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	justify_v	salvation_n	3,033	5	8.0315	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77642	Scripture-redemption freed from men's restrictions: being an answer to a book lately published by Mr. William Troughton (who stiles himself a minister of the gospel at Onlep in Leicester-shire) intituled, scripture-redemption restrained and limited: as also the substance of several conferences and disputes had in England, Wales, and Scotland, with Mr. Heath, Mr. Bartley, Mr. Powel, Mr. Sam. Rutherford, and Mr. James Wood, two rectors of the university of S. Andrews, and many others, about the death of our most dear redeemer, and the controversies which are the constant concomitants of it. Together with a brief reply to Mr. Troughton's rayling accusations in his introduction. By J. Brown, sometimes of Orial Coll. in Oxford, afterwards a priest of the Church of England, and vicar of Tenbury in Worcester-shire; but now through mercy a preacher of the faith which once he destroyed.	Browne, James, 1616-1685.	1653 (1653)	Wing B5022B; ESTC R230501	118,497	139

14 15. but all and every man and woman in the world are not the Sheep of Christ therefore he died only for the Sheep I bes●ech the Reader to behold the fallacy of this sophisticall fillogism by a parallell thus out of Gal. 2. 20. Christ loved the Apostle Paul a●d gave himselfe for him but every man and woman in the world is not the Apostle Paul therefore he gave himself only for the Apostle Paul whether this be good Logick let the godly Reader judge yet this is as good as M. Troughtons as any man that is not byassed by partiality may easily discern and of this Nature all his Arguments are if you search them to the bottom But he thinks to help himself by saying that though Christ says not his Seeep only yet he means so and he endeavours to prove his conception by saying that though the Scripture sayes not we are justified only by faith yet it means so I answer the Scripture neither ●ays so nor means so for then all infants must be damn'd which I think M. Tro. will not affirm though I confesse he is very positive in matters of the greatest improbability for all those infants that shall be saved were never justified ●y faith yet justified by the bloud of the Lamb or they shall never enter into life and here let the wise and godly judge whether M. Troughton leaning to his own wisdome and the wisdome which is from above hath not brought in an evidence to prov● his cause that speaks directly against him and for the truth of God and besides I have before shew●d how all are justified sanctified and redeemed and therefore shall here spend the lesse time to answer these reasons which he thinks impregnable though others see they are but ropes of sand But sayes he those that Christ died for shall live eternall life and shall never perish but all men have not eternall life but many shall perish eternally therefore he died not for all I answer first this Sophistry is like all the rest of M. Troughtons reasons and though it be finely span and cunningly woven yet it 's but a spiders web and truth will tear it in pieces for the Scriptures say that they deny the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves destruction and so thy weak brother perish for whom Christ died 1 Cor. 8. 11. with many other places I know that Christ layed down his life for his sheep and for the Apostle Paul and all the Saints but not as sheep or Saints for no Scripture sayes so but for sinners for the ungodly for the world which are in opposition to sheep and Saints And again as it 's true that he died for the sheep so it is as true that he bought those that do deny him if the Scripture may decide the controversie Secondly I answer such fallacious consequences as these do even strike at the root of the Gospell of Grace and free love of God and quits the divell and all ungodly men of bringing destruction upon themselves and implies that men shall be condemn'd for want of a Redeemer neither will that thred-bare shift that men shall be damned because they fell in Adam serve any mans turn especially M. Tro. who hath acknowledged in his sixth Argument as he calls it that God will not take double payment for the same sin now all must once die by reason of that offence and if after they shall be raised again they shall be damn'd for it again then there is a double punishment inflicted for one offence which God will never do but if it be because Christ never died for them as M. Tro. and thousands of deceived souls seem to say let them produce a text of Scripture or els we shall not believe them if they say for unbelief and disobedience which is most true and sometimes these men will say so then there is a Christ to be believed in and obeyed by them But says M. Tro. There is a higher cause why men believe not to salvation and have not eternall life then the stubbornesse of mens hearts but shews not what only adds ye believe not because ye are not my sheep i. e. saith he in another place because ye are not elected if that be his meaning he hath made the remedy worse then the disease and andeavour'd to help himselfe by a text that speaks truth against errors for Christ doth not say ye believe not because ye are not elected Ioh. 10. 