not inconsistant with holynesse yet every error doth pro tanto and proportionably retard hinder and prejudge holynes and although the Devill sow his tares among Christs wheat I mean in the same persons al 's well as in the same Church yet who will say that a field of wheat is nothing the worse of the tares for then to what end did the enemy watch an opportunity of that malicious hostile act to sow the tares among the wheat 2. Dangerous and damnable errors can no otherwise consist with true grace then dangerous and damnable sins and this I will hold as a good rule in practicall Divinity that as the want of true piety maks a person if tempted apt to be infected with error so error of judgement if continued in doth not only hinder growing but maks a dangerous decreasing and falling short in true piety or thus the stability of the mind and judgement in the faith of the Gospel and in the true reformed religion and the stability of the heart in grace and true piety stand or fall together floorish or fade away together lodge or 〈◊〉 together live or die together First of all to make good what I assert let it be wel observed that the Scripture finds out the roots of Heresies and errors in the corrupt hearts of men in some raigning unmortified lust an unstable Heart maks an unstable Head and a corrupt affection maks a corrupt Judgement This may appeare in the generall from Gal. 5. 20. where Heresies are reckoned among the works of the flesh Col 2 18. where a superstitious minde is called a fleshly minde 1 Tim 1. 19. where faith is compared to a precious Treasure caried in a ship a good conscience to the ship that caries it the losse of the ship is the losse of the loadning 2 Tim 3. 6. 2 Thes â—… 10. 11 12. Gal. 6. 12. 2 Tim 4. 3. 1 Joh 2. 19. It is therefore a good argument that protestant writers have used against the Popes infallibility The Pope hath been and may be impious prophane sensuall carnall proud covetous Therefore he may dangerously erre in his inditement and decrees Some have derived the originall of all the Popish errors from ambition and avarice or as others from the Cardinalls caps and the Monks bellies The Apostle Iohn reduceth all the cares courses studies endeavours opinions or practises of the Children of this world to one of these three 1 Ioh. 2 16. the lust of the flesh peculiarly so called uncleannesse wantonnesse gluttony drunkennesse The lust of the eyes when the soule is catched with something from without in the world which tempteth such a thing is goodly to the eye it entreth in upon the soul by the senses riches houses lands brave apparell ornaments c. The pride of life so called because where Pride raignes a man will al 's soon quite his life as that thing which his proud Spirit loves he had rather be dead before he get not his pride satisfied so that his pride and his life are all one to him and as it were things convertible You shall find many who have embraced new and erroneous wayes have been led away with the lust of the flesh Rom. 16 18 Philip 3 19. 2 Pâ—…t 2 13 14 18. Numb 25. 1 2 3 1 Kings 11. 1. 4 5. It was the sensuall pleasantnesse of the groves and high places which made the Jews in so much love with them that eâ—…en in the times of Reformation yet the people still sacrificed in the high places The lust of the eyes hath drawn away others from the way of truth and from the true Faith 2 Pet 2. 3. 1 Tim 6. 9 10 Luke 16. 4. Tit 1. 11. 1 Tim 6 5 these count gain to be godlynesse and have mens persons in admiration for advantage They will no longer adhere to the profession of the Truth then they may enjoy the world withall 2 Tim 4 10. Such a one was that Eccebolus who under Constantius seemed to be a precise Christian but afterwards under Iulian the Apostate he fell away and became a Paâ—…an yet after all this turned Christian again under the next Christian Emperour The pride of life hath corrupted the judgement of others and pâ—…rverted them in the way of Religion it was the love of preheminence whiâ—…h perverted Diotrephes 1 â—…o 3. 9. 10. It was pride which made Coreth Dathan and Abiram cry down the Magistracie of Moses and the priesthood of Aaron aâ—…d cry up the whole congregation as holy it was the love of a crown that made Ieroboam set up his Calves and make another A'tar and other priests and erect that independent Church of his which should not go up with their hard cases to the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem Henry the fourth of France who was once a Protestant changed his Religion for the same cause that he might get a Crown So did Iulian the Apostate once a Christian Porphyrius forsook the Christians that he might be the better avenged upon some Christian in Câ—…sarea of Palestina who had done him a wrong yea there is an innate pryd in all men by nature against Jesus Christ Psal. 2. 3. Luke 19. 14. Which pryd must be mortified 2 Cor 10. 