contains not the Genus or common Nature of a Covenant viz. to be an Agreement wherein two Parties do mutually consent nor the Parties wherein the Nature of a Covenant doth consist which is a Condition and Promise nor is there a Covenant in the more improper fence denoted viz. A Promise for if it be a Covenant of Grace it must be at least a Covenant of Promise 2. You say it 's a way ordained of God Here 's no Forma or Differentia for many things are ways and means which are not Covenants you should have said according to your Sence it's God's Agreement with Sinners upon Terms of Faith and Repentance 3. The Application of the means effectually is part of the Salvation it self 4. You say this Salvation is prepared by Christ you should have said By the Father in his Councel and Purpose for the giving his Son and blessing us with all Blessings in him The Life and Salvation is Christ and in Christ he is our Life the Father hath given us Life and this is in his Son 5. You should have said Which he hath promised to enable the Elect to comply with or else it hath nothing of a Covenant in it it carries only the force of electing Will and if he hath promised then to some or other either to Christ and then it brings in your Covenant of Redemption if to any other excluding Christ then to the Elect out of Christ For the Promise to make a Person comply must be made and must be in Nature before he doth comply Neonom I pray what do you say is the Covenant of Grace Antinom I shall tell you the Parties between whom it was made It was made by God in the Person of the Father with Man in the Person of the Son You speak improperly to talk of the Father and Spirit covenanting with the Son you should rather say The Father Son and Spirit covenanted with the Son For by this Notion you take in the Persons of the Trinity for you must take them all in the covenanting part and then there 's as much reason to take them in all in their stipitulating part because the Son is God and so the three Persons covenanted with themselves under the same distinct consideration in the Godhead But we say God essentially considered covenanted in the Person of the Father with Man in the Person of the Son His Son taking Man's part being his Representative as having his Nature in the same Person therefore as the Second Adam having all the Spiritual Seed in his Loyns and as a common Person foederally Neonom And what is a Covenant between these â—aâ—â—sks Antinom It 's the Promise of Eternal Life made to Christ and to the Elect in him to be performed in and through Jesus Christ as the great Condition to all them that shall be saved by him Covenants are denominated from either part by a Synechdoche here chiefly from the Promise as the same is sometimes from the Condition The Covenant of Grace is a great Mystery c. Rom. 16.25 Col. 1.26 1. Because it was Eternal Tit. 1.2 2 Tim. 1.9 2. That though between God and Man yet being made with us in Christ it was between Equals Phil. 2.6 3. That though it was a Covenant of Works yet a Covenant of Grace to Christ a Covenant of Works and most conditional Isa 53.10 11 12. To us absolute and free being a Promise of the Gift of Christ and all Blessings in him 4. It is mysterious in respect of the several states that it hath had 1. Hidden 2. Revealed Hidden in God before the World was Revealed since the World 1. Less manifested in the Promulgation before Christ's coming 1 In respect of the few Emanations and Discoveries of its Brightness and Lustre in Absolute Promises to Adam Noah Abraham Jacob David 2 In regard of it's Vailed state First Under the Veils of Sacrifices Types Figures Secondly Under a Legal Moral and Conditional Administration 5. It is mysterious in regard of the various Names and Titles that it hath had from it's different Dispensations that under the Law was called Old and Faulty because it made but a partial Discovery of it's Glory and Lustre In the New Testament it 's called the New Covenant in respect of the new and clear Dispensation it 's called the Promise because it appears absolutely given forth in a Promissory way it 's called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Nature of it in relation to Sinners it's good News to them It 's called a Testament because confirmed by Christ's Death Neonom But you tell me not how you prove the Covenant of Grace and Redemption are all one Antinom 1. Because I know them not spoken of any where as distinct Covenants The Scripture of Isa 53.10 11 12. is a place wherein this Covenant is so clearly described between the Father and the Son it holds forth the Covenant of Grace fully and clearly the Promise of all Grace and Benefits that are contained in the said Covenant of Grace And the Apostle tells us expresly That this Covenant-Agreement was the Will by which we are sanctified through the offering of the Body of Jesus once for all Heb. 10.8 9 10. 2. That Covenant that contains in it the whole Matter and Form in Conditions and Promises of the Covenant of Grace doth not Essentially differ from it but the Covenant of Redemption doth It contains Conditions and Promises of Grace all things that pertain to Life and Godliness and it contains in it all conditions upon which we may be partakers of any Promises Christ's Person Offices Sacrifice Righteousness Active and Passive there 's no Covenant condition of Atonement Propitiation Satisfaction unto the Justice of God but it is here Christ is the Great Fulfiller of the Law and Satisfier of it he is the End of the Law for Righteousness to every Believer Rom. 10.4 3. From the Vailed Dispensation of the Covenant of Grace before the coming of Christ their Sacrifices and their Ceremonial Administration held forth in a Figure that it is made to Christ and confirmed in him as the Great Offering and Atonement Christ is there exemplified and set forth as the fulness of the Covenant of Grace both in respect of Promises and Conditions 4. When we plead any thing of the Covenant of Grace it 's the Promises of Life made to us in Christ as Yea and Amen to us in him in respect of obtaining and performance to us 5. Our Justifying Acts of Faith is fixed on Christ as the Summ of the Covenant of Grace as Satisfying for our Sins and as to whom the Promises were made and the great thing promised as the Fountain and Meritorious Cause of all Blessings he is given us as the Covenant 6. There is all Grace to be had in this Covenant frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora there is no Grace but is given forth and
God unto Salvation but not as the Cause this were to change the Covenant of Grace into a Covenant of Works our good Works are the effects of Grace the Reward of good Works are a Reward of Grace Good Works are necessary to Salvation as the Way not as an Instrument or Cause Faith is necessary to Salvation as an Instrument The Active and Passive Obedience of Christ is necessary as a meritorious Cause Calvin Mr. Antisozzo I pray do you now speak impartially to this Point Antisozzo I think I have met with his Scheme before now and as I take it it runs thus and the Question that lies before us is this What Influence the Sacrifice of Christs Death and the Righteousness of his Life have upon our acceptance with God The Gentleman that I once disputed with stated the Question so and resolved it as follows Antisozzo p. 580. All that I can find in Scripture about this is That to this we owe the Covenant of Grace That God being well-pleased with the Obedience of Christ's Life and the Sacrifice of his Death for his sake entred into a new Covenant with Mankind wherein he promises pardon of Sin and eternal Life to those who believe and obey the Gospel I think this is exactly your Scheme Mr. Neonomian Neonom Yes and something more D. W. p. 8. viz. That the Gospel barrs all Vnbelievers and dead Sinners from Pardon and Adoption and denounceth the continuance of Condemnation against them limiting it's Benefits to such as believe Antisozzo This Scheme contains three things 1. A Description of the Covenant of Grace 2. An Assertion that this Covenant of Grace is owing to the Sacrifice and Righteousness of Christ 3. A Supposition that this Righteousness and Sacrifice of Christ hath no other Influence upon our acceptance with God but that for his sake he enrted into such a Covenant with Mankind 1. His Description is this A Promise of the pardon of Sin and Eternal Life to those who believe and obey the Gospel Neonom You will not I hope deny this to be a true Description of the Covenant of Grace Antisozzo But I will for all your hast It is a Description so liable to Exceptions that it describes neither the whole of the Covenant nor a New Covenant nor upon the matter any Covenant at all Neonom If you prove what you say Eris mihi magnus Apollo I 'll strike out your Name from my Book and if I can be convinced I must subscribe yours Antisozzo You shall see what I can do presently 1. This Description gives us very little of a true Covenant of Grace For 1. Tho you think to put us off with a Promise of Pardon and Life to those that believe and obey the true Covenant of Grace hath given us a Promise of that Faith whereby we may believe and of that New Heart whereby we are enabled to obey the Gospel And First We have the Promise of the right Faith in the true Covenant John 6.37 Eph. 1.8 And least it should be said Faith is a common Gift as other things are the Apostle hath his reply ready Eph. 1.19 Secondly We have a direct and express Promise too of that New Heart from which we give to God new Obedience Ezek. 36. Ver. 26 27. c. 2. This Description gives but very little of the true Covenant of Grace there 's a Promise of Pardon and Life to them who believe and obey but Perseverance in Faith and Obedience is left to the Desultory and Lubricous Power of Free Will whereas in the true Câ—venant of Grace there 's an Undertaking that the Covenant shall be immutable both on God's part Jer. 32.38 4. God hath said He will not turn away from doing them good And 2ly He hath promised That they shall not depart from him c. p. 583. 2. As it describes not the whole of the Covenant so it describes not the Nature of a new Covenant 1. It describes no New Covenant in opposition to the Old Covenant of Works The Covenant with Adam promised Life upon condition of Oâ—edience and those Commands as easie as those now given to Mankind and much easier too if we consider Adam's Natural Strength 2. We are told by you that Christ hath added to the Moral Law i. e. to the Moral Duties required by the New Law Faith and Repentance which is to lay more Load on those that were overcharged before So that as you make Covenants Adam's was much the better Covenant of the two but you have wisely shuffled in a Promise of the Pardon of Sin which may seem to give this Covenant a Preheminence above that of Adam But that will not mend the matter both because it 's better to have no Sin in our Natures than such a Remedy better to have no Wound than such a Plaister and also because the Promise of Pardon as you say is suspended upon the condition of Faith and Obedience which without a Supernatural real Influx of immediate Divine Power reduceth the Promise to an impossibility of Performance 2ly This Covenant described is no new Covenant in opposition to the Old Administration of the Covenant of Grace there were the same Promises then that we have now the same Moral Precepts that we have now Though the Word Gospel come in for a Blind yet the Apostle assures us the Gospel was preached to Abraham 3. Upon the matter it 's no Covenant of Grace at all p. 584. For 1. A Promise of Pardon and Life upon condition of believing and obeying is neither better nor worse than a Threatning of Condemnation and Death to them who believe not and obey not It may with equal right be called a Threatning of Death as a Promise of Life It 's no more of Grace than a Covenant of Wrath And therefore 2ly If it be lawful to consider Man as the Word of God describes him dead in Sins and Trespasses It 's no Covenant at all to him For what is the nice difference betwixt the Promise of Life to him that obeys when it 's certain before-hand he cannot obey and no Promise at all c. Neonom Well Sir pray let us call another Cause Do you argue like a Voucher to my Book Mr. Calvinist he is a sharp Man and he doth this only for Argumentation sake he is of my mind for all this Antisozzo No do not you believe that you wheadled me in to vouch for your Book I know not how but I shall stick the closer upon your Skirts for that I have not done with you yet Calvin I will then propound one Question to Mr. Antisozzo Whether the Covenant of Grace be owing to the Sacrifice of Christs Death and so be distinct from that he calls the Covenant of Redemption Because our time now is up speak only what your Judgment is in this Point Antisozzo Mr. Neonomian I must tell you I have narrowly pryed into this Paradox That the Covenant of Grace is owing to procured by and
Iniquity the Lord hath laid on Christ God himself cannot charge one Sin on that Man and he makes a difference between a strong Believer and a weak to consist in the degree of his Perswasion Dr. C. p. 158. Antinom This was a Use that I made upon that Point of laying Sin on Christ If God have laid our Iniquity upon Christ then whosoever thou art to whom the Lord will be pleased to give the believing of this Truth that the Lord hath laid thine Iniquity on Christ that laying thine Iniquity upon him is an absolute and full Discharge to thee that there neither is nor can be any Iniquity for the present nor for hereafter that can be laid to thy Charge and then follows what he hath rehearsed And if this be not true Doctrine that every Believer that by the Grace of God sees his Sins laid on Christ hath a full pardon of all Sins past present and to come so that Sin shall never be charged on him for Condemnation before God I am to seek for the Doctrine of the Gospel I quote that place Rom. 8.33 to me a very full Proof And I do affirm that the Degrees of our Faith doth stand in the Degrees of the sight of Christ's Glory and the Perswasion we have in our Hearts of our part in him And I do not say That he is no Believer that hath not this perfectly far be it from me to say so there are that are Believers that are weak in the Faith and there are Believers that are strong in the Faith the more the Light and Glory of the Gospel shines in the true Intention of God to his People the more shall they return to their rest the more shall they have Joy and Gladness Why may not a Believer then say as David did The Lord hath been very bountiful to me that I may return to my rest God hath done every thing in Christ and taken away all things that can disturb my Peace and Comfort Dr. C. p. 158. Calvin I pray Mr. Neonom let us have your Description of Saving Faith Neonom I shall express it in the Assemblies Words ch 14. A. 2. D. W. p. 72 73. By this Grace a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word from the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular Passage thereof containeth yielding Obedience to the Commands trembling at the Threatnings and embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come But the principal Acts of Saving Faith are Accepting Receiving and resting upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life by vertue of the Covenant of Grace Gentlemen weigh this Account of Faith well which if it were regarded and no essential part excluded when Faith is considered as a Condition of any Gospel-benefit One would think no man need prove that it is not saving Faith when any Essential part of it is wanting and that it must be saving Faith when we mention Faith as a Condition Antinom That Reverend Assembly do here express the Essential Parts of Faith and something more as the Effects of it I take it not to be intended for a Definition wherein only Essentials are put but a Description that takes in Subjects Adjuncts Effects c. The Definition is first given A. 1. That the Grace of Faith is whereby the Elect are enabled to believe to the Saving of their Souls After they proceed to shew the Causes of it the Word and Spirit and after that its several ways of Acting and it's Effects They do in the shorter Catechism give a briefer Account of it which may be more properly called a Definition Quest 86. What is Faith in Jesus Christ Answ Faith in Jesus Christ is a Saving Grace whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for Salvation as he is offered to us in the Gospel And if you please to turn to Quest 31. you shall see what they mean by receiving and resting There they say Effectual Calling is the work of God's Spirit whereby convincing us of our Sin and Misery enlightning our Minds in the knowledge of Christ and renewing our Wills he doth perswade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the Gospel And in the Larger Catechism you have a full Description of Faith as Justifying Quest 72. wherein there is the Genus of it a saving Grace the principal efficient Cause the Spirit the Causa ministrant the subservient efficient Cause the Word Both Causae procreantes The Subject in whom it is wrought a sinful miserable and lost Creature really so and in his own Eyes And then you have the Material Cause the truth of the Promise of the Gospel In the Confession wherein it's more largely express'd it's whatever is revealed in the Word this is the Objective part of it and Material The Form of Saving Faith is an Impression wrought upon the Soul from the proper Efficacy of the Spirit by the Word according to the acceptable Nature and Evidence thereof The Truth must have Goodness in it because we believe many things that we fear and are averse to The Word works objectively upon the Understanding perswading it to assent and set to it's Seal that the Word is Truth and from the Goodness in that Truth it perswades the Will to embrace because Voluntas sequitur ultimum dictamen intellectus and the consenting of the Will is an Effect of the assenting of the Understanding Hence then it 's not barely believing without Ground but upon some Authority In the Confession 't is said For the Authority of God himself speaking in the Word which is believing on Christ believing in God from whence follows an awful Reverence and Regard to his Word as also the resting and depending of the Soul thereon And when it 's determined to the Grace of Justification it 's as in the Larger and Shorter Catechism it receiveth Christ and his Righteousness in the Promise and resteth thereon for Pardon of Sin Justifying Grace through the Righteousness of Christ is the Object and that which it aims at is the accepting and accounting of a Mans Person Righteous in the sight of God for Salvation which is fuller express'd in the Confession shewing what saving Faith in the largest Sence designs viz. accepting receiving and resting upon Christ alone excluding all other Foederal Conditions for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life by vertue of the Covenant of Grace Now you see how clearly they make Faith a Perswasion and that it doth all objectively by taking in the Truth and receiving it for the Understanding receiveth and embraceth by being perswaded it takes in the Light of Truth and the Will embraceth by being perswaded and the great procatarctick Cause is the Covenant of Grace Now I see you have a clean contrary Notion of making it a Condition and moral Instrument i. e. A moral Condition of the Covenant and so a Work and as such
is a false Conclusion that Christ is mine before he is so and must the great Terms of Life be a Lie We are to examine our selves whether we are in the Faith or not 2 Cor. 13.5 Where hath God made this Proposition My sins are laid on Christ Vnless you are for general Redemption the Word of Grace promiseth Pardon to none but a Believer and the Spirit speaks to none but a Believer Antinom In all things we receive of Gift there must be a right of Donation first if we take before it 's given it 's Theft and unless I am perswaded that the giving Hand is reached out I can't receive We have our first Earnest for Blessedness in the Perswasion of Faith in the very Act of it and it 's Non sence to talk any way of partaking of Christ but by the Spirit and Faith And he that in an Act of believing at first finds Christ in the true Perswasion of Faith doth not nor cannot say of Christ he is his before he is so The Soul cannot be too nimble for Christ and if he that believeth not makes God a Liar what are those that perswade to Unbelief That Faith in it's very Act is an Evidence is no hinderance to the Trial and Examination of our selves by the Fruit of Faith besides And though the Proposition in the Gospel be an indefinite Proposition yet the Application by Faith in a Sinner ought to be particular and fiducial or else the Faith of Believers will be no more than that of others that believe only that Christ came to save Sinners and if the Promise of Pardon were not to Sinners as such it were not Pardon and if a Man upon Trial must first find by Signs that he doth believe before he lay claim to Pardon Sinners would be in a sad condition But this is the comfort that as the Promise of Pardon is the great Encouragement to believing so believing it self is the receiving and perceiving of it And the Soul saith or should by Faith He loved me and gave himself for me At the sight of Christ it saith My Lord and my God If the Lord speak to a Believer in believing by his Word and Spirit Thy Sins are forgiven it 's not said so to one that is a Believer first Relata are simul naturâ The Promise of Paternity is not a Promise or Gift to one that 's a Father first nor Sonship to one that is a Son first God promiseth himself to be a Father to them that are Loammi And how gross is that Assertion That the Spirit speaks it to none but to a Believer as a Believer Doth not the Spirit speak Peace before we receive it by an Act of Faith Doth not this cause us to believe it 's the Light causeth the Eye to see It 's the Light shining into the dark Unbelieving Heart that perswades the Heart it 's God that saith to the Soul I am thy Salvation before we can believe it Neonom The Second thing that I will prove is that Saving Faith hath the Essentials expressed in the above-mentioned Truth as Assent Trust Consenting Acceptance of Christ Reliance c. Antinom You said before that Inward Perswasion of the Pardon of Sin was no Part of Saving Faith And said in the next that it contained Assent to the Word Fiducial Consent and Acceptance of Christ A Man therefore may understand you that tho it contained it yet it was not of it's Essence Now you seem to say these are Essentials if you do not you hide your self again in the Word Include If you say These be Essentials which you name we say so too but allow not yours c. and all these Essentials are in the Word Perswasion Assent is the Perswasion of the Understanding Consent the Perswasion of the Will to the Truths and good things propounded the Promise whereby the Soul relies upon Christ therein for himself particularizeth Christ and all Blessings to himself as his and now go on and prove all that you said before to be false Neonom You are mistaken I will prove my Position true and then see where your Errour will be 1. Faith can be no less than the Souls Answer to the Call of God c. Antinom We say it is so and he bids us believe but it 's not Faith as such for all Obedience is an answer to the Call of God Neonom The Scripture describes Saving Faith by all these Acts it 's the evidence of things not seen Substance of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 Receiving of Christ John 1.12 Isa 55.4 Acts 13.26 Rom. 15.12 Isa 44.5 Antinom This we say it is Evidence and Substance of things at a distance is a full Perswasion of them according to the Nature of them such a Perswasion as carries the whole Soul forth to God to rest and rely upon him having Union with Christ thereby bringing him in all his Excellencies into our Souls and taking him for our own Doth a Man believe any good thing promised and doth not he catch at it for himself if he have any savour of it If the Promise of Pardon present it self to us doth a Man believe till he appropriate it to himself saying It is mine though an unworthy Sinner If a condemned Prisoner hears a Pardon is come out for some he may believe that but till he believes he is one it 's no Comfort to him tho there may be hopes at least he is in it Neonom Christ can't be received as a Saviour without these Antinom It 's very true he is never received as such till I receive him as my Saviour and believe him to be so in some measure and this I am bound to do to receive him by confident Perswasion and resting upon him Neonom A Faith without these Essentials could never produce those great Effects as are ascribed to Faith to purifie the Heart Acts 15.9 to be a shield against Temptations Eph. 6.16 works by Love Gal. 5.6 sanctifies us Acts 26.18 By Faith we are risen with Christ Col. 2.12 Antinom It 's certain that no Faith can do it but such as makes a particular Application by a perswasion of the Love of God or Interest in Christ Pardon of Sins and Reconciliation to God through him that can produce the Effects spoken of this will purifie the Heart from an evil guilty Conscience to serve the Living God this will be a Shield against the most Mortal Darts of Satan that he shoots at our state by bringing in Law Condemnations Hereby Love to God is produced in the Soul and we Act towards God and our Neighbours in Love hereby we are brought to true Obedience such as the Law required at first for the Principle to Love the Lord our God with all our Hearts Soul and Strength and therefore the Apostle saith Love is the Sum of all Obedience as our Saviour said It 's the fulfilling of the Law through this Grace of the Spirit for by receiving Forgiveness of Sin we
