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ground_n believe_v faith_n save_v 1,472 5 6.9646 4 false
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A78145 Reformed religion, or, Right Christianity described in its excellency, and usefulness in the whole life of man by a Protestant-Christian. Barker, Matthew, 1619-1698. 1689 (1689) Wing B777aA; ESTC R42840 61,592 137

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and Earth is named as t●e Apostle speaks I shall therefore endeavour to shew in several distinct Aphorisms what a right Christian is in general and then apply my Discourse to Men in particular Capacities and Relations And I have not been careful to observe Method which my design will not well admit of but have put things down in my Paper as they came into my Thoughts without consulting any Author yet they are all contained in the Scriptures as I could easily shew whence a Christian derives the Practice and Principles of his Religion Of a Right Christian in General FIrst He is one baptized into the Profession of the Christian Faith whether in Infancy or afterwards or whether by sprinkling plunging or dipping I shall not here dispute which is the outward badge or distinguishing Sign of a Christian as Circumcision was to the Jews and is sometimes applyed to persons who prove as flagitious and impious as any that are upon Earth And therefore in the next place besides this outward washing of Water he hath received the washing of Regeneration and the Renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. whereby considered in his first Original he is said to be one born of God as one Apostle speaks 1 John 13. And born of an incorruptible Seed as another Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 1. 23. Born of Water and the Holy Spirit as our Saviour himself speaks John 3. 5. And is made a Christian not born so by Natural Birth as that Ancient Father speaks Tertul. Apolog. Cap. 18. Fiunt non nascuntur Christiani And thô outward Baptism is styled by the Ancients Regeneration Renovation Illumination c. yet it is with respect to the inward Grace which sometimes accompanies and sometimes follows Baptism in the right Christian whereby he is more then a Christian in Name Again He acknowledgeth one only living and true God the Maker of Heaven and Earth and gives divine Honour and Religious Worship to him alone and will not so debase the Incomprehensible God as to make any Image of him to Worship him by In both which he is distinguisht from the Pagans Further He is one who believes the Revelation made of Christ in the ●criptures to be true that he is the Eternal Son of God assumed the Nature of Man offered himself a Sacrifice for the Sin of the World rose from the dead and now makes Intercession in Heaven and will come again to judge the World. Moreover as a Christian he is dead to the Law seeks not Righteousness and Life by it but believes that only through Faith in Christ any Man can be Justified Redeemed Sanctified and Saved and that there is no Salvation in any other whereby a Christian is distinguished from Jews Mahometans and all Infidels whatsoever Again He is one who embraceth the Christian Religion not meerly by the Power of Education or the Example of the place or Countrey where he dwelleth but by the powerful Evidence and Conviction of the Truth of it upon his Mind by the Purity of its Precepts and the transcendent Reward it exhibits in its Promises to them that sincerely profess and practise it He knows also That as he is a Christian he is called to Liberty yet useth it not for occasion to the Flesh or to free himself from the obligation of any Duty he owes to God or Man but to keep his Conscience free from bondage to the Commands of the Ceremonial Law or the rigorous Commands of the Moral Law of God or the sinful Injunctions and Commandments of Men. Further He measures not the Mysteries in Christianity by the Line of his own finite Reason he knowing that the Natural Man discerns not the things of the Spirit but believes them because God hath revealed them though he cannot comprehend them yet is daily seeking further illumination in the knowledge of Spiritual things being Spiritually discerned and doth realize to himself by Faith the things that are not perceptible by Sense He is one also who as he bears the Name of Christ so he follows him as his Master and Teacher and sets before him the Example of his Life as his pattern to imitate Imitari quem colimus est summa Christianitatis Lactant. He having left us an example that we should follow his steps saith the Apostle He is one who feels in himself a daily combate betwixt Flesh and Spirit as Jacob and Esau strugling in the same Womb but is Crucifying the fleshly part that he may be like to Christ in his Death and is striving to rise up into the power of a Spiritual life that he may be like him in his Resurrection and which are both signified in his Baptism and by a serious Contemplation of the Death and Resurrection of Christ by the eye of Faith and the help of the Spirit he is arriving to both these which is a Mystery only known in the Christian Religion Further He believing that Christ is Ascended into Heaven and entred the Vail in th● name of all his People and there sits at th● right hand of God it doth raise up the Affection of his Heart and the Contemplation of his Mind to things that are Above which is peculiar also to a Christian and above the Sphere of meer Morality Again He is no Enthusiast expecting a Divine Teaching by Immediate Inspiration bu● owning and receiving the Scriptures as the holy Oracles of God he reads them and studies the knowledge of them for his direction in Faith and Practice Contra Scriptur a● nemo Christianus August Neither is he a Sceptick in Religion of a giddy unsetled Mind tossed too and fro with every wind of Doctine but having received the Truth he stands fast in it and wherein he doubteth makes sober inquiry and doth willingly receive instruction that he may be sound in the Faith and compleat in the whole Will of God but resigns not up his Judgment or Practice in Religion to the Conduct or command of any Person or Church so as not to satisfie himself in the Grounds and Reasons of his Faith and Obedience that his serving God may be a reasonable Service and not blind Devotion Neither is he a Solisidian hoping to be saved meerly by Believing or naked Assent but is one Zealous of good Works as being profitable to Men acceptable to God honourable to Religion and necessary to Salvation Yet he knows they must spring from Faith and are not sufficient of themselves to his Justification in the sight of God and therefore he puts not his trust in them but in the Mercy of God and perfect Righteousness of Jesus Christ which Bellarmin himself at last thought the safest way Further He being sensible of his own insufficiency depends upon God for that daily supply of his Grace whereby he may have his Heart in a readiness for every good work and may shew forth his Faith by his love to God and Men. He is one who makes all his approaches to God by the one Mediator the Man