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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

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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
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 Ephes. 4. 14. Be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of Men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive Beware lest ye being led away with the error of the Wicked re fall from your own stedfastness 2 Pet. 3. 17. London Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercer's Chappel 1692 To the Reader I Meeting with this Book newly come forth of the Press and being earnestly pressed by divers to perfect it by laying down the Order and Sense of this Story which in the Book is omitted Though for mine own part I was more slow unto it not as if I think it contains any thing but Truth but because the Names of some parties that acted in our Troubles that have since that time I hope repented and so God having pardoned their Sins in Heaven I should have been loth to have revived them on Earth But considering that their Names are already in Print without any act of mine and that the necessity of the times call for it and it 's requisite that Gods great Works should be made known I therefore in a strait of time not having had many hours have drawn up this following Preface and prefixed hereunto with some Additions to the Conclusion of the Book I commend thy self and this to the Blessing of God T. W. The PREFACE AFter we had escaped the cruel hands of persecuting Prelates and the dangers at Sea and had pretty well out-grown our Wilderness Troubles in our first Plantings in New-England And when our Common-wealth began to be founded and our Churches sweetly setled in Peace God abounding to us in more happy enjoyments then we could have expected Lest we should now grow secure our wise God who seldom suffers his own in this their wearisome Pilgrimage to be long without trouble sent a new Storm after us which proved the forest trial that ever befel us since we left our Native Soil Which was this that some going thither from hence full fraught with many unsound and loose Opinions after a time began to open their Packs and freely vent their Wares to any that would be their Customers Multitudes of Men and Women Church-members and others having tasted of their Commodities were eager after them and were streight infected before they were aware and some being tainted conveyed the Infection to others and thus that Plague first began amongst us that had not the wisdom and faithfulness of him that watcheth over his Vineyard night and day by the beams of his Light and Grace cleared and purged the Air certainly we had not been able to have breathed there comfortably much longer Our discourse of them shall tend to shew 1. What these Opinions were 2. How they spread so fast and prevailed so suddenly 3. How they did rage and reign when they had once gotten head 4. How they fell and were ruined when they were at highest The Opinions some of them were such as these I say some of them to give but a tast for afterwards you shall see a litter of Fourscore and eleven of their brats hung up against the Sun besides many new ones of Mistriss Hutchinsons all which they hatched and dandled As 1. That the Law and the Preaching of it is of no use at all to drive a Man to Christ. 2. That a Man is united to Christ and justified without faith yea from eternity 3. That Faith is not a receiving of Christ but a Man's discerning that he hath received him already 4. That a Man is united to Christ onely by the work of the Spirit upon him without any act of his 5. That a Man is never effectually Christ's till he hath assurance 6. This assurance is onely from the witness of the Spirit 7. This witness of the Spirit is meerly immediate without any respect to the word or any concurrence with it 8. When a Man hath once this witness he never doubts more 9. To question my assurance though I fall into Murther or Adultery proves that I never had true assurance 10. Sanctification can be no evidence of a Mans good Estate 11. No comfort can he had from any conditional Promise 12. Poverty in Spirit to which Christ pronounceth blessedness Mat. 5. 3. is onely this to see I have no grace at all 13. To see I have no grace in me will give me comfort but to take comfort from sight of grace is legal 14. An hypocrite may have Adam's graces that he had in Innocency 15. The graces of Saints and Hypocrites differ not 16. All graces are in Christ as in the Subject and none in us so that Christ believes Christ loves c. 17. Christ is the New Creature 18. God loves a Man never the better for any holiness in him and nevertheless be he never so unholy 19. Sin in a Child of God must never trouble him 20. Trouble in Conscience for sins of Commission or for neglect of duties shews a Man to be under a Covenant of VVorks 21. All Covenants to God expressed in works are legal works 22. A Christian is not bound to the Law as a rule of his conversation 23. A Christian is not bound to Pray except the Spirit moves him 24. A Minister that hath not this new light is not able to edifie others that have it 25. The whole letter of the Scripture is a Covenant of works 26. No Christian must be prest to duties of holiness 27. No Christian must be exhorted to faith love and prayer c. except we know he hath the Spirit 28. A Man may have all graces and yet want Christ. 