Faith in him or else we must feign that a Believer hath a Spiritual Life in him that is not from Christ if he have Faith before he is united to Christ as some pretend and so there would be two Spiritual Lives in a Believer one before Union to Christ which works Faith and the other from Christ upon acting our Faith But this Ass of our own Spiritual Life and the Oxe of Christ's Life in us will not draw well together So that I think I may safely conclude this is no Heresie to say that Union to Christ is before Faith much less is that which follows an Heresie to say that we partake of the Spirit by vertue of that Vnion This is brought in as part of the fifth Heresie Whence do the Branches partake of the Sap of the Vine but from the Root by Vertue of Union to the Vine 'T is strange to admiration that this should be question'd by those who like Peter seem to be Pillars in the Church to call it an Antinomian Heresie to say We partake of the Spirit by vertue of Vnion to Christ If the Spirit be not in us before Faith how can he convince of Sin in not believing and thereby work Faith Doth not the Scripture say plainly 1 Cor. 12.8 9. To one is given by the Spirit the word of Wisdom to another Faith by the same Spirit Doth the Spirit give Faith and is he not then in the Soul to work Faith before it is wrought Is not the Former before the Thing formed If so then sure my Dear Kratiste was in a great Mistake and has sadly imposed on those that profess Faith in our Lord Jesus to rank this for a Heresie That we partake of the Spirit by vertue of our Vnion to Christ which in Naturâ is before Faith The sixth as being much akin to the former I pass only with the naming of it 'T is Heresie he saith to say Justification in regard of Application must be before Believing Whose Saying this is or whence it is taken I know not If the meaning be that God applies it to us or reckons it to us before our Believing that we are Justified This is so far from Heresie that I think the contrary is a Contradiction Or 't is Nonsense for me to believe a Thing is mine before it is given me or applyed to me and so made mine And in that Sense the Application of Justification by God's Spirit to my Conscience that God hath loved me and given his Son for me this must first be applyed to me before I can believe it or else my Believing is but Presumption But if by Application of Justification before Believing he means that the Soul doth apply it to himself before his Believing I think he is to seek for any that hold that Tenet §. XXVII His seventh Heresie is this That the first Application ordine Naturae saltem is to an Vngodly Man eo nomine that he may believe That this is a blessed Gospel-Truth and no Heresie appears by what our Blessed Lord Jesus saith That he came not to call the Righteous but Sinners And his immediate Call made them follow him as Levi from being a Publican to be a believing Disciple Nay saith our Lord Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdom of God before you Ye believed not but the Publicans and Harlots believed Matth. 21.31 32. Here was Application to ungodly Wretches eo nomine that they might believe and when Publicans and Harlots they did believe and so came off from their Ungodliness Yea the Dog Syrophenaecian as Christ called her she had Faith given her while she was a Dog even to the Admiration of Christ himself who said O Woman great is thy Faith And saith the Apostle for a full Proof that the Application is to an ungodly Man eo nomine While we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son Nay as God will have it the very word ungodly which they oppose as Heresie is asserted in the Scripture that the first Application of Christ is to an ungodly Man in Rom. 4.5 To him that believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness If the Blessed Apostle saith God justifieth the ungodly I trow this is no Heresie in him but if Heterodox Dr. Crisp say the same words then 't is an Antinomian Heterodoxy Now there 's a great out-cry what do you make God to be Is God such a Friend to Sin as to justifie the Vngodly Doth it become the Holiness of God to justifie an ungodly Man This is the way to vindicate all licentious Antinomianism That God justifies the Vngodly and that while he is an Enemy he is reconciled to God O out upon such profane Antinomians We can allow the Apostle Paul to use such Language because we can distinguish this into he doth not justifie the Vngodly that the Apostle means so whatever he saith but we cannot bear it that Apochryphal Tobias should say so nor that Mysterious Nonsense say so as Mr. Williams called Mr. Cole we cannot bear it in him for this is to open a gap to Profaneness to say God justifieth the Vngodly §. XXVIII The eighth Heresie is to assert That we believe that we may be justified declaratively The Case I take to be