Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	believe_v	live_v	resurrection_n	4,221	5	9.2871	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47193	The universall free grace of the Gospell asserted, or, The light of the glorious Gospell of Jesus Christ, shining forth universally, and enlightning every man that coms [sic] into the world, and therby giving unto every man, a day of visitation wherin it is possible for him to be saved, which is glad tydings unto all people, being witnessed and testifyed unto, by us the people called in derision Quakers : and in opposition to all denyers of it, of one sort and another proved by many infallible arguments, in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit of truth, according to Scripture testimonies and sound reason : with the objections of any seeming weight against it, answered it, answered / by George Keith.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Furly, Benjamin, 1636-1714.	1671 (1671)	Wing K228; ESTC R13258	128,214	140

divine touch the soule and will is so far liberated and freed that it can follow that which draweth it without which drawings of the Father Christ saith No man can come unto him The which the Lord is no ways bound to continue for ever 6. And therefore neither do we assert that men that have received this Light and Spirit of God and have given themselvs up unto it to obey it and so are becom Servants of Righteousnes doe receive at once a full and sufficient measure for the whole course of their Lives but onely sufficient for the present state condition opportunity and case to preserve protect and defend them from all evill so that the Creature must be continually exercised in a perpetuall dependance and wayting upon the Lord to receive the renewed and fresh influences of this divine Light and Life according as its present State Condition and Necessity may require there being no security of the soule out of this dependant wayting receiving frame SECTION I. Holding forth the Arguments according to Scripture Testimonies and a vindication of them from the corrupt Glosses of our Adversaries Argument 2. from Ioh. 1. cap. v. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 c. IN this Chapter wee have a full and clear Testimony both from Iohn the Evangelist and Apostle of our Lord Iesus Christ and also from Iohn the Baptist his forerunnor concerning this matter Iohn the Evangelist saith concerning him that he was the Word which was in the beginning and was with God and was God that all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made and that in him was life and the life was the light of Men. In which words hee declareth two things 1. That generall Relation hee hath towards all the Creaturs that he is their Maker All things were made by him Secondly that speciall Relation hee hath towards Men in asmuch as hee is not only their Maker as of other things but hee is their light In him was life and the life was the light of Men Which words doe import very plainly that hee is the Saviour of Men and given unto them for the light of Salvation to renew and restore them out of their fallen condition which is a State of death and of darknes and so Iohn here doeth the work of a true Evangelist in preaching glad tydings to lost Men they ar dead but in him is life they ar darkned through the fall yea and Darknes as it is Eph. 5. 8. But the life is the light of Men and the light shineth in darknes Now Christ was the Life and Light of Men befor the fall in a more near Relation then of any other visible Creatures so as that hee lived in them and shined in them to give them the knowledge of the glory of God in his owne face which is his image in which man was made so hee was the life light of Men before men became darknes and also he is the Light Life of Men which shineth in them while they are darknes to bring them out of it into his owne life and light But now this darknes doth not apprehend the light doth not embrace it nor enjoy it hath not fellowship with it so much doth the word comprehend import neverthelesse by the workings of the light in the darknes men may be changed from being darknes to become light in the Lord. and many have witnessed this blessed charge and so when men are become light through the workings of the originall light in them they can apprehend the light and enjoy it Light can apprehend light though dark●…es cannot by all which it may plainly appear that Iohn is in this place holding forth Christ to be the Light and Life unto Men more then simply according to naturall Illumination for that had not been to doe the work of an Evangelist or to preach the Gospell unto Men simply and barely to tell them that Christ doth enlighten them naturally as with naturall Reason and understanding The Gospell wherof Iohn was a Minister and of which this is a most comfortable declaration holds forth Christ to be the Life the Word and the Light in a much more deep and comprehensive signification not excluding the more inferiour kinds and degrees of life communicated unto the Creatures in their capacities but superadding a more excellent degree of Light and Life communicable unto Man from Christ then that which is naturall unto him simply as a naturall Man for indeed every degree of life which Man hath as 1. the Life of Vegetation 2. of Sensation 3. of Reason 4. of Grace is from Christ the universall fountain and spring of Life and hee is justly called the Life in all these considerations But now to limit this universall signification of Light and Life to the 3 inferiour degrees of it exclude the fourth which is the Supreame doth plainly manifest a partiall spirit which is prejudiced against the Truth Let all the Scripturs be searched and it will never be found that Christ is called the Light and the Life simply and barely in Relation to the naturall quickning and Illumination of the Creaturs excluding the spirituall but rather that the spirituall quickning and enlightning is alwayes mostly pointed at not excluding the other as Joh. 11. 