and that the Pardon doth not belong to the other Man for want of true Faith nay that because he hath not Faith he is subject to the threatnings denounced against Unbelievers God's present dealings with Souls according to his Gospel is a kind of virtual Sentence but at the great day he will solemnly judge according to the Gospel Rom. 2.16 Mat. 25. The Work of that day will be to Sentence Mens Faith true or false upon full evidence of its truth or falshood and to convince the World that God hath pardoned all Believers and none but Believers and to condemn publickly all Unbelievers and solemnize before all the happy State of those pardoned Believers The Case is the same as to every other Grace or Duty to which God hath promised any Benefit in the Gospel As far as God makes any Duty a necessary Condition of any Benefit by the Gospel he will Judge us according to that Duty and if we totally want it that Benefit will be with-held He that did not repent shall be denied the blotting out of Sins at that day Acts 3.19 13. Hence Men can be said to be Justified by Faith as a sort of Work no otherwise than thus That Christ adjudgeth a Man to be a Believer who is so and his Faith a true Faith and that he is to be dealt with as a true Believer according to the Gospel Promise Justification in this sense is quite another thing than Justification by Christ's Righteousness or by Faith as it connotes that Object This is not Pardoning Absolving and Accepting a guilty undone Sinner which must be upon a Righteousness adequate to the Law and satisfying to Justice no no It is but a determination of a particular Cause viz. He is a true Believer and not an unbelieving Hypocrite and yet it is of great importance to our main Cause being that God hath said Christ's Righteousness shall be imputed to none but the true Believer And if we must be judged whether we be Believers or no we must be sentenced to be Believers or Unbelievers and if we be sentenced to be Believers we are so far justified by Faith as a sort of Work and if our Faith be tried by our Words or other Works our Faith is justified by those Words and Works and we are Justified as to this Cause in trial by those Words and Works i. e. We are adjudged not to be Vnbelievers nor to be meerly such Believers whose Faith was not evidenced by such Words and Works Mat. 12.37 Iam. 2-17 21 25. The matter is the same as to any thing the Gospel indispensibly requireth and concerning which we must be judged 14. In the like manner Faith can be called our subordinate Righteousness no otherwise than as it is the performed Condition which the Gospel requireth in the person whom God promiseth to Impute the Righteousness of Christ to for Justification or actual Forgiveness and Absolution It is not the legal Righteousness the Law would Condemn any Man notwithstanding his Faith if he had not Christ's Righteousness Imputed to him It is not the Righteousness that is Imputed for Justification as that in the right whereof Pardon and Acceptance is promised or stands It is not the Merit that God regards either in making or applying the Promise It is not a Righteousness by Acceptilation which the Socinians call it that is it is not reckoned instead of a Legal or Perfect Righteousness which were to exclude Christ's Satisfaction and set it instead of his Righteousness It is not a Righteousness that makes up Christ's Righteousness or at all serves to the same End It 's not a Righteousness by or for which God justifies us i. e. God doth not Pardon or Accept us for this But Christ having a full Righteousness and promising to Impute it for Justification to all that will Believe sincerely and requiring and commanding Sinners to Believe in him with this Promise That if they will Believe they shall be justified by his Righteousness and if they Believe not they shall not be justified by his Righteousness but Die in their Sins notwithstanding the full Righteousness that is iâ— him and the Offers made to them I say a far as this Promise gives a Believer a right to the promised Benefit his Faith is that upon which he receives that right and so far the Gospel makes him Righteous by his Faith i. e. He is the Man whom the Gospel assures that Benefit to which it gives the Unbeliever no right to but directly excludes him So that this Faith is no Righteousness that is any part of Justification which is the Benefit promised and subsists entirely in its own Causes But what Righteousness it is depends wholly on the Authority Tenure and Truth of the Gospel as the instrument whereby God applies Christ's Righteousness to us for our Justification If the Gospel doth not promise to Justifie one that hath true Faith though it be imperfect then indeed Faith is no Condition nor at all a Conformity to the Gospel as defining the Condition and if the Gospel doth not by its Pormise or Sanction give any Right to the Benefit promised upon performing the Condition then indeed Faith must not be called a subordinate Righteousness But if the Gospel assures to every true Believer Justification by Christ's Righteousness then true Faith is the performed Condition and thereupon the Gospel gives him an infallible Title yea this Gospel is his Title by God's gracious will to his partaking of Justification by Christ's Righteousness yea to the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness for Justification but still it 's Christ's Righteousness that justifies and only that though it be thus assuredly applied to him that believes 15. Faith it self much less any other Grace or Work is not the Righteousness or any Part of the Righteousness wherein a Believer is accepted pardoned or glorified or stands in before the Justice of God or is it pleadable against the Law of Works or Charge of Sin It 's Christ's Righteousness alone that pleads for Believers in all these respects this answers the Law and for this we are released from the Curse By this Righteousness our Pardon and Heaven were purchased and for it they are given That there is a Pardon that there is a Glory for fallen Man is owing to Christ and that Believers have those given to them is also in Christ's Right though his Gospel assures them to Believers Yea it 's for Christ's Righteousness that the Spirit works Faith in any Person Faith puts in no Claim of Merit nor can it stand before governing Iustice nor admit a Trial before God as Creator as what entitles any to his Rewards But to the Praise of divine Grace and Wisdom our blessed Redeemer will own true Faith as that which he hath ordained to be a Means of investing us in his blessed Righteousness and what renders a Sinner certain of the Fruits of his Merits The Believer hath a Right by the Gospel to plead all Christ's
upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and eternal Life 6. His Faith wâ—nts the receiving of Christ if not wholly yet as a Prophet and Lord Whereas true Faith receives Christ Iesus the Lord Col. 2.6 7. Here 's no yielding up our selves to our Redemer's Conduct no Dedication of our selves to him as our Owner Guide and Ruler nor Consent or Engagement or Purpose of Heart to do so Whereas Gospel-Faith is such a Trust of and on Christ as includes a yielding up our selves to him to be saved by him in his way as he sets down the Terms viz. To deny our selves take up his Cross be his Followers and Disciples Isa. 44.5 Luke 19.14 27. Rom. 6.13.16 Luke 14.26 27 33. Ier. 30.21 8. Here 's no purpose of Heart to renounce the World Flesh and Devil who are Christ's Rivals and Competitors to whom we before did yield up our selves 1 Pet. 3.21 Io. 5.44 Faith is a strange Conjugal Consent wherein the Wife promiseth no Duty or Loyalty only expects all to be done for her Obj. If we trust and lean on Christ we shall do these Ans. 1. It 's as true if we do these we shall and do lean on Christ and by that rule may as well call these Faith and leave out that 2. It is not a saving Trust in Christ that doth exclude these or is without them This is plain because the Act of Gospel-Faith is oft expressed by these as well as by Trust and a Sentence of Condemnation lies still upon a Soul that wants these and is under the power of their contraries We will not have this Man to Reign over us was the Language of Unbelief and for this they were subject to Death Luke 19.14 27. 3. The Scriptures tell us of instances of a Trust and Leaning that proved destructive for want of these other things and certainly will prove so to all others Mic. 3.11 The Priests teach for hire and the Prophets divine for money yet they will lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us No doubt the Foolish Virgins had a degree of Trust in Christ but were lost for want of Oil though they looked for so much from him 4. As he wordeth it and joineth it in other places it looks to be a meer Contemplative Act which as a Man unregenerate doth with him perform so a Carnal Man may do it for indulging his Sloath and Carelesness q. d. I will now and then apply to this Meditation Christ shall do all for me I trust him to do so and therefore I am safe though I do no more yea I shall be damned if I strive to do any thing else as a means of obtaining saving Benefits though it be in Christ's Righteousness that I expect all We are warned Mat. 7.21 Not every one that crieth Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father and this was to enforce that Charge Enter in at the strait Gate 5. He ascribes too much to Faith as imperfect dead and unholy a thing as he makes it even more than I dare for a World ascribe to that which is the true Gospel-Condition P. 51. There is between our Believing and this Righteousness being upon us a reference of Causality Repl. We must be destroyers and be destroyed for saying God requires Faith suspending Pardon till we believe and by his Promise securing it to us when we believe though we expresly deny all Causal Influence and confine the Condition to the meer Frame of the Object and do leave Justification in all its Causes entire as the Benefit to be given in Christ's Right to him that is a Believer Yet our Accuser Witness and Judge can innocently cry up a Causality a real and proper Causality a mediate Causality of Justification an immediate Causality of Union with Christ which is the greater benefit P. 52. My short Legs can follow these small strides It 's a Cause of Justification but how By more than that Rule causa causae est causa causati Faith is a Cause of Vnion that Union is a Cause of Christ's Righteousness being upon us and that Righteousness being upon us is the Cause of Justification and so Faith is an influential Cause of Justification If you go forward with what Justification is the Cause of and what that is also a Cause of Faith is a Cause of even as much and in the same sort as it is of Justification and if you go backward to the next Cause of Faith and to the Cause of that and even all that is the Cause of Justification as much and in the same sort as Faith is And what kind of Cause is Faith in all It 's always with him a Phisical Cause a natural touch and clasping Yet P. 52. he saith it 's by God's Constitution and Ordination hopeful words but he soon throws it oâ—â— of â— moral Causality again and brings iâ—to the Corporeal Spicies Clasping about the Soul Here 's a Covenant-Consent without an Act considered as any way Moral a strange thing to any Man of Sense who must know that Acts are considered only as Moral Acts in every Covenant 6. He accounts all Performance of any Duty with an Expectation of any Saving Benefits as Morally connected therewith to be in a legal Manner and Spirit from legal or old Covenant Principles and unto old Covenant Ends c. P. 28 Compare p. 71. Reply I have fully proved that though nothing done by us is the Righteousness wherein we stand before a Just God or the Merit of any Good or Atonement for Sin or instead of a legal Righteousness Yet there is in the Gospel a Display of Authority though in a way of Grace and a Rectoral way fixed for giving out the Effects of Christ's Obedience in his Righteousness as Benefits encouraging to Duty And in that way we must expect them to the Glory of God's Truth and Promises and we wickedly Presume in expecting them otherwise and hereby Obedience to Christ and the Righteousness of Christ are not opposed nor old Covenant ends pursued Mr. M. saith P. 49. Faith hath no Influence no not so much as in a way of Instrumentality to confer upon us a Right and Title to Christ's Righteousness all the Influence that Faith hath is to our actual Possession of it I grant 1. That Faith is not our Justifying Righteousness 2. That Christ hath merited the Elect shall have it 3. That it is the Gospel-Promise is our Title and Charter yea 4. I deny all Causal Influence to our Possession But as to him who ascribes to Faith a Causality I would ask 1. Doth not the Gospel adjust by its Promise that it is the Believer it will invest in this Possession of Righteousness 2. Doth not this Promise entitle a Believer to this Possession and bar the Unbeliever 3. Doth Faith then no way affect our Right or Title to the Possession thereof Doth it not
to his particular Flock is at an end Nay he is of so Rash a Spirit small Skill in the Reason of Names and lavishly disregardful of Truth in this Matter that a Nick-name must be the Effect of his giving any to such as are not of his own Faction 2. He quits all Truth and Modesty in giving us the Name of Socinians or Semi-socinians He saith our Opinions are the Off-spring of Socinianism What meaneth he by Off-spring Is it 1. only that Socinianism was the occasion thereof Or 2. That they are of the same Genuine Nature with Socinianism The last is an abominable Slander hatch'd by no good Spirit 1. The former may be pretended but then an immediate Descent must be denied Socinianism tempted weak Men to the opposite Extream of Profane Antinomianism This Extream was perceived equally â—atal to the Vitals of Practical Christianity as Socinianism and also to give Advantage to the Socinians by its wild Positions and weak Arguments consonant thereto Therefore our best Learned Divines at once to prevent the Triumph of the Socinians and the growth of Antinomianism waved many of those Terms which had obtained among the Orthodox in speaking of Christ's Satisfaction without any due regard to either of these fatal Errors Hence Dr. Owen of the Trinity and Satisfaction P. 153. It appears from what hath been spoken that in this matter of Satisfaction God is not considered as a Creditor and Sin as a Debt and the Law as an Obligation of that Debt and the Lord Christ as paying it He then shews the difference and tells us God must be considered as a Rector c. p. 113. and p. 141. There is an allusion to them the Socinian Argument to a Debt and Payment which is the most improper expression used in this matter The same you 'll find Essenius Triumphus Crucis p. 391 399. Turretin Instit. Theol. par 2. p. 264. 