Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	faith_n	grace_n	justification_n	1,459	5	9.0615	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89790	A declaration of the faith and order owned and practised in the Congregational Churches in England; agreed upon and consented unto by their elders and messengers in their meeting at the Savoy, Octob. 12. 1658.	Congregational Church in England and Wales. Savoy Meeting (1658).; Owen, John, 1616-1683.; Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.	1659 (1659)	Wing N1488; Thomason E968_4; ESTC R203024	44,014	43

God taking away their heart of stone and giving unto them an heart of flesh renewing their wills and by his Almighty power determining them to that which is good and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ yet so as they come most freely being made willing by his grace II. This effectual Call is of Gods free and special grace alone not from any thing at all foreseen in man who is altogether passive therein untill being quickned and renewed by the holy Spirit he is thereby enabled to answer this Call and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it III. Elect Infants dying in Infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ who worketh when and where and how he pleaseth so also are all other elect persons who are uncapable of being outwardly called by the Ministery of the Word IV. Others not elected although they may be called by the Ministry of the Word and may have some common operations of the Spirit yet not being effectual drawn by the Father they neither do nor can come unto Christ and therefore cannot be saved much less can men not professing the Christian Religion be saved in any other way whatsoever be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the Light of Nature and the Law of that Religion they do profess And to assert and maintain that they may is very pernicious and to be detested CHAP. XI Of Justification THose whom God effectually calleth he also freely justifieth not by infusing righteousnesse into them but by pardoning their sins and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christs sake alone nor by imputing Faith it self the act of believing or any other Evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness but by imputing Christs active obedience unto the whole Law and passive obedience in his death for their whole and sole righteousness they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness by Faith which Faith they have not of themselves it is the gift of God II. Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness is the alone instrument of Justification yet it is not alone in the person justified but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces and is no dead Faith but worketh by Love III. Christ by his Obedience and Death did fully discharge the Debt of all those that are justified and did by the sacrifice of himself in the blood of his Cross undergoing in their stead the penalty due unto them make a proper real and full satisfaction to Gods Justice in their behalf Yet in as much as he was given by the Father for them and his Obedience and Satisfaction accepted in their stead and both freely not for any thing in them their justification is only of free grace that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners IV. God did from all eternity decree to justifie all the Elect and Christ did in the fulness of time dye for their sins and rise again for their justification Nevertheless they are not justified personally until the holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ unto them V. God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified and although they can never fall from the state of justification yet they may by their sins fall under Gods fatherly displeasure and in that condition they have not usually the light of his Countenance restored unto them until they humble themselves coness their sins beg pardon and renew their faith and repentance VI The justification of Believers under the old Testament was in all these respects one and the same with the justification of Believers under the new Testament CHAP. XII Of Adoption ALL those that are justified God vouchsafeth in and for his only Son Jesus Christ to make partakers of the grace of Adoption by which they are taken into the number and enjoy the liberties and priviledges of the Children of God have his Name put upon them receive the Spirit of Adoption have accesse to the Throne of Grace with boldness are enabled to cry Abba Father are pitied protected provided for and chastened by him as by a father yet never cast off but sealed to the day of Redemption and inherit the Promises as Heirs of everlasting Salvation CHAP. XIII Of Sanctification THey that are united to Christ effectually called and regenerated having a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the vertue of Christs death and resurrection are also further sanctified really and personally through the same vertue by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakned and mortified and they more and more quickned and strengthned in all saving graces to the practice of all true holiness without which no man shall see the Lord II. This Sanctification is throughout in the whole man yet imperfect in this life there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part whence ariseth a continual and irreconcileable war the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh III. In which war although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ the regenerate part doth overcome and so the Saints grow in grace perfecting holinesse in the fear of God CHAP. XIV Of saving Faith THe grace of Faith whereby the Elect are inabled to believe to the saving of their souls is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts and is ordinarily wrought by the Ministery of the Word by which also and by the administration of the Seals Prayer and other means it is increased and strengthened II. By this Faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word for the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth yielding obedience to the commands trembling at the threatnings and embracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come But the principal acts of saving Faith are accepting receiving and resting upon Christ alone for justification sanctification and eternal life by vertue of the Covenant of Grace III. This Faith although it be different in degrees and may be weak or strong yet it is in the least degree of it different in the kind or nature of it as is all other saving grace from the faith and common grace of temporary believers and therefore though it may be many times assailed and weakened yet it gets the victory growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ who is both the author and finisher of our Faith CHAP. XV Of Repentance unto life and salvation SUch of the Elect as are converted at riper years having sometime lived in the state of nature and therein

