whether Iustification Adoption and Glorification be Acts of God's Free Grace which I affirm but whether iâ—…â—…eased God to leave himself at liberty to justifie the Unbeliever while such and glorifie the Unbelieving and Wicked and also to damn the penitent godly Believer This Mr. C. affirms and I deny This is these mens Free Grace while they deny the Gospel-Rule and Law 8. It is not whether God hath as to us absolutely promised and coveâ—…nted with Christ that the Elect shall believe and all men believing be pardoned and so persevere in Faith and Holiness to Eternal Life which I affirm but whether there is a Covenant which require our true believing Consent to the Terms of it as â—… Conâ—…tion of Pardon and Glory and supposeth this true Consent in the actual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…f thâ—…se Benefits This Mr. C. denies and I affirm 9. It is not whether â—…uth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only Grace by which we receive and rest on Christ and his Righteousness for Iustification and that it is Christ received by Faith doth justifie which is the Sence of Protestants when they say we are justified by Faith alone this I affirm but whether he that can truly believe to Iustification must be in part a convinced humbled penitent Sinner This I affirm and Mr. C. denies yea he saith that Pardon is rather the Condition of Faith nay Pardon is the Cause of Faith 10. It is not whether Sanctification taken strictly do follow Iustification this I affirm but whether Effectual Vocation make a real habitual change in the Soul and that this Vocation is in order of Nature before Iustification This Mr. C. and the Letter c. deny and I affirm with the Assembly 11. It is not whether our sincere Faith Love c. are imperfect and so can be no meriting Righteousness which I affirm but whether they are disobedienâ—… even in Gospel Account and so incapable of being the Conditions of any of its promised saving Benefits This Mr. C. affirms and I deny These are some of the Points wherein Mr. C. and I differ I fear I shall find him in all things of Dr. Crisp's opinion as I have assurance he is in his Definition of Faith May not I now expect that People that rail at me will impute to me only what I thus plainly state The Body of well-esteemed Authors are on my side there 's an end to our Ministry if these be not true most of the practical Books we have as Allen c. are all Lyes and tending to ruine Souls if Mr. C. judge aright Thou wilt find in this Book Testimonies cogent to my purpose and if it will serve Mr. C. to say I wrest them and men there upon believe him I cannot help it Such as I quoted in my first Book ' are truly quoted and serve fully to what I produce them for but to reconcile all men to themselves is not my Work and yet I think it no hard matter to evidence that none of my Authors speak against my Assertions Mr. C. saith I am against the Articles of the Church of England and the Assembly I am sure he 'l never prove it and I profess the contrary and am certain he is against all Confessions of Faith that we own as Orthodox How far other Ministers are concerned for the Kingdom of Christ the Safety of Souls the Rule of Iudgment the plain Gospel way of Salvation to Sinners the truth and scope of their Ministry Time will evidence But in the strength of Christ I 'll sustain the utmost Persecution at the Hands of these angry men and while God enableth me they shall not overturn the Gospel by their unscriptural Abuse of the blessed Names of the Righteousness of Christ and Free Grace the Gospel way of the application whereof and a subservient Ministry being the whole I contend for I have oft attempted to adjust these things before I engaged nay since the severe Treatment I have met with I sent to Mr. Ch. that I would meet him and shew how much he mistook my Principles or if he refused a meeting I would send him an account in Writing that he might not abuse himself and the World but he would accept of neither as if he could not write without the Question were mistated Yea at the request of the united Brethren I agreed to suspend this Book if he would do so with his but this he refused Now whatever be the Consequences of these Debates I am innocent and commit all to God in whose Cause I though sickly weak and unworthy am engaged There is a Mystery in it that the Explication of one Text should be pretended by some for a Reason against my whole Book and so countenance all Dr. Crisp's Errors which yet they profess to dislike and the Impartial see I oppose nothing but those Errors The Doctrine of Imputation being still by Mr. C. c. objected against me