Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	according_a	day_n	good_a	1,868	5	3.3197	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70306	The true Catholicks tenure, or, A good Christians certainty which he ought to have of his religion, and may have of his salvation by Edvvard Hyde ...	Hyde, Edward, 1607-1659.; Hyde, Edward, 1607-1659. Allegiance and conscience not fled out of England.	1662 (1662)	Wing H3868; ESTC R19770	227,584	548

quia nondum expertus eram vel quantum mali eorum auderet impunitas vel quantum eis in melius mutandis conferre possit diligentia Disciplinae and indeed this course then pleased me not because I had not yet seen the experiment either how much mischief their uncurbed licentiousness would produce or how much the diligence of a severe discipline would conduce to their amendment so St Augustine and yet all this while the coaction or compulsion doth in truth reach no farther then to conformity and order it reacheth not to Religion which can no more be driven into the hearts of hypocrites by the power of the lawfull Magistrate then it can be driven out of the hearts of true beleevers by the outragious persecutions of Tyrants and Atheists so that we must conclude that though none are more exposed to violence then religious and godly men for he that would needs make his beloved Son perfect with sufferings will not make his unworthy servants perfect without them yet Religion it self is wholly exempted from all violence being the Queen Regent of heaven and earth to give commands both to angels and men but to receive commands of neither CHAP. VII The assurance we have of Religion for that it resembles God in his attributes of Justice Grace and Mercy IN the last place we come to the attributes of God which are as it were external perfections belonging to him in regard of his creature though not to be truly and fully known from our creation but from our redemption for no one attribute of God is rightly understood by those who are not of the Church of God not his Justice for they know not God in himself that he is of purer eyes then to look on iniquity not his Mercy for they know not God in his Son in whom alone he sheweth mercy not his Wisdome for they know not God in his word the fountain of all true wisdome not his Truth for they know not God in his promises and cannot say he is faithfull that promised Heb. 10. 23. and so of the rest they that are not of Gods Church cannot know his attributes because they are not to be known from our creation but from our redemption and they that are most truly of Gods Church that is to say non numerò sed meritò as Aquinas hath distinguished not onely by outward profession but also by inward affection do most truly understand Gods Attributes they clearly see the severity of his Justice requiring a full satisfaction for sin they clearly see the goodness of his Mercy accepting of satisfaction from his Son when he could not have it from his servant they clearly see that vast Wisdome which found out this way to save man when he was lost and they clearly see that unchangeable Truth which both calls and brings him to salvation But I will follow my former method and insist onely on the chief Attributes to which the rest have relation and may therefore have reduction and these Attributes are three Justice Grace and Mercy Justice whereby he renders to every man according to his works Grace whereby he freely gives what is wanting to us and Mercy whereby he freely forgives what is due unto himself these I say belong to God in relation to the creature for though his Iustice flow from his Truth yet he could not shew that justice either in punishing or in rewarding were there not a creature to be punished or rewarded so likewise his Grace in giving and Mercy in forgiving though they flow from his Goodness and his Liberty which they deny who will not let him have mercy on whom he will have mercy yet he could neither shew his Grace in giving nor his Mercy in forgiving were there not an indigent creature to want his giving and a sinfull creature to want his forgiving The first of these Attributes is Iustice which we must first contemplate in God and then in Religion as it is his service God is just by universal and by particular Iustice First By universal Iustice and that in two respects both in regard of himself as willing and doing all manner of right Shall not the judge of all the earth do right Gen. 18. 25. and also in regard of us being the rule of all justice in man Ye judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the judgement 2 Chron. 19. 6. Secondly God is just by particular Iustice retributing to every man according to his works Rom. 2. 6. who shall render to every man according to his works and v. 5. the day of judgement is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day of Gods righteous judgement because it is all one in him to judge and to judge righteously thus did S. Chrysostome qualifie the mistake or rather rectifie the abuse which was in some inconsiderate men from Gods decree of election Thou sayest that God hath predestinated and I say that God is a righteous judge and will reward thee according to thy deservings But 't is objected against Gods universal justice that he commanded some things contrary to his own Law as Abraham to slay Isaac and the Israelites to spoil the Egyptians the one against the sixth the other against the eighth commandment 'T is answered by some Divines Generali derogans speciali voluntate that God did in these cases derogate from his general will by his special will but we may not easily approve this answer because Gods will cannot clash with it self and therefore he may not be said to command that by his special which he forbids by his general will and consequently God in commanding Abraham to kill his son did not make murder lawfull but made that killing no murder by passing upon Isaac the sentence of death and commanding the Israelites to spoil the Egyptians did not make it lawfull to rob and steal but made that spoiling no robbery since he who was Lord of all had translated the right of property and this is most acutely dicussed by the Master of subtilties Scotus in lib. 1. sent dist 44. Quando in potestate agentis est Lex rectitudo Legis potest tale agens ordinatè rectè agere aliter quàm Lex illa dictat quia non subest illi Legi sic ejus potentia absoluta non est inordinata When the Law and the justice of the Law are both in the power of the agent we need not then fear any obliquity in the action whether he act by his ordinary or by his absolute power for if by his ordinary power he act not according to the law by his absolute power he can make the law to be in that case no law and where there is no law there is no transgression this rule being allowed which cannot be denied we shall little need to patronize Gods justice in commanding Abraham to kill his son who was guilty of death nor yet in delivering over his own Son to the death of the cross who knew

