Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	act_n	faith_n	true_a	2,461	5	5.6529	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08318	The nevv Gospel, not the true Gospel. Or, A discovery of the life and death, doctrin, and doings of Mr. Iohn Traske, and the effects of all, in his followers Wherein a mysterie of iniquity is briefly disclosed, a seducer unmasked, and all warned to beware of imposters. As also a confutation of the uncomfortable error, of Mr. Boye, concerning the plague, out of Psal. 91. By Edvv. Norice.	Norris, Edward, 1584-1659.	1638 (1638)	STC 18645; ESTC S113242	39,058	60

all that concernes either soule or body this life or the next in all which men must be carelesse yea in respect of all sins and duties which is to be a wretchlesse person caring for nothing And whereas he sends us to the Scriptures for the warrant of his word which forbid al carefulnesse in any thing as Phil. 4.6 1 Pet. 5.7 to that I answer that the originall word in those places doth not signifie all care heedfulnesse or providence in any sense to condemne it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. but only a wringing perplexing and distrustfull care proceeding from unbeleefe the same that in Mat. 6.31 take no thought which is not opposed to carelesnesse but to that lawfull and provident care Pro. 6.8 Pro. 10.4 Phil. 2.12 Heb. 3.12 Heb. 12.15 commended in the Scriptures under the name of providence watchfulnes heed taking and diligence all which accompany faith as concurring with the promises and providence of God yet might an improper word have beene borne withall did not the rest of this mans rudiments give just occasion of suspecting his words especially being strange and affected Concerning his complaint that his words are not fully expressed I say they are so set down under his own hand as in the Assertion which is more than was at first as one of his followers told me that being only this carelesse Christians If he deny this it is but like all the. rest are the choisest beleevers but to leave this carelesse counsell with those choise beleevers and passe on to the next 14. ASSERTION To doubt of the favour of God after sinne committed is worse than the sin it selfe Explication THis Assertion is set down in his own words and yet he quarrells at it and tells us that in some other places these words are inserted nourished by true beleevers which are stollen out to expose his saying to derision to which I answer first that his Gospell grounds and other assertions are so full of variations and contradictions that nothing can be alleadged out of one place without some ground of cavilling from another which was his cunning to help out by shifts and evasions as need required but what need any man steale where there is such store of good stuffe as in his rudiments Secondly admit these words doubtings nourished c. yet doth it not help him that condemnes all doubtings in such simply without limitation as being the fruits of unbeleefe the greatest sin under the Gospell for the nourishing of doubtings doth but aggravate what in it selfe is evill To the point them I say that although doubtings proceeding from unbeleefe simply considered are great evills and to be striven against by true beleevers yet in such cases as we speak of revolts and relapses into foule and scandalous sins of the same or other kinds by such as professe themselves to be beleevers there is somewhat more to be considered for first as concerning the fact it selfe it is certaine the Lord doth not favour evill but abhorre it though in his own children 2 Sam. 11.27 2. For their owne parts they may well in such cases doubt and question their owne sincerity when their sins are scandalous and often committed seeing there is not faith nor grace sufficient to withstand their lusts but they live in them Rom. 6.18 1 Ioh. 3.9 3. They may well doubt and question the favour of God towards them if not in the main yet for the present in this particular of a scandalous sin till it be repented of and so forgiven Psa 6.1 Psa 32.3 Psa 38.3 so that in such cases some doubtings are not only lawfull but expedient and necessary our hearts being deceitfull but against all these considerations utterly to condemn all doubtings in the case of scandalous sinning without any limitation of the sins or time of continuance in them as he doth how dangerous a thing it is for hereby that may easily come to passe which the Lord so vehemently protested against in his people to swear falsly to steale murther cōmit adultery such like come into the house of God and say they are delivered to doe such abominations which are called lying words Ier. 7.8 as also that fearefull state of the presumptuous sinner described Deut 29.19 which comes by such flattering and blessing a mans selfe in his heart when his deeds are wicked ●ide Psal 36.2 whereunto this mans doctrine tendeth as the event also hath shewed in some of his followers standing more upon their mirth and confidence than any feare of sinne or care of obedience rejecting also all mourning and sorrow for sinnes committed as not agreeing with Christian profession But there is more following 15. ASSERTION It is as easie to beleeve remission of sins as to make confession of them Explication ALL is easie to this man who hath found out an easier way to heaven if wee may beleeve him than ever was knowne before or is safe to follow now It s as easie to beleeve remission