Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	faith_n	grace_n	justification_n	5,753	5	9.4155	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10133	Iacobs vovv, opposed to the vowes of monkes and friers The first volume in two bookes; of the Holy Scripture, and euangelicall counsels. Written in French by Mr. Gilbert Primerose, minister of the word of God in the Reformed Church of Burdeaux. And translated into English by Iohn Bulteel minister of the gospel of Iesus Christ.; Voeu de Jacob. English	Primrose, Gilbert, ca. 1580-1642.; J. B. (John Bulteel), d. 1699.	1617 (1617)	STC 20390; ESTC S112003	232,060	268

Ephesians y Ephes 2.8.9 By grace are yee saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes lest any man should boast referring not our iustification only but also our saluation it selfe vnto the grace of God which we imbrace by faith and excluding from the causes of our saluation our workes without exception yea them which the faithfull doe otherwise hee would not say least any man should boast although hee intendes not to esteeme them or make them vnprofitable and of no vse For saith he z Ephes 2.10 we are his worke-manship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath before or deined that we should walke in them A sentence that Saint Bernard vnderstood well when he termed the workes of Saints a Bernard de gratta libéro ar●itrio sub finem viam regni non causam regnandi The way to the Kingdome not the cause of the Kingdome Auant then and farre from vs let all those be that wil diuide and share out the saluation betweene the grace of God and our good workes that say vnto him with the Pharisee b Luk. 18.11 God I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extortioners vniust adulterers we will be humble and referre vnto him all the glory of our saluation in his beginning in his middle in his ende and sing vnto him with Dauid c Psal 115.1 Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue glory for thy mercie and for thy Truths sake CHAP. VI. I. The fourth Argument None of the Saints hath euer kept perfectly the Law II. Because they are renewed but in part as it appeares III. By the example of those which were before the Law as of Abel Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob IIII. And by the example of Iob V. By the examples also of them that were vnder the Law as of Moses Aaron their Sister Marie and of all the Priests VI. Item by the example of Dauid VII Of Salomon Ezechias Iosias Daniel and of Esdras VIII And by the Confession of the whole ancient Church BE a 1. Cor. 11.1 ye followers of me euen as I also am of Christ Hee will haue vs to imitate him but with an Euen as not absolutely but conditionally euen as hee imitated Christ and not otherwise for in him there was in the most holiest that haue beene from the beginning of the world there hath been in those that are there is in those that shall come hereafter there wil be things that are not to be imitated but to be abhord not to doe but to eschew and auoide their sinnes b Rom. 11.32 Hieron ad Ch●esiphontem for God hath concluded thē al in vnbeliefe that he might haue mercy vpon all Wherefore to shew that in him alone there is no darkenesse and that in the most holiest there are many cloudes of error which darken their vnderstanding that he is the alone holy onely iust onely good and that all the holy and iust men haue their noblest parts altered by the corruptiō of sin he hath permitted the most approued amongst them the most cherished and beloued of him to slip and fall into the pit of sinne and would that they themselues were his Heralds his Clerkes to publish to write downe their owne sins and the sinnes of their forefathers c Rom. 3.19 That euery mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guiltie before God and that God alone d Rom. 3.26 might be found iust and the iustifier of him which beleeueth in Christ Iesus who alone e Isai 53.9.1 Pet. 2.22 did no sinne neither was guile found in his mouth who alone hath beene able to protest in truth that f Iohn 14 30. The Prince of this world commeth and hath nothing in me being g Basil in Psal 5. much for a man if hee can say hee hath but little and but few things in mee This is our fourth argument whereby we will clearely proue that there hath neuer been any Saint in whom all his old infirmitie hath beene in such wise consumed but that during the dayes of this his perishing life he hath fought an intestine and inward battaile with the same in the which he hath sometimes fainted and fallen downe and hath neuer preuailed in such sorte that he hath beene able to free and exempt himself wholly from sinne h Basil in homil de poenitent I accuse not therefore the righteous but I glorifie God who alone hath been able to prouoke his enemies with this defiance i Iohn 8.46 which of you conuinceth me of sinne Wee reprehend the errour we beate and throw downe the tower and turrers of pride which our Monkes haue built and