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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

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65896	The way of life and perfection livingly demonstrated in some serious animadversions or remarks and answers upon the book entituled The middle way of perfection, with indifferency between the orthodox and the Quaker, herein considered, and the naked truth as it is in Christ Jesus, opened in real love to the souls of men / by George Whitehead.	Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1676 (1676)	Wing W1973; ESTC R20758	42,882	60

de Spiritu et Littera that he saith Alia est Questio utrumaesse possit Homo in hac Vita sine Peccato alia utrum sit It is one Question whether it be possible for a Man to attain to such a Perfection as to live without Sin and another whether there be any that do Unto which this Author addeth That it is possible to attain this by Grace or the special Assistance of God's Spirit he thinks it best to grant he thinks it not fit nor safe to say any or all of God's Commands are Impossible the Work is to be attributed to him unto whom nothing is impossible Animad Thus far we agree then 1 st That it is our Duty t● be so perfect as to live without Sin 2 dly That it is also possible by the Grace and Assistance of God's Spirit so to live and to keep all God's Commandments though not possible to any Man by his own free will and Strength but only through the Assistance of divine Grace it being God that worketh in us to will and to do as also this Author freely grants That und●r the Covenant of Grace God expecting our Works to be right that they proceed only from the sincere Heart Animad And that Heart must be such a one as will not willingly disobey God and then what shall be wanting in Performance when God affords the Assistance of his Grace and good Spirit which is alsufficient And further he soberly cautions viz. And if any in the Dispute do carry the Matter so high against them viz. the Quakers as to deny what they contend for to be possible they may if they please chose more Wariness from Saint Augustine for the Quakers ascribe not to themselves but to the Spirit the Life the Power or to Christ within all that they do then he addeth viz. On the contrary side if these Friends will not be content with what is allowed them that our Duty reaches so far as not to sin at all that this our whole Duty is possible through that Spirit by which I hope some of them are led pag. 8. Animad I am glad that this Author hath so freely manifested a serious and ingenious Mind in him as to confess unto these Truths 1 st That it is our Duty to be so perfect as to live without sin 2 dly That it is possible through the Assistance of God's Spirit so to live 3 dly That they who dispute against us should chose more Wariness then to deny the Perfection we contend for to be possible 4 thly That the Quakers ascribe not the Possibility to themselves but to the Spirit and Power or Christ in them in whom their Sufficiency is And I do heartily wish that he were so far consistant herewith as by the same Spirit and Power to acknowledge and believe on the behalf of Christ and his sincere Followers that they are both willing faithful and obedient in performance of their Duty as well as accomplished with the Knowledge and Power for that End Note Otherwise I cannot see but this Man will leave a secret and hidden Charge against God's Elect and Justified Ones which is not that they either want the Knowledge of their Duty or God's ●ssistance for Performance but that they either want Willingness or are unfaithful to God therein and how are they then said to be called and chosen and faithful or how are his People a willing People in the Day of his Power And he confess●th a sincere Heart hath God's Elect therefore let us further observe those Passages wherein he differeth with us in this weighty Matter Upon Augustine ' s Question whether there be any that do attain to such a Perfection as to live without Sin he concludes with the Denyal and that if these Friends say that every one who doth not attain to the same Pitch as to live without Sin cannot be in a State of Grace and Salvation he shall think it Time to send them to the same Father and Book for their Reproof and Satisfaction but he hath confest the Duty of Man is not to Sin and that it is possible through that Spirit by which he hopes some of us are led citing these Scriptures viz. Walk before me and be thou per fect Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy Heart with all thy Soul with all thy Strength Thy Will be done in Earth as it is done in Heaven Be Followers of Christ and as his was so must our Conversation be in the World But then this Author concludes There is no Man hath a sensible Knowledge of himself but he perceives daily how far his Duty is above his Performances Animad 1st Though we do confess that such an Estate of Grace and Salvation as to live without Sin is not suddenly or at the First Dayes Work attained unto yet by Degrees every one that follows Christ through