Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	line_n	page_n	read_v	3,449	5	9.8327	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88635	A vindication of free-grace: in opposition to this Arminian position, (Naturall men may do such things as whereunto God hath by way of promise annexed grace and acceptation.) / First preached, after asserted at Stephens Coleman-steete [sic] London, by Mr. John Goodvvin. Also an appendix proving the souls enjoying Christ after death, afore the Resurrection, against some errours hereafter specified. Published for the justification of truth by S.L.	Lane, Samuel.	1645 (1645)	Wing L341; Thomason E275_3; ESTC R209881	66,752	86

for which besides those Texts fore-mentioned see Prov. 2.1 2 3. 10.6.27 and strive to enter in at the strait gate One Copy whereof sent Mr. Richard Atkins is thus subscribed Sir For the sum and substance you have drawn a true draught of that which Master Goodwin did deliver Yours to command Rich. Alkins A second Copy commended to Mr. Laurence Steele is thus subscribed I finde nothing in substance differing from my Copy save only I finde not the two first Scriptures in this Sermon but I suppose I have them in that before L. Steele A third Copy commended to Mr. Iohn weeks is thu● subscribed Sir I have perused this and finde it in the main to agree with mine only it was delivered in more full expressions Yours John Weeks Which 3. Testimonies as also those two affixed to the ensuing Sermon are left with Michael Spark senior least any calumniate the truth in the Authors absence Errat Page 56. line 7. for Gospel reade grossest The first Letter to Master J. G. Much Honoured Sir WHether or no I possesse honourable and eminent thoughts of your self I shall refer you to those expressions which my Conscience commanded me to dictate to you before my going into the Army whereby you may judge and because the ground on which those expressions of mine to you ward was that of God which I saw in you I know no better way whereby to endeavour my retaining intirely my due esteeme of you then to desire That by and in you the ground thereof may continue firme and immovable which in mine eye seemes at present much to flag and stagger and that from some assertions which specially the last Sabboth being April 14. 1644. I received from you therefore to prevent the least besieging such an adversary whose heart lyes fair and open to me as I well know by experience from that utterly undeserved respect I have found from you I shall in the strength of this presumption adventure rudely upon the work intended Wherein I must necessarily content my self with signifying to you some particulars which to me seem evidently lyable to exception suspending the least taking notice of such things which possibly on due consideration may be found to require more exact scrutiny Whereof as touching what I shall at present mention I must satisfie my self to hint things in an indigested and disorderly manner having been prevented by the intervening of other unexpected occurrences therefore for most concisenesse therein though I count it my best course to have extracted the substance of all wherein I am unsatisfied first intirely by it self yet I may not attempt that but must onely name such particulars of that kinde Immediately before what I shall affirme in order touching each one respectively wherein not desiring to depend on mine own Judgement onely least I might have mistaken you I by conference finde some others do conceive you so to have delivered your self in those particulars as I my self conceive thereof You may therefore remember that the substance of your third motive to naturall men in reference to their accepting of Grace according to what you insisted upon 1 Cor. 1.3 was to this effect That if such will but ingage themselves and all within them according to their naturall power to seek for this Grace they shall not miscarry but stirring up themselves in good earnest to seek this Grace they shall surely finde it Which after your glancing at the Antinomians you prest more largely and that by backing this motive with two Texts John 6. v. 37. and Mat. 7. v. 7. Which Scriptures you alleadge to prove That if men improve their Naturall abilities to the utmost which is the strength of the motive in seeking Grace they shall finde it Concerning which Texts I cannot as yet see any such thing proved by them for the former whereof John 6.37 Whosoever comes c. This you understand indefinitely whosoever naturall man comes And in what manner must he come With or in the strength of his naturall abilities such a one Ile in no wise cast out which you acknowledge imports affirmatively I will accept which might be proved to import so much from John 5. v. 40. Where life is annexed to comming Now as touching this Text 't is true that whosoever being a naturall man shall through the full improvement of naturall powers so come to Christ as is here meant that is after a saving manner even with saving saith which kinde of comming can onely carry life as this here doth Such a one assuredly shall not be cast out by Christ no more then he which doth the Law perfectly shall yet dye for the Law will keep promise though none can claim ought thence namely That the man that doth them shall live in them but this is far from proving that a man by improving his naturalls shall come to Christ savingly by virtue thereof no more then a man may do the Laws works and live in them concerning which Paul peremptorily and rationally concludes in that Gal. 3.11 That no man can live by virtue of his performing that Covenant but there will be further occasion ministred by what follows whence to speak further in reference to this place quoted which was there but briefly touched for a proof of that which it seems not in the least to do The next alledged is Mat. 7. v. 7. and that for the same purpose to which must refer as above concerning which place 't is most cleer that that Text importing commands prest and promises annexed are laid down in most generall tearms therefore for the true understanding of the nature of our duty or our right manner of performance thereof we must consult with other Scriptures where 't is laid down more particularly and not understand the words in a strict literall sence That we must not understand it as barely exprest without limitation or qualification I prove from this that other Scriptures gain-say such a sence ●s that Jam. 4.3 Ye aske and receive not Why not not for want of asking they did aske yet 't was not given so then To all that aske it shall not be given men may so aske as that their asking shall never be given them the default wherein may be double from the end of their asking to satisfie lusts But is that all No another default is the want of a due qualification in the asking which is as necessary as Salvation it self and that is an asking in faith so Iam. 1.6 in the fifth verse he gives out a promise indefinitely If any of you of whom Naturall improvers No of you beleevers for that he supposed in the third verse the trying of your faith they had faith to try let such aske in faith acting that power of faith created by Gods Spirit in them but let him aske in faith let him not think it enough to aske in any fash●on but onely in faith which tearms but and faith exclude all oth●r askings from receiving which is plainly