29. All a Believer's activity is onely to act sin Now these most of them being so gross one would wonder how they should spread so fast and suddenly amongst a people so religious and well taught For declaring of this be pleased to attend two things 1. The nature of the Opinions themselves which open such a fair and easie way to Heaven that men may pass without difficulty For if a man need not be troubled by the Law before Faith but may step to Christ so easily and then if his faith be no going out of himself to take Christ but only a discerning that Christ is his own already and is only an act of the Spirit upon
the Graces of Hypocrites and Believers in the kinds of them Confutation 16. If this be true then Hypocrites are wise humble merciful pure c. and so shall see God Mat. 5. 8. but they are called fools Mat. 7. 26. Mat. 25. 1 2 3. neither shall they see God Mat. 24. 51. Mat. 13. 20 21 22 23. Heb. 6. 7 8 9. the difference of the grounds argueth the difference in the kinds of Graces Error 17. True poverty of spirit doth kill and take away the sight of Grace Confutation 17. This is contrary to Mark 9. 24. Lord I believe help my unbelief if this were so then poverty of spirit should binder Thankfulness and so one Grace should hinder another and the Graces of the Spirit should hinder the work of the Spirit and cross the end why he is given to us 1 Cor. 2. 12. Error 18. The Spirit doth work in Hypocrites by Gifts and Graces but in Gods Children immediately Confutation 18. This is contrary to Nehem. 5. 15. So did I because of the fear of the Lord Heb. 11. 17. Noah moved with fear prepared an Ark. Error 19. That all Graces even in the truly regenerate are mortal and fading Confutation 19. This is contrary to Ioh. 4. 14. they are Graces which flow from a Fountain which springeth up to Eternal Life and therefore not fading Ier. 31. 39 40. Error 20. That to call into question whether God be my dear Father after or upon the commission of some hainous sins as Murther Incest c. doth prove a man to be in the Covenant of works Confutation 20. It being supposed that the doubting here spoken of is not that of final despair or the like but only that the Position denieth a possibility of all doubting to a man under a Covenant of Grace this is contrary to Scripture which speaketh of God's people under a Covenant of Grace in these or other Cases exercised with sweet Doubtings and Questions David was a justifi'd man for his sins were pardoned 2 Sam. 12. 12 13. yet his Bones waxed old through his roaring all the day long and the heaviness of Gods hand was upon him night and day and the turning of his moisture into the drought of Summer Psal. 32. 3 4. and Gods breaking his Bones by with-holding from him the joy of his Salvation Psal 51 8. shew that he was exercised with sweet Doubts and Questions at least as this Position speaketh of and the like may be gathered out of Psal. 77. 3 4. where the holy Man Asaph mentioneth himself being troubled when he remembred God and that he was so troubled he could not speak nor sleep and expostulateth with God Will the Lord cast off for ever And will he be favourable no more And ver 6 7 8 9. These shew that he had at least sweet doubts as the Position mentioneth and yet he was not thereby proved to be under a Covenant of works for he doth afterward confess this to be his infirmity vers 10. and receiveth the Comfort of former Experiences in former days and his songs in the nights and of Gods former works vers 5 6. 10 11 12. and he resumeth his claim of his right in God by vertue of his Covenant verse 13. Error 21. To be justified by Faith is to be justified by Works Confutation 21. If Faith in this position be considered not simply as a work but in relation to its Object this is contrary to the Scripture that so appropriateth Justification to Faith as it denieth it to Works setting Faith and Works in opposition one against another in the point of Justification as Rom. 3. 27. Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law By the Law of works No but by the Law of Faith and ver 28. We conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the works of the Law and chap. 4. 16. Therefore it is by Faith that it may be by grace compared with vers 4. To him that worketh is the Reward reckoned not of grace but of debt Error 22. None are to be exhorted to believe but such whom we know to be the Elect of God or to have his Spirit in them effectually Confutation 22. This is contrary to the Scriptures which maketh the Commission which Christ gave his Disciples in these words Go Preach the Gospel to every Creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16. 