the Manhood of Christ but they were as Righteous as God himself Quoting that Text 2 Cor. 5. 21. Again he the said Culy affirmed That Jesus Christ was the greatest Reprobate in the World Mr. Coleman's Maid-Servant hearing him utter these Words said Have a Care what you say for it is against the Person of Christ and 't is Blasphemie Something to the same Purpose another of them uttered lately in London Also Mr. D s July 1696. in a Sermon Perached in London mentioning that Text Hob 2. 14. 15. For verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham affirmed That Christ did not only take or assume the Seed or Nature of Abraham or of the Elect but he assumed the Persons of all the Elect also Which is contrary I think to what any Orthodox Minister ever asserted Brethren pray Consider That the human Nature which Christ assumed was Hypostatically united to the Divine Nature therefore if he assumed the Persons of all the Elect then all the Persons of Elect are brought into the Hypostatical Union in the Person of Christ But may be some may Object and say He only meant Christ assumed their Persons Representatively c. Answ That could not be his meaning because he brought in Christ as thhir Head and Representative c. as another distinct Argument to prove what he was upon But further to Confute his Notion take what Dr. Owen saith viz. It was our Nature he assumed and not the Person of 〈…〉 Then say I not the Persons of all the Elect. Again he saith Many 〈…〉 Persons cannot be Hypostatically Vnited for that is to be one Person and no 〈…〉 e There may be a manisold Vnion Mystical and Moral of divers of 〈…〉 y Persons but a Personal Vnion there cannot be of any thing but 〈…〉 distinct Natures And as the Son of God could not assume many Persons so 〈…〉 sing that human Nature which he did unite to himself to have been a Person 〈…〉 ere could have been no Personal Vnion between it the Son of God Again saith 〈…〉 It is only the assumption of our Nature unto Vnion with the Son of God An 〈…〉 edent unto any individual Personal Subsistence of it's own that can 〈…〉 ute such a Vnion In his Treatise Intituled Twofold Discourse concerning the Spirit p. 52 53 54. 15. This Notion of Justification before Faith seems directly contrary to those Scriptures that hold forth That we are Justified by Faith c. in 〈…〉 all that Believe are Justified and particularly that Text Gal. 2. 16. Even we have Believed that we might be Justified by the Faith of Christ 〈…〉 c. Not that we might know we were Justified before or might be in 〈…〉 own Consciences but that we might be actually Justified Justification 〈…〉 applied to Faith 1. not by Faith as our Orthodox Divines note as it is an act of ours 2. Not by Faith as it is the efficient cause thereof for in that Sense 't is God that Justifies 3. Not by Faith as the Meritori 〈…〉 s Cause of it for so we are Justified by the Bloâ—d of Christ 4. Nor that Faith procures it from any intrinsick Vertue simply Considered to be 〈…〉 that Grace but by Faith as an Instrument i. e. as a Hand that receives Christ and his Righteousness or applies the Remedy to our Souls Faith Justifie us Objectively as it apprehends Christ Suppose a Friend should offer to give me a Thousand Pounds and I stretch forth my Hand to receive it 't is not my Hand that inriches me but 't is the Gift given the 〈…〉 Hand applies to cure my Wounds doth not Heal me but 't is the said Balm But if by Faith we are Justified then not before it nor without it Moreover if by Faith we are actually united to Christ and are the Children of God then not united to him nor actually God's Children before we Believe They that were stung in the Wilderness the Type of guilty Sinners were not Healed before they looked up to the Brazen Serpent were not to look to it that they might know they were Healed or have the Declaration or feeling Sense of that Cure which they had before but by looking they were a tually Healed 16. Lastly This Doctrin of theirs tends to lead People to venture on Christ or throw themselves on Christ Presumptuously and conclude they are Justified tho' they continue Wicked and ungodly and do not experience the Effects of Christ's Death and Resurrection in themselves for tho' we affirm God Justifies the ungodly i. e. That we are such Just when we Believe and so come to Christ as Sinners as convinced and ungodly Sinners without any previous Qualifications yet Faith doth not leave us in and under the power of Sins but purifies our Hearts and Lives Faith hath a twofold Use First by God's Ordination as it apprehends and receives Christ 'tis said to Justifie us and by its own Spiritual Vertue it Rennovates and Sanctifies us I must Confess by reading some Passages in Mr. Ayre 's Treatise and that passage of Mr. Davis mentioned in this Narrative I cannot see that these Men by all the Noise they make about Justification before faith that 't is anything more than that which we call a