Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	believe_v	faith_n	grace_n	8,077	5	5.8830	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85829	A mistake, or misconstruction, removed. (Whereby little difference is pretended to have been acknowledged between the Antinomians and us.) And, Free grace, as it is held forth in Gods Word, as wel by the prophets in the Old Testament, as by the apostles and Christ himself in the New, shewed to be other then is by the Antinomian party in these times maintained. In way of answer to some passages in a treatise of Mr. John Saltmarsh, concerning that subject. / By Thomas Gataker, B. of Divinity and pastor of Rotherhith.	Gataker, Thomas, 1574-1654.	1646 (1646)	Wing G323; Thomason E333_22; ESTC R200760	44,396	50

les upon groundles grounds we may wel say of such perswasions as himself elswhere of desires b Pag. 28. Who is there that have not a desire All the World of common believers are carried on by this principle of a desire and are they not by the like principle of a perswasion 2. c Page 37. Men cannot believe too suddenly d Acts 8.13 Yes they may believ too sodainly as did Simon the sorcerer sure too soon and if too soon then too sodainly presume and be perswaded they may of Christs love if that be faith 3. e Page 98. None can beleev too hastily on Jesus Christ Tru. but to beleev on Jesus Christ and to have some perswasion more or les of Christs love are divers things 4. f Ibid. We ought not to stay the exercise of our Faith for repentance or humiliation or any other grace As much as to say beleev we may the we do not repent directly contrary to g Mark 1 15. Christs own and h Acts 20.21 his Apostles method Yea but can we have tru faith then without repentance and without any other grace 5. i Page 92. None ought to qestion whether they beleev or no. Yet the Apostles incite men to try their faith and the sincerity of it both k 2 Cor. 13.5 Paul and l James 2.14 18 20. James 6. m Page 97. In the Gospel all are immediately called to beleev To day if ye wil heare his voice Were they called on so in the Gospel and were they not called on in like manner under the Law I suppose those words were the n Psalm 95.7 Psalmists before they were the o Heb. 3.7 Apostles And are not men called upon in the Gospel to repent immediately as wel as to beleev p Acts 17.30 Paul was mistaken sure if it were not so and our Saviour himself saith q Mark 1.15 Repent and beleev 7. r Page 93. Christ commands to beleev and this is his commandement that we should beleev in the name of his Son Jesus Christ Now commands of this nature must be obeyed not disputed Gods servants do not reason their duty out first with themselves but fall to doing as they are commanded And doth not Christ command ſ Matth. 4.17 to repent as wel as to beleev yea doth he not t Mark 1.15 command first to repent and then to beleev for in that order his words run And had this Autor but writ or red out the text he cites he had found somewhat more then faith in it u 1 John ● ●● This is his command that we beleev in his Son Jesus Christ and that we love one another as he gave us commandement But why commands of this nature is not the commandement of repentance and charity and conversion and humiliation of the same nature with that of faith and belief or are there any of Gods Commandements then that because not of this nature may be disputed and not obeyed for some such matter do these terms of restriction import to wit that some of Gods commands are of that nature that they must be obeyed and not disputed others of that nature that they may not be obeyed but disputed No servant indeed of God ought to reason his duty why God should command him to do this or that either with God or with himself but when he doubteth what it is that God enjoyneth him he may x Rom. 12.2 Eph. 5.10 examine and search what the good will of God is that he may not be mistaken in it and so think that he hath done what he should when he hath done nothing les like those that y John 16.2 thought they did God good service when they did that that he utterly abhorred and when they have done what they supposed they should do they may without wrong or disparagement to their Master unles the Apostle were mistaken z Gal. 6.4 try and examine their work whether it were so done as it should be Yea but saith this Autor 8. a Pag. 95. We ought no more to question our faith which is our first and foundation grace then we ought to question Christ the foundation of our faith 9. b Pag. 93. I find not any in the whole cours of Christs preaching or the disciples when they preached to them to beleev asking the qestion whether they beleeved or no or whether their faith were tru faith or no. I find one saying c Mark 9.24 I beleev Lord help mine unbelief but not Lord whether do I believ or no and d Luke 17.5 Lord increase my faith but not Lord whether is this tru faith or no It would be a strange qestion to ask the Master of the feast whether his dainties were reall or a delusion would not such a question disparage him for a sorcerer So in the things of the Spirit to be over-jealous of the truth of them as many tempted poor souls are doth not become the faithfulnes of Jesus Christ Why Faith should be called the first and foundation grace I know not tho e See Robinsons O●●●rva o●s Chap. 10 § 4. many of our Divines so speake I suppose with f See Pembel of Grace and Faith p. 7. 