Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	humane_a	person_n	unity_n	3,413	5	9.5095	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57064	The lightless-starre, or, Mr. John Goodwin discovered a Pelagio-Socinian and this by the examination of his preface to his book entituled Redemption redeemed : together with an answer to his letter entituled Confidence dismounted / by Richard Resbury ... ; hereunto is annexed a thesis of that reverend, pious and judicious divine, Doctor Preston ... concerning the irresistibility of converting grace.	Resbury, Richard, 1607-1674.; Preston, John, 1587-1628. De gratia convertentis irresistibilitate.	1652 (1652)	Wing R1134; ESTC R18442	131,505	254

Whereas the Apostle saith It is not of him that wills nor of him that runs but of God that shewes mercy who releeves little ones whom he will when they neither will nor run those whom he chose in Christ before the world was made as to whom he freely would give Grace that is no merits of theirs whether of faith or workes preceding whom he wills not to releeve he releeves not of whom in his own predestination he hath otherwise judged secretly indeed but justly for there is no iniquity with God but his judgements are unsearchable and his wayes past finding out As of those two twins Iacob and Esau of whom the one is taken the other is left their end is different their merits the same in whom yet so the one is freed by the great goodnesse of God that the other is condemned without any iniquity in God for is there iniquity in God in no wise but his wayes are past finding out therefore let us without wavering beleeve his mercy in those that are freed his truth in those that are punished neither let us search things unsearchable nor thinke to trace what is untraceable Now whereas it was objected by the Massilians or Semi-Pelagians that Infants were dealt with according to future merits foreseene if they had lived First he rejects this as a most absurd conceit that any should be judged not only according to his merits whilst he was in the Body but according to those merits which he should have had if he had been longer in the Body by merits here as frequently he meanes only deeds good or evil whence it should come into their thoughts saith he whose wills are not contemptible wondring and astonisht I cannot finde A new kinde of absurdity saith Prosper relating it to imagine things to come which are not to come and that what things are not to be should be fore-known and that what things are fore-knowne should not be done After his rejection of this Opinion he refutes it both in his Book De praedest de bono Persever and other-where I shall gleane a little Lib. de praedest Sanct. Cap. 12. We shall all appeare before the Iudgement Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5. 10. What he hath done saith he not what he might afterwards doe but whence this should come into the minde of such men that things to come which are not things to come should be punished that to merits of Infants should be honoured I cannot tell To this time of the Body belongs Originall sinne 2 Why then may we not say that the Gospel is preached in vaine with so much labour and sufferings of the Saints if men may be judged even those that have not heard the Gospel according to that contumacy or obedience which God fore-knew they would have had if they had heard and so Tyre and Sidon should not have bin condemned because if those wonderfull things and signes had been done amongst them which were done in those Cities to which the Lord speaks of this matter they had repented in sackcloth and ashes Lib. De Bono persever c. 9. 3 Then neither may we rejoyce in those whom we know to have departed in a right saith and a good life lest they should be judged according to some wickednesses which they were to commit if a longer life had been granted to them neither are they to be grieved for and detested who have finished this life in infidelity and wretched manners because haply if they had lived they would have repented and have lived in godlinesse and according to those things they were to be judged Epist. 107. These two Arguments are in force against our Adversaries because they hold that a righteous man a true beleever may fall utterly and finally from Grace and that it is in the power of the unrighteous to repent Our Saviour himselfe is likewise a most cleare light of Predestination and Grace he the Mediator of God and man the man Christ Iesus which that he might be by what fore-going merits whether of Faith or Workes did his humane Nature obtaine Give answer I pray that man that he should by the word Coeternall with the Father be taken into the unity of Person and become the only begotten Son of God whence might he merit this What did he before what beleeved he what asked he that he should come to this unspeakeable excellency Let man reply against God here if he dare and say and why not I and if he shall be answered O man who art thou that repliest against God and yet shall not refraine but shall encrease his impudence and say What doe I heare Who art thou O man when I am what I heare that is a man which he is likewise of whom I am speaking and why am not I the same that he But he is such an one and so great by Grace Why is Grace different where Nature is common certainly there is no acception of persons with God what I say not Christian but mad-man would speake thus In our Head then may the fountain of Grace appeare whence according to the measure of every one it diffuseth it selfe through all his Members by that Grace from the beginning of his faith is any man made a Christian by which Grace from his beginning was that man made Christ and of the same Spirit was this man borne againe of which he was borne As therefore he the only one is predestinated to be our Head so we many are predestinated to be his Members Let Humane merits here be silent which have perished by Adam and let that Grace of God reigne which reignes by Jesus Christ our Lord the only Sonne of God our Lord whosoever he is that in our Head can finde the fore-going Merits of that singular Generation let him inquire in us his Members the fore-going merits of multiplied regeneration for that Generation was not recompenced to Christ but given that free from all Obligation of sinne he should be borne of the Spirit and the Virgin so that we should be borne againe of Water and the Spirit it is not recompenced to us for any merit but freely given for he hath made us to beleeve on Christ who hath made Christ for us on whom we beleeve he makes in men the beginning of faith and the finishing in Iesus who hath made the Author of faith and the finisher Jesus Lib. de Predest Sanct. Lib. de Grat. Lib. Arbit c. 14. Thus he states the Question But when these not Defenders but blowers up and tumblers headlong of free will have been convinced that neither the knowledge of the Law of God nor Nature nor only the remission of sins is that Grace which is given by Iesus Christ our Lord but it makes that the Law be fulfilled scil Evangelically that Nature be healed that sin reign not when in