Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	law_n	sin_n	transgression_n	1,540	5	10.6759	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69521	The orthodox foundation of religion long since collected by that iudicious and elegant man, Mr. Henry Ainsworth, for the benefit of his private company, and now divulged for the publike good of all that desire to know that Cornerstone, Christ Jesus crucified / by S.W.	Ainsworth, Henry, 1571-1622?; S. W. (Samuel White)	1641 (1641)	Wing A811; ESTC R8781	48,874	90

Conditionall Absolute are things absolutely promised or spoken without condition on our part Conditionall when God willeth any thing of us but with condition as hee willeth that all men should be saved namely if they will beleeve in Christ Mat. 28.20 As God hath a determining will concerning his creatures so hee hath an appointing will unto them Heb. 10.5 6 7. Whatsoever God willeth absolutely and of it selfe is good Jam. 1.13 Psal. 119.12 God willeth sinnes not simply but by accident as hee knoweth and meaneth to bring good out of them Gods appointing will is wholly manifested in the law of nature and in the written law Gods appointing will pertaines to all men God would have all to beleeve as beleefe is a point of obedience and honour to him but as beleefe is a grace and a gift of God hee willeth not all men to beleeve but his elect God doth not onely know all things and prescribe his will but also his providence and determinate counsell reacheth unto all his creatures Jer. 10.23 Lam. 3.37 Gods providence extendeth even to the very least things Mat. 20.29 Prov. 16.9 Gods providence consisteth in conserving and governing his creatures which creatures are of foure sorts 1 some that have beeing as heaven and earth 2 some that have beeing and life as plants and herbes 3 some that have beeing life and sense as beasts birds and fishes 4 some that having beeing life sense and reason as men God conserveth in his creatures their existence or beeing and their vertues Gods conservation of their existence is the continuing of the substance of the creatures In him wee live move and have our beeing moving being not only locall bul the moving of the heart spirit reason will c. Gods government is the ordering and ruling and disposing of his creatures to his owne pleasure and glory Psal. 104. Esay 45.7 Job 12.10 Gods government in speciall is towards Angels and Men for in them first hee determineth and ordereth their actions secondly hee giveth them lawes thirdly hee executeth justice God determineth and ordereth the actions and inclinations of men moving them and directing them to their end Mans actions and inclinations hee moveth and ruleth effectually God ordereth them to the good of this life and of the life to come which is the chiefest good God ordereth sinne two wayes first by limitation and binding it that it shall goe no further than hee please Secondly by turning it against the nature and will of the sinner into good Gods providence is double mediate and immediate mediate is when he conserveth and governeth one creature by another as by instruments immediate is when he useth no meanes or worketh against means God useth not meanes of necessity but of pleasure these meanes are not to be excluded from Gods providence but included God can use evill instruments for good against their power and will The chiefe meanes to governe the world are Angels The end of all is Gods glory Deus vult gloriam suam necessitate naturae suae non libere The foundation of true glory is vertue or goodnesse Gods glory is spoken of two wayes 1 As an essentiall property of his 2 As the glorifying of himselfe so Gods glory consisteth in the knowledge of himselfe God when he had created the world saw all that he had made and lo it was very good but after God looked upon the earth and loe it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth It is then now to be minded how corruption and evill came into the world The corruption of the world is set forth by divers names in respect of truth it is called lying or falshood in respect of good it is called evill in respect of righteousnesse it is called iniquity or unrighteousnesse in respect of Gods law it is called unlaw sunesse or transgression of the law generally it is called sinne that is aberration or missing of the scope or marke in respect of duty it is called disobedience rebellion defection or apostasie disloyalty perfidiousnesse in respect of our first estate it is called a fault or ruine Evill hath no efficient cause but a deficient evill hath neither nature nor substance for all such are of God but so is not evill all such are good but so is not sinne Evill is an accident cleaving unto natures substance actions Rom. 7.21 The creatures were made of nothing and being of themselves not able to sustaine themselves have an inclination to come to nothing if God do not uphold them so evill is caused of nothing Evill began in Heaven amongst the Angels and so spread into other reasonable creatures as men is called sinne their fall and is the privation of Gods Image in them God himselfe cannot do