Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	kindness_n	patience_n	temperance_n	4,558	5	12.0461	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64002	The riches of Gods love unto the vessells of mercy, consistent with his absolute hatred or reprobation of the vessells of wrath, or, An answer unto a book entituled, Gods love unto mankind ... in two bookes, the first being a refutation of the said booke, as it was presented in manuscript by Mr Hord unto Sir Nath. Rich., the second being an examination of certain passages inserted into M. Hords discourse (formerly answered) by an author that conceales his name, but was supposed to be Mr Mason ... / by ... William Twisse ... ; whereunto are annexed two tractates of the same author in answer unto D.H. ... ; together with a vindication of D. Twisse from the exceptions of Mr John Goodwin in his Redemption redeemed, by Henry Jeanes ...	Twisse, William, 1578?-1646.; Jeanes, Henry, 1611-1662. Vindication of Dr. Twisse.; Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1653 (1653)	Wing T3423; ESTC R12334	968,546	592

denies it Yet he goes on most ridiculously in the same tenour saying If they be absolutely appoynted to destruction their hearing reading praying almesgiving and mourning for their sinnes cannot possibly procure their salvation damned they must be But we still deny that men are absolutely appoynted to destructiō we willingly grant the elect are absolutely appointed unto grace namely to have regeneration faith and repentance to be conferred upon them and that absolutely not upon any foregoing condition performed by them but according to the meere pleasure of God but as for salvation that is appointed to be bestowed upon them only by way of reward of foregoing faith repentance and good workes observe by the way how he considers not the contradictious nature of that which he imputes unto us As first that we deny man to have any liberty or power to choose life and death And secondly that we maintain That their hearing reading praying almesgiving and mourning for their sinnes cannot possibly procure their salvation which is to imply that they have power to heare read pray give almes and mourne for their sinnes and consequently that they have power to choose life or death For to choose life or death is no other then to embrace such courses as by the ordinance of God lead to life or death Now such are hearing reading praying giving asmes and mourning for sinnes for these courses are the way to everlasting life Yet as touching the latter well we may say that Reprobates can neither heare nor read nor pray nor give almes as they ought nor mourne for their sins yet surely we are so farre from saying that these courses cannot possibly procure salvation that on the contrary rather we are ready to professe that these courses rightly used shall infallibly procure salvation for there is none more pretious mourning then to mourne for sinne and our Saviour hath pronounced them blessed adding that they shall be comforted Was it ever heard amongst us that men should be damned for reading hearing praying and mourning for their sinnes Yet the word of God teacheth us that men may houle yet be farre enough off from mourning for their sinnes as Hos 7. 14. They cryed not unto me when they houled upon their beds they assembled themselves for corne and wine they rebelled against me And if men be damned notwithstanding such mourning I should think it is nothing strange Of the same tenour is that which followeth If they be absolutely ordained to salvation their neglect of holy duties their ignorance their love of pleasure and continuance in a course of ungodlinesse cannot bring them to damnation as if this were our doctrine whereas to the contrary we maintain that from election flowes holinesse Eph. 1. 4. Who hath elected us in Christ that we should be holy And faith Acts 13. 48. As many believed as were ordained to everlasting life And 2 Thes 2. 13. God hath elected you unto salvation by sanctification of the spirit and faith of the truth And indeed our profession is That Gods purpose is to bestow salvation by way of reward of faith repentance and good workes And accordingly there is no other assurance of election then by faith and holinesse 1 Thes 1. 3 4. Remembring the work of your faith the labour of your love and the patience of your hope knowing beloved brethren that ye are elect of God And therefore Saint Peter exhorts Christians To make their election and vocation sure by joyning vertue with their faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience Godlinesse and with Godlinesse Brotherly kindnesse and with Brotherly kindnesse Love 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. 