doth he think that his saying he exalteth not the Light of nature and that he rejecteth the Socinians and Pelagians will make wise men and acquanted with these controversies think otherwise than that he and his Fraternity are as great enemies to the grace of God and as great exalters of the Light of nature as ever Pelagius or Socinus were Thinks he that his calling the dimme Light of corrupt Nature by and holding it forth to us under the name of Grace or Light or whatever other name he is pleased to name it by will make us think that it is in truth the true Gospel-grace of God and not to be what it is indeed the meer Light of Corrupt Nature Did he never hear how Pelagius to escape the Anathema of a Synod called that which he pleaded for Grace and was he lesse what he was an enemy to the grace of God for all that never one white and so is it with this Man we are confident ere all be done to finde him as great a Pelagian and Socinian and Iesuite in this point as any and I judge it intollerable Eâ—trontedness or shameless Ignorance in him to place the Pelagians Semipelagians Socinians and some Papists one the extreme as to his Opinion as he doth Pag. 54. of his Apology but of this more afterward 16. When he cometh in his Apology to explaine his Thesis Pag. 54. forbearing to speak of the State of Adam before the Fall because forsooth in his judgment these are but curious notions as the Arminians thought before him Apol. Cap. 5. and yet I judge his plaine expressing of his Opinion in this matter would have contributed not a little to our understanding of his meaning as to the Nature and Consequences of the Fall But it is true the full explication of the State of Adam's righteousness thâ—rein and of the Covenant under which he and mans Nature in him stood would have marred all this Mans Pelagian and Socinian designe and have made him and the rest whom he patronizeth too too naked 17. But behold the 〈◊〉 of â—his Impudent man just now he told us that he was neither Pelagian nor Socinian and yet within a few lines he tels us that the death threatned Gen. 2 17. was 〈◊〉 and death or the dissolution of the 〈◊〉 Man which is the same that Pelagian and Socinian both hold that they may the better maintaine that Principal Errour viz. the Non imputation of Adam's sin to Infants which is also a Cardinal point of this Mans Religion That the Pelagians were of this Opinion Augustine tels us Lib. 1. contra posterior Response jul c. 66. saying you will not say that because of sin death passed upon all originally lest you be forced also to confess that sin did passe upon all for you know how iniquous it is to saâ— thâ— punishment passed without the merite And though Pelagius himselfe as the Synod in Palestine did dissimulate herein as Augustin sheweth Lib. 1. uâ—tani Operis contra jul Cap. 65. Lib. 2 C 113. yet julianus and others still maintained that Adam was so created that though he had nor sinned yet he would have died not as punished for sin but by necessity of nature And Orosius Apol. de Arbitrii libertate advers Pelag. Pag. â—37 tels Pelagius that his disciples that had sucked poison out of his brests affirmed that Adam was made mortal and suffered no dammage herein by his transgression See Vossij Hist. pelag Lib. 2. par 2. P. 188.189 That the Socinians maintaine that Man by nature was mortal before the fall is manifest out of their writings See Socin prael Cap. 1. and contra Puccium Cap. 5. Volkel Lib. 3 Cap. 11. and 14. Socin de Servatore part 3 c. 8. Item ad articulos Cutenj The Arminians Apol. c. 4 so express themselves in this matter as not to displease the Socinians This is also the opinion of Anabaptists who deny original sin Hence already appeareth one cause why this man would not speak anything of the state of Adam before the fall for if he had he behoved so to have explained that excellent staâ—e as that it might appear how notwithstanding thereof Adam was obnoxious to death and dissolution which is inconsistent with such a state of full felicity Eccles. 9 4. But the Lord when he came to passe sentence upon Adam according to the commination because of his transgression Gen. 3 19. tels him that his outward man must be dissolved and that he must return unto the ground and unto the dust So the Apostle holdeth forth death or this dissolution of the outward man as a just punishment and as the wages of sin Rom 5 12 21.806 23. 1 Cor. 15 21 56. So doth the Scripture elsewhere Hos. 13 1. Ezech. 18 4. 1 Cor 11 30. Deut. 30 15 19. Ier. 21 8. Psal. 49 14 55 15. Iâ—m 1 15. what else importeth the law for putting of so many sorts of sinners unto death Exod. 21 29 35 2. Levit. 19 20. 20 11. Numb 1 51. 3 10 38. 18 â— 35 30 Levit. 24 21. Deut. 13 5 9. 17 6 7. 21 22. 24 16. Ios. 1 18 2 Chron. 15 13. is not death called the last enemy which must be destroyed Esa. 25 8. Hos. 13 14. 1 Cor. 15 26 59 Yea nature teacheth this truth Rom. 1 32. See further Ier. 31 30. 2 Chron. 25 4. Ezech. 18 20. Amos. 9 10. with many moe 18. what is his reason why natural Death is not here to be understood for says he as to this death he did not die till many yeers afterward But was he not made Obnoxious thereunto by vertue of that Threatning Threatnings properly declare only the dueness of punishment and say that the transgressour is worthy of or deserveth the punishment threatned or is liable and obnoxious thereunto and not alwayes the certanty of the execution as to the event other wise this man must say that by death here is not to be understood the everlasting separation of soul and body from God and the paines and torments of hell for neither was that presently executed upon Adam And then I would faine know what he understandeth by this Death If he sâ—y that this was begun to be executed that same day in testimony whereof he was cast out of paradise that same day So shall I say that the bodily death began to be executed that same day for it was said to him Gen. 3 17. in sorrow shall thou eate of it the ground all the dayes of thy life 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground Will this Man say that Paines Sicknesses and temporal Calamities that attend us from the womb to the grave in one measure or other are not the due fruits of sin Then he shall contradict manifest Scripture Lam. 3 39. 1 Cor. 11 30. Deut 28. Levit. 26. with many moe If he dar not say
that look upon the place that the Apostle to the end he might clear up the way how beleevers partake of the benefites of Christs death maketh a comparison betwixt Adam and Christ and so cleareth up how it is that all Mankinde is become Corrupt and that in and through the first Man Adam from whom this corruption is derived not by Imitation for they cannot imitate it who never heard of it and yet even they partake of this corruption therefore by real Participation of the guilt saying verse 12. as by one man sin entred into the world c. and that in him all sinned and afterward that upon this sin death passed upon all men and reigned even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgressions that is over infants that had not yet committed any actual sin and that judgment was by one to condemnation so that the fruit of this sin was Condemnation or Obnoxiousness to condemnation and that because by this one sin the posterity were made sinners 2. By Death here is meaned every kinde of death Temporal and Eternal and Spiritual for it is a death that reigned over Iâ—fants and is called Condemnation 3. we finde no person old or young that come of this first Adam by ordinary generation here excepted nay Infants are expresly enough included vers 14. 4. So that all the posterity of Adam young and old being in Adam their Natural and Federal Head partake of his sin having sinned in him and of the miseries or just punishment of that sin All this is so clear and manifest both from the very words and expressions of the Apostle and from his scope that who ever speak against this must do violence to the text and weaken the Apostles argueings This same passage did the ancients Augustine and others urge against the Pelagians as is to be seen in Vossij histor Pelag. Pag. 146 147. By this argument That sin which is so described to us by the Apostle that he sayeth is brought death upon all men that men sinned by it and were made sinners even they who could not as yet actually sin that thereby all became guilty of death and of condemnation that sin by imputation is the sin of the whole nature included in Adam and rendereth the whole nature obnoxious to death and to condemnation But the first sin of Adam is decribed to us by the Apostle c. Ergo That sin is the sin of nature because Adam did sustaine the person of all who potentially were in his Ioines and by vertue thereof all are liable to death the punishment thereof Vossius tels us moreover that the Ancients took much notice of Paul's calling Adam a Type and of the particle As and did hence gather that as the Obedience of Christ belongeth to all such as are spiritually begotten not by Imitation but by Imputation so the Disobedience of Adam is conveyed not by Imitation but by Imputation unto all such as corporally come of him They took notice also as he sheweth us of the particle By which did denote the Efficient cause of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom which saith that the posterity did sin in Adam or if it be rendered because or in as much or for which it will shew what is the Adequate cause of death and that it hath also place in Infants 19. Thus we have seen the Argument of the orthodox Church and its ground let us next see what he sâ—ith against it As concerning the words of the Apostle saith he the reason of the condemnation in whom all did sin that is in that seed or by occasion of that seed for no man is said to sin but in his owne person But I pray By what warrand may he foist-in words at his owne pleasure into the tâ—xt Is there the least mention made of seed in all the text Is not this intolerable boldness to deal so with the Scripâ—ures of Truth But if Infants be condemned because they sinned in or by occasion of that seed then that seed was imputed to them Yes he will say but that was when they began to sin in their owne persons No say I that cannot be because the text importeth no such thing yea it saith the contrary viz. that death which is included in the condemnation passed upon all men and reigned even over such as had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression that is had not as yet sinned actually So that his reason is directly against the Apostle and we have further above discovered its untruth He addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aggreeth with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so sheweth how Adam by his sin gave entry to sin into the world and so death by sin entered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. by which viz. occasion or in which viz. death all others did sin i. e. actually in their persons viz. who were capable of sinning of which number Infants are not who are under no Law as was showne and where no Law is there is no transgression as the Apostle sayeth This upon the matter is the same that the old Pelagians said as Vossius sheweth us Hist. Pelag. Pag. 182.183 For they interpreted these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom all have sinned by sinning after example or Imitation and this man by sinning upon that Occasion when they become capable and the Socinians with Episcopius homologate with the Pelagians and have been abundantly answered by the orthodox who shew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of Xenophon Aristophanes Demosthenes and other Greek Authors But For Answere unto this Quaker I would say 1. If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the meaning must be this and so death passed upon all men in which death all men sinned and what sense can this make out May not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agree as well to Man If not let him give us the least colour of reason either from the text or context 2. If Adam by his sin gave entry unto sin into the world this must be meaned of his first sin for the Apostle speaketh alwayes of one sin or of Offence in the singular number that Vers. 18. may be read by one offence And so sin entered not by Imitation nor yet by Occasion for his after sinnes might have laid the way for Imitation and have given Occasion as well as the first Yea more yea only for while the first sin was committed there were none to imitate him and if this had been the Apostles meaning he had spoken of sins in the plural number 3 If this had been the Apostles meaning he had not named One man and One man as a Type a Type of him that was to come for Eva's sin the Devils sin might also have been an Occasion 4. Hence it will follow thaâ— beleevers are made Righteous only upon Occasion of Christs Righteousness
and have â—othing of it Imputed unto them which though this man may account no way absurd yet all Orthoeox Christians will be of another minde 5 He speaks dubiously concerning the Import of these two words and knoweth not whether their meaning be by which occasion or in which death and we have seen that the meaning cannot be by which Occasion And it will further appear from this that Adams sin could be no Occasion to such as never heard of it and our nearest Parents sins should be a greater Occasion and further what could Paul's meâ—tioning an Occasion contribute to his designe 6. Paul asserts that death passed upon all men and giveth this as a ground thereof that all men had sinned but this Man perverteth the Apostles words and meaning and maketâ— the Apostle speak thus death passed upon all men because all men will sin actually when they become capable 7. The Apostle sheweth that death passed upon all men and reigned even over Infants and so supposeth that Infants had sinned otherwayes his argument vers 12. had been of no value for the Instance of Infants who are a great part of Mankinde had destroyed the Apostles reasoning if they bad not been included under all men 8. He is angry at the Orthodox as we sâ—all hear afterward for restricting the particle all or the words all men though it be according to the exigence of the context But here he excludeth a great part of Mankinde contrary to the whole scope and disigne of the Text yea and to the Apostles expresse including of Infants and making use of their Case as a confirmation of his point 9 If he exclude Infants from this sin he must exclude them also from all benefite in Christs Obedience and then where is his Universal Redemption and his Universal Grace whereof he speaketh in the following Theses 10 That Infants are capable of sinning in their Head is as clear as they are capable of dying for the sin of the Head this the Apostle proveth from their death and from death reigneing over them 11. But sayes he Infants are under no Law But the Apostâ—e sayes the contrare viz. that there was both Sin and Law before Moses dayes because death reigned even over Infants and consequently that Infants were under sin and therefore also under a Law for where there is no law there is no transgressiâ—n But this was the Law given to Adam as head of Mankinde which Law all transgressed when Adam transgressed because the whole Nature transgressed it Adam representing all as their Natural Root and by vertue of the Covenant in which he stood And thus we see how this Man perverteth and inverteth the Words and Arguments and Scope and All of the Apostle 12 If death was inflicted on old Persons because of their actual sins wherefore was death inflicted upon Infants Sure the Apostle maketh no distinction of Deaths nor doth he speak of distinct causes of Death but only mentioneth an universal Cause of an universal Effect sin the cause and death the effect and therefore if the effect come upon infants the cause must also come upon them or the Apostle argueth very loosly and he must impute cruelty injustice to his Maker 13. This addition of his to the text viz. who were capable of sinning is the same that Castalio made saying these to wit who in regaird of age could have sinned And in this he was no lesse bold with the text then our Quaker is for as we have seen and the text is clear it is not all these only that die but even such as come not to that age and the Apostle alwayes speaks of death as the wages of sin And when he here sayeth of Infants that they sinned not after the similitude of Adam's transgression he clearly intimateth that they sinned some other way viz. in Adam which also the 19. verse manifestly proveth 20. He taketh notice Next of our argument from Psal. 51 5. behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me where the Psalmist is exaggerating his iniquity before the Lord as all true penitents will do traceth his sin to the very Spring and Fountaine as to him viz. that Original Corruption which he brought into the world with him and shewing that even while he was a forming and warming as the word importeth in the womb this corruption did adhere to him so that the very masse out of which he was framed was corrupt and what greater proof could we desire of the originaâ—ed part of this Original Sin than is here The Ancient Fathers made use of this passage for the same end as Vossius sheweth us Hist. Pelag. Pag. 144.145 And some Jewes such as Aben Ezra Sal. Iarchi expound it of innate Concupiscence Now what saith this Quaker to this He cannot see our Infâ—rence and why so It seemeth to me sayes he that this iniquity and sin is rathâ—r ascribed to the parents than to the Infants for he sayeth in sin did my mother conceive me not my mother conceived me sinning Ans. Is not this a quick observation and worthy of a Quaker But the misery is it quite crosseth Davids designe This man must think that it was a great argument of Davids Sorrow and Repentance to lay iniquity upon his Parents now in all appearance dead but I should look upon this as no argument of a true penitent heart What could his upbraiding of his Father and Mother after this manner contribute to the aggravating of his own sin And that this is David's designe I think this Quaker will not deny if he but look upon the place and read over the Psalm or the first part of it Is not David about the confessing of his owne sin Read the title of the Psalm the preeceeding verse and see Is he not seeking pardon and remission of his own sin Or shall we suppose that he is praying for remission to the dead all Confession of sin to God is in reference to Remission and if David speak here only of his Parents sin he is tacitely seeking Remission If he speak of his Parents sin in begetting and warming him in the womb it must be as including himself at least as shareing thereof and this will prove that David had sin upon him from his very conception And by his answere he would seem to make marriage duties unlawful contrare to 1 Cor. 7 2 3 4 5. Heb. 13 4. He addeth another answere thus Such an interpretation would contradict the Scriptures formerly cited while it maketh infants to he hurt by their immediat parents sin And there is no mention here of Adam Answ. I do not prove hence that David was guilty of his immediat Parents sins but that original contagion doth so cleave to every ordinary Infant unless we could suppose some singular thing in David without all ground that in his very warming in his Mothers womb he is corrupted and albeit David make no mention here of Adam the
thing which we inferre is manifest viz. the originated sin or the corruption of nature which here David calleth Sin And if this Quaker think that this came from another Original than from Adam let him tell us what it is and not joyn in with the Manichees nor make God the Author and cause of sin if he can 21. Another of our Arguments is from that word of Paul's the wages of sin is death And seing infants die they must have sin as a procuring cause That death was and is a Punishment of sin we cleared above and the Apostle asserteth it here so manifestly calling it the Wages and due Desert that it must argue wonderful impudence in any to question it What sayeth this Quaker He granteth that death is a Consequence of the fall but denyeth that hence we can necessarily inferre iniquity to be in all those that are subject to death That is in plaine termes but the mans modesty dar not speak it out to say the Apostle speaketh not truth who ever imagined that wages were no more but a Consequent of the workmans labour If Death be the Wages and Reward and just Punishment of sin it can certanely be inflicted by the Righteous Judge of the world upon none but such as are guilty of sin How oft doth the Apostle speak of death as the just Desert and Punishment of sin Rom. 5 12 death entred by sin death passed on all for all had sinned suppose that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should not signifie in whom as it doth Marc. 2 vers 4. Luk. 5 vers 25.2 Cor. 5 vers 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being several times put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9 10 15 1â— but did only import the Cause as Socinians would have it it would sufficiently confirme this that death is inflicted because of sin so vers 15. through the offence of one many be dead and this is called vers 16. judgmnt to condemnation and vers 17. by one mans offence or by one offence death reigned And vers 21. sin reigned unto death And then againe Chap. 6 23. for the wages of sin is death So likewise 1 Cor. 15 21.22 by man came death for as in Adam all die He addeth as a reason of his denyal that it might appear he did not contradict the Apostle without reason For sath he all the outward creation suffered detriment and ruine in some respect by Adam's fall and yet the herbes and trees c. are not therefore sinners Ans. Is not this a valide reason wherefore to reject death as a punishment of sin Nay seing the vanity under which the world groaneth because of sin is a punishment to all Mankinde to Infants as well as to Adult persons it is hence manifest that all are guilty of sin that is all mankinde who are capable of sin as trees and herbes are not But yet more he addeth to Confront the Apostle and sayeth death is no wages of sin to the saints but is gaine Phil. 1 v. 21. Answ. Why is death called an enemy and the last enemy 1 Cor. 15 v. 26. wâ—at meaneth that that when corruptible hath put on incorruption and mortal hath put on immortality death shall be swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15 vers 54. Because the Lord by grace through Jesus Christ hath taken the sting of death away and made it a passage to glory unto his owne shall we therefore look upon it in it self as no punishment of sin or as not coming into the world because of sin This will tend as much to prove that Adult persons are not sinful as that Infants have no sin and that a womans paines in child birth or a Mans purchaseing his bread with the sweat of his face c. are no punishments of sin Original or Actual because all these Paines Troubles Afflictions c. worke together for good to such as love God Rom. 8 vers 28. And so the Godly have no Punishments Chastisements Visitations Corrections or the like for sin though the Scripture say so in hundereds of places Here this Quaker joineth with Antinomians 22. He mentioneth another argument which as he thinketh fools only make use of which is this If Infants have no sin they must all be saved Well what replyeth he to this argument We will rather saith he admit this supposed absurdity as a Consequent of our doctrine then say that innumerable Infants perish eternally not for their owne but only for Adams fault But though he should not value such Absurdities notwithstanding he therein run wilder than Papists and joine with Anabaptists and some Pelagians Yet me thinks he should take heed of contradicting his owne doctrine for afterward we will heare of his pleading for Christs dying for all Mankinde And sure if that be true he must say that he died also for Infants and yet here he granteth that they will be all saved without Christ for they have no sin they have no need of a Saviour to save them from their sinnes But how can they be all saved seing they have the Seed of sin â—n them and the Spring of all actual sinnes and that seed of sin which in Scripture is called death and the body of death the old man and the old Adam as he himself speaketh Pag. 62 When Paul speaketh of the body of death Rom. 7 24. he looks upon it as that from which Christ must deliver him How will this Quaker reconcile these things The old man must be put off or we cannot enter into glory and if Infants have the old man how can they enter into glory And beside All in glory must sing the song of the Redeemed and praise him that hath redeemed them by his blood Revel 5 9 10. How can Infants do this who have never been washen from their sinnes in the blood of the lamb as never having had sin And Pag. 55. he told us that none of Adam's posterity had any good in them which he had not from whom they descended Adam then being deprived of his Original Righteousness none of his Posterity no not Infants can lay claim to that Righteousness how I pray can Infants go to heaven who want a righteousness The heaven then which they go to must be a heaven wherein dwelleth no Righteousness and what can this be but some new Limbus But to be more plaine with him It is not enough for him to say he may grant such a Consequence from his doctrine for we must have sure Scripture grounds ere we beleeve that all Infants even of Turks and Heathens shall certanely go to heaven The Scripture giveth more ground of hope of those that are within the Covenant I am sure than of those who are without what thinks he of the Infants of Sodom See Iud. vers 7. and of Coreh and his company not to mention the Infants of the old world And why doth the Scripture call the children of such as are without the church 1 Cor. 7 14. unclean
pathes of Truth and Righteousness are revealed 543 15. They say They only exhibite the true spiritual pure and substantial Christian Religion 544 16. They say the forme of their person at death returneth from whence it was taken 546 17. They are as Christ was who thought it no robbery to be equal with God 547 18. Their writings are the voice of the Son of God by which the dead are raised and the Shield of truth c. 548 19. Their trembling and quaking is such as Moses and other Prophets had 553 20. They ascribe as much to their owne writings as to the Scriptures 83 2. Of Humane Learning 1. They inveigh against humane learning 5 2. They speak basely of learned men 8 10 3. They condemne the study of original languages 382 3. Of the Scriptures 1. They speak most basely of the Scriptures 8 11 33 45 46 50 54 57 2. They deny the Scriptures to be the Rule of life 11 54 3. They deny them to be the word of God 51 547 4. They speak jejunly of their necessity excellency and perfection 55 5 They make them at most but a subordinat Rule 58 65 82 6. They have no authority with them without a new Revelation 63 7. They are no Rule to them 67 82 84 8. They call them imperfect 74 80 87 9. They say it is blasphemy to call the letter the word of God 547 10. It is the Devil that contendeth for the Scriptures being the word of God 547 11. Who say the letter is the Rule and Guid are without feeding on the husk 547 12. Who look on the Scripture for a Rule give that to it which belongeth to Christ 547 13. The Scriptures are but inck and paper a writing the old dead letter part of it are words of the Devil they have no light in them 548 14. They are an earthly root a shadow dangerous to feed on 548 1â— They disswade us from reading and studying them 548 16. They say we have Moses and the Prophets within us 548 17. They say Scriptures cannot binde us 549 18. They say we have the Scriptures within us that they were read within before they were read without 548 19. To say that the light in the Scriptures must be guide to the light within is idolatry and evil 549 20. They call them useless to repel temptations 549 21. They wish we were stripped of all Scripture-knowledge 549 22. They call them Traditions of Men darkness and Confusion Nebuchadnezzars Image Putrifaction and Corruption Rotten and deceitful Apostacy the Whores cup the mark of the Beast Bastards brought forth of flesh and blood Babylons brats Graven images 549 23. They say To observe the practices of the Saints recorded in Scripture is to make to ourselves a graven image 549 4. Of God 1. They deny the distinction betwixt God's will of Command and his will of Good pleasure 159 2. They deny his active Providence about sin 150 3. With them God only worketh a possibility of Salvation 250 4. They say it is injustice in God to require more then he enableth to do 339 344 5. They say God ordained nothing from eternity 11 5. Of the Trinity 1. They deny three distinct persons in the Trinity 10 11 15 6. Of the Holy Ghost 1. They are not clear and distinct concerning the personality of the Holy Ghost 41 7. Of Christ. 1. They deny that Christ is God and Man in one person 11 2. They deny that he is a distinct person from any of his Members 11 3. They say his coming againe is in the Spirit 11 4. They deny his second coming againe 17 5. They are not clear concerning Jesus of Nazareth's being the Son of God 24 6. They acknowledge no Christ but a Christ within them 91 7. They say Christ is as really in every Man as in that flesh that suffered at Jerusalem 92 239 8. Christ is the Election and the elect Seed with them 228 9. They give him only a gradual preference to themselves 238 239 10. They say Christ dwelleth in us by his Seed 238 11. They make him nothing but a meer holy Man 239 12. They say He is in all persons as in the Seed and Light 245 13. They say He is crucified in unbeleevers 246 14. They call the body that Christ had of Mary an outward Body and Temple beside which they say he had a spiritual body 488 15. By this Spiritual body they say he revealed himself to men in all ages and by it men had communion with God and Christ 488 16. When we look to Christ they say we look to a Redeemer afar off 551 17. That which Christ took upon him they say was our garment 551 18. They say the bodily garment was not Christ but that which appeared and dwelt in that body 551 19. A Christ without is but a carnal Christ with them 551 20. By this carnal Christ they say there is no salvation 551 21. They say we feed on a thing dead long ago 550 8. Of Adam 1. They say the Covenant wherein Adam stood was the Covenant of Grace 11 16 2. They say the Law written in Adam's heart was not the Moral Law 16 9. Of the Fall 1. They are unclear touching the sin of Adam and the fall 88 2. They say the knowledg of the fall â—s not necessary 89 3. They say Man fell only in a certain respect 89 4. The fall did not take away say they the light within 94 5. They deny bodily death to be a punishment of sin 98 125 126 127 10. Of Original sin 1. They make original sin to be a substance 96 2. They talk enigmatically of the depravation of man by nature 97 100 3. They deny original sin in Infants whether as to imputation of guilt or as to corruption of nature 111 112 113 c. 4. They deny all imputation of sin to Infants till they actually sinne themselves 122 123 5. They say sin is not propagated but cometh by occasion or imitation 124 125 11. Of the State of Nature 1. They deny natural corruption to be sin 120 121 2. They say Natural men can do good by vertue of a Seed in them 100 102 3. They will have our power to good to be measured by the command 221 4. They say that God by grace mollifieth the heart of all men at one time or other so that if they resist not they shall be saved 249 12. Of the Soul 1. They say the soul is a part of God eternal and infinite 90 546 547 2. They say at death it is centred in its own being in God 546 3. They call it a living principle of the Divine Nature 547 4. And the immortal and incorruptible seed of God 547 5. They call it something of the living word which was said to be made flesh 547 6. And that which the Lord from heaven bâ—getteth of his own Substance 547 13. Of Heathens 1. Tâ—ey deny that Heathens have any thing of
he expresseth not in his Thesis and giveth but a short hinte thereof in his Apology of which afterward That Man at first was living and in a good state he insinuateth when he saith that he is now fallen and degenerate but wherein that good and happy condition consisted he explaineth not iâ— may be he forbeareth to do this lest thereby he should discover some secrets of their mystical Theology which either is not fit as yet to be made known or we are not in case to understand improve aright Some may possibly think that he forbeareth to give an Explication of this or to adde his Testimoâ—y to the orthodoxe Truth in this point because the Natural Light that is in every man cannot discover or comprehend it Natures Light I grant will never discover without the Revelation of the word the Time when the Manner how nor the Cause and Occasion upon which this inundation took its original I finde that Mr Hicks in his 3 Dial. Pag. 40 41. getteth no satisfaction as to this from Will. Pen speaking thus in his book Pag 29. Herein theâ— contradicts thy self abusest the Philosophers and blasphemest the light Thou grants the heathens knew there was sin If so how could they be ignorant of sins coming into the world This I say is no way satisfying for though Philosophers did see and could not but see that sin and misery had overflowed all yet by all their Common Light they couâ—d not understand how sin entered into the world and death by sin how Adam as a publick person was under a covenant obligation for himself and posterity and how he did violate that Covenant by transgressing the commandement and thus brought-in sin and misery And that which Will. Pen addeth Ibid. saying If thou meanest a clear and distinct account that Adam and Eva were beguiled by the serpent who tempted them 't is no wayes to the purpose not only helpeth not the matter but discovereth also some further latent designe for who seeth not how necessary the knowledge hereof is unto the right understanding of the fall and of the true cause thereof If this were not so as Mr Hicks well saith why did the sacred Penmen give such a full and distinct account hereof in the Scriptures But it may be they have a Parabolical sense and meaning to put upon that whole matter as it is historically related and upon all the passages of Scripture relating thereunto It is also observable that Will. Pen in the forecited page insinuateth that the knowledge of this is not necessary unto salvation for he saith That which is sufficient to that faith which concerns salvation is to know that God is and that he hath given Mâ—n the knowledge of himself and his will concerning him by some inward law Mr Stâ—lham also showeth in his book against the Quakers Pag. 96 9â— 100. that I Nailer and R. Farnworth deny That Adam was under a Covenant of works and that he stood by the moral law written in his heart and by the observation of the positive branches given him in command acoâ—rding to that law as we mentioned above And if the matter stand thus how can they give us a distinct account of the manner and cause of the fall and degeneration 3. He sayeth that this Death and Degeneration is befallen all the race of mankinde quoad primum Adam seu hominem terrestrem that is or I know not what it is concerning or in respect of the first Adam or earthly man By which words it is manifest that he pointeth out and declareth in what respect it is true that all mankinde is become dead and degenerate to wit in respect of the first Adam or the Earthly man and hereby he seemeth to point out the extent of this fall death and degeneration or rather a restriction and limitation of its extent as if he had said It reacheth all Mankinde only as to the Earthly man or the first Adam But what he meaneth by this first Adam and terrestial man I cannot well tell His manner of expression will not give us ground to think that he meaneth our forefather Adam because of whose transgression this death came upon all his posterity but rather that he meaneth something in every man going with them under this name and this thing what ever it be is the only Subject of this Death and Degeneration and so in opposition to this there must be some thing in man which with them will go under the name of the Secâ—nd Adam and of the heavenly man and this whatever it be is not obnoxious to this death nor is it degenerated and lapsed This to me must be the native import of his words But how we shall come to a right uptaking of his true meaning I wish he had showne us If we consider what other Quakers have said it may be that thereby we shall be able to make some proâ—able conjecture concerning his meaning Mr Hicks Dial. 1. Pag. 16. tels us that Georg Fox a man eminent among the Quakers and accounted by them infallible in his book called the great mystery Pag 6 8 and 100. affirmeth the soul to be part of God and of Gods being And that it is without beginning Pag. 91. and also infinite Pag. 29. And when Will. Pen accuseth Mr Hicks of false dealing in this Mr Hicks Dial. 3. vindicateth himself by citeing Pag. 20. c. George Fox's owne words thus Geâ—rg Fox in his Great mystery Pag. 90. speaks thus is not the soul without beginning coming from God returning unto God againe who hath it in his hand and Christ the power of God the Bishop of the soul which brings it up into God which came out from him hath this a beginning or ending And is not this infinite in it self Againe says he Georg Fox tels us Pag. 2 that Magnus Byne saith the soul is not infinite in it self but it is a creature and R. Baxter saith it is a spiritual substance Whereunto Georg Fox replyeth Consider what a condition these called Ministers are in They say that which is a Spiritual substance is not infinite in it self but a creature That which came out of the Creator and is in the hand of the Creator which brings it up to the Creator againe that is infinite in it self The same Mr Hicks saith further The Quakers are accused for saying there is no Scripture that speaketh of an humane soul and for affirming that the soul is taken up into God Hereunto Georg Fox thus answereth Pag 100. God breathed into the man the breath of life and he â—ecame a living soul and is not this which cometh out from God which is in Gods hand part of God from God and to God againe Which soul Christ the power of God is the Bishop of Is not this of his being Yea Will. Pâ—n in vindication of Georg Fox Pag. 66. as Mr Hicks sheweth Dial. 3. Pag. 22. saith That all that can be concluded from Georg Fox's words
