Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	apostle_n	church_n	creed_n	1,331	5	10.2664	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41355	The marrow of modern divinity touching both the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace, with their use and end, both in the time of the Old Testament, and in the time of the New : wherein every one may cleerly see how far forth he bringeth the law into the case of justification, and so deserverh the name of legalist : and how far forth he rejecteth the law, in the case of sanctification, and so deserveth the name of Antinomist : with the middle path between them both, which by Iesus Christ leadeth to eternall life : in a dialogue, betwixt Evangelista, a minister of the Gospel, Nomista, a legalist, Antinomista, an Antinomian, and Neophytus, a young Christian / by the author, E.F. ; before the which there is prefixed the commendatory epistles of divers divines of great esteem in the citie of London ; whereunto is also added, the substance of a	Fisher, Edward, fl. 1627-1655.; Hamilton, Patrick, 1504?-1528. Patricks places.	1646 (1646)	Wing F997; ESTC R1839	130,516	286

mans soule doth re-aspire towards God the Creator when as it is evident that every mans soule naturally is bent towards the creature to seeke a rest there Evan. For answer hereunto I pray you consider that naturally mans understanding is dark and blinde and therefore is ignorant what his own soul doth desire and strongly aspire unto it knoweth indeed that there is a want in the soule but till it be enlightned it knoweth not what it is which the soule wanteth for indeed the case standeth with the soule as with a child new born which child by naturall instinct doth gape and cry for nutriment yea for such nutriment as may agree with it tender condition and if the nurse through negligence or ignorance eyther give it no meat at all or else such as it is not capable of receiving the childe refuseth it and still cryeth in strength of desire after the dug yet doth not the child in this estate know by any intellectuall power and understanding what it self desireth even so mans poore soule doth cry to God as for its proper nourishment but his understanding like a blind ignorant nurse not knowing what it cryeth for doth offer to the heart a creature instead of a Creatour thus by reason of the understanding together with the corruption of the will and disorder of the affections mans soule is kept by violence from its proper centre even God himselfe ô how many souls are there in the world that are hindred if not quite kept from rest in God by reason that their blinde understanding doth present unto their sensual appetites varieties of sensuall objects Is there not many a luxurious persons soule hindred if not quite kept from true rest in God by that beauty which nature hath placed in feminine faces especially when Satan doth secretly suggest into such feminine harts a desire of an artificiall dressing from the head to the foot yea and sometimes painting the face like their mother Jezabel And is there not many a voluptuous Epicures soule hindred if not quite kept from rest in God by beholding the colour and tasting the sweetnesse of dainty delicate dishes his wine red in the cup and his beer of amber colour in the glasse in the Scripture we read of a certain man that fared deliciously very day as if there had been no more but one so ill disposed but in our times there are certain hundreds both of men and women that do not only fare deliciously but voluptuously twice every day if no more And is there not many a proud persons soul hindered if not quite kept from rest in God by the harmonious sound of popular prayse which like a load-stone draweth the vain-glorious heart to hunt so much the more eagerly to augment the eccho of such vain windy reputation And is there not many a covetous persons soule hindred if not quite kept from rest in God by the cry of great abundance the words of wealth and the glory of gain And is there not many a musicall minde hindered if not quite kept from sweet comfort in God by the harmony of artificiall concord upon musicall instruments And how many perfumed fools are there in the world who by smelling their sweet apparell and their sweet nose-gayes are kept from souls sweetnesse in Christ. And thus doth Satan like a cunning fisher beat his hooke with a sensuall object to catch men with and having gotten it into their jaws he draweth them up and down in their sensuall contentments till hee hath so drowned them therein that the peace and rest of their souls in God be almost forgotten and hence it is that the greatest part of mans life and in many their whole life is spent in seeking satisfaction to the sensuall appetite Nom. Indeed Sir this which you have sayd we may see truly verified in many men who spend their days about these vanities and will afford no time for religious exercises no not upon the Lords day by their good will Neo. You say the truth and yet let mee tell you withall that a man by the power of naturall conscience may bee forced to confesse that his hopes of happinesse are in God alone and not in these things yea and to forsake profits and pleasures and all sensuall objects as unable to give his soule any true contentment and fall to the performance of religious exercises and yet rest there and never come to God for rest and if we consider it either in the