THE VINDICATION OF CHRIST AND HIS ORDINANCES FROM The corrupt and false Glosses made thereon by the subtil Deceivers of these TIMES By Christopher Pooly Minister of the Word at great Missingham in Norfolk For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signs and Wonders in so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. Mat. 24. 24. The Prophets prophecy falsly and the Priests bear rule by their means c. Jer. 5. 31. LONDON Printed for Henry Cripps and Lodowick Lloyd and are to be sold at their shop in Popes head Alley 1652. The Summary Heads Oâ— the ensuing DISCOURSE THe truth of Faith and Believing manifested Pag. 1. A Treatise of Self-Denyal 8 The Love and Free Grace of God in Christ the cause of all good unto man 26 Positions about the grounds of the Treatises and Meditations 37 Arguments made to uphold Inherent Holiness and Righteousness in Man by the Sanctification of the Spirit are answered 42 Of the Sanctification of the Spirit 51 Six sorts of men of different ways opinions or judgments touching their estates with God 49 The Errors of Universal Redemption discovered 65 A Catechistical Dialogue useful for the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ 74 Another Meditation of the Law 94 Snares of Popery discovered 103 104 Of the Law remaining and the Law ended in Christ to the Elect. 110 111 All Times Deeds and Things present in Gods sight from Eternity 126 Another Catechistical Dialogue resolving many subtil Questions raised and made by the Adversary c. 137 Rest to the Souls of Believers 165 Christs Government of his Church upon Earth 192 193 The right meaning and understanding of these words in Joh. 15. 5. Without me ye can do nothing giveth light to the Truths in these Treatises 202 203. The truth of Faith AND Believing manifested BEcause the Apostle saith therfore we conclude that man is justified by faith without the works of the Rom. 3. 28 Rom. 5. 1. Law and the like otherwhere Some take it and hold forth that a man is justified and made righteous by his faith by believing That he was not before his faith righteous before God it is his faith that doth him that good to make him righteous with God before faith he is an unjust man a wicked and ungodly man and one of the children of wrath before God without mercy and forgivenesse of sin before faith and repentance performed of him There is no justification of man before God before Faith This taking and holding forth of this Scripture although it seem to these to be according to the history yet it is quite contrary to the mystery of faith and of Christ as the Apostle calleth it 1 Tim. 3. 9 For it crosseth all the most clear and comfortable Scriptures of Gods free grace and love in Christ to corrupt weak and sinfull Hos 14. 4. Isa 31. 3. Rom. 9. 11 13. man before the world As also the Scriptures of Gods everlasting love to those he pleased before the world and in continuance And the Scriptures of Gods election of those which he pleased and loved out of the company of the children of wrath before the foundations of the world in Gods sight to be holy and without blame before him for ever in love And the Scriptures of Gods Eph. 1. 4. See Eph. 1 4. 5. 6. Act. 13. 48. Rom. 8. 30. predestination to adoption through Christ and ordination to eternall blisse before the world of those which he elected in Christ before the world And further of his calling justifying and glorifying of those which he predestinated before himself before the world as the Scripture speaks And the Scripture of the Prophet Isa 53. 6. Esay that saith God hath laid the iniquities of us all upon Christ meaning of the Elect not that he will saith the Prophet but hath done it before the world when he loved elected and adopted his Elect c. And it crosseth the Scripture which saith that Christ justifieth Rom. 4. 5. the ungodly which must needs be understood of such as were ungodly the children of wrath by the first general sin who being elected before the world out of the same company to be holy and without blame before God in love ordained to eternal life and adopted Gods children are then justified before God although in themselves and before men they be still ungodly corrupt sinfull and carnall as Paul said he was in his best estate I am carnall Rom. 7. 14 sold under sin Paul could not be loved of God elected in Christ and adopted to be Gods child ordained to eternall life before the world and be the child of wrath and unjustified before God still although he did sin in the flesh before men And it crosseth the Scripture of the same place where it is said A man is justified by Faith without the works of the Law To Believe is a work of the Commandement of the Law as to love fear obey to be humble meek sober and temperate are works of the Commandements of the Law and Faith and Believing done then is the work of the Law as loving fearing obeying humiliation meeknesse sobernesse and temperance and the rest of that sort commanded to man in the law of works as Paul instances are all works of the law so that if a man be justified and made righteous before by his faith and believing commanded he is justified by the works of the law which the Apostle saith no man no flesh wall be justified by And here he saith A man is justified by faith without the works of the law The doers are justified Rom. 2. 