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	justification_n	meritorious_a	2,679	5	11.7565	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86586	An exercitation concerning the nature of forgivenesse of sin. Very necessary (as the author humbly conceiveth) to a right informaion [sic], and well grounded decision of sundry controversal points in divinity now depending. Directly intended as an antidote for preventing the danger of antinomian doctrine. And consequently subservient for promoting the true faith of Christ and fear of God, in a godly righteous, and sober life. / By Thomas Hotchkis, Master of Arts of C.C.C.C. and minister of Gods word at Stanton by Highworth in the county of Wilts. To which is prefixed Mr. Richard Baxters preface.	Hotchkis, Thomas.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1654 (1654)	Wing H2891; Thomason E1518_1; Thomason E1632_1; ESTC R208563	133,342	405

and thing yet had not been continued under some new name e. g. Apollinis tripos Concessus Apostolicus Aarons Brest-plate Vrim and Thummim Englands Oracle The Church Vertual or the like Notio secunda as unto whom all dissenting persons and parties both in our own and in all the Nations throughout the world might have had recourse for resolution in the great things and truthes of God But seeing that it was concluded by themselves that their company so constituted was no longer profitable to the Commonwealth I believe that Mr. Eyre is now convicted that their longer sitting was not like to be profitable for the Church whereupon I shall conclude that it was for want of foresight that Mr. Eyre did so far luxuriate in their high praises as to say That of any company of men on earth they were the fittest to umpire in such Theological Disputes as are betwixt him and his old School fellow Mr. Benjamin Woodbridg Let the second Negative Proposition be this viz. No sin is actually pardoned till a person bee made capable of it or put into a capacity of receiving or enjoying it This Proposition carries its owne evidence in the body or bowels of it for nothing is before it can be I shall therefore immediately apply my self to the resolution of the following Question Quest When is a person capable of receiving the actual pardon of his sins Or When are the Elect capable of receiving or actually enjoying that pardon which was so long since purposed purchased promised to and for them Answ 1. When they need it Quest When do they need it Answ When they are or do become sinners have committed sin or are guilty of sin Till sin be past pardon is to come To pardon sin before it is committed is to pardon sin that is no sin it is to pardon that which is not which is a contradiction and a meere impossibility for where there is no guilt there can be no pardon As a man is not capable of an Almes till he be miserable and indigent so nor of pardon till he be peccant Or as a man is not capable of a cure by Physick and Chyrurgery till he be sick and wounded so nor of pardon till he be sick of sin and wounded by it These similitudes are the rather apt because Gods pardoning sin is said to be his taking compassion on us Mic. 7.19 Luke 18. 13. God compassionate me a sinner saith the Publican and his healing us Isai 53.5 Hos 14.4 This is a remote capacity The next particular doth declare and set forth the sinners proximous or immediate capacity of pardon 2. Then are the Elect capable of actual pardon when they are in Gods way fit or fitted for it Quest When is that Answ When they see their sins I speak of persons adult or of ripe age confesse them repent for them believe in Christ See Act. 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witnesse that whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins Luke 24.47 And that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name among all Nations Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and remission of sin observe Repentance is given first and then remission As the ground is not capable of receiving the seed of the Husbandman till it be plowed so nor are the Elect capable of receiving the precious seed of pardon till the fallow ground of their hearts be plowed up by Repentance to speak in the metaphor of the Prophet Jeremy chap. 4.4 In this sense that saying of the Evangelist is most true according as by some it is interpreted John 1.16 Of his fulnesse we receive and grace for grace i. e. by reason of one grace we receive another even as the God of all grace doth give one grace in order to another e g. for or by reason of the grace of faith repentance and conversion all which were merited by Christ God gives us the grace of Remission according to that Proverbial saying among the Jewes and in this case appliable Habenti dabitur As God doth by Grace adapt or make us fit and meet for glory Col. 1.12 Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meet for the inheritance among the Saints in light So by one grace God doth make us meet for receiving of another And as the Wedding Garment did fit and make meet the Guests for the Wedding Supper so doth Faith Repentance and new obedience being as the Wedding Garment fit or make meet the sinner for partaking in the pardon of