15 16. where the latter words imply an Exhortation to believe and the former words direct that this should not only be spoken to men known to be Elected or only to men effectually called but to every creature The Scripture also telleth us that the Apostles in all places called upon men to repent and believe the Gospel which they might not have done had this position been true Error 23. We must not pray for gifts and graces but only for Christ. Confutation 23. This is contrary to Scripture which teacheth us to pray for Wisdom Iam. 1. 5. and for every grace bestowed by vertue of the new Covenant Ezek. 36. 37. as acknowledging every good gift and every perfect giving is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights The whole 119. Psalm besides innumerable Texts of Scripture doth abundantly confute this by shewing that the servants of God have been taught by the spirit of God to pray for every gift and grace needful for them and not only for Christ. Error 24. He that hath the Seal of the Spirit may certainly judge of any person whether he be Elected or no. Confutation 24. This is contrary to Deut. 29 29. Secret things belong to God and such is Election of men not yet called Error 25. A man may have all graces and poverty of spirit and yet want Christ. Confutation 25. This is contrary to Mat. 5. 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit but without Christ none can be blessed Ephes. 4. 22 24. he that hath Rightoousness and true Holiness hath learned the truth as it is in Jesus and therefore hath Christ. Error 26. The Faith that justifieth us is in Christ and never had any actual Being out of Christ. Confutation 26. This is contrary to Scripture Luke 17. 5. Lord increase our Faith Ergo Faith was in them 2 Tim. 1. 6. Faith is said to dwell in such and such persons therefore Faith was in them Isa. 64. 7. No man stirs up himself to lay hold upon thee Error 27. It is incompatible to the Covenant of Grace to joyn Faith thereunto Confutation 27. This is contrary to Mark 16. 16. Preach the Gospel He that believeth shall be saved Rom 4. 3. Abraham believed and it was accounted to him for Righteousness and Abraham is a pattern to all under the Covenant of Grace Rom. 4. 24. Error 28. To affirm there must be Faith on mans part to receive the Covenant is to undermine Christ. Confutation 28. First Faith is requir'd on mans part to receive the Covenant of Grace according to these Scriptures Ioh. 1. 12. To
where the Holy Ghost saith That by unfeigned and hearty love we may have assurance and yet neither there nor any where else would have us trust to our Sanctification so vers 7. He that doth righteousness is righteous as he is righteous Secondly If poverty of spirit which emptieth us of all confidence in our selves may evidence a Man's Iustification without trusting to it then may Sanctification without trusting to it but the former is true therefore also the latter Thirdly If it be an ordinance of God to evidence our Iustification by our Sanctification then we may do this without trusting to it but that is apparent from 2 Pet. 1. 10. Ergo. Error 68. Faith justifies an Unbeliever that is that Faith that is in Christ justifieth me that have no Faith in my self Confutation 68. This is contrary to Hab. 2. 4. For if the Just shall live by his Faith then that Faith that justifies is not in Christ. So Iohn 3. ult He that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him It is not another's Faith will save me Error 69. Though a Man can prove a gracious work in himself and Christ to be the Author of it if thereby he will prove Christ to be his this is but a sandy foundation Confutation 69. This is contrary to these Scriptures Iohn 14. 21. and 28. He that keepeth my Commandments is he that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will shew my self unto him 1 John 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren And 1 John 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life therefore he that can prove that he hath spiritual life may assure himself that he hath Christ. Error 70. Frequency or Length of Holy Duties or trouble of Conscience for neglect thereof are all signs of one under a Covenant of Works Confutation 70. This is contrary to these Scriptures 1 Cor. 15. 58. Be abundant always in the work of the Lord If the Faithful in Christ Jesus be commanded to abound always in the work of the Lord that is Holy Duties then frequency in Holy Duties is no sign of one under a Covenant of Works but the former is true therefore also the latter as also 1 Thess. 4. 17 18. Psal. 55. 17. Evening and morning and noon will I pray and make a noise and he will hear me and elsewhere Seven times a day do I praise thee Psalm 119. 146. Psal. 1. 2. So also contrary is the third branch to these Scriptures 2 Cor. 7. 8. 11. the Corinthians were troubled in Conscience and sorrowed that they had neglected the holy duties of Church-Censure towards the incestuous person and Esa. 64. 7. and 8. Cant. 5. 2. Rom. 7. 19. I do not the good I would which he lamenteth and complaineth of Error 71. The immediate revelation of my good estate without any respect to the Scriptures is as clear to me as the voice of God from heaven to Paul Confutation 71. This is contrary to Iohn 14. 