is Actually and Absolutely procured for the Elect before Faith and shall infallibly be applyed to them all in time seemeth to reach the Scope intended by the Godly Learned whose Spirits have more particularly laboured to hold forth the whole Truth in this precious part of Soul-Reconciling Doctrine and Soul-Supporting Mystery of the Gospel To say That we are Justified by vertue of a singular Promise in the Court of Conscience and in our own Persons in which sence the Scripture constantly saith We are Justified by Faith is not that I know of affirmed by any And for this he quotes Chamier Cham. Tom. 3. lib. 12 13. Sect. 18. Nobis persuasissinum est remissa esse peccata antequam Credidimus We are verily perswaded that our Sins are forgiven before we believe for we deny that Infants do believe And Perkins Perkins on Gal. 3.16 who saith Christ is first Justified i. e. Acquit of our Sins and we Justified in him And Dr. Ames saith The Transaction between God and Christ was a certain previous application of Redemption and our discharge unto our Suâ—ety Ames Medul lib. 1. c. 24. § 3. and unto us in him which to that secondary Application to be performed in us hath the respect of a kind of Efficacious pattern so that that the Application to him is the Representation of this Application to us and this is produced by vertue of that And he saith § 3. Hence our discharge liberatio nostra from Sin and Death was not only established in God's Decree but also in Christ and granted and communicated to us in him before it could be perceived by us Rom. 5.10 11. Hence the Father and the Son are said to send the Spirit to the performing of this Application John 14.16 and 16.7 And in the Chapter of Justification Am. Med. c. 27. §. 9. He tells us what the sentence of Justification is 1. It was in the Mind of God as it were conceived by him by his Decree of Justifying Gal. 3.8 2. It was in the Christ our Head pronounced when he rose from the Dead 2 Cor. 5.19 3. Virtually pronounced in that first relation which ariseth from Faith ingenerated in the Heart Rom. 8.1 4. Expresly pronounced by the Spirit witnessing with our Spirits our Reconciliation with God Rom. 5.5 Hence it appears that the Doctrine of our Justification before Faith is not an Errour but a Great and Glorious Truth and it is no prejudice to the Doctrine of Justification by Faith but the Foundation Ground and Reason of it neither is it any Door opened to Licentiousness an unbeliever having no more Confirmation or Encouragement to persist in Sin thereby than by the Doctrine of Election which gives none but as Mr. Norton saith It 's no small part of the Ministry of Reconciliation that God Imputed to Christ the Sins of the Elect before they did believe and will never Impute them unto the Elect. Neither is my speaking of Faith's taking hold of Christ's Righteousness and saying That it brings not Christ's Righteousness to us but presupposeth it given and granted such an absurdity as you would make it For Dr. Ames saith very distinctly Justifying Faith precedes Justification it self as a cause of its Effect but Faith apprehending Justification necessarily presupposeth and follows Justification as the Aâ—â— doth the Object about which it is Conversant and this I take to be the true Notion of Justification That Great Man for Holiness and Learning Chamier saith I deny that Faith is the cause of our Justification for then our Justification would not be of Grace Cham. Parstrat Tom. 3. l. 13. c. 10. Sect. 18. but of our selves but Faith is said to justifie not because it effecteth Justification but because it is effected in the Justified Person and in another place he saith Faith doth neither merit obtain or begin our Justification Lib. 22. c. 12. Sect. 5. and Sect. 9. for if it did then Faith should go before Justification both in nature and time which may in no wise be granted for Faith it self is a part of Sanctification now there is no Sanctification but after Justification which really and in its own nature is before it I think Sir I have cleared my self sufficiently from the Charge of Errour in this Point viz. That our Justification is in being before Faith And now Sir before we proceed to the other part of your Charge concerning the manner of Faith's Justifying let us hear your Arguments against Justification in any sense going before Faith Neonom One Real Difference between us is Whether we are Justified before we believe Which I deny for 1. We are Justified by Faith is the common Language of the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.1 Gal. 2.16 D. W. p. 105. Antinom We own it and say too that we are Justified by Faith and this doth not prejudice but confirm what we assert Neon Faith is enjoyned as an effectual means of Justification by Christ Antinom We deny not that Faith required in the Gospel and wrought by the Spirit is as an effectual means of Application of Justification but therefore it follows not that it 's in being before That which is not in being cannot be applyed Neonom The Gospel denounceth and declareth all condemned till they do believe Antinom The Gospel declares only their state of Condemnation under the Law the Gospel properly condemns not and we own that every one by nature is a Child of Wrath and in the sense of the Law is a condemned Person and every one is shut up under the Law as the Apostle saith till Faith comes his New-Covenant Blessedness belonging to him is not yet made manifest nor is his Nature and State changed Neonom Vnbelief is the Cause why men are barred from Justification and remain obnoxious to Misery Antinom It is God that justifies and no Sin can barr God's Act of free Mercy in pardon of a Sinner in the Pardon of Unbelief as well as of other Sins when God will justifie It 's very absurd to say Sin barrs God's Act of Pardon It 's true Unbelief influenceth a Sinner as to his own Acts and will be charged upon him as his Fault and will aggravate that Condemnation which he hath under the Law because from his own corrupt Will and Affection he will not receive Pardon and Life that is offered in the General and Indefinite Tender thereof made in the Gospel And therefore Christ saith John 5.40 Ye will not come to me that you may have Life Heb. 3.18 19. They could not enter by reason of unbelief Unbelief on our part doth keep us from Christ but hinders not on God's part that effectually draws all the Elect justifying of them and working Faith in them Rom. 8.29 30. Eph. 1. The whole Unregenerate state is a Barr till God break it by Regeneration which is a free Work of Grace as Justification is an Act of Grace and must be found where-ever a Sinner is Justifyed by Faith and that in
order thereunto Neonom The other Question in difference between us is Whether the Vse of Faith in Justification be only to manifest our Justification which we personally had before This you affirm and I deny And add That Faith justifies by receiving Christ and therein answers the Ordination of God who hath promised to justifie the Believer by application of Christ's Righteousness in this gracious effect of it upon a guilty Soul D. W. p. 105. Antinom You alter the Terms of my Expression to make for your own turn My Words were these Quest What doth Faith serve for Dr. C. p. 85. Answ It serves for the manifestation of that Justification which Christ puts upon a Person by himself alone that you by believing on him may have the Declaration and Manifestation of your Justification And I say That it is not the Condition without which we receive no benefit from Christ but rather a manifestation thereof My Words are not That the use of Faith is only a manifestation but I say Rather a manifestation of Benefits received than a condition of receiving benefits And I say it is a Declaration and Manifestation And what is the Promise in the hand of Faith but a Declaration of the Grace of God in Justification of a Sinner and thereby a manifestation of it unto the Conscience Whereby Justification comes to be in foro Conscientiae For I say Where the Condemnation of a Sinner is by the Law there the Absolution of the Sinner is by the Gospel but Condemnation of a Sinner is in Conscience by the Law therefore there his Absolution is by the Gospel and that 's by a Gospel-Sentence pronounced and believed which Sentence is God's Declaration and Faith sealing to the Truth of it applies it and is the Eccho of the said Declaration in the Soul And you say Faith justifies as receiving Christ and you say well Christ is received in the believing of the Gospel-Declaration The Declaration in the Gospel is Life by Christ See 1 John 2.25 This is the Promise that he hath promised us evrn eternal Life 1 John 5.11 And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son and this is the witness of God which he hath testifi'd of his Son Ver. 10. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself It should be Testimony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This very believing is a Testimony of the Truth of the Promise and his part in it as by the latter part of the 10th Verse appears He that believeth not makes God a Liar and as the truth of the Promise concerns himself ver 12. He that hath the Son hath Life this believing he saith is having the Son as declared in the Promise and Record that takes in the Declaration believingly And this is apprehending and applying and relying on the Promise and Christ in it both as Truth and Goodness Believing is our modus recipiendi or manner of receiving and we do believe that we may receive and apprehend him unto Justification You add and say first Faith justifies by receiving of Christ but you say it 's Application of Christ's Righteousness as to gracious Effects you mean only You do not deal above-board you are not for the application of Christ's Righteousness it self imputed to us and put on by us in believing We have noted your Error in this kind already you 'll not have Christ's Righteousness imputed to us for our Righteousness according to all the Language of the Scripture but only the Effects given us as effectual Calling Sanctification and Glorification So that the Righteousness of Christ justifies no otherwise than it sanctifies and glorifies for it doth these as Effects But I pray express your self more clearly how Faith Justifies or what part Faith hath in Justification according to your Sense without so much ambiguity Neonom The difference is not Whether Faith or any other Grace be a Jot of the meriting Righteousness for which we are justified D.W. p. 104. Antinom But it is whether Faith or any other Grace be a qualifying Condition for Justification if it be so let me alone to prove it a meriting Righteousness whether you call it so or no. Neonom Nor whether Faith or any Grace add any thing to the vaine of Christ's Merits These I deny D. W. p. 104. Antinom No wonder for you have rated Christ's Merits S. Clara dicit omnes convenire scientium de causa efficicate meritorià Justificationis efficiens est Deus meritoria Christus solum ergo controversitur de formuli De Justif Peccatoris how much their Value shall be Valeant quantum valere possunt But there are other things quasi merita at least that must give right to the Benefits procured by Christ's Merits which you call your subordinate Righteousness Neonom Yea I add that if Christ's Righteousness could be applyed for Pardon to the vilest Sinner before he believes it would justifie him but God hath declared that it shall not be applied to Vnbelievers Antinom That 's not for God hath declared the contrary that he justifies the ungodly and if Justification as God's Act be not applied to us first before we are Believers there would never be any Believers for Justification is the cause of Sanctification and not Vice versa But Justification by Faith i. e. Justification as applied by a sensible gracious Act of ours is after Sanctification and we must distinguish in Application of Righteousness between Gods Acts and ours for God must apply Grace before we can partake of it Neonom Nor whether we are Justified the same Moment as we truely believe in Christ and the Blessing is not suspended for any time longer This I affirm because God justifies us by the Promise as his Instrument and this Promise declares that he will justifie him that believes Antinom You 'll own then that we shall not stay for the Benefit if we perform the Condition God will pay ready Mony but the Qualification must be first in us by Nature But why I pray Is it not manners at least to give God the Honour of being first in this Work and say We believe in that moment we are justified 2. I find now you will not have Faith to be the Instrument of Justification but have found out another whereas you find fault with me that I will not have Faith the Instrumental Cause of Justification in its being no more than a passive receiving Instrument and you 'll have the Promise to be the Instrument declaring Justification and what can Faith do but receive this Declaration and thereby declare to the Conscience of the Sinner what the Gospel-Instrument declares Neonom Nor whether an Elect Person once justified by Christ shall be kept by Christ's Care in a justified state Antinom You do not suppose then that Justification is certainly durable in it's one Nature that it is an everlasting Righteousness but that it is loosable
in it's own Nature and needs a continued flux of Supply as our Graces in Sanctification As thus a Traytor pardoned by the King is not unalterably pardoned but shall be kept by the King's Care in a pardoned state Neonom Or whether God hath decreed that the Elect shall certainly believe and so be justified Antinom But hath he decreed that the Elect shall never be justified in any Sence before they believe or that Faith should be wrought as a qualifysng Condition for Justification Neonom Nor whether true Faith be an infallible sign of Justification Antinom But you make it nothing else to us if it justifies as a Condition if your Condition doth not foederally merit the Promise it 's nothing to God but an infallible Sign whereby he sees when to justifie us and to us that we are justify'd by him And what is this better than a manifestation you making it only a manifesting Condition You 're excellent good to multiply Whethers to no purpose You might bring in a 1000 Whethers more and say it 's not the Question Whether it be further to the East or West Indies nor whether Brittain be an Island or Continent Neonom I 'll come to the Point and tell you the Truth Tho' Faith be no way a meritorious Cause of a Sinners Justification yet God hath promised to justifie all such as truly believe Antinom That 's true so he hath promised to Sanctifie and glorifie them Neonom And requires Faith as an Indispensible Qualification in all whom he will justifie for Christ's merits Antinom This now is to the purpose now we see how Faith justifies as an indispensible Qualification a greater Condition than was laid upon Adam a thousand-fold For a clearer understanding the Justification of a Sinner by Faith Norton Evang. p. 110. let these Three Acts be considered the one looked at to succeed the other in Order not in Time First God actually imputes the Active and Passive Mediatory Obedience of Christ unto a Believer Rom. 4.6 therein God is freely given Secondly The Soul having before in order of Nature not in Time received Christ as its Head and Saviour by the same Faith receiveth his Obedience as the matter of it's Righteousness herein the Soul is taking Rom. 1.17 Ch. 6.11 Gal. 3 13. Thirdly God hereupon in the Court of Conscience Judicially declares and pronounceth the Sinner to be righteous and to have right unto Eternal Life by vertue of the Promise John 5.4 Rom. 3.22 30. By this Act of Grace the Person of a Sinner is Justified in himself really yet not inherently but imputatively c. Faith acknowledges 1. That we are Justified for the Righteousness sake of another viz. Christ God Man 2. Acknowledgeth our Justification is free 3. Renounceth our own Righteousness You see the Justifying Nature of Faith is Metonimically ascribed to it as the Eye is said to be the Light of the Body because it lets in the Light so Faith as the Spiritual Eye sees the glory of Christ as the Ear lets in the Justifying Promise declaratory Hence it 's said this is Life Eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent which is to acknowledge him by Faith as he is revealed Mr. Norton tells you We are justify'd by Faith alone i. e. Faith as it is justifying is not a work Rom 4.5 Nort. Evang. p. p. 208. 2 Because we are not justified by our own Righteousness i. e. The Righteousness whereof we are the Subjects 3. Because we are justified by the Righteousness of another sometimes called God's Righteousness whereof God is the Ordainer and whereof he who is God-Man is both the Worker and Subject 4. Because we are justified by a Righteousness that 's made ours by Imputation not by Infusion but as Abraham was justified 5. Because we are justifyed by a Righteousness that is actually procured before we believe our Righteousness is compared to a Garment which we put on by believing Rev. 19.8 Rom. 13.14 Gal. 3.27 yet Faith never took stitch in it Calvin That Faith justifies not as a Qualifying Condition is manifest 1. Faith as a Quality is a Work of the Law The Law commanded Faith a leading Duty in it But no Man is justified by the works of the Law Rom. 3.28 So Wolleb Willet This Proposition we are justified by Faith understood legally with the Papists is not true but blasphemous but understood correlatively is true Vosin Cat. p. 2. Q. 63. 2. That which cannot stand with Grace in Justification cannot have any Influence on Justification as such but for Faith to have any causal Influence as a Work on Justification is inconsistent with Grace The Minor is prov'd Eph. 2.8 Ergo. 3. That which gives no more to Faith in the business of our Justification than to other Works of Sanctification cannot be true but to make Faith to Justifie as a Qualification gives no more to Faith than to other Works of Sanctification Ergo. The reason is because the Scripture doth peculiarly attribute our Justification unto Faith and in a way of Opposition to all Works of Sanctification Rom. 3.28 Gal. 2.16 Chap. 3.11 4. If you say That Faith justifies only as an antecedent Condition not at all meritorious Virtute eompacti then it 's no more a Condition than our coming into the World or Acts performed by us before Faith and it gives no more to Faith than to the Works of Nature as Worldly carnal Sorrow Legal Repentance and such moral Acts as carnal and unregenerate Men daily perform such as you call your Preparatory disposing Conditions and they are the cause of Faith as much as Faith of Justification and consequently the causes of Justification Causa causae est etiam causa causati and are in in eodem genere causarum 5. Whatever justifies as a Foederal Condition is meritorious but Faith justifying as a qualifying Condition upon which Life is promised justifies as a Foederal Condition The Major is true in the account of all for the Condition need not to be adequate to the Reward in Intrinsick Value tho' it be never so small yet upon Performance of the Condition the Reward is due Debt And indeed all Conditions in Contracts and Covenants are proper meritorious Causes by vertue of the Compact and Agreement made between the Covenanters For the Minor If it justifies as a qualifying Condition it must justifie as a Foederal Condition or meer Antecedent Condition And if you say as an antecedent Condition it 's at best but Causa sine qua non which we call No Cause 6. The Scripture doth sufficiently explain it self in what it says of Justification by Faith when it says we are redeemed saved justified by Christ by his Blood by his Death c. That the Spirit of God when it says we are justified by Faith intends not any Moral or Physical Causality in Faith as a Qualification but only by vertue of it's Object Mr. Bradford the Holy Martyr reasoneth thus
As the Israeiltes were healed by beholding the Brazen Serpent so are we saved by believing in Christ Fox p. 1659. but the Looking up of it self did not procure Health to the Israelites but the Promise made in the Object which was the Brasen Serpent therefore in the same manner are we saved by our Faith and Spiritual looking upon the Body of Christ Crucified not that the Action in it self of Believing as it is a quality in Man doth so deserve but because it taketh that Dignity and Vertue from the Object Jesus Christ Augustine compares our Souls to Lanthorns that hath no Light in them of themselves till Christ shines there The latter Helvetian Confess saith c. 11. Because Faith doth apprehend Christ our Righteousness and doth attribute all to the praise of God in Christ in this respect Justification is attributed to Faith chiefly because of Christ whom it receiveth and not because it is a work of ours Belgia Artic. 22. We do justly say with St. Paul We are Justified by Faith without the Works of the Law yet to speak properly we do not mean that Faith by it self and of it self doth justifie us which is but only as an Instrument whereby we apprehend Christ who is our Justice But if we say it justifies Conditionally we must say it justifies of it self What was accounted to Abraham for Righteousness Zanch. on Phil. 3. not the Action by which but that which he did believe or Faith not in respect of it self apprehending but in respect of the Object apprehended Faith taken as a Quality doth not Justifie us c. Rivet Cathol Orthod Bellarm. l. 1. de Justific c. 17. Rhem. in Annot. Rom. 3. The Papists tell us That Faith doth not justifie as an Instrument in apprehending the Righteousness of Christ but as a proper and true cause it actually justifieth by the Dignity Worthiness and Meritorious Work thereof and say these words in Scripture justificari ex fidem per fide do betoken an Actual force and power in Faith to Justification and then saith the Jesuite Faith is a Work we are justified by Faith Ergo by a Work To this he adds That Faith is our Justice it self Ergo not the Apprehension only of Righteousness This he Builds on Rom. 4.5 They tell us That Faith justifies us per modum causae efficientis Meritoriae as a Proper Efficient and Meritorious Cause And Bellarmine tells us That if we could be perswaded that Faith doth justifie Impetrando promerendo suo modo inchoando Justificationem then we would never deny that Love Fear Hope and other Vertues did justifie as well as Faith Now to avoid the Absurditities they are forced upon by the Protestant Arguments they have two shifts 1. That this Merit is not from us but from God because Faith is the Gift of God's Grace and therefore though we be justified by Merit we are justified by Grace too and that it is of Grace that our Faith Merits 2. They say That Faith Merits Justification non ex condigno of the worthiness of it but de congruo of the fitness of it and this is that which our Neonomians say That it qualifies and disposeth us to Justification so that the justifying a Believer is the doing a thing that is fit and meet to be done the Person being disposed and qualified thereunto It 's sad that Protestants should now come to lick up the Papists Vomit and re-assert those gross Errours in Fundamental Truths that all our Orthodox and Famous Opposers of the Popish Heresie have refuted and decryed by one Consent But that this Errour might the better be swallowed by Protestants the subtle Enemy of Truth and Mankind forgeth it again gives it a good heat and brings it upon his Anvil polisheth it and makes it much more plausible to look upon The Arminians say Faith justifies sensu proprio the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credere the very Act of believing is imputed to us for Righteousness being accepted of God and accounted to us as the whole Righteousness of the Law So we are justified by Faith in the sight of God not by its Merit for they ascribe all the Merit of Justification to Christ but only they ascribe to it a conditional subordinate Righteousness by vertue of the Ordination of God For Arminius saith Armin. in declar sentent ad ordines Holland Westfris Ipsa fides tanquam Actus juxta Evangelii Mandatum prestitus Imputatus coram Deo in sive ad Justitiam idque in gratia cumque non sit ipsamet justitia legis i. e. Faith it self as an Act performed according to the command of the Gospel is Imputed before God in or unto Righteousness and that in Grace when it is not the very Righteousness of the Law * J. Goodw. Treatise of Justif p. 22. I shall give the refined and sublimed Notion of this Arminian Doctrine from a Man of no small dexterity in pleading for it He saith That that which God precisely requires of Men to their Justification instead of the Works of the Law is Faith or to believe in the proper and formal signification he doth not require of us the Righteousness of Christ for our Justification this he required of Christ himself for it that which he requires of us for this purpose is our Faith in Christ himself not in the Righteousness of Christ i. e. in the Active Obedience of Christ if Paul had certified and said to Men That the Righteousness of Christ should be Imputed to Men for their Righteousness it had been quite beside his Scope which was plainly to make known the Counsel and Pleasure of God concerning that which was to be performed by themselves though not by their own strength for their Justification which he affirms from place to place to be nothing else but Faith or Believing To have said thus unto them That they must be justified by Christ or by Christ's Righteousness and withal not to have plainly signified what it is that God requires of them to give them part in Christ's Righteousness without which they could not be justified had been to cast a Snare upon them rather than open a Door of Life and Peace and hence proceeds to prove that Abraham's Faith or Believing it self was Imputed unto him for Righteousness and he palliates it thus That he understands it but as a means of coming at the Righteousness but he defends this Proposition That we are justified by Faith sensu proprib non Metonymico Now see what the Neonomian says expresly of your indispensible Qualification though you Sir always will look one way while you row another The Question in one of you is plainly asked and answered by a great Leader and Guide among you Con. 13. When it is said that Faith is Imputed to us for Righteousness Is it Faith indeed that is meant or Christ's Righteousness believed on Mr. B. Scripture Gospel Defended p. 32. Contr. 13. Answ A strange and bold