thus The Apostle saith in Gal. 2.16 We believe that we may be justified by the Faith of Jesus from whence the Neonomians conclude that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere our Act of Faith is that very Thing which justifies us or that we are justified by our Work of Faith if not by Works of Faith and Holiness which sometimes they joyn yet at least by a Work by our Act of Believing Whereas the Orthodox according to the Homilies and Doctrine of the Church of England from plain Scripture put Faith it self from us as that Act that justifies and say Faith justifies only declaratively as it manifests to the Conscience our being justified by Christ's Blood Rom. 5.9 and freely by his Grace not our Grace of Faith through the Redemption that is in Jesus Rom. 3.24 Titus 3.7 It is still ascribed to his Grace not any Grace in us our Grace of Faith being only the Instrument or Hand given us of God to receive Christ and all in him If Justification be as they would have it from any Act of ours as the Ground or Cause of it then we are not freely justified by his Grace but by our Work of Believing which if not a Popish is an Arminian Tenet to blemish the Free Grace of God in Jesus Christ So that it may be safely concluded that it is no Heresie to say our Justification by Faith is declarative in as much as the Essence of Justification is by the Blood of Jesus and the Grace of God imputing it to us is the form of our Justification which being received by Faith is thereby manifested or declared to the Conscience by the Illumination of the Holy
into which his Posterity should be sub-divided If it was not I conceive the Fault was theirs not God's as if it would have been a Fault in God if he did not give means for all to be Saved when they had Damned themselves Thus Antisozzo has in a manner laid Salvation open in common to Elect and Non-elect to Vessels before of old ordained to Condemnation Jude 4. as well as to Vessels of Mercy for whom the Kingdom was prepared from the Foundation of the World Matt. 25 directly contrary to the Confession of the Assembly which they both have Subscribed though I find not that they ever recanted this Expression The Assembly say on the Point of God's Decree directly that none but the Elect can be Saved thus These Angels and Men their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be increased or diminished neither are any other redeemed by Christ effectually Called Justified Adopted Sanctified and Saved but the Elect only For the proof of which they quote 2 Tim. 2.19 John 13.18 17.9 6.64 65. 10.26 Rom. 8.28 I lay down my Life for the sheep and ye Pharisees ye believe not because ye are not my sheep Thus these great Men have asserted and this our Neonomians subscribe to in order to deceive the Simple to believe they are Orthodox when here 't is visible how Heterodox these two great Contenders for the New Law are plainly deviating from the Assembly in allowing a Possibility for the Non elect to be Saved But I beg for them the Mercy of God to give them the Eye-salve of his Spirit to shew them their Mistake §. XXXIV The Ninth and Tenth Heresies are scarce worth mentioning they being only some curtailed Expressions that the Antagonists to the Free Grace of God in his eternal Love to poor Sinners in Christ do take from the Writings of some of the Asserters of our Sins being fully done away by the Death of our Lord Jesus and from thence this Pharisaical Spirit quarrels at them and charges them for laying a ninth Heresie It is denied that God requires Faith as an indispensible Qualification in them whom he will Justifie by Christ's Merits How this is worded by his Antinomians he mentions not whether they deny Faith indispensibly in Infants or Lunaticks or no So that this Quarrel needs little answer seeing they know that we are as much for Faith as themselves if not more as it excludes Works in the Point of Justification but not for Faith to take the Crown off from the Head of Jesus and it self to wear the Honour of Saving us in whole or in part §. XXXV Such another is his Tenth Heresie All that a Believer can pray for is the farther Manifestation of Pardon for he knows that all his Sins are pardoned This is a manifest Breach of Charity for he knows they pray for more and though they may at some Seasons have full Assurance of being accepted in the Beloved Jesus wherein they see all their Sins were done away in his Blood when he to Sanctifie the People Suffered without the Gate Whereupon they upon Believing cry Glory to him who hath loved them and washed them from their Sins with his Blood Yet they daily pray for fresh Discoveries of the same which as to their Consciences is a Fresh Pardon or renewing of Pardon I hope my Dear Kratiste will not deny That by one Offering he hath for ever perfected those that are Sanctified and that