26. but because ye are not my sheep i. e. because ye hear not my voice as you may see in the next verse and I desire to know how men can believe if they hear not his words as they are laid before them seeing as the Apostle sayes faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10. 17. but if he mean the cause is Gods decreeing of their unbelief as many hold I have through the Lords assistance disproved such opinions before and only here pray that the thoughts of his heart may be forgiven him if his day of mercy be not past But he subjoyns another text which he thinks also makes for his purpose Deut 29. 2 3 4. ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eys in the Land of Aegypt unto Pharoah and to all his servants and to all his Land the great temptations which thine eys have seen the signs and those miracles yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and eys to see and ears to hear unto this day from whence as I perceive he would perswade men to believe that there are some men to whom God did never afford ability to perceive see and hear his words and wonders and this viz. Gods not giving these things is a higher cause of their unbelief then the stubbornnesse of their own hearts and so the dirt must still be flung at Gods door but such thoughts are all vain and abhominable for the spirit speaks expresly twice in the second and third verses that their eys had seen all that the Lord did the great temptations signs and miracles c. I desire to know who gave them those eys if it was not the Lord who made the seeing eye and hearing ear but it 's true he continued not light to them unto that day viz. the time that Moses spake these words to them but took away their wisdome their light their understanding their counsell as a man may do many courtesies for his friend or servant if they prove false and rebellious he discontinues his courtesies so the Lord dealt with the Israelites he bare them as on Eagles wings and carried them in the daies of old and said surely they are my people c. but they rebelled and vexed his spirit so he was their enemy and fought against them Isa 63. 9. 10. see a further reason of their Lords withdrawing his light from them and leaving them to their own counsells Psal 81. where the Lord recounts his

perceives it will make to his disadvantage and stick to that grand error that Infants are visible Church-members I shall onely add this 1. That they who were such in the Apostles daies gladly received the word and were baptized Act. 2. 41. 2. That to every Church-member every ordinance of Christ doth belong as breaking of Bread Act. 2. 42. preaching of the word Col. 3. 16. reproof Mat. 18. 15 16 17. judging of points of difference among brethren 1 Cor. 6. 4. c. I wonder why Mr. Troughton doth not preach to them break bread with them reprove them and set them to judge at least in the things of this life which are the smallest matters For we would gladly know who dares add to diminish from or alter the practice of Jesus Christ and his Apostles in the constituting of the Church of God or hinder any of his members of their priviledge Secondly He saith but he saith falsly that we hold none to be Saints Disciples or Believers but such as are grown persons and rebaptiz'd Here he misrepresents our expressions For first we are not so silly as to lay down such negative propositions we say indeed that as in the dayes of Christ they that did repent and believe the Gospel were baptiz'd and added to the Church so we are sure they who thus walk now are visible Saints Church-members and Disciples in that they follow the precepts and practice of Christ and his Apostles we account them sheep of Christ or Christians who continue in the word of Christ and keep the Ordinances as they were delivered to the Churches by the Son of God when they may so enjoy them and that they who neglect and despise them when they so may be had and practise Baby-sprinkling are disobedient to Christ and followers of the Pope In a word they which faithfully follow that light which God layes before them are the beloved of his soul and pretious in his sight As for his tearm rebaptize we neither know nor do we practice any such thing neither can he prove his accusation against us except he can prove that the sprinkling of Babes in the face with a little water be the Ordinance of Baptisme appointed for us by the Lord Jesus in his word of truth and then we shall owne it and Mr. Troughton also in it Thirdly He accuseth us for baptizing believers into this Faith that Christ died for all c. To which I answer If the Scriptures say Christ dyed for all I hope Mr. Troughton hath no just cause to finde fault with us for believing it except he can prove it to be a crime to believe as the Scripture saith which kinde of beleiving Christ hath made a pretious promise to Joh. 7. 