Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	life_n	see_v	2,826	5	3.2572	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17144	An apologie for religion, or an answere to an vnlearned and slanderous pamphlet intituled: Certaine articles, or forcible reasons discouering the palpable absurdities, and most notorious errors of the Protestants religion, pretended to be printed at Antwerpe 1600. By Edvvard Bulkley Doctor of Diuinitie	Bulkley, Edward, d. 1621?; Wright, Thomas, d. 1624. Certaine articles or forcible reasons.	1602 (1602)	STC 4025; ESTC S106873	145,731	186

come to attaine that faluation which God hath promised and Iesus Christ for vs hath purchased Saint Paul to the Ephesians doth as it were to the explication of this place make-declaration both of the true doctrine of saluation and of the way whereby wee are to walke vnto it By grace ye are saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of works least any man should boast himselfe For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them Thus good workes and holy obedience of life which cannot be ioyned with carelesse securitie but doe flow from the feare of God are not causes to merit and deserue saluation which Iesus Christ by his blood shedding hath purchased for vs but alwaies to walke vnto it without the which wee shall neuer see God as the Apostle saith The Pamphlet Articles concerning good life and pietie The Protestants are bound in conscience neuer to aske God forgiuenes of their sinnes WHosoeuer is assured by faith that his sins are forgiuen him sinneth most grieuously in asking God pardon for them but all true Protestants are assured by faith that their sinnes are forgiuen them Ergo. All true Protestants sinne grieuously in asking pardon of God for them The Maior is euident for who but an Infidel or a mad man would demaund of God the creation of the world which he is assured by faith that God hath alreadie created or Christs incarnation which alreadie is performed or the institution of Sacraments which alreadie is effected In like manner who but an Infidel or a mad man will demaund pardon of his sins which he beleeueth alreadie by faith that God hath forgiuen for it is a signe that he doubteth of that which he is bound by faith to beleeue which doubting faith is infidelitie Moreouer what soeuer we demaund that wee hope to obtaine but no man hopeth to obtaine that he alreadie possesseth as no man will demaund of God his owne soule or bodie because alreadie he possesseth them The Minor is vndoubted because this is that liuely faith whereby the Protestants are iustified by this they apprehend Christ by this they applie his merits and passion vnto them and without this no man can attaine vnto saluation Hereupon I will inferre that no Protestant can with a safe conscience say the Lords Prayer because he cannot pray as he ought without true faith and call God his father and if he haue true faith he cannot without note of infidelitie vtter this petition Forgiue vs our sinnes for that most assuredly he beleeueth and protesteth in the first ingresse of that prayer that he is the Son of God and consequently beleeueth by faith that his sins are forgiuen him Answere TO the first proposition of this subtill syllogisme I answere that the assurance by faith which Gods elect haue of the forgiuenes of their sinnes doth well stand with the asking of forgiuenes of them For we are to aske forgiuenes of our sinnes because God doth commaund it and require it of vs. Moreouer it is our dutie to aske forgiuenes of them for otherwise wee cannot be assured by faith that they be forgiuen vs for by asking pardon of them we doe make confession of them and doe acknowledge our owne guiltines the which if we should refuse to doe we can haue no assurance of the remission of them For Salomon saith He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth them and forsaketh them shall haue mercie And S. Iohn saith If wee confesse our sinnes God is faithful and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clouse vs from all vnrighteousnes Moreouer wee aske forgiuenes of our sinnes to confirme our faith and to increase the assurance we haue of the forgiuenes of them and that we may more and more haue the feeling of the forgiuenes of them increased in our hearts For we doe not meane that any man hath any such firme assurance of faith but that the same is mixed with weaknes and many times shaken with temptations against the which wee must striue and pray and say both with him in the Gospell Lord I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe and with the Apostles Lord increase our faith Our faith is but as a graine of Mustard seede which must grow and increase Saint Paul saith that by the Gospell the righteousnes of God is reueiled from faith to faith Vpon which words Clement Alexandrinus writeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle seemeth to declare a double faith but rather one faith which receiueth increase and