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Title:  Gods drawing, and mans coming to Christ discovered in 32 sermons on John 6. 44 : with the difference between a true inward Christian, and the outward formalist, in three sermons on Rom. 2. 28, 29 / by ... Richard Vines ...
Author: Vines, Richard, 1600?-1656.
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FOurthly, Nor will that doctrine abide the due or true test, that under the pretence of this sole power of God exerted in mans Conversion, doth clamorously cry down all instruments and means, Gospel and Gospel Ministry, under this pretence that the sole power of mans new creation and conversion is of God; and therefore hold that as God made this world without tools and instruments, so God shall and will convert men by his converting grace without means, instruments, ministry, and the like; And what danger is it to snatch up a piece of a sentence? for they have heard this doctrine from the orthodox, that man cannot, he is disabled to believe in Christ, that the pow∣er is of God, and have run away with it, and thence have hatcht this fancie, that therefore we need not look after these means: shewing to us that preach, that we had need to use due Correctives in our preaching; for good medicines without apt Correctives sometimes breed wind or disease, rather then cure it; so this orthodox doctrine not rightly Corrected, breeds this fancy, that there is no need of instruments to work that whereof God hath the sole power; These men (I can say no less of them) will teach God to convert man; Let them teach themselves to stand in the way and rode of Christ, where he walks and doth miracles; Let them stand in the way of his ordinances. For though I confess, God can convert without ordinances and means, yet to say that he doth so, is as if because he did sometime make a man at full stature (as Adam) therefore he doth so always; And so abolish mari∣age which he hath instituted for the propagation of mankind; and so because God can convert man, and 0