was alwaies thus from the beginning and must be to the end so that the Apostles did many things by way of Condescention to the Iews which they would not have drawn to the countenancing of Iudaisine for that they intended no Galemofry of Religion no mixture of Iudaisme and Christianity but an utter abolition of Iudaisme and an absolute establishment of Christianity though the abolition of Iudaisme was to be brought to pass not in an instant but by degrees Ut cum honore mater Synagoga sepeliretur as S. Augustine speaks that their mother Synagogue might be laid in her grave with honour and without offence And thus was the Christian Religion justified against the mixture of Judaisme which afforded the third Controversie The state of the fourth Controversie which che Apostles had with the Christians converted but withal partly perverted consisted of as many questions as there were present errours against the truth or abuses against the purity of Christian Religion the errous were confuted by the Apostles and the abuses were rectified And thus was the Christian Religion justified against Heresie and against Profaneness First it was justified against all other false professsions and afterwards against its own false professours For it had been absurd to perswade men to a Religion that was not able to justifie it self against all Religions and men whatsoever because a Religion that cannot justifie it self is much less able to justifie those that profess it a Religion that cannot justifie cannot save a Religion that cannot save is a Religion but in word onely not in power for what man would ever torment his body were it not to save his soul Who would ever forsake the pleasures of the flesh were it not to enjoy the comforts of the Spirit therefore must the Christian Religion be looked on as the way to salvation that men may be carefull to walk in it and as the onely way that men may be fearfull to walk out of it For what they have of Religion that they have of salvation whether really or phantastically and what they do want of the one that they do also want of the other Accordingly S. Peter adviseth us all to make our calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. For though our Election be firm in it self we may bless God it is so especially since we are fallen under such strong delusions as might deceive if it were possible even the very Elect I say though our Election be firm in it self as being grounded on Gods immutable purpose yet is it daily more and more to be confirmed in us by making more and more sure of our calling that is to say of our calling to righteousness or of our Religion in daily bringing forth more and more the fruits of righteousness for we cannot make sure of Glory but by making sure of Grace nor can we be sure of Grace but from the fruits and effects of Grace which are the remission of sins and the purgation from sin according to that excellent gloss of Oecumenius upon the Apostles benediction to the Hebrews in his last words of that Epistle Grace be with you all Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace be with you that is The Remission of sins and the purgation from sin be with you or to speak more to our present custome and capacity the blessings of Justification and of Sanctification be with you for Justification is the Remission of sins and Sanctification is the purgation from sin and the work of Grace is to expel sin by justification and by sanctification to expel sin in its guiltiness or obligation to punishment by justification and to expel sin in its pollution or obligation to more sinfulness by sanctification for sin hath a two fold obligation upon the sinner it obligeth him to punishment by its guiltiness it obligeth him to more sins by its pollution and the work of Grace is to oppose sin in both these respects and the means whereby Grace effecteth this great work is the Christian Religion which is truly and properly our calling as we are Christians and callethus to the forgiveness of our sins by faith in Christ there is the justification and calleth us to the amendment of our sinfull lives by repentance from dead works there is thesanctification Wherefore to make sure of our Calling is to make sure of Grace and to make sure of Grace is to to make sure of our Christian Religion which alone produceth the works of Grace and how we may do this the same Authour teacheth us in the same place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If we do not wrong Gods goodness by sinning or by neglecting that is by Commission or by Omission by sinning against the light of Grace or by neglecting the power and means of Grace which two have without doubt occasioned all the grand mistakes and miscarriages of several Christian Churches in point of Religion They either sin by Commission against the light of Grace or by Omission against the power and means of Grace and at last come to make a new Religion by turning their old sins into new Tenents This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To sin against God and to neglect him to sin against him by Commissions and to neglect him by Omissions to do either is to wrong his grace and goodness much more to do both which as it may serve for a good caveat to all Christian Churches in general so also to every Christian man in particular for our Commissions are the great impediments of our justification because though the sons of men will yet the Son of God will not justifie a sinner that continueth in his sins our Omissions are the great impediments of our sanctification because though the spirit of errour may call him a Saint yet the Spirit of Grace will not sanctifie him or make a Saint of that sinner who neglects and contemns the means of Grace and these Commissions and those Omissions commonly go both together in the loss of Religion but the Omissions go generally before the Commissions As S. Paul saith of the Apostate Christians in his time Rom. 1. 21. and the same doctrine will hold true of all Apostates to the worlds end That when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull there 's their Omissions But became vain in their imaginations and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image c. There 's their Commissions And upon these follows the loss of their Religion ver 28. As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate minde 't is first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did not approve then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were given over to such a minde as could not approve that which came from God this is a reprobate minde a minde void of judgement an undiscerning understanding which is sure to have sin with it and damnation after it for so saith the prophet Wo unto them

