without Gods respect to Christ for herein the Scripture is Peremptory and God is at a point with all the World Acts 4. 12. There 's no other Name under Heaven given by which we must be saved neither is there Salvation in any other 2. It 's evident from those very Places where the Concerns of Christ and of Faith are joyntly mentioned not only that they have really distinct Interests but that Christ carries the Supremacy and that Faith has only a subservient Concernment therein Rom. 5. 1. Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Whence it 's plain that whatever Faith contributes to our peace with God yet even that Operates through Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Gal. 3. 16. Ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Iesus Christ It 's the Redeemer as made a Curse for us ver 13. that gives Faith all it 's Vertue and Efficacy And Gal. 2. 20. The life which I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me Where such a Concernment is ascribed to Christ in the Soùls life that Faith is not at all Capable of He loved me and gave himself for me 3. It 's no loss evident that Christ by his Death and Sufferings has removed those insuperable Impediments which lay in the way of a sinners Justification Reconciliation with God Expiation of sin which Faith could not possibly Undertake and Atchieve 4. That what ever Parts Christ and Faith have in this Glorious work yet no more must be Ascribed to either than can consist with a Free and Gratuitous Iustification Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 5. It 's evident that the Sacrifice Sufferings c. of Christ and that Reconciliation and Atonement procured by them do not in the least Enterfere with Justification by Free-Grace for Christ himself is Free-gift and that God would admit a Mediator to Interpose on our behalf that he would accept a Propitiation for us is all due to Free-Grace and therefore Free-Grace and Jesus Christ are joyned together Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ. 6. It is also as evident that to ascribe Justification to Faith as it is our Work or Act will take off just so much from the freedom of Grace as is ascribed to it as a work in us or done by us and therefore Faith must needs Justifie us by vertue of that respect that it carries towards a Redeemer and to assign it any other Interest is to Entrench upon that free Justification which the Gospel does so abundantly Preach Now what Title to give to Faith as it Justifies whether that of an Instrument or a Condition I dispute not let the proper Concerns of Faith and Christ be secured and their distinct Actings kept Inviolable and Sacred and if any can find more apposite and significant Terms than Protestants have used I shall be very well content But now our Author will favour us with a Reason why Iustification by Faith as it is our own Act may consist with Iustification by Free-Grace Modest men says he who dream not of Meriting by every thing they do would have thought that Free-Grace and Faith might have been easily reconciled though 〈◊〉 had justified as our own Act since the Reward and Recompence does so infinitely exceed the Work that there can be no suspition of Merit and where there is no Merit the reward is of Grace and not of Debt what ever the Condition of the Promise be But 1. Gods Free-Grace will not be beholden to nor stand to the Courtesie of Mans Modesty and besides all men are not so Modest as our Author is and if they were it would be hard Trusting them Man is indeed a very Proud and Haughty Creature till Free Grace tames him loth to stoop to those Methods of Gods Wisdom for the abasing the Creature that Grace may be magnified in his Mercies And I see plainly that God has Contrived the way of shewing favour to a lost Sinner in such Wisdom that every Mouth shall be stopped that Boasting shall be excluded and that no Flesh shall glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1. 29. 2. It 's not what men will do out of their sweet Natures that comes here into Consideration but what they may do God has taken a Course they shall not cannot have cause to Glory but if the sinner be justified by his own Act as 't is his he has whereof to boast Rom. 4. 2. If Abraham were justified by Works he hath whereof to boast though it may be some Virtuoso's would be so Modest and Civil as not to lay it in the Dish of Free-Grace 3. It 's precariously supposed that Grace in the justification of a sinner is only opposed to Merit The Scripture has opposed it to Works and set them as Inconsistent in the dealings out of Mercy from God to men whether there be such a proportion between the Work and the Reward or no Rom. 11. 6. And if by Grace then it 's no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace 4. They may be very Immodest men and yet want the Confidence to dream of Merit by every thing they do and yet there are those that dream to this day of Meriting Heaven by that for which they a thousand times better merit a Halter Protestant Divines in the explicating the Concerns of Faith in our Justification that they might Accommodate their Discourses to the Capacity of them with whom they deal have found out certain Similitudes which do well express their own Intentions when they say Faith justifies us not as our own Act but by vertue of its Relation to Christ who is our Righteousness Thus we say the Ring stanches Blood and yet we intend no more than that the Haematites set in it has that Vertue That our Hand relieves us and yet perhaps it contributes no more towards it than that it receives the Charity of another That a Bucket quenches our Thirst yet all it does is to bring us the Water from the Fountain which quenches it And many others they have Invented the best they could find none so mean but is above Contempt yet none so excellent to be above Malice The use they make of them is as I said to cloath their Conceptions and give some Light into the Thing but by no means to prove the Truth when it is drawn into Controversie But from hence our Author is taking another Ramble and going to run his old Wild-Goose Chase of Prophaneness and Scurrility the easiest way of Confutation certainly that ever was Invented But let his own Folly chastise him or if not delight him and in the mean time excuse me from bearing him Company 2. Another Instance and but another he will give us How Men argue from their preconceived Notions and that is
6. The Holy One of Israel Isa. 41. 14. Elect and precious 1 Pet. 2. 6. That he was also typified by most excellent and glorious Persons and Things By Moses David Solomon by the Pillar of Cloud by the Rose of Sharon In the pursuit of which Metaphors and Types perhaps he has a little overshot himself and alas how easie a matter is that It 's very hard to stop at a point when we are upon the full speed St. George himself straining for a blow at the Dragon had like to have come over These are Human Errours and I wish our Authors were of no worse Consequence But 1. Our Author forgets himself to say that Mr. W. uses these Metaphors to prove when all the Service they doe him is to illustrate his Doctrine sufficiently otherwise confirmed from innumerable Scriptures If our Author will not allow the Pearl to signifie Christs Preciousness yet it 's very clear that Christ is precious If he boggle that the circular Figure of Manna should denote Christs Perfection yet that he is Perfect is undenyable 2. Whatever was a Type of Christ represented some of his Personal Excellencies Actions or Sufferings c. If then we single out the most eminent of their Natural Excellencies and then consider which of Christs spiritual Excellencies syncretize with them all the hurt that 's in it is that those Types are more beholden to Christ than he to them And 3. We ought to consider that there 's a greater latitude of Expression allowed in Open handed Discourses ad Populum than in your Double-fisted Disputations in the Schools Our blessed Saviour does accommodate his Discourses to his Disciples and preach as they were able to hear him and Mr. Watson does not alwayes preach or write to such long-ear'd People as our Author is And thus after all Mr. Watson may be very Innocent but whosoever is in the the Right our Author will be sure to be in the Wrong for when all that Discourse had spent it self to perswade us that Christ is excellent that he deserves our Love our Service and Obedience our Author could make no better use on 't than to throw a Flout upon the very Person of our Redeemer Who says he can forbear being smitten with so lovely a Person Really he may do well to consider whether his License will justifie him to Scoffe at Christs Person toties quoties he meets with any that shall dare to give him a good word I have known some so prodigal of their Friends that they would sell the best they had for a sorry frothy Iest but should our Author forfeit the Favour of Christ when he shall most need it for a poor half-witted Conceit it would be more than he would ever get by it But hence we learn how difficult it is for any to have a little more Wit than his Neighbours and not to discover it though it had been more comely to have been facetious any where than against A Saviour and may he in time come to himself least he be smitten with Christ in a fence not to his good liking 2 The Second Way whereby these men Pervert the Scripture is that they argue from their own preconceived Notions and Opinions about the sence of Scripture And to have sav'd charges both these might have been mustered for one but then it would not have born such a Port nor carryed so much state and Majesty in its looks The first way was When they find any words in Scripture which chime to the Tune of their private Conceits they interpret them by the sound of words And this second way is the first way in other words when they Argue from their own pre-conceived Notions But perhaps there may be some subtle Essential difference between their own Conceits and their own preconceived Notions which though he can every one cannot discover Now of this first or second or same or New or no Way call it which he pleases he will give us some few Instances 1. There are says he a great many places which expressely tell us we are justified by Faith have Remission of sins by Faith c. Now the difficulty will be how we shall Reconcile these Scriptures to their Notion of being justified by Christs Righteousness For as he acutely observes Faith certainly is not the Righteousness of Christ in their Notion of it No nor in his neither if he rightly understands himself Now those other men have a way to Reconcile our being Iustified by the Righteousness of Christ onely and our being justified by Faith onely and it is this When Faith is said to justifie they understand not this Absolutely as if Faith did justifie either as it is a Work wrought iin us or an Act performed by us but relatively as t makes us one with Christ by whom we are justified And they assign this Reason for it Because had Iustification been promised to any thing wrought in us or done by us it had been by Works And this Conciliation of the true Interest of Faith and Christ in the business of Justification is justified by the Doctrine of the Church of England Art 11. We are accounted Righteous before God onely for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ by Faith and not for our own Works or Deservings wherefore that we are justified by Faith onely is a most wholsom Doctrine Now our Author might with great Applause have placed out his Reconciling skill upon this Article How we can be Justified for the Merit of Christ onely and yet by Faith onely And again How we can be Justified by Faith onely or indeed at all and yet not for our own Works we find in Scripture that the same Effects are attributed to Faith which are attributed to Christ Iustified by Christ Isa. 53. 11. and justified by Faith Rom. 3. 28. We live by Christ Joh. 6. 57. and we live by Faith Gal. 2. 20. Are pardon'd by Christ Act. 13. 38. are pardon'd also by Faith Act. 26. 18. Have peace with God by Christ Col. 1. 20. have peace with him also by Faith Rom. 5. 2. Have Access to God by Christ Eph. 2. 18. have Access also by Faith Eph. 3. 12. Are sanctified by Christ Heb. 10. 14. and sanctified by Faith Act. 15. 9. Overcome the World by Christ Joh. 16. 33. and so also by Faith 1 Joh. 5. 4 5. The Sons of God by Christ Eph. 1. 5. and so by Faith Gal. 3. 26. These things being thus it seems to be a worthy Enquiry what Part and Share Christ may Challenge and what Faith may claim in the Justification of a Soul before God that so we may give unto Christ the things that are Christs and unto Faith the things that are Faiths And 1 It 's very evident that their Concerns are really Distinct Christ Justifies in one respect Faith ◅in another It 's possible that some ver 9. Infants may be Justified without Fāith in Christ but impossible that any should be Justified
