of it you say that I affirme that you may sin and instance a woman that should prostiate herselfe to uncleanesse and said that no law did forbid her nor was she under the law but under grace and then you advise me to marke them that are such as make the liberty of Christians to be a cloak of malitiousnesse now I thank you for your good advice and I hope I shall take your counsel and esteem them as sons of Belial that will not have the law of God to be a rule for their better obedience My soule come not thou into their secret and into their Assembly myne honour be thou not united Gen 49.6 Againe you say that I wonder at such blasphemy to say that the spirit of God should dwel where Sathan is I answer this is but a repetition of your lyes already answered It is true I say it is blasphemy to say that the blessed spirit of God should be a companion yea a very baud to cursed Divells where they rule and range page 4. line 40. Read it better and you say that I wonder to heare them say they are as righteous as Christ I answer so I may at your bold presumption and you have nothing to say to the contrary and I think my booke might convince your folly if you had but common reason page 6. but you condemne me of ignorance like Nicodemus that knew no way to be born againe but by entring the second time into his motherr wombe But remember how you said before that it was a lame faith that did not bring the righteousnesse of Christ into the soule by infusion that justifies you but this cursed errour I have answered already but for your warrant that Nicodemus if hee had bin questioned would confidently affirme that Christ taught him that hee must enter the second time into the womb and be born again I answ The man suspected his misapprehention of Christ asked him presently what he meant before he stirred from him saying How can a man be borne when he is old Joh. 3.4 Other things you say that I affirm but are not true and you instance Luther but I must send you back to my book and read it better and you shal see that he saith it is a guide to truth and a rule to sever your actions by else why doth he examine them that fear God to learn out of Paul to understand it why doth he fear that some wil tread it under foot and abolish it and why doth he call such enemies to the truth But you say Luther wel observed faith the true use of the law is only to accuse curse and condemn and for no other use page 222.223 I have not the boook in my hand at this time to see these words but I am confident that they are errant lyes for in reason doth Luther admonish all that fear God to learn to curse condemn and accuse their brethren if this be so why then do you blame me for t in your letter tel me that it is against the law of all Nations and against nature it selfe but your hellish constructions of that worthy mans work wil not help you at all but make you the more appear to the world to be a shamelesse lier like your father the divel but in the neck of this comes another as bad or worse you say that to the people of grace the morrall Law is principally aimed at by Paul to be abollished but this I have answered in the sist Tenet and for Calvin and Perkins you want means and leisure which is but a weak excuse but let it passe I hope all are not of your blinde opinions you say that I affirm boldly that faith applying makes Christ ours I answer so I have and proved it too strongly for any Antinomian to confute But this sucking objection I have beaten twice from the stage already and now let him take a kick on the arse and be gone with silence Then comes up non-sence saying Christ and our title to him are both the free gift of God but who denyes it you know that I confirme it in the fourth cause of justification but mark your next words and make sence of them if you can saying your justification by free grace in the 3 page is as impossible as the other you confirmed my 4th cause in saying Christ was the free gift of God and faith is the free gift of God and now you say it is unpossible as the other but what other you mean I know not I must cast him off with silence til he hath more wit to expresse himselfe better I may suppose Randalls sack-bottle was too near him and so I leave him to take a nap Then comes blind Byard and saith your contradictory alledging Scriptures your making them prove the things they never did intend in 40. places of your book at least but when you thought to bring them in there was none appeared only one he puls in by the head and shoulders which is that which I brought in to prove justification to be of free grace because Christ was freely given to us in these words God so loved te world that he gave his only begotten Son Jo. 3.16 And this you did confesse not many lines past that Christ was the free gift of God and when I proved that nothing in us moved him to give his Son yet this wil not down with Iohn Walker to be of free grace nor to be rightly alleadged for that purpose but for the other 39. places I hear no more of them but here the Asse in the Lyons skinne thought to make other beasts afraid but when the upshot came he could not hide his ears nor alter his braying and then you conclude all with a notorious lye saying that you want paper and yet you have two sides to write and so you end with approbrious words not worthy to be named besides I would