25. I am the Resurrection the Life hee that beleeveth in me though hee ●…r dead yet shall hee Live and Joh. 14. 6. I am the Way the Truth and the Life no man cometh unto the Father but by me in which places Christ is held forth principally in Relation to his influence of spirituall Life upon Men and Joh. 8. 12. I am the Light of the world hee th●…t followeth me shall not walk in darknes but shall have the Light of Life Which cannot be understood thus hee that followes me as I enlighten naturally shall have the Light of Life which is false but thus hee that followes me as I enlighten spiritually hee shall have the Light of Life Againe in that hee is called the Light of Men this is not to be understood particularly of some men viz. beleevers but of all men both beleevers and unbeleevers within the day of their visitation 1. Becaus it is not said the Life is the Light of some men but of men indefinitly now an indefinit term signifyeth mostly universally and is alwayes so to be understood where no sufficient reason moveth to the contrary 2. Becaus Iohn the Evangelist and Iohn the Baptist much agree in their testimony now Iohn Baptists testimonie was that hee enlightneth every man 3. Becaus this is not only the Light of Beleevers that they may more and more believ but hee is the Light of or unto Unbeleevers in a day of visitation that they may become Beleevers for many Unbeleevers have become Beleevers And how but by the Lighting wherby the Light did lighten them in their unbeleef for when the light first lighteth a man it findeth him in

is the Word of faith in men answers to the things of Faith and therfor the true Ministers of the Gospell offer Faith unto all men there being in all men some measure of illumination by which they are capable to receiv it Now Iohn saith further hee was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not by the World it is manifest hee understandeth Men for that hee maks it a culpable thing that hee being in the World yet the World did not know him and so it cannot be understood of the outward frame of Heaven and Earth which are not in a capacity to know him Therefor according to Iohn hee was in men who knew him not and so in them who did not beleive in him nor receive him He came to his owne and his owne received him not viz. Those who wer his owne 1. by the Right of Creation 2. by the Right of Donation all men yea and all things wer delivered unto him of his Father and they to wit all men wer given him that hee might enlighten them as hee is given unto them for the same and so distributeth unto them their severall Talents that they might putt them to usury and at his coming to Iudgement might give an account of them Now here some reply That by these words in the 10. 11. vers is understood his coming outwardly in the land of Iudea but I answer as hee came there and was a light in the outward which shined gloriously and yet they did neither know him nor receive him so hee did come in the inward in some measure both then unto them and to all others yea and from the beginning forasmuch as hee hath ever beene the light of the world enlightning every man that coms into it therefore Iohn bears testimony unto him not only in what hee was at present but in what hee had been from the beginning both what hee then was and what hee was to be afterwards So by his being in the world and coming unto his owne cannot be simply understood his coming in the outward excluding his inward coming And b●…sides his coming IN THE OUTWARD excluding his inward coming could not so enlighten them that they might beleev But hee came enlightening them so that they might beleve Therfore his coming outwardly is not simply nor principally here understood For to his outward coming the following verses doe rather relate Morover John bare testimony of him saying The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ by which it is evident that Iohn is here preaching Christ as an universall Light unto all not according to a naturall illumination but according to that which is saving and spirituall Grace and Truth saith he cometh by Iesus Christ. And of his fulnes said hee have we all received Grace for Grace Now what ALL is this only the Saints and Beleevers No for if Saints and Beleevers only received Grace from Christ then no Unbeleevers could ever become Saints and also no Saints ever were Unbeleivers which is false For now when Grace first cometh unto men from Christ out of his fulnes it findeth them Unbeleevers and it is given them while they are such to the end that they may be converted from their unbeleef So then Unbeleevers receive Grace that they may beleeve and Beleevers receive it that they may beleeve more and more yet now some yea many and most Unbeleevers suffer not this Grace which they have received to have its operation in them which would change them and make them Beleevers but like the slothfull Servant hide their Masters mony in the earth in a napkin therefore it doth not encrease nor bring forth the fruits of Grace which it doth in them who yeeld submitt unto its operation But some may say if they had received Grace they had received him and so they should have become the Sons of God according to vers 12. I answer the Word receive hath divers significations 1. If a thing be put in such a place it is said to be received as if Seed be sowne in barren earth So the slothfull Servant which hid his Masters mony in the earth is said to have received it Math 25. 