Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	actual_a	adam_n	answ_n	37	3	9.6253	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77642	Scripture-redemption freed from men's restrictions: being an answer to a book lately published by Mr. William Troughton (who stiles himself a minister of the gospel at Onlep in Leicester-shire) intituled, scripture-redemption restrained and limited: as also the substance of several conferences and disputes had in England, Wales, and Scotland, with Mr. Heath, Mr. Bartley, Mr. Powel, Mr. Sam. Rutherford, and Mr. James Wood, two rectors of the university of S. Andrews, and many others, about the death of our most dear redeemer, and the controversies which are the constant concomitants of it. Together with a brief reply to Mr. Troughton's rayling accusations in his introduction. By J. Brown, sometimes of Orial Coll. in Oxford, afterwards a priest of the Church of England, and vicar of Tenbury in Worcester-shire; but now through mercy a preacher of the faith which once he destroyed.	Browne, James, 1616-1685.	1653 (1653)	Wing B5022B; ESTC R230501	118,497	139

Answ Letting alone their godliness and learning I answer That they who hold the truth in righteousness are and ever were the smaller number Secondly some have taken up their judgements on trust without searching the Scriptures others have searched them partially to maintain an opinion before taken up from others And some few searching seriously and sincerely have been mistaken in that they have not rightly divided the word of truth neither distinguished betwixt the first and second man the first and second Testament the offence of Adam and our actual sins the first and second death but affirm that by Adam's one offence the second death came on him and all mankinde they divide not betwixt life and life justification and justification sanctification and sanctification nor have they opened the nature of Election Redemption Reconciliation and Salvation according to the Scriptures I shall therefore by the help of God endeavour as briefly as possibly I can to discover what death came through Adam's offence and to handle these Scripture-terms Election Redemption c. so as that men may come clearly to see the foundation of that darkness ignorance and errour that hath been amongst the sons of men about the death of Christ for most men following the steps of their fellow-creatures have jogged on in the common road of Tradition not weighing well what the Word of Truth speaks concerning these most weighty matters And that I may the more profitably clear up these things and make the way to them the more plain I shall desire the Reader to consider what by all is acknowledged who truely confess the Deity That there is a twofold manifestation of the love of God to and amongst men the one universal and the other particular or special answerable to his general and special presence and providence the former is called the good will of God Sutable to this is that Luk. 2. 14. Good will towards men and that Psal 145. 9. The Lord is good to all c. not willing that any should perish 2 Pet. 3. 9. The other is that love by which he is said to delight and take pleasure in some as Prov. 11. 20. The upright in their way are his delight and Psal 147. 11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him and such as hope in mercy The first is called the good will or his love of good will the later his delight or love of delight The former is every way free and every man and woman as the Scripture and experience shews are partakers of it the latter is conditional and onely they that fear the Lord have interest in it According to the former there is Election Creation Redemption Reconciliation Justification Sanctification Vocation and Salvation of and to every man and woman according to the latter onely of and to a part of the sons and daughters of Adam And let me desire the Reader to forbear rash censures and prejudice till he hath considerately perused and pondered what I shall here present concerning these things But before I come to treat of these precious words I shall endeavour according to that light and strength which the Lord hath lent to me to remove one grand obstruction which doth hinder many from understanding how Christ died for all and that is that conceit and received opinion that for the first offence God condemned Adam and all his posterity to the second death which is the lake of fire and brimstone For the doing whereof I shall lay before you the principal proofs that men produce for their judgement in this point Secondly their mis-interpretations of those proofs contrary to Scripture and sound Reason Thirdly what the Word of the eternal God saith concerning the sin of Adam in eating and the punishment that was inflicted for eating the forbidden fruit The first testimony they bring forth is Eph. 2. 1 2 3. You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom also we all had our conversation in time past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the minde and were by nature children of wrath even as others From whence some conclude as formerly I have done that Adam and all his posterity through his eating of the forbidden tree were condemned to the second death And to confirm this their conclusion they say that by Nature is meant nativity or birth and by wrath the second death not considering that wrath is often taken for the anger of God denounced and inflicted here against sin and sinners as Psal 78. 49. and so 't is used above fourty times in Scripture or that nature is never taken for nativity neither is it mentioned as a thing that is evil vile or sinful of it self but a help to the doing of things contained in the Law Rom. 2. 14. a teacher of good things 1 Cor. 11. 14. I confess men do corrupt and abuse Nature sin against it and transgress her laws so they do the Word of God 2 Cor. 2. 17. yet the Word of God is not therefore evil because it is corrupted by men And truely if Nature had been so vile a wicked thing as some say Christ would never have taken our natures upon him Take briefly what I judge the Scriptures hold forth clearly for the opening of this text which in the least props not up their opinion By wrath I understand Gods anger or displeasure against sin so Heb. 3. 11. And by nature I understand partly the substance or the matter of which God hath made us and the members of which are written in his book which though through Adam's sin they are subject to corruption death or perishing in the grave yet they are not vile and wicked in themselves for even the matter and form of them being from God by way of creation and appointment are good But principally by nature the Scriptures hold forth the light which God hath placed in man as it 's clear from Rom. 1. 26. they did things against nature and Rom. 2. 14. when they do by nature the things contained in the Law that is by that light or law which is written in their hearts And withal considering that the text now under consideration speaks of some dead in trespasses and sins wherein they had walked following the devil and fulfilling their lusts we may conclude that by nature is not meant birth neither can it comprehend all mankinde forasmuch as infants have not so walked But this may be evidently seen in the text that whilst Paul or the Ephesians or any others walked in sins followed the course and counsel of the devil fulfilled the desires of the flesh and of the minde they were dead in trespasses and sins children of disobedience and by nature children of wrath even as others Nature