38 39. And whereas he taxeth us for not joyning with others which he calls in derision Anabaptists I wish Mr. Troughton not to speak evil of what he knows not Mr. Jessey Mr. Kiffin Mr. Patience so far as they practice Gospel-Ordinances do as closely follow Jesus Christ as Mr. Troughton and others in their Baby-sprinkling do Antichrist In a word we are to joyn with the Lord Jesus the head of the body not with men nor follow them further then they follow Christ Fourthly He accuseth us saying that we owne such as Christs Disciples who are baptiz'd into our opinion be they never so ignorant and vain c. This is a meer scandal for first we baptize none but such as in some good measure know their miserable state by sin the love of God by a Saviour c. And as for such as walk in a vain conversation they are cast off if they refuse to hear the Church And whereas he saies we unchurch all that differ from us though never so spiritual heavenly experienced Christians I say first as before that they that walk up to the light which God allows them are his Congregation 2. That they who have the word of God and follow Christ and his Apostles in Gospel-obedience are the Church of Christ his Disciples and experienced Christians according to the Scripture computation see Joh. 8. 31. To the fifth Accusation where he saith we refuse to hear the ablest and most approved Ministers of the Gospel except it be to cavil against them I answer It is not so for those that are approved Ministers of the Gospel I mean such as yeeld obedience to to Jesus Christ in his commands and follow him in life and doctrine we freely hear But we do not judge them who reject the counsel of God and teach otherwise then Christ and his Apostles taught able and approved Ministers of the Gospel though they talk long and loud yea though they could speak with the tongue of Angels As for Tithe-takers Baby-sprinklers and Parish-Ministers their practice declareth them to be at least in some things Popish Levitical Priests acting contrary to the precepts and practice of Jesus Christ and so Antichristian By the word cavil I judge he means reason out of the Scriptures and in this we desire to do as we would be done by for we never deliver any Doctrine publickly but we are willing publickly to give an account of what we declare to them And for the serviceableness of those whom Mr. Troughton counts able Ministers to the state I shall at present be silent onely adding that most of us whom Mr. Troughton traduceth in the margin of his book have adventured our lives in the service of the Commonwealth and shall again when thereunto called Sixthly He accuseth us as overthrowers of Magistracy and for accounting the Parish-Priests Antichristian persecutors when they call for the civil power to punish such as would publickly dispute their Doctrine and Ministery he calls it the keeping of order and peace in the Congregation whilst they are about the worship of God and to prevent cumbustions c. I answer This is a meer fiction they are sure the Magistrates most faithful friends who desire them to wait on that office which God hath called them to and they are enemies to the civil powers who call to them to do that which is not appertaining to their duty Now we desire the Magistrate as a Magistrate to exercise his power in its proper place as for example if any had been at Odeby or are elsewhere stickers or breakers of the peace by any means God hath ordained the powers that are for the punishment of such evil doers But if any do desire to reason out of the Scriptures about the worship of the most high God they that call to the Magistrate to punish such or by the civil Sword to stop their mouths are Antichristian persecutors yea Tyrants over the consciences of their fellow creatures and those Magistrates who shall at the request of such Tyrants exercise their Authority against such as seek to finde out the truth by disputing with the false Ministery if they take not heed betimes will be overthrown by the might of the Lord as they have been before

but to exhort such to hear to seek or inquire after God hear read and search the Scriptures that so they may come to know believe and repent is suteable to the direction of the Spirit through the whole book of God who hath enabled men and women come to years of discretion so as to discern betweene good and evil thus to do To call them to baptism and so make them members of a visible Church who never heard of God is ridiculous and M. Tro. himself in his Epistle to the Reader confesseth it under his own hand That visible title to and interest in the Covenant of Grace consisting in a s●rious profession of the Christian faith accompanied with a suteable conversation is that which constitutes a member of the visible Church of Christ whence two things are considerable 1. That infants are not whilest infants visible Members of the Church of Christ in that they make no profession of the Christian Faith neither is their conversation suteable to the holy precepts of the most high for they speak and act as children neither doth God require that it should be so for he speaks not to children 2. This discovers the folly of Baby-sprinklers who require more of poor creatures then they are able to perform which shews that their Ministery in this as in other things is not of God who never exacts that of any which he of his own free mercy and goodnesse hath not given them ability to bring to passe yea they are contrary to God and palpably contradict themselves After this short digression a sixth use that may be made of this doctrine is this that seeing God hath appointed set apart or chosen all men to serve him and enabled them so to do this should teach Ministers to take heed that they add not to neither diminish from the precepts which God hath given to mankind by laying more or lesse upon persons then they are able to perform which is a usuall thing for they say of infants that they must be baptized and be Church-Members though they have done neither good nor evil nay know not their right hand from their less and tell men that are 20. 