Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	wonder_n	work_n	work_v	96	3	6.3578	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51839	XVIII sermons on the second chapter of the 2d Epistle to the Thessalonians containing the description, rise, growth, and fall of Antichrist : with divers cautions and arguments to establish Christians against the apostacy of the Church of Rome : very necessary for these times / by that late reverend and learned divine, Thomas Manton ...	Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.	1679 (1679)	Wing M522; ESTC R7577	216,743	470

the great Instruments of his Kingdom and the men of this World whose portion is in this life are the proper Subjects of his Kingdom Of the Saints Christ is their Head but of the wicked ungodly ambitious World surely Sathan is the Head There are two Cities as Austin distinguisheth them Ie●usalem is the City of God and Babylon that Incorporation which belongeth to Sathan Now then whe●e shall we find him whose coming is after the working of Sathan but with him who with the loss of Christianity exalteth himself and affecteth an ambitious Tyranny and domineering over the Christian World both Princes Pastors and People and to uphold the Tyran●y careth not what havock he maketh of the Church and the whole frame of their Relig●on is calculated for secular Honour Worldly Pomp and Greatness Secondly By the visible Appearances of the Devil and where he is most conversant as in his own Kingdom Before Christs Kingdom was set up the Devil did often visibly appear but since he playeth least in sight when God openly manifested his Presence by appearing to the Fathers in sundry ways and manners as he did before hen spake to us by his Son Heb. 1.1 2. so did Sathan V●sions Apparitions and Oracles were more frequent and where Christs spiritual Kingdom prevaileth the World heareth less of the●e things but where it is obstructed more Now two instances in Popery 1. In their Chiefs how many Conjurers and Necromancers who expresly consulted and contracted with the Devil from the Year 600. to the Year 1500. the Chair of pestilence yielded the Histories tell us 2. In oreder 〈◊〉 the Devil had formerly in the times of Popery and still where it is allowed incomparably more power among men to appear to them and haunt their Houses and vex them than now he hath all that I say is haunting of Houses and Apparitions were much more common Uses 1. A detestation of Popery whatever is of the Devil should be hated by us for we are Christs Souldiers listed in his Warfare in Baptism Rom. 6.13 Yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God but yield not your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin Rom. 13.12 Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the Armour of Light Now after our military Oath should we revolt to them that join with the Devil and his Angels to make War against Michael and his angels 2. To be more careful to be compleatly armed For we fight not against flesh and blood but principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses in heavenly places Eph. 6.11 12. that is not only with the one but the other The Abettors of Popery ae Sathans Auxiliary Forces whom he stirreth up and employeth Now the Devils are of great cunning and strength and by Gods permission exercise great Authority in the World and the matter about which we contend with them is the Honour of God and Christ and our Eternal Salvation Therefore since the Subtilty Power and strength of the Enemy is so great we had need to be the better prepared and put on the whole Armour of God That bodily and humane Power that befriendeth the Kingdom of Sathan is formidable and that can only reach the outward man but Devils and damned Spirits are a more terrible and dangerous party who secretly blind our minds and weaken our courage and strangely and imperceptibly by our own carnal affections promote our eternal ruine 3. It sheweth us the folly of reco●ciling Babel and Sion Rome as it is and the Reformed Churches For what concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6.15 16. What agre●ment hath the Temple of God with Idols You can never reconcile God and Sathan the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent I speak not of holy endeavours to adjust the Controversies and reclaim Papists from their Errors that must be pursued how fruitless soever the attempt be but ●o hope for an agreement as things now stand is impossible 4. Caution that the Devil prevail not against us he once suprized Peter Mat. 16.23 Get thee behind me Sathan he hath prevailed over them that usurp the highest Chair in the Christian Church Let him not blind your Eyes in whole or in part though you be not drawn to Antichristianism do not live in a carnal Worldly course For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil 1 John 3.8 Every wicked act is Sathans Invention he stirreth it up is served by it delights in it his Kingdom goeth forward by it He gaineth by every wicked action Shew plainly that you are not of his party