Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	apostle_n	know_v	love_v	4,027	5	6.3882	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B06542	A brief, and plain apology written by John Wheelwright: wherein he doth vindicate himself, from al [sic] those errors, heresies, and flagitious crimes, layed to his charge by Mr. Thomas Weld, in his short story, and further fastened upon him, by Mr. Samuel Rutherford in his survey of antinomianisme. Wherein free grace is maintained in three propositions, and four thesis [sic] ...	Wheelwright, John, 1594-1679.	1658 (1658)	Wing W1604; ESTC R186427	40,565	36

the truth and shall assure our hearts before him doth thus Comment Semper autem me minerimus non habere nos ex charitate notitiam quam dicit Apostolus quasi inde petenda sit salutis certitude certe non aliunde cognoscimus nos esse filios Dei nisi quia gratuitam suam Adoptionem cordibus nostris per spiritum suum obsignat Et nos certum ejus pignus in christo oblatum fide amplectimur This is the question here determined by Mr. Calvin How we come first to know that we are the Children of God and by the like reason justified He denies that it is by any argument taken from our love How then By the inward witness of the Spirit perswading us of our Adoption What use then are we to make of our love to the Brethren in point of evidencing It under props saith he and strengthens our perswasion These are his words Est igitur charitas accessio vel adminiculum inferius al sidei fulturam non fundamentum quo nititur Zanchie upon Ephes 5.1 draws this as an inference from that text Sciamus ergo pro fundamento christianae Pietatis teneamus hoc primum principium fidem i. certissimam perswasionem de remissione peccatorum ex solâ paterna clementia condonatorum causam esse omnium virtutum omnium bonorum operum omnisque verae obedientiae They who stand for the first evidencing of Works overthrow this fundamental principle The Answer which Mr. Cotton gives to this Question Whether some saving qualification may be a first evidence of Justification is thus set down by himself in terminis A man may have an Argument from thence yea I doubt not a firm and strong Argument but not a first evidence In his Answer to Mr. Baylie Object 1. Keeping Gods Commandments and love to the Brethren are brought in by the Apostle John as first evidences of Justification 1 John 2.3 3.14 Answ These and the like Scriptures strongly argue That works of Sanctification are cerrain evidences of a good estate which is a truth so clearly held forth in Gods Word as if it were written with a beam of the Sun But can it be concluded from hence That John and the Christians to whom he wrote amongst which they of the lowest rank did know the Father had received an unction from the holy One and knew all things had no former evidence of their justification Did they never hear the inward witness of the Spirit nor see their Falth by which they did receive this witness Did they conclude a good estate by reflecting upon their keeping Gods Commandments and love to the Brethren without any immediate discerning of their inward Call or their act or acts of believing as precedent in order to their works Whether was this keeping Gods Commandments and love to the Brethren the procreant cause of their knowing and believing the love of God to them or the contrary The Apostle puts it out of doubt 1 Joh. 4.16.20 We know and believe the love that God hath to us What effect doth this produce We love him because he first loved us It is our knowing and believing that God loved us first even from eternity that makes us love him This is then the Apostles meaning We who have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father we who are believers are confirmed in our Faith because it is operative and works causing us to keep Gods Commandments and this special Commandment of loving the Brethren What is the keeping of Gods Commandments but charity out of a pure heart and Faith unfeined 1 Tim. 1.5 Faith whereby we are truly perswaded of Gods mercy towards us in Christ is the mother of a good Conscience and charity What is love to the Brethren but an holy affection wrought in us by the Holy Ghost whereby upon the apprehension of Gods love to us in Christ we do from our very hearts wish well unto them and study to do them all the good we can 1 Joh. 4.16.19 20. Truly we should neither love God nor the Brethren nor his Commandments did he not first make known his love in Christ to us Mr. Calvin upon these words 1 Joh. 2.3 And hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his Commandments writes thus Notandus est hic orde quum dicit nos cognoscere quod noverimus Significat Dei obedientiam sic conjunct am esse scientiae ut tamen haes ordine fit prior ●cuti necesse est causam effectu suo esse priorem Object 2. An Effect argues the Cause as well as the Cause doth its Effect Why may we not begin with keeping Gods Commandments and love to the Brethren to evidence a good estate and make them our first evidences We can know by fruit that there is a tree upon which it did grow and by streams that there is a fountain from which they did flow though we never see the tree or the spring Answ The tree doth