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	impute_v	righteousness_n	2,775	5	8.3326	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66343	The answer to the report, &c., which the united ministers appointed their committee to draw up, as in the preface also letters of the Right Reverend the Bishop of Worcester, and the Reverend Dr. Edwards to Mr. Williams, against whom their testimony was produced by Mr. Lob : and animadversions on Mr. Lob's defence of The report / by Daniel Williams.	Williams, Daniel, 1643?-1716.; Stillingfleet, Edward, 1635-1699.; Edwards, John, 1637-1716.	1698 (1698)	Wing W2645; ESTC R9333	67,736	107

Paper which one of our Brethren had with great Condescension and Inclination to Peace concerted with some of the Dissenters Which Paper altho it was never proposed to nor read in any of our Publick Meetings of Ministers and was unanimously agreed to be laid aside with a Second Paper that had been brought unto us by another Brother Yet it 's manifest the Brethren in the framing of this Third which is our only Paper greatly Accommodated themselves to the Model of the first For they admit a new Debate concerning Mr. Williams's Book after a Solemn Accommodation of that whole matter when the Dissenters had unjustly made it an occasion of difference so many Years before they also recite two Passages of Mr. Williams as excepted against by the Dissenters and limit the Declaration of our Judgment to the Three Heads the Objectors did choose to insist upon whereas you will presently read a Vote of us united Ministers wherein we require a disowning of very many Antinomian Errors Published by several of these Dissenters whenever they shall make the disowning of any Passages out of Books Written against Antinomianism a Term of Union Yea further we retain the whole Provision of the First Paper against any of our surmized Errors in the Doctrine of Justification and what we add is in Scripture Words And in the other two Heads we come as near as we can with Truth and Freedom from Ambiguity in Points of so great Concernment and in a time when so many are at work to Propagate Crispianism and Antinomianism A Coalition could be no indifferent thing to such who to obtain it do thus condescend and deny themselves But to give our attempt a yet greater advantage we omitted not to address our selves to our Brethren with the most affectionate fervent and humble intreaties and supplications as well as perswasive Arguments as you will see in this Letter which we sent to them with the forementioned Paper Note It was declared that by the words under any Denomination whatsoever we exclude all Righteousness from being Meritorious or Attoning yea or a procuring Cause of these benefits none is at all so but the Righteousness of Christ. But we intended not to exclude what the Gospel requireth in order to our interst in those benefits given for the sake of Christs Righteousness To our Reverend and duely Respected and Beloved Brethren in our common Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Mr. Griffith Mr. Mead Mr. Chauncey Mr. James Mr. Lobb and the rest of the Brethren of the Vnion who for some time have forborn to meet with the Vnited Ministers at Dr. Annesley's Meeting Place Reverend Brethren YOUR forbearing to meet with us at our ordinary times and places for so many months hath made a deep and smarting impression on our Spirits and filled our Hearts with Grief and Wonder With Grief because we have been so long deprived of much of that Satisfaction and Assistance which your presence with us was wont to afford us With Wonder because we could neither apprehend nor receive any certain Information of those Reasons which prevailed with you to keep off so long from our Conventions For to this day you never acquainted us directly and clearly of any Offence that was ever offered to you by the united Ministers as standing in that Capacity had you been pleased to signifie your Resentments to them they take themselves to have been obliged to have sought out proper ways and means for the removal of all Prejudices and of rendring to you reasonable and due satisfaction All the light that we have received about matters in difference between us hath been from a reverend Brother who told us that by Conference with some who forbear to come to our Meetings he under stood that they apprehended there are those in our Union who have Sentiments about the Doctrin of Justification different from the common Faith of all Orthodox Protestants and so dissonant from the Holy Scriptures and the Confessions which have been owned and approved by us The same Brother added that if there were sufficient Evidence and Assurance given them that the Body of the United Ministsrs would approve themselves sound clear and stedfast in that most weighty and important Doctrin which we all acknowledge to be Articulus stantis vel cadentis Eclesiae they would then maintain all Brotherly communion with us When this was notified to us we presently conceived great and good Hopes that all Jealousies might be easily removed and that a Redintegration of Affections would immediately follow And what should hinder For if you do attentively and deliberately weigh what is Asserted in the Article of Justification in the inclosed Paper which was unanimously agreed unto after open Reading and that upon several Days we are confident that it will evidently and undeniably appear that we perfectly agree with our Brethren in the Evangelical Doctrin of