Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	good_a	page_n	remove_v	216	4	17.4096	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85404	Neophytopresbyteros, or, The yongling elder, or, novice-presbyter. Compiled more especially for the Christian instruction and reducement of William Jenkin, a young presbyter, lately gone astray like a lost sheep from the wayes of modesty, conscience and truth. And may indifferently serve for the better regulation of the ill governed Society of Sion Colledge. Occasioned by a late importune pamphlet, published in the name of the said William Jenkin, intituled Allotrioepiskopos; the said pamphlet containing very little in it, but what is chiefly reducible to one, or both, of those two unhappy predicaments of youth, ignorance, & arrogance. Clearly demonstrated by I.G. a servant of God and men in the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. Wherein also the two great questions, the one, concerning the foundation of Christian religion: the other, concerning the power of the naturall man to good supernaturall, are succinctly, yet satisfactorily discussed. With a brief answer in the close, to the frivolous exceptions made by C B. against Sion Colledge visited, in a late trifling pamphlet, called, Sion Colledge what it is, &c.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1648 (1648)	Wing G1183; Thomason E447_27	141,216	147

the equity and meetness for them to practice of the things contained in this Law which this Law is wont to worke and produce in those who live under it besides many other things of like consideration Now I would gladly know of Mr. Jenkin by his next whether neither the power of God nor the righteousnesse of God nor the invisible things of God nor the eternall power of the God-head of God nor the things contained in the law be not the matter and substance at least some-what as much of the matter and substance of the Scriptures If they be then simple is his demand How can any man believe the matter and substance of the Scriptures to be the word of God when as he must be uncertaine whether the written word or Scriptures wherein the matter is contained be the word of God or no One thing more as to the point in hand I would gladly be informed of by Mr. Jenkin in his next viz. what the ground-worke and foundation of that Faith of his is whereby he believes that every passage sentence phrase word syllable letter point extant and to be found in every Bible or copie of the Scriptures printed or written Original or Translated throughout the world is the word of God or any part of it considering 1. the manifold yea and material disagreements that are generally known to be betweene many of them and 2. that the word of God is but one alwayes uniforme and consistent with it selfe without the least variation or change It is more than to be feared that whilst he pretends the establishment of men in the Faith of the Scriptures hee spreads a snare in their way and steers a direct course to cast them upon the quick-sands of insuperable difficulties and uncertainties Whereas I take my Testimonialists tardy Sect. 54. in making it an infamous and pernicious errour against the Divine Authority of Scriptures to say that a superstruction is not a foundation or that the act of believing being built upon the foundation of Religion cannot be this foundation it selfe with what acumen thinke ye doth this novice-undertaker bring off himselfe and his fellow adventures from the shelfe of this malicious absurdity For your argument saith he page 8. 9. Christ is the foundation and therefore not any act of man as the believing of the Scriptures 't is very false and feeble What man is it a very false and feeble Argument to infer that because Abraham begat Isaac therefore Isaac was Abraham's Son Or thus Isaac was the Son of Abraham therefore he was not the Son of Moses is this a false feeble argument too Or is not this an argument of the same calculation pregnancy and frame The timber of an house is part of the superstruction and is built upon the foundation therefore it is not the foundation it selfe Faith is an act of man built upon the foundation of Religion therefore it is not this foundation it selfe If Mr. Ienkin's fore-head will serve him to call these false and feeble arguments gape against ovens hereafter who will and let those undertake to prove that a mans eyes are not his eares who have a minde to trifle away their time or know not how to doe God or men better service with it Mr. Ienkin by such couragious expressions and sayings as these superstructions are foundations 't is very false and feeble to say otherwise that the Covenant hath done good to the Kingdome a Busie Bishop p. 9. that I by denying the Scriptures feare not to destroy the word of Truth b Page 10. that men that are dead assume to themselves titles in print c Page 11. that I dare not come neere an expression of dislike to errour d Page 11. that Master Edwards is a man of blessed memory e Page 12. that to advise men not to make errour and herefie of what they please cannot prove them to be such is to advise them to believe nothing or to put them to believe nothing f Pag. 13. 