Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	believe_v	church_n	infallible_a	2,870	5	9.5232	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26998	The Protestant religion truely stated and justified by the late Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter ; prepared for the press some time before his death ; whereunto is added, by way of preface, some account of the learned author, by Mr. Danel Williams and Mr. Matthew Sylvester.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.; Williams, Daniel, 1643?-1716.; Sylvester, Matthew, 1636 or 7-1708.	1692 (1692)	Wing B1359; ESTC R1422	79,512	227

are thought to make the reward to be of Debt and not of Grace and that are set in the least opposition or competition with Christs Merits or in any place save commanded subordination to him nay he says he firmly holds That Works done with a conceit of obliging God by Merit in commutative Justice or as conceited sufficient without a Saviour and the pardon of their failings do more further their Damnation than Salvation Yea p. 97. none but Christ merited of strict distributive Justice according to the Law of Innocency nor by any Works that will save from the charge of sin and desert of death And that thou mayest know what he ascribes to our Graces Holiness or Works He tells us p. 119. we mean by Merit but the moral aptitude for the reward of a free Benefactor who also is Rector when the ordering of a free gift suspended on official conditions is sapientially made a means of procuring obedience This one Clause if understood and he is a bold Traducer of so great a Man that cannot understand words so plain will acquit Mr. B. and inform thee of the place of all Gospel Conditions 1. All Gospel-blessings are the free gifts of Christ as Benefactor they have their being without any regard to what we do therefore nothing in man is a jot of the righteousness or merit for which they are bestowed 2. Christ is our Rector or Governor he will rule us as well as be beneficent to us 3. As a means to incline us to comply with him as Rector he suspends these blessings on terms of what he makes our Duty and wisely orders them as Motives to our Obedience 4. Any Act of our Obedience is no more than a conformity to that Order of his and doth not hinder all we receive from him to be of free gift Obj. But he saith that good Works are necessary to Salvation Answ He doth so and how few deny it But 1. Not if a man dye as soon as he be converted but if he have time p. 94. 2. Their rewardableness is by Gods free Grace and Promise for the sake of Christs meritorious Righteousness Sacrifice and Intercession their imperfection being pardoned and their holiness amiable through him These are his words p. 76. 3. He saith Not without or as a supplement to the Sacrifice Merits and free Grace of Christ our Saviour and Faith in him p. 93 75. And we give our selves to Christ as our Prophet Priest and King to be saved by his Merits p. 94.4 He saith our best Works will not save a man from the charge of sin and desert of death p. 97. 5. He denies that external Obedience is necessary to our admission into a justified state as he shews in the Thief on the Cross And when he saith we are justified by our Faith Godliness and Works Justification is not taken by him for the pardon of sin which he ascribes wholly to the Merits of Christ but he takes Justification there for our acquittance against the accusation that we are Infidels Ungodly and Hypocrites And saith that against the charge that we are Sinners deserving Hell we are justified by Christ believed in p. 94. His meaning is plainly this Christ alone by his Merits forgives our sins and purchased eternal Life for us But seeing that Christ hath promised to forgive none but the penitent Believer and declared he will destroy all impenitent unbelieving ungodly sinners Now he thinks that we must be truly acquitted that we are not such or we shall not be saved by Christ Yea he thinks that when God justifies a man for Christs Merits he doth also declare a man to be a true Believer because he will justifie no other and will justifie all such and when God admits a man into Glory he doth even thereby adjudge him a believing penitent holy and upright man and free from the charge of being an infidel hypocritical unholy Enemy against whom the Gospel denounceth Vengeance and bars relief Let these things be weighed and none will wonder that he should say on his sick bed No works I will leave out works if he grant me the other And truly in health none spake more humbly of his own Works than he used to do But because some confident weak persons have inferred from that passage that he changed his Principles when he came to dye we shall inform thee that after that passage was utter'd by him even the night before his death Mr. Baxter was asked whether he was of the same sentiments as formerly about Justification He answered That he had told the World sufficiently his thoughts about it by several Writings and otherwise and thither he referr'd them And after a little pause with