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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	holy_a	word_n	2,175	5	3.9389	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76313	A door of salvation opened unto all men: or a short treatise, discovering that all man-kinde as they are considered under the fall of Adam, have an equal and a like respect with almighty God, and that by Jesus Christ he hath prepared eternal salvation for all, and afforded unto all, means sufficient to bring them thereunto. In which also, sundry objections, grounds of reason, and texts of scripture, for the contrary opinion are alleadged and answered. / By R.B.	R. B.	1648 (1648)	Wing B166; Thomason E1166_1; ESTC R208726	64,273	125

receive the Holy Ghost Acts 2.38 Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed Acts 19.2 In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Ephes 1.12 13. For ye are all the Sonnes of God by Faith in Christ Jesus Galat. 3.26 And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Galat. 4.6 By the first of these wherein the Spirit by doctrine with signes and wonders for the confirmation thereof Heb. 2.3 4. Speaketh to the eares and eyes of men graciously and lovingly striving thereby to convert them from their evill wayes Gen. 6.3 beseeching them by all the mercies of God to present themselves living sacrifices unto him holy and acceptable which is their reasonable service Rom. 12.1 hee enforceth none in any such sort but that possibly they may resist and rebell against him therein according as the Israelites are often charged Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and eares saith Steven speaking unto them ye doe alwaies resist the holy Ghost as your Fathers did so doe yee Acts 7.51 They rebelled against and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them Esay 63.10 Yea so far may the wickednesse of men heerin be extended as not only wilfully and stubbornly to resist and oppose but most maliciously to blaspheme him and to attribute his very doctrines and wonders to Beelzebub the prince of Devils Matth. 12 24-27 John 8.48 Nor yet in the second place are any of those who are actually possessed with the holy Ghost necessitated thereby to the obedience thereof as is manifestly implyed first in those many exhortations contained in the Scriptures To walke in the Spirit Gal. 5.16 Not quench the Spirit 2 Thes 5.19 Nor grieve the holy Spirit whereby ye are seal'd to the day of redemption Eph. 4.30 But secondly more especially in those Scriptures wherein it is clearly supposed by the Apostles of Jesus Christ taken for granted that those persons who have been made pertakers of the Holy Ghost may fall away from the obedience of it Hebr. 6.4 doe despite unto it heb 1.29 and so defile their bodies the temples of it as to bring the sorest destruction condemnation upon themselves by reason thereof Know ye not saith the apostle that ye are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy 1 Cor. 3.16 17. compare here with Heb. 10.29 And this more evidently may serve to demonstrate that the Spirit in the Ministery thereof doth not enforce regeneration and purity in any for if that it should enforce purity in the uncleane much more should it preserve purity in those that are clean and become temples thereunto And therefore when it is said That the Cretians were renewed by the holy Ghost it must be understood that they were renewed thereby no otherwise than through their diligent hearkning unto receiving the blessed doctrine thereof revealed unto them by the Apostles preaching From whence it is that the Apostle Peter in his first Epistle the second chap. verse 22. writing unto Believers thus expresseth himself Having purified your own souls in obeying of the truth through the Spirit Plainly intimating that no man is renewed by the Spirit any otherwise than through their applying themselves unto the doctrine and instruction thereof The other Text is 2 Tim. 1.9 the words whereof are these Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his own purpose and grace that was given us in Christ before the world Which will not prove that God doth necessitate the faith and salvation of any man seeing that that the grace that was given to the persons heer spoken of before the world by which they were called and saved in verse the 10. is declared to be none other than the grace that was manifested by Christ at his appearing so also in Titus 1.1 2 8. and therefore by the latter we are to measure the former by the grace manifested judge determine what that grace was that was given them before the world Now the grace of God towards man-kinde manifested by Christ at his appearance is by Paul in Titus 2.11 12. before cited thus discribed The grace of God saith he that bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts c. to looke for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ which generall description in other Scriptures is unfoulded into these particulars viz. That God so loved the world that he sent his Son to be a Saviour thereof Joh. 3.16 17. And on purpose by his death to destroy death Heb. 2.14 and therely deliver man from the curse of the Law consisting therein Gal. 3.13 of which all men stood guilty Rom. 3.23 And by his resurrection to bring life immortality to light 2 Tim. 1.10 And in that estate to prepare mansions of glory and happinesse to be possessed of all those that repent believe c. That is to say That love God for his grace and mercie manifested towards them 1 John 4.19 Which consisteth in keeping his commandments 1 John 5.3 Or in loving of Jesus Christ being revealed unto them and keeping his precepts John 15.10 And that thus repenting believing c. men are required with confidence to hope and with patience to waite for the promised Salvation 1 Iohn 3.19 20 21. 