and yet behold the Righteous God cannot be acquite in that which is every way more justifiable though He hath absolute dominion over us and may dispose of us as He will which no man hath over another The truth is this dissatisfaction with God in all his wayes is an argument beyond all deniall of our Rebellious Natural Inbred Corruption and Wickedness of heart what would they not have said that it had been Goodness and Equity both in God if Adam had stood to have made us all partakers of the Benefite thereof and shall it now be against both Goodness Equity if by reason of his Fall we be deprived thereof and be Obnoxious to the evils threatned what unequal dealing is this In fine This is the old câ—ant of the Palagians as Vossius sheweth us Hist. Pelag. Pag. 206. And what Augustine replyed he way see Ibid. Pag. 20â— 13. He addeth a rhapsody of non-sense telling his readers our opinion floweth from our self lâ—ve because we maintaine an absolute decree of election for ourselves and ours and so care not to send all the rest to hell and leave them into inextricable difficulties The reading of whâ—ch might indeeâ— excite any man of Understanding to commiserate this mans case who is thus so transported with paâ—sion as he knoweth not what he is saying only we see that he muâ—t spew out his gall againâ—t the Orthoâ—â—x doctrine of Election before the fit time come but when he cometh to tâ—e right place of speaking to this as we shall see in the next Chapter he dar not meddle with Election but contents himself with Reprobation But what an evident demonstration of Corrupt Self love and Pride against God is in his Pelagian heresie he is blinde that seeth not These Quakers with other Pelagians will not be beholden to the Grace of God but as little as may be and therefore so frame their doctrine that themselves and not the grace of God may have all the praise of their Salvation as we will have occasion frequently to shew ere all be done When he hath deluded himself and other Quakers and made some others beleeve that they have no Original sin to mourne for and thereby hath brought them under the dominion of Satan more than befoâ—e hath he done them any good service Is it good service to poor souls to hoodwinke them that they may post to the pit witâ— a lie in their right hand Woe I say and thrice woe to such as drink-in this mans doctrine and live and die accordingly 14 Thereafter he is better pleased with Papists who allow a limbus to the Infants dying without baptisme than wâ—th us But we must be satisâ—ied that he look more warmly to his old friends the Papists among whom he drank-in no doubt much of that prejudice which now he is pleased to voâ—ite foâ—th as Quaker rather than as a Papist And as to this particular whereupon now we are his opinion will accord better with the Papists than with Ours for Bellarm. will not have concupiscence to be owned as sin Formally but only Originally and Effectively or Terminatively and they say that Adam was created in puris naturalibus which naturals remain whole and intire as yet and will not this Quaker grant all this as to Infants Nay he agreeth well with the Errour of Albert-Pighius who will have no sin propagated to us from Adam and sayeth that there is nothing in us when new borne but what is good and that death cometh not upon Infants because of sin but floweth from the constitution of the body But whether he will say with him that because of Adam's sin all his posterity are banished out of Heaven though not obnoxious to eternall Death I know not It may be he will allow them a limbus or else make them all sure of heaven if he will grant a heaven to any But how come they thither seing they have nothing to do with Christ all thaâ— come to heaven must be beholden to Christ the Redeemer and hold their crown of Him But this Qvakers Religion will teach old persons let be Infants to be little beholden to Christ as we shall heare 15. He is so bold as to tell us next that our opinion is contrary to Scripture Because the Apostle sayeth Rom. 4 15 that where there is no Law there is no transgression and 5 13. but sin is not imputed when there is no Law And he like a man proveth that Infants are under no Law But is the man such a stranger to the common practices among men who forfeite the Children yea Infants yea such as are not borne with their Fathers for great crimes and yet they know that Infants are not obnoxious to their Lawes especially if as yet unborne But our plaine answere is That the Nature of Mankinde was under the Law proposed unto Adam as the Head and when he as the Head and Representative broke that Law the whole nature of Mankinde became guilty and consequently every Infant becometh guilty when they partake of that guilty nature And that thus it was with all the posterity of Adâ—m the Apostle expresly asserts in the last place cited viz. Rom 5 12 13 14. even notwithstanding of this very Oâ—jection which he proleptically bringeth-in there as the cohesâ—on cleareth and we shall evince afterward 16. His last reason is from Ezechiel 18 20. which Socinians also urge and it receiveth a quick dispatch for he himself must loose this doubt if there bâ— any as well as we for he said before that God punisheth the sins of the Fathers on the children when guilty of actual sinnes whereby they homologate their Fathers wickedness And Ezechiel doth plainly and frequently enough make it out â—hat tâ—ese children were as wicked as their fathers if not more and so the Lord might according to this Man 's owne concession visite the iniquities of their Fathers upon them But the scope of the place being clearly this That so little grouâ—d had these people to alleige that they were innocent and that God had no quarrel againâ—t them but for their fathers transgressions so that their fathers did eat thâ— soure â—rapes and their teeth were therefore set on edge though they themselves did eat no soure grape being innâ—câ—nt that on the contrary the Lord tels them by the Prophet that though he should not visite one iniquity of their Fathers upon them as hâ— might do in justice and had one with others but should follow a way with them more suteable to their owne minde viz. only take notice of their own guilt personal yet they could not escape because their owne personal iniquities were so many and so great This I say being the scope of the place it is obvious how impertinent it is for him here to alleidge it And beside let him make of it what he will it cannot reach us for we have told him that this original sin is not the sin of another Person as Adam's after sins were
otherwayes than unclean To whâ—ch words of Iob we may adde the words of Eliphaz Iob 15 14. what is man that he should be clean and he which is borne of a woman that he should be righteous Origens words Hom. 11. super Levit. are considerable Omnis qui ingreditur hunc mundum in quadam contaminatione effici dicitur Propter quod Scriptura dicit Nemo mundus a sorde nec si unius diei suerit vitaejus he meaneth this place of Iob as it is rendered by the 70. Hoc ipso ergo qui in vulva matris est positus qui materiam corporis ab â—rigine paterni seminis sumit in patre in matre contaminatus dici potest Aut nescis quia cum quadragint a dierum factus fuerit puer masculus offertur ad altare ut ibi purificetur tanquam qui pollutus fuerit in ipsa conceptione vel patâ—rni seminis vel uters materni Omnis ergo homo in patre in matre pollutus est 27. An argument for our purpose may be taken also from these words Gen. 5 3. And Adam begat a son in his own likeness after his image compared with vers 1. In the day that God created man in the likeness of God made he him As that Image of God in which Adam was first created did denote that Original Righteousness and Integrity which Adam had so this likeness and image of Adam in which Seth was begotten must denote Adams corrupted state whereof Seth in his very generation was a partaker and this was Original sin which was thus traduced and propagated from Adam to his posterity It is true Cain and Abel both were so also generated but it is thus expresly said of Seth because Abel had no posterity and Cains posterity was excluded from the Covenant Seths was to continue within it and therfore it is said of him that even his posâ—erity might know their true Original and be humble notwithstanding of this privilege As also to shew that no length of time betwixt the fall and this generation of Seth had worne this corruption away 28. The ancient Fathers made use of to this end these words of Christ to Nicodemus Ioh. 3 5.6 Except a man be born of watter and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit And indeed the proof hence deduced is irrefragable for Christ the Amen and faithful witnesse asserts with a double asseveration verily verily that a man and every man no exception made of Infants must be regenerated before he can enter into the Kingdom of God so that his first generation if there be no change will advantage him nothing And the Reason is added for by the first generation he hath a fleshly birth which is corrupt and not meet for the Kingdom of God what is borne of the flesh is flesh and nothing else and this probation annexed sheweth that Christ meanâ—th here even original natural and habitual corruption and this must principally be put from its dominion by Regeneration Beside that the words flesh and Spirit opposed thus to other in Scripture denote Natural Corruption and Grace reforming Rom. 7 14. 8 1 3. c. Gal. 6 vers 16 17. 1 Pet. 2 vers 2. 29. The ancients to this purpose made use of Gen. 17 14. and said the Covenant which these infants did violate who were not circumcised by their Fathers neglect or carelesness was the Covenant made with Adam See Vossii Hist. Pelag. Pag. 143. I shall not urge this place upon that account only seing the Text saith expresly that the uncircumcised man childe was to be cut off because he had broken God's Covenant we see that they were under a Covenant Law in some sense capable of breaking it therefore obnoxious to off cuting Now we heard above this Quaker say that Infants were under no Law therefore obnoxious to no punishment Let him chew his cood upon this place contradict Moses as he did lately contradict Paul They cited also Esai 48 8. Yea thou heardest not Yea thou knewest not yea from that time that thine eare was not opened for I know that thou wouldest deal very treacherously and was called a transgressour from the womb So did they make use of Rom. 7 23. I see another Law in my members and vers 18. for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing As also 1 Cor. 15 22. of which we have already spoken a little And indeed this last place clearly pointeth forth that we are made alive by Christ through his merites conveyed to us by spiritual Regeneration as we died in Adam through his Sin and Corruption made ours by Natural Generation 30. Augustine as the forecited Author sheweth us Pag. 151.152 made much use of the Paines Torments Death which Infants were subject to as an irrefragable argument for Original sin and we have spoken something of it already The Fathers also made use of the initial Sacraments as a confirmation of this But I know this Quaker will regaird little any thing we can say of Baptisme for among the rest of his Errours he must not want this of Antibaptisme of which in due place Pelagius was much puzzled with this perplexing Argument was forced to grant that Baptisme to them was not for remission of sins so made it useless And as for Infants that died before baptisme he knew not what became of them quo non eant scio quo eant nescio and he devised a mid place betwixt hell heaven for them And so made two kinds of felicities one with in the Kingdom of God one without the Kingdom of God And he said that by baptisme they were brought out of the middle state into the highest See for this the forecited Author Pag. 192.193 Thus that man his followers were miserably Entangled But this Quaker I confess taketh a more consequential course but whether more consonant to Truth Piety I doubt when he denyeth all Baptisme But not to speak of Baptisme now for which there is a proper place reserved what will he say of Circumcision He cannot deny but that was an ordinance appointed of God And that it had reference to the body of sin Paul tels us Col. 21 11. And therefore it could not but presuppose sin in the Infants It is called by Paul Rom 4 11. a seal of the righteousness of faith and did point out the circumciseing of the heart Deut. 30 6. 31. The Fathers made much of this Argument That by this opinion of the Pelagians Infants were wholly excluded from any Interest in the Death and Merites of Christ. And how this man will evite this I know not nor know I how he will accord with himself in asserting Universal Redemption as we shall hear But to put a close to this I would only ask this
be the object of an Eternal Ordination When we consider Reprobation in respect of its terminus or thing willed purposed by that act of God we divide it into two parts or say there are two maine things intended purposed presupposing not mentioning what is common both to Election Reprobation as Creation c. as first the denyal of Grace whereby they may be recovered from their state of sin the second is the denyal of Glory or adjudging them to eternal death This last Being for sin a just execution of a righteous sentence is not neither can it be without consideration of sin as the meritorious procuring cause So that to speak properly God doth not damne whom he will Damnation not being an act of meer pleasure but an act of justice conforme to an established Law But the other the denying or not giving of grace is an act of Absolute Freedom Good Pleasure for He hath mercy on whom He will and whom He will he hardeneth Rom. 9 15 18. And as God's granting of grace is an absolute act of his good pleasure free not for any merite or goodness in man as all except Pelagians will confess yea Pelagius himself confessed it at the Synod in Palestine so the Lord 's denying of this gâ—ace and mercy must be Absolute and not Conditional an act of the Lords free will and good pleasure for the praise of his glory there being no fixed Law constitute by God according to which he bestoweth Grace or bestoweth it not and there being no Reason imaginable why the Lord should confâ—rre grace upon Iacob and not upon Esau upon Moses and not upon Pharaoh upon Peter and not upon Iudas beside the good pleasure of God as the Lord did set his love upon the people of Israel because he loved them Deut. 7 6 7. so no cause can be given why he would not have mercy on Pharaoh on Esau on Iudas as well as on others beside his God will and Pleasure who hardeneth whom He will 7. We must therefore in this matter carefully distinguish betwixt Gods Decree and the Things decreed Things decreed may have their Causes and one may depend upon another as on the meritorious procuring cause but the Decree of God is absolute having no dependence upon any thing without being the Absolute and Free act of his Will God may and doth Decree that this shall be because of that and yet because of this he cannot be said to Will that So when the Lord decreeth to damne some persons because of their sins though sin be the procureing meritorious cause of damnation yet it is not the procuring meritorious cause of Gods willing or decreeing to damne Therefore though it be true that God decreeth to save none but such as Beleeve and continue in Faith and Obedience to the end and to damne none but such as are Sinners and Continue in sin to the end yet we must not say that as Faith and Obedience in adult persons do preceed salvation as some way disposeing causes thereunto and as Final Perseverance in sin preceedeth damnation as the meritorious cause thereof so the Foresight of Faith Obedience and Final Perseverance in both preceed election or the decree of God as disposeing causes or prerequisites thereunto and the Foresight of Final Perseverance in sin preceed Reprobation or the decree of God as the meritorious cause thereof for as the purpose of God according to Election is not of works but of him that calleth Rom. 9 11. so the purpose of God according to Reprobation cannot be of works for the children being not yet born neither having done good or evil it was said the Elder shall serve the Younger Rom. 9.11 12. As the potter hath power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour Rom. 9 21. so the Lord willing to shew his wrath to make his power known may endure with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to Destruction and he may make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory Rom. 9 vers 22.23 8. As the Scripture holdeth forth Reprobation as we heard and may be further gathered even as to the name from Ier. 6 30. Heb. 6 8. 2 Tim. 3 8. So it holdeth it forth to us sometimes in Negative termes sometimes in Positive termes Hence some speak of a Negative Reprobation called Preterition or passing by which is a real Positive act in God and not purely Negative as some suppose and of a Positive and Affirmative Reprobation which they call Praedamnation By the Negative Reprobation they understand a Positive eternal act of God whereby according to the counsel of his own will he passed by such as he did not Elect and resolved not to give them saving grace whereby they might be delivered from sin as when Châ—ist saith Math. 7 23. I nâ—ver knew you and Mat. 11 25 26. I thank thee ó Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise Even so father for so it seemed good in thy sight And when mention is made of some in the Revel Chap 13 â— and 20 15. whose names were not written in the Book of Life And when Christ saith Ioh. 10 26. Yee are not of my sheep By the Positive or Affirmative Reprobation they understand the Lord's positive Resolution according to the unsearâ—hable counsel of his owne will whereby he ordaineth such as he hath passed by to dishonour and wrath for their sin Hence such are said to be hated Rom. 9 13. to be vessels of wrath fitted for destruction Rom. 9 21 22. to be appointed unto stumbling at the word c. 1 Pet. 2 8. ordained to condemnation Iud. vers 4. to which also belongeth the Lord's just and judicial smiteing with blindeness giving up to a Reprobaâ— minde and to their owne hearts lusts hardening their hearts and the like Rom 1 24 26 28. 9 18. 11 7. Psal. 81 12. 9. Now as touching that question that this Quaker is most busied with viz. Whether Reprobation be absolute and without all respect had to sin or not the Reader may see by what is said what is to be Answered thereunto The Quaker loving darkness speaks undistinctly either because Ignorant of the true question or out of a malicious Designe to render the Truth us for maintaining it odious or both But we shall endeavoure in a few words to clear the mater If we consider the act of Reprobation as in God of whose will it is an Immanent and Eternal act there can be no more cause of it in man or aâ—y creature than of any other of his decrees which are all one act and so one with Himself Yet this act of Reprobating that is of appointing and designing such or such individual persons to the condemnation of hell for their sinnes can not be said to be as to its
render the Truth we owne odious for neither doth he tell us his owne Judgment concerning this nor would he onâ—e consider what grounds we walk upon or speak one word to the passages of Scripture upon which we ground our Opinion Thought he that his Readers would not be in case to take notice of his fraudulent and unfaithful dealing It is well that he hath written this in latine for the world is no stranger unto the debates betwixt the Orthodox on the one hand and Pelagians Socinians Arminians and Iesuites on the other But we proceed unto the examination of his following Thesis CHAP. VIII Of Universal Redemption 1. Our Quaker having as we heard laid by and taken out of the way so far as he could the Principal and Fundamental discriminating Purpose of God in denying for any thing we could observe all Eternal Electiâ—n and Reprobation and having thereby homologated with Arminians as also with Socinians who run upon Universalities as abhoring all Specialities and Discriminating Acts exclusive of any except what Lord Free will doth and of which this Absolute and Supream Lord is master and disposer and therefore Assert in the first place An Vniversal Love and good will in God to all and every mothers son of the race of Mankinde He proceedeth in showing us how in the rest of their Universalities he is their friend and therefore talketh not only of an Vniversal Ransome Price paid for all Adam's posterity by Christ of which he speaketh next but proceedeth as we shall hear to hold forth an Vniversal Covenant of free grace made with all the sones of Adam though he be pleased to give us it in other termes and an Vniversal Call and Gospel as also Vniversal Grace by which every one may if he will lay hold on the offer and be saved and withall he giveth us a Salvation among Heathens as we shall heare 2. When he rejected Election Reprobation Absolute he made way and laid a good foundation for this other Errour of Vniversal Redemption for these two cannot well be separated however some of late would maintaine this Universal Redemption and withall assert an Election of grace whereby the Lord made choice of so many as pleased him whom he would certainly redeem and bring to glory which I cannot see how they can consonantly and satisfyingly hold unless they can prove out of Scripture two distinct Covenants betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator two distinct and different Ends of Christ's death Two distinct Prices laid down and Two distinct Purchases made if the one could well be called a purchase Two Satisfactions Christ a Cautioner and no-Cautioner a Redeemer and no-Redeemer an absolute Saviour and a Conditional Saviour c. But the Scripture cleareth no such thing to us for any thing I see 3. As concerning the point of Vniversal Redemption we finde various sentiments or various explications of the matter given to us by Adversaries for they do not all agree in their apprehensions of the thing Some explaine the matâ—er thus God sent his only begotten Son to be a Redeemer and Propitiator for Adam and all his Posterity who by his death did pacifie an angry God and restore Mankinde to their lost inheritance so as all who are now condemned are not condemned for their former sins and guilt for Christ hath abundantly satisfied for these but for their Unbeleef for not beleeving in thâ— Redeemer of the world and for rejecting the Reconciliation made the grace of God declared in the word And thus they must say that Christ hath died for all sinnes but Unbeleefe and that salvation doth not certainly follow upon this Reconciliation and so that it is rather a Reconciliableness than a Reconciliation and they must necessarily maintaine that this matter is revealed unto all and every son of Adam who otherwise cannot be guilty of Rejecting this reconciliation other wayes it shall be of no advantage to them unless they say that the want of the Revelation putteth them out of a capacity of being guilty of Unbeleefe and so they must necessarily be saved and thus their condition shall be undoubtedly better than is the condition of such as hear the Gospel and then the revelation of the Gospel shall be no Favour but a Prejudice rather And in reference to this they devise an Universal and Antecedanious Love whereby God out of his Infinite Goodness was inclined to desire the happiness and salvation of every mothers son and therefore to send his Son to die for all as if God had such Natural and Necessary Inclinations and as if all his Love to Mankinde and every appointment of his concerning us were not the free act of his good pleasure and as if there were any such Antecedent and Conditional will in God that could or might have no issue or accomplishment but as Lord Free will would and as if the Love that sent Câ—rist were only such a Poor Conditional Inclination towards all Mankinde which the Scripture holdeth forth as the greatest of Loves and as the ground of all the Effects and Grants which mans full Salvation calleth for But why could not this Love effectuat the good of all Therefore they tell us that Iustice being injured by sin unless it were satisfied that Love of God whereby he wisheth well to all sinners could effectuat nothing as to the recovery of any and upon this ground they imagine Christ was sent to make an Universal Atonement and so Iustice being satisfied might not obstruct the salvation of any whose Free will would consent unto termes of new to be proposed 4. Others hold forth the matter thus Christ according to the eternal Counsel of God did properly die for this end and by his propitiatory sacrifice obtaine that all and every man who beleeve in Him should for his sake actually obtaine Remission of sins and Life Eternal but others in case they would Repent and Beleeve might obtaine it But thus we hear no word of Christs obtaining any thing to any in particular no word of his obtaining Faith and Repantence and what Counsel of God can this be to send Christ to die for persons upon that condition which he knew they would not and could not performe And what by this meanes hath Christs Propitiatory Sacrifice obtained more than a meer possibility of salvation to either one or other Shall we imagine that God designeth good to persons who shall never enjoy it Or that God hath Conditional Intentions and Designes By this means Christs death was designed and no person designed thereby to be saved yea Christ should be designed to die and that for no certain end unless to procure a meer possibility by stopping the mouth of justice that it should not stand in the way but then we can not say that God sent Christ to die for Any man much less for All. 5. Others express the matter thus Christ out of the gracious Decree and Purpose of God did undergoe death that he might procure and
gate it was that he might sanctifie the people with his own bloud 〈◊〉 this is more than a may be Rom. 3 25 26. Why did God set forth Christ to be a propitiation It was to declare his righteousness for the remission of sinnes that are past that he might be just and the justifiâ—r of him that â—eleeveth in Iesus a Certaine Real thing Many moe passages might be added to this purpose but these may suffice to discover the absurd falshood of this Quakers doctrine 17. Adde 6. such passages as mention the Actual Accomplishment and Effect of Christ's death where it will yet more appear that this was no meere May be or Possible thing but that which was to have a certaine Bâ—ing and Reality as to the persons for whom it was designed Such as Heb. 1 3. when he had by himself purged our sinnes Can their sinnes be said to be purged who pine away in hell for ever because of their sinnes could this be true if no man had been saved and yet if it had been a mere possible and may be Redemption it might have come to passe that not one person should have been actually saved So Heb. 9 12. by his owne blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption Is a meer possible Redemption to be called an Eternal Redemption and was that all that Christ obtained Then Christ's blood was more ineffectual in the truth than the type was in its typicalness for the blood of buls and goats and the ashes of an hiefer sprinkling the unclean did not obtaine a possible and may be-sanctification and purifying of the flesh but did actually and really sanctify to the purifying of the flesh vers 13. Againe vers 14. which also confirmeth what is now said how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God So that all such for whom he offeâ—ed himself and shed his blood and none else have their consciences purged from dead works to serve the living God and who dar say that this is common to all or is a meer may be which the Apostle both restricteth and asserteth as a most certaine real thing Againe vers 26. but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself So that he did Actually and Really and not Possibly and Potentially only put away sin the sin viz. of those for whom he was a sacrifice even of them that look for him and to whom he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation vers 28. and sure no man in his wits will say that this is the whole world Gal. 3 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us 24 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith Here are three Ends and Effects of Christ's Redemption mentioned which no Man will say are common to all viz. Redemption from the curse of the Law this was Really not potentially only done by Christ's being made a curse for us the Communication of the blessing of Abraham and the Promise of the Spirit which are ensured to such as are Redeemed from the curse of the lâ—w and to none else So Ephes. 2 13 14 15 16. But now in Christ Iesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ for he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us having abolished in his flesh the enmity the Law of commandements in ordinances for to make to himself of twain one nâ—w man so making peace and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having slaine the enmity thereby To which adde the parallel place Col. 1 21 22. 2 14 15. was all this delivery from Wrath Enmity Law of commandements whatever was against us but a meer Potential thing and a May be common to all in whose power it was to cause it take effect or not as they pleased Esai 53 5. He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed with 1 Cor. 15.3 Christ died for our sinnes 1 Pet. 2 24. who his owne self bear our sinnes in his own body on the tree by whose stripes we are healed How can we then imagine that all this was a meer May be seing he was so bruised for our iniquities so died for our sins so bear our sinnes in his own body as that thereby all in whose room he stood are healed by his stripes The Apostle doth moreover fully clear this matter Rom. 5 6. Christ died for the ungodly was this for all Or was it to have an uncertane End and effect No vers 9. much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him The ungodly and the sinners for whom he died are such as become justified by his blood and shall at length be fully saved from wrath And againe vers 10. for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Upon his death followeth Reconciliation with God and then Salvation and his death is for no more than his life is for By him also they receive an atonement vers 11. As the consequences and effects of Adam's sin did Certainly and not by a May be redownd to all that he represented and engadged for so the fruites and effects of Christ's death do as certainly come unto such as are his as the Apostle cleareth in the following verses laying the advantage on the side of Christ and his vers 15. much more the grace of God and the gift by grace by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded unto many vers 16. but the free gift is of many offences unto justification vers 17. much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reigne in life by one Iesus Christ vers 18. even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life ver 19. so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous vers 21 so might grace reigne through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. Is all this a Common thing and a meer May be or Possibility Ioh. 10 11. he giveth his life for his sheep vers 15. But may they for all that perish No in no wise vers 28. and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish He came that they might have life and might have it more abundantly vers 10. To the same purpose he saith Ioh. 6.33 that he
followeth upon a rejected Mediator and the wo of Bethsaida above the wo of Tyrus Sydon the wo of Capernaum above the wo of the men of Sodom I shall grant his consequence to be good though it be absurd and ridiculous in a general sense His question asking why such as never heard of Christ's death resurrection cannot be saved as well as such as never heard of Adam's first sin can be damned therefore Is no proof And the answere is manifest because all were naturally and foederally in Adam But all are not so in Christ And it hath pleased the Lord to appoint this way of salvation by faith in Christ which cannot be without knowledge of Christ and the Lord hath thought it good to apply the benefites of Christs death by bringing such who are to partake thereof within the bond of the Covenant within the visible Church and under the administrations of the Gospel and so to joyn to the Church such as should be saved Act. 2 47. Therefore the Lord saith Esai 53 11. by his knowledge or by knowledge of him shall my righteous servant justifie many And the predestinated ones are made partakers of the Redemption purchased by Christ according to the riches of God's grace wherein he hath abounded towards them in all wisdom and prudence having made known unto them the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself Ephes. 1 7 8 9. And if the will and good pleasure of God so ordaining maters for the praise of the glory of his grace will not satisfie this Quaker but he will frame a Gospel out of his own braines we cannot helpe it but must tell him we will rather beleeve God and submit to his wise dispensations than embrace the delusions of fantastical Quakers who purpose to overturne the whole Gospel of the grace of God and destroy souls His simile of medicine curing such as know not whereof it is made nor by whom is but a further evidence of his desperat designe to destroy the Gospel for medicine will as well cure such as know nothing of its composition or Author as such as know both And thus he would inferre that the Gospel is not more necessary to the Salvation of souls than the knowledge of the composiâ—ion and Author of a meâ—icament is to its working on humors But alas the silly man knoweth not the way of the Gospels workiâ—g on souls but supposeth it to be in a physical manner as medicine worketh on the humors of the body wherein he declareth his intollerable folly and ignorance beside his desperate designe 7. But he alleidgeth against us the Instance of Infants and deafe persons to very little purpose seing his question is of â—dult persons and of such also as have eares to hear And as for Infants we grant no salvation to such unless they be within the Covenant and born within the visible Church not to all such either that die in infancy but to those only who belong to the election of grace And the same we say of deafe persons And we except both these from the necessity of outwardly hearing the Gospel And every exception destroyeth not the Rule but confirmeth it rather in all cases not excepted His saying that being within the Church and partaking of the Sacraments give no certain title unto Salvation is impertinent for we say not that all such as are within the Church and partake of the Sacraments shall cerâ—ainly be saved but only that there is no salvation without the Church We know that many are members of the Visible Church who are nâ—t members of the Invisible Church But we know likewise that none are members of the Invinsible Church actually who are not members also of the visible Church His question Pag. 115. Why our charity doth not extend to those without the Church to whom the hearing of the Gospel is impossible aâ— well as to such within the Church Receiveth a short answere to wit Because we have no ground and Christian charity must be ruled by the word of God and not by the phancie of a deluded Quaker He multiplieth his Questions instead of probations according to the usual manner of the Quakers for he asketh againe Is not one in China and India as excusable for not knowing that which he never heard as a deaf man To which we answere Yes But we deny that the one may be as well saved as the other being within the Covenant and Church Of Salvation are we here speaking and not of persons being excusable or inexcusable We know that to be true which Paul saith Rom. 2 12. As many as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law And we know that albeit God will not challenge the Indians or men of China who never had any possible opportunity of hearing the Gospel for ignorance and contempt of the same yet they may and will perish being without the saving meanes of grace and if he think otherwayes let him goe preach up the Light within among them and not laboure to blinde our eyes that we maâ— not see the sun with his smoaking snuff 8. He hath another proof from Act. 10 34. But how will he prove that Cornelius conversing so much among the Jewes had no knowledge of the Messias and of salvation through him though he did not as yet know that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah Do we not finde that Peter cleareth up to him that great question and tels him how God anointed Iesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power c. And this Jesus of Nazareth Peter Preached unto him and told him that to Him gave all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins vers 38 43. And by this instance Peter was brought to understand that now under the Gospel administration in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him so that the benefite of Christ the Mediator was not now restricted to one Nation as of old under the Law Peter had yet too much of that national prejudice which the Jewes had against the Gentiles sticking in him and so thought that all except the Jewes were alwayes to remaine as our casts and to have no share or interest in the Gospel blessings and the good things of the Messias but now he is made to understand the matter aright Our Quaker may if he will read Calvin and Beza both upon the place and see his Imagination confuted 9. Next he tels us that Iob was a perfect man c. and enquireth who taught him How did he understand the fall of Adam Out of which Scripture did he draw all that excellent knowledge And then answereth That it was this inward grace that taught him But all this is founded upon a very improbable conjecture to wit That Iob was coaetaneus with Moses and so was without the Church which the Lord erected among the
the effectual operation of the Spirit of grace renewing the whole man and working him up to an union and closeing with Christ conforme to the tenor of the Gospel that thereby he may come to the actual participation of the great and saving benefites which Christ hath purchased by his bloud What can we then judge or say of this state let us imagine it to be in its perfection but that it is a pure state of Nature and as the perfection of this state formerly mentioned can be nothing but corrupt Nature the constant and irreconcileable enemy of the grace of God and of the Gospel in its strongest fort of opposition and resistance to the Gospel-grace of God and in its strongest citadel of security wherein it is freest from the invasions and attacques of the grace of God whence experience hath proven it true that none have been greater enemies to the Gospel-grace of God and furthest from a yeelding thereunto than such as have attained unto the highest improvement of nature as they supposed and were accounted the wise men of their age for to such wise men the preaching of the crosse was foolishness And who seeth not that even within the Church such remaine most disobedient to the call of the Gospel and unperswadable by all its Reasons Motives and Allurements who suppose themselves to have attained to some more then ordinary Improvement of the Light of nature or correspondence in their walk with a Natural Conscience and Principles of morality especially if this be seconded or attended with an outward compliance with the outward ordinances of the Religion they profess for these seeking to establish their owne righteousness which is a piece of the heirshipe of corrupt nature which all have from Adam cannot and will not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God Rom. 10 4. Wherefore Perseverance in such a state can be no advantage but a manifest fixedness in the way of death and nothing can annul a perseverance in this state and cause a falling therefrom but the strong hand of the grace of God And that state of stability of which he talketh and from which there is no falling away can be nothing but the Lords holy and judicial giving up to blindness and unbeleefe and closeing their eyes that they should not see and stoping their eares that they should not heare and hardning their hearts that they should not beleeve conforme to Esai 6 9. Ioh. 12 vers 40. Math. 13 vers 14 15. Luk. 8 vers 20. Act. 28 vers 26. Rom. 11 vers 8. Mark 4 v. 12. 4. His saints then being such as we have mentioned and not such as we hold with the Scriptures to be saints indeed that is Such as being by nature children of wrath and dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephes. 2 1 2 3. are in due time effectually called out of nature into grace by the mighty power and operation of the grace of God having their Mindes and Understandings graciously Illuminated by divine Light and their Wills Renewed and powerfully Determined unto a closeing with Christ offered in the Gospel Ephes. 2 vers 5. Phil 2 13. 1 Cor. 2 10 12. Act. 26 18. Ezech. 11 19. 36 26 27. Ioh. 6 45. And hereupon are made partakers of the Spirit of Christ that dwelleth in them and reneweth their whole soul more and more so that having a new Principle of life and new spiritual supernatural Habites whereby they become wholly new creatures acting from new Principles for new Ends upon new Motives to the glory of God and their Redeemer Ephes. 2 6 8 10. Gal. 2 20. 1 Ioh. 5 12. 2 Cor. 5 17. 1 Ioh. 3 9. 1 Pet. 1 22 23. And thus translated into a new state from death to life Ephes. 2 2. 1 Ioh. 3 14. Col. 2 13. from darkness to light Act 26 â—8 Ephes. 5 v. 8. 1 Thes. 5 v. 4. from sin to holiness 1 Cor. 6 11. Ezech. 36 25. Ephes. 5 6. Tit. 3 5. from enmity to friendshipe Ephes. 2 12 13 14 15. Col. 1 21 being now Iustified Accepted of God having their sinnes pardoned and bâ—ing Adopted as heires of the inheritance Rom. 5 1. 8 1. Col. 2 10. Rom. 8 32 33. Ioh. 1 12. 1 Ioh. 3 1 2 And all this upon the account of the merites and purchase of Christ the Mediator in pursuance of the Covenant of redemption betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator conforme to the Covenant of Grace exhibited in the Gospel The saints whereof he speaketh not being such as these described to us in the Gospel of Christ we need not think ourselves concerned in the vindication of their stability and perseverance for we owne only the perseverance of such as are thus effectually Called out of nature into grace and endued with the Spirit of Christ. Esai 59 21. Rom. 5 5. 1 Cor. 6 9. Ioh. 14 16 17. Gal. 5 22. Psal. 51 11. Ezech. 36 27. to lead act and guide them Rom. 8 9 11. who differ far from his natural pagan-saints and have no affinity with them nor with natural outward-Christians And thus might we let this whole matter whereof he treateth in this Thesis and in his Vindication thereof passe without any further animadversions 5. Yet lest he according to the Genius and usual manner of that Seck should boast and say that we durst not contend with him upon this head and so triumph among his admirers we shall examine hâ—s doctrine with patience The truth which we owne is shortly and fully set downe in our Confes. of faith Chap. 17. thus They whom God hath accepted in his beloved effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved Phil. 1 6. 2 Pet. 1 10. Ioh. 10 28 29. 1 Ioh. 2 9. 1 Pet. 1 5 9 This perseverance of the Saints depends not upon their owne free will but upon the immutability of the decree of election flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father 2 Tim. 2 18 19 Ier. 31 3. upon the efficacy of the merite and intercession of Iesus Christ Heb. 10 10 11. 13 20 21. 9 12 to 15. Rom. 8 33 c. Ioh. 17 11 24. Luk. 12 32 Heb. 7 25. the abideing of the Spirit and seed of God within them Ioh 4 16 17. 1 Ioh. 2 27. 3 9. and the nature of the Covenant of grace Ier. 31 40. from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof Ioh. 10 28 2 Thes. 3 3. 1 Ioh. 2 19. Nevertheless they may through the temptations of Satan and of the world the prevalency of corruption remaining in them and the neglect of the means of their preservation â—all into grievous sins Mat. 26 70 72 74. and for a time continue therein Psal. 51. title with v 14. whereby they incurre God's displeasure Esai 64 5 7 9. 2 Sam 11.27 and grieve his Holy Spirit Ephes.