though I have not yet had opportunity to insist thereon I will state that case 1. It is not whether Christ was a publick person as a Mediator in his Undertakings and so transacted all for Sinners that they might be pardoned and saved by his undertaken Satisfaction and Merits this I affirm but whether we were so represented in Christ â—…s that we were in Law sence they that undertook to atone and merit This I deny 2. Nor whether Christ was a Surety for us in a Bond of his own to pay our Debt to the full and much more that we might in a due time and way be released this I affirm but whether we were joynt-parties in one and the same Bond with him and so we were actually acquitted when he made Satisfaction and therefore God could enjoyn no Terms of the application thereof to us for Iustification and Glory nor suspend the same upon those Terms This I deny 3. Nor whether Christ was made under the Law and that this was one Article of his part in the Covenant of Redemption viz. That he should in a way of proper Satisfaction bear the substance of the Penalty of the Law and yield perfect Obedience to all such of its Precepts as were competent to his Person and this to save thâ—… Elect this I affirm but whether Christ was joynt-Covenant-Party with all the Elect in Adam's Covenant so that they were legally esteemed to make satisfaction and yield perfect Obedience in his doing thereof This I deny 4. Nor whether Christ's Righteousness is imputed to Believers and so made theirs that it is applyed to them and pleadable by them as what was always designed and undertaken for their Salvation and is the sole meritorious Cause of their Pardon Acceptance and Glory and this as effectually as if they themselves had satisfied and merited and this Righteousness is reputed by God as that which now pleads for their Impunity Acceptance and Happiness as Members of Christ All this I affirm but whether it be imputed as our formal Righteousness and so we may truly plead that
He is the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him If a man keep my Sayings he shall never see death He that doth my Commandments and keepeth them he loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live For as the Father hath life in himself so hath he given the Son to have life in himself and hath given him Authority to execute Iudgment also because he is the Son of Man He that heareth my word and believeth him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation It seems too that Church-Censures bind nothing of eternal danger even when rightly administred Dr. Owens in his Treatise of the Sabbath says near these words That our worshipping Christ in his Ordinances on Earth is the Condition of our being with him in Heaven 4. The Reason for all this is strange such Obedience is part of the Life promised then he rendred the Elect Libertines when he made such Promises He promised to make the Elect obedient therefore he cannot command them to be so Pursuant to his Promise he 'll make them obedient therefore the Terms to be obeyed are no foederal Conditions of other Blessings promised on those Terms because he 'l see they shall believe therefore he must not thus enact Believe and thou shalt be saved 5. But is there no distinction admittable in the word Life It 's sometimes put for Grace in us sometimes for Glory consummated sometimes it 's put strictly for the saving priviledge part of the Covenant as consequent to the Terms of it and that believing ye might have Life In this sence he saw I took it And doth God in every Promise of Life in this sence promise Obedience to the Terms of it 6. A few lines after these he determines the Judgment committed to Christ It 's not Legislation at all nay all of it is not Gospel-Iudgment he might have said none of it for with him the Gospel is no Law and so no Rule of Judgment Nay worst of all his Judgment is only to destroy not to save i. e. his Reward as Redeemer is to be Executioner of Adam's Law without conditional Offers of Pardon to any that are not saved for if there be no foederal Sanction in the Gospel there can be no conditional Offer to any that are not saved nay to none that are saved Now Reader see how Christ as Redeemer is honoured by Mr. C. He shall be of use to excuse us from loyal subjection while himself is dethroned as to the rectoral way of the application of his Merits This very point of Christ's regal Authority as Redeemer hath been defended by our Divines hitherto and I am sure he 'l take vengeance on them who obey not his Gospel I might instance others of his Principles which I suppose agree with Dr. Crisp as in his Description of Faith which he