served divers lusts and pleasures God in their effectual calling giveth them Repentance unto life II. Whereas there is none that doth good and sinneth not and the best of men may through the power and deceitfulness of their corruptions dwelling in them with the prevalency of temptation fall into great sins and provocations God hath in the Covenant of Grace mercifully provided that Believers so sinning and falling be renewed through repentance unto Salvation III. This saving Repentance is an Evangelical Grace whereby a person being by the holy Ghost made sensible of the manifold evils of his sin doth by Faith in Christ humble himself for it with godly sorrow detestation of it and self-abhorrency praying for pardon and strength of Grace with a purpose and endeavour by supplies of the spirit to walk before God unto all well-pleasing in all things IV. As Repentance is to be continued through the whole course of our lives upon the account of the body of death and the motions thereof so it is every mans duty to repent of his particular known sins particularly V. Such is the provision which God hath made through Christ in the covenant of Grace for the preservation of Believers unto salvation that although there is no sin so small but it deserves damnation yet here is no sin so great that it shall bring damnation on them who truly repent which makes the constant preaching of Repentance necessary CHAP. XVI Of good Works GOod works are only such as God hath commanded in his holy Word and not such as without the warrant thereof are devised by men our of blind zeal or upon any pretence of good intentions II. These good Works done in obedience to Gods commandments are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively Faith and by them Believers manifest their thankfulnesse strengthen their assurance edifie their Brethren adorn the profession of the Gospel stop the mouths of the adversaries and glorifie God whose workmanship they are created in in Christ Jesus thereunto that having their fruit unto holiness they may have the end eternal life III. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves but wholly from the Spirit of Christ And that they may be enabled thereunto besides the graces they have already received there is required an actual influence of the same holy Spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them IV. They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life are so far from being able to superogate and to do more then God requires as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do V. We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin or eternal life at the hand of God by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come and the infinite distance that is between us and God whom by them we can neither profit nor satisfie for the debt of our former sins but when we have done all we can we have done but our duty and are unprofitable servants and because as they are good they proceed from his Spirit and as they are wrought by us they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection that they cannot endure the severity of Gods judgement VI Yet notwithstanding the persons of Believers being accepted through Christ their good works also are accepted in him not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable and unreproveable in Gods sight but that he looking upon them in his Son is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections VII Works done by unregenerate men although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands and of good use both to themselves and to others yet because they proceed not from a heart purified by Faith nor are done in a right manner according to the Word nor to a right end the glory of God they are therefore sinful and cannot please God nor make a man meet to receive grace from God and yet their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto Cod. CHAP. XVII Of the Perseverance of the Saints THey whom God hath accepted in his beloved effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved II. This Perseverance of the Saints depends not upon their own free-will but upon the immutability of the Decree of Election from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with him the Oath of God the abiding of his Spirit and of the seed of God within them and the nature of the Covenant of Grace from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof III. And though they may through the temptation of Satan and of the world the prevalency of corruption remaining in them and the neglect of the means of their preservation fall into grievous sins and for a time continue therein whereby they incur Gods displeasure and grieve his holy Spirit come to have their graces and comforts impaired have their hearts hardned and their consciences wounded hurt and scandalize others and bring temporal Judgments upon themselves yet they are and shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation CHAP. XVIII Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation ALthough temporary believers and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favour of God and state of salvation which hope of theirs shall perish yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus and love him in sincerity endeavouring to walk in all good conscience before him may in this life be certainly assured that they are in the state of Grace and may rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God which hope shall never make them ashamed II. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable perswasion grounded upon a fallible hope but an infallible assurance of faith founded on the blood and righteousnesse of Christ revealed in the Gospel and also upon the inward evidence of those graces unto which Promises are made and on the immediate witnesse of the Spirit testifying our Adoption and as a fruit thereof leaving the heart more humble and holy III. This infallible Assurance doth not so belong to the essence of Faith but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it yet being inabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God he may

