Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	according_a	good_a	work_n	3,396	5	5.9172	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45141	The middle-way of perfection with indifferency between the orthodox and the Quaker by J.H.	Humfrey, John, 1621-1719.	1674 (1674)	Wing H3692; ESTC R7480	27,096	35

fulfilled that the fulfilling them is required as necessary to the person justified and consequently as the condition which is all one of pardon and life To help us out here therefore we must distinguish after our more sober and best Divines The Law of God may be considered rigidly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or not rigidly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is with condescention to human frailty according to the measure in every one of the gift of Christ or according to our Model strength or grace in this Life that degree of performance formance God which requires of us precisely in the new Covenant to the obtaining Salvation It is in the latter the mild the gracious not in the former the rigid sense that such Texts are to be interpreted that the Law or Commandements are fulfilled and that the observation is made necessary to the justified and saved That is I say again not according to the model of our state of innocency but faln estate not according to the Rigour of the Law but Equity of the Gospel not according to the tale of Brick or prescript of Do this and live but according to Gods merciful acceptation of what we do through the meritorious obedience and oblation of Christ Jesus I must bring this yet more home As the Law is taken for the Law moral or Law of Nature the matter of the Commandement is the same I have said in the Law of Christ Grace and Gospel as in the law of Works onely this materia praecepti this matter required may be considered as materia absoluta or conditionata as our duty or as the condition of Salvation There is no man keeps the Commandements of Christ so as never to faile in any thing of his duty But every Child of God keeps them so as they are made the condition of Life in the new Covenant When a man then performes the Covenant he must be judged Righteous according to that Covenant As there is nothing lacking in that performance to the Terms he is Perfect and as he is Righteous and Perfect he sins not that is he failes not of what is required to the performance of the contition When St. John therefore speaks of sinning not we may observe how he counterpoises committing sin with being Righteous or doing Righteousness in the same Chapter The true Christian sins not so as opposes his being Righteous he commits not sin as is contradictory to doing Righteousness He is Righteous now we know or doeth Righteousness onely in regard to the Covenant of Grace and he sins not accordingly in regard to this Covenant that is as I sum all up failes not in the performance of the condition He performs not materiam absolutam the whole duty but he performes materiam conditionatam the whole condition of the Gospel By the way here when the calm Protestant will grant to the Papists such a fulfilling of the Law as does constitute a real true righteousness and that which is perfect or entire according to the covenant of grace and so accepted of God unto Life and the most violent Papists will grant to the Protestant that this righteousness nevertheless suo modo perfecta non omni prorsus caret peccato ideoque ex hac parte perfectu non est is not without all Sin but doeth both faile in the degree which the Law exacts and is intermingled with many at least venial transgressions so that it cannot abide Gods district judgment according to the Law of works without need of Christs merits Gods mercy who does not see an agreement in the purpose and mind where there-is yet so much variance in the words and pens of those that contend about those matters That Justification is a dispute of the like nature and issue I doubt not and it is an excellent pretty book of Mr. Bradshawes on that subject yet does he seem to me not to have touched this main thing which I have noted once and again in my former papers to be that the want of the notice whereof hath set the Papist and us together by the ears and the understanding whereof will as presently heal our Controversies to wit That it is not by the Law of works but by the Law of Grace that we are judged when we stand before Gods Bar for Justification There are but two things to be pleaded sayes that worthy Authour by an accused person Either that he hath not committed the fault or that he hath satisfyed for it No mortal says he can devise any other medium whereby such a person should be justifyed Our practical Divines do accordingly thunder against self Righteousness upon this foundation If we stand on our own Righteousness say they then must we be able to satisfy God for our former sins and cleanse our hearts for the time to come so as to be perfect in his sight But this is a mistake That there is a righteousness of ours that we must not wholly cast away in our Justification appeares from the Psalmist when he tells us by the rule of contrarys that it is the righteous and the righteous onely that shall stand in Judgment There is a third plea therefore which is the onely true plea which must be brought and made good or we perish and that is not that we are faultless or perfect according to the law of works either in our selves or another but that we are justifyable by the covenant of mercy as performers of the condition and that this righteouss though imperfect is acceptable through the merits of our Redeemer For the busines then of Satisfaction it must be treated a little otherwise then Mr. Bradshaw does it and others that is not to be made the matter or formal reason of that righteousness that justifyes us let me say the whole matter or formal reason for I may be out else on the otherside seeing Christs merits our faith or evangelical obedience and pardon have all their proper parts and office in it but it must be understood mainly to serve the honour and justice of God as Rector and Law giver in regard to his dealing with us otherwise then according to the Law of our creation as else he was bound for upon this score were the sufferings of Christ penall and undergone in our stead to wit that by meanes of death for the redemption of us from the transgressions of the first Covenant a new Law or Covenant might be brought in according to which we are to be judged And when it is at that bar we must stand we easily know both what that righteousness is which must be pleaded and for whose worthyness sake so inconsiderable otherwise as it is it shall be accepted unto remission and life everlasting To return the Apostle speaking of the Law does tell us that he that breakes but one of the commandements is guilty of all and the reason he renders is because he requires that one that required the rest The meaning is God gave his

