Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	charity_n	faith_n	grace_n	3,616	5	5.8698	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15733	An ansvvere to a popish pamphlet, of late newly forbished, and the second time printed, entituled: Certaine articles, or forcible reasons discouering the palpable absurdities, and most notorious errors of the Protestants religion. By Anthony Wotton	Wotton, Anthony, 1561?-1626.; Wright, Thomas, d. 1624. Certaine articles or forcible reasons.	1605 (1605)	STC 26002; ESTC S120304	112,048	194

vnto vs. That is your Popish Heresie Nay we acknowledge with thankes to God and their iust commendation that the ancient writers haue brought great light to the true vnderstanding of scriptures Yea that many Papists haue interpreted some texts of scripture soundly religiously Moreouer we confesse that all and euery one of our writers either hath or may haue failed in his expositions I speake the last doubtfully because some haue written but little and my selfe haue not examined all If any Heretikes avow the truth of al their owne interpretations what should this preiudice our cause Who submitt whatsoeuer our expositions to be compared with the scriptures to be receaued or refused as they shal be found to agree or disagree with or from the word of God I would add hereunto the generall consent of the ancient writers but that it is a longer and more vncertaine course to try whether they be sutable vnto their owne writings then whether they be framed according to the holy Ghosts meaning For the maine doubt must needs accompany that tryall viz. who shal be Iudge whether we or the Papists rightly vnderstand and expounde the fathers wrytings If any man shall say their Bookes and Commentaries are plaine and easie I dare boldly say of him that either he neuer read what they write or cares not what himselfe sayes It wil not serue the turne to bring some plaine interpretations out of them for so can we alleage very many texts out of the Scripture But he that is desirous to iudge truly of the meaning of any writer must not snatch vp a sentence here and there but aduisedly consider both his manner of writing in other places and the signification of diuers phrases and custome of speech in those times wherin he writ the occasion of those particular words he would vnderstand and diuers other such points Which will proue as ere while I said more troublesome and lesse certaine then to search euery corner of the text for the true meaning of the scripture And here let vs remember that we are sure the scripture agrees with it selfe in euery place and point that any other writers do so who can be assured So that many times we shall beat our braines to reconcile those speeches which indeed are very certaine contrarieties Since that this difficultie remaines in vnderstanding the fathers writings which is the onely doubt in the scripture what madnesse were it to leaue beating of the text wherein we know the certaine truth is to be found and to run ryot in the wilde-feilds of mens inuentions where perhaps there is nothing to be had but errour Let vs vse the helpe of Ancient writers to finde the meaning of the holy Ghost but not rest vpon their authority therein If they proue their interpretations by reason let it be waighed that it may perswade vs to think as they do If there be none let vs labour to find some for their interpretation If that will be not let vs see what other reason we can haue of any other exposition If it please God to shew vs any Let vs craue pardon of the Fathers to dissent from them if none Let vs rather trust them then our selues where there is nothing but coniecture without difference of likelyhood We are far from bragging of any such speciall illumination as the Donatists challenged to themselues For we say not that the Church of God is only in our assemblies or the spirit tyed to vs. Who knowes not that this is a stale popish deuise to shutt vp the holy Ghost in the Popes brest so that neither all Councills without him can be any thing worth and hee of himselfe without any of them is alsufficient A litle flocke wee are in deed if wee bee compared with the huge swarmes of Infidells Papistes and other h●retickes Yea as many of vs as belong to the election of God are of that small flocke to which Luke 12. 32. it is God● good pleasure to giue A kingdome To bee of any other Litle flocke wee accompt it no commendation Nay rather wee desire and pray that it would please God to enlarge the boundes of his Church and to increase the number of true professors But we are not ashamed of our small nomber though the Papists twight vs with all in comparison of their huge multitudes Therefore whereas this Papist likens vs to the Donatists Pelagians Nestorians Eutychians with all the rable of other damned heretickes we acknowledge it is our portion to be rayled on with our Master Christ and so shake of this froth of a malicious stomacke with that speech of the Archangell The Lord rebuke thee Now for a Conclusion that the end might be sutable to the beginning he laboures to disgrace the principles of our Religion by affirming as truely as he hath done all the rest that if our principles bee true then Saint Paule exhorts men to infidelity How many of our principles thinke you hee ouerthrowes by this reason But poore one if it were neuer so true and being false as it is not that neither Whosoeuer exhorts vs to doubt of that which we are bound to beleeue by faith exhorts vs to infidelitie The proofe of this might well haue bin spared and the strength you wast●n●● reserued for the assumption which hath more need o● your help then it seemes your are aware of But Saint Paul doth exhort vs to doubt of our saluation which wee are bound to beleeue by faith according to the Protestants doctrine Because it makes for the better vnderstanding of this Reason I will in few wordes set downe what we teach concerning this point Namely that it behooues euery Christian to laboure for the perfection as of other graces so of the assurance that comes by faith also Which standes in a full perswasion of the loue of God in Iesus Christ and the continuance thereof to his euerlasting saluation In deed this is not the proper nature of faith which rather is that grace whereby we cast our selues vpon Christ to be saued by him But it is an effect of faith which euery Christian must striue to haue grounded in him selfe so that if he haue it not he failes in one duty to God But we may not imagine that whosoeuer hath not this feeling assurance of Gods loue to him either is without faith or shal be damned for the want of this perswasion Nay we make no question but that both faith it selfe this effect of it is in al or the most part very far from perfection euery one hauing his measure alotted vnto him according to the good pleasure of God who sees how much is necessary for euery one in regard of the inward and outward trialls which hee shall haue in this life This must wee indeuour by all good meanes to establish and augment herevnto belongs that exhortation of the Apostles With feare and trembling worke your saluation There are two kinds of men whom it doth concerne

