it the Money is his own the Debt is the Principal 's transferred to him but the Payment is the Surety's subjectively and properly Therefore to say the Payment is imputed to the Surety is Nonsence The Spirit of God speaks expresly that our Sins were laid on Christ no less than Three times in Isa 53. and expressed by three different Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 12. It 's express 1 Pet. 2.24 the Apostle plainly there speaking after the Prophet says He bore it as a Sin-offering Heb. 9.28 Was made Sin 1 Cor. 5.21 Therefore we neeed not fear to say Christ bore our Sins let the Sence be what it will which the Spirit means it was certainly so as to take away the Charge of Sin which is Fault and Blame from before God 1 John 3.3 4. To take it away as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is so to take it away as to set a Man right in the Eye of Justice Your next Branch of Proof to the Minor is That to impute Sin to Christ would argue him a Propagator of Corrupt Qualities What could be done or said more by a Socinian to load the great Truths of the Gospel with reproachful Consequences 1. Sin is no positive Quality as such but only privative 2. All Qualities of a pernicious Nature to the Sinner consisting of Natural Causes are Subjecta peccati not Peccatum it self and they are separable from Sin in it's Moral Consideration There were in Christ himself Effects of our Sins in Infirmity Sorrow Reproach c. They were very uneasie Qualities though not corrupt 3. God himself tells us He laid Iniquity upon him and made him Sin and yet saith Positively He was no Committer of Sin And you charge the Spirit of God with Nonsence and Contradiction For you say it 's impossible to impute Sin to Christ any other way than punishing of him it 's to mistake and make Christ the Committer which Punishment is not sin therefore what the Spirit saith is false Sin was not laid on Christ at all and yet the Spirit speaks it expresly 4. You will inferr these Absurdities 1. That Sin cannot be laid on Christ but by Transfusion wherein you deny Imputation 2. That Christ must be corrupted thereby Whereas the Spirit of God tells us he bears Sin as a Lamb without Spot You will have it that he had the Macula fixed on him by bearing it 3. You will have God by laying Sin on Christ to become a Propagator of Sin The Spirit of God says he appeared to take away our Sins and in him is no Sin 1 John 3.5 How audacious is our Carnal Reason to set upon Divine Mysteries Neonom It was needless to the Ends for which our Sins were laid on Christ Antinom You should have said what 's needless Your Argument should have run thus Laying Sins on Christ is needless to the ends for which they were laid on Christ and therefore those Scriptures that say so are needless Neonom Sins were laid on Christ that he might make Atonement by suffering for them and so release us who had transgressed Antinom Now Sir you say something you speak like a Divine if you can hold there Now you own something laid on Christ besides Punishment for the Atonement was made by being punished and say well now that Sin was laid on him that he might make Atonement for them viz. by being punished For bearing Sin is one thing and making Atonement is another but are inseparable relata and therein contraria affirmantiae Neonom Now Christ by submitting to the Guilt as an Obligation to Punishment according to the Terms of the Covenant of Redemption was sufficient to this End and all that was needful Antinom That Christ bore the Desert or Demerit of our Sin which is done only by a Judicial Charge and Accusation in our stead is sufficient What is Sin after the Fact is committed but reatus culpae Guilt is the Fault declared and applyed somewhere in a way of Judicial Proceeding And this is often the Conscience of Sin and is not removed but by Faith on Christ crucify'd who bore our Sins before God Neonom All that endangered us was the Threatning of the Law and the Punishment included in the Threat Antinom Where there is true Godly Sorrow it 's more upon this Account that he hath sinned against a Holy God and broke his holy just and good Law than for fear of the Threats of Wrath. I thought I had better understood the Nature of Sorrow for Sin that it had been the nature of Sin in Contrariety to God had more grieved than the Fear of Punishment Neonom The Obliquity of the Fact as against the Precept shall not hurt where the Sanction of the Law is answer'd Antinom I think this is that you call Antinomianism with a Witness you shall hear of it again e're long only observe That this is as much a Doctrine of Licentiousness as any you charge on me Secure but your self from Hell and you need not regard the preceptive part of the Law you may live as you list See how you 'l clear your self when you charge it for a great Crime upon me in saying Sin will do no hurt in some Sence c. Neonom And he that suffers as Sponsor for another need not sustain in himself the filthiness of the Crime to make him capable of giving Satisfaction Gen. 44.13 Phil. 18. Antinom No that 's true upon your Hypothesis there 's no need of a Sponsor for the Filthiness of Sin is too foul for Christ to bear the Sinner must be his own Expiator and carry away his Filth himself or if he keep it it will not hurt See 1 John 7.9 Neonom This transacting of the Filthiness of our Sins on Christ is blasphemous Antinom Friend that 's a cruel Bomb to shoot at a good Man to charge him with Blasphemy But where 's the Blasphemy to say Christ bore the Filth of Sin in a Sence Is not Sin filthy under all Considerations Doth not the Spirit of God call it filthy and abominable in all respects 1. Is not the Guilt of Sin Filth and abominable in God's Sight And is it not so when it lies upon the Conscience I think the Spirit of God represents it always as the greatest Foulness and Uncleanness I say a Conscience polluted with Sin to those that are defiled and unbelieving and can't by Faith fetch and derive cleansing Vertue from the Blood of Christ into their Consciences to such nothing is clean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 1.15 Now this is the very Rooot and Foundation of a Defilement And what is it that takes it off but Faith in the Sin-cleansing Vertue of Jesus Christ The great Contrariety of Sin to the Holy Law is the Filthiness of Sin And the Apostle tells Heb. 9.14 How our Consciences come to be purged from dead Works it 's no other way than
