Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	good_a	sin_n	sinner_n	3,410	5	7.5691	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10194	The perpetuitie of a regenerate mans estate VVherein it is manifestly proued by sundry arguments, reasons and authorities. That such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a liuely faith, can neither finally nor totally fall from grace. It is also proued, that this hath beene the receiued and resolued doctrine, of all the ancient fathers, of all the Protestant churches and writers beyond the seas, and of the Church of England. All the principall arguments that are, or may be obiected against it, either from Scripture, or from reason, are here likewise cleared and answered. By William Prynne Gent: Lincolniensis.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1626 (1626)	STC 20471; ESTC S115319	355,787	462

needs dwell too because it is a fruit of the spirit and it can not be seuered from the spirit Rom. 5. 5. Gal. 5. 22. Ephs. 3. 16 17. 1 Iohn 3. 16. therefore the true Saints of God can neuer cease to loue the Lord habitually because the holy Ghost the spring and fountaine of this loue doth alwaies dwell within them Thirdly this loue of the Saints to God is a grace which God bestowes vpon them out of his loue and which is preserued in him by his loue and therefore if they should cease to loue the Lord the breach would be on his side not on theirs for they can neuer cease to loue him but where God doth first giue ouer to support their loue to him God must first withdraw this grace from them or else they could not giue ouer for to loue him so that if there could bee any totall or finall breach betweene God and his Saints the defect should be in God who hath vndertaken to preserue them in his loue and not in the Saints which defect on Gods part can neuer be admitted If you obiect that they giue God the cause of breach and so the defect is not in God but in themselues I answere that God hath vndertaken to preserue them blamelesse and without offence hee hath vndertaken to preserue them from sinne 1 Thes. 5. 23 24. Ezech. 36. 27. ler. 32. 40. 2 Tim. 4. 18. Isay 46. 3 4. c●…p 27. 3. therefore though the sinne be theirs when as they doe commit it yet if it make a totall breach betwixt God them the breach will be first in God in not preseruing of them from this sinne according to his promise and not in them in committing of it Lastly true loue is of a permanent and constant nature if it be set vpon a constant permanent and immutable obiect Let a man loue any thing truly for it selfe as long as the thing continues and the cause for which hee loues it his loue can neuer cease Let a man loue any man truely for his virtues or his graces as long as he continues vertuous and gratious he can not cease to louehim now God as hee is all and onely amiable so he is alwaies amiable there is neuer any change at all in him wherefore those that doe once truly loue him for himselfe cannot but loue him still and so the answere to this my argument is but false and idle I haue been the larger in refuting of this answere because I shall haue occasion oft times for to referre you to it hereafter I now proceed to other arguments The fifth thing in God which doth yeeld vs an argument for to proue our conclusion is the gratious mercy and goodnesse of God in which there are foure things to be considered First the freenesse of it it is voluntary and of free grace it is not wrested or merited by vs from God Exod. 33. 19. Hosea 14. 5. Iohn 3. 8. Rom. 9. 15. 19. and Ephes. 1. 5 6. Secondly it is permanent and constant it indures for euer and admits not of any totall change or interruption Psa. 103. 17. Psa. 100. 5. Psa. 118. 4. Psa. 136. Psa. 138. 8. Isay 51. 8. and cap. 54. 8. 10. Thirdly it is infinite there is an infinite store of it which is neuer drawne dry Exod. 34. 6 7. Psa. 103. 8. Psal. 130. 7. Micah 7. 18. 2 Cor. 1. 3. Ephes. 2. 4. cap. 3. 16. and 1 Tim. 1. 14. Fourthly God is ready and willing to impart it to his children vpon all occasions it is his chiefest delight and ioy for to dispence the riches and treasures of his mercy to his Saints Ezech. 18. 23. cap. 33. 11. Micah 7. 18. Math. 11. 28. cap. 23. 37. 2 Cor. 5. 20. 1 Tim. 2. 4. and 2 Pet. 3. 9. from this mercy of God thus considered I frame this fifth argument Those who are partakers of the free permanent constant sure euerlasting in finite and abundant metcies of God and haue these mercies of God readily freely and bountifully imparted vnto them vpon all occasions its impossible for them either finally or totally to fall from grace but all those who are once truely regenerated and in grafted into Christ are partakers ofthese mercies of God and they haue these mercies of God readily freely and bountifully imparted to them vpon all occasions and times of neede therefore its impossible for them either finally or totally to ●…all from grace The Maior proposition cannot be denyed the Minor only rests to be proved in these particulars first that the mercyes I meane the saving and spirituall mercyes of God are permanent constant and perpetuall Secondly that all those who are truely regenerated and are the true members of Iesus Christ are partakers of these mercies For the first of these it is euident by Isay 55. 3. where Gods spirituall mercies to his children are stiled the sure mercies of Dauid the seed of grace which is sowen in the hearts of all regenerate men is an immortall seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. a seed that remaineth and an vnction that abideth in them 1 Iohn 2. 