rude multitude of sensuall livers or in the more seemingly religious we shall perceive that the religious exercises of men doe strongly deceive and strangely delude many men of their hearts happinesse in God For the first sort though they be such as make their belly their best God and doe no Sacrifice but to Bacchus Apollo or Venus though their conscience doe accuse them that these things are nought yet in that they have the name of Christians put upon them in their baptisme and for as much as they doe often repeat the Lords Prayer the Apostles Creed and the ten Commandements and in that it may be they have lately accustomed themselves to goe to Church to heare divine service and a preaching now and then and in that they have divers times received the Sacrament they will not be perswaded but that God is well pleased with them and a man may as well perswade them that they are not men and women as that they are not in a good condition And for the second sort that ordinarily have more humane wisdome and humane learning then the former sort and seeme to bee more holy and devout then the former sort of sensuall ignorant people yet how many are there of this sort that never passe farther then the outward court of bodily performances feeding and feasting themselves as men in a dreame supposing themselves to have all things and yet indeed have nothing but onely a bladder full or rather a brainfull of winde and worldly conceptions Are there not some who give themselves to a more speciall searching and seeking out for knowledge in Scripture learnednesse and Clerklike skill in this Art and that Language till they come to bee able to repeate all the historicall places in the Bible yea● and all those texts of Scripture that they conceive doe make for some private opinion of theirs concerning Ceremonies Church-government or other such circumstantiall points of Religion touching which points they are very able to reason and dispute and to put forth such curious questions as are not easily answered Are not some of these men called Sect-makers and begetters or devisers of new opinions in Religion especially in the matter of worshiping God as they use to call it wherein they finde a beginning but hardly any end for this religious knowledge is so variable through the multiplicity of curious wits and contentious Spirits that the life of man way seeme too short to take a full view of this variety for though all Sects say

M. Gray junior H Bishop Hall M. Thomas Hooker L Doctor Luther M. Lightfoot M Wolfangius Musculus Peter Martyr Doctor Mayor M. Marshall O Barnardine Ochine P M. Perkins Doctor Preston R M. Rollock M. Reynolds M. Rouse S Doctor Smith Doctor Sibbs M. Slater T M. Tyndall M. Robert Towne V Doctor Vrban Regius Doctor Vrsinus M. Vaughan W Doctor Willet Doctor Williams M. Wilson M. Ward THE MARROVV OF Modern Divinity Interlocutors EVANGELISTA a Minister of the Gospel NOMISTA a Legalist ANTINOMISTA an Antinomian NEOPHYTUS a young Christian. Nomista SIR My neighbour Neophytus and I having lately had some conference with this our friend and acquaintance Antinomista about some points of Religi●n wherein he differing from us both at last ●id he would be contented to be judged by ●ou our Minister therefore have we made bold to come unto you all three of us to pray you to heare us and judge of our differences Evan. You are all of you very welcome to me and if you please to let me heare what your differences are I will tell you what I think Nom. The truth is Sir he and I differ in very many things but more especially about the Law for I say the Law ought to be a rule of life to a believer and he saith it ought not Neo. And surely Sir the greatest difference betwixt him and I is this He would perswade me to believe in Christ and bids me rejoyce in the Lord and live merrily though I feel never so many corruptions in my heart yea though I be never so sinfull in my life the which I cannot do nor I think ought not to do but rather to feare and sorrow and lament for my sins Anti. The truth is Sir the greatest difference is betwixt my feiend Nomista and I about the Law and therefore that is the greatest matter we come unto you about Evan. I remember the Apostle Paul willeth Titus to avoyd contentions and strivings about the Law because they are unprofitable and vain and so I feare me yours have been Nom. Sir for mine own part I hold it very meet that every true Christian should be very zealous for the holy Law of God especially now when a company of these Antinomians do set themselves against it and do what they can quite to abolish it and utterly to root it out of the Church surely Sir I think it not meet they should ●ive in a Christian Common-wealth Evan. I pray you neighbour Nomista be not so hot neither let us have such unchristianlike expressions amongst us and let us reason together in love and with the spirit of meeknesse as Christians ought to do I confesse with the Apostle it is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing But yet as the same Apostle said of the Jews so I feare me I may say of some Christians that they are zealous of the Law yea some would be Doctors of the Law and yet neither understand what they say nor whereof they affirm Nom. Sir I make no doubt but that I both know what I say and whereof I affirm when I say and affirm that the holy Law of God ought to be a rule of life to a believer For I dare pawn my