by the offering of Christ without Spot to God This spotless Sacrifice whereon he bore Sin and was not defiled And hereby the Conscience of Sin i. e. the Guilt of Sin which is no other than Sin charged upon the Conscience is taken away and thence the Levitical Services could not make any perfect as pertaining to Conscience but it 's the Blood of Christ that sprinkles from an evil Conscience Heb. 10.22 2. A condemning Conscience without which we stand but loathsomly before God yea while for want of Faith we apprehend God deals with us out of Christ we are very loathsom and all our Works and Services dead God loaths and abhors them Is not the Vertue of Christ's Blood compared to a Fountain to wash us in and intended especially of Justification and Pardon and the Saints to betake themselves to it under the Notion of it's cleansing Vertue in that Sence 1 John 1.7 Rev. 1.5 Guilt of Sin then is as great a Pollution as belongs to Sin It 's no other than Sin lying upon the Conscience with an Accusation 1 John 3.20 21. Greg. Nysson saith He bore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Filth of our Sin Dr. O. p. 42. Again Wherever Sin is to be purged out by Sanctification it is to be rid away by Justification but all Filth is to be rid by Sanctification that indwells Now it is manifest that the cleansing Vertue of the Blood of Christ applyed by Faith is the first Gospel-effectual Means of Sanctification and it must be the great Cause of Mortification wherein we are planted together in the likeness of his Death Rom. 6. And what did Christ in his Death but destroy the Body of Sin by carrying it away 2 Tim. 1.10 He hath by carrying away sin abolished Sin and Death slain the Enmity that lay in Hatred of God Pravity and Dominion of sin Whence was it that David was cleansed from Blood-guiltiness Was it not from it's being laid on Christ Was it not that very Filthiness of his Sin Psal 51.14 Doth he not pray to God to be washed throughly from his sin and to be cleansed from it Was not that by the Application of the Blood of Christ Doth he not mention all his Pravity Original as well as Actual from which he would be purged as with Hyssop and made whiter than Snow And wherein lies this Washing Is it not in respect of sin not in respect of Punishment he mentioneth not he explains what he means it is that radical Washing ver 9. Hide thy Face from my Sins and blot out mine Iniquity i. e. From the Face of God's Justice Then follows the Creation of a clean Heart He gave himself for us to redeem us from all Iniquity Tit. 2.14 There is no Pravity Defilement Pollution of Sin what-ever that is so but because of it's contrariety to the preceptive part of the Law must first have it's Foundation of cleansing from Christ's bearing of it away and this Faith applying purifies the Heart from the indwelling Macula in us Whence that Promise Ezek. 36.25 The clean Water there is the Spirit working in Application of the Blood of Christ and therefore Gospel-cleansing lies chiefly in Application of Promises 2 Cor. 7.1 Neonom He took care his Body should not see Corruption Acts 2.3 he would much more abhor to take in our Pollution He was holy harmless undefiled c. Antinom All this we say over and over that he bare Sin but was not defiled with Sin nor corrupted in his Nature but the Spirit of God is not to be believed See Christ's taking away of Sin by Atonement is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.3 Neonom It was Condescension enough that he agreed to be treated as a Sinner But how odious is it to load him with Sin it felf To spit that in his Face that the worst of Men abused him with and it would justifie his Persecutors who punished him if he was really the Person your Principles renders him to be Antinom The Spirit of God renders him to be the Person that my Principles renders him to be It saith he bore our Sins in his Body on the Tree the Lord laid Iniquities on him he was made Sin for us and yet how dare you reproach the Spirit of God in such a manner To say that it 's an odious thing To say be bore the Load and Weight of all the Sins of the Elect that it is spitting in the Face of Christ doing that which the worst of Men did to him and justifying his Murderers I am surprized with great horrour to hear such things out of the Mouth of a Man that is called a Gospel Minister I pray God give you Repentance and lay not these things to your Charge But Sir you have here declared your defiance of the Date of the Imputation of our Sins to Christ and yet would pretend you hold that Doctrine by saying God laid the Punishment of Sin only upon Christ The meer Punishment of Christ I must tell you was not the bearing our Sin for the bearing the Punishment was the payment of the Debt and was his Righteousness which is Imputed unto us if Imputation of our Sins to Christ lay in nothing else they were not Imputed at all to him Punishment was laid upon him and he bore it by way of Suffering in his Humane Nature and was that Righteousness that is Imputed to us in Justification the Argument against you is this That which is Imputed to us was not Imputed to Christ but Punishment of Christ to Satisfaction for our Sins is his Righteousness Imputed to us Ergo not the Imputation of our Sins unto him If your rooted prejudices will suffer you to consider I pray weigh well that Argument you will have more by and by But you still say if Christ bore Sin he must be polluted with Sin Ans It argues not that Sin was his by perpetration or Infusion but only by Imputation they were our Sins by Perpetration and Inhesion which he bore by Imputation The Spirit of God tells us he was a Sinner in one respect and no Sinner in another as the Church of Smyrna was Poor in one respect and Rich in another Omnia diversa natura sua abstractâ sunt opposita as Poverty and Riches Sin and no Sin tamen eidem attributa ratione tantum dissentiunt as a Man may be Rich and Poor Wise and Foolish in divers respects And as to the filthiness of Sin it could not stain him he remained untouched in his Holy Nature but yet I must tell you as bearing Sin by the Sacrifices caused a Typical Uncleanness insomuch as the Bodies were Burnt without the Camp and they that Burnt them and gathered up the Ashes became Unclean such a Judicial uncleanness was Jesus Christ our Sacrifice under wherein he answered those great Types and we are not without ample proof of it especially from Heb. 13.11 Neonom Arg. 2. Had he been Esteemed the very Transgressor his