12. others and without prejudice to any of contrary judgement that as there is the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. de trac cohib seed and spawn of all sin together in mans heart from the time of his naturall birth so there is the seed of all grace sown together in mans soul at the very first instant of his spirituall new birth and that faith is a branch of sanctification as all other graces of the like nature are But to let that pas a man may qestion his faith and yet not qestion Christ for Christ may be Christ tho this or that party have no share in Christ or to use his description of faith be not perswaded more or les that Christ loves him a man tho he qestion not the foundation it self yet he may qestion whether he have built on it or beside it and so whether that be a foundation unto his building or no. And I make no qestion but that many that pretend to believ yea that are perswaded they do so and wil not easily be beaten of from that their perswasion and stick not to compare for belief with the best yet had need to have their faith tried and may wel have it qestioned as wel others as by themselves Yea we find in Scripture examples and instances of such as might wel have qestioned whether they beleeved aright or no and whether the faith they made profession of were tru or no. g Acts 8.13 ●3 Simon the forcerer sure might have done wel to qestion and try the truth of his faith nor might those resembled by h Luke 8.13 the seed sowen in the rockie ground but wel have done the like by

theirs as also those i John 2.23 24. who tho they are said to believ in Christ yet Christ himself would not trust them and those vain k James 2.14 18 20. ones James speakes of that had a fruitles and baren faith Nor were this to aske the master of the feast whether his dainties were meer delusions or to make our blessed Saviour for he I suppose is the feast master he meaneth a sorcerer but to enqire whether we our selves have not been deluded when in some night vision such as the enthusiasts of our times too much hanker after we have with l Luciani Micyllus in Somnio sive Gallo Lucians sowter dreamed of a great feast and of such his dainties and of communion with him in them when as all hath been nothing but m Esay 29.7 8. a nightly delusion They did not qestion the truth of God that sought for wisdome whereby to discern between Gods messages brought by his Prophets and those n Jer. 23.25 26. dreamers dotages who yet pretended to be sent by God as wel as the best and would not stick to demand of Gods Prophets o 1 Kings 21.24 when the Spirit of God went from themselves to speak unto them Nor did the Apostle Paul when he called upon the Corinthians to p 2 Cor. 13.5 try their faith nor the Apostle John when he called on the faithful to q 1 John 4.1 try the Spirits whether they were of God or no thereby incite them to qestion Christ the foundation of faith or to qestion Gods Spirit the worker of it but to be wise and wary in discerning between truth and falshood between sound and unsound between faith wel grounded and deceitful fancies and groundles presumptions between teachers delivering the doctrine of life and grace according to the word and such as warping from that rule yet pretended to have the Spirit Tru it is indeed that mans weaknes in the apprehension of the work of Gods Spirit in him may make the truly godly without ground or good cause sometime to qestion the truth of it in them but there is no ground or just cause for any thence to infer that no man ought to qestion whether he believe or no or whether his faith be tru or no. every one otherwise should be bound to presume that he doth beleev and that his faith is tru faith For not to insist on that which we lately touched on that when the Apostle called upon some to try their faith he presumed that some such faith there was as would not go for currant but would proov r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unsound when it came to the touch or the test and when he useth more then once that discriminating term of ſ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.5 2 Tim. 1.5 faith not counterfeit or unfained he implies therein that there may be counterfeits and there are indeed not a few as of Christianity so of faith Not to insist hereon I say this Autor himself acknowledgeth that t Pag. 9. there may be a kind of faith as in them that