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
A85829	A mistake, or misconstruction, removed. (Whereby little difference is pretended to have been acknowledged between the Antinomians and us.) And, Free grace, as it is held forth in Gods Word, as wel by the prophets in the Old Testament, as by the apostles and Christ himself in the New, shewed to be other then is by the Antinomian party in these times maintained. In way of answer to some passages in a treatise of Mr. John Saltmarsh, concerning that subject. / By Thomas Gataker, B. of Divinity and pastor of Rotherhith.	Gataker, Thomas, 1574-1654.	1646 (1646)	Wing G323; Thomason E333_22; ESTC R200760	44,396	50

les upon groundles grounds we may wel say of such perswasions as himself elswhere of desires b Pag. 28. Who is there that have not a desire All the World of common believers are carried on by this principle of a desire and are they not by the like principle of a perswasion 2. c Page 37. Men cannot believe too suddenly d Acts 8.13 Yes they may believ too sodainly as did Simon the sorcerer sure too soon and if too soon then too sodainly presume and be perswaded they may of Christs love if that be faith 3. e Page 98. None can beleev too hastily on Jesus Christ Tru. but to beleev on Jesus Christ and to have some perswasion more or les of Christs love are divers things 4. f Ibid. We ought not to stay the exercise of our Faith for repentance or humiliation or any other grace As much as to say beleev we may the we do not repent directly contrary to g Mark 1 15. Christs own and h Acts 20.21 his Apostles method Yea but can we have tru faith then without repentance and without any other grace 5. i Page 92. None ought to qestion whether they beleev or no. Yet the Apostles incite men to try their faith and the sincerity of it both k 2 Cor. 13.5 Paul and l James 2.14 18 20. James 6. m Page 97. In the Gospel all are immediately called to beleev To day if ye wil heare his voice Were they called on so in the Gospel and were they not called on in like manner under the Law I suppose those words were the n Psalm 95.7 Psalmists before they were the o Heb. 3.7 Apostles And are not men called upon in the Gospel to repent immediately as wel as to beleev p Acts 17.30 Paul was mistaken sure if it were not so and our Saviour himself saith q Mark 1.15 Repent and beleev 7. r Page 93. Christ commands to beleev and this is his commandement that we should beleev in the name of his Son Jesus Christ Now commands of this nature must be obeyed not disputed Gods servants do not reason their duty out first with themselves but fall to doing as they are commanded And doth not Christ command ſ Matth. 4.17 to repent as wel as to beleev yea doth he not t Mark 1.15 command first to repent and then to beleev for in that order his words run And had this Autor but writ or red out the text he cites he had found somewhat more then faith in it u 1 John ● ●● This is his command that we beleev in his Son Jesus Christ and that we love one another as he gave us commandement But why commands of this nature is not the commandement of repentance and charity and conversion and humiliation of the same nature with that of faith and belief or are there any of Gods Commandements then that because not of this nature may be disputed and not obeyed for some such matter do these terms of restriction import to wit that some of Gods commands are of that nature that they must be obeyed and not disputed others of that nature that they may not be obeyed but disputed No servant indeed of God ought to reason his duty why God should command him to do this or that either with God or with himself but when he doubteth what it is that God enjoyneth him he may x Rom. 12.2 Eph. 5.10 examine and search what the good will of God is that he may not be mistaken in it and so think that he hath done what he should when he hath done nothing les like those that y John 16.2 thought they did God good service when they did that that he utterly abhorred and when they have done what they supposed they should do they may without wrong or disparagement to their Master unles the Apostle were mistaken z Gal. 6.4 try and examine their work whether it were so done as it should be Yea but saith this Autor 8. a Pag. 95. We ought no more to question our faith which is our first and foundation grace then we ought to question Christ the foundation of our faith 9. b Pag. 93. I find not any in the whole cours of Christs preaching or the disciples when they preached to them to beleev asking the qestion whether they beleeved or no or whether their faith were tru faith or no. I find one saying c Mark 9.24 I beleev Lord help mine unbelief but not Lord whether do I believ or no and d Luke 17.5 Lord increase my faith but not Lord whether is this tru faith or no It would be a strange qestion to ask the Master of the feast whether his dainties were reall or a delusion would not such a question disparage him for a sorcerer So in the things of the Spirit to be over-jealous of the truth of them as many tempted poor souls are doth not become the faithfulnes of Jesus Christ Why Faith should be called the first and foundation grace I know not tho e See Robinsons O●●●rva o●s Chap. 10 § 4. many of our Divines so speake I suppose with f See Pembel of Grace and Faith p. 7. 