the Work of Regeneration and so comes into an Estate of absolute Salvation such come at length yea in this World to be delivered from all Sin and to know that Christ's Saving Work effecteth a Salvation from Sin he throughly purgeth his Floor as this Man also denyes not but the END of Christ's Manifestation in the Flesh was to redeem us from all Sin to destroy the Works of the Devil to restore us out of sin and unrighteousness and present us to God as a Peculiar People Purified by Faith Zealous of Good Works Holy and without Blame Entire and wanting nothing Perfect and Compleat in ALL the Will of God These being seriously considered the Truth thereof believed and a Living Faith Hope and Expectation begotten in us for the fulfilling of these and such like Testimonies of Holy Scriptures we think there is no Cause to send us to Augustine for Reproof for we must prefer Christ and the Apostles Testimonies in the Scriptures of Truth before any other Man's private Opinions 2 dly Though it be the Estate of many Men who have a Knowledge of themselves to perceive how far their Duty is above their Performances yea of such as may have a Sincere Mind and Defire in them to see all Lets and Hindrances of Performance removed yet neither is this Imperfection alwayes the Condition of such nor is this Deficiency the Estate of every Man for there are Young Men and Fathers in the Truth as well as little Children and whosoever is so far enlightned as to perceive a Shortness in Performance or Duty yet having a sincere Desire to follow the Lord and be made conformable to his Image there is a Promise to such and as they waite upon the Lord he will renew-their Strength and grant unto them the Desire of their Souls Blessed are they that Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness And farther when God makes known his Will and tells to thee O Man what thou oughtest to do namely to do justly love Mercy and walk humbly with the Lord thy God if in Submission thou yield to him thine Help

Lyar. To the second Part if every Child of God keep his Commands as they are made the Condition of Life in the New Covenant then I hope it will be granted however that the greatest and most substantial Commandments are kept and how he should then neglect the lesser or remain unfaithful in the least Things I cannot understand for ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you faith Christ and he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much Now this great Commandment of Love being the Fulfilling of the Law must needs be therefore comprehensive of or take in the lesser Commandments and farther let it be seriously minded and considered that he that is come into the New Covenant or to be in Covenant with God is come into that Agreement and Union with him which this Covenant contains which admits not of the continuance of Sin or Breach of the Law of this Covenant and he that abides in Christ sins not he that dwells in Love dwells in God be not deceived he that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous 1 John 3. And this may answer what is said about the Child of God that as he is Righteous and Perfect he sins not c. and that when St. John speaks of sinning not we may observe how he counterpoises committing Sin with being Righteous or doing Righteousness to which this Author addeth The true Christian sins not so as he opposeth his being Righteous he commits not Sin as is contradictory to his doing Righteousness page 15. But still he seems here to leave Room for the Child of God's sinning or committing Sin in some Sense or other while in this World about which we differ and cannot be reconciled unless we both joyn in that Seed and Principle which lives in the child of God if we both did meet in that which is born of God which overcomes the World we should both agree about the State of him or whosoever to wit the Man of God or true child that is born of God whom the Wicked One cannot touch Sect. VIII Again since he saith The calm Protestants will grant to the Papists such a fulfilling of the Law as does constitute a Real true Righteousness and that which is perfect or entire according to the Covenant of Grace and so accepted of God unto Life c. page 15 16. Animad 'T is well that some Protestants grant thus much for this is repugnant both to the continuance and mixture of Sin and Corruption in the Children of God or with their Obedience for true and real Righteousness which is perfect and entire according unto the Covenant of Grace is what we do plead for both as to the Root and Fruits of it but I cannot see how this can consist with what he saith The most violent Papists will grant to the Protestant that this Righteousness nevertheless is not wtthout all Sin but doth both fail in the Degree which the Law exacts and is intermingled with many at least venial Transgressi●n● page 16. Although this doth somewhat agree with what this Author drives at against us yet such a mixture we cannot own nor such an interminglement of Sin with that Righteousness which is perfect and entire according to the Covenant of Grace and I see no Reason when the Soul 's great Enemy is overcome and the greater Sins washed off and the greater Pollutions done away why those venial Sins or lesser Sins should remain and there is no Reason that venial or pardonable Sins should remain or be continued after pardoned Man's Mind and Heart being changed and turned from them having repented thereof at the Time of his receiving pardon or when he receiveth Redemption through the Blood of Christ even Remission of Sins past As for standing on our own Righteousness when it is taken for Self-Righteousness in the Sense of the Prophet Isaiah chap. 64. 