Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	according_a	lord_n	mercy_n	2,514	5	6.2304	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

conjecture according to his guesse at mens inclinations and indeed this is the Helena for whose enjoyment these thrice tenne yeeres they have maintained warfare with the hosts of the living God their whole endeavour being to prove that notwithstanding the performance of all things on the part of God required for the production of any action yet the will of man remaines absolutely free yea in respect of the event as well as its manner of operation to doe it or not to doe it that is notwithstanding Gods decree that such an action shall be performed and his fore-knowledge that it will so come to passe notwithstanding his co-operating with the will of man as farre as they will allow him for the doing of it and though he hath determined by that act of man to execute some of his owne judgements yet there is no kinde of necessitie but that he may as well omit as doe it which is all one as if they should say our tongues are our owne we ought to speake who is Lord over us we will vindicate our selves into a libertie of doing what and how we will though for it we cast God out of his throne and indeed if we marke it we shall finde them undermining and pulling downe the actuall providence of God at the root and severall branches thereof For First for his conservation or sustaining of all things they affirme it to be very likely that this is nothing but a negative act of his will wherby he willeth or determineth not to destroy the things by him created and when we produce places of Scripture which affirme that it is an act of his power they say they are foolishly cited So that truely let the Scripture say what it will in their conceit God doth no more sustaine and uphold all his creatures then I doe a house when I doe not set it on fire or a worme when I doe not tread upon it Secondly for Gods concurring with inferiour causes in all their acts and working they affirme it to be onely a generall influence alike upon all and every one which they may use or not use at their pleasure and in the use determine it to this or that effect be it good or bad so Corrinus as it seemes best unto them in a word to the will of man it is nothing but what suffers it to play its owne part freely according to its inclination as they ioyntly speake in their confession observe also that they account this influence of his providence not to be into the agent the will of man whereby that should be helped or inabled to doe any thing no that would seeme to grant a selfe-insufficiencie but onely into the act it selfe for its production as if I should helpe a man to lift a logge it becomes perhaps unto him so much the lighter but he is not made one jot the stronger which takes off the proper worke of providence consisting in an internall assistance Thirdly for Gods determining or circumscribing the will of man to doe this or that in particular they absolutely explode it as a thing destructive to their adored libertie It is no way consistent with it say they in their Apologie so also Arminius The providence of God doth not determine the will of man to one part of the contradiction that is God hath not determined that you shall nor doth by any meanes over-rule your wils to doe this thing rather then that to doe this or to omit it so that the summe of their endeavour is to prove that the will of man is so absolutely free independent and uncontrouleable that God doth not nay with all his power cannot determine it certainly and infallibly to the performance of this or that particular action thereby to accomplish his owne purposes to attaine his owne ends truly it seemes to me the most unfortunate attempt that ever Christians lighted on which if it should get successe answerable to the greatnesse of the undertaking the providence of God in mens essence would be almost thrust quite out of the the world tantae molis erat the new goddesse contingencie could not be erected untill the God of heaven was utterly dispoyled of his dominion over the sons of men and in the roome thereof a home-bred Idol of selfe-sufficiencie set up and the world perswaded to worship it but that the building climbe no higher let all men observe how the word of God overthrowes this Babylonian tower First in innumerable places it is punctuall that his providence doth not onely beare rule in the counsels of men and their most secret resolutions whence the Prophet inferreth that he knoweth that the way of man is not in himself that it is not in man that walketh to direct his wayes Ierem. 10. 23. And Solomon that a mans heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps Prov. 16. 9. David also having laid this ground That the Lord bringeth the counsell of the heathen to nought and maketh the devices of the people to be of none effect but his owne counsell abideth for ever and the thoughts of his heart to all generations Psam 33. 10 11. proceedeth accordingly in his owne distresse to pray that the Lord would infatuate and make foolish the counsell of Achitophel 2 Sam. 15. 