4.17 Titus 2.11 12 13. 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Heb. 10.36 This then being the substance of the grace of God manifested by Christ at his appearing the grace that was given to men before the world is to be understood as followeth viz. That God forth of his rich grace pity and compassion considering all mankinde fallen from their first estate and become guilty of everlasting death resolved to send his Son into the World to redeem them from thence to restore them again to immortality to prepare for them therein a heavenly Kingdome to open unto them a way thereinto to invite them to walke therein and walking therein in the end to give them the possession thereof According to which grace Paul and Timothy were called and saved and not according to their workes of righteousnesse by the Law which is all that can rationally be inferred from this Scripture And this is further confirmed by that which followeth in the 13. verse where Paul exhorteth Timothy To hold fast the forme of sound words which he had heard of him in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus which exhortation seemeth to be grounded upon the turning away from the truth of many in Asia mentioned verse 15. the which would be altogether inpertinent as also that caution which he giveth him 1 Tim. 1.19 To hold faith and a good conscience whereof some had made shipwrack If that

capable of working righteousnesse thereby under the promises of Adoption of reward of good workes and of raigning together with God and Christ for ever and ever It doth not therefore follow That because men obtain Justification and Adoption through Faith and are rewarded for their good workes that therefore all these things are not obtained through Grace seeing that it is from the unspeakable Grace of God that we who were dead doe live that we enjoy such precious promises and upon such gracious termes whereby we are or may be made partakers of them And yet although that Justification and Salvation are thus founded upon the Grace of God yet hath every man through the performance of those things whereunto the same is promised as just a right and claime thereunto as our first Father Adam could have had unto life by obedience to the Law as the words of the Apostle in Hebr. 6.10 doe plainly witnesse God is not unfaithfull saith he to forget your worke and labour of love the righteousnesse of God is engaged to performe whatsoever forth of his goodnesse he hath promised And as for the pretence of some gathered from these and such like Scriptures 1 John 5.10 11. Luke 27. That Salvation is freely bestowed upon men without any thing required on their part thereunto their mistake therein is clearly discovered from these grounds 1. That the Apostles of Jesus Christ who handled not the Word of God deceitfully but commended themselves to every mans conscience as in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 doe every where in Answer to the Question What men should doe to be saved Declare That men must repent and believe Acts 2.37 38. Acts 16.30 31. 2. From the practice of the Apostles themselves who being fully instructed in the knowledge of the Grace of God Acts 20.27 yet strove to obtain the Crown of eternall life And not un-necessarily as men beating the Aire 1 Cor. 9.25 26 27. with 2 Tim. 2.5.12 3. From the tenure of the promises which all runne conditionally I will give to him that is a thirst of the water of life freely Rom. 20.6 Be thou Faithfull unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life Rev. 2.10 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge will give me at that day and not to me only but unto all those that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.6 7. Rev. 3.11 Rev. 3.24 4. And lastly from hence that Salvation it self is intituled The inheritance of reward Col. 3.24 Forasmuch as reward doth alwaies presuppose something either done or to be done in recompence whereof the same is given Moses chose to suffer with the people of God because he had respect to the recompence of reward Hebr. 11.25 26. 5. And although in 1 John 5.10 11. It is said that God hath given us eternall life yet in vers the 12. it is also said That this life is in his Son and that he that hath it must have the Son And the same Apostle in his 2 Epist v. 9 plainly declareth That whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath neither the Father nor the Son He is the author of Salvation to those that obey him Hebr. 5.9 And as for Luke 1.77 where it is prophesied That John the Baptist should give knowledge of Salvation to the Jewes by the remission of sinnes The meaning thereof is best interpreted by the tenour of his own preaching unto them whereby they are taught not to expect either remission of sins or Salvation otherwise then through repentance and amendment of life Luk. 3.3 Mat. 3.8 9 10. Luke 3.8 according to that in Acts 3.19 Object Faith being the gift of God Eph. 2.8 Salvation in reference whereunto it is given is the gift of God also Answ First It is not clear in this Text that the Apostle doth intend Faith to be the gift of God but rather that salvation is the gift of God and in what nature Salation is given by him hath been shewed before 2. But admit that Faith is the gift of God it doth not therefore follow that Faith whereunto Salvation is promised is the gift of God for Faith in the Scriptures is diversly taken As first it is taken for the Doctrine of Faith in which respect they that have preached the same are said to preach the Faith Galat. 