Which two things are more different than any of his three kinds of Faith Noah was an Heir of Righteousness that is he inherited those advantages which come by Righteousness he had the peaceable fruits of Righteousness As a Son by being his Fathers Heir inherits the Purchases Possessions Honours of his Father Thus Noah by being an Heir of Righteousness enjoyed whatever Priviledges the Promise of God had entailed upon Righteousness Noah was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Heir of Righteousness where Righteousness is not Geâ—…itivus materiae but efficientis It denotes not that Righteousness was the thing he inherited but the true Reason why he inherited those blessings Righteousness answers not to the Possession but to the Ancestor not what but from what he inherited And this is clear from this one Consideration That Noah was righteous before God before that particular Revelation was made to him He was not made righteous because he believed that particular Revelation but God made him that particular Revelation because he was already righteoâ—… Gen. 6. 8 9. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord Vers. 9. Noah was a just man and perfect in his Generations and Noah walked with God Vers. 13. God said unto Noah The end of all flesh is come before me Ver 14. Make thee an Ark of Gopher wood Ver. 17. And behold I even I do bring a Flood upon the Earth He proceeds to Abraham Who in obedience to the divine Revelation left his Country went into a strange Land offered his son Isaac which seem'd to thwart that former promise In Isaac shall thy Seed be called i. e. That from Isaac should proceed that numerous Off-spring which God had promised Abraham and yet he was so well assured of the power and faithfulness of God that whatever Impossibilities Humane Reason suggested he would neither disobey Gods Command nor distrust his Promise Now here would arise several Queries As 1. Whether then Abraham's Religion was of the right stamp seeing it would not approve it self to his Reason and Whether Abraham's Reason was not Carnal that suggested Impossibilities against God's Promise and Whether our Author had he been in Abraham's Circumstances ought not by his own Principles to have disobeyed and distrusted God both in his Precept and Promise because they did not approve themselves to his Reason 2. It might be enquired What inference he will make from hence and that he tells us is That the Faith whereby Abraham and all good men were justified before God was such a firm belief of the Being and Providence of God and all the particular Revelations God made to them as made them careful to please God in all things Now this is still the Question and is like so to continue for any assistance we are like to have from our Author's Arguments But 3. There is one thing that I shall particularly examine Whether that Promise Gen. 21. 12. In Isaac shall thy Seed be called be made good in that numerous Off-spring that issued from Isaac ' s loyns Now if any regard might be had to the Apostle he would soon decide the Controversie Rom. 9. 7 8. In Isaac shall thy Seed be called that is they which are the children of the Flesh are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the Seed See here now the vast difference in mens judgments In Isaac shall thy Seed be called id est says our Author from Isaac should proceed that numerous Off-spring No says the Apostle In Isaac shall thy Seed be blessed id est The children of the Flesh are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the Seed Again Rom. 4. 16. Therefore it the Promise is of Faith that it might be sure to all the seed not only to that which is of the Law but to that which is of the Faith of Abraham who is the Father of us all Gal. 3. 29. And if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams Seed and Heirs according to the Promise 4. It were easie to evidence that what the Apostle speaks of Abraham's Faith in offering up his son related not to the Act of it whereby he was justified but to the Evidence of his Justification His third sort of Faith follows § 3. From hence says he we learn what Faith in Christ is which is now imputed to us for Justification From hence From whence If we never learn what faith in Christ is better than from the Faith of Abel Enoch Noah and Abraham which are the whole Heavens asunder each from other as he has ordered the matter we must be content to be ignorant of it till our lives end For who could learn the special Nature of one thing from another that differs from it in the kind But let us give him the hearing Our faith in Christ must signifie such a stedfast belief of all those Revelations which Christ hath made to the World as governs our lives and actions Why so To make our faith in Christ answer to the faith of Abraham and all good men in former Ages without which the Apostles Argument from Abraham ' s being justified by faith to our Iustification by faith is of no force There is a necessity then granted that our faith in Christ and Abraham's do answer one another lest the Apostle should be reproach'd with a Non-sequitur Now to perform this instead of making Abrahams to be a faith in Christ as it really is he debases faith in Christ as low as if not below the faith of Abraham He pretends to under-prop the Apostles Argument but really he undermines it and whilst he seems to provide an Expedient that his Reasonings may not be invalidated he renders them more than Nugatory For 1. How can faith in Christ answer to the faith of all those good men in former times Abel Enoch when their's was Faith without Revelations but faith in Christ is a Faith grounded upon Revelations The Motive of their Faith was Natural Demonstrations the Reason of ours is Revelation The Object of our Faith in his sense is Eternal Life but whether they had any such thing in their eye our Author will not grant for he that will not allow Abraham whose Faith was grounded upon Revelations to have had any spiritual Promises will less allow those poor good men the priviledg whose Faith was only built upon Natural Demonstrations 2. How can faith in Christ answer to the faith of Abraham He has laid it down as the bottom of this Discourse p. 252. that The different sorts of Faith result from the different Objects and Motives of it But Abraham's Faith had different Objects and Motives from ours as he tells us And therefore it 's of another nature sort and kind than ours for so he says expresly The Apostle takes notice of two kinds of Faith and faith in Christ makes a third Now will it not be hard for the Apostle to maintain his great Principle That Abraham is the
mere tenderness of Conscience lest you should do him an Injury Our acquaintance with Christs Person teaches us no new Doctrine but only acquaints us with the Reason of the Old ones We learn from the Gospel that God pardons Iniquity Transgression and Sin and from the same Gospel we understand what Influence the Personal Sufferings of Christ have upon our forgiveness with God We learn from the Scriptures That God heareth the Prayers of his People offer'd in the Name of Christ And from the same Gospel we learn what the Intercession of Christ at the right Hand of the Father does contribute to the answer of our prayers The Person of Christ reveals no other much less greater and deeper Mysteries than are revealed in the Gospel only that upon the account of Christs Person his Offices his Undertaking we have a satisfactory account how those things which the Gospel reveals should be Possible and Feasible Thus Rom. 3. 26. we find that God is the Iustifier of him that believes And Faith that Resolves all its acts into the Veracity and Authority of the Revealer is ready to assent to and acquiesce in that Revelation But suppose God will gratifie the Inquisitiveness of our Spirits and clear up Matters to the satisfaction of our Trembling because guilty Souls the Gospel reveals all this to be in Christ He is set forâ—…h to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood Rom. 3. 25. In him is the Righteousness of God declared Upon His account God appears to be Iust even then when He is the most Gracious free and soveraign Iustifier of a Sinner If then at any time our Faith shall stagger how the Blood of Christ could be a Propitiation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Pacification with God for us we are presently Relieved from the Consideration of that Person whose Blood it was viz. The Blood of Him that is God Acts 20. 28. and therefore of infinite Value But because this will hardly pass when we tender it in Payment we have one to be our Voucher whose Word will go further than the Doctors Bond and it is our Authors own dear self Pag. 19. This assures us of the Infinite value of Christs Sacrifice God cannot but be well pleased when his Son undertakes to be a Ransome The clear and full account therefore of the deep Mysteries and great Difficulties in our Religion are to be Salved from a due Consideration of the Person Natures Offices Undertaking Active and Passive Obedience of Christ but the Revelations of all these things are Wholly Only and Entirely due to the Gospel There is one thing which I shall touch upon by the way That for any Doctrine or Proposition which his Adversaries do Abett he exacts Rigorously and they are bound to produce express Revelations Scripture to a Letter a Tittle but for any of his own phancies A feeble Conjecture some far-fetcht Consequence shall serve the turn well enough Such Laws did his Master Volkelius Lib. 3. de ver â Relig. Cap. 11. p. 62 once Impose upon the world That whosoever should bring a Text to prove that the Church of Old had the Promises of Eternal Life must bring one that did assert it Apertis Luculentissimisque verbis In plain express Terms Ay no doubt it must be written with a Sun-beam that will enlighten their minds who have no mind to see but if it be drawn with a Charcoal it will do when it s pressed to serve their Hypothesis Now though I much Question whether we be Obliged to abide by these new Laws of Disputation yet thus much is out of Question that our Blessed Saviour thought he quoted Scripture when he only drew an Inference from it Iohn 7. 38. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of Living Waters But 3. As I am dissatisfied with our Authors Inference from the Doctors words so I am much more with the Reason that he assigns to make good his Inference His Inference is That the Doctor from Christs Person learns greater deeper Mysteries than Christ hath Revealed in his Gospel The Proof is this For so he adds soon after That these properties of God his pardoning Mercy Christ hath revealed in his Doctrin in that revelation he hath made of God and his Will The Sinews and Nerves of which Argument lie visible The Doctor asserts That these properties of God are revealed in the Gospel Ergo It 's plain that He asserts they are not revealed in the Gospel That is in broad English he denies because he affirms Or he says the Snow is Black because he proves as well as he can that it 's White Let none ever hereafter despair of the greatest Impossibilities this is one of the most hopeful Essays towards the Squaring of the Circle the Doubling of the Cube and setting on Foot a perpetual Motion And what cannot that Wit be able to do that can prove the Doctor affirms these Mysteries are not because he says they are in the Gospel I confess when first I read this Passage in our Author I examin'd the Doctors words with all possible care nay I wrested them almost in pieces and wrackt them most cruelly to try if with my weak strength I could extort any such conclusion from them and when I had tired my self was forced to sit down by this Determination that either our Author or all his Readers are certainly Frighted out of their Wits But yet there 's something follows in the Doctors that will yield matter of Cavil But the Life of this Knowledge lies in an acquaintance with Ghrists Person wherein the express Image and Beams of this Glory of his Father doth shine forth That is as our Author pretends to Gloss it from the Doctor These things are clearly eminently and savingly only to be discovered in Jesus Christ. I was apt to think at first sight that he might have some dreadful Pick at those words In his Person the express Image and Beams of this Glory of his Father shine forth But I soon Cured my self of that Suspition by remembring that pag. 32. Our Author himself was pretty well contented Christ should be so called upon the account of his Divine Nature although to please all Parties he had found out a Temper that he should be so called in respect of his Doctrines and Revelations And therefore without more ado I was satisfied that the Grudge lay against those other words The Life of this Knowledge lies in an acquaintance with Christs Person Now if I might presume so far upon my Acquaintance with the Doctors meaning as I think any one may it 's no more but this That whereas the Scripture every where reveals to us that God is a God pardoning Iniquity Transgression and Sin Exod. 34. 6. Yet the Matter is Clog'd with considerable Difficulties and attended with great Objections for the same Text assures us that He will by no means clear the Guilty Both the parts of this
to Christ we must go to Him And therefore Faith which is the Instrument of this Union is very Luckily called coming to Christ from whence it is very evident that to believe in Christ is to go to Him for Salvation Which Metaphors of coming and going are a very Intelligible Explication of Believing But does this Gentleman think we have not sins enough of our own to answer for but we must be Responsible for all the faults the Black-Jaundies of Malice can find in Scripture Or does he Fancy that we Penn'd the Scriptures and therefore must lie at Stake for all the Incongruous expressions that he is able to suppose in them Well thanks be unto God that the Scriptures never yet found a Match able to Cope with them For 1. It 's apparently false which he says These Metaphors of coming and going are a very Intelligible explication of Believing Whenas indeed Believing is that which Explicates those Metaphors of Coming and Going With the same Fore-head he might have reviled Christ for Interpreting the Preaching of the Word by the Sower Sowing his Seed whereas the Sower sowing his Seed is explicated by the Preaching the Word 2. Faith says he is very Luckily called coming to Christ. I shall spare him that Ignorant Expression that Faith is called coming to Christ No Sir not Faith but Believing not the Peace but the Acting of that Grace is so called But I shall not wave his blasphemous Flirtings of the holy Spirit What ever Expressions he has used to express Faith or its Acts by were upon advice with his own wisdom who will not learn of him how to guide the Heads and Hearts and Tongues and Pens of his Amanuenses in revealing to us the Mind and Will of God He has better Authority to Justifie Quod scripsi scripsi than either Pilate who once really Crucified Christ Or that other who has often Crucified him in Essigie It was advisedly so called but unluckily reproached 3. Those Metaphors of coming and going do very aptly and Intelligibly express the Motion of the Soul in its turning from sin to God by Faith in Jesus Christ For as in all Local Motions there is a Term from which and a Term unto which we move so in this Spiritual Motion there is a State or Term from which we pass that of Sin and Enmity against God and another to which we pass that of Holiness and Peace with God Our Saviour thought meet and we are to Acquiesce in his Sovereign Wisdom sometimes to employ a Metaphor in the Explicating of a Metaphor Mat. 13. 19. Then comes the wicked one and catcheth away the word that was sown in his heart ver 21. Yet hath he not Root in himself ver 22. The deceitfulness of Riches Choak the Word and yet till of late he was never branded for unintelligible explicating of his Notions If now the Reader would have an Instance to what Height encouraged Prophaneness may rise let him read what follows But when the Soul is come to Christ is this enough No sure the Soul then must receive Christ as St. Iohn tells us 1 Ioh. 12. To as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God That faith which serves us for Leggs to goe to Christ must be a Hand to Receive him and to apply all his Merits and Fulness and Righteousness to our Souls And now when we have Received him we must embrace him in our Arms too as good old Simeon did when he found him in the Temple which is a little nearer Union as plainly appears from the Example of the Patriarchs who saw the Promises afar off and embraced them Heb. 11. 13. and now we have Christ we must trust and lean upon Him as we are often commanded to doe which signifies that Act of Faith whereby feeling our own weakness as unable to support our selves we do lean and rest on Christ and if leaning be not enough we may make a little more bold and Roll on him as appears from Psal. 37. 5. Roll thy wayes on the Lord as the Original Gal signifies which is that Act of Faith whereby we being weary and heavy laden with sin and seeking Ease at last discharge our load and cast it on Christ and this is plain from the phrase of Believing in Christ and on him for what can that signifie but leaning and rolling on him laying and building our selves on him as on a Foundation And now we have thus brought our Souls to Christ we must commit them to his trust to take charge of them and if they perish it shall be his fault he must give an account of it Thus St. Paul did 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that I have committed unto him against that day and Now we must hide our selves in Christ from the fierce wrath of God as the Dove in the Rocks But this is not enough yet for we must be cloathed with the Righteousness of Christ. And when we are thus united to Christ and made one with him then All Christ is ours as the Apostle tells us All is yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods The Merit of his Death is ours to free us from the Guilt and Punishment of sin and his Active Obedience to the will of God his Righteousness is ours for our Justification as is plain in that he is called The Lord our Righteousness and as I. O. well observes we are reconciled to God by the Death of his Son and saved by his Life Rom. 5. 10. And now I hope there 's none needs question but our Author is laid in with a Competency of those Endowments that may enable him to Deride the whole Bible from the first of Genesis to the last of the Revelations If our Author does not judge with others about the Meaning of these phrases and Expressions of Scripture he had the liberty for ought I know to discover and if he must needs to expose their Mistakes but to droll upon the very Expressions of Scripture without reference to any Interpretation and if to any to that which is most evidently the True is a Degree above the superlative of Blasphemy Let others admire which of his Talents they see good for my own part I read more of Ignorance in it than of all his other Characters 1. One gross piece of Ignorance is that he makes the Patriarchs embracing of the Promises explain Simeon's embracing Christ in the Temple 2. That in his goodly supposed Method of the Souls coming to Christ he fancies first that we have Christ and trust and lean upon him and yet after a while as if it were a new degree of Faith he tells us we must commit our Souls to him 3. He fancies that to come to Christ to receive him to embrace him are several Acts of Faith distinguished by some Intervals of time But let us hear the guilt of these Scriptures and
prevent Objections It 's evident says he from the Chapter that Christ when he speaks in the First Person I and in Me cannot mean this of his own Person but of his Church Doctrine and Religion But where lies the Evidence of this great Demonstration Why Christ says I am the true Vine and ye are the Branches He that abideth in me and I in him bringeth forth much Fruit for without me you can do nothing Well what of all this Why our Author would willingly Learn what sence can be made of all this if we understand it of the Person of Christ And I will as willingly Teach him if he be not too proud to Learn I Iesus Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant am very fitly compared to a Vine and ye my Disciples are as fitly compared to the Branches of a Vine Now he that really abideth in me by a true lively faith and I in him by the Quickening Operations of my Spirit the same bringeth forth much Fruit of holy Obedience for without derivation of Grace from Me your Root you can do nothing that is truly good and acceptable to God Oh! but he has two or three formidable Objections against this Interpretation 1. It 's not very Intelligible How we can be or abide in Christs Person No more it is If we bring Capernaitical understandings along with us who Puzled their Heads with a gross Notion of Carnal eating the Flesh and drinking the Blood of Christ. If by being in Christ were understood a Local Physical or Natural being in Him it were somewhat Unintelligible but when no more is meant by it but that every true Believer is by Constitution of the Covenant of Grace one Person morally with Christ so considered and dealt with by God there 's no more insuperable Difficulty than what unbelief will create in the clearest Truths of the Gospel But 2. It 's more unintelligible still How we can be in