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	object_n	6,980	5	9.0206	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85050	Vindiciæ mediorum & mediatoris. or, the present reigning errour arraigned, at the barr of Scripture and reason. Wherein is discovered the falshood and danger of that late borne opinion, that pretends to an immediate enjoyment and call of the Spirit of God, both above and against its owne fffects, [sic] cause, word, ministry, and witness, in all respects. Occasioned by a pamphlet, intituled, The saints travell to the land of Canaan, or a discovery of seventeen false rests, &c. By one R. Wilkinson, a preacher of this errour about Totnes in the West. In the treatise following, the reader shall finde, most of the maine fundamentall doctrinall truths that this age doth controvert, faithfully vindicated, cleared, confirmed. By F. Fullwood, minister of the Gospell at Staple Fitzpane in the county of Somerset.	Fullwood, Francis, d. 1693.	1651 (1651)	Wing F2521; Thomason E1281_1; ESTC R202060	131,348	337

whether Christ be in them is by a self-searching examination not by a waiting for the immediate invisible shining of the Spirit for its own discovery and evidence Arg. 3 A reflecting upon and reasoning from Grace for Evidence of our true enjoyment of God is but a judgeing of Gods presence by his working what absurdity or but a knowing of the Cause by the Effect and is this a strange thing I would fain know what hinders but that the Spirit may give us to see himself in his own work when as we behold the Creation and Providence of God this is that that may be known of God So the new Creation and Government within us is that that may be known of the Spirit Arg. 4 Since God is too wise a Work-man to make more work then needs why may not he make use of the Reason of man so easie and open and ready a way in this particular Case of Evidence as well as in those particulars following wherein I shall argue The Holy Ghost doth exercise the reason of man to evidence to him this state of Nature then why may he not by the same faculty Evidence to man his state of Grace These are in themselves proper contraries and both equally Relative unto man the one the depravation the other the recovery and reparation of his Nature yet we finde the first foot-steps of God for the Evidence of sinne in our first Parents trod in such a path God comes towards them to finde out and convince them of their sinne and Rebellion in eating c. How By a reasonable expostulation And hath the Spirit of Christ any other way then this according to the Gospell The Truth is my witnesse the Spirit at his comming this glorious dispensation of the Spirit shall convince the World of sinne John 16. 8. the Spirit may discover sinne long enough and I never see it unlesse it be with the eye of Reason and shew me Grace long enough and I never be comforted unlesse I see it with the same eye He shewes us the things of Christ but must not we see them too John 16. 14. else how shall we glorifie him God may accuse but he cannot convince us of sin without the enlightning of our own Reason and therefore that his ancient People might be convinced of their sinne and that he did not accuse them without a cause Come now let us reason together saith the Lord Isa 1. 18. Therefore to conclude as the Reprobate shall not be cast into Hell untill they be fully convinced of their sin by most cleare and invincible Evidence having all their Objections answered their mouths quite stopped when they have read their Debts in the Book that are in their own judgement sufficient to cast them into the Eternall Dungeon Matth. 25. 45. c. So if any of the Saints want the knowledge of the ground of Assurance while they are in the World they shall it seems with their reason enlightned by Christ at that day know it before they enter into his Kingdome Matth. 25. 37. to 40. The Holy Ghost maketh use of the reason of Man for his Conversion then why not also for his Consolation Is it not the same Object that doth convert Man to and comfort him in God On the one hand Hell and on the other hand Heaven and is it not the same Light that doth discover the same Object though for these divers Ends doth it not then require the same Organ the same Faculty Reason enlightned is the eye whereby we apprehend the terrour of Hell Law Justice c. with the glory of Heaven Grace and Happinesse and are changed in our thoughts and wayes and surely also whereby we apprehend the same Objects and our selves as freed from the one kind and interessed in the other and are ravished with joy unspeakable and glorious God is the Primum movens and he must first move our Primum mobile before the inferiour Orbes will turn towards him the will having its immediate Light and Evidence not from the Spirit of God but the mind the Candle of the Lord if the understanding be darkned it walks in darkness and seeth no light the heart is blinded but if this Candle be inlightned by the Spirit of God it is subservient not onely to the will but consequently to the whole Man in its turning from Sin and Nature to God and Grace Now the same light that doth convert the minde by Reflection doth comfort and refresh the heart The Holy Ghost doth work by our reason in the Creation of Faith then why not also for Hope and Assurance God hath provided a Saviour for Sinners the way of