26. He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance c. Whence we reason thus If the Spirit reveal nothing without concurrence of the Word then this revelation of the Spirit without respect to the Word is not clear nor to be trusted but the Spirit doth reveal nothing but with respect to the Word for Iohn 14. 26. If the office of the Spirit be to Teach and to bring to remembrance the things that Christ hath Taught us Esay 8. 20. Whatever Spirit speaks not according to this Word there is no light there Error 72. It is a Fundamental and Soul-damning Error to make Sanctification an evidence of Justification Confutation 72. This is contrary to these Scriptures Rom. 8. 1. They that walk after the Spirit are freed from condemnation and are in Christ and so Justified So 1 Iohn 3. 10. in this are the children of God known c. Error 73. Christ's work of Grace can no more distinguish between an Hypocrite and a Saint then the Rain that falls from Heaven between the Just and the Unjust Confutation 73. This proposition being general includes all gracious Works and being so taken is contradicted in the Parable of the Sower Mat. 13. 20 21 22. where the good ground is distinguished from the stony by this that it brings forth fruit with patience so Hebr. 6. 9. there is something better in the Saints than those common gifts which are found in Hypocrites Error 74. All verbal Covenants or Covenants expressed in words as Church Covenants Vows c. are Covenants of Works and such as strike Men off from Christ. Confutation 74 First This is contrary to Scripture Esay 44. 5. One shall say I am the Lord 's and another shall call himself by the name of the God of Iacob Rom. 10. 10. With the mouth confession is made to salvation Secondly Contrary to Reason for then the Covenant of Grace is made a Covenant of Works by the Writing Reading and Preaching of the same for they are verbal expressions of the Covenant on God's part as Church-Covenants verbally express our closing herewith Error 75. The Spirit giveth such full and clear evidence of my good estate that I have no need to be tried by the fruits of Sanctification this were to light a Candle to the Sun Confutation 75. This opinion taken in this sense that after the Spirit hath testified a Man's good estate the person need not to be tried by the fruit of sanctification is contrary to the scope of the whole first Epistle of Saint Iohn where variety of arguments are propounded to all Believers in common 1 Iohn 5. 13. to distinguish the persons of Believers from Unbelievers the water is annexed to the Spirit and blood 1 Iohn 5. 8. Error 76. The Devil and Nature may be cause of a gracious Work Confutation 76. The words are unsavoury and the position unsound for taking gracious according to the language of the Scripture gracious words Luke 4. 22. Let your speech be gracious gracious words are such as issue from the saving Grace of Christ's Spirit in-dwelling in the Soul which neither the Devil nor Nature is able to produce for Christ professeth John 15. 3 4. Without me ye can do nothing nothing truly gracious John 3. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh And Rom. 7. 18. In my flesh dwells no good truly spiritual and gracious Gen. 6. 5. Every imagination of the thoughts of a Man's heart is evil and that continually Besides the Devil is that evil and wicked one onely wickedness an adversary to God's grace and glory that which is contrary to corrupt nature and the hellish nature of Satan and above the power of both they cannot be the causes of gracious works Error 77. Sanctification is so far from evidencing a good estate that it darkens it rather and a Man may more clearly see Christ when he seeth no
will be ready to draw their Swords for him like Peter for furor arma ministrat like him who when he could not by any Sentence in the Bible confute an Heretick could make use of the whole book to break his head we might hold forth instances more than enough The Wars in Germany for these hundred years arose from dissentions in Religion and though in the beginning of the contention they drew out onely the Sword of the Spirit yet it was soon changed into a Sword of Steel So was it among the Consederate Cantons of Helvetia which were so many Towns as nearly combined together as ours here so was it also in the Netherlands between the Orthodox and the Arminians so hath it been between the Calvinists and Lutherans In every place we find that the contentions began first by disputations and Sermons and when the minds of the people were once set on fire by reproachful Terms of incendiary Spirits they soon set to blows and had always a tragical and bloody issue And to clear this objection Mr. Wheel professed before-hand what he looked for viz. that his Doctrine would cause combustions even in the Common-wealth as well as in the Churches which he could not have feared if he had supposed as in Charity he well might that those who were set over the People here in both States were indeed true Christians yea he