of sinnes as to make confession of them But how doth he explaine this Oracle suspecting it seemes some flaw in the matter he hath altered the words True confession comprehends the other 1 Iohn 1.9 and insteed of confession hath put in truly asking forgivenesse thinking this will hold better giving his reason because both are the gifts of God truly to beleeve and truly to ask pardon but if there be no singular matter in it why doth he set it out as a Gospell ground and singular rudiment of his owne unlesse it be to make simple people beleeve that it is as easie for them to obtain remission of sinnes and to bee assured of it as to say Lord have mercy upon them on their death bedds Which they are too apt unto without his directions but for the point as he would hold it notwithstanding both those are the gifts of God and a like easie for him to effect yet in regard of our selves in whom these gifts must work I suppose it a farre harder matter truly to apply the promises and to beleeve that our sinnes are remitted than to confesse them and ask forgivenesse of them because in the former there is reason and all opposing but in the later the power of conscience the sense of wrath and feare of danger doe all concurre with the spirit in that act in so much as wee may read of some that have truly confessed their sinnes and craved pardon for them One desines faith to bee a wonderfull grace that yea could not presently beleeve nor bee assured in their hearts they were pardoned and remitted to them Ps 31.10 Psal 38.6 Ps 77.2 Psal 88.14 c. it being a speciall act of Gods spirit to perswade his people of their reconciliation and his love towards them in Christ therefore this conceit of the easinesse of faith doth seeme to be maintained by such as never had it nor knew truly what it is to be truly and comfortably perswaded

often they do of the favour of God and salvation to come when there is no such matter belonging to them such was the perswasion of those Iewes that boasted themselves not only to be the seed of Abraham but the children of God when as our Saviour told them plainly That was lying let these beware then they were the children of the divell and proves it by their fruits Ioh. 8.44 by which fruits also it may be discerned in others for which cause also the Holy Ghost referres us to examination and tryall Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith prove your owne selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Cor. 13.5 alluding as it were to the touchstone and scales or to the symptomes of health and sicknesse in the body which needed not at all if a bare perswasion were enough being directed against such a supine and overly confidence as also is that of St. James in proving or shewing faith by workes Iam. 2.26 How dangerous a doctrin then hath this man broached in the Church by teaching men to rest only upon a bare perswasion of their beleeving without any further search or tryall withall taxing and bitterly censuring those Ministers that in their teaching urge and require any signes fruits or effects of faith and grace in all that professe themselves to be beleevers as he doth in this manner and in these very termes They tell them viz. the people that they must take heed they be not deceived for many are deceived with false faith for true and therefore they must look it be of the right * This is deridingly spoken kind and if it be then they tell them that these and these signes will follow a change of the life uprightnesse of heart and universall obedience to the commandements of God and such like else their faith is but a fancy c. pag. 29. It seemes then he was such a beleever himselfe Now what kind of faith according to this censure doth this man teach his disciples to relie upon but according to his owne words that without either change of life uprightnesse of heart or conscience of obedience to the will of God they may perswade themselves they are true beleevers and in the assured way of life and salvation which doctrine if it be not most opposite to the Gospel of Christ and most pernitious to the soules of men what is are there any carnall wretched people that will not easily swallow down this poyson surely if ever there were any Impostors in the Church this was one but let all beware how they follow him yet he goes on 8. ASSERTION Faith is the only signe of salvation Explication THis he thus explaineth that faith is the only infallible evidence to a beleevers own soule of his salvatiō which is all hee saith to it and that not very true for St. Iohn makes love an infallible signe and evidence to a mans own soule of salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren 1 Ioh. 3.14 which place was noted in the margin but he would not touch it and S. Paul makes the sanctification of the spirit and beleefe of the truth infallible evidences of election and salvation 2. Thes 2.13 but these things are utterly against his Gospell and profession both therefore he medles not with them 9. ASSERTION The new Creature is only faith in Christ Explication HIs explanation is that the new Creature is only the true beleever in Christ as if the subject and the habit the beleever and his faith were all one and the very same thing by such explanations a man may say any thing which I wish his disciples to observe that they may see what gudgions they swallow from this new Apollo with his riddles 10. ASSERTION Regeneration is not to bee tryed