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
A97212	Caleb's inheritance in Canaan: by grace, not works, an answer to a book entituled The doctrine of baptism, and distinction of the covenants, lately published by Tho. Patient: wherein a review is taken, I. Of his four essentials, and they fully answered; ergo II. Dipping proved no gospel practice, from cleer scripture. III. His ten arguments for dipping refuted. IV. The two covenants answered, and circumcision proved a covenant of grace. V. His seven arguments to prove it a covenant of works, answered. VI. His four arguments to prove it a seale onely to Abraham, answered: and the contrary proved. VII. The seven fundamentals that he pretends to be destroyed by taking infants into covenant, cleeered; and the aspersion proved false. VIII. A reply to his answer given to our usual scriptures. For infant-subjects of the kingdom, in all which infant-baptism is cleered, and that ordinance justifyed, / by E.W. a member of the army in Ireland.	Warren, Edward, Member of the army in Ireland.	1655 (1655)	Wing W956; Thomason E856_2; ESTC R9139	117,844	134

must needs be a covenant of works for if it had been a covenant of Grace it would have administred Justification with it This is the full sense as neer as I can collect out of such stragling discourses Though the Scriptures he brings in these pages to prove what he asserts were before omitted yet I shall here take them in as most fit in this place because the running over things so often would otherwise make the Answer so bulkish and therefore A. Though he saith Justification by faith was not given by Circumcision i. e. by the act done as neither is it now given by Baptism yet Justification was given in that Covenant of Grace which Circumcision sealed and so the Elect did obtain it Rom. 4.11 He received the sign of Circumcision a seal of the righteousness of Faith that he might be the Father of all that believe though they be not Circumcised So that Circumcision was the covenants seal and not the seal of his faith out of which the Gentile Nations were excluded till that Jewish Church was cast off so that the Jews were neerer then Pagans and Heathens notwithstanding any thing he affirms because the one was under the call of the Gospel and the tenders of Grace when the other was a far off Aliens and strangers Eph. 2.11 12 13. But when the Gospel came amongst them also then they were made nigh by the blood of Christ The Heathens in New England will any sober understanding Christian say they are as neer to a state of Justification as those that are born and bred up and dwell under the sound of the Gospel yea Mr. P. himself doth contradict what he in this affirms in acknowledging that the Jews were priviledged before other Nations in having such precious tenders of the Gospel p. 49. so that we see he doth not stick fast to his own judgement in any thing But wherein these precious priviledges should lye or how the G●spel should be tendred if they were not visible under the covenant of Grace and so neerer then Heathens I cannot see nor I am sure he himself for had not Justification run in the Jewish Ordinances more freely then it did to the Gentiles that had them not they had instead of being priviledged been more in bondage and slavery then any Nation in the world 2. There is not any one place or Text or syllable in the 2 3. or 4 to Rom. or in 12 15 17 18 22. of Gen. or 3 4 5. Gal. that saith Justification by faith was not given in the covenant of Circumcision or that Justification by faith is opposed to Circumcision or that because Abraham was Justified before circumcised therefore Circumcision is a covenant of Works But this the Texts say that justification is to be had in the covenant of Circumcision which were it a covenant of works would not there be found Rom. 3.1 2 3 30. But 3. And because he tells us in pag. 55. That there is no Text in all the Scripture more cleer to prove the covenant of Circumcision to be a covenant of works then this 4. Rom. setting Faith and Circumcision in opposition shewing that Abrahams spiritual seed had their justification in another covenant and not in circumcision I have therefore taken it into this place because one answer will serve both To cleer this place therefore from this cloud of error cast upon it I shall stay some time to search into it The words are these What shall we say then that Abraham our Father as appertaining to the flesh hath found For if Abraham was justified by works He hath whereof to glory but not before God but Abraham believed God c. And how was it then reckoned when he was in Circumcision or in uncircumcision not in Circumcision c. A. By comparing this with the preceding chapter as also with ch 5 6 7 8. we finde the Roman Church that had imbraced the Ordinances of the Gospel were then falling back into the works of the Law and those legal Ordinances in them to gain justification And therefore they would be listening after those false Teachers that preacht up Circumcision after the manner of Moses which was the prevailing error in that Church and is at this day it being so fallen that they maintain good works do justifie Now the Apostle to bring them off from this error bids them look upon Abraham whom they acknowledged to be the father of the faithful and see how the case stood with him how he was justifyed secretly implying that if he that was the Father of all believers was not justifyed by works then it would be unreasonable in his children to think that they were and therefore it was their duty to follow him by which we see Abraham is held forth as a publick person in the Gospel to which Gospel-Churches are to have recourse to rectifie errors in doctrines of Faith and if upon search they found that Abraham was justifyed in urcircumcision then they should not think that Circumcision was of absolute necessity to justification and therefore tells them it was their mistake the Law was never intended by God to justifie any but ch 3.9 both Jew and Gentile are all under sin and ver 20. therefore by the deeds of the Law no flesh can be justifyed for all have sinned and are therefore justifyed freely by his Grace without the deeds of the Law ver 28. upon which the Romans make this Objection Rom. 4.1 What benefit or advantage then hath Abraham found to whom the covenant was made The meaning is because Abraham had not his justification by circumcision therefore they could not see any Gospel-benefit that came by that Ordinance at all so much is implyed in the words the like also ch 3. what profit then is there of Circumcision and it is the same objection in effect that M. P. makes onely a little changed For thus his runs If Abraham was not justified in the covenant of Circumcision then is Circumcision a covenant of works both which the Apostle answers that though Abraham and his seed were not justifyed by the Law as a law or covenant of works yet there was a considerable advantage the Jews had by circumcision and chiefly because unto them were c●mmitted the oracles of God and ch 9.4 who are Israelites i. e a peculiar Nation inclosed by God himself from all the Nations of the world to them appertains the adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the Promises whose are the Fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came As if he had said all this heap and bundle of benefits came in to the Jews and that Nation which no Nation under heaven had besides and yet for all this there were many that did not believe ch 3.3 For what though some did not believe shall their unbelief make the Faith of God without effect God forbid as if he had said The end for which

