Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	great_a	sin_n	transgression_n	3,082	5	10.1157	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90293	Theomachia autexousiastikē: or, A display of Arminianisme. Being a discovery of the old Pelagian idol free-will, with the new goddesse contingency, advancing themselves, into the throne of the God of heaven to the prejudice of his grace, providence, and supreme dominion over the children of men. Wherein the maine errors of the Arminians are laid open, by which they are fallen off from the received doctrine of all the reformed churches, with their opposition in divers particulars to the doctrine established in the Church of England. Discovered out of their owne writings and confessions, and confuted by the Word of God. / By Iohn Owen, Master of Arts of Queens Colledge in Oxon.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1643 (1643)	Wing O811; Thomason E97_14; ESTC R21402	143,909	187

perversly said that originall sinne makes a man guilty of death Of any death it should seeme temporall eternall or that annihillation they dreame of and he said true enough Arminius doth affirme it adding this reason because it is onely the punishment of Adams actuall sinne now what kinde of punishment they make this to be I shewed you before But truely I wonder seeing they are every where so peremptorie that the same thing cannot be a sin and a punishment why they doe so often nick-name this infirmity of nature and call it a sinne which they suppose to be as farre different from it as fire from water is it because they are unwilling by new naming it to contradict St. Paul in expresse termes never proposing it under any other denomination or if they can get a sophisticall elusion for him is it least by so doing Christians should the more plainely discerne their heresie or what ever other cause it be in this I am sure they contradict themselves notwithstanding in this they agree full well That God reiecteth none for originall sinne onely as Episcopius speakes and here if you tell them that the question is not de facto what God doth but de iure what such sinne deservers they tell us plainly That God will not destinate any infants to eternall punishment for originall sinne without their owne proper actuall sinnes neither can he doe so by right or in iustice so that the children of Turkes Pagans and the like Infidels strangers from the covenant of grace departing in their infancie are farre happier then any Christian men who must under-goe a hard warfare against sinne and Satan in danger to fall finally away at the last houre and through many difficulties entering the kingdome of heaven when they without further trouble are presently assumed thither for their innocency Yea although they are neither elected of God for as they affirme he chooseth none but for their faith which they have not nor redeemed by Christ for he died onely for sinners he saved his people from their sinnes which they are not guiltie of nor sanctified by the holy Ghost all whose operations they restraine to a morall swasion whereof infants are not a capable subject Which is not much to the honour of the blessed Trinitie that heaven should be replenished with them whom the Father never elected the Sonne never redeemed nor the holy Ghost sanctified And thus you see what they make of this originall pravitie of our nature at most an infirmitie or languor thereof neither a sinne nor the punishment of sinne properly so called nor yet a thing that deserves punishment as a sinne Which last assertion whether it be agreeable to holy Scripture or no these two following observations will declare First there is no confusion no disorder no vanitie in the whole world in any of Gods creatures that is not a punishment of our sinne in Adam That great and almost universall ruine of Nature proceeding from the curse of God overgrowing the earth and the wrath of God revealing it selfe from heaven is the proper issue of his transgression It was of the great mercy of God that the whole frame of Nature was not presently rolled up in darkenesse and reduced to its primitive confusion Had we our selves beene deprived of those remaining sparkes of Gods Image in our soules which vindicates us from the number of the Beasts that perish had we beene all borne fooles and voyd of reason by dealing so with some in particular he sheweth us it had beene but justice to have wrapped us in the same miserie all in generall all things when God first created them were exceeding good and thought so by the wisedome of God himselfe but our sinne even compelled that good and wise Creator to hate and curse the worke of his owne hands Cursed is the ground saith he to Adam for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life thornes also and thistles shall it bring forth unto thee Gen. 3. 17 18. hence was that heavie burden of vanitie that bondage of corruption under which to this day the whole Creation groaneth and travelleth in paine untill it be delivered Rom. 8. 