Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
authority_n believe_v faith_n reveal_v 2,834 5 9.4772 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A57064 The lightless-starre, or, Mr. John Goodwin discovered a Pelagio-Socinian and this by the examination of his preface to his book entituled Redemption redeemed : together with an answer to his letter entituled Confidence dismounted / by Richard Resbury ... ; hereunto is annexed a thesis of that reverend, pious and judicious divine, Doctor Preston ... concerning the irresistibility of converting grace. Resbury, Richard, 1607-1674.; Preston, John, 1587-1628. De gratia convertentis irresistibilitate. 1652 (1652) Wing R1134; ESTC R18442 131,505 254

There are 5 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

which springs from it yet no such body shal spring from those seeds in the soyl of an unregenerate soul partly through darknes error and partly through pravity and perversnes therefore your conclusion here is most impertinent wherein you so insist upon the goodnesse of these seeds in their owne Nature and in reference to their Author God as you over-look the badnesse of man the subject of them through the corruption of his Nature so full of darknesse falsehood and enmity against the truth of God as thence these seeds must needs rot under the clods except the soyle be supernaturally changed CHAP. XVII Goodwin COncerning the mystery of the Trinity the incarnation of God or the Son of God the conception of a Virgin with some other points of like consideration commonly pretended to be against or at least above and out of the reach and apprehension of Reason I clearly Answer 1 That they are every whit as much yea upon the same termes out of the reach of faith as of Reason For how can I beleeve at least upon good grounds ●…d as it becommeth a Christian to beleeve that which I have no reason nor am capable of apprehending any reason nay for which there is no reason why I should beleeve it If it be said I am bound to beleeve the doct●ines specified because they are revealed by God I answer That this is a rationall ground whereof my Reason and Understanding are throughly capable why I should beleeve them the light of Nature clearly informeth me that what God revealeth or speaketh must needs be true and consequently worthy and meet to be beleeved If it be further said But Reason is not able to apprehend or conceive how three should bee really and essentially one and the same how a virgin should conceive and bring forth a Son c. I Answer That no faith or beleefe in such things as these is required of me nor would be accepted with God i● case it were in me above what I am able by Reason to apprehend and understand As I am not able by my Reason to apprehend the particular and distinct manner how the three persons subsist in one and the same divine Nature and Essence So neither am I bound to beleeve it that which I am bound to beleeve in this point is only this That there are three who doe thus subsist I mean in the same divine essence and for this my Reason is apprehensive enough why I should beleeve viz. Because God himselfe hath revealed it as hath been said If I should confidently beleeve any thing more or further concerning the Trinity of persons commonly so called and there is the same reason of the other points mentioned then what I know upon the cleare account of my Reason and Understanding it would be presumption in me and not faith and I should contract the guilt of those whom the Apostle chargeth with in truding or advancing themselves into the things which they have not seen i. e. rationally apprehended and understood But Resbury 1 Whereas you say these mysteries here mentioned of the Trinity Incarnation and the virgins conception are pretended to be against at least above Reason it seemes you deny even these to be above the reach of Reason in fallen man which yet in your discourse immediately insuing you grant in deed though not in termes but contradictions are no rare things in your discourse 2 Whereas you say they are every whit as much yea upon the same termes out of the reach of Faith as of Reason 1 It is false for Faith hath the proper and immediate ground of beleeving them the authority of the Word revealing them But Reason hath not an immediate ground of discerning them viz. such a light as whereby they of themselves are visible to the naturall understanding therefore when they are within the reach of Faith yet are they not within the reach of Reason upon the same termes 2 You equivocate for seeming to carry on your former doctrine you relinquish it Formerly you made Reason the touchstone of the Scriptures and whatsoever text of Scripture should not be found to agree with Reason and to be relished by it must be rejected here you make the Scripture to be above the tryall of Reason as appeares by that which followes For how can I beleeve c If it be said I am bound c. This is a rationall ground c. the light of Nature c. Here you grant that Reason is to beleeve what the word affirmes meerly for the authority of the word But 1. This is contrary to your former doctrine requiring that Reason finde a rationall tast and savour in the thing it selfe to bee beleeved 2. Here Reason beleeves rather then discernes the thing beleeved it discernes the ground of beleeving but not the nature or manner of the thing beleeved therefore as before the thing beleeved is not upon the same terms out of the reach of Faith as of Reason 3 Whereas you object That Reason is not able to apprehend or conceive how three should be really and essentially one and the same c. and then answer no faith or beleefe in such things as these is required c. Let me aske you this one thing Is it not a fruit of naturall corruption by the fall that we apprehend no more towards the distinct knowledge of these things If so then are you bound to know and knowing to beleeve more of them and your discourse about beleeving more then you apprehend how unacceptable it would be fals to the ground But here againe you discover that Popish Pelagian leaven that God hath no right to require of man any more then man hath power to performe as formerly you argued from the command of God to the faculty of man As for your Interpretation of Colos. 