covenant of Grace as those hypocrites had so often mentioned So in their own P. So he quotes Joh. 16. that Christ calls the unbelievers in the national Church of the Jews the world I have chosen you out of the world and their being circumcised freed them not from being justly so called A. The answer is The words are directed to the Disciples as a people that acknowledged Christ exhibited and so were Gospel worshippers And the unbelievers amongst the Anabaptists may as well be called the world if the comparison relates to one that truely believes as the Jews were called the world when Christs words related to his real believing Disciples For the denying of Christ to be the Messias was that which distinguisht because such a denyal led them to keep up a form of worship that did directly oppose the Gospel P. Another Scripture Rom. 4.16 It is of faith that it might be by grace but if the covenant was made to the seed it could not be of faith and so not of grace A. Here is sad work made in his interpretations was it not of Faith to Abraham that it might be by Grace to him and his seed for shame abuse not the Scripture so grosly It was of Faith that it might be by grace to the end the Promise might be sure to all the seed and who this seed was he tells us little children if we may draw it from Isaacs being a child in Isaac shall thy seed be called And because the Gentiles shall know that the word seed reaches them therefore he adds not to that onely which is of the Law c. So that as it was to Abraham by faith that it might be of Grace to his seed So is it now of Faith to a believer that it might be of Grace to his seed So also he quotes Act. 15.4 He put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith A. If God put no difference how durst he do it then P. So Gal. 3.2 4. we are all one in Christ Jesus A. How then can he answer it before God to make us twain For as Abraham and his seed through the Law were in covenant so are believers and their seed now or else we are not all one in Christ but two seeds P. As for that opposition he gives page 99. That a temporal election into a temporal covenant was a type of the spiritual election into a spiritual covenant A. It is a whimsey of his own brain that can never be made good and therefore it shews a giddy spirit after notions P. Again Heb. 11.6 without faith it is impossible to please God therefore none can be in a covenant of Grace but such as believe So Abel A. We please God by Faith now as those worthies in that chap. mentioned did then for therefore the Apostle brings in them for an example so the answer is still the same Look how Abraham our Father pleased God in circumcising his seed as in the covenant in which there was an act of Faith and how the contrary in Moses neglecting the seal displeased God so are believers to please God by sealing their seed and the neglect hereof provokes the wrath of God as it is evident from this example by which we see that if we would please God as Abraham did we must then walk in the steps of Abraham and it is agreeable and not opposite to faith or grace to seal our Infants Thus Christian Reader thou maist see all the Scriptures by himself quoted to maintain his opinions they do like the stars of heaven in their courses fight against this Sisera P. The last place is Rev. 21.8 The fearful and unbelieving shall have their portion in the lake of fire A. Is not this well applyed to the thing in hand or doth he with one blast of his Nostrils turn all children to hell The Lord rebuke him even the Lord. CHAP. XV. The 2 Act. 3.1 Cor. 7.14 vindicated in answer to his last general head Pag. 101 102. WE are now come to his last head to examine the answer he gives to our Scripture Allegations and accordingly to reply The first Scripture he quarrels with is Act. 2.39 The promise is to you and your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call P. To which he saith the promise is just to so many as God shall cal and by Promise he opens the remission of sins and gift of the holy Ghost and then he makes this flourish I pray take notice how evident the Text makes against this error That the covenant of Grace should be made with the fleshly line of believers and to confirm the meaning of the word call in his sense he brings Rom. 8.30 and Heb. 9.15 and 1 Pet. 2.9 All which speaks of an effectual Call Rep. We are here to consider to whom the words were spoken 1. namely to the Jews who were troubled in spirit about their condition such who had crucifyed Jesus Christ that had wisht his blood to be upon them and their children Mat. 27.23 The promise is to you and your children this promise cannot be meant of the gifts of the holy Ghost by tongues and miracles for that would have been no solid cure to a wounded conscience as theirs was Judas had such gifts but they could not m●ke his conscience whole who was guilty of the same sin 2 This Promise was to relate to them afar off that is the Gentil●s it could not be therefore such Gifts for they ceast in that age and the Gentiles afar off never had them though yet the Gentiles did repent and were baptized therefore by this promise called the promise must be meant such a promise which they well knew and were acquainted with and therefore must be that of Abrahams covenant made to him and his seed So the Apostle Gal. 3. To Abraham and his seed were the promises made ver 16. not seeds as of many but as of one i. e. the Jewish seed and Gentile seed make but one seed i e. Christ mystical in his political body 1 Cor. 12.27 So here again the promise is to you and your seed Quest But what was there in Abrahams promise to cure a wounded Conscience For such were the persons mentioned therefore the salve must be suitable A. All good things were in it that related to Grace or Glory I will be thy God what could be said more what promise will cure a wounded Conscience if this will not T is a salve most proper to the ground of their distemper they had crucifyed God the son And this promise tells them he was theirs notwithstanding For the words I will be thy God imply personal promises so the father saith I wi●l be thy God and the Son I will be thy God and the Holy Ghost I will be thy God a promise sufficient enough to bear up a sinking world suitable to Gal. 3.14 explained v. 8. before to be in