Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	church_n	true_a	visible_a	8,362	5	9.3033	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80200	Refreshing streams flowing from the fulnesse of Jesus Christ. In severall sermons, / by William Colvill sometime preacher at Edenburgh.	Colvill, William, d. 1675.	1654 (1654)	Wing C5431; Thomason E815_2; Thomason E815_3; ESTC R207356	165,987	210

could fall from the estate of Adoption he could not abide in the houshold of Faith which is Gods special dwelling-place on earth 2. True it is some Fathers have disinherited lewd and unworthy Sons But I dare boldly say if it had been in the power of those Fathers to qualifie their Sons for their inheritance they would not have disinherited them but rather made them meet for it Now our heavenly Father maketh his children meet for their heavenly inheritance Col. 1.12 Giving thanks unto the Father who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light and 1 Pet. 1.5 The inheritance is kept in heaven for us by the eternal counsel of God and we are kept on earth for it by the power of his invincible Grace leading us through a world of temptations into the possession of our inheritance 3. There would be a difference put betwixt those three to wit the filial relation the filial disposition or affection and the filial behaviour or conversation daily sad experience convinceth that the children of God do not alwayes persevere in a filial behaviour and conversation their works are sometimes the works of darkness no less lewd and hainous in the matter of fact then the sins of wicked and unregenerate men yet their filial affection remains they never become haters of God yea I grant even their filial affection will be sometime much weakened in the Degrees of it by worldly objects as variety of objects weaken the beams of our sight by dividing them so our affection to God is diverted and much weakened by things sensible and worldly Though there may be and oft-times falls out an intermission of filial conversation and a remitting of filial affection yet the filial relation abideth for ever Relatives admit not a more and a less a Father is not more a Father at one time to his Son and less at another he is a Father to him alike in respect of relation when he is in health and when he is in sickness when he doth well and when he doth evil Though the communication of his favour may admit a more and a less The Prodigal Luk. 15. behaved himself lewdly and basely yet the relation remained still I will go said he to my Father and the Father acknowledged him for his Son ran to him fell on his neck and kissed him it was no wonder to see Jacob fall upon the neck of a Joseph and kiss him but to kiss a Prodigal is a mysterie of rich mercie and free love Our heavenly Father loveth repentance the work of his own hands wherever he sees it It is true renewed men deserve by their sins to be disinherited as the Prodigal humbly and truly acknowledged I am not worthy said he to be called thy Son but their sins do not effectually disinherit them which effective disinheriting is hindred by Gods rich mercie in his unchangeable love in the intercession of Christ and in the operation of the holy Spirit renewing repentance in them whereby their course of sinning is broken off and their wonted peace and comfort in God restored to them Augustin To this purpose speaketh Augustin well lib. de corrept grat ca. 12. Therefore help was provided for the infirmity of mans will that it should be acted by Divine Grace in an indeclynable and unseparable manner And so although it be infirm yet it should not fall away nor be overcome with any adversitie As for the use of this Doctrine Vse 1 it serveth for refutation of that comfortless Doctrine of Papists and others Refutes the Doctrine of the Apostasie of Believers who affirm that a man renewed and in the state of Grace may fall totally and finally from the Grace of Justification It is true some appearing members of Christ in respect of an outward communion in a visible Church may fall totally from the outward communion and will be declared in that day of the manifest revelation of Gods wrath never to have been in an inward communion with Christ and in acceptation with God Math. 7.22 he will say to them I never knew you nor approved you for mine Then will they be cast as brambles into that unquenchable fire Ioh. 15.2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit I take away They were in him only by appearance like those branches painted by Zeuxis that had neither sap smell nor fruit so worldly hypocrites smell not of Christ and his oyntments but of the earth and of self-seeking They are enemies to the Cross of Christ refusing to bear it in a time of persecution resisting the preaching of it and not laboring for any inward mortification of the flesh and lusts thereof Philip. 3.18 19. They are without that sap of the oyl of charity toward God and their neighbour they serve not one another in love but seek their own things and serve their own belly Rom. 16.18 They are also without the fruits of true holyness and righteousness having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.5 using their Christian liberty for a Cloak of maliciousness and doing all their works that they may be seen of men It may be said of them as of Israel Hos 10.1 Israel is an emptie vine he bringeth forth fruit unto himself and as it was said of Ephraim Hos 12.1 Ephraim feedeth on winde the hypocrite and the counterfeit Professor feedeth and delighteth himself on the winde of humane applause but not on the testimony of a good conscience which studyeth in all things to approve it self to God and commend it self to the consciences more then to the humors and inordinate affections of men after the example of Paul 2 Cor. 4.2 Commending our selves to every mans conscience in the fight of God Obj. Obj. Is it not said Heb. 6.4 5 6. That men sometime enlightned who had tasted of the powers of the life to come may possibly fall away but such men were renewed by illumination in their understanding heavenly tasts in their affections therefore it appears that renewed men may fall away totally and finally from the state of grace Answ For clearing that place of Scripture Answ I would offer these considerations 1. Heb. 6.4 5 6. opened and cleared The Apostle speaketh of men baptized and initiated into the mysteries of Christian religion because in these times men were both before and after baptism catechized in the grounds of Christian faith whereas it is ordinarily rendered Heb. 6.4 It is impossible that those who were once inlightened c. The Syriack translation hath it it is impossible for them qui descenderunt ad baptismum who did go down into the water of baptism and it is well known that the ancient Doctors of the primitive Church call baptism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illumination because by the doctrine of baptism men were instructed and illuminated with the knowledge of the mysteries of the Christian saith Iustin Apol. 2. pro Christ Justin 〈◊〉