evill or be tempted thereto and he onely hath this priviledge men and Angels want it The Angels therefore being subject to temptation were tempted of their owne motions and willingly gave place to their evill thoughts and being not sustained of God did fall Jud. 5 6. Though wee know not how many yet there were many that fell from their heavenly estate of those many that fell one seemeth to be the chiefe and others drawne by or accompanying him called therefore his Angels Mat. 25.4 Being falne they could not of themselves rise againe neither did God minister any grace or helpe unto them therefore they added sinne unto sinne and so doe continue sinning still extremely untill the appointed time of their damnation The Angels that are falne have divers names to denote their evill condition sometime they are called evill Spirits lying Spirits uncleane Spirits Devill that is a calumniator Mat. 25.41 Sathan that is adversary or fiend Job 1.6 demons of their knowledge Mat. 9.34 wasters or destroyers Deut. 32.17 rugged satyrs of their horrible hew Lev. 17.7 dragon and serpent of their craft and venemous nature Rev. 12.9 the Tempter Mat. 4.3 the Malitious one 1 Joh. 3. the Enemie Mat. 13.28 Roaring Lyon 2 Pet. 5.8 the Strong-armed one Mat. 12.29 Prince of the World Job 12.31 that ruleth in the aire Eph. 6.12 2.2 Beliall the unruly or without yoke Mans first sinne is fitly called disobedience or fall for the Law was significatively given to testifie man to be subject to Gods Law and his obedience And whereas before man walked with a steady foote in Gods ordinance by this fact hee stumbled and fell from the seat of integrity The efficient immediate cause was man himselfe of his owne free will without any necessity inward or outward transgressing the Law The efficient cause remote and mediate was the Devill tempting man to sinne The instrumentall cause was the serpent whose tongue the Devill abused to frame arguments to beguile with The arguments or causes to move inwardly were first directly perswading for good that they should be as Gods Secondly perswading from feare of punishment Adde to

these the two qualities in the tree first that it was good to eate secondly to be desired in the eye these two might perswade Adam to eate if hee could do it carefully but the other two of Satan was directly to perswade to sinne as it is sinne The Angels that fell to be Devils and malitious sought leave of God to tempt mankind and obtained it Gen. 3.1 with Job 1.6 11 12. and 2.3 5 6. The Devill used the Serpent the subtillest beast of the field for his instrument for it could more easily creepe into the garden secretly and carrieth with it a shew of smooth simplicity hee first assault the woman and beguiled her then by the woman the man Gen. 3. 1 Tim. 2.13 The woman was stirred to sin by outward meanes and by inward motions The outward meanes was partly the alluring words of the serpent partly the forbidden fruits beauty The serpents words after he had made a subtill entrance of communication with the woman containe 4. horrible evils 1 Fraud imposture Ye shall not surely die Gen 3.4 2 Against Gods Word and truth in faying they should not die if they did eate but be like Gods Gen. 3.4 5. 3 Calumniation of God as if for envie of mans good he had forbidden the eating of the fruit 4 Wresting of Gods Word and of the name of the tree of knowledge as if it were so called because it had vertue in it to give men such knowledge of good and evill as God himselfe hath who is to continue in good and avoid evill for ever Thus the serpent sought to alienate the mind and will of Adam from God and from his Word The inward meanes to draw unto sinne was the fairenesse of the forbidden fruit which the woman saw to be gracefull to the eyes The inward motions of the woman to sinne were generally three first the lust of the flesh for the woman saw that the tree was good for meate Secondly the lust of the eyes for shee saw it was pleasant to the eyes Thirdly the pride of life for shee saw it was a tree to be desired to get knowledge and of these three the Apostle speaketh more particularly her inward motions may be minded by their degrees first an impression of the Serpents suggestions Secondly a darting of her thoughts concerning God and the image of God within her thirdly forgetfulnesse of Gods workes and words Fourthly a doubtfulnesse of the truth of God Fifthly an affection of a better state more dignity Sixthly a beliefe of the Devils imposture Seventhly an inclination of the will and affections to the forbidden fruit The causes by accident were both mans affections to be like God which affections God had given him to be used orderly for Gods actions made in man tended to the glorious Image Secondly also naturall affection to the savoury tree for conserving and refreshing naturall life the efficacie of all these causes man could and should have resisted rejecting the outward subjecting and ordering the inward had hee so done hee had beene conserved The matter of this sinne is the eating of the forbidden fruit the unlawfulnesse of the act being forbidden by Gods Law The