1.23 and those to whom it was preached are said to hear the Faith Gal. 3.5 and those that received and subjected themselves thereunto are said to be obedient to the Faith Acts 6.7 Secondly it is taken for the bare credence and belief of the Doctrine of Christ in which respect The Rulers that loved the praise of men more than the praise of God are said to believe in Christ John 12.42 43. And thus the Devils are also said to believe and tremble James 2.19 Thirdly It is taken for the knowledge love and obedience of the Doctrine of Christ In which respect those that have departed from the love and obedience thereof are said to make Shipwrack of Faith and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 And lastly it is taken for an assured hope and expectation of eternall life begotten in men through a conscientious privity of the truth of their repentance sincerity of their obedience and the gracious promises of God made thereunto according as the words of the Apostle in 2 Tim. 4.7 8. before rehearsed do declare Now although that Faith in the first and second acceptation whereunto the Apostle in these words viz. It is the gift of God may have respect be acknowledged the gift of God and be after a sort necessarily imposed upon men especially when as the Doctrine of Christ is clearly and evidently demonstrated unto them by the miraculous power of God as it was by the Ministery of the Apostles Yet in the third acceptation by which alone men are intituled to Salvation it cannot from hence be concluded to be the gift of God it being begotten in men only through a due and serious consideration of the truth certainty worth and excellency of the Doctrine therof discovered unto them For like as a soft answer turneth away wrath and a soft tongue breaketh the bone according to Prov. 15.1 and 25.15 Even so the unspeakable love and goodnesse of God appearing unto men received into and laid up in their hearts as it is required in Deut. 6.6 11 18. Prov. 4.4 begetteth in them a love towards God obedience to his Word crucifieth them to the world casteth downe imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Eph. 6.16 17. From whence it is that those persons who have had the mercy and goodnesse of God demonstrated unto them in a more abundant measure than others and have not thereby

In vers the 4. and 5. thus replieth in his own defence Lord wilt thou also slay a righteous Nation Said he not unto me she is my sister And she even she her self said He is my brother in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands I have done this the which grounds also serve plainly to demonstrate the truth of the later position viz. 2. That whatsoever was required of them to their Salvation was within their power to be performed by them For by the same reason that some performed them by nature others in the same condition might have done so likewise and consciousnesse that they could not performe them being known unto them would quiet their mindes both in this world and at the day of Christ as much as consciousnesse of their ignorance thereof could For the conscience of a man in the omission or misdoing of his duty not understood acquitteth him therein only upon this ground That the doing or right performance thereof was impossible unto him notwithstanding his utmost endeavours the which ground of impossibility to performe his duty will appease his conscience in the omission thereof in any other case whatsoever And thus this Objection with the ground thereof is taken away The second text is 1 Cor. 2.14 the words whereof are these But the naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnes unto him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned from whence it is supposed that no man in the estate of nature not endued with the Spirit of God can possibly understand or doe any thing required of him to his Salvation 1. The groundlesnesse of this supposition was clearly disproved before by the testimony of the Apostle concerning the Gentiles their doing by nature the things required of them to their Iustification and Salvation 2. But yet the more fully to take away the ground thereof By the things of the Spirit in this place must needs be understood either such things which are peculiar to the Spirits revelation to those which after their believing have received the same according to Iohn 16.12 where Christ telleth his Disciples That he had many things to say unto them which they could not then viz. before the Spirit was given unto them bear How be it saith he the Spirit of Truth when he is come he will guide you into all Truth and will shew you things to come Or else secondly By the things of the Spirit must be understood the Doctrine of the Gospel in generall mentioned chap. 1.17 18.21.2.4.5 By the wisdome of the World is