naturally bring forth its fruits and the fountain sends out its streams without any act of ours whether we see them or not But Justification which is a gracious act of God acquitting of us from our sins and accepting us as just for the righteousness sake of Christ received by Faith doth not cause us to bring forth works of Righteousness and true holiness by a meer Physical force but as apprehended by Faith which works by love Gal. 5.6 The perswasion that Mary Magdalene had of the pardon of her many sins made her love much Luk. 7.46 If a tree did not bring forth fruit nor a fountain send out water but by our looking on them as the instrumental cause surely we should see the tree as going before the fruit and the spring-head before the streams Good works are such effects as are caused by our apprehension of Gods mercy towards us in Christ Object 3. No man can limit God to what evidence he shall first bring into the Conscience of a justified estate Answ True yet can God limit himself He can do more by his absolute power than he doth by that which is actual If the Lord wil have all works of sanctification to be done in Faith out of love without a slavish fear as so many acts of gratitude for our Redemption through Christ they who deny sanctification to be the first evidence do not limit God but are limitted by God The Gospel is as immutable in the order as in the substance of its parts being an everlasting Gospel Rev. 14.6 Object 4. Many of Gods Children can evidence to themselves a good estate by their love to God his children and commandments who never were perswaded of Gods love to them by any argument taken either from the inward testimony of the holy Ghost or their act or acts of beleeving Answ This is asserted gratis but not proved How did those Children of God come unto Christ Surely they were taught of God and heard the spirits inward call He

Grace it cannot be shewed out of Gods Word That any promise runs thus If you be thus or thus prepared for Christ then he belongs unto you ye have performed the condition and the benefit conditioned is yours I do acknowledge that the formal object of an efficacious Call are Elect persons prepared by the Law being sick lost dead sinners to their own apprehensions to the end that sin may abound and grace abound and that to their sense and feeling Rom 5.20 But there ate no preparations wrought either by Law or Gospel which so qualifie the Soul as a man may conclude from thence That God cals with a purpose to save Mr. Culverwel in his Treatise of Faith much bewailes the cordition of such who build their Faith upon the change of their lives affirming That they can never have sound and stedfast Faith but an unconstant and staggering opinion at the best This grounding of Faith upon gracious qualifications before union is much oppugned by Mr. Coltan in his New Covenant and by Mr. Norton in his Orth. Evang. Surely this is a doctrine which hath too much affinity with that of the Jesuites and Arminians who imagine that God makes a promise that he will give super-natural Grace to men upon condition they will use well their common grace PROPOSITION II. That the first evidence of our Justification is not any work of Sanctification 1. All good works are to be done in Faith Heb. 11.4 Rom. 14.23 Heb. 11.8 We must as ●●rsinus saith be perswaded that both our persons and our actions are accepted in and through Christ If this perswasion be the cause of good Works there must be a ground of this perswasion precedent to our Works Good Works are the effects of a former evidence therefore not our first evidences 2. All Moral Duties are comprehended under this general Precept of Love by which Faith works Gal. 5.6 as being either the elicite or imperate acts of Love but we cannot truly love God or our neighbor before we know and believe the love that God hath to us 1 Joh. 4.16 17 18 19 20 21. Who is righteous saith Bernard but he that requiteth the love of God with love again Which is never done except the Holy Ghost reveal unto a man by Faith Gods eternal purpose concerning his future Salvation Epist 107. If all our acts of evangelical love flow from the apprehension of Gods love to us they cānot be procreant causes of this apprehension nor our first evidences 3. All that the Gospel requires of us is to believe and repent We cannot evangelically repent before we perceive in some measure that God is reconciled unto us in Christ Zach. 12.10 Ezek. 16.63 Wherefore it is not our repentance nor any work of Sanctification which is our first evidence A man cannot earnestly apply himself to Repentance unless he know himself to be of God Cato Inot 3.3.2 4. All Works of Sanctification are so many acts of gratitude which hath ever relation to some former known benefit and especially our Redemption through Christ 1 Cor. 6.20 This benefit must be known by some Argument precedent to our works Therefore Sanctification is not our first evidence ursinus makes Gratitude the third part of his Catechism and placeth it after mans misery and freedom through Christ 5. All good works must be done in the name of Christ our Mediator Col. 3.17 in obedience to God our Father Then are we to know Christ to be our Mediator and God