Kingly Office spoiling Principalities and Powers Triumphing over them on the Cross Col. 2.14 And through Death he destroyed him that hath the Power of Death even the Devil Heb. 2.14 In that place Christ is meant in all his Offices first as a Priest entred into the Holiest of all Heb. 4.14 Application is by vertue of his Intercession to obtain the Ends of his Death likewise as a Prophet he teacheth by his Spirit and Gospel the Promise of Eternal Life and the whole Mystery of his Incarnation and Sufferings and Exaltation he as a King Conquers and Subdues the Hearts of Sinners to himself and gives forth the Promise of the Father and hence there comes the Application of Pardon and that Life laid up and hid in himself Colos 3.1 2 3. And all the places mentioned by you speak but of our receiving Forgiveness so all the Offices of Christ have the Honour due unto them when we were Enemies we were Reconciled by the Death of his Son Rom. 5.10 Reconciliation was by his Atonement and therefore the Apostle saith ver 11. not only so but through Jesus Christ we have now received the Atonement viz. through all Christ in all his Offices it 's one thing to make Atonement and for God to be reconciled to us that is the accomplishment of the Reconciliation of God to the Elect considered as Sinners and another thing to Reconcile us which is done by the Gospel Ministry whereby also we receive the Atonement Dr. Davenant having shew'd many ways of Redemption saith Vltima unica ratio nos redimendi est ea quae fit per modum Justitiae c. The last and only way of Redemption is that which was by way of Justice all our Debts being paid by our Surety Jesus Christ which price being paid the great Debt is discharged 1 Pet. 1.18 Christ averts the Wrath of God from us by undergoing the Punishment undue to him to free us from our Debt Gal. 3.13 And here it is to be observed that although the Devil do detain us Captives yet the price of our Redemption viz. The Blood of Christ was Offered in satisfaction to God not to the Devil c. Deo satisfactum expiata sunt peccata nostra Dr. Davenant on Colos 1.14 Neonom Arg. 3. By the opposite Errour the Elect would have been discharged if Christ had never risen again Antinom We excepted against this Quirk before as if any Man understood not by laying Sin on Christ all things that concern the satisfaction to be made speaking of things by Synechdoches and Metonimy's as the Scripture doth mentioning sometimes the Blood of Christ sometimes his Body for all the satisfaction of Christ by Sufferings and by Metonymies the Cross of Christ for his Sufferings on the Cross Secondly Christ's Satisfaction had never been compleated if he had never rose from the Dead and then we had been still in our Sins 1 Cor. 15. and 1 Pet. 1.3 But let your Supposition go though no such thing is to be supposed make what you can of it and observe I pray was not the Sins of Believers under the Law Actually taken away before Christ either Dyed or Rose again I say if a Creditor do accept of an Insolvent Person for Paymaster and Cancel the Debtor's Bond the said Creditor cannot recover his Debt of the Principal though it may affright him fearing it is not Cancelled there 's nothing truer than that the Hand-writing of the Law that was against us which was contrary to us was taken away and Nailed to the Cross Col. 2.14 Dr. Davenant after a long Explanation of the Text saith In all these words this one thing is shewed that by vertue of the Passion of Christ dying upon the Cross the Damning Power of the Moral Law was taken away and all the Rites of the Ceremonial Law were at once abrogated The Hand-writing of the Law bound us to Obedience and bound us over to Punishment for Non-performance thereof Christ therefore our Surety by performing that exact Obedience which the Law required and undergoing the Punishment which the Law exacted of the Violators thereof did that which we were bound unto by this Hand-writing and so blotted out the Hand-writing for the Blood of him being shed who was without spot the Hand-writing of all faults are blotted out as Augustine saith Christ was made in subjection to the Law that he might redeem them that are subject to the Law Gal. 4.4 5. Dr. Davenant on the place He adds But that is to be observed this Hand-writing may be said to be blotted out two ways 1. Quoad Deum as to God Vniversaliter Sufficienter Universally and Sufficiently because there is such satisfaction given to God by the Blood of Christ because that Hand-writing of the Law cannot be exacted of any as Debtors when they fly by Faith to this Redeemer but he must absolve them 2. Particulariter efficaciter Particularly and efficaciously when it is actually blotted out from the Consciences of Individual Faithful ones who do apprehend Christ by Faith and he follows the true Spiritual sence of this Scripture most Evangelically I chuse to give the Summ of it because it decides the whole Point in Controversie most excellently according to that of the Apostle Rom. 5.1 A Man in Debt cannot have Peace so long as he sees he owes more Money than he can pay and sees he is bound in a Bond under his Hand to the payment thereof but as soon as any Person apprehends Christ by Faith immediately the Hand-writing is Cancelled in his view and he enjoys blessed peace of Conscience Here Paul excellently resolveth the Case of doubting Consciences by an admirable kind of Gradation not content with what he had said in the former Verse all your Sins are forgiven but he adds the very Hand-writing is Cancelled but it may be said Happily not so blotted out but a new Suit may arise he subjoyns therefore è medio sublatum it is taken out of the way but it may be said again it may be it 's kept and hid and hereafter may be produced yea saith the Apostle it 's Nailed to the Cross Cruci affixum it is Cancelled torn in Pieces and Nailed to the Cross this he saith we ought to believe not only that Christ hath deserved the blotting out of this Hand-writing but that it is even Actually blotted out as to our selves in particular I think Sir now I need say no more of this Debate seeing I have given you the Opinion of the Learned Dr. and of whose Opinion I know you are in the Point of Universal Redemption and I believe your other Arguments are here Answered Neonom I will alledge them for all that Arg. 4. If taking Sins of the Elect and laying them on Christ was their discharge they would be discharged before the Sufferings and Death of Christ c. D. W. p. 18. Antinom This Argument is as it were the same with the former and admits the same
