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	faith_n	justification_n	2,510	5	8.9827	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59693	Theses Sabbaticæ, or, The doctrine of the Sabbath wherein the Sabbaths I. Morality, II. Change, III. Beginning. IV. Sanctification, are clearly discussed, which were first handled more largely in sundry sermons in Cambridge in New-England in opening of the Fourth COmmandment : in unfolding whereof many scriptures are cleared, divers cases of conscience resolved, and the morall law as a rule of life to a believer, occasionally and distinctly handled / by Thomas Shepard ...	Shepard, Thomas, 1605-1649.	1650 (1650)	Wing S3145; ESTC R31814	262,948	313

therefore so under the law i. the feare and terrour of the law as they were the summe of all this is that although we are not so under the law 1. so accompanied and 2. so dispensed as they were under the Old Testament yet this hinders not but that we are under the directive power of the Law as well as they Thesis 109. The Apostle speakes of a law written and engraven on stones and therefore of the morall Law which is now abolished by Christ in the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.6 7 11 13. Is the morall law therefore abolished as a rule of life now no verily but the meaning of this place is as the former Gal. 3.25 for the Apostle speaking of the morall Law by a Synecdoche comprehends the ceremoniall law also both which the false Teachers in those times urged as necessary to salvation and justification at least together with Christ against whom the Apostle here disputes the morall Law therefore is abolished first as thus accompanied with a yoke of Ceremonies secondly as it was formerly dispensed the glorious and greater light of the Gospel now obscuring that lesser light under the Law and therefore the Apostle vers 10. doth not say that there was no glory shining in the Law but it had no comparative glory in this respect by reason of the glory which excelleth and lastly the Apostle may speak of the morall Law considered as a Covenant of life which the false teachers urged in which respect he cals it the Ministry of death and the letter which killeth and the ministers of it who were called Nazarei and Minei as Bullinger thinks the Ministers of the letter which although it was virtually abolished to the beleeving Jews before Gospell times the vertue of Christs death extending to all times yet it was not then abolished actually untill Christ came in the flesh and actually undertooke to fullfill this Covenant for us to the utmost farthing of doing and suffering which is exacted and now it is abolished both virtually and actually that now we may with open face behold the glory of the Lord as the end of the law for righteousnesse to every one that doth beleeve Thesis 110. The Gospell under which Beleevers now are requires no doing say some for doing is proper to the Law the Law promiseth life and requires conditions but the Gospell say they promiseth to work the condition but requires none and therefore a beleever is now wholly free from all Law but the Gospell and Law are taken two waies 1. Largely the Law for the whole doctrine contained in the Old Testament and the Gospell for the whole doctrine of Christ and the Apostles in the New Testament 2. Strictly the Law pro lege operum as Chamier distinguisheth and the Gospell pro lege fidei i. for the Law of faith the Law of works strictly taken is that Law which reveals the favour of God and eternall life upon condition of doing or of perfect obedience the Law of faith strictly taken is that doctrine which reveals remission of sins reconciliation with God by Christs righteousnesse onely apprehended by faith now the Gospell in this latter sence excludes all works and requires no doing in point of justification and remission of sins before God but only beleeving but take the Gospel largely for the whole doctrine of Gods love and free grace and so the Gospel requires doing for as 't is an act o● Gods free grace to justifie a man without calling for any works thereunto so 't is an act of the same free grace to require works of a person justified and that such poor sinners should stand before the Son of God on his throne to minister unto him and serve him in righteousnesse and holinesse all the daies of our lives Tit. 2.14 and for any to think that the Gospell requires no conditions is a sudden dream against hundreds of Scriptures which contain conditionall yet evangelicall promises and against the judgement of the most judicious of our Divines who in dispute against Popish writers cannot but acknowledge them only thus viz. conditions and promises annexed to obedience are one thing saith learned Perable and conditions annexed to perfect obedience are another the first are in the Gospel the other not works are necessary to salvation saith Chamier necessitate praesentiae not efficientiae and hence he makes two sorts of conditions some antecedentes which work or merit salvation and these are abandoned in the Gospel other● he saith are consequentes which follow the state of a man justified and these are required of one already justified in the Gospell there are indeed no conditions required of us in the Gospel but those onely which the Lord himselfe shall or hath wrought in us and which by requiring of us he doth worke will it therefore follow that no condition is required in us but because every condition is promised no verily for requiring the condition is the meanes to worke it as might be plentifully demonstrated and meanes and end should not be separated Faith it selfe is no antecedent condition to