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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57544	The disabled debtor discharged: or, Mary Magdalen pardoned Set forth in an exposition on that parable Luke 7. 40.-51. There was a certain creditor, which had two debtors, &c. By Nehemiah Rogers, minister of the gospel.; Mirrour of mercy, and that on Gods part and mans. Part I	Rogers, Nehemiah, 1593-1660.	1658 (1658)	Wing R1821A; ESTC R222102	218,172	327

the Word Without this generall offer the Elect of Christ before Conversion can have no ground for their Faith to rest upon A pardon through Christ is offered to a man See D. Preston on Faith p. 10. and M Madens Trea. of Christs love and affection towards Jerusalem p 65 and his Ep●stle to the Reader M. Harris on the Beatitudes p. 25. in the state of Unregeneracy how shall this man know it belongs to him seeing no mans name is particularly mentioned in the pardon There is no other way then by reasoning after this manner Pardon and Forgivenesse belongs to every man that repents and believes the Gospell But I am of that number I repent and believe Therfore pardon and forgive nesse is mine it belongs to me as well as to any other whosoever Thus farre the Doctrine of universall Grace is to be taught and was taught by our blessed Saviour and his Disciples Iohn 7.37 Tit. 2.11 Indeed all are not Elected but it is not for us to judge who are and who are not There is no particular Person who lives within the bosome of the Church but we in Judgment of Charity are to think him to be one of the number for whom Christ died 1 Cor. 8.11 Nor doe all Profit by the meanes of Grace They will not apply themselves to God nor serve his Providence in that way and course which he hath laid forth for their good yet may not Gods Ministers be wanting to them though they be wanting to themselves We must do our duties knowing we have to deale with a Nature capable of Salvation and Happinesse without any varying of his Species And with such as may lay claime to Remission and Happinesse upon their acceptance of the conditions Upon which conditions it is necessary we should make a generall Offer without any exception of sins or sinners Act. 13.46 To prevent al mistakes that Distinction which Aquinas hath out of the Fathers of Sufficienter and Efficienter that there is sufficient done by Christ for the Salvation of Man-kind though it shall not be efficient to all for that all apply it not is of good use Saint Austin made it his Buckler against those who charged him to hold that Christ suffered not for all men S. Chrysostome likewise and out of him his Epitomist Theophilact with divers others both antient and modern make use of this distinction in this Question I will conclude the Point with a Relation of what I have read concerning that blessed Mar●yr of Christ M. Bilney whom Father Latimer called S. Bilney blessing God for the day that ever he knew him He comming into a Church and there hearing a very eloquent Preacher to say thus in his Sermon Behold thou hast lyen rotting in thy lusts for these threescore yeares like a Beast in his ●ung and wilt thou presume in one yeare to goe forward to Heaven and that in thine old age as much as thou weniest forward towards Hell in sixty yeares before He was much offended with the Preacher and said Is not this a goodly Argument Is this preaching of Repentance in the name of Iesus Christ Surely it is said he as much as to say that Christ hath died in vaine Had I heard such preaching in times past I had utterly despaired of Mercy It is a high point of wisedome for Gods Ministers so to preach Christ and Remission of sinnes in his Name that a poore distressed soule may have some twig to hang on and some bottome to rest upon to save himselfe from sinking The Standard is set up for all Nations and Conditions to fly unto Isa 49.22 Cant. 2. Iude v. 3. He preacheth Christ best who holds him up highest He is the Rose of the field and the Flower of the Vallies Salvation by him is no inclosure it is a common Salvation reaching to all Ages Heb. 11. To all Nations Act. 2.5 10 34. And to all Conditions of men Acts 10.12 And to all sorts of sins that against the Holy Ghost excepted He that owes most as well as he who ows least may obtaine a discharge So you see in the Text which saith He forgave them both Them both Text. Not him only who owed the fifty pence but him likewise who was indebted in the sum of five hundred You see then Doct. God forgiveth great debts as well as small hundreds as well as tens We read Math. 18.24 of a debt not only of five hundred as here but often thousand and those not pence but Tallents a mighty Sum arising saith Melancton to three tuns of gold yet that remitted David Psal 103.2 3. blesseth God for forgiving all his Iniquities and healing all his diseases Yet you know some of them were very foule ones And Psal 130.7 he wills Israel to hope in the LORD for that with him There is Mercy and plenteous Redemption to bee had With him is Mercy Exod 34.6 Mich. 7.18 19. The Lord the Lord mercifull and gratious slow to anger c. And who is a God like unto him that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage God is every way Infinite man is a finite Creature And what proportion can there be betwixt the sin of a Creature and the Mercy of an Infinite Creator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.25 The weakenesse of God is stronger then men Were there any sin greater then could be remitted the weakenesse of man for thence comes sin should bee stronger then GOD which neither Religion nor Reason vvill admit of With him likewise is plenteous Redemption Copiosa dicit ne quisquam despa raret de venia arbitrans non se posse pervenire usque ad redēptionis precium Aug. in Ps 130 The Redemption that Christ made the Ransome that he paid was not scanty but plenteous enough and enough againe for all the sins of his people how many and how heinous soever so that none need to despaire of pardon There is Redemption to be had for Them as well as for any other A full Satisfaction is made to Divine Iustice through the price of Christs blood as vvell for Tallents as for farthing tokens for the greatest as vvell as for the smallest debt vvho then can doubt Iustice being satisfied but to find God as ready to forgive a thousand Pounds as vvell as one Penny Vse 1 Such highly derogate from Gods mercy and Christs merit as cry out with Caine their sins are more then can be pardoned S. Peter calls on those who murdered the Sonne of God and killed the Prince of life that they would Repent and Convert that so their sinnes might be forgiven them Acts 3.15 19. Now if their sin was not greater then might be forgiven who slew the Sonne of God may we thinke that his was greater then could be forgiven who slew his Brother Was not the betraying and murthering of Iesus a greater sin then that of Abels killing No marvell then though S.

