love and if I cannot have any solid or safe comfort from this that I love the Brethren how much lesse can this comfort me that others judge me to be a lover of the brethren And how do I know them to be the brethren who judge so of me For by their rule no man can say such a one is a brother so that they do but tye themselves with their own knots and must therefore either quite their sense of the Text and take ours or else hold that this text hath no comfort at all in it which yet is most full of comfort and sweet as the honey and the honey combe But secondly will you see these men falling yet more foully in the ditch they have digged for others While they object so much against a believers examining or assuring his conscience by fruits of sanctification sincerity of heart hatred of sin respect to all the commandements love to the Brethren while they tell us that none of these can be sure evidences to the soule and while they pretend to shew other soule satisfying evidences which can resolve quiet comfort and assure the conscience they do but more and more lead the soule into a labyrinth and make the spirits of men to wander from mountain to hill and to forget their resting place I might here take notice of the six remedies against doubting which one of them offereth as an antidote and preservative against all objections whatsoever yet all the six put together cannot resolve nor clear the conscience in the point of a personall or particular interest in Christ I heare much will the perplexed soule say of the nature of faith of free justification of the things sealed in Baptisme c. But oh I cannot see that I have any interest for my part in these things Not to insist upon these six remedies which are indeed most insufficient as to this point my present work shall be to speak unto those personall and particular evidences of an interest in Christ which are held foorth by their chief writers Do but observe their way and you shall see that either they fall in at last into our way of gracious marks and qualifications or otherwise leave the Conscience much more perplexed and unsatisfied then they found it They tell us of two evidences a revealing evidence and a receiving evidence that by the spirits testimony this by faith The revealing evidence of interest in the priviledges of Christ which will put an end to all objections is the voice of the Spirit of God to a mans own spirit This is the great evidence indeed and the evidence which at last doth determine the question and put an end to all objections Well But doth the Spirit of God give testimony to the soule any otherwise then according to the word of God No saith the same writer by no means for it is most certainly true saith he that every voice in man speaking peace being contrary to the word of grace that voice is not the voice of the spirit of the Lord it is the voice of the spirit of delusion Immediatly he moves this doubt But how shall I know that this voice though it be according to the word of grace is indeed the voice of the spirit of the Lord and be satisfied that it is so He might have moved this doubt which is greater how shall I know that this voice or this testimony doth indeed speak according to the word or whether it speak contrary to the word so be the voice of the spirit of delusion Peradventure he had found it difficult and even impossible to answer this doubt without making use of and having recourse unto the way of signes or marks such as the word holds foorth And this agreeth to that twofold joint witnessing Rom 8. 16. the spirit of God is not simply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a witnesse but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui simul testimonium dicit he bears witness not only to but with our spirit that is with our conscience So that if the witnesse of our Conscience be blank and can testifie nothing of sincerity hatred of sin love to the Brethren or the like then the spirit of God witnesseth no peace nor comfort to that soul and the voice which speaketh peace to a person who hath no gracious mark or qualification in him doth not speak according to the word but contrary to the word and is therefore a spirit of Delusion I shall not contend about the precedence or order between these two Testimonies in the soul so that we hold them together and do not separat them in our assuring or comforting of our hearts before God And here I must take notice of another Passage where he whose principles I now examine saith I do not determine peremptorily that a man cannot by way of evidence receive any comfort from his sanctification which he thus cleareth The spirit of the Lord must first reveal the gracious minde of the Lord to our spirits and give to us Faith to receive that Testimony of the Spirit and to sit down as satisfied with his Testimony before ever any work of Sanctification can possibly give any evidence But when the Testimony of the Spirit of the Lord is received by Faith and the soule sits down satisfied with that Testimony of the Lord then also all the gifts of Gods Spirit do bear witnesse together with the Spirit of the Lord and the Faith of a Believer Surely such a Testimony or voice in the soul as the soul sits down satisfied with before ever any work of sanctification can possibly give any evidence is not an evidence according to the word but contrary to the word and therefore not the revealing evidence of the spirit of God so that in this I must needs dissent from him for he casts the soule upon a most dangerous precipice neither is the danger helped but rather increased by that posteriour evidence or after comfort of sanctification which he speaks of for the soule being before set down satisfied with the Testimony of the spirit of the Lord and Faith receiving that Testimony so he supposeth it cannot now examin whether its sanctification be sound or not sound whether its graces be common or speciall seeming or real It implyes a contradiction if I say that I am assured by the evidence of the spirit of God and by the evidence of Faith that I am in Christ and in Covenant with God and that notwithstanding I sit down satisfied with this assurance yet I am not sure of the soundnesse of my Sanctification Therefore to put the soule upon a looking after the evidence of graces and the comfort of sanctification when the soule is before hand fully assured and satisfied against all objections and doubtings is not onely to lay no weight at all upon these marks of Sanctification in the point of resolving or clearing the Conscience but it is much worse then so it is a confirming
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