13. Certainly no man is justified by any work of his own not because if he did the work commanded righteously the just God would not justifie him therefore but because no man doth or can do the work of the law commanded righteously therefore no man is justified saith the Apostle by the works of the Law But they say faith and repentance are works of the Evangelicall law and the commandements thereof are the commandements of the Evangelicall law to be performed of man Solut. if these take the Evangelicall law to command faith and repâ—ntance to believe and â—â—pent in the â—orm of the law and covenant of works to be performed of man before God then they are the works of the law by which no man can be justified before God But if they take this Evangelicall law as the term holds it forth indeed to be the law and commandement of the covenant of grace whereof Christ the gracious undertaker for the elect of God did undertake to do the whole will of God for them when he said Lo I come to do thy will O God And that Christ hath done doth and ever will do the same of the law commandement Heb. 10. 9. and covenant of grace for the elect of God which are not nor were ever able
would think himself bound to be thankful to that friend and to love him as long as he lives otherwise he were an unworthy man Every man is bound to perform this building which is the doing of the command of God but his transgression is so much which is his debt to pay that he is not able to do any thing of the command Jesus Christ put forth himself a friend to all Believers in him he builds the house for them he hath paid all the debt of their transgression with the price of his passion blood and death and they have the whole benefit and the reward thereof Is not this a comfort to every believer will not this make them thankful and ever to love the Lord Jesus Christ Surely that man is no believer that sheweth not comfort therein yea their fulnes and love to the Lord Jesus Christ for this This made David to call out O that men would therefore praise Psal 107. 8. the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders that he hath done for the children of men And What shall I give unto the Lord for all that he hath done unto mee I will take the cup of salvation and give Psal 116. 13. 1 Cor. 16. 22. thanks unto the Lord. And this made Paul to say Cursed is he that loveth not the Lord Jesus Christ. But now the words of many are stout against Christ his undertakings and performances which notwithstanding say like Hypocrites Wherein have we spoken against thee Of whom the Prophet Mal. 3. 13. fore told never so many of these as now are standing up to set up man and pull down Christ yea instead of denying themselves as Christ commandeth deny Christ in the matter I know there are many that will say O that I had assurance of Christ and his performances for me and the benefits thereof of the forgivenesse of my sins and all my debts paid to God and of life everlasting by Christ Quest But how shall I know this Answ If thou seest and findest the fruits of Christs spirit wrought up in thee mentioned and intended by the Apostle love Gal. 5. 22. joy peace faith goodnesse c. and especially this self-denyal wrought up in thee as Christ in the Text commandeth to deny thy self this is a witnesse and an assurance to thee of all thou desirest to know and to have of Christ The fruit of the Vine witness and assure that the branches that beare them do abide in the Vine and have all of the Vine behoovable for them even so where the good and true fruits of the spirit of Christ appear are born and held forth in truth and simplicity it is a certain evidence witnesse and assurance to that man that he is a living branch abiding in Christ and hath all of Christ that he hath undertaken and performed for Gods chosen ones that he hath forgivenesse of all his sins and everlasting life For these things wrought up in him are the witness and assurance to him of the Spirit of adoption received and the same spirit saith Rom. 8. 16. the Apostle witnesseth that is assureth that we are the children of God and coheirs with Christ The love and free grace of God in Christ the cause of all good unto man THe Apostle saith We love God because he loved us first And again The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the 1 Iob. 4. 19. Rom. 5 5. 1 Pâ—â— 4. 8. Rom. 13. 8 Act. 7. 