so without warrant from him in euery matter contrary to his reuealed commaundements Blasphemous therefore and not be thought on by any christian much lesse vttered are these consequents and especially the last of them which inferres that God is worse then the diuill Because neither doth God as I haue often said impell or induce any man to sinne and though he should for causes knowne onely to himselfe incline as Austin saith the hearts of men to euill things yet were it still blasphemous to denie the iustice of his iudgement whatsoeuer prophane flesh and bloud imagines O man Rom. 9. 19. 20. what art thou that disputest with God! shall the clay c. Article 6. Papist That faith once had may be lost Protestant This point it should seeme stickes in this mans stomack he is so much troubled with it Art 5 in the extrauagant syllogisme Art 4. the third point and here it makes a whole article The principall syllogisme is thus to be framed If Dauid l●st his faith then faith once had may be lost But Dauid lost his faith Therefore faith once had may be lost The assumption of this syllogisme he offers to proue in this maner Papist Whosoeuer leeseth his charitie leeseth his faith A. But Dauid when he killed Vrias lost his charitie Ergo Dauid when he killed Vrias lost his faith The Maior is a principle vndoubted of in the Schooles of Protestants For they peremptorily affirme that true faith such as was in Dauid one of Gods elected can no more be seuered from charitie then heate from fire or light from the Sunne and therefore if Dauid killing Vrias lost his charitie no doubt but therewithall he lost his faith The Minor I proue for whosoeuer remaineth in death B. is without charitie But Dauid when he killed Vrias remained in death Ergo Dauid when he killed Vrias was without charitie If he was without that which once he had no doubt but then he lost it for he was depriued thereof for his sinne The Maior Proposition of this last Syllogisme thus I prooue For charity is the life of the soule and it is as impossible for a man to haue charity and remaine in death as it is impossible for a man to be dead in body and yet indewed with a reasonable soule The Minor cannot be denied to wit that Dauid by killing Vrias remained in death For it is the expresse word of God Qui non diligit manet in morte He that lo●eth not his neighbour remaineth in death but certaine it is that Dauid loued not Vrias when he killed him Ergo likewise certaine it is that Dauid remained in death The same position might easily be proued out of Ezekiel Ezech. c. 18. ver 24. Si autem a●erterit se iustus a iusticia sua c. Protestant Whosoeuer looseth his Charity looseth his faith If by Charity A. Rom. 13. 10. you vnderstand an absolute being without sanctification which is signified by Charity because Loue is the fullfilling of the Law your proposition is true but your assumption is false If thereby you meane not performing some act of Charity or doing the contrary your proposition is false For not euery one that failes in the performance of some duties of loue or doth some thing contrary to the rule of Loue by such omission of good or committing of euill looseth nor in deed may truely bee said to loose his Charity though he sinne against the lawe of Charity in so doing Your proofe being grounded vpon a misconceauing of the Protestants principle which I expounded in the 4. Article is of no force True faith such as wee confesse Dauids was alwaies after his calling can no more be without loue then the sunne without light or the fire without heat But ●et he that hath this faith and loue may sometimes neglect some duties of this loue and do some works of hatred Because his sanctification being vnperfect his obedience also must needs be so But it neither falls out that such a man becomes againe wholy vnregenerate by which meanes onely and by none other sanctification or loue can bee altogeather lost But Dauid when he killed Vrias lost his Charity Nay rather if Charity can be lost he then lost it when he committed ● Adultery vnles we shall say that either Adultery is not against Charity or that murther only not Adultery procures a d●priuation of Charitie But Dauid did not loose his Charitie by either or both of them though in each he greuously sinned against the loue of his neighbour Which for murder this man grants for Adultery that parable that Nathan brings prooues vndoubtedly Whosoeuer remaines in death is without Charity Namely 2. Sam. 12. 1. 2. so farre as he is in death If he be altogeather in death he is wholy without Charity But a man may in respect of some sinnefull action be in death and yet for all that bee truely sanctified though not throughly In regard whereof he may must be takē for a sanctified man as in truth he is howsoeuer hee doe some thing contrary to the grace of sanctification according to the lusts of his naturall corruption He that hath some of his members dead as his hands or his feete in respect of these parts is dead and yet may be aliue in all the other How much more may he then be truely said to haue liuing charity in him which failing in some one duty and that but of one part for a time brings forth notwithstanding many fruits of loue euen of the same kind of which that sinne against loue is What needs any further answere to your proofe then hath already bin geuen For in deed it is of no force Vnles that be granted which is the question that euery act contrary to loue drawes loue out of the soule so that a man thereby ceasses to haue any part of regeneration in h●m And this answere were sufficient though Charity were in deed the life of the soule Which is but an Idle popish fancy or rather a sudden conceipt of this quick disputer Rom. 1. 17. If there be any other life of the soule then God surely it is faith rather then loue by which the righteous man liueth Is it not inough for our Papists to make Loue the forme of faith but that they must haue it also the life of the soule Dauid when he killed Vrias remained in death In respect of that sinne yet was hee translated from death to life by beleeuing in the Messias to come and accordingly brought forth the f●●its of sanctification in obeying both the other commaundements and that also o● not kil●ing which by the murther o● Vrias he brake So tha● the proofe which followes is vnsufficient Because that Dauid could not be charged simply with the want of loue though he did not loue Vrias in that action Which yet proceeded not somuch from the ha●red of his person as from Dauids feare to haue his former sinne