the deafe adder that stoppeth her eare which will not hearken to the voyce of charmers charming never so wisely Conseq 9. And so by consequence we may pray as David against not onely the wicked but all mankind to wit Breake their teeth O God c. vers 6 7 8. and prophesy as vers 9. How suddainly they shall be destroyed at which the righteous shall rejoyce as vers 10 11. Conseq 10. Then it would follow that all generations are alike and have the same spot or stampe and temper of spirit contrary to that text Deut. 32.5 to wit They have corrupted themselves their spot is not the spot of his children they are a perverse and crooked generation And contrary to those various expressions of the sorts of generations that we reade of in Scripture as Prov. 30.11 to wit There is a generation that curseth their father and that doth not blesse their mother There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes and yet is not washed from their filthinesse v. 12. There is a generation Oh how lofty are their eyes and their eye-lids are lifted up v. 13. There is a generation whose teeth are as swords and their jaw-teeth as knives to destroy the poor from off the earth and the needy from among men v. 14. And contrary to our ordinary experience as for the most part it is for though godly parents may have some prophane children and prophane parents may have some godly children yet for the most part as the Scripture speakes it is found by experience that like father like sonne like mother like daughter For by generation their likenesse is stamped or propagated from them in the very seed of generation so that generations of vipers are a viperous brood and therefore Iohn the Baptist wondred much who had forew arned such to fly from the wrath to come And an evill and an adulterous generation are an evill and an adulterous brood and therefore was that though they sought a signe there should be no signe given unto them but the signe of the Prophet Jonas And againe some are called children of wickednesse because wickednesse was predominant and the chiefe cause of their generations And some againe are called children of the Devill sonnes of Belial and are therefore said to be of their father the Devill by Christ himselfe though of the Jewish nation and therefore Christ told them plainly they did and would doe their fathers workes or lusts John 8.44 and 1 John 3.8 He that committeth sinne is of the Devill Cain was of the wicked one and slew his brother v. 12. And on the other part some are called An holy generation a chosen generation the generation of the Just which shall be blessed the off-spring of God a righteous seed a seed left us as a remnant when others are destroyed yea a seed which the Lord hath blessed and of whom he testifieth that he formed them from the wombe and that he will helpe them and that he will poure his Spirit upon their seed and his blessing upon their off-spring and they shall spring up as among the grasse as willowes by the water-courses One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himselfe by the name of Iacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and simame himselfe by the name of Israel Isa 44.3 4 5. Salomon was no sooner borne but David by the Spirit of prophecy called his name Jadidiah because the Lord loved him and whom he loves once he loves to the end He saith allso to Ieremiah Before I formed thee in the wombe I knew thee and before thou camest out of the wombe I sanctified thee c. Jerem. 1. and Iohn the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost in his mothers womb and sprang in her womb at the voyce of

sent unto another and bid to speak boldly c. because he had much people in that City For you might know if such Scriptures could down with you That whom he foreknew them he also predestinated to be conform'd to the image of his Son and whom he predestinated them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified 5. In your fifth Argument you take upon you to argue directly and bring a false slander upon the Wisdome Holiness Mercy and Justice of God For your Argument were good if rightly grounded But your ground-work which without all question you take for granted is manifestly untrue For though all have sinned and are therefore deprived of the glory of God and are only saved through Jesus Christ yea Jews by nature being Children of wrath as well as others Yet it doth not follow that all by nature are in their child-hood and minority alike sinful alike wrathful or alike unclean but in the sight of God and sometimes of men likewise there is great difference though I must confess if any ask me who maketh thee to differ and what hast thou that thou hast not received I must acknowledge God himself hath done it But this I affirm and can make it manifest that there was a difference even betwixt Jacob and Esau in their Mothers Womb Else it had never been said I have loved Jacob and have hated Esau And so the holy Ghost telleth us the wicked are estranged from the Womb they go astray as soon as they be born speaking lies c. and as Moses hath testified the efficient cause is not