24. But 2. a thing is said to be received when it is suffered to have its due operation in that wher it is put and if not it is said to be rejected so the Earth may be said not to receive the Seed which though sowne in it yet it suffers it not to spring up and the Body which receivs good Physick into it yet resisting the operation thereof it may be said not to receive it but reject it And thus many words in Scripture have divers significations which in one is true in another false and so all men of his fulnes received Grace but some recei●…e it no otherwise then the barren Earth or Womb receivs the Seed or as the slothfull Servant his Talent and so it proves their condemnation even as the body which receiving good Physick resisting it and working against it is killed thereby Others receive it so as to yeeld to its operation and so they are as the good Ground which receiving the good Seed bringeth forth fruit some 30 some 60 and some 100 fold Argument 2. From Ioh. 3. vers 16. 17. c. to 22. compared with Ioh. 8. 12. IN these words Joh. 3. from v. 16. to 22. Our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ doth from his owne mouth bear a large and plaine Testimony unto this Truth God said he so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Wherby hee doth shew forth the cause of mans perishing and misery to be from mans owne selfe and not from the Lord for the Lord so loved men that hee sent his Son to save them but men did not beleeve in him whom the Father had sent Now that this love of God is universall towards all men and that the Son is come into all to be a Saviour unto them is manifest in that hee saith God so loved the World that whosoever beleeved in him should not perish But here also they have sought out an evasion to darken and corrupt this clear Testimony by the World say they hee means not all men but only the Elect. In opposition to which I say 1. It s but a meer allegation without any ground for they can shew us no place in all the Scripture wher only the Elect are called the World Indeed evill men and unbelievers are oft called the World and sometyms all men are called the World but no wher the Elect alone But 2. supposing the World wer sometyms understood to be only the Elect yet it cannot be so understood here for that it would render these words of our blessed Lord void of sence and nonsensicall which were blasphemous to think For according to that acceptation the words would

and this is the record that God hath given to us eternall life and this life is in his Son Now what US is this to whom God ha●…h given eternall life Surely both hee who beleevs and hee who beleevs not for thus hee who beleevs bears a true witnesse and testimony unto the record of God holding forth that eternall life which is given him in a true beleef thereof and confession thereunto in word and deed but the Unbeleever is a lyar and why so becaus that God has given him eternall life but his unbeleeving heart saith No hee hath not given it unto me As now if I should give a thing unto a man to make use of and hee burieth it in some place and denyeth that hee ever had such a thing from me hee would be a lyar so the Unbeleever by his unbeleef denying the gift of God which is given unto him hee lyeth But now if this gift which is eternall life had never beene given unto him hee could not be called a lyar for to lye is to deny that which is true therefor it is true that God hath given him eternall life viz. in the seed which would have brought forth life in him had hee beleeved And thus the slothfull servant who hid his masters mony in the earth was a lyar in that hee said his Lord was a hard Master and that what hee had given him was not sufficient enough so did not beleeve the record viz. that God had given him eternall life Acts. 26. 18. 23. Paul saith he was sent of God to turne the Gentiles from darknes unto light even unto Christ who lighteth every man that cometh into the world whom Paul here preached that hee did suffer and rise from the dead and did shew light unto the people and to the Gentiles and yet when Paul first came unto them they were in unbeleef and darknes Now it is great ignorance and darknes for man to say that this light which Paul turned them unto was not within them for they might as well say that the darknes and power of Sathan from which he was to turn them to God was not in them and seeing hee turned them to God sure it was that they might find him and his light and li●… in them for wee cannot find God to the salvation of our souls but in our selvs becaus the light which gives the knowledge of the glory of God shines in the heart 2. Cor. 4. 6. And wee never find that Paul directed the Gentiles to seek God on his light otherwise then a●… near even in their hearts Morover out adversaries confesse that which is meerly outward is not sufficient unto salvation Hence I thus argue The Apostle was to turne them to that which was sufficient unto salvation Therfor it was the light which is of a saving nature that was in them the consequence is plaine from our adversaries confession aforsaid that nothing meerly otward is sufficient unto salvation the Antecedent is proved from this that he turned them to that wherby their eves might be opened and they niight receive forgivenes of sins c. Againe the Apostles wer able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the spirit and so they directed people unto that which was sufficient for salvation they both ministred from the spirit in themselvs and directed the people to whom they preached unto a measure of the same spirit and to the light and life thereof in themselvs Joh. 16. 