28. Holy Ghost which is given unto us Love covereth a multitude of sinnes And again Love is the fulfilling of the law From hence I gather that it is the love and free grace of God in Christ to the Elect that is the root the cause and worker of all good to them and of all good called theirs as the gift of Christ to them So God loved the world that he gave his onely Son c Their Election in Christ Ioh. 3. 16. their holinesse justification righteousnes or unblameablenes before God as Paul said We were elected in Christ before the world to be holy and without blame before him in love Their Predestination Eph. 1. 4. and Ordination to eternal life their adoption through Christ their quickning in Christ their raising in Christ their love to God and men their believing and Faith their obedience repentance Eph. 2. 5 6. prayer and thanksgiving the Preaching Teaching and Exhortation of all or any of these to them as the Text saith The love of God to us causeth us to love God if we love him And I take it the love and free grace of God in his Christ to the Elect is the fulfiller and the fulfilling of the will of God his Law and commandement of all these and the rest for them as the Apostle saith Love is the fulfilling of the law But I take it the love of the Elect to God and all the performances Rom. 13. 8. of the Elect never have been are or shall be any cause or motive of Gods love and free grace to them or of any of the performances thereof or therein to them As neither of the gift of his Son Christ nor of their election in Christ their sanctification and justification before him their Predestination and Ordination to eternal life their Adoption and Glorification their Quickning or Raising up in Christ their love to God or man their Believing and Faith their Obedience Repentance Prayers and Thanksgiving Nor of the true Preaching Teaching and Exhortation of all or any of these to them And although I finde not many that say the love and performance of the Elect to God was the cause of Gods love to them before the world and of Gods performances for them and to them before the world Object Yet I finde many that say that the love of the Elect to God now in the world and their performances of the duties of love to God in the world do not cause God move and incite God to love them to do them and others good as their faith their obedience their repentance prayer and supplications their praise and thanksgiving and the like For say they God hath promised good to them that love God and do the duties of love to God and men as to shew mercy to thousands in them that love him and keep his commandements and saith To them that fear my Name the sun of Righteousnesse Exod. 20. shall arise and health shall be under his wings And He that Mal. 4. 3. believeth and is Baptized shall be saved Repent and cause others to repent and return from all your transgression so iniquity shall not be Mark 16. 16. Ezek. 18. 16. Iam. 5 16. your destruction Ask and you shall have seek and you shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you Acknowledge your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed for the prayer of a Righteous man availeth
furnished with all power righteousness and wisdom of the Godhead to perform all before God touching the holy Law and Commandment for them and in their behalf unto their salvation without charging upon his Elect any performance of Law and Commandment at all before God which they he knew had no power to do and which Christ had undertaken to do for them and had performed already before God When a debt is payd Justice doth not require it again and therefore the Elect do not stand bound or charged before God with the bond commandment or rule of the Law upon necessity to their salvation And they know that God did never hinder dishearten or discountenance any man in or from the works of his holy commandment and that Christ is no such helper to man to perform the good work as an additional power to the power that man hath of his own But that Christ is the whole power and the whole workman of the work and man or any member of man onely the instrument which he of his grace having sitted as he pleased to make use of in the work of godliness and goodness So that God knoweth his Christ knoweth and the Elect Believers which are rooted and built in Christ and stablished in the faith know Col. 2 7 That for a man to say as a Believer in Christ that he is only saved by the performances of Christ and yet to believe that himself is bound to perform something for his salvation is but halting hypocrisie and dissimulation in believing and an undervaluing of Christ and his performances as if they were not able and sufficiâ—nâ— enough for mans salvation A great injury to Christ and his merit and a charging of God with injustice To take the whole debt of Christ and yet to hold the poor man bound when the debt is payd And for a man to say he lost all power in Adams fall to