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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	hear_v	receive_v	word_n	3,147	5	5.3302	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76313	A door of salvation opened unto all men: or a short treatise, discovering that all man-kinde as they are considered under the fall of Adam, have an equal and a like respect with almighty God, and that by Jesus Christ he hath prepared eternal salvation for all, and afforded unto all, means sufficient to bring them thereunto. In which also, sundry objections, grounds of reason, and texts of scripture, for the contrary opinion are alleadged and answered. / By R.B.	R. B.	1648 (1648)	Wing B166; Thomason E1166_1; ESTC R208726	64,273	125

the foresaid opinions with all the evil consequences thereof Flee youthfull lusts and follow after righteousnesse faith charity peace with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart the neglect whereof occasioned the falling away of those afore-mentioned as by the coherence of these verses doth manifestly appear 2. Nor doth it any better suite with the Text it self wherein Timothy is required with meeknesse to instruct those that oppose themselves the end whereof as also of Gods forbearance being every where in the Scriptures declared to be none other than mens repentance and therefore to whomsoever the same is vouchsafed the possibility of their repentance thereby must needs be supposed because it doth not stand with the wisdome of God to propound an end from such means whereby it cannot possibly be effected And it s frequently to be observed in Christ that he directeth his instruction only to those that have ears to hear Mat. 11.15 13 43. Reve. 2.7 11 17 29 verses chapter 3 6 13 22 verses Thereby doubtlesse to informe us that if men were absolutely uncapable of hearing and receiving the same it should not at all be preached unto them Besides It cannot be supposed that God should command his servants to cast holy things unto Swine to be trampled under their feet or to spil the immortall and incorruptible Seed of his Word as water upon the ground the consequence of the contrary opinion seeing that it is delivered by him for a generall rule to be observed by them That when men by their preaching unto them were fully enlightened in the knowledge of his Grace and of eternall Salvation brought unto them by Jesus Christ and should then wilfully and stubbornly reiect the same put it from them and judge themselves unworthy thereof thereby declaring that no hopes of their repentance were to be expected from thence that then they should depart from them and cease to preach any further unto them Acts 13.45 46 47. And therefore it may not be imagined that either the persons intended in the text whom Timothy was required to instruct or any other to whom the Gospel was sent to be preached were altogether uncapable of improving the same to the end thereof Which considered the meaning of the Apostle in this place must be understood only as if he should have commanded Timothy to instruct with meeknesse those that oppose themselves because that paradventure at one time or other they might hearken therunto lay it to heart and improve the same to their repentance c. God being said as was shewed before not only to give unto us such things wherewith we are immediatly possessed by his meer devotion but all such things likewise which are obtained by our laborious industry and improvement of the means vouchsafed unto us for those ends He giveth unto us richly all things to enjoy 1 Tim. 6.17 Day by Day he giveth unto us our daily bread 5. The fifth text alleadged is Rom. 11.5 6. The words are these Even so at this present time also there is a remnant according to the Election of Grace and if by Grace then is it no more of workes otherwise Grace is no more Grace but if it be of workes then it is no more of Grace otherwise worke is no more worke From whence it is conceived that by the Covenant of Grace all workes on mens part either in reference to their Election or Salvation are wholly excluded and that there is not any thing required to be done by them thereunto Answ To which I answer first That it was shewed before in answer to Rom. 8.28 29 30. That Election is not in the first but in the second Adam not of the disobedient but of the repentant godly rich in Faith c. which with comparing the 4 verse with the 5 before alleadged will receive further confirmation For when in the 4 vers the Apostle having declared That those whom God reserved to himself in the daies of Elias were such only who in obedience unto him refused to bow the knee to the Image of Baal In the 5 verse he addeth That even so at this present time also there is a remnant according to the Election of Grace which is as if he should have said Whereas a great number of the Israelites are rejected and cast off from the favour of God you are not to conceive them to be so rejected for any other cause then for their wilfull and stubborn disobedience against his word revealed unto them chap. 1.17 chap. 10.18 21. chap. 11.20 For as in the daies of Elias he reserved to himself all those that hearkened unto him and refused to bow to the Image of Baal Even so likewise at this time he reserveth to himself for his sonnes and daughters all those that submit themselves to his righteousnesse chap. 10.3 Harden not their hearts Hebr. 3.8 17 18 19. Nor judge themselves