their Salvatian by him is beleiving in him Now that God might work up the Souls of sinners to beleive and be saved he hath ordained a Ministery hath put into its hand a word of Reconciliation to shew them the necessity and worth of a Saviour by convincing them of Sin and Righteousnesse offering them a Saviour and Life and Heaven with him will they but beleive beseeching in Christs stead that through him they would be reconciled to God and saved and all this is that he might not force but win Men to the Faith that Faith might come by Reason and in the day of Gods Power his Psal 110. People might be a willing People as we will not beleive so we cannot be assured but by Reason they are both Acts of the same Faith And now what should priviledge the reflex Act of Faith more then its direct from being beholding to Reason I know not The Scriptures say He that believeth shall be saved my reason being inlightned inabled to see the truth and stableness of the Proposition is effectually perswaded to close with this offer and to beleive But now I beleive cannot the same faculty of reason inlightned and assisted by the same Spirit reflect Consolation herefrom He that beleives shall be saved but I believe therefore I am sure I shall be saved this is the Joy of my Salvation What hinders but that the same reason that upon the perswasion of the truth of the Gospell caused me to beleive may upon the assurance of the truth of my Faith together with the veiw of the Glory of Salvation cause me to rejoyce because I did not doubt But he that beleiveth shall be saved therefore I beleived so for that I am assured I beleive I am assured of salvation and therefore am at rest What more neede of the immediate shining of the Spirit in us for Faith of Evidence then for Faith of Adherence as I reason about misery for the work of the first so I reason about happiness for the Act of the second that is the greatest difference Yea insomuch as we having assurance in Adam and not Faith Faith is the more difficult work Secondly insomuch as it being more difficult to attain to any habit then to Act from that habite when attained to act Faith of Evidence is far

before we conclude this Chapter we shall subjoyne these necessary cautious as a Qualification to Qualifications First let the Reader take a speciall difference in order to the deciding of the present question betwixt Assurance and Comfort For as assurance is the effect of Righteousness so Joy and Comfort are effects of Assurance and as they are divers in themselves so are they differently obtained by us Even as the Habit and the Act of the Habit. For when I would confirm my Brother in a by him doubted Truth as I fetch all the Arguments from Scripture and Reason to prove it to him even so must I deal with my doubting Conscience to bring it unto an assured knowledge of the truth of my State of Grace and Title to Heaven This as the obtaining of a Habit requires some time with a serious deliberate Exercise of Reason but as when we have gotten a habit there is nothing more ready and easie then to Act therefrom so Spirituall Comfort is the most proper and immediate Effluvium and effect of Assurance obtained Though we come very hardly to the assured knowledge of our state of Grace yet we passe most easily from that assured knowledge c. to joy unspeakable as the reflection of the Sun doth naturally recoile by or from its direct Act so that as it is necessary that there be some glance from the Exercise of beleiving reason upon Pardon Grace God Heaven c. For every Passion must have its Object for the begetting of Spirituall Joy from Assurance so doth it immediately and upon a sudden flash take life from thence as when a Candle is lighted light immediately springs all over the house yet this Joy is most reall sollid and substantiall Secondly it is not at all required especially from such as are already perswaded to Assurance upon good grounds that every Act of their Spirituall Joy should be the issue of their immediate Conception of Grace as if a Christian might never take Spirituall Comfort to himself but as from the reflexion of reason upon his Graces We many times rejoyce in our God and Saviour and by Faith that is the substance of things hoped for even bathe our Souls in those rivers of pleasure c. and that from Assurance already made and not now questioned the Spirit of God doth assure us by shewing us our own things and thus giving us matter of Joy doth comfort us mediately but he doth also shew us the things of Christ and John 16. thus is more immediately and properly our Comforter for we have received the Spirit of God that makes us know the things that are freely given to us of God To conclude as when I have sufficiently proved my Doctrine it would be but a needless perplexity and folly to turn back for the renewing of the proof of my Doctrine for every Vse that I make thereof so for a Saint upon every occasion of Spirituall rejoycing to go so far about as to the triall of the grounds of Assurance as it would be a sign of over much suspicion and infidelity so a grosse in that an ungratefull abuse of Assurance Lastly our reason most diligently exercised even upon the best of our Qualifications can give us but a dark indistinct and uncertain Evidence without the light and helpe of the Spirit of God as our eyes cannot give vs an exact distinct knowledge of colours without the light of the Sun by a candle Now the understanding of a man is the Candle of the Lord Prov. 20. 