A CONFERENCE M r. John Cotton HELD AT BOSTON With the ELDERS of NEW-ENGLAND 1. Concerning gracious conditions in the soule before faith 2. Evidencing Justification by Sanctification 3. Touching the active power of Faith Twelve Reasons against stinted forms of prayer and praise Together with The Difference between the CHRISTIAN and Antichristian Church Written by FRANCIS CORNWELL a Minister of Jesus the Christ London Printed by J. Dawson and are to be sold Fr. Eglesfield at the Signe of the Mary-gold in Pauls Church-yard 1646. TO THE HONOVRABLE AND True-hearted lover of his Countrey Sir HENRY VANE Junior Knight sometimes Governour of New-England Treasurer of the Navie Royall and a Member of the House of COMMONS Sir THe Churches of the Saints and the World may not bee unfitly compared to the Pearle and the Pebble though both of one naturall substance earth yet the one of rare price whose beauty is the sun-beames inclosed the other wanting it is cast away as refuse What maketh the Saint more excellent then his neighbour seeing both are borne of flesh both subject to the same corruptions sicknesse death but this The Saints excellency is nothing else but the Image of Jesus Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse shining in him For as the moone and starres derive their light from the sunne so all the wisdome righteousnesse holinesse a Saint hath hee deriveth from Christ Hence David the King doth so prize their fellowship All my delight is in thy Saints thine excellent ones that are in the earth and them that excell in vertue Yea it is a sure note of a Citizen of Sion that hee honours them that feare the Lord Whereas worldly men without grace are rendred in his eyes as vile Hence the Spouse acknowledgeth that all her excellency cometh from plantation Let my Beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruit Yea Christ declareth to Nicodemus that a beleevers holinesse cometh from regeneration that in Christ hee may onely glory How doth the Lord discover this his excellency to a beleever by his calling till that time hee lieth amongst the refuse of the world as foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envie hatefull and hating one another But then the kindnesse and love of God to man appeared by delivering him out of the kingdome of darknesse and translating him into the kingdome of his deare Sonne By which it is manifest that hee is one of the Chosen generation the royal priesthood the holy nation the peculiar people whom hee hath called out of darknesse into his marvellous light But when doth the Lord discover the truth of his calling to his conscience Then when hee giveth him precious faith for that onely distinguisheth him form the world that lieth in sinne Gal. 3. 22. The Scripture concludeth father mother sonne daughter nay the infant that is borne of the most holiest parents all under sinne that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ might bee given to them that beleeve So that in that same houre the Lord giveth him faith hee giveth him an evidence in himselfe that hee loved him in Christ before he was borne before hee had done good or evill that hee hath justified him from all those things hee could not be justified by the Law that hee hath purged his conscience from all dead works that his person is accepted his sinne discharged and he hath a right to the purchased inheritance amongst them which are sanctified Thus the love of Christ revealed to dye for him to take away his iniquity and reconcile him to God the Spirit given to take away his heart of stone giveth him an heart of flesh to cause to walke in his flatutes yea and draweth his heart to yeeld obedience to every commandement of Jesus the Christ The truth of this grace given Right Worshipfull you can give a true testimoniall for you were once in your naturall condition as well as others till it pleased God who separated you from the womb to call you by his grace to reveale his Sonne in you you consulted not with flesh and bloud but left your native soyle in the persecuting times of the Prelates chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God according to the light they had received then to remaine in England and enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Yet there the Lord exalted your Worship to bee the Governour And in that dawning light coming forth out of mysticall Babylon the Lord discovered much spirituall knowledge of the riches of his free-grace in Jesus Christ amongst you you being freed from the yoke of the Task-Masters heere the Bishops that kept you in bondage you had liberty there to debate those Questions which the naming onely of them heere would have rendred a man odious But Satan that envieth the peace of the Saints stirred up a spirit of contention amongst you especially when these Queries came to be debated 1 Whether there are any gracious conditions or qualifications wrought in the soule before faith 2 Whether any man can gather his evidence of the assurance of his Justification from his Sanctification 3 Whether there bee an active power of Faith and other gifts of grace in a Christian conversation The one side would not beleeve themselves justified no farther then they could see themselves worke making their Markes Signes and Qualifications the causes of their Justification The other side laid the Evidence of their Justification onely by Faith in the free Promise for there are foure things that makes remission of sinnes perpetuall to a beleever First The cause of Remission the sacrificed Body of Christ on the Crosse or accursed Tree Heb. 10. 