462. In like manner they place Satisfaction in an equivalent in many things and not the same for kind in all Essenius p. 340. Dr. Stillingfleet of Sufferings of Christ p. 244 245. Many more instances might be given 2. But our Principles are far from being the Off-spring of Socinianism as being of the same Nature with it which he meaneth They are nothing which is properly Socinian or condemned as such by either Synod or Men of Learning So far are we from being half Socinians The Socinian Principles are summarily reduced to that of the Trinity and that of Christ's Satisfaction They deny the Deity of Christ as the Son of God by eternal Generation We affirm it they deny the Personality of the Holy Ghost we affirm it The Malice of our Author cannot pretend to touch us there The Socinians deny that Christ died a proper Sacrifice for Sin we affirm it They deny that Christ's Sufferings were the Punishment of our Sins we affirm it They deny that Christ satisfied Divine Justice or died in our Place We affirm he satisfied Justice and that Christ died in our Place and in our stead He died that we might not die who were liable to die He gave his Life for ours They say Christ died for our Good not by way of Merit at all strictly We affirm that Christ properly merited all the saving Good we enjoy The Good they say Christ died for is the giving us an Example of Patience confirming his Doctrin and at highest the ratifying the Covenant wherein our own Faith and Obedience is by Acceptilation accepted instead of a perfect legal Righteousness and this exclusive of Christ's Satisfaction and Righteousness and that he attends to this is what they mean when they say Christ in some sort may be said to give us Life But we affirm that the good Christ merited is Reconciliation with God Pardon of Sins and eternal Glory c. as well as that he gave us an Example of Patience c. And we truly affirm that we have no Righteousness that answers the Law but Christ's and that Christ's Righteousness is imputed to us as that wherein we stand before a just God and is as available to us for Salvation as if we had done and suffered what Christ did and we renounce all our own Obedience and Works legal and evangelical as any Part of that Righteousness in or for which we are pardoned accepted or glorified Our very Faith and much less our Repentance or other good Works is not any merit or procuring cause of our Justification The whole use and place we assign to Faith in our Justification and to Repentance in the pardon of sin is that they are the things which the Gospel requireth in those whom God will impute the Righteousness of Christ to for actual Pardon and a Title to Eternal Glory as promising to impute Christ's Righteousness to Believers and actual Pardon to the believing Penitent as also the possession of Glory to such as persevere in Faith and Holiness and all in by and for the only Righteousness of Christ as the sole meriting enclining and procuring Cause Reader judge between us yea let the searcher of Hearts judge whether we are not wronged by this Brother I have in this Book as well as formerly shewed that by Reward is meant no more than an encouragement to a Duty established by the Gospel as a Law not whereby governing Iustice enjoineth us to work out a Righteousness as our Title to Eternal Life but a Law wherein Grace in a way of Government appoints Conditions that render us the subjects of saving Benefits as the Effects of Christ's Righteousness and to be received and enjoyed in his Right Again whereas some call Faith our subordinate Righteousness I have evidenced that they intend no more than a performed Condition of the Gospel and no way a Righteousness of the same kind or to the same End or Purpose with Christ's Righteousness Also when any of us say that we are justified by Faith as an Act Justification is then taken in quite another sense from Justification by Christ's Righteousness the last being universal as to our Persons and State the former being only of a particular Cause viz. Are we Believers and but consequently are we the Persons the Gospel promiseth to deal with as Believers Also I have shewn that Justification is entire in all its Causes and that Faith doth no more than connote us the Objects or Subjects on whom this Justification is conferred by God as a Benefit or the Object on whom the Justifying Act terminates by the Gospel If these be Semisocinian Principles I undertake to shew that all or most of the noted Protestant Confessions of Faith and the Body of our Protestant Divines of Name yea especially such as have written against Socinianism are Semisocinian Sure then our Author either reads our Principles in a false Glass or he knows no more of Socinianism than that it is a scandalous word and so fit to brand those with whose worth acceptance and usefulness he beholdeth with an envious Eye
only with other things which the following Tract insists on These he had oft in his own place preached and long endeavoured to make our Ministry hateful to his Hearers yet that I was silent under But serious Thoughts of the Design and Tendency of his open Attempt at Pinners-Hall forced me in my next Turns in that Lecture to preach the Principal Heads of the following Sermons which I enlarged in four Discourses at my own place Yet I had that regard to Peace that as I forbear all Indecent Reflections so I took no notice that any one asserted what I determine against and had never published them except that he had Printed his and that with the Scandalous Name he intends us to be called hereafter by viz. Semi-Socinian Sober Men justly cry out against these Debates but I appeal to their Consciences where the Blame must be laid Can we be Faithful to Christ to our Ministry to Souls that need our help or to our own Name as Ministers if we lye down with these Calumnies and Misrepresentations Though did they only plead for their own Whimsies I should for Peace disregard them but to make it their daily work to Prejudice the People against the Faithfulest Ministry and run them into Confusion of Mind for a Factions sake calls I think for an Industrious Opposition If you ask what in us is it they so exclaim against I answer It 's 1. That though we own Christ's Righteousness is truly imputed to us yet we deny that God esteems us to have done and suffered what Christ did 2. Though we own that God requires nothing