Mr. Mead who did object nothing against it but a prudential Consideration and the same answer he made to Dr. Bates when he first asked him and before the second Edition came out I telling him what use his Hand might have been of he made the like answer and made then to me no Objection against the Book but that he wished I had left out that of the third to the Phil. All which I mention'd to some with real respect to him and those Brethren But since Mr. C's Book was published Mr. M. tells me and others he is not of my judgment but I know not wherein except in my sence of that Text. Yet there are others that forbare subscribing who declare no disagreement and he must quite alter his useful way of Preaching if he much differ from me Others ask why I raked into Dr. Crisp's Ashes A. It was needful I should instance some Author for they said nobody affirmed those things I mentioned in my Sermon I chose Dr. C. before another not from Prejudice but because he was reprinted with an unhappy Front his Works seemed the Standard of the propagators of these Errors This Book was taking with many recommended to People by Mr. Trayl and others as I can prove and he must never be answer'd if not after his Death and tho' I treat him with all respect yet I wonder his Works should be so applauded now when most of our great Divines opposed them heretofore Yea as Mr. Nesbit from creâ—…lible Hands informs me the Assembly of Divines desir'd to have them burnt Obj. You are said to misquote him A. I cannot find I mistook one word except that once I set Justifie instead of Pardon which is alter'd in the second Edition Obj. You misrepresent his Sence A. Not that I know â—…nd what Mr. C. instanceth I have fully proved it must be his sence tho' I inform you in my Book he oft speaks Contradictions but the most I mention he labours to prove and his Scheme enforceth it Obj. You take Bits of Sentences A. I still give one full period and it 's only to avoid swelling my Book that I mention'd no more in other Clauses yea in what is material I oft set his words at large and if it be needful I shall put him in a fuller light Many Obj. My Book was written against Mr. Cole A. I had no Eye to him at all except in the Digression about Repentance which was much the same as I deliver'd at a third meeting to compose the Debate between Dr. Bates and him tho' since then he broke out against us twice this I preface in my Book with these words Herein I have to do with men of more orthodox Principles than Dr. Crisp. And Mr. Cole must know these words did refer to him yea notwithstanding many strange Passages I hope he doth not hold most of those Opinions nor can he agree with Mr. Chancy unless he disagree with what he hath oft said yea and printed Obj. It 's more than hinted that I intend in that Book to reflect on all them called Congregational A. I am sure I abhor such an Intention nay did not I pitch on Testimonies from among them to oppose these Errors I know many of their Ministers whom I think free from the least disposition towards them the New England Synod effectually oppos'd them Mr. Flavel and Mr. Lob have written well against them I cite Bulkley Dr. Owens c. who are fully for the opposite Truths and tho' I sent Mr. M. word that in the mind I was in I would forbear Testimonies from his Writings but that I would not bind my self for any time yet I have since met with great reason to cite him as one fully for the Truth Yea Mr. N. tho' I never requested it in my House declared That if Mr. M. and three more such had subscribed he would not have been unwilling to do it and he desired me to add Congregational to the Divines in and about this City who forbear to subscribe only from prudential Considerations which I refused He remembreth the latter part and owneth it and he told Mr. Hume that if one Passage or two were rectified he would subscribe my Book It 's true some clamorous People that cry up these Opinions happen to be of that Perswasion but I hope far the greater part are better principl'd and many seem on the wrong side only from Misrepresentations Obj. Why do you use the word Rector A. It 's a proper word used by Dr. Owens Mr. Charnock and most This Book hath met with various entertainment with many it hath pleas'd God to grant it acceptance and many Ministers out of the Country offered their Subscriptions but of the four seeming Answers to it I 'll give these hints To Mr. B. I am obliged for his Christian usage and while he allows that I speak the Language of Time and of the Dispensation I am under I will comply with his Proposal not to enter the Lists unless I have occasion to prove my Sence of Phil. 3. which I find patroniz'd by Augustin Of Mr. Keach I would but ask 1. Doth not he believe that persons are bound to agree to the Covenant of Grace and thereby engaged to love God and sincerely obey him and is not refusing to agree to this Covenant the damning Sin yea is not this Refusal the Heart of Unbelief And that 's all I there affirm 2. Is his Spirit in a right frame when he shall bring these words in my Catechism to prove that we are not justified upon believing till we do Good Works when in that short Catechism there is this Q. Is not