Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	justification_n	justify_v	meritorious_a	2,124	5	11.4575	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33338	Medulla theologiæ, or, The marrow of divinity contained in sundry questions and cases of conscience, both speculative and practical : the greatest part of them collected out of the works of our most judicious, experienced and orthodox English divines, the rest are supplied by the authour / by Sa. Clarke ...	Clarke, Samuel, 1599-1682.	1659 (1659)	Wing C4547; ESTC R1963	530,206	506

Thomas c. hast interest in Christ to thy own feeling must be proved by Scripture except with Enthusiasts we separate the Word and the Spirit therefore these works of Sanctification prove the Conclusion consequently by Scripture and sense and so lead us to the word of Promise thus He that believeth and maketh sure his belief by walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit hath a clear evidence to his own feeling that he hath interest in Christ. But I John Thomas c. do believe and do make sure my belief by walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit therefore I have a clear evidence to my own feeling that I have interest in Christ. The Proposition is Scripture John 3.36 and 5.24 and 11.25 26. Rom. 8.1 2. 1 John 1.4 and 2.3 The Assumption is made sure by sense not at all times but when the Spirit is breathing upon the soul. For though I do believe and walk after the Spirit yet to my own feeling I have only evidence of my interest in Christ when the Spirit stirs up my sense to compare my faith and walking with the Promises of God in Christ. Ob. If this be so then all the certainty that I have of my interest in Christ is ultimately and principally resolved into this weak and rotten foundation of my own good works which being examined by the Law of God will be found so sinful that they must needs involve me under the Curse of God Answ. This will not follow for if our works of Sanctification were the causes of our peace and comfort then it might have some colour of truth but though these works have sin cleaving to them yet because our supernatural sense of the Spirit suggesteth that these works are the fruits of faith and are done in some measure of sincerity and flow not from the Spirit of the Law but from the Spirit of the Gospel therefore they lead us to Christ and drive us upon a clear Gospel-Promise thus First That the adherent sinfulnesse of our works are purged by the blood of Christ. Secondly That our peace and assurance depends not upon our works but upon the Promises of the Gospel in such Scriptures as these 2 Tim. 4.7 8. 1 Cor. 9.24 Rev. 22.14 Only our inherent qualification leads us as a moral motive to look to the Promises of God which is the foundation of our peace Thirdly if works of sanctification be no sure marks of our interest in Christ because sin cleaveth to them which involves us in the curse then neither can faith in Christ be a sure mark of our interest in Christ because it is mixed with sinful doubtings But as faith justifies not because its great and perfect but because its lively and true as a palsie-hand may receive a piece of gold as well as a strong one so also do our inherent works of Sanctification evidence to us that we are in Christ and so lead us to the Promises of the Gospel as signes not causes of our interest in Christ and that under this notion because they are sincerely performed not because they are perfect and without sin Fourthly in exalting Christs righteousnesse one way by making Christ all they make Christ nothing another way by vilifying the glory of sanctifying grace For we are not by good works to make our calling and election sure to our selves and in the evidence of our own consciences if our good works be no signes of our interest in Christ. Fifthly the Spirit which they make the only witnesse must be known to us by Scriptures not to be a deluding Spirit For if this Spirit cannot be known by those things which are called the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 Love Joy Peace c. as the fruits are evidences of the life of the tree then men are to labour for faith and the raptures impressions and the immediate and personal influence of a Spirit from Heaven without making any conscience of holy ving and so this is the high-way for men void of all sanctification to believe that they are in Christ and they may live after the flesh and yet believe the Testimony of the broad Seal of an immediate working Spirit Mr. Rutherfords Parl. Sermon Ob. But Rom. 4.5 It s said that God justifies the ungodly Answ. First Some answer it thus that these words are not to be understood in sensu composito but diviso and antecedenter He that was ungodly is being justified made godly also though that godlinesse doth not justifie him and so they compare these passages with those of making the blinde to see and the deaf to hear not that they did see whilest they were blinde but those that were blinde do now see which is true and good But Secondly Ungodly here is meant of such who are so considered in