by any other fruits effects or signes but only by faith wherin it consisteth Explication HErein he quarrells first at the citing of the words as his Gospel grounds next that they are changed from wherby it is attained to wherein it consists which are nothing else but shifts and cavills for the words are expressed under his owne hand and agree with his former Assertion that the new creature is only faith in Christ and that faith is not to be tryed by signes or effects which is the substance of what he here delivereth and in his explanation he thus dischargeth himselfe that Regeneration hath no infallible tryall for a mans owne assurance but only by the truth of his faith this is his meaning and this not very sound for is not every saving grace every effectuall work of the holy spirit 1 Iohn 4.7 Gal. 5.22 23 24. every fruit of sanctification proceeding from the word and spirit converting the heart a signe of regeneration aswell as faith and wherby the tryall may be made aswell as by it instance was given in the grace of love but he would not see it especially seeing he will admit no signes nor effects in the tryall of faith but the bare perswasion for after this way if a man be strongly perswaded that he is regenerate though there be no signes fruits or effects to shew it yet he must rest upon the perswasion that it is so howsoever because he is so perswaded but why is he so perswaded he cannot tell neither is he to inquire after it either in respect of his faith or his regeneration by this way Ministers might save all their labour in teaching the people and only bid them beleeve they are in Christ and then they are regenerate all under one but make no tryall of either of them that 's needlesse their perswasion is sufficient for both How unlike is this Seducers doctrin yea how contrary to the Doctrine and Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ wherein are so many exhortations to duties so many cautions and pressing admonitions to search and try Mat. 6.1 Mat. 7.13 Rom. 8.9 2 Cor. 13.5 Heb. 3.12 Heb. 12.15 Rev. 3.23 to prove and examine our affections and actions our faith and our fruits yea our very persons and spirits lest we deceive our selves with false imaginations of our own or the illusions of our common enemy the rest of his discourse is answered in the seventh Assertion then to proceed 11. ASSERTION Sanctification is not by the spirit in our selves but only in Christ shewed in acts and not in the habits of grace Explication THis whole assertion he acknowledgeth to be his own without any exception wherein according to his words he denyeth sanctification by the spirit of God and all habits of grace but in what mysticall sense and in what construction his explanation will declare which is thus Sanctification is not in our selves that is in the flesh but only as we are in union with Christ and by the spirit only as we understand it of its operations by mortification or quickning these our mortall bodies yet not so in us

are altered 3. Whether the flat deniall of any mutation or change in the understanding will and affections be not a plaine deniall of regeneration and sanctification by the spirit and if it be why then doth he or they talke at any time of either of them as if they granted that they do not unlesse it be to colour and cloak their error with hypocrisie 4. Whether to hold and affirme that the understanding will and affections of beleevers are * See the contrary to this 1 Cor. 13.9 ad finem 2 Cor. 3.18 Phil. 3.12 1 Thes 3.12 c. perfect as also their faith love joy and other gifts and that such themselves are as perfect here as ever they shall be is not directly to oppose the Scriptures and all truth yea to contradict himselfe who saith we do alwaies grow in faith and love and answerable fruits for that which is already perfect can have no bettering or what need have such of the imputed righteousnes of Christ of which these men talke so much if they have perfection of all things in themselves for to the old man it must not be applyed and the new man is perfect already so they overthrow the maine grounds and Articles of Christian Religion and put by any need of Christ himselfe Now the Lord deliver all his people from such pernitious and damnable opinions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2.1 more exceptions might bee taken at this rotten familisticall treatise but its irkesome to pore on it any further therefore I passe on 12. ASSERTION Beleevers when they fall into any sin be it adultery or murther are not to mourne or grieve for that savours of the flesh but still to rejoyce because it is written rejoyce evermore and that joy is the speciall means to bring them out of their sin Explication HEre is another parcell of worthy doctrine delivered vivâ voce at a conference and acknowledged for the words to be his own standing out to maintain them only hee gives us here forsooth a sense to understand the words by which is that by sorrow and mourning hee intends worldly sorrow and desperate mourning for sin that beleevers are not so to mourne but to retaine still some hope in Christ and this he saith was all he affirmed at the conference but that his words are perverted which if it be so then hath he doubtlesse great wrong done to him but if it be not so then is he a great lyar and Seducer both Now for the proofe of this not only the witnesses present can testifie but the passages themselves do shew that we