a Believer pardoned before he can put forth any other Act of Obedience A. Thô true Faith is a certain Principle of Obedience yet so soon as we believe we are pardoned even before there can be time to put forth any other Acts of Obedience Yea how oft do I say in my Book that no Act of ours is a jot of the Righteousness for or by which we are justified but that is Christ's alone and yet this person fixeth the quite contrary on me and so batters in the dark and warneth all from hearing me The Lord humble and forgive such The Letter from the City c. seems rather to design a Turn than argue a Truth for as it weakly saith some things true and others erroneous so throughout he belies their Principles whom he exposeth if it be wilfully let his own serious Reviews give him his Character if ignorantly why should he intermeddle There are few Books written that pretend so much which may be so easily and much exposed Mr. C. is the Author I here deal with I have long read Books and from five years old have had no Employment besides my Studies yea before nineteen I was regularly admitted a Preacher yet I never met with a Tract parallel to his for abusive Language violent Rage and uncharitable Censures Many great Divines
we our selves as Elect did legally by Christ as our Proxy satisfie and merit all and without the interposal of the Gospel-Rule we have a legal Title to Glory by Adam's Covenant This I deny as what excludes Forgiveness makes Christ's Sufferings needless denies any proper Satisfaction and destroys Christianity 5. Nor whether we all sinned and died in Adam and in Christ are all made alive which I affirm owning Christ's Influence as both real yea and publick as before explained but whether we were in Christ before Faith as we were seminally in Adam before we were born which his foederal Headship did suppose The being thus in Christ before Faith I deny These express my Thoughts which I doubt not by Christ's help to maintain against all these Opposers while I expect nothing but a gross exposal of themselves when their Conceits are forced out of their cloudy Expressions Reader I had reason to instance some minute things though with men of Wisdom and Fairness a Cause depâ—…nds on Arguments and not personal Respects Ioyn with me in earnest Prayer that Truth and Love may flourish and that Christ's Cause may be managed with a Christian Spirit which I have endeavour'd and not exposed nor reviled my Adversary I am thy Servant in the Kingdom and Gospel of our Blessed Lord DANIEL WILLIAMS ERRATA P. 1. l. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 14. l. 18. dele for A DEFENCE OF Gospel-Truth THE Reverend Opposer of my Book having as yet offer'd so little of Argument against my Assertions my Reply must be short to what he hath said and shall therefore chuse another method than what his Book prescribes His unusual Reflections I dare not return being awed by Him who chargeth me not to render railing for railing 1 Pet. iii. 9. and hath declared that the Wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God Happy they and likely to arrive at Truth that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. iv 15. truthing it in love The weight of the Points in debate will not allow me to be Pedantick nor can I bid at childish Jests without suspecting my Mind in a Case unfit for Serious Thoughts or the Aids of the Spirit in search for Truth neither is it allow'd Tit. ii 7. in Doctrine shewing Gravity c. I shall therefore proceed in this method 1. Shew how he mistakes and misrepresents my Principles against the plain Words of my Book even where I mention them as my positive Judgment 2. I shall endeavour to make the most material things more evident to the ordinary Reader 3. I shall instance some of Mr. Chancy's Principles which he asserts and labour to let thee see where we differ and what 's the Judgment of others in these things 4. I shall briefly reply to what else is material in his Book that falls not under the former Heads Some Instances wherein Mr. C. misrepresents my Principles against my plainest words in my Book I. Mr. C. saith of the Athenian Society I doubt not but they are of your Opinion in Doctrinals and then chargeth them as being against an election of a determinate number of men to Eternal Life and adds I doubt not you will be found to do so Repl. These Gentlemen were pleased in answer to a kind Letter of Mr. Crisp's to give their Thoughts of my Book and your Reply to what they have said of Election affecteth not their Assertion But by what words can I express my own Judgment more fully then P. 66. I affirm There is a â—…romise of the first Grace made to Christ for the Elect and by vertue of that Promise they consent P. 3. ch 1. I affirm That certain Persons freely-elected by him shall certainly be justified and adopted and that these persons are the Objects of God's Love of Good-will even while they are Siâ—…hers 〈◊〉 that God continues his Purpose of doing them good notwithstanding their Provocations and Christ hath made full aâ—…onement for Sin and merited Eternal Life for the Elect which shall be in God's time and way applied There is a great difference between an Elect Sinner and others