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	righteousness_n	7,885	5	8.2152	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41483	The banner of justification displayed: or; a discourse, concerning the deep, and important mystery of the justification of a sinner wherein the severall causes thereof, being both numerous and various, are from the first to the last diligently enquired after, and their severall contributions towards so great and happy a work, clearly distinguished, and assigned to their proper causes (respectively.) and more particularly is shewed, how God, how the grace of God, how the decree of God, how the soveraign authority of God; how Christ, how the active obedience [of] Christ, how the passive obedience of Christ, how the resurrection of Christ, how the knowledge of Christ; how the spirit of God, how faith, how repentance, how works, how remission of s[in,] how the word, how the minister of the word, how the P[ope?] himself which is justified, may all truly, though upon severall accounts, and after different manners, be sayed to justifie.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1659 (1659)	Wing G1150A; ESTC R221574	62,441	91

Meaning that they could have no reasonable ground to believe that they were discharged or acquitted by God from the Debt or guilt of their sins by means of the death of Christ if he should be detained in the Prison of Death the Grave until now and not have been raised again and set at liberty So then the rising again or rather the raising again of Christ from the dead by God the Father justifieth believing sinners as it were argumentatively and as exhibiting a rationall ground unto them whereon to build their Faith of a full and perfect Attonement made by Christ in his death for them or for their sins by which Faith according unto and by vertue of that Promise made or the Law enacted by God in that behalf they come to be justified Sect. 9 9. The Prophet Isaiah bringeth in God the Father speaking thus of his Son Christ By his knowledge shall my righteous Servant justifie many for he shall bear their Iniquities Isa. 53. 11. That the Particle or Pronoun His is here to be taken objectively not subjectively a construction frequent in Scripture is I presume the award of every mans Understanding So that by his knowledge the knowledge of Christ is meant the knowledge of himself which he shall propagate in the World by the Ministry of the Gospel and by means of this knowledge of him many shall be justified according to that of the Apostle We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles knowing that a man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ i. By Christ believed on as he explains himself in the verse next following But if whilst we seek to be justified by Christ c. Whence by the way it may be observed that to be justified by Christ and by Faith or believing in Christ is of one and the same import So then the knowledge of Christ is or may be sayd to justifie men in somewhat a remote sense viz. As it is a ground of encouragement unto them to believe on him by which believing they are immediatly justified 10. Men are sayd in Scripture as well to be Justified as Sect. 10 Sanctified by the Spirit of God and this as Justification is distinguished from Sanctification But yee are washed but yee are sanctified but yee are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 11. Some Exposito●s indeed understand the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} yee were justified not of Justification properly so called or which standeth in remission of sins but of such a justification which consisteth in a progress or proficiency in Righteousness or in the profession and practice of Christianity For the justification of which Exposition they plead the exigency of the order or gradation in the Text it self as also the like use or signification of the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in that of Apocal. 22. 11. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Let him that is righteous or just be justified still i. As the Expositers we speak of interpret Let him encrease and make forward in wayes of righteousness It must be acknowledged that to grow in grace and proceed in holiness and righteousness from day to day may be called a mans justification in a declarative or arguitive sense viz. As they argue or declare a man to be a justified pe●son and his Faith to be of the right kind a living and growing Faith yea they may be termed a mans justification as they are just matter of his app●obation and commendation which in many cases are used in a sense parallel to that of the word Justification as 't is used sometimes But the Justification which is the S●bject of our present Discourse doth not consist in any Action one or more nor in any Quality one or more but rather in a state or condition viz. Such whereinto a person is translated or brought by the pardon of his sins or sentence of absolution awarded by God Nor need we take the word Justification in the Scripture lately cited 1 Cor. 6. 11. in any other sense but this For Justification in this sense may be asc●ibed to the Holy Ghost as he hath a speciall and appropriate hand in raising the work of Faith by which men are thus justified in the hearts of those who do believe in which respect Faith is registred by the Apostle Paul amongst the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. and by his Fellow Apostle Peter they who believe are sayd to obey the truth speaking of the obediency of Faith to the Gospel through the Spirit 1 Pet. 1. 