Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	extend_v	grace_n	great_a	24	3	2.0931	3	false

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

speciall reuelation that Grace is but a morall perswasion and that men may receiue it or reiect it at their pleasure that such as are not elected to saluation are true members of the holy Catholike Church that such as are not predestinated may bee saued Yea the Sacrifice of the Masse Purgatory Popish pennance and Indulgencies will all to wrecke and fall vnto the ground So many other Errors are there which depend on this Sixtly I made choyce of this aboue the rest because it is an Error of greatest consequence For it derogates very much from all Gods great and holy attributes from his glorie mercy honour goodnesse truth wisdome iustice power and the rest it derogates from Christs intercession and the merits of his death and passion it detracts very much from the Deity might power essicacte truth and working of the holy Ghost it quite ouerthrowes and disanulls the Scriptures and the very kingdome nature 〈◊〉 and power of true and sauing grace it robs the Saints of God of all their happinesse ioy and comfort it stripps and spoyles them of all their spirituall priuiledges of all the treasures of their soules and leaues them 〈◊〉 poore and miserable where else they were the onely happy and blessed of the Lord In a word it strikes at the very roote of all true religion it pulls God out of heauen and it either makes men Atheists to haue no God at all or at least to haue no God besides themselues These and many other are the ineuitable consequencies of this Error which as they are many so are they very great and dangerous Laftly I made choyce of this aboue the rest because it is not as some surmize a notionall and speculatiue Error fit onely for Schooles and Schollers to know and to determine but it is a practicall Error and a point which trencheth farre into the practice of Christianitie it is a point and Error that concernes not only the learnedest but the very lowest and meanest Christians it extends it selfe alike to all and therefore the more needfull is it to refell it Questions which concerne the nature and the truth of Grace the Perpetuitie and properties of Grace extend indifferently to all those to whom grace it selfe extends to one as much as to another because they are alike vsefull and necessary vnto all be they learned or vnlearned Now this being a question concerning the very nature essence and propertie of true and sauing grace extends alike to all men and it is of great vse and moment euen in their very practice of 〈◊〉 Yea I will affirme it that there is no one thing 〈◊〉 which will more 〈◊〉 men in the practice of religion then this one pernicious Error that they may fall totally finally from grace For if Ministers should preach and publish this for orthodox and current truth that true grace is of a corruptible and fading nature that it is such a thing as may be lost when once it is obtained who is there that would seeke it or respect it who is there that either would or could preferre his profit and his pleasures his riches and his honours farre before it who is there that would part with these to purchase it when as they were not sure to inioy it when as they might be dispossessed of it at the last If grace might vtterly be lost if it were a transitorie and fading good men would not nay men could not loue it or affect it they would not part with any other thing to win and purchase it euery man would then loue and serue his owne lusts and pleasures you should haue none at all to loue or serue the Lord. Besides if this were true that men might fall from grace what comforts or incouragements could Christians giue vnto themselues or others If a man should come to any one that was perplexed in his conscience or to a dying Christian if this were true that true regenerate men might fall from grace what comfort could he giue them Should hee magnifie Gods grace and mercy to them in Christ Should he repeate those comfortable and pretious promises of grace and mercie which are euery where recorded in the Scriptures should hee tell them that they haue liued a godly and religious life That they are in a happy condition and state of grace that they are the beloued of the Lord that Christ hath prepared an euerlasting kingdome and a crowne of glory for them in heauen and therefore they need not for to doubt or dispaire of Gods mercy Alas all these might be wiped off with this one answer we are fallen quite away from the state of grace by these and these our sinnes if not we are sure to commit 〈◊〉 sinne or other ere we die which will vtterly seuer and cut vs off from Christ for euer and therefore all these promises and comforts which you bring they belong to others not to vs our soules can take no comfort in them Doubtlesse there is not a Christian in the world which could administer any ●…oy or comfort at all vnto his owne or other mens soules if true regenerate men might fall