Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	work_v	world_n	year_n	68	3	4.4561	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40082	Libertas evangelica, or, A discourse of Christian liberty being a farther pursuance of the argument of the design of Christianity / by Edward Fowler ...	Fowler, Edward, 1632-1714.	1680 (1680)	Wing F1709; ESTC R15452	145,080	382

but a very small number compared with those for whom he did not die and those for whom he died shall be undoubtedly saved and those for whom he died not shall be undoubtedly damned then I cannot see how the wisest man on Earth can answer this Plea of a wicked man for persisting impenitently in his wickedness viz. If Christ died for me I shall be saved and he will most assuredly at his own time which to be sure is the best bring me over to the obedience of his Precepts by his Omnipotent grace if that be necessary in order to my Salvation But if he died not for me then let me do what I can it will signifie nothing my state is unalterable So that I run no hazard in being careless and neglectful of the concerns of my Soul on supposition of my having an interest in the death of Christ nor is my case one jot the better for my diligence in using the means of Salvation according to my power on supposition of the contrary Now how can we think that the Gospel doth contain such mighty Arguments to perswade us to work out our own Salvation whilest it leaves us utterly unable to answer this Plea that Careless People may and do many of them make for their Carelesness And therefore it highly concerns us to beware of that Doctrine which makes Christ to die but for some Certain Persons as not only most false but as very dangerous The truth is this Doctrine could never gain any considerable Credit in any Church in the World for the first fifteen hundred years 'T was broached with the other concomitant Doctrines by one Lucidus a Presbyter in France about the year of our Lord 500 of which the Pelagian Heresie was the occasion but quickly condemned by two Councils one at Arles the other at Lions About 300 years after it was with the other revived by Godscalcus a person of ill Fame but condemned again by a Council at Mentz But the Doctrine we are defending was Asserted as a Point never doubted of by the Fathers of the first 300 years And is as expresly Asserted in the most Ancient Confessions of the Reformed Churches beyond Sea and also in the Articles Homilies and Catechism of our own Church And those three Holy Martyrs Arch-Bishop Cranmer Bishop Latimer and Bishop Hooper who will be acknowledged by our Adversaries in this Point to be most Orthodox men have as plainly and fully given their testimony thereunto as we can desire Arch-Bishop Cranmer in the Preface to his Book against Gardiner hath these words that Christ made a Sacrifice and Oblation of his body upon the Cross which was a full Redemption Satisfaction and Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World Bishop Latimer in his Sermon on the first Sunday after the Epiphany tells us that Iesus is an Hebrew word which signifieth in our English Tongue a Saviour and Redeemer of all Mankind born into the World And he hath this passage in his Sermon on the Gospel for the twenty first Sunday after Trinity P. 2. of Fol. 208. which would be horribly offensive to many now adays viz. That Christ shed as much bloud for Judas as he did for Peter Peter believed it and therefore was saved Judas would not believe and therefore he was condemned the fault being in him only and in no body else Bishop Hooper in his Preface to his Exposition of the Ten Commandments saith That as the Sin of Adam without priviledge or exemption extended and appertained unto all and every of Adams Posterity so did this promise of Grace generally appertain as well to every and singular of Adams posterity as to Adam As it is more plainly expressed where God promiseth to bless in the seed of Abraham all the people of the World And that these Good men did not hold Contradictions but as they undoubtedly believed that Christ died for all so they also rejected that Doctrine of the Divine Decrees which is inconsistent therewith is plain from the following passages Bishop Latimer saith in his Fourth Sermon on the Third Sunday after the Epiphany That if the most part be damned the fault is not in God but in themselves for Deus vult omnes homines salvos fieri God would that all men should be saved but they themselves procure their own damnation and despise the Passion of Christ by their own wicked and inordinate living Here we may learn to keep us from all curious and dangerous Questions when we hear that some be chosen and some be damned Let us have good hope that we shall be among the chosen and live after this hope c. Think that God hath chosen those that believe in Christ and that Christ is the Book of life c. So we need not to go about to trouble our selves with curious questions of the Predestination of God But let us rather endeavour our selves that we may be in Christ for when we be in him then are we well and then we may be sure that we are ordained to everlasting life But you will say how shall I know that I am in the Book of life How shall I try my self to be elect of God to everlasting life I answer First we may know that we may one time be in the book and another time come out again as it appeareth by David See more that follows to the same purpose Fol. 310. Again in his Sermon on Septuag Fol. 214. saith he God's Salvation is sufficient to save all Mankind But we are so wicked of our selves that we refuse the same and we will not take it when 't is offered to us and therefore he saith Pauci verò electi Few are chosen that is few have pleasure and delight in it for the most part are weary of it cannot abide it for there are some that hear it but they will abide no danger c. Such men are cause of their own Damnation for God would have them saved but they refuse it like Judas the Traitor whom Christ would have had to be saved but he refused his Salvation he refused to follow the Doctrine of his Master Christ. And Bishop Hooper is very full and particular to this purpose in his forecited Preface Saith he Cain was no more excluded from the promise of Christ till he excluded himself than Abel Saul than David Judas than Peter Esau than Jacob Concerning which two Brethren in the sentence of God given to Rebecca there was no mention at all that Esau should be disinherited of Eternal Life but that he should be inferior to his Brother Jacob in this world which Prophecy was fulfilled in their Posterity and not the Persons themselves God is said by the Prophet to have hated Esau not because he was disinherited of Eternal Life but in laying his mountains and his heritage waste for the Dragons of the Wilderness Mal. 1. 3. That Threatning of God against Esau if he had not of wilful malice excluded himself from the Promise