end or finall cause of evill is done but the end of the act as it had a shew of good was that man might be as God knowing good and evill When these lusts had conceived they brought forth sinne for the woman tooke of the forbidden fruit and did eate the woman having sinned sought to propagate her sinne and was the devils instrument to tempt her husband and he also did eate there is no mention of the womans perswasion to the man nor how sinne seised upon him but the same degrees may be minded in him also as were in her this one more especially his immoderate love and affection to his wife that made him yeeld so suddenly to her temptation Adams sinne yeelding and falling as it is set downe Gen. 3.6 noteth the marvellous force and swiftnesse that is in the first motions of sinne whose worke even in a moment and suddenly doth deprive of life and grace even as a mans naturall life is taken away in a moment of an hower which is many monthes ere it came to the perfection of birth It added much to the greatnesse of Adams sinne that the fruit which hee eate was of the Sacramentall tree and so hee violate the divine mystery through ambition to be like God himselfe It much increased their sinne also that they had Gods Image and perfection of grace not for them alone but for all their posterity if they had continued in Gods feare who lost the same not in themselves onely but deprived all their seed of these blessings thus our first parents fall was not onely sinne but the cause of sinne Thus much of the first sinne and entrance of it now followeth a secondary sinne which is propagation and fruit of the first and this is of two sorts first native corruption secondly actuall transgression Native corruption which wee commonly call originall is that sinne which man draweth with him from his first origine or beginning Psal. 51.5 This native corruption is called flesh Joh. 3.5 Gen. 6.3 Rom. 7.14 It is called also lust or concupiscence 1 Pet. 1.4 Jam. 1.14 So then not the substance of our flesh or nature of our flesh is sinne but the vitious quality adherent or cleaving thereto It is called also the old man Eph. 4.22 by this also it appeareth that the naturall flesh or substance is not sinne for that it is not put off nor crucified This native or originall is worse than actuall sinne because it is more largely spread even unto infants also which actuall sinne is not because it is the fountaine and cause of other sinnes Rom. 7.20.23 This native sinne is ours two wayes 1 by imputation 2 by inhabitation By imputation because Adam being the roote of mankind as hee had Gods image for him and his posterity so he lost it from himselfe and his posterity so that which in Adam was personall unto us is naturall By inhabitation because there dwelleth in us an inclination and disposition of all the faculties unto evill Rom. 7.20 23. For by sinne wee are not barely bereft of Gods image as rest depriveth man of motion but this privation and bereaving hath within it an inclination of the man to evill as sicknesse doth both deprive a man of health and ill affects the patient for sinne is soule sicknesse Psal. 103.3 Rom. 7.23 24. Originall sinne possesseth the whole man body and soule and spirit as the image of God was not in the body onely but in the whole man so was this contrary privation Rom. 7.24 Native corruption is propagated from parents to children by reason of the beginning thereof not properly by it selfe that is to say that commeth from the parents to the children whereof this sinne may arise namely a disposition to such an evill

tempter of the man as was in originall sinne There is an impression from the mother to the children in her wombe of which impression this sinne buddeth as tinder taketh fire which is not fire it selfe this impression children draw as they do naturall diseases as stone gout not the actuall griefes but impressions which are the beginnings of them Though the soule be not in the seed yet is there in it a dispositive vertue of the body for the receiving of the soule which when it is put into the body it conformed in his manners thereunto hence it is that one angry man begetteth another one harty man another for though the feet which is the subject of the gout be not in the head nor the soule which is the subject of anger be not in the seed a formative vertue of the naturall members and a dispositive vertue unto the soule The soule is at one instant both created and united unto the body and deprived of the grace of the spirit which Adam had for all and lost for all as actuall sinne is done by the persons sinning so originall sinne is the sinne of nature done by the will of the beginning of humane nature for as one man hath many members so one mankind hath many persons and as one actuall sinne done by the hand and not the reason of the guilt from the will of the hand but from the whole heart from which as from a fountaine the motions of sinne are derived unto the members so from the will of Adam which was the beginning of mankind the whole inordination of nature hath the reason of guilt and as actuall sinne which is the sinne of the