Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	faith_n	justify_v	work_n	69,048	5	7.2995	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51261	An addition to the Clavis aurea with an enquiry upon what terms the salvation of man doth depend; whether entirely on faith or entirely on works, or whether entirely on grace or free-gift. By Thomas Moor, author of the Clavis aurea, living in St. Thomas's in Southwark.; Clavis aurea. Addition.	Moor, Thomas, fl. 1695-1697.	1696 (1696)	Wing M2608AA; ESTC R216354	26,490	32

carry no other Sense than its one literal Sense and that is Satisfaction enough for us And so I leave you to understand that Text fully in these Books and then you 'll be better satisfied but the Mysteries of Divinity or the ways of God are so far above our ways though they be made apparent to the Vnderstanding and Experience yet may appear Fabulous to your Faith for sometime and it may be in this World for ever as it pleases God to enlighten your Mind As to my Sheet concerning Elijah I find they that know least make most Noise and by such I have reeeived Abuses enough and shewed their malice to forsake my Shop But what would People have me to do Had they bad such Visions and such fulfilling of their Expectations as I have had mentioned in that Dispute with the Athenian Society Could they with a safe Conscience go back Especially when the Learned fly from Argument as if they were afraid to discourse me But herein will lie some Satisfaction if no Man can be found that is able to discourse me then I hope I have the mere reason to suspect my self to be that Person but if I were able as I know nothing to the contrary as yet to overthrow the whole World in Divinity I should never believe my self to be that Elias except I also lived to see the Second Coming of Christ In the mean time I put forth these Books to try the Learned and to cause a Preparation against that Day but whither 't will answer my Expectation I am not certain however I must try it and if it fails me I have been no Impudent Affirmer but modest in what I have writ and have to the best of my Knowledg kept close to the Truth and better cannot be expected from me whereby my Conscience is perfectly satisfied let things go how they will and if there be any Evil let the Learned answer for that whose place it is to satisfy Men in their Errors and Doubts and once more I now try them being the last I intend to write and so I take my leave of them except they answer me and others will be at the Charges of Printing my Re-answers for my Ability will not do it The last things that I can understand by the Scriptures is the Preparation Elias is to make to meet Christ in Love at his second Appearance for the turning a Curse from the Earth Mal. 4. and then follows the second coming of Christ As for the calling of the Jews it lyes somewhat dubious in Scripture whither it will be immediately before Christ's coming or at his coming Our Saviour saith When I come shall I find Faith on Earth Luke 18. 8. Now if the Jews are called before he come I should be apt to think there would be Faith upon Earth otherwise how are they called Besides the Deliverer that is to come out of Sion to turn Iniquity from them must certainly be by Faith and who can give them Faith but Christ See Rom. 11. 26. Again the Generation of the Jews are not to pass away till all these things be done Math. 24. 34. that is in the foregoing verses till the Son of Man come in the Clouds with Power and great Glory this Generation is not to pass away Observe then if the Jews should before the coming of Christ turn Christians they would not regard their Geneology and so their Generation would pass away so that I cannot discern that their calling will be till the the second coming of Christ I shall not detain you here any longer but I hope this Age will not altogether imitate the blind Zeal of the Jews who persecuted that Doctrine they were not able to answer But already my Suffering in this case in forsaking my Shop that have so great a Family proves their Knowledge as little as their Charity which last is one Proof of Apostolick Doctrine And thus in all Ages hath God confounded the Wisdom of the World T. M. An Addition to the Clavis Aurea for a more perfect Satisfaction in Salvation after fifteen years tryal of the Learned THE Scripture tells us in one place That we are saved by Grace through Faith and not of Works least any should boast Eph. 2. 8 9. but in another place contrary to this We are not saved by Faith alone but also by Works James 2. 24. In another place by the Works of the Law shall no Flesh be justified Gal. 2. 16. But in another place contrary to this all Vnbelievers Fearful and whosoever maketh a Lye have their Portion in the Lake of Brimstone and Fire Rev. 21. 