or the light set up in their hearts by the Lord did accuse them and present to their understandings the anger and displeasure of God and speak wrath to them even as it did and still doth to others so that as the Law worketh wrath Rom. 4. 15. to them that transgress it so nature worketh wrath to those that do things against her and maketh their consciences to accuse them Rom. 2. 15 16. yea doth not your own experience tell you that when you do evil there is a light within that discovers it into you yea that chides and checks you yea that terrifies you and flasheth wrath in your faces this is nature and when you find it is thus with you Know that ye are by nature children of wrath Thus you see how the first text which they produce to prove that all men were condemn'd to the second death for Adam's sin called the one offence speaks no such thing The second text which I have heard alleadged for their opinion is Rom. 6. 23. For the wages of sin is death whence I and others have concluded but very absurdly That for Adams one offence he and all his posterity were adjudg'd to the second death But consider what is written in the 16 verse As ye have yeelded your members servants to unrighteousness and in the 21 verse What fruit had ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death and then let any sober soul that is not wise above what is written judge whether the Apostle doth in the least mind the Romans of Adam's offence or whether he doth not wholly treat of the sin done in their own bodies and thence conclude that the wages of sin is death and implies that if they had gone on in such sins they should have had eternal death their wages Object But if it be yet objected that the wages of any sin is death Answ I grant it But the wages of any sin is not every kind of death for by Adam's offence comes the first death or mortality over all for Adam by his offence becoming mortal could not beget an immortal creature for he begat a son in his own likeness Gen. 5. 3. mortal mutable and the sins which men commit against that gracious God who giveth life and breath and all things through his Son not confessed and forsaken bring the second death So you see also how this text of eternal truth wrested of men and forced to speak what they would have it doth not prove what they affirm viz. That Adam and all mankind were for his own offence condemn'd to the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death but speaketh wholly of that which we usually call actual sins The third and last text which hath been alleadged for this conceit is Rom. 5. 18. As by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one came the free gift upon all men to the justification of life Whence they conclude as I have done in the dayes of ignorance That Adam and all his sons and daughters that ever were are or shall be for the eating of the forbidden fruit were condemned to the lake of fire c. but very falsly as you shall soon see for 1. If condemnation here be to the second death and justification of life endless glory as they say it is then none shall be damned at the appearing of Jesus Christ for the text says As by the offence of one c. condemnation even so by the righteousness of one c. life But to avoyd this they have devised this shift That though all men in the former part of the verse signifies the whole lump of mankind yet all in the latter part of the verse intends only some of them But how they found out this witty speculation I do not know for-the words are plain and clear as the Sun in the brightest noon-day As by the offence of one All men to condemnation even so c. all men to the justification of life I judge therefore that the ground of their mistake is the same which once was the cause of mine in this point even the want of skill rightly to divide the word of truth and to distinguish between Justification by blood and justification through faith and betwixt the life that now is and that which is to come as I shall plainly demonstrate when I come to treat of justification according to the Scriptures and as I have before promised In the mean space I confess I cannot but admire how I was and some yet are so besotted as to say that All in one part of the text is shorter then in the other when the Spirit of God says even so c. Surely to make that odde I mean longer or shorter which God hath made even to add to or diminish from his word is dangerous presumption What I understand by this Scripture I shall therefore breifly lay before you thus As by Adams offence all men were condemn'd to dye so by Jesus Christ being justified from that offence they do all live and shall rise againe from the grave and this agreeth with other Scriptures Col. 1. 17. By him all things consist compared with 1 John 4. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 21 22. For since by man came death by man came the resurrection of the dead for as in Adam all dye even so by Christ shall all be made alive Rom. 5. 19. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous by which I understand that many even all mankinde were made sinners by the imputation of Adams sin and by Christ's obedience even to death on the Cross Phil. 2. 8. many even all mankinde were made righteous i. e. cleared and acquitted from that which was imputed to them in Adam and this shall be testified in due time when all men shall rise again from the dust freed from their sin and stand before the Lord to give an account for the things done in their own bodies I do believe that if we had not had a Ransome the whole lump of mankinde had perished for ever in the first death But there is not one text of Scripture that speaks any thing of punishment in the second death for Adam's fault men may endeavour to prove such a thing by dark consequences but there can be found no plain text or sound reason for it for first of all God did not threaten it Gen. 2. 17. speaking thus In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die or dying thou shalt die Secondly God when he came to give sentence upon disobedient Adam makes no mention of it certainly he pronounced that judgement which he threatned Gen. 3. 17. to the 19. onely thus Because thou hast hearkned to the voice of thy wife and hast eaten c. dust thou art and to dust thou shalt

