Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	harden_v	hardness_n	pharaoh_n	2,882	5	10.8987	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12284	A censure upon the dialogue of the Anabaptists intituled, A description of what God hath predestinated concerning man ... By Henry Ainsworth.	Ainsworth, Henry, 1571-1622?	1623 (1623)	STC 226; ESTC S100100	65,025	70

betray or murther him otherwise then by suffering them Which if they spake in respect of the sinne onely we would grant but being meant of the actions done it is against the expresse Scriptures which say the Iewes tooke and crucified him being delivered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God Act. 2 23 and that both Gentiles and Israelites were gathered together for to doe whatsoever Gods hand and his counsell predestinated or fore-determined to be done Act. 4 27.28 Now Gods Counsell and Predestination that a thing should be done is more then bare permission and his hand being in it sheweth him to be an agent in this work God out of his loue sent and gaue his Sonne for us Ioh. 3.16.17 it pleased the Lord to bruise him and put him to griefe Esay 53.10 and Christ laid down his life of himselfe no man took it from him Ioh. 10.18 he powred out his soule unto death Esa. 53.12 he offered up himselfe a sacrifice for our sinnes through the externall Spirit Heb. 7.27 9 14. These and the like sayings in Scripture teach us more of God in Christs death then a bare suffering Gods good hand was in it for our redemption and not onely the wicked hands of them that sinfully crucified him Whereas they tell us Christ might haue beene slaine without sin for God might haue appointed some to sacrifice Christ as he did Abraham to sacrifice Isaak c. They speake too presumptuously in Gods matters Will they teach him an other or a better way to effect his owne purposes then himselfe hath chosen But what would they infer upon it If God had decreed that Christ should haue beene slaine by holy Angels they would not then deny I suppose but God should be an agent in his Sons death Now that God decreed he should be slaine by evill Angels and hands of wicked men and his Decrees and Counsels must stand Psal. 33.11 his predictions must needs be fulfilled Act. 1.16 is he not therfore an agent in Christs death Shall he be restrained from using any of his creatures to doe his good work because they through their owne corruption and malice doe it and cannot but doe it amisse Or shall their mis doing which is in them voluntarie and not caused of God be imputed to him Let men speake and think of God with more sobriety and though our dulnesse cannot comprehend how Gods good hand can be in the evill actions of wicked men he not partaker of their sin yet let us not deny that which God plainly teacheth but rather lay our hand on our mouth and confesse we haue uttered that we understood not things too wonderfull for us which we knew not Iob. 40.4 42 3. The last reason which they pretend to answer is such as dazelleth the adversaries eyes The Scripture saith the Iewes could not beleeue because the Lord he blinded their eyes and hardned their heart that they should not see nor understand and be converted and healed Ioh. 12.39.40 Also the Lord saith I will harden Pharoahs hart and be shall not bearken unto you that I may lay my hand upon Egypt c. Exod. 7.3.4 They answer to the first that by comparing Esa. 6.9 Mat. 13.14 c. Act. 28.26 c. it is manifest that they winked with their eyes lest they should see for which cause God gaue them up to that reprobate sense To the latter they answer that Pharaoh hardened his owne heart Exod. 9.34 and God hardened his heart and so the hearts of the wicked by giving them up to Satan who worketh hardnes of heart against God and to their owne hearts hardnes and lusts to vile affections and to reprobate mindes Psal. 81.11.12 Rom. 1.24.26.28 A●sw That the Iewes winked and would not see that Pharoah hardned his own heart and would not let Israel goe is true That for these causes God gaue them up to their owne lusts c. and to Satan is also true Thus farre we agree but to the force of our reason they answer nothing at all For in these works of blinding and hardening there is more then Gods bare permission they did it and God it they sinfully but God righteously justly rewarding their sinne And thus the enemy condemneth himselfe For he that for sin inflicteth punishment doth a good work of justice and suffreth it not onely to be done but God for sin blinded the eyes and hardned the hearts of the Iewes and Aegyptians therefore in blindning and hardening God was a doer as a just Iudge and not a sufferer onely as while ere they pleaded Between these two there is great difference The Greekes tooke Softh●nes and beat him before Gallioes judgement seat here Gallio suffered them onely caring for none of those things Act. 18.15.16.17 Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned by the Magistrates commandement Act. 16.22.23 here the Magistrates not onely suffered but were agents also in their beating and imprisoning though they did it by other wicked m●ns hands So God when hee commandeth Satan to goe and deceiue or harden wicked sinners 1. King 22.22 whē he giveth sinners up to a reprobat mind Rom. 1.24.26 28 then God deceiveth God hardneth in just judgement and doth not onely suffer these things When the Iudge delivereth an evill doer to the Officer the Offi●er cast him into prison Luk. 12.58 the Iudge doth this by the Offi●er So God is the Iudg he delivereth evil doers to Satan to be their deluder their tormentor their goaler he giveth them up to blindnes hardnes reprobate minds these are works of his justice which Satan and evill men execute most sinfully Christ saith he came into this world for judgement that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind Iob. 9.39 Now in what manner God blindeth and hardneth sinners it is not in man to declare for his judgements are unsearchable and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11.33 But they that for his judgements would make God the author of sin erre on the one hand and they that ascribe unto him herein but a bare permission erre on the other hand Godlinesse will teach us to beleeue and rest in that which the Scriptures teach though it passe our reach and capacitie how God in his wisedome doth these things Hitherto of Predestination Of Election THEY proceed to speake of election where after they haue set downe as they thinke good themselues what our opinion is they propound their owne doctrine viz. That Christ came to cure all men of their sinnes but with a bitter medicine which is that we must deny our selues take up his crosse and follow him So many as refuse to take this medicine cannot be cured but such as receiue it are cured Again that they are elected who doe put on Christ and that our election dependeth upon this condition according to the Scriptures the Lord chooseth to himselfe a righteous man and they that