8. which argues we must be saved by perfection in good works I need not tell you the insatisfaction in these things insomuch that we are at a Nonplus to know on what terms our Salvation doth depend whether entirely on Faith or entirely on Works or partly on Faith and partly on Works or entirely on Grace So that the Scripture is a Book sealed up and he that is not able to overthrow all Men of the contrary Judgment to his can be no Minister of it As it came by Inspiration so Inspiration must unfold it they were never yet laid open for Paul writ the Wisdom of God in a Mystery 1 Cor. 2. 7. and there hath been no Spiritual Man to do it since and the Scripture speaks but of one to come to which I refer you to my Disputation with the Athenian Society concerning Elias in Mal. 4. By the word Grace I mean a Free-gift as if Salvation were given us we not meriting it by any Free-will in us VVhen I say Moses Law I mean not only the Moral Commands of Moses as the Ten Commandments and the like but also the Moral Commands of Christ which are the same as the Law only some of them more difficult to be obeyed as for example if the Law saith Thou shalt not commit Adultery Christ saith if we but lust after a Woman we commit Adultery in the Heart If the Law saith Thou shalt not covet Christ bid the Rich Man to sell all he had and to give to the Poor This being understood I shall now open what I have said concerning on what terms our Salvation doth depend when it is said by the works of the Law shall no Flesh be justified it is without we keep the Law of Moses so entirely as not to break it in one point for then we are guilty of the whole James 2. 10. in that Sense that it will condemn us and Repentance will not fetch us back to be justified by that Law being once broken but a Sacrifice or Christ must make up what of that Law we are not able to keep when it is said we are not saved by Faith alone but also by Works it is to be understood that Faith is dead without Works James 2. 26. So that Faith which works not by Love from whence flows good VVorks is not a living but dead Faith

and not esteemed of in the sight of God but yet we cannot understand by this that our VVorks are to be so perfect that the Law must not be broken for then what would the Blood of Christ signify to us VVho is it that ever liv'd so holy but every Day breaks the Law tho against his Desire But more of this in another Place As to the Scripture which seems to plead for Perfection of good VVorks and Faith in this Life or no Salvation which is that Vbelievers Fearful and all Lyars shall have their Portion in the Lake Rom. 21. 8. points that such Perfection is given after this Life otherwise who shall be saved this will end the Confusion that is preach'd Thus I have given an uniting of the Scripture as to Faith and Works And for the better understanding this I proceed to the Definition of a justiing Faith But first let me tell you Perfection in good Works is taught to be in this Life and so the Error of the Galatians is on us who expected Justification by the Law for they say if we repent we shall be forgiven which I grant but that which is the Mistake and brings us under Bondage again is that they allow not Repentance sufficient without also a forsaking of the Sin repented of and Men not always finding it in their Power so to do fall into Despair So that we had need of a more comfortable Doctrine to encourage us in that which is good and to render us Satisfaction For I find from the Example of the Primitive Christians that sold their Estates and gave it to the Poor that Love draws more than Fear compels A Definition of a Justifying or Saving Faith A Justifying or Saving Faith consists in three parts 1. To believe that Christ suffered for Sin without doubting of it 2. To love him to that perfection of Love as not to fear but to be assured of our Salvation 3. To delight in good works tho we cannot be so perfect in them as to keep the whole Law of Moses or Moral Commands of Christ yet having this Faith Good Works would be as was in the Primitive Faith when they sold their Possessions and distributed to those that wanted far surpassing what is now practised So that believing without doubting assurance of Salvation and good Works make up one Faith for Justification And if one of these three parts be wanting the Faith is not Justifying and so by consequence nor Saving Whence all three parts put together make up such a Faith as we must have either in this World or the World to come or no Salvation Proofs of this Faith in every part of it 1. He that doubts whether Christ suffered or not doth not believe for he that doubteth is damned is he eats because he eateth not of Faith Rom. 14. 23. questioning the lawfulness or unlawfulness of the Meat he eats which shews that a doubting Faith is a damning Faith But in objection to this we say Christ healed the Man that said Lord I believe help my Vnbelief So he healed all that were diseased of their Bodies that came unto him whether Believers or Unbelievers yet without this Faith there 's no Salvation And as to his not quenching the smoaking Flax that 's in some for it 's certain that Israel in part are concluded in Unbelief born to die in Unbelief And indeed the Faith now in general is a doubting wavering seeking Faith and Books are now writ to prove the Scriptures the word of God there being so little credit given to them 2. The second part of this Faith is assurance of Salvation It is neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision that availeth but Faith that works by love Gal. 5. 