hints p. 36. and I have heard him more fully define it by assurance of our Pardon In that place he makes Faith of no use but to claim Possession to which it seems we had as full a Title before we believed And p. 17. Mr. C. After the manner of imputation in foro justitiae our Sins shall never be laid on us viz. the Elect qua-Elect Which I will prove against you when you will Rep. Let 's understand the Question for it is too confused What is this After the manner of imputation in foro c Do you mean the Elect shall never come to God's Bar of Judgment before they believe and are forgiven If so I grant it But if you mean that the past Sentence of God binds not the Sins of the Elect upon them while they are Unbelievers and that this Act of his by his Word is not an Imputation in foro divinae justitiae I freely accept your Challenge so that you will engage to avoid unruly Passions And it 's well if those Effects of Electing Love which Paul had applied to him in the Womb are not semen quoddam electionis which Calvin so condemns Of the same sort is what Mr. C. saith p. 34. of 2 Cor. 5. 18. Rep. 1 God is so reconciled that no want of atonement shall prevent Peace 2. That upon this atonement God offers Peace on the lowest Terms 3. That the Elect shall in time be enabled to obey those Terms and be actually reconciled 4. But the whole Canon of the Word and unopposed in this place assures me that the Elect are in a state of Wrath till they believe yea were God actually reconciled to them he could not suffer them to remain Enemies in their Minds by wicked Works and a total absence of his Spirit But I have not room for these and the like Mr. C. p. 10. After a certain zealous Neonomian had taken his Leave of us And p. 22. you play the Iugler more He saith Quoniam Christus Mediator c. being that both Christ the Mediator and Faith in Christ are only means of the restauration of Man to God by Holiness and Love Therefore it must doubtlesly be said that from the nature of the thing Faith Holiness and the Love of God are more necessary to Salvation than either Faith in Christ or the Sacrifice of Christ himself There 's a â—…one for you to pick. Rep. These are Mr. Baxter's words and had I been in his stead I should not have given so much occasion to simple Readers to startle but being the only seeming Difficulty Mr. C. hath put me to except the exercise of Patience I 'll see if the Offence may be prevented 1. Mr. B. doth not here compare the causal Influence of Christ's Satisfaction with our Holiness nor the use of Faith in Christ with Faith in God as the way of Life is now appointed by the Divine Will If any man had asked Mr. B. Is Holiness as meritorious of Salvation as Christ's Satisfaction is he would have answered No for Christ's Satisfaction is the sole meritorious cause of Salvation and Holiness is none at all If you had ask'd Mr. B. Is Faith-Love to God of that use to receive Christ for our Justification as Faith in Christ is he would have answer'd No Faith in Christ is in it self most apâ—… and by the Lord appointed to this use to receive Christ. Both these he ofâ—… affirms 2. Mr. B. here speaks only of the comparative necessity of these to Salvation with respect to the nature of the thing it self that is as he explains himself it cannot be a Salvation without Holiness at least habitual it 's a Contradiction as it would be to say Salvation without Salvation It is not whether is more necessary now to my obtaining Salvation as if I should ask whether is more necessary to the Essence of Man his Humanity or Christ's Satisfaction you would say from the nature of the thing
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
is only a causa sine qua non which is no Cause 2. Or that his Righteousness is not the sole meritorious or material Cause of our Pardon which in judicial acts are the same 3. Or that Christ's Sufferings are not immediately applied to our Pardon 4. Or that Pardon is by any act of ours as a joynt meritorious Cause with Christ each of which I hope the following Passages will clear me in P. 16. I affirm When we are pardoned the whole meritorious Cause of Pardon is the Atonement of Christ and what is required of Sinners is only a meetness to receive the Effects of it P. 39. I affirm That Justification and all other Benefits be the Fruits of Christ's Righteousness as the only meritorious Cause of them P. 40. We are for the sake of Christ's Righteousness delivered from the guilt of Sin and entituled to Life and accepted with God against all excluding Bars P. 41. Christ was he by whose Merits he forgives us but he never was forgiven we are forgiven and never had Merits