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A43619 The fourth part of naked truth, or, The complaint of the church to some of her sons for breach of her articles in a friendly dialogue between Titus and Timothy, both ministers of the Church of England / by a legal son and since conformist to the Church of England, as established by law.; Naked truth. Part 4 Hickeringill, Edmund, 1631-1708. 1682 (1682) Wing H1806; ESTC R14467 65,265 43

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as 1. The Cause efficient to be the everlasting purpose of God 2. The Cause formal Gods infinite goodness mercy and free grace 3. The Cause material the blood of Christ 4. The Cause final or end why both God the Father hath loved and Christ for his Elect hath suffered is the glory of God and the salvation of men so that I cannot see how any man who is at enmity with this Article can hold any good friendship with these Texts of Scripture or with those that arise to prove the next point which is this 6. They who are Elected unto salvation if they come unto years of discretion are called both outwardly by the word and inwardly by the spirit of God These things are most evident and clear in the Scriptures where is set down both the calling of the Predestinate their obedience to the word being called Rom. 8.30 Gal. 1.15 1 Thess 2.12 2 Tim. 1.9 Eph. 1.13 their adoption by the Spirit to be the chidren of God and their holiness of life and conversation whom he did Predestinate them he also called God separated me from my mothers womb Called me by his grace Walk worthy of God who hath Called you to his Kingdom and glory He hath saved us and called us with an holy calling according to his own purpose and grace c. In whom also ye trusted after ye heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation Ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father Rom. 8.15 16. the same spirit bearing witness with your spirits that we are the children of God Eph. 2.10 And for their being chosen and called to holiness of life and good works the Apostle plainly enough asserts saying we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath ordained that we should walk in them And the Grace of God hath appeared Tit. 2.11.12 c. teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present world yea saith the next Proposition 7. The Predestinate are both justified by faith sanctified by the Spirit and shall be glorified in the life to come All these blessed effects of Predestination doth the Scripture fully assert for know saith the Apostle a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ Gal. 2.16 Moreover whom he predestinated c. them he also glorified If children then heirs heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ And as we have born the image of the earthly Rom. 8.30 v. 17. 1 Cor. 15.49 so shall we bear the image of the heavenly Now are not all these consequents of Predestination viz. Justification Sanctification and Glorification fully enough expressed in these Texts Tim. Very fully in my opinion Tit. Therefore very well doth our Church say in the next part of this Article That 8. The consideration of Predestination is to the godly most comfortable but to curious and carnal persons very dangerous To the former the Meditation of it must needs be exceeding sweet pleasant and comfortable because it greatly confirms their faith in Christ and encreases their love towards God Rom. 8.18 v. 31 32 33 34. I account the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us If God be for us who can be against us He that spared not his own Son how shall he not with him freely give us all things Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth ye are sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance Eph. 1.13 14. until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory And again grieve not the holy Spirit whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 Here is a deep and large Well of Consolation to the godly yet not affording the lest drop to carnal and wicked men Tim. But doth not this Doctrine lead towards Desperation Tit. by no means for no man either from the word of God or this Article of our Church can gather that he is a vessel of wrath fitted for destruction but contrariwise by many and great arguments may perswade himself that God wills not his destruction as by the next proposition plainly appears viz. 9. That the general promises of God set forth in holy Scripture are to be embraced of us Math. 11.38.39 Joh. 3.16.17 1 Tim. 2.4 such are Come unto me all ye that travel and are heavy laden and I will give you rest God gave his onely beloved Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish c. Who will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth These and many more such general Promises of grace and favour to mankind are heartily to be embraced of us as encouragements to faith repentance and an holy life So that whoever embraceth these promises and as our Church in the close of this Article saith 10. Will in his actions be directed by the revealed will of God hath no ground to despaire or to exclude himself out of the number of Gods Predestinate or chosen ones Thus you see the drift of this Article comprehending most fully and clearly that great doctrine of Predestination with all its coherent doctrines which is so much cryed down in our day and which is the wonder and shame of all by some sons of our Church who have subscribed it Tim. I must confess I have been one of those led by the example of the greater ones rather than by the depth of my own knowledge But surely these men have something to say for themselves is not our Church single in this point Tit. Admit she were yet there are two weighty reasons why they should not desert or oppose her in this First Because she hath the Scripture on her side And Secondly Because they have listed themselves her faithfull votaries by subscription Tim. That is true these are plaguy strong tyes Tit. But withall I say she is not single in this point for the Churches in Helvetia Basil and France believe and hold the same as their publick confessions bear witness yea all the reformed Church Tim. Who then are the enemies to it Tit. The Arminians Socinians Antinomians and Papists amongst these last the Jesuits are the acutest and most malitious opposers of it Tim. This is more than I understood before Tit. It must needs since you never inquired into it before no not so much as to consult the Article which of it self had been sufficient to have regulated you both in your private opinion and publick Doctrine whereby you have often brought your self under the lash of that severe reprehension of St. Jude Jude 10 13. to those who foam out their own shame speaking evil of those things they know not Tim. I
