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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A47051 Modesty and faithfulness in opposition to envy and rashness Jones, James, fl. 1683-1684. 1683 (1683) Wing J957; ESTC R228697 22,022 14

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Unto which I Reply humbly and modestly thus 1. What had this Envious Wretch a mind to expose the Dissenters to the rage and fury of those that neither fear the Laws of God nor the good Laws of the Realm that are for the restraining and punishing of men for gross wickedness now this horrible abusing of the most high God as he calleth it is charged upon all those Dissenters that hold the Doctrine of Gods particular Election of some of mankind to eternal salvation 2dly What kindness hath this Pamphleteer shewed to or what service hath he done for the Church of England by his former desperate discourse for as much as it is well known that the Doctrine of particular Election is the Principle and Doctrine of the Church of England and has been highly maintained by the most famous Ministers against those of a contrary mind viz. such as are called Arminians and though some of the Ministers of the Church of England and some of the Dissenters do oppose the aforesaid Doctrine yet as they are men of good humanity they have more manners and as they are men of Christianity they have more grace then to use such blasphemous expressions and to draw such diabolical Conclusions concerning the Professors of such Election and the Electing Gracious God But no marvel that he whose Principle is that men may fall from true and saving grace should himself fall from seeming grace 3dly And now I will humbly offer my opinion and faith concerning Election First I do believe that God from all Eternity or before the World begun hath Elected some of the Children of men unto Eternal Salvation and in due time hath and doth and will bless them with saving Conversion in order thereunto Eph. 1.4 According as he hath Chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love 2 Thes 2.13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you Brethren because God hath from the beginning Chosen you to Salvation through Sanstification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 2dly I believe that God in his gracious Decree of this Election hath fixed upon every one of the particular persons that should afterward be eternaly saved Psalm 139. vers 16. Thine eyes did see my Substance yet being unperfect and in thy Book all my Members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them which Scripture must be understood of the Members of Davids natural Body or of Christ's Mystical Body if of Davids natural Body then we may surely say God hath not a less regard to and care of Christs mystical Body but doth certainly know all the Members thereof and hath them down in his Book whilst as yet they are not visible in the world 2 Tim. 2.19 Nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his Now God doth not only know them that are his when Converted but before Conversion Consider those words John 10.14 I am the good Shepherd and know my Sheep and am known of mine Verse 16. Other Sheep I have which are not of this Fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one Fold and one Sheepherd Verse 26. But ye believe not because ye are not of my Sheep as I said unto you Verse 27. My Sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me Conversion and Salvation of perticular persons were both in God together as the act of his infinite mercy and rich grace before the world began Consider that Word well 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an Holy Calling not according to our Works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ before the World began And consider also that Word in Rom. 11.5 Even so at this present time also there is a remnant according to the Election of Grace and vers 7. The Election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded Fourthly I believe that as saving Grace here and Eternal Glory hereafter unto all them that are saved is Gods undeserved mercy Even so also those that are suffered to go on in their Sins here and shall be damned for their Sins hereafter is unto them but Gods deserved Justice Fifthly I believe that God hath not laid any Necessity upon men to be Wicked for God doth not force any man to sin but man being created upright abode not in that State but sought out many Inventions as in Eccl. 7.29 The whole Lump of Mankind is involved in a sinful state and so is become unable of himself to do any thing that may save himself for the very Saints of God are not saved by works of Righteousness which they have wrought see Tit. 3.5 Not by Works of Righteousness which we have wrought but according to his Mercy he hath saved us by the Washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost Sixthly I do however believe that though not any man can make himself so good as to be saved by it yet most men may be abundantly better then they are by improving the Light of Nature and those Natural parts they have wherein some excel others together with an improvement of the common Mercies and Blessings of God and more especially by attending upon the meanes of grace and may hereby escape those black and bloody Crimes that the Pamphleteer doth most basely innumerate and may also be in a hopeful way of Conversation and so of Salvation like the poor man that lay at the pool of Bethesda John 5.3.5 Who though he was not able of himself to go in the Pool he lay in the way of a cure but if men will follow Wickedness with greediness they are in the ready way of Damnation without any ground of hope for Salvation Seventhly I believe that Salvation of Sinners is founded altogether upon Christ and laid up only and alone in Christ viz. In his person as God and Man in his perfect Righteousness in his painful Sufferings in the garden and upon the cross in his Resurrection from the dead in his Ascension into Heaven and in his Intercession in Heaven and shall be most fully compleated at the Resurrection of the dead and the second coming of Christ when the vile bodies of Saints shall be like the glorious body of Jesus Christ and so shall ever be with the Lord. Eighthly I believe that if God of his own free grace and rich mercy had not made the Eternal salvation of some particular persons infallibly certain by decreeing their saving conversion before time and blessing of them with it in time it would have been hazardous whether any sinners should have been saved for as much as a very great multitude of mankind yea and many that have seemed to be in a ●air way for Salvation and have mist of it by the same Reasons every particular