true that men say Who professeth not a faith as firme as Abrahams But if we bring it to this touch it will be found no better then that Faith which St. Iames speakes of A dead faith yet this is the touchstone by which it must be tryed as the same Apostle sheweth Iam. 2.18 nor it is a Verball Love like theirs who bids a man warme himselfe and fill his belly yet gives nothing that we are to try our Faith by but a reall and working Love 1 Iohn 3.18 So shews St. Iames when he saith Pure Religion and undefiled before God is this to visit the fatherlesse and widdows in their affliction Iam. 1.17 Did Religion consist only in Contemplation it would be better for many than it is but the greater part of it like the Ma●hematicks is in D●monstration Faith is a Christians Life Gal. 2.20 But the Brea●h or Pulse whereby it may be knowne to live is Charity without which saith S. Paul I should be nothing profited though I should give all my goods to the poore or suffer my body to be burned c. Should a man build Churches repaire Bridges mend high wayes set up Hospitals yet hoc aliquid hoc multum hoc totum nihil est this something this much this all is nothing at all if love be wanting Aquin. Nothing in esse gratiae how great soever in esse Naturae want of Love will both discredit the cause and endanger the reward But of this more hereafter Vse Little Reason have the Papists as appeares by this to charge us so deeply and fowly as they do Quocunque modo vivu●t per solam fidem gloriam sibi promittunt neque mandatorum observationem neque paenitentiam esse necessariam praedicat Suarez 06 Apolog. 5.10 nu 11. as that 06 we are Enemies to good workes and teach our people 06 that it is no matter how men live promising glory by Faith alone accounting both the keeping of Gods Commandements and Repentance unnecessary c. Whether we are indeed as they would make the world believe we are we shall heare a●one In the meane time I would they would speake out and deale plainly with us whether they are perswaded indeed that we cry downe good workes and preach as they say Disertis verbis docent opera esse ad salutem necessaria Non quidem necessitate efficientiae sed praesentiae Bellar. de Iustif 4. Bellarmine is ashamed of these calumnies and doth ingenuously confesse That the Protestants doe plainely teach that good workes are necessary to Salvation Not in the Act of Iustification but in the Worke of Sanctification without which there can be no Salvation And thus much of the Quality of the Means now for the Propriety Thy Faith Text. ●ac●●ua i●e 〈◊〉 a●● sal●ii 〈◊〉 ●uliiu● al●●ri●●des ●ui Char●as ●rumseila in loc Thine not anothers it seemes then by this Doct. Who so would be justified and saved must have a faith of their own That Faith which must save us must be ours and not anothers The Iust shall live by his owne faith saith Habakuk Chap 2.4 So S. Paul Rom. 1.17 Where though this Pronoune His be not expressed yet it is in the nature of the Greeke Tongue understood Hanc hist resert Georg. Mylius ex re●atu filij Lutheri in Ep. ad Lect prefix Com●ent ipsius in epist ad Rom Which Text Luther as yet sticking fast in the mire of Popish darknesse expounding at Wittenberge was a meanes of his conversion For by a certaine divine power the sense was so imprinted in his mind that whatsoever he did he still seemed to himselfe to heare a voice inculcating these words unto him The Iust shall live by his owne faith Finding no meanes to pacifie his perplexed spirit it hapned that having businesse to Rome he gladly tooke the occasion hoping that by visiting of the holy Places and Reliques as they terme them he should procure some quietnesse to his restlesse mind thither he went in his way still these words were sounding in his eares The Iust shall live by his owne Faith and the further he went the more did he heare the sound Comming to Rome he used all meanes to pacifie that Commotion which was in him He celebrated the Masse with greater devotion than ordinary so that others would have sung three Masses sooner than he did one The Italian Monkes laughed at him crying Fratello passa passa calling on him to make more speed But in the midst of this his devotion he felt the force of these words with greater-vehemency than ever he did before He conceiving that God was greatly offended with him he resolved to pacifie God and purge avvay his sin by climbing up certain steps of Pilates ladder vvhich the Romanists faigne to be brought from Ierusalem which he did upon his bare knees hoping thereby to obtaine that Indulgence which the Pope had granted unto such as should devoutly performe that action In the midst of which worke he was suddenly astonished and stricken as it were with a thunder-clap hearing that voice with a kind of stately and fearfull Majesty The Iust shall live by his owne Faith Hee returnes from Rome to Wittinberg where considering more earnestly the sense of the sentence and argument of the whole Epistle by Gods gratious instinct and the illumination of his blessed Spirit he understood the meaning of the words whereat hee was exceedingly comforted his minde pacified and at length began a happy reformation which through Gods speciall grace and power was effected Reason The necessity of this appeares in that particular mercies are promised in Scripture and so are particularly to be received and imbraced As God offers himselfe to a beleever so must a beleever receive him God offers himselfe to each particular and therefore the Faith of each must be particular Vse The Papists affirme that a man may be saved if he say hee beleeveth as the Church beleeveth Rhem. Annot. on Luk. 12. §. 