our justification or salvation take antecedent in the usuall sence of some Divines for affecting or meriting condition which Iunius cals essentialis conditio but take antecedent for a means or instrument of justification and receiving Christs righteousnesse in this sence it is the only antecedent condition which the Gospel requires therein because it do●h only antecedere or go before our justification at least in order of nature not to merit it but to receive it not to make it but to make it our own not as the matter of our righ●eousness or any part of it but as the only means of apprehending Christs righteousnesse which is the only cause why God the Father justifieth and therefore as Christs righteousnesse must go before as the matter and moving cause of our justification or that for which we are justified so faith must go before this righteousnesse as an instrument or applying cause of it by which we are justified that is by meanes of which we apply that righteousnesse which makes us just 'T is true God justifies the ungodly but how not immediately without faith but mediately by faith as is most evident from that abused text Rom. 4.5 When works and faith are opposed by the Apostle in point of justification affirming that we are justified by faith not by works he doth hereby plainly affirm and give that to faith which he denies to works look therefore as he denies works to be antecedent conditions of our justification he affirms the contrary of faith which goes before our justification as hath been explained and therefore as doe and live hath been accounted good Law or the Covenant of works so beleeve and live hath been in former times accounted good Gospel or the Covenant of grace untill now of late this wilde age hath found out new Gospels that Paul and the Apostles did never dream of Thesis 111. A servant and a son may

his time till Christs Ascension if since that time they bring it a peg lower and make it to be a humane Constitution of the Church rather then any Divine Institution of Christ Iesus and herein those that oppose the Morality of it by dint of argument and out of candor and conscience propose their grounds on which they remaine unsatisfied I do from my heart both highly and heartily honour and especially the labours of Master Primrose and Master Ironside many of whose Arguments and Answers to what is usually said in defence of the Morality of the day who ever ponders them shall finde them heavie the foundations and sinewes of whose discourses I have therefore had a speciall eye to in the ensuing Theses with a most free submission of what is here returned in answer thereto to the censure of better minds and riper thoughts being verily perswaded that whoever finds no Knots or Difficulties to humble his spirit herein either knows not himselfe or not the Controversie but as for those whose chiefe arguments are reproaches and revilings of embittered and corrupt hearts rather then solid reasons of modest minds I wholly decline the pursuit of such creatures whose weapons is their swell and not any strength and do leave them to his tribunall who judgeth righteously for blearing the eyes of the world and endeavouring to exasperate Princes and make wise men beleeve that this Doctrine of the Sabbath is but a late Novelty a Doctrine tending to a high degree of Schisme a phanatick Iudaizing like his at Tewksbury Sabbata sancta colo i. e. a peece of Disciplinary Policy to advance Presbytery a superstitious seething over of the hot or whining simplicity of an over-rigid crabbed precise crack-brain'd Puritanicall party the righteous God hath his little dayes of judgment in this life to clear up and vindicate the righteous cause of his innocent servants against all gainsayers and who sees not but those that will be blinde that the Lord hath begun to do something this way by these late broyles the controversie God hath with a Land is many times in defence of the controversies of his faithfull Witnesses the sword maintaines argument and makes way for that which the Word could not those plants which not many yeers since most men would not beleeve not to be of Gods planting hath the Lord puld up the three innocent Fire-brands so fast tyed to some Foxes tayles are now prety well quencht and the tayles almost cut off this cause of the Sabbath also the Lord Iesus is now handling God hath cast down the Crownes of Princes stained the Robes of Nobles with dirt and blood broken the Croziers and torne the Miters in peeces for the controversie of his Sabbath Jer. 17.27 he hath already made way for his Discipline also which they feared the precise Sabbath would introduce again by such a way as hath made all hearts to ake just according to the words never to be forgotten of Mr. Udal in his Preface to the Demonstration of Discipline The Councel of Matiscon imputed the irruption of the Goths into the Empire to the prophanation of the Sabbath Germany may now see or else one day they shall see that one great cause of their troubles is that the Sabbath wanted its Rest in the dayes of their quietnesse England was at rest till they troubled Gods Sabbath The Lord Iesus must reign the Government of his House the Laws of his Kingdom the Solemn days of his worship must be established the cause of his suffering and afflicted servants not of our late religious scorners at Ordinances Lawes and Sabbaths who are now at rest from their labours but in former times wept and prayed and petitioned and preacht and writ and suffered and dyed for these things and are now crying under the Altar must and shall certainly be cleared before men and Angels Heaven and earth shall passe away