unworthy of eternall life Acts 13.46 47. Nor yet doth he so reject any of them for their unbelief but that he will readily accept of them again if that they doe not continue therein Rom. 11.23 2. I answer That when the Apostle saith That Election to Salvation is not of workes but of Grace he doth not thereby exclude all works in reference therunto but the workes of perfection according to the law of innocency and creation only from which estate man-kinde being fallen Eccl. 7.29 their Justification and Salvation thereby must needs be altogether impossible That Grace doth not exclude all Workes doth evidently appear from hence viz. That integrity and uprightnes of heart which properly consisteth in a ready and chearfull conformity to all the Commandments of God made known unto us so far forth as opportunity and ability doth afford is required of every man to his Salvation Gen. 17.1 2 7. 1 Chron. 28.9 Mat. 6.48 Mat. 19.16 17 21. In which respect Christ implieth the young man Mat. 19.21 23. that refused to sell all that he had and give to the poor and to take up his Crosse and follow him when it was required of him to be imperfect and incapable of entring into eternall life And S. John denieth that man to have the love of God dwelling in him that seeth his brother stand in need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion towards him 1 John 3.17 And from hence it is that S. James declareth That that faith which obtaineth justification is made perfect thorough workes Iames 2.21 22 23 * Abrahams integrity engaged him to offer up his Son upon the Altar when it was required of him and by offering of him up he is said to fulfill the Scripture which said that he believed God Jam. 2.23 Which plainly argueth that all knowne duties or works within a mans power to be performed are so essentiall to integrity and faith that they cannot possibly be distinguished whence Abraham that one while is said to be justified by faith Rom. 4.9 is otherwhiles by S. James chap. 2.21 declared

2.3 Secondly Because it is also to be observed That when he useth the concurrence of man for the accomplishing of any worke he alwaies distinguisheth the work of man from that which belongeth to himself to perform therein and whatsoever he requireth of them in such cases that he will have to be performed by them and will not himself do it for them As first when he gave the people in the wildernes water out of the rock Numb 20.8 he precisely distinguisheth unto Moses the work that he required of him thereunto Take the rod saith he and gather the Assembly together thou and Aaron thy brother and speak ye unto the rock before their eies and it shall give forth his water Secondly Likewise when he promised to deliver the City of Jericho unto his people for the over-throw of the walls thereof he plainly and evidenty declared what he required of them to that end Josh 6.3 4 5. Ye shall compasse the City saith he all ye men of warre and goe about the City once thus shalt thou doe six daies And seven Priests shall bear before the Ark seven Trumpets of Rams-horns and the seventh day ye shall compasse the City seven times and the Priests shall blow with the Trumpets And it shall come to passe that when they make a long blast with the Rams-horns and when ye hear the sound of the Trumpets all the people shall shout with a great shout and the wall of the City shall fall Thirdly And also when he made it his work to destroy the Canaanites and the other Nations for their great and abominable wickednesse and to give the possession of their Land to the children of Israel he clearly manifested unto them what he would have performed on their part for the accomplishment thereof They were to observe his Word and to obey his voice As we reade Exod. 23.20 21 22. and in particular to goe armed before the Lord unto battel Num. 32.20 And he himself would cause the hearts of their enemies to fail them for fear and make them turn their backs upon them untill they were destroyed Exod. 23.27 And this he doth Because that he will not give his glory unto another Isa 42.8 which would necessarily follow upon his requiring of men and assigning unto them the performance of those things which immediately concerneth himself or by his not distinguishing the work of man from his own in such actions wherein his concurrence is required In regard that no man can possibly ascribe unto him the honour of that work which is not evidently discovered to be wrought by him Whereas therefore we finde that men are absolutely commanded to repent c. and are no where required to stand still or wait upon God untill such time as he shall necessitate them thereunto nor yet can finde any distinction made therein as that man should doe this or that and that God will doe the rest repentance as it is considered whether in the disposition of the minde or in the actions and exercise thereof must be concluded the peculiar work of men by the use and improvement of the means vouchsafed unto them by God for that purpose the which will further appear from these grounds 1. Because that the penitent shall rise up in judgement against the impenitent and condemn them as appeareth by the words of Christ in Mat. 12.41 The men of Nineveh saith he shall rise up in judgement against this generation and condemn them because they repented at the preaching of Jonas and behold a greater then Jonas is here which could not be if that repentance were