Selected quad for the lemma: father_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
father_n	love_n	son_n	spirit_n	15,059	5	5.7830	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90293	Theomachia autexousiastikē: or, A display of Arminianisme. Being a discovery of the old Pelagian idol free-will, with the new goddesse contingency, advancing themselves, into the throne of the God of heaven to the prejudice of his grace, providence, and supreme dominion over the children of men. Wherein the maine errors of the Arminians are laid open, by which they are fallen off from the received doctrine of all the reformed churches, with their opposition in divers particulars to the doctrine established in the Church of England. Discovered out of their owne writings and confessions, and confuted by the Word of God. / By Iohn Owen, Master of Arts of Queens Colledge in Oxon.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1643 (1643)	Wing O811; Thomason E97_14; ESTC R21402	143,909	187

Christ for us is of the same extent with that grace whereby he calleth us to faith or bestoweth faith on us for he hath called us with an holy calling according to his owne purpose and grace which was given us in Iesus Christ 2 Tim. 2. 9. which doubtlesse is not universall and common unto all Innumerable other reasons there are to prove that seeing God hath given his elect onely whom onely he loved to Christ to be redeemed and seeing that the Sonne loveth onely those who are given him of his Father and redeemeth onely whom he loveth seeing also that the holy Spirit the love of the Father and the Sonne sanctifieth all and onely them that are elected and redeemed it is not our part with a preposterous liberality against the witnesse of Christ himselfe to assigne the salvation attained by him as due to them that are with out the Congregation of them whom the Father hath loved and chosen without that Church which the Sonne loved and gave his life for it nor none of the members of that sanctified body whereof Christ is the Head and Saviour I urge no more because this is not that part of the Controversie that I desire to lay open I come now to consider the maine Question of this difference though sparingly handled by our Divines concerning what our Saviour merited and purchased for them for whom he died and here you shall finde the old Idol playing his prankes and quite devesting the merit of Christ from the least ability or power of doing us any good for though the Arminians pretend very speciously that Christ died for all men yet in effect they make him die for no one man at all and that by denying the effectuall operation of his death and ascribing the proper issues of his passion to the brave indevours of their owne Pelagian Deitie We according to the Scriptures plainly beleeve that Christ hath by his righteousnesse merited for us grace and glory that we are blessed with all spirituall blessings in though and for him that he is made unto us righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that he hath procured for us and that God for his sake bestoweth on us every grace in this life that maketh us differ from others and all that glory we hope for in that which is to come he procured for us remission of all our sinnes an actuall reconciliation with God faith and obedience yea but this is such a desperate doctrine as stabs at the very heart of the Idol and would make him as altogether uselesse as if he were but a figgetree logge what remaineth for him to doe if all things in this great worke of our salvation must be thus ascribed unto Christ and the merit of his death Wherefore the worshippers of this great God Lib. Arbit oppose their engines against the whole fabricke and cry downe the title of Christs merits to these spirituall blessings in the behalfe of their imaginarie Deity Now because they are things of a two-fold denomination about which we contend before the king of heaven each part producing their evidence the first springing from the favour of God towards us the second from the working of his grace actually within us I shall handle them severally and apart especially because to things of this latter sort gifts as we call them enabling us to fulfill the condition required for the attaining of glory we lay a double claime on Gods behalfe First as the death of Christ is the meritorious cause procuring them of him Secondly as his free grace is their efficient cause working them in us they also producing a double title whereby they would invest their beloved darling with a sole proprietie in causing these effects First in regard that they are our owne acts performed in us and by us secondly as they are parts of our dutie which we are enjoyned to doe so that the quarrell is directly betweene Christs Merits and our owne free-will about procuring the favour of God and obtaining grace and righteousnesse let us see what they say to the first They affirme that the immediate and proper effect or end of the death and passion of Christ is not an actuall oblation of sinne from men not an actuall remission of iniquities iustification and redemption of any soule that is Christ his death is not the meritorious cause of the remission of our sins of