leave a little spot of paper to cover the writing not knowing through how many hands the manifesting of Iohn Walkers wisedome and lyes may come for the world shall see who is a weather-cock and a windmill and fit for Bedlame now if you have not gotten the haunt to Randalls Sack-bottle at one a clock in the night nor too much frequented Batties place of meeting which is unpleasing to his wise there is hope that you may be brought to repentance of your Antinomian errours and so become a good legallest as you scornefully use to tearm them that have any conscience to obey the law of God Another answer to more of J. Walkers cavils written in another Letter MAster Walker I have received your Letter wherein I find some more of your cavils against my Booke it seemes it hath netled your gall'd concience by shewing the damnable errors that you Antâ—â—omians hold which almost perswades you with King Agâ—ippa to be a Christian Acts 26.28 So you almost disavow those errors in the beginning of
hath given me I should lose nothing And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and beleeveth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day John 6.39.40 But when others are left to perish in their sin this also is according to the will of God they were ordained to this condemnation Jude 4. And who hath resisted his will Rom. 9.19 Thus all things come to passe according to the secret will of God a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his will Mat. 10.29 Now it will not follow that God loves all things that comes to passe according to his will for sin it selfe could not be without his permitting will yet I hope they will not say that sin is beloved of God because he permitteth the being of it although his will is good and therefore a good will yet I deny not but God loves his work in the very Devils and Reprobates in the time of their being If this be the love of good will they meane I shall grant as much but yet the creature may perish for all this good will Againe I demaund how there can be any true love without delight here they would measure the love of God by their owne bushell for they say that they beare good will to Christ and the Gospell but they neither love the Father nor his Law but if these men did truly love the Sonne they would love the Father also 1 John 5.1 But let them have what pretence they will they neither delight in the Father nor the Sonne because they abhor all Bonds and Covenants that should ingage them to obedience doe they not rage against God and Christ his anointed saying let us break their bonds asunder and cast their cords from us Psal 2.1.3 Neither will they hazard any thing for the name of Christ but saith Paul I am not onely ready to be bound but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus Acts 21.15 They pretend love to Christ and his Gospell but yet they will not fight nor strive together for the faith of the Gospell Phil. 1.27 Nor contend earnestly for the faith that was once given to the Saints Jude 〈…〉 against sin Heb. 12.4 If they did truly love Christ they would fight against his enemies to rescue his Gospell and his people whom they say they love but this is their love of good will separated from their love of delight But suppose they say if one man purpose to doe good to another this is actuall love So if God purposed from all eternity to doe good to his Elect this is actuall love I answer A man may not onely purpose to doe good but he may also doe it and yet not love him to whom it is done as the unjust Judge did deliver the poore widow because shee troubled him but not through love to her for he neither feared God nor regarded man Luke 18.4.5 And the Pharisees gave Almes but not through love to the poore but to get praise themselves Mat. 6.2 So God may cause the Sun to shine and the raine to fall he gave them a King in his wrath and quailes in the wildernes but not in love But now although men sin when they seeke their owne praise and doe any good worke without love yet God doth not so Againe when one man intends to doe good to another there is an object for his love but before the Creation there was no object for Gods love but himselfe therefore God loved nothing before the Creation but himselfe it was not his love to the Creatures that moved him to create them but it was love to himselfe to set forth his owne glory Ephes 1.12 According us he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should bee holy and without blame before him in love ver 4. Here you see Holinesse goes before Love and not Love before Holinesse and also Obedience goeth before Love Deut. 7.12.13 Iohn 14.21.23 And Reformation goeth before Love Hosea 14.4 They would set forth Gods love to his people by the love of David to Absolom When Absolom fled the soule of King David longed to gee forth unto Absolom 2 Sam. 13.38.39 And in the next Chapter the King said Let him turne to his owne house and let him not see my face So he dwelt twofull yeares and saw not the Kings face Ver. 24.28 Thus they would have God to love his people from all Eternity although they doe not see his face that is although he doe not manifest himselfe unto them I answer Absolom was Davids naturall Sonne then although he offended his Father yet his Son-ship remained still and Absolom was in present being and an Object fit for his love