As to what they shall be in time chap. 20. p. 210. God hath elected a certain number c. and so the Gospel shall not be in vain to all See the same oft repeated p. 66 16 210 105. II. Mr. C. represents â—…e 〈◊〉 p. 3. The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is abrogated transiit in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 aside â—…he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of no use to us at all So p. 21. We have nothing to do with it it 's out of doors Repl. He would insinuate that I say That the preceptive part of the Law is not a Rule of Manners nor that the transgression of it makes us guilty nor that men whilst they reject the Gospel are not at all under the Curse of the Law All which I abhor And though this Point fell not in my way to handle yet there wants not Passages to this purpose P. 198. The holiest Action of the holiest Saint needs Forgiveness Chap. 21. p. 225. It 's legal Preaching to be always pressing the Duties of the Law of Nature but neglect preaching Christ c. where I allow it sometimes Again in the same Page I condemn saying That our best Obedience doth not deserve Wrath by the Law as a Rule of Misery and Happiness or that it doth not need forgiveness P. 125. I affirm the Law to be a Rule of Duty Cap. 12. p. 107. the Gospel declareth all condemned till they do believe it declares they are so and denounceth they shall be so c. And again They that believe their Condemnation is reversed See p. 57. Reader thou mayest read me still affirming the Misery even of the Elect by the Law till they are justified by Christ. It 's true I do think that 1. The Sentence of the Law cannot hinder the relief of any Soul by Christ who complieth with the Gospel 2. Nor that it is possible for any man to be saved by the Law of Innocency By Forgiveness is our Blessedness and not by our sinless Obedience And so far I 'll own it but not in the three former senses III. Mr. C. tells me p. 20. That when I said Christ's Sufferings were the Foundation of our Pardon that our Sins are forgiven for Christ's Sufferings and without them Sin cannot be forgiven Your Fundamentally is only a remote Causality c. all that we have of your meaning is a poor causa sine qua non And within a few lines you mean By something else besides them not by the immediate application of them but mediate and remote à causa sine qua non Repl. The plain meaning of what he thus exposeth is that the Elect were not discharged and actually justified at the time when Christ suffered Which is proved p. 17. c. But it 's strange that any one that read this or the following Passages should infer either 1. That Christ
which Faith is the great Term of the Covenant and includes so much of Repentance as I insist on Q. Shall the Elect fall from a state of Forgiveness A. No the Decree the Intercession of Christ the Promise of Perseverance yea and Forgiveness it self do all assure a perseverance in Grace and so a continuance in a pardoned estate Q. What do you trust in as that for which God will accept of you and save you A. Only in the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Q. Do not you trust in your own inherent Righteousness as that for which God will save you A. I abhor such a Thought Q What stress do you lay on Good Works A. Not as necessary to my justified state into which I am admitted upon my first believing 2. Nor as any Righteousness for which God will save me Q. What stress then do you lay A. No more than as they evidence my Faith to be true execute my first believing Consent prevent their Contraries which the Gospel threatens with Misery and answer the Rule of any Gospel-promise that God hath made and will execute for Christ's sake to the upright person Q. Do you think that we are justified by our Good Works at the last day as if they were the Righteousness by which we shall be saved at the last day A. No I would tremble at such a Thought and declare it 's Christ's Righteousness alone and unmixed that I hope to be saved for and by Q. What are your Thoughts then as to our inherent Righteousness and Good Works as they fall under Christ's Judgment at the last day A. My whole Heart is 1. That if a man truly believe and dye before he hath opportunity to do more he shall be sentenc'd Happy as a Believer notwithstanding he was prevented by Death from professing the Truth and proceeding in Holiness performing Acts of Worship c. 2. God hath declared that none shall at last be saved by Christ's Righteousness that are Infidels Ungodly utterly unprofitable or Apostates And therefore all that God will then save for Christ's Merits must truly be and will be declared to be no Infidels Ungodly utterly unprofitable nor total Apostates but the contrary and they shall be judged free from the guilt of final Infidelity 3. The most eminent in Faith Holiness Sufferings and Labours shall be adjudged to greater degrees of Glory which added degrees will be as truly the effects of Christ's sole Merits as the lesser degrees All this is exactly consonant to my Book and my full Perswasion Because I see that well-meaning People are imposed on by a noise of Popery and Arminianism I shall let thee see how our Protestant and