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A85551 Truths victory against heresie; all sorts comprehended under these ten mentioned: 1. Papists, 2. Familists, 3. Arrians, 4. Arminians, 5. Anabaptists, 6. Separatists, 7. Antinomists, 8. Monarchists. 9. Millenarists, 10. Independents. As also a description of the truth, the Church of Christ, her present suffering estate for a short time yet to come; and the glory that followeth at the generall resurrection. / By I.G. a faithfull lover and obeyer of the truth. Imprimatur, John Downame. Graunt, John, of Bucklersbury. 1645 (1645) Wing G1597; Thomason E277_7; ESTC R200005 70,586 79

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thereunto by the Gospel vers. 15. Now the Gospel as I touched before consists of two parts repentance and remission of sinnes Luke 24. 47. which comprehends the two next particulars our effectuall calling by the work of repentance and whose sinnes whosoever is remitted that soule is justified in the Apostles meaning and both these effected by the Gospel and covenant of life and therefore called in Scripture the grace of God the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the Gospel of the grace of God Acts 20. 24. the word of his grace verse 32. the word speaking peace by Jesus Christ Acts 1. the word of the Gospel Acts 15. 7. And these two effects which the Spirit of God works by his word in his elect to life and salvation are called in Scripture regeneration conversion a renewing a birth from above a new making and such like not in a naturall but a spirituall sense not as the first birth of our parents which procreated and produced us out of their bowels but by way of similitude and likenesse that as by nature we are born carnall unclean and children of wrath so by this spirituall birth we are born of God from above holy spirituall free even the sons of God as the Scripture saith for as that which is of the flesh is flesh so that which is of the spirit is spirit Now as by Adam came the offence and by Moses came the Law through which the offence abounded Rom. 5. 19 20. to mans greater misery so grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1. 17. Adam was the authour of sin to his posteritie Moses was the Minister of the Law that condemned that sin but the grace and mercy of God the means of salvation both from sin and death that is only by Jesus Christ blessed for ever Now the manner and order the Holy Ghost taketh in working this grace in the hearts of Gods elect is plainly laid down in Scripture for him that is Christ saith St. Peter with the rest of the Apostles hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sins Act. 5. 31. And these two parts of the Gospel which is the free grace of God to man-kinde are plainly and generally observed and preached by all the Prophets and Apostles and our Lord himself I will take from you saith the Lord your stony heart and give you a heart of flesh there 's the first part and in that new heart that I shall give you saith the Lord I will write my Law that is his Statute and love mercy and forgivenesse even a new and holy Spirit and that 's the second part of the Gospel Ezek. 11. 19. Chap. 26. 36. The baptisme of John that 's the first and the baptisme of Christ that 's the second part and both parts our Lord joynes together Joh. 3. 3. Except a man be born again of water and the Spirit hee cannot see the Kingdome of God neither to mourn with the Bridegrooms friends nor rejoyce with the Bridegroom himself and for as much as these making parts of a Christian are not of our selves but both the gifts of God it doth abundantly set forth unto us this excellent doctrine of Gods free Grace as the Apostle St. James saith who of his own will begat us with the word of trub Jam. 1. 18. And the grace of God saith holy Titus that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men and teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lnsts c. Tit. 2. 11 12. Yea it is Gods free Grace and abundant compassionate goodnesse to finde out this new and living way to happinesse through Christ Jesus for hee himself is the way the truth and the life and God so loved the world that hee gave his Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternall life Joh. 3. 16. and none can so believe but hee that is regenerate John 1. 12 13. And the Lord is the spirituall bread that every one must eat of that shall be saved but none can so eat his flesh and drink his blood but by faith and none can believe but to whom it is given and it is given to comfort none but to the broken hearted and none are made penitent and humble thirsting and desiring Christians but to such as God gives repentance for this is the nature and method of this free Grace of God which the Scriptures set forth to us even that free Grace that Christ gives to him that is athirst freely to drink of Rev. 21. 7. hee gives the thirst and hee freely gives the water of life that so quenches that whosoever drinketh shall never thirst again Joh. 7. 