20. 27. cap. 3. 9. the Saints of God they haue Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost who shall abide and dwell in their hearts and soules for euer Iohn 14. 16 17. Eph. 3. 17. 1 Iohn 3. 24. cap. 4. 4. Gal. 2. 20. they haue a Kingdome which cannot bee shaken Heb. 12. 28. a faith which cannot faile Luke 22. 32. a ioy which no man can spoyle them of Ioh. 16. 22. and charity which shall neuer cease 1 Cor. 13. 8. they haue mercies which indure for euer Psal. 103. 17. Gods mercies to them are permanent constant and perpetuall it cannot be denied Secondly that all those that are once truly regenerated ingrafted into Christ by a true liuely faith are partakers of these mercies it is most euident For all those that are borne of God all those that are within the c●…uenant of grace all those that are the true sheepe and members of Iesus Christ they are partakers of these mercies which appeares expressly by Isai. 55 1. 3. cap. 4. 5 6. cap. 27. 3. Rom. 4. 16. Marke 16. 16. and Act. 2. 38 39. almost euery page in Scripture hath some thing in it that will proue it now all those who are truely regenerated and ingrafted into Christ they are borne of God they are the members and sheepe of Christ and within the couenant of grace and therefore it is certaine that they haue such permanent constant and euerlasting mercies as those and so can neuer finally nor totally fall from grace Can any one so much as thinke that God who hath proclaimed himselfe to be a God of grace and mercy a God delighting in mercy 〈◊〉 to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth 〈◊〉 mercy for thousands f●…rgiuing iniquitie transgressions and sinnes that God who doth not desire the death of any sinner but rather that he should repe●…t and be saued

cast them all into the depth of the sea ler. 31. 34 and Mich. 7 18. 19. and therefore these their sinnes cannot bee mortall and deadly vnto them If a man should commit treason for which hee deserues to dye if the King will either pardon it or take no notice of it it is not deadly vnto him that doth it though it bee deadly in it selfe God will pardo●… or else passe by the sinnes of all his Saints hee will not take aduantage of them and therefore though they are mortall and deadly in themselues they are not so to them Lastly wee haue the expresse testimonie of Saint Iohn 1 Iohn 3. 6. 9. and cap. 5. 16 17 18. that the Saints of God and such as are borne of God can neuer sinne vnto death and therefore their sinnes can neuer put them into the state of death and damnation no not for a time Neither will that of Ezech. 18. 20. the soule that sinneth it shall dye nor that of 1 Cor. 6. 9. 10. make any thing to the contrary all that these two places proue is but this that sinne is mortall in its owne nature that euery one shall beare his owne sins and that the vnrighteous and such as liue and dye in the sinnes there specified such as make a common trade of those sinnes being neuer washed sanctified and iustified from them shall not inherit the kingdome of God neither of them proue that the sinnes of the Saints are mortall vnto them or that they put them into the state of death and damnation Consider therefore the sinnes of the Saints as the sinnes of the Saints as they are inherent in and conioyned with the Saints and not as they are abstracted and deuided from them consider how God hath promised to forgiue them in his mercie and to remember them no more and then you shall discouer and discerne your Error and finde your selues to bee ouer-reached with a Fallacy and quirke of Logicke in seuering those things which should not be deuided To the second clause of the objection that the sins of the Saints are not forgiuen before their actuall and particular repentance for them and therefore after that they commit any grosse and knowne sinne till their actuall and particular repentance for it they are in the state of death and damnation and not in the state of grace I answer first that the argument it selfe is false and followes not which that you may the better and more perspicuously vnderstand You must know that when a regenerate man falls into any sinne his repentance in this case is not required as a meanes to put a new life and a new estate and seed os grace into him as it was vpon his first regeneration and conuersion vnto God but it is onely required as physicke is in a sicke man to heale him and to cure him and to preserue that life that estate and seed of grace was in him before which by reason of this his sinne are like the graces of the Church of Sardis Reu. 3. 