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	timothy_n	1,872	5	11.8568	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85302	Animadversions upon Sir Henry Vanes book, entituled The retired mans meditations. Examining his doctrine concerning Adam's fall, Christs person, and sufferings, justification, common and special grace; and many other things in his book. / By Martin Finch, preacher of the Gospel.	Finch, Martin, 1628?-1698.	1656 (1656)	Wing F941; Thomason E1670_2; ESTC R208407	75,370	163

left in the saints in this world to keep them low and vile in their own eyes to make them prize and value the blood of Christ which cleanseth them from all sin to keep them from going about to establish their owne righteousnesse to make them desire to be dissolved to be with Christ to imbitter the world to them to let them see their owne weakenesse and nothingnesse and in judgment to the world that they are oftentimes hardened and prejudiced against the wayes of God by the failings and spots of Gods children but they are saints for all this remainder of corruption and I doe believe a man in the Authors second Image may complaine of this as well as Paul and others But the Author goes on and saith as v. 19. that these in the first Image the good which they would doe that they doe not and the evill which they would not doe that they do Which surely is true of all Saints in this world they do not pray hear meditate live unto God as they desire and by the remainders of corruption are often hindered from doing the good which they would and surely were it not that it is so at present with the best saints that they cannot doe the good which they would they would be more holy and heavenly and spiritual and thankfull and sincere and active for God then they are if they could do the things which they would and again were it not that the saints are so that the evill which they would not that they doe there would not be that pride deadness earthliness in the saints that there is for they pray against their corruptions with strong crying and teares and had rather be freed from them then from any crosses and afflictions whatsoever thus we have examined whither Paul in the seventh of the Romans doth represent in his owne person a man that is in the Authors first image and nor in a saving state we see the contrary that Paul here doth personate the true saints and what is there said is true of all saints this side glory Page 207. He saith these are but after such a manner Christs house as is intimated Heb. 3.6 whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firme unto the end But this place proveth not that any are the house and of the family of Christ that yet do perish and miscarry for ever but quite contrary that none are his house and of his family but those that do hold fast the faith and endure to the end that this perseverance is an evidence of true grace as Christ said if you continue to the end then are ye my disciples indeed else you are my disciples but in shew so if you hold fast the confidence and faith which you professe to have in the Lord Jesus then you are Christs house indeed else you have but onely a name to live a name to be Christs house members and this Author must needs according to the tenour of his judgement make the confidence here spoken of to be but such as a man hath in the first image and he maketh the throwing it up and not the keeping of it to be the way to be saved Page 208. He saith This state is called in Scripture the first faith which may be departed from and prove a faith that failes I suppose the place of Scripture the Author meanes is 1 Tim. 5.12 the Apostle is there speaking of widdowes for the service of the Church to visit the sicke and the like and wisheth them not to chuse young women to that office for he saith when they have waxed wanton against Christ they will marry having damnation because they have forsaken their first faith there is no necessity that we should understand here by damnation eternall damnation but that they are to be faulted and condemned for going from their faith and promise to continue single for the service of the Church if we will understand it of faith in Christ then those that leave it did but seem to have it as in these parables one Evangelist saith from him shall be taken that which he hath the other Evangelist explaines it thus that which he seemeth to have so many men leave the faith sincerity holyness which they once seemed to have but however this place be understood it will make nothing for this Auther for they are said to have damnation because they left their first faith now if this first faith were the Authors first image yet he maketh not the leaving of this first image but the keeping it and siting downe in it to be mens damnation Page 209. He makes Christs second appearance spoken of 1 Tim. 6.14 to be the higher image that the first image is to be kept without spot unto But that appearing of Jesus Christ is his 2. coming when he shall come with 10000. of his saints to execute judgment upon all that are ungodly and take to him his great power and raign but it s the Authors way to make scripture bow downe to his image and so in the same page he makes the Angells calling to Jacob to let him go Gen. 32.26 that Angell to signifie the first Image which calls to be let goe because of the day breake of Christs second coming the higher Image he that shall thus expound Scripture may even say what he will and surely if the Author doth not quote these and most of the Scriptures he quotes meerly for illustration and to use Scripture phrase and not at all to prove what he is about he will be deeply guilty of that which the Apostles call wresting of the Scriptures Page 210. He saith these are said 1 Tim. 1.19 5.12 to have faith accompanied with a good conscience but such as may be lost and shipwrackt The words are these holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwrack Now what is the faith that Paul bids Timothy hold fast here not so much the grace of faith in his owne heart but it is the doctrine of faith as Paul saith of himself elsewhere I have fought a good fight I have kept the faith and so he would have Timothy against all opposers and this doctrine of faith he had said downe in ver 15. which was this that Christ came into the world to save sinners now Hymenus and Phyletus and such as had onely received a notionall knowledge of this doctrine had not received this truth in the love and power of it not having a good conscience and hearts brought to the obedience of Christ concerning this faith they made shipwrack God gave them up to strong delusions to believe a lie they fell into errors concerning the faith and waies of Christ and said the resurrection was past already and so overthrew the faith of some that were perswaded of the contrary before so that this place proveth not that men may have true faith in

