Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
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A20358
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A discription of what God hath predestinated concerning man in his [brace] creation, transgression, & regeneration : as also an answere to Iohn Robinson, touching baptisme.
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Murton, John.
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1620
(1620)
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STC 6773; ESTC S768
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92,942
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190
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vnto it tying to him the whole house of Israell and Iudah Ier. 13.11 as a man tyeth his girdle to his loynes that they might bee his people and that they might haue a name and pâ—aise and Glory but they would not heare Yea crying out vnto them what shall I doe vnto thee how shall I intreat thee Hosea 6.4 yea sending his owne Sonne vnto them to turne them away from their iniquities and by faith in him to giue them saluation so many of the Isralites yea of the Gentiles as submitted vnto this his calling of Grace by Faith not by Workes they should be saued the rest should be vessels of destruction this he plainely affirmeth in Vers 23.24 Aske the Potter and he will answer thee that hee would be loath to breake any vessell but if it proue nâ—ught then hee will breake it The Husbandman planteth no Tree to be barren The Magistrate would not haue any of his Subjects to be Rebels but if they be hee will shew his wrath and make his power known in executing them If these thinges be good in men how much more are they good in God who saith I will not the death of a sinner but that he conuert and liue and I will not that any man be euill and therefore I forbid all euill but if any contrary to my will and commandement refuse the good which he might haue accepted and dâ— the euill which hee might haue left vndone then doe I shew my power ouer him in that I cast him away â—s the sh ards of a naughty pot and so I haue according to the proportion of all the Scriptures expounded these hard Verses of this 9 Chapter shewing how the potter makes vessels of dishonor and wrath and how they are prepared to destruction and how he maketh vessels of mercy prepared to Glory which in the 24. Vers he plainely declareth Vers 24. that the vessels of mercy are euen vs Vers 25. Whom he hath called not of the Iewes onely but also of the Gentiles as is written in Osea I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloued which was not beloued Vers 26. and where it was said vnto them yee are not my people there they shall be called the Children of the liuing God And of Israell hee declareth otherwise Vers 27.28.29 And for conclusion Paul declareth that the Gentiles the younger which followed not righteousnes Vers 30. haue attained vnto righteousnes euen the righteousnes which is of Faith Vers 31. But Israell the Elder which followed the Law of righteousnes could not attaine vnto the Law of righteousnes wherefore Vers 32. saith th'Apostle not because they were so decreed of God as the Caluinists teach but * Marke these wordes because they sought it not by Faith but by the workes of the Law c. confirmed also in Chap. 11. Vers 67 wherein he saith It is the Election of Grace not of workes and that Israell obtained not that he sought the reason is rendred because they sought it not by Faith but the Election hath obtained it that is the Gentiles seeking it by Faith What can be more plaine then this If any will be still peruerse or ignorant let them be ignorant Ereu. You haue very sufficiently explained this 9th Chapter to the Romans and to my full satisfaction haue resolued mee in euery difficult place thereof but now remaineth an obiection from Act. 13. So many as were ordayned vnto eternall Life beleeued Odeg. This is my answer That as the vngodly that turne the Grace of God into wantonnes are said to bee ordained to death or damnation * Iude 4. So they that receiue the loue of the truth and are obedient thereunto when they heare it are said to be ordained vnto eternall life * Mark 15 16. they that are willing to walke in the way to life are ordained to life and such doe beleeue yet are they not ordained onely for walking in the way of life the First cause of ordination to life is Gods free guift decreed afore the foundation of the world manifested in time through CHRIST whom hee sent into the world to saue all men yet with this condition that euery one that will haue this saluation must beleeue obey the Gospell as is before at large declared as for example A mercifull rich man proclaimeth in the time of dearth that whosoeuer standing in neede will come to his house they shal haue 10 shillings a peece to relieue their want so many as come haue the 10. s. yet their comming is not the first cause of their receiuing it but the mercy of the giuer but if they had not come to his house they shold not haue had it because the giuer will freâ—ly giue it to them that come to the place where he will giue it So that all that had it were ordained to haue it before they came but others were ordained to haue it aswell as they if they had come but they proudly reiected his bounty and would not come for it so are the Scriptures plentifull in teaching that God out of his free bounty before the world ordained to send his Sonne not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saâ—ed and proclaymed in time this his bounty vnto euery creature vnder Heauen that whosoeuer would receiue this his Grace through beleeuing in and obaying his Sonne should haue it those that would not receiue it thus but would haue it by the Flesh or workes as did the Iewes should not haue it so that to conclude all that beleeued were before ordained to Eternall life they seeking it by Faith the vnbeleeuing were as much ordained if they had sought it by the same way but seeking it by another way vnto the which God had not promised it they were rejected and ordained to eternall death as elswhere I haue largely shewed that all were ordained to the Marriage aswell those that came not as those that came also in this place * Act. 13. at this time and in this company those that iudged themselues vnworthy of Eternall life were ordained to it as well as the other if they had receiued it as the other did as is testified Vers 46. * ⎠* Thus much of Election Of falling away Ereunetes I Now see clearely how all other places may easily bee answered concerning Election and I will trouble you no further in that The next thing I will question with you is whether a man may fall from this his Election there bee many Scriptures seeme to make against it Odegos I holde that as the Promise of Gods Election is Free without any desert in vs originally yet vpon condition of Faith and obedience to CHRISTS Gospell so the same free promise of Gods Election is continued vnto vs vpon continuance in the same condition from the which men may fall away as I will proue manifestly by Scriptures and then answer