3. though hee know not what the Church beleeveth And indeed this they had need to teach for that their Doctrines for the most part have no footing in Scripture and it must bee an implicite Faith wherewith they are beleeved And on Mat. 9.2 the Rhemists have this marginall note Annot. on Mat. 9. §. 2. that the Faith of one helpeth to obtaine for another What Salvation If that be their meaning as it seemeth we deny it we may as well see with another mans eyes or heare with anothers eares or walks with anothers feet as be saved by anothers Faith Abrahams Faith could not save his wicked posterity Though Noah Daniel and David those three worthies of the world stood before me saith the Lord they shall deliver but their owne soules Indeed wee grant them anothers mans Faith may profit the Body or Estate of others in things Temporall so the Centurions Faith did profit his Servant Mat. 8.13 and the Faith of others the Palsey man Mat.

quam non semper Diabolum sequuntur in orere valde tamen se illi alligant in cogitatione Greg. mor. 14. Si quid cogitaveris cito apparebit conversantibus bene cogitata si excidunt non occidunt Seneca in Proverbijs thou knewest my secret thoughts when I my selfe was ignorant of their meaning Give no way to wickedones think it not lawfull to range in conceit upon any folly or lust Play not with the divell in Imagination as Gregory saith some do for this kind of sport is an unlawfull game After that the Froggs of Aegypt have got into the chambers of your hearts the Caterpillers of Aegypt will soone destroy the fruit of your land Be we more abundant in Good ones make pretious account of them with David Psal 94 19. They are Good Companions whence it is that God speaking of his Commandements Deut. 6.6 7. 11.19 saith They shall be in thy heart and thou shalt speake of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way when thou lyest downe and when thou risest up Now this speaking and talking is not onely though principally to be understood of outward conference with others for many a man walkes alone and lyes alone c But also of talking with our selves according to that of Salomon Prov. 6.22 When thou awakest it shall talke with thee that is when thou and it are alone it shall teach thee and finde thee good discourse this should make us count good thoughts pretious Doct. Secondly Observe God hath an Answer for the words of the Minde as well as for the words of the Mouth The very Thoughts of our hearts expect to have met withall Mat. 9.3 4. 12.25 Luke 5.22 6.8 11.17 24.38 Vse 1 It is a poore peece of pollicie to come before the Lord as Ieroboams wife did disguised Who will say what they thinke with what a deale of faire pretence do men cover their hypocrisie and guile of spirit Yet God hath a Candle that gives light into all the Bowells of the belly he hath no need that any man should testifie of man Pro. 20.27 for he knowes what is within man Ioh. 2.24 And he hath fitted his Word and framed it of purpose by his All-seeing Spirit that it may discover what is hid and converse secretly in the bosomes of men Heb. 4. verse 12. daily experience maketh this good Whilst the Word is Preaching it doth so ransacke the heart 1 Cor. 14.25 that such as heare it cannot but be perswaded the Minister is acquainted with their sins and that he aimes at them Willfully being ignorant of this that the Word will search them though the Minister never saw their faces The Bow is drawne at an adventure by our hand It is God that guides the flight into Ahabs bosome he answers you according to the Idolls in your hearts Ezek. 14.4 When you come to a Sermon know you come to a narrow Searcher which will tell you of your Adulteries Oppressions c. And reveale unto you as Elisha did to the King of Israel whatsoever is done privily in your private chamber Vse 2 And it may encourage humble Christians to rest on the Word for answer to those doubts they are not willing to make knowne Hardly can there be an Objection in a mans mind but if he constantly attend to the Word it will meet with it How often hath the Lord met with the secret Objections of our soules before we were aware And guided the Tongue of his servants