was made easie if so no marvaâ—lâ— so many like of it And this is the very reason besides the novelty of it that this kinde of Doctrine takes so well here in London and other parts of the Kingdome and that you see so many dance after this pipe running after such and such crowding the Churches and filling the doores and windowes even such carnall and vile persons many of them as care not to heare any other godly Ministers but onely their Leaders Oh it pleaseth Nature well to havâ— Heaven and their lusts too How many of these opinions were I will not stand to number but how desparately eroneous they were I shall shew you in naming some of them First that the whole Letter of the Scripture holdeth forth â— Covenant of works contrary to 3 Iohn 16. 1 Tim. 1. 15. 11. Matth. 28. 8. Heb. 10 11 12. Secondly that in the â—aving Conversion of a sinner the faculties of the soule and working thereof are deâ—â—â—oyed and made to cease and the holy Ghost agitates in stead of them contrary to Luke 24 45. Iohn 21 12. 1 Thes. 5. 23. Heb. 9. 14. Iohn 14. 26. Thirdly That God the Father Sonne and holy Ghâ—st may give themselves to the soul◠〈◊〉 that the souâ—e may have true â—mon with Christ true reâ—â—â—ssion of 〈◊〉 true marriage and fellowshipâ— true sanâ—â—iâ—â—cation 〈◊〉 the bloud of Christ and yet â—e an Hypocrite contrary to Eph. 4. 24. Fourthly That there is no 〈◊〉 righteousnesse in the Saints nor any in them but onely in Christ contrary to 2 Timothy 1. 5. â— Pet. 1. 4. 2 Tim. 1. 6. 1 Ioh. 16. Fiftly that the 〈◊〉 doth work in Hypocrites by gifts and graees but in Godâ— children immediately contrary to Heb. 5. 15. 11. Heb. 17. Sixty That a man must take no notice of sin or repentance for it contrary to Psal. 51. Seventâ—ly That it is a â—oule damning error to make Sanctification an evidence oâ— Justification contrary to Romanâ— 8. 1. Iohn 3. 10. Eghtly That the divell and nature may be the cause of good works An unsavory 〈…〉 to 〈◊〉 command Luke 4. 22. You may see a confutation of 82. of these Errors in Master Wells his Book Unsavory Speeches Confuted These that follow were adjudged by the Assembly aforesaid as unsafe Speeches 1. TO say we are justified by Faith is an unsafe speech wee must say we are justified by Christ. Answer 1. False for the coâ—â—ant language of the Scripture is not unsafe but we are justified by faith is the constant language of the Scripture Rom. 1. 5. being justified by faith the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 10 31 32. Righteousnesse by Faith Phil. 3 9 10. 2. The distinct phrase of the Scripture used in distinguishing Legall and Evangelicaâ—l righteousnesse is no unsafe Speech but such is this Rom. 9. 31 32. Israel found not righteousnes because they sought it of the Law not of or by faith So Rom. 10. 5 6. The righteousnesse of faith saith thus c. The Apostle makes these two so directly opposite as membra dividentia or contrary species that there is no danger one should be taken for another but that it 's so safe as that he that affirmes the one denyes the other yea in the most exact expression that ever Paul made to exclude whatsoever might be unsafe towards a mans justification you have this phrase yea twice in the same verse Phil. 3. 5. not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which 〈◊〉 through the faith of Christ And againe The righteousnesse which is of God by faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ergo it is no unsafe speech yea it must be said on the contrary from those grounds that to say a man is justified before faith or without faith is unsafe as contrarie to the language of the Scriptures And for the second part that we must say we are justified by Christ it is true so far as that it cannot be denyed nor is unsound or unsafe at all to speake but if it mean a must of necessity alwayes or only so to speak it as it is here set in opposition to the phrase of being justified by faith then it is utterly false for as much as the Scripture leads us along in the way of other expressions ordinarily the Apostle gives us the truth of Doctrine soundnesse of phrase together Rom. 10. 3. Christ is the end â—o the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth 2. To evidence justification by sanctification or graces favours of Rome Answ Not so 1. Rome acknowledgeth no justification in our common sense Scil by righteousnesse imputed 2. Rome denies evidencing of our justification and peace with God and teacheth Doctrine of doubting and professeth that a man cannot know what God will doe with him for life or death unlesse by speciall Revelation which is not ordinary but if they mean old Rome or Pauls Rome to which he wrote it 's true that it ravours of the Doctrine that they received as appeareth Rom. 8. 28. All things coâ— worke for good the evill of every evill being taken away which is a poynt of justification and this is propounded under the evidence of the love of God to them that love him because Rom. 8. 2. 9. 