33. which also the Lord did by working in the heart of Absolom to hearken to the crosse counsell of Hushai But also secondly that the working of his providence is effectuall even in the hearts and wils of men to turne them which way he will and to determine them to this or that in particular according as he pleaseth The preparations of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord saith Solomon Prov. 16. 1. which Iacob trusted and relied on when he prayed That the Lord would grant his sonnes to finde favour and mercy before that man Gen. 43. 14. whom then he supposed to be some Atheistical Aegyptian whence we must grant if either the good old man beleeved that it was in the hand of God to incline and unalterably turne and settle the heart of Ioseph to favour his brethren or else his prayer must have had such a senslesse sense as this Grant O Lord such a generall influence of thy providence that the heart of that man may be turned to good towards my sons or else that it may not being left to its own freedome a strange request yet how it may be bettered by one beleeving the Arminian doctrine I cannot conceive Thus Solomon affirmeth that the heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord like the rivers of water he turneth it which way he will Pro. 21. 1. If the heart of a King who hath an inward naturall libertie equall with others and an outward libertie belonging to his state and condition above them be yet so in the hand of the Lord as that he alwaies turneth it to what he pleaseth

antidote against this poyson briesly shewing what the Scripture and right reason teach us concerning these secrets of the most High First knowne unto God saith Saint Iames are all his works from the beginning Acts 15. 18. whence it hath hitherto been concluded that what ever God doth in time bring to passe that he decreed from all eternitie so to doe all his works were from the beginning knowne unto him consider it particularly in the decree of election that fountaine of all spirituall blessings that a saving sence and assurance thereof 2 Pet. 1. 10. being attained might effect a spirituall rejoycing in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 31. such things are every where taught as may raise us to the consideration of it as of an eternall act irrevocably and immutably established he hath chosen us before the foundation of the world Ephes 1. 4. his purpose according to election before we were borne must stand Rom. 9. 11. for to the irreversible stability of this act of his will he hath set to the seale of his infallible knowledge 2 Tim. 2. 19. his purpose of our salvation by grace not according to works was before the world began 2 Tim. 1. 9. an eternall purpose proceeding from such a will as to which none can resist joyned with such a knowledge as to which all things past present and to come are open and evident directed by an infallible wisdome and counsell must needs also be like the laws of the Medes and Persians permanent and unalterable Secondly the decrees of God being conformable to his nature and essence doe require eternitie and immutabilitie as their unseparable properties God and he only never was nor ever can be what now he is not passive possibilitie to any thing which is the fountaine of all change can have no place in him who is actus simplex purely free from all composition whence Saint Iames affirmeth that with him there is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning Iam. 1. 17. with him that is in his will and purposes and himselfe by his Prophet I am the Lord and I change not therefore ye sons of Iacob are not consumed Mal. 3. 6. where he proveth the not changing of his gracious purposes because he is the Lord the eternall acts of his will not really differing from his unchangeable essence must needs be immutable Thirdly whatsoever God hath determined according to the counsell of his wisdome and good pleasure of his will to be accomplished to the praise of his glory standeth sure and immutable for the strength of Israel will not lye nor repent for he is not a man that he should repent 1 Sam 15. 29. he declareth the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done saying my counsell shall stand and I will doe all my pleasure Isa 46. 10. which certaine and infallible execution of his pleasure is extended to particular contingent events Chap. 48. 17. yea it is an ordinary thing with the Lord to confirme the certaintie of those things that are yet for to come from his own decree as The Lord of Hosts hath sworne saying surely as I have thought so it shall come to passe and as I have purposed it shall stand that I will breake the Assyrian c. Isa 14. 24 25. it is certaine the Assyrian shall be broken because the Lord hath purposed it which were a weake kinde of reasoning if his purpose might be altered nay he is of one minde and who can turne him and what his soule desireth that he doth Ioh 23. 13. The Lord of Hosts hath purposed and who shall disanull it Isa 14. 7. So that the purpose of God and immutabilitie of his counsell Heb. 6. 