Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	faith_n	good_a	purify_v	1,191	5	11.5479	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30895	An apology for the true Christian divinity, as the same is held forth, and preached by the people, called, in scorn, Quakers being a full explanation and vindication of their principles and doctrines, by many arguments, deduced from Scripture and right reason, and the testimony of famous authors, both ancient and modern, with a full answer to the strongest objections usually made against them, presented to the King / written and published in Latine, for the information of strangers, by Robert Barclay ; and now put into our own language, for the benefit of his country-men.; Theologiae verè Christianae apologia. English	Barclay, Robert, 1648-1690.	1678 (1678)	Wing B721; ESTC R1740	415,337	436

sees meet whether they be a prescribed Form as a Liturgy or Prayers conceived extemporally by the natural strength and faculty of the mind they are all but Superstitions Will-worship and abominable Idolatry in the sight of God which are to be denyed rejected and separated from in this day of his Spiritual arising however it might have pleased him who winked at the times of Ignorance with a respect to the simplicity and integrity of some and of his own innocent Seed which lay as it were buried in the hearts of Men under the mass of Superstition to blow upon the dead and dry bones and to raise some breathings and answer them and that until the day should more clearly dawn and break forth The Twelfth Proposition Concerning Baptism As there is one Lord and one Faith so there is one Baptism which is not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience before God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and this Baptisme is a Pure and Spiritual thing to wit the Baptism of the Spirit and fire by which we are buried with him that being washed and purged from our sins we may walk in newness of Life of which the Baptism of John was a figure which was commanded for a time and not to continue for ever as to the Baptism of Infants it is a meer humane Tradition for which neither Precept nor Practice is to be found in all the Scripture The Thirteenth Proposition Concerning the Communion or participation of the body and blood of Christ. The Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ is inward and Spiritual which is the participation of his flesh and blood by which the inward m●n is daily nourished in the hearts of those in whom Christ dwells of which things the breaking of bread by Christ with his Disciples was a figure which they even used in the Church for a time who had received the substance for the cause of the weak even as abstaining from things strangled and from blood the washing one anothers feet and the anointing of the sick with Oyl all which are commanded with no less authority and solemnity than the former yet seeing they are but the shaddows of better things they cease in such as have obtained the Substance The Fourteenth Proposition Concerning the Power of the Civil Magistrate in matter purely religious and pertaining to the Conscience Since God hath assumed to himself the power and Dominion of the Conscience who alone can rightly instruct and govern it therefore it is not lawful for any whatsoever by vertue of any Authority or Principality they bear in the Government of this World to force the Consciences of others and therefore all Killing Banishing Fining Imprisoning and other such things which men are afflicted with for the alone exercise of their Conscience or difference in Worship or Opinion proceedeth from the Spirit of Cain the murtherer and is contrary to the Truth providing always that no Man under the pretence of Conscience prejudice his Neighbour in his Life or Estate or do any thing destructive to or inconsistent with human Society in which case the Law is for the transgressor and Justice is to be administred upon all without respect of Persons The Fifteenth Proposition Concerning Salutations and Recreations c. Seeing the chief end of all Religion is to redeem Man from the Spirit and vain Conversation of this World and to lead into inward communion with God before whom if we fear always we are accounted happy therefore all the vain customs and habits thereof both in word and deed are to be rejected and forsaken by those who come to this fear such as the taking off the Hat to a Man the bowings and cringings of the Body and such other Salutations of that kind with all the foolish and superstitious formalities attending them all which Man has invented in his degenerate state to feed his pride in the vain pomp and glory of this World as also the unprofitable Plays frivolous Recreations Sportings and Gaming 's which are invented to pass away the pretious time and divert the mind from the witness of God in the heart and from the living sense of his fear and from that Evangelical Spirit wherewith Christians ought to be leavened and which leads into sobriety gravity and Godly fear in which as we abide the blessing of the Lord is felt to attend us in these actions which we are necessarily engaged in order to the taking care for the sustenance of the outward man AN APOLOGY For the true CHRISTIAN DIVINITY The first Proposition Seeing the heighth of all happiness is placed in the true knowledg of God this is Life eternal to know the true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent the true and right understanding of this foundation and ground of knowledg is that which is most necessary to be kn●wn and believed in the first place HE that desireth to acquire any art or science seeketh first those means by which that art or science is obtained If we ought to do so in things Natural