what objections can bee made First the Scriptures teacheth that Godly men that are in the true and sauing Grace of God may fall away Secondly the Lord vseth therfore so many exhortations admonitions and the like to keep them from falling away for where there is cause of danger there is great neede of warning as the wisedome of God vsing so many seeth now as the Lord saith not in vaine vnto his people Seeke yee mee in that hee speaketh righteousnes and declareth righteous thinges * Esa 45.19 so saith he not in vaine vnto his seruants take heede beware the like where there is no danger 1. A man hauing true Grace may fall away Heb. 12.15 euen as Esau lost his earthly inheritance which he had right vnto Vers 1â— so may the Saincts loose their heauenly inheritance which they haue right vnto * Mat. 5.13 Salt may loose his sauour they that are washed and are cleane escaped from the filthines of the world may returne with the Sowe to wallow in the myre and their latter end bee worse then their beginning * 2 Pet 2.20 c. yea those that CHRIST hath bought with his precious blood may bee damned * Vers â— and that some may treade vnder foote the blood of CHRIST wherewith they were sanctified and dispite the Spirit of Grace * Heb. 10.29 They that haue Faith and a good Co sâ—iencâ— may put it away and make ship-wrack of it * 1 Tim. 2.19 that some may leaue their first Faith and be damned * 1 Tim. 5.12 that some written in the Booke of life may be put out * Exod. 32.32.33 Psal 69.25.28 Reâ—el 3.5 the talent may be taken from him that vseth it not well * Math. 25.29 Further Paul affirmeth of the Saincts at Rome that they were iustified by Faith and thereby had accesse vnto that Grace wherin they stood * RoÌ„ 5.5.2 Yet Chap. 11.22 If they continued not in that bounty of God they should be cut off â—rom that ingrafting wherein they were Alâ—o how many examples haue we of men that â—ere in Gods fauour afterwards reiected had not God said that the house of Eli the Priest should walke before him for euer yet afterwardes for his honouring his Sonnes more then God the Lord said it shall not be so * 1 Sâ— 2.30 Of Saul also the Lord said I had now establ shed the Kingdome vpon Israel for eâ— * 1 Saâ— 13 â—3 14 yâ— for his wickednes in medling with the Priestes office the Lord said Now thy Kingdome shall not continueâ— God brought the Israelits out of Egipt promising them the Land of Câ—raan * Num. 14.38 yet for their rebellion they were depriued of the possession of it was not the forgiuen debt recalled * Math. 18.32 c. These and many others we may read in the holy Scriptuâ—s 2 If the Elect cannot fall out of Gods fauour then did not all fall in Adam and then some were neuer dead in sinnes trespasses and so need not Christs redemption from sinne forasmuch as they fell not out of Gods fauour for their Election as they say being afore the foundation of the world they were alwayes in it so by their saying Christ redemed not the reprobates and the Elect fell not from their Election neither can they and so need no redemption for they haue no debt hence it followeth CHRIST redeemed none oh fearefull Doctrine 3 If the Elect cannot fall from their Election then haue not all sinned and beene depriued of the glory of God and then haue not all beene shut vp in vnbelief and then were not all the Children of wrath without God without Promise without CHRIST and so without Hope then were the Elect neuer from being the people of God and from vnder mercy these and Innumerable Scriptures are written to this purpose all w â—ch sheweth that all without exception aswell Elect as reprobate haue once beene in this estate Tâ—erefore their doctrine that none of the Elect can by any meanes fall away is most impious 4 The holy Gâ—ost affirmeth that the Ephesians were Elected afore the foundation of the wo ld Ephes 1. and yet hauing forsaken their first loue the Lord telleth them If they doe not repent and doe their first workes he will remoue the Candlestick telling them and other Churches that hee that ouercommeth and keepeth his works vnto the end he shall inioy the Promise Reuel 2. 3. Chap. As our Sauiour himselfe said hee that endureth to the end he shall be saued Math. 10.22 saying further to those he had Elected * Iohn 15. If any abide not in me hee is cast forth as a branch and withereth to be gathered cast into the fire and burned but if yee abide in me and my wordes abide in you aske what yee will c. and therefore exhorteth them to continue telling them that if they keepe his CoÌ„maundements they shall abide in his loue But whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of CHRIST hath not God * 2 Ioh. 9. whereby all may see that as the promise of Election is giuen vpon condition of our looking vp vnto CHRIST IESVS and not otherwise so it is continued vnto vs vpon our abiding in him and not otherwise 5 If a man bâ—ing in the sauour of God and so is chosen cannot fall out of it by any meanes then a man need not feare being throughly possessed with this Doctrine that although hee commit Incest as Iudah or Adulterie and murther as Dauid or forsweare his maister with cursing as Peter or fall into any other notorious sinne I say he need not feaâ—e falling into Damnation Forasmuch as according to this Doctrine he can no more possibly be damned by any manner meanes then the Deuill can be saued 6 If no man Elect can fall from his Election by the coÌ„mitting of any of these sinnes then to what end is Repentance taught the Apostle affirmeth of the Elect Corinths that they repented vnto saluation 2 Cor. 7. which in vaine had they done if they had not beene neither could be in condemnation Let no man deceiue you with vaine wordes for the true consequence of this Doctrine teacheth this that as formerly I haue shewed of CHRISTS redemption so I may say of repentance it is altogether in vaine For the Elect say they neuer were nor can â—all out of their Election and so as they need no redemption so they need no repentance forasmuch as their estate is alwayes good and for the reprobates repentance can no more bring them to saluation then the Deuils 7 The same I may say of holy exhortations admonitions c. which are innumerable in the Scriptures to what end are men admonished or exhorted not to receiue the Grace of God in vaine * 2 Cor. 6.1 not to fall from their stedfastnes * 2 Pet. 3.17 and not to withdraw themselues to