Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	grace_n	justification_n	work_n	6,035	5	6.7945	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96714	Antinomians and familists condemned by the synod of elders in Nevv-England: with the proceedings of the magistrates against them, and their apology for the same. Together with a memorable example of Gods iudgments upon some of those persons so proceeded against.	Winthrop, John, 1588-1649,; Weld, Thomas, 1590?-1662,	1644 (1644)	Wing W3094; Thomason E251_10; ESTC R212499	69,974	70

beleevers in common 1 John 5.13 to distinguish the persons of beleevers from unbeleevers the water is annexed to the Spirit and bloud 1 Iohn 5.8 Errour 76. The Devill and nature may be cause of a gracious worke Confutation 76. The words are unsavoury and the position unsound for taking gracious according to the language of the Scripture gracious words Luke 4.22 Let your speech be gracious gracious words are such as issue from the saving grace of Christs Spirit indwelling in the soule which neither the Devill nor nature is able to produce for Christ professeth Iohn 15.3 4. Without me yee can doe nothing nothing truly gracious Iohn 3. What ever is borne of the flesh is flesh and Rom. 7.18 In my flesh dwels no good truly spirituall and gracious Gen. 6.5 Every imagination of the thoughts of a mans heart are evill and that continually Besides the Devill is that evill and wicked one onely wickednesse an adversary to Gods grace and glory that which is contrary to corrupt nature and the hellish nature of Satan and above the power of both they cannot be the causes of gracious works Errour 77. Sanctification is so farre from evidencing a good estate that it darkens it rather and a man may more clearely see Christ when he seeth no sanctification then when he doth the darker my sanctification is the brighter is my justification Confutation 77. This is contrary to the Scripture of truth which rather giveth the name of light to sanctification and holinesse and even for this use to cleare our justification 1 Iohn 1.6 7. For the holy Ghost concludes as from a cleare and infallible promise and proposition that if we walke in the light as he is in the light then doth the bloud of Christ cleanse us from all sinne meaning that then and thereby it appeareth that it is done as by the contrary unholinesse and unholy walking is like darknesse which obscureth all the goodly presumption flourishes and hopes of an unregenerate man vers 6. For this purpose 1 Iohn 5.8 the water of sanctification is made a witnesse now the nature of a witnesse is not to darken and obscure matters in question but to cleare them and Psal 51.10 11 12. when David saw his heart so uncleane and his spirit so altogether out of order his justification was not then brighter for then he should have had the joy of his salvation more full and not so to sinke as that he begs it might be restored to him as implying that his joy for the present was wanting to him Errour 78. God hath given sixe witnesses three in Heaven and three in earth to beget and build justifying faith upon Confutation 78. This expression answers not the patterne of wholesome words for if this position be taken thus God hath given all these sixe witnesses both to beget and also to build justifying faith upon it is contrary to Scripture for God hath not given all these fixe witnesses to beget justifying faith because the water of sanctification which is one of the sixe doth not goe before justifying faith but followeth after it for our hearts are justified by faith Acts 15.9 Errour 79. If a member of a Church be unsatisfied with any thing in the Church if he expresse his offence whether he hath used all meanes to convince the Church or no he may depart Confutation 79. Contrary to the rule of our Saviour Matth. 18. If thy brother offend convictingly admonish whence it is evident that in our carriage towards a private brother we must convince him before admonish him much lesse separate from him Therefore our carriage towards the whole Church must upon greater reason be with like prudence and tendernesse whence the argument followes thus An offence taken before conviction will not beare an admonition much lesse separation from a brother or Church but the offence in the question propounded is such Ergo. Errour 80. If a man thinke he may edifie better in another congregation then in his owne that is ground enough to depart ordinarily from word seales fastings feastings and all administrations in his owne Church notwithstanding the offence of the Church often manifested to him for so doing Confutation 80. It is contrary to the condition and station of a member of the body in which he stands 1 Cor. 12.27 A member must not put it selfe from the body upon its owne thoughts as the admission of a member was by the consent of the whole so likewise must his dismission be It is contrary also to the duty of a member Ephes 4.16 there must be an effectuall working in every part for the edification of the whole which this departure from the administration of all the holy ordinances in the Church will necessarily hinder It is contrary also to the good of the whole Church and the rule which the Lord hath appointed for the preservation thereof 1 Cor. 14 33. God is not the author of confusion and therefore not of this practise which will certainly bring it for if one member upon these his imaginations may depart