Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	divine_a	faith_n	reveal_v	2,785	5	8.8750	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94870	Lutherus redivivus, or, The Protestant doctrine of justification by Christ's righteousness imputed to believers, explained and vindicated. Part II by John Troughton, Minister of the Gospel, sometimes Fellow of S. John's Coll. in Oxon ... [quotation, Augustine. Epist. 105].	Troughton, John, 1637?-1681.	1678 (1678)	Wing T2314A; ESTC R42350	139,053	283

Divines at Dort Rationes omnes Act. Syn. Art 2. Ibid. à scripturis fideique analogia petitae quibus Christi incarnatio humiliatio vel exaltatio probatur vel confirmatur eò spectant ut demonstretur divina expressa intentio de fructuoso hujus tanti mysterii effectu non conditionaliter producendo nempe si homines cùm aeque nolle possint velint ut hic fructus in de enascatur sed infrustrabiliter efficiendo potentiâ divinâ id operante i. e. All those Arguments that prove the Incarnation Humiliation and Exaltation of Christ tend to this to shew that it was God's express intention to produce the certain effects of that great Mystery infallibly by his own power and not to leave them to be conditional depending upon Man's Will who might as well neglect and refuse as accept of them I conclude the Sum of this Doctrine comes to this That God took occasion by the Incarnation Obedience and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant men terms of Salvation viz. if they should believe and obey the Gospel not as any satisfaction to his Justice or Law which man had broke but as some kind of salvo to his Honour at least as he was pleased to interpret it And what need Christ have been God to do no more than this How easie is the slip from hence into the dead Sea of Socinianism To lay that Christ came by his Life and Death to declare and confirm only this Covenant of Life on condition of Faith and Repentance and to intercede for the Penitents Indeed the whole platform of this Doctrine was borrowed from Socinus by the Arminians from whom most of our modern Writers have it and some immediately from the Socinian from whom also came that common but illogical Evasion of works being not the meritorious but the causa sine qua non of our Justification Opera ea sunt ex quibus justificamur sunt autem opera ista nostra Soc. de Justif apud Pelt i. e. ut dictum fuit obedientia quam Christo praestamus licet nec essiciens nec meritoria tamen causa ut vocant sine qua non justificationis coram Deo at que aeterne salut is nostrae I do not desire this should be believed on my credit much less do I write to reproach any who do in heart abhor that blasphemous heresie however their words and notions may agree too much with it I only beg that Scholars and Divines would take the pains to examin and compare them before they imbibe this new Doctrine CHAP. VII Of the Nature of Faith that it justifieth as an Instrument applying the Promises of life in Christ and not as a Condition or Part of Obedience T The Apostle Paul was sent to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles Act. 26. v. 17 18. to this end that they might receive the forgiveness of sins and an inheritance amongst thom which are sanctified by Faith which is in Christ therefore forgiveness and a right to the heavenly Inheritance comes by Faith But what this Faith is and how it gives right to Life is now to be inquired into In explaining the nature of Faith I shall wave all that is usually drawn from Philosophy to this Argument from the nature and difference of Man's Soul and his Faculties and the difference of the Faculties from each other also from the nature of Habits intellectual or moral which things are fit Exercises for Scholars but not fit to build the Doctrine of Justification and Eternal life upon and if the best Philosophers can give us no certain account how men see and hear and how the external Senses which yet are more material in their operations than the understanding do exercise their functions there is much less certainty to be had concerning the Faculties Operations and Habits of the rational part and the Scripture speaks of believing as a work of the whole Soul With the heart man believeth unto righteousness Rom. 10.9 The like may be said of every Grace and of every Sin that hath the consent of the Heart that they carry the whole Soul with them What then is this Faith The Socinians affirm Faith and Obedience to be really the same thing Peltius Artic. Parag. 21. distinct only formally or docendi causâ Soc. resp ad Epist Joan. Opera Fides nullo modo distinguuntur à Paulo nec ab ea seperari queant imò animo seu forma fidei sunt The Arminians agree with them in this and our late Authors with them both and make believing and obeying the Gospel all one and to be justified by Faith with them is to be justified by obedience to the Gospel Aphor. Th. 70. Hence it is that they describe Faith to be so to believe God as to love him fear him trust him and obey him in every particular command or more briefly to be an accepting of Christ for our Lord and Saviour i. e. to promise obedience to him Ibid. 69 67. and to desire and expect to be saved by him Now we grant as the Gospel is sometime taken for the whole Doctrine or Mind of Christ containing both Promises Precepts and Threatnings though properly it be nothing but a Promise of Life through Christ in contradistinction to all