of us to be a meriting legal Righteousness or Atonement for Sin yet we say that God in a way of governing Grace requires some Duty to be performed on Man's part to which he enableth us whereupon he applies to us the Beneficial Effects and Fruits of Christ's Righteousness according to the respective Gospel Promises and thereby incourageth us to those Duties governs our Fears and Hopes And that 's the Heart of the Controversie for they think no Duty as a Duty is ordained a means to any Benefit They own no Law but the Law of Works which admitted nothing short of perfect sinless Obedience And because we cannot perform that as the Meriting Condition of Life in the Adjustment of Iustice therefore Men must do nothing as a Condition of enjoying any Benefits in Christ's Right by the Adjustment of Grace in a way of Authority Since we cannot be wholly Sinless it 's all as one whether we are Sincere or no. 3. We own that it is Faith alone is the receiving Condition of Iustification yea I add That it 's the only express'd Condition of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness in order to Pardon but all is in vain because we say that Repentance is necessary to our actual Pardon Mr. M. falsly pretends that their Notions are the Truth in the Churches Possession since the Reformation But I have proved the contrary by many Quotations in my Defence of Gospel-Truth and the very Iâ—dicious and Learned Apology of the Subscribers of my Book hath added a greater Number I will of Hundreds I could produce give two Testimonies Mr. Perkins 's Order and Causes of Salvation c. Cap. 36. Quest. Whether is Justifying Faith commanded in the Law Ans. It is commanded in the Law of Faith namely the Gospel but not in the Law of Works that is in the Moral Law Rom. 3.27 The Reasons are these 1. That which the Law revealeth not that it commandeth not but the Law is so far from revealing Justifying Faith that it never knew it 2. Adam had fully before his Fall written in his Heart the Moral Law yet had he not Justifying Faith which apprehended Christ. He then proceeds to answer the Objections against the Gospel being a Law Mr. Anth. Burgess in his Doctrine of Justification Part 1. P. 161. denies that Repentance is in a Man as a Sign only that God hath Pardoned But saith We must go further and say it 's the Means and Way which God hath appointed antecedently to Pardon so that where this goeth before the other followeth after This he proves by six Arguments and the Book was Printed at the Desire of the London Synod Calvin oft owneth the Gospel to be a Law and in his Commentaries on Jonas Cap. 3.10 P. 359. saith Forgiveness is Free and yet as oft as God proposeth Forgiveness to Sinners this Condition is still added therewith viz. That they Repent He gives the Reasons of it and calls it a Law by which God so commands Repentance in order to Pardon though not as a Cause of Pardon I have in this Book endeavoured to put the Doctrine of Iustification in a plain Light though I wonder why our Brethren still say I mean what is quite contrary to what I say I suppose it 's because they have so long thought and represented some of our Principles contrary to what they be that they cannot think it possible that they should be what indeed they are or at least they will suspect us Fools and Lyars rather than seem to own that they could be so long mistaken I request therefore that if Mr. M. will reply to me he would cite my words fully and give the Page as I have done for hitherto my own words would have put their Calumnies to Shame Him while God spares me I will attend to He saith That he is not far from the place where the Weary are at Rest and the Wicked cease from Troubling I wish him Repentance of the Wound he hath injustly given so many fitter to serve their Generation than him or me and whilst he is spared which I desire for Service may be long that he may be less unwearied in hindring and breaking that Blessed Union which promised so much Good though I am sorry he boasts of his own Quietness whilst he createth Broils and Disquiet to so many some known to us both he 'll meet in Glory who were comforted by the above Consideration whilst less able to bear up under his Assaults than by Grace I have been long strengthened to do Nevertheless whilst Conscience binds me to some Sharpness against his Attempt to destroy so many Ministers as to what 's more valuable than their Lives I do from my Heart forgive him and would rejoyce to find him convinced of his Mistake and Misrepresentation of our Principles that we might peaceably concur in promoting the Kingdom of Christ and our common Good and not be the Scorn of such as Glory in our Weakness Reader It 's worth thy notice that there is more Safety in our way than in the contrary for we trust in Christ's only Righteousness for all those Things and Vses it is appointed to even for Satisfaction to Iustice the Pardon of all our Sins and Defects the Acceptance of our Persons and all Performances the Merit of all Good yea and our Legal and Prolegal Righteousness renouncing every Grace and Work
are so strong That the Image of God is so little restored God so much dishonoured and offended still by us c. will this reasoning perswade you Because I shall be kept by Christ's Righteousness out of Hell therefore I am as righteous as Christ though still subject to many Penal Effects of Sin and know not how much greater I may yet be subject to 5. Doth the Plea formed in this Objection fit the Mouth of any true Believer Lord I do not now need thy Forgiving me any thing nor ever was indebted to thee for abating me ought I bore the Punishment legally before I offended and paid the Debt before I contracted it Be but just towards me and I fear no Advantage thou canst have against me Let me be and do what I will or can I am out of thy reach I have in the eye of thy Law suffered what can be inflicted nay I am as righteous as Christ himself and that in equality therefore thou mayest as well and as much be offended with him as with me yea may'st as justly deny him the Reward of his Obedience as deny me any part of that Reward for I performed the Conditions in the Eye of the Law as much as he and have a right equal to his I am equally righteous with him Are these the Apprehensions of an humble broken Heart These things are as unreasonable as if Millions of Persons were liable to die for Robbery and the King and his only Son should agree that the Son should die in the room of these Millions of Criminals that they owning humbly his Kindness might be released and honoured and the Son to have the Glory of being their Redeemer and have Homage done him as such Would it not appear strange if one of these should after his escape by the Prince's Death say to the King I owe you nothing for my Life I paid you in your Son 's dying for me And to say to the Son I have done and â—uffered as much in the Eye of the Law to â—ave my Life as you did and deserved it as much as you and have as much Honour due â—o me for dying in you as you have for dying for us Millions the King and the Law look on me and all should