Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	formal_a	justification_n	righteousness_n	6,175	5	8.2431	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50246	A catechisme, or, The grounds and principles of Christian religion set forth by way of question and answer wherein the summe of the doctrine of religion is comprised, familiarly opened, and clearly confirmed from the Holy Scriptures / by Richard Mather, teacher to the church at Dorchester in New England.	Mather, Richard, 1596-1669.	1650 (1650)	Wing M1268; ESTC R43433	66,565	136

Christ will be sure to take all their Injuries and afflictions as if they were his owne t will free them from condemnation u and afford unto them communion with him in all his benefits w Q. What are those Benefits of Christ wherein beleevers have communion with him by vertue of this their union A. Some of the principal are Justification x Adoption y and Sanctification z besides which if God give us Christ he will with him freely give us all things also a CHAP. 24. Of Justification of Adoption Q LEt us come to the first of these benefits which is our justification and first tell me what is the meaning of the word to justifie A. It doth not signifie to make an unjust man just by changing his qualities for then it were all one with sanctification from which it is distinct 1 Cor 6. 1. 1. Q. What then doth it signifie A. To Iustifie is frequently opposed to condenme a and therefore it doth properly signifie to acquit from blame and punishment Q. What is the cause of our justification A. The impulsive cause that moveth God to justifie a sinner is nothing else but his free grace Rom. 3 24. Tit 3. 7. Q. VVhat is that for which God doth justifie A. God doth not justifie us without righteousnesse for then how should God be just b but he justifieth us by and for a righteousnesse which is most exact and perfect Q. What is that perfect righteousnesse A. Not our own righteousnesse in obedience to the Law c for that is most imperfect d Q. What righteousnesse is it then A. That perfect righteousnesse whereby we are justified is that righteousnesse which was wrought by Christ and inherent in his person Isai 45. 24 25. Ier. 23. 6. 1 Cor. 1. 30. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Rom. 5. 18 19. Q. How comes the righteousnesse of Christ to be ours that we may be justified thereby A. God doth graciously impute it to us e and faith is the instrument for the receiving of it f that so by it we may be justified Q. Open this a little further how faith is considered when we are said to be justified by faith A. Faith is not considered in justification properly as if the very act of believing were the matter of our righteousnesse neither doth it iustifie as a work or vertue in us by any merit of it selfe Q. Why may not faith be considered in our justification as a work or vertue in us A. Because all workes of ours are excluded from being any cause or matter of our justification g and therefore if faith were so considered it must then be excluded also Q. How then is faith considered when we are said to be justified by faith A. Onely relatively in respect of the object of it which is Jesus Christ and his righteousnesse Q. Faith being not considered in our justification properly as a worke or vertue in us it must needs then be considered relatively in respect of Christ the object of it but how may the truth of this yet further appeare A. As the Scripture saith we are justified by faith so it also saith Christ is our righteousnesse h and that we are justified by Christ i Q. VVhat else may be said for the further clearing of this truth A. Sometimes this phrase to be justified by faith is expounded in the words immediately following to be nothing else but to be justified by Christ Gal. 2. 16. 17. Q. VVhat are the parts of justification A. Justification is onely one benefit of God vouchsafed to believers but there are two parts thereof inseparably conjoyned namely forgivenesse of sinnes through the sufferings of Christ and accounting a man just and righteous through the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to him Q. VVhat is the object of justification the persons whom God doth justifie A. Onely the Elect k being by nature and in themselves sinners and ungodly l but called by grace to be true believers in Christ m Q. What is Adoption A. An act of Gods free grace n whereby the Elect o being in themselves aliens strangers p from God are upon their believing in Christ q admitted for Christs sake r on whom they doe believe into the houshold of God and to the dignity and priviledge of his children s Q What are the benefits of this adoption A. By means hereof believers are brethren to Christ Jesus t have title to the heavenly inheritance u and have liberty and boldnesse to make their requests to God w as to a most gracious and loving father with great assurance to be heard x CHAP. 25. Of Sanctification and the difference between it and Justification and of foure other benefits of Christ to believers Q. SAnctification being another of those benefits that come by Christ and our union with Christ tell me first of all what Sanctification is A. It is a true and reall change a wrought by the Spirit of God b in the Elect c now believing on Christ d whereby the whole man e is changed and altered from the turpitude and filthinesse of sinne f to the purity of the Image of God Q. VVhat difference is there between the former benefit to wit Iustification and this of Sanctification A. The materiall cause of the one is the righteousnesse of Christ without us imputed to us g but the materiall cause of the other is a body of divine graces and qualities infused into the soule created in us h Q. How doe they differ in respect of their formall causes A. The formall cause of justification is the pronouncing of the sentence of absolution and accepting a mans person for righteous the formall cause of Sanctification is the restoring o Gods Image into the soule by putting off the old man and putting on the new Ephes. 4. 22 23 24 Q. How else doe they differ A. Justification makes no reall change in the soule as when the Judge acquits a man but makes him never a whit the more honest then before but Sanctification makes a great change in the soule from sinne and corruption unto purity and holinesse Rom. 6. 17. 1 Tim. 1. 13. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Q. What may be a fourth difference A. Justification is perfect at the first as one individuall act but Sanctification is a graduall work imperfect at the first and growing by degrees Q. Why doe you say that Iustification is perfect at the first A. Not in respect of the sense and feeling and assurance of it for these may increase and grow daily and are therefore daily to be prayed for Mat. 6. 12. Luke 17. 5. Q. How then is justification perfect at the first A. In respect of the matter whereby we are justified which is the imputed righteousnesse of Christ which is so perfect that a man can never have more all the daies of his life though he should