more perillous then the hottest seasons of persecution We have sa●led through an Aestuation Fluxes and Refluxes of great varieties of Spirits Doctrines Opinions and Occurrences and especially in the matter of Opinions which have been accompanied in their several seasons with powerful perswasions and temptations to seduce those of our way It is known men have taken the freedom notwithstanding what Authority hath interposed to the contrary to vent and vend ●heir own vain and accursed imaginations contrary to the great and fixed Truths of the Gospel insomuch as take the whole Round and Circle of Delusi●ns the Devil hath in this small time ran it will be found that every Truth of greater or lesser weight hath by one or other hand at one time or another been questioned and called to the Bar amongst us yea and impleaded under the pretext which hath some degree of Justice in it that all should not be bound up to the Traditions of former times nor take Religion upon trust Whence it hath come to pass that many of the soundest Professors were put upon a new search and d squisition of such Truths as they had taken for granted and yet had lived upon the comfort of to the end they might be able to convince others and est blish their own hearts against that darkness and unbelief that is ready to close with error or at least t● doubt of the truth when error is speciousl● presented And hereupon we do professedly account it one of the greatest advantages gained out of the Temptations of these Times yea the honour of the Saints and Ministers of these Nations That after they had sweetly been exercised in and had improved practical and experimental Truths this should be the r forther Lot to examine and discuss and indeed anew to learn over every Doctrinal Truth both out of the Scriptures and also with a fresh taste thereof in their own hearts which is no other then what the Apostle exhorts to Try all things bold fast that which is good Conversion unto God at first what is it else then a savory and aff●ct●onate application and the bring●ng home to the heart with spiritual light and life all truths that are necessary to salvation together with other lesser Truths All which we had afore conversion taken in but notionally from common Education and Tradition Now that after this first gust those who have bin thus converted should be put upon a new probation and search out of the Scriptures not onely of all principles explicitely ingredients to Conversion unto which the Apostle referreth the Galatians when they had diverted from them but of all other superstructures as well as fundamentals and together therewith anew to experiment the power and sweetness of all these in their own souls What is this but tryed Faith indeed and equivalent to a new conversion unto the truth An Anchor that is proved to be sure and stedfast that will certainly hold in all contrary storms This was the eminent seal and commendation which those holy Apostles that lived and wrote last Peter John and Jude in their Epistles did set and give to the Christians of the latter part of those primitive times And besides it is clear and evident by all the other Epistles from first to last that it cost the Apostles as much and far more care and pains to preserve them they had converted in the truth then they had taken to turn them thereunto at first And it is in it self as great a work and instance of the power of God that keeps yea guards us through faith unto salvation Secondly let this be added or superadded rather to give full weight and measure even to running over that we have all along this season held forth though quarrelled with for it by our brethren this great principle of these times That amongst all Christian States and Churches there ought to be vouchsafed a forbearance and mutual indulgence unto Saints of all perswasions that keep unto and hold fast the necessary foundations of faith and holiness in all other matters extrafundamental whether of Faith or Order This to have been our constant principle we are not ashamed to confess to the whole Christian world Wherein yet we desire we may be understood not as if in the abstract we stood indifferent to falshood or truth or were careless whether faith or error in any Truths but fundamental did obtain or not so we had our liberty in our petty and smaller differences or as if to make sure of that we had cut out this wide cloake for it No we profess that the whole and every particle of that Faith delivered to the Saints the substance of which we have according to our light here professed is as to the propagation and furtherance of it by all Gospel-means as precious to us as our lives or what can be supposed dear to us and in our sphere we have endeavored to promote them accordingly But yet withall we have and do contend and if we had all the power which any or all of our brethren of differing opinions have desired to have over us or others we should freely grant it unto them all we have and do contend for this That in the concrete the persons of all such gracious Saints they and their errors as they are in them when they are but such errors as do and may stand with communion with Christ though they should not repent of them as not being convinced of them to the end of their days that those with their errors that are purely spiritual and intrench and overthrow not civil societies as concrete with their persons should for Christs sake be born withall by all Christians in the world and they notwithstanding be permitted to enjoy all Ordinances and spiritual Priviledges according to their light as freely as any other of their brethren that pretend to the greatest Orthodoxity as having as equal and as fair a right in and unto Christ and all the holy things of Christ that any other can challenge to themselves And this doth afford a full and invincible testimony on our behalf in that whiles we have so earnestly contended for this just liberty of Saints in all the Churches of Christ we our selves have no need of it that is as to the matter of the profession of Faith which we have maintained together with others and of this this subsequent Confession of Faith gives sufficient evidence So as we have the confidence in Christ to utter in the words of those two great Apostles That we have stood fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free in the behalf of others rather then our selves and having been free have not made use of our liberty for a cloak of error or maliciousness in our selves And yet loe whereas from the beginning of the rearing of these Churches that of the Apostle hath been by some prophecyed of us and applyed to us That whiles we promised unto others liberty we our selves