Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	commit_v	sin_n	sin_v	2,906	5	9.7075	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90893	Christ and Moses excellency, or Sion and Sinai's glory. Being a triplex treatise, distinguishing and explaining the two covenants or the gospel and law: and directing to the right understanding applying, and finding of the informing and assuring promises, that belong to both Covenants. By Vavasor Povvell, preacher of the Gospel in Wales.	Powell, Vavasor, 1617-1670.	1650 (1650)	Wing P3080; Thomason E1259_1; ESTC R208890	156,531	581

or the Law of Christ The first of these Lawes was given to Adam in his innocent and sinlesse condition the second was given unto men in their fallen and sinfull condition and the third was given unto men either to bring them out of their sinful condition or being brought out of that estate to guide them on to their eternall happy condition Quest Wherein did the naturall Law or the Law which God gave unto Adam in his innocency consist Answ 1. In that inscription written in his heart whereby doubtlesse he knew how to serve and worship God his Creatour 2 In that vocall prohibition of eating the forbiden fruit Gen. 2.17 Object But how doth it appeare that there was any Law written in the heart of Adam in his innocency A. 1. Because that even the sinfull posterity of Adam who had neither the written Law of Moses nor the Gospell yet had and have this Law written in their hearts their consciences bearing witnesse and their hearts accusing or excusing one another Rem 2.14 15. 2 By the knowledge that he had in the nature of all creatures and therbyto name al creatures according to their natures Gen. 2.20 23. 3 Because that Adam and his children did offer unto the Lord and this must be either from inward dictates and teachings in nature or from vocall commands but we read not of any vocall commands that God gave to Adam thereto Obj. But did God give lawes to none but unto Adam before Moses time Answ Yes unto (a) Gen 6.13 Noah and doubtlesse to many others before the flood and also to (b) Gen 26.5 Abraham and the Patriarcks after the flood till the time of Moses and these lawes are called by the godly and learned Positive Lawes Qu. Was there included in that prohibition to Adam that hee should not eate of the forbidden fruit all the Morall Law or Ten Commandements afterwards given to Moses A. Though the Scripture doth not affirm that neither can it be easily inferred thence nor clearly proved yet it 's probable hee had written in his nature the substance of the Ten Commandements Qu. Why did God give a law or lawes unto men A. To shew his own Soveraignty and his creatures duty Qu. How many parts are there in the Lawes of God A. Three a (c) Ex 20.3 4 5 7 c. mandatory part a (d) Ex 19.5 Eph 6 2 promisary part and a (e) Gen. 2.17 Lev 26.16 17 18. penall part the first shewing the power the second the goodnesse and the third the justice of God Qu. Why did God give the Morall Law or Ten Commandements seeing he had before written the Law in mens hearts A. Though the Law was writter at first in the heart of Adam and though the fallen posterity of Adam had Why the Moral Law was given and still have some reliques of that Law remaining in their hearts yet it was growne so dymme and dark that in a manner it was deleated and blotted out by the sinnes of men insomuch that the Apostle accounted that time between Adam and Moses as a time wherein there was no Law for saith he untill the Law i. e. the Morall Law sin was in the world Rom. 5.13 But more particularly God gave the Morall Law First because of transgressions as the Apostle in answer to such a Question tacitely propounded saith the Law was added because of transgressions untill the seed i. e. Christ should come Gal. 3.19 For the better understanding of this consider 1 That the Law was given to discover sin for (f) Rom 3 20 by the Law is the knowledge of sinne And though (g) Rom 5 13 sin was in the world before the Law yet sin was so vailed and covered that men when they did comit sin they scarce knew that they sin'd We have the Apostle Pauls testimony and experience of this wher he (h) Rom 7 7 saith that he had not knowne sinne but by the Law for I had not known lust saith he except the Law had said thou shalt not cover Nay there would be no sin were it not for a Law for the Law gives if I may so tearme it a being unto sin and therefore is called the (i) 1 Cor 15 5 strength of sinne for if a man should sweare covet or kill and there should be no Law prohibiting the same doubtlesse it would not bee evill for the Law makes it evill So men when they doe commit sinne if they be ignorant of the Law against which they sinned they cannot come to see and know their sinnes therefore the Law is the glasse or discoverer of sin and where there is no Law there is no * i. e. No knowledge of transgression Rom 4.15 transgression Obj. But hath the Law of it selfe power to discover sin A. No