being his Son But before the Creation we had no being then there was no Object for Gods Love but himselfe Againe then we were neither the Sons of God by Creation nor by Adoption nor nothing in us lovely beyond the Creation hence I conclude that all the Love of God then to his people was but a purpose to make them lovely and then to love them But they will alledge the words of Iohn God so loved the world that he sent his onely begotten Son that whose ever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have 〈◊〉 lasting life John 3.16 Here say they is actuall love going before the senâ—ing of Christ I answer if they look back they may see Christ tendâ—ed before ver 14. As the Serpent was in the wildernes and also it may be supposed that Faith was given to some of them to receive and close with Christ in these words Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have eternall life ver 15 then it followes ver 16. God so loved the world but what is meant by the world here but those beleevers who had Christ tendred before and had Faith given them to receive him As many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name John 1.12 And so Mr. Perkins reads it in his Exposition on Iude Page 52. He that believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life But why shall not believers perish Because saith he God so loves the world of Believers So then first God gives his people Faith and makes them lovely and then he loves them with actuall Love and saith he in the same Booke page 104. The proper cause of the Decree of God must be in himselfe because it was before the creatures were he decreed to love one and to hate another this he purposed in himselfe Ephes 1.9 God needs not goe out of himselfe for motives from outward respects to chuse or refuse but because his good pleasure is such Mat. 11.25 Then fore-sight of Faith in some or infidelity in others nor love to some and hatred to others was the cause of chusiug some and refusing others seeing Gods
decree is in order and time before the creature which being the latter cannot be the cause of the former and saith Mr. Calvin Instit 3.22.3 Speaking of those that would have fore-sight of Faith and Holinesse to be the cause of Election but saith he how shall these things agree together that those things which are derived from Election should be the cause of Election We are elected that we may be holy that so God may love us Ephe. 1.4 Not because we are holy so then the cause of Election was in God himselfe Ephes 1.9 Saith he God considered nothing without himselfe whereby he had regard too in his decrees therefore the end of Election tends to the praise of the glory of his grace ver 6. So that it was not actuall love to the people of God from all Eternity that moved God to send them a Saviour the moving cause was then in himselfe Againe I answer from another like place to this Luke 7.47 Many sins were forgiven her for shee loved much Will they say here the womans love went before Gods forgivenesse If they say no then I say they must needs conclude the same from that place in Iohn 3.16 That God did not love them before the sending of Christ and besides if they affirme the contrary they overthrow their first Argument for then they said that they were reconcil'd in Christ before the world was but here they would have all to be done before the sending of Christ but if this were so I demand to what purpose he came if not to reconcile and to adopt us and so to bring us into the love and favour of God the discovery of their owne contradictions might be a sufficient confutation of it Againe the world here with God so loved may be understood more generall and then more speciall First more generall he hath disposed the whole world and then more speciall First more generall he hath disposed the whole world Job 34.13 that is God disposeth of Heaven and Earth and all creatures in them The world is mine meaning all things that ever God made Psal 50. He shall judge the whole world with right Psal 96.13 That is he will doe all his creatures justice and so here God so loved the world John that is God so loued all his creatures and saw them all very good Gen. 1.31 When he had finished them he rested and was refreshed Exo. 31.17 So greatly did God delight in the workes of his hands that he was not willing they should be all destroyed in regard they were all very good therefore he sent mankind a Saviour that so all his creatures might be preserved I mean some of every kind The Elect Angels should be established by Christ that they cannot fall as also the highest Heaven is established that it cannot be moved but the lower heavens and the earth with all the creatures in them are defiled with sin The Heavens are not cleane in his sight Job 15.15 And the Angels that fell he chargeth with folly Job 4.18 And the Earth also is corrupt before God For all flesh had corrupted his way Gen. 6 11.12 So then all the creatures in the two lower heavens and the earth are corrupted by the sin of man and partake with him in punishments but by Christ they that are sound alive at the day of judgment shall be restored agame to their first perfection and so remaine for ever And their earnest expectation is when they shall be delivered Rom. 8. See the Saints Inheritance after the day of judgment this world of creatures God so