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
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
for it then any of us now are or if hee had been in Calvins stead I make no question he had done in this businesse as Calvin did So that we ought to impute it rather to their times and places in which they lived then to the difference of their Spirits that Luthers zeal was wholly spent upon the doctrine of Free grace Calvins zeal did also extendit self to Discipline about which Luther was unwilling to make any busines at all But for further satisfaction to truly tender consciences and that they may not fear we are leading them back again to Egypt I desire that these particular differences between the Prelaticall Conformity and the Presbyteriall uniformity according to the Covenant may be well observed First they did after the Heathenish and Popish maner affectat ceremonies and a Pompous externall splendor and spectability and made the Kingdome of God come with observation We desire to retain only the ancient Apostolicall simplicity and singlenesse and we conceive the fewer ceremonies the better knowing that the minds of people are thereby inveagled and distracted from the spirituall and inward duties 2. Much of the Prelaticall Conformity consisted in such things as were in themselves in their own nature unlawful and contrary to the word Shew us the like in any part of our uniformity then let that thing never more be heard of Uniformity in any thing which is unlawfull is a great aggravation of the sin 3 They conformed to the Papists we to the example of the best reformed Churches which differeth al 's much frâ—…m their way as she that is dressed like other honest women distereth from her that is dressed like a whore 4. The Prelatical conformity was for the most part made up of sacred ceremonies which had been grossely and notoriously abused either to Idolatry or Superstition and therefore being things of no necessary use ought not to have been continued but abolished as the brazen serpent was by Hezekiah But in our uniformity now excepted against I know no such thing and I am confident no man can give instance of any such thing in it as a sacred Religious rite or thing which hath neither from Scripture nor nature any necessary use and hath been notoriously abused to idolatry or superstition if any such thing can be found I shall confesse it ought not to be continued 5. They imposed upon others and practised themselves ceremonies acknowledged by themselves to be in their own nature meerly indifferent but looked upon by many thousands of godly people as unlawfull and contrary to the word to the great scandall and offence of their brethren Our principle is that things indifferent ought not to be practised with the scandall and offence of the godly 6. Their way was destructive to true Christian Liberty both of Conscience and practise compelling the practise and conscience it self by the meer will and authority of the Law-makers Obedite praepositis was the great argument with them to satisfie consciences Sic volo sic jubeo sit pro ratione voluntas We say that no Canons nor constitutions of the Church can bind the conscience nisi per propter verbum Dei i.e. except in so far as they are grounded upon and warrantable by the word of God at least by consequence and by the Generall rules thereof And that Canons concerning things indifferent bind not extra casum scandali contemptus i e. when they may be omitted without giving scandall or shewing any contempt of the Ecclesiasticall authority 7. The Prelaticall ordinances were after the commandements and Doctrines of men as the Apostle speaks Col 2 22. compare Mat 15. 9. But in vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandements of men Where doctrines may fitly expresse the nature of significant mysterious ceremonies such as was the Pharisaicall washing of hands cups tables c. to teach and signifie holines all sacred significant ceremonies of mans devysing we condemne as an addition to the word of God which is forbidden no lesse then a diminution from it Let many of those who object against our uniformity examine whether their own way hath not somewhat in it which is a sacred significant ceremony of humane invention and without the word for instance the anointing of the sick in these dayes when the miracle is ceased the Church Covenant c. For our part except it be a circumstance such as belongeth to the decency and order which ought to appear in all humane societies and actions whether civill or sacred we hold that the Church hath not power to determine or enjoyne any thing belonging to Religion And even of these circumstances we say that although they be so numerous and so various that all circumstances belonging to all times and places could not be particularly determined in Scripture yet the Church ought to order them so and hath no power to order them otherwise then as may best agree with the generall rules of the Word Now setting aside the circumstantials there is not any substantiall part of the uniformity according to the Covenant which is not either expresly grounded upon the word of God or by necessary consequence drawn from it and so no commandement of men but of God Other differences I might adde but these may abundantly suffice to shew that the Prelaticall conformity and the Presbyterian uniformity are no lesse contrary one to another then darknes and light black and white bitter and sweet bad and good And now having thus cleared the true nature and notion of Uniformity that it s altogether another thing from that which its opposers apprehend it to be the work of arguing for it may be the shorter and easier M â— Dell in his discourse against uniformity argueth against it both from nature and from Scripture I confesse if one will transire de genere in genus as he doth its easie to find a disconformity between one thing and another either in the works of Creation or in the things recorded in Scripture But if one will look after uniformity in uno eodem genere in one and the same kind of things which is the uniformity we plead for then both nature Scripture giveth us presidents not against uniformity but for it It is a maxime in naturall Philosophy that motus Coeliest semper uniformis velocitate the Heavens do not move sometime more slowly sometime more swiftly but ever uniformly God himself tels us of the sweet influences of Pleiades of the bands of Orion of the bringing foorth of Mazaroth in his season and of the other ordinances of Heaven which all the power on earth cannot alter nor put out of course Iob 38 31 32 33. of the sea which is shut up within the decreed place within the doors and barres which it cannot passe vers 10 11. And generally all the great works which God doeth there discourse of each of them in its own kinde is uniforme to it self So likewise