do the Commandment before God and yet to say he believeth if God will give him leave if God will give grace and favor if Christ helpeth him he can do it or something of the commandment is meer halting hypocrisie and dissembling For for a man to say he lost all power and to have some power still is to dissemble For a man to say that God commandeth him to do a work and to question his leave to do it is to dissemble For a man to quâ—stion Gods favor to him in doing that he commandeth is to dissemble for no servant of man will question his Masters leave or favor to do his command nor call him a helper as a co-operator as they speak and intend which is whole doer of the work and which they ought to call the whole and only workman without halting dissembling hypocrisie and injury The second sort of hypocrites in believing are those which say They believe to be saved by Christ if they stand and held in the saith but they believe they may fall away from the faith and commit such sin as may shut them out from salvation by Christ and from believing to be saved by him and so be in the state and danger of damnation and yet upon repentance may have forgiveness then granted of God and may believe again to be saved and so may fall and rise again often in their life and as they dye in either state be saved or damned Which manner of believing pretended in the true God and Christ holden forth in the Word of Truth and Grace to be a God and Christ of certainty constancy justness grace unchangeable without repentance Mal. 3. 6 clearly appeareth to be hypocrisie and dissembling in believing For their believing is indeed in a God and Christ that is uncertain inconstant not just and in his grace changeable and repenting of that he hath done and covenanted of his free grace according to the inconstancy and changeableness of weak frail and failing man which of himself hath no power to do good before God to believe to repent of evil and so to continue but to sin onely and to do evil The true God true Believers know is a constant God that loveth those which he loveth to the end which according to his endless love Elected those which he of free grace did love in and through Joh. 15. 1 his Christ to be redeemed and carryed on to their salvation according to his unchangeable love and purpose by the performances of his Christ the full furnished undertaker for them all without any condition or consideration of mans weakness frailty doing changing or failing for this was his Covenant of grace which otherwise had been no Covenant of grace but an harder Covenant to man now in weakness and frailty yea in bondage of sin then the Covenant of Works was to Adam when he had power and freedom of Will And true Believers know further that Christ is unchangeable and sure in all he undertook for the beloved chosen of God and that he hath done all for them and payd all for them in himself and will certainly preserve and keep them all to be presented blameless at his coming to judgment Therefore their believing of their possible often falling from and rising to Salvation again by Jesus Christ grounded either upon God his Christ or man himself is but a fiction of another God and Christ then the word of Grace holdeth forth and a making mans salvation to depend upon himself not the true faith but a false halting and dissembling saith yea to hold forth God and his Christ inconstant changeable unjust in Covenant and promise failing in undertaking and performance is blasphemy Rabsheka's blasphemy The third sort of professing Believers in Christ which are hypocrites in their believing are such as hold forth in their believing universal Redemption by Christ Death and Blood which say they was payd for all mens transgression for the Redemption and Salvation of all men as a price sufficient for the same but not to be effectual and efficient to the unbelievers thereof That it is their believing only that maketh the price payd for their Redemption to be effectual to their Salvation This believing is ungodly and antichristian believing for it exalteth man and mans own work to mans own salvation above Gods and Christs work above the vertue of Gods love free grace truth and Christs blood and performance undervaluing all of God and Christ to mans work of believing to his Salvation as if the price of Christs blood and the precious blood of Christ were but a dead thing without the life and soul of mans believing to act and effect the salvation of man Herein is horrible blasphemy against God and Christ Gods love free grace Truth Christs blood and performances For Gods love purpose decree Covenant or Promise of his free Grace in Jesus Christ his Christs precious blood and performances for mans salvation are the whole cause both material and effectual efficient formal and final of mans salvation without any dependance of