confess that the Saints i. e. they who receive the word whereunto they were appointed are partakers of this special calling or vocation I shall onely add this That as they who are called but contemn the call of God partake not of his choice mercies taste not of his supper but bring upon themselves destruction so Behold what manner of love the Father hath shew'd us such as receive the word the light of Christ that they should be called the sons or children of God! 1 Joh. 3. 1. compared with John 1. 12. And so I come to the last term propounded to be treated on Salvation which is a delivering of the creature from danger death and destruction and is general or special as you may see 1 Tim. 4. 10. For this cause we both labour and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all men specially of them that believe But say some to this as to what hath been spoken before this is not meant of Christ but of the Father I answer hereto first consider what Christ saith John 5. 19. Whatsoever things the Father doth the same doth the Son likewise 2. That the Father gave Christ his work to do John 17. 4. so that the Father redeemeth reconcileth and saveth by Christ and Christ redeemeth reconcileth and saveth by laying down his life and humbling himself to death 3. Jesus Christ is not a dead God but God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. and received into glory 1 Tim. 16. and one with the Father and they that deny it deserve to be blamed And if any shall say that the word in the Original signifies not a Saviour but a preserver and so conclude that the Father is the preserver of all men I Answer first that the Father doth preserve by the Son who beareth up the pillars of the earth Psal 75. 3. and by whom all things consist and to whom all power in heaven and earth is given Matth. 28. Of him and for him are all things For consider God without a Christ and you cannot see safety or preservation for any creature onely justice and swift destruction for sin It s manifest then that the preservation and subsistance of all men through a crucified Christ the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world so that if the gloss which men put upon this pretious truth were truth yet it makes nothing against that holy truth of God which I desire to vindicate but it 's as notorious an untruth and falsehood as ever came from the mouth or pen of any man for wheresoever you finde the word Saviour used in the New Testament relating to Jesus Christ you shall finde the same word for it in the Original as is here used by the Apostle and which is used Eph. 5. Tit. 2. 3. and all they that can but read greek will testifie the same Neither is the greek word Soter ever rendered preserver in the whole book of God but alwaies Saviour Lastly It is the common practise of the enemies of the truth when any thing crosses their tenents to make people believe if they can that either the Scriptures mean otherwise then it speaks or that the Translation though given by men of their owne judgements is not right as for example where the word of truth saies that Christ dyed for all and that God would have all men to be saved and that the free gift came unto all men to the justification of life they say it means otherwise and that the text Heb. 2. 9. He by the grace of God tasted death for every man and this word who is the Saviour of all men c. are not well translated for say they it should be for every Son and he is the preserver or saviour of some men c. But I would propound two or three questions to such men First If these things be not truly but falsely Translated why have they many of them an hundred times at least read such false things to us Secondly Why do not they read them to us according to that which they say is the true Translating of the word viz. that Christ dyed but for some and the free gift came only upon some men to the justification of life and that God would have some men to be saved that Christ tasted death only for every son and that the Father is the preserver of some men Thirdly and lastly Whether we shall be judg'd by that which some in a slight way and through mistake call the letter or by that which the Papists Prelates Presbyterians in their Councels Comments and Synods say is the meaning of the word But leaving to speak of the fancies of these men I come by Gods assistance to shew how God in Christ and Christ through God for these in the great work of mans salvation must not be severed is the Saviour of all men And that I may perform this I shall endeavour as in those things before treated rightly to divide the word of truth which holds forth salvation to us under several considerations there is salvation as to this life as Exod. 14. 13. Stand still and see the Salvation of God so Acts 27. 20. and 31. All hope that we should be saved was taken away There is salvation preached Act. 28. 28. The salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles and they will hear it But more plainly Hebr. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at first began to be spoken or preached by the Lord himself And there is salvation promised called eternal salvation Heb. 9. 5. and salvation to the uttermost Heb. 7. 25. The first is a deliverance from that death that came by Adams sin the second is deliverance from death in sins and trespasses by reason of every mans actual sins the last is that great deliverance from the wrath to come or second death The former of these onely is universal and hath in it two things considerable First what all men are delivered or saved from Secondly what they enjoy First our gratious God hath saved all mankinde from that death which came by Adams offence in that he by the ransome which himself found out delivered Adam and so all men then in his loynes from present going downe to the pit so that by Jesus Christ we subsist and by him also he wrought our resurrection or deliverance from the grave from which all men shall one day be freed and made alive by Christ 1 Cor. 15. 22. But some it may be will say If Christ hath saved all men from the grave how comes it to pass that any dye I answer first Christ was never sent to prevent men from going to the grave but to deliver or save them out of or from it from the power of it Secondly If the resurrection from death be a deliverance or saving from the power of the grave which I think none that fear God will deny and some onely partake of