judge me as Just a Man as your self I doubt such a Man might forâ—eit his Claim to Freedom for want of humble Thankfulness and for denying the King's Son â—he Glory of being his Redeemer Exh. With Sobriety of Mind keep an humâ—le Sense of your distance from Christ under â—he highest Privileges he advanceth you to â—dore his Grace that through his Blood you â—re Righteous as pardoned Believers but â—read comparing with him He will and it's 〈◊〉 he should In all things have the Preheminence Col. 1.18 and sure to be more righteous than us in all respects is one of those things What can be a tenderer part of his â—rerogative 11 Pro. Neither Faith nor any Work of Believers are any Righteousness that have any Share or Place with Christ's Righteousness in Justification as this is before described Our Graces do neither make Atonement nor merit Pardon of the least Sin or the conferring of the lowest Benefit No Acts of ours are a jot of our Righteousness or right to Pardon or Glory in a way of Justice Justice could not allow them that place they being Imperfect and the Actions of Sinners God hath no Eye to our Works as any procuring cause of his imputing Christ's Righteousness or of his Pardoning Absolving or Accepting us Reader Because my Enlargement on this Head is long that it may be better comprehended I shall divide it into several Heads 1. I have already told you that Justification is that Act of God whereby he imputes Christ's Righteousness to a Believer and thereupon Pardons Absolves from Condemnation Accepts and Adopts him whereby he hath a right to Glory and sentenceth him one free from Condemnation as if he had not sinned and an Heir of Glory as if he had obeyed the whole Law This is to make us Righteous as in Justification 2. In Justification thus considered the Righteousness of Christ is that which is regarded by God and influential into all as the only Merit and procuring cause his Obedience Active and Passive is the only legal Consideration on which God Pardons Absolves Adopts or gives a right to Glory yea it is Christ's very Right wherein God doth Pardon Absolve c. 3. Justification as including these Benefits stands entire as to its causes antecedently to a Believer's Interest therein it 's a Blessing purchased by Christ it 's offered to Sinners and included in the Promise a Justifying Righteousness wherein or whereby a Sinner is to be pardoned and entitled to Glory is not to be wrought out by Men it 's already fulfilled by Christ and these Effects of it are lodged in the Gospel as Christ's Deed of Gift with his Title To be applied to all that are made Partakers thereof 4. To be Justified Actually is to be made Actual Partakers of a Gospel-right to these Immunities and Privileges in Christ's Righteousness as it is imputed to us by God in the Applicatory Sentence of the Gospel-Promise We have for Christ's Obedience a right to Pardon c. given us and thereupon are pardoned and to be dealt with and defended as such 5. God in and by the Gospel hath described and determined who shall be thus actually Justified and this by descriptive Qualifications they are Sinners condemnable by the Law hence called Ungodly Rom. 4.5 but not Unbelieving Impenitent Sinners for God Justifies none but whom by the Gospel he promiseth to Justifie Now if the Gospel promised Justification to all Sinners as such or to all Impenitent Unbelieving Sinners then all Sinners all Impenitent Unbelieving Sinners would be Justified as soon as they are such and cease to be Justified when they cease to be Unbelieving Impenitent Sinners But God by his Word hath positively declared that such he will not Justifie whilst they are such but leaves them under Condemnation and the Wrath of God abides on them Iohn 3.38 God's purpose of a better State for any doth not prevent their being at present in this worser State it is his Justifying Act that changeth their Condition from a liableness to Condemnation to a Right to Impunity from destructive Evils As it was his condemning Act which altered their State from a Right to Impunity to an Obnoxiousness to ruin this Condemning Act was by the Law that Absolving Act is by the Gospel 6. Therefore whatever God by his Gospel makes necessary in a Person whom he promiseth to Justifie all that and nothing but that is absolutely necessary in the Person who shall be Justified I do not speak of what is necessary in a Person after he is Justified but what is necessary in him on whom God's Justifying Act doth terminate We may judge what is made necessary in the Person to be Justified Thus Whoever God promiseth
certain Rule of Judgment and doth infallibly direct Mens Hopes Fears and Expectations Also it governs Mens Endeavours after Graces and Duties as the certain Means on our part of coming at the respective Benefits graciously promised in and by Christ to or upon those Graces or Duties But these things I have before largely insisted on This Damning Error comes to no more at last than this The Gospel-Covenant is Conditional not as to the first Grace but as to the subsequent Benefits and so that God requires us to believe and repent that we may escape the Wrath of God and that there are Promises made to Graces All which the Assembly of Divines in plain words assert therefore how many are undâ—â— Mr. M's Condemnation Nay it 's well if 〈◊〉 was Innocent when he Prefaced Mr. 〈◊〉 Book called The Blow at the Root for there all that I assert in this Point is affirmed 2 Charge He is the Man that makes the State of Believers to be undecided and in Suspence during this Life This is my Second Damning Error Reply He is very unfair in wording this who would not infer either 1. That I affirm that all true Believers are not in a State of Salvation Or 2. That an Elect Person that is brought to believe Savingly will Apostarize and Eternally Perish 3. Or that a Believer during this Life may not be assured of his Eternal Happiness But he knows in his Conscience that I do often in the plainest words assert the contrary to each of these Take a few Instances out of my Book I affirm that we are Justified the same Moment as we truly believe in Christ and the Blessing is not Suspended for any time longer And an Elect Person once Justified shall by Christ's Care be kept in a Iustified Stated Gospel-Truth stated p. 104 105. Again I affirm That Assurance is attainable in this Life as the Effect of Faith Page 74. I affirm that a Penitent Believer shall be Saved if he die before he hath time for further Obedience Again The Essential Blessings of the Gospel become the Inheritance of a Believer as soon as he is united to Christ Page 125 126. Do not say the Elect Believer will not fall away I think the same yet is it the less true that even he should Perish if he fall away Nay Doth not God by these Threats contribute to keep hi◠〈◊〉 Apostasie P. 138. See Defence P. 9. 