Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	faith_n	truth_n	word_n	3,504	5	4.7108	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08129	Certaine sermons, preached by the reuerend and iudicious diuine master Thomas Nevvhovse late preacher of Gods word in the citie of Norwich. And now set foorth for the vse and benefit of Gods people, by Robert Gallard, Master of Arts and minister in the same citie	Newhouse, Thomas, d. 1611.; Gallard, Robert.	1614 (1614)	STC 18493; ESTC S102789	66,753	182

two nations and not two persons were vnderstood yet all comes to one head for the receiuing of the nation of the Israelites into the couenant and the excluding of the Edomites both descending of Iacob and Esau seeme as well to proue Gods eternall Election and Reprobation as the receiuing and reiecting of particular men Secondly others alleage and say that by loue and hatred we are not to vnderstand the eternal decree of God in Election and Reprobation but temporall blessings wherein Iacob was preferred before Esau especially that to him and his posteritie was vouchsafed the right and possession of the land of Canaan which was denied to his elder brother Answ If this were the meaning of the text then the Apostle should bee accused of vnskilfulnes in alleaging these examples to proue the reiection of the Iewes from the Couenant and indeed they should bee altogether impertinent for though it were granted there were a difference betweene man and man in respect of earthlie blessings yet hereof it followeth not that there should bee the same difference in things concerning the kingdome of heauen Againe the land of Canaan was not onely an earthly inheritance we are not so carnally to conceiue of it but a pledge and figure to our forefathers of a farre better inheritance in heauen and therefore the excluding of Esau from the land of Canaan was a signe that hee was excluded from the couenant of grace and the right of eternall life Lastly it is obiected that to admit this exposition makes Ismael and Esau damned persons which is a hard censure Answ It is the safest to leane secret iudgements touching particucular persons vnto God but whatsoeuer their state is before God the Apostle hath fitly in their two persons both descending from Abraham and both circumcised set forth examples of such as for all their outward prerogatiues are indeed barred from the couenant of life euerlasting before God Againe the opposition made by Paul requires that the contrarie to that which is spoken of Is●●● and Iacob should bee affirmed of Ismael and Esau Neither is there a word in Scriptures which argues in them any disposition of men ordained to eternall life Ismael is noted with the brand of a mocker and Esau of a prophane person And lest any man should think that this doctrine is destitute of the testimony of the Church and of men I referre them to Augustine in his booke de ciuit Dei lib. 15. cap. 1. and to his Enchirid. ad Lauren. cap. 100. and to Thom. part 1. qu. 23. art 1. I may not waste the time in reciting the testimonies at large And thus much of the generall doctrine the vse followeth which is two-fold partly in confutation of error partly in instruction vnto godlinesse Touching confutation it serueth first of all to ouerthrow the error of some Diuines that terme themselues Lutherans and Imitators of Castellio who hold and teach and in their writings publish and maintaine that God for his part hath cast lots of no man but hath willed and decreed to saue all and euery particular man without exception of any so be it they wil beleeue But this confused and vniuersall decree falleth to the ground if God hath sorted and distinguished men in his eternall counsell as wee haue before demonstratiuely proued out of Scriptures But that the truth in this point may bee more euident and error more manifestly detected against this indistinct and generall decree many reasons may bee alleaged First sauing grace is not giuen to all as faith hope loue repentance perseuerance which are the meanes of saluation therefore all are not elected to eternall life the ground of this reason is infallible to wit whosoeuer are ordained to the end are ordained to the meanes which properly and directly serue to the accomplishing of the same end so much the word predestination in Latin signifieth viz. the appointing of such an end which is not but by set and appointed meanes thereunto subordinate as by certaine steps and degrees atchieued And Paul Rom. 8.30 hath so linked and knit these things together that it is impossible to seuer thē but it must needs be that whosoeuer are predestinate they are also called iustified and shall be glorified But it will be replied that sufficiencie of sauing grace is giuen to all though it be not effectual in all that through the default of the receiuers Answ This distinctiō in the matter of grace is frinolous and absurd whatsoeuer Bellarmine or any other can say to the contrary The reason hereof is plaine for that grace be sufficient vnto saluatiō fiue things are required First the collating or donation of grace Secondly power and abilitie to receiue the grace giuen which is done by another grace Thirdly the retaining or keeping of the grace receiued Fourthly the vsing of the grace receiued and kept Fifthly the perseuerance in it or the constant keeping and vsing of the grace giuen and receiued whereof if any bee wanting it is not sufficient if all be there it must needs be effectuall vnlesse we will say that he that continueth to the end in faith and obedience shall not bee saued contrary to the expresse text of scripture Againe these are so coupled and combined together that whosoeuer hath the first grace truly and indeed hee must needes haue the second to wit perseuerance otherwise hee hath not true sauing grace but a shadow of it the perseuerance being a part of the truth of grace 1. Ioh. 2.19 so as men liuing in the Church are then knowne to be counterfeits and hypocrites when they doe not perseuere And if perseuerance doth not alwaies accompanie true sauing grace what will be the difference and preferment of the state of Redemption before the state of Creation Adam before the fall in his innocencie had indeede to can that he would but hee had not to will that he could but whosoeuer are in Christ as all are that haue receiued sauing grace they haue in some measure both posse velle so as it is impossible they should either totally fall or finally perish Mans saluation being put into his owne hands was lost because hee was not confirmed with new grace in the act of temptation but being now committed to the custodie of Christ it is safe sure he hauing ouercome Satan and al the powers of hell by subtiltie and violence whereof it might haue bin endangered To make this plaine by a familiar comparison vsed by * Loc. com pag. 464. Peter Martyr Suppose there were a great weight of timber or stone to be moued if a man shall put to so much force as is sufficient that is so much as may preuaile against the greatnes of the mole motion must necessarily follow in like manner God being to moue the stonie and wicked hearts of men if hee shall of his mercie infuse but so much grace as is sufficient that is so much as will counteruaile the hardnes and prauitie of them it

