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truth_n church_n faith_n reveal_v 2,663 5 8.8131 5 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A34850 Vindiciæ veritatis, or, A confutation [...] the heresies and gross errours asserted by Thomas Collier in his additinal word to his body of divinity written by Nehemiah Coxe ... Coxe, Nehemiah. 1677 (1677) Wing C6719; ESTC R37684 130,052 153

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not have sinned is a Categorick or simple proposition and is true of Adam in the sense of division considered as in himself It could not be but that Adam would sin is a modal or qualified proposition and is true of Adam in a sense of composition being considered as subordinate to the Decree The Jews might have broken the bones of Christ is true speaking in the sense of division i. e. looking at the free will of the Jews as in themselves It could not be that the Jews would break the bones of Christ is true speaking in a sense of composition i. e. looking at the will of the Jews as subordinate to the Decree That answer of Elisha to Hazael enquiring of Benhadads recovery containeth in it two like propositions 1. Thou maist certainly recover 2. Thou shalt surely die 2 Kings 3. 10. his Disease was in it self curable and as such is considered in the first proposition The second proposition looketh at him diseased as subordinate to the Decree which had pre-ordained his death through the●stifling of Hazael by occasion of this Disease Thus much of these things Mr. C. goes on to attach another ground and foundation of the Saints rejoycing in God who hath promised to preserve them blameless unto his Heavenly Kingdom He propounds this Question p. 36. May we suppose that persons who are regenerate and born from above may possibly fall from this state of Grace Perhaps Mr. C. hath some design in thrusting in that word possibly into his Question I will therefore explain the term that he may have no equivocal reserve to fly to A thing may be said to be possible either simply and in its own nature or possible on supposition of all things to be supposed with reference to it In the first sense it was possible that a bone of Christ might have been broken in the latter viz. on supposition that God had decreed and foretold the contrary it was not so The Question in reference to the Saints perseverance proceeds in the last sense whether supposing their Election of God Christs undertaking for them and their interest in the Covenant of Grace it is yet possible that some of them may finally depart from God and be lost for ever And to this I answer in the Negative But he saith The Scriptures do not say they may not nor that they shall certainly obtain This is false The contrary appears from these Texts Psal 125. 1 2. Isa 4. 5. ch 54. 8 9 10. Jer. 31. 3. ch 32. 39 40. Ezek. 36. 26 27. Joh. 6. 39 40. with ch 10. 28 29. Rom. 8. 29 30 38 39. 1 Thes 5. 23 24. 1 Pet. 1. 3 4 5. 1 Joh. 2. 19. with many others He adds We are to suppose all Gospel-believers to be regenerate and then we may and must suppose a possibility for the regenerate to fall or none can fall away By Gospel-believers I presume he intends those that are members of the visible Church of Christ such as profess Faith in him and Obedience to him and do not at present contradict their profession by a contrary practice in the sight of men My answer is If we respect any particular person or persons among these we are bound to hope so of them because Charity always inclineth to the better part But if we respect the whole bulk of professors together we are not to believe that they are all regenerate persons because the Scripture telleth us there are foolish as well as wise Virgins Hypocrites as well as sincere Believers in the visible Church though who they be we know not till their works discover it and when their Hypocrisie is discovered we are not to think that they once were new Creatures and are fallen from that state but the quite contrary 1 Joh. 2. 19. So then though many Professors fall away even such as have past under some common work of the Spirit this doth not at all infer That those who are truly born again not of corruptible Seed but incorruptible by the word of God that liveth and abideth for ever may do so in like manner He proceeds I know nothing stated in the Gospel-law of Grace as a duty in order to obtain the end but that persons may obtain and be supposed possibly to fall finally from Joh. 15. 4 5 6. Nothing that 's strange Is not perseverance in Faith and Obedience required in order to salvation and may persons persevere and fall finally too The Text cited by Mr. C. doth no ways confirm his notion although we allow him to except perseverance from the duties intended by him Unto the 4th and 5th Verses something hath been spoken already by which it appears that they lye directly against Mr. Colliers notion of the Creatures ability of himself to do any thing that is spiritually Good I suppose it is the 6th Verse that he promiseth himself some relief from The words are If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered c. He doth not tell us on what account he thinks this Text may serve for a proof of his Doctrine but probably he thinketh that the words suppose That such as for a time truly abide in Christ may afterwards cease to do so and perish out of him But there is no such thing intended in them For this Text as many other do speaketh of Professors according to what their condition appeareth to be before men and so all that are members of the visible Church and have a place therein are counted branches in Christ some of these bring forth fruit by which the sincerity of their Faith in Christ and the truth of their being spiritually united with him is manifested These do not fall away but he that hath begun a good work in them doth perfect it to the end The Father purgeth them that they may bring forth more fruit Others of these branches do not bring forth fruit which is an evidence that their being in Christ is only by profession for it cannot be that one united to Christ by true Faith and the in-dwelling of his spirit should be without those vital influences from him is will produce some good fruit these do not abide in Christ by a lively exercise of Faith and therefore being indeed separate from him while they appear to be one with him they can do nothing but in time of temptation fall away from their profession and are cast out as branches and are withered and men gather them and they are cast into the fire and are burned And more then this cannot without offering violence to the Text be inferred from it which doth not make against but confirm the truth concerning the Saints perseverance That which Mr. C. offers to strengthen his desired inference is this The truth hereof will father appear if we consider 1. That the Gospel makes no difference but warns all to take heed of falling which necessarily supposeth a possibility of falling with respect to