man in himself of free grace chosen of God in Christ and given to him of God to undertake and perform all for unto life which they do when they teach and say that they by their Inherent holinesse and righteousnesse have power and free-will to do and can do themselves the works of righteousnesse such as please God are accepted with God and do move and cause God to do them good which all are the works of Christ and no part thereof mans but by account and grace of imputation therefore the same and the rest of that sort are no better then robbery sacriledge and idolatry Those which hold forth Inherent holinesse and righteousnesse in man do boast themselves to be in a better estate and condition for life then Adam was ever in to have more power then Adam had in innocency unto holinesse and righteousnesse and the work of the holy and righteous commandement of God for life which saith do this and live then Adam ever had for Adam in innocency had no power to repent if he fail'd that he might live by repentance if he failed of life by obedience and words nor had Adam power to pray for mercy and forgivenesse to move God by repentance and prayer and to obtain the same of God by prayer For if Adam had had this there had been no need of the provision of a Christ for falne man for Adams repentance and prayer for mercy and forgivenesse had been enough to have prayed with God for forgiveness of the transgression But they say they have not only power and free-will to doe the righteousness of the command through their inherent holiness and righteousness but also such a sanctified will that their will cannot fail or hinder their power as Adams did to do the work They have power to repent and convert themselves unto life if they fail in the righteous work and power to pray and so to prevail with God by their prayer that they shall obtain mercy and forgiveness of all by vertue of their inherent holiness and righteousness in themselves Oh sure they must needs be as proud of this inherent holiness and righteousness in themselves by the santification of the Spirit and be as thankfull to God also that they are not as other men are as the Pharisee was for his righteousness that he had in himself of the Spirit of God in his own account for which he thanked God that he was not as other men Luk. 18. 11. were unrighteous sinners And herein the late upholder of inherent holiness and righteousness in man by the sanctification of the Spirit go beyond the Papists which were the founders thereof in exalting that Idol For the Papists wil not allow every man that hath the same to be inabled thereby to convert himself if he have failed in the work of holiness and righteousness and to satisfie with the repentance of his own frame but he must be ordered and injoyned penance by the Pope or other his Substitutes Confessors to men offending which must be obeyed and all performed accordingly by the Delinquents for absolution and recovery of life and safety to themselves And they must not pray as they will themselves to move God to mercy and forgiveness and to bestow good things upon them but they must be ordered and appointed of those Agents and Confessors how many Pater-nosters and Ave-Maries they must say for the same c. But these conclude that by his own power that every man hath of his inherent holiness and righteousness he is not only inabled to do the work of holiness and righteousness acceptable to God but also if he fail to convert himself to repent at will to move God to mercy and forgiveness and to do him needful good when he will intentionally and devoutly pray for the same And to this purpose for manifestation of the premises to be so as is said the upholders of inherent holiness and righteousness in man teach and exhort all men to do the works of holiness and righteousness commanded upon eternall gain and pain and to repent of their fallings that they may not perish but live thereby to pray intentionally in publike and private to do duties commanded and to do all these to please God to pacifie God to move God to do them good by these their performances without any doubt of going well with them so doing as if all men assembled had this their supposed holiness and righteousness and thereby power in themselves to do the works of holiness and righteousness to repent pray and prevail with God to obtain all good at Gods hand thereby and divert the wrath and judgements from them as if they had God in a bond When as the Prophets of God and the Apostles of Jesus Christ themselves do acknowledge that they had no such inherent holiness and righteousness in themselves by the sanctification of the Spirit whereby they were inabled to do the works of holiness and righteousness before God and do acknowledge that themselves did no such works of holiness and righteousness before God nor had any such power in themselves The Prophet David saith God looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God but saith he they were all gone out of the Psa 5 3. 