Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	harden_v	heart_n	pharaoh_n	2,001	5	11.6391	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96425	The doctrines of the Arminians & Pelagians truly stated and clearly answered: or, An examination and confutation of their ancient errors, which by the Church of Christ in former ages were justly abhorred, but of late under the names of Comfortable truths to be embraced are newly published. Concerning I. The universality of Gods free-grace in Christ to mankind. II. Concerning election. III. Redemption. IV. Conversion. V. Perserverance. Wherein the principal arguments brought to maintaine the orthodox faith are propounded, and the principal objections against them answered. / By Thomas Whitfield, minister of the gospel at Bugbrook in Northampton-shire. The Tares of Arminian heresie showed in former times (and by the help of prelatical influence then given to them increasing) and now growing up so much in these; I conceive this book wherein the author doth learnedly state and confute those opinions, is very worthy the publike light. Joseph Caryll.	Whitfield, Thomas, Minister of the Gospel.; Carly, Joseph, 1602-1673.	1651 (1651)	Wing W2006; Thomason E646_7; ESTC R208798	87,011	101

insisted upon because it is one of the Arminians strong holds Object 6 If the decree of election be absolute without any foresight of sin then such also is the decree of reprobation then as God hath decreed the end so he hath decreed the meanes namely the fall of man and so he shall be the authour of sin Answ Though where he decrees the end he decrees the means also yet he doth not decree to work all the means but only such as are agreeable to his own nature It follows not therfore though God hath decreed Adams fall that he is the authour of it because he hath not decreed to work it but onely to permit it that God decreed to permit the fall is plain because otherwise it could not have come to passe for nothing can come to passe against Gods will And none can deny that God could hinder the fall if he would If therefore he would not hinder it he was willing it should be And the Arminians themselves grant that God gave to man sufficient grace but not effectuall for then he had actually stood now if he did deny him effectuall grace without which he saw certainly that he would fall being tempted to what end or purpose did he deny him this effectuall grace but that by permitting of his fall he might make way for the manifestation of his justice and mercy 2. In mans first transgression by eating the forbidden fruit as in all other sinfull acts there was natures work and so Gods worke for though the deformity was from man yet the act it selfe was from God in whom we live and move and what God doth in time he hath determined to do before all time therefore the fall must needs be decreed Object But here not only the manner of eating but the very eating it selfe was forbidden and therefore sinfull Answ Yet in this eating we must distinguish betwixt the eating it selfe and the vitiosity of it as being things in their own nature separable and distinct otherwise they might be praedicated the one of the other which they cannot be for the vitiosity is only an accident to the act of eating And it cannot be denyed that God doth concurre in the act and is the authour of that as he is the authour of every naturall act and therefore if the vitiosity could not be separated from it he should be the authour of that also Object God doth indeed decree to concurre with reasonable creatures in their actions but this is conditionally modo ipsi velint so they themselves will do this or that Answ God did concurre with man not only in the outward act of eating but in the inward act whereby he willed to eat for not only the hand and mouth but the minde and will move by him suppose that he did decree to concurre with man in the outward act of eating upon condition that man did will to eat yet upon what condition did he decree to concurre with him in this act of his will if it shall be said on this condition if man himselfe would it may as well be said that God did decree to make man eat so be it that he hid eat what need he to concurre with him in the act of his will when man willed the thing already 3. It follows no more that God is the authour of sin by decreeing this sin then by decreeing other sins now it is plain that he decreed the death of Christ for it s said that Herod Pontius Pilate and the people were gathered to gether to do whatsoever his hand and counsell had determined should be done against Christ Act 4.27 28. therefore the crucifying of Christ was determined and decreed of God and what greater wickednesse then those things which Herod Pilate and the Jews did against Christ Object But Gods decree is an energeticall decree and what he decrees he effectually procures to come to passe neither is his permission such a bare permission wherein he hath not a working hand as those hold who hold the absolute decree Answ It cannot be denyed that God hath a working hand in the sin that man commits for the Scripture plainely affirms thus much the Lord saith that he would harden Pharoahs heart Exod. 7.3 and that he had hardned it 10.1 He threatens to David that what David had done in secret he would do in the sight of the sunne speakeing of Absoloms sin with his fathers Concubines 2 Sam. 12.12 compared with 16.12 and he gave up the Gentiles to vile affections Rom. 1.28 and many other like expressions whereby it appears that there was more then a bare permission in the committing of these sinnes yet it followes not hence that God is the authour of sinne Quest How can God be free from blame if he works with man in the same blame-worthy action Because he works in a divers manner Answ As the law works in sin so God works for it is Gods agent and instrument that the law hath a work in sin appeares because it is said that where there is no law there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 and that when the Commandement came sin revived Rom. 7.9 yea the Gospell it selfe is the savour to death to some 2 Cor. 2.16 yet here neither Law nor Gospell are faulty causes of these things because they are onely causes by accident and do not per se in themselves and their owne nature tend to these ends but to the contrary the law tends to keep men from sin and the Gospell to bring life though by accident they worke sin and death God hardned Pharaohs heart not by instilling any hardnesse into it but by giving Pharaoh a charge and command to let his people go the command was good and in it self tended to a good end namely to make Pharaoh yeeld obedience and do his duty and it was good in God to propound this command and yet by accident it did irritate and stir up the stubbornnes and rebellion of Pharaohs heart so as he was hardned more then before He that stops a running stream hereby causeth the water to rise higher not by putting any more water to it but by stopping the course of that which runs already A Physitian by prescribing wholsome Physick to a distempered body may cause greater sicknes yea somtimes death yet here neither physick nor Physitian are justly to be blamed The Sun by the same beams raiseth a sweet smell from a Garden and an ill smell from a dunghill yet no fault in the Sun He that in felling of Wood by the slipping of the iron from the helve should slay his Neighbour Deut. 19.5 was the cause of his Neighbours death but not a faulty cause because only a cause by accident not intending it but man is causaper se of the sin he commits 2. Because man works to a divers end For God wrought with Iacobs sons in selling their brother into Egypt for it s said that he sent a man before them Psalm 105.17 but he had