man and his purposes or decrees are his actions and if before the foundation of the world God elected us in Christ as the Apostle teacheth Eph. 1.4 then were we actually chosen before we had naturall being though Gods choyse had not effect in us till we had being But whereas they add vpon the condition afore spoken it is an error before refuted Object But of the elect Paul sayth Ye were without Christ without God in the world Eph. 2.12 so they were not then really and particularly elected Answ. Howsoever they change their tearmes their reason is not good They were not without God or Christ in respect of Gods election which he did before the world was made Eph. 1.4 but in respect of their sinfull estate and unbeleefe before they were called they were without God 2 Obj. But the Apostle sayth After yee beleeved ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise c. Eph. 1.13.14 Answ. What of this Could they not be elected of the father before they were sealed by the holy Ghost Gods election was before all time Eph. 1.4 their calling and sealing by the Spirit was in time But they would confound election and sealing ignorantly 3 Obiect Rom. 9.25 1 Pet. 2.10 I will call them my people which were not my people c. If we were actually and particularly chosen before the creation then were we also really Gods people and could not at any time be sayd not to be his people Answ. Here againe they confound Gods election with his cal●●ng which is the manifestation of his election by the effect Gods predestination is before his calling Rom. 8.30 So though they were not his people by calling they were his by election It is evident by Act. 18.10 that many in Corinth were Gods people before they were called or converted Ieremy was knowne sanctified and ordained to be a Prophet before he was formed or born Ier. 1.5 and can we thinke he was not then also chosen to life They say The Apostles meaning is that wee are first particularly chosen when we receiue or put on Christ. For God onely chooseth where be findeth faith and obedience to the Gospell and rejecteth where these are wanting Herein they wrong the Apostles who neither spake nor meant as these men speak It is shewed before from Act. 13.48 that election goeth before faith so these men erre that put it after They pervert the order set down in Rom. 8.30 whiles they make men to be first called justified glorified and then predestinated unto life They neglect Pauls doctrine that God chose us before the world was that we should be holy and teach new doctrine of Antichrists devising that God chose vs because we were holy But to follow them in their doctrine God chooseth none they say but where he findeth faith Where doth God find this seeing he hath shut up all in unbeliefe Rom. 11.32 Faith is not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 so then hee findeth not faith in his elect but giveth them faith And if they say some will not beleeue and them God rejecteth some will beleeue and them God electeth I demand whence haue any this will to beleeue If they answer of themselues and their own power the Apostle telleth us the contrarie It is God that worketh in us both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 Now God giveth not all men this will to beleeue and obey for some cannot beleeve 1. Ioh. 12.39 some are reprobate concerning faith and every good work 2. Tim. 3.8 Tit. 1 16. If God would giue all men alike grace he could make all men willing to beleeue and obey but this hee doth not for in some he giveth a new heart and a new spirit and takes away the stony heart out of their flesh Ezek. 36.26 in other some he hardeneth their heart that they cannot beleeue nor turne unto him Ioh. 1● 39 40. The mysterie of his Gospel God bideth from some and revealeth to oth●rsome even so for so it seemed good in his sight Math. 11.25.26 He hath mercie on whom he will whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.18 By this which hath been sayd all that loue the truth may see that all men to whom the Gospell is preached are not elected to salvation in Christ as these corrupters of the Gospell teach neither can all men beleeue or obey because God giues them not such grace Some refuse indeed willingly and they perish justly some who naturally are as bad as other haue harts of stone not of flesh are changed new hearts are given them faith and holines are wrought in them and so they are brought unto salvation whereunto they were elected Why God changeth the heart of some and not of other some when he could if he pleased change alle is not a question to be disputed of Rom. 9.19.20 Let it suffice us that God oweth us nothing except death for our sinnes His grace is his owne he may giue it where he will and none haue cause to complaine If God haue given grace to any of us let us praise him for his mercie when we see others left without grace let us reverence him for his unsearchable judgements The rest of their discourse about election though there be many abuses they offer to the scriptures which mought justly be taxed yet because they none of them doe proue these mens vniversal Election nor disproue our faith I think needlesse to reply unto Of Reprobation TOgether with Election they treat of Reprobation badly as before Our doctrine they pretend to be thus They say God hath reprobated some and the greatest number and that before they were borne and had done evill for whom there was never meanes of salvation because God would haue them perish for that was his good pleasure Answ. We hold not as they would beare the world in hand that God would haue men to perish because it is his good pleasure but because of their sinnes he destroyeth them his justice so requiring Neither doe we hold that God euer decreed to punish his reasonable creature without respect of the sin therof deserving punishment Yet was their punishment decreed before they were borne or had done evill For God foreseeing their wickednesse appoynted them to wrath before they acted it though hee inflicteth not punishment till they be sinners And this the scripture teacheth as in Iude vers 4. there are certaine men crept in who vvere before of old ordained to this condemnation If they vvere ordained to it before of old then vvas it before they vvere borne The same is confirmed by Rom. 9.11.12.13 vvhich scripture they seeke to pervert by a longsome and erroneous exposition Our doctrine being thus by them mis-reported they labour to refute their owne forgeries not our assertions So that they are unworthy of any reply Of falling away THE next errour which they would maintaine is that a man may fall from his election or that