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The Cause of God and Truth

John Gill 1838
Comprehensive theological defense of Reformed doctrine against contemporary critics, systematically vindicating Calvinist interpretations of divine sovereignty.

One-volume edition (London: Thomas Tegg and Son, 1838); first published in four parts, 1735–38. Scan: Internet Archive causeofgodtruthi00gill (Princeton Theological Seminary Library). Text from Apple Vision OCR collated against the Archive's OCR; printed page numbers. Greek quotations, chiefly in Part IV, did not survive OCR.

From the text

The opening of the work as printed, from p. 1, in the spelling of this edition.

If thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted? &c.-GEN. iv. 7.

I. It will be proper to inquire, whether a wicked, an unregenerate man, as was Cain, can perform good works. To which may bo answered,

1. Adam had a power to do every good work the law required; which men, since the fall, have not. Men indeed, in an unregenerate state, might do many things which they do not; such as reading the Scriptures, attending on public worship, &c. No doubt but the persons in the parable, who were invited to the dinner, could have gone to it, had they had a will, as well as the one did to his farm, and the other to his merchandise. Men have an equal power, had they an heart, a will, an inclination, to go to a place of divine worship, as to a tavern, or alehouse; but it is easy to observe, that persons oftentimes have it in the power of their hands, when they have it not the power of their hearts, to do a good work; as a rich man to give alms to the poor. Unregenerate men are capable of performing works, which are in a natural and civil, though not in a spiritual sense, good. They may do those things, which externally, in appearance, and as to the matter and substance of them, may be good; such as hearing, reading, praying. giving alms to the poor, dc., when the circumstances requisite to good works are wanting; for whatsoever is done as a good work, must to the will of God; from a principle of love to him; inust be performed in faith; in the name of Christ, and to the glory of God by him. Therefore,

2. It must be denied, that wicked, unregenerate men, have a power to perform good works in a spiritual manner; which is : evident from their natural estate and condition, according to the scriptural representation of it, which is this: that the bias of their minds is to that which is evil, and to that only: that they are wholly carnal, and mind nothing else but the things of the flesh; that they are weak and strengthless, yea, dead in trespasses and sins; nay, that they are under an impossibility to do that which is spiritually good; There is none that doth good, no not one of them, nor are they able; they are not law of God, nor can they be. When the. Ethiopian subject to the changes his shin, and the leopard his spots, then may they also do good, who are accustomed to do evil. Men may expect as soon to gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles, as good fruit to grow upon, or good works to be performed by, unregenerate men: no, they must be created in Christ Jesus, have the Spirit of Christ put into them, and his grace implanted in them; they must be believers in him, before they are capable of doing that which is spiritually good. And even believers themselves are not able to think a good thought or perform a good work of themselves; it is God who works in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Sometimes when they have a will to that which is good, yet how to pertorm they know not; they can do nothing without Christ, though all things through him, who strengthens then; much less then have unregenerate persons either a power or a will to that which is spiritually good. Nor, 3. Is there any foundation for such a proposition in these words, which are hypothetically expressed, and therefore nothing absolutely to be concluded from them; that is to say, we are not to argue from God's saying to Cain, If thou dost well, therefore Cain had a power to do well, or to do that which is spiritually good, well; much less should we infer from hence, as one does, that " God could not have proposed the doing of good as a condition, if he had not given Cain sufficient strength whereby he was capable to do good*" . Since God could not only have proposed the doing of good, but have required it according to his law, without being under obligation to give sufficient strength to obey; for though man by his sin has lost his power to obey the will of God in a right manner, yet God has not lost his authority to command: which he may use without obliging himself to find man sufficient strength to act in obedience to it. Besides,

4. These words regard doing well, not in a moral, but in a ceremonial sense. Cain and Abel were very early taught the necessity, manner, and use of sacrifices; and in process of time they brought their offerino-s to the Lord, each according to his different calling and employment: the one brought of the fruit of the ground, the other of the firstlings of his flock. Now to Abel and his offering the Lord had respect, that is, he accepted him and his offering: but to Cain and his offering he had not respect; which made Cain very wroth; and his countenance fell; upon which the Lord expostulates with him after this manner, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou dost well, Ear optis porevéyns, If thou hadst offered rightly, as the Septuagint render the words; which though it is not a proper literal translation of them, yet agrecable enough to thoir sense, shouldst thou not be accepted? Cain failed either in the matter oi manner of his sacrifice; probably in the latter; since the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews observes, that by faith, Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cainf. Cain offered his sacrifice without faith, without any view to the sacrifice of Christ: he performed this his sacrifice hypocritically, in show and appearance only; he acted from no right principle, nor to any right end; and therefore his works, whatever show of righteousness they might have, are, by the apostle John* , rightly called evil; as are also all the works of wicked and inregenerate men. I proceed, Notes: * Barelay's Apology, p. 151. † Heh. xi. 4.