perfection And therefore in praying for the forgiuenes of sinnes wee pray that our faith of the forginenes of them may be more and more confirmed and our assurance thereof increased in vs. Lastly seeing wee daily sinne both in doing that which God forbiddeth and omitting that which he commandeth why ought wee not daily to aske forgiuenes of them And in praying for the remission of our sinnes we desire all those things which be effects and fruites thereof as Sanctification and eternall life c. And yet wee must pray in a true perswasion of faith of Gods mercie towards vs to the forgiuenes of our sinnes not onely past but also future and to come And so our praying for the forgiuenes of them is a crauing of the continuance of Gods mercie to the continuall pardoning of them which we continually commit Now whereas hee saith the Maior is euident and none but an Infidell or mad man would demaund of God the creation of the world which hee is assured by faith that God hath alreadie created c. I answere that none that is well in his wits would make such a foolish and absurd comparison as is betweene the asking of God the creation of the world the incarnation of Christ c. and the remission of our sinnes For those are neither commaunded nor at all to be asked and will this man say that forgiuenes of sinnes is not at all of any to be prayed for Of those things we neede not further to be confirmed but of the forgiuenes of our sinnes our faith had neede to be strengthened and the feeling thereof in our consciences to be increased Moreouer as I said before for as much as we daily sin and offend God wee ought daily to craue Gods mercie in pardoning our sinnes What likenes hath prayer for the creation of the world or for the incarnation of Christ c. herewith And whereas this man thinketh it so absurd a thing to pray to God to forgiue vs our sinnes because wee beleeue the forgiuenes of them I would aske of him whether S. Paul praying both in the beginning and in the end of his Epistles for Gods grace to the faithfull did not assuredly beleeue that they were euen then and before those his prayers indued with Gods grace No doubt but hee did beleeue that they

penance consisting in shriuing to a Priest receiuing absolution frō him doing some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wil worshippings appointed by him we allow not but true repentance which consisteth in vnfained sorrow for sinne earnest confession with remorse of conscience both to God and man offended and a true reformation and amendment of life we allow and commend and doe iudge that we can do nothing acceptable to God which proceedeth not from this true repentance The third thing whereby you would proue that we denie this article of remission of sinnes which you say exceedeth all in absurditie is that we denie that our sins are perfectly forgiuen but only not imputed as it were veiled or couered with the passion of Christ c. Wherunto I answer that you here bring an absurd distinction For what difference is there betweene forgiuing not imputing and couering and hiding of sinne Surely it seemeth that Dauid could find no such ods betwixt them as you dreame of whose words be these Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie and in whose spirit there is no guile Doth not Dauid here take these all for one attribute blessednes alike to euery one of thē Whē S. Paul saith God was in Christ and recōciled the world to himself not imputing their sins vnto them what doth he meane by not imputing of sin but forgiuing of sin Primasius expoundeth it thus Non reputans illis delicta ipsorum hoc est indulgens per solam fidem quae gratis donata est i. Not imputing to them their sinnes that is to say pardoning them by only faith which is freely giuen And whereas you so much extenuate Not imputing and make it not so much as Forgiuing Chrysostome a man of greater iudgement then you affirmeth the contrarie and maketh not imputing greater then forgiuing in these words Attamen cùm tanta sint nostra peccata non solum non exposcit poenam sed conciliatus est non solùm dimisit sed neque imputauit c. that is But whereas our sinnes be so great he doth not only not require punishment but also is reconciled with vs and not onely hath forgiuen but hath not so much as imputed our sins to vs. Bernard thinketh not basely of not imputing as you do his sweete words be these Sufficit mihi ad omnem iustitiam solum habere propitium cui soli peccaui Omne quod mihi ipse non imputare decreuerit sic est quasinon fuerit Non peccare Dei iustitia est hominis iustitia indulgentia Dei that is It is sufficient for me vnto all righteousnesse to haue him mercifull against whom onely I haue sinned whatsoeuer he hath determined not to impute vnto me is so as though it had neuer beene Not to sinne is the iustice of God mans iustice is Gods mercie Bernard here saith that the not imputing of our sins vnto vs is as much as though they had neuer beene committed And will you say that notwithstanding the