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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	free_a	grace_n	justification_n	4,592	5	9.0747	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05533	The reasons of a pastors resolution, touching the reuerend receiuing of the holy communion: written by Dauid Lindesay, D. of Diuinitie, in the Vniuersitie of Saint Andrewes in Scotland, and preacher of the gospell at Dundy	Lindsay, David, d. 1641?	1619 (1619)	STC 15656; ESTC S103094	57,265	200

indifferent doubting whether it be lawfull or not because he is not perswaded of his liberty The third is the ground of both the former and this is it Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne For vnderstanding of this last sentence which is the ground of the two former wee haue three things to consider in it First what these things be that make a man guilty of sin if they be not done in faith Secondly what this faith is wherein they should be done Thirdly what kind of sin it is whereof he is made guilty As for the first the word Whatsoeuer is generall and comprehendeth all things that falleth vnder the action of man Of these things some are commanded or forbidden by God in his Word and are simply good or euill Some are neither commanded nor forbidden and these are called indifferent The Apostles rule Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne extendeth to both but because this rule is set downe by the Apostle in this place chiefly with relation to things indifferent which may haue vse in Religion whereof immediately before hee hath beene intreating leauing the former wee shall speake of these Things indifferent I call such as being considered in themselues absolutely are neither commanded nor forbidden in Gods Word First I say neither commanded nor forbidden to shew in what sense they are called indifferent not by reason of their nature for in nature all things are the good creatures of God but in respect of the Law wherein they are neither discharged nor commanded and so are neither good nor euill Morally Secondly I say considered in themselues for if in practice and vse they bee affected with any Morall respect or intention of the agent they cease to be indifferent and become either good or euill according to the quality of his intention As for example to salute with a Kisse is a thing indifferent but if thereby thou testifiest thy Christian loue towards thy brother it becommeth a holy Kisse Salute one another saith the Apostle with an holy Kisse And contrariwise if thou kisse with Iudas and Ioabs intention it is a treasonable and wicked Kisse Thirdly I say considered absolutely for if they be considered with relation to the exigence of occasions and circumstances they cease likewise to be indifferent As for example to eate or not to eate of such or such kind of meates in it selfe is a thing indifferent neither commanded nor forbidden Meat commends vs not to God for neither if we eate are we the better neither if wee eate not are wee worse And the Kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but iustice peace and the ioyes of the Holy Ghost This then to eate and not to eate being indifferent in it selfe is made good or euill by the exigence of occasions and circumstances If it bee said when thou art to eate This meate is consecrate to an Idoll this speech and the conscience of those who are present maketh thy eating not indifferent but if thou eate thou sinnest Againe wee see that Peter was rebuked by Paul for that hee did not eate with the Gentiles but withdrew himselfe so soone as the Iewes came vnto him because by his abstinence and separation of himselfe from the Gentiles hee made the Gentiles doubt of their Christian liberty and confirmed the Iewes in their errour touching the necessary obseruation of the Ceremoniall Law To stand or to kneele at prayer is a thing indifferent but in the Primitiue Church to kneele on the Lords Day or from Pasch till Whit sunday was not indifferent Nefas ducimus saith Tertullian because it was contrary to the custome of the Church Then to conclude this point in a thing indifferent three things are required First it must not be commanded nor forbidden expresly in Gods Word Secondly it must not in practice and vse be affected with any morall respect or intention of the Agent Thirdly it must bee free from the necessary exigence of occasions and circumstances The next thing to be considered in this rule is faith out of the which the action must proceed Faith is taken diuersly in Scripture but that whereby we and our workes are acceptable is of two kinds The one concerneth the iustification of our persons the other the righteousnesse of our actions That which maketh our persons acceptable is our confidence in God through Iesus Christ whereby wee are assured of pardon and grace This which concerneth the righteousnesse of our actions is an assurance in our mind that the thing which we are to doe is not against the Law of God as is set downe in the fift verse of this chapter This last is the faith which is required the other is supposed for the rule is giuen to Christians who are iustified by that faith without which it is impossible to please God Now as the faith which concerneth the acceptation of our persons leanes to the promise of the Gospell so the faith that concerneth the righteousnesse of our actions is grounded on the precepts of the Law in such things as are commanded or forbidden But as for things indifferent that are neither commanded nor forbidden there bee three generals whereon our faith must repose in the worship of God Pietie Charitie and Decencie First we must know assuredly that the thing which we are to doe tends to the glorie of God at least is no wayes derogatiue thereto next that it is not offensiue to our neighbour that is it giues him no iust cause nor occasion to scarre or take exception against our profession These two grounds wee haue in this chapter the last we haue in the end of the 14. chapter of the 1. Corinths Let all things be done grauely and orderly So whatsoeuer thing indifferent is not done with assurance that it is neither offensiue to God nor to our neighbour nor vndecent for our profession it is sinne Now what sinne this is which was last to be considered is easily declared for if it bee offensiue to God or vnseemely for our Profession whereof God is the Authour it is sinne against the first great Commandement Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy mind heart and strength And if it be offensiue to thy neighbour it is against the second Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe If these grounds be sure it is manifest that although indifferent things bee neither commanded nor forbidden particularly in the Word yet the vse and practice of them is subiect to the generall rules of Piety and Charity and as euery man in his priuate action must haue respect to these rules and not abuse his liberty to licentiousnesse So must the Magistrate in the Common-wealth set downe Orders and Lawes to bee kept by subiects touching the vse of such things as of times and places for Iustice for Markets for the exercise of Armes for vse and abstinence from meates at certaine times and seasons which things in themselues may be done indifferently at

