Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n
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A43581
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A review of Mr. Horn's catechisme, and some few of his questions and answers noted by J.H. of Massingham p. Norf.
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Hacon, Joseph, 1603-1662.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing H177; ESTC R16207
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79,887
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160
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is deceitfull but it saith not that every mans heart is at all times and in every thing actually deceived Some men have a custome lacerare Scriptur as to rend the Scripture as it were to tear a text out of the Bible which they think is for their turn though against reason against the Analogie of Faith and quite contrary to other places which should by collation help to interpret One Scripture saith Mans heart is deceitfull above all things Another saith that our heart doth gives right and true verdict concerning our estates If our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things If our heart condemn us not it is so good a signe that we may have confidence towards God A faithfull Christian may rightly judge of his own condition though an hypocrite be mistaken in judging of his whose heart yet as it is heavy in the midst of his mirth and laughter may likely enough condemn him in the midst of his confidence and self-deceit I answer secondly and affirm that this rule here given or this saying of Scripture without right interpretation or due restriction That Mans heart is deceitfull and no sure foundation of beleeving a thing being applyed to other matters in like sort and why not to others as well as to this is a sure foundation or principle of Scepticisme or beleeving nothing at all which is not many removes distant from Atheisme With the heart man beleeves and if the heart be deceitfull in every thing how can he beleeve any thing And thirdly he doth not well to make opposition betwixt a beleeving mans heart and Gods word He who collecteth that God loveth him because he hath bestowed his sanctifying graces upon him doth not make his own heart but Gods word to be the foundation of his belief Nor doth he as the Text pointeth Prov. 28. Trust in his own heart but maketh use of his own heart or reason in applying the word of God to his own case and his own benefit according to the will of God Now followeth the second reason 2. Nor is such a Faith under the Gospel-Declaration a distinguishing Character of Gods Election as springs not up from the love of God and bloud of Christ shed for us as in the word of God declared to us and by the authority thereof apprehended by us as this faith that goes before and is our ground of such an apprehension This is his second reason preferring the faith of the Universalist before the faith of the pretended Orthodox The one is no character of Gods Election the other is The meaning is this as if he had said He who beleeveth that God loveth all alike and Christ died alike for all men as to the intention of benefit by his Death hath a right faith even before any grace of Sanctification wrought But he who beleeveth that the benefit of Christs Death who died for all is more intended to some than others hath no true faith nor signe of Gods Election though his faith be accompanyed with obedience good desires and changes and a pretended testimony of the Spirit An Assertion I know not whether he more boldly or more blindly uttered I shall touch now onely upon these two particulars 1. How uncharitable he is to his adversaries or the dissenting partie 2. How uncomfortable to his own partie 1. He hath no charity for that party that is not of his own way I take charity now for that effect or fruit of charity which is shewed in beleeving all things and hoping all things that is the best things that may be beleeved and that may be hoped touching others He assirmeth the faith of the Universalist to be the onely distinguishing character of Gods Election the faith of all others be they never so vertuous pious sanctified mortified to be a false and feigned faith it seems they set their soot in the wrong way at first they began amiss and now how far soever they go and how fast soever they go they still wander and go astray in a by-path What good can be expected from an ill beginning what firm building from a sandy foundation if the root be rottenness the fruit can be nothing but dust and smoke But I answer That every one may be saved in his own Religion is an Opinion Anathematized in our Church-Articles Nevertheless Christians are not wont I am sure they ought not to be peremptory in condemning one another upon matters of no greater importance But of all men an Universalist how ill doth it become to be a Monopolist How ill accordeth that charity to it self if at least that be not a false charity that overthroweth the true faith which is in so high a flow to Heathens and in so low an ebb to fellow-Christians But it must not be any great matter with us to be judged by man That person who with a true belief can say The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me and with an humble and thankfull minde can say God hath put his fear in my heart if not researching but adoring Gods secret judgements he shall forbear to think that there was as much good intended to every one as to him hath far more reason to suspect this Catechist for a seducer than himself for an hypocrite or unsound beleever For supposing it were true as we are verily perswaded it is not that God had such a love and such a gracious intention towards all persons in the world as this Authour teacheth yet is not the belief of it so necessary an ingredient to justifying faith that it should be no true justifying faith without it For as the faith of Peter and many others of the Jews was a true and saving faith even then when they were ignorant of the extent of Gods Love and Grace in the Gospel towards the Gentiles Act. 10. and 11. So we doubt not but the faith of a Christian beleever may be and is a sound faith and character of Gods Election although he be to seek in this New discovery very of Gods good will and grace extended towards all men in an equal dispensation 2. As he is uncharitable to all others so is he uncomfortable to such who do think it best to leave the beaten path of Gods Church and follow him For he doth deprive and spoil them of that assurance and testimony of Gods love which they had from sanctifying gifts and inherent graces having been heretofore rightly taught that though they might not put confidence in their works and good desires yet they might raise and gather confidence and comfort from their works and good desires testifying that their faith is true And that Apostle who said That his rejoycing was the testimony of a good conscience and good conversation adviseth every man to rejoyce in himself Gal. 6. 4. And whosoever goeth any other way to work to get a comfortable assurance than by these marks of holiness and fruits of faith will never