12. others and without prejudice to any of contrary judgement that as there is the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. de trac cohib seed and spawn of all sin together in mans heart from the time of his naturall birth so there is the seed of all grace sown together in mans soul at the very first instant of his spirituall new birth and that faith is a branch of sanctification as all other graces of the like nature are But to let that pas a man may qestion his faith and yet not qestion Christ for Christ may be Christ tho this or that party have no share in Christ or to use his description of faith be not perswaded more or les that Christ loves him a man tho he qestion not the foundation it self yet he may qestion whether he have built on it or beside it and so whether that be a foundation unto his building or no. And I make no qestion but that many that pretend to believ yea that are perswaded they do so and wil not easily be beaten of from that their perswasion and stick not to compare for belief with the best yet had need to have their faith tried and may wel have it qestioned as wel others as by themselves Yea we find in Scripture examples and instances of such as might wel have qestioned whether they beleeved aright or no and whether the faith they made profession of were tru or no. g Acts 8.13 ●3 Simon the forcerer sure might have done wel to qestion and try the truth of his faith nor might those resembled by h Luke 8.13 the seed sowen in the rockie ground but wel have done the like by

theirs as also those i John 2.23 24. who tho they are said to believ in Christ yet Christ himself would not trust them and those vain k James 2.14 18 20. ones James speakes of that had a fruitles and baren faith Nor were this to aske the master of the feast whether his dainties were meer delusions or to make our blessed Saviour for he I suppose is the feast master he meaneth a sorcerer but to enqire whether we our selves have not been deluded when in some night vision such as the enthusiasts of our times too much hanker after we have with l Luciani Micyllus in Somnio sive Gallo Lucians sowter dreamed of a great feast and of such his dainties and of communion with him in them when as all hath been nothing but m Esay 29.7 8. a nightly delusion They did not qestion the truth of God that sought for wisdome whereby to discern between Gods messages brought by his Prophets and those n Jer. 23.25 26. dreamers dotages who yet pretended to be sent by God as wel as the best and would not stick to demand of Gods Prophets o 1 Kings 21.24 when the Spirit of God went from themselves to speak unto them Nor did the Apostle Paul when he called upon the Corinthians to p 2 Cor. 13.5 try their faith nor the Apostle John when he called on the faithful to q 1 John 4.1 try the Spirits whether they were of God or no thereby incite them to qestion Christ the foundation of faith or to qestion Gods Spirit the worker of it but to be wise and wary in discerning between truth and falshood between sound and unsound between faith wel grounded and deceitful fancies and groundles presumptions between teachers delivering the doctrine of life and grace according to the word and such as warping from that rule yet pretended to have the Spirit Tru it is indeed that mans weaknes in the apprehension of the work of Gods Spirit in him may make the truly godly without ground or good cause sometime to qestion the truth of it in them but there is no ground or just cause for any thence to infer that no man ought to qestion whether he believe or no or whether his faith be tru or no. every one otherwise should be bound to presume that he doth beleev and that his faith is tru faith For not to insist on that which we lately touched on that when the Apostle called upon some to try their faith he presumed that some such faith there was as would not go for currant but would proov r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unsound when it came to the touch or the test and when he useth more then once that discriminating term of ſ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.5 2 Tim. 1.5 faith not counterfeit or unfained he implies therein that there may be counterfeits and there are indeed not a few as of Christianity so of faith Not to insist hereon I say this Autor himself acknowledgeth that t Pag. 9. there may be a kind of faith as in them that believed in the parable and in time of temptation fell away and yet not in the power of Christ nor in the life of the Spirit and that u Pag. 8. such faith tho a ded faith may go far in resemblance carying the image of something like the new man and whether think we then is such faith to be questioned or no or wil this Autor say that for those that have such a faith to call their own faith in qestion is to qestion Christ himself But indeed according to this Autors ground there is no need for any man to qestion what manner of faith his faith is since that without any such ado whatsoever his faith be he may have interest in Christ For saith he 10. x Page 30. For the way of comming by a right or purchasing an interest in this righteousnes or salvation wrought by Christ it is held forth without price or works onely for taking and receiving and believing on all being wrought to our hands so as this is as good a ground for one to believ on as another without exception y Pag. 153. the covenant being such as