Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
B12292
|
A briefe ansvvere to certaine obiections against the treatise of faith, made by Ez. Culvervvell Clearing him form the errors of Arminius, vniustly layd to his charge.
|
Culverwell, Ezekiel, 1553 or 4-1631.
|
1626
(1626)
|
STC 6110; ESTC S114543
|
3,557
|
26
|
A BRIEFE ANSVVERE TO CERTAINE Objections against the Treatise of Faith made by EZ CVLVERVVELL Clearing him from the errors of Arminius vnjustly layd to his charge LONDON Printed by I. D. for William Sheffard and are to be sold at his Shop at the entrance in out of Lumbard streete into Popes-head Alley 1626. Christian Reader Although my great care in setting forth A Treatise of Faith was to deliver that truth which I gathered out of the holy Scriptures and keeping in mine eye the marke I aimed at To strengthen the weake in faith I purposely avoyded all controversies which might entangle weake Iudgements Yet now of late I perceiue that as my Labours haue had good approbation of the Learned and haue beene profitable vnto weake Christians so som few haue by speech and writing manifested their differing judgements from me and an hard censure of me which I had purposed to passe by in silence but meeting of late with a briefe confutation in print of some cheife points in my Booke which might stumble many weake ones I hold my selfe bound in Conscience to maintaine the truth by me delivered and to cleare my selfe from many vniust imputations Wherein passing by the Author and all his intentions I will touch the principall points gainsayed This formerly I had done and sent to the Author before he published his Confutation Therefore he had no just cause to make my defect of answer a cause of putting his Confutation to the presse as he alledgeth in his Epistle to the Reader HIS a pag. 4. first exception is against these words Many of Gods children doe not enioy that sweete life and blessed estate in this world which God their Father hath provided for them Any indifferent Reader may see his grosse mistaking herein For what I speake of Gods bountie in providing meanes whereby his children might liue more comfortably if the fault were not in theÌ„selues he vnderstaÌ„ds of Gods Decree which is vnchangeable and cannot be frustrated So that all his Discourse hereof as many others might well haue beene spared The b pag. 7. 8. c. second and indeed the onely point in question is Whether Salvation in Christ be in the Gospâ—ll proclaimed and offered in generall to all that heare it or onely to the Elâ—ct The former I hold proue by most evident Scriptures as I doubt not the Learned will approue Herein I haue beside many other Orthodox defenders of the truth both ancient and modern the consent of that famous Synod at Dort wherein were assembled a great number of leared Divines out of the Reformed Churches Their own words I will set downe that all may see how I agree with them Chap. 2. Art 5. It is the promise of the Gospell that whosoeuer beleeveth in Christ crucified should not perish but haue life everlasting which promise together with the iniunction of Repentance and faith ought promiscuously and without distinction to be declared and published to all men and people to whom God in his good pleasure sends the Gospell But for as much as many being called by the Gospell Art 6. doe not repent nor beleeue in Christ but perish in their Infidelitie this comes not to passe for want of or by any insufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ offered vpon the Crosse but by their owne default This shall suffice for my defeÌ„ce in this point As for further Confutation of his arguments to the contrary it is not my purpose to charge the Presse with more Controversies among our selues Onely this I will say which may be a sufficient answere to all his Allegations that all the Scriptures which restraine the merits of Christ to some onely are to be vnderstood of those that shall enioy them but those Scriptures which enlarge Christs Merits to all are to be meant of the Offer onely or proclaiming them to all though many of them never partake of Christ So then the Generall offer doth not make all partakers of Christ nor the Speciall Partaking of Christ hinder the generall offer By Offer I meane onely the outward Calling by the Gospell Math. 22.14 which none can deny to belong to many that are not chosen This I affirme to be the onely ordinary seed to beget saving Faith My Adversary taketh this Offer for a Promise to haue Christ which I confesse that none shall haue but the Elect and so he spends much labour in vaine Whereas c pag. 16. c. he chalengeth all the Scriptures by me alleaged to proue the generall Offer to be misapplied for that he would haue them to be vnderstood of the Elect onely I must referre this also to the judgement of the Learned with submission to their censure I professe I cannot find any one clear place where the VVORLD must of necessitie be taken for the ELECT onely For the wicked in the world it is oft vsed and more generally for all Mankinde as Mr Calvin with