22. and Act. 18. 27. The Christians in Ach●ia are sayd to have believed through grace i Through the grace of God in his vouchsafement of his Spirit unto them by whom they were enabled to believe yea and actually believed Now then according to the known Maxime or Principle in reason Quod est causa causae est causa causati That which is the Cause of any Cause producing an Effect is the cause of the Effect it self as well as of the Cause producing it Faith being the cause or means of Justification and the Spirit the cause of Faith Justification may as truly and not much less properly be attributed unto the Spirit as unto Faith Sect. 11 11. That Faith justifieth is the constant assertion of the Scripture and the Architectonicall Doctrine of the Gospel Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. Again Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the Works of the Law Rom. 3. 28. Yet once more to spare Citations in a case so generally known We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles Knowing that a man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law c. Gal. 2. 15 16. By the way upon occasion of these with many the like passages in the New Testament wherein Justification by Faith is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} expresly affirmed I cannot but mention my dislike of their strein in teaching who lay down and deliver it to the people for a Doctrine positively and plainly that men are not justified by Faith or by believing Doubtless it is not convenient or comely positively to deliver or assert that for a Doctrine of Truth which is so diametrally opposite to the frequent cleer and express words of the Scripture If there be a limited sence to be put upon such passages wherein a Truth is commonly and from place to place held forth in the Scriptures this may conveniently and timously enough be done in the Explication or Opening

himself or make himself rich yea somewhat more properly then when it is said that the hand of the diligent maketh rich Prov. 10. 4. In like manner when a man doth that upon which or by means wherof he shall certainly be justified this fruit or reward of his Action his justification may without the violation of any Rule either of Grammar or of Rhetorick be ascribed unto him Hence it follows God having by a perpetuall and inviolable Decree setled the great benefit and priviledge of justification upon believing that when soever any person man or woman shall life up his heart hereunto I mean to believe by this Action he may be said to justifie himself not indeed after any such manner or upon any such terms as God is said to justifie men upon their believing as viz. Authoritatively or as having a soveraign right to justifie whom or upon what terms he pleaseth or the like but in such a way or sense only wherein a person may be said to do that which upon his Action is done unto him by another Of this Construction or Dialect there are instances more then a few in the Scriptures It may be here demanded but is it meet or tolerable to say that a man when he believeth imputeth righteousness unto himself or forgiveth himself his sins and yet both these are done unto him by another viz. God upon his believing yea these are as hath in effect been formerly sayd but interpretative expressions of justification it self And therefore it seems that whosoever may in any sense be said to justifie may in the same sense be said to do both the one and the other of these and this in reference to any or all of these persons whom they are sayd to justifie To this I answer 1. That the Expressions put to the Question in this Demand are indeed uncouth and harsh grating upon eares that have any competent tast of Words Nor do I judge them fitting to be applied to or spoken of him that believeth But 2. When a man is said by believing to justifie himself the meaning is not that he absolveth himself from his sins or pronounceth a Sentence of absolution over himself or that he imputeth righteousness unto himself or the like but only that he levieth puts forth or performs such an Act whereby he prevaileth with God according to his gracious Covenant and promise to justifie him and therein to do all these things to him or for him As when a man is said to save himself which as we heard is the Apostles own expression the meaning is not either that by a strong hand or by any physicall power he over-matcheth the Devill and keeps himself out of his Clutches and from being carried or thrust by him into Hell or that he invests himself with the state of blessedness and glory which is signified and meant by Salvation but that he takes such a course as viz. By believing and persevering in it unto the end whereby he shall find favour in the sight of God to do these things for him Now to say a man by believing takes an effectuall and direct course to prevail with God to forgive him his sins to impute righteousness unto him c. are as proper and convenient expressions as to say that he prevails with him to justifie him yet 3. and lasty It may be considered that one and the same thing may admit of severall considerations and different respects and in and under some one of these considerations and respects may admit of some attributions of which it is not so regularly or smoothly capable under another As for instance Salvation or the saving of the Soul is one and the same act yet it may be