and bound himself to a day of payment should after he hath enjoy'd and spent the Commodity be excus'd from paying the price of it by pretending it was not really worth so much when it appears by his bargaine that he himself thus valued it and willingly took it at this price and hath now chang'd his mind on no other consideration but because the enjoyment for which alone he valued it is past and none but the payment behind which consider'd by it self every man acknowledges to be the ungrateful part and so he did when yet on intuition of the more pleasant he made choice of it I have thus far enlarg'd to give you a clearer view of the force of the option in this matter then I can discerne you to have had of it and consequently to shew you the insufficiency of the reason on which you reject it when you say that upon this Hypothesis it should seem to be concluded that eternal life is owing to Piety ex justitia But to this I reply 1. That it were no newes from St Paul's words That God the righteous Judge shall give the Crown of righteousnesse to all that keep the faith c. to conclude that that Crown is some way due to Piety ex justitia But then Secondly My Argument from the Option hath no least need of so affirming but becomes much the stronger the lesse that be affirm'd For the lesse rewardable in it selfe our Piety is the more mercy and superabundant goodnesse it is in God thus to decree the rewarding it and the more undeserv'd that Mercy and the easier the condition of it the more Criminous is the guilt of those that despise and contemne it and prefer sin and impenitence and eternal death before it An Accordance OF St PAUL with St IAMES in the great point of Faith and Works By The most Learned Reverend and Pious Dr HENRY HAMMOND OXFORD Printed by H. HALL Printer to the University for RIC ROYSTON and RI DAVIS 1665. Of Faith and Works HE that saith with St Paul a man is justified by faith and not by works and to reconcile St James with St Paul affirms that good works are the effect of true faith means either that true faith where e're it is is able to produce good works though it do not alwaies actually produce them or else that it actually and necessarily produceth them If the former be his meaning then I conceive it true in some degree but not pertinent to his purpose of reconciling St. James with St. Paul because faith may be able to produce them and yet never actually produceth them and so the man that is supposed to be justiffied by faith never be able to shew his works which St. James requires of him and consequently his faith be a dead faith i. e. not able to justify But if the latter be his meaning that true faith wheresoever it is actually and necessarily produceth good workes I conceive it false yet can I not dispute against him in those termes by instancing in any particular to the contrary Because he hath a guard or hold for himself to fortify him against any assault by affirming to any such instance of mine where good workes were not produced that that faith was not true faith which yet if he should be put to prove he would have no other reason to confirm it but only because it produceth not good works being ready if it did produce good works to acknowledg it true faith which how guilty it is of those two faults in disputing circulus and petitio principii I think is manifest to any Yet being by this Sophism of his interdicted this way or proceedâ—ng I have but one way of arguing left me first to demand his definition of true faith and whatsoever definition he gives to prove that faith in that notion of his is the cause of good works at the most but as a man is the cause of a child a true perfect univocal cause of the effect when the effect is produced but yet such a one as might have suspended that action by which it was produced and so might have been as truly a man without the actual producing of that effect as he is now he hath produced it that is that faith is a rational or moral not natural agent working freely not necessarily To bring this operation to practise I will suppose this definition of faith to be given me which by them that affirm good works to be an effect of faith is ordinarily given that it is a fiducial assent to the promises of Christ Where that I may not mistake him I must first demand whether he conceives these promises which are the object of his faith to be absolute or conditional If he affirm them absolute made to mens persons or individual Entityes without respect to their qualifications or demeanors then surely that faith which supposeth all kind of qualifications of the subject so unnecessary will never so much as move me to produce good works because I may as well be saved without them the promises being supposed without condition and therefore he that affirms good works to avail nothing in the business of attaining to salvation cannot without contradicting himself say that his faith must necessarily produce good works if it be a saving faith for sure all that necessity proceeds from a believing that without good works there is no salvation to be had which if it be not believed that necessity ceaseth But if he affirm the promises which are the object of his faith to be conditional then I must ask what he takes this condition to be either faith alone or good works alone or faith and good works together if faith alone then beside the