21 22. Now if our sinne had such a strange malignant influence upon those things which have no relation unto us but onely as they were created for our use surely it is of the great mercy of God that we our selves are not quite confounded which doth not yet so interpose it self but that we are all compassed with divers sad effects of this iniquitie lying actually under divers pressing miseries and deservedly obnoxious to everlasting destruction so that Secondly death temporall with all its antecedents and attendants all infirmities miseries sicknesses wasting destroying passions casualties that are poenall all evill conducing thereunto or waiting on it is a punishment of originall sinne and this not onely because the first actuall sinne of Adam is imputed to us but most of them are the proper issues of that native corruption and pollution of sinne which is stirring and operative within us for the production of such sad effects our whole nature being by it throughly defiled hence are all the distortures and distemperatures of the soule by lusts concupiscence passions blindnesse of minde perversenesse of will inordinatenesse of affections wherewith we are pressed and turmoiled even proper issues of that inherent sinne which possesseth our whole soules Vpon the body also it hath such an influence in disposing it to corruption and mortality as it the originall of all those infirmities sicknesses and diseases which make us nothing but a shop of such miseries for death it selfe as these and the like degrees are the steps which leade us on apace in the road that tends unto it so they are the direct internall efficient cause thereof in subordination to the justice of Almighty God by such meanes inflicting it as a punishment of our sinnes in Adam Man before his fall though not in regard of the matter whereof he was made nor yet meerely in respect of his quickning forme yet in regard of Gods ordination was immortall a keeper of his owne everlastingnesse Death to which before he was not obnoxious was threatned as a punishment of his sinne In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die the exposition of which words given by God at the time of his inflicting this punishment and pronouncing man subject to mortalitie cleerely sheweth that it comprehendeth temporall death also dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt returne our returne to dust is nothing but the soules leaving the body whereby before it was preserved from corruption Further Saint Paul opposeth that death we had by the sinne of Adam to the resurrection of the body by the power of Christ for since by man came death by man also came the resurrection from the dead For as in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive 1 Cor. 15. 21. 22.

according to the divers inclinations of mens wils which I shewed before they affirme he can have at best but a conjecturall fore-knowledge of what is yet for to come not founded on his own unchangable purpose but upon a guesse at the free inclination of mens wils For instance God willeth that all men should be saved this act of his will according to the Arminian doctrine is his conditionate decree to save all men if they will beleeve well among these is Judas as equall a sharer in the benefit of this decree as Peter God then will have him to be saved and to this end allows him all those meanes which are necessarie to beget faith in him and are every way sufficient to that purpose and doe produce that effect in others what can God foresee then but that Iudas as well as Peter will beleeve he intendeth he should he hath determined nothing to the contrarie let him come then and act his owne part why he proves so obstinately malicious that God with all his omnipotencie as they speake by any way that becomes him which must not be by any irresistible efficacie cannot change his obdurate heart well then he determineth according to the exigence of his justice that he shall be damned for his impenitencie and foreseeth that accordingly but now suppose this wretch even at his last moment should bethinke himselfe and returne to the Lord which in their conceit he may not withstanding his former reprobation which as they state it seemes a great act of mercy God must keepe to the rules of his justice and elect or determine to save him by which the varlet hath twice or thrice deceived his expectation Secondly they affirme that God is said properly to expect and desire divers things which yet never come to passe we grant saith Corvinus that there are desires in God that never are fulfilled now surely to desire what one is sure will never come to passe is not an act regulated by wisdome or counsell and therefore they must grant that before he did not know but perhaps so it might be God wisheth and desireth some good things which yet come not to passe say they in their confession whence one of these two things must needs follow either first that there is a great deale of imperfection in his nature to desire and expect what he knowes shall never come to passe or else he did not know but it might which overthrowes his praescience yea and say they expressely That the hope and expectation of God is deceived by man and confesse that the strength of their strongest argument lies in this that God hoped and expected obedience from Israel Secondly that he complaineth that his hope is deluded which being taken properly and as they urge it cannot consist with his eternall praescience For they dis-esteeme the usuall answer of Divines that hope expectation and such like passions which include in them any imperfection