10. But it were pitty this Author should have liberty denyed him servire scaenae and to execute his Historicall part in conforming our Doctrine to the Heresy of the Predestinatians so called as it is recorded by Sigebert And indeed the very Doctrine of Austin was charged with the same crimination For albeit Sigebert professeth that this Heresy arose ex Augustini libris male intellectis out of Austins Book not rightly understood yet the learned Arch-Bishop of Armach had made it manifest that this very crimination was charged upon Austins doctrine Histor Gottesc pag. 22. And that out of the beginning of the 6. book Hypomnestican or Hypognosticon The words are these and I pray mark it well whether it be not punctually the very objection which this Author makes in this place Credere nos vel praedicare sugillatis quia cum lege Dei Prophetis cum Evangelio Christi ejusque Apostolis Praedestinationem dicimus quod Deus quosdam hominum sic praedestinet ad vitam regni caelorum ut si nolent orare aut jejunare aut in omni operé divino vigiles esse eos omnino perire non posse nec prorsus sui debere esse sollicitos quos Deus quia voluit semel jam eligendo praedestinavit ad vitam Quisdam vero sic praedestinavit in Gehennae paenam ut etiam si credere velint si jejuniis orationibus omnique se voluntati divinae subjecerint in his Deum non delectari vitam illis aeternam in toto dari non posse sic electione praedestinatos esse ut pereant Judge I pray whether this be not the very objection charged upon the doctrine of Austin which this Author chargeth upon our doctrine And indeed that most learned Bishop sheweth how that albeit the Predestinatian heresy is pretended by Sigebert to have risen out of Austins bookes not rightly understood as also by Tyro Prosper Auncient to Sigebert as he is set forth in Print yet Tyro himselfe plainly professeth that the Heresy mentioned orta est ab Augustino rose from Augustine himselfe as appears by the Manuscripts of that Author which that learned Bishop had searched one found in Bennet Colledge in Cambridge and another in the Kings Library whereby it is apparent that this pretended Heresy of the Predestinatians no Author thereof being ever known to the world was a meere nick-name devised by the Remnants of the Pelagians and reproachfully cast upon the doctrine of Austin as now a daies it is upon our doctrine which is the same with Austins As for the Ministers Preaching in vaine in some sense and in some cases this is nothing strange to them that have their eyes fixed on Gods oracles and not on the oracles of their own braines For the Prophet Esaiah thus complaines and that as some conceive in the person of Christ Then I said I have laboured in vaine I have spent my strength for nought and in vaine yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my worke with my God And Jerem. 8. 8. How dare ye say we are wise and the love of the Lord is with us Loe certainly in vaine made he it the penne of the scribe is in vaine And Ierem. 6. 29. The bellowes are burnt the lead is consumed of the fire the

such a fall of theirs should come to passe by his permission and that upon such an occasion for even they that stumble at Gods word through disobedience and expressely said by Peter to be ordained thereunto thus I look out for a ground for that I deliver giving leave to the adversaries of Gods truth to roave at pleasure in the pouring forth of their impious dictates but come we to the particulars first as touching the gifts of nature I confes as touching the first of them creation that if that had not been he had never fallen but neverthelesse when God resolved to create he resolved to create all things for himselfe Even the wicked against the day of evill and if I erre in that I have an honourable Prophet to be my companion even Solomon himselfe As for preservation and sustentation I willingly confesse that if Judas had perished before he had been admitted into Christs service his damnation had been the more easy and God electing him ad prodendum sanguinem if I may be so bold as to speak in Austins language did determine that his sinne by Gods permission should be the more grievous by occasion of his advancement into the number of Christs disciples As for health strength beauty wisdome I see no reason why they should promote any mans damnation but that a foole or an ill-favoured or a weake or a sickly person may be as great a sinner as the wise man or beautifull or strong or healthy How because Christ died for the salvation of as many as doe believe which we all hold or dyed to procure faith regeneration for none as the Arminians hold any man is promoted to a greater measure of sinne thereby is a mistery to me As touching the ministry of the word Saint Peter speakes plainly of some that it had been better for them they had never known the way of right ousnesse than after they have known it to depart from the holy Commandement given to them he saith not this of all Austin professeth of some Reprobates that by the Gospell they are called Ut proficiant ad exteriorem vitae emendationem quo mitius puniantur As for the patience of God S. Paul professeth plainly that some after the hardnesse of their hearts which cannot repent despising the patience and long suffering of God and therein his goodnesse leading them to repentance doe thereby treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and Reprobation of the just judgement of God And I should think that even this God intended should come to passe by his permission otherwise he would have given them repentance or shortned their daies for give me leave to say with Austin Quantamlibet prebuerit patientiam nisi Deus dederit quis agat paenitentiam Contra Julian Pelag. l. 5. c. 4. As for knowledge that doth cleerely take away excuse grounded upon pretence of ignorance and like as our Saviour said to his Disciples Ioh. 13. If you know these things happy are yee if you doe them So likewise the more men know good things the more unhappy are they if they doe them not yet it is not necessary that knowledge should aggravate the damnation of the Reprobate as in case they doe thereby proficere ad exteriorem vitae emendationem for in this case surely mititus punientur but if they doe grow worse by occasion of their knowledge we spare not to professe that God intended this should come to passe by his permission why not as well as the crucifying of the Sonne of God Act. 4. 