A01956:201
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ…The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ…
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations upon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrews : together with certain other meditations and discourses upon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles whereof immediately precede the book : being the sum of diverse sermons preached in S. Gregory's London / by Thomas Adams ...The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations vpon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrewes : together with certain other meditations and discourses vpon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles wherof immediately precede the booke : being the summe of diuerse sermons preached in S. Gregories London / by Thomas Adams ...
London: printed by G.P. for John Grismand, 1619London: printed by G.P. for Iohn Grismand, 1619
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
To conclude, they that are written in heaven can never be lost. Woe then to that Religion, which teacheth even the best Saint to doubt of his salvation while he liveth. Hath Christ said, Believe: and shall man say, Doubt? This is a rack and strappado to the conscience: for he that doubteth of his salvation, doubteth of Gods love: and he that doubteth of Gods love, cannot heartily love him again. If this love be wanting, it is not possible to have true peace. O the terrors of this troubled conscience! It is like an Ague, it may have intermission, but the fit will come and shake him. An untoward beast is a trouble to a man, an unto ward servant a great trouble, an untoward ⟨p. 92⟩wife a greater trouble, but the greatest trouble of all is an untoward conscience. uBlessed is the man whose sins are forgiven: where there is no remission of sins, there is no blessedness. Now there is no true blessedness but that is enjoyed, and none is enjoyed unless it be felt, and it cannot be felt unless it be possessed, and it is not possessed unless a man know it, and how does he know it, that doubts whether he hath it or not?
To conclude, they that are written in heauen can neuer be lost. Woe then to that Religion, which teacheth euen the best Saint to doubt of his saluation while hee liueth. Hath Christ said, Beleeue: and shall man say, Doubt? This is a racke and strappado to the conscience: for hee that doubteth of his saluation, doubteth of Gods loue: and he that doubteth of Gods loue, cannot heartily loue him againe. If this loue be wanting, it is not possible to haue true peace. O the terrors of this troubled conscience! It is like an Ague, it may haue intermission, but the fit will come and shake him. An vntoward beast is a trouble to a man, an vnto ward seruant a great trouble, an vntoward ⟨p. 92⟩wife a greater trouble, but the greatest trouble of all is an vntoward conscience. uBlessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiuen: where there is no remission of sinnes, there is no blessednesse. Now there is no true blessednesse but that is enioyed, and none is enioyed vnlesse it be felt, and it cannot be felt vnlesse it be possessed, and it is not possessed vnlesse a man know it, and how does he know it, that doubts whether he hath it or not?