to the very point that troubled us God can strangely be our Physitian and yet no creature know our disease But this is not spoken as if men should represse or smother doubts for if the Lord doth not answer otherwise we are to propound them to the Wise and Learned who are able to resolve us We now come to the words of our Saviour to Simon which are very insinuative He windes into his Affections in naming of him so lovingly and prepares his Attention in craving Audience Simon must be answered and reprooved for the thoughts of his heart yet not in Iudgement as the obstinate and malicious were but in Mercy in a gentle convictive way He comes not on him as the Syrians did on Gilead Amos 1.3 threshing him with a flayle of yron nor scourging him as Rehoboam threatned to scourge Israel with Scorpions 2 Chron. 10.11 but with all meeknesse and moderation of spirit according to the nature of his error knowing it to be through ignorance and weaknesse From his Example learne we Doct. To answer our Brother not sinning presumptuously with the spirit of meekenesse So exhorts the Apostle Gal. 6.1 If any be fallen into any fault i.e. through infirmity yee that are spirituall restore such a one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nihil probat spiritualem virum sicut peccati alieni tractatio quum liberationem ejus potius quam insultationem potiusque auxilia quam convitia meditatur quantum facultas tribuitur suscipit Aug. sur Epist ad Galat. in the spirit of meekenesse Looke as Chyrurgions and Bone-setters for to them the Apostle doth allude in restoring and setting right a dislocated joynt doe it with all the tendernesse that may be so tenderly should we go about this businesse of Reprehension having to do with a weak and flexible delinquent Upon which words of the Apostle Martin Luther though his spirit were as the spirit of Elias fiery and vehement the hottest burning Taper that ever yet shined in the Church of Germanie delivers and commends this Doctrine to our wisest Considerations in as much as the contrary hereunto savours too much of that Popish racking and tormenting of the consciences of men for every small offence committed and too little of that Spirit of Christ by the Apostle there commended which not in the zeale of severe Justice but in lenity and mildnesse lifteth up them that be fallen and gently restoreth that which is decayed either through the deceit of Satan or the weaknesse of sinfull flesh And as there were some in his daies of whom he there complaines so are there in ours who when they should refresh and comfort thirstie consciences they give them gall to drink as Davids enemies did him and the Jewes Christ Their Reproofes are like the thoughts of jealousie Cant. 8 Implacable and Cruell as the Grave and under the cloake of friendly Reproofe they cast forth their flames and brands of consuming heate as if that Mars and Saturne were in some fiery conjunction over their tongues Qui blando ver●o castigatus non corrigitur acriùs necesse est arguatur cum dolore sunt ab scindenda quae leniter sanari non possunt Ibid de Sum beno 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 13.32.16.15 Mat. 23.13 Acts 7.52 I would not be mistaken as if hereby I would insinuate that alwaies milde and gentle Reproofe is to be used Sharp Reproofe hath his place al●o and is as necessary

9.2 Yea the Faith of another may be profitable to the soule of his Brother in things Spirituall so farre as to pray for him or be a meanes to allure him unto Christ or give him a right to the outward Covenant as the Parents Faith doth to the Child 1 Cor. 7.14 Rom. 11.16 But in things Eternall as to save from everlasting vengeance and to the obteyning of eternall life it is ineffectuall Quest But if every one be saved by his owne Faith what becomes of young Infants who by reason of their age have neither knowledge or Faith and so depart this life Are they saved Resp When we thus urge the necessity of a Particular Faith we are to be understood to speake of such as are of a reasonable age Secondly Infants have Faith Christ himselfe reckons them amongst Beleevers Mat. 18.6 Whosoever offendeth one of these little ones which beleeve in mee In which respect Circumcision was called a seale of Faith Vse 2 Endeavour wee to have therefore of our owne In Gideons Campe every soldier had his owne Pitcher Salomons valiant men had each one his owne sword by his side and each Virgin is said to have a lamp in her own hand So every true Beleever professeth for himselfe I Beleeve But how can it be said to be mine when it is the Common Faith Tit. 1.4 And as Athanasius in his confession calles it the Catholike faith being the Faith of all Christians and received and professed by the whole Catholike Church It is called the Common or Catholike Faith First in respect of the Object of it which is Common and belongs to all the Faithfull Secondly In respect of