16. have their certaintie and firmnesse from eternitie and doe not depend on the variable lubricity of mortall men which we must needs grant unlesse we intend to set up impotency against omnipotency and arme the clay against the Potter Fourthly If Gods determination concerning any thing should have a temporall originall it must needs be either because he then perceived some goodnesse in it of which before he was ignorant or else because some accident did affixe a reall goodnesse to some state of things which it had not from him neither of which without abominable blasphemy can be affirmed seeing he knoweth the end from the beginning all things from everlasting being alwayes the same the fountaine of all goodnesse of which other things doe participate in that measure which it pleaseth him to communicate it unto them adde to this the omnipotency of God there is power and might in his hand that none is able to withstand him 2 Chron. 2. 6. which will not permit that any of his purposes be frustrate in all our intentions if the defect be not in the errour of our understandings which may be rectified by better information when we cannot doe that which we would we will doe that which we can the alteration of our purpose is for want of power to fulfill it which impotency cannot be ascribed to Almightie God who is in heaven and hath done whatsoever he pleased Psal 115. vers 3. So that the immutability of Gods nature his Almightie power the infallibility of his knowledge his immunity from error in all his counsels do shew that he never faileth in accomplishing any thing that he proposeth for the manifestation of his glory To close up this whole discourse wherein I have not discovered halfe the poyson contained in the Arminian doctrine concerning Gods decrees I will in briefe present to your view the opposition that is in this matter betwixt the word of God and the Patrons of free-will S. S. He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world Ephes 1. v. 4. He hath called us according to his owne purpose and grace before the world began 2 Tim. 1. 9. Knowne unto God are all his workes from the beginning of the world Act. 15. 18. Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done saying my counsell shall stand and I will doe all my pleasure Isa 46. 10. For the children being not yet borne neither having done either good or evill that the purpose of God according to election might stand as Rom. 9. 11. The foundation of God standeth sure having this seale the Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. The counsell of the Lord standeth for ever and the thoughts of his heart to all generations Psal 33. 12. S. S. My counsell shall stand and I will doe all my pleasure Isa 46. 10. I am the Lord and I change not Mal. 3. 6. With the Father of lights there is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning Iames Chap. 1. 17. See Exod. 3. 13 14. Psal 102. 27. 2 Tim. 2. 13. 1 Sam. 15. 29. Isa 14. 7. Iob 23. 13. Psal 115. 3. Lib. Arbit It is false to say that election is confirmed from everlasting Rem Apol. It is

1 Sam. 14. 41. Ionah chap. 1. 8. Matthias Act. 1. 26. And yet this overruling act of Gods providence as no other decree or act of his doth not rob things contingent of their proper nature for cannot he who effectually causeth that they shall come to passe cause also that they shall come to passe contingently Fourthly Gods predetermination of second causes which I name not last as though it were the last act of Gods providence about his creatures for indeed it is the first that concerneth their operation is that effectuall working of his according to his eternall purpose whereby though some agents as the wils of men are causes most free and indefinite or unlimited Lords of their owne actions in respect of their internall principle of operation that is their owne nature are yet all in respect of his decree and by his powerfull working determined to this or that effect in particular not that they are compelled to doe this or hindered from doing that but are inclined and disposed to doe this or that according to their proper manner of working that is most freely For truly such testimonies are every where obvious in Scripture of the stirring up of mens wils and minds of bending and inclining them to divers things of the governing of the secret thoughts and motions of the heart as cannot by any means be referred to a naked permission with a government of externall actions or to a generall influence whereby they should have power to doe this or that or any thing else wherein as some suppose his whole providence consisteth Let us now joyntly apply these severall acts to free agents working according to choyce or relation such as are the wils of men and that will open the way to take a view of Arminian Heterodoxies concerning this Article of Christian beliefe and here two things must be premised First that they be not deprived of their own radicall or originall internall libertie Secondly that they be not exempt from the moving influence gubernation of Gods providence the first whereof would leave no just roome for rewards and punishments the other as I said before is injurious to the majestie and power of God St. Augustine judged Cicero worthy of special blame even among the heathens for so attempting to make men free that he made them sacrilegious by denying them to be subject to an over-ruling providence which grosse errour was directly maintained by Damascen a learned Christian teaching things whereof we have any power not to depend on providence but on our owne free-will an opinion fitter for a hogge of the Epicures heard then for a Scholler in the Schoole of Christ and yet this proud prodigious error is now though in other termes stifly maintained For what doe they else who ascribe such an