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Contents

  1. Preface
  2. Part I, Section I (GEN. iv. 7)p. 1
  3. Part I, Section IIp. 4
  4. Part I, Section IIIp. 8
  5. Part I, Section IVp. 10
  6. Part I, Section Vp. 13
  7. Part I, Section VIp. 18
  8. Part I, Section VIIp. 20
  9. Part I, Section VIIIp. 22
  10. Part I, Section IXp. 23
  11. Part I, Section Xp. 25
  12. Part I, Section XIIp. 30
  13. Part I, Section XIIIp. 31
  14. Part I, Section XIVp. 34
  15. Part I, Section XVp. 36
  16. Part I, Section XVIp. 37
  17. Part I, Section XVIIp. 37
  18. Part I, Section XVIIIp. 39
  19. Part I, Section XIXp. 41
  20. Part I, Section XXp. 43
  21. Part I, Section XXIp. 45
  22. Part I, Section XXIIp. 47
  23. Part I, Section XXIIIp. 48
  24. Part I, Section XXIVp. 50
  25. Part I, Section XXVp. 52
  26. Part I, Section XXVIp. 54
  27. Part I, Section XXVIIp. 55
  28. Part I, Section XXVIIIp. 57
  29. Part I, Section XXIX (Jonn v. 34)p. 60
  30. Part I, Section XXX (JoHN v. 40)p. 61
  31. Part I, Section XXXIp. 62
  32. Part I, Section XXXIIp. 63
  33. Part I, Section XXXIIIp. 66
  34. Part I, Section XXXIVp. 67
  35. Part I, Section XXXVp. 70
  36. Part I, Section XXXVIp. 71
  37. Part I, Section XXXVIIp. 72
  38. Part I, Section XXXVIIIp. 74
  39. Part I, Section XXXIXp. 76
  40. Part I, Section XLp. 80
  41. Part I, Section XLIp. 82
  42. Part I, Section XLIIp. 83
  43. Part I, Section XLIIIp. 85
  44. Part I, Section XLIVp. 87
  45. Part I, Section XLVp. 91
  46. Part I, Section XLVIp. 95
  47. Part I, Section XLVIIp. 96
  48. Part I, Section XLVIIIp. 99
  49. Part I, Section XLIX (HEB. il. 9)p. 100
  50. Part I, Section Lp. 102
  51. Part I, Section LIp. 105
  52. Part I, Section LIIp. 108
  53. Part I, Section LIIIp. 110
  54. Part I, Section LIVp. 112
  55. Part I, Section LVp. 114
  56. Part I, Section LVIp. 115
  57. Part I, Section LVIIp. 117
  58. Part I, Section LVIIIp. 123
  59. Part I, Section LIXp. 125
  60. Part I, Section LXp. 128
  61. Part II, Chapter I: Of Reprobationp. 130
  62. Part II, Chapter I, Section Ip. 131
  63. Part II, Chapter I, Section IIp. 134
  64. Part II, Chapter I, Section IIIp. 136
  65. Part II, Chapter I, Section IVp. 139
  66. Part II, Chapter I, Section Vp. 141
  67. Part II, Chapter II: Of Electionp. 145
  68. Part II, Chapter II, Section Ip. 145
  69. Part II, Chapter II, Section IIp. 150
  70. Part II, Chapter II, Section IIIp. 155
  71. Part II, Chapter II, Section IVp. 156
  72. Part II, Chapter II, Section Vp. 159
  73. Part II, Chapter II, Section VIp. 161
  74. Part II, Chapter II, Section VIIp. 165
  75. Part II, Chapter II, Section VIIIp. 170
  76. Part II, Chapter II, Section IXp. 175
  77. Part II, Chapter II, Section Xp. 176
  78. Part II, Chapter III: Of Redemptionp. 180
  79. Part II, Chapter III, Section Ip. 181
  80. Part II, Chapter III, Section IIp. 184
  81. Part II, Chapter III, Section IIIp. 185
  82. Part II, Chapter III, Section IVp. 187
  83. Part II, Chapter III, Section Vp. 188
  84. Part II, Chapter III, Section VIp. 190
  85. Part II, Chapter III, Section VIIp. 192
  86. Part II, Chapter IV: Of Efficacious Gracep. 193