they cannot know whether this or that man be a Brother even he himself akes upon him to judge who are the Brethren He makes a description of the Antinomians under fair and plausible expressions and then concludes These are the Brethren do ye love these men It seems if it had been condescended upon that the Antinomians are the Brethren there had been an end of his objection But is not this Popish Donatisticall Pharisaicall to appropriat to themselves the name of the Brethren the godly partie the true Church excluding many thousands of those who are truly godly and dear to Jesus Christ although different in opinion from them And what if one should fancy that the Antinomians are only the Brethren yet how should one know that this or that Antinomian is a Brother Doth not his own objection fall upon him the Brother-hood consists in being united unto Christ that is an invisible thing none can know it but God only no man can say such a one is a Brother So much of the certainty of the Object the Brethren Now to the certainty of the Act which is Love The nature of Love was described out of 1 Cor. 13. 4 5 6 7. Then to fright the soul from examining it self by this mark it was added Is there no envying at all towards the Brethren Is there no thinking evill of any of the Brethren Is there no seeking my self or my own good in my love to them c. Who is the legal Preacher now Here is a racking of the conscience with necessity of egall perfection in our sanctification and Evangelicall graces Do not themselves say that our Iustification is perfect but our Sanctification unperfect why then wil they not suffer the soul to take any comfort from the fruits of Sanctification except they be perfect When Iohn saith hereby we know that we have passed from death to Life because we love the Brethren I ask doth he mean perfect Love which is every way what it ought to be If so then they put a false sense upon the Text for there neither is now nor was then any such Love in the world Doth he mean of true unfeigned sound love although imperfect Then there is no place for their objection For a true Believer hath in himself a true love to the Brethren which Love putteth forth and exerciseth it self in a sincere and conscionable indeavour of all those duties which are reckoned forth 1 Cor 13. as effects or if you will acts of Love This soundnesse and sincerity of Love may be a sure mark to the soule although I confesse without this sincerity the very work and labour of love is no sure mark to the conscience to examine it self by for as the Apostle there teacheth us a man may give all his goods to the poore and yet not have true love O but how shall I know saith the doubting Christian that my love to the Brethren is a true sincere sound love To that I say thou mayest know it by these tokens First if thou lovest the Saints as Saints and because they are Saints not for their excellent Gifts or parts so much as for their Graces not for any relation to thy self so much as for relation to Christ. T is true repentance when we sorrow for sinne as sinne T is true love when we love the Saints as Saints that is for this cause and consideration chiefly because the Image of God appears in them Papists pretend that with one act of adoration they worship Christ and his image But we say with more truth and reason with one affection and one act of love we love both Christ himself and those who bear his Image both God and his Children I mean t is Christ himself whom we love in his Saints Secondly thy love when thou lovest all Saints Col 1. 4. epist to Philemon v. 5. And this followeth necessarily from the first mark For a quatenus ad omne If as Saints then all saints Lovest thou all the saints in general praying for them all Lovest thou all the Saints in particular whom thou knowest that is thou darest not confine or limit this love to those Saints only who are altogether of thy opinion which it appears from the objection before mentioned the Antinomians have dared to do or who have some intimacy of friendship with thee nay nor to these who never wronged thee never strovâ—…with thee who never spake evill of thee but all whom thou hast reason to judge to be saints thou lovest them wishest well to them art ready to do them good according to thy power and if thou be at variance or difference with any of them tho â—… prayest God to make them and thy self of one heart and of one minde and it is an affliction of spirit to thee to be at variance with any that are Christs Canst thou thus clear thy self in thy conscience and darest thou say these things before the searcher of hearts Then is thy love a true Love Thirdly thou art a sincere Lover of the Brethren when thou lovest them in all their different estats and conditions the Poor as well as the Rich them of low degree as well as them of high degree the persecuted as well as the prospering the reproached as well as the commended This is also a necessary consectary upon the first mark For if thou lovest saints as saints the variation or difference of their outward condition will not make thy love towards them to cease Obadiah was a sincere Lover of the Brethren and he gave this good Testimony of it he was a kinde friend to the Prophets of the Lord when they were persecuted by Ahab and Iezabel Foorthly thy Love to the Brethren is true and sincere when it puts forth it self in all thy relations when a man desires to choose a wife that fears God and a woman desires to marie none who is not godly when a Master seeks godly servants and a servant seeks a godly master when a people choose godly Ministers and godly Magistrats godly Commanders and Officers of Armies c. And again Magistrats Commanders Ministers love countenance encourage and strengthen the hands of such under their Charge as are godly when a man if he be to choose a friend to consult with yea if he were but to choose a Lodging where he is a sojourner he desires and seeks after a godly Friend a godly Family c. Fifthly Love is true and sincere when the action of Love is not without the affection of Love 1 Cor. 13. 3. and when the affection of Love is not without the action of Love 1 Iohn 3 17 when love openeth both the heart and the hand both the Bowels and the bosome I do not mean that all or any of these marks can be found in any saint on earth without some mixture of the contrary corruptions for we must not look that an imperfect grace such as love to the Brethren is in this world must needs