was symbolically represented in the giuing taking and eating of the elements is expounded in the other parcell Broken for you shed for the remission of the sinnes of many This explication and declaration of the Mysterie by the Word is a reall and spirituall application of the sacrifice of Christ and the benefit thereof to the minde and vnderstanding of the Receiuer to bee considered and pondered in the ballance of a wise and spirituall iudgement This is the first thing that is done by the word next by this word the last Will and Testament of Christ is declared wherein he maketh a reall donation and disposition of himselfe and of all his graces and gifts to the worthy receiuers The Bread which wee breake is it not saith the Apostle the communion of the Bodie of Christ And the Cup which we blesse is it not the communion of the Bloud of Christ How is this Bread and this Cup the communion of his Bodie and of his Bloud How But by the Sacramentall word wherein he declareth that the Bread and the Cup are the instruments of the communication and disposition of his Bodie and Bloud and the seales whereby he confirmeth the same This declaration conuaied with the inward grace and operation of the Spirit is a reall application of the sacrifice of Christ and the eternall Testament confirmed thereby to the heart and the will of the Receiuer that witl heart will and affection hee may trust and reioyce therein Thus th● application is acted really and spir●tually on the part of Christ and 〈◊〉 the part of the receiuer it is acted likewise when he considereth and pondereth in his mind as he should the death of Christ and the benefit thereof declared by the Word and next when he resteth and reposeth thereon with a full confidence of saluation according to the will of Christ declared and testified by the same VVord This is the spirituall application and reall receiuing of the Lord Iesus with all his benefites So many as receiued him saith Iohn he gaue them this prerogatiue that they should be called the sonnes of God But who are they that receiued him All those saith hee that beleeued in his Name Then to receiue him is to beleeue in his name In this beliefe and faith standeth our participation of the Lords Table and the eating and drinking at his Supper whereby we haue communion with him and amongst our selues And all this is effectuall by this Sacramental Word This is my Body this is my Bloud because both it is verbum expositiuum mysterii and Dispositiuum Testamenti the word that expoundeth the mysterie to the vnderstanding and is the dispositiue word of the Testament or the Word that declareth and testifieth the Legacie and Letter-will of Christ giuing and deliuering himselfe to the hand of our faith SECT 6. The difference betweene the Sacramentall Word and the Word preached AND heere by the way it shall not be vnprofitable to consider the difference betwixt this Sacramentall Word and the Word preached The Word preached is onely Promissorium and Conditionatum that is promissorie and conditionall because in it life eternall is promised vpon condition that wee repent and beleeue in Iesus Christ and it is true that by the Word preached wee are taught and perswaded to beleeue and to present our selues to the Sacraments Then the Sacramentall Word annexed to the Symbolicall Mysteries declareth that Iesus Christ hath made and by the present action of the Sacrament maketh an actuall and reall disposition and donation of the benefits promised in the Word preached because the condition therein required is performed in vs by the true perswasion and profession of faith So in the Word preached the promise is made vpon condition of faith But in the Sacramentall Word because the condition is presumed to bee fulfilled a simple donation and disposition is made of the things promised And herein consisteth the dignitie of the Sacraments First that they are onely ministred to the Beleeuers and the Beleeuers are onely admitted to them But the VVord is preached to all and all are admitted to the hearing thereof Secondly in the Word a promise is onely made of righteousnesse and life but in the Sacrament a reall donation and disposition is made of the things promised Thirdly in the Word the promise is onely made in generall but in the Sacraments the thing promised is applyed in particular Fourthly in the Word the promise is conditionall if wee beleeue and perseuer in faith but in the Sacraments the donation is simple because it presupposeth faith and perseuerance Fifthly in the Sacraments there is an externall solemne binding vp of a couenant betwixt God and the faithfull But by the Word preached and the hearing thereof the people are onely perswaded either to enter in this Couenant by beleeuing or continue therein if they beleeue alreadie It is true that by the power of the Word preached faith is wrought in the hearts of the hearers whereby they enter in a hid and secret Couenant with God and God with them They with God by beleeuing in him and hee with them by imputation of faith to them for righteousnesse This I call an hid and secret Couenant because it is onely knowne to God and to their owne hearts To God it is knowne for hee sees and searches the heart and the reines and knoweth them that trust in him To them it is knowne by the testimonie of the Spirit of God testifying with their spirit that they are receiued in his fauour and that their faith is imputed to them for righteousnesse for the Spirit of God testifies in the Word that the Beleeuers are iustified and our spirit and conscience testifieth that we beleeue and consequently that wee are iustified Moreouer the same beliefe and faith which our spirit testifieth to be in vs being the worke and effect of Gods Spirit in vs is a realt estimonie giuen by the Spirit of God of our Iustification The Spirit then of God both in generall in the Word and by his owne particular worke in vs testifieth that wee are receiued in Gods fauour and our spirit priuy to this Testimonie concurreth and testifieth with the Spirit of God So this Couenant is secret and hid because it is not knowne to men yet it hath three most famous and faithfull Witnesses God his Spirit and our conscience But to returne in binding vp of this secret Couenant neither is Gods part acted by preaching of the Word nor our part by hearing for by the Preaching he onely promises to receiue vs in grace if wee beleeue and to continue his fauour with vs if wee perseuer in faith and hearing on our part is not the condition that is craued and must bee performed of vs but faith which we must declare when we solemnely enter in Couenant with him not by a simple applying of our eare to heare but by an open and publicke testification both in word and work that wee haue heard and