his Eyes lifted up to Heaven he cryed Lord pity pity pity the Ignorance of this poor City And in the time of his sickness he declared to us and others that his thoughts in these things were the same as formerly Our regards to Mr. B. force the Publication of what we here insert tho' we would not be judged so happy as to arrive at his Light to lead us to a full Agreement with all his Sentiments As to this Book we wish there be not still great need of such helps against Popery and we are assured it will give more light than some greater Volumes on this Subject That God may render it useful shall be the Prayer of Thy Servants in the Gospel Daniel Williams Matthew Sylvester Protestant Religion Truly Stated and Justified c. THE Deceiver calleth his Book The Touchstone of the Reformed Gospel as if he owned a Gospel distinct from that of the Reformed Church And he undertakes to name fifty two points which the Protestants affirm but tells you not where nor proveth his affirmation but you must believe him as a Touchstone of Truth Dec. The first Protestant affirmation feigned is That there is not in the Church One and that an infallible Rule for understanding the Holy Scripture and conserving of Vnity in matters of Faith Answ A meer Lye if he mean that this is any part of Protestant Doctrine but he may find as crude confused words in some ignorant person that is called a Protestant The Reformed Catholicks hold that there is in the Church one and that an infallible Rule for understanding the holy Scripture and conserving of Vnity in matters of Faith And that Rule is The Evidence of its own meaning as inherent in its self discernible or intelligible by men prepared and instructed by competent Teaching and Study and the necessary help of Gods Grace and Spirit This is that Rule But the Reformed believe not 1. That there is any Rule by which ignorant prejudiced heretical wilfully blind wicked uncapable men can understand such Scripture as they are hereby undisposed to understand unless by a great change made on themselves Nor that any Prince can make a Statute which on Man can misunderstand abuse or violate 2. Nor that Men can understand it

good Works that are our Obedience to the Law of Christ are but the performance of our Baptismal Covenant and the Fruits of Faith without which it is dead Hypocrisie and are of absolute necessity to Salvation to all that have time to do them Against the charge That we are Sinners deserving Hell we are justified by Christ believed in Against the accusation That we are Infidels Ungodly Hypocrites we must be justified by our Faith Godliness and Works or perish But we do also hold 1. That if a man be convicted as the Theif on the Cross and should die suddenly no outward good which he cannot do is absolutely necessary to his Salvation but only his inward Faith Love and Repentance and Confession if able 2. We do firmly hold that Works done with a conceit of obliging God by Merit in commutative Justice or as conceited sufficient without a Saviour and the pardon of their failings are such as more further Damnation than Salvation at least in those that hear the Gospel 3. And we are no Papists and therefore believe not that ignorant words of Prayer in a Tongue not understood and wearing Reliques and going on Pilgrimages and needless confessing to Priests and subjection to an universal Vice-Christ and living upon the Blood of Saints Murdering the Living and praying to the Dead and the Sons honouring their Days Relicks and Monuments whom their Fathers Burnt or Persecuted these are not Good Works necessary to Salvation as is plain Math. 23. and Revel 14.17 18 c. We do with Paul renounce all Works of our own that are thought to make the Reward to be of Debt and not of Grace and that are set in the least opposition or competition with Christs Merits or any place save commanded Subordination to him The Two and Twentieth accused Point That no Good Works are Meritorious Ans The word Merit is ambiguous and so abused by Papists that indeed the Protestants are shyer of it than the Fathers were lest the use of it should cherish the abuse 1. There is Merit of man and of God 2. And this in Commutative Justice conceited or only in Governing distributive Justice 3. And this is either according to the Law of Innocency or Moses or according to the Law of Christ Now Protestants hold 1. As to the Name that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy and worthiness are Scripture words and may be used and Merit is but of the same signification and we condemn not the Ancients that so used it But the worst Sence must not be cherished 2. Do they hold 1. That no Creature can merit of God in Commutative Justice that giveth quid pro quo to his Benefit God receiveth not from Man or Angels unless he will call Acceptance and Complacence Receiving 3. None but Christ merited of strict Governing Justice according to the Law of Senceless Innocence nor by any Works that will save man from the charge of Sin and desert of Death 3. All at Age that will be saved must have good Works according