absolute independent libertie to the will of man that it should have in its owne power every circumstance every condition whatsoever that belongs to operation so that all things required on the part of God or otherwise to the performance of an action being accomplished it remaineth solely in the power of a mans owne will whether he will doe it or no which supreame and plainely divine liberty joyned with such an absolute uncontrollable power and dominion over all his actions would exempt and free the will of man not onely from all fore-determining to the production of such and such efffects but also from any effectuall working or influence of the providence of God into the will it selfe that should sustaine helpe or co-operate with it in doing or willing any thing and therefore the authours of this imaginarie liberty have wisely framed an imaginary concurrence of Gods providence answerable unto it viz. a generall and indifferent influence alwaies wayting and expecting the will of man to determine it selfe to this or that effect good or bad God being as it were alwaies ready at hand to doe that small part which he hath in our actions whensoever we please to use him or if we please to let him alone he no way moveth us to the performance of any thing now God forbid that we should give our consent to the choyce of such a Captaine under whose conduct we might goe downe againe unto Paganisme to the erecting of such an Idol into the Throne of the Almightie No doubtlesse let us be most indulgent to our wils and assigne them all the libertie that is competent unto a created nature to doe all things freely according to election and foregoing counsell being free from all naturall necessity and outward compulsion but for all this let us not presume to denie Gods effectuall assistance his particular powerfull influence into the wils and actions of his creatures directing of them to a voluntary performance of what he hath determined which the Arminians opposing in the behalfe of their darling Free-will doe worke in the hearts of men an overweening of their owne power and an absolute independence of the providence of God For First they deny that God in whom we live and move and have our being doth any thing by his providence whereby the creature should be stirred up or helped in any of his actions that is God wholly leaves a man in the hand of his owne counsell to the disposall of his owne absolute independent power without any respect to his providence at all whence as they doe they may well conclude That those things which God would have to be done of us freely such as are all humane actions he cannot himselfe will or worke more powerfull and effectually then by the way of wishing or desiring as Vorstius speakes which is no more then one man can doe concerning another perhaps farre lesse then an Angel I can wish or desire that another man would doe what I have a minde he should but truly to describe the providence of God by such expressions seemes to me intollerable blasphemie but thus it must be without such helpes as these Dagon cannot keepe on his head nor the Idoll of uncontroulable Free-will enioy his dominion Hence Corvinus will grant that the killing of a man by the slipping of an axes head from the helve although contingent may be said to happen according to Gods counsel and determinate will but on no termes will he yeeld that this may be applied to actions wherein the counsell and freedome of mans will doe take place as though that they also should have dependance on any such overruling power whereby he absolutely excludeth the providence of God from having any soveraigntie within the territory of humane actions which is plainly to shake off the yoke of his dominion and to make men Lords paramount within themselves so that they may well ascribe unto God as they doe onely a deceiveable expectation of those contingent things that are yet for to come there beeing no act of his owne in the producing of such effects on which he can ground any certainty onely he may take a

in particular then certainly other men are not excepted from the rule of the same providence which is the plaine sense of these words and the direct Thesis which we maintaine in opposition to the Arminian Idol of absolute independent Free-will So Daniel also reproving the Babylonian Tyrant affirmeth that he glorified not God in whose hand was his breath and whose were all his wayes Dan. 5. 23. not onely his breath and life but also all his wayes his actions thoughts and words were in the hand of God Yea Secondly sometimes the Saints of God as I touched before doe pray that God would be pleased thus to determine their hearts and bend their wils and wholly incline them to some one certaine thing and that without any prejudice to their true and proper libertie So David Psal 119. 36. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not unto covetousnesse This prayer being his may also be ours and we may aske it in faith relying on the power and promise of God in Christ that he will performe our petitions Iohn 14. 