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	love_n	love_v	4,903	5	6.7044	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29125	A compendious answer to a book called A brief survay of the judgement of Mr. John Goodvvin, and the Church of God walking with him, touching their reasons of dissenting from many of their brethren, in these imprtant heads of doctrine; 1. Election and reprobation. 2. The death of Christ. 3. The grace of God in and about conversion. 4. The liberty or power of the will, or of the creature man. 5. The perseverance of the saints. VVherein the absurdities of all their dissenting doctrines are clearly exhibited, by a loving friend to the truth it self, Ellis Bradshaw.	Bradshaw, Ellis.	1652 (1652)	Wing B4139A; ESTC R212996	33,087	46

both in the writings and oral discourses of the Patrons of the said decree of Reprobation such sayings and passages which we know not how to reconcile with this decree and consequently cannot but judge such a decree to be very disharmonious to the true strains and doctrins of the Gospel Answ The best patronage we have for it is the word of God and it is all that we dare cleave too to make it out But if your consequence and judgement be groundedly raised to wit That our doctrines are not harmonious with the Gospel then upon the same ground we may pass our judgement infallibly upon yours 1. For as hath been shewed you first agree with us that The Scripture expresly holdeth forth and asserteth both a decree of Election and a decree of Reprobation in God 2. And that these decrees were in God from Eternity or before the foundatiens of the world were laid 3. And that both these decrees as well as all others attributable to God are really and simply God himself 4. And that these decrees as all others in God are like God himself absolutely immutable and unchangeable c. And then in your very first particular of your dissent from us you quite contradict what you assented to as hath been argued before and represent unto us the counsel and decree of God as changeable as the Moon or as the mind of man as if the counsel of God were wholly dependent on the will of man as if the wisdome of God were not perfect and full for making his decrees absolute till he receive instructions from the actings of men how he should judge them you say it is possible notwithstanding his Decree of Election that his Elect should perish and notwithstanding his Decree of Reprobation of any particular person yet he may possibly be saved Now we shall freely accord that some particular persons which you or we think to be his Elect may possily perish or whom we think to be Reprobates may possibly be saved But to avouch it possible that the Decree of God concerning particular persons is changeable We dare not do it unless you can assure us that he did not foresee from the beginning who should be saved and who should perish But all his sheep all his Elect are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world that they should be holy and without blame before him in love Ephes 1.4 and they are also predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his sonne These all being the Sheep of Christ hear his voice and he knoweth them and they follow him and he giveth unto them eternal lise and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of his hand his father who gave hem to him is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of his fathers hand And he and his father are one See Jo. 10.27 28 29 30. And all the reason that Christ renders why others believed not is because they were not his sheep verse 26. they were none of his Elect. 3. Now your third particular head of doctrine wherin you say you dissent from us is That God hath not decreed the Reprobation of any infant dying before the commission of actual sin Answ I answer I was once of your mind in this particular and was so perswaded upon the same grounds that you here hold forth But through the grace of God was long since resolved that it was not true First I thought as in your fourth reason That the case of all infants dying before the commission of actual sin to be one and the same because I apprehended they were all alike and in a like measure by nature children of wrath one as well and as much as another and so either all saved or all damned But I could not believe they were all damned for such like reasons as you here allege therefore I concluded they were certainly saved But upon better consideration as it pleased God to give me to understand that though Jews by nature were children of wrath as well as Gentiles which is the proper scope of that expression Ephes 2.3 as will appear by the context and not that every particular child is by nature alike and in the same measure polluted with sin but though all were polluted in the sight of God Christ himself excepted yet there was great difference and disparitie amongst them in the sight of God which put me quite into another mind and searching the Scriptures I was presently confirmed quite the contrary I shall therefore hold forth such Scriptures and reasons as confirmed me and gave me full resolves in any question that could be proposed concerning this doctrine of Election and Reprobation And first then for proof that all children when new born are not in the same measure flesh nor alike fleshly nor that they are all alike and in the same measure sinful or vessels of wrath or in the State of wrath nor alike beloved or hated of God nor alike unclean or clean in his sight It will evidently appear from the word of God Though I do not say I can make this difference appear unto men whiles they are unborn yet it will appear that there is then such difference in the sight of God 1. As first I argue If God loveth one thing and hateth another there is certainly a difference and disparity betwixt those things in the sight of God Rea. For he loveth the good and hateth the evil and cannot both hate and love the very self same thing nor as he cannot chuse but hate the evil so he cannot but love whatever is good for every good proceedeth of God And it were no less than blasphemie to say he loveth the evil or hateth the good as it may well be said of some wicked men who alwaies do so Nor we may not say that the love or hatred of our wise God is without a cause and that just and clear to his own comprehension though not ours Assum But he loved Jacob and hated Esau when they were in the womb and had neither of them done either good or evil Conseq Ergo there was difference in the sight of God when they were in the womb one was then a vessel of wrath in fitting for destruction and the other was doubtless a vessel of mercy in preparing for glory Arg. 2. If children were all alike by nature after their propagation from the loines of their parents and that there were no difference but as all are polluted and all are defiled either less or more Christ himself excepted so all were alike polluted and a like defiled by means of generation being conceived in iniquitie Conseq 1. Then it would follow that the just Lord who will doe no iniquity and who is Judge of all the World should not doe right In visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him And shewing mercy unto thousands