14. that because there is nothing in the world so certain as matters of Faith g Ibid. therefore there is nothing more certaine then that I deny the Authority of the Scriptures and that naturall men have no power at all to good supernaturall c. that Doctrina salutaris signifies the Law h Page 42. of nature that Gentes ante revelatum eis Christum verae justiciae fuisse compotes doth not signifie that the Gentiles before Christ was revealed unto them were partakers or obtainers of true righteousnesse but of the duties of righteousnesse commanded in the law i Page 43. Mr. Jenkin I say by the frequency of such valorous and couragious sayings and reasonings as these for I omit twenty more and ten of as high a resolution as these hath inspired me also with courage and resolution to count it strength eough for me to sit still the next time he riseth up against me By a like line of learning Sect. 55. reason and truth with which he measured my former errour so voted in the Testimonie concerning the Scriptures at last could make nothing of it but a Truth in processe of discourse he attempts the measuring of my second errour also for so it pleaseth the Colledge of Dictators to adjudge it concerning the naturall mans free will and power to good supernaturall for thus that Facultas Theologica thought good to head it The difference between his deportment and acquitment of himselfe in the one and in the other consists only or chiefly in this that as Jerusalem justified her two sisters Samaria and Sodome by multiplying her abhominations more than they k Ezek. 16. 51. 52. so hath hee qualified the hard aspect of his un-christian and un-clerk like behaviour in traversing the former point with that super-abundant extravagancy in both wherein he utters himselfe in managing the latter As for his un-christian dealings in affirming contrary to the certificate of his own conscience so many most notorious broad-fac'd falshoods untruths knowledg hath been taken of them and given in part under the first head Concerning his ridiculous empty and absurd reasonments and other puerllities of this nature we shall for the present only give a transient brief account of them intending a more full and through discussion of the controversie in due time the great disposer of all things not gainsaying First one of his first-born arguments to prove it an errour in me to hold that a naturall man hath any power to good supernaturall as to repent believe c. is that herein I lovingly joyne hands with the Arminians the Remonstrants a Busie Bishop p. 28. that the Arminions were my Schoolmasters b Page 30. again that I and my masters the Remonstrants will not part c Page 31. This cabbage he boyles and re-boyles and boyles again over and over I know not how often sets it before his Readers as one

be made truly religious onely by looking into a Bible seeing what is there written or printed and by beleeving that what he sees there written or printed is indeed there written or printed accordingly Mr. Jenkin hath smal reason to deny but that a Naturall man hath power to supernaturall good at least if he judgeth true religion to be such Seventhly Sect. 46. the true and proper foundation of Religion is intrinsecally essentially and in the nature of it unchangeable unalterable in the least by the wills pleasures or attempts of men But there is no book or books whatsoever Bible or other but in the contents of them may be altered or changed by men Ergo. For the Major If the proper foundation of Religion were intrinsecally in the nature of it changeable and alterable by men then can it not be any matter of truth because the nature of truth is like the nature of God himselfe unchangeable unalterable by Men Angels Devils or any creature whatsoever yea God himselfe cannot alter it any whit more than deny himselfe or change his own Nature or Being For the Minor that also is no lesse evident Experience teacheth us that bookes or Bibles themselves are de facto changed and altered by men from time to time every new Edition or Impression almost commending it selfe for somewhat corrected or amended in it which was delinquent or defective in the former And if Mr. Jenkin be not dissensed altogether he cannot but know that à facto ad possibile efficax est illatio Eightly and lastly If the Bible Sect. 47. or Scripture in the sense formerly explained be the true and proper foundation of Religion it must bee understood and meant either of the Bible and Scriptures as in the Originall languages onely or onely as translated into other languages or as both But it is neither true that the Bible or Scriptures in the Originall languages onely nor onely as translated into others nor as both are this foundation of Religion Ergo. First if Mr. Jenkin will say that they are the foundation of Religion onely as they are in the originall languages then they that understand not these languages cannot build at least with understanding upon this foundation and consequently can never be truly Religious If so what will become of Mr. Jenkins own Religion Secondly if the Bible or Scripture be the foundation we speake of onely as translated into other languages then it is alike unpossible that any Jew or Grecian who understands onely the language wherein he was born should become truly religious Thirdly and lastly if they he this foundation in both the said confiderations and respects or as well in the one as the other indifferently then two things or more in completenesse of being really and specifically differing one from another and between themselves may notwithstanding be one and the same identicall and numericall thing This consequence is evident upon these two suppositions 1 o. That the foundation of Religion is but one and the same numerically 2 o. That Bibles or the Scriptures in severall languages differ specifically amongst themselves Both these suppositions are pregnant enough in Truth For 1 o. If the foundation of Religion were not numerically and identically the same then men by becomming or by being made