14. Now I desire any Christian to resolve whether by these and the like requests he intendeth to desire at the hand of God nothing but such an indifferent motion to any good as may leave him to his owne choice whether he will doe it or no which is all the Arminians will grant him or rather that he would powerfully bind his heart and soule unto his Testimonies and worke in him an actuall embracing of all the waies of God not desiring more libertie but onely enough to doe it willingly Nay surely the prayers of Gods servants requesting with Solomon that the Lord would be with them and encline their heart unto him to keepe his statutes and walke in his Commandements 1 Kings 8. 5. 7. And with David to create in them a cleane heart and renew a right spirit within them Psal 51. when according to Gods promises they intreat him to put his feare into their hearts Ierem. 31. 32. To unite their hearts to feare his Name Psal 86. 11. to worke in them both the will and the deed an actuall obedience unto his law cannot possibly aime at any thing but a generall influence enabling them alike either to doe or not to doe what they so earnestly long after Thirdly the certaintie of divers promises and threatnings of Almightie God dependeth upon his powerfull determining and turning the wils and heart of men which way he pleaseth thus to them that feare him he promiseth that they shall finde favour in the sight of man Prov. 3. 4. Now if notwithstanding all Gods powerfull operation in their hearts it remaineth absolutely in the hands of men whether they will favour them that feare him or no it is wholly in their power whether God shall be true in his promises or no surely when Jacob wrastled with God on the strength of some such promise Gen. 32. 12. he little thought of any question whether it were in the power of God to performe it yea and the event shewed that there ought to be no such question G●n 33. for the Lord turned the heart of his brother Esau as he doth of others when he makes them pitty his servants when at any time they have carried away captives Psal 106. 46. See also the same powerfull operation required to the execution of his judgements Job 12. 17. and Chap. 20. 21 c. In briefe there is no prophesie nor prediction in the whole Scripture no promise to the Church or faithfull to whose accomplishment the free actions and concurrence of men is required but evidently declareth that God disposeth of the hearts of men ruleth their wils inclineth their affections and determines them freely to choose and doe what he in his good pleasure hath decreed shall be performed such as were the prophesies of deliverance from the Babylonish captivitie by Cyrus Isa 42. Of the conversion of the Gentiles of the stabilitie of the Church Matth. 16. Of the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans Matth. 24. with innumerable others I will adde onely some few reasons for the close of this long discourse This opinion that God hath nothing but a generall influence into the actions of men not effectually moving their wils to this or that in particular First it granteth a goodnesse of entitie or being unto divers things whereof God is not the authour as those speciall actions which men performe without his speciall concurrence which is blasphemous the Apostle affirmes that of him are all things Secondly it denieth God to be the Authour of all morall goodnesse for an action is good in as much as it is such an action in particular which that any is so according to this opinion is to be attributed meerely to the will of man the generall influence of God moveth him no more to prayer then to evill communications tending to the corruption of good manners Thirdly it maketh all the decrees of God whose execution dependeth on humane actions to be altogether uncertaine and his fore-knowledge of such things to be fallible and easily to be deceived so that there is no reconciliation possible to be hoped for betwixt these following and the like assertions S. S. In him we live and move and have our being Act. 17. 28. He upholdeth all things by the word of his power Heb. 1. 3. Thou hast wrought all our workes in us Isa 26. 12. My Father worketh hitherto Iohn 5. 17. The preparations of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord Pr. 16. 1. The heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord like the rivers of water he turneth it which way he will Prov. 21. 1. Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies and not unto covetousnesse Psal 119. 36. Vnite my heart to feare thy Name Psal 86. 11. Thou hast not glorified God in whose hand is thy breath and whose are all thy wayes Dan. 5. 23. See Matth. 27. 1. compared with Act. 2. 23. and chap. 4. 27 28. Luk. 24. 26. Iohn 19. 34. 36. For the necessitie of other events see Exod. 21. 17. Iob 14. 5. Matth. 19. 7. c. Lib. Arbit Gods sustaining of all things is not an affirmative act of his power but a negative act of his will Rem apol whereby he will not destroy them God by his influence bestoweth nothing on the creature whereby it may be incited or helped in its actions Corvinus Those things God would have us freely doe our selves he can no more effectually worke or will then by the way of wishing Vorstius The providence of God doth not determine the Free-will of man to this or that particular or to one part of the contradiction Arminius The will of man ought to be free from all kind of internall and externall necessitie in its actions Rem that is God cannot lay such a necessitie upon any thing as that it shall infallibly come to passe as he intendeth see the contrary in the places cited