6. We do utterly deny and exclude it but as the Lord is o●r Righteousness by his inward Work of Grace and Sanctification in our Hearts we must forever own and stand by this with Respect to our Justification Acceptance and Peace with him as being the Ground and Original thereof to us and in us and they who exclude this inward or inherent Righteousness of God from Justification we can in no wise own their Doctrine Again between this Man 's Assenting page 16 17. that that Righteousness which is accepted of God unto Life is a real true Righteousness perfect and entire according to the Covenant of Grace and yet that this Righteousness is imperfect wherein we are justifiable by the Covenant of Mercy as Performers of the Condition here appears such an Inconsistancy as I know not how to reconcile for that which is perfect entire according to the Covenant of Grace is never deficient lame or imperfect nor yet intermingled with any Sin to make i● so as Christ being made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption we are only accepted in him justified in his Righteousness accepted in the Beloved whereby we do not exclude that Obedience on our Parts which Christ injoyns but are enabled and naturallized thereunto Confess He confef●eth that God gave his whole Law for a Covenant and if one Part only were transgressed the Condition of that Covenant is broken as well as if all were transgressed and that we must understand the like in reference to the Law of Faith or Covenant of Grace and its Observation page 17. Animad Must we so Then as perfect or full Obedience is required by the latter and unto it as by the former and much more Power and Encouragements attend this being established upon better Promises then were known under the other and in this Covenant of Grace God's Promises are Yea and Amen which concern perfect Holiness as well as the rest of the Saints Priviledges and both this Law and Righteousness of Faith require a sincere or perfect Obedience to the Word of Faith in the Heart and that in order to the compleating an absolute Justification and Salvation as the Law or Letter without doth to the Precepts therein contained but then the Man varies in what he addeth in the next Section Sect. IX Object viz. Let a Man's Sins be what they will so long as the Condition be performed he may according to this Law be judged no Transgressor page 17. Animad Whereas if this Law of Faith or Covenant of Grace must be as fully observed as the whole Law ●hat God gave to Man for a Covenant as before no Part whereof was to be broken how do these consist And if the Law be not made void through Faith but established and if it be not the Unrighteous that shall inherit the Kingdom of God but such as are washed and sanctified from all Uncleanness that are also justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God see 1 Cor. 6. Then I do not see that the Performance

as I find them 2 dly To consider whether his Reflections upon us are consistant therewith as touching our Principles Sect. I. As touching Justification he saith viz. To avoid needless Difference with Brethren I must distinguish Justification Justification we agree to be a forensical Act opposed to the laying any Thing to a Man's Charge whereby he may be condemned who shall lay any Thing to the Charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth now there is a Double Charge the Charge of the Law that we are Sinners and so condemnable for violating of it and the Charge of the Gospel that we have not performed the remedying Condition which God requires of us for the escaping of that Condemnation And also he farther explains There is a farther Justification in regard to a particular Charge of the one or an universal Justification against all Accusations or the Charge of both as we must answer to the Charge of the Gospel by denying that Charge and pleading our Performance we answer the Charge of the Law by confessing it and pleading Christ's Satisfaction Our Faith aud Repentance is our Righteousness in Regard to the Gospel but Pardon of Sin together with this Righteousness may go both into universal Justification And that God justifying us by this Righteousness that is by Faith or Evangelical Obedience without the Works of the Law and that pardoning us as the Effect of that Act may both make up the Compositum of Vniversal Just●fication you see how tender I am of persisting in any Mistake wherein I have or may prejudice others I do not find that the Scripture doth denominate or pronounce any one Righteous or a Just Man from one End to another upon any-other Account then his doing Righteousness yet will I not quarrel with any that say we are made Righteous also by Forgiveness and that the Delivery of us from Sin from the Law and Condemnation by it is Justification though really I am apt to think that this Work is rather to be attributed with the Apostle to our Redemption Compare Ephes. 