his sins which is as the Wedding Supper This particular is the rather to be observed because it is useful as otherwise so specially for these two purposes 1. To prevent and redresse the presumption of impenitent and ungodly sinners who are apt to expect to reap where they have not sowed and to gather where they have not strawed I mean who do usually expect an harvest of comfort in the pardon of their sins and to reape in mercy when they have not sowen to themselves one seed the least mustard seed of grace or one graine of righteousnesse to speak in the phrase of the prophet Hos ch 10.12 2. It is useful whereby to obviate or answer the common objection of the Antinomians wherby they would involve us as guilty of impeaching the freedom of Gods grace in the pardon of our sins because we affirme with the Scriptures that pardon of sinne cannot actually be enjoyed without the performance of such and such conditions the performance of which said conditions is notwithstanding of and cannot be without Gods free grace given to us and enabling us for that end and purpose I shall close this particular with the words of that very Learned and godly man Mr. Anthony Burges in his book of justification p. 18. There goe more causes to the pardon of sin besides the meritorious cause faith the instrumental cause which is as necessary in its kind for this great benefit as the meritorious cause is in its kind that though Christ hath born such a mans sins yet they are not pardoned till he doe believe for as the grace of God which is the efficient cause of pardon doth not make a sinne compleatly forgiven without the meritorious cause so neither doth the meritorious without the instrumental but there is a necessity of the presence and the cooperation of all these Caution Though I have not expresly made mention of the merits of Christ through his bloud shed in order to a sinners being made capable of pardon Neverthelesse 1. I doe acknowledg and let it be knowne that the intervention of his merits are necessary to the said sinners capability of pardon Whether his merits be so absolutely necessary hereunto as that God could not have pardoned a sinner without it although that be a question in the resolution whereof Learned and Godly men doe differ Mr. Owen the Learned Deane of

owne heart in the general viz. accounting it their happinesse to see that as an errour which they look'd upon as a truth and a kindnesse from any one who under God should prove the instrument of such a discovery 5. If I my self when first a Student in controversal divinity being lesse able to distinguish betwixt things that differ have been ready to swallow all things as true which I have read in the foresaid Authours is it not my duty being now converted to strengthen my brethren Now for the purpose in hand viz. for discovery that Gods Negatio volitionis puniendi is no part of the pardon of sin be it considered 1. That the pardon of sin both the whole and every part thereof is in toto and in solido as wee use to say to be ascribed to the merits blood-shed or satisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ as the meritorious and pr●curing cause thereof as is abundantly test●fied in Scripture Ephes 1 7. Col 1.14 But Gods Negatio volitionis puniendi is not to be ascribed to Christs blood shed or satisfaction as the procuring or meritorious cause thereof For Gods Negatio volitionis puniendi is all one with his velle non punire as the Doctor doth immediately expresse himselfe afterwards and Gods velle non punire is all one with his velle misereri which said velle non punire or velle misereri are precedent and not consequent to the consideratation of Christs blood-shed and Satisfaction For Christ by his satisfaction or blood shed did procure and purchase for sinners as our Divines in answer to those Arguments which the Socinians doe object against Christs satisfaction usually acknowledge not Gods misereri velle but his misereri posse * In saying so I do not exclude but include the particular fruits of Gods mercy as purchased by the blood of Christ Briefly Gods velle non punire is all one exactly in sense and substance with his election or electing love which albeit it is in Christ yet it is not for Christ i. e. not for Christ as the procurer or purchaser therof as the Doctor himselfe in a large dispute doth prove lib. 1. p. 151. there being scarce any one of our reformed Divines except Rolloc who sayes the contrary 2. Gods will not to punish is all one as his purpose not to punish Now albeit this will or purpose being all one with election is the rise or fountain of pardon yet is it not pardon it self or any part or parcel of it but differs as much from it as a gift doth from the free love and good will of him who did bestow it or did designe the bestowing of it Briefly Gods willing not to punish is nothing else but Gods purpose to pardon Now Gods purpose to pardon is one thing and pardon it selfe is another as hath beene afore proved 3. Gods not willing to punish is as the Doctor himselfe doth rightly acknowledge in the following columne an immanent act in God and from eternitity and no consequent of faith hee might have added likewise no consequent of