Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A25208
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A faithful rebuke to a false report lately dispersed in a letter to a friend in the country Concerning certain differences in doctrinals, between some dissenting ministers in London.
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Alsop, Vincent, 1629 or 30-1703.
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1697
(1697)
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Wing A2910; ESTC R215794
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39,818
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63
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odd Notions which savoured pretty strongly of the other Extreme And it 's an unquestionable Truth that some of them had â—ented such strange Doctrines that it gave Umbrage to â—hem that there might be found among them one or two â—r so that had dipt very deep in those Crispian Heteroâ—â—xies and therefore for a Trial they transmitted to â—hem these Seven following Propositions On the other side we renounce these Doctrines 1. THAT Men are under no Obligation to make use of their Natural Faculties with such external means of Salvation as God affords them praying in hope for his gracious Assistance in order to that blessed End 2. That God hath not made Offers of Grace by Christ 〈◊〉 all within the Sound of the Gospel testifying that whoever believeth shall be saved without excluding any and commanding them to believe accordingly 3. That any are in the Sight of God Iustified or entituled 〈◊〉 Eternal Life before they are effectually Called or while â—hey continue Unregenerate or in Unbelief 4. That any may expect Pardon without Repentance 5. That continued Repentance towards God and Faiâ— in our Lord Iesus and Holiness of Heart and Life are 〈◊〉 in the Nature of the Thing and by the Gospel Constitution â—â—cessary to Salvation 6. That the Moral Law is not of use to unregenerâ— Men to awaken their Consciences to fly from the Wrath come and drive them to Christ or that it is not a Rule Life to them that live under the Gospel as well as others 7. That Believers falling into grievous Sins do not iâ— curr God's displeasure thereby or that they may expect â—â—â—surance otherwise than by the Evidence of those Graces which the Promises of Salvation are made and by the Testâ—â—mony of the Spirit of Adoption witnessing with our Spirâ— that we are the Children of God We have thought it our Duty to bear our Testimony agaiâ— all these erroneous Opinions or any other contrary to the plaâ— Tenour of the Gospel of God And we do further protest â—â—gainst all undermining one another in any matter of Churcâ— Discipline and Government and do heartily desire to maiâ—â—tain Communion with each other according to the Heads Agreement which we have assented to And if any thiâ— hath been done or spoken by any of us through mistake or inaâ—â—vertency that may cause any just Offence to the Prejudice the aforesaid Union we are ready upon better Informatiâ—â— to rectify the same still desiring and resolving mutually Brotherly Forbearance towards one another in any less Points wherein we may differ And now Sir do you and let the impartial World judgâ— whether these Dissenting Brethren did not owe a Satiâ—â—faction to the United Ministers as well as the Uniteâ— Brethren to them and whether there were not moâ—â— pregnant Reasons to suspect some of them inclining 〈◊〉 Antinomianism than they could pretend to Reasons 〈◊〉 suspect any of these Veering towards Arminianisâ— And yet to the Amazement of all considerate Personâ— though the Five first Articles were received the Seveâ— last were wholly rejected I say this further It was not without cogent Reasons â—at the United Brethren after they had given such freâ—uent and incontestible Demonstrations of their Soundâ—ess in the Faith against all Arminian and Socinian Erâ—ors and were still ready to give all further reasonable â—roofs thereof did try these Dissenting Brethren wheâ—her they were sound in the Faith in Opposition to the Antinomian Heresies especially when some of the bigâ—est Name amongst them from the Press and Pulpit had â—isseminated such horrid Opinions as filled all intelligent â—ersons with equal Astonishment and Indignation Now â—ir because most of you in the Country are innocent â—n these matters and perhaps not many of you have yet â—eard what abominable Doctrines the Wantonness of â—ome Mens Fancy in this City doth produce I will give you a little Taste of some few of them with this Caution that you would implore the special Grace of God to fortify your Souls with that Antidote least this â—ittle Taste should prove your Bane and Poyson 1. To talk of a Gospel Threat is at best a Catachresis and nothing else can save it from being a Bull. 2. Pardon is rather the Condition of Faith and much more haveing a causal Influence thereunto than Faith and Repentance are of Pardon 3. It was Sin as to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Christ bore the Fault of Sin was laid on Christ the Sin it self as opposed to Guilt Christ was reputed a Criminal not only by Man but by God 4. As to the Elect there was never any Guilt upon them in respect of the Righteous Judgment of God in foro Dei but that which accompanied the Letter of the Law setting in with Conscience 5. Union with Christ is before Faith at least Naturâ and we partake of the Spirit by Virtue of that Union 6. Justification in regard of Application must be before Believing 7. The first Application ordine naturae saltem is to ungodly Man eo Nomine that he may believe 8. We believe that we may be justified Declaâ—â—tively 9. It is denied that God requires Faith as an indispeâ—â—sable Qualification in them whom he will justify 〈◊〉 Christ's Merits 10. All that a Believer can pray for is the furthâ—â— Manifestation of Pardon for he knows that all his Sâ—â—â— are pardoned 11. A Believer is to work from Life and not 〈◊〉 Life 12. It 's a great Truth that God sees no Sin in a Bâ—â—liever 13. Sin can do no real Hurt to a Believer 14. God is not displeased with his People and is 〈◊〉 angry with the Persons of Believers for their Sins 15. Legal Convictions before saving Faith are no moâ—â— than Sin it 's but the filthy Conscience polluting Guâ—â—â— of Sin 16. All imperfect Holiness is Sin 17. Turn ye turn ye why will ye die is but the Tâ—â—umph of the Law over a dead Sinner 18. The Eternal Life in which the Angels were crâ—ated and confirmed by Christ differs from that Eternâ—â— Life which Believers have in Christ The one is Creature Life or a created Life the other is the Eteâ—â—nal Life of God communicated in time 19. Believers are as Righteous as Christ I mean noâ— in a way of Similitude but in a way of Equality 20. Christ's Incarnation was no part of his Humiliation 21. We Coalesce upon believing into one Mystical person with Christ which is distinguisht from Legal Union which is before Faith I doubt not but by this time you are abundantly saâ—fied that the United Brethren had Just Reasons to 〈◊〉 and of the Dissenters and might reasonably expect â—om them that they should clear themselves in these â—oints when they had given such Offence to the Uniâ—â—d Brethren who had over and over given them all â—anner of Satisfaction in all points wherein they could â—etend any Suspicion of them to be leaning toward â—e Arminians But alas no Satisfaction could be obâ—ined they were inflexible and would not comply in â—y one of the