he Sanctified the People with his own Blood when he Suffered without the Gate If so then all successive Pardons upon fresh Acts of Faith are only the Clearing up of Pardon to the Conscience that there should be no more Conscience of Sin Whereas the Grand Pardon in the Court of Heaven was as Mr. Pemble says when Christ was delivered for our Offences and raised for our Justification which is not manifest to the Conscience till Faith comes And thus this Heresie vanishes having only left us a Testimony that the Neonomians do Boggle in the point of Pardon and would hook in our Faith to be a Joynt-Saviour with Christ by being a procurer of Pardon rather than a Manifestation of it §. XXXVI It is an Amazement his 11th Heresie which is this A Believer is to work from Life and not for Life For answer If a Man be a Believer he is a Living Member of Christ and so he Works from Life in Christ Sure then this cannot be the Heresie intended here to say he works from Life Then this is his Heresie That a Believer works not for Life But how can that be Heresie to say A Believer doth not work for Life when the word saith The Gift of God is Eternal Life Rom. 6.23 If it be Gift then it is not Work'd for by us do Men call that a Gift that is wrought for that is Wages Death indeed is wrought for by Sin for the Wages of Sin which is in our best Works is Death but Life is the Free Gift of God How then can it be called Heresie to say A Believer works not for Life Antisozzo was once of another Mind I find but the Rebuker does well to conceal his Name for to call this Heresie must needs cast a sad Reflection What more substantial Truth is there than that a Believer works from Life and not to gain Life by his Works Whither shall we run if we do not maintain this for Truth That a Believer works not that he by his good Works might procure to himself Eternal Life No but he works from a Divine Principle of Life in him that he may glorifie God for the Gift of Eternal Life through his Son Jesus Christ O! how true is that of Luther Every Man hath a Pope in his Belly and how ready are we to run into the Dregs of Popery to Work for Life §. XXXVII The Twelfth is 'T is Heresie to say It 's a great Truth that God sees no Sin in a Believer I hope it is a great Truth and no Heresie that God saith I have blotted out as a thick Cloud thy Transgressions and as a Cloud thy Sins Isa 44.22 And if blotted out it is to shew that God doth not see them And if God saith He has cast them into the Depth of the Sea and he has cast them behind his Back and he will remember them no more Is it not the same thing as not to see them And doth he not say He hath not beheld Iniquity in Jacob not but that they had Iniquity enough but when their Sins are covered with the Robe the fine white Linnen of Christ's Righteousness then it may be said without Imputation of Heresie 't is a great Truth and a Blessed one that God sees no Sin in a Believer Sure my Dear Kratiste had strangely forgot himself to call this glorious Truth a Heresie §. XXXVIII The Thirteenth Sin can do no real hurt to a Believer Answer If as Sin abounds Grace much more abounds which
Spirit Could she and Christ be one Spirit Could she have the Comeliness of Christ upon her and not appear in his Person How could her Name as well as his be the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 33.16 23.6 if she did not take upon her the Person and Condition of Christ Or how else could she be called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 O that we did more taste the Sweetness and Comfort of this Relation and Condition every day then instead of calling it uncooth and novel we should give Glory to God for his Infinite Rich Grace to marry us to his Son Jesus and be ravished with his amazing Love to make such vile Creatures as we are in our selves in whose Flesh as the Apostle saith in Rom. 7. dwells no good thing that we should be Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones which is to take his Person and Condition with a witness What new coyned business is it to say Christ and Believers are one that they take his Person and he theirs when the Scripture so frequently speaks of I in them and they in me I the Surety they the Discharged I standing in their stead taking their Sins on me and so sustaining their Persons Thus they taking his Person and Condition are made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 O that we could well conceive and receive this that we could feed and feast on this Marrow and Fatness of the Gospel every day and drink deep draughts of this Unsearchable Rich Grace of God then we should adore his Goodness and not call it a Monster or a wild monstrous Sense this Change of Persons §. LXVII For the Conclusion the Rebuker is pleased to leave the dreadful Tail of his wild Monster in his Comment on the Doctor 's