7. I will send the comforter unto you and when hee is come hee will reprove the world of sin of righteousnes and of judgement of sin becaus they beleeved not in me c. This answereth unto what is said immediately above as the Apostles did preach from the Spirit of God and of Christ in themselvs so they directed the world unto a measure of the same spirit in themselvs which was given to the end their ministry might prevaile in the world for had not the spirit beene given to convince the world and bear testimony unto the truth published by the Apostles they could have had no encouragement to preach but this was their encouragement that the spirit was sent into the world wherby the whole world should be convinced and so either saved or left without excuse Now it is very observable that hee saith hee shall reprove the world of sin becaus they beleeved not in Christ wherby it is manifest that the great sin of the world is unbeleef for which it is reproved But if the world be reproved for that they did not beleeve in Christ then certainly they ought to have beleeved in him and if they ought to have beleeved in him hee hath beene given and held forth unto them in such a way as was sufficient unto salvation for no man can be bound to beleeve in that which coms not in a sufficient way and under what smaller terms could hee be held forth unto them then as making salvation possible unto them which yet is only possible through an inward principle 2. Cor. 13. 5. Know yee not your owne selvs how that Christ is in you unles yee be reprobats This Scripture holds forth that Christ is in all men unto salvation who are not Reprobats Now none are simply Reprobats but whose day of visitation is past and their house left desolate its true the state of unbeleef and impenitence is a state of of reprobation and so those who are in it may be said Secundum quid or in so farre to be reprobate but none are or can be said to be simply Reprobats but who remaine in unbeleef and impenitency after their day of visitation is expired for while their Day remains in which salvation is possible unto them and wherin the Lord visits them and strives with them for their recovery they cannot be called simply Reprobates for reprobate is as much as left or rejected of God whom the Lord hath ceased to deal with in order unto their salvation yea and even our adversaries affirme that all Unbeleevers and unconverted are not reprobated Hence I thus argue that therefor at least Christ is in some unbeleevers and uncoverted becaus hee is in all who are not Reprobats and that unto salvation for otherwise hee is in the very Reprobats viz. unto condemnatiom and yet they deny that Christ is in any unto salvation who are unbeleevers and unconverted which is proved against them Now if people wer convinced that Christ wer in any unbeleevers and unconverted unto salvation this would be a great step unto their being convinced that hee is in all unto salvation within a day or time of visitation given them of God for that the greatest objection they commonly make is that Christ is in none in a saving way but who beleeve which is here proved false for hee is in them who beleeve not in a way to save them from unbeleef as many can witnes who now beleeve but were once unbeleevers and

doth comes to be cured thereby By the preaching of which universall principle we can reach unto the most Barbarous Nations unto their convincement and conversion this principle which is in them answering to the same in us as face unto face in a glass and so servs for a ground and foundation unto us wherby we may be and are incouraged to declare unto them the things pertaining to the faith of the Gospell even as the principle of Reason in men becomes a ground and foundation for a Master to instruct his Schollars in humane arts and sciences the proper object of Reason without which there would be no incouragement for Masters to take upon them to teach any body any thing For if there were no principle of humane Reason in the hearers to answer to and apprehend the things taught they might as well go teach the beasts of the field Just thus it is in this matter if there were no divine principle of faith in the unconverted and unbelieving to no purpose would it be to declare unto them the things of divine faith there being nothing in them that could answer to or were susceptible of them But this being opened above I shall proceed no further in it Yet though I say there is such a ground or foundation in all I must not be understood as if I said that this foundation were laid in all for the foundation cannot properly be said to be layd in any till it hath obtained its proper place in them Now this divine principle which indeed is the onely ground and foundation of divine faith and of all religion that is truly so though it be in all yet it hath not got its due and proper place in all But as I may say is in many or most displaced out of its place and order where it ought to be through the hearts being joined unto the contrary seed and principle which usurps the place and roome of this divine seed principle The work now of the true ministers of Christ is as his instruments through the influence of life and vertue from this divine principle in themselvs raised to reach unto the same in others that it may in them find and attain its due and proper place And this is as it were the laying of the foundation according to which Paul as a wise master builder said he had laid the foundation in the Corinthians which foundation to wit this universal principle was in them before but not layd in that proper due place that it ought to have had in them which he was in his ministry instrumentall to bring it to And indeed this is the great cause why this Noble seed remaineth as it were barren in so many people to wit because it is not permitted to have its due place in their hearts which is as requisit to its fructifying as it is necessary to every other Seed to be cast into its proper place as into its matrix out of which it cannot grow and come forth to the birth This divine Seed therefore requires the most inwards of the heart to cleave unto it in true love and that the contrary seed be expelled and then the seed of God will spring up and prosper bearing the most pretious fruits of vertue and knowledge by and through which the hearts of people will come in due time to receive every thing one after another that is of God according to the growth of this principle in them so that the hearers