of our own to forgive our selves And it 's enough that we were pardoned and adopted for his sake when we deserved endless Woe and are never capable of making the least atonement P. 43. Faith owns the Foundation of our Plea to be in Christ from whom are derived to us that Pardon and Right to Life which are the effects of his Righteousness for this we are justified for that Righteousness which is in Christ we are acquitted and adopted the efficient Merit is in him the Effect of the judicial Absolution for that Merit is in us The Righteousness is still in Christ for the sake whereof we are absolved or justified God hath for Christ's sake forgiven us but not for the sake of what is in ourselves c. and now being absolved or made righteous in a Law sence we have as much matter of glorying as absolved acquitted Sinners can have We are justified by his Righteousness that is for that we are forgiven and also entituled to Life which we had forfeited our selves but we are not made innocent nor so esteemed we are not accounted them who made the atonement we still take hold of Christ's Righteousness that by it we may be forgiven and this is our Blessedness and our Gospel-Righteousness which all such refuse who reject Redeeming Love from a Conceit of their own Merits or refuse the Terms of the Gospel which by the Promise do make us capable of being justified and saved for the Merits of Christ yet these still remain his Merits though thus beneficial to us in their Application as the procuring cause of all our Good P. 44. We still need Pardon and continue justified by the efficacy of the Righteousness of another and must look to Christ as the only Subject of it all our days Our justified state is a continuance of the blessed Effects of the Righteousness of Christ from first to last that Cause is still productive of Supplies as our Guilt returns or Necessities and Capacities renew or grow but our Redemption is ever in Christ. P. 249. Pardon is not the Effect of those Graces but of the Promise in the Virtue of Christ's Blood or of his Blood applied for Forgiveness by the Promise Reader if thou regardest Truth dost not thou find Christ's Sufferings to be a real Cause of Pardon a sole meritorious or material Cause all other Causes of that kind excluded and these Sufferings and Christ's Righteousness immediately applied See p. 247. We are justified only by Christ's Merits as the sole procuring Cause or Righteousness for which we are justified V. Mr. C. p. 21. The use of Christ's Sufferings is to compound with God for Sinners upon the account of the Old Law and put a Bar upon his Proceedings according to that and procure another Law by the Righteousness whereof we are justified which Righteousness is our own inherent Righteousness and not Christs And p. 30. Faith doth not justifie us by applying Christ's Righteousness c. but by its own Vertue as being a Righteousness it self c. but Christ's Righteousness hath nothing to do here it 's our own Faith and Repentance is the Righteousness in conformity to the Rule of Promise and that 's Latin for the New Law So p. 15. We are not at all entituled to this Blessing by Christ but by our own Obedience you mean c. Repl. I am represented as if I thought 1. That Christ served only to excuse us from perfect Obedience but that our Pardon and Glory given by the Promise were not the immediate Effects of his Merits 2. That he merited only that we might merit by our Faith 3. That our Faith and Repentance are the meritorious Cause of our Pardon and Glory by the New Law and so that Gospel-Conditions are of the same use to our Justification as Works were under the Law that is to be the Righteousness for which we are justified and saved All which I disown and expresly declare 1. That Christ hath satisfied Justice and merited Pardon and Glory these have their Being only on his account and he hath a Right to give them 2. When the Sinner partakes of these Mercies he partakes of them as the fruits of his Death and for his sake 3. God in Christ as our Ruler hath declared a Way and Order how he will dispense these Benefits to us and enjoyns our compliance with that Order If we believe tho' Faith be his Gift he will forgive for Christ's sake otherwise he declares he will not 4. Gospel-Conditions have no other use to our Interest in these Benefits than a complyance with this stated Rule of the Distribution of Pardon and Glory which are merited by Christ and given only for his sake This is my plain meaning in all he hath objected against consult my words in the Epistle and what I have repeated in the last Head and these following in my Book Cap. 7. p. 39. I affirm That