ridiculousness of that in making the believing that I shall be saved the only ground of my believing I shall be saved the former inconvenience recurrs again that that faith which supposeth faith only to be a condition of the promises will find good works as unnecessary as that faith which suppos'd the promises to be absolute and so will never incline me to them neither If he affirm the condition of the promises to be good works alone I mean by good works all other graces besides faith contrition amendment of life charity holynesse c. then he acknowledgeth that these good works are of themselves simply requir'd of a man that is or will be a believer and so that they are no necessary effect of faith for if they were it would be enough to require faith alone and they would undoubtedly follow without requiring For I conceive it ridiculous to make the condition of an Indenture something that is necessarily annext to the possession of the demise If he affirm faith and good works neither single but both together to be the total adaequate condition of the promises which St. Paul calls faith consummate by charity St. James faith made perfect by works St. Paul again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which
bear full consent with these which consequently have establisht the faith of this Article that it was by the Apostles of Christ enter'd into that depositum which they left in every Church where they preach'd as appears by the last words of the Apostles Creed the life everlasting which as it is expresly contrary to annihilation which is excision and determination of life in respect of duration or lasting so being subjoyn'd to the resurrection of the body must be indefinitely coextended to that and so belong to all bodies that are rais'd And that it is thus comprehensive appears more manifestly by the Athanasian Creed which to the rising and coming again of all men with their bodies and giving account for their own works which is parallel to the Resurrection of the body subjoyns as the Explication of Everlasting life this express Dogma And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire And this was no doubt the concordant sence of the Churches that had this depositum of Christian faith both from the Scriptures and the preaching of the Apostles and their Successors committed to them And so there remains no cause of doubt of the validity or plainness of demonstration as far as any matter of doctrine is capable of it from the testimony of Christ and of God What followes of the incredibility of this doctrine making some men desperately doubt of the truth of the whole body of Religion can have no force against the truth of it All Christ's duri sermones had that effect of his teaching them they were offended at him and the meaning of that is They forsook the whole Religion Having gone thus far in particular Reply to all that have been propos'd in favour of the Affirmative of the question I need not accommodate any Answer to the remaining fifth page of the first part The three Postulata's if all granted as they may in some limited sence will gain him nothing Not the first for the letter of Scripture favours not him as hath been shew'd death and destruction no way signify or conclude annihilation Not the second for there is no one Text clear in phrase and signification yet produc'd for the affirmative nor any that by any age or orthodox Father hath been so interpreted Not the third because in our doctrine set upon its due basis there is nothing so much as of a seeming disagreeableness to piety or the nature or Attributes of God as hath been shew'd also Then for the scandal of those disputes about Predestination c. which is thought to be allay'd by the opinion of Annihilation I answer that they which deny all irrespective decree of Reprobation or Praeterition against Supralapsarians and Sublapsarians that affirm universality of Redemption and of the gift of sufficient grace all which are maintain'd by Bishop Overall to whom the disputer professeth to encline and are known to have been maintained by concordant votes of all the Fathers of the Greek and Latin Church before St Augustin and since him by a considerable part of the Church through all Ages and the contrary never universally receiv'd as a Doctrine and so remaines to have been but a disputable question at the most cannot be imagin'd to be under any part of this scandall or consequently to receive benefit by the Allay that is spoken of And if the Doctrine of Reprobation c. have need of this Antidote to avert the ill and dangerous consequences of it and to reconcile their dictates with piety and reverence to God Almighty then it is more then time that the favourers of that Doctrine should rather change their poysons for wholsome dyet then like the Mountebank on the Stage presume to swallow the poyson in confidence of this only antidote which I have not yet heard that he believes to have any force in it In a word let us all renounce the irrespective decree of Reprobation as I professe to do and there is no more pretence for the denying of eternall torments of the Reprobates upon that account As for the punishment of personall sins and their circumstantiall abatements that hath been accounted for already The second Part. IN the Second Part the view of the places producible for Eternall Pains begins with a prejudice viz. that