the Person of Christ and the Person of Christ at the same time be in us Which is a new piece of Philosophy called Penetration of Dimensions But there 's no great danger in that Christ may dwell in us by his Spirit and we in him by Faith and yet Faith and the Spirit never disturb each other in their Motions but what the Dimensions of the Soul in its actings of Faith or of the Spirit in it's working of Grace are this I confess is to me unintelligible And that a Christian should be in the Church and the Church at the same time be in a Christian had been equally Unintelligible and as much danger of the Penetration of Dimensions But that our Author stumbled upon a happy Expedient that I should signifie a Doctrine and Me a Church to heal the Contradiction 3. That our Fruitfulness should depend on our Union to Christ is as hard to my understanding Truly I cannot help that I have no Medicine to cure Crazed Intellectuals He that cannot understand that Believers do receive Actual assistance from Christ by his Spirit to help them in the way of their Duty and to encourage them against the Difficulties they meet withal in their Duties cannot I presume understand very many Lines in the Gospel 3. Our last Task is to Examine what improvement he has made of this Interpretation and in short it is this That the Union of particular Christians to Christ consists in their Union to the Christian Church And now I am abundantly satisfied that our Author is a very Philomel Vox praeterea nihil One whose Volubility of Tongue and Pen supplies the place of Argument and Demonstration I hope our Author will not meet with many Readers who have so far parted with their Memories as not to remember what that was he Propounded to himself to Evince viz. That the Union of particular Christians to Christ is by means of their Union with the Christian Church And yet now when he comes to cast up his Accounts we have gotten another Conclusion That the Union of particular Christians to Christ consists in their Union to the Christian Church Surely the Purblind will espie some small difference Eating is a means to Living yet none but a Swine of Epicurus his Stye will say that Living consists in Eating The High-road is a means to bring the Traveller Home yet it will be hard to perswade us that being at Home consists in Travelling Trading is a mean to Riches yet Riches do not formally consist in Trading The end may possibly be separated from the Means but nothing can be separated from that thing wherein it consists But let that pass If he has proved either the one or the other I am content he be reputed an Artist The thing he has a good will to prove is That the Union of particular Christians to Christ is either by means of their Union to the Christian Church or else that it consists in it Now for the Proof of this He has told us That the Church is the Body of Christ The Church is the Temple of Christ The Church is the Spouse of Christ The Church is the Flock of Christ. And had it been referred to a thousand Persons not one but would have thought that that Christ who is the Head of that Body is a Person He that is the Husband of that Spouse is a Person He that is the Shepheard of the Flock is a Person and He that Dwells in that Temple is a Person But things are not so far gone but our Author shall have his Opinion and choose what he will abide by for my part I am much unconcern'd let him please himself he shall not displease me at all Say then Shall it be Christs Doctrinal or Christs Ecclesiastical that is the Head of this Body The Husband of this Spouse The Shepheard of this Flock I can rest satisfied But then the Sence runs thus A Doctrine or a Church is the Head of the Church A Doctrine or a Church is the Husband of the Church A Doctrine or a Church is the Shepheard of the Church If this does not please him let him try the other way and allow it to be a Person that is all these A Person that is the Head Husband and Shepheard of the Church And now I must plainly acquaint him That he has Entangled his Affairs in such confusion that he will never be able to Extricate them For 1. If the Person of Christ be here intended then it seems at last whatever the means be of that Union yet there is an Union to the Person of Christ and whereinsoever that Union consists yet such an Uunion there is How absurd would it be to enquire whether our Union to Christ's Person consists in our Union with a particular Church If Union to Christs Person be a Non-entity Or Whether our Union with a particular Church be the means to our Union with Christ If there be no such thing And then 2. He is as much concern'd as his poor Neighbours to salve the
Justification of a believing sinner But though I agree not with him in the Reason of the Name let him make the best of it Now says he this Righteousness consists in a sincere and universal obedience to the Commands of God That 's Magisterially dictated however But where may we find this Righteousness It 's contained says he in the Terms of the Gospel We are as wise as we were before Why then we are posted over to Rom. 1. 17. The Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith Evident it is hence That the Gospel reveals that Righteousness by which we are justified and as evident that the Righteousness of God and of Faith are the same thing under divers Considerations but that the Righteousness of God consists in an universal obedience to Commands or that these are the Terms of Iustification it speaks not one syllable only it speaks aloud that our Author had a very loving Inclination it should be so Then we are turned over to Matth. 6. 33. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness What then Why It is called the Righteousness of God It is called What is called without all peradventure the Righteousness of God is called the Righteousness of God not only there but where-ever else we meet with the Expression But what are we the nearer Why this is the same with the Righteousness of his Kingdom But what Kingdom and upon what account and in what place is the Righteousness of God called the Righteousness of the Kingdom But go on Now the Kingdom of God signifies the state of the Gospel Well proceed And the Righteousness of God or of his Kingdom signifies that that Righteousness which the Gospel prescribes which is contained in the Sermons and Parables of Christ Ergo c. Quod erat Demonstrandum Round-about our Coal-fire And now who can be so hard-hearted as not to allow our Author rarely qualified to Reform the Religion of Christendom What man would not be content to be argued out of his Seven Senses with such potent Demonstration 2. We must observe farther if at least it be farther that this Righteousness of God which he commands and rewards â—…is the Righteousness of Faith or Righteousness by the Faith of Christ. We have heard so The Gospel commands us to believe in Christ for Justification for he is our Righteousness This will not undo us yet But Faith is often taken objectively for the Gospel of Christ. Faith is sometimes so used but that Faith in Christ is so used we wait for evidence He produces it from Acts 24. 24. Felix sent for Paul and heard him concerning the Faith of Christ that is concerning Righteousness Temperance and the Iudgment to come But here our Author is taken napping 1. He corrupts both the Original and the Translation unless he has other Bibles than are come to our hands for neither the Greek nor the English say He heard him concerning the Faith of Christ which words are more liable to a perverse insinuation but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning that Faith which is in or upon Christ. 2. He prevaricates with his Reader most palpably in making those words concerning Righteousness Temperance and Iudgment to come to be an Exegesis of the foregoing words The Faith that is in Christ Whereas the Apostle argued with Felix about the Nature of these things wherein he knew he was Defective to awaken his secure and sleepy Conscience to consider what need he had by Faith to fly to Christ for a better Righteousness than his own The Apostle took the true Method of Gods Spirit to insist upon Righteousness to convince him of his Injustice Bribery upon Temperance or Continence to convince him of his Adultery and upon Iudgment to come to alarum him with the righteous Judgment of God that so being terrified by the Law he might more gladly entertain the Doctrine of Faith in Christ for Righteousness wherein he might stand before God which otherwise his proud unhumbled heart would never have brook'd and submitted to 3. His Next step is towards the deciding the Controversie about the way of Abraham ' s being justified before God And a great and weighty Question it is for Abraham being called The Father of the Faithful it might seem strange that the Father should be justified one way and his Children another when Believers are therefore and only therefore his Children because they walk in the steps of his Faith Rom. 4. 12. And seeing as our Author Confesses he was set forth as a Patern of our Iustification It were to be admired If the Exemplar and the Copy the Archetype and Ectype were of Divers kinds It will be of good use therefore to enquire What way Abraham was justified Though the best way to resolve it is to enquire What way Believers under the Gospel are justified Now the Apostle is very punctual herein Rom. 4. 11. Abraham received the sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that he might be the Father of all them that believe though they be not circumcised that Righteousness might be imputed to them also Look what way Abraham was justified the same way are all true Believers justified for he is Father of the faithful and they his Children only because they tread in the steps of the same Faith but Abraham was justified by Faith by the Righteousness of Faith and in a way of Imputation whatever these Expressions signifie therefore Believers under the Gospel are justified by Faith by the Righteousness of Faith and in a way of Imputation Again Gal. 3. 6. Even as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for Righteousness v. 7. Know ye therefore that they which are of Faith are the Children of faithful Abraham Where the Apostle demonstrates that the sameness of a Christians Faith with Abrahams is as able to denominate him one of Abraham's Children as if he came out of his loyns Ver. 9. So then they which are of Faith are blessed with faithful Abraham If they have the same Faith with Abraham they shall have the same Blessing with Abraham for says he v. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us that the Blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Iesus Christ. All the advantage the Gentiles receive by Christ and they need no more to make them perfectly and eternally blessed is that Abraham's Blessing may come upon them But if we have not Abraham's Faith we must never expect a part in Abraham's Blessing Nay says the Apostle v. 8. Abraham had the same Gospel preach'd to him that we have The Scripture foreseeing that is the Spirit of Christ which gave forth the Scripture that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith preached before the Gospel to Abraham Now the preaching of the Gospel is the Spirits Engine for the begetting a true saving and lively Faith If then Abraham had the same