Christs merits and satisfaction as was aforesaid But remission of sin is not an immanent act in God nor from eternity as was before proved for albeit God doth from eternity will the remission of our sins yet he doth not will the remission of our sins from eternity and it is moreover as shal hereafter in due place be proved a consequent of our faith Ergo Gods not willing to punish sin is no part of however a thing necessarily presupposed unto the pardon of sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have thought it my duty to give notice of and to animadvert upon this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or oversight in the Doctor because as to me seemeth it was the cause of certaine other errours in him tending to the weakning of his owne authority and to the strengthening of the hands of the Antinomian party that I may not adde also to the hardning of his Arminian adversaries E. g. 1. Hee makes the sense only of pardon and not pardon it self to be the effect or consequent of faith or that which doth terminate our believing lib. 2. p. 273. making faith to be necessary only in this respect viz. Vt gratia ac misericordia divinà in peccatis propter Christum remittendis nobis innotescat that divine grace and mercy in forgiving our sinnes for Christs sake may be manifested or made knowne unto us lib. 2. p. 276 277. 2. Yea though the Doctor doth frequently acknowledge that Christ hath impetrated purchased or procured for the elect remission of sinne Neverthelesse how the merits of Christ should be necessary for more then the effecting the sight sense or knowledge of the said pardon according to the Doctors owne principles I for my part do not conceive and let the Reader judge by the following evidence E. g. 1. The Doctor doth deny that Christ did purchase for believers Gods velle remittere or his will to pardon them lib. 2. p. 273. And so far I believe him to be in the right 2. Hee doth deny that Christ did purchase for believers Gods misereri posse or a power in God to pardon them justitiâ non obstante his justice notwithstanding and this he doth endeavour industriously to prove not only against Arminius but also against Piscator and Lubbertus who did strenuously assert the contrary lib. 1. p. 278. But in that particular I cannot but dissent from him Amyraldus being so farre offended both with him and Rutherford as I remember in that behalfe as to think himself excusable in a lesser regard of their authority in that important point of Vniversal redemption I mean as understood in the middle sense with Davenant Camero and others Now if Christ did purchase neither wil nor power in God to pardon as saith the Doctor how can wee rationally conclude that Christ did purchase any more then the sense and manifestation of pardon I desire that what I have here written in the way of refutation of Doctor Twisse his Description of forgivenesse of sin and in my demonstrating the evil consequences thereof may the rather be wel weighed and duly considered because Mr. Will. Eyre in his late Book against Mr. Woodbridg doth highly applaud the said description given by the Doctor as a description most accurate it being as I think I have made apparent no otherwise accurate then in this sense viz as accurately serviceable for Mr. Eyre his purpose whereby to uphold his unjustifiable opinion of a mans being actually justified with out or before faith This indeed is a conclusion which as it doth follow for ought I know from the Doctors premises so also from the Antinomians Principles which some of them being sensible of have chosen rather then to leave their opinion to swallow down the iniquity and absurdity thereof and to assert That Christ did not purchase or procure any love from God for man but onely published and declared That

being left us of entering into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it And as the consequence hereof be it cosidered in the next place 5 That it is the duty of Gods Church and people to exercise not only faith and hope 2 Cor. 7.1 compared with 2 Cor. 6.17 18. but moreover to exercise faith and fear even in or by occasion of the Promises of God considering that as every Threatning doth imply a Promise so every Promise doth imply a Threatning so that the word which is formally a Promise is also implyedly and vertually a Threatning and Vice versâ the Word which is formally a Threatning is implyedly or vertually a Promise The ground hereof is this because Gods Promises and Gods threatnings have alwayes conditions if not expressed at least implyed This Noah did very well understand and therefore God having made him a Promise to preserve him from the Deluge by means of an Ark which hee commanded him for that end to prepare Noah is therefore said by faith as moved through fear to have prepared it The main cause which hinders the Antinomians from the sight and acknowledgment of the consistency and co-operation of faith and fear is as I conceive because they do imagine justifying faith to be nothing else but a perswasion or a firm belief that Christ wil unquestionably save them and they are therefore apt to interpret all Scriptures wherein any thing is ascribed unto faith or said to be done through faith or by meanes of saith unto faith in their said sense which is a very grosse error in it self and a cause of much more Object 6. Believers know that they cannot fall away from grace because God hath promised as will their perseverance in grace as their crowning with glory Joh. 13 1. Luke 22 32. Answ God who promiseth the end doth not promise it to be attained absolutely or Quocunque modo but with expresse or at least with an implicite reference to the use of the means e. g God who promised to add fifteen yeers to the life of Hezekiah did promise the same with reference unto Hezekiahs making use of all the due means of conserving life whether by food physick or other waies 2 King 20.6 7. 