it is no where plainly and directly denyed that the Reprobates shall be destroy'd But that negative Argument as it is simply invalid so it is most unseasonably prefixt to the setting down of Testimonies for the perpetuity of their Torments For if one such Text be produc'd that shall really conclude their torments perpetual as certainly do the words of Christ Revel 20.10 of their being tormented Day and Night for ever and ever it is then most certainly consequent that the Reprobate shall not be destroy'd immediately after the day of Judgment and what is that but the plain and direct denial of it And to adde that it is no where said that they shall live for ever but that incorruption seems to be the priviledge of the Elect is sure but another branch of the same paralogisme for they that are tormented for ever have sence and life for ever but that being a life of misery eternal hath no semblance of the priviledge of the Elect whose Crown it is to live and reign not to live and be punisht for ever And so this yields not the least mite of advantage to the former opinion Now for the phrases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 18.8 25.41.48 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 25.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mar. 3.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mar. 9.43.44 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 45.46.48 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Pet. 2.17 Jud. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revel 14 11. and the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the prophet shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever Revel 20.10 All these are endeavour'd to be evacuated first by a general Answer then by particulars accommodated to each particular phrase The general is that the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do not alwaies signify an absolute eternity but either a long time or an irreparable estate of things or during unto the cessation of the subject And without disputing the truth of this answer it will be sufficient to my turn if either some of these phrases do sometimes signify an absolute eternity for then I shall have no reason to except against the Interpretation of the universal Church of God for so many Centuries which thus understand all unquestionably most of these places or if they here denote an irreparable state of those things that are spoken of for then the wicked being cast into fire are in that state irreparably Math. 18 8.25.4◠being in eternal punishment Math. 25.41 are irreparably there and so in the rest which notion of eternal would never mind any man of the annihilation of those that are enter'd
of an immortal worm nothing could have been more adaequate for the expressing the eternity of torments in hell those especially of a gnawing tormenting conscience which if it be but the conjecture of Divines is as appears a very probable conjecture Of the meaning of the place in the Prophet Is 66.24 I have formerly spoken and acknowledg'd it the fountain from which our Saviour Mar. 9. derived it but have shewed how little is gain'd from thence toward prooving it a present because a visible destruction Abraham is supposed to behold Dives in hell but that proves not that Dives his punishmens were present of this world Procopius hath shewed how the pious in heaven might behold the punishments of the wicked in another world and in what sence to be said to come forth to worship before the Lord and go forth and look c. And indeed if it be unquestionable that in Christ's speech the future miseries of the wicked are thus express'd as the disputer himself yields there can be no difficulty to understand the words so in Isaiah also If therefore the place in Isaiah so referred to the future torments of the wicked after the day of judgment if the expression of future punishment by fire and worms proportionable to the several customs of disposing dead bodies by interring and burning was frequent among the Jews as the disputer grants to the force of the other Texts which Grotius quotes if the addition of the never quench't fire take away all ambiguities imaginable in the worm and incline it more strongly to those punishments which are elsewhere express'd by eternal fire and if they to whom Christ spake the Jews which generally agreed to the Pharisees opinion of the eternity of another life so understood the phrase and Christ speaking agreeable to their opinion and interpretations of Isaiah gave no least cause of conjecture or imagination that he meant the words in any other sence then it was sure they would understand him what cause of doubting can remain in this matter None certainly from the subsequent words v. 49. for adhering to that interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for consumption of the sacrifice as in the Holocausts to which the wicked are fitly compared there follows no more then that the whole of the wicked bodies and souls shall like the Holocaust be cast into the Fire and burnt or destroyed there but in what sence of destruction whither in that of annihilation which is not competible to the holocausts and wherein 't is never found to be taken in the Sacred dialect when the Heavens are said to vanish or melt as Salt Is 51.6 this is not for the Heavens to be annihilated and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used for vestimenta detrita seu evanida Jer. 38.11 were not annihilated or in the other having lost all the advantageous parts and effects of life and being engaged in a most sad estate far worse then not being is not so much as intimated in the phrase any farther then by the conjunction thereof with the Eternal never dying Worme and Fire it is reasonably to be interpreted and that is quite contrary to the disputers interests Next then for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 13. 