if there were no men there would never be any ships upon the Sea Even so the preservation of the great ship of the world and the guidance of its motions doth evidently shew that there is a God by whom the same is preserved and guided Q. What else may be a further proofe that there is a God A. That there is a God is manifestly declared by the strange and wonderfull plagues and judgments that sometimes are inflicted upon notorious sinners upon earth Exod. 8. 19. 9. 16. Psal. 9. 16. 58. 10. 11 79 10. Q. What may be thought of those accusations and terrors of conscience that sometimes are found in men upon the committing of haynous sins though knowne to no man living but to the sinner himselfe A. This also is another testimony that there is a God before whose judgment seate a man must answer for his deedes for otherwise why should a man be afraid where no feare is Rom. 2. 15. Isa. 33. 14. Psal. 14. 5. 53. 5. Q. How many Gods are there A. No more but one Deut 4. 39 6. 4. Isa 44. 6. 8. 45. 5. 18. 1 Cor 8. 4. 6. Eph. 4. 6. Q. Why may there not be more Gods then one A. Because that is contrary to the nature of God which is to be infinite and everlasting that is the first and the last now there cannot be many infinites nor many firsts and lasts but one only Q. How else doth the nature of God shew that there can be no more but one God A. It is the nature of God to have his being of himselfe and so give being to whatsoever else hath being for so much is signified by the word Iehovah Exod. 3. 14. 6. 3. 15. 3. Q. And how doth this prove that there can be no more but one God A. Because if there were many Gods then either they must one give being to the other or each one have his being of himself both which are utterly impossible Q. Why might not one of them give being to the other A. Because then that other could not bee God as not having his being of himselfe Q. And why might they not be many Gods each one having his God-head of himselfe A. Because then none of them could be God as not giving being to all others which had being Q. Though there be but one God yet is there not more persons or subsistences in the Godhead then one A. Yes the Scriptures doe apparently witnesse that in the unity of the divine essence there is a plurality of the divine persons Gen. 1. 26. 3. 22. 11. 7. Isai. 6. 8. 41. 22 23. Q. How many are the Persons in the Godhead A. They are three the Father the Son and the Holy-Ghost Math. 3. 16 17. 28. 19. Ioh. 14. 16 17. 15. 26. 2 Cor. 13 14. Gal. 4. 6. 1 Ioh. 5. 7. Q. Whether are these three the Father the Son and the Holy-Ghost severall and distinct Persons or onely severall names and titles of one and the same person A. The Father is not the Sonne but another person a the Son is not the Father but another b and the Holy Ghost is neither the Father nor the Son but another c and therefore they are each distinct from other as severall and distinct Persons Q. What are the personall properties whereby each is distinguished from other A. The property of the Father is to beget the Son d the property of the Son to be begotten of the Father e the property of the Holy Ghost to proceed from the Father and the Son f who is therefore called the spirit of the Father g and of the Son h Q. Are every one of these persons God A. Yea Of the Father there is lesse question and the Scriptures doe witnesse that the Son is God i and also that the Holy Ghost is God k Q. You have shewed that there is a God and and onely one God and three persons tell me now what God is A. God is so infinite and incomprehensible that no creature is able fully to comprehend or know him Exod. 33. 20. 23. Iob. 26. 14. 11. 7 8 9. 1 Tim. 6. 16. Q. How then may we conceive of him A. As he hath revealed himselfe to us l in his back parts m which are his divine attributes n and by his workes o Q. What are those Attributes or back parts of God A. Wisdome p Power q Goodnesse r Truth s Justice t Mercy u and the like in all which he is infinite w and everlasting x Q. What are the works of God A. They are three Decree Creation and Providence CHAP. 4. Of Gods Decree Q. WHat is Gods Decree A. That whereby he hath before determined and decreed with himselfe whatsoever shall come to passe Q. Doe you say that Gods decree reacheth to all things whatsoever cometh to passe in time A. Yea all things whatsoever have been are or that shall be hereafter were before decreed and determined by God Eph. 1. 11. Act. 15. 18. Q. What are some of the principall things that are so decreed A. Things that are most casuall a things that are most freely done by the creature b and things wherein the creature commits abundance of sin c Q. What else A. Such things as seeme small and little d are also great and speciall events Q. What are some of those great and speciall events that are decreed by the Lord A. The comming and death of Christ and all the workes of his mediatorship e the salvation of the Godly f the damnation of the wicked g the day of every mans particular death h and the day of the generall judgement i Q. When were all these things decreed by God A. Before the world was created even from everlasting 1 Cor. 2. 7. Eph. 1. 4. 3. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 20. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Q. What was the cause of Gods decrees A. The cause that moved him to decree was nothing foreseene in the creature but his own will and good pleasure Rom. 9. 11. 18. Matth. 11. 25. 26. But sith some are appointed by the decree of God to damnation if his will be the cause of that decree how is that just Yea it is most just and righteous notwitstanding Rom. 13 14. Q. How may that appeare A. Because the will of God is the rule of all righteousnesse k and because the Lord hath absolute power over all creatures as the Potter hath power over his clay l Q How else may the justice of the Lord in his decrees appeare A. Because what ever be the Lords decree there is no man actually condemned till he be first defiled with sinne Rom. 3. 9 19. 2. 6 9. Genes 4. 7. Q. VVhether is the decree of God certaine and immutable or such as may be changed and not take