is this That God inspired Man with some thing of his own substance bestowed something of his own divinity upon him That God did inspire Man with the Holy Ghost 4. Now if this man be of the same judgment with these mentioned we may saifly conceive or conjecture at least that his meaning in these words now under consideration is this That the Body of man which is of the First and Earthly Adam was degenerat and became dead but not the Soul which being a part of God's substance and being and having relation to the Second and Spiritual Adam who is the Bishop thereof was not obnoxious to this Death and Degeneration for being eternal as well as Infinite it could neither die nor degenerate nor fall But how blasphemous an opinion this is every one may see This is the old damnable opinion of the Gnosticks Manichees and Priscillianists and of Cerdo See August Lib. de Origine Animae c. 2. and De Haeres c. 46. and 70. Aquin. 1. q. 90. Ar. 1. Col. Conimb ad 2. de Anima q. 1. Art 6. and was owned by that blasphemous man Servetus and of late also by the Author of Theologia Germanica and of the Bright Star See Mr Rutherf Survey of Spiritual Antichrist Chap. XIV These hold that the soul was a part of God's essence Though God's essence be most Pure Simple and Indivisible and cannot be a part of any composed thing If the Soul were thus of God and a part of God God should be the forme of man Because the soul is the fâ—rme of Man and consequently Man should be God for the whole may be denominated from the forme The Scripture tels us that God is Immutable and that there is no shadow of turning with Him but by this opinion he should be Mutable and change from Power to Act from Ignorance to Knowledge from Vice to Vertue c. and back againe reciprocally Hence also it must follow that either no souls can go to hell or that a part of God must be tormented in hell And what will they say of Devils Either they must deny that there are any or say that they are a part of God for they are Spiritual Substances being Intelligences and with the Quakers forementioned spiritual substances are parts of God and are Infinite in themselves they are no Creatures and if no Creatures they must be the Creator or a part of the Creator It is true Man was created according to the Image of God which as to the Soul consisted as in the spirituality of its substance so chiefly in Wisdome Righteousness and Holiness Eccles. 7 29. Ephes. 4 24. Col 3 10 But the Scripture tels us that as to this Image it was lost even as to knowledg nothing being left but some rubbish of that once stately Fabrick of which afterward and that thus the soul was corrupted and damnified by the fall all the Powers and Faculties thereof being perverted so that thereby Man became not only utterly Indisposed but also Opposite to all that is spiritually good and wholly Inclined to all evil and that continually Rom. 3 vers 10 20. Ehes. 2 2 3. Rom. 5 6. 8 7 8. Gen. 6 5 And this is confirmed by what this Man addeth in the Thesis and prosecuteth at large in his Apology 5. If this be not his true meaning let us try another Conjecture They commonly speak of a Christ within them as Mr Hicks cleareth Dial. 1. Pag. 44. c. and taunt such as beleeve in a Person without them saying Christ is within and that there is no other Christ but that within every man Mr Hicks there tels us also that Crisp one of their ministry asking what Christ he owned and receiving this answere That he did not beleeve any meer Principle or Spirit in men to be the Christ because that was not capable to suffer what Christ suffered returned this reply That this was blasphemy And when Mr Hicks said further that the Christ he beleeved was no other then that person the Scriptures speak of The word made flesh God and man in one person Crisp. replied that then he knew the beginning and date of his Christ Moreover he tels us Pag. 45 46. that Georg Fox in the forecited Book Pag. 206. saith if there be any other Christ but he that was crucified within he is a false Christ and he that hath not this Christ that was crucified within is a Reprobat And Pag 207. That God's Christ is not distinct from the saints and he that eats the flesh of Christ hath it within him Pag. 201. Mr Hicks tels us also Dial. 2. Pag. 10. How G. Whitehead in his Dip. Plu. Pag. 13. saith Christ Iesus a Person without us is not Scripture language but the Anthropomorphites and Muggletonians This language is very suteable unto the language of the Old Libertines against whom Famous Calvin wrote in his Instructio adv Libertinos Cap 17. They made Christs sufferings to be a meer Histrionick Action or Comedie and Quintinus used to be very angry when any asked him how he did saying How can it be ill with Christ. But yet that they may put a difference betwixt themselves and others They use to say as Mr Stalham informeth us Pag. 276. That Christ is in all but none is in Christ except themselves Shall we think that this is thâ—s Mans meaning to wit That man is Corrupt Fallen Degenerated and Dead not according to that part in him which is Christ but according to that part in him which is the Old man As this should contradict what he saith afterward upon this account that then it were manifest that whole man did not fall or became dead and was degenerate so it could not be satisfying for it would have but this import That man was Corrupted Dead and Degenerated in so farr as he was corrupted dead and degenerated and then we should be no wiser than we were Moreover if we should ask how this Christ came into every man The answer must be that he was created in him and as to this part of man Adam did not fall And if we should ask what is this Christ in every man Will. Pen in his Innocency with open face P. 8. as Mr Hickâ— sheweth Dial. 2. Pag. 41. answereth It is God himself And He with Nailer and Hubberthorn in their Answer to the Phanaticque History Pag. 13. will say it is the Light in us and Burroughs Pag 9 and 149. will say that he that was slaine upon the crosse is the â—ery Christ of God and the very Christ of God is in us The same Mr Hicks in his postscript to the Dial. 1. Pag. 82. tels us that Ed. Borroughs and Franc. Howgil said in the hearing of credible witnesses That Christ was as really in every man as he was in that Flesh which suffered at Ierusalem 6. But as yet we are arrived at no clear discovery of the truth in this matter but rather further off from any clear
evils but what that was they knew not The proud and vaine glorious Stoicks thought that all this sinne and misery did proceed from every mans own Free Will and Choise immediatly and that there was no other cause Hence they thought that every man came into the world free of any Vice or Inclination to sin errasti sayes Seneca Epist. 94. si existimas nobiscum vitianasci supervenerunt ingesta sunt so againe ib. nulli nos vitio natura conciliat nos illa integros ac liberos genuit And yet the same man must elsewhere lib. 3. quaest c. 30. confess that vice is learned without any teacher Hence also they thought that man by his owne Ability Paines and Industrie might recoveâ— all his losses and that nothing more was requisite but to live according to nature Senec. Epist. 41. Howbeit their very care and industrie to make lawes for bearing down of vice and setting forward of vertue was sufficient to Redargue and Confute their foolish Imagination had they but improven Natures light as they might or made use of right Reason as they pretended However we see Stoicks and Quakers are nigh of kin 2. Plato speaks more clearly concerning this Fallen and Degenerat State of Man but it is not improbable as Mr Galâ— sheweth in his Court of the Gentiles part 1. lib. 3. c. 5. that â—e had help from Scriptures or Iewish Tradition when he speaketh of the â—ron age and particularly when he sayeth in his Timâ—eâ—â— Locrus fol. 103. That the cause of vitiosity is from our Parents and first Principles rather than from ourselves and elsewhere There is well nigh in every one an ingenitâ— evil and disease And de legib lib. 5. The greatest evil of all is implanted in many men and fixed in their souls And this state of misery he tearmes Gorgias fol. 493. a moral or spiritual death and that according to the opinion of the wise saying I have heard from the wise men that we are now dead and that the body is but our sepulchre 3. However the generality of Philosophers were utter strangers to the Rise of this contagion and the hints that Plato giveth are but very dark But when Christianity came and spread it self through the world that which the wise Men of the world were utterly ignorant of became plaine and notoure to every one for without the knowledge of this there could be no right Improvement of the Remedie offered in the Gospel and therefore the knowledge of this was a necessary part of Christianity In causa duorum hominum said August lib. de Pecc orig c. 24. quorum per unum venundati sumus sub peccato per alterum redimimur a peccatis proprie fides christianâ— consistitpunc So that the doctrine of original sin with the reality and manner of its â—raduction from Adam and downeward by natural Generation was unquestioned in the Christian Church until that unhappy enemie of the grace of God arose who raised up his heresie upon the ruines of the proud â—ottages of the Heathen Philosophers I mean Pelagius who to strengthen himself in his opposition and enmity to the Grace of God in Christ Iesus did take upon him the defence of Corrupt Nature and denyed Original sin saying lib. de Natura apud August lib. de Nat. and Grat. c. 9. that all sinned in Adam not because of sin attracted by birth but because of Imitation See more of this Vossij Histor Pelag. lib. 2. par 2. thes 1. And Iulianus the Pelagian as we may see there also said against Augustine that God could not impute the sin of another unto Infants and that no man is born with sin And that the children cannot be guilty until they commit some thing by their owne will How Augustine set himself against this Palagian cardinal errour his books declare And how the whole Church did appear against it is notoure Pelagius himself subdolously seemed to deny his owne opinions in a Council in Palâ—stine at Diopolis condemning himself for saying That Adam was made mortal and so should have died whether he had sinned or not That Adams sin did only hurt himself and not mankinde That infants new borne are into the same condition that Adam was in before the fall And againe these and others of Pelagius errours were anathematized by the Councel of Milevum in Numidia And August tels us lib. â— de Bono persever cap. 2. that the Catholick Church defended against these Pelagians among other truths this That man is borne obnoxius to Adams sin and bound by the bond of damnation 4. This same Pelagian errour is maintained by the Socinians Socin Pral c. 4. de Christ. Serv. part 4. c. 6. Catech Racov. cap. 10. de Proph. Mun. Christ. Smale de justif disp 4. Volkel lib. 5. c. 18. Ostorod Instit. c. 33. By Episcopius against Heidanus Pag. 116. and by the Remonst Armin. Apol. cap. 7. fol. 84. So is it maintained by the Anabaptists And D. Voetius Select disp part 1. pag. 1079. tels us that the Jewes ordinarily this day deny Original sin citeing the words of one at Venice saying that the sin of Adam doth not condemne souls but only hurt the soul in so far as it bringeth in the body of Adam whence it is that it becometh more difficult to the Posterity of Adam to do good c. Mr Stephens in his defence of the doctrine of Original sin sheweth that one Mr Robert Everard and D. Ieremiah Taylor and some Examiners of the late Assemblies Confession of faith did appear against Original sin and in his preface he tels us that Anno 1654. Feb. 22. Some Brethren of the Separation did at a private dispute maintaine That all Infants were-free of Original sin To these Opposers of Original sin This Quaker in the name of the rest adjoyneth himself and so deserteth the Truâ—h maintained by the Orthodox Churches and explained in their several Confessions and particularly by our Confes. of faith Chap. 6. § 2.3 4. By this sin they i. e. our first Parents fell from their Original righâ—eousness and communion with God and so became dead in sin and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body They being the root of all Mankinde the guilt of this sin was imputed and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation From this original corruption whereby we are utterly indisposed disabled and made opposite to all good and wholly inclined to all evil do proceed all actual transgressions And thereafter § 6. Every sin both Original and Actual being a transgression of the righteous Law of God and contrary thereunto doth in its own nature bring guilt upon the sinner whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God and curse of the Law and so made subject to death with all miseries spiritual temporal and eternal And more briefly in the larger and shâ—rter Catechismes to this Question Did all mankinde fall in
Adams first transgressiâ—n t is answered thus The Covenant being made with Adam as a publick person not for himself only but for his posterity all mankinde descending from him by ordinary generation sinned in him and fell with him in that first transgressiâ—n 5. Concerning this sin which is under various names and titles pointed forth to us in Scripture being called Sin by way of eminency Rom. 6.12 7 8. the Old Man Rom. 6 6. a Law in the members Rom. 7 23. the Body of sin Rom. 6 6. a Body of death Rom. 7 24. In dwelling sin Rom 7 17 20. Evill present Rom 7 21. These are meaned of this Sin as seated in and derived unto the posteriâ—y but as committed first by Adam Paul Rom. 5 calleth it Sin Offence Transgression Disoâ—edience and concerning its Propagation or Traduction unto the posterity many questions and doubts are moved which we are not to meddle with our purpose not being to treate of this Subject but only to vindicate the orthodox doctrine from the exceptions of this Quaker and to discover his errour in this particular For which cause we need only take notice of two things concerning this Original sin First There is the Sin disobedience offence and transgression of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit This though it was the sin of our nature in Adam yet is said to be imputed to our persons when we come to have a being by natural Generation and deâ—cent from Adam Secondly There is that wâ—ich followed upon and flowed from that transgression of Adam according to the nature and tenour of tâ—e Covenant wherein he stood as the head and representer of all mankinde viz. The Privation or Want of that Original righteousness which our Nature possessed in Adam and the Depravation Corruption Deordination of the whole man whereby he is Disabled to all good and wholly Inclined and disposed to evil and all evil and only evil continually till grace make a change This cannot properly be said to be imputed but being a just punishment as well as a sin of the sin committed by Adam is justly inflicted by the righteous God and conveyed from Adam to all his posterity as a leprosy and infectious disease corrupting the whole man which therefore is seated and subjected in the man so soon as he hath a being by natural generation from his immediat parents though both the guilt and this contagion be not received immediatly from our next parents but immediatly from Adam from whom we have our Nature as our Personal being from our immediat parents who stand in no nearer relation to Adam as the Head of Nature than we but all Father Son and Nephew c. stand in the same near relation to him in respect of Nature as lines to the same centre 6. Having premised these things let us now consider what this Quaker hath to say against this in his Fourth Thesis towards the end he setteth downe his Assertion in few words where before we mentione his words we cannot but take notice of a piece of more than ordinary shamelesness in this Man for in the words immediatly before he cometh in with a triumphing parad saying hence the errours of Socinians and Pelagians c. are rejected as if he would make his Reader beleeve thâ—t he did anathematize all the errours of Pelagians and Socinians wâ—en yet he licks up and hugs in his bosome a special fundamental part of Pelagianisme and Socinianisme adding which are the words we are now to take notice of Yet nevertheless this seed is not imputed unto infants but when they joyne themselves to it actually by sinning We must beare with this man's following the Quakers dialect for he will speak but as he pleaseth But for understanding of wâ—at he meaneth we must call to minde his foregoing words which we took notice of in the foregoing Chapter and examined where he mentioned the Seed of God of the touch whereof he said all Adam's posterity was deprived This cannot be the seed he here meaneth He mentioneâ— another Seed of Satan to which Adam's posterity was subject and this Seed he said Satan did sowe in the hearts of Men c. Now this must be that malignant and depraved seed whence all their Thoughts Words and Actions are evil which he here meaneth And this Seed he sayeth is not Imputed to Infants And we said lately that this originated sin or Corrupâ—ion of nature could not properly be said to be impuâ—ed becauâ—e it was properly inherent as a disease of nature But the thing that he would say is plainly enough expressed in his Apology Pag. 54. But others sayeth he go so far in the â—ther extremity to whom Augustine in his declineing age moved with zeal against the Pelagians did first of all the Ancients open the way as not only to confess that Men of themselves are unfit for good and inclined to evil but also to affirme that man even while in his Mothers womb and before he commit any actual sin is under the guilt and crime of sin by which he deserveth eternal death Whereby we see that he freeth Infants from the guilt of Adam's first sin and againe Pag. 55. he sayeth they impute nothing of Adam's sin unto Men until they make it their owne by such like acts of disobedience He is clear then for the Non-imputation of Adam's sin unto Infants and the Arguments he adduceth cleare his judgment yet more 7. Thus we have seen what are his thoughts of the Imputation of Adam's guilt But what thinketh he of the other particular the Corruption of Nature His Thesis could meane nothing else by the Seed of the Serpent and when he cometh to the explication of this part of the Thesis in his Apâ—logy Pag. 59 § 4. he tels us that this evil and corrupt seed is not imputed unto infants until they actually joyn themselves unto it by sin And by this evil and corrupt seed he meaneth that whicâ— he had been speaking of viz. the Corrupt nature of Man But Pag. 55. he would seem to câ—ntradict this when he sayeth We cannot conceive how Man who is naturally come of Adam can have any good in his nature pertaining to it which he had not from whom he is derived if then we may affirme that he in his nature retained no will belonging to it nor light capable of it self to manifest spiritual things so nor his posterity Whence you might think that as Adam by his fall lost Original righteousness and all aptitude in Will or Undeâ—standing unto spiriâ—ual things so â—lso his Posterity that came naturally of him in this mans opinion but his tâ—ue meaning is that though Infants descend naturally from Adam yet this Privation of Righteousness and Corruption of Will and Understanding is not imputed to Infants nor do they partake thereof until they sin actually for in the end of his discourse upon this head Pag. 62. he sayes that this seed of sin is not imputed to any till by
sinning they actually joyn themselves to it And this seed of sin is frequently in Scripture called dâ—ath and the body of death and that this seed and that which cometh of it is called the old man the old Adam Thus then in â—hort his judgment is that nothing of original sin neither Originans nor Originatum neither the Guilt of Adam's sin nor the Corruption of nature is imputed to or inherent in any man till he commit some actual transgression and so sin cometh not by Propagation or Traduction but by Imitation as said the Pelagians of old and as the Socinians and Anabaptists to day maintaine And the Arminians with their Episcopius deny that any thing that is truely sin is found in any of Adams Posterity before their own proper act 8. Let us now see what he sayeth in defence of this Errour and let us first take notice of what he said of Augustine that much honoured Instrument of the Lord against the errours that Satan was soweing in the Church in his time He would make us beleeve that Augustine wrote of this subject when under the dottage of old age while as it is manifest to such as read his life that what he wrote against Pelagius was written while he was in the prime of his Vigour and Understanding and his works themselvs declare the same But what will this pedantick Quaker think of that singular and self-denying woâ—k of that worthy person called his Retractations wherein he reviewed all his former writings and retracted several thâ—ngs asserted by him in his younger and lesse studied yeers belike this man will look upon that work being written after these he now excepteth against as containing nothing but greater dottages because as he â—upposeth the longer persons live though not yet comeing near the ordinary attendants of stouping or declineing old age they grow the greater fools and consequently that himself must now be a greater fool though I see little dâ—ffâ—rence while become a Quaker than he was in his younger dayes when he was a Papist Next the man is not ashamed to judge of the very Thoughâ—s and Motives of that noble Instrument yea he is so bold as to condemne him of acting upon corrupt motives as if noâ—hing had moved him to write for Oâ—iginal sin but eagerness of Zâ—al against Pelagius no inward conviction of the truth not of the damnableness or danger of the Pelagian heâ—esie in this no conviction of his duty to appear for truth Doth this Qâ—aker consider that hereby he is audaciously arrogating to himself Gods prerogative royal of judging the secrets of the heart Remembeâ—eth he that God is a Jealous God who will not give his glory to another But what grounds can he give of this his bold presumption What evidence is there of that holy Fathers writting against his own conscience I â—ay no more of this but leave this Quaker to his judge and take notice of a Third untruth when he sayeth that Augustine was the first that appeared in this controversie against the Pelagians Had he but consulted Vossius in his Historia Pelagianismi a book that sometime he citeth he should have found that whole Councils appeared against Pelagius himâ—elf to speak nothing of Hierome in this particular before that Augustine wrote of it particularly the first Synod at Carthage and that Synod in Palestine where Pelagius himself was present and hideing his abominations deceived the Fathers with faire words and the Council of Milevy that dealt more roundly with that heresie tels us in plaine tearmes that the Truth which they maintained was owned by the whole Catholick Church all the world over and so it was indeed and never once questioned till that unhappy instrument of Satan to whom this Quaker adjoyneth himself broached his pernicious doctrine It is true the Pelagians called this Orthodox truth a forged device of Augustines as this man doth but Augustine replyed as Vossius tels us Hist. Pelag lib. 2. part 1. Thes. 6. in these words I did not devise original sin which the Caâ—holick faith beleeved of old but thou who denyest this without doubt art a new heretick and lib. 1. contra Iulian. Cap. 2. he citeth no fewer then ten or twelue of the Fathers for him and lib. de Pecc Merit Remis he saies he never heard one that owned the Scriptures speak otherwise If this Quaker had perused Vossius in the place last cited he would have seen how the â—ame truth which Augustine maintained was asserted by ancient Fathers both Greek and Latine before Augustine's dayes such as Ignatius Dionysius Areopagia Iustin Martyr Tatianus Ireneus whom Augustine himself citeth Origen Methodius Macarius Hierosol Macarius Aegyptius Athanasius Cyrillus Nazianzenus Chrysostome and others of the latine Fathers he citeth Tertullian Cyprian Arnobius Reticius Olympius Hilarius Ambrosius whom Augustine citeth Hilarius Diaconus Hieronimus whom he also citeth And moreover he should have found Pag. 179. that Augustine did not assert this truth meerly out of zeâ—l gainst the Pelagians as he ignorantly and boldly affirmeth for he had asserted it in hâ—s books de Libero Arbitrio written before Pelagianisme appeared and how in his 6. book against Iulianus the Pelagian Cap. 4. he sayes expresly that he was in that judgment from the very beginning of his conversion that he had said nothing through heat of disput which was not the ancient doctrine of the whole Church Ego sayeth he per unum hominem in mundum intrasse peccatum per peccatum mortem ita in omnes homines pertransisse in quo peccaverunt omnes ab initio conversionis meae sic tenui semper ut teneo Extant libri quos adhuc laicus reâ—entissimâ neâ conversiâ—ne conscripst et si nondum sicut postea sacris literis eruditus tamen nihil de hâc re jam nunc sentiens ubi disputandi ratio poposcerat dicens nisi quod antiquitus discit and docet omnis Ecclesia Let this Qâ—aker read these words and if he be not above measure effronted let him blush at his shameless boldness Let hiâ— read also August lib 4 ad Boniâ—ac c. 8. contra duaâ— Pelagianorum Eâ—istolas lib. 3. de Pecc Mer. remiss cap. 6. 7. lib. 1. adv jul resp poster Pag 5.8 125. and he will see further cause of repenting of his groundless confidence and audacity if his conscience be not feared 9. We have had one great proof of this Quakers confident boldness now theâ—e followeth another for the only confirmation which he adduceth of his Heâ—esie in his Thesis and that which he first speaketh to in his Apology Pag. 59. is brought from Ephes. 2 1 2 3. a passage out of which the old Fathers proved Orâ—ginal sin against the Pelagians as August lib. 6. c. 12. cont jul Scriptor Hypognost lib. 2. Fulgent and fourteen Bishops with him ad Petrum diaconum c. 26. Theodoret on the place also Primasius and Haimo commenting on the place and others cited by
Vossius ubi Supra Pag. 150. taking that by nature c. to import as none with any shew of reason can otherwise think all carnally borne and partaking of the nature of Adam and so to be verified of all borne by the conjunction of man and woman so that by nature is as much as naturally And Calvin on the place sayeth that it is a notable passage against the Pelagians for saieth he what is naturally in every one is in them from their very original therefore if all be children of wrath or obnoxious to wrath by nature they are so from their very original But what way doth this Man evade The Apostle sayeth he assigneth evil actions not any thing that is not yet reduced into act for an argument proveing them to be children of wrath By which we see how backwardly this man readeth the Scriptures for the Apostle to commend the riches and power of the grace of God towards these Ephesians whom the Lord had quickened showeth what persons they were and all are before grace take hold of them He saith not that these Ephesians were children of wrath because walking according to the course of this world c. but that they had so walked were moreover children of wrath by nature and it is observable though this Man putteth out his owne eyes that he may not see it how the Apostle changeth the person from the second to the first vers 3. saying among whom also we all had our conversation in times past and were by nature the children of wrath even as others And thereby sheweth that this was not the condition of the Ephesians and other Gentiles only but of the Jewes also himself not excepted because nature corrupted in Adam is one and the same common to all both Jewes and Gentiles so that all as soon as they partake of Nature come under this guilt and are Children of wrath He himself immediatly before told us that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned 1 Cor. 2. the Carnal man was not the Animal man but the Rational man so that this is true not only of the beastly man who by his actual sinnes bâ—utifieth himself and maketh himself a meer Animal but even of the Rational man who hath a rational soul and so soon as he hath a rational soul. The usual import of the word Nature and Natural in Scripture confirmeth this Rom. 2 27. 11 24. Gal. 2 15. 4 8. 1 Cor. 15 44 46. 10. We need not then regaird what he addeth saying that the Gospel condemneth nor threatneth no man but him that hath actually sinned for in some sense the Gospel condemneth no man that heareth it but the final unbeleever but offereth life pardon to all to whom it is preached of all their sins actual original upon condition of accepting of Christ offered therein And as for the New Test. we have seen enough in it already and will see more to evince our point and albeit this were not we Judge that the Old Test. could prove the point as we shall also see The Gospel moreover tels us that except a man be born againe he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God and so that as long as he hath but the first birth of the flesh he is under the wrath of God Infants are not capable of threatnings but they are capable of death which we proved in the preceeding Chapter to be the punishment of sin 11. Nor is that which followeth much worth the noticeing when he sayeth God will visite the iniquities of the fathers upon their childeren who abide in sin and so homologate and follow thir fathers iniquities For there is a vast difference betwixt Adam's first sin and the sinnes of other Parents Adam's first sin or breach of the Covenant was not a personal sin as the sinnes of other Parents are and his after sins were but the sin of the whole Nature whereof he was the Head and Representative therefore all that partake of that Nature participate of the guilt of Nature when Infants have a being they partake of the nature of Adam immediatly and though they have this nature by meanes of generation of their immediat parents yet they have not this nature from them but from Adam as I said And though they have their personality from their immediat parents yet they do not partake of their Fathers personality but have their owne humane personality not being a thing propagable therefore they cannot in strick sense be guilty of their parents personal sinnes And yet if it were of moment to debate the matter we might shew from Scripture how the holy Lord who is Just Righteous punisheth even children for their Fathers faults and though the children be sometimes found guilty of actual sinnes and so homologate their Fathers transgression yet it is not found alwayes to be so It was not so I suppose with the infants of Careh Dathan and Abiram and the rest of that conspiracy nor with the Children of Achan nor with the Infants of Sodome and Gomorrah and of the Old world nor with these that were carried away captive by the Assyrians and Babylonians and several other instances to speak nothing of the Children of Cain Ismael Esau and of the Jewes when cut off the Old and Natural stock Rom. 11. And further the very expression of God Command 2. of visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the Children sheweth that whatever sinnes they may have of their owne yet it is the fathers guilt that bringeth on that punishment else it could not be a visiting of their fathers iniquities but only of their owne 12. It seemeth more considerable that he sayeth our opinion is contrary both to the mercy and justice of God if he had given any proof But he must follow the footsteps of Socinians and Arminians who Assert this also but will not much trouble us with their probations He told us just now himself That God can and doth visite the Iniquities of Fathers on their Children and how can this comport with his goodness and justice seing their fathers sins are not properly their owne because they were personal when he thinketh it Incongruous to God's Iustice and Goodness to impute the sin of Nature to all that partake of that nature though it be their owne by vertue of their partaking of Nature And strange it is that men will be that bold as to call God to their bar and accuse him as Unrighteous because he taketh vengeance when upon a far unlike account they will not impute iniquity unto Men we see that for crimes of â—ese Majesty or the like one man is not only punished but all his posterity after him though not yet borne are forfeited When a person representing others which cometh neareâ— to our case committeth any fault as such a person representing all whom â—e representeth must beare the guilt and the inconvenience following there upon and no man will account this unjust or iniquous
and the sinnes of other parents are but it is the proper sin of all Mankinde who are partakers of that Nature by ordinary generation and so it is the proper sin of every infant so descended of Adam as well as it was Adam's for it was not Adam's sin as a Particular Person but a sin committed by the Head and Representative of â—umane Nature to be propagated by ordinary generation 17. He cometh § 5. c. to consider what are our Arguments and first he mentioneth our saying that Adam was a publick person and therefore all sinned in him when he sinned He replyeth thus That Adam was a publick person I deny not and that by hiâ— the seed of sin was propagated to all men which of its owne nature is defiled and inclineth men to sin yet it will not thence follow that Infants that do not joyn themselves thereunto are guilty thereof Excepting what must be allowed to the Quakers as their peculiar dialect this is not far different from what the Arminians say Apol. Cap. 7 Fol. 84. They own not original sin as a proper sin which makes Adam's posterity obnoxious to God's haâ—red nor as an evil which cometh upon them as a proper punishment but as an evil infirmity vice or by what other name it can be called which is propagated from Adam void of original righteousness whence all his posterity are dâ—stitute of the same righteousness and indisposed for life eternal c. The Socinians speak also much after this mans dialect for Smalcius saieth We confess that we are now corrupt and far from that state of Innocency which Adam had but this is not to be ascribed to the fall of Adam but to men themselves who of their own accord corrupt themselves and Ostorodus saith we willingly confess that there is a great proclivity to sin almost in all men but that cometh not from the first sin but from mens corrupting of themselves which afterward they propagate to their children But to returne to our Quaker 1. In what tolerable or intelligible sense can he yeeld that Adam was a Publick Person if what he did as such is not to be accounted as done by all whom he did represent Did ever any hear of one stated as a publick Person whose failings could have no eâ—fect until the persons represented did testify their approbation of it By this reasoning if Adam had stood and continued in innocency infants could have had no benefite thereby for if the evil that Adam did as a Publick Person could not hurt infants neither could his good have advantaged them And then I would faine know wherein did consist his being a Publick Person or what he thinketh a Publick Person is 2. whether is this Seed of sin it self sin or not If it be not sin why calleth he it afterward the Original of all sin why calleth he it the body of death and the Old Adam The Scripture speaketh of these as Master sinnes If it be sin how can it be propagated to all Men and to Infants among others and they not be denominated sinfull thereby Can the seed of sin be transmitted to â—nfants and they be the subjects â—hereof and yet they not be sinfull shall the seed of all poison and venom be transmitted from the old serpents to the young and shall the young thereby not be accounted poysonful and venemous 3. He saith this seed inclineth those in whom it is unto sin But this inclination to sin is sin and contrary to the Law of God Therefore Infants in whom is this seed inclining to sin must have sin within them 4. This which he saith is propagate by Adam to all his posterity is either something good or something evil good it cannot be because of what is said If it be evil it must either be the evil of sin or the evil of punishment or both If it be the evil of sin than sin is propagated If it be the evil of punishment than it presupposeth sin for all punishment that is just is the punishment of sin poenam istam esse said August lib. 2. de lib. arb c. 18. quis dubitet omnis autem poena si justa est peccati poena est supplicium nominatut 5. But it may be he will say with the Arminians that because it is a punishment therefore it is not a sin But thâ— Scripturâ— calleth it Sin and the Body of sin Indwelling sin and several other Epithets it getteth all shewing that it is sin and contrary to the Law of God and so deserving death spiritual temporal and eternal Let him consider Col. 2 11. 3 11. Ephes 4 22. Rom. 6 6 7 17. not to mention Rom. 7 15. c. And himself calleth it the Fountaine and Spring of all actual transgressions And that concupiscence which Iames sheweth to be the spring of evil Iam. 1 14. Paul calleth sin Rom. 7 7 18. is prohibited by the Law saying thou shalt not covet 6. Iulianus the Pelagian spoke at this rate saying that the Law in our members which is repugnant to the Law of our minde dwelleth indeed in Man and doth instigat the resisting minde so that the conflict though it be not damnable because it doth not perfect sin yet is miserable because it hath not peace See August lib. 1. adv Iul. c. 68. To which Augustine replyed That it was madness in the man to confess that sin was evil and yet say that the concupiscence of sins was good and yet more intolerable to say that it did provoke to evil and yet was not evil And else where in the same book Cap. 83. he chargeth Manicheisme upon Iulianus upon this account that he granted misery did attend the posterity and yet would not grant sin was imputed Tu ergo adjutorem Manichaei te non esse ostende si potes qui miserias hominum cum quibus eos nasoi quoniam sine dubio sentit genus humanum noâ—ens tribuere peccato vitiatae naturae nostrae facis ut eas ille permixtae nobis naturae tribuat altenae 7. This man would faine have fastned this sin upon us that we made God Unrighteous and Unjust but here he declareth himself manifestly chargeable therewith for evil and misery he granteth is propagated to all men and the seed of sin which inclineth to sin and yet will not have sin the procureing cause propagated Quia ergo said August lib. 2. cont Iul. oper posth Cap 110. gravi jugo à die exitus de ventre matris puniti sunt parvuli agnosce judicem justum confitere originale peccatum punire enim nullius peccati meritum habentes sicut etiam ipse confiteris non potest sine eversione justitiae in the following Chapt. he hath these words In illo gravi jugo quo etiam parvuli premuntur quomodo est Iustus Deus si nullus nascitur reus 8. He talketh of Infants joyning themselves unto this Seed of sin before they become guilty But when