Law and Precepts so also the Faith of Christ and of the Gospel doth sometimes comprehend the whole Christian Profession whereby we promise both a belief of the doctrine and obedience to the Command of Christ Yet Faith taken properly is to be distinguished from all obediential Graces viz. those that are the immediate cause of obedience as much as those graces are distinct from each from other as Love from Fear both from Patience c. That we may wave that Philosophical question also whether Graces be several distinct habits or one universal habit distinguished by several acts and objects it is sufficient if Faith be distinct by its acts and proper object from all other graces as much as they are distinguished each from other And that it is so is evident because it is an assent of the mind to divinely revealed truth Its acts are to believe or assent its formal object is the revealed truth of God as such we speak of Divine Faith only The immediate End of it is the satisfaction of the mind in the certainty of a true proposition and the like All these are distinct from love fear desire which are the immediate principles of all obedience or practice in doing good or avoiding evil Moreover Faith is the root of obedience not as the immediate principle of the elicite acts of obedience but as a more remote principle which doth excite and direct all the immediate principles of it Thus Faith is prerequired to seeking and serving of God Heb. 11.2 to the End and yet the immediate principles of them were fear v. 7. self-denial v. 25. holy courage contempt of the World and the like Faith worketh by love Gal. 5.6 purifieth the

heart Acts 15.9 Therefore it is not love it self or the purity of the heart but something that inclineth and disposeth to love and purity and surely before we can love and obey God there must be an apprehension of his goodness faithfulness readiness to accept and reward which must incline the heart to it We cannot love and serve him 〈◊〉 we neither know him nor his Mind concerning us nor have any confidence in his good wil● towards us And this is Faith which we may thus describe Faith is a hearty and practical assent to all divine truth so as to believe the Histories fear the Threatnings trust in the I remises and expect the fulfilling of Prediction which proceed from God All this is easily gathered out of the 11. Heb. where the Apostle having spoken in the end of the 10th Chapter of believing to the saving of the Soul subjoyn● this description of Faith v. 1. viz. That it is the substance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the subsistence of things hoped for and the evidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of things not seen which subsistence and evidence things yet suture have only in God's Word and Man's real belief of it things hoped for properly respect the Promises things not seen the History of things past as the belief of the Creation v. 2. and the Prediction of things to come as Noah by Faith feared the Deluge v. 7. and all the Patriarchs died in faith or expectation of the coming of Christ v. 13. Now that Faith hath several acts and causeth several affections as hope trust fear in the soul is because it hath several objects things to be desired things to be feared and things to be hoped for which is common to it with other graces which have their several acts and affections towards several objects or the same objects severally con●dered That special act of Faith which re●●ects Promises or affection immediately ●owing from Faith without which it is not ●ompleat in Scripture is called by several ●ames rouling resting leaning relying upon God flying to him for resuge hiding our ●●lves under him putting of our selves under ●he Shadow of his Wings which and the like ●re Metaphors from the Body and when we ●eak properly of the acts of the Soul are best ●prest by believing or trusting in the Promises which the Protestants express by fidu●a affiance or fiducial recumbence which is ●●so the Scripture term of putting our hope and confidence in God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pervasion and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a full assurance of ●is Promise Now Faith justifieth a Sinner ●ot in its whole Latitude for so it believeth ●eer Histories as well as practical things and ●e Threatnings as well as the Promises and ●●useth fear as well as hope But a Sinner cannot be reconciled unto God by fearing his Wrath and Judgment though fearing may ●cite him to look after mercy in the Promise ●or by believing the History of things past as ●●e Creation and Floud or the Prediction of ●●ings to come as the Resurrection and day 〈◊〉 Judgment though these things may set forth God's veracity and confirm the Truth of his promise and may excite fear and diligence 〈◊〉 seeking after mercy As trusting in the promises of particular mercies and deliverances is the means of obtaining those mercies as the promises are made to such faith or 〈◊〉 Isa 26.3.4 Thou shalt keep him in perse peace whose mind is stayed on thee because trusteth in thee The promises of deliverant go before and this is added as the means procure the accomplishment of them viz. That they should trust in God so in like m●ner the general promise of Pardon and Justfication is made to believing or trusting in and faith gives right to it and is the means having it performed to us Faith then justi●● as