our Father and so by consequence our justification by some Argument antecedaneous to our works 6. The appearing of Gods grace which brings Salvation and of the kindness and love of God our Saviour justifying of us by his grace is the cause of all our good works Tit. 2 3. If the appearing of Justification and Salvation to the eye of Faith be the cause of all our Sanctification then is not Sanctification our first evidence 7. All good works from the first to the last are to be done without a servil fear Luk. 1.74 This sear is never removed but by a precedent sight of our deliverance from our spiritual enemies wherefore our Redemption and Justification is made known unto us by some other means which goes in order before all works of Sanctification 8. To begin to evidence a good estate from works is opposite to the method prescribed by the Apostle Peter He did write to Christians who knew and believed their justification for believing they rejoyced in joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 He exhorts them to add unto their Faith Vertue c. 2. Pet. 1.5 This Faith was existent out of its causes not to be grounded upon works but only confirmed by them He doth not say Add unto your works faith of assurance but add unto your faith works Therefore this Faith of assurance is not founded upon sanctification as a first evidence 9. We have two distinct witnesses of our good estate which in order do precede our sanctification 1 Our inward call of the spirit 2 Our act of believing on the Son of God The spirits inward call accompanying the outward begets this act of Faith 1 Joh 5.10 1 Thess 1.5 This act of Faith brings forth works of Sanctification Gal. 5.6 Sanctification is in order the last of the three witnesses of a good estate as being the effect of the two former wherefore it is not our first evidence Hoc est initium salutis nostrae quod in nobis sentimus efficax interna vocatio Dei fides nostra assentiens Zanchie De Certâ salute Ecclesiae Mr. Calvin with other learned and godly Divines living in that age wherein the light of the Gospel did abundantly break forth defined justifying Faith not only by an act of the Will whereby we receive Christ and his benefits but also by an act of the Mind by which we are certainly perswaded of Gods love to us in Christ and he doth constantly deny sanctification to be our first evidence and in his Commentaries upon Peter and John calls Works after-proofs Faiths props Both he and Zanchie do acknowledge with all sound Divines and the whole Church that good works evidence but with this caution There must be a former evidence Mr. Calvin thus expresseth himself But forasmuch as of the fruits of Regeneration the Saints gather an Argument of the Holy Ghosts dwelling in them they do thereby not slenderly strengthen themselves to look for the help of God in their necessities when by experience they find him their Father in so great a matter And even this also they cannot do unless first they have conceived the goodness of God sealed with no other assuredness than that of the promise for if they begin to weigh it by good works nothing shall be more uncertain or more weak Inst 3.14.19 Zanchie doth declare his judgement in the same expressions Loco 11. De Justificatione Calvin upon this text 1 Joh. 3.19 And hereby we know that we are of

that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me Joh. 6.45 What made them follow Christ by Faith and holy Obedience It was this inward voyce of the spirit accompanying the outward word which they did hear and know Christs sheep hear his voyce and follow him for they know his voyce Joh. 10.3 4. That which made them believe on the Lord Jesus Christ was the inward witness of the spirit He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself 1 Joh. 5.10 Can it truly be said That these Children of God so sanctified as they can thereby discern their justification did never hear nor know the spirits inward call nor see their saith Can a man love God or his children who knows not in some degree his reconciliation A man in the state of nature hates God and his children and this enmity is never slain before peace be revealed Eph. 2.16 17. We cannot love the law of God except we know its rigour and curse to be taken from us through Christ We must be delivered from the law in respect of its rigid exaction and malediction and that to our apprehensions before we can serve in the newness of the Spirit Rom. 7.6 Suppose that Gods true children should say That sanctification is their first evidence God speaks no such thing in his Word to the which we must rather attend but the quite contrary as hath been proved neither can they rest in that way of evidencing who are truly gracious for the law of grace binds them first to be perswaded of remission of sins and then to serve God without fear from this perswasion and this law is written in their hearts If men under the law should glory in their penitency works of sanctification and strict walking as first evidences they may be convinced à priori because they want this cause hereof viz. The apprehension of Gods mercy towards them in Christ even as we cut off Enthusiasts Antinomians Familists Libertines who boast