Orthodox Divines do represent and oppose the Popish and Arminian Points in this matter and so thou maist judge how the Antinomians secure their destructive Errors by this clamour The sum of the Popish Principles our Divines oppose may be thus reduc'd They think that 1. by Attrition or a 〈◊〉 legal feaâ—… of Punishments Men do ex congruo or meetness merit Charity and Faith which be the beginning of Sanctification and that this begun Sanctification is all our first Justification 2. That whatever be the efficiency of the Spirit in working Faith it is determinable by Man's free Will whether any believe or no. 3. That upon our improvement and exercise of this first Charity and Faith we truly and properly merit the encrease of Holiness and Eternal Glory and that ex condigno This they call the second Justification 4. That by the Absolution of the Priest on Confession in the Sacrament of Pennance our Sins of Age are forgiven as original Sin was by Baptism and venial Sins and temporal Punishments of mortal Sins by Satisfaction and Indulgences and all in a way of merit The Points that can be at all pretended as my Concern I 'll give you as stated by Dr. Ames in his Bellarminus Enervatus with râ—…y own Answers to his Questions Tom. 3. lib. 5. Q Whether Prayer Fasting or Alms are satisfactory Works A. I plainly deny it oft p. 240. Q. Do our Works truly and properly make satisfaction to God for that Obligation to Punishment which remaineth to be expiated A. I say No for we make no satisfaction by any thing Tom. 4. p. 109. Q Whether Faith alone justifieth A. I say Yes that is we are justified by Faith alone as that which alone receives Christ and before Works of Obedience But yet I think Ames well explains this p. 112. Something may be before Pardon as a pre-requisite Disposition so that it be not the cause of Pardon And this is all I say of Repentance and agree with him in p. 112. Repentance taken for legal Humiliation goes before Iustification as a Disposition in Order pre-requisite but not as a Cause 2. Evangelical Repentance is taken for Conversion of which Faith is a principal part Yea add That a great part of Repentance is the effect of Justification 3. I agree with him in the next words Quocunque modo c. Which-ever way Repentance is taken neither Grief nor detestation of Sin is the cause of Iustification Nay more I agree with Ames in his Account of Faith cap. 2. p. 101. Fides specialis misericordiae duplici ratione vocatur c. Faith of special Mercy which is Trust or Relyance is taken in two respects 1. whereby it apprehends Christ or cleaves to him for apprehending special Mercy by him 2. As it apprehends special Mercy as already bestowed In the first sence it goes before Iustification in the latter sence it follows Iustification Lib. 6. Cap. 1. He treats of imputed Righteousness and p. 139. saith that this is the Protestant Judgment Christi justitiam catenus imputari c. Christ's Righteousness is so far imputed to us that by the vertue thereof we are as much esteemed just before God as if we had somewhat in our selves wherewith we might be esteemed just before him P. 205. Q. An opera bona c. Are the Good Works of Men truly and properly the Merits of Eternal Life A. I positively and oft deny it and dare not assert that Condecency which Ames and others do Reader if thou art a man of any Skill in these things thou wilt find that they oppose the Papists concerning our Graces and Works only as merirorious and causal of Saving Benefits and I deny them to be either See even Chemnit Exam. par 1. p. 172. Davenant de Iustit actuali cap. 30. q. 1. arg 1. Ames Bellarm. Enerv. tom 4. lib. 6. Downam of Iustif. p. 15. I shall now shew thee what our Calvinists and Orthodox Divines oppose the Arminians in as to this Doctrine of Justification The Synod of Dort in their Canons Part 1. p. 289. of the Errors under the Head De Morte Christi thus condemn the Arminians Qui docent foedus illud novum gratiae c. That teach that the Covenant of Grace which the Father upon the intervention of Christ's
Pardon c. p. 21. Repl. 1. Here and p. 28. he confounds a Promise of Grace and Promises made to Grace 2. He affirms that the whole of the Gospel-Covenant is but one Promise and this I suppose is the first Promise in the Sentence against the Serpent Hereby he blasts all the fuller Discoveries of it by the Prophets yea and Christ himself as if all the Conditional Proposals of Covenant-Benefits on Terms of Duty were Additions injuriously added to the first Promise 3. He wretchedly mistakes the nature of that first Promise as if it excluded all Terms of our Saving Interest in the Blessings of it Whereas it did imply them If you take the words as a Promise of Christ that he should in our nature overcome Satan then it belong'd to all Mankind to whom it 's promulgated even the rejecters of it Acts 13. 32 46. and as such gives no Interest in the Effects of it to any man If you take them as importing the Saving Benefits to the Seed of the Woman then there must be some change in them who are by Nature the Seed of the Serpent as well as the most wicked otherwise all the natural Seed of Eve have the same Saving Benefits which is thus evidenced When God renewed the Promise to Abraham and his Seed that Seed the Apostle tells you were Believers Rom. 4. 