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
A20729	The Christians freedome wherein is fully expressed the doctrine of Christian libertie. By the rt. reuerend father in God, George Downeham, Doctor of Diuinity and Ld. Bp. of Derry.	Downame, George, d. 1634.	1635 (1635)	STC 7111; ESTC S102215	96,431	253

bound to obey then he yea wee professe that God doth therefore free vs from the curse and the bondage of the law that wee might be inabled with freedome of spirit to obey it and that being freed from sinne wee are made the servants of righteousnesse We teach that God hauing sworne that to those whom he iustifieth he will giue grace to worship him in holines and righteousnes no man can be assured of his iustification without obedience that sanctification being the end of our election calling redemption and regeneration it is a necessary consequent of sauing grace We teach and professe that howsoever good workes doe not concurre with faith vnto the act of iustifica●●on as a cause thereof yet they con●●●re in the party iustified as necessary fruits of faith and testimonies of iustification And as wee teach with Paul that faith alone doth iustifie so with Iames that the ●aith which is alone doth not iustifie Wee teach that the blood of Christ as it acquitteth vs from the guilt of sin so doth it also purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God that he bare in his body vpon the crosse our sinnes that we being deliuered from sinne should liue in righteousnesse that whom Christ doth iustifie by faith them hee doth sanctify by his Spirit that whosoever is in Christ hee is a new creature crucifying the flesh with the lusts thereof and walking not after the flesh but after the spirit Wee professe that good workes are necessary to saluation though not necessitate efficientiae as causing it as the Papists teach yet necessitate praesentiae as necessary fruits of our faith whereby wee are to glorifie God and to testifie our thankfulnesse to doe good to our brethren and to make sure our election calling and iustification vnto our selues as necessary forerunners of salvation being the vndoubted badges of them that shall bee saued being the way wherein wee are to walke to everlasting life being the evidence according to which God will iudge vs at the last day And lastly that as by iustification God doth entitle vs vnto his kingdome so by sanctification he doth sit and prepare vs thereto We do not therefore by the doctrine of iustification through faith abolish the Law but rather as the Apostle saith stablish it For the more a man is assured of his free iustification the better he is enabled and the more hee is bound to obey it But although we bee bound to obey the Law as the subiects of God and servants of 〈◊〉 and although the Law 〈…〉 in those that are iusti●●●d as being a rule of direction for our obedience in the per●ormance of the duties or piety towards God of iustice towards our neighbour of sobriety towards ourselues and a glasse of detection to manifest the imperfections of our obedience to keepe vs from Phari●●●sme and lastly a rodde of correction in respect of flesh or the old man yet remaining in vs that by precepts by exhortations and comminations it more and more may be mortified in vs and wee kept from the spirit of slumber and security yet notwithstanding wee are not vnder the law as the Apostle saith but vnder grace Wee are therefore in our sanctification freed though not from the obedience yet from the servitude and bondage of the law and that in three respects First in respect of the irritation of it In which regard especially the law is called the strength of sinne not that the law causeth or prouoketh sinne properly for the law is holy iust and good but only by accident and occasionally For such is the corruptiō of our vntamed nature vntill we be renewed by the spirit of God that when the law which is holy and good forbiddeth sinne seeking to stoppe the course of our concupiscences and to bridle our sinfull affections thereby our vntamed corruption rebelleth so much the more and that it might appeare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceedingly sinfull by occasion of the law worketh in vs all manner of concupiscence Euen as a deepe riuer when nothing hindreth his course hath a still and as it were a dead motion but if you seeke to restraine or stoppe his course he will sinell and ouerflow all now disdaining as it were a bridge so our corruption when it freely taketh his owne course seemeth to be quiet and as it were dead but when the commandement commeth ●aith the Apostle as it were to dam it vp sin reuiueth riseth against it swelling and ouerflowing as it were his wonted bankes In this respect the law saith the Master of the Sentences is called a killing letter because forbidding sinne it increaseth concupiscence and addeth transgression vntill grace doe free vs. But we are regenerated by the spirit of sanctification and by the bond of the same spirit coupled vnto Christ we are freed from this bondage euen as the wife is freed from the dominion of her husband by his death For euen as whilest we were in the flesh altogether vnregenerate the law as it were our husbands occasionally and by accident begot in our soules wholly corrupted with sinne euill motions and concupiscences as the fruites and issue of our flesh tending vnto death so we being regenerated and after a sort dead vnto this corruption and consequently being mortified to the law in respect of the irritation thereof and the law in that regard dead vnto vs the spirit of Christ who hath vnited vs vnto him as our second husband begetteth good motions in vs as the fruites of the spirit acceptable vnto ●od This is that which the Apost teacheth Rom. 7. for hauing said chap. 6. 14. that sinne shall not haue dominion ouer vs because we are not vnder the law but vnder grace after he had answered an obiection preuented the abuse of this Doctrine which carnall men would make thereof as though they might sin freely because they are not vnder the law in the beginning of the seauenth chapter he proueth that we are not vnder the Law but vnder grace by that similitude which euen now I mentioned because being regenerated and dead vnto sinne we are mortified to the law and the law to vs in respect of the irritation thereof caused by our corruption and consequently are deliuered from the power of it as a wife is freed from the dominion of her husband when he is dead Secondly in our sanctification we are freed from the coaction and terror of the law breeding servile feare in men vnregenerate whereby as bon-servants or gally-slaues by the whip they are enforced to the performance of some outward duties which otherwise they are vnwilling to doe For those who are vnder the Law as all men are by nature are like bond-slaues who for avoiding of punishment are by terror drawne to doe some forced service which is so much the more vnwilling because they looke for no reward This