loved that he sent to mankind a Saviour that some of all the workes of God may be preserved for ever For the new Heavens and the new Earth which I will make shall remaine before me saith the Lord Isaiâ—h 66.22 The second exception of this word world is more specially to be taken for the world of believers that is all the beleevers from the first to the last in the time of their being and this world was never without beleivers since Christ was promised to Adam and Eve they having a justifying Faith wrought in them they should not perish nor any true beleevers that discended of them For God so loved the world of believers that he sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world 1 John 4.14 And Christ gave his life unto the world John 6.33 And bee taketh away the sins of the world John 1.29 But these places must needs bee understood to be the world of believers they shall never perish but have everlasting life for God so loved the world of believers is to take away their sinnes They are his people children that wil not lye So he was their Saviour Isa 63.8 When Israel was a child saith the Lord then I loved him Hosea 11.1 But all this will not prove that God loved him before he was a Child from all Eternity before they were adopted or sanctified by the Spirit But they will say God loved Iacob and hated Esau before they were borne because the Apostle quoting Malachi saith It is written Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated Rom. 9. I answer the Prophet wrote this a long time after their death now if he say after their death that God loved one and hated the other in the time of their being wil that prove that God either loved or hated before they were all that the Apostle saith was done before they were born is this that the elder should serve the younger this was the purpose of God according to election Rom. 9.11 12. And Gen. 25.23 Yet this was not to be understood of their persons but the elder nation should serve the younger which was also fulfilled 2 Sam 8.14 Where it is said that al they of Edom became servants to David K. of Israel Then they alleadg these words of Moses Deu. 7 6 7 8. That God loved them before they were but in the text there is no such matter but is plainly spoken to those that were then in present being saying Thou art a holy people the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a speciall people Now the reason why God chose this people and loved them was not because they were more in number then other people but because the Lord would keep the oath which he had sworn to their fathers vers 7 8. But here is nothing to prove that God loved them before they were if we would speak of Gods love before their being then it is this The Lord loved their fathers in the time of their being and therefore he chose their seed Deut. 4.37 Again if they say God sees all things at once both past present and to come and therefore the elect that are to be justified he ever saw them justified and therefore they were alwaies beloved from all eternity I answer by this rule that God once saw David commit adultery and murther for it was done in his sight Psal 51.4 Therefore hee sees
before conversion by working or acting grace in his heart or was he then led by the spirit of God into all truth Iohn 16.13 When he persecuted and made havocke and breathed out threatning and slaughter against the Saints of God was the love of God then shed into his soule or did he then love the Saints of God when he so thirsted for their blood it is true he then loved them as the wolfe doth his prey But the true love of God is the infusion of that grace of love into their soul which both knits them to God and to his people but this could not be before their conversion then sure it was not before their being When God infuseth the graces of his spirit into the soule by those graces be sanctifies it and these are not the causes of our salvation but they are a part of it as the first fruits of that harvest Rom. 8.33 Iam. 1.18 And the earnest of that bargain He hath given unto us the earnest of his spirit 2 Cor. 5.5 After that ye beleeved ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance Ephes 1.13.14 Meaning the graces of Gods spirit Mat. 7.11 Compared with Luke 11.13 Therefore the promises commonly run and are made to them that are sanctified and seldome or never to them that are justified because the perfecting of sanctification is the last work and brings us into ful happinesse to al eternity then imputed righteousnesse ceaseth and faith ceaseth aad prayer ceaseth and the intercession of Christ ceaseth but the righteousnesse of sanctification that is begun is us here being purchased by Christ also and wrought by his spirit in us that abideth with us to all eternity for it is eternal life begun in us then what a miserable delution is that which speaketh evil of that eternal life that is begun within us saying what have we to do with that dungy durty duties of sanctification we thank God through Jesus Christ we have nothing to do with them these are workes for horne-book Christians but let me tel them that the promise of heaven and happinesse is only made to holinesse Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Mat. 5. And without holinesse no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Again Heaven is the inheritance of them that are sanctified Acts 20.32 But no unclean thing shall enter into it Rev. 21.27 Now all the persons in Trinity may be said to sanctifie us To them that are sanctified by God the Father Jude 1. I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you Exo. 31.13 Levit. 