accounted foolishnesse If that the things of the Spirit be taken in the first acceptation as may be conceived from the 12 and 13 verses where the Apostle intimateth that the things whereof he here speaketh were none other then what was revealed or taught unto himself and others by the Spirit which they had received then this text pretendeth not at all to prove that men in the estate of nature cannot perceive or doe any thing required of them to their Salvation but only that none can understand the mysteries or secrets of the Kingdome of God untill first they believe the Gospel Mat. 13.11 and are Baptized with the Holy Ghost which the World cannot receive Iohn 14.17 Nor yet secondly If that by the things of the Spirit are understood the Doctrine of the Gospel in general it will not thereupon follow that a man in the estate of nature by the exercise of his understanding cannot perceive or receive the knowledge thereof when it is plainly preached and by the evidence of the Spirit demonstrated unto him Seeing it is manifest by the Scriptures that the very worst of naturall men The Rulers Scribes and Pharisees have attained to the knowledge of the most fundamentall points of Christianity under which the whole Doctrine therof is comprehended As 1 They believed that there was a God 2. They believ that Jesus Christ was the Messias and Saviour of the World and so consequently that his whole Doctrine was none other then the undoubted Oracles of God Iohn 2.23 24 25. Iohn 12.42 43. And thirdly They believed the resurrection of the just and of the unjust Acts 23.7 9. Acts 24.15 And the Gospel being thus understood by men they are thereby sufficiently enabled to the obedience thereof whence it is that the Scriptures unto such persons speaketh on this wise Receive not the grace of God in vain having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and perfect holinesse in the fear of God He that knoweth to do wel and doth not or that knoweth his masters wil and doth it not to him it is sin and he shall be beaten with many stripes Such manner of speech alwaies presupposing an ability in the persons to whom it is directed to improve the same to the end thereof Wherefore we are not to conceive that because it is said The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the spirit nor can receive them that therefore no man destitute of the spirit can possibly understand or give obedience to the Gospel of Christ when it is evidently in the preaching thereof demonstrated unto them But we are thereby given to know That no man whatsoever measuring the Gospel of Grace teaching him to deny al ungodlines worldly lust to live righteously soberly godly in this present world c. Tit. 2.11 12. by the natural earthly sensual principles and wisdom of the world * S. John in his 1 Joh. 2.15 exhorting not to love the world nor the things that are therein in ver 16 teacheth us what he would have us to understand thereby viz. the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life whereby we are also taught to understand whereunto the wisdome of the world so often spoken of in the first second and third Chap. of the 1 Cor. is to be confined viz. to the promoting and accomplishing the fore-said ends because that it cannot extend beyond it self or direct men unto any thing that is not comprehended therein the which may serve to admonish all men to beware of branding the vertuous and just principals whether of the Heathens or any other persons whatsoever though learned in the book of Creation only with the odious infamy of worldly wisdom An evil too ordinary in our times teaching him to deny all godlinesse and goodnes in this world and to live according to the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and pride of life 1 Joh. 2.16 can possibly receive the same and become obedient thereunto but must reject it as foolishnesse God and the world the wisdome of God and the wisdome of the world being so directly opposite and contrary each unto other That whosoever will love the one must hate the other or that will embrace the one must reject the other If any man saith James will be a

that the second death Rev. 2.11 or condemnation inflicted by Christ at the last day is none other then the penalty of the breach of the second Covenant This is the condemnation of the world saith S. John Chap. 3.19 That light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evil Which later reason receiveth confirmation from hence That Christ by a most lively embleme in the Parable of the Talents hath declared unto us That God at that day will require no more of any man but according to the Talents of Grace delivered unto them by himself the Mediatour of the new Covenant and will then condemn none but for not well using what they had so received of him whereupon it doth necessarily follow That all men being under the new Covenant whatsoever Grace necessary to Salvation is therein by God promised unto any he being faithfull that hath promised and the Covenant confirmed unto all mankinde by the bloud of Jesus Christ the same must needs be acknowledged to be granted unto all And then forasmuch as we see that all men have not the Law and Fear of God written in them otherwise then was shewed before concerning the Gentiles Rom. 2.14 15. nor their stony hearts taken out of their flesh c. we must not therefore imagine that God hath covenanted absolutely