are they in capacity to joyn themselves to this seed of sin Is it when they are in capacity to commit actual sin But of this the question may be renewed when may we judge them in this capacity shall we suppose that they are not in case to sin actually or to adjoyn themselves to this seed untill they come to the full use of reason then it will follow that Idiots can sin none at all that the Envy Selfishness Pettedness and the like that appeare very early in Infants shall be no sinnes and yet Augustin was of another mâ—nde And there were some of the Old Pelagians who to evite the force of arguments against them alleiged that the Infants committed actual sin so soon as they were born and therefore came under death as a punishment against whom August wrote Serm. 7. de Verb. Apost saying what do you think to say and whose eares can heare it did they sinne themselves where I pray did they sin when and how did they sin They know neither good nor evil shall they sin that are under no command Prove that Infants are sinners prove what is their sin Is it because they weep that they sinne do they sin because they take pleasure or repel trouble by motions as dumb â—nimals if these motions be sin they becoâ—e greater sinners in baptisme for there they resist most vehemently But I say another thing you think they have sinned otherwayes they had not died but what say you of such as die in their Mothers womb will you say they have sinned also you lie or are deceived c. Whether this man will be of this judgment or not I know not but it is like he will not owne it for he looketh not upon death as a punishment of sin 9 I would gladly have him explaining to me what that is to joyne themselves to this seed of sin and that so much the rather because it is a piece of their proper dialect and is no where else to be found so far as I know Is this Seed lying within them as a stranger or as a tempter alluring them to sin in which they have no concerne until they submit to the temptation and consent then why may we not suppose that such a seed of sin might have been in Adam before he fell from the very minute of his creation seing it could not have dammaged him if he had not actually consented But why should this Seed of Sin be more looked upon as a stranger so as by vertue thereof they in whom it is shall not be accounted sinners than the Seed of Grace of which the Scripture speaketh and by vertue of which they in whom it is are denominated gracious even when they are not actually exerceing grace But it seemeth this man looketh upon the seed of sin and the seed of grace as two contrary solicitors attending man with their contrary motions and solicitations so that man abideth still in puris naturalibus till he hearken to the one or other and yeeld his consent But then 10 I would ask if it be in mans power to withhold his consent from the urgent soliciting of this seed of sin If this be in his power than he can live all his dayes and never once sin and act his part better than Adam did And how cometh it seing this is in every ones power that there was never one such found borne of a woman and begotten of a man that lived and died without sin If it be not in mans power than his soul hath gote a sinful byasse which Adam's soul had not when first created and shall this sinful byas and inclination be no Deformity no Sin no Imperfection no Contrariety to the law which prohibiteth all inclinatioâ— to sin 11. Let him explaine to me how the childe 's actual sin can make him really guilty of Adam's eating of the forbidden fruit and to deserve hell fire upon that account doth he think that the first actual sin of the châ—lde maketh him really guilty of all his fathers faults doth he think that the fiâ—st actual sin of the childe maketh him as guilty and as obnoxious to the wrath of God for all Adam's after sinns as for his first sin This must be cleared by Him who putteth no difference betwixt Adam and other parents in this matter and it must be cleared so as no staine of Injustice be put upon our Maker and with all he will do well to consider that maine argument of the Socinians and Arminians against us for though it doth not reach us yet I see not how he shall evite it It is this one act cannot make an habite one act of sin could not have that force to corrupt the whole nature of Adam for here this mans judgment is that one act of sin consenting to the seed of sin corrupteth that mans whole nature which was pure before one act of sin can deprive a man of Integrity and of Original Righteousness and bring on an Inclination to all sin but these evils are not sinfull in this mans account therefore he is concerned to loose his friends Objection 12 The ground of this mans mistake though he be not that ingenuous as to declare it is that no guilt can be imputed to a person who doth not actually consent thereto by an act of his owne personal Free Will for this was the maine Objection of the Pelagians and of others But then what will he say of sinnes of Ignorance and the like How cometh it that sins are divided into Voluntary and Involuntary What will he say to Psal. 19 13 14. But we have told him that even Originals in was fully voluntary in our nature and in the Fountain when first committed for it was not as to us a personal sin and so the personal consent of such as are contaminated therewith is not requisite thereto but a sin of our Nature and to this no more consent or will is required than the will and consent of him who was the head of this nature whose will was not extrinsick to us we being in him as members of that Body whereof he was Head Beside that this Voluntariness â—elongeth not to the Essence and Forme of sin Scripture defineth sin otherwise calling it a transgression of the Law 1 Ioh. 3 4. and who say otherwayes joyne with Bellar. de Amiss Grat. C. 1. 13. By this meanes he must say That infants are neither Righteous nor Unrighteous neither Holy nor Sinful indued neither with Good nor Evil qualities and consequently neither heires of Hell nor of Glory and thus make them mere Stocks or Brutes and not Rational Creatures 18. Next he speaketh to our Argument from Rom. 5 12. c. and because this place iâ— the proper seat of this doctrine which we hold the Apostle treating there of it professedly and maintaining it we shall premise some things to clear our Argument and then shall examine what he saith And 1. It is obvious to all
Nither can it advantage his Charity to found it upon an Untruth and that his Charity in this matter is founded upon an Untruth we have seen already and shall yet make it more evident He supposeth that when Infants perish because of Original sin they perish for no â—in of their owne but only for the sin of another of Adam But how groundless this mistake is we have seen and we have told him that Original sin is the proper sin of humane Nature and so is traduced from Adam to all that come of him by ordinary Generation and so partake of humane nature 23. In end he saith that Zuinglius did deny and refute our Opinion But all his proof is from the Councâ—l of Trent which hath not much credite with us Whatever it hath with him we have more Reason to take Bullingers testimony Decad. 3. Serm. 10 and cont Anabapt lib. 1. c. 12 Gualters in Apol. pro Zuinglio Operib ejus than either Bellarmins or the Councell of Trent Nay Zuinglius declared himself abundantly for the truth in the conference with Luther at Marpurg where these words are we beleeve that Original sin is in-born in every man from Adam and is hereditary and is a sin condemning all and that unless Iesus Christ had helpâ—d by his life and death we had all because of it perished eternally neither had we been partakers of happiness and of the Kingdom of God And if he read his confession of faith to the Emperour Charles V at the dyet at Ausburgh A. D. 1539. he will finde the ground of his mistake for he will there see in what sense he said original sin was not sin viz. that the original sin in Infants was not their Actual sin and who can say that they did actually eat the apple yet he said that upâ—n the account of that they were born Enemies to God His words are these as Bullinger where now cited relateth them I confess Original sin to be borne with all who are begotten of man and woman I know we are by nature the children of wrath Nor do I stick at this disease being called after Pauls manner sin yea it is such a sin as who ever are born in it are Enemies to God and unto this they are drawn by their birth not by committing of wickedness but in so far as the first father did commit it c. 23. We have now seen all that he hath said against the Orthodox doctrine about original sin and have vindicated such arguments as he was pleased to take any notice of I shall now ere I leave this matter propose some moe Arguments to his Consideration And first I shall mention that which himself adduced when he was speaking of mans lapsed state of whâ—ch we heard in the â—oregoing chapter to wit Gen. 6 5. 8 21. from which places the old fathers argued against Pelagianisme See Vossij Hist. Pelag. Pag. 142 143. and indeed there is no small force in these passages for though the Lord be there speaking of the guilt and sin of Adult persons yet he is aggravating the same by traceing it up to the very Root Rise of all saying that it was so with them from their Infancy or Child hood so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth yea from every state of their child hood for the word is in the plural number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pueritiis ejus and thus the Lord useth to aggravat the sin of people Ezech. 16 4. c. Mat. 15 19. Ephes. 2 3. Doth not such corrupt Fruit evidence an evil Tree with a bitter root of wickedness Mat. 7 16 And seing such are the fruits and acts of men so soon as they beginne to act and bud who can say that the Root is good and not corrupt rotten Chrysostoms words on Gen. 6. Hom. 22. are remarkabâ—e Neque aetas intempestiva alioquin inexperta malorum expers erat sed statim ab incunabulis omnes malum hoc praelium certabant contendentes ut malis operibus alter alterum superarent And it is certane that the Infants of the old world perished in the â—â—ood the Lord saith here that it was for sin wickedness that this judgment came on if then these Infants did not perish for their immediat parents sins as this Quaker affirmeth they must have perished for their owne having no actual sinnes of their owne they must have perished for their original sin so that they also must be comprehended with the rest in the forecited places and the evil there spoken of must be as well habitual as actual as well innate as acquired It is observable that Gen. 8 21. the same words are used of the new World that remained to wit of Noah and his posterity 25. We might adde other Scriptures to the same purpose such as Psal. 14 1 2 53 1 2 3. Rom. 3 9 10 23. 11 32. Gal. 3 22. These universals in such a matter as this is admit of no Exceptions yea all Exceptions are expresly excluded in the very text and the scope at which the Apostle driveth Rom. 3. admitteth of no exception for all have need of Christ and of God's mercy in Him otherwise the Apostles argument should be Inconsequent concluding an Universal from a Particular and because we dar not think thus therefore we must say that all are included and because all are not to be charged with actual sins original sin must be here included 26. Origen Cyrillus Chrysostom Augustin and others of the ancients adduced to this purpose these words of Iob Chap. 14 4. hence August de Praedest Grat. Cap. 3. saith Vitiatae radicis macula it a propaginis traduce per generationum sarmenta dissusa est ut nec infans quidem unius diei a culpa sit primae praevaricationis alienus nisi per indebitam Salvatoris gratiam fuerit liberatus quodsi nec quidem sine peccato est qui proprium habere non potuit conficitur ut illud traxerit alienum de quo Apostolus dixit per unum hâ—minem c. Now that the import of this passage may be the more noticed we would consider that when Iob saith who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one He is speaking of an inward uncleaâ—ness an uncleanness of soul by which we are exposed to the judgment of God of which he speaketh vers 3. and which he pointeth forth as inevitable and as such as no man can prevent or remedie So is he also speaking of an uncleanneâ—s which is Vniversal and therefore habitual for whâ—t is only actual is not universal Infants being free therefrom and of an uncleanness which is Permanent and Adherent as also of that which is Traduced or Propagated from Father to son and is hereditary all which do manifestly make it appear that he is speaking of Original sin in respect of which every one is Unclean cometh into the world unclean and can be no
the next time he must disput against the Scriptures of truth and not against us 18. â—â—e inveigeth next Pag 67. against that monstrous as he calleth it and twofold will which they he meaneth the orthodox feigne of God one by which he openly and manifestly declareth his sentence the other plaine contrary more secret obscure But to what purpose is this brought in here And what would he make of it He saith we seem to assume this distinction and hereby he seemeth to reject it But not to run out into a debate with him upon every light occasion I would only enquire if he acknowledgeth any Decrees of God at all If he do what are these Decrees else than acts of Godâ—s will If they be nothing else than we may say God willeth what he decreeth for sure we cannot say God nilleth or willeth not what he decreeth to be Againe I would ask whether the Commands and Law of God be signes of his will If they be as I suppose he will grant then I would ask if he thinketh that God Decreeth the same thing which He Commandeth and nothing else and so that God's Decree and Command are all one If he say that they are one than the decrees of God may be Resisted Opposed Contradicted Contraveened and have no effect for it is oft so with his Commands But all Divines will hisse at this If he say that they are not one where is then the Monstrosity or Absurdity of this saying He must also assume this distinction The truth is This man speaketh he knoweth not what The Scriptures oft give the name of will unto God's Purposes and Dâ—crees as Act. 21 14. Rom. 1 10. 1 Pet. 3 17. Rom. 9 15 18 19. Ephes. 1 5. Revel 17 17. Luk. 22 42. Mat. 26.42 So doth it often times give this title unto his Commands as is every where manifest And though these two the Purpose of God and the Will of Command do not alwayes agree as to the same event Yet there is no monstrosity here of a twofold contrary Will for the Purpose of God is not of the same nature with his Command His Purpose which Divines commonly call his Will in proper sense is purely concerning the Event and respectetâ— God as the first Cause Prime disposer of all Events in the world but his Command or Law toucheth not the Events of actions but only pointeth forth mans Duty and respecteth God as the supream Lawgiver prescribing the duty of his Subjects These both are cleared by that one Instance to adduce no moe of Abraham whom God commanded to offer up his Son and so made it Abrahams duty to â—et about this and to endeavour it But as to the event the Lord had decreed that Isaak should not be offered nor Abraham get leave to offer him up indeed where is this contrarietie then the man talks of 19. Next he tels us that it availeth nothing to say that man doth willingly and of his owne accord sin for this proclivity and propensity to sin according to us saith he is necessarily imposed upon him because God did decree it should be so Ans. Not to debate these questions with this man who seemeth not to understand the matter I shall only tell him that his Objection here is very neare of kin with that Rom. 9 19. Thou wilt say unto me why doth he yet finde fault for who hath resisted his will If this be not the very compend of his following words let any that read them judge It is the same saith he as if I should take an infant that cannot resist and cast him dâ—wne from an high place though his weighâ— cause him descend yet I am the cause of his death c. Now what saith the Apostle to this Nay O man take heed to this O Quaker who art thou that repliest or disputest against God c. Thus the proud Quaker forgeteth that he is a thing formed of God or he is so unreasonable as to debate the matter with God and say Why hâ—st thou formed me thus Can we think to satisfie this Quaker who will not be satisfied with this What sayes he to that word 1 Sam. 2 25. notwithstanding they hâ—rkened not unto the voice of their Father because the Lord would stay them will this man advocate the ill cause of these wicked sons of Eli and lay all the blame upon the Lord He must plead also for Pharaoh and say he did no wrong in refusing to let the people of Israel go for he could no otherwise do because the Lord had hardened his heart But it is little that this man should plead the cause of these wicked ones and of the King of Assyria the rode of God's anger and the staff in his hand Esai 10 5. yea and of all the wicked whom God hath made for the day of evil and that for himself Prov. 16 4. seing he taketh upon him to agent and plead the Devils cause against Iehovah because when God decreed that he should afflâ—ct Iob he was free of sin all the blame lay up on the Lord for Satan could do no other wise an inevitable necessity was put upon him by the decree of God according to this mans doctrine Is not the Devil much beholden to this Quaker for his good will to learne him how to speak in his owne defence against the Lord. But I am afrayed his reward shall not quite his cost We have told him already that the decree of Reprobation imposeth no necessity upon man to sin but this necessity cometh from mans natural corrupted state Yea Corvinus himself at knowledgeth that it was Arminius his doctrine that all men naturally are cast upon a necessity oâ— sinning See D. Twisse against Mr Mason Pag. 18. It is all one thing with this man whether a thing come to passe by the free will of the second cause or by Necessity of nature as the sun shineth if there be a decree past all the guilt must lye upon Iehovah and thus either God hath made no decrees at all touching the actions of free agents good or evil or all their actions must be acts of Necessity yea Pure and Absolute Necessity and so all contingency is taken away and all Freedom from second causes or men and angels must be Absolute and independent Agents over whom and whose actions God must passe no decree let every one judge whither this doctrine tendeth and what an exalter of Free will into the very throne of God this Quaker is 20 Next he saith our doctrine is injurious to God because it maketh him to delight in the death of the wicked and to will that many should die in their sinnes contrare to Ezech 33 11. 1 Tim. 2 3. 2 Pet. 3 9. Answ. 1 If he think to prove hence that God did not decree absolutly to suffer any to lye in sin and to punish them at length because of sin he must think from this effectually to prove that God did Absolutely Decree
that all men should be saved and so either all men must be saved or else God's decree is null and if all men must be saved then indeed there is no Election if all men shall not be saved but some damned how then willeth God that all men should be saved Or how is his Will Efficacious and Irresistible 2. It is true the Lord to speak of Him after the maner of men for in God there are no Passions of Joy Delight or Sorrow c. is not a God that taketh delight in the death of sinners yea such delight in their hurt and distruction that whether they repented amended or not he would notwithstanding destroy them as these wicked Iewes to whom this was said did wickedly alleige See and consider vers 10 11 12 13 14 20. so that the whole scope cleareth this to be the proper meaning as also the parallel place Ezech. 18. from Vers. 19. to 30. Now will any hence gather that the Lord hath no delight in the just punishment of impenitent sinners If they do their Conclusion will be contradictory to Scripture Prov. 1.24 25 26. Ier. 9 24. Esai 1 24. Ezech. 6 13. 3. The thing that he would inferre from hence is that God doth not Reprobate any Absolutely that is doth not purpose to punish them out of his mere pleasure and not for their sinnes And say we that he punisheth or purposeth to punish any not for their sinnes but to satisfie his owne pleasure No we say no such thing His Conclusion then can make nothing against us nor doth his Argument hence reach this which we say that God of his meer pleasure without any thing to move him from without decreeth to punish or to inflict Death and Damnation for sin and if he think that the one followeth the other he must lay this down for a ground that the Decree and the Execution of the decree are all one thing or that the decree to damne for sin and damnation for sin is all one thing But he nor any man shall never evince this or that every thing which is the cause of of Damnation must also be a cause of the Decree to damne 21. He proceedeth § 4. tels us that this doctrine is injurious unto Christ the Mediator And why so Because it maketh his mediation ineffectual Answ. Not at all as to these for whom it was intended and appointed that is the Elect. As if he hy his Passions had not broken down the middle wall of partition Ans. That middle wall of partition that was betwixt jew and gentile was quite taken away But the middle wall betwixt the Elect and Reprobat was never Intended to be taken down Nor had pacified the anger of God towards all men Ans. Nor was that the End of Christs coming and dying How he pacified the anger of God towards such as perish eternally and were already in hell we understand not He carps at that which some say viz. That Christ's death was sufficient for all of which saying I seee little use seing Christ's death was a price upon a compact and so its sufficiency and value is truely and properly commensurable with the compact and is so to be considered and sayeth that it cannot helpe if the vertue thereof be not extended to all sâ— as all may be made capable of salvation or if salvation be not thereby made possible unto all And as to this I am not far from his judgment But yet if there be not another way laid down than he yet mentioneth I see not but Christ's death might have been only Sufficient for all and not Effectual for any one for as he is against Reprobation he must be against Election also and so must say that Christ laid down his life for all though he knew not if any one should be saved by it yea that he might have had all he died for though not one should have been saved and how injurious this is unto the death and mediation of Christ let any judge and we will have more occasion to speak of this in the fâ—llowing Chapter 22. In the fourth place Pag. 78. he sayeth The preaching of the Gospel is by this doctrine made a meer mock and illusion if many of them to whom it is preached be secluded from receiving any good thereby by an irrevocable decreeâ— the preaching of faith and repentance is vaine and so is all the scope of the promises and tbreatnings seing all is referred to the foresaid decree c. Ans. 1. The preaching of the Gospel cannot be said to be in vaine when the end for which it was mainly sent is gained viz. the Elect are converted and established thereby and the decree of Reprobation cannot hinder this But as to the Reprobat he will say it is fruitless and vaine Then he should not have spoken so generally but should have restricked his discourse But 2. even as to the Reprobat it may gaine the end for which it was sent of the Lord notwithstanding of the decree of Reprobation even as the Command of God by Moses to Pharaoh had its end and was no Illusion notwithstanding that the Lord hardened his heart that he should not obey till the Lord had brought all the plagues upon Egypt that he resolved to bring And as the commission which Esai gote Chap. 6. was no cheate or moke though it was to make the heart of that people fat and their eares heavy and to shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes hear with tbeir eares and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed vers 10. Will this man say that the Lord was but mocking the people of Israel when he made them see all that he did before their eyes in the land of Egypt unto pharaoh and unto all his servants and unto all his land the great temptations which their eyes had seen and the signes and the great miracles because the Lord did not give unto them an heart to perceive and eares to heare and eyes to see unto that day Deut 29 2 3 4 was it were moâ—king that God sent Ezechiel whether the people would hear or whether they would forbear when yet they should know there had been a Prophet among them notwithstanding that the Lord told the Prophet that the house of Israel would not hearken unto him for they were impudent and hard hearted Ezech. 3 7 11 2 5. 33 33 Did not Christ know that his word should not do good to many that did heare it Shall we therefore think that he but mocked when he preached the word unto them 3. The Apostle tels us that he made himself a servant unto all not as thinking to gaine all but that he might gaine the more 1 Cor. 9 19. And againe vers 22. He became all things to all men that he might by any meanes save some And who were these some See 2 Tim. 2 10. Therefore I endure all things for the Elects sake that they
may also obtaine the salvation which is in Christ Iesus with eternal glory And shall we think that the Lord cannot send out his servants to call-in the Elect but he must point them out unto them by name and sirname What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known shall endure with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Rom. 9 22. Shall we quarrel with the Most High If God make the chiefe Corner stone that is Elect and Precious unto Beleevers a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were ordained 1 Pet. 2.6 7 8. must we impute folly unto our God and say that He is mocking 4. The whole of this discourse is founded upon this grand Errour that Faith and Repentance is not the free gift of God contrare to Ephes. 2 8. 6 23. Phil. 1 29. 1 Cor. 4 7. Act. 5 31. 11 18. 2 Tim. 2 25. For if Paul may plant and Apollos water but God only must give the increase 1 Cor. 3 5 6.7 Then the giving of success unto the preaching of the Gospel must be Gods free gift otherwise what can Quakers pray for or Ministers say when they are praying to God for a blessing on their labours Nay it seemeth Quakers are against all such prayers being pure Pelagians and so asserte that Man of himself may Believe and Repent If not will they not grant God liberty to distribute his owne gifts as he will 1 Cor. 12 11 Is God under any Obligation to give grace to all that heare the Gospel This were pure Pelagianisme to say that grace is conferred according to works 5. This mans owne doctrine is exposed to the same Inconvenience for he telleth us afterward as we shall heare that there is a time and date prescribed to every man after which their salvation is not possible now I suppose he will grant that the Word or at least the Light within may continue exhorting such to repent and returne yet all is in vaine for the door is shut will he say that God thereby is but mocking them Let him first liberate his owne doctrine and then returne upon us 23. In the fift place he tels us that our doctrine is injurious to the coming and propitiatory sacrifice of Christ. Why so Because it makes it a great judgment plague unto many c. Ans. And must not Christ be for the fall of many in Israel Luk. 2 34. Why else is he called a stone of stumbling Esai 8 14. Rom. 9 33. 1 Pet. 2 6. Why doth Christ say that it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment then for Chorazin and Bethsaida And for the land of Sodom than for Capernaum Mat. 11 21 22 23 24. And why saith he Ioh 15 22 24 25 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin If I had not done among them the works which no other man did they had not had sin but this cometh to passe that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their Law they hated me without a cause Why saith he Ioh. 9 39 for judgment I am come into this world that they which see might be made blinde Let the Quaker answere these passages and then rant according to his owne minde And let him tell me how it will fare with those that do not repent before their day of visitation goeth over It is this mans had to wound himself out of a keenness in pursueing us 24. In the Sixt place he saith that it is injurious to mankinde making mans condition worse then the Devils Ans. This were an injury indeed but the Challenge is neither True nor Honest for we look upon Devils as already under the Execution of the decree of Reprobation and in the same state as to this matter that Reprobates are into after death and we suppose it is far otherwise with men though Reprobate before death than it is with Devils Devils are under no offer of mercy now Men are Devils know themselves to be damned men do not Devils are damned irrecoverably for their first sin man that cometh to age sinneth himself more and more unto damnation Man that heareth the Gospel is punished because he will not accept of the offer but doth willingly reject it He doth not beleeve and he will not beleeve can this be said of Devils Devils are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day Iud. 6. This cannot be said of the Reprobat yet alive Many of the Reprobats have common graces and favours of God and are restrained from many sinnes which cannot be said of Devils But what is the matter The Devils had once a possibility of standing But many millions of men had never any opportunity of salvation but because of Adams sin of whom they never knew any thing were to be perpetually tormented But did not all mankinde by our doctrine stand in Adam fall with him They are not then punished for anothers sin but for their owne as we manifested in the foregoing Chapter How doth this reach all mankinde when God according to his everlasting good pleasure hath chosen a goodly number whom he will glorifie for ever will the Lord do so with any of the Devils Belike that their condition may not be every way worse then mans this Quaker will give them hopes that some of them at least may be saved provideing they hearken well to the Light within they have thâ— conviction faith of a God know that he is Merciful Holy Just c. as well as men Are of as sharpe Understanding in knowing what is right wrong as many men are But if all this will not satisfy this Quaker let me speak to him in the words of the Apostle for it may be he will carry some respect to them the words are to be found Rom. 9 20. Nay but O man who art thou that replyest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus c. But he addeth that we put man in a worse condition than the beasts are in Why so Because their owners require no more of them than they are able to do and when they are dead there is an end of their misery but by our doctrine man is perpetually tormented because he doth not that which he cannot and thus God dealeth with man worse than Pharaoh did with the Israelites for though he withheld straw from them they could get it with a little more industry Answ. What shall we say unto this Man who thus barketh and belcheth out against God He supposeth that he is spewing out this gall against us alas what are we that he should thus bark against us His barkings will be found against the Lord and
that the effect of all this Non-such Love both of the Father of the Son was only a Possible Salvation and Redemption and that all this love should be outed and possibly not one man saved Either the Lord knew that some would get good by this fruite of wonderful love or not If not then he was not omniscient and then the Father gave his Son and the Son came and both were the effect of the greatest love imaginable and yet neither of them knew that any one soul should be saved for all that If he knew then he knew that they would get good by it either by themselves alone without his Grace or not If the first why would he send his Son to die and why would Christ come to die for such as they saw would never have a will to be saved by his death If the last be said then seing the greatest expression of love was to send his Son and in the Son to come and die how can we think that that was for all when the grace to improve that death and profite by it was not designed for all Sayeth not Paul Rom. 8 32. He that spared not his owne Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all thing Importing that that was Impossible Shall we imagine that that is the greatest love which is common to all and is not able to effectuate the salvation of those upon whom it is set and how can this be that the greatest effect of this greatest love shall be common to all and smaller effects not common also See also 1 Ioh. 4 9 10 11. where this speciall love by which Christ was sent is made peculiar unto beleevers for Iohn is speaking of none else So â—s this love peculiarly terminated on Christ's Wife and Church Ephes. 5 25 2. and hath gracious and saving effects Gal. 2 20. Tit. 3 4 5 6 7. Epes 2 4 5 6. Rom. 8 36 37. 2 Thes. 2.16 17. Revel 1 5 6. Beside that this love is mentioned as an Old Everlasting and Unchangable Love Ier. 31 3. Ephes. 1 3 4. Rom. 9 11. Ioh. 13 1. Zeph. 3 17. And is all this nothing but a General Common thing that cannot save one soul if Lord Free will do not consent of his own accord 16 Moreover 5. if we consider the ends assigned to the Death of Christ mentioned in Scripture we shall see that it was some other thing than a meer Possible Delivery and Redemption common to all mankinde Mat. 18 11. He came to save that which was lost and not to make their salvation meerly possible for if that were all Christs argument should have had no strength So 1 Tim. 1 15. Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners if it were a meer possibility that might never tâ—ke effect hâ—w should this faithful saying be worthy of all acception So Luk. 19 10. where the matter is exemplified in Zaccheus Mat. 1 21. the reason of the name Iesus given to the Redeemer is becâ—use he shall save his people from their sinnes that is Actually and Really and not Potentially or Poâ—sibly only and this cannot be meaned of all for he sayeth noâ— the Reprobat from their sins at least not from the sin of unbeleef bâ— the confession of Adversaries But here no sin is excepted and therefore is his death restricted to his people whom he saveth from all their sinnes Heb. 2 14 15. there is another end of his death mentioned viz. that he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifâ—time subject to bondage This was no meer Possible Deliverance but Actual and Effectual and it was not common to all for it is restricted to his Brethren vers 11 12 17. and to sones 13. to the children which God gave him vers 13 14. to the Seed of Abraham vers 16. and againe vers 17. wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brâ—thren that he might be a Merciful and Faithfull High priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people Behoved Christ to be a Merciful and Faithful High prist in things pertaining to God only to make a Possible Reconciliation whereby it might be that not one person should be reconciled and are the Reprobate his brethen Ephes. 5 25 26. To what end did Christ give himself for his Church And all the world of mankinde belong not to his Church It was that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Is this a meer Possibility Then might Christ have died and have had no Church to present to himself faire and spotless his Church might have remained full of spots and wrinkles unholy and full of blemishes yea should have been no Church Tit. 2 14. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Do all the world belong to this peculiar people doth Christ redeem all the world from all iniquity Is all the world purified and made zealous of good works Or is all this a meer maybe which may not be 2 Corinth 5 vers 21. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be 〈◊〉 the righteousness of God in him Was Christ made sin or a sacrifice for sin that all the world might possibly be made the righteousness of God in him that is that possibly not one person might be made the righteousness of God in him who can dream thus that God's intentions and designes should be so loose and frustrable and that God should be so uncertain in his purposes Gal. 1 4. why did the Lord Iesus give himself for our sinnes It was that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our father This is no meer Possible Deliverance and it is such as was designed not for all the world but for the us there mentioned So Chap. 4 4 5 God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sones This Real Benefite is manifestly here restrickâ—d Ioh. 17 19. for their sakes I sanctify any self that they also may be sanctified through the truth Christ sanctified himself to be an oblation not to obtaine a meer may be but that they for whose sakes he did sanctifie himself that is they that were given to him vers 6 9. and were his owne vers 10. and were in due time to beleeve in him vers 20. might Really and Actually be Sanctifiâ—d through him Heb. 13 12. wherefore did Iesus suffer without the