the New Testament are so often repeated which shew Justification to be sought only in the Person of Christ John 1.12 and 3.15 16. and 6.40 47. and 14.1 54. Rom. 4.5 and 3.26 Acts 10.43 and 25.18 Rom. 3.26 A Sinner is justified by Faith not properly as it is a Quality or Action Pemble of Justific ch 11. § 2. which by its own Dignity and Merit deserves at God's Hands Remission of Sins or is by God's favourable Acceptance taken for the whole and perfect Righteousness of the Law which is otherwise required of a Sinner but only in Relation unto the Object of it the Righteousness of Christ which it embraceth and resteth upon Justification is a Gracious Act of God upon a Believer whereby for the Righteousness sake of Christ Imputed by God Nortons Eang p. 300. and applyed by Faith he doth freely discharge him from Sin and Curse and accept him as Righteous in the Righteousness of Christ and acknowledge him to have a Right unto Eternal Life Q. 73. How doth Faith justifie a Sinner in the sight of God A. Faith justifies a Sinner in the sight of God not because of those other Graces that do always accompany it Assemb Large Catech. or of good Works which are the Fruits thereof nor as if the Grace of Faith or any Act thereof were Imputed to him for Justification only as it is an Instrument by which he receiveth and applyeth Christ and his Righteousness Q. 32. What is Justification A. Justification is an Act of God's Free Grace whereby he pardoneth all our Sins Shorter Catech. and accepteth us as Righteous in his sight only for the Righteousness of Christ received by Faith alone Whom God effectually calleth he freely justifieth not by Infusing Righteousness into them but by pardoning their Sins Confess c. 11. and by accounting and accepting their Persons as Righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christ's sake alone not by Imputing Faith it self the Act of Believing nor any other Evangelical Obedience as their Righteousness but by Imputing the Obedience and Satisfaction of Christ unto them they receiving and resting on him and his Righteousness by Faith which Faith they have not of themselves it is the Gift of God We are accounted Righteous before God only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith Artic. 11. of the Church of Engl. and not for our own Merits and Deservings wherefore that we are Justified by Faith only is a most wholesom Doctrine and very full of Comfort c. The Righteousness of Christ as it 's Christ's and performed by him so it is ours as it 's Meritorious of Grace Efficacious of Faith it self that is to be wrought in us it 's ours therefore I say by way of Right because by the Decree of the Father and Purpose of the Son it 's wrought for us tho' not in our Possession as to Sense and Acknowledgment of so great a Benefit bestowed Haec enim agnitio this Acknowledgment ariseth from Faith The Righteousness of Christ is said to be Imputed to us and his Merits to be applyed by Faith not before God but in our Consciences as there is a Sense of it begotten in our Hearts by Faith and an Acknowledgment of the Saving Application from the Love of God which we taste by Faith and Spiritually perceive Justifying of us and Adopting us to be his Sons from whence ariseth Peace of Conscience Whence the Righteousness of Christ is said to be Imputed to us by Faith because it is not known but by Faith that it is Imputed to us by God and then at length we are said to be Justified by that kind of Justification and Absolution from our Sins which begets or produceth peace of Conscience Dr. Twiss C. 1. p. 2. de Elect. He speaks of Justification in a double Acceptation 1. As the Righteousness of Christ is applyed to us before Faith and Repentance by reason of which Righteousness we obtain Efficacious Grace to believe in Christ and Repent 2. He understands Justification to be that Notification that is by Faith made to our Consciences or in the Court of Conscience and this is saith he that Imputation of Christ's Righteousness Remission of Sin Justification and Absolution which follows Faith There 's none of us saith he say that wicked vitious Person allowing themselves to live in their Sins are bound to believe Christ dyed for them for my part I think otherwise that whilst all are commanded to believe in Christ they are not bid presently to believe that Christ dyed for them but rather to rest themselves upon Christ by Faith to renounce themselves and their own Works and cast themselves down at the Feet of Mercy this is only properly called Faith on Christ fides in Christum the other is only Faith concerning Christ Hence Mr. Norton hath these words Orthod p. 315. These are both Truths 1. Justification hath a Being before the Elect do believe 2. That the Elect are not Justified before they do believe Justification is the Object Faith is the Act or being actually Justified is an Effect Faith is the Instrumental Cause the Cause is before the Effect Maccovius Disput XVI distinguishes Justification into Active and Passive Active Justification signifies God's Absolution of a Guilty Person from Guilt for the sake of Christ's Satisfaction and accounting him Righteous for his Righteousness Imputed The Differences between this and Passive Justification by Faith are 1. This is one undivided Act of God Absolution by Faith is repeated 2. Active precedes Faith Passive follows c. A Digression concerning the Necessity of Repentance to Forgiveness Neonom GEntlemen if you please for a Diversion after this Arduous Attempt that I have made to bring in the true Doctrine of the Catholick Church let us make a little digression for our Recreation and treat upon a Point that hath not so much difficulty in it for having got in Faith to justifie as a qualifying Act I doubt not now but to pleasure some of its Relations and find them a place in Justification too Antinom Stay not so hasty I do not find you have yet attained your End about Faith festina lentè cry not Victoria yet but however Gentlemen seeing he is for a digression let him have it for he hath been in digression from Truth all along I know not how he can digress from the way he hath been in hitherto but by coming into Truth Neonom You judging we are justified before we do believe it 's no wonder if you tell us We are forgiven before we confess Sin p. 255. and repent and therefore I would enquire of the necessity of Repentance to Forgiveness D. W. p. 113. Antinom As a Qualifying Condition Gentlemen this is no digression for it 's the Right Line and Method that Bellarmine and all the Papists have taken in handling the Doctrine of Justification first to bring in Faith to justifie as
a Work and then to bring in other Graces and Duties in the like manner only Faith shall have the honour to lead the way Whosoever saith That a Man is justified only by Faith and that nothing else is required to our Justification Trident. Conc. § 6. Chap. 2. let him be Accursed Faith is not the only cause of our Justification but there are others also as Hope Charity Alms-deeds c. Bellarm. de Justific ib. c. 13. c. 16. The Apostle excludeth not all Works for then Faith it self should be excluded from Justification because it is a Work and if justifying Faith do except every Law then the Law of Faith also should be excepted Looky you see Bellarmine hath got your Remedial Law by the End I thought I should find indeed all your Doctrine in the Original Neonom But he doth not speak fully to the case in hand Antinom But he shall speak fully to your Mind For He adds further Such Works therefore only are excluded which go before Faith which are done only by the Knowledge of the VVord Chap. 19. and by the Power of Free-will without Grace not such Works as are of Faith and proceed of Grace But all I fear is that you may not allow us so much as Bellarmine you will have some Qualifying Condition before Faith to Justifie us whereas he doth in a measure exclude all Works before Faith and he calls not that a Merit in plain English though it 's so in some Countreys I cannot tell how your Language expresseth it Neonom You 're a Pragmatick my Business in this Digression is with Men of more Orthodox Principles who yet seem too doubtful in this Point I shall state the Point between these Calvin Then Sir I find the Province will fall upon me wholly to discuss this Point with you unless the Board will be pleased to appoint an Abler Person Board No Sir by no means Neonom I shall state the Point then and shew you wherein the difference is not Calvin I pray Sir be briefer in stating Points for I find you bring your Adversary out of Breath in stating of Points and when you have stated them no body can tell but by Conjecture where you are in this way of stating Points you may run over the Enclycopeidia Artium in telling us where the Point is not for it can be but in one place Neonom But you must look where a thing is not as well a where it is before you find it I 'll tell you It is not 1. Whether Faith or Repentance be any part of the Meriting Righteousness for which we are Justified Antinom True Bellarmine will not allow Faith and Repentance to be any part of Christ's Righteousness for which we are Justified but only a Meriting Righteousness by which we are Justified .. Neonom I told you Gentlemen I would have nothing to do with this Heterodox Fellow Calvin It is a strange thing Mr. Antinomian that you cannot leave this business to me Antinom I am willing to give you ease that you may keep your Lungs till he comes to the Question for he will tire you before you come at it Neonom Nor is the Question Whether the Habits of Faith and Repentance be wrought at the same time in the Regenerating Principle D. W. p. 113. Antinom You mean you will not discuss this Point and therefore tell us not whether you affirm it or deny it and what you mean by the Regenerating Principle is very doubtful whether a Principle within us or without us Whether a Principle by Nature or by Grace It 's a new term to say We are Regenerated by a Principle it must be sure some Principle in our Nature that Regeneration must spring from Neonom Nor whether Convictions of a lost Estate and some degree of Humblings and Sorrow are necessary to drive a Soul to Christ Antinom The Law is a School-master to bring Men to Christ to cast them into a desperate condition that a Saviour may be acceptable to them that 's Christ's end but it 's no Federal Condition of Justification by Christ nor the Effects of it being the Condemnation of a Sinner which Condemnation and Sin it self are alike Conditions Causae sine quâ non that 's none at all in the sence of Logicians Convictions Humblings Sorrow for Sin before Regeneration and Justification are splendida peccata you have subscribed the Doctrinal Articles and Bellarmine excludes such Works which are before Faith done by the Knowledge of the Law and the Power of Free-will Neonom Nor whether there be an Assenting Act of Faith before there be an Exercise of Repentance under the Power of the Word which must be believed in some degree before it operate such Effects Antinom You should have put in this Question and said Nor whether there should be hearing of the Word before there is Repentance under it and you should tell what Faith you mean whether Historical or common Credulity or Saving Faith c. And whether you do not mean that Natural Men do grow up from a Regenerating Principle under the Word into Saving Grace by degrees Neonom Nor whether Ingenuous Sorrow for Sin in the sense of Actual Pardon be after that Pardon Antinom That need not be brought in to prevent our mistaking of the Question for none that hath any Brains can blunder so as to think a Man can be sorry for Sin in the sence of Actual Pardon before it is it must be after that this whether is next a-kin to a Bull. Neonom Nor whether Repentance as it consists in Fruits meet for it as External Reformation a Fruitful Life and the like must follow Pardon it being against the Tenour of the Promise that Forgiveness should be suspended so long after a Man believes and repents in his Heart Antinom You had better have put the Whether thus Whether Pardon is not to come in between Repentance and its Fruits Or whether Repentance with Fruits appearing or Repentance without Fruits appearing be the condition of Pardon and to what degrees of growth Repentance ought to arise before a Man is qualified for Pardon and how long in an ordinary way a truely Repenting Sinner must expect to continue unjustified And what time is limited in the Tenour of the Promise for suspension of Forgiveness after Faith and Repentance For there 's some time it seems with you that Forgiveness is suspended after Faith and Repentance Neonom Nor whether Justification be equally ascribed to Faith and Repentance For we are said to be Justified by Faith which imports that Repentance is but a disposing Condition and Faith a receiving Condition Repentance without Faith is unavailable as Faith without Repentance is impossible Faith seems to compleat all and in a manner to comprehend all These things the Orthodox Divines are agreed on Antinom That is Orthodox Neonomians of which none are Orthodox in these Points But Mr. Calvinist now he begins to bear up towards the Question I
with a Connexion of Promises and Threats and so performed as such only are legal and must be reckoned as belonging to the Law of Works but all Evangelical Duties are performed from a Principle of Grace and not for Reword or Fear But let us hear your Proof Neonom Who can doubt this if they consider 1. The Covenant of Innocency promised to nothing below sinless and perfect Obedience D. W. p. 104. Antinom It promised to Man upon Obedience which God required and so it is in every Covenant the Obedience required is perfect in respect of the Covenant let it be more or less that is required No Covenant admits of any Abatement or Defect in the Conditions required 2. If this be a Covenant of Innocency your Covenant opposed to it must be a Covenant of Nocency because as you say it admits of a contrary Condition viz. A sinful Obedience Neonom The Threatnings of the Covenant of Innocency admitted no Repentance or after-relief to the Guilty They did fix the Curse irrevocable in case of any Transgression Antinom Who told you the Covenant of Works would admit of no Relief for the Guilty if not how came any How came it to pass that Relief was given before the Sentence was passed upon Man Surely if the Covenant could not admit of it by Vertue of it's Constitution it could not have been just with God to have given it 2. As to Repentance it did naturally belong to the Breach of God's Law and Man's falling into Misery Indeed it did not admit of Repentance as an Expiation of the Sin and a Condition of Life no more doth the Gospel so that Law and Gospel are agreed in that 3. And as to the irrevocable fixing of the Curse grant it was so yet not without admitting a Relief provided it might consist with the irrevocable Curse i. e. That the Law might have it's full Satisfaction both to Sufferings and Obedience as it had in Christ the Sentence of the Law is not repealed or revoked in the Covenant of Grace but confirmed and fulfilled whereby the Guilty have their Relief The Law is not against the Promise Gal. 3.21 No God forbid it 's well pleased with it because it hath all that it can require The Law is not dispensed with in saving Sinners it hath it's Ends Christ being the end of the Law for Righteousness to all that believe The Gospel establisheth the Law Neonom 2. No Overture of Life or door of Hope or Argument to Conversion with Hopes of Acceptance could be framed out of those Legal Threats and Promises Turn ye Turn ye was not the Language Antinom Nor from any other upon Terms of the like Nature viz. Do and Live And why was it that no Door of Hope is open to Man fallen upon those Terms it was because he â—id not do and now is dead and he must live now before he can do till Grace give Life it 's but a Conviction to him that God faith Turn you Turn you for till God give him Life and turn him Turn you turn you is but the Triumph of the Law and all the Turnings of a poor Sinner in his Natural Estate is no more than the turning of a Dead Carcase it 's dead still there 's no returning to Life by turning till the effectual Voice of Christ prevail who is the Resurrection and the Life Neonom See any one of the Calls to Faith and Repentance or Holiness thus back'd with Promises and Threats be not Evangelical Antinom Calls to Faith and Repentance as Commands to Sinners to perform the Acts and Duties thereof upon Threats and Promises and as those Works that shall bring us into Covenant are so far from being Evangelical as they are highly Legal yea super-legal 1. Legal for it makes a Covenant of Works What matter if God require not the same Individual Act as a Condition of Life if he require another What if instead of forbearing to eat an Apple the Condition be now to forbear the eating of a Pear What if perfect Obedience was then required and imperfect now Both were Obedience only now you 'll have a Dispensation for Sin to come into the Condition which reflects upon the Holiness and Justice of God or Power of God that he did not nor could give us Life in a way of perfect Obedience and sinless but must have Recourse to sinful Likewise the only Obligation that lies upon a meer natural Man to obey God when he commands Faith and Repentance is the Law for he is under no other Law but that of Works 2. It is also super-legal 1. To bring fallen Man into Covenant upon working Conditions is more than was with Adam he did not work himself into Covenant God took him freely into Covenant without Conditions all the Condition was Perseverance for keeping him in Covenant as yours is 2. God here requires Works where there 's no Power God gave Adam the Power before he required Obedience Calvin In my Approbation Gentlemen you do but lose time Mr. Antinom argues at a mighty low rate I will take his Position and put it into right Terms and then see Mr. Antinom how you like it Salvation by Gospel-Grace is so necessary to a Sinner for the working Faith Obedience Good Works and Perseverance in the way to Heaven that without it he cannot perform them or continue in them Antinom So I like it well Neonom That 's quite contrary to my Sence For I do not say that Salvation by Grace is the Cause of sincere Faith and Obedience and Perseverance but that Sincerity in Performance of Faith and Obedience with Perseverance is necessary as a Cause of Salvation I spake before of coming into Justification by qualifying Faith and Repentance by the Government ef a Rule of Righteousness and Misery our Minds being thereby affected with Hopes and Fears I will now shew you that by this Gospel-Constitution Persevering Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works are necessary to Salvation D. W. p. 137. Antinom I have told you that if these be right i. e. True Gospel-Holiness they be a great part of Salvation and they are no more necessary than a Part is to the Whole All Graces and Duties are the necessary parts of a saved Sinner And there are two sorts of Necessaries Essentially necessary and Necessary as to well-being as Anima rationalis is essentially necessary to a Man But there are many things as to Integrity Ornaments and Usefulness Now I say as these things are in Salvation or belonging to it for being in their kind for well-being Usefulness Adorning c. so they are necessary But if you look upon them and Salvation as two distinct things they are not necessary to give you right to any part of Salvation Neonom He that made Faith necessary to Justification hath made Obedience necessary to Salvation Antinom It seems by you Justification and Salvation are specifically distinct which they are not they differ but as Genus and Spectes
the Works of it and therein is a Neonomian and the rather because by that Rectoral Rule of Government which he hath usurp'd to himself and the Rule of Sin he hath judicially Sentenced all his Opposers to the Name of Antinomians or Abetters of them Insomuch that all our first Protestant Reformers and any known by the Name of Calvinists fall under his severe Censure as Ignorant Setters up of the Name of Christ and his Grace against his Government I thought it meet to call in the long-ago deceased Doctor also under what Name or Title soever he is pleased to call him whom he carries about to scare Children with and as a Trophy of his pretended Triumph that he might be made speak and the World may hear what he hath to say for himself and be acquainted how he is abused and that he may be hereafter permitted to rest quietly in his Grave and not used as Wickliff was i. e. Burnt for an Heretick so many Years after be hath been dead In a Word Shall we stand still with our Fingers in our Months in such a Day of Peace and Liberty while we are Brow-beaten or wheadled out of the great Fundamental Points of Eternal Life and Salvation which in all Ages of Antichristian Tyranny have triumph'd over the smartest Persecutions through the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of his Testimony in the Faith and Patience of the Saints who have not loved their Lives unto Death in the Heroick Defence of them against the very same sort of Opposition And who I pray will harm us now if we as strenuously defend the Truth as it is audaciously attack'd Have any of us suffered to the spoiling of our Goods in the Defence of Truth of a subordinate and subservient Nature to these and shall we suffer all this in vain and cast our selves tamely at the Feet of such a confident Invader of our most choice and precious things in the World yea our very Life in Christ What is it that affrightens us Doth the Scripture Law or Learning terrify us If so little a Foot-man can run us out of Breath how do we think to contend with Horses Dragooners I mean if they should come And if in the Land of Peace we are wearied what shall we do in the Swelling of Jordan If Popery should ever over-run us again which God forbid and we should be called to bear Testimony to these Truths at Fire and Paggot as the Famous Martyrs have done It 's to be feared now that many Protestants would provide for their Safety by flying to the Neonomian Asylum But to conclude however we shrink from the despised Truths of Christ shuffle and cut with him and sometimes huff and bounce at him or some Truth of his I am fully assured the God of Glory and all Grace who hath hitherto preserved the pure Doctrine of his Gospel not only from the impure Mixtures of Pretenders to Holiness the crafty Methodists of Satan as an Angel of Light but also from his open Rage as a roaring Lion will continue yet to maintain it against all the bâ—ting Winds of False Doctrine That Christ hath his Fan in his Hand and will thoroughly purge his Floor and that if any Man lay any other Foundation than what is laid which is Jesus Christ and continues so to do his Root shall be Rottenness and his Blossom go up as Dust I. C. Some of the Paradoxes contained in the Neonomian Scheme 1. SINS of the Elect are not forgiven immediately upon nor meerly by Christ's Enduring Sufferings but there were by Divine Appointment to interpose a Gospel Promise of Pardon the Work of the Spirit for a Conformity to the Rule of the Promise in the Person to be pardoned and a Judicial Act of Pardon by that Promise on the Person thus conformed to the Rule thereof 2. The Gospel hath another Sanction to the Preceptive Part of the Law than the Covenant of Works had Though nothing be abated in the Rule of Sin and Duty yet Blessings are Promised to Lower Degrees of Duty and a continuance in a state of Death with a Barr to the Blessing are not threatned against every Degree of Sin as the Covenant of Works did 3. This Change of the Sanction supposeth the Death of Christ and his honouring the Law by his perfect Obedience wherein God hath provided for his own Glory while he promiseth Life by Forgiveness to Imperfect Man and yet insists on some Degrees of Obedience to which of his meer Grace he enableth us 4. The Degrees of Obedience the Covenant of Redemption secures to the Elect tho' the Grant therein is pleadable only by Christ as the stipulating Party for us and our Personal Claim depends upon the Gospel Covenant whereof Christ is Mediator 5. The Gospel-Sanction determins as certain a Rule of Happiness and Misery as the Law of Works did tho' it be not the same for while it promiseth a Pardon to all believing repenting Sinners and declares a Barr to Pardon to the Impenitent Rejecters of Christ and Gospel-Grace it fixeth true Repentance and Faith unfeigned to be the Terms of Pardon 6. When it promiseth Heaven to the sincerely holy persevering Believer it fixeth sincere Holiness and Perseverance in Faith as the Terms of possessing Heaven 7. Hence the use of Faith and Holiness as to those Benefits is not fron the Conformity to the Precept but their Conformity to the Rule of the Promise 8. Our applying Christ's Righteousness and relying on it would no more Justifie us than our Holiness would Save us were it not for the Gospel-Promise God will justifie for Christ's sake all such as believe 9. God in dispensing Gospel-promised Blessings doth judicially determine a Conformity to this Rule of the Promise When he forgives he judicially declares a Man hath true Faith when he admits to Heoven he judicially declares a Man sincerely holy and persevering 10. The Wedding-Garment Matth. 22.11 is true uniting Faith 11. Forgiving Adopting Glorifying and Conveyance of every Gospel-Benefit given on God's Terms are Judicial Acts of God as a Rector if not he doth blindly and promiscuously dispense them without any regard to our being Believers 12. With respect to what is declared the Gospel is a Law of Faith and it especially insists on that Sincerity of Grace and Holiness which the Rule of the Promise makes necessary in it's Description of the Person whom it makes Partaker of it's included Benefits 13. The Merits of Christ are the Cause of this Gospel-Ordination his Righteousness Imputed is the Cause for which we are Justified and Saved when we do answer the Rule of the Gospel 14. The Righteousness of God Phil. 3.9 principally intends the Gospel Holiness of a Person justified by Christ's Righteousness both which by Faith in Christ all his Members shall be perfect in 15. The Grace of God is hereby stated as free as is Consistent with his Government and judicial rectoral Distribution of Rewards and Punishments THE Ancient Gospel