28. As for the vertues in the last place which here are pretended also to be given to worke for their harme and among them faith and repentance we are so farre from affirming that they are given for the harme of them that perish that we to the contrary maintaine that they are given to none but Gods elect and to bring them unto salvation Acts 13. 48. As many believed as were ordained to eternall life And faith is called the faith of the elect Tit. 1. 1. and Acts 11. 18. Then hath God also unto the Gentiles given repentance unto life Marke it well not unto death but unto life And Austin long agoe hath professed that of those who are not predestinated God brings not one unto wholsome and spirituall repentance whereby a man is reconciled unto God in Christ Knowledge is here shufled in among the rest of these vertues as if that were not all one with the illumination of the mind at least most deservedly to be ranged with it As for other vertues here mentioned as fortitude liberality temperance humility chastity where these vertues are bestowed after a naturall manner for no otherwise nor in any gracious manner are they found in Reprobates as I suppose ready to be called at any time to an account upon that poynt and to manifest six maine differences between the morall vertues of heathen men and the same vertues in name and as touching the substance of the acts wrought by them in Christians I should think they are rather given for their good that enjoy them than for their harme namely Ut profici ant ad exteriorem vitae emendationem quo mitius puniantur All the harme that may come by them that I can devise for the present is to grow proud of them and I willingly professe that nothing makes a greater separation from God then pride and it may be Moralists fret at this that their Morality is no better esteemed of But what thinke you May a man be proud of humility for that is one of the excellent vertues here specified why not of the naturall humility which is in them As Sir Philip Sidney observes in his defence of Poetry that Philosophers write Bookes against vaine-glory whereunto neverthelesse they set their names So they might write Books in commendation of humility and thereunto set their names also Yet I am not truly of such an opinion as to think that God should give any of these vertues to the end they should grow proud of them for I doe not find it any way requisite to a proud man that he should be vertuous for in my judgement pride is a very humble vice and disdaines not to dwell in the hearts of the meanest Plato could discerne it through Antisthenes his patcht coate and when Diogenes trod under foot Platoes hangings saying I tread under my foot Platoes pride it is observed that he did this majori festu with greater pride And as one sometimes said a man may be as proud of a Cloakebagge which he carrieth behind him as Cardinall Campeius was of his Sumpter-horse that followed after him and yet that pride of his might be of no better then of Brick-bats when all was known what shew soever it made unto the people And men of generous minds and parts and meanes answerable are many times found through the grace of God more truly humble than many a base fellow that hath nothing

to be made reckoning of but his own conceit As the fly sitting upon the Cart wheele in a dry Summer said see what a dust I make Saint Pauls righteousnesse which he speakes of Phil. 3. I take to be better than the vertue of any Philosopher which yet he accounted but dung that he might winne Christ But by the way I observe how liberall these men are in acknowledging the gifts of God in grosse which they will be found utterly to deny if they be examined upon them in particular As for example Morall vertues we commonly say are Habitus acquisiti acquisite habits and that by frequentation of consimilar acts whereupon the habit ariseth naturally Now doe these men maintaine that God is the Author of these acts otherwise than by concourse working in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 velle facere modò velint I can shew it under the hands of some of them in expresse termes Now I pray you is not God the Author of every evill act after this manner as well as of any good by their own confession for they grant that God concurres to every sinnefull act works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 velle and facere thereof also modò homines velint Who then is so simple as not to observe that they make God the Author of vertues after no other manner than they make him the Author of