not of it selfe without it be applyed by the Spirit for Paul thought himselfe (k) Phil 3.6 blamelesse as concerning the Law before his conversion But when the (l) Rom 7.9 Commandement came in spirit and power then sinne appeared as sin to him Obj. But doth the Morall Law discover unto men all their sinnes A. Yes All the sins committed against that Law but not every sin that a man is guilty of for the sin of unbeleife or not beleiving in Christ which is the sin (m) Joh. 6.29 and 16.9 1 Joh. 3.23 Neither doth the Moral law teach men to deny their owne righteousnesse against the Gospell is discovered by the Gospell and not by the Law Obj. How doth it appeare that the Law doth not discover the sinne of un beleefe or not beleeving in Christ A. Because the Law doth not command faith in Christ as hee is Mediatour neither can any man possibly preach Christ out of the Morall Law therefore it is impossible that unbeleife against him should be known or apprehended by that Law 2 The Law as it doth discover sin so also it doth aggravate sinne or make sin as the Apostle (n) Rom 7.13 saith exceeding sinfull The Law does awaken and revive and unkennell sins and make them take hold upon a mans soule As the Prophet David (o) Ps 40.12 said mine iniquities have taken hold upon mee so that I am not able to looke up Or as the Apostle (p) Ro 7.8 9 said without the Law sin was dead but when the Commandement id est the Law came sinne revived and I dyed that is his sinnes did appeare so hainous grievous and terrible to him that they were ready to make him dispaire also the same Apostle (q) Rom 5.20 elsewhere saith That the Law entered that the offence might abound 3 The Law does restraine sinne and that was a maine end wherefore it was given which is the meaning of the Apostle in the third of the Galathians 19 ver Gal. 3.19 The Law was added because of transgression Men were growne to a mighty height of transgression and wickednesse till God gave the Law

Covenant made with him they say we are predestinated and ordained to (m) Act. 13.39 2 Thes 2.13 beleeve and to (n) Eph. 2.10 Rom. 8.29 doe good works and not for beleeving and doing good workes Q If God covenanted with Christ to give salvation to some and not to all did he not then leave the rest in a state of impossibility to be saved and in a state of certainty to be damned A. I. God is not accountable to man for his actions and this is sufficient that the will of God is the (o) Rom. 9.15 18.22 supream reason of all his actions and it should satisfie us that God doth what he will and wills himselfe and his owne glory chiefly so that if mans misery tends to Gods glory it is mans duty to be silent and subject thereunto 2. Though God by this Covenant doth entaile and assure salvation upon and unto the seed of Christ yet it doth not necessarily follow that the rest are left unavoidably in a state of damnation It is true that Gods preordination presignation and promise before time declared Gods speciall favour to such as he chose and his preterition and passing by the rest shewed a lesse regard of them and dis-ingagement of God to them Obj. But the absolute electing of some doth argue the absolute reprobating of others A. God in the act of election In no moment of nature did the purpose of condemnation goe before the foresight of sin saith Dr. Twisse in the act of preterition looked upon men as fallen and not as innocent and unfallen and thereby his grace doth more eminently appear in the one and his justice is more apparently justifiable as toward men in the other Obj. But is not election the cause of salvation and reprobation the cause of damnation A. Election and Reprobation are not in any sense the causes of salvation and damnation but Christ is the proper and meritorious cause of salvation and sin the proper and meritorious cause of damnation Election and reprobation they are but precedent and precurrent acts or decrees and the causes of salvation and Damnation they come in between the decrees and the execution thereof Obj. But the Decree of reprobation puts a necessity upon men to sinne for if God hath decreed the punishment he hath decreed the cause also A. The decree puts no more necessity upon men to sinne then the secret intent and purpose of a King to put his just Law in execution makes a malefactor guilty and to suffer according to that law further who dares reply against God if he would have it so Ro. 9.20 Obj. But if a King makes a law so strict that his Subjects cannot keepe it and then punishes his Subjects for breaking it is not that King more guilty then his Subject A. But the case is not so for God when he gave the Law at first to man viz Adam he did not give him such a Law that he could not keep Q. How doth it appeare that Adam could have observed and kept that Law which God gave him in his innocent state A. I. Because the Scripture testifies of him that he was made (a) Ecl. 7.29 upright and in (b) Gen. 5 1 Gods owne likenesse viz. in