considered either as it is procurable at the hand of God by men as viz. by Faith and continuance in well-doing or as it is a rescuing or vindication of men by strength of Arm from the power of the Devill or as it is an actuall instating in or putting men into a reall possession of that blessedness and glory which God hath assigned by promise unto his Saints and those that shall be saved Now in either of these two latter considerations it is not ascribable unto men but in the first of the three as we have heard it is In like manner the act of justifying is one and the same act yet it admits of sundry considerations 1. It may be considered either as an act of God imputing righteousness unto men or as an act of his forgiving men all their sins or as an act of Grace and high favour purchased at his hand by Christ for men or lastly As an act attainable from God by men for themselves by performing of such conditions or terms upon and according unto which he hath covenanted and promised the vouchsafement of it The former considerations of the act we speak of are of that nature and import that in respect of none of them it is attributable unto men they all importing such things which are above the Line of men But in the consideration last mentioned it may in very passable and convenient Language be attributed unto men who believe in reference to themselves Nor need it be offensive unto any man to hear it said that men who believe in that sense justifie themselves There are two other Causes of Justification yet remaining not mentioned in the Title Page amongst those that have been insisted on Viz. The Materiall and the Finall of these in few words Concerning the materiall Cause of Justification Sect. 18 they who make it to be either Christ himself or the Righteousness of Christ either active or passive or both express themselves very unproperly and confound two Causes alwaies distinct and contradistinguished Viz. The efficient and the materiall the former being alwaies extrinsecall the latter intrinsecall to the effect or thing caused by them in conjunction with the other two Causes And besides in so notioning the matter or material Cause of Justification they decline the ordinary Rule by which men who love exactness and propriety as well in conceiving as in speaking are wont to walk in both in Cases of like nature and import For whereas no Action as no Accident besides hath any matter or materiall Cause properly so called yet being an effect or somewhat that is caused there must be some Vice-matter or somewhat answering the nature or consideration of such a materiall Cause found in it or relating to it Now that which relateth unto an Action with greatest Affinity unto matter or to a materiall Cause properly so called is Subjectum recipiens or Circa quod as Logicians speak that is the Subject receiving the Action or the Object upon which the Action is acted According to this notion the believing or repentant sinner or which is the same the person justified or to be justified is the materiall Cause of Justification Such a person exhibits or presents as it were unto God matter duly fitted and

voyce of the Scriptures Repent ye therefore saith Peter unto the Jewes Act 3. 19. and be converted that your sins may be bloued out c. It is said of John that he baptized in the Wildernesse and preached the Baptisme of Repentance for the Remission of sins Mar. 1. 4. I suppose the great and blessed effect here mentioned Justification or Remission of sins is not intended by the Evangelist as the effect of Baptisme either only or so much if at all but rather of Repentance And that Baptisme is therefore called the Baptisme of Repentance for c. if Repentance it self be not here rather termed metaphorically a Baptisme i. e. a washing or cleansing a mans self from the defilement of sin but if this be not probable Baptisme I say may be called the Baptisme of Repentance for the Remission of sins because it is a Sacramental Pledge or Ordinance of God vouchsafed unto the Christian World to insure Remission of sins upon Repentance in such a character or form of speaking as that of the Prophet Elisha upon the shooting of an Arrow by the King of Israel as he was directed by this Prophet And he said the Arrow of the Lords deliverance and the Arrow of deliverance from Syria meaning that the Kings shooting the Arrow by order from God signified unto him by the Prophet was a confirmatory sign unto him and so intended by God that he and his People should be delivered out of the hand of their Enemies the Syrians 2 King 13. 17. Of the like construction is that of Peter to his new Converts Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of sins c. Act. 2. 38. The coupling of Remission of sins so close with Repentance as is found Luk. 24. 47. and Act. 5 31. is I conceive a pregnant Argument that the latter hath an indispensable Interest in procuring the former The tenour of the former of these Texts is this And Christ said unto them thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the Dead the third day And that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations c. Of the latter this Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give REPENTANCE unto Israel and FORGIVENESSE OF SINS Upon the same account likewise it was that those Christian Jewes Act. 11. 18. termed that Repentance which they concluded from Peters relation that God had granted unto the Gentiles a Repentance unto life meaning unto Justification or Forgivenesse of Sins which the Apostle Paul calls the justification of life Rom. 5. 