Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
heart_n believe_v see_v sin_n 2,670 5 4.6037 3 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
A42231 Hugo Grotius, Of the government and rites of the ancient church, conciliation of grace and free will, certainty and assurance of salvation, government of the highest powers in church affairs in a letter to the states embassador. Grotius, Hugo, 1583-1645.; Barksdale, Clement, 1609-1687. 1675 (1675) Wing G2118; ESTC R34449 21,440 54

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

ordered and disposed unto life eternal and affected with a serious desire thereof believed and that other Job 8.47 He that is of God by this pious inclination heareth the words of Christ with ass●nt of faith This surely is plain beyond denial to read the holy Scriptures to weigh them diligently to meditate of their meaning to frequent Godly Sermons to compose himself to prayers is in the power of a man haply now at the point of new Birth and not yet fully born again I assent also unto Molinaeus none of the Reformed as I suppose gainsaying That the Elect resist not the call unto the end no nor can resist it in the conjoyned sense but all the doubt is about the sense divided and the reason is because God as Molinaeus himself confesseth so bows the will as not to take away the liberty of the will The Question is whether to the Conversion of man any previous action of God be necessarily required I say previous for of the concomitant there 's another reason besides the concession of sufficient strength For say some either something more is required and then what was granted is denied the strength is not sufficient or the strength is really sufficient and then it follows that nothing more is requir'd But sufficient strength being granted the will remains free i. indeterminate to do or not to do This for the elect or such as are actually converted but for others who are not actually converted the cause why Grace is inefficacious many think it hard to attribute unto God since in no wise it seemeth Grace which is inefficacious by Intention of the Giver Nor doth it seem possible that any one should be punisht more heavily for not doing that which was impossible to be done namely for not making that grace efficacious which was in itself at least in relation to the subject inefficacious Nor does it seem to these men enough to avoid the making God the Author of unbelief which Molinaeus conceives may be avoided by casting the cause upon mans nature but withal care must be had of this also lest the signos of Gods will be made to disagree with his will and so injury be done to the Divine simplicity and sincerity For how shall they be said called seriously who are called with this mind that they may not come yea so that they cannot come Here now do those Scriptures offer themfelves to hand I desire not the death of a sinner but that he be converted and live What could I have done for my Vineyard which I have not done How often would I have gathered you and you would not and such like which do both on Gods part prove some will at least of converting and on mans part not converted argue a fault not simply natural and so necessary as 't is necessary for a stone not to live saith Molinaeus but evitable by those helps which were granted or were ready to be granted For to those also who being called to the Wedding would not come all things yet are signified to be in readiness And verily unless it be so it seems a man may be punisht for his sin that hinders him from believing but cannot be punisht more heavily for this that supposing sin and this inovitabl hindring be believed not That saying which Molinaeus dislikes It is in man to follow Gods calling or not to follow though it may have a dangerous sense is not yet without great Authors and therefore may receive a benign interpretation They which are halped to believe saith Prosper have it in their power to come Austin Neither ought they to ascribe unto themselves who are come because they came being called nor they that would not come to lay the fault upan another but on themselves alone because being called it was in their free power to come Again we have the beginning of our Salvation by Gods compassion 't is in our power to acquiesce in the saving inspiration Wherefore the same Father explains the calling according to purpose by that manner of calling as is fit for one to be called that he may follow not so as being called he cannot chuse but follow And although the same Austin very often describes vocation by swasion yet I think all Pious men will grant to Molinaeus God doth not work by mere suasions not only upon the mind but upon the Will by inspiring salutary aftections and not by changing the property of the will concreated with it To that Question touched by Molinaeus Why unto some the Gospel is not preached or being preached their Heart is not opened to believe I see the antient Fathers have answer'd two ways in a double respect For if it be absolutely enquir'd Why unto some people of Bithynia and Asia the Gospel was not preached at this or that time The answer is because of their voluntary sins sins of that fort for which God threatens he will send a Famine of the Word Likewise if in be enquir'd why God hardens some to whom the Gospel is preached the Answer is because they had harden'd themselves before For as Austin speaks Then began they to deserve punishment when being call'd they neglected to come But if the Question be propos'd comparatively Why to these the Gospel is preach'd rather than to those Why this mans heart is touched with more Virtue than the others Here it cannot be answer'd so as to give a general Reason in either case from man For t is certain greater Benefits do often fall to them who are the more undeserving persons Recourse must be had in this affair to the Divine Liberty Next as to the certainty of Salvation I do exceedingly approve that which is set down by Molinaeus 1. That there are some degrees of true Faith which are overthrown 2. That some Elect ones doubt of their Salvation 3. That there is a certain peculiar degree of Faith which never fails 4. That full Assurance is to be earnestly beg'd of God For hence I collect 1. That the Faith which fails and which doth not fail differ not so much in essence as degree which also was the Opinion of Iunius 2. That Christ obtain'd for us perseverance and it was promis'd by God on this condition that we ask and beg it with our earnest prayers and therefore not at all absolutely But not to be deceived with ambiguity of words we must note all the Antients so affirm that Faith which may be overthrown to be true Faith as not to deny to it the effect also of Justification For they openly pronounce Many are damned for latter sins to whom the former were remitted Nor do they less consent to this justifying Grace cannot at the same time consist with sins against Conscience as Murther Adultery and such like Wherefore being some elect after the gift of Faith received fall into fins of this sort as by too many Examples it is evident it follows and is clearly pronounced by the Holy Fathers that there may be