before one tittle of the Law much lesse a whole Sabbath shall perish But while I am thus musing me thinks no measure of tears are sufficient to lament the present state of times that when the Lord Iesus was come forth to vindicate the cause and controversie of Sion there should rise up other Instruments of spiritual wickednesses in high places to blot out the name and sweet remembrance of this Day from off the face of the earth the enemies of the Sabbath are now not so much malignant time-servers and aspiring brambles whom preferment principally byassed to knock at the Sabbath but those who have eaten bread with Christ a generation of professing people do lift up their heel against his Sabbath so that what could not formerly be done against it by Angels of darknes the old Serpent takes another course to effect it by seeming Angels of light who by a new device are raised up to build the sepulchres of those who persecuted the Prophets in former times to justifie all the books of sports the reading of them yea all the former present profanations yea scoffs scorns against the Sabbath day For as in former times they have Ceremonialized it out of the Decalogue yet by humane constitutiō have retained it in the Church so these of later times have spritualized it out of the Decalogue ye out of of all the Churches in the world For by making the Christian Sabbath to be only a spirituall Sabbath in the bosome of God out of Heb. 4. they hereby abolish a seventh dayes Sabbath and make every day equally a Sabbath to a Christian man This I hope will be the last but it is the most specious and fairest colour and banner that ever was erected to fight under against the Christian Sabbath and is most fit to deceive not only some sudden men of loose and wanton wits but especially men of spirituall but too shallow minds In times of Light as these are reputed to be Satan comes not abroad usually to deceive with fleshly and grosse forgeries and his cloven foot for every one almost would then discerne his haltings but with more mystical yet strong delusions and invisible chaines of darknesse whereby he bindes his captives the faster to the judgment of the great day And therefore the watchword given in the bright and shining times of the Apostle was to Try the Spirits and Believe not every Spirit And take heed of Spirits who indeed were only fleshly and corrupt men yet called Spirits because they pretended to have much of the Spirit and their doctrines seemed only to advance the Spirit the fittest and fairest cobwebs to deceive and intangle the world in those discerning times that possible could be spun out of the poysonfull bowels of corrupt and ambitious wit The times are now come wherein by the refined mysticall divinity of the old Monks not only the Sabbath but also all the Ordinances of Christ in the New-Testament are allegorized and spirituallized out of the world And therefore 't is no marvel when they abolish the outward Sabbath because of

and shadowes and figures when once the substance is come to wit when they come in this life to the highest attainment which is the bosome of the Father which bosome is the true Sabbath of a Christian man Now I confesse that the bosome of God in Christ is our rest and our All in All in heaven and our sweet consolation and rest on earth and that we are not to rest in any meanes Ordinances Graces Duties but to look beyond them all and to be carried by them above them all to him that is better than all to God in Christ Jesus but to make this bosome of God a kinde of canker-worme to fret and eat out the heart and being not only of all Sabbaths and Ordinances of worship but also of all duties and graces of Gods Spirit nay of Christ Jesus himself as he is manifested in the flesh and is an externall Mediator whom some lately have also cast into same box with the rest Being sent onely as they think to reveale but not to procure the Fathers love of delight and therefore is little else than a meere forme and so to cease when the Father comes in the room of all formes and so is All in All This I dare say is such a high affront to the precious bloud of Christ and his glorious Name and blessed Spirit of grace that he who hath his Furnace in Zion and his fire in Ierusalem will not beare it long without making their judgements and plagues at least spirituall exemplary and wonderfull and leading them forth in such crooked wayes with the workers of iniquity when peace shall be upon Israel Are these abstracted notions of a Deity into the vision and contemplation of whose amazing glory without seeing him as he is in Christ a Christian they say must be plunged lost and swallowed up and up to which hee must ascend even to the unaproachable light the true and onely Sabbath Are these I say the new and glorious light breaking out in these dayes which this age must wait for which are nothing else upon narrow search than Monkish imaginations the goodly cob-webs of the brain-imagery of those idolatrous and superstitious hypocrites the Anchorites Monks and Fryers who to make the blinde and simple world admire and gaze upon them gave it out hereby like Simon Magus that they were some great ones even the very power and familiars of God Surely in these times of distraction warre and bloud if ever the Lord called for sackcloth humiliation repentance faith graces holinesse precious esteem of Gods Ordinances and of that Gospel which hath been the power of God to the salvation of thousands now is the time and must Gods people reject these things as their A. B. C and must the new light of these times be the dreames and visions and slaverings of doting and deluded old