was established with Noah Gen. 9.11 nothing reqired on mans part and z Pag. 30. this being a Scripture way he would upon these principles leav a soul Where to set aside his terms of purchase and price as if ought in that kind were by any of us attributed to faith or repentance or any work of ours and yet herein he contradicteth himself when he telleth us one while that salvation is held out a Pag. 24 30. freely by the Prophet Esay in that phrase without price and yet an another while that b Pag. 167. all the ministery of the Prophets did run in this strain as if Gods love were to be had in way of purchase by duty and doing Nor to resume again what hath been formerly said of believing and receiving another manner of matter then this man makes of them And that the like may be charged on him to that he chargeth upon the Legalists to wit c Pag. 29. propounding to men the promises of the Gospel with such conditions of repentance d Pag. 19.21 27 and sorrow for sin c. which because they are things that they e Page 27. can not do f Pag. 29. in steed of drawing a soul unto Christ put it further of from him for may it not as wel be objected to him as it is by him to them that he professeth indeed to make an offer of free grace and free promises but he propounds them so clogged with conditions of receiving and taking believing on that these being such as men are not able to do of themselvs g Ibid. they dare not medale with them until they be prepared by Christ Unles this Autor can or dare say that men may and can believ on Christ tho they cannot repent of their sins or be sorry for them and that the one is an easier work then the other or is not of h Ephes 2.8 Gods gift and i Phil. 1.29 a work of grace as wel as k Acts 5.31 11 18. the other But not to insist on these things If there be as good ground for any one without exception to believ as another that is as he defines faith to perswade himself that Christ loves him and he hath a share in the salvation purchased by him why did not Peter exhort Simon the sorcerer to perswade himself so but bad him l Acts 8.22 23 repent and pray for pardon yea why doth he himself make distinction of persons saying d Pag. 57. I speak now to the weak and wounded believers for sins not to the carnall and unregenerate in sin Yea if the Covenant of the Gospel that is of life and salvation by Christ be

as absolute without any condition on mans part as that e Gen. 9 9 10. with Noah concerning the not drowning of the whole world again then it is all one whether men receav it and believ it or no the promise of life and salvation and the covenant made with Christ concerning it shal be made good unto them as wel as that made with Noah shal be made good unto men whether they know it and heare it and believ it or no so that his clause of onely for taking and receiving and believing on is here idle and frivolous the promise and covenant being as free and absolute in the one as in the other and nothing at all not so much or les then so in that other reqired This therefore is not onely no Scripture way tho he so term it but a cours directly cros and contradictory to Scripture tending to encourage men whether they be penitent or continu impenitent whether they come out of their sins or continu stil in them yet to perswade themselves or presume rather that they shal be saved by Christ and such unsound and rotten principles wil in the end proov like Egypt unto those that rely on them as f Esay 36.6 a bruised staf of reed or cane that is not onely unable to stay a man up and support him but wil run into his hand and with the shivers maim him that shal rest himself on it Wil you see then the sum of this mans Diviniti who complaineth so oft of and taxeth as g Page 71. gros and carnall h Pag. 40. the Divinity of former ages and these times The result of all the fore-mentioned assertions is in effect this The promises of the Gospel to wit of life and salvation by Christ belong to all without exception to sinners as sinners and to all consequently because all are sinners and all therefo e are immediately bound to believ what but these promises which are not at all conditionall but absolute as absolute as that promise to Noah of never drowning the world again nor is any man in any wise to question his faith nor what ground he hath for such his belief And what followes from these premises but that men may be saved whether they repent or no tho they never turn to God or persist in a lewd and loose cours of life to the last I might wel have added whether they believ or no tho they never attain to tru faith For Christ he says may be ours without faith and if no condition at all be reqired on mans part as in that covenant with Noah then not so much as belief and he reiects therefore i Page 198. the reformed and more generally received opinion as himself terms it of salvation in Christ by faith instrumentally intervening and k Ibid. that none are partakers of free salvation but by faith as if he were directly bent to cros and contradict that of the Apostle l Ephes 2.8 Ye are saved by grace through faith and m 2 Thes 2.13 God hath elected you unto salvation by sanctification and n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sicut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 4.