2 Pet. 2.17 there is no pretence that it should in these places be meant for death any more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 2 Pet. 2.4 It signifies the sad uncomfortablenesse of that state which being in respect of the torments expres'd by Fire in other places hath not yet the one comfort of ordinary Fire belonging to it viz. lightsomnesse but contrariwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as durable as the flames The Texts produced Job 10.21 22. 1 Sam. 2.9 Eccl. 11.8 Ps 88.7 11 12. Job 17.13 Eccl. 6.14 are Pertinent to prove what they designed that darknesse denotes the State after this life but that no way prejudices the use of it for a positive state and not that of annihilation for for that 't is not used in any of those places Yet that it shall not here be taken in that sence which in those places belongs to it there are these reasons 1. Because the New Testament most explicitely affirming a resurrection from that Old Testaments darknesse doth yet threaten this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which therefore must commence after the resurrection and so cannot be that death from whence men rise in the resurrection of which those Old Testament places were understood 2ly Because in the same Chapter 2 Pet. 2.4 't is said of Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being applied to Angels it cannot signifie that death as if 't were applied to living men it might 2. Being joyn'd with chaines it thereby seems to signifie some positive state but especially 3. Being joyn'd with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it must denote that state which all sorts of men Heathens as well as Jewes and Christians understood by Tartarus that sure is a place of suffering after death 3ly Because though there be no further mention then of the privative part of Hell in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet in the other places of the N. T. where the same is mentioned under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the utter or utmost darkness the farthest recession from lightsome or blisfull life imaginable there is joyned with it weeping and gnashing of Teeth Matt. 8.12 and 22.13 and 25.30 which sufficiently differenceth it from the notion for death As for the places in the Revelation it is granted to be reasonable to interpret them according to prophetick style and not exact them to strict literal interpretation accordingly as Jer. 7.20 and Is 34. 4.10 signifie utter final vastations as appeares by their smoak going up for ever and ever lying wast and none passing through it from generation to generation for ever and ever and the not quenching of Gods wrath but burning upon man and upon beast so where the like circumstances either inforce or but incline the interpretation of passages in the Revelation I shall make no scruple to yield as Revel 18.18 speaking there of the ruine of Babylon 't is most reasonable to interpret to that sence the smoak of her burning by her meaning that great City in the end of the verse and so again chap. 19.3 her smoak rose up for ever and ever Heathen Rome was destroyed so as never to be rebuilt again there is nothing in the context's that inclines to any more then this But then for Rev. 14.9 10 11. I cannot thus yield There to deter all from yielding to Idolatry in the least degree worshipping the beast and his image c. the intermination goes out thus if any man shall do thus vers 9. the same shall drink c. vers 10. where the bitter wine of God mixt unmixt in the cup of his wrath is properly such a vengeance as hath 1. No mixture or allay of mercy 2. All the embittering spices added to it and so fitly signifies
certainly is the truth then first I must admonish him that his fiducial assent by which he defines faith must not signify a believing with reliance that he is one of them that shall be partakers of what is promised which they are wont to call special faith or particular application for that must either suppose them to have performed the condition and so good works in them yea and faith must be before faith or else it is the believing confidently of a lye it being absolutely false that the thing promised belongs to any that hath not performed the condition But his fiducial assent if it be a tolerable definition of faith must be answerable to the promises only this a believing and relying conditional that he shall be partaker of what is promised that is a believing and depending on it that God will not fail him if he fail not God that God will give him heaven if he perform sincere obedience and rely upon the gift of Christ not on any merit of his obedience for the attaining of it Now to say the truth this fiducial assent thus express'd and none but this may truly be affirm'd to be a most powerful motive to me to produce good