Monks Shall the simplicity of Gospel-ministery bee rejected as a common thing and shall Harphius his Theologia Mystica Augustinus Elutherius Iacob Behmen Cusanus Raimundus Sebund Theologia Germanica and such like Monk-admirers be set up as the new lights and beacons on the mountaine of these elevated times Surely if so God hath his time and wayes of putting a better relish to his precious Gospel and the crosse of Christ which was wont in Pauls time to be plainly preached without such popish paintings and wherein Gods people knew how to reconcile their swe●● rest in the bosome of the Father and their Sabbath day Thesis 81. If sinne which is the transgression of the law bee the greatest evill then holines which is our conformity to the law is our greatest good If sin be mans greatest misery then holinesse is mans greatest happinesse It is therefore no bondage for a Christian to be bound to the observance of the law as his rule because it onely binds him fast to his greatest happinesse and thereby directs and keeps him safe from falling into the greatest misery and woe and if the great designe of Christ in comming into the world was not so much as to save man from affliction and sorrow which are lesser evils but chiefely from sinne which is the greatest evill then the chiefe end of his comming was not as some imagine to lift his people up into the love and abstracted speculation of the Father above the law of God but into his owne bosome onely where only wee have fellowship with the Father above the Law of sinne Thesis 82. The bloud of Christ was never shed to destroy all sense of sin and sight of sinne in Beleevers and consequently all attendance to any rule of the law by which means chiefely sinne comes to be seen but he dyed rather to make them sensible of sinne for if he dyed to save men from sin as is evident 1 Iohn 3.5 Tit. 3.14 then hee dyed to make his people sensible of sinne because hereby his peoples hearts are chiefely weaned and sever'd from it and saved out of it as by hardnesse and unsensiblenesse of heart under it they chiefely cleave to it and it to them and therefore we know that godly sorrow workes repentance never to be repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 And that Pharaoh's hardnesse of heart strengthened him in his sin against God unto the last gasp and hence it is also that the deepest and greatest spirit of mourning for sin is poured out upon Beleevers after God hath poured out upon them the spirit of grace as is evident Zach. 12.10 11. because the bloud of Christ which was shed for the killing of their sinne now makes them sensible of their sinne because it 's now sprinkled and applyed to them which it was not before for they now see all their sins aggravated being now not onely sinnes against the law of God but against the bloud and love of the Son of God It is therefore a most accursed doctrine of some Libertines who imagining that through the bloudshed and righteousnes of Christ in their free justification God sees no sinne in his justified people that therefore themselves are to see no sinne because now they are justified and washed with Christs bloud and therefore lest they should be found out to bee grosse liars they mince the matte● they confesse that they may see sinne by the eye of sense and reason but faith being crosse to reason they are therefore to see the quite contrary and so to see no sinne in themselves by the eye of faith from whence it followes that Christ shed his bloud to destroy all sight and sense of sin to the eye of faith though not to the eye of reason and thus as by the eye of faith they should see no sin so it will follow that by the same bloud they are bound to see no law no not so much as their rule which as a rule is index sui obliqui and in revealing mans duty declares his sinne I know that in beholding our free justification by the bloud of Christ we are to exclude all law

and weaknesse it made him die unto it and expect no life from it and so live unto God in his sanctification for so the words are I through the Law am dead to the Law that I may live unto God Gal. 2.19 the issue therefore is this that if the doctrine be taken strictly pro lege fidei as Chamier cals it or that doctrine which shews the way of mans righteousnesse and justification only there indeed all the works of the law all terrours and threatnings are to be excluded and nothing else but peace pardon grace favour eternall reconciliation to be beleeved and received and therefore it 's no new Testament Ministry to urge the Law or to thunder out any terrour here for in this sence it 's true which is commonly received that in the Law there are terrours but in the Gospel none but if the Gospel be taken largely for all that doctrine which brings glad tidings of Christ already come and shews the love of God in the largest extent of it and the illustrations and confirmations of it from the law then such servants of Jesus Christ who hold forth the law to make way for grace and to illustrate Ch●ists love must either be accounted New Testament Ministers or else as hath been shewne Christ Jesus and his Apostles were none Thesis 115. The second is a professed neglect and casting off the work of repentance and mourning for sin nay of asking pardon of sin for if the Law be no rule to shew man his duty why should any man then trouble himself with sorrow for any sin for if it be no rule to him how should any thing be sin to him and if so why then should any ask pardon of it or mourn under it why should not a man rather harden his heart like an Adamant and make his forehead brasse and iron even unto the death against the