2. 18. I cannot receive it intruding into the things which they have not seen is in true interpretation which they have not seen in the doctrine of the Scriptures Goodwin 2 If it be yet demanded but is it not contrary to the grounds of Nature and so to Principles of Reason that a virgin should conceive a childe and if so how can such a doctrine according to what you have asserted be received as from God or as a truth I Answer It is no wayes contrary to Reason nor to any principle thereof that God should be able to make a virgin to conceive but very consonant thereunto 〈◊〉 the Apostle Paul supposed it credible enough as we lately heard even in the eye of Reason that God should make the earth bring forth her dead alive indeed that a virgin should conceive in a naturall way or according to the course of ordinary providence is contrary unto Reason but this Religion requireth not of any man to beleeve nor doth it bear hard at all upon any Principle of Reason that God should be willing to doe every whit as great and strange a thing as tha● I mean as
may it come into the minde of any man right in his wits that yet notwithstanding it is true and may be proved by the Word of God Now adde Mr. Goodwins doctrine and see if it speak not the same language I verily beleeve by the Secinian not Apostolicall faith that in case any such assurance of the unchangeablenes of Gods love was to be found in or could regularly be deduced from the Scriptures it was a just ground to any intelligent and considering man to question their authority and whether they were from God or no These doctrines plainly allow not the Scripture in the Grammar and Logique of it the rule and light to guide and conclude mans reason but exalt the reason of man as judge above it whence whatsoever Article of faith they dispute about nothing is more usuall with them then this objection this or that is false because contrary to reason We have now seen their doctrines let us see their deductions which likewise must be yours your doctrine being the same Hence they proceed to deny many Articles of the faith because contrary to reason at least in their apprehensions The Racovian Catechisme the body of their Theology or Heresie rather rejects the doctrine of the three persons in one essence p. 49. the two natures in the one person of Christ pag. 55. Danies that Christ by his death satisfied for us and merited eternall life for us pag. 261. And all because these are contrary say they to right reason Smalcius against Franzius opposeth Originall sinne because if he say true it is utterly contrary to reason that an innocent person by once sinning should infect all his posterity These for a touch of your Doctrine and whither it leads CHAP. III. Goodwin COncerning the Word of God it is to be acknowledged that this is to be in speciall manner interessed in all our dijudications between Doctrine and Doctrine Opinion and Opinion in matter of Religion Resbury Why doe you not acknowledge it the perfect rule Goodwin And that this is the fire which must try every mans worke of what sort it is and must separate the vil● from the precious Resbury Doe not you sit then as a Refiner by fire of this fire it selfe by your reason so as to reject any thing that may be found in the Scripture or regularly deduced there-from Goodwin But as the Plummet and Rule doe not measure the worke of the Architect or discover whether it be true and square or otherwise of and by themselves but as they are regularly applyed hereunto either by the Workman himselfe or some other capable of making such an application however true it may be that a sufficient test or proofe of the worke cannot be made without the use of the Plummet and Rule about it In like manner though the Word of God be of soveraigne use and necessity for the measuring of Opinions and Doctrines and for the discovery of what is straight and what crooked in them yet he that desires to reap the Spirituall benefit and advantage of the usefulnesse of it in this kind must first understand the minde and sence of God in it aright and secondly Be dextrous and expert in making a due application of it being rightly understood to the Doctrines or Opinions the soundnesse or unsoundnesse whereof he desires to understand by it Resbury To what end are these waste words 1. The Scripture is the rule and reason is the eye but as the Scripture is the rule so is it the light too by which this eye must be enlightened otherwise it is too darke to apply this rule It is by the Scriptures that a right understanding is had of them and a dextrous faculty for applying them they being the meanes by the Holy Ghost appointed and sanctified for enlightening and sanctifying the reason of man The Scripture is not only a rule for tryall a● is that of the Architect but for instructing too it is such a rule as gives rules for instructing and directing in all matters of Religion and even for the use of it selfe as a rule and indeed that you may the lesse wonder hereat all Arts are such rules as give rules