5. Secondly there is a reciprocall influence as of the will and affections upon the understanding so of the understanding upon the will and affections the will determines the understanding quo ad exercitium but the understanding determines the will quo ad specificationem actus that is the will applyes the understanding unto or hindereth it from the discerning of good and evill yet the will it selfe hath not light in it selfe but is guided by the light of the understanding wherefore as the raine makes vapoures and the vapoures make raine so a bad understanding makes a bad will and a bad will makes a bad understanding if the eye be single the body is full of light Matth. 6. 22. which makes good what the Schoolmen tells us that bonitas voluntatis dependet à rectâ ratione velut regula the goodnesse of the will depends on right reason as ' its rule See Aquinas qu 2ae quest 19. Art 3. and the Commentators upon that place 'T is to be observed that sometimes the Scripture speaketh of an error of the judgment concerning the faith as a fountaine and cause of ungodlinesse prophannesse Atheisme 2 Tim 2. 16 17 18 19. Gal 5. 4. 2 Epist of Iohn 9. as contrarie wise there is a Light and knowledge which preserveth from sin and ungodlinesse and leadeth the soul in wayes of holynesse and obedience Psal 9. 10. and 119. 33. 34 Iohn 17. 17. If the knowledge of God of his Christ and of his Word and Will and Name and statutes preserve us from sinne and lead us in the wayes of obedience then by the rule of contraries error of judgement in these things will insnare us in sinne and wickednesse for instance an error concerning God whether father Ioh. 15. 21. sonne 1 Cor
well shall be saved as hath been observed he was a follower of Mahomet for Machomet having compyled his Alcoran partly out of the Jewish and partly out of the Christian Tenents and made it an hotch potch out of both that he might conciliâ—…t favour unto it among both hee held that every one who lives well whether Jew or Christian shal be saved he that holds a man may be saved what ever he beleeve may with as much truth hold that a man may be saved what ever he doe or howevâ—…r helive Thirdly it stoppeth the mouthes of Hereticks and Sectaries who call themselves the godly party Arrius Photinus Socinus Arminius and generally the chief Heresiarches which ever rose up in the Church have been cryed up by their followers for men of extraordinary piety as well as parts all are not sheep that comes in sheeps cloathing a false Prophet is a wolfe in sheeps cloathing Math. 7. 15. but it is added ye shall know them by their fruits mark by their fruits not by their green leaves nor faire flourishes let them pretend what they will we must beleeve the word of the Lord that one of the marks of those who are approved is to hold fast Gospell truths against Heresies 1 Cor. 11. 19. and by the rules of contraries those infected with Heresie are made manifest not to be approved If that which I have formerly asserted and cleared from Scripture be a truth as most certainly it is then it is no truth but a most dangerous and grace-destroying doctrine which some hold 1. viz. That it is to be much questioned whether any opinions or Heresies as they are called be absolutly inconsistent with beleeving in Jesus Christ and so damnable that is accompanied with eternall damnation but only that which is formerlie contradictorie to such a beleeving This writer who is one of the fomenters of the Scepticisme of this time makes much question whether any error or Heresie be damnable which doth not formally contradict this proposition that whosoever beleeves in Jesus Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life but I have shewed elsewhere that Heresies denying the God-head of Jesus Christ are accompanied with damnation and no marvell for whosoever beleeveth in Christ and yet beleeveth not him to be eternall God doth but believe in a creature and no creature can redeem us from hell nor satisfie infinite justice so are the Heresies concerning justification which hold that something besides Christs righteousnesse whither our faith or works is imputed to us to justification damnable if continued in Gal. 5. 4. that if by damnable Heresies we mean such errours as are of dangerous consequence and in this respect justly and deeply condemnable or censurable by men many who hold and publicklie maintaine damnable Heresies in this sense may have yea and some as farre as men are able to discerne de facto have true grace and goodnesse If he mean that such have true grace and goodnesse in that sense as David during the time of his continuing in the sinne of adultery or Peter during the time of his denying Christ had true grace and goodnesse that is that such doe not totally fall away from true grace but have the seed of God abidiâ—…g in them then hee pleadeth no better then as if one should say the sin of adultery the sin of denying of Christ are not damnable sinnes at least not inconsistent with true