professedly maintained godly sorrow for sinne but when hee with ingeminations denyed all sorrow whatsoever there was produced against him first Eccl. 3.4 there is a time to mourn and then that of Peter who went out and wept bitterly Luk. 22.62 the former he shifted with his wit to the later hee replyed that it was an instance that fell not out in an age so that the question was not about the kind of sorrow but of sorrowing at all which he opposed and we maintained but farre was it from the thoughts of any of us to maintain worldly or desperate sorrow for sin then the reason that he gave for his opinion was that we are bid to rejoyce evermore 1 Thes 5.16 and that joy will bring a man best out of his sinne this is the substance of what was said about this point Therefore hath this man done wickedly in seeking to cast the shame of his errours upon others shifting cleane from what he maintained to a point of an other kind for the colouring of which collusion he falls on with a long invective against Ministers in generall VVhat made Saul Achitophel and Iudas destroy themselves was it Legal teaching for pressing so much humiliation and sorrow for sinne as the cause of so many selfe murthers and mischiefes among men terming them Legalists and their congregations pretented Christian Assemblies yea Iewish and worse than Iewish Synagogues with much to that effect Wherein if any are faulty I am not to defend it the grace of Christ is surely to be published plainly Mark 16 1● Acts 2.39 and plentifully to the people and the threatnings to bee seconded with the promises to work true repentance in the hearts of men else I beleeve a Minister doth but the least part of his message and the work may prosper accordingly But what is that to this Seducer or how is he to be beleeved in this case who denies any use of the Law at all any terrours or feare of judgements any mourning or sorrow for sinne any thing tending to humiliation only faith and joy is that he stands for in a Gospel Minister Is his testimony to be received against all Ministers in generall without exception is * Being the way of the false prophet and false Apostles his way to bee observed in an extreamity of farre more dangerous consequence for without all mourning and sorrow for sinne what need is there of the comforts of the Gospel what applying of Christ at all who came only to comfort the mourners Isai 61.1 2 3. and calls such unto him as travell and are heavy laden Mat. 11.28 yea in the regenerate themselves that fall into sinne this is required Psal 51.17 and the holy Scriptures commend this unto the Saints for ever as that which worketh repentance to salvation 2 Cor. 7.10 how sinfull then is this mans doctrine and pernitious to the soules of men who denies all sorrowing for the foulest crimes teaching men to impute it only to the old man in them and not to themselves when they fall into wickednesse but there is more remaining 13. ASSERTION Carelesse Christians are the choisest beleevers because they depend wholly upon Christ Explication THis Assertion may be known by his livery to whom he belongs even the carelesse master we last mentioned who like himselfe would have all his followers to be carelesse also and they are his choise beleevers who ever prescribed such rules of loosenesse for men to live by unlesse it were Epicurus himselfe the chiefe of Libertines but it is worse in this man in that he seekes to ground them on faith and the rules of the Gospell for thus he tells us that carelesse is here taken in a holy sense belonging only to those that depend on Christ because they will not bee negligent in the use of the meanes which clause he saith should have beene added to his Assertion to which I answer that the English word carelesse cannot properly be so taken seeing it signifieth with us a regardlesse mind not heeding or esteeming such or such a matter and is generally taken in the worst sense as when we say a carelesse man we intend one that regards not his manner of life Like Gallio in the Iewes matters Acts 18.17 or a carelesse Christian one that regards not Christian duties in which generall sense he takes it as comprehending

need require so hath this cunning man certain succours in his polemicall proceedings to help himselfe withall for wheras he had affirmed as one of his grounds that Christ is involved in every sentence of Scripture and in every Proverb of Salomon lest he should be taken tripping in his expositions and unable to shew what he maintaines he tells us that yet perhaps it may not bee shewed nor proved in many places and for that cause it is a very great presumption to meddle with those places at all or to adventure upon the exposition of any whole book in the Bible by which meanes he thinkes to stave off the incroaching of the enemy and to save at least his credit at any time which device and skill hee also sheweth in defence of most of his Tenents But if it be so that no Scriptures may be handled by Gospell Ministers save only such as speak directly and immediatly of Christ as the great sacrifice for sinne then a great part of some whole bookes in the Bible may not be medled withall as of the book of Genesis of Samuel of the Kings and Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Ester Iob most of the Proverbs much of the Prophets and generally all those passages that are meerely hystoricll for that time and of morall use of which there is much every where dispersed