the Stomach and that the whole Mass of Blood is infected with ill Humours or the Morbid Constitution of some Parts Out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh saith our Saviour our great Physician Is it not sad when there is a poysonsom Juyce under the Lips and a Mouth full of Bitterness Rom. 3. You first charge the Ministry of some and most hereabout know what sort of Men you mean with being the Cause of Men's Security in Sin And why Because they preach the Doctrine of the Gospel in a free Justification of a Sinner by Faith without the Works of a Law according to the Apostle Paul and preach down your Doctrine of Justification by Works But you express the Effects of this dangerous Doctrine to lie in these things 1. Security in Sin A Doctrine that quickens Men that are dead in Trespasses and Sins one part of which Death is Security in Sin doth not cause Security in Sin But the Doctrine of Free Grace in Justification of a Sinner without Works of any Law doth so Eph. 2. I shall not now enlarge upon you 2. Another ill Effect is you say That it causes the mistaking the Motions of sensible Passions for Conversion This is rather the Effect of your own Doctrine wherein you lay the whole Stress of Justifying and Saving Grace upon Sensible Passions and set Men wholly to judge of their State thereby It 's marvellously to be wondred at that any Man should have the Impudency to charge those Effects upon an opposite Doctrine to his which are the natural and palpable Effects of his own and he sees so to be 3. You charge upon it the general Abatement of an exact and humble walking This Charge is likewise of the same Nature Whereas the Spirit of God hath disclaimed any true Cause of exact walking beside the Grace of God that brings Salvation and then teacheth it as hath been proved As for Humble walking what is a greater Inducement thereto than the Doctrine of Faith which ascribes all to the Gift of Grace empties us of every high Imagination and Thought It exalts Christ and makes him all and in all Whereas yours is the contrary no Doctrine tends more to the lifting up of the Creature than that of Neonomianism next to that of the Papists And no wonder say you when so many affirm such and such things Where are the many or the any that you can charge with saying these things in the same Sence you put upon them Many Expressions that taken together with their Connexion in the explained Sence of him that speaks are not only true but safe and sound but abstracted and wrested may be made to look as black as Hell You may say David saith That there is not an honest Man upon the Face of the Earth Psal 12. That he saith There is no God Psal 14. That Moses affirms God to be a Man Exod. 15.3 And in a Thousand Places in your way and manner it 's easie to charge Blasphemy upon the very Scriptures And how often Lying if Hyperbole's be not allowed to be used without Wrong to the Truth As to the particular Charges I shall speak to each in it's proper place and lay open your Prevarications Errors and false Imputations to the World Neonom In this present Testimony to the Truth of the Gospel I have studyed Plainness Pref. D. W. p. 3. and to that end oft repeated the same things in my Concessions to prevent the Mistakes of the less Intelligent tho' I could not think it fit to insist anew upon all Antinom Your Testimony is against the Truth as shall be made appear and is not to be accounted a Testimony For a Testimony is a credible Witness or Evidence As the Apostle Paul saith Our Testimony among you was believed 2 Thes 1.10 And this Testimony is with a good Conscience 2 Cor. 1.12 And Paul testified the Gospel of the Grace of God Acts 2.24 1. Your Testimony is not to the Gospel of the Grace of God but against it and therefore not materially true 2. Your Testimony is formally naught it being not accompanied with a good Conscience but with a purpose and design to deceive You pretend to do Good but you manifestly design Evil to blast the Honour of God's Free Grace as if it were a Sin-teaching Doctrine and blacken a Holy Servant of Christ who is now in Glory for Preaching the Gospel your Testimony can't be believ'd because of your manifold Prevarications Equivocations and False Teachings in this Treatise of yours And whereas you say you have studied Plainness if you mean that in some places is no better than plain Falshood in others plain Error it 's true enough Or if you mean Plainness in respect of Style it 's homely enough and hardly plain Sence But if you mean Plainness of Simplicity without double-tonguedness I utterly deny it For when you speak of things that one would think at first Glance you intend Truth by it 's nothing so No Jesuite in the World can out-do you at Equivocation and there lies your Natural Excellency You have impertinent Repetition enough your Concessions every where fall about your own Ears in your glozing Oppositions to the Truth you deny You design the rectifying the Mistakes of the Non-intelligent This is false it 's manifest you design the blinding of them more else why do you quote Dr. Owen and the Assembly for countenancing those Errors which you know they directly oppose Let but the Mistakes of the less Intelligent be removed their Stomachs will rise sufficiently against you and your Book too Neonom I have in nothing misrepresented Dr. Crisp 's Opinion nor mistaken his Sence Antinom This must be true or false and here is the turning Point of the whole Book Either Dr. Crisp was or you must be If you have not misrepresented him then according to your Representation he was so If you have misrepresented him and unjustly blackened him what are you But that which we have in hand is Falshood and Lying As to this Assertion of yours we shall prove you guilty of Falshood throughout the Book that though you have repeated some of Dr. Crisp's Words from time to time yet you have only repeated such part of his Words as might render him odious not those that give a true and can did Sence of what he intended and herein you misrepresented him and that on purpose Now the Spirit of God lays the Formal Nature of a Lie upon an Intention to deceive or to deal injuriously with others as in the Case of Doeg Though I do not design now to come to Particulars I will give one Instance wherein you in your Book and your Party do frequently expose Dr. Crisp and his Abettors such as you call Divers as also Crispians and Antinomians that he and they do assert Sin can do no hurt and you would have Men understand that he means That no Person in Christ need fear to commit Sin and that Sin
of God as Rector Antinom If you understand Judicial in respect of the Justice of God answered by the Righteousness of Christ purchasing all good Gifts and Blessings for Sinners that deserve nothing but Wrath it may be said of Justification But if you understand Judicial in respect of any Duty Grace or Qualification that is found in us tho' wrought by the Spirit I abhor it as an abominable Position And your Saying the Wedding Garment was Faith and not the Righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith is a wretched wresting and Abuse of Scripture turning the sweet and precious Doctrine of our Lord and Saviour against himself I shall meet with you again upon these Points more largely therefore I pass them over briefly now But in the mean time take notice that all our Protestants and particularly the Assemblies Catechism define Justification and Adoption always Acts of Free Grace Neonom If so doth he despense these blindly and promiscuously without any regard to our being Believers c. or no Whether our Faith be true or no any one would blush to affirm Antinom I would know whether if God distribute his Free Grace to poor wretched and worthless Creatures according to his Election and distinguishing Mercy doth he do it blindly because he finds no Reason in them And I pray doth God dispense the Grace of Faith blindly if he doth it without respect to Men's being Believers first So if they believe before they shall have the Gift of Faith and their Faith must be true too before they have Faith given I can ' but think you are Fricatae Frontis or you would blush at the delivery of these things Neonom With respect to what is above declared the Gospel is a Law of Faith a Law of Liberty c. And it especially insists on that Sincerity of Grace and Holiness which the Rule of the Promise makes necessary in it's Description of the Person whom it makes Partaker of it's included Benefits Antinom You do here begin to make Conclusions on your Premises but your Premises not holding Water your Conclusions will no way follow you conclude the Gospel is a Law of Faith We have briefly shewed as you have given occasion that the Gospel as such is no Law and hath not a Sanctio it 's wholly a Promise of Life and the Performance of the Promise doth not depend upon any thing a Sinner can do as a Foederal Condition I shall shew fully hereafter that there is no ground from that place Rom. 3. nor that of James 1. to conclude the Gospel to be a Law i. e. A Command of Duty for a Condition with a Sanction of Threats upon the Non-performance or Promises as Rewards upon the Performance whether the Condition be Perfect of Imperfect Obedience You make the Sincerity of Grace and Holiness to be this Condition and you call it the Rule of the Promise which you say is not the Precept neither neither is it the Promise but a Rule that is neither Precept or Promise So what your Rule is he is wise that knows And you say this Rule makes Sincerity necessary in the Discription of the Person So the Rule of the Promise describes a Person only and therefore makes him not but tells us he must be sincere before he hath any thing to do with the Promise From whence hath he this Sincerity described From Law or Gospel From God or himself If from God then by way of Grace and Gift and so through the Promise If of our selves it 's Dross They that are in the Flesh cannot please God and therefore much less perform such a Duty for which God will give the promised Benefits Neonom And the main of our Ministry consisteth in pressing Men to answer the Rule of Gospel Promises Antinom What this means is very strange when you say the use of Faith and Holiness as to Benefits is not from their Conformity to the Precept Therefore what do you press them unto when you press them to answer the Rule of the Gospel When the Conformity to the Precept doth no good I suppose in the same Sence as you say Obliquity in regard of the Precept will do no hurt But the main of our Ministry consists in Preaching Christ and bringing Sinners unto him and building them up in him Neonom And disswading Men from those things which the Gospel threatens shall hinder their Interest in all or any of their Benefits with an Aggravation of their Misery if they be final Rejecters of Grace Antinom Whatever befalls Sinners retaining their sinful state and rejecting Grace is from the Law and not from the Gospel To talk of a Gospel-Threat is a Catechresis at best and nothing else can save it from being a Bull. But what are those that will hinder a Sinner from the Benefit of being turned from Darkness to Light This I can suppose is the Non-improvement of the Grace which you take every one to have which either hinders or makes that they are not converted Neonom We call Men to be reconciled to God upon which we know God will be at Peace with them Antinom But you tell them not according to 2 Cor. 5.18 That all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ And this is the ground of the Ministry of Reconciliation and the ground of Perswasion to Sinners to be reconciled unto God But this Portion of Scripture to the End of the Chapter you take to be hardly Canonical Neonom These things will help thy Conceptions still remembring that the Merits of Christ are the Cause of this Ordination Antinom The Councel of God is the Cause of the Ordination of Salvation Means and Order But you mean they will help to blunder and confound poor Men's Conceptions Per Nebulam per Caliginem per Somnium Non lectore tuis opus est sed Apolline libris But you would have us not to forget the Causa sine qua non of this rare Gospel Scheme You should have told us that your own corrupt Imagination was the Procatarctick Cause of this new Law Ordination Neonom His Righteousness imputed is the Cause for which we are Justified and Saved when we answer the Gospel Rule Antinom It 's ad Graecas Calendas when a poor wretched Sinner must be saved then Christ is the cause of setting up this new Law and that we should be justified thereby when we perform the imperfect Conditions thereof and that 's your answering the Gospel Rule Since Christ hath put a Barr upon the Old Law now we must set up for a Righteousness of our own to answer the Gospel-Rule by and that 's not Conformity to the Precept neither but answering the Gospel-Rule by Imperfection Is not this sad Divinity Neonom And I exclude not this Righteousness when I affirm That the Righteousness of God Phil. 3.9 principally intended the Gospel-Holiness of a Person Justified by Christ's Righteousness Both which by Faith in Christ all his Members shall be
look upon this as a Justification of this Child it being a declared Sentence of God concerning it's standing in his Favour and unchangeable Love 2. The Text is particular in the Reason of this Declaration to Rebecka ver 11. that we may see that God accomplish'd his purpose of Election in the applying of the Grace thereof without Works not so much as upon the Account of Faith as a Work because the Children were not capable of doing Good or Evil the Application of his distinguishing Love could not be upon that Account viz. Of any Condition found in them nor could the Foresight of any such thing in them be the Cause of God's Purpose in Election and shews it's one and the same Righteousness that an Infant and Adult Person is Justified by Neonom Because an Eldest Son is an Heir in the Womb therefore an Elect Person who is in time to he Adopted is an Heir in the Womb. Calvin There 's a Difference between an Heir and Adoption If you know there is an Elect Person in the Womb as Rebecka did he is a more sure Heir to Heaven than ever any great Man's Son was to an outward Estate And as to Adoption that may not be till some time after For that is the Grace of Sonship It 's one thing to be a Son and another to have the Grace of Sonship And is the calling them the Sons of God manifestly taking them into the number and endowing them with the Priviledges of the Sons of God The Relation of an Heir and the state of Adoption admit of different Considerations The State of Adoption is the grown state of an Elect Person he is put into Possession of the Estate and all Priviledges sit together with Christ in Heavenly Places as a Coheir And thus we are the Children of God by Faith Gal. 3.26 The Spirit bearing Witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God and so Heirs ex abundanti Joynt-Heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 Let us now hear what our approved Calvinists say in this Point that speak most particularly and distinctly to it Speak Dr. Amesius Dr. Ames The Transaction between God and Christ was a certain previous Application of our Redemption and Discharge to our Surety and to us in him which hath the Nature of a certain efficacious Pattern to that Secondary manner of Application which is compleated in us so that this is the representation of that this is produced by vertue of that Now it 's inferred hence That our Freedom from Sin and Death was not only determined in God's Decree but also granted and communicated to us in Christ before it is perceived by us Chap. 24. § 3. Mr. Rutherford pray speak you wrote against Antinomianism Sane priusque electus credit c. Certainly before an Elect Person doth believe the Wrath of God and all the Effects of his Wrath are removed from the Persons by vertue of Christ's Satisfaction Exercit. Apologet. per gratiâ p. 45. Mr. Pemble That God doth actually love the Elect before they are Regenerate or can actually believe may appear further by these Reasons 1. Where God is actually reconciled there he actually loveth for Love and Reconciliation are inseparable but with the Elect before they are converted and believe God is Actually Reconciled Ergo he loves them before Faith and Conversion The Minor is evident because before they are Born a full Atonement and Satisfaction is made for their Sins by Christ and accepted on God's part whereupon all Actual Reconciliation must needs follow 2. God did Actually Love the Elect before Christ's time when Actual Reconciliation was not yet made much more therefore after the Atonement made 3. Justification Effectual Vocation and Faith are Fruits of God's Actual Love c. De gratiâ fide p. 22. Chamier Persuasissimum est c. We are most fully perswaded that our Sins are forgiven before we believe for certainly we deny Infants to act Faith and yet their Sins are forgiven them And although it be true that our Sins be forgiven before we believe i. e. before we know it as Actual Believers we do believe the Remission of our Sins because this is proposed to us yea promised to us in the same words which we relye upon by Faith and it 's Sealed by the same Spirit whereby that word is Truth Panstr Tom. 3. lib. 13. c. 10. Antinom I think I see Mr. Baxter appear in this Cause though I suppose he is seldom in this Society Calvin I pray let us hear Sir what you say to this Point Mr. Baxter The Anabaptists bring Eph. 2.3 against Baptism of Infants and say Because they are by Nature Children of Wrath the Promise belongs not to them Ans What though we are by Nature Children of Wrath doth it follow that we may not be otherwise by Grace the state of Wrath goes first in order of Nature and whether in order of time also is not worth our disputing but may not a state of Grace immediately succeed Jeremy was Sanctified in the Womb and John Baptist and the Infants that Christ Blessed were all by Nature Children of Wrath and yet by Grace were in a better state As they come from old Adam they are Children of VVrath but as they receive of the Grace procured by the Second Adam so they are not Children of wrath If a Prince should Entail some Honours upon all your Children you might well say by Nature or as they were your Children they were not Honourable or Noble and yet by the Favour of the Prince they might be all Honourable from the VVomb The Godly at Age may say that they are still by Nature Children of wrath even when they are sure they are Children of God by Grace and they use in their Confessions to say That we by Nature are Enemies to God Fire-brands of Hell R. Baxter of Inf. Bapt. p. 110 111. Calvin I would willingly hear what the Learned and Judicious Mr. J. Cotton saith Mr. J. Cotton in Answer to that Objection made by the Anabaptist against Infant Baptism Faith comes by Hearing Ergo Infants have not Faith Ans It is no Extraordinary thing which Christ speaks concerning Infants when he saith Except you receive the Kingdom of God as little Children c. and they cannot receive it without Christ nor without Faith in Christ and yet received not Christ nor Faith by their own immediate Hearing of the Word and for the second thing which you make Essential to Union with Christ viz. a Heart fitly disposed to apprehend and receive Christ be not unwilling to understand that which is Truth The Heart is fitly disposed by Faith to apprehend or apply Christ when Faith is begotten in the Heart for by this Gift of Faith begotten in us Christ apprehends us and by the same Gift of Faith the Heart is fitly disposed to apprehend Christ even in Infants for when Faith is wrought in Infants the Heart is quickned with Spiritual Life and made a
by the offering of Christ without Spot to God This spotless Sacrifice whereon he bore Sin and was not defiled And hereby the Conscience of Sin i. e. the Guilt of Sin which is no other than Sin charged upon the Conscience is taken away and thence the Levitical Services could not make any perfect as pertaining to Conscience but it 's the Blood of Christ that sprinkles from an evil Conscience Heb. 10.22 2. A condemning Conscience without which we stand but loathsomly before God yea while for want of Faith we apprehend God deals with us out of Christ we are very loathsom and all our Works and Services dead God loaths and abhors them Is not the Vertue of Christ's Blood compared to a Fountain to wash us in and intended especially of Justification and Pardon and the Saints to betake themselves to it under the Notion of it's cleansing Vertue in that Sence 1 John 1.7 Rev. 1.5 Guilt of Sin then is as great a Pollution as belongs to Sin It 's no other than Sin lying upon the Conscience with an Accusation 1 John 3.20 21. Greg. Nysson saith He bore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Filth of our Sin Dr. O. p. 42. Again Wherever Sin is to be purged out by Sanctification it is to be rid away by Justification but all Filth is to be rid by Sanctification that indwells Now it is manifest that the cleansing Vertue of the Blood of Christ applyed by Faith is the first Gospel-effectual Means of Sanctification and it must be the great Cause of Mortification wherein we are planted together in the likeness of his Death Rom. 6. And what did Christ in his Death but destroy the Body of Sin by carrying it away 2 Tim. 1.10 He hath by carrying away sin abolished Sin and Death slain the Enmity that lay in Hatred of God Pravity and Dominion of sin Whence was it that David was cleansed from Blood-guiltiness Was it not from it's being laid on Christ Was it not that very Filthiness of his Sin Psal 51.14 Doth he not pray to God to be washed throughly from his sin and to be cleansed from it Was not that by the Application of the Blood of Christ Doth he not mention all his Pravity Original as well as Actual from which he would be purged as with Hyssop and made whiter than Snow And wherein lies this Washing Is it not in respect of sin not in respect of Punishment he mentioneth not he explains what he means it is that radical Washing ver 9. Hide thy Face from my Sins and blot out mine Iniquity i. e. From the Face of God's Justice Then follows the Creation of a clean Heart He gave himself for us to redeem us from all Iniquity Tit. 2.14 There is no Pravity Defilement Pollution of Sin what-ever that is so but because of it's contrariety to the preceptive part of the Law must first have it's Foundation of cleansing from Christ's bearing of it away and this Faith applying purifies the Heart from the indwelling Macula in us Whence that Promise Ezek. 36.25 The clean Water there is the Spirit working in Application of the Blood of Christ and therefore Gospel-cleansing lies chiefly in Application of Promises 2 Cor. 7.1 Neonom He took care his Body should not see Corruption Acts 2.3 he would much more abhor to take in our Pollution He was holy harmless undefiled c. Antinom All this we say over and over that he bare Sin but was not defiled with Sin nor corrupted in his Nature but the Spirit of God is not to be believed See Christ's taking away of Sin by Atonement is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.3 Neonom It was Condescension enough that he agreed to be treated as a Sinner But how odious is it to load him with Sin it felf To spit that in his Face that the worst of Men abused him with and it would justifie his Persecutors who punished him if he was really the Person your Principles renders him to be Antinom The Spirit of God renders him to be the Person that my Principles renders him to be It saith he bore our Sins in his Body on the Tree the Lord laid Iniquities on him he was made Sin for us and yet how dare you reproach the Spirit of God in such a manner To say that it 's an odious thing To say be bore the Load and Weight of all the Sins of the Elect that it is spitting in the Face of Christ doing that which the worst of Men did to him and justifying his Murderers I am surprized with great horrour to hear such things out of the Mouth of a Man that is called a Gospel Minister I pray God give you Repentance and lay not these things to your Charge But Sir you have here declared your defiance of the Date of the Imputation of our Sins to Christ and yet would pretend you hold that Doctrine by saying God laid the Punishment of Sin only upon Christ The meer Punishment of Christ I must tell you was not the bearing our Sin for the bearing the Punishment was the payment of the Debt and was his Righteousness which is Imputed unto us if Imputation of our Sins to Christ lay in nothing else they were not Imputed at all to him Punishment was laid upon him and he bore it by way of Suffering in his Humane Nature and was that Righteousness that is Imputed to us in Justification the Argument against you is this That which is Imputed to us was not Imputed to Christ but Punishment of Christ to Satisfaction for our Sins is his Righteousness Imputed to us Ergo not the Imputation of our Sins unto him If your rooted prejudices will suffer you to consider I pray weigh well that Argument you will have more by and by But you still say if Christ bore Sin he must be polluted with Sin Ans It argues not that Sin was his by perpetration or Infusion but only by Imputation they were our Sins by Perpetration and Inhesion which he bore by Imputation The Spirit of God tells us he was a Sinner in one respect and no Sinner in another as the Church of Smyrna was Poor in one respect and Rich in another Omnia diversa natura sua abstractâ sunt opposita as Poverty and Riches Sin and no Sin tamen eidem attributa ratione tantum dissentiunt as a Man may be Rich and Poor Wise and Foolish in divers respects And as to the filthiness of Sin it could not stain him he remained untouched in his Holy Nature but yet I must tell you as bearing Sin by the Sacrifices caused a Typical Uncleanness insomuch as the Bodies were Burnt without the Camp and they that Burnt them and gathered up the Ashes became Unclean such a Judicial uncleanness was Jesus Christ our Sacrifice under wherein he answered those great Types and we are not without ample proof of it especially from Heb. 13.11 Neonom Arg. 2. Had he been Esteemed the very Transgressor his