the Profession of it it being the badge of every true Christian Thirdly In regard of the Common end of it which is eternall life and Salvation which S. Iude likewise cals the Common Salvation Iude. v. 3. But in this one Common or Catholike Faith every one that is a true member of the Church hath an interest and to it layes a particular claime they have a peculiar portion in the common stocke as appeares 2 Pet. 1.1 Like pretious Faith with us Like for kind not for degree such Faith though not so much Faith The paralell is not drawne à quantitate sed à qualitate fidej In briefe though Faith be one ratione objecti yet it is not one ratione subjecti every one must have a Faith of his owne Object 2. But how is Faith ours when it is the gift of God for so wee finde Philip. 1.29 Iohn 6.29 Resp. If it be given to us then it is ours For what is freer then gift gifts once bestowed are proper to the possessors Secondly It is so given as that it is by us also got in part as the woman of Tekoah said to David God doth devise meanes 2 Sam. 14.14 So God hath ordained meanes for obteyning Faith as we find Rom. 10.17 which who so neglects I speake of those who are adulti growne up to a reasonable age shall never obteyne Now such is Gods grace and goodnesse as that he accounts those graces ours which are in part obteyned through our endeavours though hee hath therein the leading hand a●d is the All and in All And thus much of the womans Certificate wee now come to examine her Passport Goe in Peace Text. Post quam ei peccati dimifit non sist it in remissione peccati set adijcit operationem boni unde subditur vade in pace Theoph. In which words we cannot but observe First the Course enjoyned Goe not sit still be idle c. Secondly the way directed in Peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goe To the benefit of Remission is added this Injunction which in Beda's and Theophilacts opinion is as much as Bene vive or bene age Doe well Live well c. So that you see Vbi vigilanter collige divinam clem●ntiam peccata non dimittere dormitanti bis sed cooperātibus fide spe atque dilectione c. Royard More is required of a Christian then bare beleeving Though no more be required in the act of Iustification yet more is required in respect of Conversation as these places prove Psal 1.1 2. 3● 1 2 119.1 2. Mat. 5.20 Iam. 2.18 2 Pet. 25. 10. And good reason there is for it for that Gods elect are brought to glory not by Iustification alone but by Vocation and Glorification also Rom. 8.30 Acts. 26.18 we must passe through Sanctification before we come to Glory Vox praeterea nihil What shall we think then of the wording Christian the tribe of Nepthalie who like the Spartons Nighting all are voice and little else Surely they are fitter for the Cage then Church sing they never so sweetly These are they who have brought the staine of Sol fid ans upon us Hofin in judicio sup articulo 4. Confes Augustanae Nor had the Papists stood so stiffe against the Doctrine of Iustification by Faith alone as one amongst themselves professeth but for some mens disgracing of Good workes What we write and preach concerning the necessity of Good workes the world knowes how in your lives you shew the power of what you heare and learne D Willets Catalogue of charitable workes annexed in the end of his Synopsis Papismi we have little cause to glory And yet with them we will glory for it ha●h beene proved by a particular induction from an able Penne that more charitable workes have beene performed in the times of the Gospell then they can shew to have beene done in the like time of Poperie And if we looke homewards and consider the workes of this nature that have beene done by us within the space of 80. yeares under the happy Raignes of King EDVVARD Queene ELIZABETH King JAMES of blesled memory and now under the Raigne of our gratious Soveraigne King CHARLES it will appeare that there hath beene more workes of charity shewed then was in twice so much time going immediatly before yet wee justifie not our selves for what is this we have done or doe answerable to the meanes we do enjoy and the profession we make Our Church is pestered with a company of Hypocrits whose Faith is cloathed much after the fashion that Iohn the Baptist was They put upon it a Coat of Camels haire some refuse and cheape outside which they tye together with the leathern girdle of dissimulation and the Food of it is Locusts 2 Kings 5.11 meere speculation and wild-honey table talke We may say of them as Naaman said of the Prophet I thought hee would have done something that hee would have come out unto mee and stood and strike his hand over the place and recover the leper c. so wee hearing such a profession of their Faith expect great matters but behold no deeds at all or very few and small Yea so confidently doe some hope for Salvation by Faith that there is worse then naught done little honesty or