the peculiar work of God and not of men by the improvement of the means For where there is no difference in men but that which is enforced in them by God the one can be no accusation against the other in respect of any such difference for as he that did repent would not have repented if he had not been enforced so he that did not repent would have repented if that he had been enforced And therefore the men of Nineveh if they were enforced to repent can be no greater an accusation against the Iews for their impenitency in the day of judgement then Benjamins brethren can be against him in respect of the cup that was put into his sack against his will or procurement 2. Because the Scriptures doe plainly declare That God doth not require of men beyond what he giveth unto them means to attain unto as we may perceive in the Parable of the talents in Luk. 19.15 where none are called to give an account before Christ at his coming but those to whom before hand he had delivered his money to be improved nor nothing required of any of them but proportionably to that which was delivered to them to whom he giveth much he asketh the more again according to his saying in Luk. 12.48 And so on the contrary From whence it doth follow That seeing repentance is required of all men and that all men shall be accountable to God concerning the same That therefore all men have the means of repentance vouchsafed unto them that repentance by the improvement therof peculiarly appertaineth unto them and is no otherwise to be obtained 3. Because that the impenitent are charged with rebellion against God in respect of their impenitency which plainly argueth repentance not only to be the peculiar work of man but also within his power to be performed rebellion being none other then a wilfull and stubborn refusall of that known duty which a man is enabled to perform And so much the words of the text do evidently declare Ezek. 12.2 Son of man saith the Lord to the Prophet thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house That have eies to see and see not they have ears to hear and hear not Their rebellion being demonstrated from this ground That they have eies and see not c. i.e. they know and understand how to perform their duty but they will not do it according to that in Chap. 33.31 32. He that knoweth to do well and doth not to him it is sin Jam. 4 17. Whereas that which a man understandeth not nor is any waies able to perform is imputed to his infirmity only which God will never lay to his charge Heb. 5.2 For we have an high-Priest that can have compassion on the ignorant and of those that are out of the way I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly 1 Tim. 1.13 CHAP. VII That the opinion of enforcing Faith and Repentance in men cannot stand with the nature of the last Judgement by Christ THis Doctrine namely of Gods necessitating repentance c. in men is inconsistent with the last sentence of Christ which as the Scriptures declare shal be according to every mans works And therfore forasmuch as al such things wherunto men are enforced by a power which they cannot resist are imputable only unto that power whereby they are so enforced It must follow that

capable of working righteousnesse thereby under the promises of Adoption of reward of good workes and of raigning together with God and Christ for ever and ever It doth not therefore follow That because men obtain Justification and Adoption through Faith and are rewarded for their good workes that therefore all these things are not obtained through Grace seeing that it is from the unspeakable Grace of God that we who were dead doe live that we enjoy such precious promises and upon such gracious termes whereby we are or may be made partakers of them And yet although that Justification and Salvation are thus founded upon the Grace of God yet hath every man through the performance of those things whereunto the same is promised as just a right and claime thereunto as our first Father Adam could have had unto life by obedience to the Law as the words of the Apostle in Hebr. 6.10 doe plainly witnesse God is not unfaithfull saith he to forget your worke and labour of love the righteousnesse of God is engaged to performe whatsoever forth of his goodnesse he hath promised And as for the pretence of some gathered from these and such like Scriptures 1 John 5.10 11. Luke 27. That Salvation is freely bestowed upon men without any thing required on their part thereunto their mistake therein is clearly discovered from these grounds 1. That the Apostles of Jesus Christ who handled not the Word of God deceitfully but commended themselves to every mans conscience as in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 doe every where in Answer to the Question What men should doe to be saved Declare That men must repent and believe Acts 2.37 38. Acts 16.30 31. 2. From the practice of the Apostles themselves who being fully instructed in the knowledge of the Grace of God Acts 20.27 yet strove to obtain the Crown of eternall life And not un-necessarily as men beating the Aire 1 Cor. 9.25 26 27. with 2 Tim. 2.5.12 3. From the tenure of the promises which all runne conditionally I will give to him that is a thirst of the water of life freely Rom. 20.6 Be thou Faithfull unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life Rev. 2.10 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge will give me at that day and not to me only but unto all those that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.6 7. Rev. 3.11 Rev. 3.24 4. And lastly from hence that Salvation it self is intituled The inheritance of reward Col. 3.24 Forasmuch as reward doth alwaies presuppose something either done or to be done in recompence whereof the same is given Moses chose to suffer with the people of God because he had respect to the recompence of reward Hebr. 11.25 26. 