6. Hence 't is a Faith that works by love that is saving or available and this Faith which works by Love is not made perfect if Fear be not extinguished as 't is writ He that fears is not made perfect in love 1 John 4. 18. Now if 1 question whether God loves me so well as to save me I am in fear and where there is Fear there is Torment John 4. 18. So that it 's evident a Faith which works by Love is made perfect by a casting out of Fear which cannot be till there be an assurance of Salvation this being so clearly proved proves the first part of Faith to be true that doubting is not believing for who can be sure of his Salvation that doubts of Christ's Suffering 3. The third part of this Saving Faith is to delight in good Works tho we cannot be so perfect in them in this Life as to keep the whole Law of Moses and Moral Commands of Christ The Error that the foolish Galatians were under is the same as now 〈◊〉 which was that they sought Justification by being so 〈◊〉 good Works that they were able to keep the Law or 〈…〉 committing Sin as if we must first keep the Law 〈…〉 before we can have an Interest in Christ As 〈…〉 ●o absurd as to say they can live without 〈…〉 But Paul tells them he preached the Gospel to them 〈…〉 the Flesh and in the next Verse he calls this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Flesh which was Sin And in that 〈◊〉 so 〈…〉 they must have seen it because Paul 〈…〉 this his Temptation in the Flesh which the●efo●e must be a visible Sin or Temptation Gal. 4 13 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may go far and not be perfect 1 Cor. 13 'T is ●●●rity that is the tryal of a Christian's Faith and it never faileth The 〈◊〉 satisfaction of future Joys opens the Hearts of Men but Unbelievers hold it best to be sure of keeping what they have here for fear of not being recompenc'd hereafter But I would not have you mistake the Apostle when he saith Though I bestow all my 〈◊〉 to the Poor and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing ● Paul doth not say he that giveth his Goods to the Poor for Christ ● sake hath not Charity that cannot be but to give them in O●●●u●ation or Pride For Charity covereth a multitude of Sins 1 Pet. 4. 8 and true Charity sussereth long or is patient and is kind and e●vieth not ●●aunteth not it self is not puffed up and doth not unseemly beleave it self especially towards the Poor as if they were not his Fellow-Creatures Paul preach'd Sin unavoidable so that if he had found in himself that he could have avoided it altogether he could not have let his Experience and Doctrine so contradict each other for in Rom. 7. 21 he thus writes I find then a Law that when I would do good evil it present with me Again ver 18. to will is present with me but 〈◊〉 to perform that which is good I find not and much more in that Chapter to the same purpose And indeed the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit that we cannot do the things we would Gal. 5. 17. But i● objection to this we read Paul got the Victory 1 Cor. 15. ●7

Glory I shall not enquire but I am satisfied there will be no Envy nor Out-vying shall our Eye be Evil because he is good Mat. 20. 15. Tho the last Labourer in the Vineyard came at the last Hour received also a Penny equal with the others that had endured the Labour of the Day Cannot God do what he will with his own We have enough and he that endured the Labour of the Day hath this Advantage that he cannot but prize his Penny the more which is the greater Happiness since also his Experience will give him this Estimation of his Penny to all Eternity above the other who will want that Estimation of his Penny as having not so much laboured for it But some are for some Punishment after this Life which I know not but since there is no Free-will it caunot be more than we are able to bear and that for the better Estimation of future Joys In Page 26. of the Clavis Aurea I discourse of a perfect Free-will to which I refer you and this I must add to it that as by a Penny we know how a Shilling is coined so by a Shilling we know how a Penny is coined from the greater Then if the first Cause were ceas'd to be we can't imagine we could live move or have any being whereby we may as easily believe that we may have a Power given us to create our selves as govern our selves since in both there must be a Seperation between the Cause and the Effect which is the utmost Satisfaction in this Free-will Neither is a Talent given or rather mov'd in all alike for one is subject to Love another to Hatred one to Fornication another