13 14. the evidencing of our beeing in Christ freedome from condemnation and adoption is prosecuted by arguments from sanctification as by having the Spirit being led by the Spirit walking after the Spirit mortifying the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit and if hereto were added the Doctrine of St. Iohn so abundant this way in his first Epistle whereof I have already made mention I doubt not but it was the faith of the Church of Rome that then was so that the speech is unsavory and casting a foule aspersion on a good thing expressed in the Scripture but as for the poynt it self that is included we referre it to its place to be discussed when it is â—ightly staâ—ed 3. If I be holy I am never the better accâ—pted of God if I be unholyâ— I am never the worse this I am sure of he that hath elected me must save me Answ. These words ravour very ill and relish of a carelesse and ungracious spirit for howsoever we grant that our acceptation 〈◊〉 justification is alwayes in and through Christ the same in Gods account yet this expression imports that though a mans conversation be never so holy and gracious yet be can expect never the more manifestation of Gods kindnesse and love to him contrary to Psal. 50. ult To him that orders his conversation aright I will shew the salvation of God and Iohn 14. 21. It implyes secondly that though a mans conversation be never so vile and sensuall yet he need not fear or expect any further expression of Gods displeasure and anger to breake forth against him or with-drawings of his favour from himâ— contrary to Psal. 51. 8 11 12. where God breaks Davids bones for his â—in and
to death these wicked ungodly creatures despise both the Law and the Gospell and in the presence of a cloud of witnesses Yea as I am credibly informed in publike Congregations they vent these their damnable opinions Almighty God deliver our poore Church from them Of the Seekers or Expecters MAny have wrangled so long about the Church that at last they have quite lost it and go under the name of Expecters and Seekers doe deny that there is any true Church or any true Minister or any Ordinances some of them affirme the Church to be in the wildernesse and they are seeking for it there others say that it is in the smoke of the Temple that they are groping for it there where I leave them praying to God to open their eyes and give them repentance that they may consider from whence they are fallen and returne againe to the bosome of that Church from which they have to the great dishonour of God and the scondalizing of the Gospell made so fearfull a defection Divorsers THese I terme Divorsers that would be quit of their wives for slight occasions and to maintaine this opinion one hath publâ—shed a Tractate of divorce in which the bonds of marriage are let loose to inordinate lust putting away wives for many other causes besides that which our Saviour onely approveth namely in case of adulterie who groundeth his Error upon the words of God Gen. 2. 18. I will make him a helpe meet for him And therefore if she be not an helper nor meet for him he may put her away saith this Author Which opinion is flat contrary to the words of our Saviour Matth. 5. 31. It hath been said also whosoever shall put away his wife let him give her a testimoniall of Divorsement But I say to you whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication causeth her to cowmit adultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorsed committeth adulterie Againe he confirmeth the same Matth 19. 9. I say therefore unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for whoredome and marry another committeth adulterie and whosoever doth marrie her that is divorced committeth adultery Vid. Mar. 10. 11. Luk. 16. 18. 1 Cor. 7. 11. Of the Papists A Question may be asked why I ranke the Papists among the late Hereticks To which I answer that there is a great difference between the ancient Papists and the moderne since their Trent Conventicle and therefore I rank them with the former Sectaries their doctrines being many of them new In describing of then Errors I purpose to shew their differences from the Protestants which are set down at large in Master Perkins Reformed Catholike 1. Concerning Free-will the dissent is in the cause of the freedome of mans will in spirituall things and especially in the first conversion of a sinner The Papists say that mans will worketh with Gods grace in the first Conversion of a sinner by it selfe we say that mans will worketh with Gods grace in the first Conversion yet not of it selfe but by grace 1 Cor. 2. 14. 2. Concerning Originall sinne the difference between them and us standeth not in the abolishment of it but in the manner and measure of the abolishment of it They affirme Originall sinne to be so farre taken away after Baptisme that it ceaseth to be sinne properly and is nothing else but a defect and want making the heart ready to conceive sinne we teach although it be taken away in the Regenerace in sundry respect yet it doth remaine in them not as a want or defect but as sin and that properly as St. Paul affirmeth Rom. 7. 17. 3. Of the certainty of salvation we hold that a man may bee certaine of his salvation in this life They also hold the same The difference is they hold the certainty to be by hope and we by faith Iohn 1. 