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 6 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 1.5 tru faith Which what is it but to teach men to believ a lie that God wil save such as indeed never shal be saved and to encourage them upon groundles perswasions and misapprehensions the more securely never qestioning how it stands with them to run on hoodwinked untill sodainly they fall headlong into hell I remember while I abode at Lincolns Inne to have visited sometime a religious Lady sister to a reverend Divine of speciall note in those daies whom I found somewhat perplexed the ground therof arising from some conference that had newly passed between her and a grave Divine of great repute but in somethings warping a little the way that these men now run who qestioning with her about her estate upon delivery of such principles as she supposed to have good ground from Gods Word for the triall of her faith and interest thereby in Christ began to chide her and told her that she went needlesly about the bush when she had a neerer and readier way at hand Then being demanded what cours he would advise her to take he told her she must thus reason much after this Autors manner God will save sinners But I am a sinner Therefore God will save me To passe by what I farther spake either in confirmation of the way she was in or the confutation of this new one I told her not to trouble her with rules of Logike or Schole maximes to discover this fallacy she might with as good ground thus reason God wil damn sinners But I am a sinner Therefore God wil damn me And the conclusion I doubt not in this latter how ever it follow from the premises for twenty to one at least wil by woful experience proov the truer of the twain Howbeit if as the Apostle saith of some that o 2 Thes 2.11 they are given up to strong delusions that believ some kind of lies I know not what to say or think of those that teach men to believ such lies as these are Yea but this way of trying our faith and estate by signes and marks it is but p Page 28. a broken work q Ibid. a narrow a weake r Page 29 96 a puzling ſ Page 34. a perplexing t Page 77. a distracting u Pag. 71. a gros a carnal way For with all these deterring and debasing terms is this Autor pleased to commend and adorn it Yet 1. some ye see have been needlesly puzzeld and perplexed by suggestions from such principles as this Autor here lays when they were quietly setled on good ground in the other way before by such as have disturbed them in it and sought to beat them out of it as this Autor throughout his whole discours here doth And as for his x Title-page experiment of a disquieted soul tossed to and fro by times for twelv yeers together among * See out of this Autor p. 37 40 85. hereafter those bungling or cheating Chirurgeons our Legal Teachers who either for want of skil could not or for their own ends would not give him any ease but powred in Wine or Vineger rather in stead of Oyl into his wounds to keep them from closing and could have no rest or ease therefore until he was setled on those Antinomian principles the relation whereof is the main subject of his whol dramaticall discours I could quit him if need were with somewhat the like story of one that having taken some evil courses troubled much and long in mind about them could not satisfie himself in ought untill he turned Papist and had upon shrift by a Popish priest been assoyled but these are unsound and sandy grounds to

build new courses upon for assurance of sound peace here or salvation hereafter 2. Be it a puzzeling way or no and such as it is here said to be it is a Scripture way sure as this Autor himself can not deny but is enforced to confesse tho in the very same place where he makes such acknowledgement speaking of it in very base and broad language il-beseeming a Minister of the Gospel as he professeth himself to be For first in way of answer to that doubt x Page 81. Because ye feel not your self sanctified you think not your self justified 1. y Ibid. I shal allow you saith he your sanctification so far as the Scripture doth as a lower motive and more carnally mixed way of perswasion and assurance of justification z Page 32. such as by spiritually carnal works of obedience and holines can give but a mixed act of assurance at the best being of a mixt natu e of flesh and Spirit Where 1. I wil not stand to pres those places where Christ is said to be a 1 Cor. 1.30 made unto us as wel sanctification as righteousnes and redemption and where those that are b 1 Cor. 6.11 washed by him are said to be as wel sanctified as justified I wil give him onely his own words out of his Preface c Occasionall word p. 3. Righteousnesse and Holines blood and water Jesus and Lord Christ called and justified are stil to be found together in the word And if they go thus together then the one may with good ground evidence the other nor can the one be where the other is not Nor are Gods Messengers to be jeered and scoffed at as Legal Teachers and Miscelane Divines for joyning them together in their teaching Yea if God in his word have so linked these together what guilt incur they that seek to divorce them and bear men in hand that they may have the one tho they have not the other 2. For those broad and base terms that he brandeth this assurance with for which he might justly expect an heavy reckoning but that he fancieth * See before f om page 174. no believer accountable to God for any sin I shal for present onely demand of him what he thinks of Faith because he saith that tho d Page 189. Christ be ours without faith yet by it we know him to be ours whether our Faith be not of a mixt condition like the poor mans in the Gospel that had some dregs of e Mark 9.24 infidelity mixt with it and whether the assurance arising from such Faith be therefore but a mixt act of assurance at the best as if the assurance that the pledges f Ephes 1.14 2 Cor. 1.22 5.