That it is the root of many dangerous errors very plainly subverting the Christian Religion And in those few sheets which he wrote in reference to Mr. Edw. Fowler 's Book styled The Design of Christianity his words are p. 12. It is not to be denied or hid that more than down-right Antinomians have so ill expounded the points of Christs suretiship and of the Imputation of our sin to him and of the Imputation of his Righteousness to us as hath proved the great occasion of some mens running into the contrary error yea and as would exclude all pardon of sin and all true Religion had their notions been practically and prevalently held He names also several Authors both of our own and forreign Churches Olevian Vrsin Piscator Paraeus Windeline Camero Wotton Gataker Bradshaw Le Blank by whom their opinions have been confuted Mr. Joseph Truman in his Book styled The great Propitiation p. 92 93. saith thus You may see how contrary to reason as well as Scripture that way of theirs is who hold that Christs fulfilling of and Christs obedience to the Law is accounted imputed as if Believers had fulfilled and obeyed the Law in his so doing You may hold the active and passive Righteousness of Christ a satisfaction to justice for our breach of the Law both of them a valuable consideration on which God will acquit the Offenders so they do but perform the Gospel-conditions and I can easily says he answer all the Arguments I have read to exclude his active obedience from being part of the satisfaction to justice for the breach of the Law But to hold over and beside such a satisfaction for our disobedience that there is made over to us a right to his obedience so as God to account us as if we had obeyed the Law in him beside the danger of making God account men as perfect as Christ and accounting that which is not true it is 1. Altogether needless 2. It makes the death and sufferings of Christ needless 3. It dissolves the Law its obliging us to obedience I will instance in some of the prime mischievous consequences of the doctrine here opposed which being cryed up by some Authors as a Gospel-mystery a Mystery of piety will manifest it to be indeed A mystery of iniquity 1. It follows from thence That Christ was made a sinner or That by Gods Imputation and mans Reputation Jesus Christ was the greatest sinner in the world Mr. Eyre affirms the former as hath been said the latter is asserted by Dr. Grew in his late printed Sermons upon Jer. 23.6 he quoting the Authority of Luther for one branch of the assertion touching Gods Imputation and that Scripture in Mar. 15.28 touching mans Reputation as if because he was reputed a transgressor by the unbelieving Jews therefore it 's to be concluded that he was or was to be so reputed by all others What Christian ears can bear with the sound of such a saying as this That by Imputation of God Jesus Christ was the greatest sinner in the world And how false is it to say That God did repute Jesus Christ to be otherwise whether in life or death than indeed he was i. e. A Lamb without spot and blemish holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners as the Scriptures speak of him 1 Pet. 1.19 Heb. 7.26 The truth is if any such saying hath dropt from the pen of Luther it is not to be justified but to be abhorr'd For Christ by Imputation was no sinner at all nor so reputed either by God or man except such as did not know him and who therefore hang'd him on the tree As for the said Dr. Grew he says indeed p. 23 24. That in this sence only Christ was made sin for us in that he took on him the obligation to punishment Where let two things be observed 1. That the Doctor doth mistake and mis-report the true sense of that Scripture wherein Christ is said to have been made sin for us the true sence whereof is as hath been already said not that he was made sin it self or sin at all for us but a sin-offering or a sacrifice for sin 2. Be it observed That the Doctor doth not say that Christ took on him An obligation but The obligation to punishment by which saying he must rationally be understood to mean ‖ The error whereof I have manifested in another Chapter against Mr. Ferguson Our obligation to punishment or the same obligation wherein or whereby we sinners were bound to punishment And if he had meant otherwise his own reason and understanding would no more have suffered him to approve that saying fathered upon Luther of Christ his being the greatest sinner in the world by Imputation than his stomack would have served him to have eaten his excrements CHAP. XXV Another evil Consequence of the Imputation of Christs Righteousness in the sence disowned viz. That Believers are as perfectly Righteous as is Christ The Righteous yea that they are more Righteous than if they had in their own persons perfectly kept the whole Law and that they are as acceptable to God the Father as is Christ himself The falshood and impiety of which sayings at large manifested and some Scriptures which are suborned to speak against the truth vindicated That man may be said to be justified by the Righteousness of another and not by his own three wayes in the Application of which distinction it is plainly declared in what sence we are and in what sence we are not justified by the Righteousness of another and not by our own Several unjustifiable and intolerable sayings of Dr. Owen in his Book styled Communion with God related with brotherly and necessary animadversions thereupon 2. ANother evil Consequence of