27. CHAP. IV. Of the immediate witnesse of the Spirit HAving done my Endeavour assisted I hope by the Spirit of God for the clearing of our Evidences we now proceed to lay hold on the other branch springing from the same roote which hath been before delivered in these words Viz. The Spirit of God doth manifest Errour his Presence to the Soul by his own immediate light Arg. 1 The first Reason that endeavours the maintenance of this and is every where hinted by the disturber of the false rests is the Spirits sufficiency to discover himself immediately to us Answ But he ought to know that from a sufficiency to an efficiency is no good arguing the death of that person that was God as well as Man being infinitely meritorious then how falls it out that all Men yea and Devils themselves are not saved 2. From the power to the Act gives no good Argument because the power of God is sufficiently able to destroy the World and all therein therefore will he must he doe it Can the spirit discover himself to the Soul immediately that therefore he will use no means in this work is a pure non sequitur yet this Assertion is built especially when illustrated with that that followes Viz. Arg. 2 The Spirit is a Sunne Page 60. line 17. Now the Sunne doth manifest it selfe unto the World in its owne Light therefore the Spirit in like manner to our hearts Answ It is said that Christ shall come as a theife c. therefore as a theif comes to do that that is sinnefull must Christ also Such it the absurdity of the precedent Argument for comparisons run not on foure feet 2. But secondly this comparison holds at least thus far First the Sunne doth manifest it selfe in its owne Light so doth the Spirit again the Sunne doth convey his Light whereby we see other Objects and himselfe through a Medium Viz. the Aire so the spirit through our Graces Moreover the Sunne requires an Eye of Sense in us whereby we must see and use his light c. so the Spirit an Eye of Reason Lastly we feel as some will have it the heat and comfort of the Sunne by reflection onely and thus by reflection we grant we have the sweet and comfort of this our Spirituall Sunne the Holy Ghost 3. But thirdly the Sun and the Spirit must in somewhat be unlike else not alike and this indeed may be received for full solution The Sunne is a necessary but the Spirit is a free Agent the Sunne must shine and shew it selfe but the Spirit blowes where it listeth therefore some have it and some have it not and others have it and know it not while the Sunne must alwayes and alwayes one way discover himselfe the Spirit is not bound by this means nor yet by that much lesse immediatly to shew himself to us Arg. 3 It hath been objected to me in discourse By one whom I judge both very knowing and Godly that Christ is our Husband and that therefore it should seem more answerable to that relation to tell us he loves us with his owne mouth and immediately then to leave his Spouse to construe his love from his tokens onely Answ For satisfaction hereunto I answer Suppose we that Christ is our Husband and that therefore it seems more fit that he himself declare his Love to us immediately What is it that must Judge of this Meetenesse our Phancy or Faith We

Secondly to Angells Quamvis primus homo in statu innocentiae alitori quadam cognitione Deum cognoverit quam nos cognoscamus non tamen Deum per essentiam videt cum peccaverit Tho. Aqu. sum Par. 6. quaes 9. Art 1. 1. Then man in the state of innocency did not see God in his Essence but by or in his effects Adam saw God per effectum Creatum by or through the Creation which being a Medium Tho. telleth us that he saw God in Enigmate or in a Glass the Creature being Quid obscurum if compared with the brightnesse and purity of the Essence of God yet that Glasse of the Creature being far more advantagious to Adam in innocency for the letting in the knowledge of God then the mud wall of seperation that sin hath made we must needs conclude that Adam had then a more cleere and certain knowledge and sight of God though it was also by the word and effects of God then we have Multo eminentius videtur Deus per intelligibiles effectus quam per sensibiles corporeas Ibid. now But if you ask wherein Aqui. answereth insomuch as Adam saw God through the intelligible Effects of God while we see him cheifly through Effects corporeall and sensible a far more inferiour manner a far more dark confused and imperfect way Adam being no way but we every way hindred by these outward thingss from a cleer and firm contemplation Non enim oportebat primum hominem pervenire in Dei cognitionem per demonstrationem sumptamab aliquo effectu sicut nobis est necessarium sed simul in effectibus ●recipue intilligibilibus suo modo Deum cognoscebat Ibidem of intilligible Effects And yet somewhat higher Adam in that state did not need to gather the Knowledge of God as we of necessity must from some Effect but he saw and knew God together at once in the Effect especially intelligible Yet still he was beholding to the Effects of God for the knowledge of him he not being able to see God in his Essence and consequently there being not a third way left he came to the knowledge of him by his effects only 2. Moreover as man in the state of innocency could not see God so neither had he then so neer a society with Angells as to see and know them Per essentiam that neer immediate and familiar way we now speak of But to be breife the reason of both is built upon the very Essence and form of man We read that when God made man at first he breathed into him the breath of Life which intimateth to us that the reasonable soul the form of man is that that giveth him an Gen. 2. 