will as readily close joine with and assent unto the things declared as the speakers can utter or express them life answering unto life and light unto light in an excellent and wonderfull harmony And indeed this is the true and only method which should be used by Preachers for the bringing people in to the faith and acknowledgment of the Christian Religion First to inform them of this universall principle what it is and turne them towards it that they may observe its operation in them as it appeareth against the lusts of this world and for righteousness and temperance And so as wise builders to lay this true foundation in its proper place and as wise husbandmen and planters to place this divine Seed where it ought to be in order to its growth that it may spring up in them and the life power and vertue of God in it may be felt And this will naturally bring people to owne the Scriptures and things therin declared to owne Moses and the Prophets to own the dispensation of God to the Jews in that day and to own Christ in the flesh his miraculous birth his Doctrine miracles sufferings death resurrection and ascension together with the wonderfull end and designe of God therin to own the Evangelists and Apostles and the dispensation of life and glory through the spirituall and inward appearance of Christ among them in their day which was very powerfull and excellent and finally to own the same as it is now again revealed in this day after the Apostacy For this inward and universall principle beareth a most excellent concord and unity with all these and doth witness and answer unto them in most near and dear respects with kissings and embracings as it riseth or springeth up in any Vessell in the manifestation of its own life And thus men should be first turned towards this inward principle light word and seed of the Kingdom which being in them and they coming to feel it there they may the more readily be perswaded to own and believe it And as they come so to joine to it that it springs up in them in the light and glory thereof they will see and feel the Scriptures and the things therein declared to be of God and will tast relish and savour them in the life of this divine seed And this is good method and order in the preaching of the Gospell So that evident it is though it be ordinarily objected that the Quakers so called have no method that we have the best and only tru method in our words and writings as hath been declared first to turn people to the light that they may beleeve it which finding in them they can the more easily doe then to direct them to and inform them of the Scriptures and things therein declared which they cannot receive beleev or understand but in the divine light But to come to the Nations that have not nor do own the Scriptures and but few of the things therein declared and press them to beleev the Scriptures and own them as the words and oracles of God in the first place without first directing them to the great word and oracle of God in their own hearts in that to beleev and receiv them in which alone they can be truly and duly received is most contrary unto the tru method and order of the Gospell and against all tru method and order held in the knowledg of things naturall which always proceeds from the more known to

Scripture they lay violent hands on is Rom. 9. Where they say it s said Iacob have I loved and Esau have I hated before the children were born c. Answ. 1. There 's no such thing said there nor any where elce but those words Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated are by the Apostle cited out of Malachy 1. 2. 3. Which were spoken long after the children were borne and gone And all that the Apostle saith that was said before the children were borne is onely the Elder shall serve the yonger 2. Though the decree of God concerning them was not onely before their birth but as hath been said from everlasting Yet it did not respect as its Object Iacob and Esau simply before they were born but as born and having a day of visitation given them the one Iacob as seeking after and obtaining the elect seed signifyed by the birth right the other Esau as rejecting and despising it till the time of finding it was elapsed and then though he sought it and that withtears he could not find it 3. The Apostle doth plainly signify this whole matter of Iacob and Esau to be a figure signifying that the Election runs not in a carnall line as the Jews apprehended as if they were elected because descended of Iacob and others reprobated to give check now to this carnal conceit the Apostle shews that it doth not run in any line of carnall generation but in that of Spirituall regeneration Vers 7. 8. In Isaac shall thy seed be called that is saith he opening the thing signifyed by the figure they which are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the promise i. e. who are born of that elect and divine seed are counted for the seed And thus Iacob in the figure represents all beleevers that are born of the elect seed And Esau all others Now to Iacob and his posterity was given the promised Land which signifyeth the kingdome of heaven which is given to the truly regenerate But Esau and his posterity are shut out unto the wast and desolate mountains signifying the outer darkness into which the children of unrighteousness are cast Yet this doth not prove that either Esau himself or all his posterity were absolutly rejected of God Yea divers Protestants as Luther Oecolampadius and Mollerus do not concede that Esau himself did perish but was rather saved They urge againe Vers 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy c. as being Pauls answer to that Objection is there unrighteousness with God From whence they inferre that God hath not mercy upon all but upon some onely Answ. These words relate not to mens first coming into the world but unto a time after which the much