this doctrine is That Believers are as perfectly Righteous as is Jesus Christ the Righteous This Consequence is owned by divers among whom I shall instance only in two or three Authors The first shall be Mr. Will. Eyre who in his fore-cited Assize-Sermon says p. 10. That upon Christ his becoming our Surety and taking our sins upon himself sinners are thereby made as perfectly Righteous as Christ the Righteous Nor doth he content himself only to say it but he doth also wrest that Scripture in 1 Joh. 3.7 to prove it I say wrest that Scripture to prove it for that Text proves no such thing but only this viz. That he who doth righteousness is born of him as is the expression 1 Joh. 2.29 that is doth resemble him or is like him as a child resembles the father who begat him Yea he doth bless that his false doctrine with his subsequent prayer therein taking Gods holy Name in vain by saying Now the good Lord open all our eyes to see the real and glorious excellency of this Priviledg But while he doth thus proclaim the Priviledg of the Saints have we not cause to say That he hath forgotten that Prerogative of our Saviour mentioned by the Apostle Col. 1.18
the only justification which such a person is capable of being from another charge viz. from the guilt of punishment i. e. from his being actually bound over to suffer and from the suffering it self of that punishment which for his delinquency he deserved With the former kind of justification no flesh living all being sinful flesh can possibly be justified God himself with Reverence to the divine Majesty be it spoken hath no kind of power to justifie any wicked person no moral power for it is a sinful thing so to justifie the wicked Exod. 23.5 Prov. 17.15 nor physical power for the thing is simply impossible and doth imply a contradiction But with the other kind of justification any flesh living though never so sinful may and shall through Gospel-faith and obedience or an obediential faith be justified 3. As justification and forgiveness of sin are obviously and vulgarly taken Propos 3. or according to common usage of speech so they are contrary the one to the other as is light and darkness For to justifie a person in common use of the word is to free or absolve him from guilt of fault to acquit him as innocent from the fact or fault of which he is wrongfully accused And this kind of justification is by a two-fold plea either the denial of the fact hereby David justified himself from the imputations of Saul 1 Sam. 24.9 10. or by denying the fault pleading the fact to be no fault or breach of any Law whether of God by which plea Daniel justified himself against the accusation of his professed enemies Dan. 6.22 or man or both by which plea St. Paul justified himself against the accusations of his Countrey-men the Jews Act. 24.14 maintaining his innocency not only in respect of the Law of God but also of Caesar Act. 25.8 there being no Acts at that time made by any of the Caesars against Christian Religion nor till the fifth year of the reign of Claudius as History doth report So that if a person be justified in this vulgar sence of the word he is not so much as in a natural capacity of being pardoned nor if pardoned of being so justified as aforesaid I never heard of the substitution of one person in the room of another to have been allowed in criminal cases whatever allowance there hath been in pecuniary mulcts or matters pardon of sin and justification in the said vulgar sence being of so contrary a nature that if the one be affirmed of any person the other must needs be denied And in this sence of the word justifie this Author speaks truth in saying p. 416. That as to justifie and to pardon are not only wholly distinct in their Natures and Idea's but always separated in the cases of such as are arraigned at humane tribunals unless it be where the substitution of one person in the room of another is allowed and even then though they accompany one another yet they are both distinct acts and we have distinct notions of them For neither can an accused innocent by being acquitted be said to be pardoned nor a condemned criminal by having the execution of his sentence remitted be said to be justified 4. However in common usage justification and remission of sin are not only divers but also adverse things nevertheless if we speak of that peculiar kind of justification frequently mentioned in the Scripture whereof a sinner is the subject and of that kind of pardon that is peculiar to sinners so oft there mentioned a pardon conveyed by Law and purchased by the satisfaction of Christ not that kind of pardon which is ex nudâ voluntate if I say we do speak of this kind of justification and pardon then I do affirm it as an undoubted truth That justification and pardon of sin are words equivalent importing one and the self same thing without any real or substantial difference for proof whereof two or three Texts of Scriptures may suffice among several others to be produced Act. 13.38 39. Be it known to you that through this man is preach'd unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses i. e. for which the Law of Moses admitted no expiatory sacrifice in order to pardon Rom. 3.24 25. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him who is of the faith of Jesus i. e. of the Christian faith See also Rom. 4. where that which he calls blessedness v. 9. and Gods justifying the ungodly v. 5. he styleth Gods forgiving their iniquities and covering their sins Thence that of Grotius de satisfactione p. 38. Justificatio passim in sacris literis maxime in Epistolis Paulinis absolutionem significat quae praesupposito peccato consistit in peccatorum remissione ipso Paulo semet clare explicante praesertim Rom. 4. I might hereto add the testimony of other Authors famous in their generation were it needful By the way take notice That I have said nothing concerning his affirming that the introduction of the Law of faith hath not abrogated the Law of perfect obedience but this as well as that doth remain in force nor do I think it necessary so to have done For although some choose to say that that Law of our Creation or of God our Creator is abrogated or repealed there being no Law since the new modelling of the government of mankind but the Law of Redemption or of God our Redeemer the moral part of the original Law being taken into it as the matter thereof and others choose to assert only a dispensation or relaxation of that Law nevertheless I do humbly conceive that all things considered yet not so needful here to be mentioned that are said on both sides there is no real difference between them as to substance of truth but only in modes and manner of speaking and for that cause I can give liberty to any one to speak the truth with due caution in what words he pleaseth Only I must say That I dare not take liberty to my self to say That the Law of works doth now remain in force as well as the Law of faith without a just explication how far it doth and doth not remain now in force I well remember that two late worthy Authors do very differently express themselves touching the immediate effect of the introduction of the Law of faith The most learned Mr. George Lawson chooseth to say That the original Law of works is by the Law of faith or indempnity abrogated and repealed whereas Mr. Joseph Truman will not allow that saying instead thereof asserting it to be
properly and formally or otherwise than in the fruits and effects of the one and of the other The reason thereof rendred P. 537. To say Mr. F. That Christ suffered only for our advantage and not in our room is plain Socinianism and to say That he bare our punishment without being charged with our guilt is plain non-sence and yet to remonstrate to such a Relation between him and us as may and ought to be styled a Legal Vnion is to vent repugnancies in the same breath Answ What is here said hath in effect already been answered and to the same purpose I say again 1. The imputation of Socinianism is causless forasmuch as we do acknowledg what they deny viz. That Jesus Christ being God and man in one person did make a satisfaction or compensation to Gods justice and by his doings and sufferings did merit the pardon of our sins 2. We deny not but that Jesus Christ may be truly said to have suffered in our room or stead and for that cause to be styled in the word of one of the Ancients our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he suffered that which was equivalent to the suffering which being due to us we should have suffered and thereby to save us from suffering and we say That Christ suffered in the person of a Mediator to procure our pardon and reconciliation with God Only we do deny That Christ was in such a sence our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that he did in such a strict sence die in our room and stead as that he may be said to die in nostrâ personâ in such sort representing our persons as that we can truly be said to have satisfied in and by him or that his sufferings are in their essential nature imputed to us One King may be said to rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the room of another though he may not therefore be said to be the Representative of that other as Archelaus is said to have reigned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the room of his Father Herod Solomon in the room of David 1 King 5.5 Benaiah to be made Captain-General of the Host in the room of Joah 1 King 2.35 and Elisha to be substituted or anointed a Prophet in the room of Elijah 1 King 19.16 although none of these can be truly said in a strict sence to represent the persons of those in whose room they were substituted 3. If by Our punishment this Author meaneth the Idem the self same punishment which we should have born it hath been already gainsaid and the contrary truth proved as also that he did not bear our guilt neither our guilt of fact or fault at all nor the self same guilt or obligation to punishment as was ours but another kind of obligation that was peculiar to himself 4. What non-sence soever there is in saying That Christ bare Idem supplicium our very punishment without being charged with our guilt nevertheless it is true sence and the sence of Scripture to say That Christ did contract or take upon him an obligation to suffer and did actually undergo such sufferings as were equivalent to that punishment which we deserved to suffer and this without being charged with our guilt 5. The things being justly to be denied which he doth here presume as granted or to be granted viz. That Christ did at all take upon him our Reatus facti or culpae our guilt of fact or fault or the self same guilt or obligation to punishment which was ours it follows That there is all the reason in the world to remonstrate unto any such union of Christians with Christ by what name soever dignified or distinguished Mystical Conjugal Political Legal Evangelical Supernatural