feeling of any sin but what doctrine is more cross● to the Spirit of grace in Gospel times then this which is a Spirit of mourning Z●c 12.10 11. what doctrin more crosse to the expresse comand of Christ from heaven then this who writes from heaven to the Church of Ephesus to remember from whence she is fallen and repent Rev. 2.5 what doctrine more crosse to the example of holy men then this who after they were converted then repented and lamented most of all Ier. 31.18.19 2 Cor. 7.9.10 11. what doctrine more crosse to the salvation of souls the mercy of God and forgivenesse of sin for so the promise runs if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins 1 Joh. 1.9 what doctrine so crosse to the Spirit of the love of Christ shed abroad in the heart that when a mans sins are greatest which is after conversion because now against more love and more nearnesse to Jesus Christ that now a beleevers sorrow should be least monkish and macerating sorrow indeed is loathsome but godly sorrow is sweet and glorious doubtlesse those mens blindenesse is exceeding great who know not how to reconcile joy and sorrow in the same subject who cannot with one eye behold their free justification and therein daily rejoyce and the weaknesse and imperfection of their sanctification with another eye and for that mourn Thesis 116. The third thing is a denying sanctification the honour of a faithfull and true witnesse or cleare evidence of our justification for if a beleever be not bound to look unto the Law as his rule why should he then have any eye to his sanct●fication which is nothing else but our habituall conformity to the Law as inherent corruption is nothing else but habituall disagreement with it although sanctification be no part of our righteousnesse before God and in this sence is no evidence of our justification yet there is scarce any clearer truth in all the Scrip●u●e then this viz. that it is an evidence that a man is in a justified estate and yet this leven which denies the Law to be a Christians rule of life hath sowred some mens spirit● against this way of evidencing It is a doubtfull evidence saith D● Crisp an argument not an evidence it is a carnall and an inferiour evidence the last and the least not the first evidence it is an evidence if justification be first evident say Den and Saltmarsh some men may be led to these opinions from other principles then a plain denyall of the directive use of the Law but this I feare lies undermost however let these two things be examined 1. Whether sanctification be a doubtfull evidence 2. Whether it be a carnall inferiour and may not be a first evidence Thesis 117. If to be under the power and dominion of sin and Originall corruption be a sure and certain evidence of actuall condemnation so that he that saith he knows Christ and hath fellowsh●p with him and yet walks in darknesse and keeps not his Commandments is a lyar 1 Ioh. 1.6 2.4 why may not sanctification then whereby we are set free from the power of sin be a sure and certain evidence of our actuall justification for hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandements 1 Joh. 2 3. whereby it is manifest that the Apostle is not of their mindes who think the negative to be true viz. that they that keep not Christs commandments are in a state of perdition but they will not make the affirmative true viz. that they that keep his Commandments may thereby know that they are in a state of salvation If Jesus Christ be sent to blesse his people in turning them from their iniquities Act. 3. ult then they that know they are turned from their iniquities by him may know certainly that they are blessed in him and if they be not thus turned they may know certainly that they are yet accursed If godlinesse hath the promises of this life and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 and if the free grace and actuall love of God be revealed clearly to us only by some promise how then is sanctification so near akin to godlinesse excluded from being any evidence is there no inherent grace in a beleever that no inherent sanctification can be a true evidence verily thus some do think but what is this but an open gracelesse profession thrr every beleever is under the power of inherent sin if he hath not the being of any inherent grace or if there be any inherent grace yet it is say some so mixt with corruption and is such a spotted and blurd evidence that no man can discern it I confesse such an answer would well become a blinde Papist who never knew where grace grew for so they dispute against certitudo salutis certitudine fidei when the conclusion of faith ariseth from such a proposition as is the word of God and the assumption the testimony of Gods Spirit to a mans own experience of the work of God in his heart but it ill beseems a

