Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	faith_n	gospel_n	justification_n	6,484	5	9.1234	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41500	Prelatique preachers none of Christ's teachers, or, A Disswasive unto the people of God from attending the ministry (so called) of those, who preach by verture of an (Apocryphal) ordination, received from an order of men, commonly stiled Lord Bishops wherein arguments are tendered to their serious considerations, by way of motive against that practice ... .	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1663 (1663)	Wing G1192; ESTC R33795	80,325	88

court strange Princes for their aid Fear not neither be faint-hearted for the two tails of these smoaking fire-brands c. This King I say by this prudential course as he supposed for the preservation of himself and his Kingdom provoked the just severity of God to the great misery of both Isa 7. 4. compared with vers 17 18. c. and 2 Chron. 28. vers 16 19 20. For brevity sake and partly because of the affinity with the subject matter of the 12th Consideration preceding hath with the Argument of this in hand and partly because the Observations asserted for Truths both in the one and the other are so agreeable to the Wisdom and Righteousness of God as the Great Judge of all the Earth we shall forbear to argue any more Texts of Scripture upon the service of what hath been laid down as the strength of our present Consideration although there be very many more which both in face and in heart carry the substance and effect hereof as by name Isa 8. 6 7 8. -30. 1 2 3 15 17. 2 Chron. 25. 6 7 8. Jer. 2. 36 37. Ezek. 16. 26 27 28. with several others I shall onely instance the case of those Judaizing Christians in the times of the Apostles who to make all sure as they thought for their Justification before God would needs joyn the righteousness or works of the Law and more especially Circumcision with the belief of the Gospel or Faith in Christ for the obtaining of it But through a carnal diffidence of the sufficiency of that way and means which God hath sanctified for their justification whilst they went about to supply the imaginary defect hereof with an additional means suggested by their own wisdom or folly rather unto them they miserably miscarried in that so important a design meeting with condemnation instead of justification from the hand of God according to what the great Apostle plainly declared unto some of them Behold 1-Paul say unto you that if ye be circumcised namely with an opinion of obtaining justification either in whole or in part by it Christ shall profit you nothing And again Christ is become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified that is expect or hope to be justified by the Law ye are fallen from Grace Gal. 5. 2 4. Let us now bind the present Consideration with what hath been proposed and argued in it fast and close to our present purpose First Certain it is that God hath provided yet and at all times or at least ordinarily even in times most threatning the sincere profession of the Gospel affordeth unto his Saints means both unquestionably lawful and unquestionably sufficient if the Scripture may be Judge in the case through his accustomed Grace and Blessing for their Edification Comfort and Salvation Secondly It is no less certain that neither is a Prelatical Ministry nor an attendance hereon any means authorized or approved by God for the promoting or effecting of these ends From hence according to the plain tenour of the premises laid down in this Consideration it roundly follows that either to decline and forsake the means vouchsafed unto us by God for our Edification and Salvation to imbrace others or out of a conceit or pretence of an insufficiency or defectiveness in these means for those ends to joyn others with them which he hath not authorized as by name the attendance upon a Prelatical Ministry however specious or highly promising this means may be in our eye is a policy or course much more like to endammage and hinder us in those great concernments of our souls than any wayes to bless us in promoting them as it is said of Tilgath Philnezer King of Assyria of whom Ahaz King of Judah had desired aid against his enemies that when he came unto him he distressed him but strengthned him not Yea it is added the second time as a matter worth the minding that he helped him not 2 Chron 28 20 21. Now that God affordeth unto his People sufficient means at all times for their spiritual Edification and Salvation without the help of a Prelatical Ministry might be proved at large from the Scriptures if the case were doubtful enough to require it But the more degrees of visibility there are in the Object the fewer degrees of light will serve the visive faculty to discover it First The Scriptures themselves diligently read and with a good and honest heart searched into are able to make us wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance amongst all them which are sanctified Acts 20. 32. But these things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his Name John 20. 31. These places also well understood speak with many others the same thing Luke 16 29 31. Psal 19. 7 8 c. 2 Pet. 1. 19. John 5. 39. Rom. 15. 4. Heb. 4. 12. Secondly If any shall pretend that the Scriptures at least in many places are obscure and hard to be understood aright without a learned Interpreter the answer is at hand 1. The great variety of learned and profitable Expositions on all parts of the Scripture wherewith the good providence of God hath inriched this Nation in their native tongue in these our dayes render such a pretence as this in reference to the People of God amongst us as light as vanity it self Nor is it like that the present Ministry founded upon the Apocryphal Order of Prelacy should be more Canonical or Orthodox in giving out the mind of God in the Scriptures than they Not to mention the like variety of elaborate and solid discourses well nigh upon all particular Subjects or Heads of matter relating to Christian Religion 2. It is a generally-acknowledged Truth That in all things simply necessary unto Salvation the Scriptures are plain and the sence of them obvious to every ordinary understanding 3. and lastly for this The Judgments and Understandings of many if not of most Christians have in all ages been led aside from the mind of God in the Scriptures and this in things of very material consequence by the false lights of such their Teachers who were in great esteem for parts of learning and knowledge in the Scriptures in whom hath been verified that of the Prophet O my people they which lead thee cause thee to erre they swallow for so the Original the way of thy paths meaning that they do not stand much to consider what they teach thee either to beleive or practise Isa 3. 12. 9. 16. Thirdly The Saints are able to build up one another in Faith and Love yea and are exhortted or commanded by God so to do But ye Beloved building up your selves on or in your most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost Keep your selves in the love