the Law of God nor indeed can be so then they that are in the Flesh cannot please God The Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are Spiritualy discerned No man can say Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God And without me ye can do nothing saith our Saviour Repugnant is your belief also to many Prayers of our Church As the Collect for the Second Sunday in Lent The Fifth Sunday after Easter The Ninth Sunday after Trinity The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity The Nineteenth The Collect on All-Saints Day and many more Now what a rare Believer are you to believe contrary to the Word of God the Articles you have Subscribed Rom. 8.7.8 1 Cor. 2.14 1 Cor. 12.3 2 Cor. 3.5 John 15.5 and the Prayers you constantly make use of and are obliged to put up to God on those several days in the prescribed Words and no other But what 's the next part of your Belief in this matter Tim. That as I have a Power and freedom of will to Good Works so I must do them in order to my being Justified before God Tit. This is as Corrupt and Erroneous as the former and as opposite to the next Article read it Article XII Albeit that Good Works which are the fruits of Faith and follow after justification cannot put away our Sins and endure the severity of Gods Judgment yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively Faith insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by the Fruit. Tit. Here you are Taught That Good Works are pleasing and acceptable to God but so far are they from justifying without Faith that they are the fruits of Faith and follow after Justification Plainly implying That we must have true Faith and be justified before we can do any Works good pleasing or acceptable to God So that I believe according to our Church that Faith in Christ justifies the Person and Good Works the Faith Or thus I take it that God justifies Judicially Christ Jesus Meritoriously Faith Instrumentally and Good Works Declaratively Tim. So then you will make Good Works of little worth and it matters not whether a man hath them or not Tit. No such matter I believe they are absolutely necessary to Salvation that no man can go to Heaven without them for they are as this Twelfth Article tells you the genuine and necessary fruits of a true and lively Faith and that there can be no such Faith without them And St. James saith as much in the Second Chapter of his Epistle at large I believe that Text of Holy Writ which tells me Without Holiness no man shall see the Lord with an equal Faith Heb. 12.14 Heb. 11.6 that I do that which saith Without Faith 't is impossible to please God That is that both are necessary to make a good Christian and there is no other I am sure shall ever enter into Heaven And to close this Discourse I believe he that Teaches such Doctrine as this stands further off from Rome comes nearer to the Analogy of Faith the Tenour of the Holy Gospel and the sound Articles of our Church then those Men who Teach or Preach otherwise and I hope by this time you think so too Tim. I am inclinable to such thoughts Tit. And the more you think on 't the more inclinable you will still be if you do not wilfully shut your Eyes against the Light of Gods Word and of the following Articles grounded upon it Article XIII Works done before the grace of Christ and the Inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God forasmuch as they spring not of Faith in Jesu Christ neither do they make men meet to receive Grace or as the School Authors say deserve Grace of congruity yea rather for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the nature of Sin Tit. What think you of this added to all the rest Tim. It still helps to Confirm what you have said and to convince me of my Errour without any farther Comment Tit. Proceed then to the next viz. Article XIV Voluntary works besides over and above Gods Commandments which they call Works of Supererogation cannot be taught without Arrogancy and Impiety For by them Men do declare that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do but that they do more for his sake then of bounden duty is required Whereas Christ saith plainly When ye have done all that are Commanded to you say We are unprofitable Servants Tit. I have such Charity for thee Tim. as not to think thee so far Popefied as to oppose this Article Tim. You may for surely we who neither do nor can do all that God Commands have little ground to boast of doing more Tit. Honestly said Tim. I hope to find thee right as to the next too Article XV. Tim. Christ in the truth of our Nature was made like unto us in all things Sin only except from which he was clearly void both in his flesh and in Spirit He came to be a Lamb without spot who by sacrifice of himself once made should take away the Sins of the World and sin as St. John saith was not in him But all we the rest although Baptized and born again in Christ yet offend in many things and if we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us Tit. I know nothing contained in this Article that you do Oppose or Cavil at and therefore think the best never loving to make quarrels when there is not just and apparent Cause for it Therefore let us view the following one Article XVI Not every deadly Sin willingly committed after Baptism is Sin against the Holy Ghost and unpardonable Wherefore the grant of Repentance is not to be denyed to such as fall into Sin after Baptism After we have received the Holy Ghost we may depart from grace given and fall into Sin and by the grace of God we may arise again and amend our lives And therefore they are to be Condemned which say they can no more Sin as long as they live here to deny the place of forgiveness to such as truly Repent Tit. What think you of this Tim. Sound and good Tit. 'T is so if understood aright but by a Sermon you lately Preached at St. B's Church I presume you mistake one Clause of it vilely either willfully or ignorantly Tim. Which is that Tit. 'T is in these Words after we have received the Holy Ghost we may depart from Grace given and fall into Sin Tim. Mistake the sense of the Article in this 't is