2 As God who promiseth salvation the ultimate end to the Elect doth promise to give them perseverance in the faith to that end even so God who hath promised perseverance the subordinate and subservient end unto the Saints hath promised to give them grace to be diligent in the use of all such meanes which he hath appointed as helping and conducing to their perseverance e. g. God who hath decreed and promised that Believers shal never totally and finally depart from him hath withal decreed and promised that he will put as well his fear as his faith unto them Note together with all other graces needful for that purpose Jer. 32.40 3. Among other means which God in his Word hath appointed for the perseverance of Believers this is one as hath been already plentifully proved viz. The setting before them the curse of the Law even hell it self as the desert and certain reward of Apostasie and all Apostates which said danger whosoever shall be fearless and regardlesse of as such a person doth take a ready course to ruine himself by incurring the danger so by his said fearlessenesse and regardlesness he doth give just occasion for himself and for all others to doubt or question whether he be for present in the number of Gods Elect to whom the said Promises of perseverance are made and of whom therefore they shall be verified 4. Notwithstanding God doth promise to preserve Believers in the state of Grace he doth neverthelesse set before them the danger of Apostasie whereby to cause them to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling For proof whereof I shall quote several very remarkable Scriptures See Phil. 1.6 with ch 2.12 13. notwithstanding the Apostle had expressed his confidence both concerning their present and also their future and final estate that the same God who had begun a good work would finish it untill the day of Christ he doth neverthelesse exhort them to work out their owne salvation with fear and trembling See Rev. 3.10 where albeit God doth promise to the Church of Philiadelphia that he will infallibly preserve her in the hour of temptation he doth notwithstanding admonish her of the danger of Apostasie and exhort her to perseverance lest her crowne be taken from her See the Epistle of St Jude where he doth expressy tell us to what manner of persons he writes viz. To them that are sanctified and preserved in Christ Jesus ver 1. yet the said preservation notwithstanding he tels them that it was needful both for him and them to use the means of their preservation ver 3. Beloved saith he when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you and observe what means he useth for that end e. g. He exhorts them earnestly to contend for the faith he sets before them in sundry examples especially that of the Reprobate Angels the danger of Apostasie that so in them as in a Looking-glasse they may behold the fearful end of all Apostates and notwithstanding their preservation in or by Christ as some render the word yet doth he exhort them to preserve themselves ver 20 21. namely as by a careful heeding and diligent using of all the means which in that Epistle of his he had prescribed to them so in especial by constant prayer to God and edifying one another The word rendred Preserved in ver 1. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as Criticks do observe doth properly signifie to be most solicitously kept as under lock and key as by watch and Ward as prisoners use to be kept see the same word used Acts 4.3 and 5.18 and 24.23 and 25.4 and yet he useth the self same word in his exhortations unto them ver 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keep your selves as with Watch and Ward it being the same word which Saint John also useth 1 John 5 18. where he tels us that every one who is born of God doth in such sort preserve himself See also 1 Cor. 1.8 with 1 Cor. 16.13 and 1.6 9 10 11. notwithstanding the Apostle had told them in the former place That the Lord Jesus would confirme them to the end that they might bee blamelesse in the day of our Lord. He doth I say notwithstanding exhort them to stand fast and threaten them with the losse of their inheritance in heaven in their pursuits of any unrighteous way See also 2 John 2.8 In the second Verse Saint John tells the Elect Lady and her children that the Truth which did dwell in them should abide with them for ever yet doth he admonish them saying v. 8. Look to your selves that we lose not the things which we