Selected quad for the lemma: peace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
peace_n	find_v	justice_n	surety_n	5,052	5	11.4235	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76316	An examination of the chief points of Antinomianism, collected out of some lectures lately preached in the church of Antholines parish, London: and now drawn together into a body, and published for the benefit of all that love the holy truth of God, / by Thomas Bedford B. D. Vnto which is annexed, an examination of a pamphlet lately published, intituled The compassionate Samaritan, handling the power of the magistrate in the compulsion of conscience: by the same author.	Bedford, Thomas, d. 1653.	1647 (1647)	Wing B1668; Thomason E370_15; ESTC R201292	67,960	90

perfect peace except there come in also the evidence of inherent Qualifications The voice of Pardon is not the voice of the spirit except when it speaks to a Heart prepared and fitted for it Then only is it true when it falls upon a Penitent soul a Repenting sinner otherwise it is the suggestion of Satan Again the subscription of Faith is then a ground of comfort when it is accompanied with such inherent Qualifications as do certainly proclaim the work of the sanctifying spirit in the Heart otherwise it is but Presumption and rash Boldness The ground of all this is in the nature of this Testimony of the spirit It is not denied But that the testimony of the Spirit is the chief and principal assurance of our Adoption that without it the soul is not finally rid of fears that when it cometh it taketh away all fears and doubts But this is that which we are to nore that this is rather an Attestation then a Testimony a secondary not the first deponent is not this rightly concluded from that of Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit witnesseth with our Spirit where we have two witnesses joyning together their Testimonies to assert this truth That we are the Sons of God Two I say viz. Our spirit and the spirit of God the witness of our spirit i. e. of our conscience is the first The spirit of God is the second His work is not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to witness together with our Spirit i. e. To confirm and ratifie what that hath asserted So that indeed the evidencing of this Testimony of the spirit is from the Testimony of our own conscience If this do not first speak and conclude that other of the spirit speaks not at all Now the Testimony of the conscience is the conclusion of that practical Syllogism and the certainty of this conclusion depends upon the verity of the Assumption which mentioneth the work of grace in the Heart So then let it be the care of the Christian to make good the verity of the Assumption that he may truly say I do repent I am led by the spirit I do believe and rest upon Christ c. This shall not only afford him comfort by the conclusion but also assure him that he is not mis-led by the suggestion of Satan but guided by the spirit to rest upon that Testimony of his Adoption and Justification CHAP. VI Touching sin in the Conscience of the Believer The Doctrine of the Antinomians in this Point examined and found insufficient to satisfie the Conscience The right way of satisfying the Conscience and of taking away the scruple of sin set down THe Prophet Isaiah cap. 53. 11. having set down this That Christ shall Iustifie many addeth this as a reason For he shall bear their iniquities A phrase borrowed from the Levitical Priesthood in which the sacrificed Beast did bear the iniquity of the party that brought it his confession was that he had deserved death by his sin yet now casting himself upon the mercy of God he desired that the guilt of his sin might be transferred and laid upon that sacrifice and by the Blood of it he might finde Atonement So then the meaning of that saying of the Prophet is That Christ shall as a sacrifice of expiation take upon him punishment due to the sin of many Thus by bearing the punishment doth he take away the sin of his people This doth not please some the Antinomian Doctors by name The word iniquities is found in the 6. Verse of the Chapter And upon that Text one of them Dr. Crisp doth contend much for this That not onely the punishment of sin but the iniquity it self was laid upon Christ Not the guilt only but the fault it self His reason is Because otherwise it had been injustice in God to bruise hi● I should not much stick either at the Doctrine or the Reason but that I finde that the end of this for which they contend is not found viz. To shew the reason why it is said in Jer. 50. 