transferring of Sin from us to Christ and this being done before Christ made Atonement we are discharged not for the Atonement of Christ nor by any Act of Forgiveness for the sake of this Atonement I need not add that by this Notion Heathens may be in a pardoned State and there 's no need of the Gospel or Knowledge of Christ to bring them out of a state of Wrath. Antinom I hope by this time you have pretty well spent your Powder and Ball. I told you before when we spake of laying Sins on Christ we understand his offer to bear them the Charge and Imputation laid on him and the payment he made of our Debt all which is the Atonement for bearing of our Sins was an Essential part of it as shedding his Blood was of the Payment this payment and bearing Sin was in the Eye of God from Eternity as if already done hence the Patriarchs were Actually and Personally Justified by it and doth it follow that they were Justified without Christ's Atonement And whereas you talk of God's Acts of Forgiveness you should tell us what you mean if Immanent there 's but one Act of Forgiveness there 's no new Acts arise in God and it was the Promise of Eternal Life before the World began Tit. 1. If you mean a Transient Act it 's but one viz. the performance of that Promise to Christ our Surety and Head and to us in him Virtually and Fundamentally 1 John 5.11 This is the Record that he hath given us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son and from him derived to us terminates in and upon us by the same Effectual Grace of God in Christ towards us so that the same Forgiving Act of God terminates in Christ and in us and therefore you must allow our Life of Forgiveness first in Christ and then bestowed upon us in and through him whereby we are as Sinners brought in to him and receive of his fulness both for Justifying and Sanctifying Grace Whereas you say Heathens by this Notion may be in a pardoned state you foist in another term to impose upon us as if we had said that immediately upon laying Sins on Christ all the Elect were in a pardoned state there 's none can be in a pardoned state before a being natural nor before a being Spiritual at least beginning but what hinders but that the Eternal Life which is given me should be in Christ before I was Born and inferrs not that therefore when I come into the World there will be no need of Gospel or Knowledge of Christ to bring me out of my Natural Estate into Christ See Colos 1.25 26 27. Ephes 3.3 4 5 6. And are not Gentiles as well as Jews pardoned through Christ Neonom The Assemblies at Westminster and the Savoy are both against you Antinom They say in a manner but as we do if you distinguish between a Forgiveness in Christ and Forgiveness bestowed between Impetration and Application Justification and Justified Neonom I will shew you your mistake Mr. Antinomian because it was God's Act to appoint Christ to suffer for our Sins that we might in his way and time be discharged therefore you think we are immediately discharged by that Act. Antinom You take greatly upon you to tell what I think and makes me think contrary to what I have exprest you take upon you to make me speak what you please and to think what you please I take you to be a fit Man to be a Guide was there nothing but God's appointing Christ to suffer for our Sins was there not God's accepting of his Sufferings for us Was not Christ Justified from the Sins of the Elect for when he rose was there not a Radical Justification of all the Elect in Christ If there had not been so they could never have been personally Justified but you would have Christ only purchase our Justification by something else but I must believe and say that he wrought out our Justification which being in him is the same that we do partake of and that our Discharge is begun and carried on in Christ and is compleated in him and received by Faith in his Blood Neonom Because Christ's Atonement is the Sole Meritorious Cause of Forgiveness therefore he thinks God suspends not Forgiveness till he works any thing else in the Soul which he made requisite to our being Forgiven though not as a Meritorious Cause Antinom No you mean Christ shall have the Honour of being the Meritorious Cause but it is that way of Justification intended that Christ hath merited that though we have broken the Law and cannot be Justified by it that a new way of Justification should be set up not through his Blood but by something else a peculiar qualification that shall make us meet to be forgiven that there may be some reason found in the Sinner why he should be forgiven this is now the new Divinity to sham off the Satisfaction of Christ from the Justification of a Sinner and you think you have been very kind to Christ to say this new Qualifications are not Meritorious Causes but Christ's Suffering was though they must stand afar off and look on upon a Justification by something else Calvinist I think as you said Mr. Antinomian's Ambiguity lyes in the word Discharge concerning which you must distinguish there 's liberatio in Christo liberatio à Christo though Mr. Antinomian hath abundantly cleared himself as to his Intention and Meaning but you Mr. Neonomian are so harsh in your Censures that nothing but the worst Interpretation of his words can be admitted by you My Opinion is that as Christ bore our Sins by Imputation so he made full payment of our Debt and had a Discharge so far as concerned himself and us represented by him and in him and hence through this Discharge and the perfection of the New Nature in freedom from all Original and Actual Sin and perfection of all Righteousness our Eternal Life which God hash given us is fully and compleatly in him both for Grace and Glory I say fully Fundamentally Originally and as in a Fountain or Root and of this fulness we do receive even Faith the first Vital Act and by Faith all discharge in Justification and all conformity to him in Sanctification through the operation of the Spirit of Holiness so that it was impossible but Christ must be discharged bearing our common Nature and standing in our stead and that we were in our measure discharged in him but it is also as impossible that we should be discharged personally and in ours till we had our Personal Beings and were first in that State and under that Wrath in some regard from which we were to be delivered and brought into the New Nature by Reconciliation and Actual Union on our part and till then we are Prisoners of the Law without God without Hope Aliens to the Covenant of Promise This account I trust may give both
Justitia Mediatoris not Justitia Mediatoria 2. You say this Righteousness is so Imputed to a true Believer as for the sake thereof he is pardoned I am sure by your so you mean another sence than we mean that we are only pardoned effective and that 's no more than we are sanctified and glorified for it's sake and this appears by your second Difference p. 39. where you say the difference is not Whether our Justification and all other Benefits when we are partakers of them be the Fruits of this Righteousness as the only Meritorious Cause So that you have no reason to quarrel with me for saying That through Christ's bearing of Sin we appear in perfect Holiness speaking there of Glory for you say Justification and all other Benefits flow from it therefore in the same manner as we are Justified by the Righteousness of Christ in the same manner we are sanctified and glorified i. e. effective in your sence 3. You say also pleadable for these Uses i. e. for all Uses in a like manner 4. As if they had personally done and suffered what Christ did as Mediator for them your meaning is That it 's as well done as if they had done it themselves A Man may do a thing as well as another that he doth not for another in his stead yea a Man may do a thing for another and not do it in his stead as a Taylor makes a Minister a Suit of Cloaths but doth not do it in his stead because it 's not his Business to make his Cloaths but it 's another thing for a Man to come and preach for him that is to do it in his stead because it 's his proper Work Profession and Business 5. And hereby you say they are delivered from the Curse What mean you by the Curse We shall find this Curse is not the whole Vindicative Wrath of God only Eternal Curse And for our Comfort you tell us this is all the Attonenement or meriting Price of saving Benefits that God can demand of us It 's so in our stead as that God can exact no other Atonement and so a Security from God's hurting us In a Word the Description of Imputation here that you have given is but a meer piece of Sophistry that Imputed Righteousness may be any thing for all this and we shall see by and by what you will have it be Neonom Nevertheless this Mediatorial Righteousness is not subjectively in them nor is there a Change of Person betwixt them and Christ neither are they as righteous as he but there remain Spots and Blemishes in them until Christ by his Spirit perfect that Holiness begun in all true Believers which he will effect before he bring them to Heaven Antinom Now you come to the Negative part of your Description which should have been first and having said nothing of the thing at first you tell us it 's nothing at last 1. You say this Mediatorial Righteouscess Sir is not subjectively in us I know no Judicious Divine ever talked so nor would you if you understood mediatorial Righteousness as it 's apparent you do not 2. You say there 's no change of Person betwixt Christ and them You mean that the Believer becomes not Christ nor Christ the Believer We mean so too 3. You say too that Believers are not as righteous as he you mean such a Righteousness Mediatorial 4. You basely insinuate that their Righteousness in Justification is imperfect for the Spots and Blemishes we speak of is in respect of Righteousness Neonom I question not whether Christ by his Righteousness merited for all the Elect that they should in his time and way be certainly Partakers of it's saving Effects and did not only purchase a conditional Grant of those Effects viz. That Proposition He that believeth shall be saved P. 39. Antinom It seems Christ then merited a certainty of Salvation only of the Elect I thought their Salvation was made certain by Election the Foundation of God stands sure 2 Tim. 2.19 Your meaning is Christ's Merits made our Salvation certain which in respect of Election was uncertain 2. And but certain in another way viz. Of a Conditional Grant that is not yet performed and belongs to the Non-elect as well as to the Elect and there 's yet an Uncertainty remaining notwithstanding the Certainty purchased 3. It 's very odd to say Christ purchased a Proposition and a conditional one too the Condition whereof must be something not purchased to be performed by us that we may have the Gift promised For if the Certainty depend upon the Merit and Purchase then both the Condition and Promise is purchased and then the Purchase is absolute I would know whether the certainty of the Salvation of the Elect be purchased conditionally or absolutely if purchased conditionally then this Proposition The Elect shall be saved is yet uncertain in respect of the Purchase of Christ and is but a contingent Proposition and not certain which is a Contradiction If you say Christ purchased absolutely the Salvation of the Elect all your contingent Purchase falls to the Ground But Christ purchased Persons absolutely not conditional Propositions and is he that believes shall be saved a conditional Proposition indeed Neonom Nor whether besides these Effects being made ours the very Righteousness of Christ be imputed to true Believers as what was always undertaken and designed for their Salvation and is now effectual to the actual Pardon and Acceptance to Life yea is pleadable by them for their Security and is as useful to their Happiness as if themselves had done and suffered what Christ did Antinom Gentlemen you would think that Mr. Neonomian had here owned the Doctrine of Imputation but it is nothing so he doth but sham it still Mark he says Besides the Effects of Christ's Righteousness the very Righteousness of Christ is imputed as to Effects or Effectualness i. e. Pardon and Acceptance is the Effects but he tells you not that it is the proper and immediate Righteousness he will have the Righteousness of Christ to have some Effects and is imputed as to such So that Sanctification and Glorification being Effects are as much the Imputation of the very Righteousness of Christ It 's a strange thing to confound the Cause and Effects to tell us the very Cause is imputed and presently to tell us he means the Effects This is to talk Daggers for Cause and Effect are opposita But he saith the Righteousness of Christ is what was undertaken and designed for their Salvation and is effectual and in that Sense imputed Very good so that it was a subordinate means to accomplish that end as was also Creation which was by Christ Col. 1. preaching the Gospel their Calling Sanctification hence the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness is but to give it a place in the order of means for our Salvation and in that order of means hath it's Effects But he saith there is a Priviledge by it as
him P. 47. Antinom It would take up deservedly some Paper to shew the Error and Sophistry of what you have spoken The Summ is that you deny Christ to be a publick Person and that all that Grace and Fulness that is in him by reason of the Hypostatical Union of both Natures and that Unction without measure which he received was only to qualify him singly and for himself as an Individual Person and not to be conveyed and communicated unto us and therefore none of his Fulness is received by us that the Spirit not his Spirit Neither do we live by vertue of our Union to him as a Root Head Fountain but if we partake of the Divine Nature as the Apostle Peter Eph. 2. ch 1. saith We are made Gods If we partake of the Vertues of Christ we rob him and they are no more in him You abuse the Similitude of Husband and Wife used by the Apostle Eph. 5. and would make it run on Four Feet You consider not that Adam and Eve at first was the true Type the Apostle aims at to represent Christ and his Church by Eve being taken out of Adam had her Nature in him first and was created out of him and so was Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone You must distinguish between the Individual Person and Qualification of the first Adam and his publick Capacity Headship and common Nature he had a peculiar distinct Person and Habits belonging to it as such but he had also a common Nature communicable to his Wife and to his Posterity by Propagation not only Eve's Nature but ours was in him radically And therefore the Prophet Malachy saith that God made but one at first Mal. 2.15 though he had the residue of the Spirit and could have made more as he did in the Creation of Angels but therefore one that he might seek a Seed of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now this Seed of God was found in the Seed of the Woman that was made out of Man and was but one as Adam was made but one common Person so Christ and the Church his Wife is made out of him created in him as Eve was and have a Nature common in Christ And doth it follow that because Adam had the common Nature to Eve and his Posterity 1. That his Individual Qualities were communicated taken from him and given to Eve Was Adam turned into Eve Was Adam's Wisdom Holiness his Natural or Moral Vertues taken from Adam and given to her or them The common Nature of a Genus is communicated and propagated by Individuals without robbing the Individual Mankind is propagated daily by Individuals yet those Individuals lose nothing of their proper Adjuncts If Men were not Strangers to Logick and Natural Philosophy and ordinary Terms of Law they would not make so much ado about this common Nature of Christ which in him is Mystical and Transcendent I shall not here enlarge but enquire what is the Opinion of the Protestant Divines Calv. Dr. Davenant I pray speak in this matter what your Sense is Dr. Davenant on Col. 1.19 1. There was in Christ a fulness of habitual Grace neither take we this to be Infinite seeing it was a created Qualitas and inhered in the mind of Christ which also was a Creature it could not be infinite but by fulness of Grace we understand all those Perfections to which the Nature of Grace doth extend it self 2. We consider why Christ ought to have a fulness of Grace 1. E Debito congruitatis it was due to him in a way of meetness by reason of his Union to the Word 2. It was meet that which was nearest to the influencing Cause should partake most of the Influx 3. There was Debitum necessitatis It was necessarily due from the Supposition of the End by reason of the Habitude or relation of Christ himself to the Humane Nature for Grace was conferred upon him not as a private Person but as an universal Principle from whom it is transfused into other Men you say it 's not by Transfusion p. 47. All things ought to be full and in an oneness The Evangelist shews that Grace is diffused to us Eph. 4.7 And on Colos 2.10 1. To be compleat in Christ 1. Is spoken from the Effect Christ is not only perfect in whom dwells all the Fulness of the Godhead but he makes us perfect and compleat we having all things in him and his Doctrine necessary to Salvation 2. The Second Reason is taken from his Office Christ is the Head As to the first We have perfect Wisdom right Knowledge of the Doctrine of the Gospel John 17.13 1 Cor. 2.2 2. We have compleat Righteousness for Satisfaction to the Law of God and for our Sins 3. In Christ we have Sanctification or inherent Righteousness For what is Sanctification other than the washing away of our Errours and Vices whereby we are set at a distance from God and the Susception of Gifts and Graces whereby we may draw nigh to God in his Service And this is done as we stand united to Christ by his Spirit Rom. 1.4 ch 8. 9. In eo non ex eo aut per eum solummodo In him not from him or by him only but he saith We are compleat in him to give us to understand that we have that foresaid Wisdom Righteousness and Holiness not as we behold Christ as existing far from us but as we are incorporated in Christ as we have Christ abiding and dwelling in us and we have this Grace from Christ not the Stream from the head Fountain for it 's not needful that he that will drink of a Fountain should go into the Fountain But it 's otherwise here for we cannot receive of Christ's Fulness unless we are in him As the Old Adam is in us as the cause of Corruption and Death so the New Adam dwells in us as the Cause of Righteousness and Salvation So we are said to be in Christ to dwell in him to abide in him John 15.4 5. Whatever therefore Men hope or please themselves with of Grace Righteousness Sanctification or Glorification it will prove a meer Mock and Dream if they be not in Christ and Christ in them And now Christ is in us and we in him when we are united to our Head and grafted as Branches into the Vine by the Bond of the Spirit and Faith wrought by the Spirit in our Hearts Rom. 8.9 John 3.36 Calv. Speak to this Point Dr. Horton In that Text Rom. 8.2 There are three Terms before us There 's Life the Spirit of Life there 's the Law of the Spirit of Life 1. By Life we are to understand the Grace of Holiness and Sanctification not that which is inherent in our Nature being regenerate but the full and perfect Holiness which is in the Humane Nature of Christ as the proper Subject of it this is the Fountain from which there is a continual flowing of Grace to all that are truly
the said Foederal Conditions But we affirm neither Faith it self no not the Gift of the Spirit that works Faith not our Union to Christ no Gifts that accompany Salvation are Foederal Conditions Christ in the Exercise of his Mediator's Office in his Humiliation and Exaltation is the only Foederal Condition wherein all entitling Conditions particularly mentioned in the Gospel are lodged and treasured up and are freely by Christ bestowed on us 12. There are also Conditions of Connexion by way of Order and Dependance of things one upon another Whereas the Scripture often inculcates such Expressions as these Without Faith none can please God Without Holiness none can see God as if they had called Faith and a new Life Conditions of the Covenant when in accurate speaking and according to the nature of this Covenant on God's part they are Executions of former Promises and an Earnest of future good But if we will call these Conditions they are not so much Conditions of the Covenant as of the certainty that we are in the Covenant Wits de Foed 196. which are rationes rerum inter se and belong to Logick and they arise from all Arguments Artificial or Inartificial Prime and Ort Simple or Comparate Consentany or Dissentany and they run in a Connex Axiom when the said Conditionality is express'd As thus Si Animal est homo est rationale si figura est trigularis est trilateralis If a Creature be a Man he is a Rational Creature If a Figure have 3 Corners it hath three sides all things in the World are capable of coming under this kind of Conditionality yea the most absolute Beings As if God be the first Cause he is the Creator of all things In this Sence Creation is a condition of Salvation If a Man be saved he must be created So Election a condition if a Man be saved he must be elected but Election is not a Foederal Condition So if a Man believe he shall be saved Believing is a condition of connexion to Salvation If a Man have the Spirit of Christ he shall believe unto Salvation but neither Faith nor Union are Foederal Conditions A state in Grace is a condition to a state in Glory by way of connexion in the Promise But one is not a Foederal Condition of another but both come in in the Gift of Grace In this Sence the Covenant of Promise contains all the Conditions of Order and Dependance in the Exhibition and Performance The Hearing the Word is the Condition of Faith but hearing the Word is not a Foederal Condition So the giving the Spirit is the condition of Union to Christ and Faith Faith the condition of receiving Pardon and living in Holiness And the giving of Pardon the condition of receiving it Holiness the condition of seeing God and eternal Happiness But these kind of Conditions are not Foeâ—eral entitling to the Promise but are contained in the Promise and denote only the connexion and dependance of one promised Benefit upon another 13. Hence the Ministry of Reconciliation runs conditionally because in it the absolute Covenant is preached 1. Indefinitely to Elect and Non-elect 2. The Covenant is declared in all the Promissary and Duty-Dependances contained in it and Duty required because promised 3. We must distinguish of the Ministry of Reconciliation in respect of the Letter of it Insertae sunt novisaederis conditiones novae obedientiae legali quidam Schaemate ad normam probationis nostrae ipsius gratitudinis debitae Sic tamen alio quoque Schemate ipsa resipiscentia in peccati mortificatione bonorum operum studio promittitur tanque Dei donum quod ipse operaturus sit in nobis ut isthoc signo argumento fas sit ex quo verè resipuimus credimus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sperate in eam quae ad nos defertur gratiam in patefactione Jesu Christi 1 Pet. 1.13 Promissionis formulae expressissimae novum foedus sancientes donatione rescipiscentiae novae obedientiae extant Jer. 32.40 Isa 52.2 1 Pet. 1.4 2 Pet. 1.3 1 Joh. 3.9 and ver 18. Clopeub dâ— foâ—d p. 516. Quicquid conditionis locum obtinere concipitur id omne vniversalitare promissionum includitur si vitam aeternam solum polliceretur Deus non deâ—sset specie aliqua dicendi rescipiscentiam fidem c. Conditiones hujus foederis esse Verum cum initium progression non intercisam continuationem consummationem denique novae vitae odem quasi â—â—lur addicat Deus in universalitte hâc promissorum nihil remanet quod totius foederis conditio censeri queat Nos hic de conditione foederis sic agimus non de aliquâ re in homine quae actuaalem fruitionem consummatae felicitatis precedere debet Witf p. 195 196. de Foeâ—ere and the Spirit of it 1 Cor. 3.6 In the Letter of it the meer external Dispensation that kills because a Sinner looks upon all these conditions of Dependance to be Foederal Conditions but the ministration of the Covenant by the Spirit in that Ministry is absolute according to the Original Contract and the fullest Discovery in its highest Freedom And therefore the Apostie tells us this Spirit giveth Life And the believing Corinthians are said to be the Epistle of Christ written and transcribed from the Original Covenant-Contract not with Ink but with the Spirit of the Living God not in Tables of Stone but in the fleshly Tables of the Heart according to that Promise of a new Heart Hence therefore we must distinguish between the Covenant of Grace it 's absolute Tenure and the Ministry of the Grace of the Coventnt which Ministry is conditionally dispensed according to the connexion and dependance of good things contained in the Promise to a mixed People Elect and Non-elect The effect of this Ministry is either to work effectually by the Spirit according to the nature of an absolute Promise and then becomes a Savour of Life or else it works only in the Letter in the conditional Nature as a Covenant of Works and then it killeth eventually and is a Savour of Death and Condemnation 14. The Covenant of Grace is to be distinguished according to its different Revelation and Dispensation under the Names of the Old and New Testament which is no Specifick Difference but only secundum adjunctae Revelationis The Absoluteness of this Covenant was abundantly revealed under the Old Testament Dispensation unto the Patriarchs and Prophets but not so clearly by the Ministry of the Worldly Sanctuary but vailed on which vailedness the faultiness of that Dispensation was charged and did consist in comparison of what was to ensue 1. It stood vailed under a Figurative Carnal Ministry and Ordinances 2. Such as were weak and insufficient as to reaching those Ends that were designed by the Grace of the Covenant Heb. 10.1 and that in respect of the main Gospel Grace in pardon of Sin and purifying the Conscience 3. In that it