why may not ten yea twenty yea an hundred Why may not the Pastor upon such grounds leave his people as well as they him considering the tye is equall on both parts Error 81. Where faith is held forth by the Ministery as the condition of the covenant of grace on mans part as also evidencing justification by sanctification and the activity of faith in that Church there is not sufficient bread Confutation 81. This position seemeth to deny faith to be a condition at all or at all active and so if condition in this place signifie a qualification in man wrought by the holy Ghost without which the promises doe not belong to men this is contrary to Scripture for John 6.48 Christ is the bread of life and yet in the same chapter faith is held out as a condition of the covenant by the Ministery of Christ himselfe and the activity of it is held forth in these words Verily I say unto you unlesse yee eate the flesh and drinke the bloud of the Sonne of man you have no life in you and who so eateth c. As for the lawfulnesse of evidencing justification by sanctification if it be understood of that sanctification which is by faith in Christ it is contrary to the intent of the whole Epistle of John besides many other places of Scripture which yet hold forth bread sufficient if by sufficient is meant that doctrine which in its right use is wholsome and good food for it was written that their joy might be full yet the evidencing of justification by sanctification is expressely held forth chap. 1. vers 7. where he saith If we walke in the light as Christ is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne by walking in the light in opposition to walking in darknesse spoken of before verse 6. Sanctification is evidently meant and this is

cause why he was sent for viz. To satisfie the Court about some passages in his Sermon which seemed to be offensive and therewith a copy of it was produced and he was demanded whether he would owne it whereupon he drew forth another copy which he delivered into the Court as a true copy for the substance of it so he was dismissed very gently and desired to be ready when he should be called for againe The next day he was againe sent for by the former messenger About this time a Petition was delivered into the Court under the hands of above forty persons being most of the Church of Boston being none of the Petitions before mentioned which were delivered after to this effect that as free-men they might be admitted to be present in the Court in causes of judicature and that the Court would declare whether they might proceed in cases of conscience without referring them first to the Church To this the Court answered on the backside of the Petition that they did conceive the Petition was without just ground for the first part of it the Court had never used privacie in Judiciall proceedings but in preparation thereto by way of examination of the party c. they might and would use their liberty as they should see cause and for the other part of the Petition when any matter of conscience should come before them they would advise what were fit to be done in it When Mr. Wheelwright came in the Court was private and then they told him they had considered of his Sermon and were desirous to aske him some questions which might tend to cleare his meaning about such passages therein as seemed offensive he demanded whether he were sent for as an innocent person or as guilty It was answered neither but as suspected onely Then he demanded who were his accusers It was answered his Sermon which was there in Court being acknowledged by himselfe they might thereupon proceed ex officio at this word great exception was taken as if the Court intended the course of the High Commission c. It was answered that the word ex officio was very safe and proper signifying no more but the authority or duty of the Court and that there was no cause of offence seeing the Court did not examine him by any compulsory meanes as by oath imprisonment or the like but onely desired him for better satisfaction to answer some questions but he still refused yet at last through perswasion of some of his friends he seemed content The question then put to him was whether before his Sermon he did not know that most of the Ministers in this jurisdiction did teach that doctrine which be in his Sermon called a Covenant of works to this he said he did not desire to answer and hereupon some cried out that the Court went about to ensnare him and to make him to accuse himselfe and that this question was not about the matter of his Sermon c. Upon this he refused to answer any further so he was dismissed till the afternoone The reason why the Court demanded that question of him was not to draw matter from himselfe whereupon to proceed against him neither was there any need for upon a conference of the Ministers not long before there had beene large dispute betweene some of them and himselfe about that point of evidencing Justification by Sanctification so as the court might soone have convinced him by witnesses if they had intended to proceed against him upon that ground In the afternoone he was sent for againe in the same manner as before and the Ministers also being in the Towne and come thither to conferre together for further discovery of the ground of the disterences which were in the Countrey about the Covenant of Grace c. they were desired to be present also in the