5. And although in 1 John 5.10 11. It is said that God hath given us eternall life yet in vers the 12. it is also said That this life is in his Son and that he that hath it must have the Son And the same Apostle in his 2 Epist v. 9 plainly declareth That whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath neither the Father nor the Son He is the author of Salvation to those that obey him Hebr. 5.9 And as for Luke 1.77 where it is prophesied That John the Baptist should give knowledge of Salvation to the Jewes by the remission of sinnes The meaning thereof is best interpreted by the tenour of his own preaching unto them whereby they are taught not to expect either remission of sins or Salvation otherwise then through repentance and amendment of life Luk. 3.3 Mat. 3.8 9 10. Luke 3.8 according to that in Acts 3.19 Object Faith being the gift of God Eph. 2.8 Salvation in reference whereunto it is given is the gift of God also Answ First It is not clear in this Text that the Apostle doth intend Faith to be the gift of God but rather that salvation is the gift of God and in what nature Salation is given by him hath been shewed before 2. But admit that Faith is the gift of God it doth not therefore follow that Faith whereunto Salvation is promised is the gift of God for Faith in the Scriptures is diversly taken As first it is taken for the Doctrine of Faith in which respect they that have preached the same are said to preach the Faith Galat. 1.23 and those to whom it was preached are said to hear the Faith Gal. 3.5 and those that received and subjected themselves thereunto are said to be obedient to the Faith Acts 6.7 Secondly it is taken for the bare credence and belief of the Doctrine of Christ in which respect The Rulers that loved the praise of men more than the praise of God are said to believe in Christ John 12.42 43. And thus the Devils are also said to believe and tremble James 2.19 Thirdly It is taken for the knowledge love and obedience of the Doctrine of Christ In which respect those that have departed from the love and obedience thereof are said to make Shipwrack of Faith and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 And lastly it is taken for an assured hope and expectation of eternall life begotten in men through a conscientious privity of the truth of their repentance sincerity of their obedience and the gracious promises of God made thereunto according as the words of the Apostle in 2 Tim. 4.7 8. before rehearsed do declare Now although that Faith in the first and second acceptation whereunto the Apostle in these words viz. It is the gift of God may have respect be acknowledged the gift of God and be after a sort necessarily imposed upon men especially when as the Doctrine of Christ is clearly and evidently demonstrated unto them by the miraculous power of God as it was by the Ministery of the Apostles Yet in the third acceptation by which alone men are intituled to Salvation it cannot from hence be concluded to be the gift of God it being begotten in men only through a due and serious consideration of the truth certainty worth and excellency of the Doctrine therof discovered unto them For like as a soft answer turneth away wrath and a soft tongue breaketh the bone according to Prov. 15.1 and 25.15 Even so the unspeakable love and goodnesse of God appearing unto men received into and laid up in their hearts as it is required in Deut. 6.6 11 18. Prov. 4.4 begetteth in them a love towards God obedience to his Word crucifieth them to the world casteth downe imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Eph. 6.16 17. From whence it is that those persons who have had the mercy and goodnesse of God demonstrated unto them in a more abundant measure than others and have not thereby

In vers the 4. and 5. thus replieth in his own defence Lord wilt thou also slay a righteous Nation Said he not unto me she is my sister And she even she her self said He is my brother in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands I have done this the which grounds also serve plainly to demonstrate the truth of the later position viz. 2. That whatsoever was required of them to their Salvation was within their power to be performed by them For by the same reason that some performed them by nature others in the same condition might have done so likewise and consciousnesse that they could not performe them being known unto them would quiet their mindes both in this world and at the day of Christ as much as consciousnesse of their ignorance thereof could For the conscience of a man in the omission or misdoing of his duty not understood acquitteth him therein only upon this ground That the doing or right performance thereof was impossible unto him notwithstanding his utmost endeavours the which ground of impossibility to performe his duty will appease his conscience in the omission thereof in any other case whatsoever And thus this Objection with the ground thereof is