it obtains mercy Heb. 11.33 Saint● Faith obtained Promises viz. a performan of them and in the Gospel frequently 〈◊〉 Faith hath saved thee and thy Faith hath m● thee whole c. As Faith obtains these mercies neither as an act of obedience not the cause or root of obedience but only trusting in the Power and Faithfulness of G●engaged by the particular promises so a● Faith justifieth a Sinner by trusting in 〈◊〉 Grace and Mercy of God through Je● Christ expressed in the general Promise of 〈◊〉 Gospel He that believeth shall be saved 〈◊〉 the like We do not contend about the a● ception of faith in this proposition We a●● justified by saith whether it be taken objectively only as some think i. e. we are justified by Christ believed on or relatively 〈◊〉 are justified by faith as apprehending the mercy of God promised through Christ and 〈◊〉 by any works of our own it cometh all one at last The Mercy of God is the c●●sa proegomena the moving cause of our Justification the righteonsness of Christ wrought for us the meritorious cause procuring our acceptance with God and also the material or formal cause being the very thing for which God accepts us to life The Promise in the Gospel is the external moral or legal means whereby God conveys Justification and this Righteousness having promised 〈◊〉 to them that believe and faith is an internal means on mans part to apply Christ's Righteousness for his Justification by trusting him promising of it and that partly natural is faith is an act or habit or act properly conversant about a promise and partly mo●al as God hath appointed our faith in the promise of Justification to be a means of obtaining it and this is all that Divines mean by saying Faith justifys as an instrument or intrumentally and when they call it the mouth and the hand of the soul viz. That Man is Justified by the Righteousness of Christ which Justification is proposed and promised in the Gospel to all that will accept it and trust in it which is believing so that Faith it self is ●ot the matter or righteousness which doth Justifie us under the Gospel instead of our Obedience under the Law but it is the means whereby through the Promise of the Gospel Christs Righteousness is imputed or applied to us by and for which we are justified Object It is no better than a cavil which is objected If Faith justifys as an instrument whose instrument is it Gods or Mans if Mans then he justifys himself if Gods then Man doth nothing in the business of Justification which is Antinomian For Answ The like may be asked of all instruments Natural or Moral Our Food whose instrument is it to nourish us If Gods then we need not eat if ours then we nourish our selves The Word and Sacraments are instruments of grace if they are our instruments then we work grace in our selves i● Gods then we need do nothing all these and the like are instruments of Gods appointing to be used by us to the right use of which he hath promised a blessing he hath commanded us to take food and

Spirit to abide with us for ever Joh. 14.16 And the powring out of the Spirit was reserved till his Work of Redemption was finished and he should be possessed of Glory John 16.7 And then he promised the Spirit ●o lead us into all truth to reveal himself to us and to glorifie him in us v. 12 13 14. Lastly He prayed for sanctifying Grace and perseverance for them that did and all that should hereafter believe till they all come to be one in him John 17.15 16 21. And wherefore is the Power of giving Grace committed to the Mediatour if not purchased by him and why doth he interceede for that he never bought and paid for If then Christ purchased Grace as well as a Right to Life then Justification giveth a Right to Grace as well as to Life it self and so is more than Pardon 5. I argue from the Impulsive Causes Pardon is an Act of meer Mercy but Justification is an Act of Justice therefore it is not meer Pardon God justifieth Believers not as a meer Act of Favour though free Mercy be the Foundation and the prime impulsive cause of Justification and all the Fruits of it but immediately it is an Act of Justice Justice being the immediate Impulsive Cause It is not only a Just thing with God to justifie a Sinner through Christ that he may do it without wrong to his Justice as some gloss it but it is an Act of proper Justice having received satisfaction to his Law to justifie and acquit him it would not be just to deny it This is intimated Rom. 8.33 35. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that Justifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who shall indite or implead them in course of Law or Judgment or else there is enough to be charged against them The Reason is because it is God that justifieth God who is to be Judge to give the Sentence and therefore will justifie judicially or as an Act of Judgment And the ground of this is in the next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who shall condemn in Judgment seeing Christ has died and so satisfaction is made to Justice When we pardon an Offence which we might justly punish we do cedere de jure forbear our Right and Justice gives place to Mercy but Justice cannot pardon or acquit unless it be satisfied unless it have what is right and due according to Law Object But it is said That God pardoneth legally and judicially by virtue of the Evangelical Law so it is an Act of Justice as well as of Mercy