sundry other great Divines vnderstand it even d Io. 3.16 in the place where he misalledgeth him to the contrary In this Scipture God so loved the World that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but haue everlasting life I desire may be considered if the World be not divided into beleevers who shall be saved and vnbeleevers who shall not be saved which cannot be vnderstood of the Elect onely As for e Mar. 16.15 this most manifest scripture preach the Gospell to every creature to vnderstand the Elect is vnreasonable Therefore I professe that his Accusation is vniust He commeth f pag. 20. c. in the next place to my maine argument wherein he fowly mistaketh my meaning not well considering my words For what I speake of the knowledg of a pardon proclaimed he vnderstands of the knowledge of a pardon embraced which belongs onely to a beleever but the proclamation of a pardon must be knowne to an vnbeleever before he can beleeue which is that that I maintaine After this g pag. 26. he obiecteth that there be many other strange passage wherin he doth much misâ—ake my plaine meaning One of the supposed strange passages is that I say By divers considerations in a man voyde of faith faith may be gotten as if I meant that this might be effected without the helpe of the Spirit whereas to shew my selfe an enemy to vniversall grace and so to cleare me from Arminius his errors I plainly say that None can attaine vnto faith without the speciall grace of Gods Spirit pag. 42.82 to which purpose I cite sundry Scriptures prooving the same h pag. 27. Another of the objected strange passages is that I make sorrow for sinne and desire of remedy causes of faith But those words are none of mine they are his collection from these words of mine pag. 44. Vnder the causes I comprehend all that work of God whereby he worketh faith in any Vnder that worke of God among other things I mention sound sorrow for mans misery and fervent desire after Christ the remedy Let any indifferent Reader now judge if I make not Gods worke the cause of faith and these with other particulars such gifts as God worketh in vs before faith In the next place i pag. 29. charging me with Arminianisme most vnjustly he taketh in hand to confute Vniversall Redemption by many Arguments But seeing I haue purposely avoyded that question and doe from my heart deny that every man is actually reconciled by Christ and affirme that none haue any benefit by Christ but Beleevers and their seede I leaue the scanning of his arguments to his adversary whosoever he be and I doe here testifie vnder my hand to all posteritie that I renounce all Arminius his errors and giue my full consent to the Synod of Dort As for these phrases God hath made a deed of gift and grant of Christ to mankinde yea to all sinners excepting none and other like to them which he presseth against mee they are to be taken of Gods dispensatioÌ„ of his mind in and by the Gospell and so much is expressed by me pag 36. in these words Making so free a grant thereof in the Gospell to all sinners excepting none Any indifferent Reader may see that my maine scope is to draw every one that heareth the Gospell to beleeue by this that Christ and his benefits be proclaimed to him and shall never be bestowed on him vnlesse he beleeue which is far from Arminius his errors Lastly where he conceiveth some contradictions in my Booke it is cleare they be his coÌ„ceipts as will evidently appeare by the particulars Concerning the first pretended contradiction his words are these k pag. 39. You say that all Gods promises made to the Elect are absolute pag. 141. And againe Most of the free promises of the Gospell be propounded with some condition What contradiction is in these words Are these termes absolute vpon some condition contradictory Are not the conditions required in the Gospel absolutely promised to the Elect The distinction which I make of promises absolute and conditionall sheweth that there is no contradiction in those words These well agree that The Elect cannot faile of that which God promiseth to them and all others to whom God offers salvation shall not obtaine it because they beleeue not Another pretended contradiction he thus expresseth I take it that the manifestation of GODS counsell to the heires of promise pag. 209. crosseth the generall offer Who would so take it but he it being Gods eternall counsell to saue none but the Elect which he manifesteth to Abraham and his seed according to the Faith this nothing hindereth the generall offer and proclamation of pardon to the Reprobate to make them inexcusable for refusing mercie offered A third pretended contradiction is that I say God out of his faithfulnesse freely bestows that which he offereth and sealeth pag. 357. and that Many doe not receiue that which is promised and sealed pag. 358. What contradiction is it to say that Many for want of faith receiue not that which is promised God faithfully performeth what he offereth in the Word and sealeth by the Sacraments but onely to such as by faith receiue both FINIS