are lawfull that all authority is from God and that hee which resisteth lawfull authority resisteth God that they which resist shall receiue to themselues iudgement and that thou must obey not only for feare but also for conscience sake Remember what S. Peter saith Be subiect to all humane ordinance whether the soveraigne or subordinate governours But how As free and not as hauing the liberty for a cloake of naughtinesse but as the servants of God Can it not be vsed without the offence of thy weake brother Take heed saith the Apostle lest thy liberty be an offence to the weake For hee that scandalizeth his brother sinneth against Christ. Wherefore if meate offend my brother I will not eate flesh whiles the world standeth rather then I will offend him Lastly can it not be vsed in some particular vnlesse thou shalt passe the bounds of sobriety temperance humility modesty frugality c. Remember what the Apostle saith Brethren you are called to liberty only vse not your liberty as an occasion to the flesh But here ariseth a doubtfull question the explication whereof is needfull for these times For sometimes there seemeth to be a conflict betweene the law of loyalty and the law of charity as when that which the Magistrate commandeth cannot as wee thinke be observed without the offence or scandall of the weake In which case of Antinomy which some say is our case divers know not which way to turne them and others erroneously chuse to disobey the Magistrate rather then seeme to offend their weake brethren Consider therefore vprightly what I shall say and the Lord giue you vnderstanding mindes and tractable hearts to see and embrace the truth First therefore vnderstand that wee are neuer cast into such an exigent betweene two sinnes not yet committed but there is an issue from them both without a third Suppose therefore that in this case there were an Antimony or such an opposition betweene the two lawes of loyalty and charity as that the one could not be observed without the neglect of the other In such cases of Antimony we are to know that if wee obey the superiour law vnto which we are more bound as hauing higher and more principall ends the inferiour which giueth place vnto it is not broken Now the supreme end is the glory of God then the common salvation of the Church then every mans owne salvation then the salvation of his neighbour then the common outward good of the Church or Common-wealth then our owne then our neighbours So that publike and common goods are to bee preferred before private and spirituall before corporall and the glory of God before all Well then thou saist thou maist not yeeld to the ceremonies as namely the Surplice the Crosse and kneeling at communion because these things cannot bee done without scandalizing of thy brother Suppose it were so and remember that I doe but suppose it But on the other side thou refusing the vse of indifferent things whereunto thy Christian liberty extendeth being enioyned by lawfull authority with such conditions as these are enioyned I say vnto thee without supposition that besides thy disobeying the lawfull authority of a Christian Church and of a Christian Magistrate whom thou oughtest to obey even for conscience sake thou dost scandalize first thy weake brethren being affected as thy selfe who by thine example for which thou perhaps thinkest thou hast good ground are animated or as the Apostle speaketh edified without ground to contemne the authority of the Magistrate and of the Church and from that contempt doe many of them proceed to mislike of the State from mislike either to separation or to some degree of disloyall discontentment Besides those of thine owne disposition thou doest offend them who are more loyally affected who if they bee not the better grounded in our most holy faith doe stumble at your practise and begin to stagger in the profession and practise of religion when they see men seeming most zealous in our religion professing as they pretend the cause of sincerity vpon no iust cause to abandon their ministry to oppose themselues against authority to maintaine a faction in the Church and wilfully for any thing that they can see to persist in a bad course And hereupon many take occasion to rest in outward civility without grace and to mislike all forwardnesse in religion for your sakes c. Now here seemeth to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a scādall falling two ways indeed a single supposed offence opposed to a double scandal ioyned with disobedience If no more could be said who could doubt on which side rather to encline But to these I adde other respects that ought to be regarded more then a supposed scādall The question is not as many would seeme to vnderstād it whether it being a thing arbitrary meerely left vnto our owne choice either to vse these ceremonies or to forbeare them as it was in the Apostles question of eating flesh whether I say we ought to abstaine if we vnderstood that a brother would bee offended at the vse of them or not for then there were no question but that for avoiding of scandall we ought to abstaine But these things are not arbitrary in our choice but imposed by lawfull authority and that with such condition as that the obseruation of these things being indifferent in themselues becommeth respectiuely necessary First in respect of authority which not only for feare but also for conscience sake wee are bound to obey in all lawfull things This one necessity of obedience is sufficient to excuse me from scandall especially if I doe my endeauour to preuent it as after shall be shewed Secondly in respect of the conditions wherewith they are imposed as not to receiue the cōmunion vnlesse we kneele not to goe on in our ministery vnlesse we conforme For care of avoyding scandall respecteth arbitrary matters and not necessary duties appertaining to Gods glory and our salvation which we must performe though all the world would be offended thereat The care of thine owne saluation must be preferred to the supposed danger of another mans fall the care of the Churches saluation much more the glory of God most of all Well then maist thou not receiue the Communion being a duty appertaining to thine owne saluatiō to the edificatiō of the Church communion of Saints to the glory of God vnlesse thou wilt receiue it vpō thy knees it being a gesture not only lawful but most cōuenient to be vsed in such a part of Gods worship as is performed with inuocation on the name of God especially seeing the gesture vsed at meales is not to be vrged vnlesse the Sacrament were with our meales as at the first institution with Christ last supper and in the primitiue Church with their loue feasts receiued for the cause of the gesture being worthily taken away the reason of retaining it ceasseth for