Religious should multiply foundations of religion yea and foundations in this kind should both increase and decrease in their number as the number of persons Religious either encreaseth or decreaseth Which though it looks like an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Master Ienkin's learning and wit yet is sufficiently ridiculous to an understanding man 2 o. That Bibles or the Scriptures in severall languages differ specifically amongst themselves is evident likewise For two things or more which differ more then numerically must needs differ specifically at least there being no middle or third kinde of difference between that which is numericall and that which is specifical Now certain it is that an Hebrew Bible for example and a Spanish Bible and so an English Bible and a Latine differ more then numerically the one from the other because they differ more than either two Hebrew Bibles or two Spanish Bibles differ from one another and yet these differ numerically the one from the other If Mr. Ienkin by the advice of the learned by which Mr. Vicars Sect. 48. if he and his speak Truth composed his learned picture and Wind-mill shall here answer that two things which differ only numerically may yet differ more between themselves then either of them differs from some third which differs from neither of them more than numerically so that every difference which is more then numericall is not necessarily specificall as a man that is learned differs more from a natural Idiot than either of them differs from a sober man without learning yet it followes not from hence that any of these three men differ from other specifically they being all men properly and univocally I answer That every difference which is more then numerical must needs be specificall in one kind or other i. must needs argue a difference in some things at least which specifically differ one from the other though not necessarily in any thing which is essential to the things or persons which are said thus to differ As for example a learned man differs not from an idiot or ignorant man in any thing which is essentially requisite to the nature and simple being of a man these have a humane body and an humane soule which is all that is essentially requisite to the simple being of a man as well as he But yet he differs from them both in the endowment of learning which learning differs specifically both from the ignorance which is in the one and the incapacity of knowledge which is in the other Such differences as these the Logicians call specifical but not simply specifical but specifical accidental or in specie accidentali This confidered the exception mentioned is of no value against the argument which it pretends to oppose For though the difference betweene an Hebrew Bible and a Spanish be but specifical accidental i. in respect of the two specifically different languages wherein they are written neither of these being essential to the booke which we call the Bible or the Scriptures yet such a difference as this is sufficient to prove that they cannot be one and the same thing numerically either Bible or Scriptures and consequently neither divisim nor conjunctim the proper foundation of Religion which as was lately proved is numerically one and the same As though the difference which is in point of learning and ignorance between two men the one of them being learned the other ignorant be not sufficient to prove that they differ specifically essentially the one from the other yet being sufficient to prove that they differ specifically accidentally it is abundantly sufficient to prove that they differ numerically and cannot possibly be or make one and the

are in Mr. Jenkins account the first borne amongst all that are called Orthodox Let it then be unpartially considered whether there be not the substance of that opinion of mine about the power of naturall man to supernaturall good which they have transcribed and voted for an error in there words of their own pag. 3● Thousands and ten thousands of poore soules which CHRIST HATH RANSOMED with his own blood shall hereby be betrayed seduced and ENDANGERED TO BE VNDONE to all eternity First here is the Doctrine of universall Redemption fully and with open face asserted inasmuch as they who are ransomed by the blood of Christ are said to be endangered to be undone to all eternity He that is in danger of an evill or misery may very possibly fall into it Danger doth not onely imply a possibility but even a probility or likelihood of suffering So then if thousands ransomed by the blood of Christ may be brought into danger of being undone for all eternity they very possibly may suffer such an undoing and so perish for all eternity If the ransomed by Christ may perish for all eternity then Christ ransomed not the elect onely of whose perishing there is not the least possibility but the reprobate also or those who perish and consequently all men 2 o. Sect. 77. If Christs love unto all men was such as prevailed with him to ransome them by his blood doubtlesse he is not wanting unto them in such inferiour accommodations whereby they are or may be sufficiently provided actually to partake of this ransome and to enjoy the blessednesse of it And what is this being interpreted but a conferring upon them a sufficiency of strength and power to repent and to beleeve Nor was there ever any considering man whose judgement stood for the Redemption of All men by Christ but by being true to his opinion herein and in cleare consonancy unto it held a sufficiency of power or means also of beleeving to be vouchsafed unto All men Nor is it indeed any wayes consisting with the wisdome of Christ to purchase for men such a blessed inheritance as redemption and salvation is especially at so dear a rate as with his own blood and not withall to procure them a way wherey they may be able to come at it and enjoy it So that if Mr. Jenkin and his fellow Con-subscribers will but stand their ground and be content to owne their owne principles and sayings they must of necessity owne those opinions of mine about the power of naturall man to supernaturall good which they have transcribed yea and proscribed as erroneous in their Testimony Did not Mr. Calamy himselfe no mean man in the retinew of the Subscribers within these very few yeares viz. Jan. 12. 