person is drawne unto all the members by some personall act so originall is drawne unto all men by naturall act which is generation and as humane nature is drawne by gnneration so the defect of humane nature is drawne also yet this rather of Gods ordination than of mans generation 1 Cor. 15.22 Originall sinne remaineth in the baptized and in the regenerate and in their posterity Rom. 7.22 and man begetteth children not by the spirit but by the flesh and therefore hee draweth not the spirit but the flesh Joh. 1.13 Ps. 51.7 yet hath not Originall sinne so great degree and efficacie in the regenerate as in the wicked The parts of this native sinne are foure first in respect of the mind want of understanding a ready inclination to doubt of God and his will Secondly in respect of the will a ready inclination to take hold on and to performe evill Thirdly in respect of the affections a prone inclination to too much or to too little as inordinate anger love and the like Fourthly in respect of the appetite a pronenesse to immoderatenesse as meat drinke venery c. Actuall sinne is that which floweth from the originall and that which is so properly called is the difference from Gods Lawes unrighteousnesse or disorder of the action from the Law and Will of God The unrighteousnesse of actions must be discerned from the actions and motions themselves as defects from effects as a man goeth halting his halting as it is a moving of the body or naturall is good as it is a lame imperfect or wrong moving it is evill against nature Actuall sinnes are all actions inward and outward contrary to Gods law in the will thoughts purposes demises desires and in the outward members all our actions aberring from Gods law Sinne leaving a spot or staine in the soule as the Leopards spo● in the skin Jer. 13.23 Sinne distinguished by the causes are either ignorance as Pauls persecuting the Church or of infirmity as Peter through feare and trouble of mind denyed Christ and 3. of malice as Judas betrayed Christ 4. of negligence when a man is not wary of Sathans subtilties Against ignorance is opposed the revelation of Gods will to man against infirmity the strengthning of the spirit to withstand the assaults of the flesh the world and the Devill against malice is the changing of the stony heart into flesh against negligence is true and holy feare in the hearts of the Saints Actions are twofold 1 Inward 2 Outward Inward of the mind and appetite Actuall sinne of the minde is an unrighteousnesse of mans thoughts as doubtings of God false opinions evill imaginations Jer. 10.24 Psal. 14.2 3. Actuall sinne of the appetite is the inordinatenesse of the motions of it called concupiscence Jam. 1.14 Concupiscence remaineth in the regenerate Rom. 7.1 The first motions of concupiscence or lust are sinne though there be not a full assent of the will Outward sinnes are the unlawfulnesse of and unorderlinesse in outward actions as in false worshipping of God swearing killing stealing lying whoring and the like Sinne is pardonable or unpardonable sinne unpardonable is the sinne against the Holy Ghost other sins are pardonable not of their owne nature properly but of Gods mercy against whom they are done The sin against the Holy Ghost is the denying of the faith and truth which was once acknowledged and this done of meere presumption and contemned unto the end without repentance Mat. 12.24 Heb. 6. 1 Joh. 5. This sinne is onely in the reprobates Againe sinne either raigneth or raigneth not raigning sinne is that which is against manifest conscience that the sinner doth please himselfe with it or at least doth not repent for it Ro. 6.12 He that committeth sinne is of the devill that is with will and delight falleth into it and continueth in it Not raigning sinne is for which the sinner is sorry and repenteth Actuall sinne imperfectly so called is sinne of omission not doing in respect of our duty to God men our selves Mat. 25. I was an hungry c. Sinne against negative Commandements as not to preserve life chastity good name when a man can or against an affirmative precept as when one curseth his parents are sinnes of omission The punishment of sinne comes now to be handled touching the Angels that sinned whom God spared not but cast them downe into hell and delivered into chaines of darknesse to be kept unto damnation 2 Pet. 2.4 Jud. 6. for overthrowing of mankind Gods wrath was heavy against Satan and his kingdome was threatned to be destroyed and his head crushed Gen. 3. Touching the serpent Satans instrument there was a curse above all other beasts creeping on his belly eating of dust and enmity betweene mankind and him Touching the punishment of Adam and his wife 1 there was a perceiving with shame of their nakednesse 2 Sorrow and paine in diseases and in labour 3 Griefe of mind and pricke of conscience Gen. 3. Adams punishment in speciall labour and sweat The womans punishment in speciall sorrow of child-bearing Their outward punishment casting out of Paradise The punishment layd on all mankind was in respect of the mind and of the body Punishments in respect of the mind are