and Earthly how much more then in Spiritual In this affair then should our inquiry be the more diligent because he that errs in the entrance is not so easily reduced again into the right way he that misseth his road from the beginning of his Journey and is deceived in his first Marks at his first seting forth the greater his Mistake is the more difficult will be his Entrance into the right way Thus when a Man first proposeth to himself the knowledg of God from a sense of his own unworthiness and from the great weariness of his mind occasioned by the secret checks of his Conscience and the tender yet real glances of Gods Light upon his Heart the earnest desires he has to be redeemed from his present trouble and the fervent breathings he has to be eased of his disordered Passions and Lusts and to find quietness and peace in the certain knowledg of God and in the assurance of his love and good will towards him makes his heart tender and ready to receive any Impression and so not having then a distinct discerning through forwardness embraceth any thing that brings present ease If either through the reverence he bears to certain persons or from the secret inclination to what doth comply with his natural Disposition he fall upon any Principles or Means by which he apprehends he may come to know God and so doth center himself it will be hard to remove him thence again how wrong soever they may be For the first anguish being over he becomes more hardy and the Enemy being near creates a false peace and a certain confidence which is strengthened by the minds unwillingness to enter again into new doubtfulness or the former anxiety of a search This sufficiently verified in the example of the Pharisees and Jewish Doctors who most of all resisted Christ disdaining to be esteemed ignorant

peccato originali lib. 2. cap. 2. Gelasius also in his disputation against Pelagius saith But if any affirm that this may be given to some Saints in his life not by the Power of mans strength but by the grace of God he doth well to think so confidently and hope it faithfully for by the gift of God all things are possible That this was the common opinion of the Fathers appears from the words of the Aszansik Council Canon last We believe also this according to the Catholick Faith that all that are baptized through Grace by baptism received and Christ helping them and co-working may and ought to do whatsoever belongs to Salvation if they will faithfully labour § XI Blessed then are they that believe in him who is both able and willing to deliver as many as come to him through true repentance from all sin and do not resolve as these men do to be the devil's servants all their life time but daily go on forsaking unrighteousness and forgetting those things that are behind press forwards towards the Mark for the Prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus such shall not find their faith and confidence to be in vain but in due time shall be made conquerors through him in whom they have believed and so overcoming shall be established as pillars in the house of God so as they shall go no more out Rev. 3. ver 12. The Ninth Proposition Concerning Perseverance and the possibility of falling from Grace Although this Gift and inward Grace of God be sufficient to work out Salvation yet in those in whom it is resisted it both may and doth become their condemnation Moreover they in whose hearts it hath wrought in part to purify and sanctifie them in order to their further perfection may by disobedience fall from it turn it to wantonness 1 Tim. 1.9 make shipwrack of faith and after having tasted the heavenly Gift and been made partakers of the Holy Ghost again fall away Heb. 6.4 5 6. yet such an increase and stability in the Truth may in this life be attained from which there can not be a total Apostasie § I. THE first sentence of this Proposition hath already been treated of in the 5 and 6 Propositions where it hath been shewn that that Light which is given for Life and Salvation becomes the condemnation of those that refuse it and therefore is already proved in those places where did demonstrate the possibility of man's resisting the Grace and Spirit of God and indeed it is so apparent in the Scriptures that it cannot be denied by such as will but seriously consider these testimonies Prov. 1.24 25 26. Joh. 3.18 19. 2 Thes. 2.11 12. Acts 7.51 13.46 Rom. 1. v. 18. As for the other part of it that they in whom this Grace may have wrought in a good measure in order to purifie and sanctifie them tending to their further perfection may afterwards through disobedience fall away c. The testimonies of the Scripture included in the Proposition it self are sufficient to prove it to men of unbyassed judgments But Because as to this part our cause is common with many other Protestants I shall be the more brief in it For it is not my design to do that which is done already neither do I covet to appear knowing by writing much but simply purpose to present to the world a faithful account of our principles and briefly to let them understand what we have to say for our selves § II. From these Scriptures then included in the Proposition not to mention any more which might be urged I argue thus If men may turn the Grace of God into wantonness then they must once argument 1 have had it But the first is true Therefore also the Second argument 2 If men may make shipwrack of faith they must once have had it neither could they ever have had true faith without the Grace of God But the first is true Therefore also the last argument 3 If men may have tasted of the heavenly Gift and been made partakers of the holy Spirit and afterwards fall away they must needs have known in measure the operation of Gods Saving Grace