not imputing of them yet their botches biles filth and abomination remaine still exhaling a most pestiferous sent in the sight of God Is not the sweet smelling sacrifice of Iesus Christ able so to perfume them and vs that we and all our actions may be sweet and acceptable in the sight of God And if the robe which the Father put vpon his prodigall sonne could so hide all his ragges that he was deare in his fathers eyes cannot the robe of Christs righteousnesse so couer and hide all our ragges yea our botches and biles that we may bee deare and precious in the sight of God our heauenly and most mercifull father And if those that had the mariage garment vpon them were admitted to the mariage without regard what the said garment couered shall not we hauing the mariage garment of Christs righteousnes be acpted to the mariage of the Lambe notwithstanding all the botches and biles which it couereth Yet we doe not say that we can couer or hide all our sinnes from the piereing eyes of God but this we say that euen God himselfe doth hide them with this robe of Christs righteousnesse and looking on vs in the face of Iesus Christ his Sonne doth accept vs his members for such as Iesus Christ himselfe is And do you not think that that which God hideth is well hid and shall neuer come to light Dauid saith of God Thou hast forgiuen the iniquitie of thy people and couered all their sinnes Doth not Dauid here take forgiuenesse and hiding both for one And therefore this your distinction betwixt perfect forgiuing and not imputing couering is as substantiall a one as that is of your blind and barbarous Schooleman Richardus de Sancto Victore Christus potuit dimittere peccata nos verò non possumus dimittere peccata sed tantum remittere As great difference as there is betwixt dimittere and remittere so much there is betwixt forgiuing not imputing and couering of sin This is as Erasmus saith Frigidissimis distinctionibus omnia confundere that is with friuolous distinctions to confound all things And this much for this Article of the Creede which you do as foolishly proue as you falsly affirm that wee denie it Now I come to the fourth Article that you say the Puritanes in effect denie which is no lesse then Christ to bee the Sonne of God But who bee these Puritanes that bee thus grieuously charged what are their names why be not their bookes named and sayings produced These things ought to haue beene done if you had beene disposed rather ratiocinari quā calumniari that is to reason then to raile and slaunder But to this your malicious and false accusation I wil first oppose the true confession of faith concerning this article whereunto all the reformed Churches whereof I haue either heard or read do assent and agree We beleeue and acknowledge one onely God who is one onely and simple essence spirituall eternall inuisible immutable infinite incomprehensible almightie most wise good iust and mercifull and that in that one and simple diuine essence there be three persons subsisting the Father the Son and the holy Ghost The Father the first cause in order and the beginning of all things the Sonne his wisedome and euerlasting word the holy Ghost his true power and efficacie The Sonne begotten of the Father from euerlasting the holy Ghost from euerlasting proceeding from the Father and the Sonne which three persons are not confounded but distinct and yet not deuided but coëssentiall coëternall and coëquall If you mislike any thing in this confession confute it if you know any of vs that maintaine any diuers doctrine dissenting from this name them produce their sayings and quote the places But you say that these whom you terme puritanes peremptorily affirme that Christ is God of

malarum cogitationum ordinator est tamen malarum voluntatum de malo opere cuiuslibet mali non desinit ipse botum operari 1. Although God be not the author of euill cogitations yet is hee the orderer of euill wils and of the euill worke of euery euill man he ceaseth not to worke a good worke Therefore these wonderfull workes of God whose iudgements are vnsearchable and waies past finding out are not curiously to be discussed but reuerently to be adored For O man what art thou that pleadest against God In the probation of his minor he first vntruly according to his custome saith that wee deride Gods permission the which is false for we neither deride no deny Gods permission God said to Abimelech I kept thee also that thou shouldest not sinne against me Non permisi te vt tangeres eam therefore I haue not permitted thee to touch her Againe God permitted him not to hurt me But we say first that God permitteth not sinne inuitus against his will but of his will for els he were not omnipotent Secondly that he doth not onely permit sinnes but also by his infinite wisedome and almightie power draweth good out of them and directeth them to his glorie So S. Augustine saith Hoc quippe ipso quod contra Dei voluntatem fecerunt de ipsis facta est voluntas eius c. In that thing