giveth life unto the world not such a life sure as may never quicken any Upon Christ's death doth the Apostle inferre Rom. 8 32. that the Elect shall have all things and vers 33 34 35. that they are free from all Accusations or any Hazard there from being justified and having Christs Death Resurrection and Intercession to secure them at all hands thereupon they have assurance that nothing shall separate them from the love of God Act. 20 28. Christ hath purchased a Church with his own blood The whole world is not this Church nor is this purchase an uncertane may be And all this Real and Certaine Effect of Christ's death was foretold by Daniel Chap 9 24 to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness c. And who can imagine that this is Universal or Uncerâ—ane 18. If we will 7. Consider some other Ends of the death of Christ which the Scripture pointeth forth which are not to be found among Heathens or any except the few Chosen ones Ordained to life we shall see how unreasonable this Quaker is Gal. 4 5. Christ died to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sones Was this end and fruit left at an Uncertanty Shall we think that Christ might have died and yet not one man receive this Adoption Was this Adoption purchased upon an uncertain condition Or was this purchased equally for all Then such as received it might have thanked their owne well natured Free will upon that account But let us consider some other fruits Gal. 1 4. who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world So 1 Pet. 2 24. He bear our sins in his own body on the tree but for what end That we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness Chap. 3 18. Christ suffered for sins the just for the unjust To what end and purpose To bring us to God Heb. 10 10. by the which will we are sanctified How came this to passe Through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all So he suffered without the gate that he might sanctify the people Chap. 13 12. Revel 1 5 6. he loved us and washed us from our sins in his owne blood But was this all No it is added And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father So Ch. 5 9 10. thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and what more And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests c. So 2 Cor. 5 15 He died for all But for what end and purpose That they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose againe See Col. 1 22. These and the like passages do clearly pointe forth a special end of Christ's Death which was designed both by the Father that sent him and by himself and shall we suppose that this great and chiefe designe was made to hang upon the lubrick and uncertain will of man Shall Christ be beholden to mans good will for the purchase he made at so dear a rate If not why are not all these ends attained in all for whom he died Did Christ fail in laying down the Ransome Or doth not the Father keep condition Who can say either of these Then surely there can be no reason to say that Christ made an uncertain bargan and purchased only a Possibility of these fruites which he knew not if ever he should attaine in any one Nor to say that he died for all 19. Let us further 8. take notice That for whom Christ died he died to take away their sins And that so as they may be fully Pardoned never brought on reckoning againe that is that they be Remitted and Pardoned and that the poor sinner may not suffer therefore This sure must be the import of that prayer forgive us our trespasses If then Christ by his death hath taken away sin and purged it away making satisfaction to justice therefore how can we think that justice can punish the sinner in hell fire for these same sinns But let us see what the Scripture saith 1 Ioh. 3 5. he was manifested to take away our sins Ephes. 1 7. we have redemption in his blood what redemption foâ—giveness of sins according to the riches of his grace So likewise Col. 1 14. Now when sinnes are thus taken away they are blotted ouâ— and not remembered Esai 43 25. Ier. 31 34. Heb. 8 12. Yea they are blotted out as a cloud and as a thick cloud Esai 44 22. So they are said to be subdued casten into the depths of the sea Mica 7 19. Shall we now say that Christ hath died to purchase this Redemption the Forgiveness and blotting out as a thick cloud and casting into the depths of the sea of sin and yet multitudes of those for whom this was purchased and that by the blood of God should never obtaine this benefite but have all their sins charged upon their owne score This so pincheth the Adversaries that the best evasion they can fall upon is to say that none shall have Original sin charged upon them But the Scripture no where estricteth this Remission to that sin only Others therefore say That no sin now shall be charged upon any but the sin of Unbeleef Then Iudas doth not suffer to day for betraying his master was it for this sin only that the Old World was drowned or that the Cities of Sodom are suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Iude seemeth to say some other thing vers 7. so are there other sins there reckoned up vers 8 9 10 11 12. to which is reserved the blakness of darkness for ever vers 13. But some say that these are all but pardoned upon condition Then the Redemption is neither Actual and Real nor Compleat but a poor May be and a may be may not be and how can such sins be said to be forgiven or blotted out and casten behinde God's back and into the depths of the sea Did Christ know whether or not this condition would be performed If not then He is not the omniscient God If he knew that it would not be performed by the greatest part how can we imagine that he would notwithstanding lay downe his life to purchase a Remission for them And how can we think that He should purchase a Pardon to all and let the event hang upon the pendulous tottering will of a sinfull creature But as to that condition we shall 20. Propose 9. this consideration The not performance of that Condition was no doubt a sin and if Christ died for all the sinnes of the world he died for that too And if he died for that too that is taken out of the way or there must be another condition imagined upon performance of which that is to be taken out of
the way and the non-performance of this condition being also a sin our proposition will recurre upon this and so in infinitum but if this sin be taken out of the way it cannot prejudge them of the pardon of the rest and thus all their sins being pardoned they must needs be saved and yet it is not so But it is said that Christ died not for the sin of Final Unbeleef yet it seemeth thâ—t it will be granted that he died even for the sin of Unbeleefe of all the world and for unbeleefe continued in until the last houre of a mans life but not for that last act which yet is but the same Unbeleefe continued in an hour longer and shall we think that Christ bare the Unbeleefe of 20 40 60. or moe yeers in his body on the crosse and not the same Unbeleefe for one houre or halfe houre yea or quarter of an houre Who seeth not how little ground there is for such an imagination But the thing I would have mainly here considered is this That for whose sinnes Christ hath died he hath died for all their sins and therefore if he died for the sinnes of all the world he died for the final Unbeleefe of all the world But this will not be granted therefore neither can it be said that he died for the sinnes of all men Whose sinnes he took upon him to make satisfaction for he left none for them to answere for for he is a compleat Mediator and is sole Mediator If he died for all the rest of the sinnes of the Reprobat and of the whole world why not for that also Sure when the Scripture speaketh of Christs taking away of sin and of the Redemption that is forgiveness of sins which people enjoy through him there is no sin excepted He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities Esa. 53 5. the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all vers 6. or mâ—de the iniquitie of us all to meet on him there is no ground for any exception here when he was stricken for transgression vers 9. and his soul was made an offering for sin v. 10. is there any appearance of the exception of any one sin when he bear their sin and their iniquities vers 11 12. what intimation is given of an exception of any Yea if this exception was to be made which would null and destroy all what consolation could the declaration of this redemption remission of sins yeeld unto poor sinners Col. 1 14. Ephes. 1 7. When the Lord made him to be sin for us was it only in part how then could we be made the righteousness of God in Him 2 Cor. 5 21 was the Lord in Christ reconcileing the world unto himself not imputing only part of their trespasses to them but the imputing of one sin would mar the reconciliation for ever Is not final unbeleef a dead work Doubtless yet the blood of Christ purgeth consciences from dead works Heb. 9 14. Did the blood of buls and goats so sanctify as to the purifying of the flesh as to leave the most defileing spot of all untaken away How could healing come by his stripes if he bear but part of our sins in his body on the tree seing final unbeleef alone would mar all for where that is there is no coming to God imaginable But moreover the Scripture tels us that the blood Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 1 Ioh. 1 7. and that if any man sin there is an Advocat with the Father who is a propitiation for sins 1 Ioh. 2 vers 1 2. and so must be for all sins otherwayes there were little ground of comfort here And it was foretold by Daniel Chap. 9 24. that he should make an end of sin and finish the transgression and so bring-in everlasting righteousness Doth this admit of exceptions and of such an exception as would unavoidably make all null No certanely But you will ask of me If I think that Christ did die for final unbeleefe I Answ. Not for I judge it is the sin only of Reprobates who hear the Gospel and I judge that Christ did not die for any sin of Reprobats But this I hold and have cleared That for whose sinnes soever Christ hath died he hath died for all their sins And because he hath not died for final Unbeleef therefore he hath not died for any sin of such as shall be guilty of this and as for his owne he died to prevent their falling into and to keep them from this sin for he died to bring them unto God that they might have the Adoption of sons that they might be sanctified and live unto righteousness be made righteous yea the righteousness of God as is clear 1 Pet. 2 24. Gal. 4 4. Heb. 10 10. 2 Cor. 5 21. 1 Pet. 3 18. Rom. 5 19. what then will this Quaker say to this Final unbeleef is certainly a sin and Christ either died for it or not if he died for it than it can be laid to no mans charge or Christ's death is of no value If he died not for it he died not for all the sinnes of alâ— men but at most for some sinnes of all men and if that was all no man could thereby be saved for one sin is enough to procure damnation 21. Moreover 10 we finde the Persons for whom this price of blood was laid down designed more particularly and the Object of this Redemption restricted and so it could not be for all and every one It is said to be for Many Esai 53 11. Math. 20 28. and 26.28 Mark 10 45. Heb. 9 28. and what these many are is abundantly declared in other Scriptures where they are called Christ's Sheep Ioh. 10 15. Christ's People Mat. 1 21. His People whom according to the predictions of the Prophets which have been since the world began he should save from their enemies and from the hand of all that hate them to performe the mercy promised to the Fathers and to remember his holy covenant the oath which he swore to Father Abraham that he would grant unto them that being delivered out of the hand of their enemies they might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of their life Luk. 1 68 70 71 72 73 74 75. His Church Ephes. 5 25 Act. 20 28. His Body Ephes. 5 23. The Children of God that were scattered abroad Ioh. 11 52. Sones Sanctified Brethren the Children that God gave him the Seed of Abraham Heb. 2 10 11 12 13 14 16 17. They are the Sheep that shall infallibly beleeve because sheep Ioh. 10 26. and Whom Christ knoweth and of whom he is known vers 14 and such as shall heare his voice vers 16. and follow him vers 27. to whom he will give eternal life so that they shall never perish and who are given to him of his Father vers 28.29 and the Elect 2 Tim 2 10 He is bread
giving life unto the World of them that the Father hath given him and shall come to him Ioh. 6 33 37. They are these concerning whom the Fathers will was as being given of him that he should lose nothing but raise it up againe at the last day ver 38 39 40. The Redeemed ones that are numbered by God 144000. and are the first fruites unto God and the Lamb Revel 14 3 4 5. They are such as are the Lords and whom the Lord knoweth for his 2 Tim. 2 19. and are enrolled in the Lambs book Revel 13 8. and 20 15. See other particularities Psal. 87 5. Esai 43 1. and 49 12. and 19 18.24 25. Zeph 3 10. So are they designed to be these for whom God is and who shall have unquestionably all things the Elect who shall be justified who shall not be separated from the love of Christ are in all things more then Conquerours Rom. 8 31 32 33 34 37 38 39. These with whom the Covenant shall be confirmed Dan. 9 27. The redeemed out of every Kinred and Tongue and People and Nation and made Kings and Priests Revel 5 9 10. 22. Further 11 if Christ died for the sinnes of all persons how cometh it that they are not all actually pardoned It cannot be said that Christ's death was not a satisfactory price nor that the Father did not accept of it If then he shed his blood for the remission of sins Mat. 26 28. are not all these sins pardoned virtually and fundamentally or shall they not all actually be pardoned in due time If it be said they shall be pardoned upon condition of their faith But if the sinnes of all be equally payed for and equally in a virtual manner discharged in Christ's being actually discharged from that debt in the day of his Resurrection and the actual disharge depending upon the uncertain condition of mans Will man who willingly performeth the condition shall praise himself for the actual pardon and none else for Christ did no more for him as to the Actual Pardon than for others who never shall be blessed with actual forgiveness and yet forgiveness is held forth as a special act of free grace forgivenesse of sinnes is according to the riches of his grace Ephes. 1 7. Moreover as to that condition whether did Christ purchase it or not If he did not purchase it than man is not beholden to Christ for the Condition be it faith or what ye will it is no purchased mercy but man is beholden to his good Lord Free Will for it and so he may sacrifice to his own net and sing glory to himself for making himself to differ and for obtaining to himself Actual Remission of all his sinnes and consequently blessedness Rom. 4 v. 6 7 8. for had not his owne well disposed Lord Free Will performed that condition all that Christ did had never more advantaged him than it did others that perish If it be said that grace to performe the condition though it be not purchased by the blood of Christ yet it is freely given by God to whom he will I Answer Not to insist here on the proof of faith's being purchased by Christ because we shall cleare it afterward and there is nothing else assigned for the condition I would enquire whether Christ knew to whom this grace would be given or not if not then we must deny him to be God if he knew why shall we suppose that he would lay down his life equally for all when he knew before hand that many should never get grace to performe the condition upon which his death should redound to their actual pardon and justification what Ends or what Advantages can we imagine of such an Universal Redemption 23. 12. If the condition upon which actual pardon justification is granted in the blood of Christ be purchased by Christ then either all shall certainly be Pardoned Justified or Christ hath not purchased an Equal Common Possible Redemption to all and every man But the former is true it is not true that all shall certainly be pardoned and actually justified for then all should be glorified That the condition to wit Faith and Repentance is purchased by Christ who can deny seing he is expresly called the Author of Faith Heb. 12 2. and a Prince exalted to give Repentance and forgiveness of sins Act 5.31 So that as forgiveness of sins is founded upon his death as the Meritorious cause so must Repentance be and Christ as an exalted Prince and Saviour hath this power to dispose of his owne purchased legacy which he hath left and ensured by his death unto the heires of salvation Upon his Death and Satisfaction made in his death hath he gote all power in heaven and earth a power to quicken whom he will Mat. 28 â—8 Ioh. 5 21 22 27. Phil. â— 9 10 Hence we are said to be compleat in him Col 2 10. to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in ceâ—estials to which no doubt faith and Repentance do belong in him Ephes. 1 3 Is it not from hence that the divine power hath given unto us all things that pertaine unto life and godliness 2 Pet. 1 3 Nay Paul tels us expresly Phil. 1 29. that it is given to us in the behalfe of Christ to beleeve on him And certainly there is a promise of Faith and Repentance and all the promises are yea and amen in Him 2 Cor. 1 20. all the Blessings contained in the Covenant are made sure by his death who was the surety of this better Testament Heb. 7 2â— and this Testament was to have force by his death Heb. 9 15 16 17 18. and the New heart and heart of flesh is promisâ—d in the Covenant and comprehendeth Faith and Repentance they being some of his lawes which he hath also promised to write in the heart Ier. 31 33. Heb. 8 10. Ezech. 11 19 20. 36 26 27. We have moreover seen that Sanctification and Holiness from which Faith Repentance cannot be separated were purchased by Christ and intended in his death whence he is made of God unto us Sanctification 1 Cor. 1 30. If it be not purchased by Christ how come we by it is it a thing in our Power and an act of our owne Free Will Then as I said before we are beholden to ourselves for Faith and all that follow upon it and then farewell all Prayer for Faith and Repentance all Thanksgiving to God for it This is pure Pelagianisme If it be said that it is the free gift of God Ephes. 2 8. and a Consequent of electing love I Answere all the fruites of election which are to be wrought in us are procured by the blood of Christ for all are conveyed to us in a Covenant whereof Christ is the Mediator and Surety and with Christ he giveth us all things Rom. 8 32. and we are blessed in Him with all spiritual blessings according as he hath chosen
meer Genâ—ral Possible Râ—demption do strengthen the hands of â—he Socinians and joyn wiâ—h them against the Orâ—hodox but these Quakers with their old friends the Arminians will joyn wâ—th Socinians or any rather than with truth and we have seen alreaâ—y in how maâ—y tâ—ings this man taketh part with the Socinians But to our purpâ—se â—uch as Christ did thus die for and in their room place are accounted to â—ave died in Him so freed as in Ter. Proillo te ducam Ego prote molam 28. Moreover 17. If we consider the furniture whicâ— Christ as mediator had given to him of the Father we shall see moâ—e of the unreaâ—onableness of this Opinion which this Quaker with the Arminians embraceth Not to speak of what he had as God the Fathers Fellow and Equal let us but take notice of that câ—mmunicated furniture which he had as Mediator between God and man 1 Tim. 2 5. and our Immanuel Esai 7 14 We see He is called Wonderful Counsellour c. Esai 9 6 7. He is that Candlestick whence the golden pipes do empty the golden oile Zech. 4 12. He was full of grace and truth Ioh. 1 14. Was this fulness for a meer Possible effect Or had He it so and for such an end as none might possibly be the better thereof No and of his fulness have all we received grace for grace Ioh. 1 16. He had not the Spirit by measure Ioh 3 34. It plâ—ased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Col. 1 9. In him are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2 3. and in him dwelleth all the fulness of the godhead bodily vers 9. And wherefore is all this Even that all his might be compleet in him vers 10. Grace was poured into his lips Psal. 45 2 and he was anoynted with the oyle of gladness above his fellowes vers 7. And Esai â—1 1. Luk 4 18. c. The Spirit of the Lord God was upon him because the Lord had anoynted him And for what end To preach glade tideings unto the meek to binde up the broken hearted to proclame liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound See further vers 2 â— Sure this was no uncertain end nor lâ—st to the discretion of Free will So Esai 11 â— And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the Spirit of wisdom and understanding c. Shâ—l all this be and further shall righteâ—usness be the girdle of his â—â—mes and faithfulness the girâ—le of his reines vers 5. And â—ay it notwithstanding so come to passe that the Wolf shall not dwell with the Lamb nor the Leopard lye down with the Kid c nor the earth be full of the knowledge of tâ—e Lord as the waters cover the sea Ver. 6 7 8 9. How absurd is it to imagine this And yet so it may be by the Quakers opinion All this furniture saith that it was no Uncertain Gâ—neral End which he had before his eyes in undertaking this work and the Father in sending him and granting to him this fulness 29. Adde to this 18. The Titles and Relations which Christ took upon Him for they cannot be meer inâ—igniâ—icant and empty Names He is called a Redeemer Esa. 4â— 14. 54 5. 49 26. 60 16. 43 14. 44 6 24. 48 17. 49 7. 47 4. 59 20. Rom. 11 26. And shall we imagine that He shall be a Redeemer and Deliverer and yet no man Redeemer or delivered No He hath a redeemed company whom he owneth as such Esa. 35 â— 43 1 2â— 44 22. 48 20. Ier. 31.11 Esai 51 11 52 3. 63 4. Zach. 10 8. Luk. 1.68 24 21. 1 Pet. 1 18. Revel 5 9. 14 3. He is called a Saviour Esai 4â— 3 11. 45 15 21. 63 8. Luk. 1 47. 2 11. Ioh 4 â—2 Act. 5 31. 13 23. 2 Tim. 1 10. Tit. 1 â— Ephes. 5 2â— Tit. 2 13. 3 6. 2 Pet. 1 1 11. 2 20. 3 2 18. 1 Ioh. 4 14. Shall we think that he was given sent for a Saviour and took upon him that title and relation and notwithstanding no man might be saved No there are also some designed the Saved 2 Cor. 2 15. Act. 2 4â— 1 Cor. 1 18. He is called a King Revel 15 3. 17 14. 19 16. 1 Tim. 6 15. Ioh. 12 15. Luk. 19 38. 23 2. Zach. 9 9. Mat. 21 5. Now is he an actual King and shall have none but potential Subjects Shall he be a King without a Kingdom See Ioh. 18 36. Col. 1 13. 1 Cor. 15 24. He is called an Husband 2 Cor. 11 2. Ier. 31 3â— And therefore He must have a Wife and a Bride Iâ—h 3.29 Revel 18 23. 21 9. 22 17. He is called an Head Ephes. 5.23 1 Cor. 11 3. Ephes. 4 15. 1 22 Col. 1 18. And so must have a Boâ—y Ephes. 1 23. Rom. 12 5. Ephes. â— 4. Col. 3 15. 1 24. 2 19. Ephes. 4 6. 5 23. 3 6. He is called the Vine stock and shall he have no Brancâ—es Ioh. 15 1 2. c. These things miâ—ht be further enlairged and pressed but we sâ—all haste forward 30. â—9 Our Adversaries say That Christ by his Death and passion did Absolutâ—ly even according to the Intention of God purchase Remission of sins and Reconciliation with God and that for all and every man Otâ—ers say conditionally But withal as to the application of this purchase it is made to depend upon faith and so they distinguish betwixt Impetration and Applicatiâ—n And though it is true the purchase made is one thing and the actual enjoyment of the thing purchased is another thing Yet we may not say with our Adversaries that the Impetration is for moe than shall have the Application or as this Quaker who in effect saith that it may so fall out that there shall be no Application for all this Impetration But we assert that both Impetration and Application in reâ—pect of the designe of the Father which is absolute aâ—d certain and the Intention of Christ the Mediator which is fixed and pâ—remptory are for the same individual persons so that for whom soever God 〈◊〉 Christ and Christ came to purchase any good unto these same shaâ—l it actually in due time and in the Method and manner Condescended upon prescribed be given and upon them and none else shall it actually be bestowed for 1. No other thing beside this Application can be supposed to have been the end of the Impetration And sure Christ was herein a Rational Agent Nay it was the Intention and designe of the Father that the Application of these good things should be by the meanes of this Impetration as is abundantly cleared above 2. We cannot suppose that either Christ or his Father should faile or coâ—e short of their end designed but by our
Intercession and Prayer is restricted to such Ioh. 17 9. I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine 6. Christ's end in coming into the world was to save his people Hence he gote that name Iesus but he should not be able to save them Perfectly Compleetly and to the Utermost if he did not joyne his Intercession with his Oblation Yea upon this account he continueth ever a Priest having an unchangable Priesthood Heb. ◠24 25. But this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangable Priesthood wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seing he ever liveth to make intercession for them 7. The Apostle so joyneth them together Rom. 8 34. that they must do manifest violence to the Apostles reasoning who would pull them asunder and separate the one from the other It is sais he Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us 8. Yea they are so joyned together here that his death alone considered could not yeeld that ground of triumph and boasting nor security from Accusations Yea rather that is risen againe c. 9. So that the separating and taking of these asunder is greatly prejudicial to the consolation of his people for though they should attaine to some apprehensions of Christ's dying for them as an Advocate with the Father upon new sinnes 1 Ioh. 2 1 2. Though Christ died yet they might be condemned for he must also Interceed and if he do not Intercede for them their Hopes and Comforts are gone And so there should be no force in that who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died Rom. 8 34. And a poor soul might be had saved but not to the uttermost contrare to Heb. 7 25. 10 And that place Rom. 8 33. restricteth both equally unto the Elect who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect 11. When Christ laid down his life a Ransome for sinners he could not but know that by that Ransome none should be actually saved without his Intercession it being accorded betwixt Father and Son that the mediator should mediate both by Price and by Prayer And he could not but know for whom he purposed and intended to Interceed how shall we then suppose that he would lay down his life for those for whom he was purposed not to Pray Or that he would do the most for them For whom he would not do the least 12. Christ's intercession is really a presenting unto God the Oblation made Therefore sayes the Apostle Heb. 9 24. that Christ is entered into heaven it self to appear in the presence of God for us And so by appearing he Interceedeth and his appearing is in his owne blood whereby he obtained Eternal Redemption Heb. 5 12. and so his Intercession must be for all for whom the Oblation was and the eternal Redemption was obtained 13. Yea both these are so joyned together by Esaias Chap. 53 12. as that they are made one ground and procureing cause of God's divideing him a portion with the great and of Christs own divideing the spoile with the strong Because he hath poured out his soul unto death and he bare the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressours 14. This is further clear from the reasons we gave to confirme that fast connexion betwixt Christ's Impetration Application in the foregoing paragraph for the Actual Application of the benefite and fruit of his oblation is attributed to his Intercession 15. Nay that whole Chapter Ioh 17. confirmeth this for there Christ is both Offering himself or sanctifying himself thereunto vers 19. and Interceding and these are so lincked together both in themselves and as to the persons for whom that it must argue at least much incogitancy to imagine a divulsion separation of these two acts of his Priesthood 16. If Christ Intercede not for the same persons for whom he died we ask for whom he Intercedeth Is it for actual beleevers Then we ask a Scripture ground for this restriction And then it is manifest hence that Christ Intercedeth not for the working of faith in any And yet Esaias tels us that he maketh Intercession for transgressours And we see Ioh. 17 20. that he prayeth not only for those who were already beleevers but for such also as were not yet beleevers He told us Himself also that he would pray the Father for the Spirit Ioh. 14 vers 16. And among other things this is one work of the Spirit to cause a sinner beleeve 2 Cor. 4 13. Ephes. 1 17 18 19. 33. The point we are upon will be further cleare if we consider 22. That Christ's death was a Redemption and we are said to be Redeemed thereby Gal. 4 5. and 3 13. Rom. 3 24. Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. 1 Pet. 1 8. Revel 5 9. Tit. 2 14. And therefore all such as he laid down this Redemption or Redemption-money for must of necessity be redeemed and saved and consequently he died not for all seing all are not redeemed and saved His Ransome or Price of redemption which he laid down viz. his blood which he shed is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransome Mat. 20 28. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2 6. That all such for whom this Redemption-money was payed and this Ransome was given must be saved is cleare for 1. Other wayes it were no Redemption a ransome given for Captives doth say that these Captives in law and justice ought to be set at liberty 2. This Redemption is the same with as to the effect or hath attending it forgiveness of sins Col. 1 14. Ephes. 1 7. and forgiveness of sins is with justification hath blessedness attending it Rom. 4 6 7 8. 3. Salvation necessarily followeth upon this Ransome and Redemption as is clear 1 Tim. 2 4. compared with vers 6. 4. This redemption is from a vaine Conversation 1 Pet. 1 18. and consequently is attended with Salvation 5. It is attended with justification Rom. 3 24. being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ 6. Hence it is called the Redemption of the transgressions Heb 9 15. that is either of Transgressours by a metonimy or of us from the evil of transgressions that upon a valuable compensation and satisfaction for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Redemption from evil by the Interveening of a Price a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ransom 7. This was a Redemption from the law for God sent forth his son made under the law to redeem them who were under the law Gal. 4 4 5. so by this redemption there is a liberation had from the Law and its Curse and Penality 8. And it is a Redemption of such as were under the law for this end that they might receive the adoption of sones Gal. 4 5. But this Adoption of sones
for some sinnes of all and not for all their sinnes for whom he died seing he was a Compleet Cautioner So then as Christ died in their roome and stead as their Cautioner and Sponsor for whom he died wrong should be done to Him if all these for whom he was a Cautioner should not at length actually be delivered out of prison freed from the accusation of the law They for whom he died being in him legally when he died and morally and virtually dying in him and with him must not in justice be made to pay their own debt and satisfie the law over againe Christ's stricking hands as the phrase is Prov. 22 26. and so putting his name in the obligation and accordingly making satisfaction the Principal 's name is blotted out and he freed in the time appointed for he beare our griefs and carryed our sorrowes c. Esai 53 4 5. and by meanes of death he delivered them who through fear of death were all their lifetime ubject to bondage Heb. 2 14 15. 37. This matter will be further clear if we consider 26. How the death of Christ was a Satisfaction and none can deny this but Antichristian Socinians Others willingly grant that Christ did substitute himself in the room of sinners and was willing to undergo the punishment threatned in the Law against sin that the sinners for whom he undertook satisfaction might be freed So he bear their sins Esai 53 11. 1 Pet. 2 24 And he was made sin 2 Cor. 5 21. Hence he is called a Propitiation 1 Ioh. 2 3. 4 10. Rom. 3 25. Whereby we see that Christ took upon him the whole Punishment that was due to sin and that God whom sinners had offended was well pleased with what he did and suffered according to that undertaking yea more pleased than he was displeased with all the sinnes of those for whom he suffered for hereby His Authority and justice was made to appear more glorious excellent How then can we think that many of those it may be all for whom he gave that satisfaction may notwithstanding possibly be made to make satisfaction for themselves as they may by our Adversaries way Was not his satisfaction full compleat Why should any then for whom he gave that satisfaction be liable to Punishment Is this consonant to justice Did not the Lord Jehovah send Christ and fit him with a body for this end Psal. 40 6. Heb. 10 5. laid upon Him the iniquities of us all Esai 53 6 that He might make full satisfaction for them to justice suffer for them all that the Law could demande of them or they were liable unto by the broken Law Did not Christ do suffer all which he undertook to do suffer for this end And did not the Father accept of what he did suffered as a full Compensation Satisfaction And seing this cannot be denied it is manifest that this was done by Christ as a Cautioner Heb. 7 22. how can it be imagined that the Principal debtor shall not thereupon have a fundamental right to freedom pardon in due time after the Gospel method be actually Discharged delivered from the penalty of the Law Redeemed by the Satisfactory Price payed by the Cautioner accepted of the Creditour Doth not the denying of this certain infallible Effect call in question the value worth of Christ's satisfaction and give ground to say that Jehovah was not Satisfied with the price or that Christ made no Satisfaction Did not Christ make Reconciliation for the sinnes of his people Heb. 2 17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 38. Adde for a further confirmation of this 27. That Christ's death was a propitiating sacrifice He gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Ephes. 5 2. He offered up himself once Heb. 7 27. He is a sacrifice for us 1 Cor. 5 7. the lamb of God which beareth or taketh away the sin of the world Ioh. 1 29. He offered up himself without spot to God Heb. 9 14 he was once offered to bear the sinnes of many Heb. 9 28. we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all he offered one sacrifice for sin for ever Heb. 10 10 12. Now as the sacrifices under the Law which were a type of this did not procure a General Possible benefite but did procure a Real favour only to the People of God for they sanctified to the purifying of the fâ—esh Heb. 9 13. So certanely this Real and Perfect sacrifice must have a Peculiar and Real Effect and sprinkle consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 And this is not a thing common to all nor is it a meer Possible thing They must then do a great indignity unto the Sacrifice of Christ who speak of an Universal meerly Possible Redemption 39. Adde to this 28. How upon this Sacrifice which Christ offered up in his death we read of a Reconciliation made Ephes 2 â—6 and that he might Reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having slaine the enmity by it or in himself 2 Cor 5 10. when we were enemies we were Reconciled to God by the death of his Son Col. 1 20. and having made peace through the blood of his crosse by him to Reconcile all things unto himself Therefore is he called our Peace Ephes. 2 14. he maketh Peace vers 15. we have Peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Rom. 5 1. Now this Reconciliation being of parties that are at varience must be a Reconciliation of both to other and so a mutual Reconciliation and Christ effectuateth both and both are purchased by his death we cannot then imagine with Socinians that all the Reconciliation mentioned in Scripture is of us to God as if God's Anger and Wrath were not appeased and taken out of the way nor with Arminians that Christ obtained an Universal Reconciliation of God to all but no Reconciliation of man to God friendship betwixt enemies must be mutual if a Reconciliation be and our state before this was enmity Rom. 5 10. Col. 1 20 21. and God's wrath was against us and upon us Ephes 2 3. Ioh. 3 36. But now how will this agree with Universal Redemption Is God Reconciled to all when many perish under his wrath for ever Can God be said to be upon the death of Christ Reconciled to all when it may so fall out that not one soul shall have peace with God How cometh it to passe that many whose Reconciliation Christ hath purchased live and die enemies to God Sure the Apostle tels us 2 Cor. 5 19. that to whom God is reconciled to them he doth not impute sin and he assureth us that all such as are reconciled to God by the death of his Son shall be saved Rom. 5 10. 40. Adde 29. That it seemeth