Court to beare witnesse of the proceedings in the case and to give their advice as the Court upon occasion should require so the doores being set open for all that would to come in and there was a great Assembly and Mr. Wheelwright being willed to sit downe by the Ministers his Sermon was produced and many passages thereof was read to him which for the better understanding we have digested into this order following He therein describeth two Covenants the Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Works the Covenant of Grace he describeth to be when in the point of Justification and the knowledge of this our Justification by Faith there is nothing revealed but Christ Jesus but if men thinke to be saved because they see some worke of Sanctification in themselves as hungring and thirsting c. this is a Covenant of Works if men have revealed to them some work of righteousnesse as love to the brethren c. and hereupon come to be assured that they are in a good estate this is not the assurance of Faith for Faith hath Crist revealed for the object therefore if the assurance of a mans Justification be by Faith as a Work it is not Gospel Having thus described those who goe under a Covenant of Works he pronounceth them to be enemies to Christ to be Antichrists to be flesh opposed to spirit such as will certainly persecute those who hold forth the truth and the wayes of Grace he resembleth them to the Philistims who stop up with the earth of their owne inventions the Wels of true beleevers he resembleth them also to Herod who would have killed Christ so soone as he was borne and to Herod and Pilate who did kill Christ when he came once to shew forth himselfe and would have kept him eternally in the grave he further describeth them out of the second Psalme to be the people of God as the Jewes were and such as would take away the true Christ and put in false Christs to deceive if it were possible the very elect he also describeth them by that in Cant. 10.6 they make the children of Grace keepers of the Vineyard they make them travell under the burden of the Covenant of Works which doth cause Christ many times from them He commeth after to a use of exhortation wherein he stirreth up all those of his side to a spirituall combate to prepare for battel and come out and fight against the enemies of the Lord those under a Covenant of Works he shewes whom he meaneth thus to excite alluding to Davids valiant men to Baruch Deborah Jael and all the men of Jsrael and bind them hereunto under the curse of Meroz He further exhorteth them to stand upon their guard c. by alluding to the 600. valiant men who kept watch about the bed of Solomon a type of Christ then he encourageth those of his side against such difficulties as might be objected as 1. If the enemies shall oppose the way of God they must lay the more load on them and kill them with the Word of the Lord and there he alludeth to those places which

his followers all the people of God in this Countrey were under the distinction of men under the Covenant of grace and men under a Covenant of workes Mr. Wheelwright alleadged a place in Matth. 21. where Christ speaking against the Scribes and Pharisees no advantage could they take against him because he did not name them but it was answered they did not spare him for that cause for then they would have taken their advantage at other times when he did name them One or two of the Deputies spake in his defence but it was to so little purpose being onely more out of affection to the party then true judgement of the state of the cause that the Court had little regard of it Mr. Wheelwright being demanded if he had ought else to speake said that there was a double Pharisee in the charge laid upon them 1. In that the troubles of the Civill State were imputed to him but as it was by accident as it is usuall in preaching of the Gospel 2. That it was not his Sermon that was the cause of them but the Lord Jesus Christ To which the Court answered that it was apparent he was the instrument of our troubles he must prove them to be by such accident and till then the blame must rest upon himselfe for we know Christ would not owne them being out of his way After these and many other speeches had passed the Court declaring him guilty for troubling the civill peace both for his seditious Sermon and for his corrupt and dangerous opinions and for his contemptuous behaviour in divers Courts formerly and now obstinately maintaining and justifying his said errours and offences and for that he refused to depart voluntarily from us which the Court had now offered him and in a manner perswaded him unto Seeing it was apparent unto him from that of our Saviour Matth. that we could not continue together without the ruine of the whole he was sentenced to be disfranchised and banished our jurisdiction and to be put in safe custody except he should give sufficient security to depart before the end of March Upon this he appealed to the Kings Majesty but the Court told him an appeale did not lie in this case for the King having given us an authority by his graunt under his great Seale of England to heare and determine all causes without any reservation we were not to admit of any such appeales for any such subordinate state either in Ireland or Scotland or other places and if an appeale should lie in one case it might be challenged in all and then there would be no use of government