4. By one offering hee hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Secondly The ground is a free promise tendred to us from God as to Adam The Seed of the Woman shall breke the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. John 3. 16. 1 John 4. 10. Thirdly The meane is Faith apprehending it Phil. 3. 9. Fourthly The Spirit of Christ sealing of it Ephes 1. 13. This truth revealed for the comfort of poore drooping Saints found great opposition But the good Lord stirred up your gracious spirit to countenance and defend them in the midst of strong opposition and though you were sleighted and set light by at the ende of your Government as not worthy to be an assistant with many other Instruments more yet the good Lord stood by you and strengthned you and delivered you from the hands of your opposers perserved you from the dangers of the Sea and though at your returne to your Native Soyle you lived like Joseph a while in a despised condition yet the Lord raised you up to sit amongst Princes So that though you were willing to lose life friends preferment for Christ found you not then life peace joy in the Lord Jesus which was better to you then all worldly
good Spirit The third Question is concerning the activenesse of Faith The Controversie is WHether Faith concurre as an active instrumentall cause to â—ur Justification In the explicating of it I must â—â—rst speake what it is that justifieth â—â—ee First we doe beleeve that in our â—ffectuall calling God draweth us to â—nion with Christ Ioh. 6. 44. Sheding abroad his Spirit in our hearts Rom. 5. 5. And working Faith in us 〈◊〉 receive Christ Ioh. 1. 12. 13. And 〈◊〉 live by Faith upon him Gal. 2. 20. Secondly we are no sooner alive in Christ but we are accounted of God â—s his adopted children in Christ Gal. â— 26. Ephes 1. 5. and so are made heires of righteousnesse Galat. 3. 29. God imputing the righteousnesse of his Sonne Jesus to us for our justification Rom. 4. 23. 24. 25. As we were no sooner alive in the first Adam but we became his children and heires of his transgression God imputing the guilt of it to our condemnation Now in this we all consent that in receiving the gift of Faith we are meerely passive But yet a double Question heere ariseth Whether in receiving of Chrisâ— or the Spirit who commeth into our hearts in his name we be meerly passive Whether our Faith bee active to lay hold upon the righteousnesse oâ— Christ before the Lord doe firsâ— impute the righteousnesse of Christ unto us Our Reasons are If it be the spirit of Grace sheâ— abroad in our hearts that doth beâ— get Faith in us then if wee were Passive in receiving Faith wee are much more passive in receiving Christ or the Spirit of Christ that begetteth Faith for if we have no life to be Active untill Faith come we have much lesse life to be Active before the Cause and root of Faith come But it is the spirit of Grace shed abroad in our hearts that begetteth Faith in us Zech. 12. 10. Therefore if we be Passive in receiving Faith we are much more Passive in receiving the spirit that begetteth Faith If we bee active in laying hold on Christ before he hath given us his Spirit then we apprehend him before he apprehend us then wee should doe a good act and so bring forth good fruites before wee become good trees yea and bee good trees before we be in Christ But these are all contrary to the Gospell Philip. 3. 12. 13. Matth. 7. 18. Iohn 15. 4. 5. Therefore wee bee not active in laying hold on Christ before hee he hath given us his Spirit Whether our Faith bee active to lay hold upon Christ for his righteousnesse before the Lord do first impute the righteousnesse of Christ to us we conceive no. For these Reasons If the sinne of Adam were imputed unto us for our condemnation assoone as we were alive by naturall life before we had done any act of life good or evill then the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ is imputed unto us to our Justification as soon as we be alive unto God by Faith before wee have done any act of Faith But the former is plaine Rom. 5. 18. 19. Therefore the latter also If our Faith be first active to lay hold upon Christ for his righteousnesse before God imputeth it unto us Then wee take Christs righteousnesse to our selves before it bee given unto us But that wee cannot doe for in the order of nature giving is the cause of taking unlesse wee take a thing by stealth If our Faith be first active in laying hold on Christ for his rightenesse before God impute it unto us then we doe justifie God before he doth justifie us For hee receiveth the testimony which God hath given of his Son that God hath given us life in his Sonne he hath set to his seale that God is true Iohn 3. 33. And so he which justifieth God as others that doe not receive the testimony condemne God of lying 1 Ioh. 5. 10. But we cannot Justifie God before he justiâ—e us no more then we can love him before hee first loved us 1 Ioh. 4. 