nor ever mean to be Give way to fleshly and worldly lusts and you are very prone to entertain the grossest Temptations and by subtle evasions will wriggle and distort your selves out of your duty as the Papists do I come now to the second means Doct. That Antichrist doth uphold his Kingdom by a false shew of Signs and Wonders and mighty Deeds To evidence this 1. We must inquire what is a Miracle Miracles are works extraordinary exceeding the ability of second causes and done to confirm the Truth Where we may observe 1. The general nature of them 2. Their author 3. Their Use. 1. Their general nature and kinds extraordinary works Some are either besides nature when the course of nature is changed as the standing still of the Sun in Ioshuah's Days the going back of the shadow on Ahaz his Di●● in Hezekiah's time Above nature as the opening of the eyes of a man born blind by Christ Iohn 9. Against nature when the operation of it is obstructed as w●en the three Children remained untouched in the Fiery Furnace Dan. 3. the fire had not lost its property to burn for those that cast them in were singed and scorched 2. The Author they are works exceeding the ability of second Causes and therefore are always done by the Power of God either immediately or mediately using some Creature in the performing of them as the Apostles of Christ. Well then the primary efficient cause is God and the manner of working is extraordinary and unusual exceeding the power and force of any Creature 3. The end and use is to confirm some Truth when they are done for Curiosity Ostentation and Delight they are but jugling tricks and have not God for their Author much less when they are pretended to confirm a false Doctrine or evil end But real Miracles do oblige by way of sign declaring Gods interest in or owning of the truth and Testimony to which they are annex●d For God being the Ruler of the World good merciful just it is not to be supposed he will cooperate to a lie or cheat or leave suc● a stumbling block before his Creatures II. That the Miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles did sufficiently prove that they were Teachers sent from God for Christ often appealeth to

his works John 5.36 For the works which the Father hath given me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me and John 10.38 Though ye believe not me that is his personal verbal Testimony believe the works that is his Miracles That ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him And when Iohn sent his Disciples to know whether he were the Messiah or no not so much for his own Confirmation as their satisfaction Mat. 11.4 Go shew him what ye hear and see and what is that The blind receive their sight the lame walk the lepers are cleansed the deaf hear and the dead are raised up c. So Nicodemus was convinced by these John 3.2 We know that thou art a teacher come from God for none can do the works that thou dost except God were with him To improve these Scriptures let us consider 1. The necessity of this Attestation 2. The sufficiency of it 1. The necessity the●e was that Christs Person and Office should be thus attes●ed He had the Law of Moses to repeal which was well known to be Gods own Law a yew Law to promulgate which is the Law of Faith or the Gospel and before this could be received it was needful for him to manifest his Authority Besides he came to redeem and recover Sinners to God from the Devil World and Flesh And that he might be more readily and chearfully entertained it was necessary to be evidenced that he came not only by Gods Permission but Commission for him hath the Father sealed John 6.27 that is authorized by Miracles Look as in the first Institution of the Aaronical Priesthood Fire came from Heaven to consume the Sacrifices whereas afterwards the High Priests were consecrated and admitted by the ordinary rites without any such attestation so there was a greater necessity then when God brought forth his Son into the World and ●id first set up the Gospel State than there was afterwards when the course and order of it was setled and received in the World 2. The sufficiency of it the Mir●cles then wrought were numerous evident and undeniable being done publickly in the sight of all and therefore the clearest attestation to his Doctrine that flesh and blood could expect such a stream of holy necessary Miracles that were for the most part not acts of pomp but of succour and relief and such as could be done by no power less than divine not like those ludicrous Miracles they talk of in Popery which look like a cheat rather than a sign from Heaven These Miracles of Christ could no way be impeached For either it must be by some truth of God which the new Revelation did contradict and delivered by more certain means than those Miracles were but no such Revelation was there all fairly accorded with those former Revelations of his mind given to the ancient Church and Christ and his Apostles preached no other things than what suited with Moses and the Prophets Acts 26.22 Or else by some