Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	law_n	rule_n	transgression_n	3,242	5	10.6596	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65392	A short story of the rise, reign, and ruin of the Antinomians, Familists, and libertines that infected the churches of New-England and how they were confuted by the assembly of ministers there as also of the magistrates proceedings in court against them : together with God's strange remarkable judgements from heaven upon some of the chief fomenters of these opinions : and the lamentable death of Mrs. Hutchison : very fit for these times, here being the same errors amongst us, and acted by the same spirit : published at the instant request of sundry, by one that was an eye and ear-witness of the carriage of matters there.	Winthrop, John, 1588-1649.; Weld, Thomas, 1590?-1662.	1692 (1692)	Wing W1270; ESTC R6157	84,225	86

of grace that was wrought in him till then 18. That union to Christ is not by Faith 19. That all commands in the word are Law and are not a way of life and the command of Faith is a Law and therefore killeth she supposed it to be a Law from Rom. 3. 27. 20. That there is no Faith of God's elect but assurance there is no Faith of dependance but such as an hypocrite may have and fall away from proved Ioh. 15. for by that she said they are in Christ but Christ is not in them 21. That an hypocrite may have Adam's righteousness and perish and by that righteousness he is bound to the Law but in union with Christ Christ comes into the Man and he retains the Seed and dieth and then all manner of grace in himself but all in Christ. 22. There is no such thing as inherent righteousness 23. We are not bound to the Law no not as a rule of Life 24. We are dead to all acts in Spiritual things and are onely acted by Christ. 25. Not being bound to the Law it is not transgression against the Law to sin or break it because our sins they are inward and Spiritual and so are exceeding sinful and onely are against Christ. 26. Sanctification can be no evidence at all of our good estate 27. That her particular revelations about future events are as infallible as any part of Scripture and that she is bound as much to believe them as the Scripture for the same Holy Ghost is the Author of them both 28. That so far as a Man is in union with Christ he can do no duties perfectly and without the Communion of the unregenerate part with the regenerate 29. That such exhortations as these to work out our Salvation with fear to make our calling and election sure c. are spoken onely to such as are under a Covenant of Works All which she did acknowledge she had spoken for a Copy of them had been sent to her divers days before and the witnesses hands subscribed so as she saw it was in vain to deny them then she asked By what rule such an Elder could come to her pretending to desire light and indeed to intrap her to which the same Elder answered That he had been twice with her and that he told her indeed at St. Ives that he had been troubled at some of her Speeches in the Court wherein he did desire to see light for the ground and meaning of them but he professed in the presence of the Lord that he came not to intrap her but in compassion to her Soul to help her out of those Snares of the Devil wherein he saw she was intangled and that before his departure from her he did bear Witness against her Opinions and against her Spirit and did leave it sadly upon her from the Word of God Then presently she grew into passion against her Pastor for his Speech against her at the Court after the Sentence was passed which he gave a full Answer unto shewing his zeal against her errors whereupon she asked for what error she had been banished professing withal that she held none of these things she was now charged with before her Imprisonment supposing that whatsoever should be found amiss would be imputed to that but it was answered as the truth was That she was not put to durance but onely a favourable confinement so as all of her family and divers others resorted to her at their pleasure But this allegation was then proved false and at her next convention more fully for there were divers present who did know she spake untruth Her Answer being demanded to the first Articles she maintained her assertion That the Souls were mortal c. alledging the place in the Eccles. cited in the Article and some other Scriptures nothing to the purpose she insisted much upon that in Gen. 1. In the day thou eatest c. thou shalt die she could not see how a Soul could be immortally miserable though it might be eternally miserable neither could she distinguish between the Soul and the Life and though she were pressed by many Scriptures and reasons alledged by the Elders of the same and other Churches so as she could not give any Answer to them yet she stood to her Opinion till at length a stranger being desired to speak to the point and he opening to her the difference between the Soul and the Life the first being a Spiritual substance and the other the union of that with the body she then confessed she saw more light than before and so with some difficulty was brought to confess her Errour in that point Wherein was to be observed that though he spake to very good purpose and so clearly convinced her as she could not gain-say yet it was evident she was convinced before but she could not give the honour of it to her own Pastor or Teacher nor to any of the other Elders whom she had so much slighted Then they proceeded to the third fourth and fifth Articles about the body and the resurrection of the old which she maintained according to the Articles and though she were not able to give any reasonable answer to the many places of the Scripture and other arguments which were brought to convince her yet she still persisted in her error giving froward Speeches to some that spake to her as when one of the Elders used this Argument that if the Resurrection were onely our union with Christ then all that are united are the children of the resurrection and therefore are neither to marry nor to give in marriage and so by consequence there ought to be community of women she told him that he spake like the Pharisees who said that Christ had a Devil because that Abraham was dead and the Prophets and yet he had said that those that eat his flesh should never die not taking the speech in the true meaning so did he said she who brought that argument for it is said there they should be like the Angels c. The Elders of Boston finding her thus obstinate propounded to the Church for an Admonition to be given her to which all the Church consented except two of her Sons who because they persisted to defend her were under admonition also Mr. Cotton gave the admonition and first to her Sons laying it sadly upon them that they would give such way to their natural affection as for preserving her honour they should make a breach upon the honour of Christ and upon their Covenant with the Church and withal tear the very bowels of their Soul by hardning her in her sin In this admonition to her first he remembred her of the good way she was in at her first coming in helping to discover to divers the false bottom they stood upon in trusting to legal works without Christ then he shewed her how by falling into these gross and fundamental errors she had lost the honour of her

him no act of his own done by him and if he for his part must see nothing in himself have nothing do nothing only he is to stand still and wait for Christ to do all for him and then if after faith the Law no rule to walk by no Sorrow or Repentance for sin he must not be pressed to duties and need never pray unless moved by the Spirit And if he falls into sin he is never the more disliked of God nor his condition never the worse And for his assurance it being given him by the Spirit he must never let it go but abide in the height of comfort tho' he falls into the grossest sins that he can Then their way to life was made easie if so no marvel so many like of it And this is the very reason besides the novelty of it that this kind of Doctrine takes so well here in London and other parts of the Kingdom and that you see so many dance after this pipe running after such and such crowding the Churches and filling the doors and windows even such carnal and vile persons many of them as care not to hear any other godly Ministers but only their Leaders Oh it pleaseth nature well to have Heaven and their lusts too 2. Consider their slights they used in somenting their Opinions some of which I will set down as I. They laboured much to acquaint themselves with as many as possibly they could that so they might have the better opportunity to communicate their new light unto them II. Being once acquainted with them they would strangely labour to insinuate themselves into their affections by loving salutes humble carriage kind invitements friendly visits and so they would win upon men and steal into their bosoms before they were aware Yea assoon as any new-comers especially men of note worth and activity fit instruments to advance their design were landed they would be sure to welcome them shew them all courtesie and offer them room in their own houses or of some of their own Sect and having gotten them into their Web they could easily poyson them by degrees It was rare for any man thus hooked in to escape their Leaven III. Because such men as would seduce others had need be some way eminent they would appear very humble holy and spiritual Christians and full of Christ they would deny themselves far speak excellently pray with such soul-ravishing expressions and affections that a stranger that loved goodness could not but love and admire them and so be the more easily drawn after them looking upon them as men and women as likely to know the secrets of Christ and bosom-counsels of his Spirits as any other And this Opinion of them was the more lifted up through the simplicity and weakness of their followers who would in admiration of them tell others that since the Apostles time they were perswaded none ever received so much light from God as such and such had done naming their Leaders 4. As they would lift up themselves so also their