Justification even in the very Phrases and Modes of Expression Our Agreement in the Doctrin of Justification which was as the Test and Cement of our Union being so happily Established and fixed we shall need to say but little touching the other two points mentioned in the inclosed Paper which as we think are so clearly and candidly stated that we believe as we suppose upon sure and certain grounds there will be nothing remaining upon that account to obstruct our entire and hearty Union It would be superfluous to lay before you any considerations to set forth the desirableness usefulness we may add the necessity of Ministerial Concord Or to represent the sin and mischief that will inseparably cleave to our unbrotherly breaches We all find by sad experience what advantage is given thereby to some who seek occasion to reproach us and to hinder the success or acceptableness of our Ministry They do certainly wish and will endeavour to make our wound incurable But we trust the Lord will blast their Designs and Frustrate their Expectations by enlightning our Minds to receive and hold fast all Truths and specially those which are Fundamental And by his Grace most sweetly and effectually draw our Hearts to Love as Brethren That we may closely strongly and intimately knit-together in inviolable Bonds And so Guide us that we may all follow after the things that make for Peace and the things wherewith one may edify another And now Dear Brethren we do with all sincerity and ardor beseech you to meet us with the like Frame of Spirit that our only Emulation and Contention may be who shall be most Industrious to promote the interest of our Lord Redeemer Be most useful to the Souls we are set to watch over And be most forward to embrace each other in the Arms of Love That these Blessed Ends may be the more effectually pursued we do with all importunity and fervor beseech you to return to and frequent our Meetings as ye have formerly done That we may joyn with you there in your Holy Prayers Be assisted with your wholesome Counsels

them in Mr. Williams's Book for Six of the Dissenters did not only object some particular Passages but they deny those to be Truths which are called Truths and such to be Errors which are called Errors In the 2.5.7.8.12.16.18 and 19. Chapters of that Book Yea they say They find not Truth and Error rightly Stated in other places besides these Thus they say Mr. Chauncyes Neonomianism unmasked Par. 3. p. 96. Whereas many of our Brethren Subscribed that each of these were rightly Stated He that will Read the Truths and Errors in those several Chapters may judge of the difference and whether any of Dr. Crisp's Errors will be disowned 2. In the forcited Articles 1694. You 'll find that when we had owned such to be Errors which they required of us yet they refused to disown those Errors which we added and therefore the difference at that time respected whatever they refused to agree with us in and was not ever since Accommodated 3. The Reporter cannot be Ignorant that September 15. 1695. This Vote unanimously passed among the United Brethren upon reading a Paper relating to several dangerous Expressions in favour of Antinomianism if that any thing objected out of Books written against Antinomianism be required to be disowned as a Term of Union that those things read this Day and further to be Collected of that kind out of the Books on the other side shall be required to be disowned Some things Collected out of the Books of Mr. Chauncy Mr. Cole Mr. Mather and Mr. Trail TO talk of a Gospel threat is a Catechresis at best and nothing else can save it from being a Bull. Pardon is rather the Condition of Faith and much more having a causal influence thereunto than Faith and Repentance are of Pardon It was sin as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Christ bore the fault of sin was laid upon Christ the sin it self as opposed to guilt Christ was reputed a Criminal not only by Man but by God As to the Elect there was never any Guilt upon them in respect of the Righteous Judgment of God in foro Dei but that which Accompanied the Letter of the Law setting in with the Conscience Justification is before effectual Vocation The Doctrine of Justification before Faith is not an Error but a Great and Glorious Truth Justification in regard of Application must be before believing The first Application ordine naturae saltem is to an ungodly Man eo nomine that he may believe we believe that we may be justified declaratively It is denied that God requires Faith as an Indispensible Qualification in them whom he will justify for Christs merits He denies that unbelief is the Cause why Men are barred from Justification and Obnoxious to Misery He saith you talk of an offer to the Non elect and that offer you say must be serious c. But I Pray where is any offer of Grace to the Non-elect at all as such And shew me any Grace given or Gospel Duties required of the Non-elect or Benefits promised to the Non-elect upon their performance of Grace and Duties c. And what if the Non-elect be in as bad a Case as the Devils Is God bound to be any better to them than to the Devils God hath not said I will save a Non-elect Person if he believe more than he hath said a Horse shall be a Man if he can use Reason or speak or a Man shall be a Horse if he hath four Feet God was reconciled to the elect at Christs Death but we are reconciled to God by the Gospel Ministry Union with Christ is before Faith at least Natura and we partake