1 7. 2 Cor. 5. 19. Rom 3. 24. Animad Observe what is hereby granted 1 st That Justification is oppos'd to the laying any thing to a Man's Charge whereby he might be condemned a● who shall lay any Thing to the Charge of God's Elect The Questions therefore is whether God's Elect be chargeable with any Thing that is condemnable For against a Righteous Man there is no Law this answers the End of Christ's coming in the Likeness of sinful Flesh that he might not only condemn Sin in the Flesh but that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and this then truly acquits and clears such who thus walk both from the Charge of the Law and of the Gospel there being no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus c. 2 dly That we cannot deny the Charge of the Gospel until we have performed that Remedying Condition which God requires of us for the escaping the Condemnation or rather until that true Faith and Repentance be wrought in us by the Grace of God as the Condition upon and through which God doth both pardon and justifie 3 dly That God justifieth us by this Righteousness that is by Faith or Evangelical Obedience without the Works of the Law it must be considered to be without those Works of the Law which the Apostle intended as namely those that were fleshly and shaddowy that were not essential to an Evangelical Righteousness and not that substantial and continuing Obedience of that Love which is the fulfilling of the Law 4 thly That Evangelical Obedience and doing Righteousness by which God justifies or pronounces any one Righteous and in which his Elect is not chargeable or condemnable either by Law or Gospel must needs therefore be a sincere Obedience without the Mixture of Sin or any Thing condemnable Christ being the Cause and Worker of that Faith Sanctification and Righteousness in the true Believer from whence his Obedience and doing of Righteousness proceeds all which seriously considered doth both shut out the Opinion of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to Men while actual in their Sins and the pronouncing them Righteous in God's Sight who are by his Spirit denounced or condemned in themselves as unrighteous and disobedient Persons for where real Faith and Repentance from dead Works is wrought in the Heart there is a real Cessation from those Works and evil Actions although the very Nature and Seed thereof is not immediately wrought out of the Heart but by Degrees But then I see no Cause why it should be said that Pardon or Remission is not any Essential Part or no Part of Justification but the Effect as in Page 4. Seeing that Pardon of Sin together with our Fa●th and Repentance as the Condition goes both into Universal Justification as before though a Pardon of Sins past upon true Faith and Repentance be not alone the absolute Justification but also a Perseverance in faithful Obedience to the Gospel is necessary to an absolute justified Estate both being by the Grace of God in and through Christ wherein he looks upon the Creature that is truly humbled with an Eye of Compassion in remitting of Sins past and with his Fatherly Love and Goodness in preserving and keeping such in the Sense of his Goodness which doth obliege to Faithfulness and Continuance in the Truth unto the End so that in an absolute justified Estate there is both an Experience of true Humility living Faith Sanctification and sincere Obedience and the continuance of the same according to these Scriptures 2 Cor. 5. 17 18. Ephes. 1. 7. to the End Rom. 3. 24 25 26 27 31. ver compared with ver 21. see and observe also Titus chap. 3. 4 5 6 7. the real Experience whereof is beyond Mens Thinkings and Conceivings and it is only the true Believers and sanctified Ones who can truly say from an inward Experience of the Work of God in their Hearts that Christ is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption and he that spared not his only Son but delivered him up for us all how much more shall he not with him give us all Things Sect. II. And seeing it is also granted or at least implied that the State of Justification extends to a State of Perfection it is necessary we by the Way further take notice of some Truths laid down by this Author about Perfection as namely It is to be acknowledged 1st That there are and may be very many Scriptures easily pressed by the Quakers and Papists for the Service of their Doctrine so that there is no doubt but thus much is proved that it is our Duty to be as perfect as they would have every Sin is forbidden and every Good Thing that is to say by the Law of Innocency is commanded thus far true 2dly He cites Augustine