Incarnation nor was his Assumption of our Nature absolutely necessary to the discharge of his Prophetical but of his Priestly Office A Body was prepared him that he might have what to offer in Sacrifice to God Hebr. 10. 7 8. It was the Spirit of Christ that spake in the Prophets 1 Pet. 1. 11. and to deny this is to deny something more than all the Thirty nine Articles namely the Nicene Creed I believe in the Holy Ghost who spake by the Prophets But 2. I deny that to receive a Doctrine upon the Authority of Christ is the true and full Notion of believing on him Faith in general implies an assent to a Truth upon the Authority of the Revealer but to make this a saving a justifying Faith the assent of the Understanding must draw along with it the Consent of the Will A true Faith is described by such terms as include the Concurrent Acts both of the Will and the Understanding and therefore that which the Apostles Creed expresses I believe the Resurrection of the Body the Nicene Creed renders I look for the Resurrection of the Dead Taking in that Act of the Soul whereby it waits and stedfastly hopes for the goodness of the thing promised as well as credits the Veracity of God in the truth of the Proposition And thus Abraham believed in Christ he looked and waited for that rich Mercy wrap'd up in that promise of the Messiah and all those spiritual Blessings that were to come through him 3. The Reason of the Promise is the Object of Faith as well as the Truth of the Promiser Abraham believed the Promise to be true upon the Authority of him who gave it forth but he saw also that it was upon the account of Christ a Mediator that God would communicate to him the Blessings of the Covenant opitomized in that I will be thy God And this was that Gospel or Glad-tidings which was preached to Abraham Gal. 3. 8. But our Author threatens we shall hear more of this presently And I promise him when we do it shall be fully considered 2. He answers Affirmatively Abraham believed God To which I say Subordinat a non pugnant To believe God and to believe in Christ are very well consistent That Abraham believed in God and therefore he believed in Christ seems to me to carry as fair Reason as that other of his Abraham believed God and therefore he did not believe in Christ for the Scripture represents them as well agreed 1 Pet. 1. 21. Through Christ we believe in God 4. Our next Task must be to Combate with our Author's scruples and certainly never did man so snithe with prejudices against Truth It 's hard to conceive how Abraham should learn this Mystery from that general Promise In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Prejudice will I confess make an easier matter than this very hard and unbelief impossible to be conceived And yet were there not something worse than Prejudice at the bottom the difficulty could not be insuperable For 1. Abraham had one Promise that we know of to clear up the meaning of this Several Promises give Reciprocal light to one another The first Promise assured him That the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head This shews to Abraham the necessity of having that Enmity removed which the Devil by sin had sowen between God and his Creature the removing of this Enmity could not be whilst Satan had the Dominion over the Creature A Seed is therefore promised to heal all that misery which sin brought into the World This Promise was committed to the Church of God which was a faithful Guardian to keep so precious a Iewel committed to its trust In this Seed which God had now revealed should come out of the Loyns of Abraham God promises Blessedness which mutually sends light to the other Promise that God would not only by the Promised Seed Deliver from evil but bestow all good 2. Abraham might have other and better Comments upon both these Promises than we are concerned to know it 's enough for us that we are taught in general that Abraham was justified the same way that we are and what that is the New-Testament abundantly declares And therefore it 's more ingenuous to conclude That Abraham was justified by a Faith in Christ because we are so than That we are not justified by the Righteousness of Christ because Abraham was not so 3. Abraham understood the true use of Sacrifices which are a clear Paraphrase upon the Promise in what manner God would reconcile the World to himself namely by laying the sins of the Offender upon the head of that Sacrifice which in the fulness of time should be offered for a Propitiation to God In the Faith of which grand Propitiation all true Believers lived and died And when at length he was exhibited to the World Iohn the Baptist points to him as the Accomplishment of all their former Sacrifiees and the Answer of all their Prayers and Hopes This is that Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the World John 1. 29. But 4. The Promise it self is not so obscure neither but that upon this single Supposition That God would bless the World with spiritual Blessings in the promised Seed they might easily conclude they could not be blessed in themselves and therefore not in their own works and deservings but in the Righteousness of another who must be more acceptable to God than themselves 5. We ought to entertain charitable thoughts of God of his Goodness and Mercy that he would not preach to Abraham the Gospel in an unknown tongue that is would not give him a Promise without the full latitude and extent of its meaning And 6. We are assured of the matter of fact that God did because he had the same Gospel preached to him That God would justifie the Heathen through Faith Gal. 3. 8. Now as it 's a strange way of Preaching to speak in a Language not understood so it 's as strange a Gospel that knows no Mediator no Redeemer Whatever then was the Object of a Gospel-Faith was the Object of Abraham's Faith for substance and whatever did constitute a Gospel-Righteousness made up his Righteousness And yet after all this our Author has muster'd up more self-created Prejudices to stumble his own belief of the way of Abraham's Justification For he supposes that Abraham must believe many things incredible and know many things not knowable before he could come to the knowledg of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness As 1. He must be well assured that the Blessings here meant are spiritual Blessings c. But if this be the worst on 't it would stumble me more to believe how he could believe Blessedness without pardon of sin and eternal life I cannot tell whether I shall satisfie another but I have satisfied my self in this matter from these Considerations 1. That Abraham upon his believing was
of the Incarnation of the Son of God Understand the mystery of the Incarnation I assure you it 's fair if it be well believed I have not met with many not with any that understand the mystery of it to this day It 's more adviseable for our Author to secure his own Faith in this point than Abraham's Understanding Abraham was a Believer and received his Religion upon the Authority of the Revealer but our Author will own none but what approves it self to his Reason and whether the Incarnation of Christ have had that happiness with him I cannot tell and therefore to deal plainly with him I have some Conjectures that may weigh against his Prejudices which incline me to choose Abraham's Faith even in this particular before his own But however that be the Scripture assures us that Abraham was justified the same way that New-Testament-Believers are One God one Lord Iesus Christ one Holy Spirit yesterday to day and the same for ever and if his poor prejudices must controul divine Revelations I cannot help it An Atheist would believe there iâ—… a God but that he cannot get over all Objections and our Author would believe the Gospel-report of the way of Abraham's Justification but that he cannot weather all the Prejudices which he first creates and then pleads 5. He must understand the nature of Faith and of rowling the Soul on Christ for Salvation and renouncing all Righteousness of his own Answ. I question not but the Father of the Faithful one so much in the exercise of Faith understood very well the nature of it and that he would hardly have lighted his Candle at our Author's Torch but it 's grown the Mode for junior Understandings to vilifie the grey Heads of the Fathers and to count them all Blâ—…ck heads that think not to a hairs breadth with them Abraham knew that Faith consisted in a firm belief that what God had promised was true and that the things of the Promise were exceeding good and so to him He gave a full assent and consent to both with their special Reasons he embraced the mercy of the Promise with thankfulness and joy and credited the veracity of him that made the Promise with security of mind and he felt by experience that quiet and satisfaction of Soul that arises from an interest in him that gave and that Redeemer that was given in the Promise And if he must be jeered for rowling himself on God and on his Christ for ought I know he must bear his burden 5. And now conformable to his old awkward humour our Author will attempt the deciding the Controversie Which way Abraham was justified from Heb. 11. And this I say is a perverse and awkward way of proceeding to wave the proper places Rom. 4. Gal. 3. where the Apostle professedly disputes the point and fix upon one where he disputes it not Two things he would perswade us to believe him in 1. That the Apostle in this Chapter discourses of a justifying Faith To which I answer That the Apostle does indeed Treat of a Faith that justifies but not of Faith as it justifies A justifying Faith has many excellent and admirable uses does a Christian noble service besides that of justifying him before God It teaches him to trust God in all the ways and methods of his Providences to depend on him for all the good things of this life as well as those of a better It deals with the Promises of the life that now is and those of that to come It encourages us to pray Give us this day our daily bread as well as Forgive us our trespasses It instructs us to commit our concerns to his fatherly love and care to wrestle vigourously with all the oppositions we meet with in the Profession of Christianity to walk comfortably chearfully conscientiously in our particular Callings to despise the things that are seen which are but temponal in comparison of those which are not seen and are eternal It taught Abel to offer Sacrifice to God whereby he had the witness that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts And if our Author can see no difference between being made Righteous and having the witness of it in his Conscience he needs a Collyrium which I cannot help him to It taught Enoch also to walk with God from whence he had the same testimony that he pleased God The same Faith that justified him procured him a testimony of his Justification but not as it justified him The Direct Act of Faith is one thing and the Reflecting Act of Faith another It taught Noah also to take Gods warning of the approaching Deluge and to prepare an Ark to escape the danger Whereby he condemned the World and became heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith that is he had more full assurance of his Acceptation with God According to a common Rule Multa tunâ—… fieri dicuntur quando facta esse manifestantur 2. He would perswade us into his Notion of a justifying Faith This justifying Faith says he is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen But the Apostle does not here intend to give us a strict Definition of a justifying Faith but a Description of its most noble effects A justifying Faith produces these effects but not at all times nor in all persons justified it 's Faith in its vigour not in its essence that is here described By this Faith the Elders obtained a good report before men and their own Consciences yet was it not this Act of Faith that justified them before God though it was the same Faith that produced this Act by which they were justified Whereas therefore he would oblige us yet more by his critical skill in the Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a firm and confident expectation of those things we hope forâ—… and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Argument of the Being of those things we do not see For my part I am not much edified and therefore let him make merry with his own Talents That which follows will be more for our Information for he will now speak to the Act the Object and the several kinds of Faith 1. For the Act of Faith It is as he says such a firm and stedfast perswasion of the truth of those things that are not evident to sense as makes us confidently hope for them But this seems to me to be a hungry description of the Act of justifying Faith The Scripture has other apprehensions of this matter which describes the Act of faith by receiving John 1. 12. To as many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name Where if the Evangelist may be trusted to make his own Exegesis Receiving of Christ and Believing on his name do mutually interpret each other It 's not enough that the Understanding be engaged in this work which may be found in the worst of men and