2. 3. Rom. 3. 10 11. way they were altogether corrupt there is none that doth good no not one And the Apostle Paul joyntly with him saith the same The Prophet Isay saith of himself and the rest like him We are all as an uncleane thing all our righteousnesse is as filthy rags And Paul saith There is none righteous no not one there is none that understand and seek God all are become unprofitable there is Rom. 3. 10 11 12. Mat. 19. 17 none that doth good no not one and Christ saith there is none good but one and that is God And again when you have done what ye can say we are unprofitable servants And Paul saith of himself in his best estate I am carnall sold Rom. 7. under sin in me that is in my flesh the corrupt man dwelleth no good thing And if any man saith he is somewhat whereas he is nothing Gal. 6. 3. he deceiveth himself in his own imagination and Paul saith further when he would do good evill was present with him and the good which Rom. 7. he would do he did not and the evill which he would not do that he did Where was the power and inablement of these to the works of holiness and righteousness or the deeds of these of the holiness and righteousness of the command above Adam or indued in innocency in themselves which deny all and any such thing to be in man and in themselves And again the Apostle saith If it be of grace meaning that Rom. 11. 6. God is pleased pacified moved to do man good it is no more of works and if of works
Scribes and the Pharises did and as Christ saith the Heathens and Publicanes doe the same but not in singlenesse of heart without dissimulation Therefore note the command of Christ to Reprobates is as he is God and commander his command to the Elect Believers is as hee is Undertaker to performe all righteousnesse impossible to them by his Spirit in them promised and sent to them to performe all The Mediatour betweene God and Man the Man Christ Jesus our Saviour Undertaker and God that worketh in us Phil. 2. 〈◊〉 the Will and the Deede of his owne good pleasure as the Apostle speaketh doth all in us which the same Apostle saith worketh all in all It is hee that worketh in Believers Believing Loving Repenting Forgiving Mercy Obeying Praying Praising and Thanksgiving and the 1 Cor. 12. 6. rest In singlenesse of Heart and sincerity farre otherwise how and wherefore should hee bee said to worke in Believers the Will and the Deede and to worke all in all if it were not that hee worketh these and such like things of his owne good pleasure in them which their owne corrupt power they have cannot worke and doe in singlenesse of Heart unfainedly and without dissimulation The Deed is Christs Deede of these things according to his owne good pleasure in Believers Therefore Christ himselfe tells his Disciples That hee is the Vine and they are the Branches and that they without him can doe nothing The Grapes and Fruit that are borne of the Branches are not usually nor properly called the Grapes of the Branches the Fruit of the Branches but the Grapes Joh. 15. 5. of the Vine and the Fruit of the Vine which Grape and Fruit of the Vine are by the Spirits and power of the Vine wrought up in the Branches which are onely the instruments of the Vine fitted to beare them as Christ saith Every Luke 22 18. Branch that beareth not Fruit in Mee speaking to his Disciples of professing Believers Believers onely are the Branches and the Instruments of Christ whith hee hath fitted to beare the Fruits of True Joh. 15. 2. and Good Believing Obeying Repenting Praying Praising Thanksgiving and Loving c. Which Fruit which Worke and Deed is Christs by his holy Spirit wrought up in their Hearts And of grace by Christ being made and fitted the Branches and Instruments to beare the same Fruits of grace also hee imputeth to them and accounteth to them the sinne and therefore calleth them his Elect ones Believers Obeyers Repenters Prayers Thanksgivers and Lovers c. And calleth the Fruits theirs which are but the Branches as if they were the Vine whose the Fruits are in Truth The Apostle saith speaking of himselfe and all Believers Wee know not how to pray as wee ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh Rom. 8. 26. request for us Corrupt Man knew not to pray as hee ought nor to Believe Repent Obey Praise or Love as hee ought but the Spirit sent to him of Christ doth all for him And this was the cause and reason why CHRIST did ever sithence his Church was upon Earth give his Spirit to the Elect of God for whom hee had undertaken of Grace and Love to doe such things of the Holy and Good Law for the Government of his Church as is commanded therein to bee done before men which hee knew themselves not able to doe as hee pleased And therefore the true Faith Peace Obedience Repentance Praise and Love are called Spirituall gifts Spirituall things Spirituall Sacrifices and 1 Cor. 12. 