vices Yet they are content to talke liberally of the gifts of God only to cheat the simple I meane as many as are not acquainted with their juggling as for us wee maintaine that God determines the will not only to the substance of a good act by determination naturall but also to the goodnesse of it by determination supernatural as for example no vertuous act is truly good but as it is performed out of the love of God but what love Out of such a love of God as is joyned with the contempt of himselfe judge you whether such a love may be performed by power of nature and this amor usque ad contemptum sui Gerson makes to be the character of the child of God like as amor sui usque ad contemptum Dei he make the character of a child of the Devill But to draw to an end of this confused discourse wherein are clapt together gifts of nature seaven whereof are reckoned up as creation sustentation preservation health strength beauty and wisdome and gifts of grace that either purchasing salvation as Christ or applying salvation which are of foure forts 1. The Ministry of the word Sacraments 2. Gods patience 3. Illumination of the mind 4. The plantation of many excellent vertues eight whereof are particulated as 1. knowledge 2. faith 3. repentance 4. fortitude 5. liberality 6. temperance 7. humility 8. chastity which by this time I have gotten by heart ere I am aware I am so beaten to it through a tedious discourse of all which hand over head it is affirmed that either God meanes them not to them that enjoy them but as they are mingled with the elect which hath no colour as I can perceive save of the Ministry of the Word Sacraments for is it sober to impute to any to say that creation or preservation or health strength beauty wisdome or Christ himselfe or Gods patience or illumination of mind or the vertues he speakes of as knowledge faith repentance fortitude liberality temperance humility chastity are not given to any but as they are mingled among the elect Or that they are given for their hurt touching this last I answere in briefe that it is a very absurd thing to say that God gives any of these gifts to man to this end that they may by occasion be hurt by them but God both gives them and in case they prove an occasion of harme of sinne unto them he permits them through occasion from them to sinne and therein to presevere as touching Reprobates to damne them for their sinnes to the manifestation of his own glory in the way of justice vindicative as also hereby the more To declare the riches of his glory upon the vessells of mercy which he hath prepared unto glory Rom. 9. 23. When they shall find that had not God put a gracious and mercifull difference between them and others Christ had been a rock of offence as well unto them as unto others the Gospell had been a savour of death unto death to them as well as others All other gifts which God hath bestowed upon them look in what sort they have been an occasion of falling unto others so they might have been in like sort an occasion of falling unto them also for it is as true as the word of God is true that the Gospell is a savour of death unto death to some and that Christ was set up as well for the falling of some as for the rising of others yea a rock to fall upon to both the houses of Israell and as a snare and as a net to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and many among them shall stumble and shall fall and shall be broken and shall be snared and shall be taken And that as many as stumble at the word and are disobedient they were thereunto ordained And the holy Prophet wanted not faith when he delivered this execration let their table be a snare before them and their prosperity thir ruine And how poorely this Author labours to charme the energy of these such like passages let the indifferent judge by that which is delivered As for the last of an absolute decree cutting off and rejecting some from grace and glory I will end this with representing the sottish condition of this Author herein parbreaking his stomack without all judgement and sobriety First observe how he claps together grace and glory as if there were no difference in the manner of Gods cutting off from the one from the other whereas the manner of Gods cutting off from the one as it is maintained by us is such as impudency it selfe hath not the face to lay any thing to our charge therein As for the manner of Gods cutting off from the other as it is maintained by us there is indeed such absolutenesse as they maligne bitterly but withall it is so cleerely set down in holy Scripture that their hearts serve them not with open face to vent their spleen against it and that is a chiefe reason of this Authors declining the other controversies and keeping himselfe only to this though I verily think this hath proceeded from the counsell of his abettors And for the same reason it is that he claps togeather the cuting off from grace and glory But I will take leave to distinguish them and answer distinctly to both a part to make their madnesse and unreasonablenesse more apparent And first I will speake of Gods absolute decree of cutting off from glory Now this is well known to be opposed to a decree conditionall as in the end of the