from grace at last and lose the fruite and benefit of all their workes and graces Againe what comfort or incouragement could any Christian haue to doe or suffer any thing for the Lord if this were true Who is there that would spend his life and dayes in doing of Gods seruice Who is there that would suffer persecution and afflictions that would vndergoe disgrace contempt and scorne or fire and fagot for the Lord if he might after all this fall from grace and lose the things which hee had wrought Christians could haue no comfort or incouragement at all to doe or suffer any thing for Christ if this were true Againe in what a miserable and forlorne estate should poore Christians be in dubious troublesome and dangerous times if this position were grounded in their hearts that they might fall from grace then they were not sure of heauen they were not sure of earth they were vncertaine of this present life but more vncertaine of the life to come they then should haue no certaintie at all of any thing they should haue nothing left them on which to stay or rest their soules they should haue horrors within and feares without troubles and doubts within and crosses and afflictions without that curse of God which is denounced against all disobedient and impenitent sinners should light vpon them Among the nations they should finde no ease neither should the sole of their foote take any rest but the Lord should giue them a trembling heart and failing of eyes aud sorrow of minde and their liues should hang in doubt before them and they should feare day and night and haue none assurance of their liues In the morning they should say would it were euen and at euen they should say would God it were mor●…ing for the feare of their heart wherewith they should feare and

God mentioned in this place of 〈◊〉 seeing it is not stiled the booke of Life but only Gods booke must bee intended to bee the booke of the li●…ing and not the booke of life Thirdly if you will take this booke of God in this place for the booke of life and compare it with that of Reuel 22. 19. If any 〈◊〉 shall take away from the words of this Proph●…cie God shall take away his part out of the Booke of Life I answer then that the meaning of the Scriptures is no more but this Whosoeuer shall sinne against me and take from the words of this Prophecie I will blot him out of my Booke and take his part out of the Booke of life That is I will make it manifest to himselfe and all the world that albeit such a man had a name hee liued and that he had his name registred and recorded in the Booke of life that yet hee was neuer but a dead man and that his name was neuer truly written and recorded in the Booke of life The sense and meaning of these two places is but this He that sinneth against me shall die the death and shal neuer inherite euerlasting life So then you see that those places make nothing at all against mee that those whose names are registred and written in heauen and the Booke of life can neuer bee blotted out againe and so they cannot fall quite away from grace Eleuently those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ they cannot depart from him and it is impossible to seduce them From whence this eleuenth Argument doth arise Those that cannot depart away from God nor yet be possibly seduced by any meanes miracles or policies whatsoeuer can neuer finally nor totally fall from grace But all such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ can neuer depart away from God God will put ●…is feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from him Ier. 32. 40. And they cannot possibly bee seduced by any meanes miracles or policies whatsoeuer Math. 24. 24. Marke 13. 22. There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceiue the very elect Yea the Beast which did deceiue all the other Inhabitants of the earth could not deceiue them with all his subtilty Reu. 13. 8. and cap. 17. 8. Therefore they can neuer finally nor totally fall from grace The euasions to that place of Ieremy I haue fully answered and defeated heretofore the euasions to the other places remaine now to be answered which are two in number First that these words if it were possible imply only a great difficultie but not an absolute impossibilitie Secondly that it proues only that they cannot bee seduced finally but it proues not that they cannot be seduced totally To the first of these I answer that these words imply an absolute impossibilitie of seducing any such as are the elect of God First because the very emphasis of the words imply as much for these words if it were possible imply a more impos●…ible impossibilitie then the word impossible doth Secondly because the end and scope of the text is to proue as much For if any thing could seduce the Saints of God then certainly false Christs and false Prophets comming vnder the colour and habit of Religion and working great signes miracles and wonders to the very admiration of the beholders would seduce them but yet all those great subtile and lying signes and wonders cannot deceiue them it is impossible euen for those to doe it and therefore is it absolutely impossible for any thing to seduce them Thirdly because the Scriptures certifie vs that the Beast and Antichrist whose comming is after the comming of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiuablenesse of vnrighteousnesse could neuer seduce any of the elect Saints of God whose names were written in the booke of life but only such as neuer had any share or portion in the Booke of life 2 Thes. 2. 