their nature having not an absolute righteousnesse so then the subject of Justification is a sinner but withal a believer Now its impossible that a man should be a believer and not have his heart purified Acts 15.9 For whole Christ is the object of his faith who is received not only to justifie but also to sanctifie Ob. But Rom. 5.10 Christ died for us whilest we were enemies Answ. If Christ died for us whilest we were enemies why do they say that if a man be as great an enemy as enmity it self can make him if he be willing to take Christ and to close with him he shall be pardoned which includes a contradiction For how can an enemy to Christ close with Christ But Christ died not only to justifie but to save us now will they hence infer that profane men living and dying so shall be saved and indeed the grand principle that Christ hath purchased and obtained all graces antecedently to us in their sense will as necessarily infer that a drunkard abiding so shall be saved as well as justified Ob. But it s said that Christ died and rose again for sinners Answ. We must know that this is the meritorious cause of our pardon and salvation but besides this cause there are instrumental causes that go to the whole work of Justification therefore some Divines as they speak of a Conversion Passive and Active so also of a Justification Active and Passive and they call that Passive not only when the meritorious cause but the instrument applying it is also present then the person is justified So then to that grand mercy of Justification something is requisite as the efficient viz. the grace of God something as meritorious viz. Christs suffering something as instrumental viz. Faith and one is as necessary as the other Mr. Burges Vindiciae Legis CHAP. XII Questions and Cases of Conscience about Apostasie or Falling away Quest WHat is Apostacy Answ. It 's a leaving or forsaking that good way and course which men had once taken for the obtaining of grace so Gal. 5.4 Ye are fallen from grace Object How many sorts of Apostacy are there Answ. First there is a falling

and was not this done for our imitation So David and Christ delighted to do Gods Will because it was so written of them Psal. 40.7 8. Paul exhorts children to obedience because it 's the first Commandment with promise Eph. 6.2 Paul preached what was in the Old Testament Acts 22.20 what is it but Popery to make the spirit within to be the supream Judge and superior to the Spirit of God in the written Word without The grace of God appearing in the Gospel will have us to walk worthy of God in all well-pleasing according to the Law Tit. 2.12 13. and to mourn bitterly that we are so unlike the will and image of God revealed in the Law Rom. 7.23 24. Object Paul speaks of a Law written and engraven in stone and therefore of the Moral Law which yet he saith is abolished by Christ in the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.6 7 11 13. Answ. The meaning of this place as also Gal. 3.25 is that the Apostle speaking of the moral Law by a Synecdoche comprehends the ceremonial Law also both which the false Teachers urged as necessary to salvation and justification at least together with Christ against whom the Apostle here disputes The moral Law therefore is abolished First as thus accompanied with a yoke of ceremonies Secondly as it was formerly dispensed the greater light of the Gospel obscuring that lesser light of the Law as ver 10. Thirdly he may speak of the moral Law as a Covenant of life which the false Teachers urged in which respect he calls it a Ministry of death and a letter which killeth and thus it s abolished by Christ that with open face we may behold the glory of the Lord as the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that doth believe Object The Gospel under which Believers are requires no doing for doing is proper to the Law which promises life and requires conditions But the Gospel promiseth to work the conditions but requires none and therefore a beleever now is fully free from the Law Answ. The Gospel and the Law are taken two wayes 1. Largely the Law is taken for the whole doctrine contained in the Old Testament and the Gospel for the whole doctrine of Christ and the Apostles in the New Testament 2. Strictly the Law pro lege operum for the Law of Works the Gospel pro lege fidei for the Law of faith The Law of Works is strictly taken for that Law which promises Gods favour and life upon condition of doing or of personal obedience the Law of faith is strictly taken for that doctrine which reveals remission of sins and reconciliation with God by Christs righteousnesse only apprehended by faith Now the Gospel in this latter sense excludes all works and requires no doing in point of justification but only believing but take it largely for the whole doctrine of Gods love and free grace and so the Gospel requires doing For as it 's an act of Gods free grace to justifie us without calling for our works so it 's an act of the same free grace to require works of a justified person to serve him in righteousnesse and holinesse all the