decretive and Vertual Justification So that it appears 't is but about strife of Words that these poor People made that Schism in the Church at Kilby Mr. Davis says That the Elect are dead in Traspasses and Sins and under the declared condemnation of the Law and Gospel till they Believe and then and only then they are freed from Condemnation which I take says he to be actual Justification by faith And that he will stand by the Assemblies desinition of Justifying faith and that the Moral Law holds the Elect during their Vnregeneracy under t is condemning Force till they believe I would know what is it we say more or less Why then does this man make this Stir and Division in Churches Mr. Ayre saith Justification actively Considered as it is in God who is the Justifier was Compleat and Perfect before we had a being and in this Sense Faith is not the Instrument of it and Dr. Twisses whom he Quotes saith It was ours before we Believe in respect of right because of the intention of the Father and the Son tho' not in Possession and Enjoyment Ans Suppose a man intend to give and also purchase an Estate for a Child that shall proceed from my Loyns of the hundred Generation from me can that Child be said actually to have the posession of 〈…〉 t Estate so long before 't is born Nay to have any proper or personal right to it We deny not 〈◊〉 our right to Justification in respect of God's Decree and Intention before we were born nor of that Vertual right in Christ as our head and Representative at his resurrection Certainly these men fight only with their own Shaddows for what is
Actual Justification RIGHTLY STATED CONTAINING A True NARRATIVE OF A SAD SCHISM Made in a Church of CHRIST at KILBY in LEICESTER-SHIRE PROVING none of the ELECT are Actually Justified before FAITH GAL. II. XVI We have Believed in Jesus Christ that we might be Justisied by the Faith of Christ c. LONDON Printed by B. Harris in Maiden-Head-Court in Great East Ch 〈…〉 and Sold by J. Marshal at the Bible in Grace-church street 1696. THE INTRODUCTION Proving There is no Actual Justification or Actual Vnion with CHRIST before FAITH THose many Errors that abound among us is one of the sad Evils of these Times which tend to make our Dayes Perillous tho' I must Confess some of them are more Dangerous and Pernicious than others as the Socinian Erors that ut 〈…〉 ly Destroy the Foundation of Christianity And evident it is That between the Socinian Arminian and Baxterian Errors on the â—ne hand and those called Antinomian Errors tho' I do not call them Antinomians on the other hand Christ seems to be again Crucified in his Holy Doctrin as in his Sacred Body he was Cruâ—ified between two Thieves The Error that is here Confuted appertains to those last Menti 〈…〉 ed in which you will find what hard Measure the Author hath met with from some of his Flock who charged him with False Do ‑ 〈…〉 rin but how Unjustly will appear in this Narrative The Point that he strives to Oppose is this Viz. That an Elect Person is not in actual Vnion with Christ nor actually Justified in God's Sight before Faith Or doth actually apprehend and apply the Righteousness and Merits of Christ by Faith to his own Soul 1. He doth not say Faith Justifies as 't is a Sacred Habit or Act 〈…〉 ch less in respectâ— of the Fruits and Effects of it 2. Nor that 't is the matter of our Justification but 't is said to Juâ—tify only in Respect of the Object Christ Jesus whom the Soul ap 〈…〉 ehends or receives by Faith Christ's Righteousness only being the Material Cause of our Justification and the Imputation of it the Formal Cause thereof Which our Reverend Brother asserts is not Imputed unto any Adult Person tho' Elected to his actual Justification before he is Actually or Personally United to Jesus Christ aud therefore not in Actual Union with Christ and Justified from Eternity as some say nor from the Death of Christ as others say 3. He stedfastly Believes God's Election of particular Persons from Everlasting for whom he gave his own Son to Die And that the Election of the Father the Redemption of the Son and the Application and Sanctification of the Holy Ghost are of Equal extent 4. That Christ Dyed as the great Representive common Head Root and Surety of all the Elect doing and Suffering in their Room and Stead whatsoever he did and Suffered 〈◊〉 as their Head and Representative and that he hath made full Satisfaction to the Justice of God and answered all the demands of the Law for them So that all they for whom Christ dyed shall certainly be Saved as an act of Justice and Righteouiness as well as an Act of Sovereign Grace and Goodness 5. That Faith by which the Soul apprehends Christ is a Grace of the Spirit purchased by Christ and freely given to us as a sign of God's Eternal Love Moreover he and we with him distinguish or explain Union with Christ and Justification thus 1. That all the Chosen of God are Decretively Justified c. from Eternity 2. Vertually at the Death or rather at the Resurrection of our blessed Saviour 3. Yet that no Adult Elect Person is really and Actually in Vnion with Christ and Actually Justified before he doth Believe in him And so is transplanted out of the first Adam as a common Head and implanted into the second Adam It being impossible any should stand in or grow out of two cwo common Roots at one and the same time since all as considered Actually in the first are Dead and under Condemnation and all that are Actually in the Second are made Alive and brought into Justification and declared free for ever from Condemnation Rom 8. 1. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his That is Actually his tho' many of them may be in the Election of Grace As touching the Sins of the Elect before Faith we say they are charged upon them by the Law under which they remain till they Believe or are United by the Spirit unto their blessed Covenanting Head and are by the same Law with other Unbelievers under the Sentence of Condemnation tho' their Justification Pardon and Salvation is secured for them by God's eternal Election and in Christ by Vertue of his Covenant Transactions with the Father and as 〈…〉 ed by his Blood and Merits As to the Sins of the Elect after Grace or Actual Union tho' 〈…〉 ey are Required to Repent of them and may not have the Sense 〈…〉 Pardon of them in in their own Consciences till then yet the 〈…〉 lt of them is never Charged upon them Christ having born all 〈…〉 Vindictive Wrath due to all their Sins as well those committed 〈…〉 Faith as before they Believed otherwise it could not be said 〈…〉 is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 〈…〉 Therefore whatsoever Mr. Coleman says about the Sins of Believers 〈…〉 Repentance and Pardon he doth not Believe they are ever 〈…〉 in a state of Condemnation Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of 〈…〉 's Elect that is such Elect ones that are united to Christ 〈…〉 Justification is but one Act 't is never more nor less after we are 〈…〉 d to Christ or are in a state of Grace Tho' Sanctification as 〈…〉 s is a progressive Work yet so is not our Justification there can 〈…〉 no breach made on that any more than in our Adoption once a Child 〈…〉 ever a Child Now the Notions we oppose are these following 〈…〉 1. We say The Sins of all the Elect while they remain in Vnbe 〈…〉 are charged upon them by the Law and that the Righteousness of 〈…〉 rist is not actually imputed to them until they do believe in Jesus 〈…〉 i st 'T is one thing for God to Purpose or Decree to discharge an 〈…〉 t Sinner through Christ's perfect Righteousness and Satisfaction 〈…〉 another thing for him actually to acquit discharge and pronounce 〈…〉 Justified by the Application of Christ's Merits Now the asserters 〈…〉 the contrary Notion do seem to say that neither God's Justice nor his 〈…〉 y Law doth charge Sin on any Elect Person tho' under the power of Vnbelief and vile and profane Persons see Mr. Ayre Vindi 〈…〉 Justificationes Gratuitae last Impression p. 94. 95. He asserts 〈…〉 all the Elect before Conversion and Faith stand actually recon 〈…〉 to God and Justified before him Page 45. Nay from â—ternity 〈…〉 31. Ans May we not find a
this to an actual and personal right Can men be actually Justified before they have a persoual and actual Being 'T is enough that our right is secured for us in Chrisr and shall in time be actually conveyed and Applied to us To Conclude I think it not amiss here to give you the Sense of all the Pastors Ministers and Messengers of our Perswasion on this Point as it was asserted in their General Assembly held in London Sept. 3. 1689. representing about one Hundred and six Churches where this Question was 〈…〉 ed viz. Whether Bellevers were not actually Reconciled to God actu 〈…〉 Justified and Adopted when Christ Died c. The Answer was That the Reconciliation Justification and Adoption of Believers are 〈…〉 fallibly secured by the gracioue Purpose of God and Merits of Jesus Christ yet none can be said to be actually Reconciled Justified and Adopted until they are really implanted into Jesus Christ bp Faith and so by Vertue of this their Union with him have those Fundamental Benefits actually conveyed unto them And this we conceive is fully evindenced because the Scripture attributes all those Benefits to Faith as the Instrumental Cause of them Rom. 3. 25. Chap. 5. 11. Chap. 5. 1. Gal. 3. 26. and gives such Represenfation of the state of the Elect before Faith as it is altogether inconsistent with an actual Right in them Ephes 2. 1 2 3. 