hard to say That Christ laid down his life a Price a Ransome a Sacrifice an Atonement Propitiation c. to Purchase Procure Merite Grace Glory to make Reconciliation Peace betwixt God such as were already suffering the vengeance of eternal fire to satisfie for their sinnes who were already condemned to the torments of hell fire and yet this must be said by such as assert Universal Redemption Was Christ so prodigal of his blood as to cast it away for such as were irrecoverably gone If it be said that this is no more hard than to say that Christ suffered for such as were already glorified Any may see how vast the difference is for such as were glorified were glorified upon the account of Christ Death which was to be in the time appointed designed by Father Son When one promiseth a summe for redeeming of so many slaves and the summe according to mutual agreement is to be payed at such a day the slaves may be presently relieved in contemplation of the price which is accepted and is to be payed hereafter at the time appointed But when one cometh to lay down Ransome-money he cannot be said to lay it downe for such as are dead that he knoweth to be dead many yeers ago so uncapable of Redemption 41. Further 30. If Christ died for all then he intended to die for all then the Father also intended that he should die for all then he intended that it should be a Redemption for all that thereby all should be Redeemed for to what end else should Christ die redeem if not that such as he died for Redeemed be Redeemed Delivered Or to what other end should God intend that Christ should die for all than to the ends mentioned in Scripture of which we have spoken And how can we say that God did intend the Redemption of all when all are not actually redeemed Are his intentions so fallible and frustrable If it be said that he Intended only a Possible Salvation and not Actual I Ans. The Scripture speaketh no such thing as we have seen And how unsuteable is it to the wisdom of God to send his Son actually to die and bear the curse and only intend thereby a Possible Redemption which might never prove Actual to any one soul If it be said That he Intended an Actual Redemption but Conditionally I Answer Redemption upon a condition is but a Conditional Redemption and that is but a Potential Possible Redemption unlesse you say that the condition is also purchased and then as to God it is an Absolute Redemption and intended as such doth it suite the wisdom of God to intend Redemption to all and not intend also the Condition by which alone it must become Actual and which he alone can work but will not Must we thus ascribe such intentions to God as must hang upon mans will and be subordinate thereunto Or if he see that the Condition will never be performed how can we think that he intendeth any thing upon a Condition that shall never be But enough of this at present 42. Moreover 31. This doctrine of Universal Redemption is derogatory to the solide consolation of the Redeemed and Weakeneth the grounds of their long and therefore it is not to be admitted This Argument is fully and solidely prosecuted and vindicated from what can be allaiged against it by the learned and solide divine Mr Durham in his Comment on the Revelation Pag. 304. and 305. And to him shall I referre the Reader only I shall crave leave to adde this That by our Adversaries grounds the song of the Saved shall not run as it doth Revel 5 9 10. But rather thus We have saved ourselves out of every kinred and tongue and people and nation and have made ourselves unto God Kings and Priests For whereas Christ by his blood redeemed all of every kinred and tongue and people and nation and not some only out of them we ourselves have by our own free good will made a difference betwixt ourselves and the rest and we are no more beholden to Christ for all that we have attained to then the damned in hell are for whom Christ shed his blood as well as for us and to whom he purchased by his blood and death as much as for us as Adversaries say So that I see not how Arminians and Quakers can think to joine in this Song and have any share of this Consolation which is solely founded upon the Redemption of Christ as a peculiar and no common blessing Let them consider it for it concerneth them not a little seing all that come to glory will sing to the honour of their Redeemer upon other grounds as we see then these are which our Adversaries lay down and plead so earnestly for If any say that Christ moreover hath purchased faith to some even to all that are actually saved I Answere As neither the Arminians nor semi Arminians I mean the followers of Camero will say this or grant so much so the granting of it will evert the other Universal Conditional Redemption for the Scripture speaketh but of one kinde of Redemption of one Price laid down of one Covenant betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator and of one Giving unto Christ of Persons to be redeemed Shall we think that Christ would lay down as great a ransome for such as he was not to purchase faith unto as for the rest Shall we think that he would lay down his life in vaine and make no purchase thereby And of the Reprobat for whom he was not to purchase faith he knew he could make no purchase for without faith his death would be of no advantage unto them And where do we read that all were given unto him to redeem Yea are not the given ones clearly distinguished from the rest Ioh. 17 6 9. as we cleared above 43. Againe 32. If the Redemption of Christ be Universal and Conditional it must necessarily follow that Christ laid down his life and the price of his blood as much for Iudas and all the Reprobate as he did for Iohn and all the Elect for the Redemption being conditionally for all it cannot be more for one then for another And yet this cannot be said as appeareth from the reasons formerly adduced This would say that the Fathers and Christs love was equal towards all and that no more was purchased for the one than for the other and that the Elect have no more benefite by Christs death than the Reprobat have and that Christ had no more an eye to Redeem the Elect by his death than to Redeem the Reprobat and was no more a Cautioner for the one than for the other all which and the like cannot but be looked upon as most absurd Shall we think that Christ became sin as well or as much for Iudas as for Peter Shall we think that He redeemed all alike from the curse of the Law
the new covenant 13. Universal proper Fruits and Effects of this death whereby all the outward favours that Heathens enjoy are said to be purchased for them by Christ and why not also what Devils enjoy 47. Finally 36. This assertion of Universal Redemption laith the ground of and maketh way to a new frame of the Covenant of Grace quite overturning its Nature and transforming it into a new covenant of works making it one and the same with that as to kinde and only to differ as to the change of conditions to be performed by man for as in the first covenant Adam was to obtaine right to and possession of life promised in by for through and upon the account of his fulfilling the condition of perfect obedience imposed by the Lord so in the New covenant man is to obtaine and acquire to himself a right to and possession of the Life promised in by for through and upon the account of his performance of the Condition of Faith and new obedience now imposed in the Gospel and all the difference is that instead of perfect obedience to the which was the condition of the first covenant now Faith and sincere Gospel Obedience is made the condition And thus we can no less be said to be justified by works of the Law or which we do then Adam should have been said to have been so justified had he stood and this justification giveth as great ground of boasting unto man and of making the reward of debt and not of grace as justification by the first covenant would have done for though it be said that Christ hath made satisfaction to justice for the breach of the first Law and thereby purchased to all upon Condition Iustification Salvation yet this removeth not the difficulty for what is purchased by Christ's death is made Universal Common to all and so can be nothing according to our Adversaries but a putting of all men in statu quo prius in case to run obtaine the prize for themselves as God's absolute free love put Adam in that condition at first Christ's death though thereby as they say he purchased the New Covenant which with them is the chiefe if not the only effect and fruit of his Death Merites can be no more than a very remote ground of Right to Life and Salvation unto any person for it is made Universal Common to all so that all have equal share therein and advantage thereby man himself by performing the new conditions only making the difference so that the immediat ground of the Right to life which any have is their own Faith and Obedience or performance of the New Covenant-conditions Whereby it is manifest that as to our Particular and Immediat Right to Happiness we are to plead our own works lean to them as our ground whereupon we may stand and appear before God's Tribunal and upon the account thereof plead for the crown as our due debt having now run for it performed the condition agreed upon and so sing praises to ourselves instead of singing praises to our Redeemer Hence the righteousness wherein we must appear before God is not the Righteousness of Christ but our own for the Righteousness of Christ say they is only imputed in regaird of its effects whereof the new Covenant is the All or the Chiefe and so that doth not become the Righteousness of any man nor can be said to be imputed to any man properly which also they assert but his own Faith is only imputed properly which also they plead for as his Righteousness not as a Way Medium or Methode of Gospel-Righteousness especially when Gospel-Obedience is adjoyned The Righteousness of Christ beinâ— hereby only accounted to be imputed in that it hath procured that our own Gospel Righteousness Faith and new Obedience shall be imputed to us as our Immediat Righteousness the ground of our Right to Glory What accord is betwixt this frame of the Covenant of Grace and that way of justification held forth by Socinians Arminians Papists the learned will easily see and how contrary it is to the Covenant of Grace held forth in the Gospel hitherto professed maintained by the orthodox every one acquanâ—ed therewith cannot be ignorant it is obvious how opposite this is unto wâ—at the Apostle saith Phil. 3 8 9. yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found iâ— him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith And Tit. 3 5 6 7. Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his grace we should be made heires according to the hope of eternal life And Rom. 3 20 21 22 24. Therefâ—re by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified but now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all them that beleeve being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ. And many other places It is no less clear how hereby the true nature of justifying faith and Gospel obedience is perverted and with all how dangerous this is if put into practice or if men act ilve accordingly every serious exercised Christian knoweth 48. Having thus briefly laid down our grounds for a Particular and against an Universal Redemption we come to see what our Quaker sayeth for Universal Redemption which he supposeth to be so clearly asserted in Scripture that hardly any other article of Christian Religion can compare with it as to this but the confidence of a Quaker acted and led by a Spirit of delusion is no convincing argument to me Let us see his grounds He citeth Luk. 2 10. addeth He sayeth not to a few of the people but if the comeing of Christ had not brought a Possibility of Salvation unto all it might rather have bin called tideings of great griefe to the mâ—st part of the people Answ. If Christ had only brought a Possibility of salvation with him the Gospel had bin the tideings of joy to no flesh for Salvation upon a Condition Impossible is no salvation 2. Did Christ bring a Possibility with him to the damned if not where is his Universal Redemption 3 It is said here to be to all people because the Offer and Meanes thereof were not now to be limited to one Nation of the Jewes as formerly but the Lord was to have a people out of all Kinreds Nations Tongues Languages yet
World and why because the word World is frequently taken for Unbeleevers for which he citeth many passages several of which are very impertinent for some speak of the World containing not of the inhabitants as Ioh. 17 15 18. some of the profites and pleasures of the world as Mat. 16 26. 1 Ioh. 2 15. some make no mention of the World as Mat. 18 1â— Ioh. 7.8 26. and 18 19. and 17 20. Others speak of the temptations and other accidents of the world as Gal. 6 14. Iam. 1 27. 2 Pet. 2 20. And then he tels us that the World is here distinguished from beleevers who come in under the word ours and so the speach should be redundaâ—t and superfluous But the full commentary of the word he draweth from this same Epistle Chap. 5 10. where the same Apostle is speaking to the same persons To all which We Answere Notwithstanding that enough was said above to enervate any Argument drawn from hence 1. The word World can prove nothing for it admitteth of so many various acceptations not to mention the world containing signifying sometimes indefinitly men without restrictions or enlairgements Esai 13 11. Ioh. 7 4. Sometimes Many Mat. 18.7 Ioh. 4 42. and 12 19 and 16 8 and 17 21. 1 Cor. 4 9. Revel 13 3. Sometimes a great part of the World Rom. 1 8. and 10 18. Mat. 24 14. and 26 13. Sometimes the Roman Impire Luk. 2 1. Sometimes the wicked and sometimes God's owne scattered up and down the world Psal. 22 27. Ioh. 3 16. and 6 36 51. Rom 4 13. and 11 12 15. 2 Cor. 5 19. Col. 1 6. 2. Nor can the phrase whole world or all the world prove any thing for that also is variously taken and never except once Rom. 3 19. where it is in a necessary matter taken for all and every individual person See Revel 3 10. and 12 9. and 13 3. Col. 1 vers 6. Luk. 2 1. and in other places it doth not denote men 3. It is but rational to suppose that the whole world here denoteth no more than the like expressions elsewhere to wit all nations all flesh all the ends of the earth all the families of the earth c. and we did shew above that these used in the matter whereof we are now speaking could not be taken in their most comprehensive sense otherwayes it would follow that all and every man should have grace and glory see for instance Psal. 22 27. and 72 11. and 93 3. But Peter tels us how such ought to be interpreted Act. 2 17. expounding that universal Ioel 2 18. 4. That there must here be a restriction himself must grant otherwise he must bring-in the Devils and say that Christ is a propitiation for them and not for us only who are men upon earth because the word world in its universal extent will comprehend them also Especially considering how the second place may contribute to strengthen this supposition seing the Devils lye in evil But if he take liberty to restrick it to Men he must not be offended with us for taking the same liberty to restrick it to a certane sort of Men as elsewhere it is restricked to signifie Wicked men so here it may signifie Beleevers or the Elect as the like phrase of all nations importeth Esai 66 18. and 2 2. and elsewhere 5. And that it must be restricked so here is manifest from the very word Propitiation for if it be taken for the actual Application of the benefites of Christs death according to the parallel place Rom. 3 25. where it is said to be by faith then it is manifest that Beleevers only are intended here and indeed the whole discourse is intended for the comfort of Beleevers against incident sinnes and not for the comfort of Others And if it be meaned of Impetration even then there must be a restriction to such as either are or through grace shall be made beleevers for only such as we did shew above are they for whom Christ is a propitiation Shall Christ be looked upon as an Advocate with the Father for the wicked Reprobate In this word propitiation there is an allusion to the cover of the Ark and Mercy seat called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9 5. which signified the covering of the Law as a rigide Covenant of works importing Reconciliation and Acceptation with God through Christ the true Propitiation or Mercy seat Rom. 3 25. who propitiated for sinnes Heb. 2 17. and so expiated them for upon tâ—is followeth remission Mat. 26 28. Rom. 3 25. and 5 9. Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. Heb. 9 22. 1 Ioh. 1 7. 1 Pet. 1 2. Revel 1 5. And shall we say that this is common to all the world Or that all this importeth only a Possible Reconciliation and Remission or that it is for such as shall themselves suffer the vengeance of eternal fire for ever Let Quakers beleeve this if they will for my part I cannot 6. Why the Apostle should use this general terme in a restricted sense we formerly gave a reason see § 59. and 60. This Apostle conversing most with Jewes Gal. 2 9. wrote this Epistle unto them as is most probable they having first had the offer made unto them which is hinted in this same Chapter vers 7. And so he useth the word World in a sense which they understood well to wit as importing the Gentiles whom he would hereby insinuate to be now taken-in and no more strangers and forreigners the partition wall being broken down And hereby it appeareth that there is no tautologie in the words when he sayes he is a propitiation for our sinnes who are beleevers of the Jewes but also for the sinnes of the people of God among the Gentiles who are expresly called the world in opposition to the Jewes Rom. 11 15. or of the children of God through the world as Ioh. 11 51 52. where this same Apostle giveth us the plaine meaning of this word 7. As for 1 Ioh. 5 13. It is manifest how impertinent that is to this purpose and if this man will urge it in its latitude he shall make the Apostle contradict himself for the whole World may take in beleevers and whereas he thinks the word world used in one and the same Epistle must necessarily import one and the same thing he sheweth himself a stranger in the Scriptures where several times an antanaclasis or the same word having distinct significations is used not only in the same Book or Epistle but in the same verse pronunced with the same breath as Ioh. 1 vers 10. and 3 vers 6 17. Mat. 8 v. 22. 1 Ioh. 3 v. 16. to name no moe 65. He addeth some testimonies of Antiquity whether of his owne gathering or not I think it not worth the while to search but hereby he would make his Readers beleeve that what be saith was the doctrine of the Church for the first Six hundered yeers and yet the eldest
were challenged and rebuked for the contempt of the Gospel or of Christ offered in the Gospel that was never revealed unto them for as man as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law Rom. 2 vers 12. So as many as have sinned without the Goâ—pel shall pâ—rish without the Gospel for how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard And how can they hear without a Preacher And how shall they preach except they be sent Rom. 10 14 15. 3. What blasphemy is it to say that God and Christ are involved in this thing Do not their hearts quake at such expressions 9. What more And as saith he it is received in the heart and is not hindered from produceing its own natural and proper effect Christ is formed and raised in the heart of which the Scripture maketh frequent mention which is called the new man Christ in the saints the hope of glory This is that inward Christ of which we only and so often speak and whom we declare every where preaching him and exhorting all that they would believe in the light and obey it that they might know Christ born and raised up in themselves and delivering them from all sin Ans. Here is a short and clear account of the mysterie of iniquity the abomination of desolation which they owne maintaine and preach who are called Quakers the sworne enemies of the Gospel grace of God To which we say 1. When it is said to be received in the heart it is supposed that formerly it was not in the heart And how can this be seing he said before that it was in every one Or was it only in their head and not in their heart 2. Did ever Pelagius more Pelagianize than doth this Quaker Or can there be anything imagined more opposite to the Gospel and to the rich grace of God therein revealed than to say that there is in every man Heathen Barbarian and Scythian who never heard of Christ in the Gospel that the proper and natural effect of which is to forme Christ in the soul Why did the Apostle Paul then say Gal. 4 19. My little children of whom I travail in birth againe until Christ be formed in you What needed the Apostle be at all this paines and paine to travail in birth for that which could have been wrought though he and the Gospell which he preached had never been heard of And what need is there of the preaching of the Gospel if the whole Gospel and the whole Grace of God necessary to the forming of Christ in the soul be in every Heathen that never heard of the Gospel Can there be any thing invented by Satan more contradictory to that Gospel whereby life and immortality is brought to light Is there any thing imaginable that more directly crosseth and annulleth the whole frame of the Gospel in all its parts and overturneth its very Foundations 3. The Scripture indeed maketh frequent mention of the Grace of God manifested in the Gospel and of the effects brought to passe by the Gospel and the Grace of God working thereby but it no where saith that there is any thing in the heart of man by nature which produceth Christ in the soul the hope of glory as its proper and natural Effect Nay the whole book of God declareth the plaine contrary when it not only sheweth us the blindness and wickedness of the heart of every man till it be renewed by grace consequently the utter impotency of nature to worke salvation but also sheweth that all that which the light in every man can eye as its object being only the works of Creation Providence is utterly insufficient for attaining this end because those works can declare nothing of the Gospel mystery whatever it may do of the Law Hence the times of the Gentiles living without the Gospel are called times of ignorance at which God winked Act. 17 30. and times wherein God suffered all nations to walk in their own wayes Act. 14 vers 16. so that they were alienated from the life of God Ephes. 4 18. having the understanding darkened and being under ignorance because of the blindness and hardness of heart The Gospel doth every where tell us that we cannot be justified by the works of the Law and yet all that which this Common Light can do is but to â—nforme and that most imperfectly of somethings required by the Law of Nature it speaketh nothing of faith in Christ which is Absolutely requisite to Justification and Salvation for without it it is impossible to please God Heb. 11 6. and by it we are united unto Christ the only Mediator for there is not another name given to men under heaven by which they can be saved but by the Name Iesus Act. 4 12. and it is life eternal to know God and Him whom He hath sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17 3. But should we expatiat here in the confutation of this grosse Pelagianisme we should transcribe the whole Gospel â— Christ in saints the hope of glory is not brought about by Nature nor by the Works of the Law but by the Gospel and faith in it for this is the riches of the glory of this mystery whereof Paul was a minister according to the dispensation of God and which had been hid from ages and from generations Col. 1 25 26 27. and wherein Paul laboured striveing according to his working which wrought in him mightily vers 29. Nay before they were reconciled in the body of Christs flesh through death they were alienated and enemies in their minde by wicked works vers 21 22. and this was the peculiar priviledge of such as had received Christ Chap. 2.6 and were in him circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ were buryed with him and risen with him in baptisme through the faith of the operation of God and were quickened together with him vers 11.12.13 5. If this be all the Christ which they preach and declare their Christ and theame is but the dim and dark Light of Nature or the Corrupt Nature of Man which is enmiâ—y to God and to the Gospel And so they are Heathenisâ— Preachers no Gospel Ministers they are Nature Teachers and Admirers and Gospel Subverters Therefore all that love their own souls should keep far from their tents and look upon them as the most desperat Enemies to the Gospel of the Grace of God that ever Satan sent abroad in the world to destroy souls 6. The Christ whom the Gospel commands us to beleeve in and obey is Christ the Son of God God man our Immanuel the promised Messiah the Fellow of God against whom the Sword of Justice did awake the Servant of God who was Incarnat God made manifest in the flesh who grew up as a tender plant as a root out of a dry ground was despised and rejected of men a man of sorrowes
acquanted with griefe who was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities who was brought as a lamb to the slaughter and made his soul an offering for sin and poured it out unto death who bore the wrath of God due for sin and was crucified at Ierusalem But the Christ whom they command us to believe in is a Christ borne with every man that came into the world since the beginning that is neither God nor Man could neither suffer nor die nor satisfie justice So that their Christ is a Christ that the Gospel no where maketh mention of yea against which every Chapter and verse in a manner of the whole Old and New Testament beareth witness 7. He tels us that they exhort all men to beleeve in this Light and obey it And what can the Faith of or Obedience to this Light do Did ever this light teach or require of Aristotle and the wisest of the Heathens as Plato Seneca Cicero Pythagâ—ras and others Faith in the Messias or in Iesus Christ promised or at length exhibited and crucified Is that light Christ crucified and Satisfying justice and paying the Penalty of the Law and broken Covenant What desperat mischievous madness is this what horrid abomination do these men preach hold forth 8. He tels us that Christ is born and risen in every man and all their preaching is to exhort them to know him and yet he told us before that this was the work and proper effect of this Light and if this effect be already wrought in every man in no one person is this light resisted and suppressed and he needeth not preach and exhort every man to beleeve in this light and obey it for that is done in every man already having Christ formed in him and arisen in hâ—m Behold how their abominable doctrines cannot hang together but are ropes of sand yea crosse and contradict one another 9 Then he tels us that it delivereth them from all sinnes Then Heathens have a Christ within sufficient to purge and take away all sin Then all must be saved for who ever is delivered from sin cannot but be saved O what devilish doctrine must this be It may be a doubt if the Devil appearing in mens bodies and coming to preach among people could broach more damnable and soul-destroying Tenets than these are O! what times are â—hesâ— we live in wherein such doctrines are put in print and avowed O woful pagan preachers O hellish Paganisme Whither will these men run and be driven by the Devil 10. We have seen by this short hint what a dash they give unto the whole Gospel and what an indignity they have thereby done unto Iesus Christ cannot be hid from any that knoweth what true Christianity meaneth and he in the following words seeking to alleviate the mater doth in effect make it worse than ever for in stead of exalting Christ he doth with the base Unchristian Socinians debase our Lord Jeâ—us Christ for saith he P. 83. We desire not hereby to equalize ourselves unto that holy man the Lord Iesus Christ who was borne of the virgine Mary in whâ—m dwelt all the fulness of divinity bodyly nor as we destroy the reality of his present existence as some calumniate us Ans. Unworthy man that dar move such an Objection and give so unsatisfyinâ— an answere thereunto O what abjects of blasphemous pride must this gang of creatures be that dar have such thoughts of themselves What and was our Lord who was the Fathers equal no more but an holy Man and born of a virgine and had the fulness of divinity and not of the God head or Deity though the word in the original that is used Col. 2 9 is more emphatick than that used Rom. 1 20. it being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in him bodily And will this Miscreant deny him to be God equal with the father in power and glory But if he be but a man how can he be said to dwell in us He dwelleth not in us saith he immediatly but mediatly as he is in that seed which is in us But himself called this seed Christ born in us and raised in us and thus Christ dwelleth in us by Christ borne in us What demented creatures must these be who speak thus non sensically in these soul-maters He addeth as the top-mystery of their mischievous doctrine Seing He to wit the Eternal word which was with God and was God and immediatly dwelt in that Holy Man so that he is as the head we as the members He the vine we as branches and as the soul is far otherwise and more immediatly in the head and in the heart than in the armes and feet and as the sap and life of the Vine doth otherwayes and more exist in the trunck and root than in the wine branches so God dwelleth otherwayes in the Man Iesus Christ than in us Behold here is all the honour and preference that Christ geteth He was nothing but a mâ—er man as this Quaker is only God dwelt in him as the sap is in the root or trunk of the tree but he dwelleth in the Quaker as the sap is in the branches Christ and He is animated with one God as the Head and the hand are with one soul And thus Christ had no existence before he had it in the womb of the virgine more â—han this Quaker had an hundered yeers ago Where is then the God head of our Mediator Where is our Immanuâ—l How was the Word made flesh Ioh. 1 14 How was God manifest in the flesh 1 Tim. 3 16 Where is he who was the brightness of God's glory and the express image of his person Heb. 1 3 Where iâ— he who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the forme of a servant c. Phil. 2 6 7 Where is he who is the Image of the invisible God by whom all things were created Col. 1 15 1â— 2 Cor. 4 4 Where is he who toke part of flesh and blood and the see of Abraham Heb. 2 14 16 Thus the Quakers deny the Incarnation of the Son of God and that our Lord Iesus Christ was and is the Second Person in the Trinity very and eternal God of one substance and equal with the Father and so joyne themselves with the wretched Socinians wherefore we if their doctrine be true can no more be said to be purchased by the blood of God as Act. 20 28. And if He had not been true God how could â—e have stood under the infinite wrath of God and the power of death Act. 2 24 25. Rom. 1 4 with 4 25. How could he have given worth efficacy to his suffering obedience and intercession Act. 20 28. Heb. 9 14. 7 25 26 27 28. How could he have satisfied God's justice Rom 3 24 25 26. How could he have
and consequently it is no part of the image of God in man 3. How can the man not be denominated from this seed and accounted an holy man upon the account thereof seing he called it before a Spiritual Principle and Organ and the Vehicle of God and that wherein God dwelleth and from which God and Christ cannot be separated And a divine and glorious life Shall a man have a Spiritual Principle of holiness in him and a divine Life and yet not be accounted a spiritual and holy man Nay shall a man have Christ in him dwelling and abideing in him yet not be called an holy man Shall a man have God dwelling in him as Christ had though not in that measure and yet not be accounted a spiritual holy man 4. The Scripture acquanteth us with no Seed or Principle of a spiritual life communicated to every man by his Birth or Conception nor to any but in Regeneration when they are borne againe not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Ioh. 1 13. And these are they who receive Christ offered in the Gospel and by beleeving on his name receive power to become the Sons of God vers 12. for that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Ioh. 3 6. This being so we passe his comparison and that which he addeth as being founded thereupon all being grounded upon a fundamental errour his reasons for which are afterward to be examined 14. In the fourth place § 15. he saith That hereby they do not derogate from the Sacrifice and propitiation of Christ. But how is this imaginable seing this Seed which is born with every man will sufficiently save them if they will but suffer it to work in them so that there is no necessity for a man once to hear the name of Christ named in reference to Salvation And what improvement doth or can this Seed or Light in Heathens that never heard of Christ make of the Sacrifice of Christ We are told that Christ the true Messias by his knowledge that is by the knowledge of him as making his soul an offering for sin and as bearing their iniquities should justifie many Esai 53 10 11. And further we heard before how this Man joyneth with Socinians in denying the Deity and Incarnation of the Son of God and how having done this he can plead for or maintaine Christ's Sacrifice and Propitiation is intelligible only to Quakers who can as they pretend understand unintelligible things But let us heare how he vindicateth himself and the rest from this imputation He saith They beleeve all that is written of Christ's Conception Birth Life Miracles Death Resurrection and Ascension to be true And what then Socinians will say the same and yet are no friends to Christ's Sacrifice and Propitiation Do you beleeve that that body which was crucified at Jerusalem rose again and is now in glory Speak your minde here if you dar that that Body was personally united to the Godhead we think saith he further all to whom these things are revealed are bound to beleeve them But what will the beliefe of them signifie seing the devil believeth them to be true Yea saith he we think incredulity here damnable And why so Because that divine seed would incline all to believe for it assenteth to all truth that is declared But all this being but an historical faith can effectuate no salvation Hath the devil who is no stranger to this historical faith this divine Seed in him also inclineing him to beleeve this truth If not then this divine seed is not requisite unto this Faith if yea then God and Christ dwelleth in the devil and he is partaker of a glorious and divine life for this and more was said above of this seed as we heard 15. We hear nothing yet said for the Sacrifice and Propitiation of Christ Therefore he addeth that they firmly beleeve that Christs coming was necessary that by his death and passion he might offer himself a sacrifice to God for our sinnes and who ever obtaine remission of sins it is by vertue of his Satisfactory sacrifice These are faire words but containe nothing that can satisfie any understanding person for the Socinians themselves will say as much as may be seen in Hoornb Socinianismi Confut. lib. 3. Cap. 1. Pag. 490.491 Doth he say that the Quakers grant that Christs sufferings were a proper punishment suffered by Him as a cautioner in the room and stead of any sinner and that thereby He did truely and properly make satisfaction to the justice of Goâ— for the sinnes of his people and so purchase unto them Grace and Glory Remission of sins having pacified God and reconciled him unto them by a true and proper sacrifice and so properly and truely did redeem his people As the Socinians make Christ only a Metaphorical God in respect of his Office so they ascribe to him a Metaphorical Redemption and Satisfaction And if this patron of the Quakers can say no more on their behalfe it is too too manifest how small account they have of the Sacrifice and Propitiation of Christ. And what if all this be meant of the Christ within them 16. Yet he would make us beleeve that they magnifie and exalt Christ's propitiation above what we do we beleeve saith he that as all men were made partakers of the evil fâ—uits of Adam's fall though thousands never heard of him so many may feel the vertue of this divine seed and by it be turned from evil to good albeit thâ—y be utterly ignorant of Christ by whose obedience and suffering they obtaine this benefite Ans. 1. All men are actually made partakers of the evil fruits of Adam's fall so soon as they have a being because this is propagat by nature all mankinde being in Adam as their head and root But grace is not propagat by nature Had Adam this seed in him after he fell and before the promise of the seed of the woman was made to him Then he lost it not by the fall but by the fall sure he lost all inclination to spiritual good If he represented all Mankinde in the New Covenant of grace as he did in the Old Covenant of works then as his fall did redound in the one to the actual condemnation of his posterity so should his faith for we charitably suppose he was a beleever redound in the other to the actual salvation of all of what necessity then should the sacrifice of Christ be 2. All were partakers of the evil fruits of Adam's fall actually and not potentially only for there is none that escapeth but the feeling of the vertue of this divine seed is but a possibility so that notwithstanding this divine seed be said to be in all yet it might so fall out that not one should be saved for to have a power only to feel this seed importeth no actual