knowledge holinesse and power and therefore sure he was fit and able to keep it 2. The commandement that God gave Adam to obey it was no hard commandement to be observed by such a spirituall man Ob. But Adam was no other then a meer earthly and naturall man 1 Cor. 15.47 for had he been spirituall he could not have fallen from that state A. It is true that Adams body was of the earth yet Adams soule was immediately from heaven and therefore spirituall And why might not Adam though spirituall as well as the Angels seeing they were alike without promise of upholding them and no union of spirit between them and God or Christ and but mutually good fall from that state Q. What death did Adams transgression and disobedience deserve and bring upon himselfe and his posterity A. All that the Scripture cals (a) Ro. 5.14 1 Cor. 15.21 death which is either naturall (b) Lu. 1.79 spirituall or (c) Rom. 5.2 Eph. 2.1 Iam. 1.15 Ro. 5.15.18 eternall Q. How doth it appeare that Adams sin brought eternall death A. 1. From the words of the Apostle Rom. 5.16.18 Judgement was by one to condemnation and judgement came upon all men to condemnation Now condemnation must bee understood here as in other places of Scripture for (d) Ioh. 5.24 Rom. 8.1 eternall condemnation also the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in those (e) Ro. 5.16.18 two texts is alwayes in Scripture for eternall condemnation and differs from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judgement lastly here is judgement and condemnation together which imports both a temporall and eternall judgement 2. That condemnation which is put in opposition to eternall life must needs be eternall condemnation but this condemnation is such Rom. 5.21 Rom. 5.21 for the Apostle saith That as sinne hath reigned unto death even so might grace reigne through righteousnesse unto eternall life 3. It must be eternall death else how and when came mankinde to be guilty of eternall death do the weake and wicked posterity of Adam by sinning now when by reason of their corrupt natures they hardly can doe otherwise deserve and come under eternall death and should Adams sinne which was against knowledge and a cleare Law have no other punishment but a naturall and temporall death Further how can death viz. eternall death Rom. 6.23 be the wages of one sinne and not of another Rom. 6.23 Ob. If Adam had not sinned hee was to enjoy but outward and temporall mercies therefore having sinned his sin could bring him under no other but temporall and outward judgements A. Adam being the (f) Lu 3.38 Son of God and after his owne likenesse doubtlesse did enjoy and was to enjoy had he not sinned the savour and love of God and communion with him which were more then meere temporall and outward mercies On the contrary the losse of these which are (g) Eph. 5.6 Mat. 25.41 two of the greatest and soarest judgements that the damned suffer for ever must needs be more then temporall and outward judgements Q Did Adam by his sinne and disobedience breake the Covenant that was made with Christ before A. No for that Covenant was not given unto Adam before his fall therefore he could not breake that which was not given him to observe Q. Was that Covenant which was made with Jesus Christ before time afterwards made with men A. Yes see Esa 55.3 Jer. 31.31 and 33.20 Eze. 16.8 20.37 Heb. 8.10 Q. Who made that Covenant with men A. God the (h) Hos 2.18 Father (i) Eze. 16.8 Jesus Christ and the (k) Heb. 10.15 16. Spirit Q. When and with whom was that Covenant before made with

c. doe teach faith in Christ as in a Mediatour Nay if unbelief doth damn men as indeed it doth but not only then it is a wonder that Christ would not take away that sin with the rest but suffer so many millions to perish for not dying for the sin or for want of giving them the grace of faith Obj. You say the Scripture doth not mention the taking away of some sins and not all doth not the Apostle say that Christ by meanes of death made redemption for the sinnes that were against the first Testament Heb. 9.15 A. The text is not sins against the first Testament but under the first Testament and the meaning of that Scripture seemes to be this that it was Christ that did make satisfaction for the sinnes of those that lived under the Law or first Testament as well as for the sins of those that lived since which the Apostle (i) Ro. 3.25 elsewhere calls sins past or if otherwise you understand this Scripture thus that Christ by his death did make satisfaction for the sins of those that did believe which they committed whilst they were under the Law or first Testament but in that text he doth not say the sins of all those that were under the first Testament Obj. But Christ saith all sinne shall be forgiven unto the sonnes of men and blasphemies mat 12.31 wherewith soever they shall blaspheme but he that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost shall never have forgivenesse so that here is no sin