Christ by his Righteousness merited for all the Elect that they should in his time and way be certainly partakers of its Saving Effects and did not only purchase a conditional Grant of those Effects viz. that Proposition He that believeth shall be saved P. 1. I affirm The whole meritorious Cause and Price of Justification Adoption and Eternal Life were perfect when Christ finished the Work of Satisfaction Cap. 3 p. 16. I affirm That when we are pardoned the whole meritorious Cause of that Pardon is that atonement and what is required of Sinners is only a Meetness to receive the Effects of it Cap. 10. p. 84. I deny that preparatory Qualifications do merit True Grace and that Faith or Repentance do merit an Interest in Christ. I say their whole use depends on Christ's Ordination P. 45. we are reputed righteous for the sake of what Christ did and not for the merit of what we have done P. 61. I deny the performance of the Conditions of the Covenant to be
down to a Promise He calls it a Promise but his Dominion renders the Term enjoyned a Duty and so be raiseth up the Promise to a Law The word Covenant implies the certain performance on his part in the way he sets down and our restipulation to that way In the very word Testament as he notes the ratification of the Covenant by Christ's Death so it excludes not the appointed Condition of the Legatees to whom he makes a disposition of the Benefits So that the Word the Law of Grace or the Law of Faith is no other than the Covenant of Grace the Gospel-Promise of Salvation the Testament of Christ or the Word of the Gospel or the Gospel it self Whereas Mr. C. exposeth it as a New Gospel and New Law it 's the first Gospel GOD delivered to Men for he never promised to give Glory by Christ to any unbelieving impenitent person A new Law indeed it is as being a little younger than the Law of Innocency which condemns for the least Sin and gives Life to none but the Perfect by which Law no man but Christ was ever justified and by whose answering it for us we shall be justified in a Gospel-way But yet it is a Law older than Cain or Abel otherwise Abel's Sacrifice had been no more acceptable than Cain's which by Faith it was and which Faith in Christ must have been commanded as well as the Sacrifice though the brief account which Moses gives of above two thousand years doth not express it nor was it needful Yea God's Words to Cain imply it as Mr. Ball on Covenant p. 43. saith These are a Promise of the Covenant that took place after the Fall 2. I do not say the Gospel is a Law in the following sence 1. I do not say that the Gospel includes nothing besides this Law it gives us an account of the Covenant of Redemption and the absolute Promises There be many Prophecies the History of our Blessed Lord c. Doctrinal Truths Prophecies c. yet these may be called Adjuncts 2. Nor do I judge it a Law in that sence our Divines fix on the Socinians and Arminians viz. as if Acts of Obedience to this Law are the Righteousness for which we are justified or saved as Perfect Obedience was under the Law of Adam This I deny for we have no Righteousness for which we are justified or saved but Christ's and the Fruits of that are we blessed with upon complying with the Gospel Our Faith or inherent Righteousness c. are not the paying a Farthing of Debt to the Creditor but our submitting to that way by which we have Forgiveness of all the Debt and are Partakers of Glory both which God had in his Eye as to be purchased by Christ before he fixed on this way for our obtaining them 3. Nor do I take it in the Popish sence which the Socinians and Arminians espouse but true Protestants oppose viz. as if the moral Law were not perfect in its kind but that the spiritual extensive sence of the Precepts were new Precepts of our Lord and that the Old Testament did not include the Gospel-Precepts of Faith in Christ and Repentance for Pardon as well as the New though it did not discover the Objects and Motives c. so clearly 4. It is not a Law that supposeth a moral ability in Sinners to perform its Precepts that was necessary in God's Dealings with Men as his Creatures just come out of his Hand but not so when he deals with Man about his recovery when he had virtually sinned in Adam forfeited all yea had undone himself Whatever Mr. C. saith p. 23. I affirm if the Subject be rational or have natural Power If such Ability comes so with this Law that the Elect are made effectually able and others are wilfully faulty if they finally rebel it 's enough to justifie the Divine Order Will not and cannot are distinct things with Mr. Fenner in his Book of Wilful Impenitency Yea with D. Owens on Ps. 130. p. 248. 