Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	fruit_n	good_a	tree_n	4,830	5	9.4106	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09434	A godlie and learned exposition upon the whole epistle of Iude, containing threescore and sixe sermons preached in Cambridge by that reverend and faithfull man of God, Master William Perkins, and now at the request of his executors, published by Thomas Taylor, preacher of Gods word ; whereunto is prefixed a large analysis, containing the summe and order of the whole booke, according to the authors owne method, to which are further added, foure briefe tables to direct the reader ...	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Taylor, Thomas.	1606 (1606)	STC 19724.3; ESTC S100865	274,393	200

God this being the same will that Adam had in the state of innocencie Obiect Good trees cannot bring foorth euill fruite therefore the Angels being good could not sinne of themselues Answ. A good tree remaining good bringeth foorth good fruite but being changeable may bring forth euill So much of the cause of the fall of Angels The second thing in their fall is the parts of it which here are two first They kept not their first beginning Secondly They left their owne habitation First they fell from their first estate which words are expounded Ioh. 8.44 they stood not in the truth By this truth is meant the image of God in righteousnes and true holines Eph. 4.24 and this image is truly called truth because it neuer deceiueth men as vnrighteousnes doth which maketh a glorious shew of pleasure or profit but indeede it deceiueth men who finde nothing lesse therein Secondly because herein is no hypocrisie it maketh no shew or appearance of other than indeed it is as the manner of falsehood is The sense then is that the Angels voluntarily departed from their originall condition and stood not in that image of God wherein they were created The second part of this one sinne is that they left their habitation which a man might esteeme but a small matter but yet the sinne is not small for God in the beginning appointed most excellent places for his seuerall creatures wherein they were to performe their seruice and homage vnto God as Heauen was the proper place assigned to Angels to man Paradise in his innocencie as after his fall the families of the Patriarches before and in Christs time the Temple since that time the societies and congregations of the faithfull are these places appointed for man to set 〈◊〉 the speciall praises of the Creator in Now the Angels leauing their place incurred two grieuous sinne● first they left the presence of God secondly their office and calling in which they ought for euer to haue been employed in the glorifying of God Ob. But doe not the Diuel● keepe in the ayre Ans. Some of them doe by Gods permission but not as in their proper place or first habitation for that was in the comfortable presence of God in heauen The third point in this sinne is the measure of it They left that is wholly and to●ally their condition they quite forsooke God his image heauen it selfe and that office which therein they were assigned vnto Obiect Here it may bee obiected If the Angels in their innocencie and excellencie f●ll wholy and vtterly from God much more 〈◊〉 sinfull man although beleeuers wholy fall from God and vtterly cut themselues by 〈◊〉 from Christ. Ans. But hereunto I answere that there is not the same reason of the grace of creation as i● of the grace of regeneration for that commeth farre short of this by the former the creature hath a power either to stand or fall to abide with God or depart from him and this power is in it selfe but by this latter grace of regeneration such feare of God is put into the hearts of the regenerate that they shall not depart from God Iere. 32.40 and this power of not falling is in them indeed but not from themselues neither is it strange that there should bee such difference betweene the state of nature and that which is aboue nature Againe as the grace of creation and regeneration is different so there is a difference of the will created and regenerate Created will hath a freedome to will that which is good so hath the will regenerate also Secondly created will hath a power to will to perseuere in that which is good so also hath the will regenerate The created will hath not the will it selfe neither the act of perseuerance wherein it differeth from the will regenerate which hath both these Heere the Schoolemen deceiued themselues and others in that they taught that in the conuersion of a sinner the will hath a freedome to receiue grace or not to receiue it so placing it in the will of man and putting it in his own hand and power to beleeue or not beleeue