and Spirit without which no man could tast the heavenly Gift nor yet partake of the Holy Spirit But the first is true Therefore also the last Secondly Seeing the contrary doctrin is built upon this false hypothesis that Grace is not given for salvation to any but to a certain elect number which cannot lose it that all the rest of mankind by an absolute decree are debarred from grace and salvation that being destroyed this falls to the ground Now as that doctrine of theirs is wholly inconsistent with the daily practice of those that preach it in that they exhort people to believe and be saved while in the mean time if they belong to the decree of reprobation it is simply impossible for them so to do and if to the decree of election it is needless seeing it is as impossible to them to miss of it as hath been before demonstrated so also in this matter of perseverance their practice and principle are no less inconsistent and contradictory for while they daily exhort people to be faithful to the end shewing them if they continue not they shall be cut-off and fall short of the reward which is very true but no less inconsistent with that doctrine that affirms there is no hazard because no possibility of departing from the least measure of true Grace Which if true it is to no purpose to beseech them to stand to whom God hath made it impossible to fall I shall not longer insist upon the probation of this seeing what is said may suffice to answer my design and that the thing is also abundantly proved by many of the same judgment That this was the doctrine of the primitive Protestants thence appears that the Augustan confession condemns it as an error of the Anabaptists to say that who once are justified they cannot lose the Holy Spirit Many such like sayings are to be found in the common places of Philip Melancthon Vossius in his Pelagian History lib. 6. testifies that this was the common opinion of the Fathers in the confirmation of the 12 These pag. 587. he hath these words that this which we have said was the common sentiment of antiquity those at present can only deny who otherways perhaps are men not unlearned but nevertheless in antiquity altogether strangers c. These things thus observed I come to the objections of our opposers Obj. § III. First they alledge that those places mentioned of making shipwrack of faith is only understood of seeming faith and not of a real true faith This objection is very weak and apparently contrary to the Text Answ. 1 Tim. 1.19 where the Apostle addeth to faith a good Conscience by way of complaint whereas if their faith had been only seeming and hypocritical the men had been better without it than with it neither had they been worthy of blame for losing that which in it self was evil But the Apostle expressly adds and of a good Conscience which

would follow as is evident and will be acknowledged by all Next we do not deny but wicked men are sensible of the motions and operations of God's Spirit often-times before their day be expired from which they may at times pray acceptably not as remaining altogether wicked but as entring into Piety from whence they afterwards fall away § XXVI As to the singing of Psalms there will not be need of any long discourse for that the case is just the same as in the two former of Preaching and Prayer We confess this to be a part of God's Worship and very sweet and refreshful when it proceeds from a true sense of God's love in the heart and arises from the divine influence of the Spirit which leads Souls to breath forth either a sweet Harmony or words suitable to the present condition whether they be words formerly used by the Saints and recorded in Scripture such as the Psalmes of David or other words as were the Hymns and Songs of Zacharias Simeon and the Blessed Virgin Mary But as for the formal customary way of singing it hath in Scripture no foundation nor any ground in true Christiansty yea besides all the abuses incident to prayer and preaching it hath this more peculiar that often times great and horrid lies are said in the sight of God for all manner of wicked prophane People take upon them to personate the experiences and conditions of Blessed David which are not only false as to them but also as to some of more sobriety who utter them forth as where they will sing sometimes Psal. 22.14 my heart is like Wax it is melted in the midst of my Bowels and verse 15. My strength is dried up like a Pot-sheard and my Tongue cleaveth to my Jaws and thou hast brought me into the dust of Death And Psal. 6.6 I am weary with my groaning all the night make I my Bed to swim I water my Couch with my Tears And many more which those that speak know to be false as to them And sometimes will confess just after in their Prayers that they are guilty of the Vices opposite to those Vertues which but just before they have asserted themselves endued with Who can suppose that God accepts of such jugling And indeed such singing doth more please the carnal ears of men than the pure ears of the Lord who abhors all Lying and Hypocrisie That singing then that pleaseth him must proceed from that which is PVRE in the Heart even from the Word of Life therein in and by which richly dwelling in us Spiritual Songs and Hymns are returned to the Lord according to that of the Apostle Col. 3.16 But as to their artificial Musick either by Organs or other instruments or voice we have neither example nor precept for it in the New Testament § XXVII But lastly the great advantage of this true Worship of God which we profess and practice is that it consisteth not in man's Wisdom Arts or Industry neither needeth the Glory Pomp Riches nor Splendor of this World to beautifie it as being of a Spiritual and Heavenly nature and therefore too