greater works which should contradict the Testimony of these Wonders as Moses did the Magicians of Egypt Exod. 7.18 but no such thing could be alledged or was pretended therefore these were sufficient 2. After the Faith of Christ was sufficiently confirmed Miracles ceased and it was fit they should cease for God doth nothing unnecessarily The Christian Doctrine is the same that it was and is to be the same till the end of the World we have a sure and authentick Record of it which is the Holy Scriptures The Truth of Christs Office and Doctrine is fully proved and cometh trasmitted to us by the consent of many successions of Ages in whose experience God hath blessed it to the convert●ng comforting and saving of many a Soul Look as the Jews every time the Law was brought forth were not to expect the Thundrings and Lightnings and the voice of the terrible Trumpet with which it was given at first on Mount Sinai one solemn Confirmation served for after Ages they knew it was a Law given by the Ministry of Angels and so entertained it with Veneration and Respect so Christianity needed to be once solemnly confirmed after Ages have the use of the first Miracles for the Apostle compareth these two things the giving of the Law and the Gospel Heb. 1.2 3 4. For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by them that heard him we must be contented with Gods owning it now only in the way of his spirit and Providence 3. That upon the ceasing of Miracles or their growing to be unnecessary we have the more cause to suspect them who will revive this pretence of a power to work Miracles especially after we are cautioned against these delusions as here in the Text against the lying wonders of Antichrist and elsewhere Mat. 24.24 For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great s●gns and wonders in so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect and again Rev. 13.13 He doth great wonders so that he maketh fire come down from Heaven upon Earth in the sight of men But herein they triumph when did they ever pretend to do so Ans. This is not to be taken literally for the whole Chapter is mystical none can be so ignorant that Antichrist shall arise as a Beast out of the Sea with with seven Heads and ten Horns therefore to fetch fire from Heaven is only an allusion to Elias that he should pretend to work Miracles as did Elias who brought fire from Heaven 1 Kings 18.24 and yet in the Letter it was fulfilled in Pope Hildebrand or Gregory the VII as one Paulus who wrote his Life testifieth who mentioneth divers wonders of fire wrought by him and sundry times resembles him to Elias the meaning is he shall make his followers as confident of their errors as if they saw fire come from heaven to confirm them But to return We being thus cautioned and forewarned Miracles thus performed are deceitful But you will say though Miracles are not necessary to confirm the Faith yet they are necessary to convince the falsehood of Heresies Ans. Heresies being a corruption of the Faith once received are to be confuted by Arguments not Miracles by evidence of Doctrine not wonders partly left the people be deceived by magical Impostures for it requireth some skill to di●tinguish true Miracles from those that are deceitful and done by the power of the Devil partly because Verum est Index sui obliqui Faith ●tated and confirmed sheweth what is Error so that to confute Error by Miracles is nothing but to confirm Truth by Miracles 4. Whosoever teach false Doctrine not consonant to the truth of Scriptures or that Faith of Christ

we had plenty of Victuals and were well and saw no evil But since we have left off burning incense to the Queen of Heaven we have wanted all things and have been consumed by the Sword and the Famine Such sottish obstinacy is there in men that doat upon their own invented Superstitious and Idolatrous Services Custom Antiquity practice of their Ancestors the Authority and usage of their great ones their Rulers the generality of observance This is their knot of Arguments by which they confirm themselves just as the Papists plead for their Superstitions at this day and to make the Mess more compleat they add the plenty and prosperity they enjoyed what a merry World it was before the new Gospel came in when they had nothing but Mass and Mattins And all the Calamities that have faln out they impute not to their own sins but to the Gospel Now when a people are thus obstinate and measure Religion not by reasons of Conscience but the interests of the Belly it is a sign that they are under the power of delusion and error hath more efficacy with such corrupt minds than the truth 3. The Causes of it shew the efficacy of error 1. The sinning of their learned to keep out all instructions allowing the vulgar only Prayers in a strange tongue and the Scriptures in no tongue and teaching them implicitely to believe as the Church believeth When the Lord permitteth such guides to order the affairs of his Church his great Judgment of occecation and obduration is upon them Jer. 5.31 