37 38. And the Lord saith Come and drink but this coming is by repentance and this drinking is by faith Whosoever saith the Lord believeth in mee as the Scripture saith out of his belly shall flow rivers of the water of life yea to set forth the excellency of this doctrine of free Grace the Spirit of God takes upon him the office of a cryer in a court of Records Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters come yee buy and eat yea the third time he cries come buy wine and milk without money and without price Isa. 55. 1. Heare now you Antinomians if any of you have an eare to heare the wisdome of God in the truth of the free Grace purchased and preached by Jesus Christ that it is not phantasticall as you have exprest it but that reall and substantiall grace that gives being to the new and spirituall man the very regeneration of the elect of God and as they are born of the Spirit so they are taught led and guided anointed and sanctified by the Holy Ghost who dwelleth in none of the bodies of the elected ones but where he hath wrought this heavenly work of grace there he dwells there he witnesseth there is but three that bear witnesse for God to the truth in the whole world and the Apostle tells us 1 Joh. 5. 8. it is the Spirit that 's the Spirit of God water that 's his first work and beginning of regeneration and blood that 's the finishing and accomplishing the new birth the sanctifying the binding up the broken heart by faith wherefore blush and be ashamed of your blasphemy against the truth in calling repentance a work of the Law and the preparation to faith a Popish doctrine and for ever hereafter take notice that the way of Christs free Grace is by water and blood 1 Joh. 5. 6. And that repentance is the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Mark 1. 1 2. Now I should have spoke of the fourth particular of free Grace which is glorification but of that hereafter Heresie I beare you witnesse you have a zeale but it is not according to knowledge for if you did understand that excellent doctrine of justification before beleeving you would not speak so much of
of the Ministery for the building or edifying the body of Christ Ephes. 4. 11 12. 1 Cor. 3. 10. for as the Spirit of God by the ministery of his servants prepares and sanctifies them so he unites and cements them to have communion one with another in spirituall fellowship and this workmanship in the Lord is called in Gods Word the Church of Christ his House his Tabernacle his Body his Spouse his Temple the pillar and ground of truth the place of his dwelling purchased cleansed purified and sanctified by his own precious blood called and gathered by the power of his Word made to live by the spirit of his mouth having communion and fellowship by the Holy Ghost growing up together in holinesse as branches in one stock or root being members of one and the same body of which Christ is head as truly and really in a spirituall sense as the head of a man is naturally the head of the whole body confisting of many members Now notwithstanding all this that hath been said of the true Church and ten times more that might be spoke yet these false-ignorant carnall and fleshly builders those dirt-daubers have at all times taken upon them with all boldnesse without any blushing to affirm their wooden dirty filthy building to be Gods House and their rotten straw and stubble to be the work and building of Christ boasting and crying out of themselves by way of self-justifying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Jer. 7. 4. where to their eternall reproof the Prophet to their very faces saith plainly notwithstanding all their vain confidence The Temple of the Lord Are these such as truly amend their wayes and their doings such as truly and throughly execute judgement between man and his neighbour such as oppresse not strangers nor the fatherlesse nor widow nor shed innocent blood nor walk after other gods vers. 5. 6. And as these false Christians robbers and oppressors take upon them my Names and Titles so also they assume my authority and peculiar priviledges to excommunicate mee and cast me out with these holy words in their mouths Let the Lord be glorified Isa. 56. 5. but he shall appeare to my joy and then they shall be ashamed this hath been alwayes the bitter cup they have made mee and mine to drink in anger and great cruelty but patience hath ever assisted us and enabled us to indure a thousand such injuries They say I am a widow desolate and forsaken and lay the contempt of barrennesse upon mee but that word of life supports us In patience possesse your souls and again Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not break forth into singing thou that travellest not for the desolate hath many more children then shee that hath an husband Gal. 4. 27. Isa. 54. 1. Now what have you said more for your Church and members thereof then the Papists can say for themselves or any other Antichristian Congregation you call your members to an account of their conversion as you call it so much the Scribes and Pharisees can say which compassed Sea and land to make a Proselyte and in so doing made him more the childe of the Devill then he was before Mat. 23. 