Scripture Assertion in these words And now you have it that Change of Persons which the Doctor affirms and Mr. Williams denies which had he not he had denied his Redeemer and betrayed the Gospel Here 's a deadly Sting in this Tail a very malignant one for it is neither better nor worse than to say the Doctor by his wild monstrous Sense of the Change of Persons has denyed his Redeemer and betrayed the Gospel Bona verba easily and dangerously enough said but not at all proved I am sure he that denies Christ being made of God Sin for us very Sin not the shadow or shell of Sin and that denies our being made the Righteousness of God the very Righteousness of God-Man Jesus Christ in him he by having our very Sins laid on him he therein sustaining our Persons and we by having his very Righteousness imputed to us and being upon us whereby we stand in his Person and appear Righteous in the sight of God as he is Righteous as being cloathed with his Righteousness he is the denyer of Christ and betrayer of the Gospel nay he wholly evacuates and exinanitiates the Gospel For what Benefit can we have by Christ's Death if our Sins were not made his and laid on him and he made Sin for us Or by his Righteousness if it be not made ours given to us and we appear in it in and through Jesus Christ before God How could the Apostle say of any Man 1 John 3.7 He is Righteous as God is Righteous but by his believing in Christ where his Faith is accounted to him for Righteousness As Abraham's Faith justified him not his Act of Faith barely but the Act taking in the Object of it viz. Christ's Righteousness and so he truly doth Righteousness that believes in the Lord Jesus his Righteousness and Strength and thus doing Righteousness he becomes Righteous as he is Righteous and to deny this is to betray the Gospel in order to bring in our own Righteousness to joyn it with Christs as it were by the Works of the Law Rom. 9.32 Or how are we accepted in the Beloved if we do not appear in his Person before God and so sustain his Person Is this a denying Christ and betraying the Gospel O that God would anoint Mens Eyes with the Collirium the Eye-Salve of the Spirit then they would be able to bear the light of the Glory of God as it shines on and in poor Creatures in the Face of Christ to make Righteous as he is Righteous and not dazzle them to make them call this betraying the Gospel §. LXVIII It may do well for all Calumniators to consider the Judgment that God inflicted on the Children at Bethel that mock'd Elisha saying Come up thou bald Head Come up thou bald Head which is a thousand times less detracting than to say thou denyer of Christ and betrayer of the Gospel whereupon there came out of the Forest two She-Bears and tare in pieces 42 of them Which was a far less Judgment than what God has inflicted on some to leave them to write against the Truth and thereby to harden themselves and grieve the Godly So far as the Rebuker has dipt his Pen in Gall in this kind I only say The Lord rebuke thee Is not this a Brand pluck'd out of the Fire What! call a faithful fervent Servant of our Lord Jesus the Air of whose Sermons carries such a favour of Love and Honour to our Lord Jesus and such a Zeal for Holiness that his very Enemies even Mr. Williams could say he believed he was a Holy Man I say for my Dear Kratiste to call such an one A wild monstrous denyer of his Redeemer and betrayer of the Gospel has a dismal Aspect as if God had left such if not to the hardening their Heart against the Truth yet to such an high towering Opinion of themselves in order to the greater humbling them that for their falling into such contemptuous Language they may be made contemptible by some sharp Pen. We read that Michael when contending with the Devil about the Body of Moses he durst not bring a railing Accusation against him but said The Lord rebuke thee And so I beseech the Lord in Mercy to do to all that call the Advancers of Free Grace in Christ by such virulent Names as we have seen §. LXIX In Page 41 our Dear Kratiste seems mighty angry with the Reporter Mr. L. for saying It 's impossible to establish the Doctrine of Justification on its true and proper Basis any otherwise than by clearing the Point of Commutation of Persons And yet the Rebuker himself owns this to be Articulus stantis vel cadentis Ecclesiae Then sure it ought to be cleared And how can that be That the Holy Innocent Jesus should be made Sin and the Unholy the Nocent Sinners should be made the Righteousness of God but by a Commutation of Persons He standing in our stead being our Surety sustaining our Persons on the Cross suffering for us as Calvin Luther Twiss Pemble Harris with a multitude more do affirm whom the Rebuker will own to be of the First Form of Learned Holy Divines not Apocryphal Tobiases and we