11 16 27. and as I have said before Faith must be then enjoyned for by Faith Abel's Sacrifice was more acceptable than Cain's and God's Words to Cain were the Redeemer's Language and the use of Sacrifices imports that God revealed more of his Will to them by way of Precept than is there recorded 4. And what can he mean by things distinct from the Promise If that Faith and Repentance are promised I had oft affirmed it If that as Acts in Man they are not distinct from the Promise it 's unfit to reflect on If that they may not be Terms of Pardon conjoyned therewith in one promissory Series it 's against the scope of the Bible and sure if that hinder not Pardon to be the cause of them it will not exclude them to be Terms of Pardon 5. But what strange Divinity is this 1. that Pardon is the Condition of Faith 2. Pardon is the cause of Faith How is Pardon and these at once as he affirms i. e. in order of Nature and yet Faith is the consequent yea effect of Pardon But to come to the point Is not this to burlesque the Scripture We believe that we may be justified Gal. 2. 16 That is we be justified that we may believe We are justified by Faith Rom. 5. 1. that is we are made Believers by Justification We repent for the remission of sins Luke 33. that is we have remission of Sins that we may repent One Reason at least should have been offered for these contradictions I suppose all that would be offered is that Christ cannot work Faith in us till we are pardoned which the whole Scripture is against and God hath provided for it by Divine ordination in that Christ's Merits are admitted effectual to the working and and accepting of this Grace before these Merits are applied for Forgiveness which is fully expressed in his own revealed Method whereby he commands and works Faith in order to Forgiveness Yea he will not I hope deny lest he spoil his Argument p. 28. that Union with Christ is before Pardon in order of Nature And is not that an Effect of Christ's Merits Yea the Gospel-offers Spirits operation of Faith c. are so 6. How long must I stay for an Answer if I ask what kind of Cause is Pardon It 's well if it be not hisprocatartick 7. Is not this a new and singular Gospel Consult the former Testimonies Need I mind thee that Dr. Owens saith p. 306. We require Evangelical Faith in order of Nature antecedently to our Iustification c R. Mr. Cl. p. 134. Norton c. say the same the Synod of Dort is oft positive Mr. Bulkley p. 321. gives nine Reasons to prove that Faith is an antecedent Condition of Iustification and saith the denyal of it is some of the new Light which the old Age of the Church hath brought forth Mr. Sheppard proves the same p. 221 to 240. Mr. C's Father saith Faithunites the Soul to Christ p. 144. It accepts of a whole Christ with a whole Heart p. 154. It 's a receiving Christ in all his Offices p. 132. Faith hath an influence into a Sinner's Justification p. 122. Faith is constituted and ordained of God in the Covenant of Grace as a necessary and indispensible means for attaining this end in adult persons p. 123. And he answers his Son's Objections as to Infants The Assembly affirm That Justification is a Benefit flowing from Vocation wherein Faith is wrought but of this hereafter It 's well if he call not all these Enemies to the Grace of God as p. 8. Mr. C. near a kin to this is his Banter on me p. 21. because I had said that Election was not formally our Pardon nor a legal grant of it but that by Divine Appointment there was to interpose between the decree of Pardon and the actual Pardon of the Elect a Gospel-Promise of this Pardon and a work of the Spirit on Men for a conformity to the Rule of that Promise He tells me I would have Christ to stand as a Medicin in the Apothecary's shop for some body or other when the Physician prescribes it Nay it 's not an absolute sick Patient neither it 's one the Apothecary hath in a manner cured before c. And before the person be pardoned he must be in a very sound and safe condition c. and there must be inherent Righteousness in the person to be pardoned c. Add this and much of this kind up and down in his Book to his fifth Principle viz. That Pardon is the cause of Faith c. and then we have his sixth Principle That we are pardoned before the Spirit do at all work any change upon the Soul in effectual Vocation or we are not called or converted in order of Nature before we are justified This is fully the sence of the Letter from the City p. 25 30 c. Repl. 1. A Legal Grant is a term out of Mr. C's Element or he would not confound it with a Decree and what he speaks of the Promise Tit. 1. will appear not to be eternal but before many Ages and not to exclude Gospel-Conditions in their use for our personal Interest in Pardon 2. Is there not a fulness in Christ for Sinners before they make use of it 3. All Sinners are ungodly in a Gospel sence when God comes to call them effectually in order to Pardon and they are ungodly in a legal sence when God doth pardon them or they would not need Pardon 4. Yet they are not unconvinced Unbelievers that are the Objects of God's pardoning