for understanding themselves Suppose this Geometricall question was to be debated ' whither in a right angled Triangle the square of the Hypolemise be equall to the square of the sides I thinke you will grant that we must fetch the demonstration from Geometry it selfe and the demonstration must conclude us we must not say though this proposition be demonstratively concluded in Geometry yet we will question it only indeed here is the difference A Geometricall demonstration renders the conclusion not only agreeable to Principles and former propositions in Geometry by which it is demonstrated but withall cleare to reason but the conclusion of a Divine truth by Scripture is many times obscure to reason though clearly agreeable to Principles and other Doctrines in Scripture because even those Principles and Doctrines proving it are to mans reason not for want of light in them but through the blindnesse of it obscure Yet shall reason see the legitimacy of the proofe from Principles and Doctrines in Scripture laid downe when it hath very obscure apprehensions both of the thing contained in the conclusion and the things contained in the Principles and Doctrines proving it these things faith beleeving upon the authority of the word affirming 2. You deale with the Scriptures as he that because the rule and plummet doth not verifie the judgement which he made by his eye at a guesse he will therefore by his eye question the rule and plummet themselves whilst you take liberty to question the authority of the Scriptures and whether they be from God or not upon supposall of something found in them or regularly deduced from them which relisheth not with your reason Goodwin For first it is not the letter or forme of words as separated or considered apart from the spirit notion or sence of them that is the touch-stone or rule of triall for Doctrines yea the letter and words are only servants to the sence and notion which they containe and exhibit and were principally if not only delivered by the Holy Ghost unto men for this end that by them the sence minde and Counsell of God in all the particulari●ies of them which are held forth in the Scriptures might be communicated and conveyed to the reasons and understandings of men so that in case a man had the sence and minde of God upon the same termes of certainty of knowledge without the letter on which he hath it or may have it by meanes of the letter he should be as richly as compleatly qualified hereby to discerne between Doctrines as he now can be by the opportunity and advantage of the letter Resbury Words to no purpose still 1. If the Letter and words of the Scripture be servants to the Sence and Notion and so forth as you declare then is not that sence which
darkned our Land What Jesuite hath a blacker mouth or a stronger breath But let us enquire into his Doctrine and the mystery of deceit working in the bowels of it and that by distinct proceeding in particulars which he hath fraudulently wrapt up together in generall 1 Then it is true that in some sence Reason is to be made use of in these enquiries of Religion and Spirituall concernments as 1 Suppose an Heathen not yet owning the true God and his Word he is by arguments propounded to his reason to be dealt with by the Booke of the Creation to prove the one true God as likewise by extrinsecall arguments to be drawne to read the Word of God that by the word it selfe as the Spirit shall please to enlighten by it he may come to owne the Divine Canon for the true word of the true God 2 Granting the Scripture the un-erring Word of God in whatsoever it shall deliver we are diligently to employ our reason in searching into the minde of God by the Scriptures as our light to enlighten and rule to direct our reason as that word which is able to make wise unto Salvation and to make the man of God perfect throughly furnisht to every good worke And in two things here are our reasons to be exercised 1. The Grammar of the Scriptures or the formes of expression to finde out the truth of them 2. The Logick of the Scripture or the true discourse thereof and this in three things the Scope the Context and Selfe-consent Scripture compared with Scripture the more obscure places interpreted by the clearer and so in all the analogy of faith held Now Sir you know very well that in this sence and upon these termes none of those against whom you bend your stile deny the use of reason for they doe not teach that men in seeking into the meaning of the Scripture must become either fooles or mad-men or Enthusiasts And was it in this sence only that you require the use of reason or in any such sence as preserves the due authority of the Word as for it selfe to be beleeved as the perfect rule you had never raised such Tragedies about the use of reason or the laying it aside as here you have but we shall now passe to the enquiry in what sence it is to be laid aside and there I am affraid we shall finde you requiring the use of it so as to evacuate the authority of the Word therefore we say 2. It is true that in some sence man must lay aside his reason in matters of religion and in enquiries after matters of Spirituall and supernaturall concernment as 1 That our assent to such truthes as the Scriptures hold forth may be the assent of Faith the immediate ground of it must not be the Selfe-evidence of the thing testified by the Scriptures unto reason but the authority of God testifying Hence that knowne Doctrine of the Schooles that the formall object I like as well to say the proper ground of faith is the first truth or God himselfe revealing his minde Hence suppose a truth taught in the