2. ready to dye but yet not wholly dead and therefore euen before his actuall tepentance for his sin he is not wholly dead in trespasses and sinnes he is not in the state of death damnation but in the state of grace I will euidence and make this cleare by some few familiar and common similitudes Suppose a regenerate man should fail into any mortall and deadly sicknesse which might proue his death vnlesse hee tooke some antidote and physicke to expell it you will not presently say that this man is but a dead man or that hee is in the state of death because hee is fallen into this disease or because hee lieth sicke of it for a moneth or two without recouery for hee hath life within him still hee is still a liuing man and for ought you know hee may recouer and therefore you doe still account him call him and repute him a liuing man So if a regenerate man commit a felonie for which his life may be drawne into question you will not forthwith determine that heee is in the state of death and damnation because hee hath committed such a felonie for it may bee that no man will prosecute him for this felonie or if hee be prosecuted hee may bee either acquitted or pardoned and so escape that death which hee did deserue So if a wife commit adultery for which shee deserues to be deuorced from her husband and so cease to be his wife you will not presently say that this woman i●… deuorced or that she is no wife for her husband may forgiue her and she is still a wife till the deuorce be sued out So if a sonne doth highly offend his gratious and louing father for which hee doth justly deserue to be disinherited he doth not therefore cease to be a sonne neither is he forthwith disinherited but hee continues a sonne and an heire still hee only incurs his fathers anger for the present and perhaps he may receiue some stripes and correction at his hands but neuer ceaseth to be his sonne and heire till he incnrre his fathers hat●…ed his whole and finall displeasure till he be actually disinherited and utterly cast off Iust so is it in our present case Sinne in the regenerate Saints of God it is a deadly disease and sicknesse to the soule it is such a felonie as may justly draw their liues into question before the barre of Gods Tribunall it is such an adultery as might justly cause the Lord their husband to sue out a bill of diuorce against them and it is such an offence as might moue their gratious and louing Father to disinherit and to cast them off But yet they are not presently dead neither are they in the state of death because they are sicke of sinne for they may recouer and purge out this disease yea it is certaine that they alwaies doe and shall recouer for the Lord himselfe is their physition hee will recouer them and raise them vp and restore them to their health againe he will not suffer them to dye or perish in this sicknesse of their sinnes they haue his owne expresse word and promise for it Psal. 41. 2 3. Iohn 6. 51 58. cap. 10. 28. cap. 11. 25 26 Hosea 14. 4. Mal. 4. 2. and 1 Iohn 5. 11 12 13. and he will surely performe make good his word to the vttermost They are not presently in the state of death and condemnation when as they commit any treason or felonie against the Lord before their actuall repentance for it for God may passe by their sinnes and treasons and take no notice of them hee may in his mercy pardon them and not arraigne them for them Yea he will be sure for to doe it For hee is a God that passeth by the transgression of his heritage hee will forgiue their iniquities and remember their sinnes no more because hee delights in mercy and because it is his couenant so to doe Mich.

and disalowes of whom and what he will without controll Sure I am these Articles and the doctrine in them were approued and agreed vpon on all hands at the conference at Hampton Court though Mr. Mountague records the contrary The booke is y●…t extant which will auerre all that I say for truth and proue Mr. Mountagu●… a lyer and Impostor if not worse so that if Mr. Mountague had not had his face euen crusted and steeled ouer with more the●… audatious impudencie hee would not haue thus incouraged his readers See the booke Againe the Articles of Ireland Nomber 33. 38. confirmed by King Ia●…es vnder his broad Seale they are the very same with the Articles of Lambeth and contradictory to Mr. Mountagues collection from the 16. Article which proues that the Articles of Lambeth were neuer repealed by publike authoritie and that the 16. Article was neuer expound●… in Mr. Mountagues sense by any publike authoritie for then King Iames would neuer haue confirmed these Articles vnder his broad Seale hee being such a King as did desire vnitie and peace as much or more in Church as in the Common-wealth The words of the Article of Ireland are these A true liuely iustifying faith and the sanctifying Spirit of God is not extinguished nor vanished away in the regenerate either finally or totally And againe All Gods Elect are in their time inseparablie vnited vnto Christ by the effectuall and vitall influence of the holy Ghost derived from him as from the head into euery true member of his mysticall body So that if you will interpret our 16. Article either by the Articles of Lambeth or Ireland Mr. Mountagues exposition must be false and strained But the best expo●…ition of the 16. Article will bee taken from the 17. Article which was composed by the same men at the same time and if you will expound it by this Article then farewell Mr. Mountagues false glosse vpon it For our 17. Article certifieth vs That they which be indued wi●…h so excellent a benefit as Predestination is are called according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season and that they through grace obey the calling that they are iustified freely that they are made the sonnes of God by adoption that they are made like the Image of his only begotten Sonne Iesus Christ that they walke religiously in good workes and at length by Gods mercy obtaine euerlasting felicitie From which article Mr. Rogers Chaplaine to Archbishop Bancroft in his Analys●… on the 39. Articles allowed to be publike by the lawfull authoritie of the Church of England and not hitherto disallowed or called in hath