simple and contemptible to the natural mind and will of man that hath no delight to abide in it because he finds no room there for his imaginations and inventions and hath not the opportunity to gratifie his outward and carnal Senses so that this form being observed is not like to be long kept pure without the Power For it is of it self so naked without it that it hath nothing in it to invite and tempt men to dote upon it further than it is accompanied with the Power Whereas the Worship of out Adversaries being performed in their own wills is self-pleasing as in which they can largely exercise their natural parts and invention and as to most of them having somewhat of an outward and worldly splendor delectable to the carnal and worldly Senses they can pleasantly continue it and satisfie themselves though without the Spirit and Power which they make no ways essential to the performance of their Worship and therefore neither wait for nor expect it § XXVIII So that to conclude the Worship Preaching Praying and Singing which we plead for is such as proceedeth from the Spirit of God and is always accompanyed with its influence being begun by its motion and carried on by the power and strength thereof and so is a Worship purely Spiritual such as the Scripture holds forth Joh. 4.23 24. 1 Cor. 14.15 Eph. 6.18 c. But the Worship Preaching Praying and Singing which our Adversaries plead for and which we oppose is a Worship which is both begun carried on and concluded in man's own natural will and strenghth without the motion or influence of God's Spirit which they judg they need not wait for and therefore may be truly acted both as to the matter and manner by the wickedest of men Such was the Worship and vain Oblations which God always rejected as appears from Isa. 66.3 Jer. 14.12 c. Isa. 1.13 Prov. 15.29 John 9.31 The Twelfth Proposition Concerning Baptism As there is one Lord and one Faith so there is one Baptism which is not the putting away the Filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good Conscience before God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and this Baptism is a Pure and a Spiritual thing to wit the Baptism of the Spirit and Fire by which we are buried with him that being washed and purged from our sins we may walk in newness of Life of which the Baptism of John was a Figure which was commanded for a time and not to continue for ever as to the Baptism of Infants it is a meer humane Tradition for which neither Precept nor Practice is to be found in all the Scripture § I. I Did sufficiently demonstrate in the explanation and probation of the former Proposition how greatly the Professors of Christianity as well Protestants as Papists were degenerated in the matter of Worship and how much strangers to and averse from that true and acceptable Worship that is performed in the Spirit of Truth because of man's natural propensity in his faln state to exalt his own inventions and to intermix his own work and product in the Service of God and from this root sprung all the Idle Worships Idolatries and numerous Superstitious Inventions among the Heathens For when God in condescension to his chosen People the Jews did prescribe to them by his Servant Moses many Ceremonies and Observations as Types and Shaddows of the Substance which in due time was to be revealed which consisted for the most part in washings outward purifications and cleansings which were to continue until the time of the Reformation until the Spiritual Worship should be set up and that God by the more powerful pouring forth of his Spirit and guiding of that Anoynting which was to lead his Children into all Truth and teach them to Worship him in a way more Spiritual and acceptable

really did administer the baptism of water did in so doing not administer the Baptism of Christ so that if there be now but one Baptism as we have already proved we may safely conclude that it is that of the Spirit and not of water else it would follow that the One baptism which now continues were the baptism of water i. e. John's baptism and not the baptism of the Spirit i. e. Christs which were most obsurd If it be said further that though the Baptism of John before Christs was administred was different from it as being the figure only Obj. yet now that both it as the figure and that of the Spirit as the substance is necessary to make up the one baptism I answer this urgeth nothing unless it be granted also that both of them belong to the essence of Baptism Answ. so that Baptism is not to be accounted as truly administred where both are not which none of our adversaries will acknowledg but on the contrary account not only all those truly baptized with the Baptism of Christ who are baptized with water tho they be uncertain whether they be baptized with the Spirit or not but they even account such truly baptized with the baptism of Christ because sprinkled or baptized with water though it be manifest and most certain that they are not baptized with the Spirit as being enemies thereunto in their heart by wicked works So here by their own confession baptism with water is without the Spirit Wherefore we may far safer conclude that the baptism of the Spirit which is that of Christ is and may be without that of Water as appears in that Acts 11. where Peter testifies of these men that they were baptized with the Spirit though not then baptized with Water and indeed the controversie in this as in most other things stands beiwixt us and our opposers in that they not only often times prefer the form and shadow to the power and substance by denominating persons as inheritors and possessors of the thing from their having the form and shadow though really wanting the power and substance and not admitting