of the Spirit by Virtue of that Union there is a Compleat Union with Christ before the Act of Faith All that a believer can pray for is the further manifestation of Pardon for he knows that all his sins are Pardoned A believer is to work from Life and not for Life It 's a great Truth that God sees no sin in a believer sin can do no real hurt to a believer God is not displeased with his People and is not angry with the Persons of believers for their sins Legal Convictions before saving Faith are no more than sin it 's but the Filthy Conscience polluting guilt of sin There is no Preparatory work distinct from Gods Act in effectual Calling The Gospel is no Rule of Judgment that 's the Law only The Gospel is not any part of the Rule of Judgment at the last day that 's only the Law of Creation Denies that at the Judgment Day there will be a Tryal upon which some will be justified others Condemned Christs Precepts are not Laws with a Sanction Approves of these words sanctification is not the way of a justified Person to Heaven If you look upon Graces and Duties and Salvation as two distinct things I deny that they are necessary to give a right to Salvation All imperfect Holiness is sin Turn ye turn ye why will you dye Is but the Triumph of the Law over a Dead sinner An unsaved Person can do nothing in order to salvation God was displeased with Christ as our surety We in Christ satisfied the Justice of God We through Christs Righteousness have a right to Glory by Adams Covenant Adam for one good work should have entred into full possession and a confirmation therein To teach that a Christian upon the Actings of Graces and Performance of Duties may in the Virtue of the promise made to the exercise of those Graces or Duties expect any of those promised Blessings is to teach a low and servile Spirit The Eternal Life in which the Angels were Created and Confirmed by Christ differs from that Eternal Life which believers have in Christ the one is a Creature Life or a Created Life the other is the Eternal Life of God Communicated in time Believers are as Righteous as Christ I mean not in a way of Similitude but in a way of Equality Christs Incarnation was no part of his Humiliation we Coalesoe upon believing into one mystical Person with Christ which is distinguisht from Legal Union which is before Faith The Gospel hath no Law-Sanction it 's plainly denied that the Gospel is a Law of Grace Faith is neither a Condition nor Qualification in the Office of Justification with several things of the same sort as above recited Most of these were then included in the Paper the Vote refers to which with the other things further Collected shall be proved to be in the Printed Books of the foresaid Authors and Book and Page cited for each when it shall be required Yea at great deal more if not worse of the same sort By these things it 's manifest what the difference is about tho' a noise hath been raised about things remote from the true occasion that while we seemed to be only on the defensive part their Errors might receive Countenance as if unopposed and the abettors thereof might less appear

the cause of our Divisions Answ. 3. Altho' Brethren from a Zeal for Peace condescended to mention but three particulars in the third Paper yet it 's too evident that the Dissenters adhere to their own Paper called the first and refuse ours because this doth provide some Defence against some of the Errors which our difference is about the same cause for which they rejected the Articles in 1694. And it 's plain by what their Paper saith of Justification they had this our Paper of Ninety four before them and therefore must know that we insisted under that Head to have it clearly expressed That none are justified in the sight of God or Entitled to Eternal Life before they are effectually called or whilst they are unregenerate or in unbelief And that Men must repent in order to forgiveness as also that continued Repentance Faith and Holyness of Heart and Life are by the constitution of the Gospel as well as in the Nature of the things themselves necessary to salvation c. Our Dissenting Brethren knew this and yet insert nothing in that first Paper sufficient to this purpose By the Reporters arguing against us their not mentioning those things is their disowning of them and owning the contrary yea we have more reason to infer thus because what they omit was sent by the body of United Ministers to them as a mean of Union whereas what 's omitted by us was not sent to us much less to that end nor adjusted by our appointment But we need not to insist on this when by comparing the first and third Papers it 's evident that the foresaid Errors are inconsistent with the few variations in our Paper bnt very consistent with theirs tho' not in the sense designed by our Subscribing Brethren In the first part of the Head of Justification their Paper saith Repentance Faith and a Holy Conversation are by Gods express word manifestly necessary to Salvation They do not say Repentance is necessary to Pardon nor Faith to Iustification tho' that be the Head treated of No these are necessary to no more than a Holy Conversation is necessary to i. e. to Eternal Salvation nor do they say that the necessity of these to salvation it self is by the Gospel Constitution or any enacted Connexion between Duty and Benefit Things being thus worded it may pass with such who tell us the Gospel hath neither Precept Threatning nor Conditional promise Repentance is not antecedently