Scripture is likewise demonstrated to my reason by Philosophicall arguments as for instance That God created the world that is made it of nothing so farre is my assent to this truth the assent of Divine faith as it is grounded upon the authority of Divine testimony that assent which is grounded upon Philosophicall demonstration is not Divine faith but only Humane knowledge He that trusts a man no further then he sees him as we say Proverbially trusts him not at all Hence the Apostle Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God so that things which are seene were not made of things that doe appeare It is only the Christian sure not the meere Philosopher that by faith understands this though haply both of them may understand it by demonstration but the Christian alone by Divine testimony for its owne authority assented to 2 We may not oppose our naturall conceptions to the Word of God or make our apprehensions before-hand the rule of what we will receive for the Word and revealed Will of God and what we will reject but what the Grammar and Logick of the Word holds forth must be the rule of our apprehensions whether we can discerne how in reason the things affirmed should be or not we must not Afferre sensum Scripturae but referre otherwise we subject the authority of Gods Truth to our owne apprehensions and beleeve him not because he hath said it but because we by reason see it neither shall we ever otherwise embrace the Word of God for as much as the Word it selfe teacheth many things 1. Above reason Great is the mystery of godlinesse saith the Apostle yet it is no great mystery if reason may comprehend it What reason of men or Angels could ever have thought of such a thing as the three Persons of the God-head as the Personall union of God and Man in the Mediatour the imputation of the Mediatours righteousnesse to beleevers of Adams sinne to his Posterity with many others or who comprehends clearly these things at least some of them when revealed in the Word 2 Many things against reason that is crosse to the apprehensions of corrupt reason as it is now in all naturall men The minding of the flesh is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be The naturall man receives not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can hee know them because they are Spiritually discerned Your fruitlesse attempt to avoyd the strength of this text of Scripture we shall consider in due place It is one vertue of the VVord preached to cast downe the reasonings of the naturall man 2 Cor. 10. 5. Many others of like import we shall have occasion afterwards to mention On the one hand such is the blindnesse and wickednesse of man by Originall sinne which are withall daily encreased by themselves and Satan on the other hand such is the mysterious height and transcendent purity of the Word of God that mans reason must receive light from it is not a light otherwise then as enlightned by it whereby to judge of it And as the truth we are now upon is evident by the Word so is it by all experience name me any one people or any one person since man was Created upon earth that without the word or voyce of God for direction by the light and ducture of reason either worshipped the true God or did not fall upon a most abominable way of Worship or light upon the Gospel-way of Salvation to omit all other deviations Nay you your selfe who leane so much to your owne wisdome and are so much in advancing the Rush-Candle of reason against the Sun of the Scripture are amongst others an evidence even in this the Master-piece of your reason the Treatise in
hand of the incompetency of mans reason not enlightened by the Word through the Spirit to judge of the things of the Spirit of God whilst you fall so wretchedly foule upon the maine Doctrines of Predestination Redemption Perseverance c. Now if in this sence Mr. Goodwin acknowledged that reason is to be laid aside why doth he raise a Controversie with those who in the other sence formerly specified not only grant but urge the use of it But that Master Goodwin in this sence denies the laying it aside and exalts it as the Judge of the VVord beside and above the word seemes in the first place not obscurely insinuated in the second place openly exprest by some passages of his Pen. For the first not obscurely insinuating it what shal we say to that Doctrine of his which he sayes is much to be observed Pag. 5. of this Preface That a man or woman who have for many yeares profest the Gospel may in processe of time come to discover vanity in some erroneous Principle or Tenet wherewith their judgements have been leavened for some considerable space formerly and so grow into a dis-approbation or contempt of it and yet may very possibly think the Gospell favoureth or countenanceth it and that otherwise they should never have owned nor approved it Hence it appeares that in your account errour may be discerned by reason which yet shall be thought by the Gospell to be owned so that the Gospell shall not be the rule by which to judge of truth and errour but reason shall be the rule by which to judge whether the Gospell it selfe to wit that sacred Writ which is received in the Church of God for the Gospell be true or false Then you goe on to the same purpose Now when a person shall be brought into the snare of such a conceit or imagination as this that the Gospell in some of the veins or carriages of it teacheth or asserteth things that are vaine But before you goe any further allowing the Divine authority of the Gospell it is unpossible that such a conceit should have place that the Gospell in any of the veines or carriages of it should