grace and goodnesse but if he will yeeld that errours of dangerous consequence which are justly and deeply condemnable are inconsistent with true grace and goodnesse in the same sense as grosse sinnes are inconsistent therewith that is that grosse and condemnable errors are inconsistent with the soules growing thriving prospering flourishing yea with any lively acting and putting foorth of true grace yea that grosse errors doe greatly and dangerously impare abate diminish weaken wound hurt and blast true grace and goodnesse and doe extremly grieve and in a great measure quench the spirit of grace Then he must also grant that to bear with or wink at grosse erâ—…ors is to bear with or wink at such things as are extremly prejudiciall obstructive and impeditive to true grace and goodnes 4. It is but an ignorant mistake and a dangerous soul deceaving presumption for a prophane loose-liver or for a close immortified and rotten hearted hypocrite to thinke or promise that he will stand fast in the faith and hold fast the truth without wavering Whosoever maketh ship wracke of a good conscience cannot but make shipwracke of faith too Hee that is overcome of a sinne may be overcome of an error too when he is tempted in that which is the idol of his heart Therefore let him who would have light from Christ awake from his sinnes Eph. 5. 14. Hee that hath not pious affections and thinkes his orthodoxe judgement will make him stedfast in the faith is as great a fool as he that thinkes to ride without a horse or a Captain that thinks to fight the enemy without souldiers or a Mariner that thinks to make out his voyage when his ship wants sailes 5. They that would have Church censures put forth only upon Hereticks Apostats or such as are unsound in the faith but not upon prophane livers in the Church which was the error of Erastus and before him of the Princes and States of Germany in the 100. Grievances the Originall of which error so farre as I can finde was from the darknesse of Popery for there was an opinion that the Pope might be deposed for Heresie but not for a scandalous life which opinion Aeneus Sylvius deâ—…gest is concilii Basil lib 1. confuteth they also upon the other hand that would have the censure of excommunication put forth upon loose and scandalous livers within the Church but not for those things which the reformed Churches call Heresies So Grotius annot on Luke 6. 22. and diverse Arminians diverse also of the Sectaries in England These I say both of the one and of the other opinion do but separat those things which ought not cannot be separated 6. There is cause to set a part dayes of fasting and prayers when Heresies and errors abound as well as when prophannesse and grosse wickednesse aboundeth in the lives of people Christ doth in five of his Epistles to the Churches of Asia to Ephesus Smyrna Pergamos Thyatyra Philadelphia take notice of false Teachers Sects and erroneous Doctrines commending the zeal in Ephesus against them blaming those in Pergamos and Thyatira for tollerating such amongst them incouraging those in Smyrna and Philadelphia by expressing his displeasure against those Sects No mention of loose and scandalous livers distinguished from the Sects in those Churches Either there were such scandalous livers in those Churches at that time or not If there were then observe Christ mentions not them but the false Teachers and Sectaries for although both are condemnable yet he takes speciall notice of scandals in Doctrine and
the Sonne of God shall not perish but have life everlasting But I beleeve on the Sonne of God Therefore c. Whoever judge themselves shall not be judged of the Lord. But I judge my self Therefore c. Whoever loveth the Brethren hath passed from death to life But I love the Brethren Therefore c. In these or the like proofes 't is the Spirit of grace which gives us the right understanding and firme beliefe of the proposition As for the assumption which hath in it the evidence of graces 't is made good by a twofold testimony the testimony of our consciences 2 Cor 1. 12. 1 Iohn 3 19. 20 21. and the testimonie of the Spirit it selfe bearing witnesse together with our consciences And although both propositions be made good yet we are so slow of heart to beleeve that we cannot without the speciall help of the Comforter the holy Ghost freely boldly joyfully and with a firme perswasion inferre the conclusion as a most certain truth So that in the businesse of assurance and full perswasion the evidence of graces and the testimony of the Spirit are two concurrent couses or helps both of them necessary without the evidence of graces 't is not a safe nor a well grounded assurance without the testimony of the Spirit t is not a plerophory or full assurance There were two evidences of purchase in use among the Jewes one sealed another open Ier 32. 