believed in the parable and in time of temptation fell away and yet not in the power of Christ nor in the life of the Spirit and that u Pag. 8. such faith tho a ded faith may go far in resemblance carying the image of something like the new man and whether think we then is such faith to be questioned or no or wil this Autor say that for those that have such a faith to call their own faith in qestion is to qestion Christ himself But indeed according to this Autors ground there is no need for any man to qestion what manner of faith his faith is since that without any such ado whatsoever his faith be he may have interest in Christ For saith he 10. x Page 30. For the way of comming by a right or purchasing an interest in this righteousnes or salvation wrought by Christ it is held forth without price or works onely for taking and receiving and believing on all being wrought to our hands so as this is as good a ground for one to believ on as another without exception y Pag. 153. the covenant being such as was established with Noah Gen. 9.11 nothing reqired on mans part and z Pag. 30. this being a Scripture way he would upon these principles leav a soul Where to set aside his terms of purchase and price as if ought in that kind were by any of us attributed to faith or repentance or any work of ours and yet herein he contradicteth himself when he telleth us one while that salvation is held out a Pag. 24 30. freely by the Prophet Esay in that phrase without price and yet an another while that b Pag. 167. all the ministery of the Prophets did run in this strain as if Gods love were to be had in way of purchase by duty and doing Nor to resume again what hath been formerly said of believing and receiving another manner of matter then this man makes of them And that the like may be charged on him to that he chargeth upon the Legalists to wit c Pag. 29. propounding to men the promises of the Gospel with such conditions of repentance d Pag. 19.21 27 and sorrow for sin c. which because they are things that they e Page 27. can not do f Pag. 29. in steed of drawing a soul unto Christ put it further of from him for may it not as wel be objected to him as it is by him to them that he professeth indeed to make an offer of free grace and free promises but he propounds them so clogged with conditions of receiving and taking believing on that these being such as men are not able to do of themselvs g Ibid. they dare not medale with them until they be prepared by Christ Unles this Autor can or dare say that men may and can believ on Christ tho they cannot repent of their sins or be sorry for them and that the one is an easier work then the other or is not of h Ephes 2.8 Gods gift and i Phil. 1.29 a work of grace as wel as k Acts 5.31 11 18. the other But not to insist on these things If there be as good ground for any one without exception to believ as another that is as he defines faith to perswade himself that Christ loves him and he hath a share in the salvation purchased by him why did not Peter exhort Simon the sorcerer to perswade himself so but bad him l Acts 8.22 23 repent and pray for pardon yea why doth he himself make distinction of persons saying d Pag. 57. I speak now to the weak and wounded believers for sins not to the carnall and unregenerate in sin Yea if the Covenant of the Gospel that is of life and salvation by Christ be

h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indebted is obliged to it as a debt as a duty for what is duty but du debt to walk as Christ walked to live as he lived But I wil insist onely upon Paul as zealous and as precise a preacher of free grace as ever any he albeit he affirm confidently that i Rom. 8.1 there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ yet he subjoyneth withall and that is I suppose a qalification at least k Ibid. who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and yet further a litle after l Verse 12. Therefore brethren we are m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debtors we stand obliged and bound to it as a du debt if ever we look to be saved not to live after the flesh but as before he said to be thence supplied here to live after the Spirit and that this is his meaning and it is in nature of a condition on mans part reqired it is apparent by what followes n Verse 13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shal die but if by the Spirit ye mortifie the deeds of the body ye shal live Which tho it be pure Gospel and life even upon such terms propounded free grace for no Law ever promised life unto mortification of the flesh no more then the sight of God to such imperfect purity as our blessed Saviour above spake of yet if the Minister of Christ shall in these daies pres he shal not escape the odious and opprobrious brand of a deep and down-right Legalist Howbeit we need not be ashamed a whit of our teaching when we can vouch such