long suffering of God was extended unto them which they despising and resisting do provoke the Lord to withdraw his mercy from them and yet perhaps visit others with his mercy after as much or more provocation and never leave them till he hath gained them to himself which is a wonderfull discrimination of the free love of God And thus after a time of gratious visitation though never so small he may have mercy upon some to give them yet a longer time and yet not have mercy upon others so as to give them any longer time of forbearance or repentance which is no unrighteousness with God but a very cleare demonstration both of his righteousness and mercy They urge again Vers 17. For this cause have I raised thee up meaning Pharoah that I might shew my power in thee which was for his destruction Answ. It is not said for this cause I raised thee up from the beginginning without giving thee any time of mercy and long suffering wherin thou mightst have repented Nay it s plain it relates to the time of Pharoahs great provocation Lastly they urge from this Chapter Vers 21. c. Hath not the power potter over the clay c. Answ. The Apostle alledgeth this example to clear the righteousness of God by reasoning from the lesser to the greater thus If the Potter may do so with the clay much more the Lord do so with men i. e. have more abundant mercy upon some and appoint others unto destruction after he hath indured them with much long suffering and given them space and place for repentance wherin salvation was possible to them Peter testifying that the long suffering of God is salvation i. e. tendeth thereunto as Paul also testifyeth saying the riches of his for bearance leads to repentance which yet some despised It is also said that Iesebell had given unto her space to repent c. But repented not and so have others neglected the space and day given them So that the Lord deals not altogether with men as the Potter with the clay for the clay being a substance void of sence and Reason inanimate and uncapable of all sence of honour or dishonour the potter may use it as he pleaseth any way But men being capable of reason and understanding and consequently of righteousness and unrighteousness the Lord deals with them onely in such ways as may be answered by the very testimony in their own consciences that his ways towards them are ways both of mercy and righteousness as is already demonstrated so that not onely the righteousness of God but his very mercy shall condemne the reprobate because they have sinned against the mercy of the Lord and rejected it so become vessels of dishonour The Lord dishonouring them because they have dishonourd him through unbeleef and impenitence Another Scripture which they presse into their service is Act. 13 48. And as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved Answ. The words may be translated thus And who ever or as many as beleeved were ordained unto eternall life or ordered or placed into eternall life But although the common translation should be admitted it provs not what they intend For we grant that as whoever beleeve are ordained to eternall life so whoever are ordained unto eternall life do beleeve which hinders not but that others may have had a day of visitation wherin it was possible for them to have beleed but God did fore know that they would not beleev and so de did not predestinate them to life Another place they call to their assistance is Jude 4. which speaks of some which were before of old ordained unto condemnation Answ. We grant that some are ordained from old unto condemnation but say it s for their unbeleef turning the grace of God into Wantonness c. as Jude there speaks Another place they build upon is Jo. 6. 37. which saith all that the father giveth me shall come whence they would inferre that none can come unto Christ but who are given him that is who are elected and they all shall Answ. There is a more Generall giving and so all men yea all things are given unto Christ. Matth. 11. 27. Jo.

good what is That famous Athenian Generall Pericles haveing been upon a time all the day long reviled by a certain man who followed him even to his house at night railing at him was by this noble man so meekly borne that he not only reviled him not again but commanded his servant with his lanterne to light him home Phocion that noble Athenian being unjustly condemned to dye by the drinking after the manner of that countrey a cup of poyson being asked what he would leave in charge to his son answered Nothing but this that he should never so remember this cup as to avenge his death Aristides an Athenian noble and righteous man being banished out of Athens and in order therunto by the magistrats led out of towne a certaine ill-nurtured person ran after him and spit in his face Wherupon the meek man only desired the Magistrats to teach that man for the future to be more mannerly And after he was through envy thus unjustly banished seing his countrey in perill secretly helped it against King Xerxes being the chief occasion of that victory Solon being by one abused who spit in his face nothing moved therat said If a fisher man to catch a small fish bear the sea-water why should not I to catch a man beare this Just so Aristippus when having reproved Dionysius who for it spat in his face said If a fisher man be not afraid of being wet to catch a small fish why should I to catch a whole salmon feare a little sprinkleing The same Aristippus being railed at held is tongue and went his way the Reviler following him said What! Dost thou runn away Aristippus replyed Thou hast power to speak evil and I to forbeare hearing or ●…eding it Dion going from a feast was followed by one railing at him to whom not replying any thing this ill-bred man said to him Dost thou not answer me No quoth Dion not one word So Lentulus spitting in Cato's face the patient man said nothing to him but o Lentulus