15. even worse by two degrees a wofull act to return and not to return to mee saith the Lord Hos. 7. 16. Jer. 4. 1. Again you say of your selves you have joyn'd your selves in Church-covenant and you have set up Christs ordinances and you have cast away all superstition and abomination whereas the Saints and Church of God ascribe all to him thou hast washed us thou hast called us thou hast sanctified us thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests c. And for your covenant it is a meere humane invention and your people ordaining their Ministers both of the same nature of Popish unwritten verities which as they are not to be found in the Scriptures so labour to forget to practise preach or think of them any more for ever Heres You esteem too meanly of us and our doctrine what will you dare to speak against the Church of Christ take heed what you do for wee walk in a Church-way and communicate in the purity of all Gods ordinances as preaching praying fasting baptisme breaking bread and the like and we have separated our selves from all mens inventions and unlawfull Antichristian Assemblies Truth You know there are such as say and do not the Whore of Rome doth make greater brags then the virgin Spouse and so did their predecessors before them the Pharisees yet all of both their bostings are but false and counterfeit compared with the prayers tears fastings communicatings sacrifices oblations and worships of the Saints And for your separation from other Christians look to it for except it be with such caution which I perceive you know not of it may prove as Achans forbidden wedge of gold and Babylonish garment destruction to your selves for the Pharisees who justified themselves and condemned others were your fore-teachers in this manner of separation for they separated from Christ and John the Baptist calling our Lord a sinner and his servant a devill accounting them nor any one of those penitent humble little ones whom they had converted to the truth worthy their company witnesse the Pharises exception against that holy woman whose tears and love testifies to the truth where and in what nation the Gospell is preached to the worlds end for a memoriall of her Mark 14. 9. compared with Luke 7. 39. and this way of separation the Prophet from Gods own mouth calls an evill and wicked way to walk in Isa. 65. 25. which people say Stand by thy self come not neer to me for I am holier then thou these saith the Lord are a smoak in my nose a fire that burneth all the day for the truth is in no case are trut believers to separate from other Christians in communion but in such cases that they cannot communicate with them but they must sin with them as it was with that Apostate and Idolatrous Church of Rome who made such wicked and opposite lawes to the truth that a true Christian could not partake with them in any of the ordinances of God but hee must be defiled with their abominations one way or other for they caused the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the beast Rev. 13. 12. whom whosoever doth worship shall never have rest but shall be tormented with the wrath of God day and night for evermore Rev. 14. 10. 11. in such cases as these the Scripture is cleare Come out of her my people lest you partake of her sins and be made partakers of her plagues 2 Cor. 6. 17. Rev. 18. 4. And in this case did the Church of England separate from the Church of Rome in which Church of England you now are in whose lawes decrees and ordinances are all against the abominations errors and superstitions of Babylon and all ordered and directed according to
is justified before hee believes I will asswage the hardnesse of the question by the mildness of a comparison that which acquits and frees a malefactor is the sealed pardon of the King so likewise that which comforts and assures the penitent heart of mercy and forgiveness is the sealing witness which Gods Spirit beareth to or assureth the humble heart of the free Grace and love of God through Jesus Christ so that justifying faith to the sorrowfull sinner is as the sealed pardon to the malefactor and to this agrees the Scriptures Acts 10. 43. To him that is to Jesus Christ give all the Prophets witnesse that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins thus speaks Gods Word and not as you speak so that it cannot truly be said neither ought any dare so to preach that a man is justified before he believes nor that he believes before he be justified but that it is the same gift of Gods Spirit at one and the same time even then to believe our justification when he accepts us just in him that justifieth the ungodly and as it is given by the Holy Ghost to believe so it is continued maintained and increased by the same Spirit as the other spirituall gifts as hope love joy and patience are and whosoever doth receive the Spirit of adoption he hath with it the testimony of it which is justifying faith let us take heed wee do not separate that which God hath joyned together for that is directly against the commandment Matth. 9. 