19. If our Faith be first active to lay hold on Christ for his righteousnes before God impute his righteousnes unto us Then wee are righteous men to act and worke out our own righteousnesse before we be righteous by the imputed righteousnes of Christ But we be to our best acts and workes of righteousnesse unrighteous till our sinnes bee pardoned which is not untill the righteousnesse of Christ be imputed to us In the order of nature the object is before the act that is conversant about it Therefore it is in the order of nature before the act of our Faith To beleeve on the name of Christ is an act of Faith To beleeve on the name of Christ is to receive Christ Iohn 1. 12. Therefore the receiving of Christ is by an act of Faith The place in Iohn upon which the weight of this Argument lieth saith no more but that they which received Christ in the second Aorist in the time past doe beleeve on his name in the time present Which we willingly grant that they who receive Christ their faith becommeth active through him to beleeve in his name that so they might receive him and his righteousnesse We are justified by Faith Rom. 3. 28. When we are said to bee justified by Faith It is by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto us Abrahams To credere his act of beleeving was imputed unto him for righteousnesse Rom 4. 3. It is taken generally amongst the Learned for a singular opinion of Master Wotton that To credere the act of beleeving should be imputed for rigteousnesse For indeed the act of beleeving is neither a righteousnesse according unto the Law For the Law is perfect Psal 19. 7. Nor a righteousnesse according unto the Gospell For the act of beleeving is an act of our owne though given of grace But the righteousnesse of the Gospell is not an act of our own And therefore Paul desireth that he may be found in Christ not having his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3. 9. to wit the righteousnesse of Christ imputed But this Doctrine is opposite unto the streame of all the Learned a passive Faith is not heard of amongst men and they doe genenerally make Faith an instrumentall cause of their Justification A passive Faith is rarely hard of out of my mouth but yet the thing meant by it is never rare in the writings of the learned nor sometimes the word passive Faith Two things are meant by the word of Faith and may be said to be passive in our Justification in a double respect Because a habite of Faith may be called passive before it putteth forth any act and we are justified assoone as by an habit of faith we are alive in Christ in the first moment of our conversion before
there needâ—th no preparation the almighty â—ower of God calleth them to be his people that were not his people 1 Pet. 2. 10. And by calling them to be so hee maketh them to bee so Rom. 9. 25 26. As hee saith inHosea I will call them My people which were not my people and her Beloved which was not beloved Verse 26. And it shall come to passe that in the place where it is said unto them Yee are not my people there shall they be called The children of the living God While Satan the strong man keepeth the house Christ the stronger cometh upon him and bereaveth him of his armour and divideth the spole Luke 11. 21 22. Wee are dead to our first husband the Law by the body of Christ Rom. 7. 4. and therefore it is by the vertue of Christs death we have fellowship with Christ and that giveth the deadly stroak unto our first husband The second Question WHether a man may evidence his justification by his sanctification The state of the Question is thus unfolded First To take a mans sanctification for an evident cause or ground of his justification is flat Popery Secondly To take a mans sanctification for an evident cause or ground of that faith whereby hee is justified is utterly unsafe for faith is built upon Jesus the Christ the head corner stone Ephes 2. 20. Mat. 16. 16. and not upon works A good work floweth from faith not faith from them Thirdly To take common sanctification that is such a reformation and a change of life as floweth from a spirit of bondage restraining from sin and constraining unto duty and sometimes accompanied with enlargement and comforts in duty yet without the sense and feeling of the need of Christ and before union with him to take such a sanctification for an evident signe of justification is to build upon a false and sandy foundation Fourthly That when a man hath first attained assurance of his faith of his justification by the witnesse of the Spirit of Christ in a free promise of grace made to him in the bloud of Christ Acts 13. 38 39. hee may discern and take his sanctification as a secondary witnesse or an evident signe or effect of his justification The Question being thus stated I propound the Question thus Whether a man may gather the first evidence or assurance of his faith of his justification by his sanctification Wee hold in the Negative part The first Argument As Abraham came to the first assurance of his justification so wee and all that beleeve as Abraham did for hee is made a patterne to us in point of justification Rom. 4. 