the shew of a rationall answer though some have endeavoured it with all wilinesse 3. That whereas by this doctrine they would clear up the way to a full and setled evidence and Christian assurance they do hereby utterly subvert the principall foundation of all setlednesse and assurance of faith which is this viz. that if Jesus Christ be given to death for me then he will certainly give all other things to me if we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more shal we be saved by his life if Christ hath died and risen for us who then shall condemn who shall then seperate us from Gods love Rom. 8.32 Rom. 6.9 10. But if they hold no such principles I would then know how any man can have evidence of this viz. that God loves him and that Christ hath died for him while he is a sinner and as he is a sinner or how any Minister of the New Testament can say to any man under the power of his sins and the devil that he is not condemned for his sins but that God loves him and that Christ hath died for him without preaching falsehoods and lies and dreams of their own heart for 1. God hath not loved nor elected all sinners nor hath Christ died for all sinners 2. If every man be in a state of condemnation before he beleeve the Gospel then no man can be said to be in a state of reconciliation and that God hath loved him untill he refuse the Gospel but every man is in a state of condemnation before he beleeve because our Saviour expresly tel us that by faith we passe from death to life Ioh. 5.24 and he that hath not the son hath not life 1 Ioh. 5.12 and therefore if those be Ministers of the new Testament who first preach to all the drunkards and whoremongers and villaines in a parish that God loves them and that they are reconciled by Christ death and that they may know it because they are sinners then let the heavens hear and the earth know that all such Ministers are false Prophets and cry Peace Peace where God proclaims wrath and that they acquit them whom God condemns and if they be Ministers of the Old Testament spirit who first shew men their condemned estate and then present God as wroth against them while they be in their sin that so they may prize and fly to favour and free grace then such are Ministers of the old Testament and not of the new because they preach the truth and if preaching the truth be an old Testament Ministry no wise man then I hope will desire the new wine for the old is better while the Lion sleeps and God is silent and conscience slumbers all the beasts and wilde sinners of the world and many preachers too may think that there is no terrour in God no curse or wrath upon themselves in the midst of the rage increase and power of all their sins but when this lion roars and God awakens and conscience looks above head they shall then see how miserably they have been deceived they may slight sin abolish condemnation talk of and wonder at free-grace now and beleeve easily because they are sinners but certainly they shall be otherwise minded then Some men may have good ends in preaching Gods free-grace after this manner in the Gospel and make the Gospel a revelation of Gods actuall love to sinners as sinners and make a Christians evidence of it nothing else but the sight of his sin and of his being under the power of it but little do they think what Satan the father of this false doctrine aims at which are these four things chiefly 1. That sanctification faith c. might be no evidence at all to a Christian of a good estate for this they say is a doubtfull evidence and an unsettling way of assurance because they will hereby be as bones out of joynt in and out humbled to day and then comforted but hard-hearted to morrow and then at a losse whereas to see ones self a sinner that is a constant evidence for we are alway sinners and the Gospel proclaims peace to sinners as sinners 2. That so men may keep their lusts and sins and yet keep their peace too for if peace be the portion of a man under the power of sin and Satan look then as he may have it why may he not keep it upon the same terms And therefore W. C. saith That if conscience object thou art an hypocrite perhaps truly yet a hypocrite is but a sinner and Gods love belongs to sinners as sinners And if this be thus what doth this doctrine aim at but to reconcile God and Belial Christ and Mammon not onely to open the door to all manner of wickednesse but to comfort men therein 3. That so he may bring men in time purposely to sin the more freely that so they may have the clearer evidence of the love of God for if Gods love be revealed to sinners as sinners then the more sinfull the more clear evidence he hath of Gods love and therefore one once intangled with these delusions was inticed to commit a grosse wickednesse that more full assurance might be attained 4. That so the true preaching and Ministry of the Gospel of Gods free-grace might be abolished at least despised which is this viz. Thou poor condemned sinner here is Christ Jesus and with him eternall remission of sins and reconciliation if thou believe and receive this grace offered humbly and thankfully for this is Gospel Mat. 28.19 Mark 16.16 Rom. 10.5 6 7 8. Rom. 3.14 25. Act. 8.37 And hence Mr. W.C. hath these words That if the Gospel hold forth Christ and salvation upon beleeving as many saith he preach it were then little better tidings then the law Ah wretched unworthy speech that when Jesus Christ himselfe would shew the great love of God unto the world Ioh. 3.16 he makes it out by two expressions of it 1. That the father sent his only Son 2. That whosoever did beleeve in him or if they did beleeve in him they should have eternall life The Lord shews wonderfull love that whoever beleeve may have Christ and eternall life by beleeving but this doctrine breathing ou● Gods dearest love by this mans account is little better then law which breaths out nothing but wrath But why doth he speak thus Because saith he it is as easie to keep the ten Commandements as to beleeve of ones self Very true as to beleeve of ones self but what is this against the preaching and holding forth Christ and salvation upon condition of beleeving For is not this preaching of the Gospel the instrument and means of working that faith in us which the Lord requires of us in the Gospel And must not Jesus Christ use the means for the end Were not those three thousand brought into Christ by faith by Peters promise of remission of sins upon their repentance Were not many filled