Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	believe_v	faith_n	justification_n	5,240	5	9.4416	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41484	Christ lifted up, or, The heads of the chief controverted points, preached by Mr. Iohn Goodwin, pastor of Colman-street London, which hath bin the pretended grounds of the opposition that he hath had, by some other ministers, printed from a coppie written with his own hand, for the use of some who live under his owne charge. And now published by a friend of his, for the generall vievv of all men	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1641 (1641)	Wing G1157; ESTC R213804	3,028	14

CHRIST lifted up OR The heads of the chief Controverted Points Preached By Mr. Iohn Goodwin Pastor of Colman-street London Which hath bin the pretended grounds of the opposition that he hath had by some other Ministers Printed from a Coppie written with his own hand for the use of some who live under his owne Charge And now Published by a Friend of his for the generall view of all men 1 Cor. 4. 5. Iudge nothing before the time Printed in the yeare 1641. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Good READER I Thought it not amisse to give a short account wherefore I present to the world this extract I have met with two sorts of men that have bin contrary in opinions concerning these points Controverted yet in this they both agree to Calumniate the Author But they are upon tryall continually found as I conceive such as in true accompt neither know him nor yet what hath bin affirmed or denyed in the points Controverted the one sort of Men and the most learned of the two in some kind of learning peremptorily affirme that in some or all of these points there is at the least Errour others say Heresie nay that which is yet worse no lesse then Blasphemy but how they doe to make this appear I will not determine but leave to those that know how to judge The other sort of men on the contrary they say and affirm with no lesse confidence that in deed and in truth there is no such difference between M r. Goodwin and other men in the points Controverted but say that he might have delivered his mind in the language of other Ministers and so have prevented all differences They affirme that he hath said nothing but what hath bin generally said by all others before him for substance onely he hath taken to himselfe some new way of expression out of an affectation as they conceive of singularity or vaine glory Now that the first sort of these may appeare to have layd their foundation no otherwhere but in the Sands and the latter to have no foundation at all I have presented these heads to the view of Considering men which may be as so many rules to try and prove them by or lights to judge and discerne which is in the right whether either or neither which is the thing I ayme at God-willing in time the world may injoy the summe of the severall discourses at large in their severall Tracts and in the meane time by this tast I hope wise men will be so wise as not to be found Judges of the things they know not which is the desire Of thy well-wishing Friend CHRIST lifted up 1. CHRIST rejecteth no man that cometh unto him by Faith for want of preceding Legall Preparations by way of terrour or humiliation for sin Joh. 6. 37. Revel 22. 17 c. Neither is there any absolute necessity of such preparation in respect of God in that work of his whereby he infuseth Faith or enableth a man to come unto Christ but he who justifieth the ungodly is able to come upon a man in the middest of the greatest and deepest unpreparednesse and to bring him to Christ immediately Neither hath he any where in Scripture confined or limited the execution of this his power so as to engage or bind himselfe never to make Beleevers but of the lump or masse prepared by the Law Neither hath he imposed any Commandement upon unbeleevers to prepare dispose or qualifie themselvs for the guift or receiving of Christ by Faith by procuring their hearts to be smitten or wounded by the Law Neither doth any such smiting or wounding by the Law give any man any more right or title of beleeving in Christ then others have who have not bin so smitten But the grace of the Gospell is every wayes absolutely and intirely free and open to whosoever is willing to receive it Rev. 22. 17. Joh. 3. 16. yea and every man is bound to beleeve in what estate or condition soever the Gospell finds him and not to reject the Grace of God therein or put off the worke of beleeving upon any pretence or conceit of unworthinesse through want of Legall humiliation Neither is there any humiliation for sin truly acceptable unto God or necessarily accompanied with salvation but that which is wrought in a man upon or after his beleeving Heb. 11. 6. Ioh. 15. 5. which is the fittest time for such humiliation Zach. 12. 10. how soever the Commandement of being humbled for sin lyeth upon unregenerate men also at all times though not in relation to their future beleeving 2. Faith in Christ justifieth the Beleever neither as it is an habit neither as an act neither as it is the worke of Man neither as it is the worke or guift of God nor in regard of any intrinsecall vertue native property quality or dignity whatsoever whether absolute or relative but by vertue of that will good pleasure ordination or Covenant of God with his Creature whereby he hath setled this great Prerogative upon Faith rather then upon any other Grace or act whatsoever Joh. 6. 40. Joh. 1. 12. Joh. 3. 16. Eph. 2. 8 c. And is truly said to justifie instrumentally in this sence as it is means chosen and sanctified by God to bring men into communion part and fellowship of that Justification and Redemption which Christ hath purchased But to say that Faith justifieth in relation to its object Christ or which is the same because it layeth hold on Christ is to ascribe a meritorious efficiency to it in the work of justification and to seat the justifying nature or power of it in a property which is most naturall intrinsecall and essentiall to it yea and besides makes the love of Christ and every other Grace that hath relation to Christ as its object to be justifying as well as it 3. There is no Morall Legall or positive righteousnesse consisting either in habits or acts or both conformable to the Morall Law that is formally imputed from Christ or derived upon a Beleever in his justification But that righteousnesse or justification which Christ hath purchased by his active and passive obedience together for those that beleeve in him consists wholly in forgivenesse of sinnes Rom. 4. v. 5 6 7 8. Act. 13. 38 39 c. which is therfore called an imputed righteousnesse or a righteousnesse without works Rom. 4. 6 c. because it is freely given conferr'd or cast upon a beleever by God And because Faith is anoynted or set apart by God to this office or service of bringing in the Beleever into communion and fellowship of this imputed righteousnesse or justification purchased by Christ is therfore it selfe said to be imputed for or unto righteousnesse Gen. 15. 6. Rom. 4. 5 c. that is to be all that God now requireth of any man for or towards his justification or the forgivenesse of his sins Neither is the observation of the Morall Law either by a mans selfe or by surety any part of any mans justification which is compleat and intire in the nature and substance of it without works i. e. the merit of works Rom. 4. 6. though the purchase and procurement of it on Christs part was by merit of works 4. That Faith which precisely justifieth a sinner in the sight of God is not the beleeving any thing more or any thing besides what God himselfe hath plainly revealed in his Gospell Therfore truly and soundly to beleeve the Gospell as it cometh from God or as it is delivered by the Holy Ghost in the Scripture is that Faith which justifieth The summe or substance whereof is usually compriz'd in these or the like Propositions That Jesus Christ is that Son of God that whosoever beleeves on him shall be saved c. Which Euangelicall Oracles whosoever rightly understandeth and in a cordiall firme and sincere manner and with his whole heart beleeveth is justified before God Joh. 20. 31. Act. 8 37. 1 Joh. 5. 1. 5 c. and hath undoubted grounds to beleeve his particular or personall salvation in as full and satisfying a manner as he beleeves the Gospell it selfe Neither is it possible that any man who thus beleeves the Gospell and withall knows and considers what he beleeveth therein but that he should make particular application of Christ to himselfe and beleeve his own salvation because all feares doubts and questions whatsoever may be conceiv'd or mov'd in the soule touching his salvation are fully answered and taken away by such a Faith As he that knows and considers what a Rock is as touching the strength firmnesse and stability of it unpossible it is that he should refuse to stand upon it for feare of sinking because all grounds and reasons of this feare are fully taken away by such a knowledge and consideration FINIS