precedents as these are for it in regard either of this or any the like aspersions or ignominious terms that presumptuous and self-conceited persons shal endeavor to fasten upon us and must light upon them as well as upon us who have in their teaching taken that cours before us and with whom if we must be deemed erroneous we shal not blush so to be but shal o Acts 5.41 esteem it p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Casaub a grace to be disgraced with them and for doing as they did To draw all to a hed if the Gospel propound and promise pardon of sin and salvation q Pag. 126. without any condition at all as this Autor tels us required on our parts and all conditions and qalifications which he is so r Ocas word p. 5. Treatis p 22 29 97 188 198. c. oft girding at destroy the freenes of grace then neither John the Baptist nor Christ nor the Apostles of Christ from the ſ Matth. 10.2 first to the t 1 Cor. 15.8 last did any of them preach either Gospel or free grace and if the Gospel and free grace that this Autor and other his coasseriers of free grace hold out to us be such as admits not nor acknowledgeth any such conditions or qalifications as have been above-recited then we may boldly conclude that it is another Gospel and another free Grace then ever John or Christ or his Apostles preached But this Autor a Occasionall word p. 9. if he have erred in any thing he saith it is in filling out that Wine too freely which the Master of the feast if he mistake not hath bidden him saying Drink yea drink abundantly O beloved Can. 5. And b Treatise pag. 82. if he must erre he would erre rather with those that pas for Antinomians then with those that go for Legall Teachers c The latter in his Treatise because he mentioneth the other first the former whereof he must prefer before the latter for that they being jealous least free grace loose her du cry down men to exalt Christ whereas those other being jealous lest holines should be sleighted to exalt men cry down Christ and the danger here it seems therefore also he supposeth the lesse because d Occasionall word p. 2. Free grace can not of it self tempt any to sin Where first for the filling out of this Wine TOO freely let me advise him in sober sadnes to be wel advised what he doth and to take heed how he contract the guilt of so haynous an exces it is liqor too * 1 Pet. 1.19 precious to be wastfully spilt If the Master have choice Wine reserved for his reconciled friends that are willing tho before at ods yea at dedly fewd with him yet now to come in and entertain terms of amity with him and the servant shal pour out of it to dogs and swine e Matth. 7.6 or serv it out to sturdy rogues and idle vagrants at the dore such as either scorn and curs his Master or refuse all commerce and acqaintance with him tho invited thereunto because they like not his disposition nor can endure his demeanour I suppose such a servant would have litle thanks from his Master for his labour And had not this Autor clipt off the first words of the Text which he points us to for his warrant herein it would alone have been sufficient to check this his professed profusenes and have enformed him withall what manner of persons they are unto whom this Wine is to be dispensed Eat O friends f Cant. 5.1 saith he and drink yea drink abundantly O beloved But what speciall warrant by revelation or enthusiasm matters now a daies much pretended he may profes to have for this I know not Wel I wot and am sure that neither the place alledged nor any other Scripture the onely sure touchstone we have now to try truths by for the Spirit speakes not but according to it doth or can warrant much les enjoyn any such exorbitant exces either in this particular or in ought els 2. For the crying down of Christ it is a foul and fals calumny which together with many others of the same stamp this Autor here would fasten on the faithful Ministers of Christ men as jealous of and zealous for the honour of Christ their Master I may boldly say it for their labours shew it as himself 3. It is true indeed that Free grace cannot of it self have such an effect as he speakes of but this brother may remember what a zealous preacher as g Simon Judas surnamed the Cananite or Cannite Matth. 10.4 not of country but of condition or disposition from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 zealous the Zelote Luke 6.15 Canin de voc N.T. his name imports and assertor of Free grace telleth us that there are not wanting and those not a few that h Jude 4. turn Gods grace i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into wantonnes or lasciviousnes and men may preach and publish free grace in that manner that they may by such their preaching pave a path to that foule abuse which that many of our Antinomian tenents do is to me beyond controversie and I shal leave it to the consideration of others religious and judicious