reared vp thinking to skale Paradise by their workes not commanded not due it being euident and well knowne by the examples of the Saints of old in comparison of whom the most holiest of these times the most retired of our Monkes and Friers are but dung that they are farre from that perfection of those workes that are due II. If Adam had not violated the commandement of his Lord and God and had remained obedient vnto the heauenly mandate he had reserued vnto his owne heires the prerogatiue of a naturall innocencie saith Saint k Ambrosaed Iren. epist 71. Ambrose but affecting to attribute vnto himselfe that which he had not receiued to be like him that had created him he was stript and depriued of that which he had receiued he lost his drachme or piece of siluer and departing from his Fathers table to eate husks the bread of swine he fel vnder and came within the power of the Prince of darkenesse from being able not to sinne to not being able but to sinne hauing lost altogether the libertie of his counsell after he had sold deliuered and inthrald himselfe to him that had guld and cousoned him In this state hath he begotten men in his owne likenesse after his image all which are borne tainted with his pollution and stained with the bands of his death-bringing slauerie and bondage from which seruitude the elect children of God are released and deliuered by him which hath said l Iohn 8.36 If the Sonne shall make you free yet shall be free indeede In this life not to consent vnto sinne and not to walke after their lusts in the life to come not to sinne not to couet at all It is the glorie of Heauen of the heauenly Ierusalem m Reuel 21.27 that there shall in no wise enter any thing that defileth It is the vanitie and shame of the earth that she cannot beare in her bosome any Saint that is not harried and troubled with the fierce and sauage law of sin that hee may say n Prou. 20.9 I haue made my heart cleane I am pure from my sinne For o Gregor Nyss de beatitudin Orat. 6. sin is conceiued borne increaseth and endeth

opinion that it is not expedient that all reade the Scriptures Innocentius 3. did forbid the reading of the Scriptures vnto Lay or Secular men saying g Extra de Haereticis cap. Cum ex coniuncto ex Antonij Contij restitutione Rectè fuit in lege diuina statutum vt bestia quae montem tetigerit lapidetur vt videlicet simplex aliquis indoctus praesumat ad subtilitatem sacrae Scripturae pertingere It hath been well enacted and decreed in the Diuine Law that the beast which touched the Mount Sinai should be stoned to death to the ende the simple and vnlearned presume not to attaine vnto the subtiltie of the holy Scripture So hee compares ignorant Christians to beasts and although hee was not ignorant h Thomas in Beet de Trinit that arguments may not bee drawne from allegories hee transformes beasts into men and the i Exod. 19.24 mountaine of Sinai into the holy Scriptures which were not then and considers not that there the Priests also were forbidden to approch or touch the mount which were notwithstanding the guarders and keepers of the Scriptures and that Ioshua himself durst not approach the mount l Joshua 1.8 vnto whom notwithstanding the reading and meditation of the holy Scriptures was expressely commanded But why is it not expedient to reade the Scriptures III. m Bellar. de verbo dei lib. 2. cap. 15. §. 5. They were neuer read say they indifferently of all persons but we find faithful witnes euidence yea of as qualified and great men who conformably to the holy Scriptures say the contrarie and do shew euidently that the Iewes did apply put their children n Claud. Espensaeus in 2. ad Tim. cap. 3. in illa verba quia ab infantia sacras literas nosti to the Bible at the age of fiue yeeres and in the teaching of their children they gaue the first place to the sacred letters beginning with that the which the Iewes did obserue ex prisca consuetudine according to their ancient custom saith Eusebius vntil his time If we do reade the history of the Iewes we shall find there that God commanding them to write his Law commanded thē also to reade the same vnto all without exception of sexe of age of condition saying by Moses to the Priests o Deut. 31.11.12.13 Thou shalt reade this Law before all Israel in their hearing gather the people together men women and children and thy stranger that is within thy gates that they may heare that they may learne and feare the Lord your God and obserue to doe all the words of this Law and that their children which haue not knowne any thing may heare and learne to feare the Lord your God And lest they should reply that this commandement is giuen to the Priests and Leuits to reade and to the people to heare onely and to learne it we finde there ouer and besides that the same commandement is giuen to all for thus saith the Lord by his seruant Moses p Deut. 6.6.7.8.9 These words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt teach them diligently vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou fittest in thine house and when thou walkest abroad by the way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp and thou shalt bind them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shall be as frontlets betweene thine eyes and thou shalt write them vpon the posts of thy house and on thy gates q Deut. 4.6 Keepe therefore and doe them for this is your wisedome and vnderstanding in the sight of the nations which shall heare all these Statutes The like may wee see in Deut. 15.18.19.20 He that said r Numb 11.29 Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit vpon them did not enuie nor grudge at the peoples reading and vnderstanding of the Scripture which is the rule of prophesie and the powerfull instrument by the which God giues his Spirit to his people In Christs time they read the Scriptures indifferently for Christ saith to them ſ Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures In Saint Pauls time they read the Scriptures for the Iewes of Berea t Act. 17.11 searched the Scriptures daily and are commended for that they did examine the Apostles doctrine by the Scriptures And Timothie euen from u 2. Tim. 3.15 a childe knew the holy Scriptures Aquila and his wife Priscilla though by their occupation poore tent-makers were so skilfull in the Scriptures that x Act. 18.24.26 Apollos an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures did not disdaine to goe to their schoole and to learne of them who expounded vnto him the way of God more perfectly What is the condition of Christians impared and made worse by Christ that hee hath forbidden that which was not onely permitted but also commanded to the Iewes God forbid for the promises of the new Couenant appertaines to vs y Jer. 31.34 They shal all know me from the least of them vnto the greatest of them saith the Lord. All of vs then must reade the Scriptures without which Scripture were cannot attaine vnto any knowledge of God neither can we beleeue in Christ z Iohn 20.31 For these things are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God nor resist the diuell for to resist him we must take a Ephes 6.17 the sword of the Spirit which is the word God neither can wee bee comforted in our afflictions b Rom. 15.4 for whatsoeuer things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope nor saued c Iohn 5.39 for in them and by them we haue eternall life In asmuch as the ende of the Scriptures is to bring and leade vs to faith in Christ that d Iohn 20.31 by beleeuing we may haue life through his name for this cause Saint Paul directs and sends his Epistles to the Churches composed of persons of all sexes ages and conditions that they might bee read of all of them euen as all reade those letters that are directed and addressed vnto them as hauing interest to know the cōtents of thē This is that that Saint Gregory did aduise the Phisitian Theoderus who did neglect contemn the daily reading of the words of his Redeemer e Greg. 1. Theodorice medico indict 13. lib. 4. cap. 84. Quid est autem scriptura sacra nisi quadam 〈◊〉 omnipotentis Dei ad creaturam suam c. What is the holy Scripture but a certaine letter and epistle of the Almight is God to his creature surely saith he if you were any where and receiued the writings of an earthly Prince you would not cease you would not rest you would not steepe before that you knew what this earthly Emperour writes vnto you

the Elders of the people assemble together against Iesus Christ and caused him to die by the hand of the wicked Saint Paul admonisheth the Pastors of Milet and of Ephesus y Acts 20.30 that from among themselues shall men arise speaking peruerse things to draw disciples after them Photinus Samosatenus Arrius Macedonius Nestorius Eutyches Marcelin the Pope who sacrificed to Idols Iohn 22. Pope who denied that the soules see God before the resurrection Pope Zepherinus a Montanist Pope Liberius an Arrian Pope Anastasius a Nestorian Pope Honorius a Monothelite Pope Siluester who gaue himselfe to the diuell to be made Pope Gregorie the seuenth a great Necromancer Iohn the 23 who denied life eternall and the resurrection All these had a vocation and succession as lawfull as any Pope or Bishop of that time and notwithstanding they were not to be heard of any because they al were hereticks VI. Yea but God hath said in Malachi z Malach. 2.7 The Priests lipps shall keepe knowledge and they shall seeke the Law at his mouth Hee hath said it indeede and hath said it either by promise to the Priests of the Law that it shall be alwaies so or by commandement to the Priests to obserue and keepe it so alwaies not by promise for he hath not alwaies determined nor done so 〈◊〉 that the same God and Lord adds vers 8. But ye are departed out of the way ye haue caused many to stumble at 〈◊〉 Law ye haue corrupted the 〈◊〉 of Leui saith the Lord of Hosts therefore haue I also made you contemptible and base before all the people And elsewhere God complaines of them a Esay 28.7 They 〈◊〉 in vision they stumble in iudgement b Ezech. 