insisted so much upon the Conditionality of Works and wherein it 's said they continued not viz. In the Mount Sinai Covenant which God gave them when he brought them out of Egypt Heb. 8.9 4. In regard of that sort of Promises which they stood encouraged by to the performance of this External Obedience they were usually Temporal Blessings only and the Threats and Curses denounced against Disobedience was usually in rsepect of outward things though under all this Cloudiness and Conditionality the Covenant of Promise was applied in its Absolute Nature as at first revealed to Adam and Abraham which was to all the Elect living before Christ the Ministry of the quickning Spirit and a Savour of Life 15. The Original Contract of this Covenant before the World was is by some called the Covenant of Redemption and distinguisht from the Covenant of Grace but such do greatly mistake for both the Original Contract and the Manifestation thereof are one and the same Covenant there 's no Specifick Difference that which is is but secundum adjuncta Ordinis Manifestationis Neonom Next to the Doctrine of Imputation which I think I have sufficiently cleared up according to my Scheme and fully and rightly stated Truths and Errours in those Points Let us now Debate the Conditionality of the Covenant of Grace This being a Point of Great Concern I shall premise an Enquiry nto some particulars for the explaining this Subject Q. 1. What is the Covenant of Grace D. W. C. 8. p. 53. A. 1. It is not the Covenant of Redemption between the Father and Spirit as one Party and the Eternal Word the Lord Jesus as the other Party Antinom Who ever put the Father and Spirit on one Party in the Covenant of Grace it's New Divinity and secondly you are very Magisterial in this Negative Position Quadam confidentia non est Virtus ut audacia Methinks the Judgment of the Reverend Divines should have weighed so much with you as not to have blowed it off at one Puff In the Larger Catechism Q. 30. Doth God leave Mankind to perish in a state of Sin and Misery A. God doth not leave all Mankind to perish in the Estate of Sin and Misery into which they fell by the Breach of the first Covenant commonly called the Covenant of Works but of his meer Love and Mercy delivereth his Elect out of it and bringeth them into a state of Salvation by the second Covenant commonly called a Covenant of Grace Q. 31. VVith whom was the Covenant of Grace made A. The Covenant of Grace was made with Christ as the second Adam and in him with all the Elect as his Seed You say That the Covenant Agreement made with Christ was not the Covenant of Grace You call it a Covenant of Redemption as another thing from the Covenant of Grace I acknowledge the Covenant of Grace is a Covenant of Redemption and the Covenant you call the Covenant of Redemption is the Covenant of Grace and therefore shall not incumber our Discourse with a Debate about Names but shall affirm that there is no such thing as an Essential Difference between the Covenant of Grace and Redemption the distinction made between them is but Novel at least that it was but lately so generally received for it appears by what is here spoken in this Answer of the Assembly so plainly and positively that they owned but two Covenants that of Works and that of Grace They are only distinguished between the making and manifesting this Covenant of Grace A Covenant hidden or secret and manifest is but distributio ex adjunctis therefore after they had told us that this Covenant of Grace was made with Christ the second Adam and with all the Elect as his Seed They enquire next Q. 32. How is the Grace of God manifest in the second Covenant A. The Grace of God is manifested in the second Covenant in that he freely provideth and offereth to Sinners a Mediator and Life and Salvation by him c. So that the Covenant of Grace contains all Grace and Mercy Redemption and the offer and application thereof Neonom Were this Covenant understood I think many well meaning People would be undeceived In that Covenant i. e. of Redemption all the Causes of Man's Salvation are adjusted and secured all Satisfaction and Merit are on Christ as his undertaking c. Antinom It seems then this well-meaning Assembly was deceived and many Able Divines besides who have not admitted of this Novel Distinction between the Covenant of Redemption and that of Grace 2. You talk at least very improperly that the causes of Man's Salvation are adjusted and secured in the Covenant of Redemption which placeth it before Election for I take the Grace of Election to be the first adjusting and securing cause of Mens Salvation and not so only but of the Covenant it self made with Christ I thought all the causes were sufficiently adjusted in the Councel of God's Will and that by the purpose of Grace they were secured to us and Redemption too Christ's Undertaking the charge of Satisfaction and Merit is a cause of our Salvation not adjusting and securing it they were adjusted and secured before Neonom Yea it 's provided there that the Elect shall obey the terms of Life and certainly possess Salvation Antinom 1. It 's manifest that you esteem not Redemption one of the Terms of Life but some other Terms distinct from it I had thought that Christ's Righteousness had been the great condition of our Life and Salvation but it seems it 's but provision for the performing the Terms of Life 2. I thought it had been provided in Election that all the Elect should certainly believe and obey the Gospel but it seems by what you say here they were only conditionally Elected and provision made in the Covenant of Redemption that they should perform the Condition and obey the Term very improper it's to perform the Terms Now what is in such a Covenant of Grace more than Adam's would have had if he had stood for God must have provided that he should obey or perform the Terms of Life which were to him very small and easie no more than giving a Pepper-corn or not so much only to forbear plucking and eating an Apple when he had enough besides There 's no Essential Difference in your Opinion for where-ever the Creature performs a Condition of a Covenant of God's making God must provide for that performance by Grace given and confirmed Neonom Yea as that Covenant was not made with the Elect though for the Elect so they have nothing to do as a Condition of this Covenant Antinom Rare Divinity Mens tua sublimis supra genus eminet ipsum 1. You say that Covenant was not made with the Elect. The Assembly say it was made with the second Adam and his Seed but you I suppose deny Christ to be a second Adam a publick Person and a Spiritual or Mystical Root 2. I would fain
with them he is Bone of their Bone and is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 2.11 12. Psal 22.22 2. It presuppones a Legal Union between Christ and them that God made the Debtor and Surety one in Law and the Sum one so far as he laid our Debts on Christ Isa 53.6 2 Cor. 6.21 3. It presuppones an Union Federal God making Christ our Surety and to Assume not only our Nature in a Personal Union but also our State Condition and made our Cause his Cause our Sins his Sins not to defend them but to suffer Punishment for them and our Faith makes the fourth Union betwixt Christ and us whether Natural as betwixt Head and Members the Branches and Vine-tree or Mystical as that of the Spouse and Beloved Wife or Artificial as the Foundation and Building or mixed as that of the Imp and Tree or Legal between the Surety and Debtor Advocate and Client or rather a Union above all hard to determine for these are but Comparisons and this Christ prays for John 2.23 I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one And something to this purpose Mr. Norton Norton p. 292. speaks The Efficacy of this Relation springs from its Foundation which is first by the Absolute Grace of God in Election and thence flowing down in the Promise according to the Merit of Christ by the Effectual Operation of the Spirit Needs must the River of Life be full ever overflowing and quickning that ariseth from and is maintained by such Fountains Norton p. 287. And he shews the form of this Union 1. In the Tertium wherein it is 2. The Bands on Christ's part and the Believers 3. The manner as to the Tertium's 1. Sameness of Spirit He that 's joined to the Lord is one Spirit 1 John 4.13 Rom. 8.9 2 Pet. 1.4 2. One Mystical Body 1 Cor. 12.12 13. The third A Spiritual Marryed Estate Eph. 5.32 Isa 54.5 Ch 62.4 4th A State of Glory John 17.22 23. See more But you will see all along how he makes Christ first in this Personal Union to Christ by the Spirit and Faith Dr. Ames Ames Med. lib. 1. c. 26. Receptio respectu hominuÌ„ est vel Passiva vel Activa Phil. 3.11 The Passive is the Reception of Christ whereby the Spiritual Principle of Grace is Ingenerate in the Will of Man Ephes 2.5 This Grace is the Foundation of that Relation whereby a Man is united unto Christ John 3.5 Neonom I 'll tell you what I take to be Truth in these Points Every Man is without Christ or not united to Christ until he be Effectually called but when by this call the Spirit of God enclineth and enableth him willingly to accept of Christ as a Head and Saviour a Man becomes united to him and partaker of those Influences and Priviledges which are peculiar to the Members of Jesus Christ D. W. p. 90. Antinom I except against what you have asserted in these Particulars 1. You say a Man is not united to Christ before Effectual Calling thereby I understand you that he is not united to Christ in any sence whereas I affirm he is united to Christ before Effectual Calling in the Senses which Mâ—â— Râ—therford doth assert before mentioned 2. I understand you mean that in Effectual Calling a Man is not united to Christ till he doth Actually accept of Christ the Head by an Act of Faith whereas the Head unites the Members to it self before they can reach up to the Head 3. You make Union to be the same with Communion and to consist in a participation of Priviledges Now as to the second thing That in Effectual Calling there is a compleat Union with Christ before the Act of Faith I do affirm upon these Reasons 1. From the utter Impotency of the Soul without and before Union with Christ to any good Act for Union standeth in indivisibili it 's a conjunction of two in one an half one is none if we put forth an Act of Faith to lay hold on Christ before we be compleatly united to him we put forth a good Act and bring forth good Fruit before we be in him and before we be good Trees but we cannot bring forth good Fruit before we be good Trees and we cannot be good Trees before we be in Christ Mat. 7.18 John 15.4 5. Therefore we do not put forth an Act of Faith before we be so compleatly united to Christ so united to Christ as to live by him John 11.26 Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye c. Arg. 2. In our Regeneration we are meerly Passive our Faith is not then Active but in our Regeneration we are compleatly united to Christ Ergo we are compleatly united to Christ before the Act of Faith The major is proved from Eph. 2.1 2 3. Dead Men are Passive to Regeneration and Dead Men we are till we are Regenerated The Minor is proved from the joint concurrence of Regeneration Conversion and Union with Christ which are all wrought together simul semel Arg. 3. If we be united first to Christ by an Active Faith then an Active Faith is the cause of our Union with Christ but an Active Faith is not the cause of our Union with Christ therefore by an Active Faith we are not first united to Christ Min. If Active Faith were not the cause of the Union of the Humane Nature of Christ with the Divine then it is not the cause of our Union with Christ but Active Faith is not the cause of the Union of the Humane Nature of Christ with the Divine Ergo Maj. No other cause can be assigned of our true Union with Christ than of the Union of our Nature with the Second Person viz. Divine Assumption Isa 42.1 6. As the Divine Nature assumed ours John 1. so the Person of Christ takes us to Mystical Union with him Arg. 4. If our Union with Christ be first by an Act of Faith then it is by a Work of ours though a Work of Grace but it is not by a Work of ours Ergo Min. If it be by a Work of ours it is not of Grace but it 's of Grace Ergo Maj. Rom. 11.6 These are Mr. Cotton's Arguments Neonom I 'll answer your Arguments another time pray hear mine now to confirm the Truth 1. The Scriptures expresly affirm Vncalled Vnconverted ones to be ununited to Christ Eph. 2.12 Rom. 16.7 Rom. 11.17 Antinom It 's true in respect of the Union in Effectual Calling but yet not in respect of their Hidden Federal and Relative Union which Mr. Rutherford speaks of Neonom 2. The Spirit of Christ and Faith in him are the things whereby God hath ordained us to be Vnited with Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 13. Ephes 3.17 Antinom We grant it in respect of our Union to Christ in Effectual Calling Neonom I see you will throw off all my Arguments by Mr. Rutherford 's unhappy distinction of Vnions therefore
cannot Impute Sin to Christ and the Elect both yea he accepteth us in the Beloved Eph. 1.6 Loving the Persons of the Elect Rom 11.28 though hating their Sins and also their State under the Curse of the Law Rom. 6.14 Chap. 7.6 Eph. 2.3 The second is wrought at our Conversion when the Enmity of Nature is slain by the Infusion of Grace Neonom You ask But what doth Faith serve for D. W. p. 103. Dr. C. p. 85. You answer It serves for the manifestation of that Justification which Christ put upon a Person by himself alone Antinom Adding that he by believing on him may have a declaration and manifestation of his Justification Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 A Man is Justified and that by Christ alone but it is nâ—t known to him it is an unseen thing Well how shall he see this The Text saith Faith is the Evidence by Faith we apprehend it and rejoice in it as we apprehend it to be our own I tell you in another Discourse Whatever the Scripture speaks concerning Faith Justiâ—ying Dr. C. p. 596. it must of necessity be understood objectively or declaratively one of these two ways either Faith is said to be our Righteousness in respect of Christ only who is believed on and so it is not the Righteousness of its own Act of Believing Or else you must understand it declaratively i. e. Whereas all our Righteousness and all our Discharge from Sin flowing only from the Righteousness of Christ alone is an hidden thing that which in it self is hid to Men doth become evident by believing and as Faith doth make the Righteousness of Christ evident to a Believer so it 's said to justifie by it's own Act declaratively and no otherwise Neonom He saith We do not believe that we may be Justified but because we are Justified Antinom Yes we do believe that we may be justified declaratively I say there Tho' Faith it self cannot be called our Righteousness Dr. C. p. 86. yet in respect of the Glory that God ascribes to it that it seals to Men's Souls the fulness of Righteousness how can you consider a Person a believing Person and withall an ungodly Person When Persons are Believers they cease to be ungodly but if Men be not justified till they do believe Christ doth not justify the ungodly but rather we must believe on him that justifies the righteous But as I said we do not believe that we may be justifyed but we do believe and truly believe when we are and because we are Justified So that still it stands firm we are not justified we are not in Covenant we partake not in the Covenant by any Condition we perform till which Performance the Covenant cannot be made good unto us but we are in Covenant and Christ makes us to be in Covenant for his own sake without any Condition in the Creature God will have mercy on whom he will without any-thing in the Creature to partake first Neonom He saith God doth add never a tittle of Pardon it self more to him that is a Believer than to that Person not yet converted to the Faith c. D. W. p. 104. Antinom He still gives you but part of my Sence and Misrepresents it my words were these Beloved Dr. C. p. 578. for my own part I cannot conceive any other considerable difference between the plea of Christ for a Converted Person and the unconverted Elect but this Circumstantial difference namely that the value of his Blood is of equal force to Believers and Unbelievers being Elected saving that the Believers have this priviledge that the Lord Christ pleads for the Manifestation of this discharge unto this Converted Person but pleads not for the present Manifestation thereof unto the Unconverted Elect Person till such time as he shall be called to the Faith and by that Faith that thing be made evident which before was hid Now follows what he would blacken me with I say the Pardon of Sin by the Blood of Christ is as full for the Unconverted Elect Person as fully passed over in Grant to that Person as to the Believer himself God doth add never a Title of Pardon it self more to him that is a Believer than to that Person not yet Converted to the Faith in regard of the substance of the Pardon it self and this I clear as a great Truth if any will give themselves the trouble of reading it which I stand to Neonom He saith Faith as it takes hold on Christ's Righteousness it doth not bring this Righteousness of Christ to the Soul but doth only declare the presence of that Righteousness that was there even before Faith was and there denies Faith to be so much as an Instrumental cause of our Justification Dr. C. p. 597. Antinom I added That I did abhor to walk in the Clouds in a Truth of so high Concernment as you too much do Sir and that I knew I had many very catching Ears about me such as you are I said That Faith as it lays hold upon the Righteousness of Christ c. as he hath told you and the reason of that saying I gave in as plain words That there is no Person under Heaven Reconciled unto God Justified by God through the Righteousness of Christ but this Person is Justified and Rconciled unto God before he doth believe and therefore Faith is not the Instrument Radically to unite Christ and the Soul together but rather is the Fruit which follows and flows from Christ the Root being united before-hand to the Persons that do believe Shew me how any Person ununited to Christ can believe and how any one that is unjustified can be actually united to Christ as he must needs be before he can believe Neonom He tells you that Justification is from Eternity in several places Antinom You know that to be a false charge for I have told you a Man cannot be said to be Justified before he hath a Being I have often enough told you in what Sence I apprehend Justification to be before Faith but deny noâ— the Justification by Faith spoken of by the Apostles in the true Sence of it according to my best understanding I have told you that Justification is first in its provision is fully procured and provided and it 's first in Grant Gift and Application applyed unto us before we make Application of it by an Act of Faith whereby we do not bring it into the Heart but the Grace of God doth which we see behold and improve there by Faith manifesting and declaring our Justified Estate whereby our Consciences are freed from Guilt and Condemnation hence I call it Justification in Conscience in foro Conscientiae Mr. Rutherford Rutherford Exc. 1. c. 2. who wrote against the Antinomians saith There is a Justification in the Mind of God Eternal and a Justification in time terminated in the Conscience of a Believer Norton p. 315. That Justification
have the main difference between the first and last that Christ stands by to see what 's wanting But his great business is to see us saved by our own Works from first to last As for Faith Repentance Good Works sincere persevering Obedience internal and external they are our Foederal Conditions upon the Performance whereof the Promise of all Salvation in Justification and Adoption and Glorification is due Debt to us and if Christ hath done any thing for us it 's due to us upon these Terms whatever he hath provided besides Neonom Well I will make you one Challenge more and so leave you P. 146. If any Sinner believe not and repent not hath Christ ever promised to save him Antinom Indeed those Sinners that believe not nor repent not he hath not named them by name but God forbid that he hath not promised to save Thousands that believe not and repent not for the Promise is to Christ first to save his Seed and this is the Promise that Christ's Office is to seek and save them that are lost And I think all Men are so till Christ finds any by giving Faith and Repentance to them for which end he is exalted And these are the Sheep of his which he hath promised shall hear his Voice and shall come into his Fold these are among the chiefest of Sinners before they ever have Faith and Repentance The Lo-ammi who shall become the Children of the living God Ay but you say will any Decree or Merits of Christ secure them so that every poor Impenitent Unbelieving Sinner is in a desperate Condition There 's no Decree of God nor Merits of Christ can save them So that both Decree and Merits were all conditional provided he believe neither Decree or Merits can secure Salvation to him And do they not secure Faith and Repentance as part of their Salvation and so one part as well as another and upon the same Terms Neonom Again if any penitent Believer shall Apostatize prove ungodly and unfruitful hate God or neglect to love God and his Neighbour wholly c. Shall this Man be saved Hath not Christ determined the contrary Will his first Faith save him Antinon I suppose you can mean no other than a True Believer by your Penitent Believer One that is Godly loves God and is fruitful if any such an one should Apostatize c. wholly i. e. fall away from Grace Here we can understand your meaning no otherwise but that such a thing may be and sometimes is or else why do you not make the like Supposition concerning the good Angels And what follows Say you Shall his First Faith save him i. e. Shall Christ that once saved him save him again Hath not Christ that hath once saved him determined to saveâ— him no more These are pretty Enquiries deep School Cases And wherefore is all this but to shew that our Security of standing and keeping in Covenant with God and of all our Salvation lies not on Electing Grace nor on the Merits of Christ but on our own Works of Faith and Obedience The Resolution of these Questions you say according to the Scope of the Word will decide the Main of this Controversie and I will tell you how much they concern the matter in hand As to the first If a Man have a Healthy Body and strength of Nature to live till Fourscore Years of Age he shall not die a young Man And whether if he take the Care of his own Health and Safety God hath not provided every thing else for him Or thus If a Man get a good Estate and hold it till he dies whether this Man can die a poor Man But our Question rightly put runs thus Seeing God hath provided by his Decree or Promise that this or that Sinner shall have true Grace and he that hath it shall never finally lose it whether his Perseverance and Security depends upon his Works and Actings or upon the Decree and Promise The Assembly Chap. 17. of the Perseverance of the Saints saith They that are effectually called shall not finally fall from the state of Grace but certainly persevere which Perseverance depends not upon their own Free Will but upon the Immutability of the Decree of Election The Efficacy of the Merit and Intercession of Christ The abiding of the Spirit the nature of the Covenant of Grace from which ariseth the Certainty and Infallibility thereof As to your second Appeal it hath as much as this in it If a Man get up to the top of the Monument and throw himself down from thence he will certainly break his Neck Or thus If a good Angel fall into Pride and Sin as Belzebub did he will be laid in Chains of Darkness in the same manner as he If Abraham should blaspheme God he would be tumbled out of Heaven If a Man wax on Wings to his Shoulders and fly towards the Sun like Icharus the Wax melts and down comes he headlong Such Propositions as these are the Rules of Christs Rectoral Distribution with you and the Decree comes not in opposition whereas the Decree spoils the Hypothesis for do but assume upon the Proposition and you will find it so that the Decree spoils it as to the Event God's Rule of Government is not a Proposition founded upon an Impossibility Posito Decreto neither is his Decree as you would make it subservient to his Rule of Government but all his Government and Rules thereof are founded on and guided according to his good Will and pleasure in his Decree What you quote out of the Assembly's Confession is nihil ad Rhombum but all against you for none denies God's Approbation of our Obedience the great Uses and Ends of it the acceptation of it and rewarding it in Christ c. ut supra The Ends and Uses which they mention is not amiss to repeat because you charge the same Assertion on Dr. Cr. for his great Errour Assemb Ch. 16. Good Works done in obedience to God's Commands are the Fruits and Evidences of a true and lively Faith and by them Believers make manifest their Thankfulness strengthen their Assurance edifie their Brethren adorn the Profession of the Gospel stop the Mouths of Adversaries and glorifie God whose Workmanship they are created in Christ Jesus thereunto that having their Fruit unto Holiness they may have the end Eternal Life And as for Dr. O. whom you quote from p. 222. Of Justification he is there disputing against these Tenents of yours and grants the like Uses and Ends of our Personal Righteousness as the Assembly that it 's indispensably required by God he approves of it and accepts it in Christ it evidenceth Faith it 's pleadable against Satan and the World And after some explication of his meaning in these things he saith Hence it appears how little force there is in that Argument which some pretend to be of so great weight in this Cause among them you are one As every one say