amongst us neither did an appeale lie from any Court in any County or Corporation in England but if a party will remove his cause to any of the Kings higher Courts he must bring the Kings Writ for it neither did he tender any appeale nor call any witnesses nor desired any Act to be entered of it then he was demanded if be would give security for his quiet departure which he refusing to doe he was committed to the custody of the Marshall The next morning he bethought himselfe better and offered to give security alleadging that he did not conceive the day before that a sentence of banishment was pronounced against him he also suffered to relinquish his appeale and said he would accept of a simple banishment The Court answered him that for his appeale he might doe as he pleased and for his departure he should have the liberty the Court had offered him provided he should not preach in the meane time but that he would not yeeld unto so in the end the Court gave him leave to goe home upon his promise that if he were not departed out of his jurisdiction within foureteene dayes he would render himselfe at the house of Mr. Stanton one of the Magistrates there to abide as a prisoner till the Court should dispose of him Mr. Cogshall THe next who was called was Mr. John Cogshall one of the Deacons of Boston upon his appearance the Court declared that the cause why they had sent for him was partly by occasion of his speeches and behaviour in this Court the other day and partly for some light miscarriages at other times and that they did looke at him as one that had a principall hand in all our late disturbances of our publike peace The first thing we doe charge you with is your justfying a writing called a Remonstrance or Petition but indeed a seditious Libell and that when Mr. Asp was questioned by the Court about it you stood up uncalled and justified the same saying to this effect that if the Court meant to dismisse him for that it was best to make but one worke of all for though your selfe had not your hand to the Petition yet you did approve thereof and your hand was to the Protestation which was to the same effect whereupon you being also dismissed used clamorous and unbeseeming speaches to the Court at your departure whereby we take you to be of the same minde with those who made the Petition and therefore liable to the same punishment upon this the Petition was openly read and liberty was granted to him to answer for himselfe His first answer was that what he then spake he spake as a member of the Court to which it was answered againe that 1. hee was no member of the Court standing upon tryall whether to be allowed or rejected at such time as he uttered most of those speeches 2. Admit he were yet it is no privilege of a member to reproach or affront the whole Court it is licentiousnesse and not liberty when a man may speake what he list for he was reminded of some words he uttered at his going forth of the Court to this effect that we had censured the truth of Christ and that it was the greatest stroke that ever was given to Free-grace To which he answered that his words were mistaken for he said that he would pray that our eyes might be opened to see what we did for he thought it the greatest stroke that ever was given to N. E. for he did beleeve that Master Wheelwright did hold forth the truth He was further charged that at the Court after the day of elections he complained of injury that the Petition which was tendered was not presently read before they went to election To which being answered that it was not then seasonable and against the order of that day but the Court were then ready to heare it if it were tendered whereupon he turned his backe upon the Court and used menacing speeches to this effect That since they could not be heard then they would take another course To which he answered confessing he spake over hastily at that time that his words were onely these then we must doe what God shall direct us He was further charged that he should say that halfe the people that were in Church-covenant in N.E. were

speak of giving the Saints power over nations binding Kings in chaines and of threshing instruments with teeth and foretels their flight by that in Esay 21.15 They shall flee from the sword c. 2. Though the enemies under a Covenant of Works be many and strong as he confesseth they are yet they ought not to fear for the battel is the Lords this he enforceth by that in Josh 23.10 One of you shall chase a thousand and that of Jonathan and his armour-bearer 3. Against tendernesse of heart which they might have towards such under a Covenant of Works as are exceeding holy and strict in their way he animateth his party by perswading them that such are the greatest enemies to Christ this he seekes to illustrate by resembling such in their zeale to Paul when he was a persecutor and in their devotion to those who expelled Paul and Barnabas out of Antioch He taketh it for granted that these holy men trust in their righteousnesse and that it thrusteth out the righteousnesse of Christ and so concludes and foretels from Ezech. 33. They shall die and that their righteousnesse is accursed yet they transforme themselves saith he into Angels of light 4. That his party might not feare lest he should breake the rule of meekenesse c. he bringeth in the example of Stephen Act. 7.58 and the example of Christ Joh. 8.44 and Matth. 