works but then it is as true that it is as powerful a motive to me to rely on the gift of Christ and so in that respect faith may be said to produce good works faith may also be said to produce that which they call faith i. e. the believing that if I obey and rely I shall be saved is a motive thus to produce actual relying and in this sence I will acknowledg both if he with whom I dispute will thank me for it But then secondly it follows not that that which is a powerful motive is a cause necessarily producing because that motive is but a moral motive perswading not enforcing and man by corruption or by some prevailing temptation may resist that motive and I think 't would be no Paradox to say that some men have made no doubt of the truth of God's conditional promises i. e. have verily perswaded themselves that if they served God sincerely they shall be saved and yet quite neglected God's service and if it be objected that they want the fiduciall though they have the assent and that if they had the affiance they would assuredly produce good works I answer that by that affiance they mean either absolute assurance that they shall be saved and that if it be not an error supposeth good works if it be produceth them not or else a conditional affiance and then again I affirm of that that it is no more then what I exprest by making no manner of doubt but if they serve God sincerely they shall be saved which though I believe to be a most powerful motive to obedience yet I conceive not a necessary irresistible cause because 't is only a moral motive nay nor that that alwaies produceth the effect First because the foolish virgins had as much of this as the wise for ought we see and after the door is shut come as confidently Lord Lord open to us yet it seems did not watch and make ready their Lamps which was the act of obedience requir'd of them and the want of it forfeited their hopes 2. Because the unprofitable servant that professeth he knew that God reaped where he sowed not yet hid the Talent in a Napkin put it not out to the exchangers 3. Because the exhortations of Christ and the Apostles are generally to good works as well as to faith nay much more frequently which argues to me that faith doth not necessarily produce good works and they that are supposed to have faith are exhorted to adde to their faith virtue 2. Pet. 1.5 which if Faith were a necessary cause of Works were all one as to exhort the Fire to burne the Water to moysten c. 4. Because there is a difference observed in Scripture between a working and a non working Faith and the priviledges are bestowed only on the first by which it is plain that it is possible for it not to worke 5. Because faith is said to be made perfect by works Jam. 2.22 which sure an agent cannot be said to be by producing an effect which it cannot but produce as the act of Humectation adds no degree of perfection to the water Nay 't is a general rule that the producing of what effect soever adds no perfection to the cause save only relative as the begetting of a Sonne adds only the relation of a Father but nothing else more then he was before it rather supposeth him perfect before which is the importance of the Logick axiom effectus est extra naturam causae All that can truly and in propriety of speech be said of Faith in this matter is this that Faith is so strong a motive to obedience that if it be drawn as a Weapon to the purpose and used as it should it would in reason out-ballance all the contrary temptations to disobedience if the will which hath the casting voice give its suffrage as in reason it ought it shall then infallibly produce obedience but yet not irresistibly because that will being still a free faculty at least to evill may after all the proposal of motives either suspend its Action or else do that which it should not For sure it is an error of Socinus to affirme cognitionem rerum pulchrarum aut turpium quales praeter alias sunt res honestae vitiosae harum odium illarum amorem necessariò gignere and that Socrate's speech praesente scientia fieri non posse ut quis incontinens sit was true with this Caution ut quis sciat res honestas eas facienti magnum commodum allaturas def disp de loco c. 7. ad Rom. in 1 Joh. 4.8 If by amor and odium he mean prosecutio and aversatio as 't is plaine he doth by that which followes For sure Medea was not deceived in her self when she said video meliora proboque deteriora sequor And so many who make no doubt of an Heaven to belong to all penitent reformed Servants of Christs and that that Heaven conteines joyes above all that the World can afford do yet choose the pleasures of sin for the present season like Ephraim that is likened to an heifer that loved to tread out the Corn betook her self to that course which for the present yielded some profit as the Heifer being by the Law then unmusselled might eat as she troad it out that had its reward at that minute that she did the Work Whence is all this but from hence that the carnal pleasures of sin for the present obtaine the consent of the will against all the future pleasures and joyes of Heaven joyn'd with the sowernesse of present obedience which could never be if believing the promises allwaies either necessarily or infallibly produced good works FINIS The Socinians opinion of the future state of Souls Mr Hobbs Mr White Resolution concerning Origen