are ascribed unto God per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in regard of that analogie his actions hold with such of ours as we performe having those passions Thirdly they teach that God hath determined nothing concerning such things as these in question That God hath determined future contingent things unto either part I meane such as issue from the free-will of the creature I abominate hate and curse as false absurd and leading us on unto blasphemy saith Arminius to determine of them to either part is to determine and ordain whether they shall be or whether they shall not be as that David shall or shall not goe up to morrow against the Philistines and prevaile Now the infallibilite of Gods foreknowing of such things depending on the certaintie of his decree and determination if there be no such thing as this that also must needs fall to the ground Fourthly see what positively they write concerning this everlasting fore-knowledge of God First they call it a troublesome question Secondly they make it a thing disputable whether there be any such thing or no and though happily it may be ascribed unto God yet Thirdly they thinke it no motive to the worship of him Fourthly they say better it were quite exploded because the difficulties that attend it can scarcely be reconciled with mans libertie Gods threatnings and promises yea Fifthly it seemes rather to be invented to crucifie poore mortals then to be of any moment in religion so Episcopius it may be excepted that this is but one Doctors opinion it is true they are one mans words but the thing it selfe is countenanced by the whole sect As first in the Large prolix Declaration of their opinions they speake not one word of it and being taxed for this omission by the Professors of Leyden they vidicate themselves so coldly in their Apologie that some learned men doe from hence conclude that certainly in their most secret judgements all the Arminians doe consent with Socinus in ascribing unto God onely a conjecturall fore-knowledge And one great Prophet of their owne affirmes roundly That God after his manner oftentimes feareth that is suspecteth and that not without cause and prudently coniectureth that this or that evill may arise Vorst and their chiefest Patriarchs That God doth often intend what he doth not foresee will come to passe Armin. Corvin Now whether this kinde of Atheisme be tolerable among Christians or no let all men judge who have their senses exercised in the word of God which I am sure teacheth us another lesson For First it is laid downe as a firme foundation that knowne unto God are all his workes from the beginning of the world Acts 15. 18. Every thing then that in any respect may be called his worke is knowne unto him from all eternitie now what in the world if we may speake as he hath taught us can be exempted from this denomination even actions in themselves sinfull are not though not as sinfull yet in some other regard as punishments of others Behold saith Nathan to David in the name of God I will take thy wives before thine eies and give them unto thy neighbour and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sunne for thou diddest it secretly but I will doe this thing before all Israel 2 Sam. 12 v. 11 12. So also when wicked robbers had nefariously spoyled Job of all his substance the holy man concludeth The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Job 1. 1. Now if the working of Gods providence be so mighty and effectuall even in and over those actions wherein the devil and men doe most maliciously offend as did Absolom and the Sabean with the Caldean theeves that it may be said to be his worke and he may be said to doe it I crave libertie to use the Scripture phrase then certainly nothing in the world in some respect or other is independent of his all-disposing hand yea Judas himselfe betraying our Saviour did

for them is either eternall happinesse or eternall miserie I speake onely of the former the act of Gods predestination transmitting men to everlasting happinesse and in this restrained sense it differs not at all from election and we may use them as Synonyma termes of the same importance though by some affirming that God predestinateth them to faith whom he hath chosen they seeme to be distinguished as the decrees of the end and the meanes conducing thereunto whereof the first is Election intending the end and then takes place Predestination providing the meanes but this exact distinction appeareth not directly in the Scripture This Election the word of God proposeth unto us as the gracious immutable decree of Almightie God whereby before the foundation of the world out of his owne good pleasure he chose certaine men determining to free them from sinne and miserie to bestow upon them grace and faith to give them unto Christ to bring them to everlasting blessednesse for the praise of his glorious grace or as it is expressed in our Church Articles Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the foundations of the world were laid he hath constantly decreed by his counsell secret to us to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankinde and to bring them by Christ unto everlasting salvation as vessels made unto honour wherefore they who are endued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose c. Now to avoid prolixitie I will annex onely such annotations as may cleere the sense and confirme the truth of the Article by the Scriptures and shew briefly how it is overthrowne by the Arminians in every particular thereof First the Article consonantly to the Scripture affirmeth that it is an eternall decree made before the foundations of the world were laid so that by it we must needs be chosen before we are borne before we have done either good or evill the words of the Article are cleere and so also is the Scripture He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world Ephes Chap. 1. vers 4. The children being not yet borne before they had done either good or evill it was said c. Rom. 9. 