not easie nay 't is almost impossible to miss it Tit. Why what is the sense say you Tim. That Believers or such as have received the Spirit of God and his saving Graces may fall away Tit. What totally and finally and perish Everlastingly Tim. Yes totally and finally and be Damned Tit. I judged I should find you as sound in this Point as that Sheep that shaking her self in a frosty Morning falls in pieces That this Article or our Church in it doth not intend a total and final Apostacy is apparent to me by these Two things 1. Because she saith not That such as have received the Holy Ghost c. may fall away but that they may fall into Sin as David Peter and others who Sinned or fell into great and gross Sins after Grace given yet no final Apostates 2. Because she saith in this Article That the grant of Repentance is not to be denyed to such as it is to be granted They which thus Sin after the Reception of the Holy Ghost and Grace given may Repent And by the Grace of God may rise again and amend their Lives as the forementioned Saints and Servants of God David and St. Peter did which no final total Apostate ever did or can do Therefore it cannot be meant of a final Apostacy or falling away from Grace And therefore if you have taught any such Doctrine you have Preached down this Article and many plain Texts of Scripture to boot as They should deceive if it were possible the very Elect. Whom he loveth he loveth to the end The gifts and calling of God are without Repentance Kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 2.6 Rom. 8.30 He that believeth in him shall not be confounded Whom he did predestinate them he also called whom he called them he also justified whom he justified them he also glorified And many more gracious and infallible promises assuring us of the stability and perseverance of true Believers of such as have received the Holy Ghost and Graces thereof Tim. Nay now we are in indeed if we are come to Election and Predestination Tit. Yea and good and proper mediums too to prove no final apostacy or falling away from grace for grant the one and the other follows Election and Predestination are inconsistent with a total and final defection But I hope Tim these are not frightfull terms to you you have heard of them before Tim. Yes but don't well understand them Election and Predestination 't is nonsense Tit. Such sense as you have subscribed to and consequently should believe and maintain against all Arminians and other Opposers Tim. I can't imagin any Article of our Church asserts any such thing so contrary to all reason as nothing can be more Tit. Yes this is such an unreasonable Article and by good luck the very next in course and so full mouth'd for Election and Predestination that you 'ld think some body spoke it through Calvin's Mouth or at least that that wretched stiff Predestinarian guided the hand of him that writ it Look there 't is Tim. nay ne'er start at it but out with it like a man of metal Article 17. Tim. Predestination to life is the Everlasting purpose of God whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of Mankind and to bring them by Christ to Everlasting Salvation as Vessels made to Honour wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through Grace obey the calling they be justified freely they be made Sons of God by Adoption they be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk Religiously in good works and at length by Gods mercy they attain to Everlasting Felicity As the Godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to Godly Persons and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the Flesh and their Earthly Members and drawing up their mind to high and Heavenly things as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their Faith of Eternal Salvation to be enjoyed through Christ as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God So for curious and carnal persons lacking the Spirit of Christ to have continually before their eyes the sentence of Gods predestination is a most dangerous downfall whereby the Devil doth thrust them either into desperation or into wretchlesness of most unclean living no less perillous than desperation Furthermore we must receive Gods promises in such wife as they be generally set forth to us in Holy Scripture and in our doings that will of God is to be followed which we have expresly declared unto us in the word of God Tit. Bless me what 's the reason of this sudden paleness in your countenance you look as though you were fainting away Tim. Not so Sir but I am stricken with a strange horror and astonishment to think how our Pulpits ring of Doctrines directly contrary to this Article for though I was so careless as never to read the Articles till now yet I concluded these great Dons had and never questioning their honesty I was confirmed in it by their constant preaching no such Article could possibly be but now I see they are out as much as I I pity them with all my heart Tit. Pity thy self man Tim. I do so but them more because I declare it mine was a sin of Ignorance I am afraid theirs is otherwise and because being leading men they have drawn me and many more into this error by their authority Tit. I am more than half of your opinion For our Church as fore-seeing how prone men would be to dance after Arminius his Pipe hath taken more pains in framing this Article than ordinary on purpose to prevent them and 't is so full so plain and punctual that one would think no mistake can arise but what is willfull Tim. Full and punctual there is all that ever can be thought on against Universal Redemption Free Will Falling away from Grace and the use of those points which are most what their subjects especially on popular occasions Tit. Take the contents of the Article and you will be confirmed in your opinion which are these 1. There is a predestination of Men unto Everlasting Life 2. Predestination hath been from Everlasting 3. Not all men but certain are Predestinated to be saved 4. They which are Predestinate unto Salvation cannot perish 5. In Christ Jesus of the meer will and purpose of God some are Elected and not others to Salvation 6. They who are Elected unto Salvation if they come unto years of discretion are called both outwardly by the word and inwardly by the Spirit of God