6. Let no man put asunder that which God hath joyned together and in vain doth that man argue to prove which is first in the Sun the heat or the light so vain it is in you to argue whether justification or faith be first for when or to whomsover God gives one he gives them both Rom. 3. 26. wherefore I retort your arguments thus If God give remission of sins to the penitent elect then the impenitent elect are not justified but hee gives remission of sins to the penitent elect Acts 2. 38. therefore none of Gods elect are justified before they are called and their sins remitted wherefore never hereafter teach your disciples that the elect of God are justified before they believe but learn to teach them to repent that their sins may be done away as the Apostle teacheth to life and salvation Act. 3. 19. and so St. John saith of the Jewes they did not repent that they might believe and consider our Lords doctrine to Nicodemus hee tells him not of his election although our Lord knew well that secret but hee preaches to him conversion Except a man be borne again he cannot see the kingdome of God Joh. 3. Regeneration must be sought for by the elect and by these effects and operations of the Holy Ghost to make sure to themselves their election this is Gods way prescribed in his Word And lest I fall into your error as I have briefly disproved your doctrine and discovered the falshood and mistie sophistrie of your arguments so now by the help of God I will lay down and confirm the truth it self how the Scriptures do speak of justifying and believing that so you may come to know that which hitherto I perceive you are very ignorant of Wherefore thus saith the Scriptures concerning justification We are justified freely by his grace saith the Apostle Rom. 3 24. Titus 3. 11. likewise that wee are justified by his blood that is by the blood of Christ Rom. 5. 9. and also that wee are justified by saith Rom. 3. 28. so then these three terms are to be considered in our justification the blood of Christ purchasing the grace and favour of God and an assurance of it given to the lost the dead the broken penitent mourning heart whereby though it be dead yet it is made to live the broken is healed the emptinesse is filled the thirstinesse is quenched comforted and refreshed with the favour and love of God in and through Jesus Christ justification then is the imputed righteousnesse of Christ assured and made known to the elect by faith and this doctrine is cleared by the Apostle beyond the least exception speaking of holy Abrahams justification and being fully assured saith hee Rom. 4. 21 24. that what God had promised hee was able to perform therefore it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Now it was not imputed for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if wee believe Observe first that the Apostle affirmeth justifying faith a full assurance for wee shall have occasion by and by to make use of this and secondly that the righteousnesse of Christ which is our justification is not given to us but by faith in these words to whom it shall be imputed if wee believe so that justification and justifying faith can no more be severed parted or divided then the light and the heat from the fire and to this purpose St. Paul calls Christ the just one and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Rom. 3. 26. so that it is proved against all the Antinomians in the world that then and not before when God justifies his elect then and at that time he gives justifying faith Act. 13. 38 39. And as I promised before so I will here briefly shew the divers acceptations and distinctions of faith and three particulars do comprehend all other sorts and distinctions whatsoever Historicall faith to believe Gods Word the faith of miracles by which it is given to a Saint or a sinner to work this or that miracle so also in the third place the Scriptures speak of justifying faith of which it is said wee live by wee are comforted by through which wee are purified and justified and this sort of faith is called in Scriptures the faith of God the faith of Jesus the faith of Abraham the faith of Gods elect the faith that worketh by love the faith in the blood of Christ the faith accounted for righteousnesse the faith of the operation of God the most holy faith and may be thus defined that it is a full firm and certain trust or confidence written by the power and Spirit of God in the low humble penitent and broken-heart whereby it is given assuredly to believe that all his sins are forgiven and thus he is made one with God by reconciliation and atonement in and through the eternall and everlasting love of Jesus Christ the materiall cause of this justifying faith thus defined is a full sure and undoubted trust or confidence the formall cause is the free grace and favour of God the Father and of his Sonne Jesus Christ the efficient cause is the alone work of the holy Ghost thereby imprinting in and assuring of the hearts of the elect of this confidence of this grace and mercie the principall and finall cause is the glory of God and our Lord Jesus Christ and the end