Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	act_n	faith_n	justify_v	1,766	5	9.0589	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37263	Truth and innocency vindicated against falshood & malice exprest in a late virulent pamphlet intituled, (A true account of a most horrid and dismal plague began at Rothwell, &c.) without printer's licenser's or author's name thereunto) : together with an account of the Kettering visitation / by R. Davis ... ; to which is added, Mr. Rob. Betson's answer to so much as concerns him in the said libel.	Davis, Richard, 1658-1714.; Betson, Robert. Answer to some part of that pamphlet called, A plain and just account of a plague being at Rothwell.	1692 (1692)	Wing D435; ESTC R10047	98,027	94

like the Merchant's Ship fetcheth its Goods from far even from Jesus at the Right-Hand of the Father We are apter to tabernacle within than to go out of Self for a Supply continually which is swimming against Wind and Tide going contrary to Sence and Humane Wisdom it is that that Flesh and Blood knoweth not Lastly Since Marks and Signs shine only in the Light of Faith and Faith shineth not but when it looketh directly to its Object the Grace that is in Christ Jesus then so to Examine our Faith when we cease to Act Faith is as if One should put out a Candle to see whether it burneth or not or to shut close the Doors and Windows to see whether the Room be light This I have preached at Willingham or to this effect though the Witnesses have made a woful Blunder about it Sanctification is no Evidence of Justification Faith and its Effects have a great share in Gospel-Holiness and sure they are Signs of Justification But such Holiness as they plead for is no Holiness and therefore no Evidence of Justification Animadversions on the foregoing Head IT is Remarkable Accusations under this Head tend to support these Two following Principles 1. That Divine Illumination is not of the Essence of Saving-Faith 2. To over-turn the Faith of Assurance or to set up one that 's not known in the Scripture and that can be of no use to Believers But I shall prove that Divine Illumination is of the Essence of Saving-Faith For 1st None can believe on what they know not None can see a need of Christ nor fly unto him but they whose Eyes have been opened by the Spirit to see the Beauty Excellency and Necessity of Christ Jesus Therefore Faith is not a blind Consent to the Will only 2dly As the Spirit does work in this Faith he is called the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of him that is Christ Eph. 1. 17. His Office is to open and enlighten the Eyes of the Understanding ver 18. As also to take the things of Christ and shew unto the Soul Joh. 16. 14. And to make known unto Believers the Mystery of his Will Eph. 1. 9. Having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath purchased to himself 3dly Faith it self is called a Revelation of Christ in the Soul Gal. 1. 15 16. But when it pleased God to separate me from my mother's womb and called me by his Grace ver 16. To reveal his Son in me is also called the Assurance of Understanding Col. 2. 2. That their hearts may be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ I might add more Reasons but I judge these sufficient But observe I do not make Faith to be only a Divine Natural Illumination or Understanding but also an Act of the Will divinely perswaded accepting of and leaning on Christ As to the Second thing I must confess the new coin'd Faith of Assurance I do not understand to wie That it is when a Christian can find such and such Marks in himself and these in sincerity then he may be assured of his Salvation and this without any mention made of looking to Christ or leaning on him in the very Act of Assurance But I find no Foot steps of such a Faith in the Scripture These are my Arguments against it Arg. 1. The Object of Saving-Faith is Christ once Crucified now at the Father's Right-Hand But this sort of Faith of Assurance sets up a Christ within a Quaker's Christ as the Object of Faith Arg. 2. If it be granted that this Faith of Assurance takes its Grounds and Denomination from as Reflect Act of Faith yet a Reflect Act of Faith is but a Repercussion upon the Conscience of that Light that shines in a direct Act of Faith so that there can be no true Marks and Signs without Faith in that moment exercis'd He that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought of God Joh. 3. 21. So then they that bid People try their Faith by looking within and not bidding them at that time look to Christ and that first put them in my Judgment upon an impossible Test Arg. 3. As there can be no real Marks and Signs without Faith exercis'd upon the Object so to put People upon examining the Sincerity of their supposed Marks and Signs is yet to make the Matter ten times more difficult and perplexing to the Soul Gospel-Sincerity I find in Scripture to be this viz. To mix nothing with Christ and his Righteousness in our Justification 〈◊〉 and to have right Principles Means Aims and Ends in carrying of Sanctification 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. comp together Arg. 4. They that would examine their Faith whether it be sincere by Marks and Signs without Faith in the Exercise must have a Second Mark to know the First a Third to prove the Second and a Fourth to prove the Third and so ad infinitum Hence it is that poor Souls are quite be wilder'd to bring the Matter to a determinate issue so that despairing of making their Calling and Election sure they content themselves with lazy faint and languid Hopes which have no good bottom or else what is worst of all they embrace a Cloud instead of this Assurance I shall humbly offer my Judgment of Faith of Assurance as I find it in Scripture 1. I do not deny but that when we sensibly feel our inward Grace shining in the Light of Faith we may from thence together with the Evidence of Faith inferr the Certainty of our Believing as when we sensibly perceive our Love to Christ flowing from our Faith in him we may thence conclude we have the Faith of God's Elect and so of other Graces But perhaps this is but seldom the frame of a Believer's Spirit and yet he ought when he walks in the dark to hold fast his Confidence Therefore there must needs be that that is true Assurance though not so high and so sensible as this And 1st I find in Scripture it is a strong and constant reliance upon the Ability and Faithfulness of Christ as to the Grace promised This you have instanced in Abraham's Faith Rom. 4. 20 21. He stagger'd not at the promises of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God And in ver 21. And was fully perswaded that what he had promised he was also able to perform So also instanced in the Faith of Sarah Heb. 11. 11. Through faith also Sarah her self received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful that had promised So therefore in both these Instances you may see that this their Assurance was grounded upon the Ability and Faithfulness of the Promiser It is