1. 1 Cor. 14. 12. 1 Cor. 9. 11. 1 Pet. 2. 5. why so certainly because they are the Deeds of the Spirit the fruit of the Spirit as so the Apostle calls them Gal. 5. 22. And upon this same ground That renowned Father in Christs Church said Fac Domini quod jubes jube quod vis O Lord doe thou that which thou commandest and command what thou wilt And let no man marvell that Christ should bee the Law-giver and the Law Keeper for his Elect. The commander and the doer of the Commandement for them whereas the Scriptures hold forth his Grace to bee the Judge and the Advocate The Priest and Sacrifice Hebrewes 2. 17. 5 6. 7. 3. Eph. 5. 2. 9. 26. And thus much of the Error of those which hold forth no Law remaining to the 1 Joh. 2. 42. Elect. And I take it the Errour of those which hold forth that Christ is not the End of the Morall Law and all Law for Righteousnesse before God to Believers but onely of the penalty and condemnation of the breaches thereof is much dishonourable to Jesus Christ and unrighteous to his undertakings and performances and to the Apostle of Christ called to set forth the truth of his Performances and Merit and most of all to the Great Just and good God the Covenant-maker of Workes upon Life and Dâ—ath with Mankinde in generall and on remembrance of Mercy The Covenant-maker of Grace and promise to his Christ for all his Elect. For where all Mankinde having transgressed against the Covenant of Workes before God were in the state of eternall Death the God of Love Mercy and Free-grace having elected some of them in his Christ with a covenant and Promise of Grace that upon his Christs fulfilling of the Law of Workes And the paying of the whole Transgression of the Law by his Death Passion and Bloudshedding for them his Elect to satisfaction Those his Elect should have eternall Life the condition and promise of the covenant of Workes as if themselves had performed the same to the full and should bee also freed from the penalty of Eternall Death into which all Mankinde was fallen And Christ hath done and fulfilled the righteousnesse of the Law and paid the full Debt of the Transgression thereof to God by his Passion Death and Bloud-shedding for the Elect even to the full so much as the Law and covenant of Workes required in Justice either for righteousnesse before God or for payment of the Trangression to full satisfaction of God for those Elections for ever for past and to come Now then why should the Law and covenant of Workes remaine still binding the Elect Believers to righteousnesse of Workes before God which they cannot in the least doe and for that in respect of their utter unablenesse CHRIT undertooke and performed all for them And if CHRIST God being so pleased have fulfilled the whole Law both for performing the righteousnesse thereof before GOD and payment of the transgression thereof Why should not Christ bee the end of all Law Morall and the rest for righteousnesse before God to Believers as they say hee is the end of and for the penalty and condemnation for the transgression thereof to them Seeing the full is performed of the righteousnesse required as the full of the Debt of transgression is paid Will these lay such cruelty upon God and charge God with such oppression and wrong as to
do although he know they can do nothing of the holy command before God because he would have them know and consider of his grace and goodness to them in undertaking and performing those things of the holy commandement for them first and last unto their salvation and everlasting happiness which themselves were not able to do in the least and to take up the song of David the sweet singer of Israel continually before men praising the Lord for his goodness and to declare the wonders that he hath done for the children of men so that their labour is not in vain in the Lord. Seventhly Because when it pleaseth the L. Jesus Christ to send his holy spirit to them 1 Cor 5. 1. 5. 8. to act in them these things of his holy commandement and to make them his branches to bear and bring forth such fruits in singlenesse of heart in sincerity and godlinesse as fruits of the spirit in truth then these are true evidences testimonies and witnesses of the spirit received as the Tree is known by the fruits in the rule of Christ And the spirit received doth witnesse that they are the children of God We have received the spirit saith the Apostle and the same spirit doth witness that we are the children of Rom. 8 15. 