that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands and shine upon the counsell of the wicked Thou knowest that I am not wicked and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand Thy hands have made me and fashioned me together round about As if he should have said Thou hast taken pains about me even in my very generation whereas it cannot be said that thou dost so to the wicked and therefore theyare not so peculiarly thine own workmanship they cannot be called a holy generation a righteous seed a seed reserved of God the off-spring of God a chosen generation 1 Pet. 2.9 as hath been specified before It is more proper to call them generations of vipers evill and adulterous generations children of wickednesse sons of Belial yea even vessels of wrath made on purpose for the day of evill made to be taken and to be destroyed Even as men sometimes make vessels for retention of noysome unclean and filthy things that so they may cast them forth both vessell and all out of their sight and presence For just so it is God maketh the vessels for retention of wrath or spirituall wickednesse which by means of generation is propagated together with the seed of generation from the very loyns of parents Which though we are not able to distinguish nor discern the nature of spirituall wickednesse nor how it is propagable from the loyns of parents yet we know it is so and where it is predominant in the sight of God and the more predominant that it is in any the more loathsome such are in his sight and that in the very wombe And this doth clear and fully reconcile the Mercy and Justice of God and that against all the cavils and opposition whatsoever that can be objected yea though never so many either children or others doe eternally perish and suffer the vengeance of eternall fire for it is but wickednesse spirituall wickednesse that is vesseld up against the day of wrath and suffered with long patience till it be fitted for destruction and that on purpose that he may shew his wrath and hatred against sinne and that he may make his power known how he can punish and that to all eternity according to his Infinite Justice and Infinite Wrath and hatred of sinne as if need require I shall shew at large and answer all objections that can be produced or that are held forth in your book or books if this will not serve but I love not to be tedious if I may chuse And a word they say is sufficient for wise men I expect therefore that these brief hints may satisfie some till I have opportunity and occasion for a larger Treatise upon this subject if it so pleaseth God FINIS A brief Survey of the grand Absurdities that necessarily follow their erroneous Doctrines and Tenets 1 THEIR Doctrine implicitly denieth that Faith is the gift of God and that of free grace And so they make faith as a thing in the power of the will of man and so a thing meritorious in man quite contrary to Eph. 2.8 For by grace we are saved through faith and that not of our selves it is the gift of God And vers 9. Not of works lest any man should boast And again vers 10. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works c. 2. It utterly denieth the eternall omnisciency of God and that his understanding is infinite limiting the Holy One of Israel only to the fore-knowledge of a generall entire species of men which he decreed to elect in the fulnesse of time As if his fore-knowledge or counsell of his will before the world began had not been capable nor comprehensive or at least not extensive to foresee the very particulars and every occurrence that should befall from the beginning to the end as he did the generals and the species c. quite contradictory to these Scriptures Psal 147.5 Great is the Lord and of great power his understanding is infinite Eph. 1.11 Being predestinate according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the counsell of his own will See allso Acts 2.23 and 2.47 John 10.14 and vers 26 27 28 29 30. 3. They in these doctrines determine it to be an unjust thing in God to determine with himself before the world was to make of the same lump of his own clay one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour one a vessel of wrath c. and another a vessel of mercy quite contradictory to the Apostles judgement and to Davids allso What shall we say then Is there unrighteousnesse with God God forbid saith the Apostle Rom. 9.14 though yet he did acknowledge that God did even so as vers 19 20 21 22 23 24. And David saith Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his waies and holy in all his works Yea though it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy and that he hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth yea even he hardeneth as vers 17 18. and 15. 4. It importeth That God is as much engaged to shew mercy unto all as to any at all and so that God is unjust if any be damned As if there were no more cause nor reason in the sight of God wherefore it is that he saveth such and the very same who are his Elect then if he should save the Reprobates denying in effect that there was any cause why he loved Jacob and hated Esay whiles they had not done either good or evill as if the one had then been as good and lovely in the sight of God as was the other whom he had selected with his own hand from the very loyns of his naturall parents Rom. 9.11 12 13. 5. It importeth That some of Gods very Elect shall or may be damned contrary to the Apostles judgement Rom. 3. from 28. to the end where the Apostle concludes That he was perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate such who are his Elect from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 6. It importeth That some of old ordained unto condemnation and that are made purposely for the day of evill as vessels of wrath fitted for destruction yea that like brute beasts are made to be taken and to be destroyed may yet possibly be saved as if the purpose of God could possibly be frustrate See Prov. 16.4 5. Job 21.30 Rom. 9.15 16 17 28 19 c. and Jud. v. 4 5. 7. This doctrine importeth That none are Gods Elect but such who come to years of discretion and so to faith and repentance though they would pretend the contrary as if all children dying in Infancy should certainly be saved Whereas the consequence of their doctrine concludes them all damned For they plainly