baptize Infants I would desire no stronger Argument to manage against Infant-Baptism than your Principle of Conditionality of the Covenant And as for the Lord's Supper it holds forth Christ's Body freely given and his Blood freely shed for us and that his Blood was a Seal and Ratification of the New Covenant where-by it becomes a Testament Neonom 1 Pet. 3.21 Baptism that saves us is not the putting away the Filth of the Flesh but the Answer of a good Conscience towards God i. e. Vpright consent of Heart to the Vow and Profession Antinom The Words are thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To what was Baptism an Antitype Was it not to the Waters of Noah that saved Persons by bearing up the Ark when the rest of the World were drowned What condition was there of God's saving those Eight Persons And to bring it home the Apostle tells us the mere Element in Baptism and external Administration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the washing away External or Levitical Uncleanness as it was used by the Jews but as it signifies the Blood of Christ reaching to the purifying of the Conscience from Guilt Heb. 9. 10. and thence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ as it signifies the carrying or washing away our Sins by the Blood of Christ and our rising again wherein we were fundamentally Justifyed and the application of both by Faith whereby our present Sence of God's Wrath and Condemnation is removed To talk that it signifies a Vow or upright Consent is very Jejune against the Stream of Interpreters Neonom An Elect Person known by Revelation to be so while unregenerate is not entitled to the Lord's Supper Antinom He that hath that Revelation I suppose will have something more revealed But in the mean time I wonder why you that stand upon such strict moral Qualifications for an Interest in Covenant-Benefits and so sparing of Gospel Grace stand upon so slight Terms for admission to the Lord's Supper and are so lavish of Covenant-Benefits upon such easie Terms I am sure you may know some of them are not Regenerate without Revelation Neonom Vnbelief and whatever Sins are contrary to the Terms of the Covenant are the only hinderances to a Sinners Interest in the Benefits of the Covenant and by these we are said to reject and refuse the Covenant The Scripture lays Men's want of Forgiveness on their Vnbelief as the culpable cause c. Antinom Then the great Business of the Covenant of Grace is to save Sinners and give them Life being dead in Sin and Unbelief and the Gift of God is eternal Life begun in Remission of Sins and Faith in Christ's Blood which God gives freely unto those that are altogether uncapable to perform any Conditions for it he gives these Gifts to unbelieving rebellious ones And if Unbelief should hinder these Gifts of God's Grace there 's none could be saved And as Unbelief doth not hinder Fundamental Covenant Right which they have by Christ's Imputation so it hinders not God's Application when he will work for then nothing shall hinder You seem also to hint as if some Sins were more venial than others and some more consistent with your Moral Conditions of the Covenant of Imperfection and know that no culpable Cause shall hinder the Forgiveness of those for whom Christ died Neonom The Gospel-Promise being the way which Christ appoints to dispense saving Benefits to Believers must have the same Rules with the Covenant of Grace Antinom Yea for the Covenant of Promise and the Covenant of Grace are the same and saving Benefits are dispensed only by way of Gift which is performance of the Promise and no other way Neonom The Gospel is his Testament and a Covenant cannot be a Disposition contrary to this Gospel Antinom The Covenant of Grace is a Testament because confirmed by the Death of Christ and there 's no adding to it if it were but a Man's Testament and last Will as the Apostle saith and therefore there 's no bringing in any after-terms or conditions of it And the Gospel is a Declaration of this Promise and Seal and addeth no further Terms Neonom This Promise tells us 1. That there is a Promise of the first Grant made to Christ for the Elect and by vertue of that Promise the Elect do consent to the Covenant Antinom Promise and Grant are in a manner one and this made to Christ for the Elect it's better to the Elect in Christ but that will do for the present and by vertue of that Promise the Elect do consent I suppose you mean the first Consent which you will sometimes have the Condition of their receiving benefit by the Promise I hope it 's this a great Benefit and absolute Gift of the Promise and of this then there 's no Condition but Christ by your own Consession Neonom 2. That Gospel or Covenant is the means whereby that Faith is wrought Antinom Very good then the Covenant is the condition of Faith and not Faith of the Covenant Neonom This Gospel commands and by the Power of the Spirit works that Faith in order to saving Benefits which Benefits it promiseth to such as do believe and no other D. W. p. 66. Antinom I thought but now you were got above your Covenant of Imperfections but I find you are working down again These Conditions are heavy bulky things they will weigh a Man down do what he can And is Faith wrought only in order to saving Benefits How often shall I tell you it 's one of the principal saving Benefits of any Grace wrought in us And Faith is promised to Unbelievers else they would never have it Neonom This Gospel invests Believers in those saving Benefitt Antinom And it invests Unbelievers in the saving benefit of Faith and therefore the Gospel is the condition of Faith Neonom It secures the perseverance of Believers in the true Faith and the necessary Effects and thereby secures those Benefits as unforfeited Antinom Then they are not under an uncertain Trial all this Life that it is not determined whether they shall be saved or no as you suggested Neonom But Christ never bequeathed or promised in the Gospel a Pardon or Salvation to Vnbelievers Antinom That 's a Riddle Was it not in Christ's Testament to save Sinners to justify the Ungodly Did he not pray for them that should believe Doth not the Gospel tell us He came not to save righteous but to bring Sinners to repentance that he came to seek and to save them that are lost Doth not Christ say He is the Resurrection and the Life and that we are quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins c. The main Tenure of the Gospel If it be as you say there 's none should be saved for if Men are not saved by vertue of the Promise they will never be saved What a miserable Condition are all in if believing and promising Mercy be not bestowed upon