Devils the Will must also conspire with the Understanding For that which Faith is conversant about being not only true but good there must be an Act of Choice as Knowledg that the whole man may be employed about it 2. Says he The Object of Faith must be unseen things As the Being or Providence of God or a Future state something past or to come the Creation of the World or the final Dissolution of it or the accomplishment of any Promises or Predictions I grant indeed that these things may be called tropically the Object of our Faith but as they are things to be obtained they are more properly the Object of our Hope But that which Faith primarily eyes that which is its proper Object is the reason of its Assent and Consent And thus God in Christ through the Promise is the proper Object of a justifying Faith The mercles of the Covenant of Grace are many of them reserved for a future estate when the Soul shall be better qualified to enjoy them but Faith respects God actually giving himself in Covenant to be our God through a Mediator When we say we believe Heaven we belief Life Everlasting c. the meaning is only this we believe God has promised to give Heaven to give Life Everlasting through Jesus Christ I believe such a thing will be that is I believe God who has engaged that such a thing shall be The Authority of God speaking in the Promise is the true Reason and proper Object of Faith and the things contained in the Promise as they are such are not the Object of my Faith properly but have other powers of the Soul that are concerned about them 3. The different sorts of Faith says he result from the different Objects and Motives of it The Apostle takes notice of two kinds of Faith in this Chapter Hebr. 11. and faith in Christ makes a Third which are all the kinds of Faith the Scripture mentions Now I am afraid I shall grow every day less in love than other with our Author's Accurateness in Divinity For 1. What a mad way is this to distinguish Faith into its several kinds and sorts from the multiplicity of the things that it believes for at this rate he could have minted not three only or threescore but three hundred sorts and kinds of Faith The different sorts or kinds of Faith result says he from the different Objects and Motives of it But say I in his sence the Objects and Motives of Faith are innumerable and therefore the sorts and kinds of Faith are innumerable also The Object of Faith says he must be unseen things The Being or Providence of God or a Future state something past or to come c. Now according to this Doctrine we must believe the Being of God with one sort of Faith his Providences with another the Creation of the World with one kind of Faith its Dissolution with another Heaven with one kind of Faith Hell with another things past with one kind things to come with another Prophesies with one kind of Faith Promises with another And then for the Motives of Faith they are various The Power of God the Wisdom of God our Experience of God the Goodness of God So when I believe any thing and take the Power of God able to accomplish it for my Motive I believe it with a Faith of another kind from that whereby I believe the same thing and take the goodness of God for my motive And now there 's a Foundation laid for one of his plain Demonstrations that Abraham's Faith differed toto genere from Pauls because Abraham in believing took his encouragement from the faithfulness of him that had promised and Paul from his Abilities to keep what he had committed unto him So that I think I have not over-shot my self in saying That he may upon these principles coyn as many several sorts and distinct kinds of justifying Faith as he can possibly spend in seven years time and as he grows out of sorts he may stamp as many more 2. I am not satisfied that the Apostle mentions two and but just two sorts of justifying Faith in this Chapter For the Apostle mentions one and the same Faith By Faith we believe the Worlds were created by Faith Abel sacrificed by Faith Enoch walked with God by Faith the Elders obtained a good report by Faith Noah took Gods warning by Faith Sarah conceived by Faith Abraham offered up Isaac c. But if these Faiths were of several sorts and kinds the Apostle could not manage his Argument with Consistency nor should he so insensibly have passed from one sort of Faith to another without fair warning that he had no plot upon his Readers imbecillity 3. It 's full as easie to make All the sorts of Faith appear in the Chapter as two if it had pleased the Painter For 1. Here 's evidently the Faith of Christians vers 3. Through Faith we understand we Christians that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God 2. There 's Enoch's and Abel's Faith which our Author allots for a second kind of Faith And then 3. The Faith of Noah Abraham and all the rest and their 's constitutes the third sort oâ—… Faith 4. Much less am I satisfied that Faith in Christ makes a third kind of justifying Faith distinct from the other two Faith is but one the Reason into which our Faith is ultimately resolved is but one the Mean whereby we believe in God is but one even Jesus Christ by whom we believe in God But the things the good things propounded in the Promises are infinite So that I doubt not when any necessity shall urge him he can reduce all these three sorts of Faith into one again by Synaeresis or split any one of them into a couple by a Diaeresis But now let us look into his three sorts of Faith 1. § The first says he we may call A natural Faith I confess he may call things what he pleases only let him be sure he do not miscal them the rather because he has not Adams faculty to make inspection into their Natures But what is this natural Faith A belief says he of the Principles of natural Religion which is founded on natural Demonstrations and moral Arguments as that God is and that heis a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him But I am still of the same mind that there is no such thing nor ever was as a Religion of sinners whereby they can draw nigh to God and worship him with Acceptation but what supposes Divine Revelation as the means of Manifestation and a Redeemer as the medium of Reconciliation It is owned that this is a Principle of all Religion that God is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him But there must be somewhat more than this namely Ability and strength from God that we may diligently seek him and a Mediator through whom we may seek him with him
Father of the faithful if Abraham's Faith and theirs differ toto Genere Those things that differ in their special Nature may yet agree in their common Nature but those things that are of divers kinds wherein shall they agree But all this is but a scandal thrown upon the Apostle who proves from Abraham's way of being justified the way of Christians being justified Rom. 4. As Abraham was justified without Works so are we Vers. 2. As Abraham had a Righteâ—…sness imputed to him even so have we Vers. 11. That Righteousness might be imputed to them also As Abraham's Righteousness was a Righteousness of Faith even so is ours Vers. 11. A Seal of the Righteousness of Faith As Abraham was justified by free Grace so are we V. 5. To him that worketh not but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly Thus was his Righteousness the patern of ours his Faith the patern of ours And is it not a strange Copy that differs in kind from its Idaea That 's a huge way off from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if you should propound a House for your patern and draw a Horse to sample it Once more look into Gal. 3. 8. The Scripture fore-seeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith preach'd before the Gospel to Abraham Now if Abraham had not our Faith what needed he to have our Gospel The end of preaching the Gospel is to beget Faith and it was an equivocal Generation if it begat a Faith of one kind in Abraham another in Christians What needed this circumspect Caution of Providence that Abraham should have the glad tidings of the Gospel preach'd to him which made him rejoyce and be glad if a Faith of a lower size would serve his turn for Justification Again vers 13. That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Iesus Christ. If we have his blessing surely he had our Faith Or could Abraham get the blessing without Christ but Christians no other way but in Christ But thus has our Author vindicated the Apostles Reasonings as if he had secretly design'd as he openly professes of the Wriings of others to expose them to contempt It may be now seasonable to examine his Definition of a Gospel-Faith viz. Such a stedfast belief of all those Revelations which Christ hath made to the World as governs our lives and actions If this be to define put but a company of Letters in a bag shuffle them well together then shake them out and they will tumble into as good a Definition as this comes to But thus did Atoms by dancing in Infinite and Eternal Spaces justle one another so long till at last they produced this beautiful Fabrick of Heaven and Earth I except against it 1. Because the whole Priestly Office of Christ is excluded by it Propitiation Atonement Expiation of sin are shut quite out of all consideration and the Death and Sufferings of Christ of no regard unless perhaps they may come in by way of Motive to believe his Doctrine as a Prophet And if this be his Faith I must profess I would not venture my Salvation in his Church for the hopes of all the good or fear of all the evil this World can either flatter or affright me with however I beg Grace from God that I may not He that has but half a Christ had as good have no Christ and he that takes him not wholly into the Definition of his Faith may as safely leave him wholly out As half a heart in