unpardoned but unbeleefe A. 1. The meaning is not that al sins committed against the father and against the Son are forgiven unto men and shal not be imputed unto them but that those sins are pardonable but they that blaspheme against the holy ghost especially against knowledge Heb. 10.29 and thereby doe despite unto the spirit of grace these cannot be pardoned 1 Ioh. 5.16.17 for they sin as the Apostle speaks the sin unto death 2. Blasphemy is not unbelife though not without unbeliefe for the word signifies (m) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so translated Eph. 4.31 evil speaking and the Jewes blasphemed against the holy Ghost by saying that Christ cast out devils by Beelzebub when he cast them out by the spirit of God and upon this occasion Christ did (n) Mat 12.24 31. speake these words Obj. If that were the meaning then Paul could not have been saved for be blasphemed A. Though Paul blasphemed yet it was not against the holy Ghost but against the (o) Act 26.9 name of Jesus and this also hee did (p) Tim. 1.13 ignorantly Obj. But sure unbeliefe is the onely cause of damnation for Christ saith this is the condemnation Joh. 3.19 A. It is not denied but that unbeliefe is a cause of damnation yea sure a maine cause but it is not the only cause and that place you cite doth not speake at all of unbeliefe but of loving darknesse and sure ignorance is no lesse (q) 2 The 1.8 sin neither will have lesse punishment then unbeliefe for did men (r) ps 9 10. know Christ they would believe in him So much for the first Reason 2 Reason If that were true that Christ did take away the sins of all those that dye in unbeliefe then sure it will be great injustice in God to punish men for the same sins that he had punished his son for before to imprison the surety and to exact the utmost of him and then to imprison the debtour for the same debt and to keep him in perpetuall durance and torment for the same debt is a thing unheard of among just men God under the Law did require but an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth Ex 21.24 And sure under the Gospell he will not be more rigid as to require the life of his son and the life of a sinner for the same disobedience No no God saith that Christ shal (s) Is 53.11 see of the travell of his soul and be satisfied sure it would not satisfie Christ to dye for millions and to injoy scarce thousands or to purchase all and to enjoy but the least part Obj. Though their sins were laid on Christ and he punished for them yet they are not pardoned unlesse men beleeve A. Sure Christ would not undergoe punishment for men and suffer them to be damned for ever for want of giving them faith to beleeve it For a man that will undergoe hanging to save another from hanging will not deny if the poor prisoner be in the Goale and cannot come out vide contra Heb 9.12 10.14 to goe in and helpe him out This is to make Christs redemption but a partiall and not a perfect redemption Againe if Christ damnes men onely for not believing then he damns them either for what they cannot do or for what they can doe if you say they cannot believe then you reflect on Christ for damning them for what they cannot do if you say they can believe of themselves then you make Christ a lyar who (a) Joh 15.5 saith without him they can doe nothing Obj. But Christ offers faith to all Ans Suppose hee did so yet that is not enough for he must not onely offer faith but give faith therefore saith the Apostle when he speakes of faith and (b) Eph 2 8. Phil 1 29. that not of your selves but it is the gift of God here faith is excluded from saving as it is mans act as well as works 3 Reason If Christ hath taken away the sinnes of all then he hath reconciled all to God for nothing but sin hindred reconciliation and the Scripture saith that the (c) 2 Cor. 5.19 Ro. 11.15 world which word is not there to be taken generally for every one in the world was reconciled to God by the death of his sonne as well as their sins taken away by his death Obj. Yes Christ hath reconciled all but what then A. Then all shall be saved for the Apostle (d) Ro. 5.10 saith If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son how much more shall we be saved by his life (e) Col 1 20 21. In another place he saith And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mindes by wicked workes yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death but what to do Mark to present you holy and unblamcable and unreproveable in his sight Obj. Oh but the Apostle speakes in these places of beleevers but in the other of the world A. That Epistle to the Corinthians was written to beleevers as well as the other two and the emphasis and strength of the thing doth not lye in the word WORLD though afterwards I cleare that word also but in the word reconciled Consider therefore whether there be more persons reconciled then saved and whether salvation bee not as large and as sure as reconciliation for certainly