to their Capacity for Christ is the Author of Salvation to all those that obey him Heb. 5.9 Tho' they obey not an unknown Priest at Rome But all these Works are our Obedience to Christs own healing Government such as the Laws of a Physician to the Sick And we all agree that he will Judge that is Justifie or Condemn in Judgment all men according to their Works that is according to the Law and it's promulgation by which in their several Ages and Nations he governed them 4. Your own Doctors that know what they say tell us that by Merit they mean nothing but the Rewardable quality of their acts related to Gods promise through Christs Merits And doth any Protestant Church deny this The Three and Twentieth accused Point That Faith once had cannot possibly be lost Ans Still confused slander and deceit Protestants hold 1. That the Faith not rooted prevalent and saving is frequently lost such as you call sides informis 2. That even sincere Faith may be lost as to the Act for some little time that is suspended in a deliquium as Peters and theirs Luk. 24. that said We trusted this had been he c. 3. That many lose to the Death some degree of their habitual Faith 4. But they differ in the rest just as you do among your selves Dominicans and Jesuits 1. Some think that no one at Age at least in a State of such Faith as at present would have saved him doth ever totally lose it 2. Some think that many have but such loseable Grace as Adam had 1. As being not Elect to Salvation and therefore not in Gods decree of Preservation and Perseverance 2. As having a Faith not Rooted and Confirmed And that these may fall from a justified State But that 1. The Elect. 2. Nor the Confirmed never fall away This was Austins Judgment and his followers of which see Vossii Theses And is that Jesuit honest that feigneth this proper to the Protestants where the Controversie is the same among themselves The Four and Twentieth accused Point That God by his will and inevitable decree hath ordained from all Eternity who shall be Damned and who Saved Ans What a false Deceiver is this that would make us believe that this is proper to the Protestants when it is the Common Doctrine not only of the Dominicans but of the very Jesuits themselves and all their Church 1. None of them dare say that men are Damned or Saved without Gods foreknowledge nor against his absolute will by overcoming his Power 2. None of them dare say that this fore-knowledge of God was not from Eternity but that he knew one day what he knew not before 3. All that the Jesuits themselves say is that God decreed it upon this fore-knowledge and that he hath a Scientia media what will come to pass positis quibusdam if such and such things be done by man and that this fore-knowledge in order of Nature is before the Decree but both from Eternity But Cardin Cameracensis Petrus de Aliaco hath irrefragably confuted this imposing Priority and Posteriority of act on God tho' I think some Divine acts as denominated only Relatively from the order of Objects may be so distinguished 4. In all this we say not that God hath by his will and decree ordained from Eternity or in time that men shall sin or will and choose Evil but only who shall be Damned for sin which God never willed or caused but foresaw not as if he were an idle Spectator but a willing suspender of his own acts so far as to leave Sinners to their self-determining wills 5. But God being the cause of Good and Men and Devils of Evil our Salvation is of him and our Destruction of our selves and therefore God decreeth not Men's Salvation or Sanctification meerly on foresight of our Faith but decreeth our Faith it self Sin he permitteth but Faith he effecteth and decreeth

to Effect 6. As for them that feign that we say that God decreeth that some shall be Saved and others Damned however they Live it is but the dictates of the Father of Lies We say that God at once decreeth the End and the Means as he doth not decree that men shall live though they neither Eat nor Drink nor that they shall have Corn though they neither Plow nor Sow but that they shall Eat and Drink and live thereby and that they shall Plow and Sow and mannure the Soil and so have Corn. So God doth at once decree that this and that man shall have the means of Grace especially a Saviour and the Gospel and shall faithfully use them and be Sanctified by them and sincerely obey God and overcome the World the Flesh and the Devil and persevere to the End and that for Christs Merits he will give them the Grace of his Spirit and pardon their Sins and bring them to Glory All this is our Decree of God But he doth not decree that men shall sin that they may be Damned For sin is no Work of God nor a means appointed by him for Men's Damnation no more than a Righteous King doth make men Traytors or Murderers that he may Hang them But he justly denyeth his Grace to many that forfeit it by willful Resistance Disobedience and Contempt though he take not the forfeiture of his Elect. He is deceived and wrongeth God that maketh him the Author of Men's sin