of their full assurance à posteriori by reason they have not the effects penitency works of sanctification and strict walking The middle way is the Gospel way to wit from the appearing of Gods grace to our own souls in particular to deny ungodliness and wordly lusts to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world PROPOSITION III. That an act of Faith which is grounded upon gracious Qualifications previous to Vnion and Works as first evidences is legal The Works upon which this seeming act of Faith is founded are not evangelical but legal which I thus demonstrate 1. After that the Commandment comes the spirit of bondage in the law we are said to be married to the law bring forth fruit unto the law and to serve in the oldness of the letter unril we be espoused unto Christ Rom. 7 Before Faith come in the free Promise we are kept under the law schooled and over-awed by the law Gal. 3.23 24. We are in bondage under the law til we receive the adoption of sons Gal. 4.3 4 5. Acts done by them as such who are married to the law in bondage under the law must needs be legal and of this nature are all supposed gracious qualifications before faith 2. Works made first evidences and that de jure though they go under the name of works of sanctifitation yet are they indeed works of the law because they do not proceed from principles evangelical but legal 1. They are not done in Faith whereby we are perswaded that our persons and our actions are accepted in and through Christ No our works must first be done and our perswasion must be the effect of these works We must see our works accepted before our persons 2. They are not done in Love for how can we love God before we know and believe the love that he hath to us 1 Joh. 14 16.19 Our apprehension of Gods love must only be an effect of our works and of some imaginal promise made to us in respect of these our works 3. They cannot be acts of Gratitude for our Redemption through Christ These works must be the first means whereby we come to know our Redemption and justification 4. They are all done out of Bondage and servile Fear This servile fear is never cast out but by a sure perswasion of Gods love to us 1 Joh. 4.18 And what is the cause of this fear but the spirit of bondage Rom. 8.15 Wherefore it doth necessarily follow That a conclusion which doth stay it self upon these legal media works done out of this fear is no conclusion of Faith but if we may so call it a conclusion of works being grounded upon works of the law Estius though a Popish writer speaks to this purpose upon Heb 8.10 Itaque fatemur tempore veieris Testamenti fuisse novi Testamenti filios Et contra tempore Novi Testamenti non paucos censeri filios Testamenti veteris videlicet eos omnes qui carualibus Judaeis similes timore poenae legem servant imo non servant Sed sibi servare videntur ut loquitur August lib. 3. conte 2. Epist Pel. Cap. 4. The Application which I made of this Doctrine was this for substance They who have no more Faith than is built upon gracious qualifications before union and works made first evidences are under a covenant of works and though they be never so much reformed yet wil they persecute them under the covenant of grace as did Paul before his conversion the Scribes Pharisees c. Wherefore if any shal profess themselves to be legal and raise up persecution against you for this truth contend earnestly for it in a way of patient suffering by the sword of the spirit the word of God The Doctrine contained in these three Propositions and this or the like general hupothetical application was the cause of my deep sufferings It seems that you Brother Weld with some others who prosecuted against me did build the Faith upon gracious qualifications precedent to union and works as first evidences I censure this Doctrine of yours to be legal as aforesaid and hereupon you are filled with indignation cast me out as the filth of the world and off-scouring of al things make me a spectacle to the world and to Angels and to men which you effect by these means About two months after the Preaching of my Sermon before ever I was dealt withal in a brotherly way I am sent for to the Court to answer for what I had delivered where I have the true cause of my sufferings suppressed and put out of sight and a feigned cause closely and secretly brought in Certain of my Brethren the Reverend Elders had a great hand in this mysterious business for whilst my cause was depending long before my banishment an Accusation was secretly drawn up against me in writing put into the Court thus inscribed The Grounds and Reasons of the Dissent of the Elders of the Churches from some things delivered by