those to be so denominated who have the power and substance if they want the form and shadow This appears evidently in that those truly baptized with the one baptism of Christ who are not baptized with the Spirit which in Scripture is particularly called the Baptism of Christ if they be only baptized with Water which themselves yet confess to be but the shaddow or figure And moreover in that they account not those who are surely baptized with the Baptism of the Spirit baptized neither will they have them so denominate unless they be also sprinkled with or dipped in Water But we on the contrary do alwaies prefer the power to the form the substance to the shaddow and where the Substance and Power is we doubt not to denominate the Person accordingly though the form be wanting and therefore we alwaies seek first and plead for the Substance and Power as knowing that to be indispensable necessary though the form sometimes may be dispensed with and the figure or tipe may cease when the Substance and Anti-tipe comes to be enjoyed as it doth in this case which shall hereafter be made appear § IV. Fourthly that the one Baptism of Christ is not a washing with Water appears from 1 Pet. 3.21 The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. So plain a definition of Baptism is not in all the Bible and therefore seeing it is so plain it may well be preferred to all the coined definitions of the School-men The Apostle tells us first negatively what it is not viz. Not a putting away of the filth of the flesh then surely it is not a washing with Water since that is so Secondly he tells us affirmatively what it is viz. the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ where affirmatively defines it to be the answer or confession as the Syriak version hath it of a good Conscience Now this answer cannot be but where the Spirit of God hath purified the Soul and the fire of his judgment hath burned up the unrighteous nature and those in whom this work is wrought may be truly said to be baptized with the baptism of Christ i. e. of the Spirit and of Fire Whatever way then we take this definition of the Apostle of Christ's baptism it confirmeth our sentence for if we take the first or negative part viz. that it is not a puting away of the filth of the Flesh then it will follow that water-baptism is not it because that is a puting away of the filth of the Flesh. If we take the second and affirmative definition to wit that it is the answer or confession of a good Conscience c. then Water-baptism is not it since as our Adversaries will not deny Water-baptism doth not alwaies imply it neither is it any necessary consequence thereof Moreover the Apostle in this place doth seem especially to guard against those that might esteem Water-baptism the true baptism of Christ because lest by the Comparison induced by him in the preceeding verse betwixt the Souls that were saved in Noah's Ark and us that are now saved by Baptism lest I say any should have thence hastily concluded that because the former were saved by water this place must needs be taken to speak of Water-baptism to prevent such a mistake he plainy affirms that it ●s not that but another thing He saith not that it is the Water or the putting away of the filth of the Flesh as accompanyed with the answer of a good Conscience whereof the one viz. the Water is the Sacramental Element administred by the Minister and the other the Grace or thing signified conferred by Christ but plainly that it is not the puting away c. than which there can be nothing more manifest to men unprejudicate and judicious Moreover Peter calls this here which saves the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Anti-type or the thing figured whereas it is usually translated as if the like figure did now save us thereby insinuating that as they were saved by water in the Ark so are we now by Water baptism But this interpretation crosseth his sense he presently after declaring the contrary as hath above been observed and likewise it would contradict the opinion of all out opposers For Protestants deny it to be absolutely necessary to Salvation And though Papists say none are saved without it yet in this they admit an exception as of Martyrs c. and they will not say that all that have it are saved by Water-baptism for seeing we are saved by this baptism as those that were in the Ark were saved by Water and that all those that were in the Ark were saved by water it

which God is the alone proper and infallible Judge who by his Power and Spirit can alone rectifie the mistakes of Conscience and therefore hath reserved to himself the power of punishing the errors thereof as he seeth meet Now for the Magistrate to assume this is to take upon him to meddle with things not within the compass of his jurisdiction for if this were within the compass of his jurisdiction he should be the proper judge in these things and also it were needful to him as an essential qualification of his being a Magistrate to be capable to Judge in them But that the Magistrate as a Magistrate is neither proper Judge in these cases not yet that the capacity so to be is requisite in him as a Magistrate our adversaries cannot deny or else they must say that all the Heathen Magistrates were either no lawful Magistrates as wanting something essential to Magistracy and this were contrary to the express Doctrin of the Apostles Rom. 13. or else which is more absurd that those Heathen Magistrates were proper Judges in matters of Conscience amongst Christians As for that evasion that the Magistrate ought to punish according to the Church censure and determination which is indeed no less than to make the Magistrate the Churches Hang-man we shall have occasion to speak of it hereafter