40. 50. years of age that they cannot believe nor repent nay that they must not be baptized c. Lastly this may serve for a triall and examination to every man whether he hath done all that good which God enabled him to do and avoided that evill which he by the light manife-fested from God might have shunned that so he may through a certain knowledge of his actings in these things be comforted in his obedience through Christ the strength and arm of the Lord or repent of his non-performance of that which through that light or power he might have performed And now let the judicious Reader judge whether these things being very profitable do not freely flow from that doctrine which men call heresie Thirdly seeing some departed from the faith Hymeneus and Alexander put away faith and a good conscience all they in Asia turned away from Paul others deny the Lord that bought them and some tread under foot the Son of God and count the bloud of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing and doing despight to the Spirit of Grace and seeing the Holy Ghost sayes it is impossible to renew them again by repentance who fall away after they are inlightened and are partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come therefore we admonish the Saints in the language of the Lord nay the Lord warns them by us to beware and take heed lest they fall and le●t there be in any of the brethren an evill heart of unbelief to depart from the living God and to beware lest any man deceive them and lest any of them fall from the grace of God as some did Gal. 5. 4. to beware of false Prophets and take heed lest they fall away from their own sted●astnesse c. which precious words of the eternall God were of no use if the Saints were not in danger even in their best estate here below We exhort them to watch and pray and stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free and to beg of God that he would hold up their go●ngs in his paths that their footsteps may not slide and to keep them from falling and turning back from him and knit their hearts to him pray one for another to him that is able to build them up that he would preserve them blamelesse in body soul and Spirit to the coming of Jesus Christ all which and thousand such like Petitions were frivolous if there were no danger and all those ●recepts and promises he that endureth be th●u faithfull he that overcometh 'T is true we do not exhort any to beware but such as walk in that way as those Saints of old did to whom those words we use were written and spoken that were improper and one means it hath been to deceive the poor ●ouls in this Island and make them think they were all Saints according to the Scripture account when they were exhorted not to fall away from their present s●ate whereas it had been happy for many thousand if they had fallen from it so they had fallen down and worshipped God according to his Word We do not exhort the Parish-Ministers of Great Britain much leste those poor bl●nd creatures who follow them idolize them and are led by an implicite faith to hold fast their profession for it 's very bad and Antichristian or to continue in the way where they are for it is not good nor to take heed that they depart not from the way of God for they are not in it or from the living God for they are not with him But we bese●ch them to repent and turn to God that so they may be baptized and added to the Church and enjoy the precious priviledges that pertain to such as worship G●d in spirit and truth i. e. according to his word which is spirit and truth well knowing that men may as well ●e destroyed for resisting the power of God and putting from them the Word of God and eternall life as for deserting the way of righteousnesse add turning from the holy Commandement delivered unto them and therefore they have no just cause to be angry against us as they are for the searcher of hearts is witnesse that we de●ire earnestly their conversion and salvation and therefore for my part I shall in love tell them this that if they shall still oppose Christ and call his way heresie take part with the Pope and Prelates in their Nationall Churches Baby-sprinkling forced maintenance c. none of which are according to the testimony of Jesus within few years they will be driven to darknesse but as many of them as imbrace the Gospell and walk in the way of righteousnesse which men call heresie whether they have