taken away The second text is 1 Cor. 2.14 the words whereof are these But the naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnes unto him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned from whence it is supposed that no man in the estate of nature not endued with the Spirit of God can possibly understand or doe any thing required of him to his Salvation 1. The groundlesnesse of this supposition was clearly disproved before by the testimony of the Apostle concerning the Gentiles their doing by nature the things required of them to their Iustification and Salvation 2. But yet the more fully to take away the ground thereof By the things of the Spirit in this place must needs be understood either such things which are peculiar to the Spirits revelation to those which after their believing have received the same according to Iohn 16.12 where Christ telleth his Disciples That he had many things to say unto them which they could not then viz. before the Spirit was given unto them bear How be it saith he the Spirit of Truth when he is come he will guide you into all Truth and will shew you things to come Or else secondly By the things of the Spirit must be understood the Doctrine of the Gospel in generall mentioned chap. 1.17 18.21.2.4.5 By the wisdome of the World is accounted foolishnesse If that the things of the Spirit be taken in the first acceptation as may be conceived from the 12 and 13 verses where the Apostle intimateth that the things whereof he here speaketh were none other then what was revealed or taught unto himself and others by the Spirit which they had received then this text pretendeth not at all to prove that men in the estate of nature cannot perceive or doe any thing required of them to their Salvation but only that none can understand the mysteries or secrets of the Kingdome of God untill first they believe the Gospel Mat. 13.11 and are Baptized with the Holy Ghost which the World cannot receive Iohn 14.17 Nor yet secondly If that by the things of the Spirit are understood the Doctrine of the Gospel in general it will not thereupon follow that a man in the estate of nature by the exercise of his understanding cannot perceive or receive the knowledge thereof when it is plainly preached and by the evidence of the Spirit demonstrated unto him Seeing it is manifest by the Scriptures that the very worst of naturall men The Rulers Scribes and Pharisees have attained to the knowledge of the most fundamentall points of Christianity under which the whole Doctrine therof is comprehended As 1 They believed that there was a God 2. They believ that Jesus Christ was the Messias and Saviour of the World and so consequently that his whole Doctrine was none other then the undoubted Oracles of God Iohn 2.23 24 25. Iohn 12.42 43. And thirdly They believed the resurrection of the just and of the unjust Acts 23.7 9. Acts 24.15 And the Gospel being thus understood by men they are thereby sufficiently enabled to the obedience thereof whence it is that the Scriptures unto such persons speaketh on this wise Receive not the grace of God in vain having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and perfect holinesse in the fear of God He that knoweth to do wel and doth not or that knoweth his masters wil and doth it not to him it is sin and he shall be beaten with many stripes Such manner of speech alwaies presupposing an ability in the persons to whom it is directed to improve the same to the end thereof Wherefore we are not to conceive that because it is said The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the spirit nor can receive them that therefore no man destitute of the spirit can possibly understand or give obedience to the Gospel of Christ when it is evidently in the preaching thereof demonstrated unto them But we are thereby given to know That no man whatsoever measuring the Gospel of Grace teaching him to deny al ungodlines worldly lust to live righteously soberly godly in this present world c. Tit. 2.11 12. by the natural earthly sensual principles and wisdom of the world * S. John in his 1 Joh. 2.15 exhorting not to love the world nor the things that are therein in ver 16 teacheth us what he would have us to understand thereby viz. the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life whereby we are also taught to understand whereunto the wisdome of the world so often spoken of in the first second and third Chap. of the 1 Cor. is to be confined viz. to the promoting and accomplishing the fore-said ends because that it cannot extend beyond it self or direct men unto any thing that is not comprehended therein the which may serve to admonish all men to beware of branding the vertuous and just principals whether of the Heathens or any other persons whatsoever though learned in the book of Creation only with the odious infamy of worldly wisdom An evil too ordinary in our times teaching him to deny all godlinesse and goodnes in this world and to live according to the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and pride of life 1 Joh. 2.16 can possibly receive the same and become obedient thereunto but must reject it as foolishnesse God and the world the wisdome of God and the wisdome of the world being so directly opposite and contrary each unto other That whosoever will love the one must hate the other or that will embrace the one must reject the other If any man saith James will be a