not in the Old restament alone but in the New So that according to this mans opinion a great part of the holy Scriptures are penned in vaine The Acts most of the Epistle of Iames and of the Revelation and might have been spared for if they tended not to edification to what purpose are they and if they doe edifie why may they not be expounded to the Church morall directions rules of obedience historicall narrations prophesies of things to come examples and such like have their place and necessary use in the Church and are to bee opened and unfolded to the people for edification for reprehension for imitation as necessary dependances on the mystery of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the whole Scripture is profitable saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.16 and if this be so why is it presumption in any man to meddle with all such Scriptures in which the Sacrifice of Christ is not expressely mentioned or why is it beyond their line and measure but that this Seducer must have a way by himselfe and out of one absurdity to conclude another It remaines 20. ASSERTION Every true beleever howsoever it seemes doth alwayes grow in faith and love and answerable fruits Explication THe very questioning of the truth of this point makes the man to stamp and startle proclayining to all the world that this truth shall stand and stare for ever in the Accusers face to his shame here and condemnation hereafter without repentance calling the contrary no lesse than blasphemy with such other expressions of his well temperd zeale 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But for the matter it selfe leaving his rage and choller to what purpose doth the Scripture so often inculcate that exhortation of growing in grace 2. Peter 3.18 of increasing in knowledge Colossians 1.10 of increasing in love 1 Thess 4.10 of increasing in zeale Rev. 3.19 and withall so earnestly dehorting from all declinings back-slidings and withdrawings in faith Heb. 3.12 in the power of the spirit 1. Thess 5.19 in the use of the meanes Heb. 10.25 If there be no danger nor possibilitie of decreasing but that of necessitie we do and must grow in all these things and the answerable fruits of them are all those exhortations in vaine did not Salomon much decline in his later time from what hee was before 1 Kings 11.4.9 are not the Ephesians taxed for leaving their first love Rev. 2.4 and the Sardians for languishing in grace Rev. 3.2 why then doth this man make such an outcry at the matter if it be but questioned whether beleevers doe alwayes grow in faith and love and the answerable fruits and why did he not annex some answer to these testimonies of Scripture so direct against his opinion of which he speaks not a word Is his ipse dixit sufficient to carry all matters But yet he pretends notwithstanding some grounds for what he holds in the generall as that such are planted by living waters their root is living and Christ doth continually water them their course is as the Sunne and they have the promise of increasing which though it doth not alwayes appeare outwardly yet inwardly it is done To which I therefore answer and that out of the same resemblances that neither doth every herb or plant or tree continually thrive or grow or beare fruit that 's so planted nor yet is the fault in the influences of heaven the tree is only blamed Luk. 13.6 the vigour of the Sunne the sweetnesse of the raine or the goodnesse of the mould that they are defective but there are certain obstructions and evill affections as I may call them in some individualls that may hinder and stop the course of nature in them for a time also there are stemmes of Winter that keep in their fruits during that season so is it in these by reason of some spirituall obstructions and evill affections that sometimes possesse them as also a chilling Winter that oftentimes blowes over them their perpetuall growth in grace and fruitbearing Cant. 2.11.12 is often hindred and stopped for a time though they have still life remaining in the root and Christ is the same to them in himself as ever he was For what reason else can be given of the former instances its certain they did not grow but rather decline for a season yet all those promises belonged to them aswell as to others It is replyed that then they grow inwardly in unseene fruits to which I answer that neither is that certain if he meane every moment of time For wherein did David grow all the time he lay in his sinne or Salomon in his state of declining or any of the rest before mentioned if it be said in humilitie I answer let that appeare 2 Sam. 24.8 2 Kings 20.13 2 Sam. 24.10 while David was numbring the people which was nine moneths and twentie dayes in doing did hee grow in humility or Hezekiah when hee entertained so vain-gloriously the Babylonish Embassadours did he inwardly increase in that grace the Text is evident to the contrary in both for David judged himselfe afterwards for the pride of his heart and so did Hezekiah 2. Chron. 32.26 but hereby was a foundation layed for humility to come and then they all thrived more in grace and in the true knowledge of themselves As the Eagle when she hath cast her bill Psal 103.5 as the trees after winter and the body after healing of some disease which is sufficient though they doe not alwayes grow and doth abundantly discover the life of Christ in them and the power of God according to the truth of his