Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	doctrine_n	scripture_n	tradition_n	1,683	5	8.8849	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64243	The true light shining in darkness and dispelling the mists of errour arising from the darkness of man's heart, &c. promoted by the prince of darkness against the truth of God; in the matter of our justification: shewing, that by the deeds of the law, or mans own righteousness, no flesh can or shall be justified in the sight of God. The first part. By Tho. Taylor, the meanest and unworthiest of the servants and ministers of Jesus Christ; and now pastor to a small congregational church in Cambridge.	Taylor, Thomas, 1618-1682.	1693 (1693)	Wing T559; ESTC R219692	113,014	241

for many false Prophets are gone out into the World And we shall first try the first of these Doctrines As namely Quest. 1. Whether Gods Elect or any sort of men were justified from all Eternity as some do say and affirm And unto this we answer affirmatively in two things Namely 1. That there is and was a gracious purpose which God had purposed in himself from all Eternity to Justifie and save his Elect through Faith in his Son Jesus Christ Ephes. 1.9 According to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself And again 2 Tim. 1.9 But according to his own Purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began And the Apostle in the Context doth not only plainly imply but expresly declare the same when he saith Rom. 8.28 To them who are the called according to his purpose and then ver 30. Whom he called them he also justified Therefore there is and was such a purpose in God before the World began to call and justifie them 2. That all that have been are now or hereafter shall be justified through Faith in Jesus Christ from the Foundation of the World to the end thereof have been are now and shall be Justified according to this Purpose which God hath Purposed in himself before the World began and no otherwise as Ephes. 1.11 In whom also we have obtained an Inheritance And this Inheritance cannot be obtained without free Justification by Grace as Tit. 3 7. Being Predestinated according to the Purpose of him who worketh all things after or according to the Counsel of his own Will For in that he saith all things 't is manifest that he worketh this one thing amongst all the rest even his Justifying his Elect through Faith in his Son Jesus Christ after or according to this Counsel of his own Will and Ephes. 1.3 4. Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ Amongst which Spiritual Blessings that of Justification must be acknowledged to be one and none of the least or last of those blessings It followeth ver 4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World And again 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and graee which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began And this also is plainly declared in the Context Rom 8.30 Whom he did Predestinate them he also Called and whom he called them he also Justified And if you will ask how The answer is According to his Purpose as ver 28. According to this Purpose he calleth them and according to this Purpose he justifieth them So that thus far we do consent and agree 1. That there is and was a purpose in God from all Eternity to Justifie his Elect through Faith in his Son Jesus Christ And 2. That all that are justified are justified according to this Purpose which God had purposed in himself But then we distinguish betwixt being under a purpose of Grace from all Eternity to be justified And being Justified from all Eternity and therefore though we grant and affirm the former yet we deny the latter Namely Neg. That Gods Elect or any person in this World are or is or ever were or was justified from all Eternity This Doctrine of Justification from Eternity I say we truly reject disown and deny as a false and unsound Doctrine and contrary to the Holy Scriptures all which will more than sufficiently appear in these following Particulars Part. 1. This Doctrine in the consequent of it doth deny destroy and overthrow the truth and true Doctrine of Gods Election and Predestination which the Holy Scriptures do establish and which is one fundamental point of the true Christian Faith and from whence doth spring as from a Fountain all the parts of our Salvation This is called The Foundation of God which standeth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 And this is that from whence as from a Fountain all the parts of our Salvation do spring and proceed Ephes. 