them to such an end as you ascribe to them 4. Lastly You despise therein the Lord Jesus in giving that which is his place alone to your Graces and Duties Neonom All Promises and Threats in the Word directed as Motives to Obedience are foolish if we must not intend obtaining our own good by our Obedience Antinom Are they so You are not the first that hath reckoned the Gospel Foolishness and reproached the Grace of God God hath chosen these foolish things to confound such Wise Men as you are that can undertake to teach Christ a better Gospel c. Neonom How are they Arguments with the Will if we must not aim at Advantage in doing Duty Antinom It is one thing to have advantage by Gift and another thing to have such an Eye to it as to look upon our selves as Earners of it by our Work A Child that knows his Father hath settled an Inheritance upon him and will provide for him till he is of Age to take Possession is there no Motive to him to be dutiful to his Father but an intending more gain and advantage to himself Must his Father pay him for every Errand he runs and Job of Service he doth Must he look upon himself as Earning and Deserving his Dinner every day and for every Duty and Service his Father must say Oh! thank thee my Son I will remember this Service to give thee advantage for it Or else this Child will be sullen and dogged and say What pâ—ofit is there in serving my Father Such Christians as these you would make Neonom Christ calls with such Motives Mat. 11.28 Ezek. 18.32 1 Pet. 5.2 4. Antinom Mat. 11. He Invites Sinners to come to him for rest he would give it them he says not Go to your Works and Duties for Rest I am not against your taking all Motives from Christ and the Riches of his Grace but I am against Burning Incense to our own Drags as you would have us Thaâ— place of Ezekiel you mention is nothing to your purpose for turning and living there is the same thing And whereas you say What influence hath such pleas As 1 Pet. 5.2 4. 1 Tim. 2.12 Colos 3.34 Peter calls himself a Partaker i. e. by Faith of the Glory to be revealed and he chargeth other Elders to feed the Flock and take the Charge not by constraint but freely and willingly and not mercenarily but as he himself was taught by Christ Lovest thou me feed my Sheep and he saith When the chief Shepherd shall appear you shall receive a Crown of Glory which he hath purchased and promised not which they earned and gained by their working So Paul fought and ran 2 Tim. 4.7 8. not expecting to receive a Crown as due to him for Fighting and Running but as by Faith beholding it purchased for him and ensured to him in the Promise therefore he says It 's a depositum laid up for him even before his running and so for all other Believers as well as he he expected not to make an additional advantage to what he saw laid up for him already or thereby to make it surer than the Promise had already made it and as for other places where Duties are called for and ensuing Benefits promised it 's but a Connexion of the Promised Grace in the Covenant under something different Notions of particular Commands and Promises whereas Duties there are Promises and Gifts of Grace and both together Grace upon Grace from the fulness of Christ not that one hath in it a vertue to gain the other which the Spiritual Man understands and Christ dispenseth Grace in the Word of his Grace in this manner more humano which is of use to the weak many times when he teacheth them to walk as Ephraim by the Conduct of a Spirit of Bondage whilst they labour under weak and staggering Faith but such a frame and weak Understanding of the Truth ought not to be commended as a Vertue and such Weaklings are to be brought as soon as may be to more solid Understanding and higher Principles to act from and more Noble Aims and Designs to the Glory of God in Christ Neonom The Spirit of God approveth of Holy Mens regard to their own advantage Antinom Yes for the whole Gospel is a Sinners advantage or else it were sad and they must see it or else they will never embrace it but they are to see all this advantage is founded in Christ and conveyed by Promise and Free Gift to the Praise and Glory of God Eph. 1.6 7 8 12 19 20. Neonom Moses Heb. 11.26 had respect to the recompence of reward and this is given as the very cause why he esteemed the Reproach of Christ above the Treasures of Egypt Antinom I have given an account of that place already it 's said by Faith Moses did what he did by Faith refusing the World chusing and esteeming Christ his great Treasure and greater than all Riches and Honours even the Reproach and Cross of Christ for in believing he Eyed Christ himself who was his to be the great recompence of Reward he had enough to carry him through all difficulties having Christ and God in Christ and this was the reason of his Perseverance for he endured as seeing him that is Invisible he did not see him that is Invisible as a Reward of his Perseverance but he endured because he saw him Neonom Paul governed himself by these regards 1 Cor. 9.17 24. 2 Cor. 4.16 17. Antinom Paul made it his business in preaching the Gospel to obtain the Ends of the Gospel but he doth anticipate all that you would gather from his Discourse 1 Cor. 9.17 for ver 16. he saith For though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to glory of and when he speaks of his Reward ver 18. truely it is as much as to say I look for none for my Work sake not so much as from Men my Reward is that I make it without Charge that as it comes freely from Christ so also from me he much less had any Mercenary Expectations of Reward from God c. And ver 23. and all he doth for the Gospel sake that he might be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his participation of the Grace of the Gospel was as much as he looked for therefore he would not run at uncertrinty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by Faith in the Promise as looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of his Faith Heb. 12.2 As to that place 2 Cor. 4.16 For which cause we faint not what is the cause It 's in the verse preceding 14 15. The Spirit of Faith was the cause Whereby knowing that he that raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us also by Jesus for all things are for your selves that the abundant Grace might through the Thanksgiving of many redound to the Glory of God for which cause we faint not viz. from the abundant Grace apprehended by the Spirit of Faith and looking at things
i. e. believed them so as to be assured of them As for the rest of the Saints you shall find all along that their Triumphant Assurances was by Faith Abraham Rom. 4.20 21. See the various phrases to express his full Assurance of Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he made no dispute or doubt about the Promise the English well express He staggered not at the Promise or through unbelief ver 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 19. He was not weak in Faith but was strong in Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and consulted not with himself secondary Causes or Carnal Reason but was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carried forth with a full gale of Assurance Job 19.25 Job's Assurance was the Assurance of Faith I know my Redeemer liveth c. David under his greatest Tryal of Banishment by his own Son from the House of God Psal 42.10 when Challenged by his Enemies at the highest rate at which he was so disquieted he calls up his Soul to take up Comfort in believing ver 11. and 45.5 Paul Rom. 7. where he tells how low he was brought upon Self-examination as to what he could find in himself ver 18. I know that in me that is in my Flesh there dwells no good thing See how he complains ver 24. O wretched Man that I am c. as much as to say I am wretched in regard of the Evil Sin and Corruption that I find abounding in me but ver 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord there is the Root of his Comfort in the Faith that he had in Jesus Christ tho there was this little small spark of Holiness in him a mind at least to serve the Law of God yet he trusted not to that And you see 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. when he fell into Temptation and Buffeting was it his Duties and Services to Christ and his Churches that supported him No it was an objective manifestation to him received by Faith My Grace is sufficient for thee but you will say his rejoicing was in the Testimony of his Conscience 2 Cor. 1.12 It 's true it was and the Testimony of a good Conscience as to our Hearts and Ways is matter of Rejoicing but this was in Paul without confidence in the Flesh or ascribing any thing to it but by seeing all in Christ and that all flowed down from the Free Grace and Love of God all his Simplicity and Sincerity of Heart was seen by Faith to be Gifts of Grace therefore you see whensoever the Children of God took any Comforts and Rejoicings from the Fruits of the Spirit they made not these as the Fundamental ground of their Assurance but a confirming and additional ground and such as was very uncertain insomuch that at some times they were at a perfect loss for them yet was not without their rooted and grounded Assurances in the darkest Times and under the obscurest Providences Neonom The Conscience is bound to condemn every Man in whom the contrary to these Graces do appear yea where it 's evident they are wholly wanting It 's otherwise a seared Conscience 1 Tim. 4.2 It 's the Candle of the Lord now there can be no Assurance where the Conscience condemns 1 John 3.19 20 21. D. W. p. 166. Antinom There is nothing but the sprinkling of the Blood of Christ applyed by Faith that can take off the Conscience from Condemning and without this all the Works and Duties in the World cannot do it it 's the Law that obligeth the Conscience to condemn and the sence of our Imperfections and Weaknesses and remainder of Corruption may be where there is no condemning Conscience but wherefore is it Not because of what they find in themselves but from what they find in Christ and it 's a harsh Doctrine that you teach from 1 Tim. 4.2 that all that cannot find Works enough in themselves to conclude their state in Christ from and hold it meerly by Faith in Christ and thereby freed from Condemning Consciences have Seared Cauterized Consciences such as the Apostle Prophesies of that should abound in the Antichristian Apostacy and Seduction and you subvert the Doctrine of the Gospel thereby helping to fulfill that Prophecy by what Doctrine the Text will tell you Neonom The Spirit witnesseth with our Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.16 It doth not witness before our Spirits doth witness It is not a separate Testimony from our Spirits but it concurrs with our Spirit as its Instrument our Spirit witnesseth in the Light of the Spirit 1 Cor. 9.1 my Conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost Antinom What is this Argument brought for is this to prove that there 's no Assurance by the Voice of the Spirit And that the only way of Assurance is by Signs and Marks But you have brought in this place of Scripture as many Men retain Councel in their Case they Fee some Councel only that they may not be against them but the Word of God will not be Bribed this place is directly against you The Apostle here tells us the very Comforting Office of the Holy Ghost that it becomes a Spirit of Adoption this is the Spirit of Christ Gal. 4.6 And what is it that it doth it teacheth us to call God Father and how doth it do this A. It 's by witnessing to us our Relation viz. that we are the Sons of God this is that which doth assure us of our Inheritance if Children then Heirs Now I argue that which witnesseth in the Children of God that they are the Children of God insomuch that from thence they can conclude themselves Heirs doth pronounce the Actual Forgiveness of their Siâ—s and is the usual way of Assurance but the Spirit witnesseth in the Children of God that they are the Children of God Ergo there is a pronunciation of Actual Forgiveness by the Voice of the Spirit c. For the Major it 's proved from Gal. 3.26 The Spirit bestows Adoption by Faith in Christ Jesus Ye are all the Children of Gâ—d by Faith in Christ Jesus and ver 29. If ye be Christ's then are you of Abraham's Seed and Heirs according to the Promise you 'll allow the Spirit to witness but not before our Spirit so that you 'll have our Spirits to be before the Spirit the Senior Evidence I deny it for that which causeth our Spirits to give Evidence is not the younger Evidence but the Spirit causeth our Hearts to give Evidence Ergo Now for the Minor that the Spirit causeth our Hearts to give Evidence I prove from your self you say the Spirit concurrs with our Spirit as its Instrument now the Efficient is before the Instrument by which it works and Instrumentum is but Causa Ministrans at most and is res motu facta in that respect is effectum efficientis Now the way of the Spirits witnessing is by bringing to our Spirit an objective Manifestation of Grace in the Promise and causing us by Faith to make
for God to say unto the Soul I am thy Salvaiion Is it not the ordinary Gospel Voice under the Old Testament and New Neonom It hardly carries its Evidence to a Soul that hath no Grace at all Antinom You say a miraculous Voice can hardly carry its Evidence to a Soul that hath no Grace at all It is well you put in hardly for you know it was carryed to Paul in a miraculous Voice and it 's a marvellous audacious Expression to say God can hardly carry Grace and Evidence of Grace to a graceless Soul no not so much as miraculously and cannot God give Grace and evidence in the same moment of time as to the Thief on the Cross and thousands more in the Word Neonom It 's a way too far Enthusiastick to be allowed in so stated a Case Antinom You had best say the Apostle Paul in the whole 8th Chapter to the Romans and 1 Cor. 2. and Eph. 1. and in divers other places was too Enthusiastick and therefore those portions of Scripture that speak of the Revelation and Witness of the Spirit and the Assurances of Faith not to be allowed I 'll assure you you are mighty Magisterial to take upon you the decrying the Witness of the Spirit at this presumptuous rate openly and before the World What account can you give of this another day Neonom It gives the Devil a great advantage against Sinners to live in Sin and against honest People if once they find cause to question this Voice Yea it sets up the Spirit against it self if any can boast of Assurance by this Voice when their state is justly challengeable by the Gospel as wanting all Sight of Gospel Marks Antinom If the Grace of God that brings Salvation unto Sinners is the casting out of the Devil out of the Heart and the witnessing Spirit a mortifying Spirit Teacher of Holiness and the greatest Enlarger of the Heart therein as Rom. 8.15 by how much the more it works as a Comsorter as the Spirit of Adoption bringing us into the Liberty of Sons of God and shewing to us that Christ is ours and we are his yea by how much the more he makes us to see by Faith in Christ and how much the less he makes us to see in our selves but still shews us our own Vileness and Ugliness Corruptions poorness of Duties even to the loathing and abhorring of our selves if then I say God is most glorified and his Free Grace Christ is most advanced and his precious Blood and his glorious Spirit to be loved and admired and we in the best and most Gospel-frame Then all that you have here spoken is Burlesque mingled with the Enmity of your Heart vented against the Grace of the Gospel and the Spirit of God Calvin I must confess I can't tell what to say of that saying The Witness of the Spirit by the Voice of the Gospel is giving advantage to the Devil I am sure it hath a dangerous Aspect But I pray Mr. Antinomian do you condemn Signs and Marks as altogether useless towards the gaining of Assurance that he inveighs at so heavy a rate Antinom No by no means I allow the Fruits of the Spirit to be of a marvellous use as to Confirming and Comforting of our selves and very satisfactory to others that our Saviour saith hereby shall all men know that we are his Disciples and as James saith we must be convinced of mens Faith by their Work or else we can't take them to be Believers Yea we expect of every one that we admit Church-members that they should give a Reason of the Hope that is in them according to the Rule of the Gospel This Mr. Neonomian is against he will Burlesque upon it as much as he doth now at the Witness of the Spirit Calvin Why it is not possible Mr. Neonomian Sure when you admit Members into your Congregation you are very strict in Examining of them upon the Fruits of Faith that you and all your Congregation may know so far as the Judgment of a rational Charity will go that they are Disciples of Christ tho' as those Signs may deceive a mans own self so others may be deceived in those that make Profession of them Neonom I know no ground to stand so strictly upon my Admission I think if men be not grossly Ignorant or openly Scandalous they may be admitted to all Ordinances I can't try them for their Perseverance which is the greatest Mark. Calvin But I read that the Churches in the Primitive Times were made up of those that were at least to Visible appearance sanctified in Christ Jesus Neonom But the times are altered now they were Converted out of Heathenism we are all Christians Calvin Aye such as they be such as your honest People which the Devil gets a great advantage against to perswade to live in sin because of the pardoning Grace of the Gospel for whose sake you would have the Doctrine renounced and another Gospel preached I see you do not set so much by Signs and Marks but only to set them up in opposition to the Witness of the Spirit Antinom I will give you my full sence of the Doctrine of Assurance The certainty of a Thing or Proposition can be founded but upon one of these two Bottoms either upon an Artificial or Inartificial Argument so called in Logick An Argument artificial gives me sensible or rational ground for what I am assured of and it argues Things from Causes Effects Subjects Adjuncts Dissentaneities wherein are diversa opposita c. But an inartificial Argument is founded on Testimony and according to the faithfulness of him that brings it it gives more or less ground of belief This is reckoned in Logick the weakest ground of Knowledge especially being Testimonium humanum that is brought it may be a probable ground of believing but is not an Infallible one and therefore the Judgment upon it usually goes no further than Opinion that which is of a Contingency But in Theology Testimonium Divinum Divine Testimony is the greatest ground of Certainty and Assurance in the World because he that speaks is unchangeably true faithful just and holy he cannot ly Now hence it is that what Testimony comes from God himself it is to be believed because it is so without reasoning any further and is the greatest ground of Assurance in the World therefore I affirm that the Witness of God in his Word and the Spirit in the Heart firmly believed is and produceth the greatest Assurance for firmness and durability in the World This is that which ought to ly in the bottom of all our Assurance this will hold above all in the hour of Temptation when all Signs and Marks sail tho our Faith may be sometimes shaken and our Comforts and Assurances eclips'd so that our Faith may hold but as far as a Hoping or Perswasion of a Probability of our State and Condition yet as Mr. Neonomian saith as the Evidence is
displeasure Neonom I will tell you the Doctor 's mistake Because God laid our Sins on Christ to make Attonement for forgiveness of the Elect therefore God cannot be offended with the Elect for them before they repent Antinom Your Mistakes are wilful and foul ones too or else you would not act so dishonestly 1. This Doctrin of laying Sin on Christ you are always bantering take heed it prove not of dangerous consequence to you 2. Hath the Doctor spoken one word of the unconverted Elect in this matter or of the Elect before they repent But your spleen is moved because he founds the security of Believers from the Wrath of God towards them for Sin upon Christ bearing Sin and making full satisfaction for it you cannot brook it that Christ's Righteousness should have this honour I will tell you one thing If you have no better security from Wrath than the Evangelical Righteousness you shew in this Book I can say without a Spirit of Prophecy The Wrath of God abides on you Neonom Because God doth not hate the Believer as an unreconciled God when he sins therefore he is not at all displeased with him because of the Gospel-sins Antinom Because God manifests displeasure against the Sins of his People therefore say you God is displeased with their Persons that 's your mistake it 's not in the nature of God to love and hate the same Object neither hath God such affections as we have If God hate not as an unreconciled God he can do nothing towards that person but what are the effects of love there 's few earthly Parents can correct a Child but it 's in their mind wholly to do them good and to free them of some ill habit or corruption the Child calls the Father's carriage Anger and it looks so to him in a wise Father but all this while his Heart earns toward the Child and longs to be Kissing it Neonom He thinks because a Refiner is not angry with his Gold therefore a Holy God is not angry with Rational Offenders Antinom The Persons of true Believers are precious and honourabâ—e in the sight of God 10000 times more than Gold can be and securer from the anger of God than any Gold can be from the Refiner's anger I suppose your Rational Offenders are your Abominable Believers Neonom Because God will not hate a Believer so as to damn him therefore he cannot be angry with his People so as fatherly to chastize them Antinom If God cannot hate a Believer so as to damn him then he cannot punish or afflict him in this World with the same affection wherewith he doth damn any one but all that befalls him in this World proceeds from the same affection of love that saves them from damnation as to God there 's the same cause of the afflictions and chastisements of Believers as there is of their glorification they all proceed from his Eternal and Unchangeable Love from the sure Mercies of the Covenant of Promise and therefore are all in a way of benefit and advantage towards them God loves a Child of his as much in its infancy and nonage as in its grown state tho' his carriage is different the diversity of state requiring it And as to Fatherly Chastisement if you understand it aright we deny not but such are those of God's Children but you must know the Spirit of God Heb. 12. tells us the comparison will not hold but as a small illustration of it for God's thoughts affections designs are not as Man 's a Father may correct a Child in anger and passion and so for his pleasure as the Apostle saith but God never doth so a Woman may lay aside natural affections and forget her sucking Babe yea murder it but as God cannot lay aside his innate love so he cannot forget to exercise it in all things Neonom Because God afflicts from Sin therefore he doth not afflict for Sin Antinom If you mean from Sin and for Sin in the same sense that Sin is a reason of affliction in some sense or other we deny it not but if you mean it be a judicial cause of affliction as it is in a wicked Man we utterly deny it for such must be attoning to the Law transgressed in part or in whole the Law designs not the salvation of the sinner in any of its executions but it s own satisfaction in his destruction it looks not at his amendment but ruin And therefore if you mean that God as a Father doth so afflict we deny it for to say so were to make him change to invalidate the satisfaction of Christ and make him worse than an earthly Father Neonom As if he could not rebuke for what is past if he resolve not against their amendment for time to God Antinom God resolves their Amendment and therefore chastiseth and God rebukes their Sins and shews Man that he hath transgressed that Faith be exercised the more lively on the propitiation of Jesus Christ who satisfied God for Sin and that they may the more admire the free and pardoning Love of God and that his dealings are so favourable it 's the Lord's Mercy we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not and that Sin may be made more sinful and hateful to them Neonom The Doctor was led into this Opinion by not considering that Anger and Displeasure be not Passions in God but a Will of Correcting and are denominated from the kinds and degrees of Correction Antinom Quite contrary he took up his Opinion because he believed they were not so and that God's correcting his Children is from his Love and Good-will and that whatever the Degrees are the Specifick Nature is toto genere distinct from Punishments in anger Calv. 1. There is no reason why God should exact the Debt of Sin in the suffering of Believers because Christ hath fully satisfied his Father's Justice for their Sins 2. Their Sorrows and Afflictions cannot carry a Curse in them and therefore not the Wrath and Displeasure of God for he hath born their Sorrows and carried their Grief not that they should not have Sorrow but that their Sorrows should have nothing of the Sting of Sin the Curse of the Law in them 3. They are under the Grace of Adoption therefore Chastening is the Fruit of Adopting-love Heb. 12.6 And it 's one of the good things God hath allotted to them as Children and that for many great Ends 1. To be Partakers more and more of his Holiness in general Ver. 10. for their Profit and Advantage 2. To be conformed unto Christ therein who learned Obedience by suffering Heb. 5.8 3. To fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ in his Mystical Body Col. 1.24 4. That we may have fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings and therein be conformable to his Death Phil. 3.10 5. That as the Sufferings of Christ abound in us so our Consolations may abound by Christ 2 Cor. 1.5 6.
