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	predestination_n	vocation_n	1,605	5	13.2116	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40368	King Jesvs is the beleevers prince, priest, and law-giver, in things appertaining to the conscience, Isai. 55.4. Heb. 7.17. Jam. 4. 12. Or, The loyall spouse of Christ hath no head, nor husband, but royall King Jesvs. Written by Francis Cornwell, a minister of Jesus Christ, out of the learned workes of Mr. John Fox in his book of Martyrs, excepting onely some explanations of his owne, for the benefit of the reader.	Cornwell, Francis.; Foxe, John, 1516-1587. Actes and monuments.	1645 (1645)	Wing F2041; ESTC R208105	18,659	46

the true Spouse of Christ will have a whole Christ or none in point of Justification or Intercession for Christ will not give his glory to another And Saint Paul telleth us that if wee bring circumcision to adde to Christ in point of Justification as without which hee were not a perfect Saviour Christ profits nothing Gal. 5.2 Now to Mr. Fox And thus much of the true causes of our justification after the doctrine of Saint Paul Concerning which causes this distinction furthermore by the way is to be added that as touching the originall causes of our salvation which be divers and sundry some are externall and without us some are internall and within us Of the externall causes which are without us the first and principall is the mercy and grace of God Of this followeth Predestination and Election Rom. 9. 11. 12. then Vocation which is of free grace nothing in the creature is the cause of it 1 Cor. 2. 26 27 28 29 30. 2 Tim. 1.9 The last and next cause to this is the death and bloud-shedding of Christ whereby wee are redeemed And all these be externall causes because they are without us Of internall causes that be in man through the gift of God Ephes. 2.8 there is but one and no more in Scripture appointed that is our faith in Christ which is the gift of God in us Phil. 1.29 Besides this there is no gift of God given to man vertue worke merit nor any thing else that is any part or cause of salvation but onely this gift of faith to beleeve in Christ Jesus And this is the cause why wee hold that faith onely justifieth meaning that amongst all the workes deeds actions labours and operations whatsoever man doth or can doe there is nothing in man that worketh salvation but onely his faith given him of God to beleeve in Christ Jesus his Sonne that was crucified for him Following therein the trade of Saint Pauls teaching who in precise words so ascribeth Justification to Faith that hee excludeth all other actions of man and workes of the Law and therefore in the Epistle to the Romanes Saint Paul reasoning of the glory of justifying asketh this question How this glory is excluded By what law of workes Nay but by the law of faith Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law Rom. 3.27 28. Thus farre Mr. Fox Now the Writer will insert a few words in explanation of a Text of Scripture in setting out the dignity of faith Ioh. 3. 16. To the saving knowledge of the promise of life rendered to a beleever in Jesus Christ there is required these six particulars The first is the freenesse of grace offered It requireth nothing precedent in any man no qualifications preparations dispositions whatsoever no freedome from any sinne in one kind or other no antecedent sorrow or remorse for sinne but that it is freely and willingly tendered by the Lord to be embraced and beleeved by the most unworthiest of men as by the worthiest of all But is there no qualification in the soule precedent to faith If there be any qualification in the soul precedent or going before faith then there may be something pleasing to God in the soule before faith received But there is nothing pleasing unto God before faith the reason is Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God Therefore I conclude there is no qualification preparation disposition whatsoever in the soule pleasing unto God before faith received for as for poverty of spirit and mourning for sinne and hungring and thirsting after Christ and his righteousnesse these flow from faith and they are the effects and fruits of that faith that justifieth The second is the fulnesse of this grace which standeth chiefly in two things 1. In the extent of it to all sinnes so that no sinnes whatsoever or how many soever or of what continuance soever can make a man in his naturall condition uncapable of this pardon and forgivenesse of them there offered As for the sinne against the holy Spirit Mat. 12. 31. that is a sinne against light and grace received as appeareth Heb. 6.6 2. In the extent unto all persons thereof of what ranck or condition soever or of what number soever instance if ten or an hundred or ten thousand of the greatest and foulest sinners in the world accepting that is to say beleeving the promise of life in Christ shall be as readily and certainly pardoned as the smallest number of the lightest offenders that ever were These two things are in the note of the universality Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish The third is the knowledge of the Gospel which requireth the apprehension of the way and of the means of conveyance and of the derivation of this grace to the world and that is in and by Jesus Christ as for his sake onely The fourth is the incommunicablenesse of this pardoning and saving grace either in whole or in part in any other way or by any other meanes whatsoever then by and through Christ alone This third and fourth I conceive to bee expressed in these words in him that is In Christ Jesus and in Christ Jesus so intirely that hee joyneth nothing with him to trust on or confide in besides Gal. 5. 2,3 The fifth is that act or condition in the creature by which God doth actually instate him in the possession of this grace which is faith or beleeving of the promise of life in Jesus Christ In this word beleeveth The sixth is the infinite benefit in this grace received by faith or beleeving that is salvation clearly expressed in these words shall not perish but have everlasting life So much the Author or Writer inserteth The last part of this Treatise that the Author hath taken out of Mr. Foxes writings is out of the Summary collections of the errours heresies absurdities contained in the Popes doctrine contrary to the rule of Gods word and the first institution of the Church of Rome Tome 1. part pag. 22. This errour and heresie of the Church of Rome though it seeme at the first sight to the naturall reason of man to be but of small importance yet if it be earnestly considered it is in very deed the most pernicious heresie that ever almost crept into the Church upon which as the only foundation all or the most part of all the errours absurdities and inconveniences of the Popes Church are grounded For this being once admitted that a man is not justified by his faith in Christ alone but other meanes and qualifications or evidences of sanctification must be sought by our owne working and merits to apply the merits of Christs Passion unto us then is there neither any certainty left of our salvation nor end in setting up new meanes and markes and signes and merits of our owne devising for the getting of the assurance of the remission of sinnes Neither hath there been any