23.23 5. To those who might feare lest this strife should cause a combustion in Church and Common-wealth he answers and tells them plainely it will doe so but yet to uphold their hearts he armes them with the prediction of Christ Luk. 12.49 and tells them that it is the desire of the Saints that that fire were kindled and with that in Esa 9.5 which he interprets of Michael and the Angells and with that in Mal. 4.2 and by that in the Revelation the whore must be burnt 6. Hee armes them against persecution by exhorting them not to love their lives unto the death but be willing to be killed like sheepe seeing it is impossible to hold forth the truth of God with externall peace and quietnesse This he enforceth by the example of Sampson who slew more at his death then in his life These passages of his Sermon being openly read Master Wheelwright did acknowledge and justifie the same and being demanded either then or before whether by those under a Covenant of workes hee did meane any of the Ministers and other Christians in those Churches he answered that if he were shewed any that walked in such a way as he had described to be a Covenant of workes them he did meane Here divers speeches passed up and downe whereof there was no speciall notice taken as not materiall to the purpose in hand The Court proceeded also to examine some witnesses about another Sermon of his whereat much offence had also beene taken and not without cause as appeared to the Court for in that he seemed to scare men not onely from legall righteousnesse but even from faith and repentance as if that also were a way of the Covenant of workes but this being matter of Doctrine the Court passed it by for the present onely they and the Ministers present divers of them declared their griefe to see such opinions risen in the Country of so dangerous consequence and so directly crossing the scope of the Gospell as was conceived and it was retorted upon him which he in his Sermon chargeth his adverse party with though uncharitably and untruly when he saith they would take away the true Christ that to make good such a doctrine as he held forth to common intendment must needes call for a new Christ and a new Gospell for sure the old would not owne or justifie it Then the Court propounded a question to the Ministers which because they desired time of consideration to make answer unto was given them in writing upon the outside of Master Wheelwrights Sermon in these words Whether by that which you have heard concerning Master Wheelwrights Sermon and that which was witnessed concerning him yee doe conceive that the Ministers in this Country doe walke in and teach such a way of Salvation and evidencing thereof as he describeth and accounteth to be a Covenant of workes To this question being againe called for into the Court the next morning they returned an affirmative answer in the very words of the question adding withall that they would not be understood that their doctrine and Master Wheelwrights about Justification and Salvation and evidencing thereof did differ in all things but onely in the point presented and debated now in Court and that of this their answer they were ready to give reasons when the Court should demand them and that to this they all consented except their brother the teacher of Boston After this by leave of the Court the Ministers all spake one by one in order some more largely laying open by solid arguments and notorious examples the great dangers that the Churches and Civill State were falne into by the differences which were growne amongst us in matters of Religion offering themselves withall to employ all their studies to effect a reconciliation shewing also their desires that Mr. Wheelwright would be with them when they should meete for this purpose and blaming his former strangenesse as a possible occasion of these differences of judgement Others spake more briefely but consented with the former and all of them as they had occasion to speake to Mr. Wheelwright or to make mention of him used him with all humanity and respect what his carriage was towards them againe those who were present may judge as they saw cause The matters objected against Mr. Wheel being recollected and put to the vote the opinion of the Court was that he had run into sedition and contempt of the Civill authority which accordingly was recorded to the same effect and he was enjoyned to appeare at the next generall Court to abide their further sentence herein And whereas motion was made of enjoyning him silence in the meane time the Ministers were desired to deliver their advice what the Court might doe in such a case Their answer was that they could not give a cleare resolution of the question at the present but for Mr. Wheel they desired that the Court would rather referre him to the Church of B. to deale with him for that matter which accordingly was done and so he was dismissed such of the Magistrates and Deputies as had not concurred with the major part in the vote some of them moved that the dissent might be recorded but it was denyed as a course never used in this or any such Court. Afterward they tendered a Protestation which was also refused because therein they had justified Mr. Wheel as a faithfull Minister of the Lord Jesus and condemned the Court for undue proceeding but this was offered them that if they would write downe the words of the record and subscribe their dissent without