which they haue done against the will of God the will of God is done in them Therefore the workes of the Lord are great and are to be sought out of them that loue them So that by a wonderfull and vnspeakeable manner that is not done without his will which is done against his will because it could not be done vnlesse he did permit it nec vtique nolens sinit sed volens neither doth he permit it against his will but with his will Neither would he being good permit euill to be done vnlesse hee being omnipotent could also of euill doe good S. Hierome saith Dicā quicquam sine te fieri ô Domine Deus te nolente tantum posse impium Hoc sentire blasphemum est Quum itaque tu sis vniuersitatis rector Dominus tu necesse est facias quod sine te fieri non potest i. Shall I say that any thing is done without thee O Lord God and that the wicked can doe so much thou being vnwilling To thinke this is blasphemous Seeing therefore thou art the ruler and Lord of the world thou must needs doe that which cannot be done without thee Wee say indeede that Gods workes be energeticall and effectuall not onely in the faithfull but also in the wicked and reprobate whose hearts he hardeneth and eyes blindeth whom he giueth vp to a reprobate minde and to whom hee sendeth a strong delusion to beleeue lies These be Gods iust iudgements wherby he punisheth the wicked who yet are not impelled or coacted of God to these sinnes but willingly harden their owne hearts by the deceit of sinne shut their eyes that they may not see giue vp their members seruants to vncleannes and iniquitie and delight in delusions and in beleeuing lies as Papists now doe We doe not desperatly auerre but you doe falsely and impudently affirme that we teach that Pauls conuersion and Dauids adulterie were in like manner the workes of God This shamelesse saying you haue picked out of Campians reasons out of which you haue like a goodly Rapsodist gleaned a great part of this lying Libel but you cannot shew it in the writing of any Protestant This is calumniari non ratiocinare to slaunder and not rightly to reason But you know your friends and fauourers will beleeue you though it be neuer so false And you haue learned that lesson Audacter calumniare semper aliquid adhaeret We say that Pauls conuersion was a worke of Gods mercie agreeable to his will reuealed in his word Dauids sinne of adulterie was a work which he hateth and repugnant to his said will God wrought mightily in Paul by his holy spirit in conuerting his heart in drawing him out of darknes and in making him of a persecuter a preacher of his Gospell and a minister of his mercie God did not so work at that time in Dauid but left him to himselfe to be tempted drawne away and ouercome of his owne corrupt concupilcence yet wee say that God did draw good out of that sinne of Dauid in making him a patterne of true repentance and example of Gods mercie in forgiuing his sinnes and thereby teaching vs to walke warily and flee carnall securitie For if so excellent a man that was according to Gods heart did so fouly and fearefully fall what may fall vnto vs if we walke not circumspectly and pray not feruently to God to vphold vs with his hand and to guide vs with his holy spirit Touching Gods permission you write as though you neither did know what we teach nor regard what your selfe doe write Doe we teach that God elected some to glorie before the preuision of workes and reiected some from glorie before the preuision of sinnes You shall find this false assertion in our bookes when you finde the former shameles slaunder We do not teach that God elected any to glorie before he did foresee their workes For from euerlasting he to whom all things be present did foresee both the good workes of his elect and the wicked workes of the reprobate But this we say that the foundation and cause of Gods election and reprobation is not his prescience and foreseeing of the good workes of the one and the wicked workes of the other but his owne purpose will and pleasure and that good workes be not causes of Gods election but fruits and effects of it Saint Paul saith Before the Children were borne and when they had neither done good nor euill that the purpose of God might remaine according to election not by workes but by him that calleth It was said to her The elder shall serue the younger At it is written I haue loued Iacob and haue hated Esau Againe As he hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue Who hath predestinate vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ in himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will in whom also we are chosen when we were predestinate according to the purpose of him which worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will Againe God hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was Where we may see that the foundation and cause of Gods election is his owne will pleasure and purpose and not the foreseeing of our workes Saint Augustine saith Quod si futuros