necessary to Pardon nor Faith to the Justification of our Persons but only to manifest to our Consciences for our inward Peace that our Persons were justified before God whilst in our unbelief But such things are prevented by our Paper which saith That the Word of God requires Repentance that our Sins may be blotted out and Faith that we may be justified And afterwards the Gospel requires of us as our Duty that we repent and believe and God Pardons penitent Believers In like manner their Paper in the other Heads expresseth things so as that such may subscribe it who think the filth and fault of sin were Transacted on Christ he was the Criminal the Murtherer c. in Gods Account that God was really displeased with Christ and abhorred him as our surety tho' not considered in himself and sundry the like that our Paper gives no Countenance to which our subscribing Brethren do abhor It 's not then without Reason that the Dissenters insist on the first Paper whether they be such who hold those Errors or resolve to indulge such as do so And yet there wants not Art in placing the differences upon our omitting a Phrase in the third Paper wherein the true sense of it is expressed for the Reporter well saw a quarrel with us for the omission of a Phrase of so uncertain a sense is as yet more plausible than their struggle for Errors of so ill a sound would be Answ. 4. But if the Doctrines about which we differ are not yet sufficiently evident we shall with a desire of Union make this proposal If our Dissenting Brethren will declare their agreement with us First That Repentance towards God is Commanded in order to Remission of Sin Secondly That Faith in Christ is Commanded by the Gospel in order to the Justification of our Persons before God for the sake of th● alone Righteousness of Christ. Thirdly That the Word of God requires perseverance in true Faith and Holyness that we may be Partakers of the Heavenly Glory Fourthly That the Gospel promiseth Pardon through the Blood of Christ to the penitent Justificaion before God to the Believer and the Heavenly Glory to such as persevere in Faith and Holyness and also declareth that God will not Pardon the Impenitent justify the Unbeliever nor glorify the Apostate or Unholy Fifthly That justifying Faith is not only a perswasion of the understanding but also a receiving and resting upon Christ alone for Salvation Sixthly That by change of Person is meant that whereas we were Condemned for our sins the Lord Jesus was substituted in our Room to bear the Punishment of our sins for the satisfaction of Divine Iustice That whoever believes on him may be acquitted and saved But it is not intended that the Filth of sin was upon Christ nor that he was a Criminal in Gods Account Seventhly That by Christs being our surety is meant that Jesus Christ our Mediator obliged himself to expiate our sins by his Blood and to purchase Eternal Life for all that believe and Faith and every saving Grace for the Elect but it 's not intended that we were legally reputed to make satisfaction or purchase Eternal Life Eighthly That by Christs Answering for us the Obligations of the violated Law of Works is intended that whereas the Law obliged us to dye for our sins Christ became obliged to dye in our stead and whereas we were after we had sinned still obliged to yield perfect obedience Christ perfectly obeyed the Law that upon the Account of his Active and Passive obedience believers might be forgiven and entituled to Eternal Life but it 's not intended that the Sense of the Law of Works should be that if we or Christ obeyed we should live and if Christ suffered we should not dye tho' we sinned Nor that Believers are justified or to be judged by the Law of Works but by the Gospel altho' the Righteousness for the sake of which they are justified be as perfect as that Law of Works required and far more valuable If our Dissenting Brethren will Subscribe to these Propositions and Explications we will subscribe with them even to the Words Change of Persons surety and Answering for us the Obligations of the violated Law of Works as well as we have already subscribed that no work done by Men nor wrought by the Spirit of God in them Is any part of that Righteousness for the sake or on the Account whereof we are justified that being only the Righteousness of Christ without ut imputed

to us and received by Faith alone which is the procuring cause of all saving Good How gladly would we Re-unite with them might this but remove the difference And since we are content to use their very Words and Phrases explained in the Orthodox Sense the omission whereof is what is excepted against us we hope that such of the Dissenters as shall refuse to agree with us will not hereafter say that a difference in the Doctrines pretended by the Report is the Reason why they unite not with us But Acknowledge that they keep up the differences from their Zeal for the foresaid Opinions of Dr. Crisp and the Antinomians which we think to be very Erroneous Secondly The Report saith that the third Paper was taken and sent from some who meet at Little St. Hellens Answ. These some had with them all of our Brethren who subscribed the first Paper yea several of them were the Framers of it as well as the whole Body of the United Ministers as far as we know consented to it Thirdly The Reporter gives the Reasons why the Dissenters did not approve of the third Paper which are these 1. He saith the third Paper omitted to mention that a Change