the native consequence whereof is That Christ was charged with our guilt of sin That he took upon him the self same obligation to punishment which was ours That our sin really in it self was imputed to him and undergone by him and That his doings and sufferings briefly his Righteousness was formally in it self imputed unto us All these Consequents are justly to be remonstrated against and consequently so are all the Antecedents be they never so specious from whence they do naturally and necessarily result or flow for as the common saying is Ex vero nihil nisi verum From truth nothing but truth doth natively and necessarily issue These things considered it is easie to answer his arguings in p. 556 557. which I shall more at large now recite and reply to CHAP. XVII That Christ may very well be said to be made sin for us to bear our sins to die for our offences although it cannot be truly said that he did bear our sin it self or sin in it self or otherwise than in the fruit and effects of it the contrary whereunto is pretended by Mr. F. Mr. Ferguson's mistake in confounding an Antecedent impulsive cause with a meritorious cause the difference whereof is asserted and exemplified His mistake in not distinguishing betwixt An obligation and Our obligation to suffer That though our sins did properly merit Christs suffering nevertheless it will not follow from thence that Christ himself did merit it or took upon him the meriting thereof That Christ may be said in an improper sence to be punished The word Demerit of punishmeit ambiguous a two-fold sence whereof is specified The Arguments which overthrow the Popish doctrine of believers being discharged from the guilt of sin but not the punishment altogether mis-applyed by Mr. F. to the point in hand P. 556 557. Mr. F. HAD not the susception of our sins preceded as the antecedent impulsive cause of Christs sufferings he could neither be said to be made sin for us nor to bear them nor to have them laid upon him nor to die for our offences nor to be our ransom Nor could the inflicting of sufferings upon him have been either good in it self or an act of Rectoral justice in God or have had any tendency to his glory or to the honour of his Law or to deter sinners from offending yea preclude once the consideration of sin as the meritorious cause of the Agonies which Christ underwent and the love wisdom justice and Rectorship of God are obnoxious to reflections and stand liable to be impeached And if it be once obtained that our sins are the meritorious impulsive cause of Christs death his susception of our guilt will necessarily follow For guilt being nothing but an obligation to punishment and it being impossible to conceive such a habitude betwixt a person and sin that it should be the meritorious impulsive cause of his punishment and yet he not be under an obligation to punishment it plainly follows that guilt must be supposed antecedent to a demerit of punishment Guilt and punishment being Relates he that is obnoxious to the latter must be previously under the Imputation of the former as Bishop Andrews expresseth it Christ was first made sin in respect of the guilt
eternal The premisses considered I infer these three or four Conclusions 1. That upon the removal of eternal evil from a person who is pardoned eternal good is immediately introduced by Gods order and appointment 2. That to grant as the Objector here doth that forgiveness of sin doth remove the eternal evil is to yield the cause and to acknowledg that by Gods order and appointment forgiveness of sin doth introduce eternal good or a title to eternal life 3. That if we do suppose a sinner pardoned to be only freed from hell and then annihilated we do even then therein and thereby suppose him not pardoned according to the tenor of the Gospel or with such a plenary pardon as the Gospel promiseth and consequently that to argue after such a rate as is here argued is to forsake or to depart from the subject of the Question a thing much unbeseeming a close Disputant such as this Author was by many accounted 4. That it is a groundless imagination to think as too too many do who having first unnecessarily distinguished of Christs obedience into active and passive do sort them to several distinct purposes dogmatizing thereupon That Christ by his passive obedience hath freed us from the guilt of eternal death and by his active obedience hath procured us a title to eternal life and That by forgiveness of sin we have freedom from the one and by Justification by Christs Righteousness we have title to the other As particularly Dr. Owen speaks in his Book of Communion with God And because it is much to be desired that Christians would 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is the Apostles prayer for the Philippians Ch. 1.10 first try and then approve or disapprove according to the different nature of things my purpose is in certain Chapters of this Treatise to expose to an impartial examination what that Author hath dictated concerning this matter In the mean while I shall offer two things to consideration 1. Mr. Baxter says in those sheets which he wrote in reference to Mr. Edw. Fowler 's Book styled The design of Christianity We believe says he p. 17. That Christs habitual perfection with his Active Righteousness and his sacrifice or sufferings all set together and advanced in value by their conjunction with his Divine Righteousness were the true meritorious procuring cause of our pardon