to Christ only the Homilies § 152 88 Faultless sin is what Christ bore with Mr. Williams c. § 23 Forgiveness before Faith Twiss § 25 Freely justified by his Grace not ours § 28 Foederal Vnion of Infants § 47 Faulty Obedience allowed by God's Law Mr. Williams § 50 Facile Representations Christ's sufferings William Penn § 61 Found in Christ shews a Commutation § 72 No Foundation but Christ § 79 We fulfill'd the Law in Christ the Homilies § 85 Fellow heirs with Christ and fellow-body § 90 Of God's forsaking Christ § 104 Fire-brands cast against Free-Grace § 105 The Fault of Sin on Christ or we bear it § 106 The Froth of Kratiste in his Rebuke § 112 His Falsity in saying No more subscribed to § 118 G. Grapes not of the Rebuker's Thorns § 2 Gospel-Truth of Mr. Williams imbellish'd § 11 Life the Gift of God then not work'd for § 36 Dr. Goodwin refused by the Rebuker for saying the Spirit himself is in Believers § 71 Grasping all Councils by the Rebuker § 74 Gratis dictum non gratiose to say Dr. Crisp against Repentance § 93 The Gigantick Sophister § 117 The Guilt of Sin how Christ bare it Bishop of Worcester § 141 Golden Sentences in the Homilies § 152 Gold not tainted by Poyson nor Christ by Sin § 158 The Glowing holiness of Christ purged our Sin § 158 H. Dr. Harris of Christ's sustaining us § 9 Crispian Heterodoxies Cole c. dipt in § 17 Mr. How said If the Doctor be an Antinomian so am I § 17 In what Men call'd Heresie so Paul worship'd § 26 No Hurt of a Believer by Sin is called Heresie § 38 Holiness imperfect is Sin § 41 Hilary withstood a World so Mr. Cole c. § 72 The Homilies against the Rebuker and made Law § 72 86 145 146 147 The Homilies Antinomian as Dr. Crisp § 147 The Homilies Golden Sentences § 152 Horrid Opinions charged by the Rebuker on Mr. Cole c. § 105 Hard Speeches Christ will convince of § 114 Heman's Groans under Sin little to Christ § 134 To Honour the Son as the Father § 155 The Holiness of Christ purged our Sins § 158 J. Justified before called is Heterodox they say § 17 Judgments for Scorners § 17 Justified in God's sight before called § 18 He Justifies the Vngodly § 27 freely by his Grace § 28 at Christ's Death Pemble § 30 Justification where settled before now § 71 slid off from by the Rebuker § 99 not by Faith as our Act Homilies § 152 Injustice to punish Christ if very Sin not on him § 23 Faith an Instrument of Justification § 30 The Ineffable Life of Christ in Saints § 43 The Incarnation of Christ how no Humiliation § 45 Our Imperfect Obedience makes not accepted § 49 Imputation of Sin made Christ a Curse § 54 Judgment on Mockers of Elisha § 68 Jakin and Boaz Commutation is § 70 Jestingly to speak of Christ forfeit 10 l. § 89 Ismael's hand against all so the Rebuker § 96 Indignation of the Rebuker against Mr. Cole § 105 The Insult of the Rebuker against Mr. Cole § 113 Ismael's mocking like the Rebuker § 114 The Joab like Stab § 114 The Idem of the Law Christ suffered denied by Mr. Williams § 120 The Imaginary Change of the Bishop § 148 151 No Infection to Christ by our Sin § 157 K. Kratiste Theophile the Rebuker call'd § 19 Kicking against Pricks to deny Christ made Sin for us § 59 L. Lips of Righteousness God's delight § 17 Land settled on Infants that know it not so our Inheritance before Faith Pemble § 32 Mr. Laurence took up the Rebuker at Pinner's-Hall § 33 To work from Life not for Life is call'd Heresie § 36 Love in God perpetually the same Pemble § 39 The Life of Saints how 't is the eternal Life of God § 43 Of Legal Vnion to Christ before Faith § 47 A Law that allows Sin Mr. Williams is for § 50 Luther of Christ a Curse a sinner with our sinful Person § 54 Luther on the Change of Persons § 75 of Christ bearing Wrath § 102 Little sins need Christ's Blood as great § 78 M. Meek and lowly learn of me § 2 They Mince Christ made sin for us § 5 Man made Righteous Mr. Williams's Book § 11 Dr. Manton Christ first apprehends us § 26 'T is Monstrous to live without Vnion to Christ § 26 Manifestation of Pardon pray'd for § 35 Mr. Mather of Christ's Incarnation § 45 Mess of Milk kick'd down of Christ's satisfaction § 51 Christ the Murderer falsly tax'd § 53 The Monstrous Change tax'd on the Doctor § 55 Michael durst not rail as the Rebuker § 68 The Moot point if Socinians or Antinomians be worse § 77 Making Millions to Damn them denied § 80 Melius inquirendum of the Rebuker § 96 Meliora speramus of Mr. A § 108 Christ called a Mask prophanely by § 89 Misprision of Treason against Christ Mr. Williams § 110 The Mildness of Christ when they slept § 113 A Marriage and no Marriage trump'd up by A § 113 The Mockers Judgment and Ismael s Mocking § 17 68 114 Mony to be told after ones Father § 125 Maas in Hebrew is reprobated abhorred § 127 N. New Obedience not the substance of the Gospel § 3 Not New or Novel that Christ took our Persons § 9 Neonomians for Faith procuring Pardon § 35 Neonomian for a Law that allows sin § 50 A Negative not an Affirmative § 113 'T is not for Nothing to lose Peace for Truth § 120 How God Needs sin Antisozzo § 136 Nothing but sinful in us the Homilies § 146 147 O. Objections against Mr. Williams not accounted for § 15 The Oxe and Ass of Christ and our Works forbidden § 26 Old Wine of Election better than New § 49 Obedience imperfect what it doth § 49 Obedience not sinless Mr. Williams is for § 50 Orthodoxy in the Apostle is Heterodoxy in the Doctor § 76 We Obeyed in Christ saith Antisozzo § 107 Christ Odious to God falsly charged § 126 P. Poor Presbyterian he calls himself § 3 Christ in our Place jeered by the Rebuker § 4 The Punishment born by Christ only is invented § 5 8 Pinners-Hall left by three and why § 14 Pardon before Faith saith Dr. Twiss § 24 Pemble of Grace and Faith § 29 Pemble that Christ made not God placable § 32 Prayer for Manifestation only of Pardon is denied § 35 Perpetual God's Love is Pemble § 39 Plate of Gold of High Priests for Pardon § 40 Christ and Believers one Person § 46 Paul the Apostle why not call'd an Antinomian § 53 his differing with Barnabas § 97 Our Person taken by Christ Mr. Calvin § 54 Mr. Pen's facile Representation Christ's Sufferings were § 61 How we take Christ's Person § 66 Paul call'd Apocryphal how by the Rebuker § 75 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philosophers to deny a Change § 75 I forgave in the Person of Christ § 75
Spirit concurring with our Spirits therein See the Assemblies Catechism §. XXIX The like sort of Heresie to this last we find well spoken to by Famous Pemble in his Treatise of Grace and Faith in fol. 22 to prove God's being reconciled to the Elect before they believe and so to take off the Clamour from Dr. Crisp as if it were Antinomian Heresie to say we believe that we may be justified declaratively Mr. Pemble argues solidly thus Now that God doth actually love the Elect before they are regenerate or can actually believe may appear thus 1. Where God is actually reconciled he actually loves but with the Elect before they actually believe God is actually reconciled therefore he loves them before their Faith The Minor is evident because before they are born a full Satisfaction and Atonement is made by Christ and accepted on God's part whereon actual Reconciliation must needs follow He was the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World 2. If God did actually love the Elect before Christ's time when an actual Reconciliation was not made then much more may he actually love the Elect after the Atonement is really made by Christ's Death even before they do believe it The former is true by the Salvation of the Patriarchs therefore the latter may not well be denyed 3. Election Vocation and Faith are Fruits of God's Love to the Elect which Graces he bestows on them because he loves them Now I argue If God loved his Elect from Eternity and this Love neither increaseth nor diminisheth as in God as Mr. Pemble saith anon then it is plain that in the Righteous Judgment of God foro Dei there was never any Guilt on them after they were delighted in by Christ For God doth not take a Sinner by the Hand that is the same as he may be said not to love guilty Souls but he doth take the Elect by the Hand from Eternity As they are chosen in Christ from Eternity so they were delighted in by Christ from Eternity therefore the Elect as Elect are not guilty in the sight of God For if they were how should they be delighted in from Eternity as having Grace given them in Christ by the Father from Eternity 2 Tim. 1.9 and Prov. 8. §. XXX And now my hand is in with Mr. Pemble and because the Rebuker and others may if the Lord please see their Mistake in their hard Censure on Dr. Crisp and others to say 't is Heretical for them to say That Justification is before Faith I shall a little inlarge on this eighth Heresie 'T is well known Mr. Pemble was no Antinomian yet he saith in concurrence with Dr. Twiss and Dr. Crisp thus In foro Divino in God's sight Justification goeth before our Sanctification for even whilst the Elect are unconverted they are then actually justified and freed from all Sin by the Death of Christ and God having accepted of that Satisfaction is actually reconciled to them 2. There is Justification in foro Conscientiae in our sense which is but the revelation and certain declaration of God's former secret Act of accepting Christ's Righteousness to our Justification And why is not the out-cry of Heresie against this Good Man who asserts so plainly the actual Justification in God's sight before the Conversion of the Elect and that the Justification in our Consciences is but the revelation and declaration of the former secret Justification before God §. XXXI To the like purpose is the Confession of the Assembly at