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pignus vel arra potius or earnests rather of Gods Spirit gives to the soul depended upon the perfection or qantity of them and Gods penny were not an earnest for that purpose as good and as sure as a pound But let us hear what he saith further to those Scriptures where such marks and signs are to such purpose propounded 2. g Page 32. The marks saith this Autor as others of the same stamp before him delivered in the Epistles of John and James c. are rather marks for others then for our selvs to know us by Which is so directly contrary to the main intendement and expres words of either Apostle that it may worthily be wondered that any man of an ingenuous disposition should have the face or forhead to averre it For whom doth James direct his whole discours unto but to h Thou vain man Jam. 2.20 the party himself whose faith was to be tried or whom did John labour to give assurance to concerning their estate but to those i 1 John 1.5 whose joy and comfort arising from the apprehension of that their own blessed condition he intended and desired thereby to improov Yea that both James and Johns intendement is as to undeceiv those whose faith and profession was not sound and sincere in their as frivolous because groundles so perilous and pernicious because presumptuous conceits and mistakes concerning themselvs whereby they deceaved and beguiled k Page 9. not others more as this Autor himself speaks then themselves so to settle the truly faithful and religious in a more firm and ample assurance of that their estate their own words evidently avow l James 1.26 If any man among you saith the one seem religious and bridle not his toung m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sicut Gal. 6.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 1.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he deceives his own heart and his religion is vain And n 1 John 1.6 If we say saith the other that we have communion with him and walk in darknes we lie and deal not truly and as in those words for the negative o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so in the next for the affirmative p Verse 7. If we walk in light as he is in the light we have communion God and we either with other and the blood of Jesus Christ his Sonne cleanseth us from all sin And y●t more expresly to cut of all cavils q 1 John 3.14 We know not that you or others I know not who but that we our selvs are passed from death to life because we love the brethren And again r 1 John 3.19 Hereby we know that we are of the truth and may ſ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uti Synes in encome alv cor navis instar rudente valido anchore littorive affixae fumatum habebimus ab Homero sumptum qi de Vlysse Odyss v. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de qo Plut. in garrul unde emendandus idem in de irac cohib ubi pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ligitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qod ansam dedit Gilb. Cognato in Adag Jo. Hartungo in loc memorab novum prov●roium comminiscendi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qod Obedientiam Homericam verterunt qo modo locus alter ille Hadr. Junio imposuit qi Animum in Pisa obfirma tanqam aliud d●certaminibus Pisaeis tractum proverbium inde procudit Voculae sensum usumqe optimè exprimunt illa apud Plut. de virt mor. Poetae nescio cujus sic emendanla 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi Plut. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eadem qae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epicteto l 2. c. 20. stay or assure not other mens minds of us but our own hearts not in mans ey but in his that is in Gods sight And whence ariseth this assurance of acceptance with God and prevalence with him in their prayers for that is also subjoyned And whatsoever we reqest of him we receiv t 1 John 3.22 because saith the Apostle we keep his Commandements and do those things that are wel pleasing in his sight We might again here