assert any thing that is vaine He goes on Or if no good consistency with reason or truth here is your rule to judge of any opinion in matters of Faith and that whereby the Gospell it selfe must be called to an account the consistency or inconsistency of it with reason so farre it must be truth as vaine mans blind reason judgeth it consistent with it selfe You conclude He is in a ready posture to throw from his soule all credence of the Divine authority of the Gospell and to esteeme it no better then a Fable devised by men so farre then as you comprehend by reason the things taught in the Gospell to be agreeable to reason neither above it nor crosse thereto so farre you will embrace the Gospell if any thing you finde in it otherwise you are in a ready posture to esteeme it no better then a Fable I doubt you are so indeed by your discourse here and other-where for most certaine it is that there are many things in the Gospell both above your reason and crosse to it But Sir allowing the divine authority of the Gospell It is impossible that any man should discover an errour in matter of faith and religion but he therein discernes it to be dis-owned and condemned by the Gospell and the Gospell it selfe was the rule and the light whereby he discovered it and the fruit of his discovery will not be as you reason here the blame of the Gospell but of his owne former ignorance of the Gospell But if here you have not spoken openly enough you have discovered your selfe fully pag. 335. of your booke where disputing against a maine Gospel-truth namely the unchangeable love of God to the Saints your words are these Besides whether any such assurance of the unchangeablenesse of the love of God to him that is godly as the objection speaks of can be effectually and upon sufficient grounds given unto men is very questionable yea I conceive there is more reason to judge otherwise then so But let us hear what you say next Yea that which is more it is indeedmore then enough I verily beleeve that in case any such assurance of the unchangeablenesse of Gods love were to be found in or could regularly bee deduced from the Scriptures it were a just ground to any intelligent and considering man to question their authority and whether they were from God or no. Now have you spoken out evident it is as the light of the sunne that you make mans reason blind and corrupt as it is a rule above the Scriptures whereby to try them and the only touch-stone of them for that which may be found in or regularly deduced from the Scriptures must needs be the voyce of the Scripture in concordance with it self by what rule now shall we question it but that of our reason as above it Now Sir you must give me leave to tell you that your owne pen hath proclaimed you a very Socinian And now let us see whether this conclusion leads even to the utter overthrow of the Scriptures By the same reason that you may question this doctrine found in or regularly deduced from the Scriptures you may question any other and the authority of the Scriptures thereupon a ready way for all Hereticks and erroneous Teachers The Papists may question the authority of the Scripture if Gods hatred against Image-worship may bee found in or regularly deduced from the Scriptures you may question the authority of Scriptures if holinesse of life or whatsoever other truth as wel one as another may be found in or regularly deduced from them Let me advise you a more compendious way to maintain your errours against personall election and reprobation against the dominion of God therein exprest against the confinement of redemption to the elect against the perseverance of the Saints against the efficacious influence of grace upon the will of man and even this errour concerning the light and ability of the naturall man for discerning and applying the things of the spirit of God held forth in the Gospell trouble not your selfe to torture the Scriptures that they may seeme to witnesse for you but for as much as they speake so much against you question their authority and whether they be from God or not And why should you not doe as your elder brethren of the Socinian-family have done before you Let us first see their doctrines as like to yours as one egge is like another what saith Smalcius It is certaine that whatsoever is contrary to reason is neither extant in the holy Scriptures neither can it be gathered from them De Christo vero naturali Dei filio C. 6. What saith Ostorodius another head of that Tribe If reason or understanding expresly prove the Trinity of persons in God to be false how
least of these great and most important commands in any due manner but by interressing my Reason Iudgement and Understanding and this throughly and effectually in and about the performance The truth is I stand bound in duty and conscience towards God and in faithfulnesse to mine owne soule neither to beleeve any thing at all as coming from God which I have not or may have a very substantiall ground in Reason to beleeve commeth indeed from him nor yet to doe any thing at all as commanded by him unlesse there be a like ground in Reason to perswade me that it is indeed his command Resbury Many waste words still according to your manner One passage or two we must call to account 1. God commands you you say in such and such precepts to rise up in the might of your Reason c. Wee heare in Scripture of the weaknesse of Reason as to the things of God not sufficient of our selves to thinke a good thought c. We hear of the might of the Word Preached to cast down the strong holds and reasonings in man against the things of God But where this mighty Reason