not only confesseth his expectation but his earnest desire also of such combustions and disturbances when he saith that it is the Saints desire to have the fire kindled as if he were come among Turks or Papists and not among the Churches of Christ amongst whom Paul laboured to quench all fire of contention but with the Corinthians Romans and Galatians and wished that those were cut off who troubled them setting a mark upon such as made division and a note of a carnal mind therefore this objection will not save him his offence is yet without excuse he did intend to trouble our peace and he hath effected it therefore it was a contempt of that authority which required every Man to study Peace and Truth and therefore it was a seditious contempt in that he stirred up others to joyn in the disturbance of that Peace which he was bound by Solemn Oath to preserve But here he puts in a plea that he did take the onely right way for Peace by holding out the Lord Jesus Christ in the Covenant of Free Grace for without Christ there is no peace but get Christ and we have all To this we reply first We would demand of him what he accounts a holding forth a Covenant of Grace for saving that he saith this is a Covenant of Grace that is a Covenant of Works no Man can discern any such thing by his proofs for there is not any one argument in his Sermon to convince the judgment that so it is and if we search the Scripture we find in the Old Testament Ier. 31. the Covenant of Grace to be this I will write my Law in their hearts or I will be their God c. and in the new Testament we find He that believes in the Lord Iesus Christ shall be saved and that it is of Faith that it might be of Grace but other Covenant of Grace than these or to the same effect are not in our Bibles Again Tho' it be true that get Christ and we have all in some respect yet we must remember him of what he said with the same breath that Truth and external Peace cannot possibly stand together how then would he have us believe that such a holding forth Christ should bring the desired Peace This is some what like the Jewish Corban I will give to God and he shall help my Parents or as when a poor man stands in need of such relief as I might give him instead there of I pray to God to bless him and tell him that the blessing of God maketh rich or as I give a Lawyer a Fee to plead my cause and to procure me Justice and when the day of hearing comes he makes a long Speech in commending the justice of the King and perswading me to get his favour because he is the fountain of Justice This is to reprove the wisdom of God by looking that the supreme and first cause should produce all effects without the use of subordinate and nearer causes and means so a Man should live out his full time by God's decree onely without meat or medicine this plea therefore will not hold let us hear another It is objected that the Magistrates may not appoint a Messenger of God what he should teach admit so much yet he may limit him what he may not teach If he forbid him to teach Heresie or Sedition c. he incurs as well a contempt in teaching that which he was forbidden as sins in teaching that which is evil Besides every truth is not seasonable at all times Christ tells his Disciples That he had many things to teach them but they could not bear them then Joh. 16. 12. and God giveth his Prophets the Tongue of the Learned that they may know how to speak a word in season Isa. 50. 40. and if for every thing there be a season then for every Doctrine Eccles. 3. 1. The abolishing of the Ceremonial Law was a Truth which the Apostles were to teach yet there was a season when Paul did refrain it Acts 21. 24. and the same Paul would not circumcise Titus though he did Timothy so the difference of persons and places made a difference in the season of the Doctrine and if Mr. Wheelwright had looked upon the words which followed in the Text Matth. 9. 16 17. he might have learned that such a Sermon would as ill suit the season as old Bottles do new Wine and by that in Esay before-mentioned he might have had known the Spirit of God doth teach his Servants to discern of seasons as well as of truths for if there be such a point in wisdom as Men call discretion sure Religion which maketh truly wise doth not deprive the Servants of God of the right use thereof When Paul was to deal with the Sorcerer who did oppose his Doctrine Acts 13. he calls him the Child of the Devil c. but when he answered Festus who told him he was mad and rejected his Doctrine also he useth him gently and with terms of honourable respect Tho' Stephen calls the Jews stiff-necked and of uncircumcised hearts c as knowing them to be malitious and obstinate Enemies to Christ yet Paul directs Timothy being to deal with such as were not past hope tho' they did oppose his Doctrine for the present not to strive but to use all gentleness instructing them with meekness c. 2. Tim. 2. The Prophet Elisha when he speaks to Iehoram very roughly as one not worthy to be looked at yet he shews a different respect of Iehosaphat tho' he were then out of his way and