1644. preaching upon 2 Chron. 25. 2. publickly assert the power of naturall man to supernaturall good upon termes every whit as obnoxious and liable to exception as ever it was asserted by me Yea was not the Spirit of my Doctrine in the point in this of his An unconverted man may doe that which is right in the sight of the Lord Or did he not in the prosecution of this doctrine speak as great things of Nature and the power thereof as ever were spoken by me Let such sayings as these give in their evidence An unconverted man may beleeve that God made the world He may beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God Afterwards A wicked man may d●e that which i● right in the sight of the Lord by the light of Nature and by the help of common grace And although God bee not bound to reward him for it yet I doubt not but God out of the abysse of his mercies if he make use of common grace I doe not doubt I say but God out of his abundant mercy though he be not bound unto it yet will give him spiritual or speciall grace if he make use of common Nature well God will finde some way or other to doe good to that mans soule Luk. 17. 11. If therefore you have not been faithfull in the unrighteous Mammon who shall commit to your trust the true riches This place seems to hold out thus much That if a man improve the outward mercies of God or the work of common grace God will intrust that man with better riches God will finde out a way to doe that man good Yet again in the use of the former Doctrine Beloved this I doe affirm● that a man that is not converted may by the generall assistance of Gods spirit doe that which is naturally good and which is morally good yea and may doe something which may make towards his conversion by the help of common grace Again afterwards Thou oughtest to do according to the gift and power which God hath given thee in a natural way and that God which hath given thee power to doe it in a naturall way wil no doubt assist thee with power to doe things in a spirituall way For that man which improves his naturall talent God will one time or other intrust him with a spirituall talent For there was never any man went to hell for CAN NOT but for WILL NOT. If the author of these sayings whosoever he was flieth not every whit as high a pitch as I in maintaining the naturall mans free will or power to good supernaturall I confesse I had need to bee sent whither Mr. Jenkin would have me I mean to the children to learn to read and understand English with them If Mr. Calamy by reason of the present occasion hath forgotten these passages I know how to relieve his memory and to finde him out an authentique Remembrancer I doe not finde Mr. Henry Scudder amongst the Subscribers but I question not his repute of Orthod●x●sme with Mr. Jenkin Thus then Mr. Scudder And it was intended by Christ that the plaister should be as large as the sore and that there should be no defect in the remedie i. in the price or sacrifice of himselfe offered upon the Crosse by which man should be saved but that ALL MEN and each PARTICVLAR MAN might in that respect become saveable in Christ a Mr. H S●●dder Christians daily wa●k p. 342. of the 8. Edition I know no Arminian or Remonstrant at Mr. Jenkin calleth them that maintains universall Redemption upon other terms than these Not long after the forme● word● Which condition saith he speaking of Faith by which the actuall fruit of the all-sufficient ransome of Christ redoundeth unto th●se that are saved many to whom the Gospel 〈…〉 MAKE IMPOSSIBLE TO THEMSELVES through a wilfull refusing of the Gospel and salvation it selfe by Christ upon those termes which God doth offer it Doubtlesse that which a man makes unpossible to himselfe through a wilfull refusing of the Gospel is not so or such by nature unto him That which is naturally or by nature unpossible to a man he cannot be said to make unpossible to himself by any act whatsoever

Whatsoever Mr. Jenkin hath made unpossible to himselfe otherwise he hath not made it unpossible to him to flie nor yet to build castles in the aire nor to remove mountaines If he hath made any of these things unpossible to him I desire to know in his next how by what act or acts he hath done it Therefore Master Scudder cleerly supposeth that till a man wilfully refuseth the Gospel it is in his power or very possible for him to believe Dr. William Gouge Pastor of Black fryars Sect. 79. I find a Prince amongst the Subscribers therefore his Doctrine Judice Jenkin must needes be Orthodox and true Heare then how affectionately his pen sympathizeth with mine in the substance of those opinions which himselfe unlesse he hath been made to drinke of Master Downham's cup with Mr. Jenkin and the rest of the Sinonian Classe hath voted erroneous in me In something or other saith this Grave Author all they which believe not come short of that which