18. that is a Justification which restores a Sinner unto Life i. e. unto a Right Title and Capacity of Eternal Life who before was under a sentence of Condemnation and so dead in Law So then the Questionis how Repentance may be conceived to operate towards Justification or what it contributeth thereunto I answer 1. In the Generall it seems to be joyned in the same Commission with Faith and to be insisted upon and required by God in the nature of a Condition or qualification to render men meet for so sacred an Investiture or Priviledge as Justification or Remission of sins And it is matter of ready observation that the Scripture maketh the like great and precious Promises unto the one and unto the other yea and threatneth the want of the one and of the other with the same severe and terrible Judgements This matter being so well known we shall not need Quotation-proofs Yea 2. There seems to be a kinde of a mutual or reciprocal Involution between Repentance and Faith not such as is between ordinary causes and their effects but between such causes and effects which in different considerations and respects are mutually both causes and effects the the one unto the other Repentance considered in the initiatory or imperfect work of it comprehends Faith in it as Causes especially Moral Causes their Effects i. e. dispositively seminally vertually and the like Again Faith being brought into the Soul by the opportunity of such a Repentance as a form into matter disposed or prepared carries on that Repentance to greater perfection by means whereof whilest it was yet in its Minority it self was furthered in its being So that as Faith was dispositively or preparative-wise in Repentance whilest Repentance was imperfect So is Repentance perfectively or in respect of its consummation in Faith The Scripture speaks evidently of a Repentance precedaneous unto Faith yea and seems to assert a necessity of the precedency of it in order unto Faith And ye saith the Lord Christ to the chief Priests and Elders of the Jewes when ye had seen it repented not afterward that ye might believe him speaking of Johns testimony concerning him as that he was the true Messiah and Saviour of the World Mat. 21. 32. So the Apostle Paul adviseth Timothy to instruct in meeknesse those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will or rather shall give them Repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth k i. e. a Repentance which shall dispose or put them into an immediate capacity to believe the truth of the Gospell As on the contrary our Saviour expostulates thus with the Jewes How can ye believe who receive Honour one of another Joh. 5. 44. clearly implying that there was a necessity lying upon them to repent of that their ambitious and self-seeking humor to put them into a regular or hopefull capacity of Believing Thus then we see that according to the Scriptures there is a Repentance which is an Harbinger or Way-preparer unto Faith In respect whereof Faith may be said to be dispositively as hath been sayd and by way of preparation in Repentance But this Repentance notwithstanding the great service it doth unto men in accommodating their way towards believing yea and proceedeth also from the Grace of God and is to a degree and in its measure accepted with him in whomsoever it is found yet is it but imperfect and wants many degrees of that strength and soundnesse which afterwards it receiveth by its conjuction and communion with Faith And so in respect of this inlargement or additional perfection it may be said to have a being in Faith I doe not think it worth the making a Controversie or Dispute whether that Repentance which goeth before Faith and qualifies the subject for a more ready or willing reception of it and that which followes and accompanies Faith be of one and the same species or of different Yet I rather incline to think that they do not only not differ specie unlesse it be specie accidentali as a Man differs from a Childe a Man Learned from a Man Illitetate a Man that is poor from a man that is rich and the like but not so much as in individuo as Paul was the same individuum when he was a Man which he was

prepared according to his mind for him to work or act upon or about justifyingly And when God doth justifie such a person he doth introduce a new form as Viz. Righteousness remission of sins or justification passive for these I take to be much the same into matter rightly and appropriatly disposed for the reception of it which matter is as hath been said the sinner now believing As when fire heateth the water that is hung over it or otherwise applyed unto it the water is the matter upon which the fire acteth in this act of calefaction and the heat which it causeth in the water is the form which it induceth or introduceth into it This briefly for the materiall Cause of Justification The finall Cause of Justification is commonly distinguished into that which is subordinate or less principal and Sect. 19 that which is ultimate and supream The former is with one consent affirmed to be the great benefit or blessedness of the Creature or person justified which Blessednesse standeth in two particulars chiefly deliverance from under the guilt of sin with all the misery consequentiall hereunto and an investiture with a regular Title or Claim unto that immortall and undefiled Inheritance which is reserved in the Heavens to be enjoyed in