12. The fourth poynt is of the justification of a sinner 1. Concerning the matter of our justification They grant that iâ— justification sin is pardoned by the merits of Christ and that none can be jâ—stified without remission of sin 2. That the righteousnesse whereby man is justified commeth from Christ and from him alone 3. The most learned of them say that the merit of Christs death is imputed to every sinner that doth beleeve for his satisfaction before God We say that the satisfaction made by Christs death and obedience is imputed to us and becommeth our righteousnes They say it is our satisfaction and not our righteousnesse The second difference is about the manner of our justification we both agree that a sinner is justified by Faith The difference is the Papists understand a generall faith whereby a man beleeveth the Articles of Religion to be true Wee hold the faith which justifieth to be a particuler faith wherby we apply to our selves the promises of righteousnes life everlasting by Christ. 2. The Papists say that a man is justified by faith yet not by faith alone but also by other vertues as hope love c. 3. They say that we are justified by works as causes we say we are justified by works as by signes and fruits of our justification before God Fiftly touching merit we agree that merits are so far necessary that no man can be saved without them 2. That Christ is the root and fountaine of all merit The Papists place merits within a man making two sorts of them viz. The merits of persons which is to bee found in Infants dying after Baptisme and the merit of works which they teach to be meritorious two wayes First by Covenant because God hath made a promise to reward them Secondly because Christ hath meritted that our works should merit we renounce all merit and rest onely upon the merits of Christ. The sixth poynt of Satisfaction 1. We hold a civill satisfaction a recompence for injuries 2. We hold also a Canonical whereby having given offence to the Church or any part thereof a man doth make an open testimony of repentance 3. We hold that Christ hath made satisfaction for our sins and the punishment of them both eternall and temporall They hold that Christ by his death hath made satisfaction for all the sinnes of men and for the eternall punishment of them all yet so as they themselves must satisfie for the temporall punishment of them either on earth or in Purgatory which we deny The seventh poynt of Traditions The Papists teach that besides the written word there bee certaine unwritten Traditions which must be believed as profitable and necessary to salvation We hold the Scriptures to be most perfect containing in them all things necessary to salvation The eighth part concerning Vowes We say lawfull Vowes may be props and stays of Gods worship but not the worship it selfe They hold Vowes of things not commanded to be part of the worship of God as Continency Poverty Regular
teach that in this life there is no fruit no sence no certainty of immutable election unto glory but upon condition contingent and mutable for besides that it is absurd to make an uncertaine certainty These things contrary to the experience of the godly who with the Apostle triumph upon the sence of their election and extoll this benefit of God who rejoyce with the Disciples according to the admonition of Christ Luke 10. 20. That their namâ—â— are written in heaven And lastly who oppose the sense of their election against the fiery darts of divillish temptations demanding Rom. 8. 33. Why shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect 8. They teach that God out of his meere just will hath not decreed to leave any man in the fall of Adam and common state of sin and damnation or to passe over any in the communication of gracâ— necessary to faith and conversion for that stands firme Rom. 9. 18. He hath compassion upon whom he will and whom he will he hardnâ—th And that Mat. 13. 11. To you is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven but to them it is not given In like manner Mat. 11. 25 26. I glorifie thee Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding men and hast revealed them unto Babes even so O Father because thy good pleasure was such 9. They teach that the cause why God sends the Gospell rather to this nation than to another is not the meere and onely good pleasure of God but because this nation is better and more worthy of it then that to which he hath not communicated the Gospell â—or Moses gain-sayes this speaking thus unto the people Israel Deut. 10. 14 15. Behold heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord thy Gods and the earth with all that therein is Notwithstanding the Lord set his delight in thy Fathers to love them and did chuse their seed after them even you above all people as appeareth this day And Christ Mat. 11. 21â— Wâ—e be to thee Corazin woe be to thee Bethsaida for if the great works which had been done in you had been done 〈◊〉 Tiâ—â—s and Sydon they had repented long agoe in sacke 〈◊〉 and ashes 2. Their Errors concerning Christs death and the redemption of men by it 1. THey teach that God the Father ordained his Son unto the death of the Crosse without any certaine and determinate counsell of saving any particular man expressely so that its necessary profit and dignity might have remained whole sound and perfect in every respect compleat and entire in the impetration of Christs death although they obtained redemption had never actually been applyed to any particular person for that assertion is reproachfull to the wisdome of God the Father and the meâ—â—t of Jesus Christ and contrary to the Scripture where our Saviour Christ saith Ioh. 10. 