to be believed and practised by us in order to Salvation and which without any Additions are able to make us wise to Salvation as S. Paul assures us and are a complete Rule of Faith and Practice And that Preacher who shall offer to require his Auditors assent to any thing not delivered either in express terms or by plain consequence in the Writings of the Old or New Testament doth impudently impose upon their belief except he be able to work real Miracles for the convincing of them He takes more upon him than either the Apostles or our Saviour himself who did still appeal to the works the Supernatural works he did to attest the truth of the Doctrine he delivered I would such impudent imposers were onely to be found among the Romanists who are all so and the most impudent that ever appeared upon the stage of the World but alas they are too too common also among professed haters of Popery Thirdly And as to the sence of the more difficult places of Scripture no sober Preacher pretends to come to the knowledge thereof by the immediate illumination of the Spirit but such a one acknowledgeth he doth it in the general by the exercise of his Reason And particularly by considering the proper signification of Words and Phrases in the Original Languages by comparing Scripture with Scripture by searching into the Ancient Customs which give great light to a great number of Texts and without the knowledge of which they are not to be understood by enquiring after the judgment of those who lived nearest to the Times of the Apostles c. And after all they submit their Expositions of such Texts to the judgments of their Hearers I mean such of them as are capable of judging As for others Oportet discentes credere It becomes Learners to give credit to their Teachers And Credendum est peritis in suâ Arte. But Fourthly We do piously and by the Authority of Scripture believe that the Spirit is ready to assist us in our Reasonings and Enquiries and whatsoever particular good means we use for the understanding of Scripture when He is humbly and devoutly sought to by us and when without the least prejudice partiality ill design or sinister respect but for the best of Ends and from the pure love of Truth we make Enquiry Thus even Private Christians are assisted in the searches and enquiries which they are able to make For God hath promised that The Meek he will guide in judgment and the Meek he will teach his way Fifthly In composing also of profitable Discourses as we implore so we have the Divine Assistance but we see no ground to believe that we have it in any other manner than in other good works of what nature soever But as for the ready Faculty of Discoursing from a Pulpit and popular speaking to a Congregation we have no reason to believe it a Gift of the Spirit any more than the Lawyers strange readiness in pleading at the Bar. And a volubility of speech upon any subject whatsoever heat of Fancy and nimbleness of Wit and Invention are as much to be attributed to the Holy Spirit as such a Faculty And hence we may gather that a Preacher of the Gospel can plead no such Liberty as is wholly exempted from Restraints by Authority But one that is known to have never so good a Talent at Preaching may be forbidden the exercise of it till he hath submitted to a lawful Ordination such as was in use in the Churches of Christ for Fifteen hundred years together And when Ordained he may lawfully have bounds set him as to the places where he shall exercise his Ministry in publick and as to the times when And he may be forbidden to meddle with such Arguments as are above the reach of his Peoples Understandings or are not like to conduce to their Edification and much more to broach dangerous Doctrines that is such as are so in the judgment of his Governours And for his Disobedience and other Misdemeanours he is as liable to be suspended or totally deprived of his Ministerial Office as are any other Officers I do but touch upon and give light glances at these things because my present subject will not give me leave to discourse largely upon them which would be too great a digression from its proper business CHAP. XV. A Third False Notion of Christian Liberty viz. that which makes Liberty of Conscience a Branch of it Two things premised 1. That Conscience is not so sacred a thing as to be uncapable of being obliged by Humane Laws 2. That no man can properly be deprived of the true Liberty of his Conscience by any Power on Earth That what is contended for is more properly Liberty of Practice than of Conscience The Author's Opinion in reference to this Liberty delivered in Ten Propositions That whatsoever Liberty of this nature may be insisted on as our Right it is not Christian Liberty but Natural Liberty THirdly and Lastly I proceed to that Notion of Christian Liberty which makes Liberty of Conscience a Branch of it But before I deliver my Opinion about this weighty point which hath occasioned as great Feuds and sharp Contests as any whatsoever I shall premise two things First That Conscience is not so Sacred a thing as to be uncapable of being Obliged by Humane Laws Secondly That no man can properly be deprived of the true Liberty of his Conscience by any Power on Earth First That Conscience is not so Sacred a thing as to be uncapable of being Obliged by Humane Laws This is sufficiently clear from what is discoursed in the Thirteenth Chapter But it is said by many that God is the onely Lord of Conscience and therefore it is the highest presumption for Men to go about to bind it by their Laws It is the sole Prerogative of the Deity to search the Heart and try the Reins of the Children of men Conscience is too inward and secret a thing to fall under Mans cognizance and therefore what have any of our Fellow-Creatures to do to give Laws to our Consciences In Answer hereunto We have already seen what S. Paul's sense is about this matter that he saith We must needs be Subject or Obedient and that not only for wrath but also for Conscience sake So that the Apostle was far from thinking that the obligation of Humane Authority is founded in mere Prudence not at all in Conscience But no man in his Wits will say that the Laws of Men do oblige Conscience as the Laws of God do Those cannot do it immediately as these do but onely by virtue of the Divine Authority S. Paul saith Rom. 13. 1. Let every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers I think I shall not be over-critical in saying that is every Conscience for what follows proves the obligation of Conscience to subjection and is an Answer to the foresaid Objection against it viz. For there is no Power but