  87. Part II, Chapter IV, Section Ip. 194
  88. Part II, Chapter IV, Section IIp. 196
  89. Part II, Chapter IV, Section IIIp. 198
  90. Part II, Chapter IV, Section IVp. 199
  91. Part II, Chapter IV, Section Vp. 201
  92. Part II, Chapter IV, Section VIp. 203
  93. Part II, Chapter IV, Section VIIp. 204
  94. Part II, Chapter IV, Section VIIIp. 205
  95. Part II, Chapter IV, Section IXp. 208
  96. Part II, Chapter IV, Section Xp. 210
  97. Part II, Chapter IV, Section XIp. 212
  98. Part II, Chapter IV, Section XIIp. 214
  99. Part II, Chapter IV, Section XIIIp. 216
  100. Part II, Chapter IV, Section XIVp. 218
  101. Part II, Chapter IV, Section XVp. 220
  102. Part II, Chapter IV, Section XVIp. 222
  103. Part II, Chapter V: Of the Corruption of Human Nature, and the Impotence of the Will of Man to that which is Spiritually Goodp. 225
  104. Part II, Chapter V, Section Ip. 225
  105. Part II, Chapter V, Section IIp. 227
  106. Part II, Chapter V, Section IIIp. 231
  107. Part II, Chapter V, Section IVp. 234
  108. Part II, Chapter V, Section Vp. 235
  109. Part II, Chapter V, Section VIp. 240
  110. Part II, Chapter VI: Of Perseverancep. 241
  111. Part II, Chapter VI, Section Ip. 242
  112. Part II, Chapter VI, Section IIp. 243
  113. Part II, Chapter VI, Section IIIp. 245
  114. Part II, Chapter VI, Section IVp. 246
  115. Part II, Chapter VI, Section Vp. 248
  116. Part II, Chapter VI, Section VIp. 251
  117. Part II, Chapter VI, Section VIIp. 252
  118. Part II, Chapter VI, Section VIIIp. 253
  119. Part II, Chapter VI, Section IXp. 255
  120. Part II, Chapter VI, Section Xp. 256
  121. Part II, Chapter VI, Section XIp. 259
  122. Part II, Chapter VI, Section XIIp. 260
  123. Part II, Chapter VI, Section XIIIp. 262
  124. Part II, Chapter VI, Section XIVp. 264
  125. Part II, Chapter VI, Section XVp. 266
  126. Part II, Chapter VI, Section XVIp. 268
  127. Part II, Chapter VI, Section XVIIp. 269
  128. Part II, Chapter VI, Section XVIIIp. 271
  129. Part III, Chapter I: Of Reprobationp. 277
  130. Part III, Chapter II: Of Election and Reprobationp. 293
  131. Part III, Chapter III: Of Redemptionp. 301
  132. Part III, Chapter IV: Of Efficacious Gracep. 329
  133. Part III, Chapter V: Of the Freedom of the Will of Manp. 337
  134. Part III, Chapter VI: Of the Perseverance of the Saintsp. 364
  135. Part III, Chapter VII: Of the Prescience and Providence of Godp. 370
  136. Part III, Chapter VIII: Of the State and Case of the Heathensp. 383
  137. Part IV, Introductionp. 404
  138. Part IV, Chapter I: Of Predestinationp. 407
  139. Part IV, Chapter I, Section Ip. 409
  140. Part IV, Chapter I, Section IIp. 411
  141. Part IV, Chapter I, Section IIIp. 412
  142. Part IV, Chapter I, Section IVp. 414
  143. Part IV, Chapter I, Section Vp. 416
  144. Part IV, Chapter I, Section VIp. 419
  145. Part IV, Chapter I, Section VIIp. 421
  146. Part IV, Chapter I, Section VIIIp. 422
  147. Part IV, Chapter I, Section IXp. 424
  148. Part IV, Chapter I, Section Xp. 426
  149. Part IV, Chapter I, Section XIp. 427
  150. Part IV, Chapter I, Section XIIp. 429

and 117 more sections

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