Antinom Very good then sure if the Spirit be an Earnest of Glory it 's an Evidence of Glory for what is a greater Evidence of a state than an Earnest Yea you say it 's also a Witness of our state if it be a Witness it is by a Testimony and if it bear Testimony and such an one as we take to be a Witness to our state it is something to this purpose Christ is thine thy Sins are Forgiven it must witness something that may beget in the Soul a joyful sence of its reconciled state there contrary to you Assurance must come in the immediate objective Revelation of the Spirit by the Spirits speaking in the Promise believed God is thy God Christ is thine thy Sins are taken away or something to this purpose Neither is this absurd to say the Spirit speaks thus ordinarily by a Voice because it is so interpretatively the Lord speaks when he causeth his Word to speak effectually unto the Heart and whatever Truth of God is made efficacious by the Spirit the Spirit speaks by it If any word of Promise become a truely comforting Word the Spirit as Comforter speaks by it you have granted us here in a manner as much as we can desire in this Point excepting an Equivocating Expression viz. as a Worker of Grace and whatever Evasion you have there this I will say that you make the Spirit an Evidence in its Efficiency it self as an Efficient whereas Signs and Marks are but Evidences as Effects And is not the Spirit received in its first sensible Efficiency in and by the Promise a great Evidence Gal. 3.3 2 Pet. 1.3 Neonom Nor whether the Spirit witnesseth by and with the Conscience in the manifestation of our Graces for Assurance Calvin It is a strange thing that you should make such a loud Cry in the World against a Man for Errour when you in a manner say the same thing and the Word of God asserts it so positively that the Spirit is the Comforter and witnesseth with our Spirits that we are his Children and you say as the Worker of Grace i. e. of all Grace and therefore of this Grace and if it works it must be by some Word of Peace that it speaks and is believed and you say it witnesses by and with the Conscience the Conscience speaking in and by the Spirit and how is the Conscience made to speak Peace more than by the sprinkling of the Blood of Christ whereby an Evil Condemning Conscience is taken away what manifestation of Grace works Peace most the manifestation of the Grace of Christ or of our Graces And these must appear to be the Graces of Christ and slow from him or else they are no Graces the Witness of the Spirit and the Intelligible believed Voice of the Spirit particularly applying the Declaration of the Gospel of Peace must be in all and is the most settled ground of all comfortable Assurance Neonom Nor whether the Spirit of God may in some Extraordinary Cases give an immediate Testimony by a Voice or some Equivalent Impressions D. W. p. 164. Antinom 1. You grant that sometimes the Spirit may witness by Voice or Equivalent Impressions 2. The Extraordinary Cases you here speak of must be meant of some not so usual in an ordinary way 3. I would know whether then the Spirit is to be believed and how its Voice may be distinguished from the Voice of a False Spirit 4. Whether when you speak of a Voice you mean an Articulate sound or such a still Voice as the Spirit speaks by which is an Impression of Gospel Truth with a particular application to the Soul this as you say is Equivalent to a Voice and it is the Eccho of the Word of Promise in the Heart and this is not an Extraordinary nor unusual way bringing Souls to settled Peace and Comfort Neonom But then there was the Truth of Grace though it was doubted before and nothing utterly inconsistent with true Grace either in the Heart nor then appeareth to the Conscience Antinom So that there is first a Witness from our selves before there 's Witness from the Spirit but how comes it that this Witness from our selves hath not Credit enough with it to be believed For if it hath whence comes doubting Here 's truth of Grace and nothing appears to the contrary and yet the Person doubts Doth any Man doubt of any thing when he apprehends nothing to the contrary And you say there 's the Truth of Grace before the Spirit witnesseth who wrought this truth of Grace do you not say that it witnesseth to our state as a Worker of Grace Neonom I will tell you where the true difference lyes 1. Whether none attain Assurance but by the Inward Voice of the Spirit pronouncing the Actual Forgiveness of Sins without manifesting their true Grace and Sanctification This you affirm and I deny Antinom You should have made the first Question whether any Assurance is attainable till Death because Perseverance is one of your Infallible Marks and all others signifie nothing unless we can take up upon that and that must run out to the last moment before we can 2. We affirm that there can be no Assurance without knowledge that our Sins are Forgiven assign an Assurance without it if you can and your Assurance from marks must come to this if it be Assurance 3. This must be by the Spirits pronouncing of it or no way when you have found all that you can it 's God must speak peace or else it will never be and Peace of Reconciliation however you Banter God's Reconciling the World and the Spirits bringing home the Word of Reconciliation 4. Who ever spake of the Spirits manifesting Forgiveness without manifestation of the whole Grace of God that brings Salvation in Sanctification as well as Justification both comes under the Witness of the Spirit and therefore you are besides the Question and state it not right Neonom The next Question is Whether the usual way of attaining Assurance is by the Conscience upon Tryal discerning and concluding through the help of the Spirit that a Man hath those Graces or Signs which describe a Man Blessed and Pardoned according to the Gospel This I affirm and you deny Antinom 1. That I deny Sanctification to be a sign of Justification is false for that which is an undoubted Effect is a sign of the Cause and an Argument of it to conclude it by 2. It 's not the Question whether it be not the usual way of attaining Assurance de facto such Gospel Preachers as you are still putting them upon this way and telling them there 's no other safe way 3. The Question is whether this be the only way Whether another way ought not to go first Neonom I will now confirm the Truth by some Arguments 1. This is the way that God appoints to attain Assurance 2 Cor. 13.5 2 Pet. 1.10 Antinom This is one way who denies it and a Duty