7. 1 Cor. 15. 45. 47. animall life Therefore it is also said that the first man was made a living Soule i. A Soul giving life and that life and life animal As Aquin. glosseth so that in Cum anima 1. Homims in statu innocentiae suerit accommodata ad corporis gubernationem perfectionem sicut nunc atque ita intelligere debuerit per phantasmata non ponit in illo statum Angelos per essentiam didere Par. 1. Aquin. sum ques 94. Arti. 2 Vide. the state of innocency the Soul of man was accommodated fitted to govern act and inform the Body even as it is now and therefore it must needs have had then the like way of understanding and knowledge that it hath now more and lesse not differing the kind which is by a conversion of Objects to the Phantasme and thereby to convey them into the understanding of which way divine Essence and the Essence of angels are by no means capable And now to conclude if a man in the state of perfection yea in the state of that perfection that did cheifly consist in an excellent admirable knowledge of and communion with God and Angells could not see or receive into his knowledge either the spirit of God or the spirits of Angells but by their effects then how shall he be able to do it we that are fallen from that very perfection by sin whose discerning of spirits is by our Fall much more obscured and dark then his and the best among us in the life that now is being but that but in part the renued restored and prepared Adam the same image of God being but in part repaired in us by the spirit of the Gospel and that in the same respect viz. according to knowledge as well as holinesse And therefore as the first even so the in part received and repaired Adam sees God but in a Glasse beholding with open Face as Cor. 3. ult in a Glasse the glory of the Lord we are changed into the same Image 2. Now let us turn our eyes to take a view of Canaan and consider the height of the perfection to come in order hereunto For we shall finde it very doubtfull if not groundedly deniable that the perfection of Heaven it self shall inable us to discern of spirits thus immediately and not in or by their Effects As there is very much reason against so truly I know no Text of scripture invincible for it First reason seemeth to argue against it and first 1. Heaven is indeed the place of perfect and compleat redemprion and of the most absolute recovery to us but are not these Relative tearmes having a respect to our fall as also to the former condition from which we fell may we not partly gather and guesse whither and what our recovery shall be by remembring from whence we are falne Now wee have cleared this before Viz. That the soule of Adam in the state of his innocency could not possibly see either God or Angels Per essentiam but onely Per effectus 2. The perfection of man was this viz. his body being every way subject no way an impediment to his soule from this man fell by sin and by grace he is to this Servato eodem modo essendi secundum naturam Par. 1. Aquin sum quaes 94. Art 2. recovered the same way of being in all estates retained according to nature and also by consequence the same way of knowing Viz. By a conversion of things to the Phantasme to which neither the divine nor intelligent essences can be subject The soule of man in its threefold condition Viz. of innocency Apostacy and recovery being still accommodated to informe the body it cannot be easily imagined to take knowledge of spirits but by their effects in any of them 3. Therefore further we offer that it is not necessary to the very forme and essence of man to come to know this way Viz. By a conversion of things to phansie by reason and when man shall once arrive to this immediate knowledge and sight of spirits God and Angels must he not cease to be man If wee shall be continue to be men when in Heaven I submit but I cannot imagine that then we shall ever enjoy such a

the stresse of immortality be not deceived you cannot gather Grapes of Thornes or figs of thistles If the foundation be strong and surely laid the house that is built thereupon may stand But if the foundation be rotten or sandy the house must fall Your ground is false your rest cannot be true O take your Babell down and build your house your soules your rest upon the sure foundation Yea take it down in time least worse it fall and great and lamentable the fall thereof while you are buried in its ruins Now of the things which we have spoken concerning this immediate Evidence of the spirit this is the summ 1. That which cannot be certainly known to be true cannot be a certain or infallible Evidence 2. That which is not true in it self cannot be a true Evidence And we have found that the spirit that refuseth to be tryed by any signes rules effects or relations whatsoever cannot be certainly known to be true yea is in it self certainly untrue Therefore such a spirit cannot be a certain nay cannot be a true though