that the special Elect only shall obtain and that all others are debarred that though they will and run all will be in vain And again p. 41. he intimates that his opponents infer from this Scripture That God will damn whom he please from his own will and power and save whom he will from his own will and power Let men believe or obey do what they will or can its all nothing But that after all their willing running repenting believing obeying w●tching and warring they must leave all to the Eternal will and power c. This is as notorious a slander as he could well have cast upon them for all they say amounts to no more then this That the Election have obtained and the rest are blinded And this we are bold to affirm still having so good warranty for it as we have though he go on to reproach us therefore But that we say willing and running believing and obeying c. is in vain to the non-Elect and that after all watching and warring the state of men must be determined by the Eternal will and power is a very gross and I fear a studied untruth there being no foot-steps of any such assertion to be found in the Doctrine or Writings of the men of his controversie It being constantly asserted by them That there is an inseparable connexion between Faith and Salvation and that it is an Everlasting truth That he which believeth shall be saved ●●d he which believeth not shall be damned and it is as true That none do will or run after a right manner but the Elect who are drawn with loving kindness because loved with an Everlasting love It is in vain for Mr. C. to pretend to be a follower of peace and holiness whilst he makes no conscience of belying and abusing those that have no otherwise offended him then by a sober asserting of those truths that the corruption of his heart riseth against And whereas he saith p. 40. That it condemns all willing and running without having respect to the mercy of God in the Gospel leaving out Christ and Grace c. This is a truth in it self though not the direct sense of this Text That all such running will be in vain But I desire to know how he will reconcile this with his other Doctrine of the Salvation of very many that know not Christ nor the Grace of God as revealed in the Gospel The other Text is 1 Joh. 2. 19. They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us This Text is so express against the falling away of true Believers that Mr. Collier despairs of dealing with it on any Add. word p. 44. fair terms and therefore instead of an Exposition adventures upon a down-right contradiction to it The Apostle saith That by persons going out from the true Church it is manifest they never were living members of it and that God suffers such to fall away that so their Hypocrisie might be discovered Mr. C. saith John might know it some other way and that this proves not that all that may go out from the Church were not of them The Text saith again If they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us Mr. Collier saith nay Some may go out who if they had continued might yea must have obtained i. e. were once sincere John saith if it had been so no doubt they would have continued Now let the Reader choose whether authority he will imbrace Audacia Creditur a multis fiducia And if Mr C. shall still object as probably he will That it is not to be desired that men should persist in their Hypocrisie neither is there any danger of falling away from it c. I answer in the words of Dr. Owen Saints Pers p. 295. Though they may not be exhorted to continue in their Hypocrisie which corrupts and vitiates their profession yet they may in their profession which in its self is good And though there is no danger of leaving their Hypocrisie yet there is of their waxing worse and worse by falling from the beginnings of Grace which they have received the profession which they have made and the regular conversation which they have entred upon So that notwithstanding any thing said to the contrary the Scriptures insisted on to prove the Saints final Apostacy may principally belong to some kind of Professors who notwithstanding all their gifts a●d common graces which they have received yet in a large sense may be termed Hypocrites as they are opposed to them who have received the spirit with true and saving Grace I shall close this with my earnest request to Mr. C. That before he adventure on a farther opposition to this great truth he would seriously per●se the Book referred to and diligently consider the strength of what is there pleaded by the reverend Author for the Doctrine of the Saints perseverance which if he would do I am perswaded the profit or at least conviction of the weakness of his present arguments against it which he might receive thereby would even in his own judgement abundantly compensate his pains However it will farther inform him what he hath to remove out of his way before he can establish the Doctrine now assert●d by him and so may guide and influence him to speak more pertinently and mod●stly then hither to he hath done in a matter of so great importance CHAP. VI. Of Justification THat Article of our Faith which concerns the Justification of a sinner in the sight of God must needs be acknowledged to be of great importance and we ought to be more careful of nothing then that our minds be not corrupted from the simplicity of the Gospel and we moved from our sted fastness thereabout and therefore although Mr. Collier in the Book before me hath said but little directly to that point yet observing divers things therein very opposite to and inconsistent with the truth in this matter I could not pass them without some remark And in the first place I shall briefly propose what the Scripture teacheth us and then examine Mr. Colliers notions that are contrary to the truth revealed therein The term Justification is constantly in the Scriptures speaking of this matter taken in a Law-sense as it imports the acquitting of a person by the sentence of a Judge The Justification of a sinner by God is The gracious sentence of God by which for Christs sake apprehended by Faith he loooseth the sinner from his Obligation to Eternal wrath and punishment and accounts him righteous to the obtai●ing of Life and Glory 1. It is the sentence of God as a Judge acquitting Rom. 8. 32. 2. It is a gracious sentence without any respect to our worthiness or works of Righteousness that we have done or can do Rom. 3. 24.