I must aver to all that deny it that thou hast a mouth Crates having rebuked Nicrodomus the Comaediant he took it so ill that he not only abused Crates in word but so smote him with his sist in the face that he bore the signe of it But Crates did nothing to him onely hung this inscription upon his fore head Nicrodomus made this Euclides being once got into contention with his brother his brother said in truth I shall dye if I doe thee not some mischief or ill turn And I quoth Euclides shall dy●… if I be not recon●…iled to thee Very noble and savoury was that act of that noble commander Pisistrates towards certain drunken fellowes who once fell upon his wife abusing her with Lascivious words and actions who they coming next day to begg pardon of him for their mistake was so far from avenging this brutish incivility acted towards his wife that he pardoned and dismissed them onely with this sober piece of advice that they should take heed they were no more so drunk All these examples we find alledged by a Calvinist preacher in Rotterdam to the shaming of his pretended Christians by the vertuous examples of these pretended heathens and meer naturall men wherupon he intitles his book Den beschaamde Christen For which the man wee confesse had a great deal of reason for certainly these men shall rise up in judgment against the Christians of this age and fill their faces with shame and confusion enough But how to reconcile these things to their doctrine of natures being so corrupted so defiled that all naturall men are blind and darkened in their understandings dead in trespasses and sin●… and unvisited by any new visitation of evangelicall grace is past our skill Surely that doctrine is false these things not good the relations not true or they must say Christ was out when he said Men gather not grapes on thornes nor figs on thistles and that an evill tree can not bring forth good fruit nor corrupt fountain send forth sweet streames G. KEITH B. FURLY Reader IT was my intent to have given the at the end of this treatise the testimonies of severall if not most of the Ancient Fathers of the church so called concerning the universality of the divine spirituall saving illumination imparted by Christ as the eternall Word wisedome and Image of the father to all mankind with not a few testimonies out of many Authors of note of later ages both before and since the Refortion And more especially to have shewed what many of them thought concerning that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiraculum vitarum breath of lives said 2 Genes 7. to be breathed into man by which he became a living soule viz that it is not the soule nor the naturall life thereof but the divine life something of God even the Divine Spirit which finally constituted man the image of God and without partaking of which he could never properly not truely be said to be the image of God of which breath of life many have excellently writ some stiling it the Spirit of God others something of God in man some the Divine soul in contradistinction to the vegetative animall and Rationall soules others the pars or portio superior animae others fundus animae the supream part or portion the fund bottome or center of the soule the guide and director thereof I had also intended to have given here some account of many vitiously translated places of Scripture darkening the Doctrine of the inward light grace Spirit and kingdome of God in the soule so plentifully attested to by the holy penmen of Scripture as also to the establishing the doctrine of the necessity of sin every day houre and moment of this Naturall life which never entered into the soules of these holy men to thinke or publish but these being not at present so perfected as is requisit and this work having layn long on hand I was unwilling to detain it longer So these may upon some other occasion be communicated meane while if any shall please to read A●…hanafius in his booke de Definitionibus and in his 3 Dialogue de Trinitate and 4 Oration against the Arr●…ns And Cyrillus Alexandrinus in his treatise upon John lib. 2 cap. 3. lib. 8. c. 47. And in his Thesaurus lib. 4 c. 1. Together with Procopius Gazeus in his Comment on Genesis he will see that our Testimony in that point of the breath of life is no novell doctrine and unheard of but many hundred years since zealously defended by as grave Authors among the Christians as any extant which may serve as a sufficient check to that impudent clamour of Novelty so ordinarily objected by every Ignoramus that never once looked into Antiquity B. F. FINIS Errors to be mended Pag. 11. lin 26. read Argument 1. p. 4. 4. l. 33. r. than p. 45. l. 5. r. preaching p. 49. l. 1. r. Argument 9. p. 71. l. 30. r. or p. 75. l. 15. put out that p. 77. l. 27. put out as l. 35. feeding p. 78. l. 27 r. thy p. 81. l. 28. r. beleev p. 85. l. 30. r. though p. 97. l. 2. r. principle p. 108. l. 2. r. potter power p. 109. l. 1. beleeved p. 112. l. 3. till p. 135. l. 10. r. Reformation * Concerning this image of God in man or Breath of life breathed into man by which he became a living soul see the Testimonies of the Antients especially of Athanasius Cyrillus Alexandrinus Proc●…pius Gazaus c. some of which may possibly be given at the end of this booke a noble saying and as noble a practise of a great Prin●…e