5. It is not a Law that extinguisheth the Law of Nature which hath its special Precepts and which in genere upon Gospel Revelation requires what the Gospel requires and condemns for Faults against the special Precepts of the Gospel tho' it condemns not so as to bar the Relief which the Gospel affords nor promiseth Life upon those Terms which the Gospel doth The Gospel in a large sence takes the Law as subservient to its gracious designs tho' Mr. C. weakly infers p. 24 25. that therefore the whole Precept is hereby made the Condition 6. Neither doth this Law require any thing of us as a Condition of Christ's coming into the World as a Redeemer it supposeth that nor yet any Condition of the first Grace to the Elect. This the Covenant of Redemption secures and it is assured to the Catholick Church by Promise 8. Nor is it a Law Obedience whereto renders any promised Blessing a Debt All is free tho' sure It 's free as to Man's Procurement or Price yet it is as sure by Promise as if it were a Debt but the Price was Christ's Obedience and Sufferings and all comes to us of Gift yet in that way which God appoints to give it 2. I mean by the Gospel being a Law that God in Christ our Redeemer doth by the Gospel expresly command Sinners to receive Christ with a true operative Faith and promiseth that tho' they are condemned by Adam's Law yet upon their so believing they shall be united to Christ and justified by his Righteousness and that persevering in Faith by sincere Holiness they shall be saved for his sake He also threatens that if any shall dye unbelieving impenitent ungodly Rejecters of his Grace they shall be bar'd from these Benefits and they shall perish without relief and have sorer Punishments than if these gracious Offers had not been made to them This is the Law of Faith I 'll add one Caution to this Account which is too needful Give me but the Assemblies Description of Faith Conf. cap. 14. and I desire to use no word as expressive of the Terms of the Gospel besides Faith but men now define Faith by such a small part of it as requires Caution for the sake of Souls 1. Here we have all the Essentials of a Law God is our Ruler and we his Subjects his Will is revealed in a way of Government here 's his Precept which binds us to Duty here 's a Promise made to such as do comply and here 's a Threatning denounced against such as finally rebel Preach the Gospel to every Creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned 2. Yet this is a Law of Grace it 's made by our Redeemer for fallen Man all the Benefits of it are founded on Christ's Righteousness as the immediate cause of them Effectual Ability to perform the Duty is provided for all
had not promised it upon believing Had Pardon come by an absolute Promise they acted very legally in believing that they might be pardoned Mr. C. may as justly say of them as of me They set up a new Gospel R. 7. The Gospel is at least part of the Rule by which Christ will judge the World at the last day That it must be a Law if it be a Rule of Judgment I suppose none will deny unless they 'l deny that Christ is a Judge The Work of that day is not to try Christ whether he fulfilled all 〈◊〉 Righteousness nor yet whether his Righteousness was impured to all that did believe but by solemn Sentence to decide the Cause of all men to silence all false Apologies and publickly adjudge all to their eternal place unto the Glory of Justice and Mercy That day supposeth all justified or not by the Gospel Christ then changeth no mans state the Godly stand there pardoned and entituled to Life by Christ's Righteousness imputed the Wicked are there without any Interest in Christ these wicked ones if they pretend to sinless Innocency they are cast upon the least Sin by the Law of Adam But if they plead God's general Mercy it will be evident that Mercy adjusted its Rule in the Gospel If they plead Hopes from Christ as a Redeemer and the Offers he made they are convinced by that Book that Christ saved none but such as repent and believe If they plead they did believe and profess his Name Christ will convince them that his Gospel required a true Faith operative in sincere and persevering Obedience the want whereof he will charge upon them as you see in Mat. cap. 7. cap. 22. 