Spirits and becomes our own our Flesh being like the Viper's Stomach that turns the wholsomest Food into Poison See what Excellent Mr. Beza saith in his Confess Chap. 4. Art 19. It is not to be allowed that Works are a cause of Salvation in the whole or any part for if it were so certainly there would be but a Crazy Foundation of our Salvation We must of necessity acknowledg that the Water and Foundation from which it flows are akin because the most thick Darkness yet remains in our Understandings it would come to pass if God should in his strict Justice enquire into the best Works of a Man there could be no other thing determined of them but that they be the mere pollutions of God's gifts as it often falls out that a River otherwise clear and limpid is infected with the Filth of a Jaques thro' which it runs Rom. 7.15 23. Psal 142.2 Now what think you of this For my part I verily believe that Doctor C. took his very way of Expressing and Illustrating these things from this very place of Mr. Beza Now unless you will condemn this Learned and Approved Divine for Errour in this point I see not that you can accuse this Antinomian as you call him I will shew you the Opinions of a Divine who I hope you dare not call unstudied and unlearned it 's of the famous Doctor Tuckney in his Sermons upon this Text of Phil. 3.8 He saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things which includes more than all that was before mentioned If you ask what I Answer according to our Divines whom I am not ashamed of or of their Judgment All his own Inherent Righteousness and best Works after Conversion his labouring more abundantly than they all his Conversion of many Souls his holy and unblameable Conversation Omnia quae hunc Christianus Apostolus ago habeo as Zanchy upon the Text which he sufficiently makes out to be here included both from the Universal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being intended to Express more than was before Expresses of his Morals and Zeal before Conversion and from the Present Tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now that he is Converted he Judges so of all that he was and is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostom and by what he saith Vers 9. c. And to throw you quite on your Back I will shew you a passage in the Assembly's Confession which you would not see Chap. XVI of Good Works Sect. V. When we have done all we can we have done but our Duty and are unprofitable Servants and because as they are good they proceed from the Spirit and as they are wrought by us they are defiled and mixed with so much Weakness and Imperfection that they cannot endure the Severity of God's Judgment Yet notwithstanding the Persons of Believers are accepted thro' Christ and their Good Works also are accepted in him c. Now Sir Seeing the Doctrin which you so Peremptorily call Errour is so clearly proved to be Truth let us hear what you have to say in stating and defending your Judgment and I pray Mr. Antinom do you Whip the Top with him Neonom Truth Tho' the present sincere Holiness of Believers be not perfect according to the Precepts of the Word nor valuable by the Sanction of the Law of Innocency nor any Attonement for our defects and â—e still need Forgiveness and the Merits of Christ for acceptance thereof yet as far as it prevails it 's Lovely in it self and pleasing to God and is not Dung or Filth Antinom We shall divide your Canon into Two parts the Negative and Positive you tell us what it is not and first Note That you change the Terms for the Doctor speaks of Works performed by us when a Duty is performed and becomes a Compositum of the pure Graces of the Spirit mixed with the Corrupt indwelling Motions of our own Hearts and hence he distinguisheth between Grace flowing from the Spirit which is purely Holy and Grace acted and performed by us through the assistance of the Spirit therefore we must keep you to the Doctor 's Terms viz. to our sincere Works or sincere Holiness taken in that sense This being premised 1. You tell us these Works are imperfect and not according to the Word therefore so far sinful for whosoever keeps the whole Law and offendeth in one point is guilty of all James 2.10 And so I say of any Duty if it fail in one point it 's chargeable with breach of the whole Law so the Duty is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Dung and Filth 2. You say it 's not valuable by the Law of Innocency that 's said before for what is not according to God's Precept is Condemned by God's Law by every Law of God it 's so far from Valuableness it stands under a Sentence of Condemnation God never accepted or owned Imperfect Obedience as suâ—h and in it self neither is it consistent with his pure Nature so to do 3. You say it cannot make Attonement If it stand for Acceptable Righteouseness and Holiness it must make Attonement for its Defects and sinful Pollutions the High Priest was to make Attonement for his own Sins before he could be accepted so in this Case that Righteousness that cannot Attone for its own Sins if there be any cannot be Acceptable to God but you say this Righteousness cannot make Attonement for its Sins therefore in it self can never be Acceptable to God Posit 1. You say we still need Forgiveness and the Merits of Christ for Acceptance of these Works 1. Then I say they are Sinful or else would not need Forgiveness 2. They need the Merits of Christ and therefore not Acceptable Righteousness in themselves they are as Dung and Stink in the Nostrils of God the best Works in themselves are such whatever is not capable in it self to make it self Acceptable in the sight of God if it have no relation to another Righteousness it Stinks and is Abominable in the Nostrils of God 3. You say so far as it prevails its lovely i. e. not at all of it self Observe still what we say No good Work of a Believer prevails to Acceptation of us and if not it prevails not at all and that which prevails not to Acceptation is not lovely in it self for nothing is lovely to God but what he Accepts and hence you conclude it is not Dung or Filth but from what you your self have said it can be no other than Dung whatever cannot be Accepted of God without Forgiveness and the Righteousness of Christ to make it Acceptable is in it self and out of Christ Dung But I perceive what you aim at that it is a Righteousness that comes in for a share with Christ and in part it prevails to Acceptation tho' not altogether and here you fall in with the Council of Trent as in all your Doctrin That the Grace of Justification and Acceptance
God but unto the Faith of Believers 2. He makes no distinction that Works are of two sorts some excluded from Justification and not others but he expresly rejects his own Righteousness i. e. his personal inherent Righteousness whatever it be and however it be wrought 3. He makes a plain distinction of his twofold Estate 1. That of Judaism before Conversion 2. He proceeds to give an account of himself and Estate after Conversion The words of Davenant on this Passage in my Judgment are sober and weighty The Apostle here teacheth what that Righteousness is whereby we are accepted before God viz. which is apprehended by Faith He shews the cause why it is ours by right i. e. the Apostle shews it in this place because we are inserted into his Body and coalesce with him into one Person therefore his Righteousness is reputed ours De Justisic hab c. 38. For whereas some begin to interpret our being in Christ and being found in him so as to intend no more but our Profession of the Faith of the Gospel the Faith of the Catholick Church in all Ages concerning the Mystical Union of Christ and Believers is not to be blown away with a few empty Words and unproved Assertions The Answer then is full and clear unto the general Exception viz. That the Apostle rejects our Legal but not our Evangelical Righteousness For 1. The Apostle rejects neither absolutely but in comparison of Christ and with respect to the special end of Justification before God or a Righteousness in his sight 2. In that sense he rejects all our own Righteousness but our Evangelical Righteousness in the sense pleaded for is our own inherent in us performed by us 3. Our Legal and Evangelical in the sense pleaded for is the same 4. The Apostle rejects in this case all the Works of Righteousness that we have done Tit. 3.5 but our Evangelical Righteousness consists in the Works of Righteousness which we do 5. He disclaims all that is our own See more in the Treatise of Justification 535. Here the Society was adjourning but that a worthy Divine acquaints Mr. Calvinist that he saw the Reverend Mr. Richard Vines in a corner whereupon Mr. Calvinist return'd There is none here but hath a venerable Esteem for that famous Divine unless Mr. Neonomian who will however if he finds he is against him be so ingenuous as to knock under the Table Sir we beseech you lend us your help here against this confident Neonomian and New Divinity and in defence of the Apostle Paul whose Doctrin he is making Dung of trampling it down as Mire in the Streets Mr. Rich. Vines Phil. 3.7 8 9 10. After the Apostle had in the beginning of this Church fortified the Christian Philippians with a Caveat against such as did yet stand upon and pretend their Circumcision Christ a Christian 's only Gain by Rich. Vines sometime Master of Pembrook-hall Cambridge and their Jewish Prerogatives in opposition to Christ after this he gives a threefold account of himself 1. He sheweth what account he had of himself in respect of those Priviledges that others did insist upon c. V. 4. p. 1. 2. He shews what account he had of himself when Christ was discovered to him c. 3. He sheweth what account he had of himself in respect of perfection V. 12 c. p. 4 5 6. V. 8. p. 19. You have heard what reckoning the Apostle had of his own Righteousness in his unregenerate state and upon the discovery of Christ unto him he came to a loss of all that which before he counted gain Now in this Verse he goes on to shew you what account he had still of Christ and of all things besides Christ after some strength and experience he had of Christ yea doubtless any more than so Yea and more than that I account them still it is a rhetorical Speech wherein the Apostle riseth higher in his expression with greater overflow of affection verifying all things besides Christ as loss and dung he repeats it three times over a note of affection I count all things loss I have suffered the loss I account them but dung and then it is for Christ and that Christ who is my Lord. Suppose the Apostle had been thus spoken to 't is true you forsook all your former Gains and you professed all should go for Christ your self your Wealth your Zeal your Righteousness in the Law you valued all as nothing while Christ was new and fresh in your memory and before you had tasted of his Yoak and Cross But what say you now Paul now you have been beaten with Rods stoned Shipwrackt c. 2 Cor. 11.15 What now Paul are you of the same mind still is not your Courage cooled Nay doubless saith Paul I did and I do I am not changed I do account all things I reserve not one thing to lye between me and Christ not my good Works not any thing within me nor without me that I value or esteem my Righteousness my Obedience to the Law my Fasting my Scourging I count them but Loss and Dung for Christ c. p. 19 20. Doct. 4. That gracious Duties and Performances of a Man in the state of Grace are to be disclaimed in the matter of his Justification or his Righteousness before God p. 44. V. 1. The Papists will not hear this Doctrin for tho' with much ado they will quit their good Works that are done in an unregenerate state without and before Faith yet those Works of a regenerate Man that are besprinkled with the Blood of Christ Here 's your Doctrin Mr. Neonomian they will have them come in for their Justification for thus they say Christ merits for us that we may merit for ourselves that Christ is our Saviour by making us our own Saviours Christ is our justifier by making us justifie ourselves he giveth us Mony and we lay it down what is this It is to keep up good Duties say they and you which otherwise would fall to the ground whereas the true Spring and Whetstone of Obedience to God is Faith and Love and Thankfulness upon the apprehension of the Pardon of our Sins let a Man have Christ for his Righteousness and let a Man be ungodly if he can the love of Christ constraineth us c. p. 44 45 46. This Phrase of Speech All things Loss and but Dung mine own Righteousness both before and after Grace I count all to be but Dung that I may win Christ There is the Faith of Adventure and the Faith of Assurance p. 129. Proof of Doctrin 'T is for the gaining of Christ that a Christian counteth all things in the World as Dung and suffereth the loss of all things It 's a strange trade that a Man must lose to gain he must be a Beggar and Bankrupt that he may be rich he must be nothing that he may have Christ Yea his Works after Grace received all that I did know and all
that I do know still I do count them but as Dung that I may win Christ p. 126. There is nothing can be done in a Man that proveth him to be out of Wrath any farther than it proveth him to be in Christ In this Argument lyes all the strength that Christ is yours and that you are Christs what other Arguments otherwise you have that will not prove this Point are all but Fallacies and your Hopes are but Ropes of Sand. Dress up yourselves in the best Attire you have Vertue Civility Learning Excellent Parts let them paint over the rotten Face of corrupt Nature never so curiously will all this prove that you shall be saved The Apostle counteth all this but Stuff and Lumber Trash Loss and Dung for Christ Can you climb Heaven by any Ladder of Nature's erecting What Ladder reacheth to Heaven but Jacob's Ladder which was a Type of Christ p. 147. Let me come to the Graces of God's Spirit They prove that you are out of the state of Wrath that you shall be saved but how do they prove it Not as the causes thereof doth your Grace that is in you satisfie the Justice of God and redeem you from the Curse and pay the Ransom Is it your Title for Salvation Do you pretend to have him upon the Worth of your Graces Like a Man that 's questioned about his Land goes about to prove the worth of the Land by the wax with which his Deeds are sealed the Seal is more than the Wax therefore the Apostle saith not only we are translated but hereby we know we are translated Now how doth Grace signifie to you that you are out of Wrath As it evidences you to be in Christ and so the Sign bringeth you to the Cause If they prove but unto you the Work of Grace in your Heart and that you are in Christ you need ask them no more they have done enough they have setled you upon a sure ground The least Dram of Grace is worth a 1000 Tun of such kind of stuff of Moral Righteousness which may be in you and not prove you to be in Christ A little Seal is worth a Cart-load of Wax because it sealeth more to me than the Wax is worth so the least Dram of Grace wrought in a Man that is in Jesus Christ is worth a World of Moral Duties because it sealeth Evidences Pardon of Sin Favour with God therefore examine yourselves that you take not a Human-Faith for a Saving-Faith c. p. 148 149 150. V. 8 9. That I may be sâ—und in him that I may know him In these two Expressions is comprized that which he calls the gaining of Christ To be found in Christ that he referreth to Justification or the making a Sinner righteous before God therefore he saith not having mine own Righteousness but the Righteousness of God which is the Faith of Christ. To know Christ referreth to Sanctification as it is expressed in three things The Power of his Resurrection the Fellowship of his Sufferings Conformity to his Death p. 151 152. That I may be found in him c. In this Verse you have two great things expressed Union with Christ that I may be found in him Righteousness with God having the Righteousness of God There is a distribution of Righteousness into two sorts Legal Evangelical These two sorts are first described what they are Legal mine own Righteousness which is of the Law Evangelical the Righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Christ 2. Being described they are opposed the one to the other the one is of the Law the other is by the Faith of Christ they are set contrary because they cannot be had together 3. There is a disclaim of the one not having my own righteousness which is of the Law and an adherence to the other the righteousness of God by Faith in Christ Doct. 1. In the gaining or having of Christ the first thing is Union this word in Christ notes Union as 2 Pet. 3.14 Be diligent that ye may be found in him p. 156 157. Union must be before Communion Christ is a great Mystery Christ and his People are all like one great Tree he is the Stock and Root and they are the Twigs planted in that great Stock and they two live like one great Body as the Head and Members they are alike as Man and Wife are one flesh so Christ and his People are one Spirit as Man and Wife are one Person in Law so are Christ and all that are in him they cannot be cast into Hell because the Sentence must light upon Christ before it falleth upon them Antinom How doth this agree with your Doctrin That the state of Men in this Life is not eternally decided but they are in a State-Tryal as Subjects in Tryal for Eternity p. 55. of your First Book The grossest Divinity that ever Protestant delivered before which both the true Protestant Doctrin of Election and Redemption and Union to Christ must fall to the ground if it be true R. Vines I come to the 2d thing in the words the distribution of Righteousness into Legal and Evangelical Doct. There are two sorts of Righteousness Legal and Evangelical the one of the Law the other of the Gospel for that which we call Righteousness with God is the same which we call Gospel or Evangelical Righteousness which is plain Rom. 1.17 Now do not stumble at this do not think I mean as you do Mr. Neonom that there are two sorts of Righteousnesses which a Sinner may be justified by For by one Righteousness we are justified with God Rom. 5.18 But when I say there are two sorts it is to be understood thus there are but two sorts of Righteousnesses by which Life at any time hath been attained there never was a third Righteousness whereby a Man should be Righteous with God ever propounded to Man standing or falling Where 's your subordinate Righteousness now There are there have been there can be no more the own is his own the other is that which is called the Righteousness of God Now to describe these two sorts of Righteousness see Rom. 1.17 Rom. 10.10 11. These two doing and believing are the Characteristical Words that describe these two sorts of Righteousnesses of the Law and of the Gospel The Righteousness of the Law is only for the perfect Man that never sinned because it must be doing Neonom I could shew there 's no one saving Benefit granted to a Sinner but upon Supposition of his doing D. W. p. 230. Mr. R. Vines But I tell you the Righteousness of the Gospel is for a Sinner a Sinner overwhelmed and overspread with Sins Neonom But I say throughout my Divinity That the Gospel excludes Sinners and that the Righteousness of Christ belongs to none but those that are first meet for it Mr. R. V. The Righteousness of the Law is an exact compliance with the Law of God in every Tittle the Righteousness
Soul out of Hell So you see the difference that still we have it and yet we have it not But why is our own Righteousness that is inherent in us to be disclaimed 1. Because it is a way impossible for a Sinner to go to Heaven by or to be Righteous by that Ladder is too short tho' it seem long enough to you that have some Fragments of the Law 2. Not having it why Because there is another Righteousness and not this which is called the Righteousness of God There is another Adam and that Adam hath another Righteousness for all to believe in a Gospel Righteousness which is not of the Law There is another Covenant God hath appointed whereby a Sinner must be just now because there is another not this 3. Because one of these voids the other if I have the Righteousness of God then mine own is void if mine own then the Righteousness of God is void As the Apostle saith of Grace if Works not Grace and if Grace not Works p. 192 193 194 195. Calvin Reverend Sir we must from the bottom of Hearts most sincerely acknowledge That it is a great piece of Service that you have done to Christ his Gospel Church and poor lost Sinners in this ample and distinct Testimony which you have born to the Truth not only in plainly discovering Mr. Neonomian's corrupt and illiterate Interpretation of this great Portion of Scripture and vindicating of it but also in that you have subverted his whole Scheme laid open the rottenness of the Principles he hath so boldly asserted in his Book and shew'd the dangerous tendency of them Neonom This Gentleman is much mistaken and I could shew where his Mistakes lies Antinom You shew his Mistakes Quid Rectum dignoscere curbo Neonom I believe him an able Man and that sometimes he was of my Judgment because Mr. B. dedicated his Aphorisms to him and acknowledged that he was a fit Censor of his Doctrin Antinom It 's true one would think that piece of Flattery and many others had been enough to engage Mr. R. Vines to subscribe to Mr. B.'s Opinion but it was sufficiently known that instead of so doing Mr. Vines seldom preached a Sermon wherein he did not make a strict Inquisition after the Neonomianism that lay in his way and crackt it as a Man will crack a Louse DEBATE XX. Of Gospel and Legal Preaching Neonom I Have this Error further to charge upon Mr. Antinom viz. Gospel Preaching he saith Is to teach Men that they were as much pardoned and as acceptable to God always as when they were Regenerate and while they are Vngodly they had the same Interest in God and Christ as when they believe neither can Sin any way hinder their Salvation or their Peacc nor have they any thing to do further either of them Christ having done all for them before any holy qualification or endeavour D. W. p. 208. Antinom Here is a long Charge whether it be true or no in part or whole it will appear by the Proof Neonom Page 159. he saith The more Light and Glory of the Gospel shineth in the true Intention of God to his People the more should they have Joy and Gladness why may not then a Believer say The Lord hath been bountiful to me God hath done every thing in Christ and taken away all things that can disturb my Peace and Comfort Antinom What is this to prove your Charge What is this to prove that I say a Man is as much pardoned and as acceptable to God always as when Regenerate while he is Ungodly c There 's not any part of your Charge here proved for I speak of a Believer and that God hath done all for him in Christ and dare you say otherwise But hear what I said which you hide lest your Charge should appear false at the first sight you take only the concluding Words of my Sermon on Rom. x. 2 3 4. just before that p. 158. Object You will say you know many of the People of the Lord Jesus that walk sadly and disconsolately not having this joy and gladness I answer There is nothing hinders the Joy of God's People but their Sins those as they conceive stand as a separation betwixt God and them Oh they stand as a cooling Card in all their Joys and Mirth But when they return to Zion they shall rejoice in that they see that the Blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God hath taken away all their Sins the Scape-goat having carried them away into the Land of Forgetfulness in that they see that all their Transgressions are blotted out as a Cloud c. When they shall come by the sight of the Glory of the Gospel and the Light thereof to behold this state that Christ hath brought them into then all matter of Sorrow and Sighing shall fly away and the bitterness of it shall be taken away and then that which was the occasion of that bitterness shall vanish too I do not say that he is no Believer that hath not this perfectly far be it from me so to say there are that are Believers that are weak in Faith and there are Believers strong in Faith the more the Light of the glorious Gospel shines c. Calvin Mr. Neonomian I wonder what a Gospel you Preach or would have others Preach Is not Sin the hindering-Hindering-Cause of Spiritual Joy Is it not God that blots out our Sins and remembers them no more Is not the Faith of this the Ground-work of all true Joy Have not some Believers less and some more according as their Faith is and the Light of the Gospel shines into their Hearts And do they not by virtue of this Joy and Peace in believing return to their rest And may they not say The Lord hath dealt bountifully with me as David did May they not return to their rest and sit down in the Comforts of the Holy Ghost The Lord hath done all for me in Christ who hath made him Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Is there any thing you can rejoice in but what is done for us or wrought in us by Christ That Sin is taken away in the attonement and satisfaction of Christ the great cause of my disturbance Neonom He saith p. 186. Here is first Deliverance and then Service is the Fruit of this Deliverance not Deliverance the Fruit of Service The Tenor of the Law runs thus First do and then live The Gospel saith First live and then do do not think God gives Christ upon condition Antinom What 's all this to the proving of your Charge of Error 1. It reacheth not the Terms of your Charge if it were Error But 2dly Where is the Error Doth he not clear it from plain Scripture which you take no notice of viz. Zacharias's Song Luke 1.74 75 Do we serve God acceptably before we are delivered from Sin and Satan through Redemption and Application Can we serve God in Holiness and