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	work_n	work_v	4,456	5	8.0130	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08457	The pearle of perfection sought after by Charles Odingsells, Doctour of Divinitie	Odingsells, Charles, d. 1637.	1637 (1637)	STC 18782; ESTC S113411	51,839	106

the object seeing that such may be in evill Angels and reprobates and in that sense St. Iames saith Iam. 2.19 Daemones credunt contremiscunt the devills beleeue and tremble but it is * Or rather an affiance in Christ the redeemer for pardon of sin grounded on the promise of the Gospell a fiduciall assent to the promise of saving grace in Christ And as it is an assent it hath place in the understanding as it is fiduciall it hath place in the will A bare assent to the object is too slender a setting forth of the formall cause of justifying faith and too weake to support that which is the life of a Christian who saith with the Apostle Galat. ● 20. I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who loved me and gaue himselfe for me Cornelius Bishop of Bitonto Corn. Bitont apud Whitak Conc. ult upon the first to the Romans saith that faith is not a bare credulitie but a trust and confidence and includes some operation of the will God indeed as the principall predominant efficient cause worketh faith in man this is the worke of God Iohn 6.29 that wee beleeue on him whom he hath sent but man in whom faith is wrought formally beleeveth and that willingly not against his will Aug. de Spir. lit ca. 34. All this St. Augustine plainely insinuateth saying Voluntas qua credimus dono Dei tribuitur the will whereby we beleeue is ascribed to the gift of God So then it is necessarily inferred out of the precedent grounds that both the will and whole person of a Christian is singularly perfected by the righteousnesse of faith in Christ Iesus whereby we who were enemies become well pleasing and acceptable to GOD and therefore the chosen vessell of mercy desired this Philip. 3.9 and onely this he desired that he might be foundin Christ not having his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God through faith CHAP. XX. Of the different participating of imputed righteousnesse by faith THE righteousnesse of Christs merit which is the materiall cause of our justification is equally communicated to all that haue it so that in regard of it one is not more righteous than another For it is entirely imputed unto whom it is imputed and entirely embraced by all who participate of it But because we apprehend and apply it to our selues by a spirituall instrument or organ namely faith hence it cōmeth to passe that all doe not equally apprehend and applie it to themselues for all haue not one degree or measure of faith But it is according to one degree in one and according to another degree in another in some weaker and in others stronger and yet all haue true faith and sufficient to embrace Christs righteousnesse For if we consider faith secundùm rationem specificam in the essentiall forme whereby it is specified and differenced from other habits and vertues so it is in all right beleevers alike for every essentiall forme is constituted in indivisibili and doth not admit latitude as not being capable of division by more or lesse But if we consider it secundùm rationem individualem as it is inherent in divers subjects so it is in some more in others lesse and doth admit very great latitude And so there may be one degree of faith in St. Peter another in St. Paul and another in St. Luke and another in Onesimus Hence was it that our Saviour said to the Centurion in Capernaum Math. 10.8 I haue not found so great faith no not in Israel And to the woman of Canaan O woman great is thy faith Math. 15.28 Aquinas aptly noteth Aqui. 11 ●ae qu. 112. art 4. that an habit is said to be great two wayes First in respect of the end and object as being ordained to sime greaet good secondly in respect of the subject which doth lesse or more participate of the inherent habit Now faith as all other gifts and graces comes downe from the Father of lights and is dispensed and distributed to us by his Sonne Ephes 4.7 for to every one is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ So God is said to deale to every ma the measure of faith Rom. 12.3 and in the fixt verse following He that prophecieth must prophecy according to the proportion of faith Aqui. in Rom. cap. 12. lect 1. Whereupon Aquinas commenteth Nonsolùm alias gratias gratis datas dat Deus mensuratè sed etiam ipsam sidem quae per dilectionem operatur God doth not onely giue by measura other graces freely given but also faith it selfe which worketh by loue Now although Almightie God doth giue unto every man in his first conversion a certaine measure of faith yet doth he not alwayes giue unto every man that full measure which he shall after attaine unto but he shall goe on from one degree to another and still receiue further increase and improvement of his faith untill that measure allotted him be accomplished Eor even as plants when they first bud and herbs in the garden when they first put forth are not adorned with that beautie stature and perfection which they shall after haue so neither are graces and vertues given of God to men at the first such so great and perfect as afterward they shall be Ambr. de voc gent. lib. 2. cap. 3. Semina charisonatum plantaeque virtutnus non in omni agrecordis humani totum hoc pariter quod futurae sunt nascuntur nec facilè reperitur in exordio maturitas in inchoatione perfectio Exerit quidem frequenter potens misericors Deus mir abiles istes suae operationis effectus quibusdam mentibus non expectatâ profectuum morâ totum simul quicquid collaturus est invehit The seeds of graces saith St. Ambrose and plants of vertues doe not in every field of mans heart spring up at the first all that which they shall after be neither is ripenes easily found in the beginning and perfection at the first God mightie and mercifull doth indeede oft-times shew forth these wonderfull effects of his operation and puts into some mindes at once all that he bestoweth of them not expecting any delay of proficiencie Thus some haue their proper measure of faith fully measured out unto them at the first but others are to labour and pray for proficiencie to receiue further increase and augmentation of their faith saying or rather praying with the blessed Apostles unto the Lord increase our faith Luk. 9.5 And with the Father of him that was possessed with the dumb spirit Lord I beleeue Mark 9. v. 24 helpe thou mine unbeliefe This man beleeved yet prayed he for decrease of unbeliefe the Apostles beleeved yet prayed they to the Lord for increase of Faith When as our gracious Saviour had spoken to his Apostles of his