15. I lay down my life for my sheep verse 27. And I know them The prophet speaketh thus of our Saviour Isa. 53. 10. When he shal make his sons a sacrifice for sin he shal see his seed and prolong his dayes and the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hands Lastly it overthroweth any Article of our faith wherein we doe believe that there is a Church 2. They reach that this was not the will of God that hee might establish a new Covenant of Grace by his bloud but that he might onely procure unto his Father the bare right of making againe with men any Covenant whatsoever whether of grace or of works for this thwarteth the Scripture which teacheth that Christ is made the surety mediator of a better that is a new Covenant Heb. 7. 22. and Heb. 9. 17. The Testament is confirmed when men are dead 3. They teach that Christ by his satisfaction did not certainly merit for any mans salvation it selfe and faith by which this satisfaction of Christ may be effectually applyed unto salvation buâ— onely that he purchased his Fathers power or resolution to enter into a new match with man-kinde and to prescribe them what new Covenant soever he pleased The performance of which condition should depend upon mans free-will and that therefore it might fall â—ut that either no man or every man might fulfill them for these esteem too 〈◊〉 basely of Christâ— death in no wise acknowledging the chiefest 〈…〉 excellent fruit and benefit procured thereby and will call up 〈…〉 Pelagian herisie from hell 4. They teach that the new Covenant of grace with God the Father by the mediation of Christs death made with men doth not consist herein viz. That we are justified before God and saved by faith insomuch as it apprehendeth the merit of Christ but herein viz. That God the exaction of perfect legal obedience being abrogated reputes faith it selfe and the imperfect obedience of faith for the perfect obedience of the Law graciously thinks it worthy of the reward of eternall life Thâ—â— concludeth the Scripture Rom. 5. 24 25. All are justified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through saith in his bloud And with wicked Socinus they bring in 〈◊〉 and strange justification of man before God 〈…〉 consent of the whole Church 5. They teach that all men are received into the staâ—e of reconciliation and grace of the Covenant so that no 〈◊〉 shal be condemned for Originall sin nor in respect of it be 〈◊〉 unto death or damnation but are all acquitted and fâ—eâ—d from the guilt of that sin This opinion is contrary to the Scripture which affiâ—es that by nature we are the Children of wrath This the Arminiams learnt from the Anabaptists 6. They imply the distinction of impetration and application to the end that they may infuse this opinion unto unskâ—â—full and unwary wits namely that God as much as concerne◠〈◊〉 would conferre upon all men eqâ—â—lly those benefits which are promised by Christs death And whereas some rather then â—thers are made partakers of forgivenesse of sins 〈◊〉 life eternâ—llâ— and this diversity depends upon their owne free-will applying it selfe unto grace indifferently offered but not upon the â—â—â—gular gift of mercy effectually working in them 〈◊〉 then others that they may apply this grace unto themsâ—lves 〈◊〉 they while they bear the world in hand that they prâ—pound this destruction with a sound meaning they goe about to make the people drink of the poysonous cup of Pelagianisme 7. They teach that Christ neither could nor ought to dye neither did dye for those whom God dearely loved and chose unto eternall life seeing such stood in no need of Christs death In this they contradict the Apostle who saith Gal. 2. 20. Christ loved me and gave himselfe for me In like manner Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Christs chosen It is God that justifieth who shall condemne it is Christ which it dead to
wit for them And our Saviour averring Iohn 10. 15. I lay down my life for my sheep And Iohn 15. 12. This is my Commandement that yee love one another as I have loved you greater love then this no man hath that a man lay down his life for his friends Thirdly Fourthly Their Errors concerning mans corruption and conversion unto God 1. THey teach that it cannot be well objected that Originall sin of it selfe is sufficient â—or the conâ—enâ—ning of aâ—l mankinde or for the deserving of any temporall and eternall punishment In this they goe against the Apostle who saith Rom. 5. By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned and veaâ— 16. The judgement was by one to condemnation Rom. 6. 23. The â—ages of sin is death 2. They teach that spirituall gifts or good qualities or vertues such as our goodnesse holinesses or righteousnesse could not bee sâ—aâ—ed in the will of man in his first 〈◊〉 and therefore in his fall the will could not bee bereft of them This is contrary to the Image of God laid downe by the Apostle Eph. 4. 