11. Which custome Hierome saith was continued till his time The evidence of the Spirit is like that which was sealed the evidence of markes like that which was open Therefore let no man divide the things which God hath joyned together See them joyned in three Texts of Scripture Rom 8. 16. neither our spirit alone nor the spirit of the Lord alone beareth witnesse that we are the Children of God but both these together beare witnesse of this thing The spirit it self beareth witnesse with our spirit 1 Cor 2. 10. 12. we read that the spirit revealeth unto us and makes us to know the things which are freâ—…ly given to us of God But withall vers 13. there is a comparing spirituall things with spirituall and so among other things compared together there is a comparing of spirituall markes with a spirituall state of spirituall fruit with a spirituall tree c. 1 Iohn 5. 6. the spirits witnessing is joyned with the witnessing of the water and blood that is with the evidence of grace the evidence of justification and a pacified conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ and purged from the guilt of sinne also the evidence of sanctification and a pure conscience purged from the inherent filth and staine of corruption the former of these is the testimony of the blood the latter is the testimony of the water and both these not enough as to the point of assurance without the testimony of the spirit nor it enough without them In the next place let us take a tryall of this way of assurance so far as concerneth the evidence of graces so much opposed by the Antinomians Let us take that notable evidence 1 Iohn 3. 14. And now heare the Antinomian Objections against this assurance from the evidence of love to the Brethren 'T is objected that a soule must be exceedingly puzled with this marke of love to the brethren before it can clear the case that it belongs to Christ for if you will try your selfe by this marke you must know first what it is to love the brethren secondly that they are the brethren whom you love The nature of love is described 1 Cor 13. 4 5 6 7. Charity or love suffereth long and is kinde Charity envieth not Charity vaunteth not it selfe is not puffed up doeth not behave it selfe unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evill rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth beareth all things beleeveth all things hopeth all things endureth all things Come now and bring your hearts to these particulars in your examination Is there no envying in mee at all towards the Brethren Is there no thinking evill of any of the Brethren Is there no seeking my selfe or my owne good in my love to them Is there a bearing all things for their sakes Is there no being puffed up or vaunting above the brethren Is there no thinking better of my selfe then of them So that a soul must attaine to a mighty high measure of sanctification and victory over a mans self before it can reach to this to say I love the Brethren But suppose you finde all this love in your selves doe you know they are the brethren you love you know the brother-hood consiâ—…s in being united unto Christ that is an invisible thing none can know it but God onely no man can say such a one is a brother And if you say though I am not certaine that he is a Brother yet I love him under the notion of a brother to this it is replyed Take all the Sects in the world they will love their owne Sects as Brethren And after a description of the Antinomians 't is added These are the Brethren do you love these men Oh there are many that goe by signes and markes that cannot endure the Brethren they goe with them under the name of Libertines I have now the objection before me as full and strong as one of the best gifted Antinomians of this age could make it For answer whereunto I will demonstrate these three things 1. That this objection destroyes as much and more their own exposition of this Text in 1 Ioh. 3. 14 That the Antinomian way of removing scruples and doubts of conscience and setling a soule in peace and assurance is a most inextricable Labyrinth and layeth knots faster upon the conscience in stead of loosing them 3. That this way of assurance by the marke of love to the brethren is a sure and safe way and hath no such inextricablenesse in it as is here objected First I say their objection militateth as strongly yea much more strongly against their own interpretation of my Text For the same Antinomian in that same Sermon and others of that way understand the scope of this Text to be for comforting the brethren against the difesteem the world had of them the world hates them vers 13. But we know saith he that we are translated from death to life because we love the â—…rethren that is whatever the world judgeth of us we perceive and know one another by this mark that we love the Brethren In short they say this seemes rather to be a marke how my brother may know me then that by which I should know my self Which interpretation how ill grounded it is and how inconsistent with vers 18 19 20 21. who seeth not Only I now observe that they cast down what themselves build For if I cannot know my self by the inside of love much lesse can my brother know me by the out side of