God's account is no heart so half a Saviour in Faith's esteem is no Saviour 2. I except against it because it may be found in Hypocrites They may so far believe the Revelations of Christ as to govern their lives and actions and yet their hearts never be purified by that Faith 3. It pretends to define Faith and yet gives us no Genus of it Faith is such a Belief as governs our lives and actions that is Faith is Faith that governs our lives and actions But the Question is What is that Faith that will so govern our lives and actions For it describes not any direct influence of Faith upon our Iustification but our obedience And whereas he pretends to assign some differences that may distinguish it from all other Faith true or false yet in plain terms they do nothing less 1. It 's a belief of those Revelations Christ has made to the World Now unless he can prove that those Revelations which Christ has made to the World are essentially distinct from those which God before made to the World their being revealed by Christ makes no essential difference For Christ came in his Fathers name under the New-Testament and the Spirit came in Christs name under the Old-Testament All Christ's Revelations in order to the governing our lives and actions may be reduced either to Precepts or Promises Now though some have been tampering at it I cannot find that Christ revealed either a new Moral Law or added any thing to the old Self-denial Taking up the Cross Praying for our Persecutors c. were Old-Testament duties though not met with in New-Testament phrase As a Rule of obedience Christ medled not with it all he did was to vindicate it from the corrupt Glosses the Scribes and Pharisees had put upon it As to Promises Christ has revealed no other Heaven no other Glory no other Salvation only he has cleared up these given us more light into them poured out more Grace that we might live more in fellowship with God and hopes of Glory But this and much more will make no essential difference in the Revelation 2. It 's such a Belief as governs our lives and actions But such a Belief was Enoch's Abel's Noah's Abraham s their 's govern'd their lives and actions too and somewhat more their Hearts and Consciences This therefore will make no essential difference 4. I except against it that it mentions not God as the proper Object of Faith For though Christ who is God be in the Definition yet not as God there 's nothing supposes him to be so no employment that necessarily requires it should be so assigned to him only he is allowed Revelation-work which a meer man instructed with God's Commission might have done And now once again he will reassume his Argument If by the Righteousness of Faith you understand the Righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith and imputed to us you utterly destroy the Apostle's Argument for our Iustification by Faith for Abraham and all the good men of old were not justified by such a Faith as this is They never heard of Christ's Righteousness imputed to us c. Now how does it follow that because Abraham was justified by such noble and generous Acts of Faith therefore we shall be justified by Christ's Righteousness imputed But whoever overthrows the Apostle's Argument I have some things that will overthrow and utterly overthrow our Author's 1. That he begs and most shamefully begs the
determined against him to whom therefore from his partial Judgment-Seat I shall appeal v. 5 6. For Moses describeth the Righteousness of the Law that the Man that doth these things shall live in them from whence I argue against our Author That Law whose Righteousness Moses describes the Apostle excludes from having any place in Justification but it is the Moral Law whose Righteousness Moses describes therefore it is the Moral Law which the Apostle excludes from having any place in Iustification The Major is evident from the Connexion of the Apostle's Words v. 3. They have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God v. 4. For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth for Moses describeth the Righteousness which is of the Law c. The Minor I prove thus That Law which saith He that doth these things shall live in them is that Law whose Righteousness Moses prescribeth but it is the Moral Law which saith He that doth these things shall live in them therefore it is the Moral Law whose Righteousness Moses describeth The Major is the Apostles own v. 5. the Minor I prove from Lev. 18. 5. You shall keep my Statutes and Iudgments which if a Man do he shall live in them v. 6. None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him 7. The nakedness of thy Father or of thy Mother thou shalt not uncover c. from whence I argue thus That Law which forbids incest is the Moral Law but that Law which saith He that doth these things shall live in them is the Law which forbids incest therefore that Law that saith He that doth these things shall live in them is the Moral Law Again I argue thus from Gal. 3. 10 11. That Law which hath the Curse annext to it for noncontinuance in all things commanded therein is the Law which the Apostle excludes from having any place in the Justification of a Sinner but it is the Moral Law which hath that Curse annext to it therefore it is the Moral Law which the Apostle excludes from having any place in the Justification of a Sinner The Major is evident from the place v. 10. As many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them v. 11. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God is evident The Minor I prove from Deut. 27. 26. from whence the Apostle quotes it Cursed be he that continueth not in all the Words of this Law to do them That Law which forbids making Images which forbids setting light by Father or Mother which forbids removing Land-marks which forbids causing the Blind to go out of his way which forbids perverting of judgment incest sodomy is the Law which hath the Curse annext to it but it is the Moral Law which forbids all these things Therefore it is the Moral Law which hath this Curse annext to it I cannot foresee what our Author will return to all this but his old tawdry Answer That indeed the Apostle does exclude the Moral Law but that is only with respect to External Obedience without Internal Conformity But it 's evident that the Apostle excludes the Law it self and therefore it must be highly impertinent to enquire what Deeds of the Law are excluded when the Law it self is excluded But yet for his further satisfaction I shall bestow an Argument upon that also Those Acts of Obedience to which the Promise of Life in the Covenant of Works originally was most directly made are excluded from Iustification but to inward acts of Obedience the Promise of Life was most directly made and therefore inward acts of Obedience are excluded from Iustification The Apostle has secured the Major Rom. 10. 3 5 6. They have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God For Moses describeth the Righteousness of the Law that he that doth these things shall live in them The Minor is evident for God never made a Promise of Life to External Acts of Obedience without inward Conformity of Soul to them and of both to the Law of God Again Those Acts the want whereof mainly exposes the Sinner to the Curse are excluded from Justification but the want of Internal Acts of Obedience mainly exposes the Sinner to the Curse therefore internal Acts are excluded from Justification And the true Reason why these inward Acts are excluded from Justification is not because they are not well-pleasing to God but because the case is thus with impotent fallen men that he cannot reach the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the utmost tittle of what the Law requires theresore must fall under the severe doom annext to the violation of the Law in the least punctilio unless God had provided a better Righteousness than that of his own Obedience After all that has or may be said in the Case If any one will be so civil and ingenuous as out of his pure good-nature to yield our Author a few small inconsiderable things As 1. That there is a double Antithesis where there is but one And 2. That a man 's own Righteousness is another thing than the Righteousness of the Law 3. That the Righteousness which is by the Faith of Christ is distinct from the Righteousness of God 4. That by the Righteousness of the Law no more is intended than Ceremony and Hypocrisie 5. That a mans own Righteousness is so called not because it is his own but because he places his Righteousness in it and 6thly one poor sorry triffle more That all he asserts is meer Gospel grant him but this and he will prove all the rest with ease but though I would go a great way to save his longing yet this is so large a boon that it deserves mature advice and serious deliberation There are yet a few odd things in arrear some notice whereof I promised to take and seeing we are a little at leisure I shall do him justice And first let us consider what work he has made with that Text Rom. 8. 3 4. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak-through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for sin condemned sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Now our Authors Paraphrase as well as we can scramble it together from broken fragments and odd shreds of his Discourse is thus much The Ceremonial Law being designed of God to work in the Iews inward holiness and purity of Mind which was represented by Circumcision Washings Purifications and Sacrifices it was found too weak to effect this design and therefore God sent Christ into the World to die as a Sacrifice for our Sins to confirm and seal the New-Covenant with his Blood
his Death His Death confirmed his Doctrine His Doctrine was he that believes and obeys shall be justified and saved Hereupon we believe it to be true and in process of time come to obey it our obedience justifies us and therefore the Blood of Christ may be said to justifie us And whereas Iudas his Covetousness the Jews Herod's Cruelty Pilates Flattery had a direct tendency to the Death of Christ why we may not be properly said to be justified by them also at this rate I profess I cannot apprehend Religion is fallen into most cruel and unmerciful hands in this latter Age who to give a â—…aint colour to any little sorry fancies of their own care not to interpret Scripture in such ways as shall certainly open a dore to elude the plainest Truths God is said to have made the World Now if any has a mind to eternize his Name which without some rare discovery cannot be let him take our Author's Course and he is secure of a Monument That is indeed a Scripture phrase but if you examine it throughly it signifies no more than that God made a company of Atoms and put them in Motion and then let them alone they will dance you so long in infinite spaces till they jostle themselves into that form wherein you see things at this day And thus here 's a fair Account how God may be said to have made the World because he made that which made the World and the Cause of the Cause you know may be said to be a Grand-Father-Cause of the thing Caused But this is infinitely beyond what our Author will allow the Blood of Christ of Causality in our justification for it 's only a Confirming Cause of the Promise and that in Commission with other things and they have a greater stroke in the business than it self then when we come to believe that Promise and that belief proves strong enough to perswade us into Obedience then we are justified for the sake of that Obedience But 5. The Consideration of the Text it self Rom. 5. 