justification sanctification and salvation Not one part imputed to this effect and another to that but all thus making up one meritorious cause of all these effects even of the Covenant and all its benefits He adds saying and which is the main truth which I do by this whole Treatise contend for And thus Christs Righteousness is imputed and given to us not immediately in it self but in the effects and fruits As a ransom is said to be given to a Captive because it is given For him though strictly the ransom is given to another and only the fruits of it to him This I take to be the Catholick Faith in the Article before us 2. Be it considered That there is no Medium betwixt Life and Death no middle condition rationally imaginable betwixt these two Hereupon we may certainly conclude That he who by the forgiveness of his sins is freed from eternal death cannot otherwise but be conceived to have a right to life eternal I proceed to answer certain other Arguments objected from the Scriptures Object The Apostle having said Acts 13.38 39. that through Christ was preached to them the forgiveness of sins he adds as a further priviledg or benefit saying And by him all that believe are justified This is objected if I do not mis-remember in the said Book styled Communion with God Answ 1. The words being translated out of the original run thus Be it known unto you therefore Men and Brethren that by this man forgiveness of sins is preached unto you and from all things from which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses this is the entire v. 38. in the Greek and then it follows v. 39. By him every believing man is justified The words being thus rendred and an Emphasis laid upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is oft-times in Scripture as much as even do clearly make the same thing to be meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do clearly I say make justification and remission of sin to be the same thing or of the self same adequate importance that implying no more priviledg or benefit than this 2. Read the words as we find them translated and it is sufficiently clear that the words justification and remission are but varied phrases of one and the same thing it being the manner of Scripture frequently to express the self same thing by varied words and phrases 3. The said Scripture being alledged usually for the proving that justification doth denote a further priviledg than forgiveness of sin especially the Imputation of Christs active obedience must for that purpose thus be paraphrased Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe have Christs active obedience imputed to them from all things from which you could not have Christs active obedience imputed to you by the Law of Moses Hereupon let any Reader judg whether this Scripture makes for the purpose for which it is alledged whether by Dr. Owen or any other of the adverse Brethren in this controversie Some other Objections there are but they are so weak that no impartial or unprejudicate person will I am most assured be swayed by them and therefore having answered the most considerable I shall let pass the rest I shall now propound another Question Quest Are not believing sinners restored by Christ unto a greater degree of felicity than Adam did lose or forfeit by his sin and are not Believers entitled to this greater degree of glory by their justification through the Imputation of Christs Righteousness to them and not upon the meer score of the forgiveness of their sins Answ In answer hereunto I will set down in the first place what the opinion of others is in this matter and then speak my own sence 1. There be many who as they judg that Believers are restored to a greater degree of felicity in this life than Adam did enjoy in Paradise so also that they shall enjoy through the Imputation of Christs Righteousness a greater degree of heavenly glory than Adam should have enjoyed upon his continuance in a state of innocency But there are others who think that both of them are justly questionable and scarce proveable by the Scriptures especially the latter 2. There be others asserting That there is in the merits of Christ not only Plenitudo sufficientiae but also redundantiae or that his satisfaction was super-satisfactory not only Legalis justitiae but also Super-legalis meriti as are the expressions of the very learned Dr. Reynolds Bishop of Norwich in some of his Sermons if I
it being his right to have the Preheminence in all things Certainly St. Peter's eyes were not opened to see this as his priviledg when he said to our Saviour Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord for had he owned any such glorious priviledg or been sensible of the excellency thereof he would in all reason have mated his Lord and Master as I may so say or have set himself cheek by chole with him and have said Abide by me keep not at distance from me for I am as perfectly Righteous as thou art The same Author doth further amplifie and illustrate the said priviledg of the Saints saying p. 12. This Priviledg is not only negative but positive as they are uncloathed and stript of their own filthy garments Zech. 3.4 so they are cloathed upon with the immaculate robe of Christs Righteousness adequate and commensurate to the Law of God by the obedience of one says the Apostle Rom. 5.19 many are made righteous i. e. perfectly and compleatly righteous more than if they had kept the Law in their own persons hereby we come to