Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A14096
|
The doctrine of the synod of Dort and Arles, reduced to the practise With a consideration thereof, and representation with what sobriety it proceeds.
|
Twisse, William, 1578?-1646.
|
1631
(1631)
|
STC 24403; ESTC S102470
|
142,191
|
200
|
as the Synod would have it hath written their names in the booke of life from all aeternitie without having more regard unto their prayers then unto their faith and that it is impossible for them to be razed out and as for these they are no more able to gett themselves registred therein by their prayers theÌ„ to undo that inevitable unchangable decree of God So that by this triall of the practise each one may see what esteeme we ought to have of that religion which resisteth the conversion of Infidells the amendment of the scandalous and consolation of the afflicted which makes the preaching of the word to be of none effect and quite overthroweth the use of the Sacraments and exercise of prayers and in a word which overturneth the foundation of the ministry which consisteth in sound doctrine good discipline Consid. If the preaching of the word by the doctrine of these Synods be but thus made of none effect that is but by so hungry and comicall a discourse as this we shall have very small or rather no cause at all to think the worse of the doctrine of these Synods and we are confident that the use and profitt of the Sacraments will but in the like shallow and superficiary manner be enervated And how the ministers in their administration of the Sacraments doe destroy the same doctrine so unhappy as he conceavs it for no doctrine is so happy with them as that which maintaynes grace to be conferred according unto workes or that looke what we call grace as faith and repentance is neither merited by Christ nor indeed any gift of God otherwise then by giving them power to beleeve if they will repent if they will and persuading them thereunto by the ministry of his word for I have good reason to suspect that the Author of this discourse is a mere Anabaptist we are now to consider in the last place Now for proofe hereof he sayth that to every person whom we baptize we doe apply the promises of the covenant of grace which he saith is cleane contrary to our owne doctrine which saith that they nothing belong to the reprobates of the world I would he had particulated these promises of the covenant of grace For with the practise of their Churches in the office of baptizing I am not acquainted but onely with our own The promises assured by baptism according to the rule of Gods word I finde to be of two sorts some are of benefits procured unto us by Christ which are to be conferred conditionally others are of benefits which are to be bestowed upon us absolutely They of the first sort are justification and salvation For Abraham receaved circumcision as a seale of the righteousnes of faith Circumcision therfore was an assurance of justification to be had by faith If such were circumcision unto the Iewes we have good reason to conceave that such is baptisme unto us Christians For as that was unto them so this is the Sacrament of regeneration unto us And good reason the Sacraments which are seales of the covenant should assure that unto us which the word of the covenant doth make promise of Now the word of the covenant of grace doth promise unto us both remission of sinne and salvation upon faith in Christ. This by our doctrine we promise unto all and assure unto all as well as they doe by theirs If all and every one should beleeve we nothing doubt but they should be justified and saved On the other side if not one of ripe yeares should beleeve I presume our adversaries will confesse that not one of them should be saved But there are other benefites both promised in the covenant of grace and consequently assured by the Sacraments which are commonly called the seales of the covenant wherof there is or may be a question whether they are conferred on man by God absolutely or no but onely conditionally and the right solution thereof I willingly confesse is most momentous for the deciding of all those controversies and setting an happy end unto them But that question is wholy declined by this Author and generally by the Arminian partie For such a light and evidence of faith breakes forth herein that they are not able to abide it Those benefites are regeneration which in holy scripture is called the circumcision of the heart in reference to the Sacrament that sealed it and in the New Testament it is called the washing and clensing or sanctifying of our soules in reference to our Sacrament of regeneration which is called Baptisme under regeneration we comprehend the illumination of the mind and renovation of the affectâ—ons and these operations we commonly designe by faith and repentance Now let it be enquired whether regeneration and faith commonly supposed amongst us to be the gifts of God are bestowed upon men conditionally or absolutely If conditionally then like as the word of the covenant promiseth these gifts upon a condition to be performed by man so also shall the Sacrament of Baptisme seale it and assure us that upon the performance of that condition we shall obteyne at the hands of God faith and regeneration Like as justification salvation is promised in the word and assured in the Sacraments upon performance of a condition on mans part Now the condition of justification and salvation we all acknowledge to be faith but what should be the condition upon performance whereof we should obteyne it we are much to seeke neither doe the Arminians willingly come to the defining of it this Author utterly declines the question though most proper and criticall by the Orthodox resolution thereof to sett a blessed end to all the controversies wherwith the peace of Gods church hath been of late yeares so much disturbed Now whatsoever be devised to be the condition it must be in generall some worke of man and consequently it must be acknowledged that grace is given to wit the grace of faith according to mens works which is plain Pelagianisme So for regeneration it being acknowledged to be a gift of Gods grace if so be God bestowes it conditionally they must tell us what that condition is upon the performance whereof God is pleased to regenerate us but I never yet mett with any that undertooke to notifie unto us what that condition is certeynly it must be not onely a worke of man but a worke of nature seeing it precedes regeneration and consequently the grace of regeneration shal be conferred according unto workes of nature and this also is Pelagianisme and that in a degree beyond the former and withall directly contradictious to the word of God where it is sayd that God hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace 2 Tim. 1.9 and where the Apostle saith that God hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.16 and to bestow faith upon a man is clearly to