they might have done for attaining unto this precious gift of Faith And that is it for which another day they shall be condemned Vnbeliefe is in a mans power a Dr. Gouge whole armour of God p. 233. If mens comming short of that which they might have done be the reason and ground of their condemnation it undeniably followes that they have power to doe that whereby their condemnation might be prevented and consequently to believe in as much as there is no possibility of preventing condemnation but by believing Again in saying Vnbeliefe is in a mans power doth he not imply that a man hath power o-over it and may dissolve subdue and destroy it if he will When God said to the Devil Behold all that he Job hath is in thy power did he not mean that the Devill now might if he would destroy or dispoile Iob of all he had Besides nothing that doth accompany a man ex necessitate naturae out of the necessity of nature can be said to be in his power as for example originall sin is not in a mans power nor is his being born either blind or seeing in his power nor is the frailty of his life nor the mortality or corruptiblenesse of his flesh or bodie nor any thing whatsoever that is meerly and simply naturall unto him in his power Therefore if unbeliefe be in a mans power it is certaine that nothing in nature doth necessitate him to it and consequently that hee may free and quit himselfe of it if he please It were easie out of the same Treatise of this great Subscriber to transcribe many other passages of like importance Let every one saith he in another place of what ranke or condition soever he be be encouraged to apply to himself these glad tidings of pardon and seeing God excludeth none let not any of us exclude our selves Questionlesse so grave a Teacher would not encourage men or perswade men to encourage themselves to doe that which he judgeth unpossible for them to doe would he say let men be encouraged to flie to number the stars to touch the moon c. Therefore doubtlesse hee doth not judge believing a matter of like consideration with these in point of difficulty or unpossibility of performance And if God excludeth none from believing then hath he not inflicted any such punishment upon men for their sin in Adam by which thy are disabled from believing or at least he hath dealt so graciously and bountifully by men in the second Adam as to furnish them with power sufficient to believe that punishment notwithstanding For certainely he that thrusts out a mans eyes and doth not restore them againe to him doth exclude a man from seeing Nor can a man be said to exclude himselfe unlesse it be supposed that that act by which this exclusion is made be in his power as well to forbear as to execute or performe I● were ridiculous to say that a poor man who is not worth a groat excludes himselfe from eating Partritriges and Quailes by his not buying them at a deare rate in the Market I shall onely sub-joyne two or three places more out of the same discourse Sect. 80. and leave it to the Reader to consider whether the spirit of those opinions which both William J. and William G with William B. and William T. and many other Sinonian names of men have stigmatiz'd for error in me doth not breath live in them In the order of Redemption God hath made mans sin pardonable but man by his impenitency makes it not to be pardoned a Page 275. Else-where thus Did not the very lifting up of the Serpent shew that it was Gods will they should looke on it and looking be cured So God causing Christ to be lift up by the preaching of the Gospel before thee sheweth that HEE WOVLD THOV SHOVLDST BELIEVE and believing have everlasting life b Page 230. God never failed any that continued to waite on him at length he satisfied their longing c Page 232. Though it be hard to the carnall carelesse man yet as Solomon saith of knowledge Pro. 14. 6. Faith is easie to him that will believe not that it is simply in mans power but that GODS SPIRIT SO OPENETH HIS VNDERSTANDING c d Page 289. Againe if we repair to the Author who giveth Faith and to the spring whence it floweth if we rightly use the right meanes of attaining it and waite at the doore of wisdome till shee open unto us VNDOVBTEDLY WEE SHALL FINDE FAITH not misse of it c Page 290. I appeale to any man that will please to take the paines to compare my erroneous passages so rated by the Subscribers with these cited from their learned Doctor whether the one can any more be orthodox if the other be erroneous then the Parish Pastor of Christ-Church neer Newgate be an honest and modest man if William Jenkin the Author of the Busie Bishop be disconscienced and lofty I shall adde two passage which I have met with in the writings of Dr. Sibs whose memory and Name is Sion-Colledg proofe and needs not feare the poysoned arrow of their obloquie or reproach If the will saith he would use that soveraignty which it should and could at the first we should be altogether freed from this necessity he speaks of sin and unbeliefe men are not damned because they cannot doe better but because they will doe no better a Dr. Sib's souls conflict page 162. This clearly implies that neither the necessity of sinning nor the impotency of believing under which the generality or greatest part of unbelievers lie are meerly naturall but voluntarily contracted and withall that naturally they have power to doe that which had they wills to doe would prevent their Condemnation Againe not long after Our consciences tell us to our faces that we might do more than we do to hinder sin and that when we sin it is not through weaknesse but out of the