days of our lives Tit. 2.14 and to think that the Gospel requires no conditions is a dreame against multitudes of Scriptures which contains conditional yet evangelical promises There are indeed no conditions required of us in the Gospel but what the Lord himself hath or shall work in us but it doth not therefore follow that no conditions are required of us for requiring the condition is the means to work it and the means and end should not be separated As Christs righteousnesse must go before as the matter or moving cause of our justification so faith must go before this righteousness as an instrument or applying cause of it by which we are justified 'T is true God justifies the ungodly But not immediatly without faith but mediately by faith Rom. 4.5 when the Apostle affirms that we are justified by faith without works he doth hereby plainly give that to faith which he denies to Works so then as he denies works to be the antecedent condition of our justification so he affirms the contrary of faith which goes before our justification Believe and live Object There is no sin now but unbelief which is a sin against the Gosp●l onely therefore there being no sin against any Law Christ having abolished it by his death the Law cannot be our rule Answ. Are drunkenness whoredome theft c. then no sinns to be repented of or watched against but only unbelief will not the Lord judge men not only for unbelief but for all the works done in the body as Rom. 2.16 2 Cor. 5.10 Is not the wrath of God revealed from heaven against all unrighteousnesse c Rom. 1.18 If there were no sin but unbelief how can all flesh Jews and Gentiles become guilty before God that so they may believe the Gospel as Rom. 3 21 c. if they be all guiltless till unbelief comes in No sin indeed shall condemn a man if he believe but it will not hence follow that there is no sin but unbelief sin is before unbelief comes a sick sinner before an healing Saviour sin kills the soul as it were naturally unbelief morally No sin shall condemn us if we believe but it doth not hence follow that there is no sin before or after faith because there is no condemning sin unlesse we fal by unbelief Object But now to preach the Law savours of an Old Testament spirit which was wont to wound then to heale to humble and then to raise But now we are to be Ministers of the New Testament and no Law is to be heard of Answ. Indeed to preache the Law as the means of our justification and as the matter of our righteousnesse without Christ or together with Christ as they did 2 Cor. 3.6 is a Ministry of the letter not of the Spirit But to preach Christ plainly as the end of the Law to preach the Law as the means to prepare for and advance Christ in our hearts is no Old Testament Ministry neither doth it put a vaile upon mens hearts that they cannot see the end of the Law as 2 Cor. 3.14 but it takes away the vail of all conceit of mans own strength and righteousnesse by seeing his curse that so he may flie to Christ and embrace him for righteousnesse Object Indeed the children of the Old Testament were under the Law as their School-master to lead them to Christ Gal. 3.24 25. But now saith the Apostle we are no longer under this School-master Answ. Be it so that the sons of God are now no longer under the terrour of this School-master is it not therefore a Ministers work to preach the Law unto the slaves of sin Object No but we must say Thou poor drunkard c. here is a God that hath loved thee and a Christ to die for thee here is salvation by him only

action whereby it is made able to confer the benefit of renovation For this would make every Baptisme a kinde of miracle as also it would encroach upon the clause following in Tit. 3.5 wherein the work of renewing is ascribed to the Holy Ghost Thirdly neither hath the water in Baptisme it self any inherent power or force to wash the conscience as it hath to wash the filth of the body Fourthly neither is grace tied by any promise or means to the action so as God who is most free in his gifts cannot either otherwise distribute or cannot but dispense it with the action For 1. Grace is not tyed to the Word therefore not to the Sacraments 2. They were separated in the Ministry of John the Baptist who confest that though he baptized with water yet it belonged to him that came after him to give grace 3. If these opinions were true then should every baptized person be truely converted whereas we see the contrary in Simon Magus and many others 4. Some are justified before Baptisme as Abraham before Circumcision So Cornelius Acts 10.47 the Eunuch Acts 8.37 38. some after as numbers daily converted 5. This opinion of tying grace to the Sacrament overthrows 1. The highest and most proper cause of our salvation which is Gods free Election to which only grace is tyed 2. The only meritorious cause of our Regeneration which is Christs blood that properly cleanseth from all sin 3. The most powerfull next and applying efficient which is the Holy Ghost and to whom our renewing is ascribed Quest. How then is Baptisme called the laver of regeneration