dwels I would willingly aske Mr. Goodwin but that I feare he will send mee Racovia 2. Nothign may you beleeve as comming from God which you have not very substantiall ground in Reason to beleeve commeth from him the like for obedience to his Commands If you meant Reason enlightened and sanctified by the Word and Spirit thence beleeving upon the authority of the Word your meaning was the same with theirs whom you oppose but your meaning is Reason by its own light receiving or rejecting the Word it selfe according as such and such Doctrines are above or not above contrary or agreeable to the apprehensions of the Naturall man as wee have clearly found you out formerly and to this you have been answered over and over according as your tautology hath given occasion Goodwin I confesse good Reader I have presumed at somewhat an unreasonable rate upon thy patience in detaining thee so long with the Argument yet in hand But the sense of that unconceiveable mischiefe and misery which I most certainly know have been brought upon the World Christian at least in our Quarters of it and which lyes sore upon it at this day by meanes of the reigning of this Notion and Doctrine amongst us That men ought not to use but lay aside their Reason in matters of Religion lyeth so intolerable sad and heavy upon my spirit that I could not relieve my selfe to any competent degree with saying lesse then what hath been said to relieve the world by hewing in sunder such a snare of death cast upon it most assuredly all the ataxies disorders confusions seditions insurrections all the errors blasphemous opinions aposta●ies from the truth and wayes of holinesse all trouble of mind and sad workings of conscience in me all unrighteousnesse and injustice all bribery and oppression all un-man-like selfe-seeking and prevaricating with publique interests and trusts all covetousnesse and deceit and whatsoever can be named in this world obstructive destructive to the present comfort and peace to the future blessednesse and glory of the sons and daughters of men proceed and spring from this one root of bitternesse and of death they neglect to advance and ingage home their Reasons Iudgements Understandings in matters of Religion to imploy and improve them according to their proper interests and capacities in these most important affaires Resbury Your tongue is your owne in way of apology for your wandring discourse hitherto you tell us of the deep apprehensions you had of that unconceiveable mischiefe c. brought upon the world by that doctrine That men must lay aside their Reason in matters of Religion a meer Hob-goblin of your own making that you may have somthing to pelt at How Reason is to be laid aside and how not we have shewed distinctly formerly not as you represent as if men should look at it as their duties to be Ideots and mad men in seeking into the things of God As for those Ataxies c. hence they are That men have been so bold to oppose their owne corrupt reasonings against the word of God instead of following the light and guidance of it and captivating their fleshly reason to the Doctrines of Faith Goodwin O Reader my mouth is open unto thee my heart is enlarged now for a recompence in the same I speake unto thee as a deare Brother in Christ be thou also enlarged say unto the world round about thee Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light doubtlesse the world should soone finde it self in another manner of posture then now it is and see the whole Hemisphere of it filled with the glorious light of the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ if the inhabitants thereof every man from his quarters would be perswaded to rise up in the might of his abilities those heavenly endowments of reason judgement understanding wherewith God by Jesus Christ hath re-invested them to seeke after him by enquiring diligently into by weighing narrowly all those things as workes of Creation workes of Providence inscriptions upon the Soule and especially the sacred word of extraordinary revelation wherein and whereby God hath drawne neare unto men and as it were prepared postured and fitted himselfe on purpose to be found and knowne and this as well in the excellency of his Grace as of his Glory by all those who upon these termes seeke after him The time was when the Spirit was not given because Christ was not glorified in Heaven the time now is wherein the Spirit is not given unto the world according to the preparations and royall bounties and magnificence of Heaven because he is not glorified on earth by the worthy imployment of the meanes abilities opportunities vouchsafed unto men the Word of God makes it one argument of the wickednesse and sensuall wayes of men that they have not the Spirit yea the Apostle Paul by charging the Ephesians to be filled with the Spirit clearly supposeth it to be a sensuall straine of a voluntary unworthinesse in men if they have not a very rich and plentifull anoynting of the Spirit Resbury A word or two to this wordy Paragraph 1 Say unto the world awake c. Say you to your Reader But for as much as this sleep is the sleep of death as is here evident in that the waking from it is standing up from the dead where is now that mighty Reason Understanding Judgement you have so often told us of as here again you doe in the naturall man 2 The time now is you say wherein the spirit is not given unto the world according to the preparations of the royall bounty and magnificence of heaven because c. this is as formerly we have seen at large the Pelagian doctrine so famously branded that grace is given according to our merits the Popish doctrine of the