known that in the Diospolitan Councel An. Do. 415. this was one of Pelagius errours which was there Condemned Filios Dei non posse vocari nisi qui omni modo absque omni peccato fuerint effecti That they cannot be called Gods Sons who are not in all regards without any manner of sin Which errour also Pelagius himself there retracted In the second place it is worthy our knowing what was the ground or reason of his conviction because it is like that the same consideration or argument may prevail upon one or other and more then so of this Sect that have but the like rational judgments Nono fatetur filios dei posse vocari illos qui quotidie d●cunt dimitte nobis debita nostra quod utique veraciter non dicerent si essent omnino absque peccato To the nineth Article he confesses that they may be the Sons of God who say daily forgive us our Trespasses which verily they could not say if they were altogether without sin The Fathers of that Council urged this upon him that if none could be born of God that were not altogether perfect then must none of Christs Disciples be his Children for how could they pray to him to forgive their debts if they had no sin to be forgiven How could they pray daily for pardon if they were any day without transgression Nathaniel was one of the Disciples of whom it is said he was without guile and consequently as perfect as any Quaker dare presume of himself and yet Nathaniel as well as Peter and Peter as well as any other true Believer are taught by these words of their Lord that they have need of daily forgiveness It is sufficient to this Argument if that Prayer be held but a pattern and no form as some will have it so long as they do not I hope yet think they may scratch it out of their Bibles because they leave it unsaid In the third place this opinion is against the uniform constant stream of Gods word and the writings of holy men which still run thus that we are sinners that we must all repent and that we must always be renewing our repentance in making our Prayers Confessions Supplications Doing our Almes and other good works and resting on Christ for grace and pardon Without this supposition the whole course of our Religion as Christian will sink for want of a foundation These things write I to you that you sin not and if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father who is a propitiation for our sins and also for the sius of the world There is our sins St. John's sins that need an Advocate as well as the world When Ezekiel is picking out three of the most holy men that ever were which instance Augustine also uses he names Daniel Noah and Job Of Noah we have the record of Moses that he was overtaken Of Job we have his own acknowledgment If I justifie my self my own mouth shall condemn me if I say I am perfect it shall prove me perverse Of Daniel we have a whole Chapter where he is praying and confess ing his sin as himself speaks and the sins of his people What is man says Eliphaz that he should be Clean and he that is born of a Woman that he should be Righteous Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints and the Heavens are not clean in his sight and how much more abominable and filthy is man who drinketh Iniquity as water We are all unclean says the Church sutably to this in Isay and all our Righteousnesses are as filthy raggs There is one Text most full as most common not to be omitted which is that of David Enter not into judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified This is applied by the Apostle against justification by the deeds of the Law If there is or ever was any meer mortal on Earth that lived altogether without sin then must this Text be false then may some men living be justified in his sight though he enter into district judgment with them then may some flesh living be justified by works then must salvation alone by Christ and the Doctrine indeed of the whole Gospel come to the ground For In the fourth place as this is against several particular Texts before named and the general current of the Scripture and holy Writers So is it directly against the very drift of what the Apostle delivers to the Romans and Galathians It is common for men to alleadg a few scattered Scriptures against any opinion which yet is true and we Answer those Scriptures but if an opinion does cross any one Text and much more any Epistle in the very scope and purport of it such an opinion must be left or all will come to naught It is manifest now that Paul in those two Epistles is setting forth the Doctrine of justification by Faith through our Redemption by Christ Jesus For the making this good he first shews that all men whatsoever stands guilty before God of the breach of his Law This he most industriously proves of the Gentiles in one Chapter of the Jews in another and in the third What then says he are we better than they no in no wise for we have before proved both Jew and Gemile that they are all under sin Upon this Medium he argues that no man therefore either Jew or Gentile can be justified by the Law for then they should be doers and not breakers of it From this truth that they cannot be justified by the Law it follows that there must be some other means of their justification And this he declares as the great concern and Gospel he has to deliver to be by Faith through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus This is the sum of his doctrine and arguing We may if you will for our advantage put more together If we are justified through Christs Redemption by Faith when none of us have performed the condition which was required of us to our justification by the Law of our Creation then must our justification be of grace or favour as being not else due And if this grace is obtained or purchased for us through Christs Redemption then is God righteous though he accepts of us seeing it is for Christs sake without that condition And if he is righteous in his accepting any without that condition there must be some other procured by Christ upon which he accepts them seeing all are not accepted notwithstanding Christs Redemption That other is Faith as the initium and foundation of all other duty that is Faith working by Love even that Love which fulfils the Law and is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given to us as Augustine that great assertour of grace still speaks From hence does there appear that Righteousness of God which is set out in opposition to our Righteousness by the Law and mentioned before in its