i. e. believed them so as to be assured of them As for the rest of the Saints you shall find all along that their Triumphant Assurances was by Faith Abraham Rom. 4.20 21. See the various phrases to express his full Assurance of Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he made no dispute or doubt about the Promise the English well express He staggered not at the Promise or through unbelief ver 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 19. He was not weak in Faith but was strong in Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and consulted not with himself secondary Causes or Carnal Reason but was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carried forth with a full gale of Assurance Job 19.25 Job's Assurance was the Assurance of Faith I know my Redeemer liveth c. David under his greatest Tryal of Banishment by his own Son from the House of God Psal 42.10 when Challenged by his Enemies at the highest rate at which he was so disquieted he calls up his Soul to take up Comfort in believing ver 11. and 45.5 Paul Rom. 7. where he tells how low he was brought upon Self-examination as to what he could find in himself ver 18. I know that in me that is in my Flesh there dwells no good thing See how he complains ver 24. O wretched Man that I am c. as much as to say I am wretched in regard of the Evil Sin and Corruption that I find abounding in me but ver 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord there is the Root of his Comfort in the Faith that he had in Jesus Christ tho there was this little small spark of Holiness in him a mind at least to serve the Law of God yet he trusted not to that And you see 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. when he fell into Temptation and Buffeting was it his Duties and Services to Christ and his Churches that supported him No it was an objective manifestation to him received by Faith My Grace is sufficient for thee but you will say his rejoicing was in the Testimony of his Conscience 2 Cor. 1.12 It 's true it was and the Testimony of a good Conscience as to our Hearts and Ways is matter of Rejoicing but this was in Paul without confidence in the Flesh or ascribing any thing to it but by seeing all in Christ and that all flowed down from the Free Grace and Love of God all his Simplicity and Sincerity of Heart was seen by Faith to be Gifts of Grace therefore you see whensoever the Children of God took any Comforts and Rejoicings from the Fruits of the Spirit they made not these as the Fundamental ground of their Assurance but a confirming and additional ground and such as was very uncertain insomuch that at some times they were at a perfect loss for them yet was not without their rooted and grounded Assurances in the darkest Times and under the obscurest Providences Neonom The Conscience is bound to condemn every Man in whom the contrary to these Graces do appear yea where it 's evident they are wholly wanting It 's otherwise a seared Conscience 1 Tim. 4.2 It 's the Candle of the Lord now there can be no Assurance where the Conscience condemns 1 John 3.19 20 21. D. W. p. 166. Antinom There is nothing but the sprinkling of the Blood of Christ applyed by Faith that can take off the Conscience from Condemning and without this all the Works and Duties in the World cannot do it it 's the Law that obligeth the Conscience to condemn and the sence of our Imperfections and Weaknesses and remainder of Corruption may be where there is no condemning Conscience but wherefore is it Not because of what they find in themselves but from what they find in Christ and it 's a harsh Doctrine that you teach from 1 Tim. 4.2 that all that cannot find Works enough in themselves to conclude their state in Christ from and hold it meerly by Faith in Christ and thereby freed from Condemning Consciences have Seared Cauterized Consciences such as the Apostle Prophesies of that should abound in the Antichristian Apostacy and Seduction and you subvert the Doctrine of the Gospel thereby helping to fulfill that Prophecy by what Doctrine the Text will tell you Neonom The Spirit witnesseth with our Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.16 It doth not witness before our Spirits doth witness It is not a separate Testimony from our Spirits but it concurrs with our Spirit as its Instrument our Spirit witnesseth in the Light of the Spirit 1 Cor. 9.1 my Conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost Antinom What is this Argument brought for is this to prove that there 's no Assurance by the Voice of the Spirit And that the only way of Assurance is by Signs and Marks But you have brought in this place of Scripture as many Men retain Councel in their Case they Fee some Councel only that they may not be against them but the Word of God will not be Bribed this place is directly against you The Apostle here tells us the very Comforting Office of the Holy Ghost that it becomes a Spirit of Adoption this is the Spirit of Christ Gal. 4.6 And what is it that it doth it teacheth us to call God Father and how doth it do this A. It 's by witnessing to us our Relation viz. that we are the Sons of God this is that which doth assure us of our Inheritance if Children then Heirs Now I argue that which witnesseth in the Children of God that they are the Children of God insomuch that from thence they can conclude themselves Heirs doth pronounce the Actual Forgiveness of their Siâ—s and is the usual way of Assurance but the Spirit witnesseth in the Children of God that they are the Children of God Ergo there is a pronunciation of Actual Forgiveness by the Voice of the Spirit c. For the Major it 's proved from Gal. 3.26 The Spirit bestows Adoption by Faith in Christ Jesus Ye are all the Children of Gâ—d by Faith in Christ Jesus and ver 29. If ye be Christ's then are you of Abraham's Seed and Heirs according to the Promise you 'll allow the Spirit to witness but not before our Spirit so that you 'll have our Spirits to be before the Spirit the Senior Evidence I deny it for that which causeth our Spirits to give Evidence is not the younger Evidence but the Spirit causeth our Hearts to give Evidence Ergo Now for the Minor that the Spirit causeth our Hearts to give Evidence I prove from your self you say the Spirit concurrs with our Spirit as its Instrument now the Efficient is before the Instrument by which it works and Instrumentum is but Causa Ministrans at most and is res motu facta in that respect is effectum efficientis Now the way of the Spirits witnessing is by bringing to our Spirit an objective Manifestation of Grace in the Promise and causing us by Faith to make