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him V. 24. But for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeve on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead V. 25. Who was delivered for our offences and raised againe for our justification But Abraham came to his first assurance of his sanctification not from any promise made thereunto but from a free promise of grace Rom. 4. 18. Who against hope beleeved in hope that hee might become the father of many nations according to that which was spoken So shall they seed be V. 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was above an hundred yeares old neither the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe Vers 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith giving glory to God Vers 21. And being fully perswaded that what hee had promised hee was able to performe Vers 22. And therefore it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse The promise was absolute and free So shall thy seed be as the stars of heaven this hee beleeved with full assurance of faith resting onely on the faithfulnesse and grace and power of him that promised Rom. â— 21. Therefore wee and all the children of Abraham come to our first assurance of our Justification not from our Sanctification or from any promise made thereunto but â—â—om the free promise of grace The secoud Arguwent No man can take his assurance of the faith of his Iustification But as God will declare and pronounce him righteous in Christ Iesus But God will not declare and pronounce us righteous in Christ upon the sight and evidence of our sanctification Therefore we cannot take the assurance of the faith of our Iustification from the sight and evidence of our sanctification The Assumption is proved thus If God justifieth us that is declareth and pronounceth us to bee righteous he doth then declare his owne righteousnesse that he might be just Then he doth not declare us to be righteous in Christ upon the sight and evidence of our sanctification which is a righteousnesse of our owne But when God justifieth us that is first declareth us and pronounceth us to be righteous he doth declare his owne righteousnesse that he might be just Therefore he doth not first pronounce and declare us righteous upon sight and evidence of our sanctification which is a righteousnesse of our owne The proofe of the Proposition It will not stand with the righteousnesse of God to declare and pronounce a man just upon the sight of such an imperfect righteousnesse as our best sanctification is And therefore when God declareth and pronounceth us righteous He doth it not upon any sight of any sanctification or righteousnesse of ours But onely upon the sight of the perfect righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto us The proofe of the Assumption That when God justifieth us that is when he first declareth and pronounceth us to be righteous he doth declare his own righteousnesse that he might be just as Paul speaketh Rom. 3. 26. and the justifier of him which beleeveth on Jesus And it is the speech of David that when God declareth himselfe to bee just hee declareth onely the sinnefulnesse of the Creature Psal 51. 4. The third Argument If the promise be made sure of God unto faith out of grace Then it is not first made sure to faith out of works But the promise is made sure of God to faith out of grace Rom. 4. 5. to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is accounted for righteousnesse Therefore the promise is not made sure to faith out of works From the opposition of Grace and Works Rom. 11. 6 Aud if by grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace The opposition standeth not onely betweene grace and workes but beweene grace and the merits of works now no man ascribeth the assurance of faith in the promise to the merits of works The opposition standeth not only betweene grace and the merits of works but between grace and the debt due to workes For so the Apostle Paul expresseth it Rom. 4. 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of graco but of debt If
Christ I Iohn 2. 22. and will be partakers of their sinnes wee shall bee partakers of their plagues Revel 18. 4. And for our unbeliefe in persisting to persecute them that contend for the faith of Jesus the Christ Math. 16 16 17 18. The wrath of God abideth on them 1 Thess 2. 14 15 16. Fiftly There is no promise to any people that deny the Faith and Baptisme of Jesus the Christ that they waiting shall receive the gifts of the Spirit But rather that they shall be given up of God to strong delusions to beleeve a lye 2 Thess 2. 10. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might bee saved Verse 11. For this cause God shall give them up to strong delusions to beleeve a lye Verse 12. That all might bee damned that beleeve not the truth but have pleasure to continue in unrighteous practises 2 Thess 2 10 11 12. But there is a promise to all poore enquiring soules that in the time of their ignorance and unbeliefe have denyed Jesus the Christ their eternall King and Prophet aswell as Priest and now by the Spirit of God being convicted that they are lyars and Antichristian that deny the Father and the Son 1 Iohn 2. 22. And being pricked at the heart now trembling cry out Men and brethren what shall we doe The Spirit of Christ in the inspired Scripture saith Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus for the remission of sins and yee shall receive the gifts of the holy Spirit Acts 2. 