16. God Object Further the deceiving spirit objecteth to teach that mans love to God his prayer praise his giving forgiving repentance and the rest like commanded do not cause move and incite God to love give and forgive his servants and do them good is the flaking and quenching of all devotion and religious service to God Answ This Doctrine indeed may by the power of Christ quench the devotion and supposed service to God of Hypocrites that there by dishonour Christ for what greater dishonour to Christ can be done then to uphold or think that poore corrupt man by his love believing praying praising giving forgiving repenting and the rest can procure God to love justifie give and forgive which is onely the work that Christ hath undertaken for poor unable man saying Lo I come to do thy will O God which only Heb. 10. 7. procureth the love justification forgiveness and all goodness of God to man freely without any work or labour of mans I will love them freely saith God We are iustified freely by grace Hos 14. 4. Take of the water of life freely And of this work of causing moving inciting and procuring God to love man to justifie forgive Rom. 3. 24 Rev. 21. 6. 2 Thes 2. 3. 4. and do good to man the honour and praise belongeth onely to our Christ that sitteth upon the throne and it is the Antichrist the man of sin which the Apostle speaketh of that taketh this honour or any part of it to himself and robbeth Christ of this honour onely due to him But in those which are true believers their doctrine doth not quench but kindle devotion and religious worship and service to God and his Christ For can there be greater incitement to devotion and Religion then for a man to be taught of God and to be assured by the spirit of Christ in him that Christ hath undertaken to do all for him to his justification and salvation before God that Christ with the will and good pleasure of God hath done doth and will do all for him to God paid his debt made his peace and made his reconciliation with God for his sins obtained the imputation of his righteousness to him in and by his fulfilling of the holy Law of God for him making him to be holy and without blame before God in love causing moving and inciting God to love him give to him forgive him and do him all good when as himself in himself is still a sinner corrupt and abominable and hath no good thing in him as Paul said he had not Rom. 7. 18. dwelling in himself and was not nor is able to do the least with God to procure the least love and goodness of God to himself Surely if this teaching will not kindle devotion in man he is no true Believer yea he is worse then the Heathens and Publicanes that Christ spake of which he said would love them that loved them that would do good to them that did good to them The Heatheâ—s and Publicanes saith Christ will do the same Mat. 5. 46 47. This did kindle exceeding devotion in David as we read it made him sing it made him praise worship fall down and kneel before the Lord his Maker and Redeemer and to call others O come saith he let us worship fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker Psa 93. 6. These Positions following are the grounds of the Treatises and Meditations following The first Position is THat God fore-saw and fore-knew all things to be in the world before the world A Sparrow falls not to the ground Gal. 3. 8. Act. 2. 23 1. Pet. 1. 2 Mat. 10. 29 30. Ps 148. 6. without his providence That God willed and decreed all things before the world unchangable to be in eternity That Gods eternal will and decree was his present and unchangeable act of all he willed and decreed with and before himself Ps 13. 5. 6. before the world before whom all things are present and not future although in manifestation and appearance to the creature they be in future and appointed fulness of time That God fore-saw and fore-knew all mankind to become the children of wrath by the transgression of the first man notwithstanding Eph. 2. 3. Rom. 5. 18 he had power given him and free-will also to keep the covenant and do the commandement .. That it was Gods eternal act according to his eternal will and decree of love mercy and free grace to elect in Christ some of Eph. 1. 4. Rom. 8. 29 30. Act. 13. 48. Eph. 1. 5. the children of wrath out of the generall company of the children of wrath to be holy and without blame before him in love to be predestinated and ordained to eternal life and to be adopted the children of God through Christ according to the good pleasure of his will That those which according to the good pleasure of his will God so knew before and he so elected in Christ were holy and 1 Cor. 1. 2 3. Act. 13. 48. Rom. 8. 29 30. 1 Cor. 1. 8. Rom. 8. 33 without blame before God after they were elected out of the children of wrath no more to be the children of wrath but of God and were predestinated and ordained to eternal life were adopted the children of God through Christ called justified and glorified before God and were so before the foundations of the world was laid in Gods sight although these be not in appearance and manifestation to the creature till in future and fulness of time appointed That Christ undertook and performed all in acceptance willed Positi 2. Heb. 10. 9. Rev. 13. 8. and