to have new hearts should rather question whether they themselves be so sanctified and their hearts so really and actually changed as to have new hearts and spirits and when we come to examine this very thing we shall finde that it is not such an ordinarie thing to have the heart which by nature is so desperately wicked to be so really and actually changed though the life may be much changed yet the heart may be the same even like a painted Sepulchre beautiful without but within full of dead mens bones but for this he maketh use of 2 Pet. 2.20 of mens escaping the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ who yet may be againe intangled in them But doth the Author know no difference between mens hearing of Christs calling for holinesse and departing from iniquity in the preaching of the Gospel that they do now leave their former prophaneness and pollutions hoping to get heaven or make themselves worthy of Christ by this their reformation I say is there no difference between this and the having of the heart really and actually changeed because Herod did many things and heard John Baptist gladly doth it therefore follow that he was so sanctified as to have his heart really and actually changed and purified Acts 15.9 the heart is purified only by true faith in Christ Jesus the life may be reformed by education by convictions of conscience and by a common head and notional knowledg of the Gospel and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ yet I confess in a good sense the hearts of some natural men may be said to be changeed but it must be very warily understood Another place he quotes for this attainment of the matural man is Heb. 6. Those that tasted of the heavenly gift and yet might fall away c. What if these are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enlightened so was Balaam and others that I hope were never justified and sanctified by Christ we do not deny but that the natural man may have illumination what if they are said to have tasted of the heavenly gift and if this heavenly gift be Christ himselfe men may tast of Christ as Cooks do of their sauce which they spit out again men may come to try Religion and tast Christ and not having a pallat that savours the things of the spirit may not like him there is a great difference betweene the unbelievers tasting and the true believers experience what if they are said to be made partakers of the Holy Ghost that may be said of any man that is any way enlightened by the Holy Ghost and partakers of his common gifts only yea Bezaliel and Aholiab are said to be filled with the Spirit of God when yet it was but to enable them to devise cunning works in gold and in silver and in brasse Exod. 31.3.4 What if they tasted of the good Word of God I question not but a natural man may do so as Herod that heard John Baptist gladly which shewed he was affected with the word and tasted some sweetnesse in it And what if they tasted the powers of the world to come and have often been scared as Felix was Acts 24.25 when Paul reasoned of the Judgement to come Felix trembled and so may other natural men do but doth this Scripture say as the Author doth that they received Christ in their hearts as their Lord and Christ and were made the righteousnesse of God in him this is the thing that we deny any natural man attaines to but we grant they may tast of the heavenly gift and of the powers of the world to come as that place in the 6. Hebr. doth declare Page 134. he saith These in the first Image are righteous workers according to the Law in the most Gospel administration of it but at the bottome are still upon the tenure and account of debt What is the most Gospel like administration of the Law but Christs fulfilling of it for us and taking the Law now into his own hands and prescribing the obedience the Law requires as duty to him the Lord our righteousnesse so that there is a modification of the Law to the fallen estate of man that Christ now doth not propound the Law to us as a Covenant of works that we should seek righteousnesse to justifie us by the works of the Law but he himself is made of God unto us righteousnesse and his blood cleanseth us from all sin and now will have us obey the Law as he exhibits it to us in the way of the Gospel that we should now obey out of love thankfulnesse and obedience to our Redeemer and this is the Gospel and Christs administration of the Law but this Author tells us that all the bottome they are upon the account and tenure of debt and that they are but still under the first Covenant which is a meer contradiction for the obeying of the Law in the most Gospel like administration of it implyes a disclaiming our own righteousnesse and confidence in our owne obedience and obeying it upon Gospel principles even our love and duty to Christ that constraineth us to do his will and what is acceptable in his sight and I would ask the Author whether those that came into his higher image are not to obey the Law and if so surely he will say they must obey it in the most Gospel like administration of it and then the obedience of them both are alike the confounding of Law and Gospel doth a little hang in this Authors light Page 136. He saith This sort of men were incorporated with the true spiritual seed in every one of the seven Churches mentioned Revelations 2. 3. Chapters But I pray were the Laodiceans that were neither hot nor cold that said they had need of nothing and knew not they were miserable and poor and blind and naked did this frame of spirit shew them to be made the righteousnesse of God in Christ and to be sanctified in Christ Jesus which is the question under debate but do not these things rather shew the contrary and that they had but a name to be thus but were dead and without Christ and Philadelphia which was one of the seven Churches doth the Lord say there were any of that Church that were not in a saving state are any enemies to the Crosse of Christ detected in that Church let the Author read Revel 3.7 to 13. and then let him tell us how he cometh to know that there were such in that Church as were not true Saints and the spiritual seed I am sure he that is holy and true in his message to them saith no such thing findes no such fault with them as he doth with the rest of the Churches but truly whatsoever this Author saith it would have been well if all the members of all those Churches had been such as have Christ to be the Lord their righteousnesse and truly received Christ