due time by all those who shall be found in a due capacity to be admitted into part and fellowship therein The ultimate or supream end or materiall Cause of Justification is concluded with a Nemine contradicente as far as I know to be the Glory of God partly in the just vindication of a sinner from under the guilt of sin and from the punishment incurred thereby and partly in the Salvation and eternall Glorification of the person so vindicated As for the opinion or notion of those who conceive that God designeth nothing acteth nothing in strictness and propriety of consideration for himself or for his own Glory ultimately but all for the good and benefit of his Creature I shall not upon this occasion either plead or implead it only I shall crave leave to say this that as far as I have yet looked into it and conversed with it I do not find it so extravagant or uncouth or so hard of reconcilement either with the Scriptures where they seem most contradicting it or with any the received grounds or principles of Christian Religion as I suppose it is like to seem unto many at its first appearance and hearing And though there may be more in the opinion were it narrowly examined and scan'd from the one end of it unto the other as well for the glory of God as for the benefit and comfort of the Creature yet because such an examination of it may haply require a just Treatise and more of the ordinary rank of Professors are more like to be startled or amazed at it then to embrace it I shall therefore forbear to encumber the commonly received Doctrine concerning the finall Cause or ultimate end of Justification with any further mention of it Thus we have shewed how great a number and what variety as well of things as of persons there are all both of the one kind and the other joyning hand in hand and making as it were one shoulder to bring the great blessing of Justification upon the head of a poor sinner God who is wonderfull in counsell and excellent in working a judged it meet that a matter of so gracious and rare of so profound and wonderfull a contrivance should pass through many hands before his Creature Man to whom it was meant and intended should be invested with the actuall possession and enjoyment of it There is scarce any thing of a more humbling consideration to the height and pride of the Spirit of a man then to be subjected to a multiplicity of dependences especially upon such either persons or things which he either judgeth but equal unto but most of all if beneath himself for the obtaining of that of which he stands in need and without which he fully understands that it cannot be well with him Such a posture or subjection as this sets him of● at the greatest distance in his condition from God in point of true Greatness and Glory Nor is there any thing in all the unlimited circumference of the blessedness of God that renders him greater or more glorious in the eyes of his Creature then his {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or self sufficiency and his absolute independency upon all whether persons or things whatsoever besides himself And doubtless in such cases where the number of dependencies is not established by any indispensable Law or Decree of God they that can contract themselves to the smaller number of them for the enjoyment of themselves with comfort and contentment will reduce their present conditions to the nearest affinity whereof it is capable with the blessedness of God himself But where God hath by any revealed appointment or declared will suspended the attainment of any spirituall enjoyment priviledge or blessing upon mens application of themselves unto him in the use of such and such means of what number or kind soever their non-subjection to this Law or appointment of his in the neglect of any one of these means is of a very dangerous and sad presage that they will fall short in the attainment of the blessing And for this reason my Soul cannot but sadly lament over the case and condition of all those who have in the ignorance vanity and pride of their Spirits turn'd their backs upon the Ministry of the Gospel setting their Faces towards Fancies and conceited Methods of their own though of Satans Inspiration for their justification in the sight of God whereas it hath been evidently shewed and proved from the Mouth of Godhimself that amongst those various Actors in and about the great business of Justification which have been presented upon the Theater of this brief Discourse he hath assigned a worthy co-operation or part unto the Ministry and Ministers of the Gospel Therefore they who disdain to have the royall Robe of Righteousness or Justification put upon them by men of this Function and Office as judging them unworthy and too mean to serve them in so high and sacred a Concernment for any hope that I am able upon any good ground to give them of a better Issue they are never like to wear it FINIS These Books following are to be sold by Henry Eversden at the Grey-hound in Pauls Church-yard IMputatio Fidei Or a Treatise of Justification wherein the imputation of Faith for Righteousness mentioned in Rom. 4. 5 6. is explained by Mr. John Goodwin Minister of the Gospel In Quarto Triumviri Or the Genius Spirit and Deportment of the three Men Mr. Richard Resbury Mr. John Pawson and Mr. George Kendall in their late Writings against the Free Grace of God in the Redemption of the World and vouchsafement of means of Salvation unto men briefly described in their native and