But if the chief members of the Church though ordained to inform instruct and reprove are not to have dominion over the Faith nor Consciences of the Faithful as the Apostle expressly affirms 2 Cor. 1.24 then far less ought they to usurp this dominion or stir up the Magistrate to persecute and murther those who will not yield to them therein Secondly this pretended power of the Magistrate is both contrary unto and inconsistent with the nature of the Gospel which is a thing altogether extrinsic from the rule and government of political States as Christ expressly signified saying his Kingdom was not of this World and if the propagating of the Gospel had had any necessary relation thereunto then Christ had not said so but he abundantly hath shewn by his Example whom we are chiefly to imitate in matters of that nature that its by perswasion and the Power of God not by Whips Imprisonments Banishments and Murtherings that the Gospel is to be propagated and that those that are the propagators of it are often to suffer by the wicked but never to cause the wicked to suffer When he sends forth his Disciples he tells them he sends them forth as Lambs among Wolves to be willing to be devoured not to devour he tells them of their being whipped imprisoned and killed for their Conscience but never that they shall either whip imprison or kill and indeed if Christians must be as Lambs it is not the nature of Lambs to destroy or devour any It serves nothing to alledge that that in Christ and his Apostles times the Magistrates were Heathens and therefore Christ and his Apostles not being Magistrates nor yet any of the Believers could not exercise the power because it cannot be denied but Christ being the Son of God had a true right to all Kingdoms and was righteous Heir of the Earth Next as to his Power it cannot be denied but he could if he had seen meet have called for legions of Angels to defend him and have forced the Princes and Potentates of the Earth to be subject unto him Matth. 26.53 So that it was only because it was contrary to the nature of Christ's Gospel and Ministry to use any force or violence in the gathering of Souls to him This he abundantly expressed in his reproof to the Sons of Zebedee who would have been calling for Fire from Heaven to burn those that refused to receive Christ. It is not to be doubted but this was a great crime as now to be in an error concerning the Faith and Doctrin of Christ. That there was not Power wanting to have punished those refusers of Christ cannot be doubted for they that could do other Miracles might have done this also and moreover they wanted not the president of a holy man under the Law as did Elias yet we see what Christ saith to them Ye know not what Spirit ye are of Luke 9.55 for the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Here Christ shews that such kind of zeal was no waies approved of him and such as think to make way for Christ or his Gospel by this means do not understand what Spirit they are of But if it was not lawful to call for Fire from Heaven to destroy such as refused to receive Christ it is far less lawful to kindle Fire upon Earth to destroy those that believe in Christ because they will not believe nor can believe as the Magistrates do for Conscience sake and if it was not lawful for the Apostles who had so large a measure of the Spirit and were so little liable to mistake to force others to their judgment it can be far less lawful now for men that experience declareth and many of themselves confess are fallible and often mistaken to kill and destroy all such as cannot because otherwise perswaded in their minds judge and believe in matters of Conscience just as they do And if it was not according to the Wisdom of Christ who was and is King of Kings by outward force to constrain others to believe him or receive him as being a thing inconsistent with the nature of his Ministry and Spiritual Government do not they grossly offend him that will needs be wiser than he and think to force men against their perswasion to conform to their Doctrin and Worship The word of the Lord saith not by Power and by Might but by the Spirit of the Lord Zach. 4.6 But these say not by the Spirit of the Lord but by Might and Carnal Power The Apostle saith plainly we wrestle not with Flesh and Blood and the weapons of our warfar are not carnal but Spiritual but these men will needs wrestle with Flesh and Blood when they cannot prevail with the Spirit and the Understanding and not having Spiritual Weapons go about with Carnal Weapons to establish Christ's Kingdom which they can never do and therefore when the matter is well sifted it is found to be more out of love to self and from a principle of pride in man to have all others to bow to him than from the love of God Christ indeed takes another method for he saith he will make his People a willing People in the day of his power but these men labour against mens wills and Consciences not by Christ's power but by the outward Sword to make men the people of Christ which they can never do as shall hereafter be shewn But thirdly Christ fully and plainly declareth to us his sense in this matter in the parable of the Tares Matth. 13. of which we have himself the Interpreter ver 38 39