or strengthning of the Soule in such a Testimony or assurance as it hath setled upon contrary to the Scripture And here is a great difference between these Antinomian principles and ours We hold the assurance or evidence of marks to be privative they yeeld no more but that it is at most cumulative to the evidence of the Spirit of God and of Faith For my part I dare not think otherwise but that person is deluded who thinks himlseffully assured of his interest in Christ by the voice of the Spirit of the Lord and by the evidence of Faith when in the mean time his Conscience cannot beare him witnesse of the least mark of true grace or Sanctification in him And I must needs hold that whatsoever voice in man speaking peace to him is antecedaneus unto and separated or disjoyned from all or any evidence of the marks of true although very imperfect Sanctification is not the voice of the Spirit of the Lord neither speaketh according but contrary to the written Word of God I heartily yeeld that the Spirit of the Lord is a Spirit of Revelation and it is by the Spirit of God that we know the things which are freely given us of God so that without the Comforter the Holy Ghost himself bearing witnesse with our Spirit all our marks cannot give us a plerophory or comfortable assurance But this I say that which we have seen described by the Antinomians as the Testimony of the Spirit of the Lord is a very unsafe and unsure evidence and speaks beside yea contrary to the written Word The Word speaks no peace to the wicked to the ungodly to hypocrits to morall Christians to the presumptuous to the self confident to the unmortified carnall professours to temporary believers Christ and his benefits are indeed offered and held foorth unto all that are in the Church and all cal'd upon to come unto Christ that they may have life in him and whoever cometh shall not be cast out this is certain but yet the Word speaks no peace nor assurance save to the humble and contrite to those that tremble at his word to those that are convinced of sin to those that do not regard iniquity in their hearts but hate sin with sincere hatred to those that believe on the Son of God that love the Brethren c. Now therefore the Spirit of the Lord which speaks not to the soul but according to the word of grace as is confessed doth not speak comfort or assurance to any others but these only And if a man would know certainly whether the voice or Testimony which speaks to his Spirit be a delusion or not he must to the Law and to the Testimony and search whether it speak according to this Word T is granted to us that if the voice which speaks peace in man be not according to the written word of God it is not the Spirit of the Lord. But withall t is cautiously declined by these men that the voice which speaks in the soul be tryed by the written word They tell us it is not the Word that maks us believe the Spirit But it is the Spirit that makes us give credit to the Word That it is only the Spirit of God that can truely satisfie the spirit of a man that it is his own testimony and not the spirit of Delusion That as in all Arts and Sciences there are some Principles beyond which there must be no inquiry so also in divine things Is there any thing in the world of better credit or that may rather be believed with men then the Spirit himself Nay can any believe but by this Spirit If not then nothing else is able satisfyingly to bear witnesse to the Spirit but it self This is as if we should receive the Testimony of the Spirit upon the credit of some other thing Whereunto I answer first T is to be remembred The question is not whether the Word of the Lord can satisfie or pacifie a sinners conscience without the Spirit for we say plainly that as the best marks of grace so the richest and sweetest promises and comforts of the word cannot make the soule sit down satisfied till the spirit of the Lord himself speak peace and comfort within us Whence it was that after Nathan had said to David in the name of the Lord The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not die yet even then David prayed Make me to hear joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit Psal. 51 8 12. with 2 Sam. 12 13 But t is another thing which is here in question for clearing whereof observe that the efficient cause or revealing evidence which maks us believe and be assured is one thing The objectum fomale fidei or that for which we believe and are assured is another thing In humane sciences a Teacher is necessary to a young Student yet the Student doth not believe the conclusions because his Teacher teacheth him so but because these conclusions follow necessarily from the known and received principles of the Sciences and