to do these things for any men But there are two things in this Text which thorow want of due consideration mis-lead many men from the right understanding thereof First Because it is said That this Covenant which God promiseth to make with the Iews in the last daies should not be like unto the Covenant that he made with their fathers when he brought them out of the Land of Aegypt the which Covenant they brake c. From whence it is conceived That as the first Covenant could not by any be kept so the later cannot by any that are comprehended therein be broken For the clearing of this mistake I desire that it may be observed That if by these two Covenants here spoken of we must understand the Law and the Gospel Works and Grace which is much questioned by some who conceive them to be particular Covenants proper and peculiar to the Iews only and so nothing at all to the point in hand that they were neither of them unmade untill the time that God brought the Israelites out of the Land of Aegypt And therefore much lesse until the daies of the Prophet Jeremy as this Text seemeth to import That the first Covenant was given unto our first parents in Paradise appeareth from hence That the curse thereof entered into the world by Adam and raigned over all men before the Law was given at mount Sinai Rom. 5.14 For where the curse of the Law is inflicted there the breach of the Law must needs be imputed And seeing as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 5.13 that sin is not imputed where there is no Law given therefore the Law must needs be acknowledged to be given unto Adam and in him to all man-kinde before the punishment thereof death thorow his disobedience did enter into the world and raign therein And like as the Law was given unto Adam before he incurred the punishment thereof So the Gospel or second Covenant must needs be granted immediately to succeed upon his transgression of the first because that otherwise the curse of the Law should forthwith according as it was threatned Gen. 2.17 have seized upon him to have destroied him and in him all man-kinde then in his loins sinning in him the truth whereof is confirmed unto us from hence 1. That the end of Gods patience and forbearance towards sinners is none other then their Repentance and Salvation Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou saith the Apostle speaking to the Gentiles the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to Repentance Again 2 Pet. 3.9 Peter telleth those that scoffed at Gods forbearance towards them in their wickednesse contrary as they supposed to his threats denounced against them That God was not slack concerning his Promise as they counted slacknesse but long-suffering not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance And Paul in Act. 17.26 27. plainly informeth us That the end why God made of one bloud that is to say of Adam all Nations of men to dwell upon the face of the earth was That they should seek the Lord Now forasmuch as seeking of the Lord Repentance and the obtaining of Salvation doth necessarily presuppose the granting and exhibiting of the new Covenant these ends being otherwise impossible to be attained it must needs follow That as God is declared to spare and forbear Adam and all men to the end they might repent c. that in reference to these ends he vouchsafed unto them the Covenant of his Grace whereby they might be enabled to attain thereunto 2. Besides If that God should have spared our first parents and granted unto them the procreation of seed and not in order to the Grace of the new Covenant Redemption from death the curse of the Law and Salvation in the world to come thorow Repentance then there should have been no proportion betwixt the sinne of man-kinde in Adam and the punishment thereof because sinning but in potentia they should be punished in actu which inequality of proceeding is by God in Ezek. 18. disclaimed so that if he had not prepared for man-kinde another life after death and vouchsafed means to make them happy therein they should never personally have suffered death but such as was their sin such should have been their punishment 3. Moreover If that the Covenant of Grace had not been from the beginning then Salvation should not have been from the beginning seeing that it is of Grace only and not of works Ephes 2.8 Whereas therefore the Scriptures enformeth us That remission of sins acceptation with God and consequently Salvation was preached unto Cain Gen. 4.6 7. And that Abel the third man on earth obtained the same Heb. 11.4 it must needs be granted That the Covenant of Grace was vouchsafed unto men from the beginning even from the very time that they stood in any need thereof These two Covenants of Works and Grace then being made and given so long before the time implied by the Prophet Jeremy his words cannot possibly be understood to import the time wherein either the first was or the later should be made with man-kinde but the time wherein the first was and the later should be more clearly made known and demonstrated both unto the Iews and unto others then at any time from the beginning of the world they had been In which respect it is that Christ speaking unto his Disciples saith Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear for verily I say unto you That many Prophets and righteous men have desired to see these things which