11. We are called with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was given us in Jesus Christ before the world began 2 Tim. 1. 9. Now from hence it would undoubtedly follow that no good thing in us can be the cause of our election for every cause must in order praecede its effect but all things whereof we by any meanes are partakers in as much as they are ours are temporarie and so cannot be the cause of that which is eternall things with that qualification must have reference to the sole will and good pleasure of God which inference would breake the necke of the Arminian election wherefore to prevent such a fatall ruine they deny the principle to wit that election is eternall So the Remonstrants in their Apologie Compleate election regardeth none but him that is dying for this peremptorie election decreeth the whole accomplishment and consummation of salvation and therefore requireth in the obiect the finished course of faith and obedience saith Grevinchovius which is to make Gods election nothing but an act of his justice approving our obedience and such an act as is incident to any weake man who knowes not what will happen in the next houre that is yet for to come and is this post-destination that which is proposed to us in the Scripture as the unsearchable fountaine of all Gods love towards us in Christ yea say they we acknowledge no other predestination to be revealed in the Gospel besides that whereby God decreeth to save them who should persevere in faith that is Gods determination concerning their salvation is pendulous untill he finde by experience that they will persevere in obedience But I wonder why seeing election is confessedly one of the greatest expressions of Gods infinite goodnesse love and mercy towards us if it follow our obedience we have it not like all other blessings and mercies promised unto us is it because such propositions as these beleeve Peter and continue in the faith unto the end and I will choose thee before the foundation of the world are fitter for the writings of the Arminians then the word of God neither will we be their rivals in such an election as from whence no fruit no effect no consolation be derived to any mortall man whilest he lives in this world Secondly the Article affirmeth that it is constant that is one immutable decree agreeably also to the Scriptures teaching but one purpose but one fore-knowledge one good pleasure one decree of God concerning the infallible ordination of his elect unto glory although of this decree there may be said to be two acts one concerning the means the other concerning the end but both knit up in the immutabilitie of Gods will Heb. 6. 17. The foundation of God standeth sure having this seale God knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. His gifts and calling are without recalling not be repented of Rom. 11. 29. now what say our Arminians to this why a whole multitude of new notions and termes have they invented to obscure the doctrine Election say they is either Legall or Evangelicall generall or particular complete or incomplete revocable or irrevocable peremptory or not peremptory with I know not how many more distinctions of one single eternall act of Almightie God whereof there is neither volanec vestigium signe or token in the whole Bible or any approved Author and to these quavering divisions they accommodate their doctrine or rather they purposely invented them to make their errours unintelligible yet something agreeably thus they dictate There is a complete election belonging to none but those that are dying and there is another incomplete common to all that beleeve as the good things of salvation are incomplete which are continued whilest faith is continued and revoked when that is denied so election is complete in this life and revocable againe there are say they in their confession three orders of beleevers and repenters in the Scripture whereof some are beginners others having continued for a time and some perseverants the two first orders are chosen vere truly but not absolute prorsus absolutely but only for a time so long as they will remaine as they are the third are chosen finally and peremptorily for this act of God is either continued or interrupted according as we fulfill the condition but whence learned the Arminians this doctrine not one word of it from the word of truth no mention there of any such desultory election no speech of faith but such as is consequent to the one eternall irrevocable decree of predestination they beleeved who were ordained to eternall life Acts 13. 48.