although he had never understood either the principles or the conclusions without the help of a Teacher yet he were an ill scholler who cannot give an accompt of his knowledge from demonstration but only from this that he was taught so In seeking a legall assurance or security we consult our Lawyers who peradventure will give us light aud knowledge of that which we little imagined yet a man cannot build a wel grounded assurance nor be secure because of the Testimony of Lawyers but because of the deeds themselves Charters Contracts or the like So we cannot be assured of our interest in Christ without the work of the holy Ghost and his revealing evidence in our hearts yet the ground and reason of our assurance or that for which we are assured is not his act of revealing but the truth of the thing it self which he doth reveal unto us from the word of God Secondly this is not to receive the Testimony of the Spirit upon the credit of some other thing for the Spirit that speaketh in the Word is not another thing from the Spirit that speaketh in our hearts and saith we are the Children of God when we receive the Testimony or evidence in our hearts upon the credit of the Word we receive it upon the Holy Ghosts own credit comparing spirituall things with spirituall as the Apostle saith The holy Scripture is called a more sure word then that voice of God which came from heaven concerning his welbeloved Sonne 2 Pet. 1. 17 18 19. and so by parity of Reason if not a fortiori the written word of God is surer then any voice which can speak in the soule of a man and an inward Testimony may sooner deceive us then the written word can which being so we may and ought to try the voice
which speaks in the soule by the voice of the Lord which speaks in the Scripture If it agree not then we have not losed but have made a right discovery and found out a depth of Sathan and so gained by the tryall If it do agree so likewise we are gainers being confirmed in the assurance not upon the Testimony of another but upon the surest and best known Testimony of the holy Ghost himself Thirdly if these things be not admitted and if the Antinomian argument which now I speak to stand good then it shall be easie for any deluded person to repell the most searching convictions which can be offered to him from Scripture for he shal still think with himself though unhumbled and unregenerat it is the voice of the spirit of the Lord which speaks peace to my soule and this voice I know is according to the word because I am assured by the same spirit that it is indeed according to the Word and other evidence I will not look after because I am to receive the Testimony of the Spirit upon his own credit and not upon the credit of some other thing The voice of the spirit which speaks in my soul is that beyond which there must be no inquiry I ask now how shall the Antinomians convince such a one from Scriptur Nay how can they choose but according to their principles confirme him in his delusory imaginary assurance Fourthly the very same Antinomian Author who speaks of the Testimony of the spirit of God in the soul as that beyond which there must be no inquirie and which puts an end to all objections even he himself doth by and by tell us of aliquid ultra and puts the soul upon a further inquiry which as I said before shal either resolve into our way of assurance by marks or otherwise leave the soul overclouded more in the dark then at the beginning And so I come to his secōd evidence which he cals the receiving evidēce Though the spirit of the Lord saith he doe reveal the minde of the Lord to men yet they are not fully resolved concerning this mind of the Lord to their own spirits till by Faith they do receive it Now till men do receive this Testimony and believe it they are never resolved but when men do receive it and believe it that it is a true Testimony then they sit down satisfied Again Faith is an evidence as it doth take possession of that which the spirit of the Lord reveals and manifests and gives to a person The spirit indeed makes the title good but faith maks good the entry and possession and so clears the title to us though good in it self before Is there a voice behind thee or within thee saying particularly to thee in thy self thy sins are forgiven thee Doest thou see this voice agree with the word of Grace If thou doest receive the Testimony of the Spirit according to that word If thou doest indeed receive it here is thy evidence Thereafter he moves this objection But you will say if there be not fruits of faith following that faith is a dead faith and therefore there must be something to evidence with it For answer whereunto first he rejects this as a great indignity to Faith If faith be not able of it self to give Testimony or must not be credited when it doth give Testimony except something will come and testifie for it to give credit unto it Next he answereth thus that which hath the