feeling till Free will come in and determine the matter nor hath it any efficacious influence upon Free will to determine it but leaveth it to its free choice 3. Is this all the benefite that is had by Christ's Obedience and Death that people may be turned from evil to good then it seemeth Christ's death was not so effectual for the good of any as Adam's sin was for the hurt of all Is this to magnifie and exalt the Sacrifice of Christ 4. If this be all that Christ purchased to wit a power to turne from evil to good and to feel the vertue of this seed if men will he hath purchased nothing but what is Natural or what is inferiour to common moral vertues for it is natural to have a power to do or not do as men will and a moral vertue is more than such a power because it leaveth not the man in a state of pure indifferency but inclineth him to acts of such a vertue and only to such acts And if Christ purchased only this power he purchased no more a power to do good than a power to do evil for the power of it self is indifferent to both no more inclined to the one then to the other So that Christ hath purchased â—o Supernatural Grace which effectually moveth and determineth to good but only the Pelagian Natural Grace by which no man is more inclined to good than to evil and which a man may make use of or not as he will and so if he will it shall be of no benefite to him 5. If this be all that Christ hath obtained it is not much mater though we say that such are partakers of it that never heard of Christ. 6. But why saith he Many may feel this seed that never heard of Christ not All Is there any difference if there be what is it and upon what is it founded 7. We deny that any partake of the Supernatural and Saving Benefites of Christ's death who are without the Covenant and never heard of him we mean persones come to age for we except the Elect Infants who are within the covenant and are not capable of hearing And this Mans doctrine rendereth the knowledge of the Gospel very useless at least not very necessary though life and immortality be â—rought to light thereby 2 Tim. 1 10. and it be the mean through which people are begotten unto God 1 Cor 4 15. and the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1 16. the glorious Gospel of the blessed God 1 Tim. 1 11. though by it we are called to sanctification of the Spirit and beleefe of the truth to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Iesus Christ 2 Thes. 2 14. And in the word of the truth of the Gospel we heare of the hope which is laid up fâ—r us in heaven Col. 1 5. Though by it the Gentiles be made fellow heires and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ Ephes. 3 6 And it be the Gospel of our salvation Ephes. 1 13. Though it be a glorious Gospel having light in it to shine into the heart of beleevers 2 Cor. 4 4. and hath a blessing and a fulness of blessing in it Rom. 15 29. so it is called the Everlasting Gospel Rom. 14 6. and for preaching of which Christ himself was anointed Luk. 4 18. What unworthy creatures must these Quakers be that think so little of the Gospel of Christ and of the preaching of it and cry up so much the Light within 17 But he saith they beleeve that it is necessary for such as hear the Gospel to beleeve it Ans. Necessary how Wherein consisteth this necessity seing we may be saved without it Is it because it is a Revelation of God's truth But that speaks out no more the necessity of the faith of the Gospel or of the History of Christ unto salvation than the faith of this that Paul left his cloak at Troas or the History of Cain Ismael Iudas c. which is recorded in the Scriptures And thus he maketh the great mercy of enlarging the borders of the Church under the New Testament and of taking-in all nations by the preaching of the Gospel without discrimination to be no mercy at all or at least a very small mercy He addeth That they ingenuously confesse the outward knowledge of this to be full of comfort to such as are under it and are acted by this inward seed and Light Ans. But this comfort is not necessary to Salvation according to them This inward Seed and Light is sufficient for this and we are enquiring after its necessity but finde none in this mans opinion Yet let us see wherein this comfort consisteth For saith he Pag. 86. not only are they humbled by the sense of Christs death and sufferings but they are also confirmed thereby and encouraged to follow his excellent example 1 Pet. 2 2. and are also refreshed by his gracious speaches Ans. And is this all Then I see there is no more necessity for any to be acquanted with the History of Christs life and death than with the History of other holy saints of God and we have no more interest in that than in these is that to exalt Christ's Satisfaction and Propitiation All that was written afore time was written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15 4. And is the History of Christ of the same nature and use with the History of others And is there no more to be gathered therefrom than what an example may contribute This is pure Socinianisme in graine 18. In fine he discovereth to us another mystery concluding thus The History indeed is profitable and comfortable conjoyned with the mystery but not without it but the mystery is and can be profitable without the explicite and external knowledge of the History Ans. That the knowledge of the History without the receiving of Christ held forth therein conforme to the Gospel termes is of little use as to Salvation we grant but what else he meaneth by the mystery I know not unless he meane the light within 2. Can he shew us how the mystery can be known without the History Or to whom and when it hath been known 3. Why was the Gospel written and that by so many several hands And why have we any books of the New Testament And why did Christ appoint Oâ—fâ—cers to continue to the end Why did he send forth his Apostles to bear witness of his Death and Resurrection Why saith Iohn Chap. 20 vers 31. but these are written that ye might beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that beleeving ye might have life through his name Thus we see how at one dash this Mischievous Man would destroy the whole administration of the Gospel by making it altogether unnecessary unto salvation what a desperat designe must these men have 19. In the fift place he cometh to clear how
holy sayes he as is the root they come from and therefore God accepts them and justifieth us in them and rewardeth us for them of his proper and free grace But the question is whether they be perfect and can stand before the tribunal of Justice and so become any part of that Righteousness answering the Law which requireth perfect conformity in all points which is the formal objective reason of our Justification before God whose judgment is according to truth 18. Thus we have seen his explication of their Opinion which in short is this That the formal objective reason or as he with others speak the formal cause of Justification is a Principle of grace within or Christ formed there that is the spring and principle of good works which is begun sanctification This I say is it according to his words but if we â—emember what was said to this above and consider what this Christ within is according to the Quakers principles we shall finde that in this point their judgment is more dâ—testable than is that of Papists for this Christ within is formed of meer Nature and that without any assistance of divine grace by the meer Rational power and will of man yeelding unto the dictats of that Light which is as well in pagans that scarce have the use of reason as in Christians and in all alike and so it is a Christ formed within whereof Pagans Turks and Indians that never heard nor never shall heare the least sound of the Gospel are capable and by vertue whereof they as well as Christians can come to be justified So that in short the justification which Quakers maintaine is a Pagan-justification resulting from a Pagan-sanctification and if this be not many degrees more damnable abominable then the doctrine of Tridentine Papists let any of understanding judge 19. After this he layeth downe three Propositions the confirmation of which will as he thinketh prove his point The first is this Pag. 129. The Obedience and Passion of Christ is that whereby the soul obtaineth remission of sins in that it is the cause prâ—curing that grace and seed by whose inward operations Christ is formed within and the soul is made conforme unto it and so just and justified And in respect of this capacity and offer of gracâ— God is said to be reconciled not that he is actually râ—conciled or justifieth any or holdeth any justified who remaineth in his sins ungodly impure and unjust Ans. 1. To say that the obedience and suffering of Christ procureth remission of sins in that it procureth that grace and seed c. is but a Socinian and Arminian untruth destroying the Satisfaction of Christ and upon the mater saying that Christ by his Obedience and Death did not fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified did not make a Proper Real and Full Satisfaction to justice in their behalf contrare to Rom. 5 8 9 10 19. 1 Tim. 2 5 6. Heb. 10 10 14. Dan. 9 24 25. Esai 53 4 5 6 10 11 12. Nor doth the Scripture speak so of the mater see Ephes. 1 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins So Col. 1 14. See also Col. 2 13. Ephes. 4 32 Mat. 9 2 5. Mark 2 59. Luk. 5 20 23. 7 48. Mat. 26 28. Heb. 9 22. It is true the methode of the Gospel requireth that the Persons be first united to Christ by faith before they can obtaine these benefites of his Redemption but this is not the thing he speaketh of 2. This grace and seed is with him common to all flesh But the Scriptures tell us not as we have showne above that Christ's righteousness was for all or that all receive grace by vertue thereof 3. Christ formed within by the inward operations of that grace and seed which is common to Pagans is but a Natural Christ and Birth for such as the cause is such must the effect be And so what followeth upon this is but a Pagan righteousness and Justification 4. It is false as we have already manifested that God is said to be Reconciled only in respect of this capacity and offer of grace 5. We say not that God justifieth any remaining in their sinnes yet we grant that the Justified may commit sinnes and thereby fall under God's fatherly displeasure Psal. 89 31 32 33. 51 7 8 9.10 11 12. 32 5. 1 Cor. 11 30 32. Luk. 1 20. Mat. 26 75. and yet withall remaine in the state of Justification Luk. 22 32. Heb. 10 24. for we approve not of Antinomians in this mater 20. The Proposition we have heard and what he would properly assert thereby we are yet to learne Possibly his proofs will help us to understand it The first proof Pag. 130. us from Rom. 3 25. Here sayes he the Apostle showeth the efficacy of Christâ—s death viz. that by it and faith in it remission of by past sinnes is obtained And what then This is it in which and for which the long suffering of God is exercised toward men And what then Therefore though men by their dayly sinnes deserve eternal death yet by vertue of the sacrifice of Christ grace and the seed of God move them in love dureing the day of their visitation that they may be redeemed from evil Here are Quakers dreames whereof the text maketh no mention and dreames that have no sense but with men of distracted braines 21. We are nothing the wiser by this proof let us see the next If God saith he should be totally reconciled unto men and repute them just while they were actually unjust why doth he so oft complean of his people as Esai 59 2. where there is perfect and compleat reconciliation there is no separation or it will follow that sins can make no separation and that their good works and worst sinnes are the same in Gods account This giveth too great liberty to sin And in the margine he saith he speaketh not here of persons not yet converted whom Antinomians their adversaries say were justified from the beginning but of persons converted according to Protestants who may fall into grievous sinnes and yet are said by them to remaine perfectly and wholly justified Answ. 1. Here beginne we to understand something of his Proposition and of its designe And for answere we say That there is a twofold unrighteousness one of State or of Person another of Condition and particular Actions As to the first no unrighteous person is justified because before Justification he must be cloathed with the imputed righteousness of Christ and so constituted just and in Justification declared just because constituted just And as to the second though such an one as committeth sin be in so far unrighteous as to his actions and in that not justified or approven of God Yet being united to Christ by faith and thereby put in a justified state he remaineth in Gods account a justified person as to his State which
glory though we must alwayes lament our shortcoming and run to the bloud of Iesus that the defilement cleaving to our best works may be purged away Nor do we think that this hyperbolick expression of the penitent church will warrant any to caâ—l all the work of the Spirit of God in his people sordide and filthy rags What is of God should be acknowledged good acceptable though the defilements that adhere to the best of God's works in us here because of our continueing corruption and because of the lustings of the flesh in us should be mourned over and keep us humble One thing I would further note here That if our Gospel-works be such why are we not Justified because of them as well as in them He further answereth pag. 149. § 12 That though it were granted that the best of men are imperfect Yet God can produce perfect works in them by his Spirit Ans. the qustion is not what God can do but what he doth God can make all his perfect Yet the supposition made saith he doth not so He hath thought it fit for his owne glory so to work in his Saints as they may have so long as they are here a body of death to wrestle with and occasion to pray dayly forgive us our sinnes and to run to the fountaine opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sin and for uncleanness that they may be washen He proceedeth The Spirit of God is not capable of a blot and therefore all Christ's works wrought in his children are pure and perfect Ans. The Spirit it is true is not capable of pollution yet his works as received by us and as we are the formal actors of them are obnoxious to pollution And doth not the Scripture tell us that God first beginneth a good work in us and afterward perfecteth it Phil. 1 6. How can then all the works of Christ in us be perfect And if it were so his children here should be as holy as they will be in heaven for what is higher than perfection Thus we see this man will outstripe Bellarm. who confessed that our actual righteousness was imperfect because of the admixtion of venial faults and stood in need of dayly remission And will run the length of bold Vasques who thinketh that such have no need of remission in 1. 2. Disp. 204. c. 2. 3. He further argueth It would then follow that the miracles and works of the Apostles themselves as the conversion of the Gentiles gathering of Churches writting of Scripture and giving of themselves to the death for Christ were defiled with sin Ans. we must distinguish betwixt these works which were extraordinary I meane as to the manner of their performance and so peculiar to such extraordinary persons in which they were not in a manner formal actors but passive organs such as working of miracles and writting of Scripture in these the Apostles moved as they were immediatly Acted Inspired and Led of the Spirit so that these were not properly their formal acts And these which are of a more ordinary nature wherein they were more formal actors through the assistance of the Spirit whether in works belonging to their office as preaching and gathering of Churches or in works of Christianity as giving themselvs to the death and the like As to the first sort we may grant that they were undefiled as being pure acts of the Spirit wherein the Apostles were but organs used by the Spirit as he saw meet But as to others I see no absurdity to say that they needed to use that petition forgive us our sinnes The Apostle Paul had his infirmities and weakneses a body of death that made him cry out wo is me miserableman and was thereby made to do what he would not and hindered from doing what he would Rom. 7 The Apostle Iames saith in many things we offend all Iam. 3 2. and the Apostle Iohn saith 1 Ioh. 1 8. that if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us 43. Thereafter he giveth unto works an instrumental part in Iustification which is true of faith laying hold on the righteousness of Christ the only Objective Formal cause of Justification but cannot agree to works But he citeth some Protestants assenting to this as Polanus Symphon c. 27. whose words if understood of after pardon that is of sinnes committed after Justification as they may containe nothing but truth and that truth which we question not acknowledging that even iustified persons before remission of after sins must repent confesse and mourne for their sinnes and act faith on Christ. Zanchius in the words he citeth is expresly speaking of salvation not of Justification and to this end he might cite all the Protestants that I know of Amesius is speaking of the same As for Mr Baxter I have told already that his notions about Justification are not acceptable to all As for what he addeth about the word merite I shall not contend only I would say that seing it sounds so ill because of the common and known abuse thereof by Papists the less we use it the better seing Verba valent usu 44. Nor shall I say much against his conclusion of this mater Only while he tels us that such may confidently appear before God who sensible of their owne unworthiness and of the unprofitableness of all their works and endeavours c. did apply themselves unto the light within and suffered that grace to work in them and thereby are renewed quickened and have Christ risen in them and working in them to will to do having thus put on Christ and being clothed with him and made partakers of his righteousness When I say he speaketh thus he but cheateth his Reader giving him faire words and no more for as we have formerly seen in the examination of his Principles This light is but a Pelagian Grace if not worse common to all men Scythian and Barbarian And by vertue of this light without the least help of the grace of God for of grace assisting far lesse regenerating such as are in nature and so beginning every good work there is not in his writings the least mention if the man will but yeeld and of power and full ability to do this he maketh no question he becometh regenerated begotten of God partaker of the divine nature and what not And this is this Mans Sanctification and foundation of Justification whereof Pagans and Barbarians who never did nor never shall hear of Câ—rist are as capable as such who live within the visible Church and that without any new grace communicated by that which is borne with them Let the Reader now Judge what a Regeneration and Sanctification can flow from this which is in every man and what Justification that can be which is founded hereupon And whether or not this be a sure bottom to stand upon and with confidence to rest upon
while we are thinking of appearing before God And what an antievangelick Justification and Salvation it is which Quakers maintaine O what a dreadful Disappointment will such wretches that live and die according to these Principles meet with in end when it will be too late to helâ—e the matter by changing their thoughts Let all that fear God and would not destroy their owne souls beware of these men for their doctrine is damnable and devilish CHAP. XIV Of Perfection and a Possibility of not sinning 1. WE heard toward the end of the preceeding Chapter how he pleaded for the Perfection of the Saints and of the work of grace in them Here in his S. Thesis and its explication he giveth us his minde more fully In his Thesis he saith That this holy and immaculate birth when it is fully produced in any the body of sin and death is crucified and takâ—n away and their hearts become subject unto and united with the truth so that they obey no suggestions or temptations of Satan and are freed from actual sin and transgressing of the Law and in that respect they are perfect But yet this perfection admitteth of an increase and there remaineth alwayes in some respect a possibility of sinning if the minde doth not diligently and vigilantly attend unto God And so high and confident is he in this mater that he accounts the answere given to the 149. Question in our Larger Cathechisme Impious and spoken against the power of divine grace because it is there said No man is able either of himself Iam. 3 2. Ioh. 15 5. Rom. 8 3. or by any grace received in this life perfectly to keep the commandements of God Eccles. 7 20. 1 Ioh. 1 8 10. Gal. 5 17. Rom. 7 18 19. but doth dayly break them in thought Gen. 6 5 8 11. word and deed Rom. 3 9. to 21. Iam. 3 3 to 13. But whatever he thinketh we are not ashamed of this Answere nor of what is said Conf. of Faith Ch. 16. § 5. towards the end That our best works as they are wrought by us are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment Esa. 64 6. Gal. 5 17. Rom. 7 15 18. Psal. 130 3. 143 2. And ibid. § 4. They who in their obedience attaine to the greatest hight which is possible in this life are so far from being able to supererogate and to do more than God requires as that they fall short in much which in duty they are bound to do Luk. 17 10. Neh. 13 22. Iob 9 2 3. Gal. 5 17. Nor yet of what is said Chap. 13. § 2. This Sanctification is throughout in the whole man yet imperfect in this life there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part 1 Ioh. 1 vers 10. Rom. 7 vers 18 23. Phil. 3 vers 12. whence ariseth a continual and irreconcileable war the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh Gal. 5 17. 1 Pet. 2 11. 2. This Perfection is commonly maintained by them all Mr Hicks in his 1. Dial. Pag. 50. tels us that they hold a perfect freedome from all sin in this life saying too Alas for thee where wouldest thou be perfâ—ctly free from sin if not in this lift Mr Stalham also in his book against them Pag. 138 c. manifesteth it by their owne words and arguments And though it may be matter of amazement to some to hear men speak so who of all others one would think have least cause to preach this doctrine without a publick declaration withal that they are not the men who are thus Perfect and consequently according to their owne doctrine are not Christians upon the account that he shall not ordinarily meet with in any hereticks writings so much Ignorance Boldness Foolish Confidence Abusing of Scripture Untruth Heresie Blasphemy Reproaching Revileing Calumnies Scolding c. As is every where to be found in theirs Yet when we consider what blasphemous grounds they lay downe we shall see that it is a native consequence of their doctrine For Mr Hicks in his 2. Dialog showeth us that Edw. Burroughs calleth Sanctification Christ himself and hence concludeth that to say Sanctification is imperfect is as much as to say Christ is imperfect But Christ is perfect therefore Sanctification is perfect And againe The Law in the minde is the Spirit of God To say the Law in the minde is imperfect is errour in the highest degree this is an abominable corrupt principle of errour the new man is perfect Peace and perfect Sanctification And Mr Clapham in his book against them Sect. 4. affirmeth out of a book called Saul's errand to Damascus that they maintaine themselves to be equal with God And that Hubberthorn in his book against Sherlock Pag. 30. doth alleige that place Phil. 2 5 6. to confirme it 3. It might also seem strange to hear men asserting their own Perfection who pretend so much to spiritual inward experiences and to so much acquantance with their owne hearts for who that will not wilfully put out their own eyes may not see and be assured of the deceitfulness of their heart above all things finde corruption riseing up on all occasions and setting forward to sin or hindering from good But when persons are given up of God to strong delusions as a punishment of their Pride and Vanity what high thoughts may they not have of themselvespunc seing such a doolful state is attended with more pride puffing them up and that blinding their eyes that they cannot see their spots nor see what the Law of God requireth and all this attended with ignorance of God and of his holy and Spiritual Law and worshipe And it may be this man supposeth with some Papists that venial faults as they call them are not against the Law of God or that command which they violat is not properly a command of the Law 4. What the truth is in this matter is declared above out of our Confession Catechisme and the passages of Scripture which are there cited to confirme the truth may be there seen and considered But before I speak any thing more for clearing of the Truth in this particular I would have the Reader take notice of one thing To wit That it cannot but be a stupenduous and astonishing thing and a manifest demonstration of the dreadful power of delusion when the Lord giveth up any unto that Spirit to hear men who pretend to Reason and to Religion and have not yet openly renunced all Faith of a God and all natural and humane Reason talke at this rate upon such grounds and assert with such boldness and confidence a Perfection of Degrees or a possibility of not sinning attaineable upon the principles and grounds which they lay downe what these are we have on several occasions hinted now shall do it yet once more The first rise and beginning of all their Religion
him is the love of God truely and really and not feignedly or by mere profession See Beza on the place As also 1 Ioh. 4 12. where the word hath the same import And the ground is clear because obedience to God's command must flow from love and love to God and our neighbours is the summe of all the commands Hence love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13 10. So Iames 3 2. the same is a perfect man who showeth by bridling his tongue that he offends not in word that he is a real Christian For the Apostle is here in the first verse meaning men like our Quakers of a supercilious spirit masterly quarreling with and superciliously inveighing against all though it be a certain truth that we offend all in many things And therefore he saith to such that if they would shew themselves good and excellent Christians who are so ready to be masters in their reprehensions of others they would first bridle their owne tongues I wish Quakers would learne this See Calv. on the place 3. They may be called Perfect in regard of the Uprightness Sincerity Honesty godly Simplicity and Singleness that is in their way thus the word frequently signifieth as we saw above and is rendered bâ— the Dutch and in the margine of our Bibles Vpright Gen. 6 9. 17 1 Deut. 18 13. Iob 2 3. and in several places it is rendered so in the text Ps. 18 23 25. 2 Sam. 22 vers 24 26. Iob 1 vers 1 8. 12 4. Psal. 19 v. 13. 37 18 37 and elsewhere Hence oft Perfect and upright are joined together as Iob 1 1 8. 2 2. 4 They may be and are called Perfect in regaird of Perfection of Parts as being compleet and wanting nothing of the integral parts of Christianity thus a childe may be called a perfect man as having all the Essential and Integral parts of a man though but in their infant and tender grouth The saints are thus perfect as having the Spirit and thereby the seeds and beginnings of all grace In regeneration the whole man is changed so that he is new borne a new creature sanctified wholly in Minde Heart Spirit Affections Conscience Memory and Body though but in a small degree and measure See 1 Thes. 5 23. 5. They may be called Perfect because Respecting all the commands of God Ps. 119 6. and yeelding impartial obedience through the grace of God unto all God's precepts waving none 6. In that their good works have all the Essential Parts requisite as proceeding from a right principle done for a right end c. though not in the degree called for by the Law 7. They may be called Perfect in regard that the state whereinto they are is a state that certainly tendeth to perfection they are advancing thereunto and shall certainly reach that top of perfection in end which they look for and strive to attaine Ephes. 4 13. Phil 3 15. For as the several lusts of the body of death are more more weakened and mortified dayly so they are more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces Rom. 6 6 14. Gal. 5 14. Rom. 8 13. Ephes. 3 16 17 18 19. And so are perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7 1. and advanceing Phil. 3 12 13 14. 8. They may be called Perfect Comparatively in respect of others who are yet lying in nature And they may be so called in comparison of what sometimes they were themselves while Blinde Ignorant Dead and Lifeless lying in the state of nature which is indeed a fearful state of imperfection misery and woe 9. So in respect of young believers weak in knowledge and babes in Christ Others who are further avanced may be and are called Perfect as having attained an higher degree and measure of grouth in grace Thus Beza thinketh the word is taken Phil. 3 15. 1 Cor. 2 6. And it is clearly so taken 1 Cor. 14 20. Heb. 5 14. Ephes. 4 13. where each hath his owne stature according to the measure of the gift of Christ vers 7. Rom. 12 3 6. and its meaning and import we may see 1 Cor. 3 1. where such an one is only called spiritual 1 Cor. 13 11. where such is called a man 10. Why may they not also be called perfect in regard of Justification seing the Righteousness wherewith they are cloathed which is imputed unto them upon the account of which thâ—y are justified is a Perfect Righteousness being the Rghteousness of Jesus Christ And seing the sentence pronunced upon them to wit of Absolution in their Justification shall never be recalled they brought againe into Condemnation Rom 8 1. As also seing the state they are brought into thereby is an unchangeable state so that once in a justified state alwayes in a justified state 7. But all this will not satisfie our Quakers who with Familists Antinomians and Libertines will have this to be the privilege of all Christians after their Mode that they be as Perfect as Adam was in the state of innocency free of all sin and from yeelding to Temptation or Corruption and this taketh-in much if not a Perfection of parts and degrees Now to assert this Perfection which even Papists are ashamed of and to assert this as common to all them in whom this new birth is fully produced as it must be in all Justified and Sanctified Persons according to his owne principles is false and dangerous For 1. There are in Christ's house diverse syzes and degrees of persons some babes 1 Cor. 3 1. Heb. 5 13. or children or little children 1 Ioh. 2 12 13. and others young men and old men or Fathers 1 Ioh. 2 13 14. 2. Christians are exhorted to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Iesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. last and to put off the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts and to put on the new man Epes 4 22 23 24. And to mortifie their members which are upon the earth Col. 3 5. But to cry up this perfection is to render all Gospel commanâ—s useless whereof we have abundance in the Epistles 3. This takes away the exercise of Repentance for where there is no sin there can be no sense of nor sorrow for sin and the exercise of Faith in running to the fountain for washing and the exercise of Prayer in seeking grace to withstand Temptations to strive against Corruption in seeking for pardon in the bloud of Christ. And 4. So this maketh these petitions in the Lords prayer useless forgive us our sins and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil 5. This saith that either beleevers are fully freed from an indwelling body of death contrary to Rom. 7 11 17 18 23 24. or that the motions of this body of death are not sin or sinful contrary to Rom. 7 5 7 8 15. Gal. 5 v. 17. Iam. 1 ver 14 15. 6 This tendeth to foment Pride and Security
it but in a wrong thought or in coming short in the least measure of the right manner of doing a duty is inconsistent with regeneration say our Quaker and yet he saith within a line or two that every sin doth not destroy a spiritual condition These things cannot hang together a person wanting a leg or an arme cannot be called a perfect man as to his integral parts gold having drosse admixed cannot be called pure 11. His last Position is That he will not affirme that such a state is not attaineable here in which to do righteousness becometh natural unto the regenerat soul that in the stability of that state they cannot sin Answ. This is an higher degree of Perfection than what he mentioned before for the former was such a state in which one was able not to sin though he might also sin possit non peccare Item possit But this is such in which he cannot sin peccare non possit And as to this he ingenuously confesseth he himself hath not yet attained it in which his modesty and ingenuity is commendable But he dar not deny but there may be such a state seing it seemeth to be expresly affirmed by the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3 9. Answ. But if he so interpret the words of the Apostle Iohn as importing this highest degree of perfection he must also grant that this highest perfection is not only attainable in this life but that it is common to all renewed persons for Iohn speaketh this as a truth of all that are borne of God and of all that have this seed in them and this is true of all that are truely Regenerated all such are borne of God and Gods seed is in them What will the man now say Though he will say that he is in such a state wherein he is able not to sin possit non peccare yet if he dar not say that he cannot sinne non possit peccare he must acknowledge himself not to be yet borne of God and to be void of the seed of God This passage if it prove any thing for perfection will utterly destroy this Quakers first kinde of Perfection which is a possibility of not sinning and that as common to all Regenerat persons But neither the one nor the other is asserted hereby the Apostle who only saith that he that is borne of God cannot make a trade of sinne and be wholly taken up therein as his constant work and exercise wherein he is delighted and findeth pleasure and full satisfaction as a man doth in his daily trade and employment He doth not say that such have no sin for he had said the contrare Chap. 1 8. but that they do not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trade in sin and this is opposite to that which is their trade and occupation 1 Ioh. 2 29 they do worke or trade in righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This doing working or tradeing in sin is peculiar to such as are of the Devil as the doing working and tradeing in righteousness is peculiar to Gods people 1 Ioh. 3 7 8 9. He that committeth sin is of the devil whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sin so that such as are borne of God do not commit sin as do such as are of the Devil and do the works of the Devil And this committing of sin is opposed to the work of purifying or studying of sanctification which lively hope setteth the beleever upon vers 3.4 and importeth a fixed set purpose and resolution to work in sin with full purpose of heart and to give up themselves to the trade of sin as delighting therein and as devouted thereunto adde that such sinne not so as to fall away and lose the seed nor unto death See Chap. 5 16 17. 12. Thus we have seen his Opinion which in short is this That all the Regenerat are in such a state as that they are able noâ— to sin or transgress any of the commands of God but to keep them in all points and walk up to full conformity to the Law yet they may also sin through their own fault and unwatchfulnâ—ss for it is not impossible But some may come unto that hight of perfection as that it is impossible for them to sin they cannot sin Let us now see ere we examine his grounds what affinity this opinion of his hath with the Old Pelagians with the late Socinians and Others as to the first Vossius his Historia Pelagiamsmi Lib. 5. Part. prior Thesi prima Pag. 460. giveth us their opinion thus They said the Saints led their life without sin which they laboured to prove from the instances of those who in Scripture are said to have keeped the Law perfectly Yet they distinguished betwixt such as never sinned all their dayes and such as at first were sinners but afterward left off to sin The first they gave to Abel the last unto Paul See what he citeth to verifie this He sets downe the Antithesis of the orthodox Pag. 462. thus That none by the power of nature could fulfill the Law That none by strength of grace did live all their dayes without sin That none attained that measure of holiness in this life that he could live any long time without sin The perfection ascribed to some in the Scripture was not from nature but from grace Nor for all their dayes Nor at any time full and absolute but which might increase and was mixed with evil deeds and so was a perfection of parts only not of degrees And this he cleareth out of Hierom Iustin Martyr Ambrose Gennadius Chrysost. Beda Origen Cyprian Macarius Optatus Augustin Ivo Carnatens Lombard He tels us moreover Pag. 4â—8 That unto these instances out of Scripture urged by the Pâ—lagians They answered that by perfection was meaned Sincerity or a true not feigned study of obeying all God's Lawes and actual obedience according to the measure attained in this life and in comparison with others but not any full or absolute perfection As an house is said to be perfect which is yet but in building in respect of the beginnings by a synecdoche of parts or of desire by a metonymie of the end 2. In comparison with rubbish or with an house not so far advanced 3. In respect of promise when the builder undertaketh to compleat it And so the righteousness here was perfect 1. Inchoatively in respect of the beginnings and desires 2. Comparatively in respect both of the ungodly and of the godly who are more imperfect 3. Evangelically whereby all is said to be done when that which was not done is pardoned And this to have been the Judgment of the orthodox he proveâ—h out of their writtings as of Hierom Orosius August Gelasius Bernard The Reader may see more in his 2. Antithesis Pag. 473. c. out of Nazianzen Tertullian Optatus Millevit Hierom c. For the better maintaining of this Perfection the Pelagians said that sinnes of ignorance were no sinnes I