to Chastity another is an Unbeliever to another Faith is given and the like throughout all Vertue and Vice And let two contrary Livers exchange Lives if they can and let him that hath some prevalent Sin conquer it and then Experience will soon open your Eyes in Free-will And when all is done you cannot pretend to a perfect Free-will or to be saved by your Free-will since by the Works of the Law no Flesh shall be justified because he cannot keep it in every point We must then search out upon what Terms our Salvation doth depend and that 's the Free-will we must enquire into no other Free-will we can pretend to will do us any kindness I am now come to see whether we have a particular Free-will in those Terms our Satisfaction of Salvation doth depend and since it doth not depend on the Works of the Law because we cannot pretend to keep them perfectly we must be saved by Faith alone which saving Faith I have before laid down in plain Proofs from Scripture The Jews had so little Free-will in this Faith that some had no desire to look after it and some that did look after it could not obtain it and others as the Gentiles that sought not after it obtained it And what Prerogative we can pretend to above these I leave to your own Experience And so I shall draw to a Conclusion thus When we depend on Works by the way of freewill we then depend on our own Righteousness and so like Peter we may fall into a Ditch or deny Christ or some other Danger But when we look upon Works or Goodness as freely given us we not in the least deserving or having a Power but what is given to endeavour for them whereby we look upon our selves as nothing and that these Works are not meritorious but only the Blood of Christ then we depend clearly and only on the Rightousness of Christ or his Blood This is safe and throughout the Scriptures those that had the Power given them to trust in God he led them in his ways tho not to be so perfect here on Earth as not to commit Sin yet they were perfect in a Gospel Perfection or in Love which casteth out Fear 1 Joh. 4. 17 18. and so would not commit Sin if they could help it in which Love was the fullfilling of the Law in Christ And it was said to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian Jer. 39. 18. Thy Life shall be for a Prey unto thee because thou hast put thy trust in me Love to God and Love to our Neighbour is the fullfilling of the whole Law in Christ and so is a Foundation of Good Works and the End of Religion Love thinketh no evil to his Neighbour therefore Love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13 8 9 10. Love is the Price of Love and he must needs love us first if we have this Love and this Love being obtained which cannot be but by this Doctrine or an Infusion of the Holy Gost rapturing the Spirit with such Sweetness beyond the Conception of Man before a tryal of it transporting the Soul beyond all Fear tho the Scriptures lie hid from him we can have no better Satisfaction of our Salvation which Salvation unknown to us hath been lock'd up in the secret Decrees of a tender and loving Father who for pleasant things hath given us profitable things that we may prize by a Contrariety or Sufferings of this World his Love in the World to come whose inconceivable Raptures But what am I going to say I can only take my Leave of you and wish you all both my Friends and Enemies an eternal Experience of them or his Love which passeth all understanding in the highest Heavens even in Mount Sion amongst the innumerable and glorious Company of Saints and Angels Amen FINIS POSTSCRIPT I Think to take my final leave of the Clergy which is what they expect that my writings might dye but first I hold it convenient to examine their works and find out the Reasons they do not answer me Mr. Pelling Chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty in his practical discourse upon God's Love Pag. 19 20. Indeed saith he 't is said that God giveth some a Spirit of Slumber Eyes that they should not see and Ears that they should not Hear but these and the like Expressions though at the first hearing they Sound harsh yet they do not relate to any antecedent decree or desire or work of God but are only accidentally by the just Judgment of God upon obstinate People who harden themselves so that in the end God gives them up to themselves so that they become stupid blind and deaf but the Original of this is their own wilful remper and sinful Courses whereby their Hearts wax gross and their Ears become dull of hearing and their Eyes they close themselves by repe●ted acts of their own as if they were affraid left at any time they should see with their Eyes and understand with their Hearts and should be converted and heal'd Mr. Pelling is now living and these are his words Verbatim Pray what repeated acts of Sin did Israel commit before they were born For this Israel that were then blinded in Paul's days were ordain'd so to be before the Seventy Years Captivity Isa 6.