20.8.21.8 The very God of Peace sanctifie you 1 Thes 5.23 God the father sanctifies us by giving his son to purchase it for us and by sending the holy Ghost to worke it in us and by hearing and granting those petitions which are moved in us by his own spirit Rom. 8.26 Secondly God the Son is said to sanctifie us first by the purchase that he gave for it he hath washed away our sins in his owne blood Rev. 1.5 The blood of Christ doth purge your consciences from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 Secondly by his ordinances the word and Sacraments Christ gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie it with the washing of water by the word Ephes 5.26 First by the word in shewing us our sins by it and also our duties and begetting faith in us by it whereby wee have both knowledg of and power to do these duties and to refraine those vices discovered by it and also by the Sacraments by strengthning and encreasing faith all other graces in us Thirdly We are sanctified by the spirit of God 1 Cor. 6.11 2 Thes 2.13 Now as the Father works by the Son and the holy Ghost so the holy Ghost workes both from the Father and the Son therefore it is said Your heavenly father wil give the spirit to them that aske him Lu. 11.13 The Father shal give you another comforter John 14.16 And saith the Son If I goe not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I wil send him unto you John 16.7 Now saith the Apostle He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which is shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour Tit. 3.5 6. The spirit of God sanctifies by changing us into the same image from glory to glory that is From the glory of grace begun to the glory of grace perfected 2 Cor. 3.18 And by leading us into all truth John 16.13 This is done by inward motions and comforts encreasing that which he before infused into us Again it is said that faith sanctifies that they may receive forgivenesse of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith Acts 26.18 Purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15.9 When faith takes hold and receives the blood of Christ and makes it ours so it justifies us as an instrument or a hand laying hold on Christ the justifier But as faith works by love Gal. 5.6 And stirs up all other graces in their lively motion so it sanctifies us when it makes us love God unfainedly and stirs up a lively hope that maketh not ashamed and fear to offend God and care to please him and a zeal for his glory humility self denyall mortifying sin and a chearful walking with God in all holy obedience thus faith may be said to sanctifie and although other graces were infused into us by the spirit of God as wel as faith yet when faith acts them and stirres them up in their lively motion this second working may be called the fruits of faith because they are acted and encreased by it instrumentally although the graces themselves are all the fruits of Gods spirit wrought in us Gal. 5.22 But our Antinomians are strangers to this kind of working for they will have the spirit of God to do his own work and they must be as empty trunks for it and as dead stones without life or motion yea their faith they so much boost of must be but a spectator to look on their love must free them from obedience and their faith is without labour but saith Paul Remembring without ceasing your work of faith labour of love 1 Thes 1.3 Heb. 6.10 Again the Saints are not rewarded according to the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to them for then they should bee as high in glory as Christ yet I grant that to be the cause of our salvation but we are saved according to the measure of our sanctification that is wrought in us by the spirit of God neither are the reprobates rewarded according to the imputation and guilt of originall sin although that was the cause of damnation for then all should be tormented alike but they are rewarded according to their actual sins committed in their own persons For he that treasureth sin he treasureth up wrath against the day of wrath
been slumbring For what of this I am not here speaking of the causes of our justification but of the witnesses which is the spirit of God and our spirit or conserence But one of these you have lost which is your conscience many of you which I can make to appeare by your dealings with men and you with me at this time The fourth tenet you hold that God cannot correct you for sâ—n and yet you say that I confesse that God doth not punish and plague his people in wrath sury but what of this Will it hold therefore that God doth not correct them at all for sin saith David There is no rest in my bones by reason of my sin Psalms 38. But if thou be made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee John 5.14 Thou shalt be dumbe saith the Angel because thou beleevest not my words Luke 1.20 But if you be not satisfied read my book better and answer those Scriptures alleadged to prove it or else for shame leave cavilling The fist Tenet and so here you own