how much soever it be cried up that must assure our interest in Christ without good actions or good affections And whereas also he excludeth Revelation we oppose like wise the Apostles testimony Rom. 8. 16. the Spirit beareth witness that we are the children of God and 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received the Spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God I know no other Revelation the pretended orthodox do pretend to and he sets himself against none else and his words are general not any other pretended revelation I think that under those words in the Qu. or the like may be meant also changes and alterations in mens hearts and lives from bad to good In a funeral sermon of his pag. 18 19. he plyeth this matter much disheartening those that think they beleeve and are of Gods Elect because they finde themselves changed and reformed he telleth them they ground their faith of Christs Mediation upon their works Answ Those who are taught that good works are the product and fruit of faith cannot ground their faith upon their works Neither can good Christians value such talk as this while they remember what S. James saith Shew me thy faith by thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works He that is suspected to be dead may by a stander by be certainly known to be alive if he perceive him to draw his breath and if another of of the by-standers shall argue that it is a great weakness to ground any mans life upon his breath and that it can be no true life that is so grounded he would by others be thought in this not to be reasonable but ridiculous Mans Conversion is a work of that nature that it is not always easie to be discerned neither ought men to be too scrupulous or curious in finding the time means and manner of it But where these are obscure or uncertain and when doubts and difficulties arise touching these the help hath always been from consideration of the change that is wrought in us If a man may assuredly know that he hath attained his journeys end and arrived at the desired haven he ought not too much to trouble himself about the way how he came there Let not therefore Christians be beguiled of this supply and relief but pass by if need be the circumstances of time and place and way and insist upon the substance which is the alteration that is made which they may do as well and upon as certain ground as to this work upon the soul as the blinde man did concerning the work that our Saviour wrought upon his body saying Joh. 9. One thing I know that whereas I was blinde now I see So may a true convert say I was sometimes darkness but now am I light in the Lord Eph. 5. 8. And the prodigal son had as much cause of comfort and joy as the father had upon the new return and change appearing that He who was dead is alive and he that was lost is found And whereas he told his Auditory then pag. 19. that it is Pharisaical to conceit that God loveth us because of reformations and frames begotten in us by his grace and a certain secret insensible working of power in the heart it may be answered If the work of the Spirit be secret and insensible what better way can there be to take notice of it than by the change and alteration that is made in us He that would know whether the Sun moveth or not must not look upon the Sun nor can he see the shadow move upon the Dial but if he comes an hour or two hence he may easily discern that the Sun and the shadow are removed and that therefore they did move before But the truth is our Authour holds no such internal work or power needfull to conversion for of the six helps to Quakerisme afforded by such as are counted orthodox this is by him counted the second Their speaking of faith as wrought by some immediate power as besides the word preached but so much for this I think by the like in the Question last rehearsed he may mean also Consolations and sense of heavenly joy for in a discourse of his called A Caveat to true Christians pag. 84 85. he much mislikes that men should gather comfort or assurance from sensible feeling and visits and saith that such are thence called sensual as not living by Faith but upon matters of sense thus he there But where are they called sensual who ever called them so A little before pag. 82. upon those words of the Apostle Peter They that are unlearned wrest the Scriptures he noteth thus He means not unlearned in Aits and languages But I suppose there be few among us though so far illiterate as they be not able to read his book but even by custome of our English language have learned the difference betwixt Sensual and Sensible The word sensual is twice found Jam. 3. and Jude vers. 19. in both places it stands opposed to spiritual and signifies as much as Carnal such as intend onely and are led by their part sensitive or carnal appetite or nature common to us with the bruits sensual having not the Spirit and in our common speech a sensual man is one that is given to brutish pleasures Now shall such a Christian as is visited with the consolations of God and is made sensible of heavenly light and joy that can in some sort take up the Prophets words in the multitude of the sorrows that I had in my heart thy comforts have refreshed my soul be called Sensual It is true that the sense of divine comfort and the light of Gods countenance may denominate persons sensible namely thereof yet not absolutely sensible for such we call them that are apt to perceive and understand readily what is done or said But to say they are absolutely Sensual is so gross a mistake that I cannot but wonder it should fall from him who is skilfull in Arts and languages how soever undervaluing them in others Not living by Faith saith he but upon matters of sense Faith and Sense may be opposed and are sometimes very distant and contrary but not as sense is taken here For they who have as holy Scripture speaketh joy in beleeving or that as the Apostle Peter saith beleeving rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious do live by faith and upon sense too that is upon sensible consolations or perception of divine favour as a man may comfort and chear himself in a winters night by the heat of the fire and the light of it too But what is the reason why we may not beleeve that Christ hath dealt graciously with us in that he hath bestowed upon us the gifts of Faith and Obedience or that we may not conclude spiritual life from spiritual affections and desires It is this because a mans heart is deceitfull The Scripture saith indeed Mans heart