2. I 'll give thee the Ground upon which he wordeth this Charge P. 55. I said the Reason why I use the word Condition is because it best Suits with Man's Relation to God in his present Dealings with us as Subjects in trial for Eternity And P. 136. How unsuitable is it to the present State of Mankind that Christ should govern us without Promises and Threatnings He is a King and we are his Subjects and we are 1. his Subjects in a State of trial for another World 2. We have great Remains of Sin within us and Temptations without us These are the places that give him the greatest Umbrage Now where is here that a Believer's Case is undecided 3. Let us briefly examine where the very true Difference between him and me consists for certainly therâ— is one though he thinks it the best Defence of his own Opinion to misrepresent mine or else he had gained little by calling it Damning The Difference is not 1. Whether all true Believers are in a State of Salvation 2. Whether they shall Persevere 3. Whether it be by the Influences of Christ through the Spirit that they do Persevere 4. Nor whether the Influences of the Spirit and Perseverance and the Certainty of their Salvation thereupon be the Effects of Christ's Righteousness and purchased by his Obedience All these I affirm But the real Difference is 1. Whether God require Believers to Persevere in Faith and Holiness as the means of their continuing in a State of Salvation 2. Whether it be a blameably legal Fear to be Solilicitously Cautious in resisting Temptations and striving in Christ's Strength to Persevere least we Eternally Perish 3. Whether if a Man have once believed yet if he should fall under the reigning Dominion of Sin and Corruption he ought to suspect that he is not in a State of Salvation These three I affirm and Mr. M. denies or I can make nothing of his words which thou must joyn together P. 50. If thou hast indeed believed with the Faith of the Operation of God and they Conscience knows it thou mayst then conclude assuredly That whatever thy Sins have been or whatever thy Defects and Corruptions now be yet this Righteousness of God is upon thee thou hast it and dost stand in it Reply The Faith is an Act past the Conclusion is at present whatever a Man's Corruptions be the only Evidence of the past Faith is â—he Knowledge of Conscience which is not Infallible And by the way I can prove That by his Opinion as that first Act is before Regeneration so no other or after-Act of Faith is necessary to continue our Justified State Again He exposeth such P. 63. as hold that we stand in it this Righteousness by our own Faith And P. 64. their Continuance in Obedience and the not failing of their Faith is one of the Privileges of their State and the Effect and Fruit of their having this Righteousness of Christ upon them and not the Means or Cause thereof You see the not failing of Faith is not so much as the Means of our continuing to have this Righteousness on us for of its first being on us he makes Faith a Cause P. 51 52. I need not shew how oft he calls all Fears about this Perseverance in our State Legal I have not time to argue these therefore shall only touch on each 1. God doth require Believers to Persevere in Faith and Holiness as a Means of their Continuance in a State of Salvation Rom. 11.20 22. Because of Vnbelief they were broken off and thou standest by Faith Be not high-minded but fear Towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou shalt be cut off 2 Cor. 1.24 By Faith ye stand How Conditionally is it proposed Col. 1.22 23. Now to present you Vnblameable in his sight If ye continue in the Faith and be not moved away from the Hope of the Gospel Here our Unreprovableness and Reconciliation in the Body of Christ's Flesh through Death as to Continuance is stated on this If you continue in the Faith Heb. 10.35 to 39. Now the Iust shall live by Faith but if any Man draw back my Soul shall have no Pleasure in him But we are not of them that draw back to Perdition but of them that believe to the Saving of the Soul It 's by Faith we live this Believing is to Salvation as drawing back is to Perdition How many are the Promises of Salvation to Perseverance and Threatnings of Death against Apostasie And these uttered to Believers Yea are
a way of Satisfaction Impetration Merit or Intercession it were true but as he words it it may be very Erronious and it is to Scrue an Error he doth thus express it Hence because he finds Repentance and Faith are so necessary to our Salvation he hath in his Pulpit endeavoured to inform Men how Christ repented and that he repented for us and though he doth not-publish it in this Sermon as he did elsewhere That Christ believed for us yet you 'll see presently how much he endeavours to convince us that he did so for if he believed whilst humbled it was for us and it 's imputed to us as he oft in this Book affirms Had I Mr. M's liberty what would I call this Error for though it 's in Christ's Strength and Grace that we Repent Believe turn to God and do good Works yet if we do not these as our Personal Acts Misery will be our Portion If you not I believe not you shall die in you Sins John 8. 24. Except you not I repent you shall all perish saith Christ Luke 13. 3. I say Except your Righteousness not mine exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matt. 5.20 Had Mr. M. been an Auditor he had not said Lord thou understandest not the Gospel it 's thou art to do these things this is the deep Counsel of God however legally thou speakest He might as well say it 's thou Christ shall perish as thou Christ art to repent 2. Faith is a prime and principal part of our Being conformable to the Image of Christ c. He is the first Pattern and original Copy of Believing P. 62 63. Reply Is Christ's Faith the Pattern of Faith in Christ I remember somewhere Dr. Goodwin speaks of God's trusting Christ till he was Incarnate and of Christ's trusting the Father since the time of his Sufferings Yea we may easily grant that Christ believed God's Promise and as a Man depended and relied on God's Power and Truth But this is no other Faith than Adam in Innocency acted than the Law of Works directed to By this account we may think better of the State of Pagans than most do for without Gospel-Revelation they may believe in God trust him and depend on him But what is this to the account the Scripture gives of Faith in Christ Did Christ come to himself as a Saviour Did he receive himself as a Crucified Redeemer Did he eat his own Flesh and drink his own Blood for Eternal Life Did he plead his own Merits and rely on his own Righteousness for Pardon and restored Peace Did he consent to be married to himself Did he look to himself for Healing Or to use Mr. M's account of Faith in this very Page Did he go out of himself unto himself for all Yea take part of his Description of Faith in Christ p. 39 40.1 The Subject of Faith is the Heart of a convinced broken-hearted Sinner c. The very Nature of Faith and the acting of the Soul in it is such as doth imply and include a Sight and Sense of Sin and Misery and a lively heart-influencing Conviction of utter Helplesness in a Man's self and unworthiness to be helped by God c. Reader Doth Christ's Faith in the Nature of it imply a Sense of utter Helplesness and Unworthiness in himself or of his Sin and Misery The