for his continuance there amongst them and hearing that on some acts which have passed from this Court that Mr. Wheelwright is by Mr. Rutherford and Mr. Weld rendred in some books printed by them as heretical and criminous Now that they the said Mr. Rutherford and Mr. Weld nor any other by their means may be led into misapprehensions of the said Mr. Wheelwright we do signify that Mr. Wheelwright hath for these many yeares approved himself a sound orthodoxe and profitable Minister of the Gospel amongst these churches of Christ of which he now standeth a Pastor in one of them This is a true copie taken out of the Courts Records Edward Rawson Secret The Church and Town of Hampton testify that they have ever judged me Orthodoxe and The Honoured Court for many years Though the Court seem to limit their approving Testimony to certain yeares yet am I perswaded that they are so Godly and Conscientious that they wil not say that I formerly held these corrupt opinions charged upon me by the short story which I have since revoked That from the beginning of my troubles they were fathered upon me without any just cause my conscience beares me wittness and God is my wittness J. W. The Names of Books printed by Peter Cole Printer and Book-seller of London and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange Mr. Hookers New Books in three Volums One in Octavo and two in Quarto These Eleven New Books of Mr. Thomas Hooker made in New-England Are attested in an Epistle by Mr. Thomas Goodwin and Mr. Philip Nye To be written with the Authors Own hand None being written by himself before One Volum being a Comment upon Christ's last Prayer in the Seventeenth of John wherein is opened The Union beleevers have with God and Christ and the glorious Priviledges thereof Besides many other Gospel Truths there is also shewed Twenty one several Books of Mr. William Bridge Collected into two Volumns Viz. 1 Scripture Light the most sure Light 2 Christ in Travel 3 A Lifting up for the Cast down 4 Sin against the Holy Ghost 5 Sins of Infirmitie 6 The false Apostle tried and discovered 7 The good and means of Establishment 8 The great things Faith can do 9 The great things Faith can suffer 10 The Great Gospel Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 11 Satans power to Tempt and Christs Love to and Care of his People under Temptation 12 Thankfulness required in every Condition 13 Grace for Grace 14 The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities 15 Evangelical Repentance 16 The Spiritual Life c. 17 The Woman of Canaan 18 The Saints Hiding-place c. 19 Christs Coming c. 20 A Vindication of Gospel Ordinances 21 Grace and Love beyond Gifts Twelve Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs lately published 1 Gospel Reconciliation Or Christs Trumpet of Peace to the World Wherein is Opened Gods exceeding willingness to be Reconciled to Man And Gods sending his Embassadors to that End From. 2 Cor. 5.19 20 2 2 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment 3 Gospel-worship 4 Gospel-Conversation 5 A Treatise of Earthly-mindedness A Treatise of Heavenly-mindedness and walking with God 6 An Exposition on the fourth fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of the Prophesie of Hosea 7 An Exposition on the eighth ninth and tenth Chapters of Hosea 8 An Exposition on the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Chapters of Hosea being now compleat 9 The Evil of Evils or the exceeding sinfulness of sin on Job 16.21 10 Precious Faith on 2 Pet. 1.1 11 Of Hope on 1 John 3.3 12 Of Walking by Faith on 2 Cor. 5.7 Mr. Burroughs his fifty nine Sermons on Matth. 11.28 29 30. Are Printing A Godly and Frutful Exposition on the first Epistle of Peter By Mr. John Rogers Minister of the word of God at Dedham in Essex Mr Rogers on Naaman the Syrian his Disease and Cure Discovering the Leprosie of Sin and Self-love with the Cure viz. Self-denial and Faith Mr. Rogers his Treatise of Marriage The Wonders of the Loadstone By Samuel ward of Ipswich An Exposition on the Gospel of the Evangelist St. Matthew By Mr. VVard The Discipline of the Church in New-England By the Churches and Synod there Physick Books of Nich. Culpeper Gent. Student in Physick and Astrologie formerly published 1 The Idea of Practical Physick in twelve books Viz. 1 The art to preserve Health 2 Of The preternatural disorder of mans body and their Signs 3 Of Medicaments 4 Of the art of Healing 5 Of the general Cure of Diseases 6 Of External Diseases 7 Of Feavers 8 Of Head Diseases 9 Of middle Belly Diseases 10 Of Lower belly Diseases 11 Of Venemous Diseases 12 Of Childrens Diseases Written By John Johnstone Doctor of Physick 1 The Practice of Physick 2 A Sure Guide to Physick and Chyurgery That is to say The Arts of Healing by Medicine and Manual Operation Being an Anatomical Description of the whole body of Man In Six Books And adorned with a hundred eighty four Figures cut in Brass 3 Veslingius Anatomy of the Body of Man 4 A Translation of the New dispensatory made by the Colledg of Physitians of London 5. The English Physitian enlarged 6 A Directory for Midwives 7 Galens Art of Physick 8 A New Method both of studying and practising Physick 9 A Treatise of the Rickets 10 Medicaments for the Poor Or Physick for the Common People 11 Health for the Rich and Poor by Dyet without Physick The London Dispensatory in Folio of a large Character in Latine The London Dispensatory in twelves a smal Pocket Book in Latine THere be sundry Faults escaped in the printing without any notable change of the sence which the Reader is intreated to correct That part of the Title Free Grace maintained against Mr. Weld late of New-England and Mr. Rutherford c. is none of the Authors J. W.