1.3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. There are two parts of this Election of God namely foreknowledge and predestination Rom. 8.29 For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate Now there neither is nor can be any foreknowledge or fore-ordaining of that which is from Eternity for nothing can be said to be before Eternity And foreknowledge and predestination must be before the things foreknown and predestinated and therefore if Justification were from Eternity there could be no foreknowledge or predestination thereof To speak with a holy reverence God cannot be said to foreknow himself or to fore-ordain his own blessedness and enjoyment of himself alone 't is true the blessedness of God doth consist in that knowledge and injoyment of himself which he hath in and of himself eternally But he could not fore-know himself or fore-ordain himself this blessedness because he hath and had this eternally and nothing can precede or be before eternity Even so God could not be said to foreknow and predestinate his Elect to Justification and Salvation through Faith in his Son Jesus Christ if they were J●stified from all Eternity And besides it is ●ritten Gal. 3.8 For the Scripture foreseeing tha● God would justifie the Heathen through F●●●h preached the Gospel before-hand to Abraham saying in thee shall all the Nations be blessed Now the Scripture could not foresee that which was from Eternity the Scripture may and doth declare that which was from Eternity as John 1.1 2. and 1 John 1.2 3. but the Scripture cannot be said to foresee that which was from Eternity yet the Scripture did foresee that God would justifie these elect Heathen through Faith therefore these Heathen were not Justified from Eternity though they were elected from eternity he therefore that saith he was justified from eternity and doth teach men so doth by consequence overthrow the Foundation of Gods Election and deny that himself and those he so teacheth were either fore-known or predestinated of God to Justification and Salvation through Faith in Christ. Part. 2. This Doctrine of Justification from Eternity doth by necessary consequences destroy and overthrow the Doctrine and Faith of reconciliation which is also another fundamental point of the Christian Faith Reconciliation must go before Justification at least in the order of Nature though not of time God must be first reconciled to that person in Christ whom he justifieth in Christ as 2 Cor. 5.18 19. God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself and then their justification follows not imputing to them their trespasses Reconciliation must be first and then Justification follows for God Justifies a sinner upon the account of the price paid and satisfaction made by Jesus Christ as Rom. 5.10 If when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son c. Now reconciliation was not nor could be from Eternity

or accept them in their Worshiping of him A guilty Conscience and an unsanctified Heart is always hypocritical and playeth false and loose in worshiping God hence Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our bodies washed with pure water and the heart must first be sprinkled from an evil Conscience and body washed with pure water by the Blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ before any Man can worship God in Spirit and in Truth and I do and dare too affirm it from the Word of God that there is not a true and spiritual Worshipper of God in all the World but such as are so inwardly sprinkled and washed with the Blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ all others do worship God carnally and hypocritically not in Spirit and in Truth not sincerely and inwardly Oh therefore you that are in Christ see look to it that you worship God in the Spirit and in Truth for else there is none in all the World to do it 3. To worship God in the Spirit is to worship him in and according to his own holy Institutions Ordinances and Appointments and not according to Humane Inventions not according to Mens Traditions there is neither Spirit nor Truth in that Worship that hath not the stamp of Divine Authority upon it Voluntary Humility and Will-worship and all things of mans devising in the Worship of God and that hold not the Head Christ Jesus can minister no grace or spiritual nourishment to the Members and Joynts of the Body Eph. 4.16 compared with Col. 2.18 19 20 21 22 23. A little Leaven will leaven the whole lump and a little Superstition and Will-worship after th● Doctrines and Commandments of Men 〈◊〉 render the whole Worship vain and fruitle●● to your selves as well as displeasing provoke●ing and unacceptable to God and so whe●● all the ends of Worship are lost it becom● altogether vain as Mat. 15.9 But in va●● they do worship me teaching for Doctrine t●● Commandments of men and who hath ●●●quired these things at your hands will 〈◊〉 day dash in pieces the confidence of all suc● Worshippers and evidence the vanity as we●● as the impiety of all such Worship Human● Traditions and Impositions of Men unde● what name or pretence soever whether of E●●clesiastical or of holy learned and judicio● persons or the Authority of the Civil Magistrate are not sufficient to warrant us i● our worshiping of God No no we mu●● to the Law and to the Testimony and i● they speak not according to this Word ther● is no light or morning in them And whe●● men have once rejected the Word of