20. That the iniquity of Iacob the Elect of God is sought for but cannot be found viz. Because God hath conveyed their iniquities away from the sinner and laid them upon the Back of Christ the which he seeketh to illustrate by him that to help a theef and deliver him from the danger of the Hue and Cry conveyeth away out of the thiefs house the stoln goods so that they are not found upon him It is not we see for nothing that these men depart from the received expressions of other Divines Iunius reads that sixth Verse thus Facit ut incurrat pena The punishment of us all met upon him answerable to Verse 5. The chastisement of our peace was laid upon him The Genevenses note is The punishment of our iniquitie and not the fault it self And Deodate saith Not the transgression nor the fault but the Bond by which we were lyable to Gods Iustice and the punishment of it Christ being our surety Amesius saith That the Imputation of our sin could agree to Christ in none other sense then this that he should undergo the punishment due to our sins See his Medulla Theol. Par. 1. cap. 6. But to let this pass Upon this truth and text That God hath laid upon Christ the iniquity of us all and that accordingly Christ hath born our iniquities A question is moved How then cometh it to pass that sin doth still trouble and terrifie the Conscience of many To this Question the Antinomians do Answer That many do trouble themselves needlesly that there is indeed no sin in the Conscience of the Believer but that men do put it in and so vex themselves without cause One of their Doctors out of that Text of Isa. 53. 6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all hath delivered these Doctrines 1. That it is iniquity it self and not barely the punishment that is laid upon Christ 2. This iniquity of ours is really transacted and laid upon him truely and not only by so thinking 3. The laying of iniquity upon Christ is the Lords own act it is his prerogative alone to do it 4. This act is not now to be done but it is done already 5. This grace of laying iniquity upon Christ is appliable by forgiveness of sin to persons before the least measure of Sanctification Points of Doctrine in which we cannot readily suspect any iniquity at least they might pass with a favorable interpretation But by the conclusions thence deduced we cannot but see that there is a snake in the grass Hence he inferreth 1. That the reason why believers walk in bitterness of Spirit is because they imagine sin in the Conscience whereas indeed believers have no sin at all wasting their Conscience or lying as a burthen upon them 2. That our own performances faith and repentance have no hand at all in laying sin upon

away out of the Conscience till by the Sacrament of Baptism it be taken away Their meaning I say is no more but this That till the Elect of God be really and actually united to Christ they are not actually made partakers of that Remission which was purchased for them by that sacrifice In which respect they do call upon Converts and Believers as did Ananias upon Paul Arise and be Baptized and wash away thy sins A text plainly proving that Baptism hath some kinde of work and efficacy in washing away sin He Objecteth That these words were spoken to a Believer Consequently If Paul was already a Believer and yet his sins not washed away until he were Baptized Then it will follow that sin is not alway pardoned to a Believer But this Objection doth nothing hinder the Conclusion set down Because Though Paul as a Believer had right to the benefits of Christ by vertue of the Promise made to Believers yet could he not have fruition of them till he had taken possession of Christ by being incorporated into him Faith is the hand of man to receive but the Sacrament is the hand of the spirit to convey unto us Christ and all his benefits Might not he have learned this out of that text He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved had he well marked it If there be nothing added by Baptism to complete the state of a Christian why is it enjoyned I demand Whether a Believer suppose him to live and dye in the wilful neglect of that Sacrament can be saved Nay more suppose him to have been an Alien a stranger or as Paul a Persecuter of the Church of God but now a Convert as Paul was nay a professor and zealous Preacher of Christ and so to have washt away his sins in the sense that this man giveth of Ananias words The sense of those words of Ananias which H. D. giveth is this Break off thy sins It is a washing in conversation sc. To manifest to the world that thou art another man And he noteth That one washed in respect of Gods imputation and washed in Conscience in respect of manifestation and apprehension of the grace of God in Jesus Christ may yet be exhorted to wash in respect of Conversation By which it seemeth that there was no farther use of Baptism to Paul at this time save only to manifest to the world that he was a Convert which I suppose is so sensless a position that it needeth no Refutation I say then suppose a man thus to have washt away his sins Can all this profit him to salvation if he wilfully reject the Sacrament of Baptism Can he by his profession and Preaching obtain a part in Christ and a pardon of this wilfulness Surely except the Church of God in all ages hath hitherto wanted light and sight to see the true meaning of the words that text of our Saviour Ioh. 3. 