from his first Charge I doubt not but that our Sins were all at once laid on Christ Paul's Sins were on Christ in the heighth of his Rebellion and Persecution and Christ came upon him effectually to convert him as the Fruit thereof even in the midst of his Rebellion He saith the grace of laying sin on Christ is applied to sinners while they are departed from God and is the cause of the gift of Converting-grace plain Instances whereof were Saul and the Jaylor whom the Covenant-grace took hold on in the heighth of their Rebellion But all this reacheth not the Proof of your Charge which you call Error here Neonom But he saith God hath not one Sin to charge upon an Elect Person from the first moment of Conception to the last moment of Life no nor Original Sin is not to be laid upon him the Lord hath laid it on Christ already D. W. p. 171. from D. Cr. p. 364. Antinom You have been harping on this string already I shall only repeat my words as spoken D. Cr. p. 364. I said it is true an elect person not called is never able to know individually of himself that he is such an one that God hath nothing to charge upon him because till calling God gives not unto persons to believe and it 's only believing which evidences to men of things not seen Things that are not seen they are hidden and secret and shall not be known I mean the things of God's love to men shall not be known to particular men till they do believe But considering their real condition in foro Dei the Lord hath not one sin to charge an elect person with from the first moment of his life till the last minute of it there is not so much as original sin the ground is the Lord hath said it on Christ already See Rom. 8 1 Joh. 1.7 Heb. 16.14 Was there by one act the expiation of sin and all at once that were committed from the beginning of the World to the end thereof how comes it to pass that this or that sin should be laid upon elect persons when they were laid upon Christ long before I deny not but according to the sense of the Law and in foro conscientiae they are charged and sin is laid to their charge but I speak of their real standing in the Eye of God's Justice their sins were laid on Christ and carried away by him Neonom He saith It 's a Voice of a lying Spirit in your Hearts that saith that you that are believers have yet Sin wasting your Consciences and lying as a Burden too heavy for you to bear c. D. W. p. 171. from Dr. C. p. 298. Antinom The Voice is not of the true Spirit and therefore must be of the lying Spirit 1. If he lye under Conscience walâ—ing Sin it seems to be a lying Spirit that tells him he is a believer 2. If he be a real believer and sin lye so heavily upon his Conscience it 's a sign that his Faith is very weak that it hath not reached the Blood of Christ to the purifying of his Conscience and that he lyes under the Spirit of Bondage quite contrary to the Spirit of Adoption Neonom He saith Was not David a justified Person and did not he bear his own Sin After several things he answers I must tell you all that David speaks here he speaks from himself and all that David speaks from himself was not truth Antinom Why do you not tell those several things My Answer to the Objection as to the sum of it was this I know this Objection seems unanswerable as in several passages Asaph speaks to that purpose and in that particularly where he saith Hath God forgottâ—n to be gracious Hath he shut up his loving-kindness And will he be gracious no more First I would fain know whether now under the times of the Gospel there be not many tender-hearted religious People that cry out of their own Sins and the weight and burden of their own Sins upon their own Spirits as well as David I must tell you all that David said from himself was not truth And is it truth when a sincere-hearted believer through the power of temptation and infidelity â—alls into despairing Expressions Did Asaph speak well in these Passages to charge God that he had forsaken him for ever David might mistake then that God should charge sin upon him and it may be he might charge sin upon himself without any Warrant or Commission from God to do it And doth not Asaph upon recollecting himself in that Psal 77.10 acknowledge that to be his Infirmity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Sickness or Spiritual Disease that I should think or speak at this rate of God And are you so offended that I say it was Asaph's mistake It was by some mistake that those words were said to be David's when Asaph's Doth not the Spirit of God in Asaph say that it was not only his mistake but sin of infirmity Calv. I think you have given a sufficient Answer to that Allegation of his I pray let 's hasten as much as may be Neonom I must confess I have not much to say against the Answer But he saith Before a believer doth confess his sin he may be as certain of the pardon of it as after confession D. W. p. 172. from Dr. C. p. 213. Antinom Speaking of Christ's free welcom to all comers this Objection among others was spoke to But must not he confess first Dr. C. p 213. and be afflicted in his Soul before he can think he shall be received if he come For answer I said 1. I deny not but acknowledge when a believer sins he must confess his sins and the greatest end and ground of this confession is that which Joshua speaks concerning Achan Josh 7.19 My Son confess thy faults and give glory to God A believer in the confession of sin gives glory to the great God of Heaven and Earth and that must be the glorious end of confession of his sin that God may be owned as the sole and only Saviour Except we do acknowledge Sin we cannot acknowledge Salvation we cannot acknowledge any Vertue in the Works and Sufferings of Christ Christ might have saved his labour and never come into the World all that Christ did couâ—d not be acknowledged to be of worth to us if there had not been sin from which Christ should save us He that doth indeed confess his sin doth indeed confess he had perished if Christ had not died for him nay he confesseth that nothing in the World but Christ could save him 2. I grant that a believer should be sensible of sin i e of the nature of sin But my main design is to shew you that Confession of Sin is not the procuring Cause of the Pardon of Sin A believer i. e. a true believer may certainly conclude even before confession of sin that reconciliation is made