of God in raysing Christ when he prayeth for the Hebrewes that God would make them perfect to every good worke working in them that which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ Heb. 30.20.21 The God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Iesus Christ the great sheapheard of the sheepe through the blood of the everlasting covenant Make you perfect in all good workes to doe his will c. It is called the worke of faith in power 2. Thes. 1.11 And as for perseverance therin with patience the Apostle requires such a strength as is wrought by Gods glorious power Col. 1.11 2. Pet. 1.3 we are â—ayde to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Piscator not knowing well what good sense to make of it as it lyes interprets it unto glory and vertue as if it were in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daniel Heynsius in the preface to his Aristarchus Sacer on Nonnus upon Iohn makes bold to censure this interpretation and shewes whence it proceedes to witt herupon because he knew no other signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then vertue and that in the sense as we usually take it But sayth he in the Greeke Etymologicum we finde that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the notion therof is as much as potentia and accordingly we are called as Saint Peter sayth by glory and power as much as to say by Gods glorious power And doth not the scripture clearly professe that God found us dead in sinne Eph. 2.1 Col. 2.13 And is not the worke it selfe called regeneration Ioh. 3. and 1. Pet. 1. and in other places Is it not a new life wrought in us we were before estranged from the life of God Eph. 4.18 now we are not And is not this life the life of faith accordâ—ng to that Gal. 2.20 The life that I now live in the fleshe is by faith in Christ who loved me and gave himselfe for me Austin in playne termes professeth that God converâ—eth men omnipoâ—ente facilitate therfore he used his allmightie power therin though he did it with case like as he both made the world and shall raise the dead with ease For he speake the word and they were made he commanded and they were created and in like sort the time shall come when they that are in the graves shall hâ—are the voyer of the â—one of man and shall come foorth some to the resurrection of life some to the resurrection of condemnation And power lesse then the power of God is not able to regenerate man For can an Angell regenerate man or can man regenerate himselfe and make himselfe pertaker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the divine nature Or breath the life of God the life of grace or the Spirite of God into him Consider but soberly the importance of faith that is so much slighted by this generation Consider it aâ— touching the object therof and the things believed consider it as touching the forme of it and the confidence of the creature â—n his creator and judge indifferently whether any created power can suffice to create faith in man The thinges believed are the mystery of the Trinitie the incarnation of the Sonne of God God manifested in the flesh and to what end that his soule might be made an offering for sinne the just dye for the unjust that so God might justifie the ungodly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4. What wisedome is there in this by the judgment of flesh and blood Are not these thinges of God foolishnes to the naturall man 1. Cor. 2 14. then the resurrection of the dead the aeternall judgment the powers of the world to come what reason can draw a naturall man to the embracing of these Then as touching our confidence in God and dependance upon him according to these mysteries Is it in the power of nature a man should be brought to repose the fortunes of his salvation upon a crucified God which was a scandall to the Iewes foolishnes to the Gentiles but to us that are saved it is the very power of God and wisedome of God For a sinner to be assured that God is his Father in Christ and receaveth us unto him as sonnes and daughters and if sonnes then heyres allso even heyres of God and heyres annext with Iesus Christ. To say with Iob Though he kill me yet will I put my trust in him not only mangre his judgments by which he fights against us causing his arrowes to stâ—ckâ— fast in us and the venome therof to drinke up our Spirits but allso in despight of our owne sinns wherby the best provoke him too oft even the eyes of his glory Yet these disputers would not have it thought that they denyed faith to be the woorke of God but they have come so farre as to deny in expresse termes that Christ merited eyther faith or regeneration for any Censura Censurae â— 59. A time may come for them to open their mouths 〈◊〉 litle wider deal plainly openly profes that faith is meerly the worke of man not the worke of God But as yet they thinke it not seasonable to divulge this mystery of State They praetend acknowledgement that it is the gift of God only they will have it wrought in such a manner that man may reject it and they reproach us for saying that they to whom God giveth his grace are not able to reject it Forsooth they will have God to work faith in a man no otherwise then by way of suasion For Arminius professeth that there are but two wayes whereby God workes upon the will the one as he expresseth it is per modum naturae the other secundum modum voluntatis libertatis ejus The former he calleth a Physicall impulsion the latter he sayth may fitly be called suasion By the former operation the effect comes to passe necessarily and this they cannot brook So that it remaines that Gods operatioÌ„ in bestowing faith is only by way of suasion Now here they dash themselves upon a rock of manifest heterodoxy even in Philosophy For he that persuades workes immediately upon the understanding representing the object whereunto he persuades in the most alluring manner that he can Suadens agit sayth Bâ—llarmine per modum proponentis objectum And consequently leaves it to the object thus sett forth to worke upon the will Now the object works only in genere causae finalis not in genere causae effiâ—ientis And the end is well knowne to moove only motu metaphorice dicto not vero motu herehence it follows that God while he persuades only is no efficient cause at all of faith which indeede is the most genuine doctrine of these divines though they are loath the world should know so much Secondly observe their language more narrowly here is mention of Gods giving grace yet so as they to whom he gives it are able to reject it and withall that this abilitie is very often