Vid. Justiif Evang. p. 23. So Truman They say a Sinner is not pardoned by Free Grace and Absolute Pardon but upon conditions and terms required in the Gospel to be performed by him which when he hath performed the Evangelical Law doth justifie him pronounce him pardoned and so his Pardon is an Act of Justice according to the Gospel Law though not according to the Law of Works which is content with nothing but Satisfaction Answ Let any fair Disputant judge whether this 〈◊〉 not to shift the Question They have said ●●at Justification is meer Pardon bare Pardon nothing but Pardon and yet it is not ab●●ute Pardon but Pardon upon condition to 〈◊〉 performed by him that will receive Pardon ●●re not these Conditions when persormed our ●●angelical Righteousness This they con●●d for And are they not a positive Righteousness Yes they are Gospel Obedience ●●hat sence is it then to say we are pardoned ●●thout any positive Righteousness that Pardon alone is all our Righteousness It may be ●●ese conditions are so small and so necessary to ●●e receiving of pardon ex natura rei that ●●y are not to be accounted as any righteousness Nay but in the Gospel Law all the ●●oral Duties that were required in the Cove●●nt of Works are required still though not ●●th the same necessity of perfection And ●●w they are much more difficult than before ●●me Moral Duties are required also and necessary which were not directly nnd properly ●●uties under the First Covenant as Self-de●●l Mortification and bearing the Cross ●●sides these the Gospel prescribeth new posi●●e Duties which neither were nor could be ●●uties under the Law of Works viz. Faith ●●ve and Obedience to the Mediator with 〈◊〉 holy and reverend use of all the positive In●●tutions of the Gospel Are these small things ●●s it necessary to meer Pardon that the pardoned should not only return to their forme Duty but also receive new Terms and Conditions which were never their Duty before If a Prince subdue Rebels and then promi●● them Impunity if besides returning to the●● ancient Duty and Allegiance they will receive some new Terms which he shall please to impose on them doth he freely pardon them doth he not deal with them as in a way 〈◊〉 Mercy so in a way of Soveraignty giv●● them new Laws and making advantage to himself and accession to his Power by occasion 〈◊〉 their misdemeanour Besides this is ve●● improper to talk of legal and judicial Pardon Pardon by a Law For a Law is properly preceptive and judicial Proceedings are acquiting or condemning for keeping or breaki●● the Law Pardon is granted by supersed●● the Sentence of the Law at least the Execution of it or by a Promise or Declaration 〈◊〉 Grace which when establisht for securiti●● sake and promulgated is sometimes called a● Act of Grace yet it hath not the full Natur● of a Law It is the Soveraign Legislator wh●● pardoneth who hath power to relax the Execution of the Law a Law cannot pardon But the plain meaning of those men is Th●● God seeing through the Fall it was become impossible for man to keep and so to be sa●● by the Law of Works was pleased to ma●● a new milder and easier Law and to decla●● that if they would keep it they should 〈◊〉 pardoned and saved Pardon then with the●● is nothing else but a waving of the Covena●● of Works i. e. God will not proceed with men according to that Covenant if they will submit to his new Covenant so then for all their specious words of meer Pardon to exclude Christ's Righteousness they only mean that God will not execute his First Covenant which men have broken but will save them if they fulfil his Second Covenant i. e. will be righteous and obedient according to the Gospel and thus they acknowledg a righteousness of a man 's own besides pardon whereby he must he justified 6. The Law requireth a positive righteousness by the fulfilling of it The end of every Law being obedience to it Just Evang p. 38 39. Therefore Justification cannot be Pardon of Sin without Imputation of Righteousness 'T is said That the Law of Works required a sinless perfect righteousness which Christ hath satisfied for but the Law of Grace is a better Covenant accepting an imperfect Righteousness But this is nothing to the purpose let the righteousness be

Obedience their distinct Offices Argument 2. They argue That God is not to be considered as a Creditor in the business of Justification but as a Rector or Governour dealing with Sinners Gr. Prop. p. 86. not as with Debtors but as with rebellious Subjects who are to be forgiven and reclaimed by Laws and by granting them Terms and Conditions of Pardon and reconciliation Mr. Trueman Answ The Scripture setteth out God under the notion of a Creditour and pardon by forgiving of debts Mat. 18.23 27. c. and such a one as doth not release part only and requiring a third or fourth of the Debt but as one that forgives all even to ten thousand Talents and we are taught daily to pray Forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors and yet we acknowledge That God in justifying dealeth with men as a Rector or Governor To Pardon is an act of Government yea of Sovereignity none but a Sovereign can forgive the breach of his own Laws and restore offenders to favour God as as a Supream Legislator and Rector thought of a way to save sinners appointed his Son to die for them accepted his satisfaction when it was made promiseth pardon to them that fly to his mercy and mercifully forgiveth