The Prophets prophesie falsely and the Priests bear rule by their means and my people love to have it so 2. When gain interests and ambition move them thereunto As those Masters in the Acts exclaim against Paul and Silas when they saw their hope of gain was gone Acts 16.19 20 21. These men do exceedingly trouble the City And Demetrius Acts 18.25 Ye know by this craft we have our wealth This is a tender point to touch interest and when once it cometh to this they will proceed in their fo●ly and defend one falshood with another for the great Idol of the World is gain or love of money 1 Tim. 6.10 For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred from the Faith It were an happiness if such kind of Arguments did only prevail with us to embrace a Religion that might convince others that it was Religion it self that we loved That our interest did not keep others from their duty and that we could embrace a Religion for the goodness of it even to our own loss 3. Another cause is pride of themselves and prejudice against others lest they should seem to be in an error and wrong and to learn of a few Novellists shall they teach them No rather they will remain ignorant still Alas it is not easy to strike Sa●● and submit to the teaching of those whom they hate Therefore men continue those first prejudices they have imbibed and will rather live and die in their errors than give God glory by a submission to truth Such a proud opinion and conceit have they of their own Learning and Knowledge This cause also conduceth to make the resolution more strong pre-ingagement in a contrary way It is disgraceful to change men think it is taken notice of as a great wonder Acts 6.7 That a great Company of the Priests were obedient to the Faith But such wonder are not wrought every day they of all men are most pertinacious but God can of stones raise up Children to Abraham Now would to God these causes of error were only found in the Antichristian Estate They are every where bu● these cause strong delusion 3. The issue and effect that they should believe a lie two things must be explained 1. The object 2. The Act. 1. The object a lie that is either 1. false Doctrines 1 Tim. 4.2 Speaking lies in Hypocrisie When palpable errors are taken for truths A man given over by God to delusion will swallow the grossest errors and f●ctions and that in matters dangerous and destructive to Salvation False Doctrines are often called a lie in Scripture as opposite to the truth And yet such things are received by those from whose parts the World would expect better things 2. False Miracles in their Legends a man would wonder any should have the face to obtrude such ridiculous stories and scandalous to Religion upon the World 3. False Calumnies against those Instruments whom God employed in the reformation Popery is a Religion supported by lies as that Calvin was a Sodomite and burnt in the shoulder at Noyon for that crime and the Popish Dea● and Chapter of that place have published his Vindicate That Luther was an Incarnate Devil begotten by an Incubus I should weary you to rake in this Dunghil but I must close it with the general observation that Antichristians will lie some among them call them pious frauds but they are Diabolical Forgeries 2. The Act is that they are given up to believe a lie This must be applied to their erroneous Doctrines as common to them all To their false Miracles and Calumnies not to the Inventers but to the seduced who swallow these things All that oppose the truth do not go apparently against Conscience but being given up to the efficacy of error they may believe that false Religion wherein they live Let us open the Term believe What is it to believe a thing you may know ●y the opposites Now opposite to Faith there is first doubtfulness when men halt between two opinions 1 Kings 18.21 If the Lord b● God follow him but if Baal then follow him This doubtfulness proceedeth from want of bringing the Case to a Tryal and thorow Hearing 2. Conjecture Acts 26.28 Almost perswaded Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian. 3. Opinion Matth. 13.14 Hath not root in himself but dureth for a while c. 4. Firm perswasion They will censure nothing for if of truth Joh. 6.69 We believe and are sure c. if of error Acts 26.9 I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Iesus of Nazareth 5. Resolved adherence if to the truth that is called receiving the truth in the love of it If to error it is seen in mens obstinacy and zeal suffering in it 1 Kings 18.28 Cutting themselves with Knives and Lances till blood gushed out Suffering for it For a man may give his body to be burned for an error a man may sacrifice a strong body to a stubborn mind 1 Cor. 13.3 Though I give my body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth nothing And persecuting the contrary Joh. 16.2 They shall put you out of the Synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service To apply this Marry that live within the Kingdom of Antichrist some are doubtful some almost perswaded so●e