th● Lord what Wisdom is in them yea wha● Holiness is in them what Learning is in them yea professing themselves to be wise they are become fools and why then should you that are in Christ follow them or be led by them wherein they do not follow Christ or are led by his Word and Spirit 'T is time for us to leave them who have left the Head Jesus Christ and have gone a whoring from under their Gods What though all the World wander after and worship the Beast yet those whose names are written in the Lambs Book of Life must not comply with them Rev. 13.7 8. Ye that are in Christ are the Temple of the Living God for God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols wherefore come out from amongst them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. And again Rev. 18 4. And having therefore dearly Beloved these promises viz. of God's receiving us and of being a Father to us and our being his Sons and his Daughters as before Let us cleanse our selvet from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 And let it be considered by you that if you be rejected of the World for not worshiping with them after their Rudiments ye shall be received of God in Christ as the true Worshippers that worship him in spirit and truth i. e. that worship him in Christ sincerely and according to his own Institution and whether it is better to please God or Men to be rejected of Men and to be received of God or to be received of Men and rejected of God judge ye for to be j●stified by Works and our own Righteousness and to worship God by Humane Inventions are equally hateful and abominable with God tho' highly esteemed amongst Men Jer. 44.4 Oh do not this abominable thing that I hate And Luk. 16.15 Ye are they which justifie your selves before Men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongst Men is abomination in the sight of God And for us to think within our selves that we can be justified in the sight of God by our own Works or Righteousness or that we can worship God by Humane Inventions or Mens Traditions is to think that God is altogether such an one as our selves for which certainly he will reprove us Psal. 50.21 22. And there is a secret yet strong connexion betwixt these two grand Errours viz. to be justified by Works and to worship God by and after our own Inventions for they commonly go together and stand and fall together And those that are corrupt or loose in the Doctrine of Justification are accordingly as corrupt and loose in Worship And therefore when a Professing People grow loose in the Worship of God 't is an ill Omen and just ground of godly jealousie and fear that such are unsound and loose in the Point of Justification Hence Gal. 4.8 9 10 11. And that they are not fast knit by a sincere Faith unto Christ the Head Col. 2.19 20 21 22. Let us therefore as many as are perfect be thus minded to rejoyce in Christ Jesus have no confidence in the flesh and worship God in the Spirit then and not till then are we the t●ue Circumcision then and not till then do we walk after the spirit and not after the flesh As therefore ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him And the God of Peace shal● be with you Amen The Second Part of the True Light Shining in Darkness To give to us the knowledge of Salvation to guide our feet into the way of Peace OR The Righteousness of God Manifested opened and declared as the True and only Matter of our Justification before GOD through Faith in Jesus Christ. Being one Sermon or Doctrine of five more remaining upon Rom. 3.21 22. But now the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference Preached first in and about the City

because reconciliation supposeth a breach first made by sin now the breach made betwixt God and Man by sin was not from Eternity but in time and therefore reconciliation could not be from Eternity and without reconciliation by shedding of blood there is no remission as Heb. 9.22 i. e. No Justification to the Church of Gods Elect for Remission of sins is their Justification Part. 3. This Doctrine of Justification from Eternity destroyeth and overthroweth the true Doctrine of Justification it self also which is another fundamental point of the Christian Faith and therefore this Doctrine of Justification from Eternity cannot be true Now the true Doctrine of Justification is that Act of Gods Grace passed or put forth upon the person Elect whereby of a guilty ungodly and unrighteous person before he is really made and doth become a righteous person in Gods sight through Faith in his Son Jesus Christ given unto him I say he is made and doth become a righteous person in Gods sight and that really and not by opinion only as some would imagine and here are two things to be cleared as namely 1. That every man in this World is really made and doth become a guil●y and condemned person in Gods sight by the first sin of Adam justly imputed to him by the Law so Rom. 3.9 10 and again ver 19 20. which the Apostle plainly affirmeth by a comparison of the two Adam's Rom. 5.19 For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners c. ver 18. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came or it came upon all men to condemnation in Gods sight So that 't is plain the many ver 19. is all men ver 18. even the Elect of God as well as others 2. That as in the first Adam all men did become and were really made sinners in Gods sight by the just imputation of Adam's sin to them by the Law even so in Christ many as v. 19. or all men as ver 18. i. e. all that believe are justified i. e. are made and do become righteous in Gods sight through Faith in Christ by the righteousness of one or by the obedience of one justly imputed to them by the Law of Faith and Grace So that as before Justification every man was really a guilty and unrighteous person in Gods sight So now that Faith in Christ is come every man that believeth is justified and doth become and is made a righteous person in Gods sight So that Justification maketh a real change of State from a state of sin and unrighteousness and death to a state of Grace Righteousness and Life Now therefore he that is Justified from Eternity was from Eternity in a state of Grace Righteousness and Life and never was in a state of Sin Unrighteousness and Death he never was a Sinner Ungodly and condemned in Gods sight and Sin had never raigned in him unto Death in whom Grace had raigned unto Life through Righteousness from all Eternity but the contrary is true in all them whom God Justifieth as Rom. 4.5 Now to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness and Rom. 5.6 For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the Ungodly and v. 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might Grace reign through Righteousness unto Eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord So that we who are now Justified by Faith in Christ were without strength were ungodly were under the reign of Sin unto Death but he that was Justified from Eternity was never any of these and therefore no man was or could be Justified from Eternity there is a contradiction in the things themselves and therefore this Doctrine is inconsistent with the truth for Sin did not reign unto death in any from Eternity but in Time therefore Grace could not reign through Righteousness unto Life in any from Eternity but in time Part. 4. This Doctrine of Justification from Eternity destroyeth also the Doctrine of Adoption which inseparably followeth Justification and is another inseparable point of the Christian Faith I say Adoption followeth and is an inseparable companion of Justification by Faith in Christ he that is Justified by Faith in Christ is also adopted and taken into the number of Gods Sons or Children by the same Faith as Gal 3.24.25.26 That we might be justified by Faith v 24. But after that Faith is come v. 25. Ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus by the same faith by which any man is Justified by the same Faith also he is Adopted and made a Son or Child of God and so again Gal. 4 4 5 7. Now no man was Adopted from Eternity and therefore no man was Justified from Eternity And he that was Adopted from Eternity was never a Servant but a Son was never a Child of Disobedience a Child of Wrath as Ephes. 2.2 3. but a Child of God from eternity and then there never could be any Predestination to the Adoption of Children as Ephes. 1.5 that the Adoption of Children had been from eternity Part. 5. This Doctrine of Justification from Eternity denieth destroyeth and overthroweth by consequence the truth and doctrine of discrimination or making a difference betwixt the state of Nature and the state of Grace which the holy Scriptures do every where establish The state of Nature according the Scriptures is a state of Sin and so of Death and Condemnation as hath been already shewed But the state of Grace is a state of Righteousness and so of Life and Justification as hath also been declared through Faith in the Son of God Rom. 9.30 and Rom. 10.4 John 5.24 and 1 John 4.14 Now he that saith he was Justified from Eternity saith that he was in a state of Life from Eternity and by consequence never was in a state of Sin and Death for Justification is Life as Condemnation is Death Rom. 5.18 but most certain it is that all were dead and in a state of sin and condemnation before they believed on Christ even the Elect of God as well as others as 2 Cor. 5.14 And the death of Christ for all the Elect doth prove that they were all dead and in a state of Death Jews and Gentiles for else Christ needed not to have died for them and the love of Christ doth constrain all them to acknowledge that they were dead and therefore are debtors to Christ for their Life and Justification through Faith in him and so no more to live to themselves but to him that died for them and rose again The words are most plain and the sense most genuine For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again Therefore seeing they were once dead