Reason he gives for Justling out such as Abram and setting up Christ for the original Copy of believing in himself is this The Humane Nature of Christ lives and subsists in the second Person leaning on the Eternal Deity of the Son of God it hath its Subsistence in the Bosom of the Godhead c. and hath the Eternal Power of the Deity clasping about it P. 63. The Apostle did not know this Faith when he said that Charity was greater than Faith Well as Sublime as this Reason seems to be I will venture to say This is not that Faith in Christ which the Gospel requires of Sinners 1. I will give you a Reason of Mr. M's which besure is none of the best P. 7. Christ's dwelling in our Nature is no part of the Punishment of Sin for then the Divine Nature only is punished and not the Humane at all nor the Person It 's a bad one for what he brings it since that Assuming the Nature and dwelling in it differ and I have answered it before and it needs a great Allowance to keep it from But if the Sufferings or Acts of only one Nature be not the Sufferings or the Acts of the Person of Christ then the acting of Faith of the one Nature on the other Nature is not acting of Faith upon the Person of Christ and consequently not Gospel-Faith which is to be acted on the Person of Christ here the Humane Nature believes but that is not with him Christ that believes it believes on the Divine Nature and that with him is not Christ who is believed on What now is become of Christ's Believing even by his own Reasoning 2. The Object of Faith in Christ is God-Man Mediator a Crucified Christ c. but the Deity of the Son of God abstractedly considered is not God-Man Mediator c. Truly if our Gospel-Faith is specified by this I see not the need of Christ's Incarnation or Death yea or regard thereto 3. This leaning and especially to the purposes assigned to this Act of Christ's Humane Nature is not all that which is Essential to the Faith in Christ which the Gospel requires But why should I Scribble the little Paper left It 's like the Reasons he gave for Christ's Repenting viz. The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me and he was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief 3. He plainly discovers his Mind to be that Faith is an Act of the Soul whilst spiritually dead and unregenerate P. 61. He joins with such as say Faith is the means and way of our being made spiritually alive rather than our acting Life as being already brought into a state of Life as the Bodies Clasping hold on the Soul by the animal Spirits which are Corporeal things is rather the means of Life than an act of Life c. P. 62. Suppose that the principle of Grace begotten and created in us in Regeneration contain in it the Habit of Faith which I will not now call in question Yet c. P. 32. All our new Obedience and all the Graces of the Spirit comprized under that one word Love are the Effects and Fruits of our being justified P. 60. In Vnion by Faith which is the cause of this Union we are brought immediately into a state of Spiritual Life first Relative then Qualitative c. Repl. Here with the Arminians he denieth the habit of Faith necessary to the actings of Faith He is contrary to the Assembly of Divines who tell us That God in effectual Vocation takes away
wherein I except my self Mr. M. hath done more to favour Socinianism than all those whom he accuseth 1. By calling such Semisocinians whose doctrin and Principles will approve themselves to most Men to be Orthodox Many will abate their prejudice against the real Socinian as not being so bad as the word imported 2. He falls in wholly with the Socinians in denying Christ's Incarnation to be a part of his Humiliation and deprives us of the force of one of the greatest Texts for the Deity of Christ Phil. 2.6 7. 3. He supports the Socinian Cause and one of their strongest Topicks against the Satisfaction of Christ by speaking still of God as a Creditor Sin as a Debt the Law as a Money Bond Christ as a Money Surety whereas all our Divines find it impossible to defend that Doctrin without denying this Metaphor and therefore plead that God is to be considered as a Rector Sin a Crime Sinners Criminals Christ a Sponsor in consistency with his being Redeemer Mediatour Saviour Sacrifice and Priest c. For if Sin were a Money Debt why could not God forgive it without Satisfaction as well as other Creditors do c. 4. He grants the absurdity in the sense objected by the Socinians and still opposed by our Divines viz. That we are as Righteous as Christ in equality Turretin Instit Theol. p. 714 715. proves that licet c. though we are justified by Christ's Righteousness imputed non sequitur nos non minus justos esse quam Christum it doth not follow that we are no less Righteous than Christ So doth Dr. Owen of Iustif. p. 509 510. All our celebrated Opposers of Socinianism do the same Mr. M. may say as well of these as he doth of us for denying it as they do They have a heart-hatred of standing in the Righteousness of Christ. 5. The Socinians have their whole Cause favoured against the Deity of Christ or at least the Arrians by what he asserts concerning the Person of the Son of God He makes him such a God as was capable of a real Glory to be added to him that as God he might be under God's frowns and displeasure might quit and forgo the actual enjoyment of that Love Glory and Inheritance which as Son of God he was entitled to and possessed of before his Incarnation not in a way of manifestation nor as to his Humane Nature but in reality and as to his Divine Nature in which alone he acted before his Incarnation a God capable of an acquired Right superadded to his natural Right to those very Riches Love and Glory which he enjoyed before he was Son of Man And also that the Humane Nature belongs to the Constitution of the Person of the Son of God as it is now p. 8. c. Are not these bold Strokes which I have before fully proved to be his Assertions Though Charity binds me to acknowledge that I think he designeth not to oppose the Eternal Deity of the Son of God by Assertions so unsuitable to the Divine Essence and so mistaketh what God is rather than who he is 6. I might add he blasts all the opposition made by our best Authors against Socinianism by branding even them as Semisocinians To say nothing of his representing the Doctrin of imputed Righteousness in a manner not defensible and tempting to most Mens being Socinians unless they have a better Notion of it Few will believe that we did legally do and suffer what Christ did that we are as Righteous as Christ and that the Gospel enjoineth no Duty as a Condition on us for obtaining the blessed Effects of Christ's Merits which be the only ground of his quarreling thus hotly with us Men of his suspicious temper will judge he designeth to favour Socinianism by calling us Semisocinians 12. Mr. M. Attempts to instruct us how to Preach but with an evil insinuation and in some things very contrary to Apostolical Preaching Thus your Teachers should instruct and lead you This is the Apostles direction to Titus that he should teach them that have believed to be careful to maintain good works not to teach and press sinners in their Vnbelief to fall to doing of good works first and overlook believing wholly or to postpone it after them p. 69. Repl. 1. Which teacher of his Hearers doth teach any to postpone Faith or overlook it wholly or delay it at all If by Believing he means a due accepting of a whole Christ yea do not they direct them to expect all from God through Christ and look to Christ as he in whom all fulness is But our Author is one of them who think Christ is never Preached unless his Name be mentioned and that as a Priest too His revealed Truths and enjoined Laws c. are not Preaching Christ. 