raised this third proposition They which are predestinated vnto saluation cannot perish and from thence he inferres this Consectarie Wander then doe they from the truth which thinke that the very Elect totally and finally may fall from grace and be damned that the regenerate may fall from the grace of God may destroy the Temple of God and be broken off from the vine Christ Iesus which was one of Glouers errors of which exposition allowed by publike and lawfull authority Mr. Mountague cannot bee ignorant because the more is the pitty hee hath subscribed and read them often as himselfe informes vs. And therefore if you will beleeue the 17. Article or Mr. Rogers his Collection from it allowed by the lawfull authority of the Church of England as the doctrine maintained professed and protected in the Church of England Mr. Mountagues collection from the 16. Article must be false and contrary to the Articles and Doctrine of the Church of England and hee himselfe must in the meane time bee a scismaticall factious and seditious person and one that doth oppose the Articles and Doctrine of our Church in an audatious peremptorie impudent and dangerous manner All now that Mr. Mountague can say for himselfe is this That this exposition and Collection of his from the 16. Article and this doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace was resolued of and auowed for true Catholicke ancient and orthodoxe by that royall reuerend honourable and learned Synode at Hampton Court and for proofe of it he sendeth vs to the Conference at Hampton Court published by warrant and republished by command But sure Mr. Mountague did neuer reade the booke or else he was purblinde when hee read it for there is no such thing within the booke All that is mentioned and recorded there touching the 16. Article is this Dr. Reynolds moued his Maiestie that the 16. Article the meaning of which was sound might be inlarged and explained with this or the like addition yet neither totally nor finally and that the 9. assertions Orthodoxall might bee inserted into the booke of Articles to which his Maiestie replyed that it was best not to stuffe the booke with all conclusions theologicall Vpon this Dr. Ouerall Deane of Pauls informed the King of what had passed betweene him and some other in Cambridge t●…ching our present question and concludes that notwithstanding those who were instified and called according to the purpose of Gods election might and did sometimes fall into grienous sinnes and thereby into the present state of wrath and damnation yet did they neuer fall either totally from all the graces of God to bee vtterly destitute of all the parts and seeds thereof nor finally from instification to which King Iames replyed that repentance in the elect of God after knowne sinnes committed is so necessary as without it there could not bee remission of these sinnes nor reconciliation vnto God This was all that was spoken either of this point or of the 16 Article and whether Mr. Mountagues glosse and exposition were not here condemned in expresse tearmes let all men judge But will you now know what was the true cause why Mr. Mountague did so grossely mistake I will informe you in a word and it worth your knowledge Mr. Mountague as he hath beene deceiued by that varlet Bertius in other things euen so he hath beene in this For hee transcribed this argument from our 16. Article out of Bertius in his Apostatia Sauctorum pag. 107. and for his Exposition of it and that it was so resolued on at the conference at Hampton Court he had it Verbatim from the Rhemists in their second Conference at Hage recorded by Brandius pag. 364. Alas good Mr. Mountague that you should be ouertaken thus that you should be driuen to such narrow shifts as to flie to Bertius and the Rhemists the very dregges and seumme of all Arminians for corrupt glosses expositions and collections vpon our Articles as if the Church of England did not vnderstand but quite mistake the genuine true and proper sense of her owne Articles or as if that Bertius and the Rhemists who are strangers to them vnderstood them better then the Church yea then the learnedest of the Church of England who composed them What doth this betoken but that Master Mountague like

7. 18 19. and Ier. 31. 33 34. If hee doth take notice of those sinnes of theirs as to scourge them for them yet he neuer drawes them into question for their soules hee neuer brings them into the judgement of eternall condemnation as we may reade expresly Isay 45. 17 Iohn 3. 19. cap. 5. 24. and Rom. 8. 1 2. wherefore though the Saints commit treason against the Lord for which they deserue to be perpetually condemned yet this their treason neuer puts them into the state of death and damnation So when the Saints of God commit adultery against him and such sinnes as might cause him to deuorce them from him yet they are not presently deuorced because they doe not presently repent for God is a louing and kinde husband to them hee is not easily prouoked to put them away and to giue them a bill of deuorce vpon euery act of adultery which they doe commit as is euident by Ier. 3. 