shews it was real neither can it be supposed that men could truly attain a good Conscience without the operation of Gods Saving Grace far less that a good Conscience doth consist with a seeming false and hypocritical faith Again these places of the Apostle being spoken by way of regret clearly import that these attainments they had faln from were good and real not false and deceitful else he would not have regreted their falling from them And so he saith positively they tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost c. not that they seem'd to be so which sheweth this objection is very frivolous Secondly they alledge Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing Obj. that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ c. and 1. Pet. 1.5 who are kept by the Power of God through faith unto Salvation These Scriptures Answ. as they do not affirm any thing positively contrary to us so they cannot be understood otherwise than as the condition is performed upon our part seeing Salvation is no other ways proposed there but upon certain necessary conditions to be performed by us as hath been above proved and as our adversaries also acknowledg as Rom. 8. v 13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live And Heb. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end For if these places of the Scripture upon which they build their objection were to be admitted without these conditions it would manifestly overturn the whole tenor of their exhortations throughout all their writings Some other objections there are of the same nature which are solved by the same answers which also because largely treated of by others I omit to come to that testimony of the Truth which is more especially ours in this matter and is contained in the latter part of the Proposition in these words yet such an increase and stability in the Truth may in this life be attained from which there cannot be a total apostasie § IV. As in the explanation of the fifth and sixth Propositions I observed that some that had denyed the errors of others concerning reprobation and affirmed the universality of Christs death did notwithstanding fall short in sufficiently holding forth the truth and so gave the contrary party an occasion by their defects to be strengthened in their errors so may it be said in this case As upon the one hand they err that affirm that the least degree of true and saving grace cannot be faln from so do they err upon the other hand that deny any such stability to be attained from which there cannot be a total and final apostasie And betwixt these two extreams lieth the Truth apparent in the Scriptures which God hath revealed unto us by the testimony of his Spirit and which also we are made sensible of by our own sensible experience And even as in that former controversie was observed so also in this the defence of Truth will readily appear to such as seriously weigh the matter for the arguments upon both hands rightly applied will as to this hold good and the objections which are strong as they are respectively urged against the two opposite false opinions are here easily solved by the establishing of this Truth For all the arguments which these alledge that affirm there can be no falling away may well be received upon the one part as of these who have attained to this stability and establishment and their objections solved by this concession so upon the other hand the arguments alledged from Scripture testimonies by those that affirm the possibility of falling away may well be received of such as are not come to this establishment though having attained a measure of true grace Thus then the contrary batterings of our adversaries who miss the Truth do concur the more strongly to establish it while they are destroying each other But lest this may not seem to suffice to satisfie such as judge it always possible for the best of men before they dye to fall away I shall add for the proof of it some brief considerations from some few testimonies of the Scripture § V. And first I freely acknowledge that it is good for all to be humble and in this respect not over confident so as to lean to this to foster themselves in iniquity or lye down in security as if they had attained this condition seeing watchfulness and diligence is of indispensible necessity to all mortal men so long as they breath in this world for God will have this to be the constant practice of a Christian that thereby he may be the more fit to serve him and the better armed against all the daily temptations of the Enemy For since the wages of sin is death there is no man while he sinneth and is subject thereunto but may lawfully suppose himself capable of perishing Hence the Apostle Paul himself saith 1 Cor. 9.27 But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast-away Here the Apostle supposeth it possible for him to be a cast-away and yet it may be judged he was far more advanced in the inward work of regeneration when he wrote that Epistle than many who now adays too presumptuously suppose they cannot fall away because they feel themselves to have attained some small degree of true Grace But the Apostle makes use of this supposition or possibility of his being a cast away as I before observed as an inducement to him to be watchful I keep under my body lest c. Nevertheless the same Apostle at another time in the sense and feeling of God's holy Power and in the dominion thereof finding himself a conqueror therethrough over sin and his Souls enemies maketh no difficulty to affirm Rom. 8.38 For I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. which clearly sheweth that he had attained a condition from which he knew he could not fall away But secondly it appears such a condition is attainable because we are exhorted to it and as hath been proved before the Scripture never proposeth to us things impossible Such an exhortation we have from the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure And though there be a condition here proposed yet since we have already proved that it is possible to fulfil this condition then also the promise annexed thereunto may be attained And since where assurance is wanting there is still a place left for doubtings and despairs if we