eternall life beleeued Where the restraint is to be obserued the Apostle doth not make faith common to all but to the elect onely excluding as it is manifest to any indifferent reader all others which were not ordained to life And lest any man might doubt of the equality reciprocation of the members that is faith and election let him reade Tit. 1.1 where the Apostle speaketh of a faith proper to the elect which the article plainly declareth put there for distinction sake noting that there is a faith indeed in reprobates to wit a temporarie or historicall faith but not the faith of the elect viz. sauing and iustifying faith the which whosoeuer hath hath presently eternall life Ioh. 3.36 not only in a blind and coniecturall hope as the Papists say but in a certaine and infallible perswasion grounded vpon the word and promise of God and in such a hope as disappointeth not neither maketh ashamed neither that only but in present possession if wee regard the beginnings of it for there are three degrees of eternall life the first is in this life in faith and regeneration the second in the end of this life in the totall abolishment of sinne which is the accomplishment of mortification the third is after this life at the resurrection in the fulnes of glory wherewith both soule and bodie shall bee replenished for euer wherfore the first degree or entrance into this life is made so soone as a man beginneth to beleeue Further in the same chapter vers 18. hee that beleeueth saith our Sauiour Christ is not condemned neither euer shall be as it appeareth Ioh. 5.24 but hath alreadie passed from death vnto life and Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that by faith are ingrafted into Christ lest any should doubt of their perseuerance hee addeth by way of description that they are such as walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Further that true faith is an infallible note of election it is manifest 2. Tim. 2.21 whosoeuer purgeth himselfe from these hee shall be a vessell vnto honour Whence I reason thus * The syllogisme at large may thus be framed If sanctificatiō be a sure mark of election thē saith is so because sanctification is an inseparable fruit of faith But sanctification is a sure marke of election Therefore c. Sanctification is a sure marke of election now sanctification is a fruit of faith for that alone purifieth the hart Acts 15. Ergo. And indeede Ioh. 14.16.17 our Sauiour Christ denieth that the world that is reprobates can receiue the spirit of regeneration which is the comforter and leader into all truth and Paul 2. Cor. 13.5 excepteth the reprobates from the number of such as haue Iesus Christ dwelling in their hearts by faith By al which it is more then manifest that true sauing grace is neuer communicated to the reprobate Lastly if this doctrine might stand three notable absurdities in Diuinitie would necessarilie follow vpon it First that reprobates in their persons and actions shall sometimes please God viz. when they haue faith and worke from faith for faith is that that makes both person and action acceptable to God but how can this stand with that of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 7.23 who shall pronounce at the day of iudgement of them that were otherwise adorned with most rare and singular gifts and graces of God I neuer knew you at no time I approued you either in your persons or works I neuer acknowledged you for mine which hee would not neither could say if euer they had been indued with true faith for at that time at the least he must needes haue acknowledged them to be his Secondly the certaintie of saluation falleth flat to the ground for the which wee contend so much with the Papists for what other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or medium is there wherby to perswade the conscience of the certaintie of election besides faith which if it be a common grace to the reprobate with the Elect then no certitudo fidei for a man may beleeue the pardon of a sin and yet for all that be a reprobate Thirdly the very reprobate ones shall be true members of Christ and of the Catholike Church which is meere Poperie and the thing that Bellarmine and the Papists labour to establish Secondly the very word Election ouerturneth this deuice of an vniuersall decree for in euery choice there is a taking of some and a refusall of other some and he that electeth cannot be said to take all but some only Obiect To elect is to loue but God loueth all his creatures and therefore chuseth all Answ To elect is not to loue but to destinate and appoint to an eternall loue Againe God loues not all with an equall loue hee is said to loue all in that hee willeth good vnto all but not the good of eternall life Thus Thomas answereth part 1. qu. 23. art 3. Thirdly wee see by the euent that all come not to eternall life but some only how then can we imagine that the finall estate of a man in saluation and damnation should come to passe without the decree of God Ioh. 17.2.11 our Sauiour Christ giueth eternall life to them alone that were giuen him of the Father that is those that were elected now if all had bin elected why did he not speake generally that he gaue eternall life to all but restraineth it to those that were giuen him of the Father But here exception will be made though Gods decree bee vniuersall yet conceiued with a condition which when men doe not obserue no maruell though they miscarrie and come not to eternall life Answ This conditionall decree is a foolish dreame of mans braine and carrieth with it many grosse absurdities First the Scripture hath not spoken a word of it but whensoeuer it mentioneth the decree it simply and categorically propoundeth it as Rom. 9 and Ephe. 1.4 He hath chosen vs before the foundation of the world It will be replied the Gospell is propounded with condition and that is nothing else but Gods predestination reuealed Ans Albeit I confesse that the Gospell doth in some part reueale the decree of God yet it followeth not that it is to bee confounded with it and that they are things distinct one from an other may appeare by these differences First predestination being as it is commonly vsed in Scriptures and in the writings of Diuines referred to the Elect is that wherein God determineth what he will doe touching vs or in vs and hereupon the definition of Augustine is commonly receiued It is the preparation of the blessing of God wherby they are deliuered that are deliuered But the Gospell is that wherein hee determineth by dutie what we are to doe vnto him Secondly in predestination hee defineth both the materiall and formall number as the Schoolemen speake that is who and how many they are that shall be saued which number can neither be