in God but telleth us plainly They have corrupted themselves their spot is not the spot of his Children they are a crooked and perverse generation they are perversly generated some generations of Vipers some children of wickedness because spiritual wickedness was the productive cause of their generation some sonnes of Belial for Satan was the cause of their generation and therefore though they were Abrahams children after the flesh yet our Saviour telleth them They were of their father the Devil and would do his works And some also are called Children of the flesh in opposition to him that was born by promise to wit At such a time will I come unto thee and Sarah shall have a Son The Lord himself was the chief cause of his generation it was he that separated him from the loines of his Parents of free accord whereas the devill the world or sinfull flesh was the cause of the begetting of some others as hath been clearly shewed but of this more fully in another place But you may hereby see and be more cautious for ever after of blaming the wisdome and holiness of God because you see not how your selves forsooth can clear it up You might as well have said If he have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth he is doubtless unjust unmerciful unholy unwife which I for my part if I should have said it it had been blasphemous in me but I hope you did it ignorantly and therefore upon repentance may find mercy 6. To your sixth I answer That no man that ever I heard spake of any more decrees of Election but one yet there are so many particular actual elections as there are particular persons Elected from the loins of their parents as the chief cause of their generation and this is their election when they are thus separated to be vessels of mercy prepared unto glory But God is not the cause of the generation as chiefly predominant but only permissive of the propagation of any children but his own Elect 7. Your seventh I answer by way of Retortion or countercharge That we do conceive that all the passages and texts of Scriptures which you produce and argue for the establishment of your errours are meerly irrelative to such a purpose all them forced against their native and proper imports respectively to serve in this warfare being all very capable of a more orthodox fair and Christian interpretation than that which you make subservient to your opinions 8. To the eighth in like manner I retort we can find no competent indeed no tolerable satisfaction in any of those arguments which you our brethren are wont to levie and insist upon for the maintenance and Defence of your erronious doctrine to wit that there is no election or decree of election of particular persons as such but only of an intire species of men from eternity see your Arg. 9. But do judge in our souls and consciences that through the grace of God we shall be enabled to give a Rational fair and Christian account of their insufficiency and weakness 9. To the ninth I answer that it hath more confirmed us in the truth because we find both from your pens and mouths and that very frequently such very expressions as are palpable inconsistencies and that your doctrine cumbreth and thwarteth plain texts of Scripture and wholesome necessary truths in Christian Religion and that many orthodox and worthy doctrines cannot be pertinently nor effectually mannaged if we receive the influence and seek the aid of this your principle to wit that there is no election or decree of election of particular persons as such but only of an intire species of men from eternity For we affirm there is both whereas your position denyeth the truth of these Scriptures Ephes 1.4.11 1 Pet. 1.2 Rom. 9.6.7.8 to 19. Acts 13.48 To the first argument for your dissent in the second particular I answer that we believe these Scriptures to be really true and that God doth intend as he here expresseth we do believe that however wicked men are by nature and by generation if God give them repentance unto life so as that he doth save them this is nothing else but what he had decreed before the foundation of the world and that such very persons were chosen in Christ and predestinated to the adoption of Sons And that he never intended to reprobate those persons and therefore gave them repentance and did not suffer them to obdurate and remain impenitent nor doth any decree of his necessitate them or any other impulsively to continue in such impenitency but permissively it doth For he suffereth with long patience the vessels of warth fitted to destruction Rom. 9. and that purposely to shew his wrath against and hatred of sin and to make his power known And who are you that reply against God as if his justice and mercy should impell and necessitate the salvation of all or else you will contest and quarrel against him as you do herein especially in your second Reason accounting it as a bowelless and mercyless Reprobation of the far greater part of mankind which yet you cannot deny but the words of Christ himself import so much if we may believe him Wide is the Gate c. and many go in thereat But in your apprehensins