22.26 S●ph● 3.4 they haue violated my Law and haue proph●●ed mine holy things they haue put no difference betweene the holy and prophant and because they did then as they doe now adaies crying to euery purpose c Ierem. 18.18 The Law shall not perish from the Priest nor counsell from the wise nor the Word from the Prophet God threatens them d Ezech. 7.26 that the Law shall perish from the Priests and Counsell from the Ancients It was therefore a commandement of that which the Priests should do and did not as nowadaies when and where God may say as anciently he said of the People and Priests of Israel e Ose 4.6 9. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because thou hast 〈◊〉 knowledge I will also reiect thou thou shalt bee 〈◊〉 Priest to me seeing thou hast forgotten the Law of thy God I will also forgot thy children c. There shall be like People like Priest CHAP. VIII I. The Iudge of the sense and meaning of the Scripture is publick or priuat II. The publick and soueraigne Iudge is God alone III. His iudgement is perfectly giuen in the holy Scriptures IIII. It is not necessari● that the Iudge be present and visible V. The publike ministeriall Iudges are the Pastors VI. The priuate Iudges are all Christians VII They that forbid Christians to iudge of their writings are nor led by the Spirit of Christ TO conclude this point and to 〈◊〉 no scruple concerning this whole matter in the conscience of the Reader We say that the Iudge of the sense and meaning of the Scripture is either publick or priuate The publike Iudge is he who iudgeth publikely with a publike authoritie and declares what is true what is false good or bad what one ought to follow or eschew doe or not doe in matter of religion The publike Iudge is either Soueraigne or Ministeriall II. The Soueraigne Iudge is hee whose authoritie is in himselfe and towards vs sufficient irrefragable and so absolute that necessitie is laid vpon vs to yeeld and agree vnto without any doubting contradiction or appeale There is no such Iudge in heauen or in earth but one to wit God speaking to his Church in Christ Iesus by his holy Spirit There is but he alone which hath publike and absolute authoritie who gouernes swaies and commands ouer the consciences who can perswade binde and conuince them He hath giuen his iudgement and sentence and hath enregistred it in the sacred Scripture according to which he gouernes the consciences bowing bending them to the obedience of the same by his holy Spirit And indeed what other could be the Soueraigne Iudge of the sense of the Scripture but he who is the author of the scripture who can better interpret a mans words meaning then he which hath spoken them And who can better interpret the sense and meaning of the Law then the Law-giuer which hath made it who is so fit and apt for it as hee who being all wise and all holy cannot and being all good will not deceiue or beguile vs III. There is nothing more apparent then that his iudgement is contained in the holy Scriptures a 2. Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God it containes then the iudgement of the holy Ghost b 2. Tim. 3.15 They are able to make vs wise vnto saluation through faith which is in Christ Iesus And for this cause are we commanded to heare them c Luke 16.29 They haue saith Abraham touching the brethren of the rich man Moses and the Prophets let them heare them As they e Acts 17.29 of Berea are commended for that they sought in the same the iudgement of the holy Spirit concerning Saint Pauls doctrine the cause of all errors being that men doe not stick fast to it as Iesus Christ reprocheth and chargeth the Sadduces with telling them f Mark 12.24 Doe ye not therefore erre because ye know not the Scriptures nor the power of God And it being impossible that any can learne and bee perswaded or moued else-where to beleeue in Christ and amend his life Abraham hath so testified borne record to the naughtie rich man who required that Lazarus should be sent to his brethren g Luke 16.31 If saith hee they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead Iesus Christ hath more euidently testified it vnto the Iewes speaking of the Scriptures and of himselfe If h Iob. 5.46.47 yee had beleeued Moses ye would haue beleeued me for he wrote of me but if ye beleeue not his writings how shall ye beleeue my words This hath been acknowledged and granted of all the Fathers i Ignat. epist ad Philadelph who refused to accept and admit of any records or euidences then those of Christ k Cyp. epist 63. who will heare none other but Christ l Ambr. de fide lib. 1. c. 4. Hieron in Psal 86. Optat. August Chrysost c. who in all their disputations against hereticks doe appeale vnto the iudgement of Christ speaking in the Scriptures except they had to doe with such as denied the Scriptures IIII. But if they obiect that the