9. is enough to discredit this idle conceit for ever for Christ is said to dye for us and in order to our justification in the same sence that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of old 〈◊〉 who laid down Life for Life Blood for Blood Body for Body v. 6. Christ dyed for the â—…ngodly v. 7. For scarcely for a righteous Man will one dye yet peradventure for a good Man some one would even dare to dye v. 8. But God commendeth his love to us that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us v. 9. Much more then being now justified by his Blood c. 2. Christ says he is called a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood that is by a belief of the Gospel Covenant Rom. 3. 25. But how short this comes of the Apostle's design is obvious from the place Christ is set forth by God to be a propitiation through faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believes in Iesus But is God ever the more declared to be a just God demonstrated to be a Righteous God because Christ has confirmed his Doctrine and we believe and obey it The obedience of most men is so imperfect that when they have done all they will need mercy and that will declare one of God's attributes But what provision is here made that God may be declared Righteous and Iust All that he has assigned to the Blood of Christ turns not away the least of God's displeasure against sin or the sinner Christ dyed to confirm the Doctriâ—…e Well but still God is displeased with sinners for what Reason is there why God should be less displeased with them because Christ dyed to confirm his Doctrine Well but hereupon Man believes this Doctrine to be true but yet God's Anger is never the more turned away from the sinner because he believes what God says is true For what Reason is there why God should be less displeased with him who believes the Truth and yet will not obey his Commands So that neither the Blood of Christ nor Faith neither do reconcile God to us or propitiate him for us well at last Man gives obedience to the Commands and then God is propitiated and reconciled So that the true Scripture should have been had our Author had the pâ—…nning of it God hath set forth Man to be his own propitiation through his own obedience And why might it not have been said that God set forth the Martyrs to be a propitiation through Faith in their Blood For they willingly and chearfully shed their dearest Blood to confirm the Truth of the Gospel and upon their Confirmation of it some have believed it and upon their believing it have obeyed it and then by that obedience are reconciled to God And thus may Paul be said to have dyed for our sins and Peter to have been Crucified for us and both of them to have been set forth by God to be a propitiation through Faith in their Blood Nor let any say that the Death of the Martyrs was not so strong a confirmation of the Gospel as the Death of Christ For if we believe the Truth and obey it upon more infirm Evidence yet if that evidence produce a strong Faith and that a vigorous obedience such an obedience will not find less acceptance with God because it was begotten by weaker Motives 3 The Scripture says he uses these Phrases promiscuously to be justified by Faith and to be justified by the Faith of Christ and to be justified by Christ and to be justified through Faith in his Blood and to be justified and saved by Grace Nay by believing that Christ is the Son of God John 20. 31. And that God raised him up from the dead When our Author has a design upon any great Truth of the Gospel then the clearest expressions the wisdom of God's Spirit shall use are Phrases allusive figurative metaphorical tropical forms of Speech But the Scripture uses not these expressions promiscuously only our Author confounds them craftily Each of them have indeed something in common with the rest and no wonder all the Offices the Active and Passive Obedience of Christ the whole work of the Spirit the actings of Faith and every saving-Grace meet in this one great Project the glorifying of God the Electing love of the Father the Redeeming Love of the Son and the Sanctifying love of the Holy Spirit in the Iustification and Salvation of a Believer But yet each of these expressions carries in it something peculiar to it self for the Scripture abhors to speak at his dull and cloudy rate who by diversifying one and the same thing in twenty several shapes can vend it for so many several things when 't is but the same notion disguised in a new-fashioned expression One denotes the interest of Faith another speaks the concern of him who is Iehovah
Church believed at all adventures right or wrong he has introduced another full as easie The Belief of the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead A Faith happily contrived for the Genius of this sparing Age which saves us two parts in three of Christ's Offices and eleven parts in twelve of our very Creed 3. Let it be modestly examined also whether To be justified through Faith in the Blood of Christ and to be justified by believing that God raised up Christ from the Dead â—…e expressions of the same importance If they be then we may be said to be reconciled to God by the Resurrection and that Christ in being raised from the Dead was made sin for us a Sacrifice for sin and it 's something strange that none of the Apostles could hit upon such expressions as might recommend them and their writings to our Author's Charity 4. Let it be considered also whether Christ's Resurrection was the last Argument he gave to confirm the Truth of the Gospel I think his visible Appearance to his Disciples after his Resurrection and those Miraculous Operations he then put forth his Ascension into Heaven whilst his Disciples looked on his pouring out the Spirit upon the Apostles enabling them to speak with Tongues his empowering them to work Miracles many years after his Resurrection and Ascension were all Confirmations of the Truth of his Gospel and all subsequent to his Resurrection 5. Let it have a place in our Thoughts too seeing Christ's Resurrection was the great Confirmation of his Doctrine without which all the rest and especially his Death had been no Confirmation of it and yet Atonement Propitiation Reconciliation Redemption are not ascribed to it whether the Death of Christ to which all these are ascribed have an Influence upon our Acceptance with God only as it confirms his Doctrine It is strange that the Apostles should word matters so crosly to attribute those things to the Death of Christ which do most properly belong to the Resurrection and those things to the Resurrection which do most properly belong to his Death And all-out as strange that our Author should make such a noise with Atonement Reconciliation Redemption and ascribe all these to his Death when-as upon the sole-Reason of his Ascribing them to that Death they are much more rationally applicable to his Resurrection There are some well-meaning Souls no doubt that have read our Author's Book who finding such Glorious things ascribed to the Death of Christ Iustification by his Blood Redemption by his Blood Reconciliation by his Blood lift up their Eyes and cry out What pitty it is that such a sweet young Gentleman that has written such a precious Piece of Union Communion Sacrifice Atonement Redemption and Reconciliation stuft so full with Orthodox Propositions should be taken upon suspicion for a Socinian and yet when we come to scan these fine words they prove nothing but a company of sweet Flowers stuck about his Dead Body And to be justified by Faith in the Blood of Christ is no more but to believe that Christ is a Prophet sent to reveal God's Will to us The Conclusion of the whole Matter then will be this If the Death of Christ has no other influence upon our Acceptance with God but that it confirms to us this Truth That God will pardon and save them that believe and obey the Gospel it has no influence at all upon God for that End for which I refer my self to the Reader and the Reader to the foregoing Discourse He goes on Hence is it also that the Apostles attribute such things to the Blood of Christ as are the proper and immediate Effects of the Gospel-Covenant and therefore all the Blessings of the Gospel are owing to the Blood of Christ because the Gospel-Covenant it self was procured and confirmed by the Blood of Christ. I am now perfectly cured of my Ambition to be one of the Corporation of your Rational Divines and if this be Reason I do by these presents renounce it for ever Here are two words Hence and Therefore which always pretend to inference and conclusion I shall examine how well they make good their Pretences First Hence I pray whence Out of what Premises is this Conclusion deduced That the Apostles attribute such things to the Blood of Christ as are the Proper and Immediate Effects of the Gospel-Covenant Let us look back as far as fairly we may To be justified by Faith by the Faith of Christ by Christ by his Blood c. signifie one and the same thing and Hence it is that the Apostles attribute such things to the Blood of Christ c. And really turn it quite backwards and it will conclude as strongly The Apostles attribute such things to the Blood of Christ as are the proper and immediate Effects of the Gospel Covenant and 〈◊〉 it is that To be justified by Faith by the Faith of Christ by Christ by his Blood c. signify one and the same thing Now when he can once bring matters into this Posture he is safe and out of the Gun-shot of Reply for which way soever you come to attaque him you must deny the Conclusion But let us leave out the Hence and consider the words absolutely The Apostles attribute such things to the Blood of Christ as are the proper and immediate Effects of the Gospel-Covenant To which I answer 1. It 's just as easie for another if he had but a Licence to say The Apostles attribute such things to the Gospel-Covenant as are the proper and immediate Effects of the Blood of Christ and with better Reason because whatever acceptation our Services and Duties our Repentance and Obedidience find with God is clearly assigned to the Blood of Christ. But 2. This is a foul scandalous slander which he throws upon the Apostles they give to the Blood of Christ it s own proper and immediate Effects they rob not Repentance and Obedience to adorn the Sacrifice of Christ with borrowed Plumes They give to Christ the things that are Christ's and to Faith Repentance and Obedience the things that are Theirs They ascribe our Redemption to the Blood of Christ as a proper Price paid to God and they ascribe to Faith it s own Efficiency to interest us in the Benefits of that Redemption They ascribe Reconciliation to the Blood of Christ as its immediate proper Effect without any intervening Act of the Creature for that End and they ascribe to Faith Repentance and Obedience their proper and immediate Concerns to put us into the actual and full Possession of all the Fruits of that Reconciliation made with God They attribute Pardon of Sin to the Blood of Christ who was made sin for us an expiatory Sacrifice to remove guilt that is the Obligation of the Sinner to punishment and they attribute the Application of that Pardon unto Individuals unto Faith as that whereby we receive Christ and all his Benefits 3. If these be the proper and