12 c. The Ministers that Subscribed to this and other Positions in behalf of themselves and the whole Assembly were as followeth William Kiffen Hanserd Knollys Andrew Giffard 〈…〉 bert Steed Thomas Vaux John Tomkins Toby Wells Benjamin Keach Samuel Buttall Isaac Lamb. Christopher Price Robert Keat Richard Tidmarsh James Webb John Harris Thomas Whinnel James Hitt Edward Price William Phips William Tacey John Ball. William Hankins Paul Fruin I might add Dr Owen Dr. Goodwin and many other Reverend and Orthodox Divins that say the same thing with us Mr. Perkins saith Justisicaeion before God is when God reputes a Man Just and that only for the Merits and Obedience of Christ. So soon saith he as a Man Believes he is presently Justified Faith therefore Justifieth because it is an Instrument to apprehend and apply that which Jnstifieth viz. Christ's Obedience On the Galatians Vol. 2. pag. 209. p. 235. Bishop Vsher saith speaking of the Adult There is no Vnion with Christ without Faith And agaih saith Faith Justifieth only Relatively in respect of the Object it sasteneth on viz. the Righteousness of Christ by which Faith we are Justified Faith being the Instrument or Begger 's Hand to receive the Alms. Body Divin pag. 195. 196. I might Cite a Volumn of our best Authors to the same Purpose See Dr. Ames ' s Marrow of Sacred Divinity p. 112. 117. The receiving of Christ is that whereby Christ being offered is joyned unto Man and Man unto Christ Again he saith Faith doth Justifie but no otherwise but as it apprehends Christ's Righteousness by which we are Justified Mr. John Simpson who was called an Antinomian Saith By Faith we are Justified as the Spiritual Instrument form'd of God See his Perfection of Justificotion p. 112. Take what the Reverend Mr. Tho. Cole delivered at Pinners-Hall July 21. 1696. He said The Marriage Bond between us and Christ is on Christ's part the Spirit and Faith on ours by which the Spirit Unites the Soul to Christ There can be no Union without Faith nor no Faith without Union for it that is the Spirit works both and brings in a Comfortable hope of Pardon from that full Satisfaction made by Christ to the Law and Justice of God so redeeming ns from the Curse of the Law and setting us at Liberty Question But may not a Debter demand immediately his Discharge as soon as he hears his Surety has discharg'd his Debt Answer Among Men the Debter finds the Surety and so may in point of Justice demand his Discharge but there is a great difference here seeing God found our Surety not we therefore tho' what he did was in our Stead and Room Yet we having all in a way of Sovereign Grace as well as in a way of Justice and Righteousness the Father and Son might in that Eternal Compact between them Both agree how and when we should have the Benefit of Christ's Merits and actual interest in him and so be Justified which no Adnlt Person hath until he Believes or receives the Spirit the Bond of that Union We must not say with the beforementioned David Culy That we may go to God with holy Impudence and say Father put off thy Righteousness for it is mine Are not these strange Expressions As if we were Justified by the Essential Righteousness of God Yea by the Righteousness of the Father and may Demand it with holy Impudence or rather unholy Impudence I 'll add no more but this one thing I desire those Persons who are so fond of this Notion would Consider What profitable Use can be made of Justification before Faith Also know that That Doctrin that hath no profitable Improvement to be made of it but many Absurdities to attend it is not a Truth of Christ But so it is here Ergo But Sad it is that People should be so left as to tare a Church in Peices because their Minister is not of their Opinion as will appear By the ensuing Narrative A true Copy of that Paper that was Wrote by the Agreement of Mr. Winkles and the Rest who Charged Mr. Coleman with dangerous Errors and for which they made that undue Seperation or Schism FIRST We the Members grieved of the Church aforesaid have a long time sate under his Ministry that is Mr. Coleman's and have not Profitted and according to the Rules of Christ we 〈…〉 laboured to be satisfied in this our Brother's Judgment To know Whether or no it was his Judgment which he Preached yea or no and 〈…〉 ing no Reformation in his Doctrine we the Members grieved afore 〈…〉 do think meet to enter our Dislikes to these Doctrines follow 〈…〉 which he hath delivered First That Sermon which you Preached from the 25th of Isa 〈…〉 6. after Brother Overen who kept that gracious Promise only 〈…〉 the Elect but you strained it further than to the Elect. Secondly when you Preached from Coloss 3. 11. But Christ is 〈…〉 ll and in All you said Be Christ's and he will be Yours if 〈…〉 make him your All and in All then he will make you his All 〈…〉 in All. Thirdly When you Preached from the 2. Cor. 5. 17. If any man 〈…〉 in Christ he is a new Creature You said it was not Election 〈…〉 in the Purpose of God which caused us to be in Christ but being 〈…〉 med of God Regenerated and Born again And likewise you 〈…〉 med That the Law is to be Preached first and not the Gospel 〈…〉 poor Sinners which is contrary to the Commission Christ gave to his Disciples he said Go unto all the World