them that trust in it and justly acquitteth and dischargeth them for the Righteousness of his Son and when they are justified and made his Children he doth eternally govern them by his Laws of Obedience all these are the acts of a Rector therefore on this account there is no need that they should be justifyed by Conditions of New Obedience Argument 3. They argue From the comparison of Mens forgiveness which is always upon conditions of amendment either expressed or implied When a Prince Proclaims Pardon to Rebels it is either exprest or implied that they lay down their Arms and return to their obedience and continue in it In like manner they think God cannot pardon men but upon Conditions of Repentance and obedience for the remainder of their lives Answ If a man should receive and accept satisfaction from another in the behalf of an offendor and then impose conditions upon him for his Pardon or Reconciliation he would certainly be unjust and this is our case towards God he hath accepted a Ransom and Atonement in the Bloud of his Son and forgiveth men for and in respect to that and therefore requireth no conditions of them for their reconciliation but that they accept of a trust in the mercy promised in his Son There is another great difference betwixt God and Man in the matter of forgiveness 2dly Man cannot make the Offendor obedient for the future nor can be sure he will be obedient and therefore he makes conditions with him and obligeth him by hope of impunity and fear of punishment if he offend again but God can and doth intend when he pardoneth man to give him a heart to love and obey him to the end and therefore needs not make this a condition of their pardon Besides the greatest Princes have not such absolue Power of pardon in the breach of their own Laws as God hath of his nor can they repair the dishonour done to themselves and their Law as God can partly in magnisying his grace and partly in the inestimable value of his Sons bloud by which all the dishonour done to him by Man is abundantly repaired But Mr. Baxter hath handled this question in a set Disputation to which he refers us 4 Disp of Justedisp 1 where he give us 10 Arguments to prove this Thesis p. 13. We are justifyed by God by our believing in Christ as Teacher and Lord and not only by believing in his Bloud or Righteousness which I shall briefly consider so far as they tend to prove Obedience to be the condition of our Justification which is the main drift of them though not as they mediately respect the terms of his Thesis which I have before proved out of this same disputation to be oequivocal and improper For by this Doctrine we are justifyed only by obeying the Gospel of Christ which consisteth of his Precepts Promises and Threatnings which all proceed from him as a King not as a Priest or Prophet i. e. therefore we are justifyed by believing in him as King only not as a Priest or Prophet unless accidentally and remotely as he confesseth p. 25. The Argument follows Argument 1. From the confession of those that we dispute with p. 13. If it be granted that believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Teacher is a real part of the condition of our Justification then it is granted that by this believing in him we are justifyed as by a condition but the former is true therefore the latter Answ If he had quoted any Authors we might the better have judged of the truth of the Antecedent all that looks like a proof is p. 14. 3dly They expresly make it antecedent to our Justification as of Moral necessity ex constitutione promittentis and say it is the Fides quae justificat All the meaning whereof is that as the Gospel revealeth Christ who dyed for us to be a King and Teacher of his People so in order to our coming to him to be saved by him we must acknowledge or believe this Doctrine that he died for our sins and is to teach us and rule us that he may save us But 1. It is not necessary to Justification that persons should have a distinct knowledge of the Offices of Christ but 't is sufficient that they seek Pardon and Salvation only through him This Faith saved them before Christ's coming though without any distinct knowledge of his Person and under the Gospel many ignorant persons and weak capacities yet true Christians scarce ever have a more distinct knowledge of their Saviour in whom they trust much less have they it before Justification 2ly If believing in Christ as Lord and Teacher mean as it ought in this Argument a purpose or promise of Obedience to Christ it is no part or act of justifying Faith not of the faith quae justificat but an effect wrought by it and if any of our Divines say it is they speak popularly not logically and are popularly to be understood viz. that justifying Faith is always conjoyned with a purpose of obedience 3ly If believing in Christ as Lord and Teacher as well as in his bloud be taken for trusting in Christ to be taught sanctified and ruled by him to eternal life as well as to have our sins forgiven this we grant to be justifying Faith Faith quae justificat but these are several acts of Faith and they have their several particular objects and their order and do not all go before Justification but a sinner first looks to Christ to satisfy the Law to reconcile him to God to deliver him from wrath and when the Promise of this is revealed to him he trusteth in it and hereby is accepted and reconciled his