he must have a new justification upon the commitment of some sins which the first did not reach 2. Whether the general Exercise of Faith and Repentance so far as to answer the Gospel-rule be a sufficient Condition for Justification from some Sins and not from all Calvin Well now Gentlemen we have danc'd pretty fairly about this Point with your Whethers let us dance back again or else we shall be giddy and the World turn round with us Neonom My Brains are more setled than so I will lead him another dance yet Mr. Antinomian come dance with me again you know little of my mind yet I will tell you the real differences 1. Whether an elect sinner be at any time a guilty person in God's esteem This you deny and I affirm I have proved it in our Debate 1 3 7 12. D. W. p. 174. Antinom This is not fair you have taken a great leap back to begin with from a Believer to an Elect Person which you say you have proved in former Debates we have answered and therefore need not harp always on one string Neonom Whether the Remains of Sin defile us This I affirm and the Doctor denies against all Protestants who prove it of Original Sin against the Papists Antinom If you understand defilement as to our Justification I say the remains of Sin do not defile us if it be understood in respect of Sanctification you 'l see Gentlemen that I shall assert Sin 's defilement of the best of our Duties so much that it makes them as Dung and yet this Neonomian is so audacious as to say this he affirms and the Doctor denies and that he goes with the Protestants when every ordinary Christian may see that he goes with the Papists in every thing and opposeth me in this point of the Saints defilement by sin Neonom Whether a justified person falling into gross Enormities is defiled thereby and contracts guilt upon himself thereby This the Doctor denies and I do affirm Antinom You have not proved one word that was said of the guilt of a justified person i. e. it 's one thing to contract guilt of Conscience and another thing to be judicially condemned Said you not but just now that God may present to a Christian's view former sins for further humblings where he doth not judicially charge sin a Believer may have guilt then upon his Conscience and not be guilty before God 2. Do you not say a Believer ought not to question his Justification but upon such causes as make him question his state and truth of Faith 3. Where is it that I say any sin doth not defile especially gross Enormities if they need the fresh applications of the Blood of Christ by Faith they do defile and defile Conscience too but the Blood of Christ reaching the Conscience in believing washeth away this guilt and defilement where your humblings and resolves will not Neonom Whether God esteems the repeated Abominations of Believers not to be their own Crimes and they not to be sinners but they are Christ's sins This the Doctor affirms and I deny Antinom Your affirmation and negation is not worth troubling ourselves about were it not to undeceive such as are deluded by you we have told you our minds already sufficiently about that we do affirm That all Sins and Abomination of every Elect Person was laid on Christ by God and accounted his Judicially and that in justification the Justified Person hath not his sins not one from the first moment of his justification imputed unto him before God whatsoever contracted guilt he may have upon his Conscience at any time by reason of relapses is but God's presenting former or present sins to his view for his humbling without judicial charging of him in the Court of Heaven Neonom Whether a justified person upon new Provocations is charged by God and ought to charge himself as guilty and defiled so as in God's appointed way to repent believe and renew his Covenant and be earnest with God for forgiveness This the Doctor denies and I affirm Antinom In part I deny it and in part I do not 1. A justified Person upon new Provocations is not charged by God as under and liable to the condemnation of the Law under Wrath and Curse 2. It 's one thing to confess guilty to the Fact and confess a Man's self under the Sentence the former ought to be but the other ought not A Man that 's a Felon may come to the Bar and confess himself guilty when he hath the Pardon in his Pocket Do we not assert that it 's our duty to confess sin repent c. but these things must flow from Faith fix'd on the pardoning Mercy of God in Christ or else all our Humblings and Resolves what do they signifie Do we not assert Faith and Repentance renewing our Covenant is exerted in God's way and not yours Neonom Whether all Sins past present and to come are actually pardoned at once This you affirm and I deny Antinom Among all these Enquiries about the state of the Question I think you are nearest to it now for now you speak plainest and I shall speak my mind as plainly that all a justified Persons sins are pardoned at once as well those that are to be committed as they that are committed already Neonom Whether God hath required new Exercises of Faith and Repentance for their actual Pardon This you deny and I affirm Antinom He requireth not new Exercises of Faith and Repentance as federal Conditions of actual Pardon it is always in and through and for the sake of Christ at first and afterward and by Faith renewed this Grace is manifested anew unto the Soul and Repentance follows thereupon as a Fruit thereof Pardon renewed to justified ones is but in taking of the present view of their sins as you say that God hath set before them he makes them to hear joy and gladness Psal 5.8 i. e. a repeated manifestation of their Pardon in believing Neonom Whether a Believer ought to be assured of the Forgiveness of his repeated Provocations just when he hath committed them and before he hath humbled himself renewed actings of Faith on Christ repeated his Covenant prayed for Pardon for Christ's sake as after he hath thus done This you affirm and I deny Antinom This that I affirm is That there is the same ground of believing Pardon in Christ to a justified one before his Confessions and Humblings as after 2. That his assurance of Pardon after these Humblings is not grounded upon them but the Promise and his free and full Justification 3. That he is to betake himself to these Humblings in Faith of the Promise of Pardon or else all the rest will leave him as they find him 4. And after you have muddied and confounded the clear Gospel as much as you can you tell us there must be a renewing our actings of Faith in Christ and praying for Pardon for Christ's sake which