redemption and justification the meritorious cause I say for of some of them as of justification as it is terminated in us we confesse there are causes of other kindes as faith is the instrument and the holy Spirit the efficient thereof But for the sole meritorious procuring cause of these spirituall blessings we alwaies took it to be the righteousnesse and death of Christ beleeving plainely that the end why Christ died and the fruit of his sufferings was our reconciliation with God redemption from our sinnes freedome from the curse deliverance from the wrath of God and power of hell though we be not actuall partakers of these things to the pacification of our owne consciences without the intervening operation of the holy Spirit and faith by him wrought in us But if this be not Pray what is obtained by the death of Christ Why a potentiall conditionate reconciliation not actuall and absolute saith Corvinus But yet this potentiall reconciliation being a new expression never intimated in the Scripture and scarce of it selfe intelligible we want a further explanation of their minde to know what it is that directly they assigne to the merits of Christ wherefore they tell us that the fruit of his death was such an impetration or obtaining of reconciliation with God and redemption for us that God thereby hath a power his iustice being satisfied and so not compelling him to the contrary to grant remission of sinnes to sinnefull men on what condition he would or as another speaketh it There was by the effusion of Christs blood a right obtained unto and settled in God of reconciling the world and of opening unto all a gate of repentance and faith in Christ But now whereas the Scripture every where affirmeth that Christ died for our good to obtaine blessings for us to purchase our peace to acquire and merit for us the good things contained in the promise of the Covenant this opinion seemes to restraine the end and fruit thereof to the obtaining of a power and libertie unto God of prescribing us a condition whereby we may be saved but yet it may be thus much at least Christ obtained of God in our behalfe that he should assigne faith in him to be this condition and to bestow it upon us also No neither the one nor the other after all this had it so seemed good unto his wisedome God might have chosen the Iewes and others following the righteousnesse of the law as well as beleevers because he might have assigned any other condition of salvation besides faith in Christ saith

Covenant to wit grace and glory that by his death he might bring many yet some certaine children to glorie obtaining for them that were given unto him by his Father that is his whole Church reconciliation with God remission of sinnes faith righteousnesse sanctification and life eternall that is the end to which they are to be brought and the meanes whereby God will have them attaine it he died that he might gather the dispersed children of God and make them partakers of everlasting glory to give eternall life to all that God gave unto him Iohn 17. 2. And on this purpose of himselfe and his Father is founded the intercession of Christ for his elect and chosen people performed partly on the earth Iohn 17. partly in heaven before the Throne of grace which is nothing but a presentation of himselfe and his merits accompanied with the prayers of his Mediatour-ship before God that he would be pleased to grant and effectually to apply the good things he hath by them obtained to all for whom he hath obtained them his intercession in heaven is nothing but a continued oblation of himselfe So that whatsoever Christ impetrated merited or obtained by his death and passion must be infallibly applied unto and bestowed upon them for whom he intended to obtaine it or else his intercession is vaine he is not heard in the prayers of his mediatourship an actuall reconciliation with God and communication of grace and glory must needs betide all them that have any such interest in the righteousnesse of Christ as to have it accepted for their good the sole end why Christ would so dearely purchase those good things is an actuall application of them unto his chosen God set forth the propitiation of his blood for the remission of sinnes that he might be the iustifier of him that beleeveth on Jesus Rom 3. 25 26. But this part of the Controversie is not that which I principally intend onely I will give you a briefe summe of those reasons which overthrow their heresie in this particular branch thereof First the death of Christ is in divers places of the Scripture restrained to his people and elect his Church and sheepe Matth. 1. 21. Iohn 10. 11 12 13. Acts 20. 28. Ephes 5. 25. Iohn 11. 52. Rom. 8. 32 33. Heb 2. 10. 13. Revel 5. 9. Dan. 9. 27. and therefore the good purchased thereby ought not to be extended to dogges reprobates and those that are without Secondly for whom Christ died he died as their sponsor in their roome and turne that he might free them from the guilt and desert of death which is cleerely expressed Rom. 5. 6 7 8. He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Isa 53. 5 6 c. He hath redeemed us from the curse being made a curse for us Galat. 3. 13. He made him to be sinne for us who knew no sinne 1 Cor. 5. 