2. But may one call Sinners to no Duty till they are Believers Must they not be prest to examin themselves pray read the Word hear it Preached fear God teach their Families love their Wives meditate consider strive with their Hearts resist Temptations believe the Scriptures nor relieve the Poor till they be Believers Peter was to learn of our Author to Preach for though he knew Simon Magus to be in the gall of bitterness yet he bids him then repent of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee Acts 9.22 perhaps he 'll say he believed true in such a manner as I fear some that pretend high to Faith exceed not Paul gives such an account of much of his Ministry at first to Jews and Gentiles Acts 26.20 That they should repent and turn unto God and do works meet for Repentance the Baptist was an ill Teacher and Christ's Sermon on the Mount Mat. 5. and Paul's at Lystra Acts 14.15 16. needed Mr. M's direction Paul saith to unbelievers We are Men of like Passions with you thus far he 'll agree and Preach unto you that you should turn from these vanities unto the living God that made Heaven and Earth c. a good Work is pressed before they believed Here Mr. M. would have told him you Paul should not teach thus But what are his Reasons 1. They that believed in God should be charged to excel in good works therefore they that believe not in Christ should not be pressed to endeavour to set upon doing any good Work Hos. 5. 4. They must not so much as frame their doings to turn unto the Lord. 2. A few words after through Faith that Righteousness will be upon you and being upon you it will produce good Works Here it seems as I have oft heard it urged Ministers should not urge you nor you strive and labour after good Works this Righteousness will produce them but are all that I hope have Faith so abundant therein as not to need Spurs Do all that pretend to it shew that they have it by it's Fruits and how can we know them And is its being upon us the
next principle of good Works for though it be the Meriting Cause of all as it is in Christ yet holy habits are the next Principle with the Spirits influence And above all must we cease to declare the whole Will of God to all that hear us till we know is Christ's Righteousness upon them Yea is it because they are dead in Sin before Faith that we must not press them to repent fear and love God c. The same reason will hold against pressing them to saving Faith which of themselves they can as little perform And if it be by the Word that God regenerates our Hearers Why may not the Spirit infuse Life by calling Men to Repent c. as well as to Believe and a true Principle of Life will act duly though I think not in the same order of discernable Actings in every Convert But however it 's certain that if by preaching Repentance the Spirit quickens a Soul that Soul is as sure to believe when quickned as it is to repent when it believes And so our Author makes but a spiteful Flourish when he would induce our Hearers to think we teach them amiss because we learn not of him SInce the Printing of my Answer to what Mr. M. calls my Second Damning Error viz. That I make the State of Believers to be Undecided and in Suspence during this Life I have found the word Vndecided in my Gospel Truth Stated P. 55. which I then was Ignorant of though I cast my Eye on the bottom of that very Page My words are The Covenant though Conditional is a Disposition of Grace there 's Grace in giving Ability to perform the Conditions as well as in bestowing the Benefits God's enjoyning one in order to the other makes not the Benefit to be less of Grace but it is a Display of God's Wisdom in conferring the Benefit suitably to the Nature and State of Men in this Life whose Eternal Condition is not Eternally decided but are in a State of Trial yea the Conditions are but a Meetness to receive the Blessing But as I have in my Answer shewed that I oft in Gospel Truth stated affirm That the Elect shall Persevere in Faith and that every true Saint is now in a State of Salvation So I shall only add 1. I do not here mention Believers but Men in general yea rather Unbelievers 2. By Eternally decided any Man may see that I had an Eye only to God's Iudicial Decision at Death and the more Solemn Sentence at the last Judgment when we Die our Warfare is finished and our State as Viatores is at an end 3. What meaneth all the Scripture Cautions even to Believers such as Watch c. Pass the time of your Sojourning here in Fear c. If all our State be decided so while we have many Years Temptations and Persevering Work before us as it will be beyond the Grave Alas how many are long deceived by the meer Form of Godliness and they that are Godly are called to Caution and Care on this very Consideration that they are to be judged 1 Pet. 1.17 which were useless to such as are in termino 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Rev. 2.10 See more in my Answer The Point of the Embrio was not fit for my large insisting on or I could have proved that an Embrio is not an unformed unorganized Mass or Lump c. FINIS The Five following Books have been lately published by the Author of this Discourse Printed for John Dunton at the Raven in the Poultry 1. GOspel Truth Stated and Vindicated wherein some of Dr. Crisp's Opinions are considered and the opposite Truths are plainly Stated and Confirmed The Second Edition 2. A Defence of Gospel-Truth Being a Reply to Mr. Chancy 3. The Vanity of Childhood and Youth wherein the depraved Nature of Young People is Represented and Means for their Reformation proposed Being some Sermons Preached at the Request of several Young Men. 4. A Discourse shewing that Repentance of National Sins God requires if ever we expect National Mercies 5. Man made Righteous by Christ's Obedience Being two Sermons Preached at Pinners-hall with Enlargements c. Also some Remarks on Mr. Mather's Postscript c. AN Essay upon Reason and the Nature of Spirits By Dr. Burthogg Heads of Agreement assented to by the United Ministers in and about London The Fourth Volume of the Morning Exercise There will also be Extant in a few days The Second Volume of the French Book of Martyrs Published by her Majesties Royal Priviledge There is in the Press Remarks upon Bishop King's late Book concerning the Inventions of Men in the Worship of God By the Reverend Mr. Iohn Boyse Malbranch's Search after Truth will also be published in a few Weeks