5. reprehending Nicodemus for his backwardness in this Duty is very clear and evident for the proof of the Negative viz. That such a man so wilfully rejecting the Sacrament cannot plead his Faith nor have entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven This man is not more out in the point of Baptism then he is in the next point touching Repentance This doth he account a Doctrine of the Man of Sin to say That Repentance doth wash away sin that Repentance is a mean to obtain Remission that there is no forgiveness with God before Repentancce Touching that first Expression We do not say that Repentance doth wash away sin in any other sense but this That there is no forgiveness of sin to the impenitent It is necessary as a passive Qualification It hath no efficacy in procuring pardon or perfecting forgiveness more then this that it fitteth the person to receive it And this is no Doctrine of the Man of Sin it was the Doctrine of Moses and the Prophets True saith he it was so in the Old Testament Contrition and Confession went before Remission But in the New Testament Remission doth go before Contrition This is soon said But how is it proved What text of Scripture what Argument from any text of Scripture The worldly Tabernacle of Moses was it not a figure and patern of Heavenly things May we not see as the mercy of God shadowed forth in those sacrifices of Expiation so the Duty of the sinner expressed in those Legal Purifications To this he Answereth That Contrition went before Remission in our High Priest He was bruised broken slain before any Remission This no man doubteth But we demand Whether as then Contrition was required of the People before by their sacrifice they could have Remission So now also it be not required that Contrition be found in us before we obtain Remission by the sacrisice of Christ At no hand will he endure to hear of this Christ saith he confesseth our sins offereth for our sins maketh peace through his Blood and calleth upon us to believe this Peace and Atonement made This we deny not But still insist upon this Whether Contrition be not required of Believers in the New Testament as well as of them in the Old Testament to make them capable of Remission If not What is there in the New Testament to answer to that figure I finde it interserted in a parenthesis That Preist sacrifices and people were all of them figures of Christ What the meaning of it should be I cannot guess except it be this That Christ must be all and do all Upon him must lie no less the work of Repentance for sin then of satisfaction Thus shall the burthen be increased to him that so it may be cased to the sinner had the Scripture revealed it so to be we had received it now we may not Well it is that Christ hath done for us what we could not viz. He hath made satisfaction It is not much if he require of us what we may well do viz. To be truely contrite and penitent for our sins But saith he Faith which is the knowledge of Remission must needs go before Contrition else would it be sin For whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. I might justly reply and say Like point like proof Neither is justifying Faith the knowledge of Remission Nor doth that text of St. Paul speak of justifying Faith But this I say That if Faith be the knowledge of Remission viz. fully past and already in possession it doth rather take away Contrition then call for it There is no place for sorrow in Heaven the spirits of just men made perfect who are in full possession of Remission do not now any more weep and shed tears for the sins that they have committed He addeth We do not therefore believe Remission because we repent But therefore repent because we believe Remission I Answer We do both we believe Remission because we do repent not as if there were any merit in our repentance to deserve it

the sacrament yet do not finde that peace of Conscience which is expected Sol. It may be so But do they withal rest upon it as an Ordinance of the spirit to apply the blood of Christ and so to seal unto the soul the Assurance of peace and pardon Do they I say rest in it or do they expect to receive their Assurance by some irradiation and immediate revelation of the spirit This is the error of some Others are careless in their walking afterward They forget that Caveat of the Psalmist The Lord will speak peace to his people But let them not return again to folly Psa. 85. 8. What wonder if the re-admission of sin into the soul renew the sting and terror of Conscience Satan re-entring brings seven other spirits worse then himself Hence commonly the terror afterward is greater then before Impossible it is that the soul should finde sweetness insin desire it delight in it And the Conscience not fear and tremble at the thought of Hel and the wrath of God Corol. To close up all Is the Conscience terrified See the way to finde remedy and how thou maist provide for comfort Not in the Antinomian way viz. by a violent perswasion of this That thy sin was long since laid upon Christ in the day of his Passion But by seeking for the Application of his blood in the Word and Sacraments Prepare thee for the worthy receiving of them by renewing thy Repentance By Faith look upon Christ in the Sacrament hear him speaking in the word as the assured remedy of all spiritual diseases and distresses carefully watch against future Tentations