Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

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
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A31280 An impartial examination and refutation of the erroneous tenents of Thomas Moor in his dangerous writings intituled Clavis Aurea &c. wherein he is not ashamed to insinuate his being the Elias mentioned in Malachi, denies an Hell, or future punishment, and boldly asserts the inevitable salvation of all men. T. C. 1698 (1698) Wing C135; ESTC R35832 20,498 25

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

believe c. ch 4. v. 10. shall be considered hereafter under the fourth Head Thirdly This Doctrine of Universal and Inevitable Salvation not only subverts the many harmonious Testimonies of Sacred Writ but the Dictates of right Reason inasmuch as it ranks the most pertinacious Miscreants hardened Sinners and inveterate Persecutors with the truly pious regenerate and faithful Professors of Christianity The scattered Relicts of Reason implanted in Humane Nature have in all Ages suggested the punishment and reward of Vice and Vertue among such as had not the advantage of the Divine Oracles And some of them who lived in those dark Times and Places have been so exemplary in Moral Attainments if Humility Mortification c. may not deserve an higher Epithete as to shame the far greater part of Christians though dignified with more excellent yea inestimable Priviledges Rom. 2. 14 15 26 27. What can be more absurd than to equal a bloody Nero living in the height of wickedness against God and Man as his only Element and dying wholly void of remorse with a pious self-denying I had almost said Divine Seneca or St. Paul that great Apostle of the Gentiles and unwearied Instrument in propagating the Christian Faith with a malicious apostatizing and persecuting Julian If it be objected that this Argument centers Man's Salvation in Works and lessens the Glory of God who intends only the exaltation of Free Grace this will be found but a very weak Subterfuge For as on the one hand the beginning progress and accomplishment of the Blessed work of Salvation in every Soul is wholly supernatural and none of the concurring faculties of Man's most noble rational part when truly subjected to Divine Grace may have the least claim or pretence in the matter of Justification Rom. 3. 23 24. Eph. 2. 8 9. So on the other hand that Faith which doth not work by Love and incline the Soul to sincere returns of Universal Obedience or at least desires after it is but empty fictitious and unprofitable The genuine tendency of the New Birth is to breathe in the heavenly Air. Grace effectually operating will endeavour to return some streams at least droppings of Love towards the immense Ocean from whence it came Though the imperfect Obedience of finite Creatures cannot add to nor their most obstinate Disobedience detract from the Divine Perfection yet we may as well imagine that the Scriptures of undoubted truth are no better than one aggregated fallacy and design'd for no other use than to amuse the World as that Mankind shall be saved upon terms differing from or contradictory to what God himself hath prescribed If he hath enjoyn'd Faith and Obedience and made them so essential that without the former which also includes the latter it is impossible to please him Heb. 11. 6. Doubtless there can be no greater indignity offered than to imagine yea promise and as it were insure Salvation to all such as stubbornly persist in Unbelief Disobedience and open Hostility against both the Author and the Terms of Grace Fourthly Such a Doctrine tends to the utter subversion of all good Principles and Practices whether Moral Legal or Evangelical and rendring the World as wicked as Satan or corrupt Nature can suggest Though it must be acknowledged that Evangelical Obedience is or ought to be grounded on the ennobling Principle of Love rather than a servile fear of Wrath and Damnation yet so great is the Degeneracy of Humane Nature that there is no small need of those terrifying Methods as preparatory to the sweet Consolations of the Gospel And indeed most commonly the work of Regeneration begins with the Terrours of Legal Convictions which nevertheless do often prove abortive either as they grow remiss and suffer a backsliding into former sensuality or fix Man upon the sandy foundation of his own feeble Performances as the ground of his hope and confidence But if all Mankind shall necessarily be saved without any respect to their Obedience or Disobedience Faith or Unbelief what need then of all the pains in Preaching or propagating the sweet and delectable sound of the Gospel or of the care study zeal or endeavours about Religion in the World To what purpose did Christ leave that clear and positive assertion That except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God John 3. 3. or enjoyn us to enter in at the strait Gate c. or tell us that wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and many there be that go in thereat Mat. 7. 13. What need of seeking first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof Mat. 6. 33. of becoming new Creatures 2. Cor. 5. 17. or of growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2. Pet. 3. 18. How greedily would the practical Atheist i. e. every profane dissolute and licentious person catch at such a Doctrine had he not a secret Remembrancer in his own bosom that deals more faithfully with him when suffered to speak and sometimes without leave To such T. M's Notions would be the most welcome they ever met with if they could but arrive at the same pitch of certainty as to their future Happipiness and so take first a full carouse in the sweets of this World as they erroneously esteem the height of wickedness and sensuality and afterwards possess the unthought of Joys of the World to come May the laudable and united Endeavours of Superiours at this time prove effectual to the suppressing both of speculative and practical Atheism blasphemous Libels and fundamental Errours so audaciously propagated of late Years to the great shame and detriment of Reformed Christianity The second Head to be examined is That Faith is given after this Life to such as dye in Vnbelief This is but a superstructure upon the same Foundation For if all Men are necessarily saved if Faith be essential to Salvation and if a great part of literal Israel and many others dye in Unbelief then Faith must be given after this Life This is T. M's own way of arguing Clav. Aurea p. 9. But that this is no less absurd and contradictory to the scope of the holy Scriptures will easily appear For First The short and uncertain Life of Man in this World is and ought to be esteemed the only time of probation in order to his future state And indeed 't is no small favour to have such a gracious Reprieve from the Sentence of Eternal Death due to Adam's Transgression To have the Tree of Life though forfeited freely exhibited again and the former loss in the first Adam recovered with unspeakable advantage in the second by all that through Faith lay hold on him That this Life is the only season of Grace is evident from the five rejected Virgins in that well known Parable of Christ who had slipt the proper time for furnishing their Lamps and securely deferr'd it