any Witnesses ready nor could I till I knew what and who would evidence against me so that I had no publick way left me but this of Printing which I chose rather prudentially to have Recourse unto My 3d Reason and a very weighty one for not appearing was because I understood there was a great enraged Assembly gathered together that waited to make a Riot therefore I durst not go to affront and disturb the Government under which I enjoyed such Peace and Tranquility I had fresh in my memory how many Citizens suffered about the Guild-Hall Riots Besides I was advised by a Magistrate to this course It is more than probable if I had appeared there then it would have been of dangerous Consequence Yet when I understood the Rabble was gone away I went to them and having entred my Protest against their Proceedings left them Had they given a candid Answer to the Proposals made to them by the Messengers of the Church they might have received a speedier Answer It was proposed to them Whether they came as a Presbyterian-Classis or as Messengers of Churches or as Friends or lastly as avowed Opposers As a Classis we should have slighted them as we did as Messengers of Churches they confess they did not come If they had come as Friends they would never have come after that manner If they had been above-board and said they came as Opposers we should have defended the Truth against them to their teeth as the Lord should have enabled us provided it had not been in a tumultuous Assembly One little Gentleman there present would have proceeded to have past Judgment upon us there presently but I would have him seriously consider the judgment the Scripture passes upon his Actions in the late Tryals John 10. 12 13. Tho' they declared at Kettering they would conceal their matters till they came to the United Brethren at London yet two of them in their return home not only exposed us in Preaching but one especially at Hitchin published Heads of the Accusations even to my Friends A third being my former Acquaintance carried it like a just Man I am sorry he was one of them however I overlook it in him and for his Christian Carriage and Justice render him my publick Thanks Some weeks after this Transaction I received from London a Copy of what was deposed against me at Kettering in matters of Faith and Practice I shall expose it to the World verbatim because I know there is a great noise about it as most conceive more dreadful of it than it is together with the Witnesses Names that they may have the publick Honor they aspire to The Laws of Language and of the Land allow me to call them Informers who witness against a Man in matters of Religion but the Reverence I bear towards some of them forbids me that Term. Then I shall print-my Answer digested together with their Accusations into some general Heads Under every general Head I shall make bold to make some Reflections to evince what Truth of the Gospel is struck at annexing thereunto a short Defence thereof and it is as followeth A True Copy of what was deposed at Ketterin at their Visitation THat the Elect were actually justified from Eternity and are as much belov'd of God whilst in Rebellion against him as after Conversion and that God is reconciled to all that he will be reconciled unto Attested by Mr. Bland Mr. Ley and Mr. Chandler who wrote it from his own mouth and offered to produce Testimonies under the hands of Mrs. Seaton Mr. Acock and Mr. Nickolls We are justified ever since Christ's death Mr. Bland 't was also said that Mr. Hunt would confirm the same We asked Mr. Davis's Friends whether Mr. Davis did preach that we are actually justified before Faith And they owned that they could not deny it and one said they hoped they should own it to the death The Law doth not prepare for Conversion the Spirit of God doth not make use of the Law in order to Conversion Attested by Mr. Chandler Mr. Tomlins of Ampthil and Mr. Holledge of Kimbolton Mr. D. objected in his Sermon But the Law is said to convert To this he answer'd That it is the Law of the Gospel which is this I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy Mr. Chandler The Law cannot convert because the works of the Law are under a curse to the Soul Witnessed by Mr. Chandler who engaged to produce the Testimony of Mr. Acock of Caysoe The Law gives an impious sight of Sin Mr. Moor and Mr. Holledge Witnesses All that the Law doth is to drive Persons further from Christ and make some go away and hang themselves Mr. Ley. Mr. D. preached Believe not others who prophesie Lyes in the Name of the Lord who ever wears a rough Garment to deceive and tell you of John Baptist's preparing the way and preaching his Roughness his Repentance his preparatory Works and you must bring these Qualifications they prophesie Lyes in the Name of the Lord Persons Misery is their Qualification Mr. King who took it in writing from his own mouth Such as preach up preparatory Works are legal Preachers hinder Peoples comfort and keep them under bondage we should begin with high confidence in Christ and hold it fast unto the end Mr. King Here is the Redeemer Ay saith the Soul but I must be humbled more and pray more I say you may repent and be damned for this is slighting the Gospel Do you know how much you would have before you come to Christ Mr. Negus Sinners must come to Christ immediately and be united to him in all their Sins and Filth Mr. Carlile Some hold there must be preparatory Works which is a stumbling block Mr. Ainscomb The Spirit convinceth of no Sin but Unbelief Mr. Terrey the Minister Faith is a Persuasion that our Sins are pardoned Mr. Chandler Mr. Bland A Person may sincerely desire after Holiness and yet be nothing nay they may desire Christ to reign over them and yet not be savingly convinced When then are you savingly convinced You are savingly convinced when you can believe Christ died for you Mr. Robert Page At Willingham he preached That Christians must not try themselves by marks and signs of Grace this is as if a person should shut the doors and windows of his house to let in more light and produced Matth. 12. 38 39. to reprove this way of Heart-examination which he said lay with awe upon his spirit and he could not but mention it viz. An evil and adulterous Generation seek after a sign Adding Oh Generation of Professors I may say of Preachers that seek after a sign Mr. Marshall Mr. Gunton Some will tell you you must examin your selves whether you be in the Faith or no But I say look for no marks but a risen Jesus seek no other Mr. Negus Some will put you upon trying your state by such marks as Sincerity Universal Obedience Love to the