have boldness and confidence in the sight of God his infinite purity and holiness doth not daunt or discourage us from going to him for as Christ is before him so are all they that do believe in him through that Righteousness of his that is put upon them see Eph. 3.12 Rom. 5.2 But the meaning of those words By the obedience of one many are made Righteous is not as this Author expounds it perfectly and compleatly Righteous more than if they had kept the Law in their own persons but the meaning is They are for the meritoriousness sake of Christs obedience made Righteous with another kind of Righteousness than is that which doth consist in their personal perfect and compleat performance of the Law of God yea with such a kind of Righteousness as is not competible with it viz. with the pardon of their sins or that kind of evangelical justification which is styled The gift of grace v. 15. and the free gift of many offences to justification v. 16. and the gift of Righteousness v. 17. For sinners to be made or constituted Righteous is in the sence of the Apostle as appears by the context to be justified out of the abundance of Gods grace in Christ or to be freely pardoned which no persons can be or be said to be who are as perfectly and compleatly Righteous as if they had kept the Law in their own persons For those who are as perfectly and compleatly righteous and more righteous than if they had kept the Law in their own persons are not justified of grace at all or are they capable of a gracious pardon And as for the boldness and confidence which the Apostle speaks of in Eph. 3.12 and Rom. 5.2 it is an holy boldness and confidence grounded upon their pardon of sin and justification through Gods grace in Christ mentioned in the foregoing Paragraph and not upon any such mis-construction of the sacred Scriptures as this Author was so extreamly over-bold and confident to suggest And whether Believers may be truly As for that in Zech. 3.4 the true sence whereof is here perverted by Mr. Will. Eyre I shall vindicate it from his abuse in Ch. 34 in answer to Dr. Owen by whom it is in like sort perverted also or fitly said to be cloathed with the Righteousness of Christ or to have Christs Righteousness put upon them I shall speak my thoughts more at large in a peculiar Chapter and in answer to that Question purposely put In the mean while I shall presume to say That it is not only false but as I am perswaded blasphemous to say as doth this Author That as Christ is before God so are all they that do believe in him through his Righteousness For Jesus Christ is before God a Saviour of sinners and whereas Believers in Christ are before God sinners still i. e. Rei culpae guilty persons and as such however pardoned they do still stand before God and shall so stand to all eternity Christ is before God the Son of God by nature and Righteous without a pardon whereas Believers in Christ are before God his sons by the adoption of grace and Righteous by or with a gracious pardon in the blood of Christ The next to Mr. Eyre I will quote is the Author of the Book styled The Marrow of Modern Divinity who says p. 127. That God the Father in that voice from heaven Mat. 3.17 and Joh. 12.30 doth chear the hearts of poor sinners and greatly delight them with singular comfort and heavenly sweetness assuring them that whosoever is married unto Christ and so in him by faith he is as acceptable to God the Father as Christ himself according to that of the Apostle He hath made us acceptable in his beloved Eph. 1.6 Wherefore if you would be acceptable to God and be made his dear child then by faith cleave unto his beloved Son Christ and hang about his neck yea and creep into his bosom and so shall the love and favour of God be as deeply insinuated into you as it is into Christ himself and so shall God the Father together with his beloved Son wholly possess you and be possessed of you and so God and Christ and you shall become One entire thing according to Christs prayer That they may be One in us as thou and I are One. I need say little more to the words of this Author than was said to those of Mr. Will. Eyre it being enough for me to say to every Reader of these lines as the High-Priest said to the by-standers at Christs arraignment he indeed causlesly but I justly Ye have heard their blasphemy Only I desire the Reader to observe further 1. How he doth wrong the Apostle by bringing him in to abett him in his said blasphemy I mean by alledging that in Eph. 1.6 as if the Apostle in saying That God hath made the believing Ephesians accepted in the Beloved had said That they were as acceptable to God as Christ himself whereas it will appear That the Apostle did intend by that very expression to insinuate a peculiarity of the Fathers Love to that his only begotten Son who lay in his bosom from all eternity 2. Observe how like a canting Familist he speaks in saying That upon our hanging about Christs neck and creeping into his bosom i.e. upon our believing in Christ God the Father together with his beloved Son will wholly possess us and be possessed of us and so God and Christ and we shall become One Entire Thing 3. Observe how notoriously he doth abuse the words of our Saviours Prayer and our Saviour Christ himself in them as if in praying That Believers might be one as the Father and he were one he had requested That they all may become One entire thing To pray That Believers may keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace