Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	according_a	act_n	action_n	196	3	6.3010	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09386	A C[hristian] and [plain]e treatise of the manner and order of predestination and of the largenes of Gods grace. First written in Latine by that reuerend and faithfull seruant of God, Master William Perkins, late preacher of the word in Cambridge. And carefully translated into English by Francis Cacot, and Thomas Tuke.; De prædestinationis modo et ordine. English	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Cacot, Francis.; Tuke, Thomas, d. 1657.	1606 (1606)	STC 19683; ESTC S103581	116,285	285

that these and such like vertues haue taken deep roote in the heart and are grounded vpon an earnest and constant affection that they may neuer be ouercome of temptations Obiect I. Sin and the grace of the holy spirit cannot stand together Ans. This is true of the sinne that ra●gneth or which is committed with full consent of will but the regenerate do not sinne with a whole or full will And I lay this foundation of this our iudgement In tentation we must consider two things the beginning or ground and the degrees The ground is our owne concupiscence that is our inbred corruption The subiect thereof is the whole man but especially the faculties of mans soule the mind will and affections And in these it doth immediatly exist and reigne alone before a sinner bee conuerted And a man being not regenerated be he what he will be he is flesh euery iot of him But after that a man is regenerated the flesh is no more alone or seuered by it selfe but mixed with the spirit and the spirit with the flesh although both these qualities remaine as touching nature distinct in one subiect as in the twilight the light doth not appeare alone but with darkenesse and darkenesse is not alone but with the light And the man that is regenerated is not onely flesh nor onely spirit nor flesh in one part and spirit in another but the whole man is flesh in euery part and the whole man is spirit in euery part And because those things which are contrarie cannot consist together in the highest degrees therefore albeit the whole man bee flesh yet he is not flesh in the highest degree nor spirit in the highest degree but in remisse and lower degrees partly flesh and partly spirit as luke-warme water is remissely and indifferentlie colde thoroughout and remissely also hot thoroughout Hence it followeth that concupiscence may exist and bee with the grace of the holy spirit so that it beare not rule The degrees of tentation are as Iames teacheth in number sine Iam. cap. 1. 14. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fi 〈◊〉 Abstraction or drawing away when the mind receiueth a thought cast into it about the committing of euill and by this meanes suffers herselfe to bee drawne away frō her duty to other things The second is inescation or entising when the mind conceiueth a morose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thought for the committing of sinne together with a certaine delectation of the affection as when fishes delight themselues with the bait hanging vpon the hooke Thus farre all Diuines think a regenerate man may come and it is most certaine For hence it is that Paul complaineth that hee was held captiue of Rom. 7. 23. sinne The third degree is conception namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when there is a will consent and a purpose to commit euill And when corruption doth come thus farre there bee some that say that all repentance and faith is driuen out and gone but not truely There is indeed in the vnregenerate in whom sinne reigneth a full consent but in the regenerate in whom the flesh and the spirit are two contrarie foundations of actions the consent is more remisse and vnperfect for they doe so will as that they nill and so nill as that they will As Paul hath taught by his owne example The fourth degree is birth of sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when after consent an euill is actually committed And in this act the same man being regenerate doth at the same instant both sinne and not sinne He sinneth onely according vnto the flesh and in that part wherein he is renewed hee doth not sinne but before and after the fact detesteth his sinne And as when the spirit preuaileth the action is not free from all pollution of the flesh so when the flesh preuaileth the action is not so corrupt in the regenerate as it is in those in whom sinne reigneth Neuerthelesse I confesse that in euery grieuous fall the flesh doth get the masterie and that the gift of true faith after the receit of the wound lieth flat and in a swoone for a time but that it is not for all that abolished and quite put out The last degree is perfection namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when sinne being perfited and ripened by often iteration and custome groweth as it were vnto a habit So saith Gregorie Sin alwaies is finished in a worke by those same Moral lib. 4 cap. 27. foure waies For first the sinne is committed closely after that it is discouered in the sight of men without blushing at the fault then it is brought into a custome And at the last either it is nourished with the deceit of vaine hope or with the obstinacie of wretched despaire And Isidore Action bringeth foorth custome and custome necessitie And so a man being fettered with these linkes lieth fast bound as it were with a chaine of vices This last degree befals not the regenerate and if it did saith and the holy spirit should be shaken out and banished Obiect II. Adam when he was voide of corruption sell wholly away therefore much more they who being borne and regenerated after Adam shall beleeue Answ. The reason is vnlike For wee haue De eor grat c. 11. saith Augustine by this grace of God in the receiuing of that which is good and in the constant keeping of the same not onely power to doe that which we will but also will to doe that which we can which Adam wanted For one of these was in him but the other was not For to receiue good he wanted not grace because as yet hee had not lost it But to continue in it he wanted the helpe of grace without which he was not able at all to doe it and he receiued power if he would but he had not will answerable to his power for if it had been in him hee should haue perseuered Obiect III. * Propositiō The member of an harlot cannot be the member of Christ * Assumptiō But he which beleeueth truly who is actually a member of Christ may be the member of an harlot * Conclusion Therefore one that truly beleeues may come to be no member of Christ. Ans. The member of Christ is diuersly distinguished for there is either a true or an apparent member An apparent member is that which is not a member according to election nor in it selfe but in shew onely that is iudged by meanes of outward profession to bee in the visible Church And it is like a woodden legge fastned to the bodie by art A true member is either by destination and appointment or now actually one Members by appointment are all those who are elected although they be not as yet regenerated or borne An actuall member is either one that is liuely or halfe dead A liuely member is that which is according to election and in very deede ingrafted into Christ

him to deny or not to conferre confirming grace The proper cause of the fall was the diuell attempting our ouerthrow and Adams will which when it began to bee prooued by tentations did not desire Gods assistance but voluntarilie bent it selfe to fall away Predestination hath two parts the decree of election and the decree of reprobation So Isidore saith There is a double predestination either of the elect vnto rest or of the reprobate vnto death and both are De summo bo lib. 2. cap. 6. done by God that he might make the elect alwaies to follow after heauenly and spirituall things and that he might suffer the reprobate by for saking them to bee delighted alwaies with earthly and outward things And Angelome saith Christ by his secret dispensation Jn lib. 1. Reg. cap. 8. hath out of an vnfaithfull people predestinated some to cuerlasting liberty quickning them of his free mercie and damned others in euerlasting death in leauing them by his hidden iudgement in their wickednes The decree of election is that whereby God hath ordained certaine men to his Eph. 1. 5. glorious grace in the obtaining of their saluation and heauenly life by Christ. In the decree of election according These acts are vsually called the decree and the execution of the decree to Gods determination there is as wee conceiue a double act The former concernes the end the latter concernes the meanes tending to the end This the holy Ghost seemeth to me to haue taught very euidentlie Rom. 9. 11. That the purpose which is according to election might remain Heere wee see that Paul distinguisheth Gods eternall purpose and election and placeth in his decree a certaine election in the first place before the purpose of damning or sauing And in Rom. the 8. 29. 30. Those which he knew before he also predestinated to bee made like to the image of his son Whom he predestinated them also he called In which wordes Paul distinguisheth betwene the decree and the execution thereof which he maketh to bee in these three Vocation Iustification and Glorification Moreouer he distinguisheth the decree into two acts foreknowledge whereby hee doth acknowledge some men for his owne before the rest and predestination whereby he hath determined from eternitie to make them like vnto Christ. In like manner Peter teacheth 1. Pet. 1. 2 where hee saith that the faithful are elected according to the foreknowledg of God the father vnto sanctification of the spirit If any man shall say that by foreknowledge in these places wee must vnderstand as many would the foreknowledge or foreseeing of future faith he is manifestly deceiued For whom God foreknew them hee did predestinate that they should bee like to Christ that is that they should bee made iust and the sonnes of God for Paul addeth Rom. 8. 29. That he might be the first borne among many brethren But those which are predestinated to be iust and to be the sonnes of God are also predestinated to beleeue because Adoption and Righteousnes are receiued by faith Now we cannot rightly say that God doth first foreknow that men will beleeue and afterwards predestinate thē to beleeue because that God hath therfore foreknowne that those shall beleeue whom hee did foreknow would beleeue because hee did decree that they should beleeue So Iustin Martyr calleth Cont. ●riph those elect who were foreknowne that they should beleeue And Lumbard Whom hee Comment in cap. 8. ad Rom Cognosc● scio hath foreknowne them he hath predestinated that is by grace conferred hee hath prepared that they should beleeue the word preached Moreouer the word know when it is giuen vnto God speaking of the creature doth very often signifie to imbrace or approue Psal. 1. 6. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked shall perish Matth. 7. 23. Depart from me yee workers of iniquitie I neuer knew you Furthermore the prescience purpose of God are by the holy Ghost put for one and the same thing 2. Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God remaineth sure the Lord knoweth who are his Rom. 11. 2. Those whom God foreknew are said to be elected according to the election of grace vers 5. And therefore the foreknowledge mentioned by Paul doth not signifie the foreknowledge of faith or of any other vertue in those which were to bee elected It is also the iudgement of Augustine that predestination De perseu sanct lib. cap. 18. Rom. 11. 1. 2 is sometimes vnderstood by prescience euen in the foresaid place Hath God cast away his people which hee knew before And he saith that Those are sonnes in Gods foreknowledge whose names are written in their fathers register so as they shall neuer be raised out Cyrill saith also that Christ knoweth his sheepe electing and foreseeing them Expos. in Ioh. 7. cap. 6 vnto euerlasting life As the Apostle saith Rom. 11. 12. God hath not cast away his people which hee knew before For as the Lord is said not to know those whom he doth reiect as when he answered the foolish virgins saying Matth. 25. 12. Verilie I say vnto you I know you not so hee is said to know those whom he doth predestinate and fore-appoint vnto saluation And Thomas expoundeth that place in the 8. to the Romanes after Idem Hugo de sanct ●ict in annot in Rom. et Ioachim in Reuel par 1. this sort Whom he foreknew in his knowledge of approbation these he hath also predestinated And he will also haue an effectuall will of conferring grace to bee included in the knowledge of approbation In the decree of election the first act is a purpose or rather a part and beginning 1. Pet. 2. 9. People which God challengeth vnto himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the diuine purpose whereby God doth take certaine men which are to be created vnto his euerlasting loue and fauour passing by the rest and by taking maketh them vessels of mercie and honour and this act is of the sole will of God without any respect either of good or euill in the creature And God doth wrong none although hee chuse not all because hee is tied to none because he hath absolute soueraigntie and authoritie ouer all creatures We that are but men giue leaue vnto men especially vnto our friends to do at their pleasure in many things as they themselues list and to vse their owne discretions The rich man is kinde to which poore person hee pleaseth and of beggers he doth adopt one and will not adopt another and that without offring any iniurie Now that libertie which wee yeeld vnto man must much more bee granted vnto God The second act is the purpose of sauing or conferring glorie whereby hee doth ordaine or set apart the very same men which were to fall in Adam vnto saluation and celestiall glorie This act is in no wise to be seuered from the former but to be distinguished in the minde

themselues but against their sinnes and this both within and without Within when hee maketh them to feele an accusing conscience witnessing that God is displeased and that they are made guiltie of death by their sinne Without when they taste of Gods anger against them in the outward chastiseme●●s of the bodie And thus far they fall from his ●●herly loue and are become the enemies of God after a sort I say A●●er a sort because God doth not lay downe his fatherlie affection and doth not alter his purpose of Adoption and eternall life Although the faithfull do fall away so much as 〈◊〉 h in them yet God remaineth a father in Christ and they also as touching right vnto eternall life remaine sonnes Ioh. 10. 28. They shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand Here some doe say that the sheepe cannot be pluckt out but yet they may of their owne accore s 〈◊〉 cke away but without reason for the sheepe which reuolteth is pluckt away by the diuell when it doth reuolt And as he which continueth in Christs word is verily his disciple so he that doth not fall away but abides a sheepe is verilie a sheepe Rom. 8. 35. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Rom. 10. 29. The gifts and calling of God are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without repentance 2. Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale the Lord knoweth who are his Second grace is either imputed or inherent imputed is in iustification a part whereof is remission of sinnes And this remaineth and shall foy euer remaine sure as touching sinnes passed That saying of the Schoolemen is most true Sinnes once forgiuen continue so alwaies But when that any faithful man shall fall grieuously the pardon of that fall is granted in Gods decree notwithstanding no pardon is actually giuen of God nor receiued of mā vntill he doe repent yea if he should neuer repent which notwithstanding is impossible he should be damned as being guiltie of eternall death by this offence For there is no pardon of any new sinne without a new act of faith and repentance Inherent grace is either faith or the gift which followeth faith In sauing faith we must consider the act and the habit The act of faith is the very action of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apprehending or an vnfained apprehension of Christ. Now this faith may be lost according to some act The very habit also or power of faith may in it selfe bee lost but by reason of confirming grace faith doth not perish as touching the essence thereof but it is lesned and abated according to some degree And hence it followeth that our communion with Christ may bee diminished but that our vnion cannot be dissolued There remained in Dauid after his fall the seed of true faith and regeneration as appeareth by his words Psal. 51. 11. Take not thy holy spirit from me It is also the iudgement of the Greg. lib. 25 in lob in Eleb Homil. 15. Tertull. lib. de Persec Chrysoft hom 2● in Math. auncient fathers that the roote of faith in Peters fall was not taken away and abolished but only mooued and that it did as it were waxe drie that it was onely shaken and troden on and that it did not vtterly vanish Here also we are to giue eare a while to Gratian who consenteth with vs and to this purpose hath gathered many testimonies together out of the fathers Hath loue saith hee taken roote bee secure no euill can proceed Againe Loue doth vtterly Decret 2. pars c. 33. q. 3. sine de poenit d. 2. estrange the mind wherein it hath once taken possession from the delightes of the world Againe Loue is ioyned to God and vnited inseparably and is alwaies inui●cible in all Againe Loue is an inu●sible v●ction which sta●ds as it were in stead of a roote to him in whom s●●uer it shall be which cannot wither though the s 〈◊〉 e doe parch whatsoeuer is r 〈◊〉 d is nourished with the heate of the 〈◊〉 and doth not w●rher Againe Hee lookes backe after the plough who after that hee hath begun to doe good workes returnes to euil● which he did forsake Which in no wise befalleth to the elect Againe All the elect doe so goe forward vnto good things that they do not returne to the committing of euill And againe The fitting and mouing of the spirit may be thus vnderstood For as touching some virtues it doth alwaies abide in the hearts of the Saints but according vnto other it comes as that which will returne and ●eturnes as purposing to come For as c 〈◊〉 ning faith hope and charitie and other graces without which it is not possible to come to that heauenly countrie as namely humilitie Chastitie iustice and mercie it neuer forsaketh their hearts that are vpright But as touching the vertue of prophecie the eloquence of doctrine and working of miracles it is sometimes present with the elect and sometimes it withdrawes it selfe The Schoolemen alledge Augustine to the contrary opinion where hee saith De cor grat cap. 6. 8. That doubtlesse if the man which is renewed and iustified doe fall backe by his owne will vnto an euill life he cannot say I haue not receiued because he hath by his owne free will vnto euill lost the grace of God which hee did receiue And againe That God doth not giue the gift of perseuerance vnto some of his Cap 9. children whom he did regenerate in Christ and to whom hee gaue faith hope and loue But he speaketh not these things of those which are indeede the sonnes of the promise but of those which are so called of vs and which beare the name and profession of sonnes Furthermore he speaketh of such as haue faith and loue in opinion and imagination and truely also as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 touching outward practise ●or Augustine in the same place hath so expounded his meaning We must beleeue that some of the Cap. 13. sonnes of perdition doe * He speaketh of the iustice of life and not of the inwarde righteousnes of the heart Tract 5. in Iob. epist. begin to liue and for a time faithfully and iustly in the faith that worketh by loue and afterwards fall Thirdly he speaketh of faith and loue as they are imperfect vertues and as it were lately sprung vp and not as they are sound perfect and true to wit as touching the truth of their essence So Augustine Loue is sprung vp within thee but it is not yet persi●ed doe not despaire but nourish it lest it be sti●●ed And Gratian This loue which was an herbe in Peter before his deniall Ibid. cap. 24 and which springeth vp in euery one is lost and repaired before it be strengthened and made perfect And indeed for the manifesting of the truth of faith and loue there is required perseuerance by which it might bee knowne

and ruled by his spirit That is an halfe dead member which doth indeede belong to Gods election and is ingrafted into Christ but yet being hurt by some grieuous fall hath so much as in it is lost the grace of the holy spirit Now I answere to the Proposition First a member of Christ in shew may be the m●mber of an harlot as a woodden foote which is indeede the member of some image may be an apparent member of a mans bodie whereto it is fitted by arte Secondly a member of Christ by appointment in Gods decree may be the member of an harlot as Paul Gal. 1. 15. who was separated from the wombe was for a time a member of Satan persecuting the Church Thirdly he which is a liuely and actiue member of Christ and so continueth cannot be the member of an harlot but a member that is crazie and halfe dead may be For howsoeuer he remaineth in Christ in respect of incorporation and the mysticall vnion yet hee is out of him as touching the force and efficacie of the spirit which for a time through his owne default hee doth not perceiue vntill he doe repent A leg that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is troubled with the pals●e or receiueth no nourishment is a true legge because in respect of vnion it is incorporated into the bodie howsoeuer it hath almost lost all communion and fellowship with the rest of the members Neither must this which I say seeme strange that the member of Christ may in some sort bee the member of an harlot because the coniunction is not of the same kinde The coniunction with Christ is spirituall but that which is with an harlot is corporall This platforme giueth vnto euery man ●rror 9. a free will flexible and inclinable to both parts by grace and teacheth that it is in mans will to apply himselfe to grace being giuen by the help of vniuersall grace or to reiect the same through the weaknes of corrupt nature But this is false for the first vniuersall grace is not effectuall vnlesse it be confirmed by the second grace following it As for example If a man shall receiue power to beleeue if he will yet he shall neuer actually and indeede beleeue except there be also giuen the helpe of the other grace which bringeth the former into act But this second grace is not giuen to all and euery one Moreouer this opiniō is repugnāt to very plain places of Scripture Iere. 32. 40. I will make an euerlasting couenant with thē that I will not turne away from thē to do them good and I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Againe 1. Cor. 1. 8. 9. God shall confirme you vnto she end blamelesse God is faithfull by whous ye are called vnto the fellowship of his sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. It is also contrarie to Christs speech Ioh. 6. 45. E●eery man that hath heard and hath learned of the Father commeth vnto me This grace saith Augustine which is secretly infused into Cant. 1. 3. mens hearts by Gods liberalitie is refused of no hard heart And afterward If it had De praed sanct cap. 8. pleased the Father to teach them to come vnto Christ who accounted the word of the crosse foolishnes without all doubt they also would haue come why doth he not teach all If we shall say because they will not learne whom he doth not teach it will be answered vs and where is that which is said vnto him Thou O Lord conuertest and quicknest vs. Againe The effect of Gods mercie cannot be in mans power so as that hee should shew Ad Simplic lib. 1. q. 2. mercie to him in vaine if man be vnwilling because if he would haue mercie on them he could call them so as they should be fitted to moue vnderstand and follow And againe God sheweth mercie to none in vaine but vnto whom he sheweth mercie him he calleth so as hee knoweth to be sitting for him that hee may not reiect him who calles him Neither doe I here respect the distinction of sufficient and effectuall grace for I acknowledge no grace sufficient for the conuersion of a sinner which is not effectuall as I haue alreadie said before because free will is altogether wanting in spirituall things We are starke dead in sinnes and our sufficiencie is whollie from God Therefore there is in vs beside the want 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of originall righteousnesse a three fold impotencie The first is that whereby wee are vnable to receiue or desire supernaturall grace offered by God The second is that whereby wee are vnable to vse it lawfullie The third is that whereby we are vnable to retaine and keepe it And therefore there are certaine degrees of grace to bee bestowed in the true conuersion of a sinner in respect of which Augustine makes a fiuefold grace preuenting De grat lib. arb c. 17 preparing working coworking and the gift of perseuerance Preuenting grace is that whereby God inspireth into Praeueniens the mind of the sinner that is to bee conuerted good thoughts a good purpose and a desire of supernaturall grace The meanes whereby preuenting grace is giuen is the voyce and preaching of the Gospell by the which being heard and thought vpon the holy Ghost doth shew forth his efficacie and power For hence it is that the Gospell is called the ministerie of the spirit 2. Cor. 36. And that faith is said to be by hearing Rom. 10. 17. Therefore they which are out of the Church do want the preuenting grace vnlesse it bee extraordinarily cōferred which yet is very seldome done Preparing grace is that Praeparans whereby it is giuen vs to consent vnto God offring grace or whereby the mind and wil are prepared that they may yeeld assent and obedience to the holy spirit For as all supernaturall grace in respect of Gods donation is altogether from him euen so wee obtaine our consentment and power to receiue grace conferred no otherwise then by the gift of God Working grace is that wherby we are deliuered from the dominion of sinne and Operans are renewed in minde will and affection hauing receiued power to obey God Coworking grace is that whereby God conferreth and perfitteth the grace of renewing Cooperans being receiued And without this grace following the first is vnprofitable For when grace is giuen by God and receiued of vs by the second grace wee doe not vse it lawfully but by this third grace Augustine saith well If in so great weakenesse of this life the will De cor grat cap. 12 renewed should bee so left vnto the regenerat that they may remaine in Gods helpe if they themselues will and if God should not make them for to will among so many and so mighty temptations the will would faint by reason of the weakenesse thereof Mans weakenesse therefore is relieued that through the grace