whole essence of faith is not a dead but a living faith Now the whole essence of faith is nothing else but the Eccho of the heart answering the foregoing voice of the spirit and word of Grace thy sins are forgiven thee saith the spirit and word of Grace my sins are forgiven me saith Faith If therefore the Eccho to the voice of Spirit and word of Grace be the essence nay be the whole essence of believing this is certain where there is receiving or beleiving there cannot be a dead faith Now behold him at a losse all resolves into this issue no assurance by the Testimony of the spirit and word of grace unlesse this testimony be received by faith no entry and possession no clearing of the title to the soule no resolution or satisfaction to the conscience till it beleive But then while the soule examines it self whether it have a true lively faith or only a dead faith he dare not admit the tryall of faith by the fruits of it as if it were an indignity to the tree to be knowen by the fruit or to the fire to be knowen by the heat Faith purifieth the h◅art saith the Scripture Faith workes by love Faith shewes it self by works This Antinomian durst not adventure upon this tryall by the Scripture markes of faith yea to avoid this he runnes into a great and dangerous errour that the whole essence of faith is nothing else but the Eccho of the heart answering the voice of the spirit and saying my sinnes are forgiven me as if there were no faith where there is no assurance of the forgivenesse of sinnes and as if faith were quite lost as often and as long as the soule cannot say with assurance my sinnes are forgiven me Again may there not bee a false Eccho in the heart may not a temporary beleever who receaves the word of grace with joy say within himself my sinnes are forgiven me Where is the clearing of the conscience now Is it in that last word where there is receaving or beleeving there cannot be a dead faith But how shall I know that there is indeed a receving and beleving The essence of faith is the receaving of Christ in the word of grace and a ◅esting upon him for righteousnesse and life Now another Antinomian tells us that to receave Christ and his benefites truely doth necessarily include in it these foure particular points 1 To know our lost state by the least sinne our misery without Christ and what need we have of him 2. To see the excellency and worth of Christ and his benefites 3. A taking and having of Christ and his benefites to ones owne self in particular 4. To be filled with great joy and thankfull zeal If these things be so then I am sure many doe imagine they have receaved Christ and his benefites by faith who have not truely and really receaved him so that the soul searching it self in this point whether have I any more then a dead faith or a counterfeit faith dare not acquiesce nor sit down satisfied with that resolution where there is receaving or beleeving there cannot be a dead faith For the soule must still enquire whether is my receaving or beleeving true reall sound lively and such as cannot agree to a dead faith The same Author whom I last cited where he putteth a difference between a counterfeit faith and a true faith he saith that the counterfeit faith neither reneweth nor
be proved by such marks as have no imperfection in them If the marks be true then is the grace true and that is enough to the point which I now assert But as the grace is not perfect no more are the marks of it perfect And as there is no faith here without some unbelief no repentance without some impenitency no watchfulnesse without some security no contrition without some hardnesse no self-denyall without some self-seeking So no love to the Brethren without some want of Love to the Brethren no marks of true Love without some imperfection and falling short and no marvell because no spirit without flesh no grace without corruption Feelest thou then those contrary corruptions those roots of bitternesse in thy heart if thou warrest against them through the strength of Jesus Christ and endeavourest to have thy love every way such as hath been described then God looks upon thee and would have thee to look upon thy selfe as a lover of the Brethren As long as thou art in this world thou shalt have cause to walk humbly with thy God because of the great imperfection of all thy graces and of thy love to the Brethren among the rest and still thou shall have flesh and corruption to war against all the powers parts acts of thy inward man Let there be but a reciprocall warring of the spirit against the flesh Gal. 5. 