take heed of relapsing into sin Remember that as Christ hath joyned these two Petitions Forgive us our Trespasses and Lead us not into Tentation so hath he bound up the comfort of the former in the cautelous observation of the latter Whoso doth not watch against Tentation loseth all comfort of Remission THE ARGUMENTS OF The Compassionate Samaritan Touching the Power of the Magistrate in the compulsion of Conscience Examined THe intent and scope of the Book is to shew That the Magistrate ought not to punish any for the profession of his Conscience by Conscience he meaneth the mans present judgement and opinion though it be contrary to what is determined by Authority His Arguments be these 1. Because punishment is not due to what is necessitated 2. Because no man can presume of infallibility 3. Because the Magistrate ought not to compel any man to sin The first Argument VVHere there is a necessity there ought to be no punishment Because punishment is the just recompence of voluntary Actions not of necessitated But every man is necessitated to be of that opinion which he holdeth Nor can he chuse but be of that judgement whatsoever it is Because his reason doth necessarily enforce him to it while it concludeth the Position to be true or false Ans. Grant indeed Where there is a necessity there ought to be no punishment if there be no concurrence of the will Or if that necessitation proceed not from a faulty cause ex gr. The spider is by instinct of nature necessitated to make poison as the Bee to make honey The sinew that shrank in Jacobs thigh or the joynt that is dislocated necessitateth a man to halt he cannot chuse Yet here is no punishment due because here is no concurrence of the will nor is this necessitation from a faulty cause But now when drunkenness doth necessitate some to lust and others to wrath Or rather when corruption doth necessitate wicked men and Angels to sin such is their present condition they can do nothing but sin Yet is not this necessitation an excuse to save from punishment because this is not from natural instinct but from voluntary consent it is from a faulty cause so that it is not always true that where there is a necessity there ought to be no punishment Consequently we must inquire Whence this necessity viz. That he cannot chuse but be of that opinion whence I say it cometh Whether from a faulty or a faultless cause He saith His reason concludeth it to be so and so And hereby he is necessitated to be of this opinion He cannot believe otherwise then his reason guideth him Nor indeed is it fit he should during the time that reason so concludeth But then enquire farther whence is it that his reason doth so conclude Is it from the clearness of the Argument Or from the cloudiness of his understanding In some things there is such clearness in the Argument and such evidence in the light thereof that the judgement cannot but rest in it ex gr. The Articles of the Christian Faith and the Duties of the Moral Law The truth of the one the equity of the other is so clear that reason cannot but see the evidence and conclude accordingly But in respect of some other things though no less true and good in themselves there may be such cloudiness and darkness in the understanding that it cannot apprehend the evidence and force of that Argument and Reason which is aleaged and so for the present it is hindred in yielding assent to them But then the next enquiry is what may be the ground or spring of this darkness and obscurity Whether weakness and ignorance or wilfulness and prejudice If ignorance good reason that as yet the party be excused from punishment till farther information Not so if it proceed from passion and prejudice And would you know whether it proceed from the one or from the other Consider these Rules 1. If it proceed from weakness and not from wilfulness you shall finde in the man a readiness yea a diligence to enquire and search for farther information glad he is to be instructed Not so the other he is negligent and careless to enquire he liketh his present opinion and so pleadeth Conscience when indeed it is affection and affectation that doth wholly guide him He would not be convinced of an Error least he should lose what he hopeth to receive in holding this way 2. If from ignorance and weakness it is attended with meekness and humility Not so the other he is swelling supercilious self-seeking and self-conceited ready to contemn others at no hand ready to yield no not even to know truths if he perceive that they cross the conceit which he hath taken up Whereas the weak Christian is ready to acknowledge the gifts and graces of others that are contrary minded nor will he deny any truth though he cannot as yet acknowledge this in question to be a truth and ●o subscribe unto it Nor will he as doth the other too frequently censure those that are contrary minded 3. Weakness and Ignorance causeth in him sadness and sorrow of Heart in the consideration of his own dulness Grieved he is that he cannot see what other holy Saints and servants of God do see Hence also hearty prayer that God would reveal this truth also to him that