When the children of Israel were bid of Moses to look up to the brasen serpent neither could the serpent have helped them except they had looked up nor yet their looking upward have profited them unlesse they had directed their eye unto the said brasen serpent as the onely object set up of God for the same purpose for them to behold so all poore sinners are commanded in the Gospel to look up to Jesus whom they have pierced Zech. 12. 10. now a crucified Jesus cannot help them except they looke up nor yet their beleeving or looking upward cannot profit them unlesse they direct the eye of their faith unto the said crucified Jesus as the onely object set up of Gods free grace for them to behold Iohn 3. 14. Thus our faith directed by Gods own Spirit Zech. 12. 10. to the body of Jesus crucified is the onely meanes whereby Christs merits are applied to us and we now justified before God according to the doctrine of Paul who in expresse words defining what this faith is and how it justifieth saith If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleeve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 10. 9. Besides this what action or quality soever is in man either hope charity or any other kind of faith or beleeving be it never so true except it apprehend this object which is the body of Christ the Sonne of God that loved us and gave himselfe for us it serveth not to justification And that is the cause why wee adde this particle onely to faith and say that Faith onely in Christ justifieth us to exclude all other actions qualities Thus farre Mr. Fox the Writer addes qualifications marks signes evidences of sanctification as poverty of spirit mourning for sinne hungring and thirsting after Christ love to the brethren universall obedience or gifts or workes of beleevers as repentance for sinne or any other acts of humiliation fasting praying weeping mourning or reformation or deed of charity from the cause of justifying But you destroy qualifications markes signes and evidences of sanctification Doe I destroy qualifications c. because I will not make them causes of my justification Markes signes and evidences of sanctification flow from faith and not faith from them they are the fruits as I may so speake of a justifying faith and declare what kind of faith it is that justifieth namely repenting faith working faith They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourne over him as one mourneth for an onely sonne and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first-borne Zech. 12.10 Because nothing can expiate my sinne but the bloud of my Christ therefore I repent But a good tree is knowne by his fruit Mat. 7.17 To others not to it selfe for if the good tree could speake it would say I am not a good tree because I beare good fruit but by vertue of my union with my good root I bring forth good fruit So we are not good men because wee shew forth to others these markes signes qualifications and evidences of our sanctification as poverty of spirit mourning for sinne hungring and thirsting after Christ c. but by vertue of our union with our good root the Lord Jesus wee bring forth this good fruit Iohn 15. 5. I am the Vine and yee are the branches hee that abideth in mee and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without mee yee can doe nothing These Objections and the Answers were inserted by the Writer to shew that though hee deny markes signes qualifications and evidences of sanctification as causes of justifying yea and he utterly denyeth them to be the first evidence of Justification for that were to robbe faith of his prerogative Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the evidence of things not seen though hee deny them à priori yet hee acknowledgeth them à posteriori from the effects as a secondary witnesse and as an evidence that the spirit of Jesus dwelleth in you of a truth which causeth this life and fruit of holinesse so to abound in you Thus farre the Writer declareth his judgement Now to Mr. Foxes words againe For so much as there is no other knowledge nor gifts of men given of God to man be it never so excellent can stand before the judgement of God unto justification of a poore sinner or whereunto any promise of salvation is annexed but onely this faith looking up to this spirituall Brasen Serpent that is to the body of Christ Jesus for us crucified Zech. 12. 10. As for example When the Turke saith that hee beleeveth in one living God that made heaven and earth his beleefe therein is true yet it justifieth him not because it lacketh the right object which is Christ Jesus crucified So when the Jew saith that he beleeveth in one God maker of heaven and earth and beleeveth also the same God to be omnipotent mercifull just and true of promise and that hee hath elected the seed of Abraham true it is that hee beleeveth and yet all this serveth him not because Jesus Christ crucified the Sonne of God is not joyned with all And though the said Jew should be never so devout in his prayers or charitable in his almes or precise in keeping the Law and beleeve never so stedfastly that hee is elect to be saved yet hee is never the nearer to salvation for all this so long as his faith is not grounded upon the head Corner-stone which is the person and body of Jesus Christ the true Saviour seeing there is salvation in none other Acts 4. 12. After like sort it may be said of the Papist when hee saith that hee is baptized and beleeveth in the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost three Persons and one God and also confesseth that Jesus is the Sonne of God which died for our sinnes and rose againe for our righteousnesse c. his beleefe therein is true and indeed would save him if hee did stay his salvation in this faith and upon Christ his Saviour onely according to the promise and grace of God and goe no further but that hee doth not for neither doth hee admit Christ onely to be his perfect Saviour without the help of Patrons Deeds Advocates and Mediatours nor yet permitteth his faith in Christ onely to be the meanes of his justification but setteth up other by-meanes as hope charity Sacrifice of the Masse confession pennance satisfaction merits and pardons supposing thereby to worke his justification before God contrary to the word of promise Iohn 3.16 and to the Gospel of grace Gal. 3. 8. Thus farre Mr. Fox Now the Writer inserteth a few words Thus the Papists declare from what stock they spring even from Iezebel of Rome the mother of all fornication that hath the true character of an harlot 1 King 3. 26. that can be content with a divided Christ But