Opinions by guilding them over with specious terms of Free-grace Glorious-light Gospel-truths as holding forth naked Christ and this took much with simple honest hearts that loved Christ especiaily with new converts who were lately in bondage under sin and wrath and had newly tasted the sweetness of free-grace being now in their first love to Christ they were exceeding glad to embrace any thing that might further advance Christ and free grace and so drank them in readily 5. If they met with Christians that were full of doubts and fears about their conditions as many tender and godly hearts there were they would tell them they had never taken a right course for comfort but had gone on as they were led in a legal way of evidencing their good estate by Sanctification and gazing after qualifications in themselves and would shew them from their own experience that themselves for a long time were befool'd even as they are now in poring upon graces in themselves and while they did so they never prospered but were driven to pull all that building down and lay better and safer foundations in free-grace and then would tell them of this Gospel-way we speak of how they might come to such a setled peace that they might never doubt more tho' they should see no grace at all in themselves so as it is said of the Harlots dealing with the young man Pr. 7. 21. with much fair speech they caused them to yield with the flattering of their lips they forced them 6. They commonly labour'd to work first upon women being as they conceived the weaker to resist the more flexible tender and ready to yield and if once they could winde in them they hoped by them as by an Eve to catch their Husbands also which indeed often proved too true amongst us there 7. As soon as they had thus wrought in themselves and a good conceit of their Opinions by all these ways of subtilty into the hearts of people nextly they strongly endeavour'd with all the craft they could to undermine the good Opinion of their Ministers and their Doctrine and to work them clean out of their affections telling them they were sorry that their Teachers had so mis-bed them and train'd them up under a Covenant of works and that themselves never having been taught of God it is no wonder they did no better teach them the Truth and how they may sit till dooms-day under their legal Sermons and never see light and withal sometimes casting aspersions on their persons and practice as well as their doctrine to bring them quite out of esteem with them And this they did so effectually that many declined the hearing of them tho' they were members of their Churches and others that did hear were so filled with prejudice that they profited not but studied how to object against them and censure their doctrine which whilst they stood right were wont to make their hearts to melt and tremble Yea some that had been begotten to Christ by some of their faithful labours in this Land for whom they could have laid down their lives and not being able to bear their absence follow'd after them thither to New-England to injoy their labours yet these falling acquainted with those Seducers were suddenly so alter'd in their affections towards those their spiritual Fathers that they would neither hear them nor willingly come in their company professing they had never received any good from them 8. They would not till they knew men well open the whole mystery of their new Religion to them but this was ever their method to drop a little at once into their followers as they were capable and never would administer their Physick till they had first given good preparatives to make it work and then stronger and stronger potions as they found the patient able to bear 9. They would in company now and then let fall some of their most plausible errors as a

Revelation without concurrence of the Word then it cannot be tried by the Word but we are bid to try the Spirits To the Law and Testimony Esa. 8. 20. To try all things 1 Thes. 5. 21. So the Bereans Acts 17. 11. and the Rule of Trial is the Word Ioh. 5. 39. Error 41. There be distinct seasons of the workings of the several persons so the Soul may be said to be so long under the Fathers and not the Sons and so long under the Sons Work and not the Spirits Confutation 41. This expression is not according to the pattern of wholsome words which teacheth a joint-concurrence of all the persons working in every work that is wrought so that we cannot say the Father works so long and the Son works not because the same work at the same time is common to them both and to all the Three Persons as the Father draws Ioh. 6. 44. so the Son sends his Spirit to convince and thereby draws Ioh. 16. 7 8. Error 42. There is no assurance true or right unless it be without fear and doubting Confutation 42. This is contrary to Scripture the Penman of Psal. 77. had true assurance v. 6. And yet he had doubts and fears of God's eternal mercy ver 7 8 9. The best Faith is imperfect and admits infirmity v. 10. 1 Cor. 13. 10 11 12. Where there is flesh that doth fight against every Grace and act thereof and is contrary to it there can be no Grace perfect Ergo doubting may stand with assurance Gal. 5. 17. Error 43. The Spirit acts most in the Saints when they endeavour least Confutation 43. Reserving the special seasons of God's preventing Grace to his own pleasure In the ordinary constant course of his dispensation the more we endeavour the more assistance and help we find from him Prov. 2. 3 4 5. He that seeks and digs for wisdom as for treasure shall find it Hos. 6. 3. 2 Chron. 15. 2. The Lord is with you while you are with him If by endeavour be meant the use of lawful means and ordinances commanded by God to seek and find him in then is it contrary to Mat. 7. 7. Ask seek knock c. Error 44. No created work can be a manifest sign of God's love Confutation 44. If created works flowing from union with Christ be included it is against Iohn's Epistles and many Scriptures which make keeping the Commandments love to the Brethren c. evidences of a good estate so consequently of God's love Error 45. Nothing but Christ is an evidence of my good estate Confutation 45. If here Christ manifesting himself in works of holiness be excluded and nothing but Christ nakedly revealing himself to Faith be made an evidence it is against the former Scriptures Error 46. It is no sin in a Believer not to see his Grace except he be wilfully blind Confutation 46. This is contrary to the Scripture which makes every transgression of the Law sin though wilfulness be not annexed and this crosseth the work of the Spirit which sheweth us the things that are given us of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. and crosseth also that command 2 Cor. 13. 5. Prove your Faith and therefore we ought to see it Error 47. The seal of the Spirit is limited onely to the immediate witness of the Spirit and doth never witness to any work of Grace or to any conclusion by a Syllogism Confutation 47. This is contrary to Rom. 8. 16. to that which our Spirit bears witness to that the Spirit of God bears witness for they bear a joint witness as the words will have it but our spirits bear witness to a work of grace namely that Believers are the children of God Ergo. Error 48. That conditional Promises are legal Confutation 48. Contrary to Ioh. 3. 16. Mat. 5. 3 c. Error 49. We are not bound to keep a constant course of Prayer in our Families or privately unless the Spirit stir us up thereunto Confutation 49. This is contrary to Ephes. 6. 18. 1 Thess. 5. 17. Error 50. It is poverty of spirit when we have grace yet to see we have no grace in our selves Confutation 50. The weak Believer Mark 9. 24. was poor in spirit yet saw his own Faith weak though it were Peter when he was brought to poverty of spirit by the bitter experience of his pride he saw the true love he had unto Christ and appealed to him therein Iohn 21. 15. Paul was less than the least of all Saints in his own eyes therefore poor in spirit yet saw the grace of God by which he was that he was and did what he did and was truly nothing in his own eyes when he had spoken of the best things he had received and done Ephes. 3. 18. If it be poverty of the spirit to see no grace in our selves then should poverty of spirit cross the office of the Spirit which is to reveal unto us and make us to see what God gives us 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11 12. then it should make us sin or cross the will of God which is that we should not be ignorant of the gracious workings of Christ in us from the power of his Death and Resurrection Rom. 6. 3. Know ye not c. then would it destroy a great duty of Christian thankfulness in and for all the good things which God vouchsafeth us 1 Thess. 5. 18. Error 51. The Soul need not to go out to Christ for fresh supply but it is acted by the spirit inhabiting Confutation 51. Though we have the spirit acting and inhabiting us this hinders not but I may and need go out to Christ for fresh supply of grace John 1. 16. Of whose fulness we have all received and grace for grace 2 Cor. 12. 8. Paul sought thrice to Christ for fresh supply Heb. 12. 2. Look unto Christ the Author and Finisher of our Faith We must look up to the Hills from whence cometh our help Ephes. 4. 16. By whom all the Body receiveth increase and to the edifying of it self Error 52. It is legal to say we act in the strength of Christ. Confutation 52. This is contrary to the Scriptures the Gospel bids us be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Ephes. 6. 10. and be strong in the grace that is in Christ Iesus 2 Tim. 2. 1. and Paul saith I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Phil. 4. 13. and that was not legal strength Error 53. No Minister can teach one that is anointed by the Spirit of Christ more than he knows already unless it be in some circumstances Confutation 53. This is also contrary to Scripture 2 Cor. 1. It is God that establisheth us with you c. Ephes. 1. 13. and 4. 12 14. The Corinthians and Ephesians were anointed and sealed and yet were taught more of Paul in his Epistles than onely in some circumstances Error 54. No Minister can be an instrument to convey more of Christ unto