of Persons is the common Doctrine of Protestants and that neither Justification nor Christs satisfaction can be duly explained or defended without it and that Grotius and the Reverend Bishop of Worcester have proved a Change of Persons p. 4. Answ. 1. The third Paper asserts a Commutation of Persons therefore we wonder he p. 5. affirms that we have not mentioned it but having therein fully asserted it in opposition to Socinianism is it not strange our Paper should be scrupled because we duly explained Justification and Christs satisfaction thereby but did not say They could not be explained without it c. Which tho' we may think yet the meer saying so is not the hinge of the Controversy nor would it add any strength to the hedge which we have made without it or else surely some of our Protestant Confessions would at least have made mention thereof and therefore these Brethren must reject every one of those as well as ours Answ. 2. We have affirmed and explained a Change of Persons in the same Sense as Grotius and the Reverend Dr. Stillingfleet Bishop of Worcester have done as will appear to any who consult those Authors but they are far from approving the Crispian Explication of that Phrase as we shall evidence by a Letter of the said Reverend Bishop to Mr. Williams Answ. 3. As we durst not imitate the Reporters liberty perswading the World we denyed and rejected a Commutation or Change of Persons when we asserted it in express Terms so we assure him we designed not to offend our Brethren who he saith p. 6. are grieved because our Letter saith That on our so happy establishing the Doctrine of Iustification we need say but little in the Point of Commutation of Persons By which words it's plain we meant not that we said little of it in our Paper where in the second and third Heads we said enough to clear it even twice more than what we said of Justification But we say little of it in our Letter where we have enlarged on Justification because for several Years the Dissenters pretended all their great Quarrel was about that Doctrine and may not we justly grieve that for our Industry in clearing our selves beyond all their Challenges as to this we should be Hereticated by this Report in the New Controversy started by Mr. Lobb The Second Reason occurs so often that we cannot avoid Answering it again and again 3. Reason There is such a wrong Description given of a Change of Person in the Third Paper as perverts the Doctrine of satisfaction p. 6. yea p. 7. It tells us Christ did not yea could not make satisfaction upon what you affirm Answ. 1. We shall first enquire what description the Reporter gives of a Change of Persons which is such ●s must with wise Men justify our careful expressing our Sense of this Phrase p. 7. He saith a Commutation is the same with a proper Surrogation where the surety puts on the Quality State and Condition of the Debtor p. 5. He tells us we are all by Nature under the Curse of the Law And destitute of a Righteousness Entituling to Eternal Life and addeth this is our State and Condition this is the place we are in a few Lines after he saith that Christ put himself into our Place State and Condition so that whereas We were sin and under a Curse by this blessed change Christ was made sin and a Curse Here he plainly expresseth his sense of the Change of Persons As to what he speaks of Christs being a Curse we object not further than that Christ was not so by Nature but the things we observe-are that he saith Our State Place and Condition was that we were destitute of a Righteousness Entituling to Eternal Life this was it He saith that Christ put himself into this our State Place and Condition if so then with him Christ was destitute of a Righteousness Entituling to Eternal Life To make this more evident he saith we were Sin this was our Place State and Condition into which Christ put himself and by this change was made sin Now how were we sin We were not a sin-offering but sinful vile offenders we were sinful and destitute of all Righteousness that was our Condition yet he saith Christ came into our condition as we were sin which must be that he was changed to be a sinful vile offender not an offering for sin for that was not our Condition By which it's evident our Reporters Commutation of Persons is not that Christ became a sin offering and in our stead subject to the punishments which by the Law Sinners deserved that they might be delivered No that will not content him But that Christ was changed to be a sinful Person destitute of a Righteousness Entituling to Eternal Life this is his change this is his Christs taking on him the Person of Sinners which is a position not only unworthy of the Praises he bestows on it p. 5. But so horrid that we hope some of our Dissenting Brethren will be provoked to clear themselves from the Imputation this Reporter seems fond to lay them under Answ. 2. The Arguments must be strong by which he saith Our Account of a change of Person is attaqued if they will prove that we have thereby perverted the Doctrine of satisfaction yea and rendred it impossible Whether the Arguer and Reporter be the same Person we enquire not but of the same Spirit none can doubt In return whereto we wish them more Charity and Modesty for the future However some might expect they would have consulted their own Credit so far as not to Proclaim the very same Men the most Learned and most Orthodox and yet very Ignorant and Grossly Heretical And that as to the very same Point