soule of the ●ruth of it Evan. But what Law do you mean Nom. Why Sir what Law do you think I mean Is there any more Lawes then one Evan. Yea in the New Testament the● is mention made of a three-fold Law 〈◊〉 wit the law of works the law of faith an● the law of Christ and therefore I pray yo● tell me when you say the Law ought to b● a rule of life to a believer which of their three Lawes you mean Nom. Sir I know not the difference betwixt them but this I know that the Law of the Ten Commandements commonly called the Morall Law ought to be a rule of life to a believer Evan. But the Law of the Ten Commandements or Morall Law may be either said to be the matter of the law of works or the matter of the law of Christ and therefore I pray you tell me in whether o● these senses you conceive it ought to be ● rule of life to a believer Nom. Sir I must confesse I do not know what you mean by this distinction but thi● I know that God requires that every Christian should frame and lead his life according to the rule of the Ten Commandements the which if he do then may he expect the blessing of God both upon his soule and body and if he do not then can he expect nothing else but his wrath and curse upon them both Evan. The truth is neighbour Nomista ●he Law of the Ten Commandements as it 〈◊〉 the matter of the Law of Works ought not to be a rule of life to a believer but in thus saying you have affirmed that it ought and therefore therein you have erred from the truth And now friend Antinomista that I may also know your judgement when you say the Law ought not to be a rule of life to a believer I pray you tell me what Law you mean Ant. Why I mean the Law of the Ten Commandements Evan. But whether do you mean that Law as it is the matter of the law of works or as it is the matter of the Law of Christ Ant. Surely Sir I do conceive that the Ten Commandements are no way to be a rule of life to a believer for Christ hath delivered him from them Evan. But the truth is the law of the Ten Commandements as it is the matter of the law of Christ ought to be a rule of life to a believer and therefore you having affirmed the contrary have therein also er●ed from the truth Nom. The truth is Sir I must confesse 〈◊〉 never took any notice of this three-fold ●aw which it seems is mentioned in the New Testament Ant. And I must confesse if I took any notice of them I never understood them Evan. Well give me leave to tell you that so far forth as any man comes short of the true knowledge of this threefold Law so far forth he comes short both of the true knowledge of God and of himself And therefore I wish you both to consider of it Nom. Sir if it be so you may do well to be a means to inform us and help us to the true knowledge of this threefold Law and therefore I pray you first tell us what is meant by the law of works Evan. The law of works opposed to the law of faith Rom. 3.27 holds forth as much as the covenant of works for it is manifest saith Musculus that the word which signifieth covenant or bargain is put for law so that you see the Law of works is as much to say as the Covenant of works the which Covenant the Lord made with all mankinde in Adam before his fall the summe whereof was Do this and thou shalt live And If

God out of Christ deliver the ten commandements as the law of Christ. Evan. O no! for God out of Christ stands in relation to man according to the tenour of the law as it is the covenant of works and therefore can speak to man upon no other terms then the terms of that covenant Nom. But Sir why may not believers amongst the Gentiles receive the ten commandements as a rule of life at the hands of Moses as well as the believers amongst the Jews did Evan. For answere hereunto I pray you consider that the ten commandements were the substance of the law of nature ingraven in the heart of man in innocency and the expresse Idaea or representation of Gods own Image even a beam of his own holinesse and so they were to have bin a rule of life to him and his posterity not being then the covenant of works and then after they were become the covenant of works and broken by the first Adam and kept by the second Adam then as they were not the covenant of works and were made knowne to Adam and the rest of the believing Fathers by Visions and Revelations they became a rule of life to them untill the time of Moses and as they were delivered by Moses unto the believing Jews from the Arke and so as from Christ they were a rule of life to them untill the time of Christs comming in the flesh and since Christs comming in the flesh they have been and are to be a rule of life both to believing Jews and believing Gentiles not as they are delivered by Moses but as they are delivered by Christ for when Christ the Son comes speaks himselfe then Moses the servāt must keep silence according as Moses himselfe foretold saying A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall you heare in all things which he shall say unto you and therefore when the Disciples seemed to desire to heare Moses and Elias to speak on the Mountain Tabor they were presently taken away and a voyce came out of the cloud saying This is my beloved Soune in whom I am well pleased heare him as if the Lord had said you are not now to heare either Moses or Elias but my well beloved Sonne and therefore I say unto you heare him And is it not said Heb. 1.1 That in these last dayes God hath