And so doth he that feigneth God to send his Son to redeem the World and his Word and Ministers to call them and his Spirit to renew them and all this at Random not knowing whether it may not be all lost or leaving it chiefly to the Free-will of them whose wills are contrarily inclined and vitiated Whether Christ and all his Preparations shall be lost The plain Christian that holdeth but to these two points that our Destruction is of our selves but our help and Salvation of God and that God is the first and chief cause of all good and Men and Devils of all Evil is liker to be wise with Sobriety and Safety than the Ignorant Intruders into Gods Secrets and the prating Calumniators that speak Evil of the things which they understand not and reproach those that speak not as Rashly and Ignorantly as themselves even in some equivocal unexplained words Methinks Papists should be so kind to God as seeing the Pope can tell who is a Damned Heretick and to be kill'd even all that believe not in the Pope or are not his Subjects and who is in Purgatory and how long he shall stay there Or how many years Torment the Pope can shorten They should allow God to know a little more and that not as one whose Power and Grace is Conquered by impotent Worms against his absolute Will The Five and Twentieth accused Point That every one ought Infallibly to assure himself of his Salvation and to believe that he is of the number of the Predestinate Ans I would fain excuse the man as far as I can and therefore I hope that as the man was excusable that did eat Snakes for Snigs or Eels so he read some Pamphlet of an Antimonian either Crisp or Saltmarsh or some other such or talkt with some of their silly Novices and thought he had Convers'd with the Reformed Catholicks or read the Confessions of the Reformed Churches The first Sentence is a Fundamental Truth and a damnable Falshood as the Equivocal words are variously understood And is it not pity that the Priests of the Infallible Church should put things so different into the same words and that in an accusation of so many Churches and Nations when yet God himself is feigned by them to write by his Spirit so Unintelligibly that without these Doctors skilful Exposition it is but like to make men Hereticks that is Adversaries to the Pope and his Clergy To assure our selves of our Salvation may mean to give all diligence to make our Salvation infallibly sure This every one ought to do Or it may mean that every man ought to believe it as an infallible Truth that he shall be saved The next Sentence seemeth to make this his meaning in the first Which if it be he is a false Calumniator of the Reformed Churches But if the first be his meaning and he deny it he is an open Enemy to Man's Salvation What is all the Scripture for and all our Religion but to make sure of our Salvation 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure And if no man can be sure to what purpose hath God made so many promises of it expressing the Conditions to them that believe that love God that forsake all for him if no man can know whether he perform the Condition and that he is within this promise Why doth God lay down so many signs to difference the Children of God from the Children of the Devil if they cannot be discerned Sure Heaven and Hell be not like and yet are the Heirs of Heaven and Hell undistinguishable Is the Image of God and the Devil so like that none can know them asunder No not the man that hath had them both And why doth God so aften call on Believers to Rejoyce if they cannot know whether they shall be in Heaven and Hell for ever If you say he is not sure to persevere many Papists grant that the Confirmed may And why may not Bradford Hooper Sanders and Thousands else that are Dying by the Sacred blood-thirsty Church be assured when they are Dying that they have forsaken Life and all for Christ But oportet mendacem esse memorem still Why do you not tell men when the Pope is selling them Pardons and saving them out of Purgatory that when all 's done they can have no assurance of Salvation yea that they ought not to endeavour to make it sure And whose now is the safe Church and Religion if a Papist can never be sure that he shall be saved in your Church and Religion nor sure that he is in a State of Salvation That is that he is a true Christian and hath Charity and is an honest man 2. A man that hath got true and clear Evidence that he hath a Confirmed Faith and Hope and loveth God as God above all ought consequently to take it for an infallible Truth that so Dying he shall be saved Else he must either give God the Lie that hath promised it or he must be supposed to be deceived when he thinketh that he believeth and loveth God But that every man must believe that he is of the Number of the Predestinate to Salvation is a damnable Doctrine because it requireth all the Millions of ungodly men to believe a Lie yea to believe it as a Divine Truth and to make God both the Author of the Lie and of the deceit of our selves by this Command And when Millions are not of the