24. Where hee describeth it by righteousnesse and holinesse which doubtlesse are placed in the will 3. They teach that in spiritual death nâ— spirituall gifts were separated from the will of man to 〈…〉 will it selfe 〈…〉 corrupted bâ—t onely encombred by 〈◊〉 darknesse of the understanding and unrulinâ— sse of the affections which impeâ—iments being removed the will may be put into her owne inbred faculty of freedome that is of her selfe will or â—ill chuse or refuse any kind of good set before her Verily this is a new feigned and erroneous piece of doctrine bent on purpose for the enhansing of the forces of free-wil contrary to that of the Pâ—ophet Jer. 17. 5. The heart is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked And that of the Apostle Eph. 23. Among whom namely the children of disobedience All we had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the wills of the flesh and of the minde 4. They teach that an unregenerate man is not properly nor totally dead in sins nor destitute of all strength tending to spirituall good but that he is able to hunger and thirst after righteousnes or everlasting life and to offer the Sacrifice of an humble and contrite heart even such as is acceptable to God These assertions march against the direct testimonies of Scriptures Eph. 2. 1. 5. Yee were dead in trespasses and sinnes Gen. 6. 7. 8. 21. Every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart is onely evill continually Moreover the hungring and thâ—rsting for deliverance out of misery and for life eternall as also offering to God the sacrifice of a broken heart is proper to the Regenerate and such as are called blessed Psalme 519. Matth. 5. 6. 5. They teach that a corrupt and naturall man can so rightly use common grace by which they mean the light of nature or those gifts which are left him after the fall that by the good use thereof he may obtaine to a greater namely Evangelicall or saving grace and by degrees at length salvation it selfe And that God for his part sheweth himselfe ready in this manner to reveale Christ to all men seeing he doth sufficiently and efficaciously afford to every man necessary meanes for the making Christ known and for faith and repentance This is 〈◊〉 to be false as by the experiance of all ages in the world so also by Scriptures Psal. 147. 19 20. He sheweth his word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgements they have not knowne them Acts 14. 16. God in times past suffered all Nations to walke in their owne wayes Acts 16. 6 7. Paul and his company were forbidden to preach the Word in Asia and after they were come to Mysia they offered to goe into Bythâ—â—iâ— but the spinit suffered them not 6. They teach that in true conversion of a man there cannot be inâ—used by God any new qualities habits or gifts into his will and so by faith by which we are first converted and from which we are stiled faithfull is not any gift or quality infused by God but onely an act of man that this faith cannot be called a gift otherwise then in regard of the power or meanes given us of attaining it These strange positions are contrary to holy Scriptures which testifie unto us that God doth infuse or shed downe into our hearts new qualities of faith obedience and some of his love towards us Ier. 31. 33. I puâ— my Law into their inner parts and write it in their hearts Isa. 44. 3. I will poure water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry grounds I will poure my spireit upon thy seed Rom. 5. 5. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us They contradict also the continuall practice of the Church which useth to pray after the manner prescribed by the Prophet Convert me O Lord and I shall be converted Jer 31. 18. 7. They teach that the grace wherewith we are converted unto God is nothing else but a gentle inducement or as others explain it that the most noble kinde of working a mans conversion and most â—utable to our nature is performed by swasoâ—y motives or advice and that no cause can be alledged â—hy even such morall grace alone should not of naturall men make spirituall Nay moreover that God doth not produce the consent of our will otherwise then by way of morall counselling and that the efficacy of Gods working wherein he exceedeth the working of the devill consâ—steth in this that the divell promiseth temporary things but Gods things eternall This is downe-right Pelagianisme and warreth against the whole course of Scriptures which besides this swasory course of moving acknowledgeth in the conversion of man another manner of working of Gods spirit and that more divine and of farre greater efficacy Ezek. 36. 26. I will give you a new heart and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of yur flesh and will give you an heart of flesh 8. That God in regenerating a man doth not imply that omnipotent strength whereby he may powerfully and infallibly bow and bend his will unto faith and conversion but that all the gracious operations which God useth for our conversion being accomplished neverthelesse man may withstand God and his holy Spirit intending that mans conversion yea and oftentimes doth make actuall resistance so it lyeth in mans power to be or not to be regenarate This amounteth to no lesse then the denying of all efficacy to Gods grace in our conversion and to the subjecting of the worke of Almighty God unto the will of man which is flat contrary to the Doctrine of the Apostles