spoken to us by his Sonne And doth not the Apostle say Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly and whatsoever you doe in word or deed doe all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ the wife must bee subject unto the husband as unto CHRIST the childe must yield obedience to his parents as unto Christ and the believing servant must doe his Masters businesse as Christs businesse for saith the Apostle ye serve the Lord Christ yea saith hee to the Galathians beare yee one anothers burden and so fulfill the Law of Christ. Ant. Sir I like it very well that you say Christ should be a Christians teacher and not Moses but yet I question whether the ten commandements may be called the Law of Christ for where can you finde them repeated either by our Sauiour or his Apostles in the whole New Testament Evan. Though we finde not that they are repeated in such a method as they are set down in Exodus and Deuteronomie yet so long as we finde that Christ and his Apostles did require command those things that are therein commanded and reprove and condemne those things that are therein forbidden and that both by their lives and doctrines it is sufficient to prove them to be the Law of Christ. Ant. I think indeed they have done so touching some of the commandements but not touching all Evan. Because you say so I intreat you to consider First whether the true knowledge of God required John 3.19 and the want of it condemned 2 Thes. 1.8 and the true love of God required Matth. 22.37 and the want of it reproved John 5.42 and the true feare of God required 1 Pet. 2.17 Heb. 12.28 and the want of it condemned Rom. 3.18 And the true trusting in God required and the trusting in the creature forbidden 2 Cor. 1.9 1 Tim. 6.17 be not the substance of the first commandement And consider secondly whether the hearing and reading of Gods word commended John 5.47 Revel 1.3 and prayer required Rom. 12.12 1 Thes. 5.17 and singing of Psalmes required Col. 3.16 James 5.13 and whether Idolatry forbidden 1 Cor. 10.14 1 John 5.21 be not the substance of the second commandement And consider thirdly whether worshipping of God in vain condemned Matth. 15.9 and using vain repetitions in prayer forbidden Matth. 6.7 and hearing of the word onely and not doing forbidden James 1.22 and whether worshipping God in spirit and truth commanded John 4.24 and praying with the spirit and with understanding also and singing with the spirit and with understanding also commended 1 Cor. 14.15 and taking heed what wee heare commanded Mark 4 24. be not the substance of the third commandement Consider fourthly whether Christs rising ●rom the dead the first day of the week Mar. 6.2.9 the Disciples assembling and Christs ●ppearing unto them two severall first days of ●he week John 20.19 26. And the Disciples ●omming together and breaking bread and ●reaching afterwards on that day Acts 20.7 ● Cor. 16.2 and Johns being in the spirit on ●he Lords day I say consider whether these ●hings do not prove that the first day of the weeke is to be kept as the Christians Sab●ath Consider fifthly whether the Apostles saying Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right Honour thy Father ●nd thy Mother which is the first comman●ement with the promise Ephes. 6.12 And ●ll those other exhortations given by him ●nd the Apostle Peter both to inferiours and ●uperiours to doe their duties either to other Ephes. 5.22 25. Ephes. 6.4 5 9. Col. 3.18.19 ●0 21 22 Titus 3.1 1 Pet. 3.1 1 Pet. 2.18 ● say consider whether all these places doe not prove that the duties of the fifth commandement are required in the new Testament Here you see are five of the ten commandements and as for the other five the Apostle reckons them up all together saying Thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steal thou shalt not beare false witnesse thou shalt not covet now judge you whether the ten commandements be not repeated in the new Testamenr and so consequently whether they be not the law of Christ and whether a believer be not under the law to Christ or in the law through Christ as the Apostles phrase is 1 Cor. 9.21 Ant. But yet Sir as I remember both Luther and Calvin doe speake as though a believer were so quite freed from the law by Christ as that hee need not make any conscience at all of yielding obedience to it Evan. I know

right well that Luther sayth the conscience hath nothing to doe with the law or works and that Calvin sayth the consciences of the faithfull when the affiance of their justification before God is to be sought must rayse and advance themselves above the Law and forget the whole righteousnes of the Law and lay aside all thinking upon works Now for the true understanding of these two worthy servants of Christ two things are to be concluded First that when they speak thus of the law it is evident they mean only in the case of justification secondly that when the conscience hath to doe with the law in the case of justification it hath to doe with it onely as it is the covenant of works for as the law is the Law of Christ it neither justifies nor condemns and so if you understand it of the Law as it is the Covenant of works according to their meaning then it is most true that they say for why should a man let the Law come into his conscience that is why should a man make any conscience of doing the Law to be justified thereby considering it is a thing impossible