creatures it cannot be said they are the offspring of God but of men it is said they are his offspring Now God is more to be knowne in his offspring that in these creatures which are not his offspring in so much that men may feel after God whose offspring they are But say they God is a spirit and cannot properly be felt To which I say as bee is in himselfe simply hee cannot be felt but as hee is in his expressed image or word hee may to wit in his owne seed wherby the Saints have a most precious feeling and tasting of his love goodnes and mercy and the Wicked when hee pleaseth to touch them have a most sharp peircing feeling of his wrath and indignation against them yet qualified with the mercy of God so long as the day of their visitation remains through which they may seek him and find him unto the salvation of their soules Luke 17. 21. Neither shall they say lo here or lo there for behold the Kingdome of God is within you This Christ spoke to the very Pharisees who were unbeleevers and so is such a plaine proof as a plainer could not be desired yet our adversaries goe about to darken it with their corrupt glosse saying By the Kingdome of God is means the reaching or declaration of the Kingdome and the words within you may be translated among you Answer This glosse cannot hold 1. Becaus no where in all the Scripture can it be demonstrated that by the Kingdome of God is to be understood the externall declaration or preaching of the Kingdome They may alledge some places but to the spirituall mind it will appear that they are not so to be understood 2 Becaus the Pharisees did not question him of the Kingdome of God in relation to this understanding of it as if they had said to him when shall the preaching of the Kingdome of God come for they knew that was come already forasmuch as they did daily hear Christ and the Disciples preach of the Kingdome of God for this was it that they preached as the maine thing and hee gave his Disciples charge mostly concerning this that they should preach the Kingdome of God as near at hand and come and yet more abundantly coming and this Kingdome was also mostly the subject or theame of Christs owne preaching which for most part hee held forth under Parables and figures in great plenty which gave occasion to the Pharisees to have many thoughts of the Kingdome of God as also becaus the Prophets had spoke great things of this Kingdome of God the Iewes and Pharisees were in great expectation of it and conceived it to be some very great and glorious earthly and outward Kingdome that they should enjoy under the Messiah which should come with great observation and outward shew and even the Disciples themselvs had some such apprehensions of this Nature till their understandings were further opened Now Christ here doth plainly declare that the Kingdome of God was not such a thing as they understood nor to come in such away as they expected who looked for it to come without in some great outward appearance but hee pointed them inwards unto it in themselvs That it was to come from within and not from without That it was to spring up from a seed which was sowne in their hearts and according to the coming up and raising and appearing and growth of this seed in mens hearts so should the Kingdome of God come arise appear and be made manifest and so these who waited for it outwardly were disappointed but who waited for it inwardly and sought after it in the divine seed of regeneration came to find it and be partakers thereof therefor Christ taught plainly that the way for people to find the Kingdome and to enter into it was by being borne againe of that divine seed and not by going abroad after them who cry lo here or lo there for the Kingdome of God said hee cometh not with observation or outward shew neither shall they say lo here or lo there for behold the Kingdome of God is within you And wheras they say the words may be translated among you I say the words most properly signifie within you as they are rendred in our English translation now wee are to keep to the most proper signification wher no cogent reason movs to the contrary as here none doth but leads indeed to understand them in you For this Kingdome being an inward and invisible thing and not of this world but of heaven it can no wayes be understood to be among people but in so farre as it is in them the hearts and spirits of men being the proper place of this Kingdome even as the Kingdome of darknes and of Sathan is within and hath its place inwardly in men so the Kingdome of Gods dear Son that is contrary thereunto is within also and through the destruction of the one cometh the other to be built up But say they wee can not conceive how the Kingdome of God it selfe which is righteousnes peace and joy in the Holy Ghost can be within Unbeleevers Answer It can not be within them as sprung up and arisen in the power and glory of it but it can be with in them in a seed and thus the seed of the Kingdome was in them which seed Christ calleth the Kingdome of God very frequently and held it forth much under the figure of a seed The Kingdome of Heaven said he Math. 13. 31. is like unto a graine of mustard seed which a man tooke and sowed in his field which is indeed the least of all seeds c. Now it is very fitly called the Kingdome of God becaus it hath in it what ever is in the universall Kingdome of God incorporated and is a most rich and pure extraction thereof containing therein a measure of all the powers virtues spirits qualities and properties of the whole universall Kingdome which as it springeth up and attaineth unto its due stature in man it doth bring forth and manifest in most wonderfull and excellent variety but of this seed and the figures and parables under which it is represented more afterwards Now when it is said The Kingdome of God is righteousnes peace and joy c. this is to be understood of the Kingdome as it is sprung up from a seed bearing its heavenly fruit which is righteousnes peace and joy c. which wee acknowledge cannot be in Unbeleevers but the seed may be in them yea no man who is an Unbeleever can become a Beleever but through this seed which is sowne in him when hee is an Unbeleever thereby hee becoms a Beleever as hee doth joine to it cleave unto the appearance of God therein 1. Joh. 5. 10. 11. Hee that beleeveth on the Son of God hath the witnes in himselfe hee that beleeveth not God hath made him a lyar becaus hee beleeveth not the record that God gave of his Son