them without Gods assistance to believe Wherefore you added they have a power but not a disposition and that we must distinguish between having a power and an inclination to which I at present say one word he that hath not a will hath not a power and so wants an executive power by which I conceive you mean a power whereby to execute which you affirme a naturall man hath That such want a power I prove from John 6. verse 44. and 65. where 't is exprest that a meer naturall man without the Fathers drawing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non potest hath not power to do what to come to life or in faith so that 't is clear as I conceive that such want a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a power whereby to execute for he that hath not power to will hath not power to do therefore God being said to do all in us is said to work in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure 2 Phil. 13. as if the willing an act were the all in all requisite to produce an act which want of power in man you contradicted in affirming All that was wanting in the Jewes or the reason of their not believing is placed in their will ye will not come he saith not ye have no power ye cannot come which cannot come is expresly affirmed twice in John 6.44 65. But I must most abruptly desist further enlargement as yet praying the LORD to prosper it for the end intended even the propagating of truth Whereto yet to adde one word if in any particular here mentioned any assertion of yours may suffer blame not me but your self of whom I may justly say if any such cause may be found for it Tu te ipsum tuis ipsis armis visisti for that God hath communicated much of my strength by the way of your Ministery A Sermon in Answer to the foregoing Letter preached by Mr. J. G. April 28. 1644. taken after him exactly in Characters by M. THO. RUDYARD a Member of his Church and by him read over to SAMUEL LANE to Copy out whose Copy exactly followes WE desire to look back a litttle to one passage that was delivered the last day for the satisfaction of some who it seems did not clearly understand it the tenour of the motive whereby we perswaded and prest on men not truly converted to God to seek for the grace of God was this That if they would give out themselves in good earnest in the search and seek for it with all their hearts they should finde it having a while insisted on the amplification and inforcement of this motive and cleared the difficulty how and in what sense God may be said to love or be gracious to men before believing and in what not we came to ponder the motive wherein we put this to consideration of how great concernment 't was to them to have fellowship with the Saints of God in the great businesse of salvation giving them assurance that whatsoever their sinnes had been and how great soever their present guilt may be yet if they were but truly willing to come under the wing of Christ not a haire of their heads should fall to the ground In prosecution whereof we propounded and answered this Objection Object You put us in minde and hope of finding grace with God if we will make our endeavours to obtaine it but we have little encouragement for we are dead in sins c. Answ Which we answered by a gradation of five steps The fifth was That though men be dead in sins in such a sense as was formerly explained yet men have a light of reason judgement c. by means whereof they are able to consider of tearms and means proposed c. though happily not able fully to comprehend them as to debate whether faith in Christ or the works of the Law or their own righteousness be likely to carry it in Gods sight wherein they may not be able to come to any certain issue to comprehend the difference between each and to resolve in themselves this is the means that will do it and that not or suppose they finde no satisfaction in way of reason in either of those means yet are able to work it on in a way of reason whether there be any other way besides more likely Now though 't is not to be supposed that they have power to come to such firme bottome whereon to build without doubtings yet they are able and have a scale and ballance of reason and judgement whereby to weigh one reason against another to see which is most hopefull without all question men may go thus far and here re-inforcing the argument we declared to such that if they would be willing to do unfeinedly and impartially what God hath appointed them in a way of nature to do God hath promised successe and acceptation in this way and this was that passage by name which it seems some could not so well understand or comprehend fearing lest it should comply with the Arminian tenent in point of Free-will or that I should magnifie naturall abilities above the line of excellency belonging to it If they will but please to consider for the clearing of the whole businesse but two arguments you will clearly see that there is an absolute necessity for maintaining such an assertion for a truth as this is namely that if naturall men will put forth themselves to the utmost to what they are able to doe to comply with God in the Gospell they shall finde an answerable successe and that there is an absolute necessity to maintaine it for a truth for otherwise we shall expose the truth of God the covenant of grace the do●t●i●e of free-grace which we professe to maintaine we shall expose both the one and the other to an inexpiable and unanswerable reproach dishonour and such indeed as cannot be redeemed by any reason or distinction or project one or other that men are able to devise for the relief of it for that on this 't will follow that the assertion we speak of that men putting forth themselves according to what God hath in●bled them to do in a way of nature that God will meet them with grace and acceptation if the former be clearly proved then this will follow upon it that this hath no consistence with the opinion of Free-will but doth indeed intrench on the best foundation that that opinion stands upon We know 't was an order Christ gave for men to deal between Caesar and God Give to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God c. And indeed no man can give to God the things that are Gods except he give to Caesar the things that are Caesars and that because this is one of Gods things even our subjection to the lawfull governour set over us by God in things lawfull and mans foot may soonest slide here even on a pretence of giving all to God liberally to