But the truth is that in the first conuersion of a sinner the will rebelleth and 〈◊〉 For none commeth to the Sonne vnlesse the Father draw him it is not the will it selfe but the conuersion of it that frame●● i● 〈◊〉 willingnes making it of vnwilling willing to ●●tertaine that which i● truly good I● is vntrue that the will of man is now as the will of Angels was before their fall hauing a power to fall or not fall Vse First in th●● the Angels were condemned for forsaking their first beginning we must bewaile this 〈◊〉 sin in our selues for we also had the same first beginning with them the same image of God 〈…〉 vpon 〈◊〉 which wee haue willingly departed 〈…〉 that remaineth for vs to doe which belongeth not 〈◊〉 them to vs● all meanes to obtaine ou● first beginnings againe that this image may be restored vnto vs and renued vpon vs vnto which three things are required first that our spirituall vnderstanding be cleered and enlightened secondly that a good heart and conscience bee gotten and preserued thirdly a subiection in our whole conuersation vnto all the lawes and commandements of God Secondly though we haue the same beginning by creation which is lost by our fall yet wee haue another beginning by a new birth and regeneration which they want we haue been borne baptized and brought vp many yeeres in the true faith and profession of Christ now our dutie is to bee more wise than before to be warie lest wee fall from this beginning as wee haue done from the former but cleaue to our faith and stand to our vow made in our Baptisme for otherwise our estate becommeth as remedilesse as the condition of the Angels themselues who are shut vp in the chaines of condemnation for euer Thirdly we see how farre the Scriptures may bee said to bee sufficient to cleere all doubtes and determine all controuersies seeing here it onely propoundeth a generall sinne of Angels and nameth no particular as Peter also saith they sinned and Iohn that they stood not in the truth Thus contenting it selfe with generall tearmes without particularizing the proper sinne deseruing this iudgement and determineth not that great question controuerted among Diuines of whome some say it was a 〈◊〉 in thought other● that it was actuall others that it was enuie some Pride c. which maketh the Papists saye that the Scriptures are not sufficient to determine all hard questions But we must not imagine the Scriptures to be such a iudge 〈◊〉 decideth all doubts which the curiositie of mans braine may cast within it selfe whereof there are 〈◊〉 among the ancient Schoolemen such as this i● by scripture indeterminable nay of purpose the holy Ghost ●u●teth 〈◊〉 all cause of such curiositie by silence in such ●nnecessarie matters that 〈…〉 the rather 〈◊〉 to ●●re

Matth. 17. Againe when a man will needs reuenge himselfe of a wrong done against him hee takes vpon him the person of the accuser witnesse Iudge and executioner which is against all iustice and equitie besides that the Lord challengeth this as his own prerogatiue Vengeance is mine and I will repay Ob. But did not Elias pray for fire from heauen in way of reuenge whereby he destroyed his enemies Ans. He did but by instinct from God which is as much as a commandement Ob. But Christ when he was smitten said If I haue well said why smitest thou me Ans. We must put a difference betweene lawfull defence of our selues in our good cause and the offence of our aduersaries Farre was Christ herein from reuenge and so must we Ob. But this is hard and impossible vnto flesh and blood Ans. Yea but we professe our selues to bee children of our Father in heauen and therefore we are to haue more than flesh and blood in vs euen that grace of God which carrieth beleeuers further in Christs schoole than flesh and blood can leade them Vse Schollers and learned men that are to defend Gods cause and the truth of religion yea euen against very heretikes must abstaine from reuiling speeches if wee be reuiled by the pe● of the aduersarie we must commit the iniurie to God Secondly people that goe to law with others for most part herein offend that they doe it in way of reuenge and to wrecke their malice vpon their aduersarie whereas the right vse of sui●e in law is only to defend a mans right all reuenge laid aside Thirdly hence men of valour are taught not to take a challenge into the field it is an honour not to accept of it seeing reuenge is to bee left vnto God let the wrong bee neuer so great Fourthly when men be at oddes and difference it is not lawfull to chide braule contend crie and lift vp the voyce in threatnings seeing all these are degrees and kindes of reuenge which wee must leaue vnto God Qu. What must a man doe that is to incounter with the Diuel either