to deem and determine whether some assertions scattered here and there in this discours do not warp too much that way among the rest whereof take these for a tast 1. k Treatise p. 102. The promises belong to sinners as sinners l Pag. 104. not as repenting or humbled sinners Whereas our Saviour saith that m Mark 9.13 he came to call sinners to repentance and to save conseqently not all but penitent sinners onely for n Luke 13.3 5. ● unlesse they do repent he tels them expresly they shal perish 2. o Pag. 186. All that ever received Christ received him in a sinful condition Yet the Apostle enformes us that that faith whereby we receiv Christ for p John 1.12 to receiv him the Evangelist tels us is to believ on him is not an holy onely but q Jude 20. a most holy faith nor can a man be said to be in a sinful condition whose r Acts 15.9 26.18 heart is possessed of so holy an habite or disposition term it whether you please nor can the heart act to the receiving of Christ until it be thereof possessed For how can a man put forth an holy act while he remains stil altogether unholy ſ Pag. 17● 3. They are but weak beleevers and like melancholy people who think things far otherwise then they truly are right smoking Flax wherein there is more smoke then light more ignorance then tru discerning Which among other things t Pag. 173. think poor souls that tho God be reconciled with them and love them at some times yet he may be provoked again angry again for new sins and failings and are then much troubled how to come at any peace again as they were before u Pag. 174. they suppose they can not sin so as they do and yet not be accountable x Ibid. and think that afflictions are sent upon them for their sins Yet the Apostle telleth the Corinthians that they might and did a 1 Cor. 10 22. provoke God by som unadvised courses and carriages and that b 1 Cor. 11.30 for some such Gods afflicting hand was upon them and I suppose God called them then to account But what is this but to encourage men freely to offend and sin without feare of offending of God or provoking him to wrath or being ever called to any account or chastised at all for it making God like a fond indulgent father an other Ely if not more regardles then c 1 Sam. 2.23.25 he of his childrens cariage not affected at all with it tho it be never so scandalous and disgraceful to their Christian profession Of the same or the like stamp is that which followeth tending to beat men off from being troubled at all for their sins as d Psal 51.1 3. 2 Sam. 24 10. David or e Matth. 26.75 Peter were and from seeking to make up the breaches made between God and them by their sins and to make their peace again with him by their renewed practice of repentance 4. f Pag. 168. All worship and spirituall obedience is to run in the way of this dispensation not for procuring love or peace with God nor for pacifying 5. g Pag. 44. There is nothing but the taking in of the Law and accusings and condemnations of it that can trouble the quiet and peace of any soul for where there is no law there is no transgression and where there is no transgression there is no trouble for sin all trouble arising from the obligement of the Law which demands satisfaction of the soul for the breach of it and such a satisfaction as the soul knows it cannoe give and thereby remains unqiet as a debter that hath nothing to pay Yet David albeit h 2 Sam. 12.13 having from the mouth of God by a special expresse received a release from the condemnations of the Law was i Psal 51.3 troubled and that not a little for his sin if we may believ him or the Spirit of God speaking by him nor was that therefore the ground of his trouble for his sin nor is it the onely ground of such trouble that this Autor here affirms But proceed we 6. k Pag. 7● No sin can make one les beloved of God Had he added but or les liked he had spoken full out in plain terms after the usuall Antinomian strain but he is somewat more cautions herein then some other Yet being a scholler he need not be minded of that distinction so common in the schools of a love of benevolence and a love of complacence tho God never loved David the les in regard of wishing wel to him for any sin committed by him yet was he not so wel pleased l 2 Sam. 11.27 14.10 with him when he committed some sins nor was he in regard of his paternall displeasure after the committing of them m Psal 32.3 5. reconciled unto him until he repented of them and humbled himself for them But his reason 7. n Pag. 80. Nothing in us can make God love us les because he loves us not for any thing in our selvs but in and through Christ Yet God doth love us also by his good leav for his own graces in us and our exercises of the same o John 6.27 The Father himself loves you saith our Savior to his Disciples because ye love me and believ that I came out from God 8. p Ibid. If he should love us more or les as we sin more or les he should be as man And in some things he is as man for q Gen. 1.27 9.4 1 Cor. 11.7 man bears God image and r Eph. 4.24 1 John 3 3. a good man resembles God God is in somethings as a natural father himself saith it ſ Psalm 103.13 As a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth those that fear him Yea in this particular he is like a discreet parent who tho he love his child deerly as wel when he doth amisse as when he doth well yet is he not so wel pleased with him nor can take that delight in him when he seeth him take some evil course as otherwise he might and should yea therefore is he then angry with him because he loves him and chastiseth him for this end to reclaim him from the same Thus the Antinomians themselves confes that God caried himself toward his in the times of the Old Testament And the like Christ himself professeth of himself in the New Testament t Revel 3.19 20 As many saith he as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent To these may be added those other his assertions concerning Faith 1. a Pag 94. Faith is truly and simply this a being perswaded more or les of Christs love And what prophane wretch almost is not prone enough hereunto or may not nourish such a perswasion more or