uncertain evidence of Heaven to us And must be therefore concluded and added for the eighteenth false REST. A farewell to the Reader NOW at length have I brought thee dear Christian Reader to my Journies end and since over paths so rocky high and dangerous with as much haste happily as might be with good speed It is said of Anger that when unable to do any more if it Iratus si nihil aliud possit cum molestus inimico fuerit atque animo morem gesserit multum promovisse putat can but a little satisfie it self in molesting its enemy it counts it hath atcheived some great matter and as I must readily profess my self Zealously affected against this Errour though indeed not so much mine as my Saviours enimy so it being now in its increase I should deem my pen very happy in its pains might they be blessed but with so much successe as but to stop it a little in its course and my very service I count would be too great a reward might I with-my labour as Aaron with his Censer stand betwixt the living and stay the Plague from spreading Num. 16. 48. further Yet did I hate the maintainers of this Error with a perfect hatred I would only renew the Atheneans return towards that impious ambious command of Alexander upon it since he hath Quonium vult Alexander Deus esse Deus esto a desire to be a God let him be a God or as Michaiah to Ahab go and prosper For thus I judge that were it but lawfull to suffer it to soar aloft in its Aery notion and Phansy a while without interruption it will certainly and suddenly fall down and setle upon the very dregs of Socinianisme or Atheisme with an interchangeable uncertain motion shee boweth and promiseth herself to both Though for that with saddest eyes the Mother may behold and bewail many of her Children but lately deceased to the Errour in question confusedly miscalling in their Grave of darknesse every thing God but owning none Imbracing The Ranters each other yee serving themselves in stead of God Not only not denying but professing ungodliness and worldly lusts monstrum horrendum c. such desperate experience of late hath discovered her inclining more to the later to wit Atheisme The Serpent was wont to ly hid heretofore under the herb in the way of God and thence to sting the World with delusion and Errour but hath not his late too great success converted the Serpent into a Lion and ah how bold and impudent while casting of and renting the divine Visard the waies of God he roareth out defiance against the God of Israel the Lion of the Tribe of Judah The man of sin is charged with exalting himself above al that is called God or is worshipped 2 Thes 2. 4. in that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God but the way of this Errour razeth the very Temple even with the Ground and willnot suffer one stone thereof to be left upon another of how much higher presumption shall it be thought guilty of how much sorer punishment shall it be thought worthy the Zeal of the house of the Lord hath eaten me up It was Archimedes his fond opinion that had he but a place to stand upon and he could raise the frame of the whole Earth and if he could raise the Earth out of the Center then he could hang the Earth upon nothing and if he might hang the Earth upon nothing then he might stand upon nothing How right hath this Errour attained Archimedes this vain boasting having gotten its footing in the spirit it hath overturned overturned overturned the whole World of Religion and by its witty contrivance having hung it as a Castle in the Aire upon nothing by miserable consequence stands upon nothing It s subtill chymistry resolves and rarifies all into spirit which yet secretly Evaporates a spirituall wickednesse It construeth every thing into a Mistery and there looseth it the mistery of Iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet though as a Mistery t is difficult to reveil Sententias vestras prodidisse superasse est Prima fronte apparent blasphemi e Jerom of the Palag in Epis ad Tessa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard to be interpreted since by its discovery its iniquity appears and to know the opinion is to know it an Errour especially with such as have their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their intellectuall faculties of relishing their senses exercised this hath been my resolution at least as the light gave ability to comprehend the darknesse Inventum tibi curare metu adduclum My care what ere I may moreover The truth of th' Errour doth discover But to conclude good Reader least I should seem to infringe the Gospel liberty as this is thy priviledge so my advise and yet not mine but Pauls yea and the spirit of God in him Try all things c. the Heathen Poet may add the reason Nimium creduli saepe lactatur animus he that is too apt to beleeve is too easily deceived therefore good Reader consider what is said and laying the same with an even upright hand in the seal of a serious consideration the Ballance of the Sanctuary excercise an act of impartiall judgment upon it and as the end and blessing upon thy true indeavour the Lord make thee able to discern betwixt the cruelty of Errour and the weight of truth things that differ Consider what is said and the Lord give thee understanding 2 Tim. 2. 7. in all things Farewell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gloria cuncta Deo FINIS