nay what need hath a man to make cōscience of doing the law to be justified thereby when he knows he is already justified another way nay what need hath a man to make conscience of doing that law that is dead to him and hee to it hath a woman any need to make any conscience of doing her duty to her husband when hee is dead nay when shee her selfe is dead also or hath a debter any need to make any conscience of paying that debt which is already fully discharged by his surety will any man be afraid of that obligation which is made void the seale torne off the writing defaced nay not onely cancelled and crost but torne in pieces I remember the Apostle saith That if the sacrifices which were offered in the Old Testament could have made the commers thereunto perfect and have purged the worshippers then should they have had no more conscience of sins that is their conscience would not have accused them of being guilty of sins now the blond of Christ hath purged the conscience of a believer from all his sins as they are transgressions against the covenant of works and therefore what needs his conscience be troubled about that covenant but now I pray you observe and take notice that although Luther and Calvin doe thus exempt a believer from the Law in the case of justification and as it is the law or covenant of works yet doe they not so out of the case of justification and as it is the Law of Christ. For thus saith Luther out of the matter of justification wee ought with Paul to thinke reverently of the Law to commend it highly to call it holy righteous just good spirituall and divine yea out of the case of justification we ought to make a God of it And in another place saith he there is a civill righteousnesse and a ceremoniall righteousnesse yea and besides these there is another righteousnesse which is the righteousnesse of the Law or of the ten commrndements which Moses teacheth this also we teach after the doctrine of faith And in a third place he having shewed that believers through Christ are far above the Law adds howbeit I will not deny but that Moses sheweth to them their duties in which respect they are to be admonished and urged wherefore such doctrines and admonitions ought to be among Christians as it is certain there was among the Apostles whereby every man may be admonished of his estate and office And Calvin having said as I told you before that Christians in the case of justification must raise and advance themselves above the law adds neither can any man thereby gather that the law is superfluous to the faithfull whom notwithstanding it doth not cease to teach exhort and prick forward to goodnesse although before Gods Judgement seat it hath no place in their conscience Ant. But Sir if I forget not Musculus sayth that the law is utterly abrogated Evan. Indeed Musculus speaking of the ten commandements sayth if they be weak if they be the letter if they do worke transgression anger curse and death and if Christ by the law of the spirit of life delivered them that believed in him from the law of the letter which was weake to justifie and strong to condemne and from curse being made a curse for us surely they be abrogated Now this is most certaine that the ten commandements doe no way worke transgression anger curse death but onely as they are the covenant of works neither hath Christ delivered believers any otherwise from them then as they are the covenant of works and therfore wee may assuredly conclude that they are no otherwise abrogated then as they are the covenant of works Neither did Musculus intend any otherwise for sayth he in the words following it must not be understood that the points of the substance of Moses covenant are utterly brought to nothing God forbid for a Christian man is not at liberty to do those things that are ungodly and wicked and if the doing of those things which the law forbids do not displease Christ if they be not much different yea contrary if they be not repugnant to the righteousness which we received of him let it be lawful for a christian man to do them or else not but a Christian man doing against those things which be cōmanded in the Decalogue doth sinne more outragiously then hee that should so do being under the law so far off is he from being free from those things that be there commanded Wherfore friend Antinomista if eyther you or any man else shall under a pretence of your being in Christ exempt yourselves frō being under the law of the ten cōmandements as they are the law of Christ I tel you truly it is a shrewd signe you are not yet in Christ for if you were then Christ were in you if Christ were in you then would he governe you and you would be subject unto him I am sure the Prophet Isaiah tels us that the same Lord who is our Saviour is also our King and Law-giver truly he will not be Jesus a Saviour to any but only to those unto whom he is Christ a Lord for the very truth is whersoever he is Iesus a Saviour he is also Christ a Lord therfore I beseech you examine your self whether he be so to you or no Ant. Why then Sir it seemeth that you stand upon marks and signes Evan. Yea indeed I stand so much upon marks and signes that I say unto you in the words of the Apostle John in this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devill whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God for sayth Luther he that is truly baptised is become a new