them all although you say that they are in my trimming but here your naturall conscience flyes in your face saying tongue thou liest but for this Tenet which is that the free grace of Christ hath freed you from the commanding power of the law of God and yet you say that I confesse that the Judiciall law was not made for us and that the Ceremoniall Law was ended in Christ and that we obey the morrall law freely without the lashing or constraining power of it but what of this we obey the law and so escape a whipipng but the best of us may be whipped againe if we be negligent in our obedience to it but this is not our controvercy about the manner of our obedience to the law of God whether it be love or whether it be fear that moves us to obey it but whether the commanding power of the law of God be abrogated or made void to beleevers so that they wil not be moved by love nor feare to obey the law for say they it is no rule for them Thus Mr. Simpson expressed himselfe to me and confested the same before the Assembly of Divines if you would leave your sophistay and desire satisfaction I would entreate you to read my book better In the next place you say I must not call you Aypocrites and sons of Belial and rejecters of the law of God just like theeves and whores who love those sins and as a sweet morsell can hide them under their tongue yet they would not be called theeves and whores by no meanes but it is my disposition you must bear with me for I shal cal a spade a spade and I am the more bold now the baudy Courts are down yet I must needs confesse it is not very toothsome to them that are guilty and if you say that I take upon me to be both witnesse and Judge I have answered you already that your hereste hath been condemned by all good men ever since Luthers time and you tax me for slandering accusing you but you need not except you could cleare your selves better and for rash anger but I being angry at your sins and not at your persons I may be angry and yet not sin And then you tax me with contradictions but in the mean time you can prove none Then you say that I storme against those that have inherent holinesse when I only bring it in for distinction betweene the imputed righteousnesse of Christ and our inherent righteousnesse or sanctification Page 1. But marke here who they be you know not for stil you are but dead stones and empty trunks Again because I say that the imputed righteousnesse of Christ abides in him and not in us although our faith receives and makes it ours but you say faith abides in me and faith is imputed for righteousnesse I answer faith for the goodnesse or worthinesse of it as a grace is not imputed but as a hand or instrument taking hold of Christs righteousnesse and thus faith hath a long arme which can reach from earth to heaven and take hold of Christs righteousnesse and yet not bring it into the soule by infusion A Beggar can take a suit of cloaths with his hand and cloath himself although he doe not put it into his belly then take heed how you say that it is a lame faith that brings not the righteousnesse of Christ into the soule by infusion that justifies you but leaves it without but he is the blessed man whose sins are covered for the being of sin is there still You say that I affirme that the sinnes of Gods people lay on Christ upon the Crosse and yet you say that I affirme we are in a damnable estate before we beleeve as if it was not Christ but our saith that takes away our sins but this I have answered in the first Tenet Againe you say that I say God is of purer eyes then to behold sin but here you mistake my words again leave out with approbation for the very next words of the Prophet are these Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously Hab. 1.13 This was the divels practise to Christ and his children will follow their example Againe you say that I confesse that the children of God have sins and that God sees them I answer God sees them as mortally wounded and as dying daily yet we are not freed from sin till death Rom. 6.7 But yet God sees them read my book better Againe you say that I affirme that Gods spirit wil not dwel where sins are yet that I should say that sin is where the spirit of God dwels the last of these I grant but the first of these is a manifest lye as if by sophistry you would make me to be ignorant of what I have written it is true I say that the spirit of God wil not dwel in that foule and filthy heart where the divels reigne page 4. line 3.8.15.20 Christ wil not be an underling in that soule where the Divel reignes in ful possession but there is no such word in my book that Christ wil not dwel where sin is the Divell may come sometimes where Gods spirit dwels as an intruder where he hath nothing to do but to trouble and molest the best of Gods people Againe you say that I affirme some things that are doubtful as where I charge you to hold that you must neither repent nor be sorry nor pray for the pardon of any sin past present or to come neither must we heare of it any more I answer I shewed you my author wher it was written by some of your own gang I suppose you have seen it the author was be that made the answer to Dr. Taylors book I doubt but that you know him and besides your doubt is of my proofe but you deny not the thing which shewes that you are or may be ashamed