the Gospel doth not strickly and precisely oblige to perfection in degrees but only to an Endeavour after this perfection for then we were under no obligation to repent of and ask pardon of our short-comings in the name of Christ nor to run for cleansing by faith unto the fountaine of Christ's blood and this neither can tender Christians assent to nor will their practice comply therewith 17. I think a serious pondering of these Rules for the right understanding of the commands set downe in our greater Chatechisme quaest 99. might make all who knew themselves sober in this matter Who dar plead for this Perfection who beleeveth That the Law of God is perfect and bindeth every one to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteousness thereof and unto entire Obedience for ever so as to require the utmost perfection of every duty and to forbid the least degree of every sin Psal. 19 7. Iam. 2 10 Mat. 5 21. to the end That it is Spiritual and so reacheth the Understanding Will Affections and all other Powers of the soul as well as Words Works and Gestures Rom. 7 14. Deut. 6 5. with Mat. 22 37 38 39. Mat. 5 21 22 27 28 36. That where a duty is commanded the contrary sin is forbidden Esai 58 13. Deut. 6 13. with Mat. 4 9 10. Mat. 15 4 5 6. And where a sin is forbidden the contrary duty is commanded Mat. 1 21 22 23 24 25. Ephes. 4 28. That what God forbids is at no time to be done Iob 13 7 8. Rom. 3 8. Iob 36 21. Heb. 11 29. That under one sin or duty all of the same kinde are forbidden or commanded together with all the Causes Meanes Occasions and Appearances thereof and Provocations thereunto Mat. 5 21 22 27 28. 15 4 5 6. Heb. 10 24 25. 1 Thes. 5 12. Iud. vers 23. Gal. 5 26. Col. 3 24. That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves we are bound according to our places to endeavour that it may be avoided or performed by others according to the duty of their places Exod. 20 10. Levit. 19 11. Gen. 18 19. Iosh. 24 15. Deut. 6 6 7. That in what is commanded to others we are bound according to our places and callings to be helpfull to them And to take heed of partaking with others in what is forbidden them 2 Cor. 1 24. 1 Tim. 5 19. Ephes. 5 11. Who I say that rightly considereth these particulars and how the Law requireth That obedience should be performed thereunto in the most high and intense degree without the least remissness of zeal and fervour That the manner of our obedience be spiritual from a right principle to a right end in an heavenly spiritual manner that it may done in the Spirit Gal 5 16. 1 Cor. 14 14 15 16. And that there be no corrupt Motion Affection or Inclination to evil no tickling of delight in the thing nor any discontent at our restraint from the evil even though our formal assent be not given thereto So that the very involuntary motions of the minde to evil though not assented to are prohibited as being against the holy Law and as flowing from a corrupt fountaine Yea and the very in-being of that body of death which is the spring of evil motions He I say will in sobriety speak of a perfection attainable here But the only remedy here is to curtail the Law that seing they cannot conforme to it it may conforme to them as did the Pharisees of old whence it is usual for such perfectionists to call the motions of Lust and Concupiscence within no sin to plead for venial sinnes and to give us a grosse exposition of the Law and of the duties therein enjoyned One might wonder that these forementioned should be for perfection who of all persons would seem to have least ground But the cause is They are all devoted to the exaltation of Free will and enemies to the grace of God and know no other holiness but what Free Will hath a chiefe hand in whereof they are whole masters 18. Now we come to examine what he saith against our judgment which is That in the best of our actions which we here do there is some admixture of sin corruption and none of them so perfect as to abide the strick examination of divine justice For his representation of our opinion That the saints neither can be nor ever shall be delivered from sin in this life And that the Saints are under a perpetual necessity of sinning is ambiguous and very indistinct as might be showne if it were worth the paines His first Reason is That it is contrary to the wisdome glorious vertue and majesty of God who is of purer eyes then he can behold iniquity Ans. Is it against these attributes of God that sin should be in the world Then we must say by this argument that all wicked men are Pâ—rfect and sinless Yea that the devils are perfect for the pure eyes of God can not behold iniquity in wicked men of whom these words are spoken by Habbakuk no nor in devils or is it only against these attributes that any remnant of corruption or sin should be in the Godly then this will prove the last Perfection to wit an impossibility to sin to be common to all the godly which yet he dust not say and not only the first perfection viz. a possibility of not sinning Let us see if what he addeth can make him any reliefe Sâ—ing saith he God would gather a people to himself to worship him be his witneses on earth without all doubt he sanctifieth purifyeth them Ans. True he sanctifieth purifieth them by degrees till He bring them to the full perfection he hath appointed for them in glory but himself will not say that he sanctifieth them alwayes in the hiâ—hest degree and that as soon as they are Regenerated Is there no sanctification but that which is perfect or is there no sanctification where there is the least sin Then he must say that all the saints are as holy and as free of sin here as they will be in heaven then he must goe higher then ever Pelagians Socinians Papists or Arminians went and must joyn himself to the old Beguards and Beguines We grant with him That God delighteth not in iniquity but abhorreth all sin and that he delighteth not in man as he joyneth to sin Yet he delighteth in man as joyned unto Christ and as turning from sin by Repentance and as fighting the battels of the Lord against the body of death within and as delighting in the Law of the Lord after the inner man And sayes he if man were alwayes to be joyned unto sin he should be alwayes disjoyned from God according to Esai 59 2. But on the contrary they are partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1 4. and are one Spirit with him 1 Cor. 6 17. But what is impure cannot be so for there
to help his owne to performance of duty in part upon a new score let them mourne for shortcomings and flee to the bloud of Christ conforme to the Gospel that there they may get extracts of pardon and be thankful that the Lord hath so secured the matter that they shall never come into condemnation 21. As to the saints he reasoneth further thus Their imperfection is either from themselves or from God If from themselves then it is because they use not the power they have for that effect and if they have a power it is not impossible if from God as not giving them that measure of grace whereby they may be enabled to do all his will then He should be unrighteous Ans. Thus reasoned the Pelagian Caelestius of old and Crellius the Socinian of late See Hoornb ubisupra Pag. 103. And we say 1. This will at most conclude only for a possibility of Perfection or immunity from sin and so will not serve his point 2. If he mean a culpable cause I say it is from themselves and that not because they have any moral power now for keeping the whole Law perfectly though I grant withall that they have more than they make good use of but because that power which was once given was sinfully cast away 3. It is false that God should be unrighteous if he gave not that measure of grace whereby they should become perfect Nay sayes he God shall be more unjust than are the vilest of men who will not give to their children asking bread a stone nor a serpent to them when asking for fish Ans. The Lord rebuke this blasphemous tongue what ground is there for this They confess sayes he that they must ask of God deliverance from sin Very true And yet such a thing is never to be expected The Lord forbid We expect and hope for growing deliverance and final and full deliverance in end when the saints shall say and sing O grave where is thy victory and O death where is thy sting And they shall come unto the upper mount Zion the city of the living God to the Spirits of just men made perfect when all teares shall be wiped away from off their faces But it seemeth our Quakers expect all their heaven here Where is now the stones that God giveth instead of bread the serpents he giveth instead of fish His following calumnious insinuation hath been spoken to already elsewhere 22. His third argument followeth Pag. 156. § 5. He sayes our opinion is injurious to Christ and his sacrifice Christ was manifested chiefly for this end to take away sin and gather a people to himself zealous of good works Tit. 2 14. and to bring in everlasting righteousness that is Evangelical perfection Answ So hote is this man in his pursuite that to reach us he careth not though he pierce his owne bowels for by this one argument he destroyeth all that he said of Vniversal Redemption as we cleared above Chap. VIII But as to us it reacheth us not for we grant that Christ came to take away sin both as to guilt and this he did by the sacrifice of himself and as to the staine and being of it and this he doth by his Spirit piece and piece till in end he give full victory and so he hath a people redeemed from the guilt and power of iniquity though not fully from its presence and stirrings and a people zealous of good works which is not inconsistent with the stirrings of a crucified body of death That that everlasting righteounsess mentioned by Daniel Chap. 9. is to be understood of Evangelical perfection is said but not proved Againe he sayes It is said 1 Ioh. 3 5 8. that the Son of God appeared for this end to take away our sinnes and to destroy the works of the devil Answ. True and so he hath done by taking away the guilt and by destroying daily the works of the devil in his people mortifying lust and corruption and carrying on the work of grace till at length it be perfected Ay but he sayes it is added he that is borne of God doth not commit sin that is doth not break the Law in thought word or deed Answ. What that is to commit sin we shewed above and also that by this passage thus interpreted he shall prove what is against himself to wit that that highest degree of Perfection which whosoever hath attained cannot sin any more is not peculiar to some but common to all that are borne of God Is not Christ sent saith he further to turne a people from sin unto righteousness and from the Kingdom of Satan unto the Kingdom of his dear Son Answ. Yes Are not these thus converted his servants children brethren friends Ans. They are Are they not as he in the world holy pure and immaculate Answ. The text saith not this Read againe 1 Ioh. 4 27 Doth not Christ watch over them care and pray for them save them by his Spirit walking in them and among them Ans. This is all true and â—hence we inferre that they shall certainly be perfected in end and shall persevere unto the end contrare to what he saith as we shall see in the next Chap. But all this will not prove a sinless Perfection common to all the saints But will not Christ have them perfect or is he not able to make them perfect Ans. Yes But he will do it in his owne time and way He himself will not deny but Christ is able to make them all perfect in the highest degree so as not to be able to sin any more yet for all that he will not say that it is so He citeth also Ephes 5 25 26 27. But nothing to his purpose for we grant that the Lord will present his Bride to himself one day faire and cleane without spot or wrinkle or any such thing and that he is about this work bringing all his forward unto this state of perfection washing them cleansing them in his blond and by his Spirit sanctifying them more and more But saith he if they do sin in thought word and deed dayly there is no difference betwixt the holy and profane the cleane and unclean c. Answ. Notwithstanding of this the difference is great for what the profane doth is nothing but sin and in nothing accepted of God through Christ and is done with full purpose of heart without any contrary lusting of the Spirit all they do as it floweth from an evil principle so it is done for an evil end and in a corrupt sinful manner and so is wholly defiled But it is not so with the child of God He mourneth over and repenteth of his shortcomings and striveth against sin The other not So there are many moe differences too many here to be insisted upon 23. His fourth Argument Pag. 157 § 6. is That our doctrine maketh the work of the ministry preaching prayers c. useless while as Paul sayes Ephes.
Socinus his followers policy or prudence who afterwards perceiving what an odium this would be to all Christendome how detestable it would render them condescended at length that the outward forme should be observed but peremptorily adhered to this that it was no Ordinance of Jesus Christ constantly to be observed by the Churches by vertue of a command but only a meer indifferent thing These men with gigantine audacity dar appear and downe right plead against any use of it at all upon any account whence it is evident that they would have this Ordinance quite taken away that so there might not be so much as an outward signe of Christianity left or any thing remaining that might give the least import or signification of a relation that people have unto Jesus Christ as being once baptized in his name and solemnely by profession given away to Him and publickly received in his Kingdom and visible Church and so distinguished from such as are without What a paganish designe this is to take away all outward and visible discriminating difference betwixt Christians and Turks or Pagans every one may see Thus would they bring-in Pagans as equally sharers of all external privileges of the Church with Christians that so Christ might have no distinct house or Kingdom This was several times hinted to us before but now the vaile is taken off their faces and their designe is open and manifest Hereby also we see how near a kin this Spirit that acteth them is unto the Spirit that covenanteth with and acteth in the witches for as these miserable creatures must in the entry of their covenanting with the Devil renunce their bapâ—isme so the Quakers as being more active and masculine servants will not only renunce it for themselves but will have all others whom they can seduce to their party do the like and so far as they can by their penne make it null every where that so the very profession of Christianity might be banished out of the world O! what desperat Runagadoes must these men be 2. We need not here spend time in the confirmation of this Institution which was never in all the ages of the Christian world called in question till Antichristian Socinus and Swenkfeldus arose except what the Manichees of old said and a Seck called Whippers It cannot be denyed that Iohn baptist had a commission from heaven to baptize Ioh. 1 25 26 28 33. Luk. 3 2 3. Mat. 11 25. Luk 7 29 30. It is also certaine that Christ who came to fulfil all righteousness did submit unto it Mat. 3 13 c. Mark 1 9. It is likewise unquestionable that the disciples of Christ baptized which would not have been without his warrand for it is said of him that he baptized though not in his owne person Ioh. 3 22. 4 1 2. And a commission is amply in full forme given to the disciples by him after the resurrection to baptize in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Mat. 28 19. Mark 16 15 16. And it is no less evident that in obedience to this command his Apostles did baptize wherever they came and made converts Act. 2 41. 8 12 13 38. 9 18. 10 48. 16 15 33. 18 8. 22 16. 1 Cor. 1 13. What unparalleled boldness must it then be to call this ordinance into question which hath such a divine original such a manifest divine warrand and was so religiously observed by the Apostles and by all the Churches of Christ since their dayes unto this very day And who can sufficiently admire the madness of these men who would have us lay aside and cast away such an ordinance so appointed and so observed and which withall is so usefull and necessary being not only ordained to be for a solemne admission of the party baptized into the visible Church 1 Cor. 12 13. but also to be a signe and a seal of the covenant of grace whereof these Quakers know nothing Rom. 4 11. Col. 2 11 12. And to be unto the beleever a signe seal of his ingrafting into Christ. Gal. 3 27. Rom. 6 5. of his Regeneration Tit. 3 5. of Remission of sinnes Mark 1 4. of his Adoption Gal. 3 26 27. and Resurrection unto life 1 Cor. 15 13. And of his giving up unto God through Jesus Christ to walk in newness of life Rom. 6 4 And by which when rightly used the grace promised is not only offered but really exhibited and conferred by the holy Ghost to such whether of age or Infants as that grace belongeth unto according to the counsel of God's own will in his appointed time Gal. 3 27. Tit. 3 5. Ephes. 4 25 26. Act. 2 38 41. Would we but seriously ponder What is briefly set down in answere to the 167. Question in our Larger Catechisme we might see what desperate enemies unto true Christianity these Quakers are who would despoile us of this profitable and advantagious Ordinance which might and should be improved to rich advantage How is our baptisme to be improved by us Answ. The needful but much neglected duty of our improving our Baptisme is to be performed by us all our life long especially in the time of temptation and when we are present at the administration of it to others Col. 2 11 12. Rom. 6 4 6 11. by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it and of the ends for which Christ instituted it the privileges and benefites conferred and sealed thereby and our solemne Vow made therein Rom. 6 3 4 5. by being humbled by our sinful defilements our falling short of and walking contrary to the grace of baptisme and our engagments 1 Cor. 1 11 12 13. Rom. 6 2 3 by growing up to assurance of pardon of sin and of all other blessings sealed to us in that sacrament Rom. 4 11 12. 1 Pet. 3 21. by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ into whom we are baptized for the mortifying of sin and quickning of grace Rom. 6 3 4 5. and by endeavouring to live by faith Gal. 3 26 27 to have our conversation in holiness and righteousness Rom. 6 22. As those that have therein given up their names to Christ Act 2 28. and to walk in brotherly love as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body 1 Cor. 12 13 25 26 27. 3. These things considered and thereby it being manifestly discovered what a relation this Ordinance hath unto the cardinal duties and privileges of Christians to wit Faith Repentance Remission of sinnes Regeneration Adoption Justification Sanctification and Salvation Luk. 3 3. Mark 16 16. Act. 2 38 41. 8 36 37. 16 14. 18 8. 12 6. Rom. 3 4 5 6. 1 Cor. 12 13. Gal. 3 27. Ephes. 4 5. Col. 2 2. 1 Pet. 3 21. And withall considering how dangerous it is to neglect it and contemne it Luk 7 39. And how by Christ's owne appointment it
to the Faith of the Receiver no less truely and really then the elements themselves are to their outward senses Mat. 26 26 28. And they that worthily Communicate in this Ordinance do therein feed upon the body and blood of Christ not after a Corporal and Carnal but in a Spiritual manner yet truely and really 1 Cor. 11 24 29. while by faith they receive and apply unto themselves Christ crucified and all the benefites of his death 1 Cor. 10 16 Therefore as upon the one hand we must reject all Corruptions of corrupt opinions concerning this Ordinance such as the Popish sacrifice of the Masse a most abominable device injurious to Christs one only sacrifice the alone propitiation for all the sinnes of the elect Heb. 7 v. 23 24 27. 10 11 12 14 18. for in this Sacrament Christ is not offered up to his Father nor any real sacrifice made at all for the remission of the sinnes of quick or dead Heb. 9 22.25 26 28. but only a Commemoration of that one offering up of himself by himself upon the crosse once for all and a Spiritual Oblation of all spiritual praise unto God for the same 1 Cor. 11 24 25 26. Mat. 26 26 27. As also private masses or receiving this sacrament by a Priest or any other alone 1 Cor. 10 6 And the denyal of the Cup to the people Mark 14 23. 1 Cor. 11 25 26 27 28 29. Worshiping the Elements the Lifting them up or Carrying them about for Adoration and the Reserving them for any pretended religious use they being all contrary to the nature of this Sacrament and to the Institution of Christ Mat. 15 9. As also the doctrine which maintaineth a change of the Substance of bread and wine into the substance of Christs body and blood commonly called Transubstantiation by consecration of a Priest or by any other way as being repugnant not to Scripture alone but even to Common sense and Reason and overthrowing the Nature of the Sacrament and hath been and is the cause of manifold Superstitions yea of gross Idolatries Act. 3 21 with 1 Cor. 11 24.25 26. Luk. 24 6 39. for though the outward Elements here duely set apart to the uses ordained by Christ have such Relation to him crucified as that truely yet Sacramentally only they are sometimes called by the names of the things they represent to wit the body and blood of Christ Mat. 26 26 27 28. Yet in Substance and Nature they still remaine truely and only bread and wine as they were before 1 Cor. 11 26 27 28. Mat. 26 29. As I say we must reject these errours about this Ordinance So upon the other hand we must owne the right manner of its Administration according to Christs appointment which is that his Ministers Declare his word of Institution to the people Pray and Bless the element of bread and wine thereby set them apart from a common to a holy Use and Take and Break the bread take the Cup and they communicating also themselves give both to the communicants Mat. 26 26 27 28 Mark 14 22 23 24. Luk 22 19 20. with 1 Cor. 11 23 24 25 26 but to none who are not then present in the Congregation Act. 20 7. 1 Cor. 11 20. and the Communicants are by the same appointment to take and eat the Bread and to drink the Wine in thankful Remembrance that the body of Christ was broken and given and his blood shed for them 1 Cor. 11 v. 23 24. Mat 26 v. 26 27 28. Mark 14 22 23 24. Luk. 22 19 20 And minde the right way of approaching both as to Preparation before in the time of Administration and after all which is plainely set downe in the Larger Catechisme Quaest 171 174 175. And withall remember that although ignorant wicked men receive the outward Elements in this Sacrament yet they receive not the thing signified thereby but by their unworthy coming thereunto are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord to their own damnation Wherefore all ignorant and ungodly persons as they are unfit to enjoy communion with him so are they unworthy of the Lords table and cannot without great sin against Christ while they remaine such partake of these holy mysteries 1 Cor. 11 27 28 29. 2 Cor. 6 14 15 16. may and ought notwithstanding of their profession of the faith and desire to come to the Lords Supper be keeped from this sacrament by the power which Christ hath left in his Church 1 Cor. 11 27. to the end Mat. 7 9. 1 Cor. 5. Iud. v. 23. 1 Tim. 5 22. until they receive instruction and manifest their reformation 2 Cor. 1 7 Withall it would be remembered that this Sacrament and baptisme though they agree in these things that the Author of both is God Mat. 28 v. 19. 1 Cor. 11 23. the spiritual part of both is Christ and his benefites Rom. 6 3 4. 1 Cor. 10 v. 16. both are seals of the same Covenant Rom. 4 v. 11. with Col. 2 vers 11 12. Mat. 26 27 28. both are to be dispensed by Ministers of the Gospel by none other Iohn 1 33. Mat. 28 19. 1 Cor. 11 23. 4 1 2. Heb. 5 4. and to be continued in the Church of Christ until his second coming Mat. 28 19 20. 1 Cor. 11 26. Yet they differ in that Baptisme is to be administred but once with water to be a seal signe of our regeneration ingrafting into Christ Mat. 3 11. Tit. 3 v. 5 Gal. 3 27. and that even to infants Gen. 17 7 9 Act. 2 38 39. 2 Cor. 7 14. Whereas the Lords supper is to be administrated often in the Elements of bread and wine to represent and exhibite Christ as spiritual nourishment to the soul 1 Cor. 11 23 to 26 to confirme our continuance and grouth in him 1 Cor. â—0 16. and that only to such as are of years ability to examine themselves 1 Cor. 11 vers 28 29. 3. This short account out of our Confession of Faith and larger Catechisme of this mater I thought fit to premise that all may see what that doctrine is which we owne and these men oppose And all may see the desperat wickedness of these Sacrilegious Anti Christians who laboure thus desperately to deprive the Church and people of God of all the soul quickening and soul strengthening and comforting Ordinences which Christ out of great love to his redeemed people hath graciously instituted for establishing and building them up in their most holy faith What gracious soul that hath ever tasted of the sweet Refreshing and soul-rejoyceing Communications of grace and love from the God of all grace and love in this special Ordinance can endure to heare these Soul-murtherers thus bereaving the people of the Lord of the meanes of their sweetest feasts These deluded deceivers talk much of their Experiences which yet are but the delusory gratifications of their blinded imaginations and the
themselves Are not these sufficient to evidence to all the world how the Quakers vilify the Scriptures of truth 5. Do they not disswade all in their writings as the cited passages evidence from reading or studying the Scriptures or from expecting any light or comfort from them Though Christ in express termes commanded to search the Scriptures Yet they perswade to the contrary And is not this a clear proof of their undervalueing of the Scriptures 6. Whereunto else tendeth that expression of Fisher's in his Velata quaedam revelato p. 4. Ye have Moses the Prophets within you but to disparage and vilify the Scriptures See also Parnel p. 11. For the Scripture is within and was read within before it was read without 7. Is it not a manifest vilifying of Scripture to say that there is no light in it Yet so faith The lip of truth opened p. 7. That light is in the Scriptures prove that or tell me what one Scripture hath light in it 8. Do not they say that whaâ— is held forth in the Scriptures is not bindeing to us Naylor love to the lost p. 16. for all the Saints have their commands in the Spirit but yours is in the letter and so another ministration We have mentioned more above Chap. IV. to this purpose and is not this sufficient to declare the Scriptures null in their esteem 9. What else doth that of Iohn Story in his discovery savour of And I. A. further saith let light without be guide to light within Reply if by this exhortation I. A. meanes that light without should try true light within which shines in the hearts of the Saints then I must needs say it is a very absurd and foolish exhortation and being spoken upon a divine account it is full of idolatry and evil 10. Do not the fore cited passages fully clear that in the Quakers judgment we canâ—ot come by the Scriptures to the knowledge of God or of Christ or of ourselves And is not that sufficient to disparage the Scriptures 11. Whâ—n Christ himself made use of the Scriptures to repel the temptations of Satan Mat. 4. Can we think the Quakers haâ—e any high esteem for the Scriptures who declare them utterly useless as to this as Martin Mason doth in his Loving Invitation p. 11 12. Can they value the Scriptures aright who desire the Lord that he would stripe us of all our knowledge of the Scripture and say that they only make us wise to oppose truth and so bring us into a state of condemnation wrath and misery beyond the heathen See Pennington's quaest p. 12. See also W. Pen's Spirit of truth p. 23. 13. Do they not undervalue the Scriptures who still set them in opposition to the Spirit And is not this the common language of the Quakers 14 If the Quakers have an high opinion of the Scriptures what meaneth all these expressions in the Morning watch Pap. 22.23 of them and of the doctrines received from them viz Traditions of men earthly root darkness and confusion Nebuchadnezzars image Putrefaction and corruption rotten and deceitful all out of the liâ—e and power of God Apostacy the whores cup the mark of the Beast Babylon the Mother of harlots Bastards brought forth of flesh and â—lood the birth that persecutes the son and heire Babylons brats and children graven images c. These sure are no expressions of great estimation 15. What shall we think of what the same Author saith p. 45. So amongst the words you finde how the Saints in some things walked and what they practised and then you strive to make something to yourselves and to observe it and do it as near as yoâ— can and here you are found transgressours of the Law of God who saith thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor the likeness of any thing Now what difference is there in the ground betwixt you and the Pope Hath this man the same esteem of the Scriptures that Paul had when he said Rom. 15 4. For whatsoever things were wâ—itten afore time were writen for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 16. Do we not all know how reproachfully the Papists speak of the Scriptures And do not Quakers and they go one way here Let any look Mr Faldo's parallel in the end of Chap. 12. of his book Pag. 131. c. and judge If this be not enough to discover what enemies to and undervaluers of the Scriptures the Quakers are I know not if we can get any more out of hell See what is said above Chap. IV. § 2. 4. 12. 5. What saith he more Hâ—nce moreover because we say that their clatterings and outward faith of an external life passion and death of Christ will no more justify them in the sight of God then the Iewes crying the Temple of the Lord c. but that they must acknowledge a Christ within themselves whom they have crucified to be risen and justifying and redeeming them from all iniquity they say we deny the liâ—e suffering and death of Christ and justification by his blood and remission of sinnes through him Answ. What meaneth he by that ill favoured word clatterings garritiunculae It hath no sound in latâ—ne and no good sound in Engâ—ish in this mater And what meaneth he by an external faith And what meaneâ—h he by an external faith of an external life and death of Christ These expressions are very quakerish that is unsavoury salt of non-sense But when he layeth all the weight of justification and redemption on a thing which they call Christ within every man formerly crucified but now risen is not that as much as if they denied all that Christ did for our Redemption and Justification an Pardon through his righteousness and blood What this man hath said of these things we have seen and examined and because he would fame wipe off this Aspersion from his fraternity let us see what they say in this mater Mr Faldo will help us to some others then we have seen and mentioned formerly 1. What meaneth that expression of Edâ— Burrughs Truâ—peâ— c. â— 17. All that are called Presbyterians and Independents with their seeding upon the report of a thing dead many hundered yeers ago And that of Farnworth what righteousness Christ performed without me was not my justification neither was I saved by it Is not this a plaine denial of justification through Câ—rist and hâ—s righteousness Pennington quaestions p. 2â— is clear enough Can saith he outward blood clause the conscience Can outward water wash the soul clean Parnel's Shield of truth p. 30. And this we witness who through the Lamb our Saviour do reigne above the world death hell and the Devil But none can witness this whose eye is outward looking at a Redeemer a far off Morning watch p. 21. And conclude to themselves a beliefe in Christ and apply his promises what he did for them in the body that
suffered without the gates of Ierusalem and by his death and offering all things is accomplished for them and no sin shall be imputed to them though they live in it that is are not Quakers and through his Mediation and Intercession for them as â—e is at the right hand of God at a distance from them they beleâ—ve that they have access to God and are accepted of him and yet they neither know God nor Christ nor the place where they saâ— he sits at the right hand of God and being in their minde perswaded that Christ hath satisfied and hath reconciled them to God though they be yet in their sinnes that is not Quakers This evidenceth what account they make of a Christ without and of his Righteousness 2. What doth their common taking of a Spiritual body bloud which Christ had which came downe from heaven mean Do they mean by the blood of Christ the blood that came from that man that died a Ierusalem as a sacrifice for sin No they cannot mean that for that is but outward blood that cannot cleanse the conscience This body was but his Temple or Vessel and not his body which went to heaven And this it seemeth they have learned from Mahomet who speaketh of Christ in his Alcoran not much unlike to this Azoar XI what mean they by that Spiritual body whereof that blood was a part which Christ brought with him from heaven and which dwelt for a while in the man Jesus who died at Ierusalem Can such as talk thus be orthodox in this mater Do they not meane by the blood through which Justification and purifying cometh the blood of that spiritual body which Christ brought from heaven with him and which is in every Quaker as really as in Maryâ—s Son Do they mean by the body of Christ that boâ—y which was crucified at Ierusalem Or not rather the thing which they call a Spiritual body which tabernackled in the body of Jesus the Son of Mary and which is as well in them as it was in him And is not this to deny the life and death of Christ without us and Justification thereby Do they mean by Christ by whom we are justified and saved God-man or a real man that was born of Mary assumed into the subsistence of the Godhead Or any thing created and that was visible to the bodily eye or any thing but that which is within themselves What else meaneth that expression of Penningtons quaest p 20. For that which he that is Christ took upon him was our garment but he is of an heavenly nature and his flesh and bloud and bones are of his nature And p. 33. This we certainly know and can never call the bodily garment Christ but that which appeared and dwelt in the body Do they not hereby deny the man Christ Jesus and any interest in him who was of the seed of Abraham and had our nature and is maâ— still in glory Of all this we need doubt no more now since G. Keith hath so fully unvailed this mystery in his late book now come to hand wherein instead of confuting that Postcript to Mr Rutherfoords letters which he pretended he hath more then sufficiently confirmâ—d the same as may be shown in due time 3. Do they not deny that Christ who came in the fulness of time according to the Prophecies and promises and took on our nature and suffered therein and renunce all benefite thereby when they say that Christ's nature is not humane and talk of his being now manifested in the flesh that is in them who are Quakers See Fox's mystery c. p. 71. what else can be the import of their denying a Christ without and calling it a carnal Christ but a plaine denying of him who was touched with the feeling of our infirmities and was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin 4. When they ascribe salvation to a Christ within do they not deny the Christ without Fox in his great mystery p 8. And no one knowes salvation but who knowes thiâ— Christ in you who is the Salvation and where he is within there is salvation Fox the younger p. 49.50.54 And you whom the power of the prince of the air hath led out of me you scorn me the light in you They have disobeyed it and called it a natural light and ye have said that I the light am not able to save those that beleeve in me That if you would believe and wait in me the light I will purg out all your iniquities and forgive all your trespasses and I will change your nature and make you new Creatures if ye will hearken to me and obey the light in you Smith Cat. c. p. 64.71 And this Christ in us is he in whom our salvation standeth as the mediator between God and man the man Christ Iesus and we also know and beleeve that he is the same Chriâ—t in us which in dispensations past did humble himself to the cross Mason's loving Invit p. 5. If ever man be justified by his maker then by believing in God's Covenant of light which in the conscience bears its testimony against all iniquity then let me â—or ever be condemned from the presence of the righteous God Smith prim p. 9. tels us expresly thaâ— the Christ without and the Christ within have no more followship together than the East hath with West And therefore the asserting of the one must be a quite destroying of the other Hear once more the Morning watch p. 41. And as you give up to that measure of light in your own consciences and wait to be guided by it and exercised in it you will know Christ revealed within you whom you are looking â—or without you and put his day far off from you and so live in want of him and know not how to come to him nor the place where to finde him but live in the dreamings and night visions and have a talk of him and what he hath done for you and so spend your precious time in slumbering and dreaming c. 5 What meaneth that of Ed. Burroughs p 31. cited by Mr Hicks in his 2. Dial. Pag. 21.22 Silence flesh wouldst thou who art an enemy to God know how we are reconciled to God and by what obedience Owne the light in thy conscience and be obedient to that then thou shalt know by what obedience we are râ—conciled to God c. is this to speak soundly of the Righteousness of Christ 6. What meane they by Christ's sufferings still and by satisfaction made by Christs sufferings in his saints Burroughs p. 31. saith Thou blasphemer askest thou knowest not what is not â—hrist the same as ever And is not the sufferings of Christ satisfactory wherever We need adde no more there being enough here to discover their renunceing of the sufferings and death of Christ who died at Ierusalem as being any way satisfactory to the justice of God or sinnes 6.