that call evil good and good evil Isa. 5. 19. here is truly the reprobate minde in its sin for it calls evil good and good evil and in its punishment for it is under a curse Wo unto them So again Prov. 17. 15. He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just whether Person or Thing or Action for the adjunct is put without any one of these particular subjects to shew it belongs alike to all even they both are an abomination to the Lord Their sin is in their own false judgement their punishment in Gods true judgement who judgeth them as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing profane unclean abominable not to be endured by God or man Let me then pray that I may cordially and sincerely study not onely the knowledge but also and much rather the practise and exercise of the true Christian Religion lest the neglect of the practise and exercise bring me to the dislike and contempt of my Religion and I begin to finde fault with my Church when I should finde fault with my self all men being apt to condemn that which they do neglect that they may justifie their own neglects for to finde fault with the true and laudable exercise of Religion is to call good evil which was all we did at first and then it will be just with God to deliver me over to so much Irreligion as to call evil good which is that we do now CHAP. 2. The certainty of Religion may be without the assurance of it by reason of our Hypocrisie profaneness and perversness though scarce by reason of our ignorance and that perversness is the way to the worst kinde of Irreligion or Atheisme REligion may be sure in it self and yet may not be sure to us It is in it self the certainty of all certainties yet it is often in too too many men the more is the pity if against their will the more is the shame if with their will one of the greatest uncertainties in the world For there may be a certainty of the object or of the thing when there is little or no certainty of the subject or of the person that is in plain English the certainty may be great yet the assurance little or none at all and so it is in this case for Religion hath without doubt the greatest certainty of the object or or of the thing because that wholly depends upon Gods immutabilitie or unchangeableness there is the greatest certainty but it hath ofttimes the least certaintie of the subject or of the person because of mans great hypocrisie and greater inconstancy there is the least assurance for this is the common bane of Religion that men do profess it hypocritically and therefore cannot profess it constantly they seek a Religion that will rather save their estates then save their souls and consequently will more settle their conditions then their consciences thus they are first hypocrites and then they cannot stick to be apostates for there is in hypocrisie Simulatio sanctitatis defectus sanctitatis saith Aquinas first the pretence of Religion and then also the defect or want of it for what is meerly in pretence is certainly not in being and Religion could not be pretended were it not wanting onely in hypocrites the pretence appears first but at last also the want or defect of godliness so that were their Religion unfeigned it would not be inconstant but because they have hypocrisie so far as to profess religion out of custome they cannot have constancy so far as to persist in their profession out of conscience we have the pattern of both kinds of professours real and formal in the first chapter of Ruth The one in Ruth the other in Orpah For the pleasure the delight of this world saith unto us all as Naomi said to her two daughters in law Go and return each to her mothers house and the formal professours do as Orpah did leave their mother the Church the onely true Naomi because she is Gods delight when she is in distress Orpah non Religione sed humanitate socrum secuta est saith Iunius Orphah followed her mother not out of Religion but meerly out of common courtesie therefore she turns back again so do all those that are of any Christian Church rather for good manners then for a good perswasion rather for custom then for conscience but the real professours who have followed Religion out of conscience and therefore have their consciences established in Religion are ready to say to their Church as Ruth said to her mother Naomi Whither thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God my God As if she had said I will never leave the land of Israel nor the communion of the God Israel for so Aben Ezra glosseth her words Thus she resolves verse 16. and she strengtheneth her self in this resolution verse 18. for so it is in the Hebrew she strengthened her self which we fitly translate she was stedfastly minded for they who most strengthen themselves in good resolutions are most stedfastly minded and will not be guilty of unstedfastness and thus do all they strengthen themselves who have not onely a speculative but also an affective knowledge of Religion who do not onely know what they do in the worship of God but also love what they know They taste and see that the Lord is good Ps. 34. 8. and by that spiritual gust know themselves to be in the way of blessedness and consequently will not be diverted or turned out of that way Thus we see there may be a certainty of Religion without an assurance thereof but if there be so the fault is our own that we are Hypocrites or formal professours looking after the outside rather then the inside of Religion that is looking more after the form then after the power of godliness for the form of godliness may happily direct us to a conformity with men which is like to be as changeable as their humours but it is the power of godliness alone that directs us to a conformitie with Christ and makes us as it were unchangeable conforming us with our Saviour and confirming us in our selves that is to say in our own consciences wherefore from the form we must go to the power and that will make us pass from conformity to conscience not so as to loose the conformity but so as to keep the conscience for which cause the school Divines do teach that divinity is not onely a speculative science in teaching the knowledge of God there 's for the conscience but also a practical science in commanding and ordering the actions of men there 's for the conformity and as it is a science so it hath in it self that certainty which belongs to sciences nay it hath a greater certainty saith Alensis then any other science whatsoever for asking this question An modus sciendi in Theologiâ sit certior quàm in