21. Evidently he changeth turnes with us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him yea in other things it is plaine in the Scripture that to die for another is to take his place and roome with an intention that he should live 2 Sam 18. 33. Rom. 5. So that Christ dying for men made satisfaction for their sins that they should not die now for what sins he made satisfaction for them the justice of God is satisfied which surely is not done for the sinnes of the reprobates because he justly punisheth them to eternitie upon themselves Matth. 5. 26. Thirdly for whom Christ died for them also he rose againe to make intercession for them for whose offences he was delivered for their iustification he was raised Rom. 4. 25. and Chap. 5. 10. He is a high Priest to make intercession for them in the holiest of holies for whom by his bloud he obtained everlasting redemption Heb. 9. 11. 12. Those two acts of his Priesthood are not to be separated it belongs to the same Mediator for sinne to sacrifice and pray our assurance that he is our Advocate is grounded on his being a propitiation for our sinnes he is an Advocate for every one for whose sinnes his blood was a propitiation 1 Iohn 2 1 2. But Christ doth not intercede and pray for all as himselfe often witnesseth Iohn 17. He maketh intercession onely for them who come unto God by him Heb. 7. 24. He is not a Mediatour of them that perish no more then and Advocate of them that faile in their suits and therefore the benefit of his death also must be restrained to them who are finally partakers of both we must not so dis-joyne the offices of Christs Mediatorship that one of them may be versated about some towards whom he exerciseth not the other much lesse ought we so to separate the severall acts of the same office For whom Christ is a Priest to offer himselfe a sacrifice for their sinnes he is surely a King to apply the good things purchased by his death unto them asb Arminius himselfe confesseth much more to whom he is a Priest by sacrifice he will be a Priest by intercession and therefore seeing he doth not intercede and pray for every one he did not die for every one Fourthly for whom Christ died he merited grace and glory faith and salvation and reconciliation with God as I shall shew hereafter but this he hath not done for all and every one many doe never beleeve the wrath of God remaineth upon some the wrath of God abideth on them that doe not beleeve 1 Iohn 3. 16. To abide argueth a continued uninterrupted act now to be reconciled to one and yet to lie under his heavie anger seeme to me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things that will scarce consist together the reasons are many I onely point at the heads of some of them Fifthly Christ died for them whom God gave unto him to be saved Thine they were and thou gavest them unto me Ioh. 17. 6. He layeth downe his life for the sheepe committed to his charge Iohn 10. 11. But all are not the sheepe of Christ all are not given unto him of God to be brought to glory for of those that are so given there is not one that perisheth for he giveth eternall life to as many as God hath given him Iohn 17. 2. No man is able to plucke them out of his Fathers hands Chap. 10. 28 29. Sixthly looke whom and how many that love of God embraced that was the cause of sending his Son to redeeme them for them and so many did Christ according to the counsell of his Father and in himselfe intentionally lay downe his life now this love is not universall being his good pleasure of blessing with spirituall blessings and saving some in Christ Ephes 1. 4 5. which good pleasure of his evidently comprehendeth some when others are excluded Matth. 11. 25 26. yea the love of God in giving

it be advanced above its owne or be by inherent habituall grace Divine Theologicall vertues differing even in the substance of the act from those morall performances about the same things to which the strength of nature may reach for the difference of acts ariseth from their formall objects which to both these are divers must have another principle and cause above all the power of nature in civill things and actions morally good in as much as they are subject to a naturall perception and doe not exceed the strength of our owne wils this facultie of Free-will may take place but yet not without these following limitations First that it alwaies requireth the generall concurse of God whereby the whole suppositum in which Free-will hath its subsistence may be sustained Matth. 10. 29. 30. Secondly that we doe all these things imperfectly and with much infirmitie every degree also of excellency in these things must be counted a speciall gift of God Isa 26. 