1. If a man put away his wife and shee goe from him and become another mans shall he returne vnto her againe but thou hast played the harlot with many louers yet returne againe to me saith the Lord. The adulteries of the Saints doe neuer breake that bond of matrimonie which is betweene God and them because God will not take aduantage of them hee hath married them vnto himselfe for euer in faithfulnesse in louing kindnesse in mercies therefore will he loue them and not cast them off therefore will hee not seuer or deuorce them from him Hee hath commanded vs not to seperate those whom hee hath ioyned together therefore hee himselfe will neuer seuer nor deuorce those from himselfe whom hee hath married and betrothed to himselfe for euer but hee will seperate their sinnes from them that so they may not seuere or diuorce them from himselfe and therefore when as they sinne against the Lord they are not presently in the state of death and damnation because they are still married to and not deuorced from the Lord. So when the sonnes of God offend their gratious and louing father by their sinnes they doe not therefore cease to bee his sonnes neither are they forthwith disinherited but they continue sonnes and heires still and he continues to bee a gratious father to them It may be they may incurre his anger and displeasure for a time it may bee hee doth chasten and correct them with the rods of men and with the stripes of the children of men out of his fatherly care and loue vnto them and out of a desire of their good that so they may not be condemned with the world But yet they neuer incur his hatred or his whole displeasure hee neuer disinherits them or casts them out of doores hee alwaies dealeth with them as a gratious mercifull and louing father who delights in mercy hee will not alwaies chide them neither keepeth hee his anger foreuer hee will not deale with them after their sinnes nor yet reward them according to their iniquities but will euen pitty spare and pardon them as a father pittieth spareth and pardoneth his onely son that serueth him And therefore though they sinne against their gratious Father and lie perhaps in this their sinne for a time without repentance yet they are not thereby disinherited nor put from the state of grace I will now contract all this into this Syllogisme Hee that is still aliue in Christ and is but only sicke and not dead of sinne hee that is onely in a meere possibilitie to be questioned arraigned diuorced disinherited for his sinne and is not actually questioned arraigned diuorced disinherited and condemned for it He that is more likely to liue to recouer more likely to escape vnsentenced and vncondemned more likely to continue a wife and an heire vnto God then to dye of sinne and to be perpetually condemned diuorced and disinherited of God for sinne Nay hee that is sure to recouer and neuer to die of sinne sure to scape scot-free and neuer to bee condemned diuorced or disinherited for sinne it is vndoubtedly true that such a one is not in the state of death and damnation but in the state of life and grace For no man can be in the state of death and damnation but such a one as is either dead in trespasses and sins such a one as is actually condemned diuorced and disinherited for his sins or such a one as is more likely to dy to be condemned diuorced and disinherited in and for his sins then to liue and to escape vncondemned vndiuorced and vndisinherited for his sins But all those who are once truly regenerated ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith they are aliue in Christ and euen then when as they lie in any knowne sin without repentance they are but only sicke not dead of sin they are only in a m●…ere remote possibility to be questioned arraigned diuorced disinherited and condemned for their sinne they are not actually questioned arraigned diuorced disinherited and condemfor it They are more likely to liue and to recouer more likely to escape vnsentenced and vncondemned more likelyto continue wiues and heires vnto God then to dye of sin and to be perpetually condemned diuorced and disinherited of God for sin Nay they are sure to recouer and neuer for to dye of sin they are sure to escape scot-free and neuer to be condemned diuorced or disinherited for sinne as is euident by the former premises Therefore it is vndoubtedly true that such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith euen then when as they lye in any knowne sinne without repentance are not in the state of death and damnation but in the state of life and grace and so the argument which is produced followes not Secondly I answer that the Antecedent is false For these sinnes of the Saints they are and may be pardoned and actually forgiuen without any particular repentance for them First because when men are once truly justified the eternall guilt of these their sinnes is neuer imputed to them as I haue formerly proued therefore a particular actuall repentance for them is not necessarily and absolutely required for to saue them and ●…ree them from damnation Christ had made them free from the law of sinne and 〈◊〉 before being made a curse for them that they might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him therefore they might bee saued without this this actuall and particular repentance Secondly These their sins as I haue formerly proued did not put the Saints into the state of damnation and therefore a particular repentance for these sinnes of theirs is not absolutely necessary to saluation Thirdly a particular and actuall repentance for these sinnes is not required as absolutely necessary to saluation because a generall repentance and an inward disposition of the soule without this particular outward and actuall repentance will serue the turne If a