10 13 14. Reu. 13. 8. and cap. 17. 8. If hee could neuer seduce any of Gods elect it is then impossible for any to seduce them and so their first euasion is but false for the second euasion that the elect Saints of God cannot bee finally seduced I willingly admit but that they may bee totally seduced notwithstanding that I shall deny For first if they may be seduced totally for a time then the words and sense of the place are not so fully satisfied For he that is totally deceiued is deceiued and so not impossible to bee deceiued as the words and sense import him for to bee Secondly hee that may be deceiued totally may bee deceiued finally to and so both finally and totally which will quite falsifie and delude this Scripture and therefore if it be impossible for the elect Saints of God to bee finally seduced it must be likewise impossible for them to be totally seduced to Lastly the sense and scope of this Scripture and the very litterall words doe fully implie and affirme that they can neither finally nor totally bee seduced and therefore wee must giue these Scriptures their full and perfect sense and meaning and imply them to an impossibilitie of a totall as well as of a finall seducement If you obiect that the Saints of God are oft-times deceiued and seduced I answer that they are oft-times deceiued but yet not seduced they may fall into diuers petty errors in religion but yet they alwayes hold the maine and fundamentall truths 1 Cor. 3. 11. vers 16. and so this Argument standeth good and firme Twelfthly the true regenerate Saints of God they cannot choose but alwayes feare obey serue the Lord and doe his will they cannot doe the euill that they would neither can they sinne vnto death From whence this twelfth Argument will arise Those that cannot choose but alwayes feare obey serue the Lord and doe his will those that cannot doe the euill that they would and those that cannot sinne vnto death it is impossible for them either finally or totally to fall from grace But all those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ they cannot choose but alwayes feare obey serue the Lord and doe his will God hath giuen them one heart and one way that they may feare him for euer Ier. 32. 39. God doth put his Spirit into them and cause them to walk●… in his statutes and they shall keep●… his indgements and doe th●…m Ezech. 36. 27. If they should at any time resolue with Ier●…miah that they will not make mention of the Lord nor speake any more in his 〈◊〉 his ●…d which is written 〈◊〉 ingran●…n in their hearts will b●… 〈◊〉 a burning fire shut vp in theis bones it will make the●… we●…rie of for bearing and they cannot stay but they must presently both speake it and doe it to Ier.

Iesus Christ. 2. Cor. 10. 5 it workes so powerfully and maiestically in mens soules that none can let it or resist it Isai 43. 13. and Acts 6. 10. it makes euery knee to bow and stoope to Iesus Christ and to keepe his iudgments and doe them Phil. 2. 10. and Ezech. 36. 27. wherefore this doctrine which doth thus ouerturne and pull downe the kingdome of grace which makes it subiect vnto man whereas man is subiect vnto it must needes be a damnable and pernitious doctrine and so cannot bee admitted for a truth euen in this respect Fourthly if this doctrine of the finall or totall Apostacie of the Saints should bee admitted it would produce many dangerous consequencies in respect of the whole Church of God but more especially in respect of our Church of England For first it would wrong the whole Church of God in traducing slighting condemning the doctrine and opinion of all the ancient Fathers of the Church and of the Church of God in former ages and in vilifying and contradicting the doctrine of all Protestant and reformed Churches and the judgment and learning of all the best moderne Protestant Diuines who haue alwaies defended and maintained this assertion that the true regenerate Saints of God can neither finally nor totally fall from grace as I shall proue hereafter Secondly it would wrong the whole Church of God in reuiuing and raising vp from hell againe that old Pelagian Heresie which hath not onely beene condemned and opposed by Saint Augustine Hierome Prosper Bradwarden and others but likewise by three seuerall Councells to wit the Councell of Mile●…etan the Councell of Africke and the Councell of Orange For as all the points of Arminianesme are nothing else but meere Pelagianisme clad in other tearmes so this was one