Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n
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A66352
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Man made righteous by Christ's obedience being two sermons at Pinners-Hall : with enlargements, &c. : also some remarks on Mr. Mather's postscript, &c. / by Daniel Williams.
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Williams, Daniel, 1643?-1716.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing W2653; ESTC R38938
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138,879
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256
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the Objects of the respective Effects thereof as the Gospel determines the Distribution of them His Notion of legal Union between Christ and the Elect from Eternity as being one legal Person is an unscriptural Notion which I have confuted though I acknowledge Christ from Eternity undertook to Redeem and Save the Elect but that is far from one legal Person being that we are not reputed to Redeem or Save our selves alike ungrounded is one Mystical Person It 's time to put an end to my Remarks on his Story made up of Steps which I wonder he hath acquired no better Skill in relating than to represent the Counsels of God in a manner so inconsistent with nay reproachful to the Glory of the Blessed God 9. I shall not take notice of such things as these all your Obedience to the Law avails no more to justifie you than your worst Sins the not failing of Faith is not a means of our continuing justified Repentance is the effect of Pardon and not necessary thereto These and the like being already insisted on in this Book and elsewhere neither shall I demonstrate as I might it must be his Judgment that all our Sins are pardoned at once even past present and to come and that God cannot be displeased with or afflict Believers for their Sins c. 10. He vainly supposeth many things possible to be in Unbelievers which are certain Evidences of true Faith Effects of Faith yea they are the Execution of the Consenting Act of Faith and without them if Men have time all his Faith is but a Dead Faith that will never Save I will admit that no Act of Grace or Godliness can Save us without Faith But I as positively affirm That there is no one Act of real Grace or Godliness without true Faith nor yet any true Faith without Acts of other Graces Why then should he put the Graces of the Spirit into a War and tell us of mending our Ways and reforming our Lives and our Hearts too so as never more to Sin and live as a Saint dropt down from Heaven c. yet they are not Faith and the Righteousness of Christ would not be upon thee P. 67 68 c. Can Mens Hearts be changed and their Lives thus reformed in Obedience to the Call of Christ's Gospel and not accept of Christ and trust in him No. And I ask If any Man go out of himself to Christ for all and yet never repent nor have his Heart and Life changed nor love God Would that Man have the Righteousness of Christ upon him for Salvation Yet this is as possible as the other yea and more easily mistaken 1 Thess. 1. from 5. to 10. you 'll see the Spirit of God makes the things concur which Mr. M. would set at so great an Opposition To me it 's evident that Christ's Righteousness extends it self through all the Benefits and Privileges of a Saint as the Sole Meriting Cause whatever be the Condition And all the after-gracious Acts and Godliness of a Believer are the Operations of Faith they are his first Conjugal Consent executed as well as the Effects of his Dependance on Christ for new Supplies 1. Faith as it acts upward towards Christ still Craves Prays Hopes Trusts Expects with Affection Adheres and renews Self-dedication and Consent 2. As it looks into the word it finds Motives Excitements Directions c. to urge and apply to it self from invisible things realized 3. As it acts under the Power of both the former with respect to External and Internal Effects it Purifieth Melts Loves Quickens Strengthens to Duty and against Temptations Comforts Reclaimeth Recovereth Guardeth Watcheth c. So that our renewed Act of Repentance Love and Fear c. our Godliness Reformation Zeal and all sincere Obedience is the Operation of Faith and the Obedience of Faith Faith is in them and they are in Faith not formally but in the way above expressed Whence I conclude it 's a false Faith that omits Obedience to Christ in all these as it is a false Obedience which excludes a Dependance on Christ in or by any of those 11. Mr. M's Criminations of his Brethren are intolerable becoming neither an honest Man nor a true Believer and much less a Gospel-Minister more wicked Malice and Falsehood hardly any Man can be guilty of than his Accusations and Insinuations are justly chargeable with unless they proceed from real Ignorance which Charity prompts me to hope I have instanced already how he hath perverted my words but had he confined his Reproaches to me I should not think my Resentments so fit to be expressed but he spares not the Dead he strikes at the Body of our Usefulest Ministers alive and at their Ministry too Who or what could excite any Man to render the Labours of so many Ministers useless when so adapted to promote the Kingdom of Christ in the World Who will dare to attend their Labours or avoid being filled with Jealousies Prejudices and Abhorrence that believe this fiery Man when he saith They hold Soul-damning Errors if there be any in the World P. 46. That they have a Dislike and Heart-hatred of standing in the Righteousness of Christ imputed and it only that lies at the bottom in these Oppositions to our being as Righteous as Christ P. 76. and the Devil by them laboureth to Forestall and shut up Mens Hearts against what he calls the Blessed Truths nay his Malignant Spirit riseth so high as to call them oft Semi-socinians and studiously brands them with that name as what he would have them called by in his Preface as well as Socinians in his Sermons and that the Gospel of our Salvation is Craftily and Insolently assaulted by them in the very Vitals and Fundamentals of it And this and much more as an Apostasie from the Truth he fixeth on Old and Young even many of the rising Generation not only among Conformists but Dissenters also Reply The Angel said The Lord rebuke thee when he durst not bring railing Accusation sure he knoweth not what Spirit he is of nor who doth instigate him to these things any more than Holy Peter did whose Design was better After long working at this Trade under Ground he proclaims it when he comes into open Air and hides not his Spirit or his Purpose I hope others injured so deeply will joyn with me in forgiving him and Praying for his Repentance that the Blood of Prejudiced Souls may not be required at his hands nor these Injurious Reproaches be imputed to him I shall make a few Remarks on the Names he give us 1. He of all Men seems least allowed to give us any Name for we are not the Children of his Church-Members and others he will not Baptise he pleads that the Ancient Church called the Off-spring of Pelagius his Heresie Semi-Pelagians May therefore one that utterly denies a Catholick visible Church pretend to it yea who thinks he ceaseth to be a Minister when his Relation to his particular Flock is at an end Nay he is of so Rash a Spirit small Skill in the Reason of