Answ. First as it is an institution of God signifying his good pleasure for the pardoning of sinne and accepting to grace in Christ. Thus the Word and Sacraments are said to save and sanctifie because they signifie the good pleasure of God in saving and sanctifying us Thus we say a man is saved by the Kings pardon not that the pardon properly doth it but because it 's the ordinary instrument to manifest the merciful minde of the King in pardoning a malefactor Secondly as it 's a seal and pledge of our sanctification and salvation as certainly assuring these to the soul of the believer as he is or can be assured of the other As a man having a bond of a thousand pounds sealed to him may say I am sure of this thousand pound So may a believing party baptized say of his Baptisme here 's my regeneration and salvation Thirdly as its a means to excite and provoke the faith of the receiver to lay hold on the grace of the Sacrament and to apply it to these purposes In regard it may as truely be said to renew as faith is said to justifie and that is onely as it is a meanes to lay hold on Christ our righteousnesse Fourthly in that in the right use of it it gives and exhibits Christ and all his merits to the fit receiver For then as Gods grace puts forth it selfe and after a sort conveys it self in and by this instrument into the heart of the worthy receiver Quest To whom is Baptisme the washing of the new Birth Answ. We must not conceive it to be a Laver of regeneration to every person baptized but to such as have the grace of faith to receive the grace offered John 1.12 Ephes. 5.27 For ungodly and unbelieving persons receive nothing in the Sacraments but the the elements and that as naked signs as we see in Judas Simon Magus Ananias and Saphira In all whom neither was grace conferred nor wickednesse weakned Quest. How then can children be baptized in whom we cannot expect faith and therefore in them either faith is not required or their baptisme is unprofitable Answ. I will lay down some propositions for the unfolding of this difficulty As 1. We must distinguish of Infants whereof some are Elect and some not These latter receive onely the element but are not inwardly washed the former in the right use of the Sacrament receive the inward grace Not that thereby we tie God to any time or means whose Spirit blows when and where it listeth as some are sanctified from the womb and some after baptisme but because God delights to present himself gracious in his own Ordinance therefore in the right use of the Sacrament he ordinarily accompanies it with his grace Here according to his promise we may expect it and here we may and ought to send forth the prayer of Faith for it 2. Though Infants want actual faith which presupposeth hearing understanding c. yet they want not all faith for Christ himself reckons them amongst beleevers Matth. 18.6 Hence circumcision which was administred to Infants is called a seal of Faith 3. The faith of their parents is so farre theirs as that it gives them right to the Covenant For the Covenant was made to Abraham and his seed and every believing parent layeth hold on the Covenant for himself and his seed thereby entitling his children to the right of the Covenant as well as himself as in temporal things he can purchase land for himself and his heirs 1 Cor. 7.14 If the root be holy so are the branches and one parent believing the children are holy Object But the just shall live by his own faith An. Elect Infants have a spirit of Faith by the Spirit of God working inwardly and secretly as we see in those which were sanctified from the womb as Jacob Jeremy John Baptist c. neither doth it hinder because Infants have no sence of any such thing no more then it proves them nor ●o live because they know not that they do so Neither is Adams corruption more effectuall to pollute infants then Christs blood and righteousness is to sanctifie them and this we ought to believe or else we must deny that they can be saved Quest. If any beleeve before baptisme what profit then have they by Baptisme Answ. First they must be Baptized in obedience to the command of God as Abraham Cornelius Paul c. believing obeyed without reasoning and so manifested their faith by their obedience Secondly such as are invisibly incorporated into Christs body must also be visibly incorporated into the Church by Baptisme Thirdly that the grace received may be augmented For by the worthy receiving of the Sacraments weak graces are encreased and made stronger Fourthly that the party baptized may be confirmed and strengthened not onely in his graces received but in regard of that grace and glory which he expects to receive in the resurrection both which are more firmly sealed to him by Baptisme See Dr. Taitor on Tit. Quest. How may Parents in Faith present their children to God in Baptisme Answ. The dedication of a child to God is a work of singular and great importance one of the weightiest services we can take in hand though considered of by few and it cannot be well done as it ought except it be done in faith Now the acts of faith in