part and member of the Pelagian or Deme pelagian Heresie that the true regenerate Saints of God might fall away from the state of grace and therefore the Demepelagians did ca●…ell and carpe at Saint Augustines doctrine for teaching that the Saints of God after they were once regenerated had such a disposition put into them that they could not but perseuerance in grace as appeares by the Epistles of Hilarie and Prosper to Saint Augustine concerning the remainders of the Pelagian Heresi●…s wherefore this doctrine of the Apostacie of the Saints being nothing else but a part of the Pelagian Heresie cannot be now admitted and imbraced without great wrong and preiudice to the whole Church of God Thirdly it would produce many dangerous consequencies in respect of the Church of England For first it will pull vp a maine foundation and a maine principle and ground of truth which hath bin planted and setled in our Church it will raise a strong bulwarke and fort of true religion which the best and chiefest worthies of our Church haue hitherto full well and manfully defended against all forraine hostility whatsoeuer which will be a great disparagement and blemish to our Church Secondly it will giue our enemies just cause to vaunt and triumph ouer vs and to erect a Trophie where as they neuer got the field This hath beene the glory and honour of the Church of England that the 〈◊〉 Church and all her complices since her reformation and reuolt from them could neuer yet with all their learning wi●… or policie conuince her of any maine or fundamentall error in her doctrine If then wee should now admit and approue of this doctrine of a finall or a totall fall from grace and imbrace it as a truth wee should then conuince our selues of a maine and fundamentall error in our doctrine wee should then subscribe and yeeld the wasters vp to them without any combate or opposition at all when as they were not able for to wrest them from vs by truth strength of argument and so wee should giue them just and lawfull cause to triumph ouer vs to the great dishonour of God to the very betraying of the truth and to our owne perpetuall infamie and disgrace Thirdly it would breake downe the very walls and bulwarkes of our Church that so Armi●…nisme and 〈◊〉 might come rushing in with a full carere and quite beat downe the truth For if this be once admitted and receiued for a truth that the true regenerate Saints of God may fall either finally or totally from the state of grace this very point it selfe is grosse and palpable Arminianisme and Poperie it is a point which all Rhemists and Arminians and which Bellarmine Becaonus and other Papists do defend against the Pro●…estants and it drawes along with it many other grosse and palpable points of Armianisme and Popery as predestination from the foresight of faith and workes freewill both to receiue and reiect grace at our pleasures veniall sinne no certaintie of saluation in this life without some speciall reuelation vniuersall grace that those who are not elected to saluation are members of the holy Catholike Church that the number of the el●…t is not certaine vnto God himselfe and the like If this one point then should bee admitted and imbraced by vs as a truth it would scrue in the whole body of Arminianisme Pelagianisme and a great part of Poperie into our Church and so would quickly crush and quell that glorious and holy truth which now we doe professe Fourthly it would breede such a combustion and diuision in our Church as would hardly bee appeased without great hurt and danger to the state wee see by present experience that a little conniuancie wincking at this doctrin●… hath bred a kinde of faction and diuision in our Church and drawne many great disciples after it who if they were not awed by superiour powers and with the expectation of the doome censure of the Generall and Grandee of their faction would make such astrange and sodaine rent and combustion in our Church and state as would indanger both and giue occasion to our enemies to fish in troubled streames where they could hardly misse their prey You therefore my brethren who are so hot and forwards to vsher and bring in this damnable and pernicious doctrine into our glorious and much renowned Church consider what you are about to doe consider what dangerous and dismall consequencies are like to follow and insue vpon it consider how ill and viper like you shall reward that mother of yours which hath nourished and brought you vp to the end that you should defend her vpon all occasions and not beare armes against her Consider that it is no other but the Diuill himselfe woo either by his owne priuate suggestions to your hearts or else by his dangerous agents and seditious factors doth labour to withdraw you from the faith and to rent you from your mother Church not for any desire or loue to God or to the truth but for priuate ends and by respects that so he may make both you and others a prey and bootie to himselfe Consider what the inducements are that