25 c. and so leaves them subject to the Law of Adam without Relief by the Gospel yea heightens their Condemnation for disobeying the Gospel But if they yet plead But Lord thou savest some that were Unbelievers as well as we at least they were not such Believers as did yield sincere Obedience This Plea Christ will confound by solemn Declaration of the true Faith and Sincerity of all them whom he now saves and so will evidence that his Judgment is without respect of persons and that his Righteousness is no Plea for any finally unbelieving ungodly Hypocrite whom his Gospel condemned If the Damned or Satan should plead But they were Sinners though not unbelieving Hypocrites the Answer of Christ will be I have satisfied the Law for them and so Justice cannot suffer by my washing them in my Blood nor hinder their being glorious for my sake I humbly think this is being judged according to our Works Rev. 20. 12 13. This is being justified by our Words Mat. 12. 37. And what Iames most intends Iam. 2. 24. I hope none can doubt but this proves the Gospel is part of the Rule of Judgment and it 's plain God will judge the Secrets of all Hearts by my Gospel Rom. 2. 16. And the word that I have spoken to you that shall judge you This is one of the Books that shall then be opened saith Mr. Ch. Father And how awful is that day when the closest Hypocrite will be discovered and yet the doubtful Christian adjudged sincere But blessed be God the Saints Plea will be managed by Christ himself Reader it 's hard reconciling the account we have of the Day of Judgment by any thing below what I have delivered and were not the Gospel to be a Rule of Judgment I cannot see how that could be a Iudgment-day it must be only an Execution-day for by the Law of Adam no Believer could be acquitted that Law must be altered by the Law-giver to admit a Satisfaction and it 's by the Gospel only he hath enacted the way how this Satisfaction shall be applied By that first Law these Unbelievers yea all men were condemned virtually in Adam when he was judged upon his Fall and that Sentence seized them as soon as they had a Being there needed no other It would help thy Thoughts if thou wilt accomodate some of the Circumstances of the last Judgment to them that shall be alive at that time I might multiply Arguments to prove the Gospel to be a Law Whatever proves the Covenant to be conditional proves the Gospel to be a Law Nothing keeps the most sincere Godliness or Act of a Saint here from being downright a Sin if the Gospel be no Law for they are not legally perfect and so are Sins I see not how any man can have grounded Hopes of Glory if the Gospel be no Law and they that deny it and say Faith is but a Sign must set up Works above Faith for they are more evidencing Signs than an internal Act of Faith Yea how can Christ be our King if his Gospel be no Law Many more might be added were there room but I shall omit the rest except what will occur in my Answer to Mr. C's Objections which follow I. Mr. C. objects p. 5. Whoever is justified by a Law is fallen from Grace Gal. 3. 11. It should be read a Law not the Law it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the emphatical Particle is not put in and so it 's every Law is excluded Repl. Upon such Cobwebs in the face of the plain scope of the Bible doth this Cause stand Where 's the Argument Because in a few places the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not put in therefore the Apostle excludes even every Law when he doth plainly exclude only one sort as appears by the whole Context Nay when he at the same time affirms another Species under that general Rom. 3. 27. But farther note 1. Where the Article is elsewhere omitted the word it refers to doth not exclude every sort of Law Rom. 2. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Will you render this For the Gentiles which have not a Law or not any Law the Article is wanting but sure they had some Law even the Law of Nature 2. Where the Article is wanting it doth not infer that every kind under the general word are alike intended Rom. 2. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is not there the written Mosaick Law set in opposition to the Law of Nature unwritten Yet the Article is wanting Rom. 5. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law was added Was it no special Law Sure there was some Law before So Gal. 4. 4. Gal. 3. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Iust shall live by Faith Is this any sort of Faith Will a temporary or historical Faith serve Yes by Mr. C's Rule 3. The Article is oft added to the word Law in the very Subject before us Gal. 3. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But the Law is not of Faith V. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is the Law against the Promises and v. 24. Rom. 10. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moses describeth the Righteousness which is of the Law 4. The Socinians evade the force of Ioh. 1. 1.