mentioned by them understand good workes done of faith as we doe generally take them So as Bucer professed in the conference at Ratisbon Bucer apud Cassand Coufut art 6. saying If by to merit the Fathers and others understand to doe through faith of the grace of God good workes to which God hath promised and will render a reward To use the word in this sense wee will not condemne Wherein we wholly agree with St. Bernard who explaineth the matter thus Bern. de Gra. lib. Arb. Those which wee call our merits if they be properly called are certaine seminaries of hope incentiues to charitie signes of secret predestination presages of future felicitie the way to the kingdome not the cause of raigning there Now correspondent to our good workes in this life shall our eternall reward be in the other life Math. 16.27 For the Sonne of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels and then shall he reward every man according to his workes This our blessed Saviour the truth hath taught us and after him his chosen vessell of mercy and trumpet of grace hath delivered unto us the same infallible veritie namely Rom. 2.6 that God will render to every man according to his deeds So that such as our measure of grace is in this life such shall our measure of glory be in the other world such as our vertues and good workes be here such shall our happinesse and felicitie be there Let us then not be weary of well doing knowing that in due season we shall reape if we faint not All that shall be judged worthy in Christ to enter into the heavenly Paradise shall haue perfection of all parts and essentialls of glory aquè non aequaliper one as well as another not equally in degree one with weather All who haue faithfully laboured in Christ Vineyard shall at the end of the day receiue their penie aqualem mercedem vita non gla●ia Ambr. in Lus. cap. 15. an equall reward of life not of glory according to St. Ambrose for suppose faith he there is not grace one reward diversum tan●●n bra●iu●● violeri●● est yet the prize of victory is diverse It is true that in respect of the object participated one is not more blessed than another all beholding one God the fountaine of life But in regard of the disposition of the subjects participating one shall be more happie than another because one shall see God more clearely than another one shall loue God more perfectly and ardently than another and that in so large and ample latitude as we are not now able to comprehend The Apostleteacheth us 1 Cor. 15. ve 41 42. that there is one glory of the Sonne another of the Moone and another of the ●●ines for one starre differeth from another starre in glory So is the resurrection of the dead They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the fir●●●● at Dam. 12.3 and they that turne many unto rightenasnesse as the starres for ever and ever Now although every starre be perfect in it selfe yet in comparison of a greater it may want perfection Hieron advers Pelag. lib. 1. as St. Hierome notes So although every glorified Saint shall be perfect in it selfe yet may such compared to others more glorious want perfection not of parts or essentialls but of degrere of glorie But all shall be perfect all according to their proper measure and capacitie shall b●fully f●●led with glorie none shall want all 〈◊〉 enough Prosp de vita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. cap. 4. all shall haue sufficient Quia singulie prampia suasufficientia erunt capere ampl●● 〈…〉 am perfecti non p●terint Every 〈…〉 shall be sufficient for them and being 〈◊〉 perfect they shall not be able to receiue any more saith St. Prosper As many vessels of diverse quantities dipt into the Ocean will all be filled but every one according to their proper quantitie Or as divers guests at a feast are fully satiated and filled yet all doe not eat alike and receiue the same quantitie but every one according to the strength and measure of their stomacke So shall it be with the Elect in the kingdome of God in the day of the Sonne of man that day of glorie all shall haue satietie of heavenly delights and pleasures but every one according to their capacitie and measure During their pilgrimage on earth they walked on patiently in the way of good workes they hungred and thirsted after righteousnesse but then shall they be satisfied with life righteousnesse and glory How 〈◊〉 redeemed them with his sacred bloud will now satiate them with the bread of life and inebriate them with the wine of his loue And as the sweet singer of Israel speaketh Psal 36.8 9. He will abundantly satisfie them with the fatnesse of his house and will make them drinke of the ●●●er of his pleasures for with him is the fountaine of life and in his light shall they see light They shall see the light which shall never decay enjoy the life which shall never haue an end For they shall ever behold Him who is the light and the life who is all perfection all glory all felicitie all eternitie who is all in all To that all sufficient being who is his owne eternall being and the being of all other 〈…〉 who is Alpha and O●●ega the beginning and the ending the first and the last To the Creator of the world the glory of the Angels the light and life of men To that infinite fountaine of loue which hath loved us with an ever lasting loue in Christ the sonne of his loue To the Father of mercies the God of all grace peace and consolation be ascribed of us all goodnesse wisedome power prayse honour glorie adoration thankesgiving for all his blessings in Iesus Christ now and in all ages for ever Amen FINIS Perlegi Librum h●nc dignumque judico qui typis mandetur Tho. Weekes R. P. Epo Lond. Capel domest