12. Thirdly that our wils are determined by the will of God to all their acts and motions in particular but to doe that which is spiritually good we have no knowledge no power Secondly that concerning which I gave one speciall instance in whose production the Arminians attribute much to Free-will is Faith this they affirme as I shewed before to be in-bred in nature every one having in him from his birth a naturall power to beleeve in Christ and his Gospel for Episcopius denies that any action of the holy Spirit upon the understanding or will is necessarie or promised in the Scripture to make a man able to beleeve the word preached unto him So that it seemes every man hath at all times a power to beleeve to produce the act of faith upon the revelation of its object which grosse Pelagianisme is contrary First to the doctrine of the Church of England affirming that a man cannot so much as prepare himselfe by his owne strength to faith and calling upon God untill the grace of God by Christ prevent him that he may have a good will Artic. Secondly to the Scripture teaching that it is the worke of God that we do beleeve Ioh. 6. 29. It is not of our selves it is the gift of God Ephes 2. 8. To some it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven Matth 13. 11. And what is peculiarly given to some cannot be in the power of every one To you it is given on the behalfe of Christ to beleeve on him Phil. 1. 29. Faith is our accesse or coming unto Christ which none can do unlesse the Father draw him Ioh. 6. 44. and he so draweth or hath mercy on whom he will have mercy Rom. 9. 19. and although Episcopius rejects any immediate action of the holy Spirit for the ingenerating of faith yet Saint Paul affirmeth that there is no lesse effectuall power required to it then that which raised Christ from the dead which sure was an action of the Almightie Godhead That we may know saith he what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to usward who beleeve according to the working of his mightie power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Ephes 1. 19 20. So that let the Arminians say what they please recalling that I write to Christians I will spare my labour of further proving that faith is the free gift of God and their opposition to the truth of the Scripture in this particular is so evident to the meanest capacitie that there needs no recapitulation to present the summe of it to their understandings CHAP. XIII Of the power of Free-will in preparing us for our conversion unto God THE judgement of the Arminians concerning the power of Free-will about spirituall things in a man unregenerate meerely in the state of corrupted nature before and without the helpe of grace may be laid open by these following positions First That every man in the world reprobates and others have in themselves power and abilitie of beleeving in Christ of repenting and yeelding due obedience to the new covenant and that because they lost not this power by the fall of Adam Adam after his fall saith Grevinchovius retained a power of beleeving and so did all reprobates in him he did not loose as they speake at the Synod the power of performing that obedience which is required in the new covenant considered formally as it is required by the new covenant he lost not a power of beleeving nor a power of forsaking sin by repentance and those graces that he lost not are still in our power whence they affirme that faith is called the worke of God only because he requireth us to do it now having appropriated this power unto themselves to be sure that the grace of God be quite excluded which before they had made needlesse they teach Secondly That for the reducing of this power into act that men may become actuall beleevers there is no infused habit of grace no spirituall vitall principle necessary for them or bestowed upon them but every one by the use of his native endowments doe make themselves differ from others Those things which are spoken concerning the infusion of habits before we can exercise the act of faith we reiect saith the Epistle to the Walachrians That the internall principle of faith required in the Gospel is a habite divinely infused by the strength and efficacy whereof the will should be determined I deny saith another of them Well then if we must grant that the internall vitall principle of a supernatural spirituall grace is a meere natural faculty not elevated by any divine habit if it be not God that begins the good work in us but our own free-wils let us see what more goodly stuffe wil follow one man by his own meere indeavours without the aid of any received gift makes himself differ from another What matter is it in that that a man should make himselfe differ from others there is nothing truer he who yeeldeth faith to God cōmanding him maketh himself differ from him who will not have faith when he cōmandeth they are the words of their Apologie which without question is an irrefragable truth if faith be not a gift received from above for on that ground only the Apostle proposeth these questions who made thee differ from another or what hast thou that thou hast not received and if thou hast received why boasteth thou as if thou hast not received the sole cause why he denies any one by his own power to make himself differ from another is because that wherein the difference consisteth is received being freely bestowed upon him deny this and I confesse the other will fall of it selfe But untill their authoritie be equall with the Apostles they would do well to forbeare the naked obtrusions of assertions so contradictory to theirs and so they would not trouble the Church let them take all the glory unto themselves