Westminster on the Article of Justification which saith Christ by his Obedience and Death did fully discharge the Debt of all those that are justified Here our Sins are called a Debt which our Rebuker makes a dangerous word and here this Debt is fully discharged when even at Christ's Death And if so then I argue with the Apostle if the Debt was discharged then Who can lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect either of Sin or Guilt It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again Sure this was no Antinomian Assembly yet they make the Debt discharged at Christ's Death §. XXXII But Mr. Pemble goes farther in this Point and saith That Faith doth not precede Participation with Christ appears 1 Our Sanctification wrought by the Spirit conveys Life and Grace into our Souls when we are void of Faith and before 't is ask'd 2. Our Justification in God's sight which was long before we were born is purchas'd for us by Christ 'T is vain to think with the Armenian That Christ's Merits only made God PLACABILEM not Placatum no the Ransom is paid and accepted all the Sins are actually pardoned this grand Transaction between God and the Mediator Jesus Christ was dispatch'd in Heaven before we had a Being yet the Benefit of it was ours and belonged to us at that time though we never knew so much till after that by Faith we apprehended it As Lands may be settled on an Infant though he knew nothing of it till he come of Age. O! what clear Testimony is here to convince the Neonomians that besides express Scripture those that the Rebuker calls Antinomians have very good Company going with them §. XXXIII Here I cannot omit from the word Placabilem to reflect on what one of the Deserters of Pinners-hall Lecture well known to the Rebuker said there about April 1693 not without great Trouble to some of the Auditory That Christ's Death was to make God PLACABLE As rank Arminianism as can be which was well answered there the sixth of June 1693 by Worthy Mr. Lawrence though the same Person was never answered there as I heard to a worse piece of Arminianism that he uttered there to the Scandal of Pinners-Hall viz. That Adam ' s first Sin was not ours or We did not Sin that first Sin that Sin only corrupted our Nature Which is clean contrary to the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom all Sinned Rom. 5.12 Now we may no longer wonder to see such Persons Symbolize with and be Champions for unsound Mr. Williams who holds That more than the Elect may be Saved Witness these words of his by way of Scorn to his Opposers in his Appendix to Gospel Truth stated It is not enough saith Mr. Williams that we own that Christ absolutely redeemed the Elect so as to purchase saving Graces as well as Benefits to be infallibly theirs unless we add that all others are in state of Devils as having no real offers of Life on Gospel terms Nor is their Salvation possible if they will Repent and Believe Here he holds it possible that others besides the Elect may Repent and Believe and so their Salvation is possible Nay herein Antisozzo whom my Dear Kratiste hath a great value for doth partly coalesce in Page 103 saying When God gave the Promise to the common Parent of Mankind there was a possibility in the thing that that means of Salvation might have been derived to all those Rivulets
I said and need say again over and over by Parliament and subscribed to by all the Bishops and Ministers of the Church of England and that which I conceive they are bound still to read in their Parishes when there is no Sermon which is much neglected And hence it is that Men warp from their own avowed Doctrines which they get their Living by Which Neglect the Governours of the Church would do well to see rectified or rather His Majesty in Parliament for the Defection from the true Doctrine of the Gospel is great For which plain dealing need I beg the Bishops Pardon §. CXLVII They proceed to evacuate our doing good Works in order to get Salvation by them and say farther When we were perished he saved us And all these heavenly Treasures are given us not for our Deserts or good Deeds which of our selves we have none mark that we have none but of his meer Mercy freely Where do they leave room for Conditions to make us meet for an Interest in Christ Not a tittle of that 't is they say of meer Mercy freely They proceed and say If all this be freely for whose sake is it and answer roundly Truly for Christ's sake for whose sake God is 't is already done God is fully satisfied pacified and set at one with Man He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World They aver that God is now already pacified with Man nay and set at one with Man They also scruple not to say That Christ took away our very Sins and inforce it from that excellent Scripture With that one Oblation he hath made perfect for