works by the blood of Christ and so fitted againe for the service of the living God But where doth the Scripture say thus it s the Saints onely that have their hearts purified by faith the natural mans conscience is so far from being purged from dead works that all his works whatsoever he or others think of them yet in Gods esteem they are dead works because they come from him that is dead in trespasses and sinnes void of the life and spirit of Christ none of the living in Jerusalem and though he may have a name to live yet he is dead and his works dead works and whereas he saith a man in the first image is fitted again for the service of the living God then he must be a true believer no man is fitted for the service of the living God without he be a true believer for without faith its impossible to please God he must also be a spirituall worshipper for God is a spirit and will be worshipt in spirit and truth Page 329. He saith further of these in the first image that they feed mystically upon Christs flesh and drink his blood so as that they are nourished up in a way of righteousnesse like unto that of those young men 1 John 2.14 who were strong through the word of God thus dwelling and abiding in them whereby they had overcome the wicked one as to all fleshly impurity and filthinesse That the naturall man feeds mystically upon Christs flesh and blood we have disproved before and for those in John surely they were in a saving state they were strong surely not in themselves but in the Lord and the power of his might the word of God abided and dwelt in them if we take it for Christ they had him abiding in them and surely they that abide in Christ and have Christ abiding in them are true Saints if we take it as meant of the Gospel none have that word of Christ dwelling richly in them but Saints and they have overcome the wicked one conquered him through him that loved them this is peculiar to the true Saints and where the devill is truely overcome it s not onely as to the filthiness of the flesh but of the spirit also if the divell raigne in the heart he is not yet overcome Page 329. He saith these men in the first image and Christ are so knit together in this sort of marriage union that Christ and they make but one flesh one bread and one body so as all the glory beauty comelinesse and perfection which is Christ according to the flesh that is not incommunicable is Christ they have the righteousness of his naturall perfection whereby he fullfilled the law imputed to them for their justification in the sight of God and the indwelling life of it working in them inherent righteousnesse and sanctification I anwer none have marriage union with Christ but true believers and such as shall be saved for Christ the Heavenly bridegrome hateth puting away when Christ the fairest of ten thousand marrieth any of us Blackmoores he saith as Hosea 2.19 I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercyes thus it s upon termes of meere grace and mercy and therefore this love knot neither the Law nor sin nor Satan can untye it to be the Bride the Lambs wife is a sure and certaine estate of salvation yea this Author tells us that there is such a neere union betweene Christ and men in this first image that they are one flesh one bread and one body if so then if they perish Christ must perish too or else if he live who is the head the body must live also can the head live when the body is taken from it I believe great men would be loth to try that experiment Christ personall is compleat in himselfe Christ mysticall is not compleat without the body and let the Author shew us where ever any o● the limbs and members of Christs body were cut off and throwne into hell and he tells us that they are justified and sanctified by Christ what lack they yet to bring them into a saving state there is union with Christ justification and sanctification who shall lay any thing to their charge God will not for as this Author confesses they are justified in the sight of God Christ will not for he hath died for them and the Author confesses that they and he are one flesh and one body and did ever any man hate his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it as the Lord the Church Ephes 5. The Law cannot for the Author confesses page 118. that the Law hath nothing to say against these men in the first Image here the poore sinner is acquitted by the Law and by the Judge of the Court who then can condemne him it s well this Author is not Judge in this matter Page 330. He quotes Zach. 11.10 And I took my staffe even beauty and cut it asunder that I might breake my Covenant which I had made with all the people But what is this to the purpose doth this prove that men may be one flesh one bread one body with Christ and yet perish this Covenant was a temporall Covenant which God is said to break when he did not so protect them and fight against their enemies and give them rest round about as he had done in times past and because this staffe which God breaks is called baauty therefore this Author will needs have it meant of Christs beauty and comlinesse being put upon their soules and that this was taken away and by breaking of the staffe bands to be meant the breaking of the marriage union between Christ and them as if all the Jews had a marriage union with Christ but ver 14. tells us what is meant by the staff called Bands Then I cut asuuder mine other staffe even Bands that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel not break the marriage union betweene Christ and them but break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel Page 363. He saith Those in the higher image are cleansed from all filthinesse of the spirit as well as of the flesh which those in the first image come short of having had only a cleansing or washing away of the filth of the flesh But had not he said before that there was a heart work in these men and that they were begotten into Gods owne similitude and likenesse wherein man was at first created if so then they must in principle and measure be cleansed from filthinesse of spirit as well as of flesh for the law is spirituall as Paul teacheth us Romans 7. and reaches to the principles and thoughts and intents and holinesse of the heart thus cleaverly can the Author contradict himselfe when he pleaseth and so sometimes he telleth us they look only to be justified in the righteousnesse of Christ their head