38. We have an instance of twelve Disciples found at Ephesus baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and and Paul laid his hands on them and they spake with new tongues and Prophesied as Ioel the Prophet foretold Ioel 2. 28. I will powre out of my Spirit upon all flesh c. But were those Disciples Paul found at Ephesus that had beene baptized by Iohn the Paptist rebaptized by Paul In answering this objection I conceive First there was a vast difference betweene Faith and Baptisme Iohn preached before the suffering death and resurrection of Christ And the Faith and Baptisine Christ commanded his Disciples to preach after his Resurrection Luke 24. 46 47. Secondly Iohn the Baptist preached the Baptisme of repentance saying that they should beleeve on him that was to come after him Acts 19. 3 4. Whom Christ himselfe declareth to his Apostles being come in the flesh that he must goe up to Ierusalem fall into the hands of sinners bee killed and the third day rise againe but thâ— Disciples understood it not though it were declared to them and they were afraid to aske him Mark 9. 31 32. Much more John understood not that Christ should dye and rise againe from the dead First because it was not revealed to him though John sent two of his Disciples to demand of him Whether it were he that should come or shall we looke for another Christ answereth Goe tell John the blind see he deafe heare the dead are raised and the poore the Gospell is preached and lessed is he that is not offended in me Math. 11 2 3 4 5 6. Secondly Christ saith of John This was that Elias that was to come â—hat should prepare the way before him Mal. 3. 1. Thirdly Hee was the greatest Prophet borne amongst women for he saw him come in the flesh and said to two Disciples Behold that Lamb â—f God which taketh away the sinnes of he world John 1. 29. Yet hee that is he least member in the kingdom of heaven is greater then John because after the death and resurrection of Christ they could preach and declare that great mystâ—ry of godtinesse 1 Tim. 3. 16. that Iohn the Baptistnever knew But the Apostles after the resurrection of Christ he having opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures said unto them That it behoveth Christ to suffer and rise againe the third day that repentance and remission of sinnes should bee preached in his name amongst all Nations beginning at Ierusalem and yee are witnesses of these things Luke 24. 46 47 48. Again Iohn the Baptists baptisme was the Baptisme of water onely but had no promise of the holy Spirit annexed as himselfe confesseth Math. 3. 11. I indeed baptize you with water to repentance But he that commeth after mee is mightier then I he shall Baptize you with the holy Spirit and with fire Secondly The holy Spirit waâ— not to bee given in his full measure untill Christ was glorified Iohn 7. 39 compared with Acts 2. 33. But to the Faith and Baptisme the Apostles preached after the death and resurrection and ascention of Christ into glory there was a promise of giving the gifts of the holy Spirit Acts 2. 38. Repent and bâ— Baptized every one of you in the namâ— of Iesus for the remission of sinnes and yee shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit as the Prophet Ioel foretold Ioel 2. 28. and the twelve at Ephesus received Acts 19. 6. I affirme that the twelve at Eâ—hesus that had beene Baptized by Iohn or his Disciples Ministry were re-baptized by Paul or them that were with him in the time of his Ministery for these ensuing Reasons First In respect of the different dispensations The Faith and Baptisme that these twelve had received from Iohn or his Disciples Ministerie though it was a saving Faith all the dayes of Iohn and his Disciples Ministry yet it was not a saving Faith after the death and resurrection and ascention of Christ into glory in the time of Pauls Ministery For Iohn and his Disciples preached the Baptisme of Repentance saying that they should beleeve on him that was to come after him that was in Jesus Christ that was to bee crucified But Paul and Timetheus preached that Jesus indeed is come and crucified dead and risen through whom all that beleeve shall have remission of sinnes Acts 13. 38 39. 1 Cor. 15. 3 4. Secondly Because this Faith that they had received from Iohn or his Disciples in the time of Pauls Ministery would not save them Because they denyed the Resurrection of Christ from the dead Looking onely for him to come and to be crucified and were ignorant that he was crucified dead and risen And then according to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit by the mouth of Paul 1 Cor. 15. 14. If Christ be not risen our Faith is vaine and our Preaching is vaine Thirdly If the Faith and Bapâ—isme of Iohn that declared that there was a Jesus to come to bee Crucified and the Faith and Baptimse of Paul that declareth that Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures and rose againe the third day according to the Scripture 1 Cor. 15. 3 4. Be all one for substance as some of the Learned amongst us affirme then are wee found false witnesses of God because wee have testified of God that he hath raised up his Sonne Iesus