evermore them that are Sanctified And this excellent Sermon they conclude a passage which is for the great abasing of Man to take him off from trusting to his complying with the Terms of the Gospel or expecting to get God's Favour as the Bishop doth by any thing that we can do Thus they conclude which I recommend to all that set up for doing so as to expect acceptance with God for it Let us learn to know our selves say they without any cracking and confess that as of our selves cometh all Evil and Damnation so likewise of him cometh all Goodness and Salvation This must sound harsh in our new Neonomian Divinity nay with some that pretend to go much nearer the Gospel strain That nothing but Evil nothing but Damnation comes of our selves What is our Prayers Tears Alms Fasting nothing but Evil nothing but Damnation Sure you great and good Reformers you mistake No we are sure we are in the right We don't say you must not do good Works no not for a World But we say all our best Righteousness in point of Justification or acceptance with God as it is of our selves as it is defiled and tainted by our corrupt Natures so it is nothing but Evil and so it is nothing but Damning Now we see may our Modern Opposers of free Justification by Christ alone without any Works or Conditions of ours say how you have tainted Dr. Crisp we see 't is you have help'd him to be such an Antinomian by putting such a slur on good Works on our best Deeds as to say from us comes all Evil and Damnation and nothing but Sinful No say they if any have taught him 't is the same that taught us and that is the Word of God which saith all our Righteousness is as filthy Rags Nay we learnt it from the Apostle who said after his Conversion his Righteoâ—sness was Dung. This we learnt also from the Church of God of old when she was in a sad pickle to gain God's Favour for an Interest in Christ in Ezek. 16. When thou wast in thy blood I said to thee Live That was the time of Love Thus we see God sees not as Man sees that which to Man would have been a time of Loathing to God was a time of Love The like case we have in the Apostle Paul what good Deeds did God insist on with him as the Bishop pleads that he might gain God's Favour when he was breathing out Blood and Slaughter against Christ in his Members then it was our Blessed Lord Jesus made it a time of his Love For which to him be Honour and Glory in the Churches for ever and ever §. CXLVIII But the Bishop insists on it that it is but an Imaginary Change because saith he it is not proved that Christ is that Sinfulness that we were by his being made Sin and we are the same Righteousness as he is we being made the Righteousness of God in him the Bishop saith Here is a Change supposed but I do not find it proved What not proved when it is backed with plain Scripture That he was made Sin for us and we made the Righteousness of God Doth not this of necessity prove a Change Could Christ possibly be made Sin for us without taking on him our Persons Would you have it That Christ was made Sin for himself That would be horrid Blasphemy But to be made Sin for us must infer That he did truly beare or sustain our Persons which is the Change argued for Or if not then he did not bear our Sins And if so What 's become of the Gospel and our eternal Salvation For if Christ did not bear our sins as our Surety and Representative as our Head and sustaining our Persons then we are yet in our Sins and there remains no more Sacrifice for sins so we must dye in our sins and Christ died in vain but Absit So on the other hand We are made the Righteousness of God that is of God-Man Jesus Christ Is not here a Change of Persons we Righteous in the Person of Christ or in Christ having his Righteousness put upon us imputed to us by God which is not an Imaginary but a real Imputation and putting it upon our Persons the Righteousness of God being unto and upon all that believe Rom. 3.22 And so we the blessed Ones to whom the Lord imputes Righteousness without Works or any Acts of ours to get into God's Favour Psal 32.1 though this is strenuously argued against by the Bishop §. CXLIX The Bishop saith This is no ground to build our Faith on viz. This Change of Persons that Christ was made Sin for us and we the Righteousness of God in him I say God help us if this be not good firm rocky Ground to build our Faith on I am sure other Foundation can no Man nor Church lay than Jesus Christ the Lord our Righteousness to build on That he was made Sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him and that we might receive thereby the Blessings of Abraham from him that in his Seed which is Christ all the Families of the Earth might be blessed with Believing Abraham §. CL. I might refer the Bishop again to the Doctrines of the Church whereof he is an Honourable Presider which in this Case