by temptation possession or otherwise Ans. Hee must follow the practise of the Archangel euen flie to God by prayer and intreate him to rebuke him The like practise must be taken vp by those who are to deale with heretikes who seeke the ouerthrow of religion The Lord must be intreated to restraine the malice of the Diuell that he may not in himselfe or instruments preuaile to corrupt or represse much lesse suppresse or supplant the truth Vers. 10. But these speake euill of those things which they know not and whatsoeuer things they know naturally as beasts which are without reason in those things they corrupt themselues IN the former part of this verse is laid downe a third argument which amplifieth the sinne of these deceiuers thus framed For a man to giue sentence and condemne that which hee knoweth not is a point of great iniustice and rashnes But these men condemning Magistracie condemne a thing they know not and therefore are iustly accused of rashnes and iniustice The like s●●ne of these seducers hath been too vsuall in all ages In the daies of the Apostles themselues the Gentiles accounted the doctrine of the Gospell but foolishnes the Iewes an offence and yet neither of them knew what it was The same rashnes is at this day to bee descried in the Church of Rome who haue denounced the sentence of excommunication against our Churches and condemne the Protestants for heretikes when the most of them neuer knew our doctrine nor neuer heard what wee could say for our selues yea most iniuriously they mistake vs in sundry maine points of doctrine as when wee teach that workes doe not iustifie a man before God they crie out and say we condemne all good workes The same fault is exceeding rise amongst vs in these daies for let a man make conscience of his waies and endeuour to please God he is presently branded with names of reproch by those whose tongues are nimble to speake euill of things they neuer knew who are to know that a man cannot be too precise in keeping the commaundements of God and that themselues haue made a promise in Baptisme to walke in no other waies and ought to renew the same so often as they come to the Lords table And whatsoeuer things they know naturally In the rest of this verse is set downe the third sinne of these deceiuers which is the sinne of intemperance standing in the immoderate vse of meate and drinke apparell c. Touching this sinne two things are propounded first the proper cause of it that is naturall knowledge in these words Whatsoeuer they know naturally Secondly the sinne it selfe or the propertie of it In those things they corrupt themselues The cause is because they are guided with a naturall knowledge like the bruite beasts which are without reason There be three kindes of knowledge incident vnto the creature first naturall knowledge arising from the instinct of nature common to man and beast and consisting in the senses of sight taste touching c. by the benefit whereof the beast it selfe can discerne what is food fit for it selfe and what is not what is profitable and what is hurtfull and vnprofitable for it vnto which is ioyned a naturall appetite by the benefit of which the creature can chuse or refuse his food and meate in season The second is reasonable knowledge proper to man and is nothing els but the light of vnderstanding whereby he reacheth farre higher and discerneth meate drinke apparell and rest to be Gods good gifts and knoweth the ciuill vse of them with the which is ioyned election of will whereby hee can chuse or refuse the ciuill or vnciuil honest or dishonest vse of them This knowledge is in all men for euen the Gentiles themselues doe by nature the things contained in the law Rom. 2.14 that is ciuilly and outwardly thus many of the Heathen haue excelled in ciuill carriage and practise of iustice temperance and other ciuill vertues The third is spirituall knowledge not proceeding either from naturall instinct or reason it selfe but from the enlightening of the spirit of God and it hath sundrie fruits First it enableth men to know these things in their right causes as that these giftes of meates drinks such like proceed from God not as he is the God of nature only but as by grace in Christ he is our God yea our Father so they become pledges of his speciall mercie seeing they are now restored againe to the beleeuer hauing been formerly lost in Adams fall Secondly this knowledge causeth men to know them in the due measure of their goodnes and excellencie rightly discerning them from spirituall blessings so as the heart shall not be set vpon them in the first place but vpon the other as of farre higher esteeme yea they shall bee counted as dung in regard of these Thirdly it instructeth