17 so shall thou passe in Christs account for a spiritual not for a carnall person Neither do I say that thou must alwayes finde a perpetuall conflict or battell between the flesh and the spirit or otherwise no ground of assurance The Apostle speaks of warring not of conflicting or fighting there is alwaies belluÌ„ though not alwaies praeliuÌ„ between the flesh the spirit The new man dare not make peace with the old man nay nor agree to a cessation of Armes with him dare not allow or approve corruption nor allow the neglect of means and endeavours Yet the new man is sometimes taken napping and sleeping sometime assaulted and spoiled and bound hand and foot he may be carried away as a poor prisoner but Christ will again relieve his own prisoner and set him in a fresh military posture against Sathan and sin I hope I have now so far scattered those mists clouds cast by Antinomians and so farre extricated a poore soul out of those doubtings into which they would drive it as that a Beleever may knowingly and confidently say I love the Brethren sincerly and unfeignedly and hereby I know that I have passed from death to life which is a good and sure argument whether we consult scripture or the experience of Saints CHAP. XXII Of the true reall and safe Grounds of enâ—…uragement to believe in Iesus Christ. OR Vpon what warrants a sinner may adventure to rest and rely upon Christ for Salvation THere are some Divines abroad who condemning Arminianisme and much more Pelagianisme yet have not adhered to the orthodox Doctrine asserted by the most approved Protestants writers and received by the best reformed Churches against the Arminians in the article concerning the death of Christ. These have found out a midle and a singular way of their owne that Christ died for all men conditionally viz if they shall believe in him that he hath redeemed all upon condition of Faith One of their arguments is because otherwise we cannot encourage sinners to believe nor satisfie a troubled conscience nor keep it from desparing Upon the like ground that all may be comforted every man being assured that Christ died for all men and so for himself Mr Moore hath written a tractat of the universalitie of Gods grace and of Christ dying for all men as himself expresseth in the title of his Book T is also one of Mr Saltmaâ—…sh his encouragements which he gives to sinners that Christ died for sinners as sinners as hee speaks whereupon it followeth according to the rule à quatenus ad omne that he died for all sinners Surely this is not the way as is pretended to ease and encourage the troubled and terrified conscience Neither can they by their principles minister solid comfort to a sinner tempted to despair of mércy All the scrupulosity and unsatisfaction of conscience which they object against our Doctrine that Christ died not for all but for the Elect only whom the Father gave him followeth as much yea more as I shall shew afterwards upon their own way First of all when they give comfort and encouragement to sinners upon this ground that Christ hath dyed for all upon condition of faith t is to be remembred that conditio nihil ponit in re the generality of men can draw no result from the death of Christ as it is set forth by their Doctrine but that Christ hath by his death made sure this proposition that whoever believes on him shall be saved or that all men shall be saved if all men believe Now a conditionall proposition is true in the connexion of one thing to another if this be that shall be although neither the one nor the other shall ever have an actuall existence If Sathan and wicked men get their will Christ shall have no Church on earth if the Elect fall away from faith and obedience they shall perish If the damned in hell had place and grace to repent and to believe in Christ they should be saved or the like So what solid comfort can the soul have from that conditionall proposition which is all the encouragement they do or dare give from the death of Christ to all men all men shall be saved by Christ if they believe on him Is it not as true and as certain may a sinner think with himself that no man on earth shall be saved if no man on earth believe and for my part if I believe not I shall be damned If all this hang upon the condition of my believing saith the troubled conscience why then hath not Christ merited to mâ—…e and will hee not give me the grace of believing That new Doctrine answereth that Christ hath merited faith and gives the grace of believing not to all but to the Elect only that God hath in his eternall decree inâ—…ended to passe by in the dispensation of his grace the greatest part of mankinde and to keep back from them that grace without which he knowes they cannot believe on Jesus Christ That though Christ meant that all men should have some sort of call to believe on him and should be saved upon condition of their believing yet he had no thought nor intention by his death to procure unto all men that grace without which they cannot believe This doctrine of theirs while it undertaketh to comfort all men and to encourage all to believe it tels them withall upon the matter that all cannot be saved because all cannot believe that God will not give faith and so not salvation either unto millions of sinners What comfort is